Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

Looking at the words "Beijing Film Academy" above the gate, Wang Xuan was very excited, as if he were dreaming, and murmured to himself:

"Entertainment industry, here I come!"

Originally from Sichuan, my family ran a restaurant in Hengdian. Just as the Chinese film and television industry was booming, a large number of extras flocked to the small town of Hengdian, and the restaurant business flourished as a result.

Wang Xuan grew up in Hengdian, where he heard stories of ordinary people becoming big stars every day, such as Wang Baoqiang and Zhao Liying.

What I saw most were various celebrities, surrounded by fans and moviegoers, looking very glamorous.

Over time, Wang Xuan developed an interest in the entertainment industry and, on a whim, worked as an extra for several years.

Having never studied acting, he relied solely on his handsome face to compete among tens of thousands of extras.

He was given the most outstanding role, with only seven lines and three side shots.

After several years of struggling without seeing any hope of becoming a big star, and with his parents using all sorts of threats and inducements, Wang Xuan had no choice but to obediently return home to inherit the family's chain of restaurants.

He thought he would live out the rest of his life like this, until someone claiming to be a producer came to him to solicit investment and even brought the female lead he had chosen to accompany him.

In an instant, the door to a new world opened for Wang Xuan.

If you can't be a big star, you can still play the role of a big star!

These so-called actresses... well, they have no background, no connections, and they use their bodies as bargaining chips in order to become famous. This is a very normal competition for advancement.

Of course, from an argumentative perspective, it's hard to say whether it's a loss or a gain, since one can enjoy physical pleasure, attract investment, and continue pursuing their dream of becoming a star.

The entertainment industry is a real murky place, especially for laymen like Wang Xuan, who hasn't even gotten back half of the money he invested.

When he regained consciousness, 18-year-old Wang Xuan made the decisive decision to take the art exam.

He also wanted to get into this circle and see what was going on.

The competition for art exams is extremely fierce these days, with tens of thousands of applicants vying for only thirty spots in the performance major.

Ultimately, Wang Xuan, with his good looks, successfully entered the Performance Department of Taipei Film Academy and became a member of the class of 07.

···

It's currently the National Day holiday, and school has been in session for a month now.

Still feeling excited, Wang Xuan planned to explore the capital city thoroughly, especially to visit other art schools.

Those unattainable superstars from my past life, I want to know what they were like before they became famous.

Take the Beijing Film Academy for example; he sees many female celebrities he couldn't meet in his previous life.

Zhang Xiaofei, a junior in college, had been in the entertainment industry for many years but was still unknown until she became an overnight sensation for playing Jia Ling's mother. Her roommate, Yuan Shanshan, also had a period of minor fame.

Gao Ye, a sophomore this year, will become famous for playing the role of the eldest sister-in-law in "The Storm". Dr. Zhai's character has not yet collapsed. There is also Peng Guanying, who had a passionate kiss with Liu Yifei in "The Story of Rose"...

When Yang Mi occasionally appeared at school, Wang Xuan wondered if he was seeing things. At that time, she hadn't had her teeth pulled yet, her face was a bit square, but her figure was quite good.

Judging from Wang Xuan's perspective as someone who has been through it all, it is far from the scale of later generations.

I also saw several of his classmates, including Kan Qingzi, Chai Biyun, and Shuangzi, who is only 16 years old this year.

The future flower of wealth and honor, the current flower bud Jing Tian, ​​will only be seen during the first few days of school.

I heard that he has a mysterious background and released his first EP before even enrolling in school. It was tailor-made by the well-known producer Zhang Yadong, and the music video was filmed by Ning Hao, who rose to fame with "Crazy Stone".

Following that, she co-starred with Tony Leung Ka-fai in her first film.

He had top-tier resources from the start, but he played his cards terribly and failed miserably, making no impact whatsoever.

The hottest topic at school recently is the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, whose nominations were announced just a few days ago.

【The Knot】leads the pack with 8 nominations. Director Zhang Yimou's 【Curse of the City】received zero nominations, sparking considerable controversy.

Everyone says "Curse of the Golden Flower" is terrible, with its costumes and props being overly extravagant and frivolous. But compared to other films released during the National Day holiday, it's a rare gem.

These are all films I've never heard of before, so I won't list them all here.

The only thing worth mentioning is that Jiang Wen's film "The Sun Also Rises," which he directed after being banned from directing for five years, was a critical and commercial flop due to its obscurity and difficulty in understanding.

The film was shortlisted for the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, which made Jiang Wen extremely happy. He declared in front of the media: "Planning is up to me, and success depends on planning."

With director Zhang Yimou as the jury chairman, everyone thought the film would win, but the result was unexpected; it lost to Li An's "Lust, Caution".

"The Sun Also Rises" yielded no results.

···

"Junior, aren't you going home for National Day?" Zhu Yilong patted Wang Xuan on the shoulder.

When they enrolled, he was the one who helped Wang Xuan find his dormitory, and the two became quite familiar with each other over time.

"Oh, it's Senior Zhu Meili! I'd like to take advantage of the holiday to explore the capital and maybe visit the school next door."

Wang Xuan winked and teased the introverted Zhu Yilong.

Because he was handsome, had a reserved demeanor, and a delicate face, his classmates gave him this nickname.

After hearing about it, Wang Xuan often used it to make fun of it.

"Junior, you can just call me by my name." Zhu Yilong strongly resisted the nickname. "I happen to be free, so I'll take you around."

···

No matter the time, the Forbidden City is always crowded; it's always packed with people.

Looking at the magnificent architectural complex, and thinking about the Qing Dynasty dramas that will be popular in the next few years, such as "Empresses in the Palace" and "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace"...

However, before Wang Xuan's rebirth, the anti-Qing ideology among the people reached its peak, with the saying "the queue has ruined Chinese civilization."

"Old Zhu, you're a sophomore now, have you ever acted in a movie?"

Wang Xuan wanted to know about the employment situation for students majoring in performing arts.

Compared to being called "Zhu Meili," Zhu Yilong is more accepting of being called "Old Zhu."

When asked by Wang Xuan, he scratched his head sheepishly. He wasn't a child star and didn't have any connections or background, so he would have to wait for an opportunity to act in movies or TV series.

"I made a short film when I was a freshman. It was the graduation project of a senior from the directing department."

Fearing it might dampen Wang Xuan's enthusiasm, Zhu Yilong reassured him, "You've only just started school. Focus on building a solid foundation first, and you'll have plenty of acting opportunities later."

Wang Xuan smiled and didn't refute. After all, he had lived two lives and knew the entertainment industry like the back of his hand.

Moreover, this was an era dominated by circles like the Beijing circle, the Northwest circle, and the Shanghai circle.

They strolled around until noon, and on Zhu Yilong's recommendation, the two found a well-established restaurant in the alley and ate something casually.

I heard that this shop has been open since the Qing Dynasty and has a century-old production process, so the taste is very authentic.

That sip of soy milk had a faint smell of urine, which was indeed a favorite of the Manchu princes.

When it came time to pay the bill, Wang Xuan wanted to treat him, since Zhu Yilong had taken him around all morning.

But Zhu Yilong beat him to it, so they let him have his way. Prices were still reasonable and not expensive at the moment.

They said they'd go check out the Central Academy of Drama next door, but they didn't end up going. The main reason was that neither of them knew anyone there, so they went back to their school.

There's a saying in the entertainment industry: Beijing Film Academy produces stars, Central Academy of Drama produces actors.

There's another saying: Fame should be sought as early as possible.

"Junior, if you really want to act, why don't you ask the directing department? Every year, senior students make graduation short films. You have a good appearance, so you might get selected."

"Okay, I'll ask about it when I have time."

The two strolled around the school, and Zhu Yilong told Wang Xuan about the rules that the school tacitly approved.

The school grants leave to students who are on legitimate film crews, but the neighboring school is much stricter in this regard. Students are required to spend two years building a solid foundation before being allowed to take on acting roles in their junior year.