I entered Huayu Entertainment in 2016.

Wang Zian decisively hung up the phone and switched to a video call.

After the call connected, Tian Xiwei's face appeared in the small window.

She was wearing a pink t-shirt, her hair was casually tied in a bun, and a few stray hairs fell from her temples.

Wang Zian didn't have time to look at it much. He pointed the camera at the computer screen and pulled up the photos he had taken of Zhou Ye and Zhang Ruonan.

To increase his persuasiveness, he also clicked on the two videos that had already surpassed one million likes.

Tian Xiwei stared intently at the screen with her big eyes, very close, her bright pupils swallowing each image.

The more I looked, the more light and brightness appeared in her eyes.

Finally, Wang Zian clicked on the couple's episode that he had just edited today.

After about twenty seconds, she looked up and a deep dimple appeared on her round face.

"OMG! OMG! OMG!"

She jumped up from the sofa excitedly, her bun almost coming undone, and her whole body suddenly rose a lot higher in the small window, leaving only the upper half of her face and the ceiling on the screen.

"Do you really need me to go? Are you really filming in Yanjing?"

"Of course, send me your ID number!"

"What do you need my ID number for?"

Tian Xiwei's excitement hadn't subsided, but a trace of innate vigilance still lingered in her little mind.

"Do you even have the money to come to Yanjing? Didn't you say before that you'd spent all your savings?"

"Oh~! Right~!" Tian tide reached out and scratched her hair, making the few stray strands even more messy.

She finished scratching and then smiled shyly, revealing two deep dimples. There was not a trace of embarrassment in her smile, only composure.

Seeing her carefree and unpretentious demeanor, Wang Zian felt inexplicably happy.

As expected of a girl from Sichuan or Chongqing, she has an innate openness in her personality.

"Oh, right, remember to tell your parents!" Wang Zian reminded him; "You've just turned 18 and need their permission."

"Oh! Don't worry!" Tian Xiwei waved her hand decisively, as if she were in charge at home; "My old man will definitely support you."

"Send me your ID number. Also, hurry up and pack your things; you'll be flying over tomorrow morning."

"Alright~! Remember to wait for me~!"

"I'm going to go take care of my old man!"

She hung up the phone with a laugh, without even saying goodbye, and the call ended with a single beep.

Wang Zian stared at the black screen and tried to think about how Tian Xiwei would convince her parents.

A daughter who had just turned 18 received a phone call in the middle of the night, and then ran to her father and said, "I'm going to Beijing to film a video with someone I've only met once."

The scene seemed absurd no matter how you imagined it, but the confident and certain tone in her voice when she hung up the phone made him think that she might actually be able to get it done.

The phone vibrated slightly in his palm.

He turned the screen over and saw that another message had just lit up at that moment.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Liu Haochun

····

Liu Haochun's message appeared on the screen, her words and punctuation were all very proper, just like her as a person—polite, gentle, even the question marks carried a quiet restraint.

Wang Zian didn't beat around the bush; he quickly tapped the screen a few times with his thumb and threw out the question directly:

Are you still in Beijing?

Yenching, the girls' dormitory at Beijing Dance Academy.

The footsteps and sounds of washing up in the corridor gradually subsided, and the curtains fluttered slightly in the night breeze before falling back down.

Liu Haochun had just finished showering, her hair wasn't completely dry yet, a few wet strands of hair clung to her ears, and she was leaning against the headboard wearing a pink cotton pajama set with a cherry pattern.

The pajamas were a typical loungewear style, with a round neck, long sleeves, and a small circle of delicate floral trim around the cuffs. Just like her, they were unassuming, but upon closer inspection, every detail was perfectly tailored.

She was the only one in the dormitory.

The other three roommates all went home for the holiday, and the whole house was quiet.

She looked at the name on her phone screen, somewhat surprised.

After adding each other on WeChat, they only chatted occasionally. He liked the graduation rehearsal photos she posted, and when he occasionally posted a picture of the scenery in Beijing, she would reply with "Beautiful".

That's all; it's not really a close relationship.

Why are you sending me a message at this hour?

She placed her phone on her lap, hovered her finger above the screen for a moment, and then politely typed a few words in reply.

"Yes, what's up?"

"Do you want to act?" Wang Zian asked directly.

Liu Haochun's doe-like eyes widened instantly.

She subconsciously brought her phone closer and scanned the line of text back and forth twice with her thumb to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

She rolled over and lay face down, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders, when a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

She muttered to herself, "How did he know?"

In May, I encountered a casting call for a film by director Zhang Yimou at my school.

It was a very ordinary afternoon. She and a group of classmates were called to the rehearsal hall by their teacher. Each of them went up and danced a short dance, and then introduced themselves to the camera.

She had no hope at first, only thinking about seizing any opportunity.

If I get elected, even if it's just for a small role, it will ease the burden on my parents.

As a result, she received a notification last week that she had advanced to the next round of screening.

She didn't tell anyone, not even her roommates.

But hope remains slim. I heard that this casting call covers all art schools across the country, and each round of selection will eliminate the vast majority of people.

With so many equally young and eager eyes crowding onto the same narrow path, she really lacked confidence.

Thinking of his home, Liu Haochun pulled the blanket up higher and buried his chin in the edge of the blanket.

When I was younger, I didn't feel it as deeply; I only knew that my parents worked very hard.

She often participates in gigs or other activities with the help of her senior classmates or teachers to help her parents relieve stress.

So even though she was on holiday, she didn't go home, hoping to find some well-paying part-time jobs in Beijing.

She even served as the emcee for the opening ceremony.

But compared to the weight pressing down on her shoulders, what she did was just a drop in the ocean.

Liu Haochun turned his gaze away from the three empty beds in the dormitory, curled up on his side, and pressed his back tightly against the cold wall.

The coolness seeped into her skin through her pajamas from the wall paint, which actually made her feel a little safer.

Then she looked down again at the message Wang Zian had sent.

Did he also participate in Director Zhang's casting process?

As soon as this thought came to mind, a strange, warm feeling welled up inside her.

It was like meeting someone in a fog that seemed to have no end, and that person was walking the same path as her.

She bit her lip, held the phone in front of her, and tapped the screen a few times with her finger.

Why don't you ask?

After hesitating, Liu Haochun still sent a message.

"Brother Zian, did you also participate in Director Zhang's actor selection?"

When Wang Zian saw this message, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

A film directed by Zhang?

Zhang Yimou?

The scene at this point should be from the movie "Shadow," right?

Something seemed to gently trigger his mind, and a fragment of memory, which did not belong to this time and space but was extremely clear, surfaced.

The name Liu Haochun will be linked with Zhang Yimou's name in the future, and more than once.

She will act in his movies, stand beside him on the red carpet, and become a name that everyone remembers.

A "Zhang Yimou Girl" (actress discovered by director Zhang Yimou).

Memories flashed through his mind, and Wang Zian couldn't help but sigh.

Wow! I actually met a future "Zhang Yimou girl"!

Now, Wang Zian was even more eager to bring her into his team.

After a moment's thought, I began to send messages carefully and strategically.

"Liu Haochun, right~!"

"I'm not involved in Director Zhang's film; I'm shooting short videos, and we're currently short of actors. I was wondering if you'd be interested in giving it a try?"

Liu Haochun blinked, the warmth in her heart replaced by doubt.

"Isn't that right? But he actually has his own production crew, so why is he filming short videos? And why would he think of contacting me?"