1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 200 The Elegant Mr. Zhai

In the 1960s, some gossipy media once said that America had Monroe and Hong Kong had Xia Meng, and even called her the Hepburn of the East.

Li Hanxiang said she was the most beautiful actress in the history of Chinese cinema, Cen Fan never married for her, and Jin Liangyong thought Xi Shi should be like her to be worthy of her reputation...

At that time, the men who pursued Xia Meng lined up all the way to the Pacific Ocean, including many bigwigs from both the political and business circles, but she eventually married an employee of a foreign company named Lin, and after marriage, she and her husband ran a garment factory together.

Later, it was rumored that Jin Liangyong wrote the character of the pretty boy Lin Pingzhi in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" to vent his dissatisfaction.

At 8:15 in the evening, Zhai Yuan saw this legendary actress for the first time at the entrance of Peninsula Restaurant in Central.

At this time, Xia Meng had just been invited by the mainland to make a comeback. She had lost her star halo and became the producer and investor of Zuoyi Film and Television.

Although she is in her early fifties, there are still few fine lines on her face, she has a plump figure, and her eyes and eyebrows reveal a graceful and dignified temperament.

"Hello, Sister Meng."

"Hello, Mr. Zhai."

At Ye Zhiming's introduction, Zhai Yuan and Xia Meng shook hands, and the three of them walked into the restaurant's private room together under the guidance of the waiter.

When he entered the room, Zhai Yuan felt that Ye Zhiming looked at him strangely, so he turned around and asked him, "What's wrong?"

Ye Zhiming really couldn't see what he had in mind that could attract his sister. He took a deep breath and walked straight into the box: "No problem!"

The record player was already prepared in the box.

Xia Meng had a strong aura. She didn't rush Zhai Yuan to get the record out first. Instead, she chatted with him briefly. In addition to praising the movies and songs he had created before, she also apologized for the previous review committee incident.

In fact, this matter had nothing to do with her. On the contrary, it caused unpleasantness with the review committee. However, Xia Meng was broad-minded and did not take it to heart.

"The comrades from above didn't understand the situation in Hong Kong, but fortunately they corrected the mistake in time and it didn't affect the release of God of Gamblers. They knew I was coming to see you and asked me to apologize to you."

Xia Meng smiled and took the teacup on her own initiative. Zhai Yuan quickly stood up and said that he was not worthy of the title, but he still had great respect for this old artist in his heart.

But it’s difficult for the review committee to evaluate.

God of Gamblers is not the first film to bring the mainland's censorship standards to Hong Kong, and it certainly won't become the last one just because of Xia Meng's few words.

What Zhai Yuan remembers most clearly is that later on, Yongsheng Company produced a movie called "From Beijing with Love". Afterwards, all the people from Yongsheng were arrested and scolded. Even after Zhou Xingchi set up his own production company, he wanted to shoot a sequel to this movie, and even changed the title to "King of Spies 777". However, it was eventually shelved due to various reasons.

Although Aqi has slandered them, and Yongsheng's people deserved to be stabbed in the lungs, Gao Jin did not provoke any of you.

Zhai Yuan poured a cup of tea for Xia Meng and asked half-jokingly, "You won't ask me to cut some scenes when God of Gamblers is released, right?"

Xia Meng smiled and said jokingly, "That depends on whether the theme song you composed for Like Water Flowing Years is up to standard."

Zhai Yuan took out a record from his bag and pretended to be nervous and said, "Wow! Sister Meng's words make me feel so stressed."

After saying that, she smiled at Ye Zhiming, but Ye Zhiming looked uninterested and just pulled the corner of his mouth in response.

Zhai Yuan frowned, not knowing how he had offended this guy, but he didn't bother to pay attention to him at this moment. He put the record into the record player, and as the needle moved, a simple piano melody floated out.

"Looking at the sea, I feel tired, without tears or words. Looking at the sky, I feel confused. My heart is like a small wooden boat, I can't see the distant view, but I still move forward..."

The music was composed by Zhou Huimin and sung by Zhai Yuan in a loud voice, which calmed the atmosphere in the box.

Xia Meng closed her eyes slightly, recalling how the clips in the movie matched the song.

After the last melody ended, she opened her eyes and smiled kindly again: "Mr. Zhai is worthy of his reputation as the bridge king in the film industry. I felt very moved when I heard this song. I believe you must have carefully studied this movie. It especially reminded me of the scene at the end of the movie where someone paddled a small wooden boat in the sea."

Zhai Yuan smiled and asked, "Does this count as qualified?"

Xia Meng chuckled and said, "At least it's qualified in my opinion, but I still need to take the record back to let the director listen to it."

Zhai Yuan said: "My voice is not as good as that of a professional singer. If I want to record the song officially, I have to hire a better singer, and a female singer with richer emotions."

Xia Meng asked: "Mr. Zhai, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

Zhai Yuan did not hesitate and said, "Mei Yanfang from Huaxing is very suitable to sing this song."

Xia Meng was obviously unfamiliar with the name Mei Yanfang, but she knew that Huaxing was a subsidiary of TVB. She asked Zhai Yuan in surprise, "You wrote the song yourself, but you gave it to a singer from another company to sing?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "My company doesn't have a talented singer like her. I'm afraid it will affect Sister Meng's movie. Besides, it's just a theme song, it doesn't count."

When Xia Meng looked at Zhai Yuan again, there was a little more appreciation in his eyes.

She nodded slightly, and after a moment's deliberation, she spoke again: "I don't need to say anything more. I heard from a friend in the Hong Kong-Malaysia Exchange Office that you will also go to the mainland to participate in the celebration on October 1st?"

Zhai Yuan nodded in agreement.

Xia Meng said: "Let's go together then, and I'll introduce some elders to you."

Zhai Yuan's heart was moved, and he said with a smile on his face: "Okay, thank you Sister Meng."

After dinner in the box.

Zhai Yuan sent Xia Meng out of the restaurant. The short time they spent together had already made them become much more familiar with each other.

Xia Meng said: "Lianhua Line will try to schedule more screenings for "God of Gamblers" this time, and we also hope to cooperate more with 1024 in the future."

Zhai Yuan said, "Definitely."

Ye Zhiming waited until the two of them had finished chatting, then took the initiative to say, "Sister Meng, I'll take you home."

Xia Meng waved her hand and said no, pointed to a Mercedes-Benz car parked not far away, and said with a smile: "Prudential's car is right there."

The door of the Mercedes-Benz opened and an elegant middle-aged man walked out.

Xia Meng's husband Lin Baocheng came over with a smile.

After a few brief greetings, the loving couple Lin Baocheng and Xia Meng waved goodbye.

Only Zhai Yuan and Ye Zhiming were left at the restaurant entrance.

Zhai Yuan looked at Ye Zhiming and said, "I have a brother named Liang Zhichao. He is a very nice man. If you are worried that your sister won't be able to get married, I can introduce her to someone else. There is no point in being upset just because I reject her."

Ye Zhiming squinted at him and said, "My sister, Ye Zhiming, will not be able to get married? Don't mention this matter in the future. Just think that I spoke nonsense today because of bad breath and made random matches."

Zhai Yuan stared at him for two seconds and rolled his eyelids: "You are the god again, and you are the ghost again, you idiot!"

Ye Zhiming also felt a little guilty, so he smiled and took out a cigarette and handed it to Zhai Yuan, then changed the subject and said, "Okay, now that the movie is done, come with me to the cruise ship tomorrow to check it out. If there is no problem, sign the contract as soon as possible. We are not the only ones who want the Sea Dragon Star..."

"Eh? Boss, you're here to eat too?"

Before he finished speaking, a crisp voice suddenly rang in their ears.

Ye Zhiming's hand trembled as he lit the cigarette, and he looked up in surprise. His sister Ye Yuqing appeared out of nowhere, standing in front of him with a smile and an innocent and surprised expression on her face. Then Ye Yuqing said in surprise as if she had just seen Zhai Yuan: "Aren't you Mr. Zhai from 1024? I'm your fan. Please take care of me since this is our first meeting."

Seventeen-year-old Ye Yuqing still looked young, with fashionable wavy curls, heavy makeup on her face, a shiny gold necklace on her slender neck, a steel ring on the chain, a white tight skirt, and a widened LV belt around her waist, which further highlighted her gourd-shaped figure.

Zhai Yuan shook hands with her in a daze. He did not recognize this rebellious-looking girl at first, but he felt that her features looked familiar.

It was not until she took the initiative to say, "My name is Ye Yuqing, you can just call me Aqing," that Zhai Yuan suddenly reacted.

He turned around and murmured to Ye Zhiming: "Is your sister's name Ye Yuqing?"

Ye Zhiming held his forehead and nodded. Based on his understanding of his sister, he absolutely did not believe that this was a chance encounter.

Zhai Yuan was even more surprised than him.

The goddess of erotic films, the champion singer of three TV stations, and the billionaire woman of later generations is actually Ye Zhiming's sister?

Zhai Yuan was afraid that they had the same name, so he glanced at Ye Yuqing's chest inconspicuously.

Good guy, a seventeen-year-old C+ detective, he can’t be wrong.

Brother-in-law, you should have told me earlier!
Ye Yuqing asked hopefully, "My idol, I really like the songs you write, and I want to be a singer myself. Can I join your company?"

Zhai Yuanxin said that Jiuyi Entertainment is a film company, so if he wants to be a singer, shouldn’t he go to a record company?
But looking at Ye Yuqing's eager eyes, Zhai Yuan gradually understood. He didn't expect that even though Zhai Laowu didn't appear in public, there would still be fans chasing after him.

He coughed in a pretentious manner and said, "You can come to the company for an interview tomorrow."

Ye Yuqing exclaimed softly upon hearing that, and jumped twice on the spot in joy, her chest trembling.

Ye Zhiming couldn't bear it anymore, so he forced a smile and waved to Ye Yuqing: "Come here, Ah Qing, the boss has something to tell you."

Ye Yuqing stared at him warily and shook her head to refuse.

Ye Zhiming looked at Zhai Yuan helplessly, and with a dark face he pulled the culprit in his mind aside.

He warned in a low voice: "Handsome, my sister is still young. You can have a relationship with her, but you are not allowed to have sex with her."

Zhai Yuan, who was always reserved and elegant, frowned and looked at him when he heard this: "Vulgar!"

…………

Ye Yuqing couldn't wait to come to Jiuyi Entertainment the next day.

Without Ye Zhiming's restraint, she did not hide her fanatical fan side in front of Zhai Yuan.

As soon as Zhai Yuan gave her a brief introduction to the company's environment, Ye Yuqing took the initiative to boldly take his arm and asked questions out of curiosity.

Feeling the softness in his arms, Zhai Yuan wanted to yell, but was afraid of hurting the fans' feelings.

There are so many concerns about being an idol.

In Jiuyi's recording studio.

Zhou Huimin sat in front of the piano, but her thoughts had long since drifted away.

She was a girl brought up in a strict family. In the past, she commuted between home and school, and occasionally worked as a tutor. Until she met Zhai Yuan, especially when he sneaked up on her and took her first kiss, she felt that her peaceful life was disrupted by him.

It's easy to quit your job in anger, but it's not so easy to find another good job to support your family.

Besides, Zhou Huimin didn’t feel very angry.

She stroked her lips gently, and recalled the scene when Zhai Yuan came close to her in the cinema that day. She felt her face getting a little hot, and she poked the piano keys a few times in embarrassment, and a chaotic sound suddenly rang out between the instruments.

"Heavenly sound!"

A familiar voice rang in my ears.

Zhou Huimin quickly suppressed her emotions, looked back with a stern face, and then unexpected surprise appeared in her eyes.

Zhai Yuan pushed the door open and walked in. There was a girl with a nice figure beside him. She held his arm in an intimate manner and was waving at him in a familiar manner.

"This is Zhou Huimin, the only female singer in the music department at the moment."

Zhai Yuan led Ye Yuqing into the recording studio and introduced her to Zhou Huimin, "Amin, this is our new colleague, Aqing Ye Yuqing."

Zhou Huimin's hands clenched unconsciously, and she seemed a little helpless compared to the graceful Ye Yuqing.

The two girls of the same age greeted each other in a somewhat strange way. Zhou Huimin secretly looked at Ye Yuqing with complicated eyes, but Ye Yuqing's gaze did not stay on her for too long.

She raised her face towards Zhai Yuan, smiling like a flower, and said, "My idol, I wrote a song to sing for you, okay?"

When Zhai Yuan heard that there was an unexpected gain, he smiled and nodded in agreement. From his impression, Ye Yuqing was indeed a talented singer and had even worked on the same stage with the queen Faye Wong. Her strength was evident. However, she later abandoned this skill after entering the film and television industry.

Ye Yuqing looked at Zhou Huimin with a smile: "Amin, can you go out first?"

Zhou Huimin exclaimed in surprise, glanced at Zhai Yuan, lowered her head and uttered "oh" in a low voice, then walked out with some disappointment.

Zhai Yuan pulled her, pinched her scallion-thick fingers and said, "It's okay. It's just right for Amin to be the interviewer and give you some comments. It's considered part of your interview."

"Okay then~" Ye Yuqing pouted and said to Zhou Huimin, "But I wrote this song for my idol, so don't be too strict."

A song written for me?
Zhai Yuan became interested, and when Ye Yuqing walked into the recording studio, he pulled Zhou Huimin to sit in front of the glass.

Zhou Huimin broke free from his grasp and glared at him with an unhappy look on her face.

Zhai Yuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "Come on, let's listen to what song my fans wrote for me."

He made an OK gesture to the person in the window, and without asking for Ye Yuqing's accompaniment, he just took the microphone and started singing a cappella.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

As soon as Ye Yuqing opens her mouth, her voice is very suggestive.

Zhai Yuan was startled when he heard this and thought to himself, is this a normal song you are singing?

"Ah sneeze!"

The next second, Ye Yuqing sneezed and officially started singing the song "A-Cheeze" written for Zhai Yuan.

"Unless I have a cold, how could I sneeze for no reason? Sneeze! Is it because the playboy is thinking of me and doing bad things in his mind? The elegant Mr. Zhai made me think about him in front of the poster. If I were the playboy Zhai, I would be willing to serve him..."

Ye Yuqing sang and danced, and threw a wink at Zhai Yuan through the glass with a smug and cute smile.

Zhai Yuan was very happy to hear this. He didn't expect that he would be treated like this. He didn't notice that Zhou Huimin's lips were curling higher and higher...

(End of this chapter)