How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 338 Reunion
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the first training class's student gathering arrived in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Wen asked director Han Xiaohua for leave and then took a rented tour bus to the airport to pick up people.

The WeChat group for the first phase of the special training contains the flight information of each trainee, with landing times concentrated between 10:00 and 11:00.

Zhang Wen's plan for today was to first take everyone out to eat, and then visit Tianxi Media, so that the trainees could experience the environment of a top domestic entertainment media company and appreciate how a top-notch behind-the-scenes team operates.

"Teacher Zhang, how far have things progressed between you and my aunt?"

At the terminal exit, Qiao Shuxin looked curiously at Teacher Zhang beside her.

She was a native of Beijing. She had arranged a meeting with Teacher Zhang in advance, then took a bus to the airport to wait with Teacher Zhang for the other trainees from the first training session.

"Why are you asking this?" Zhang Wen glanced at Gao Yue's niece, whose eyes, besides being gossipy, also showed a hint of anxiety.

No hurries?
Are you in a hurry to eat wedding candy?
"Teacher Zhang, if you have feelings for my aunt, you'd better hurry up and make your move. From what I've observed, it seems like my aunt is seeing someone else," Qiao Shuxin said mysteriously.

"Huh? No way?" Zhang Wen was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

In recent months, Gao Yue has been with him every night. The only times they are apart are when he is away on business.

Could it be that she's using her daytime work hours to start a new relationship?

He remembered that Gao Yue's skill panel included time management, and she had over sixty skill points, making her a standard time management elite.

It's possible to date one person during the day and another at night.

These days, who doesn't have a few backup options?

"Why not? My aunt is beautiful, has a great figure, and is very capable at work. As far back as I can remember, she has never lacked suitors, and they are all outstanding. Maybe she has fallen for someone this time," Qiao Shuxin said earnestly.

“What you’re saying are all speculations, not evidence,” Zhang Wen said.

If we suspect Gao Yue of having someone else outside the marriage just because she is beautiful, has a good figure, and is capable at work, then wouldn't the same person also have someone else outside the marriage?
This speculation is invalid.

"I have evidence!" Qiao Shuxin leaned closer and whispered, "Teacher Zhang, let me tell you, ever since the college entrance exam, I've been living at my grandpa's house, and guess what? My aunt hardly ever comes home at night. If she comes back to stay one night a week, that's considered a lot. She doesn't have a house outside, so where do you think she can go if she doesn't come home?"

"..."

Zhang Wen was speechless after hearing this.

I thought I was going to hear some juicy gossip, but instead I ended up getting caught up in it myself.

He really wanted to tell Qiao Shuxin: Your aunt doesn't come home at night because she sleeps with me.

But then I felt that if I told them, they would definitely ask me more questions, and then they would ask me things that were inappropriate for children, so I gave up the idea of ​​telling them.

Besides, Gao Yue didn't say anything, so why should he, an outsider, say anything?

"Your aunt is not young anymore, she should have her own life. Don't be suspicious and overthink things," Zhang Wen said calmly, trying to maintain Gao Yue's image in her niece's eyes.

“Teacher Zhang, I’m not overthinking anything. I just think you should work harder and not give others an opportunity to take advantage of you. I even want you to be my aunt’s husband,” Qiao Shuxin said.

Although this uncle-in-law isn't a celebrity, he's very talented.

She's a renowned art exam tutor, a famous songwriter, and her mother says she can even treat insomnia—truly a multi-talented individual.

"Thank you, I will do my best," Zhang Wen said earnestly.

He and Gao Yue are now just one step away from breaking through the final barrier between them.

Actually, this matter is not difficult; it just requires a suitable opportunity. Once the opportunity arrives, things will naturally fall into place.

"Teacher Zhang, I will always support you." Qiao Shuxin raised her fist to cheer on her beloved uncle.

"Teacher Zhang!"

"Teacher Zhang!"

Suddenly, two voices came from behind.

Zhang Wen turned to look at the exit and saw Zhou Lingyi and Sun Meng running towards them from afar, with their parents carrying luggage behind them.

The two families came to Beijing together again this time.

"You've all become even more beautiful in the past six months," Zhang Wen praised with a smile.

As the old saying goes: A girl changes a lot as she grows up, becoming more and more beautiful.

This statement is very apt for Zhou Lingyi and Sun Meng.

Hearing the praise from the renowned art exam tutor, Zhou Lingyi was overjoyed and kept asking, "Really? Really, Teacher Zhang?"

Sun Meng, standing to the side, blushed, looking a little shy and bashful.

"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Zhang Wen said seriously, his smile fading.

Zhou Lingyi smiled even more brightly and said proudly, "Teacher Zhang, after the college entrance examination, I followed short videos to learn makeup every day. Look at my eyeliner, look at my blush, and I also did Mengmeng's makeup. Today I'm going for a retro Hong Kong style, and Mengmeng is going for a sweet girl style. Isn't that amazing?"

"Hmm, impressive." Zhang Wen nodded, then glanced at the two women's skill panels without making a sound.

Zhou Lingyi, Skills: Latin Dance 42 points, Performance 30 points, Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) 20 points, Makeup 20 points...

Sun Meng, Skills: Ballet 38 points, Piano 30 points, Acting 20 points, Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) 17 points...

After watching, Zhang Wen was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that the two students' skills had improved so much in just a few months.

He remembered that when he first met Zhou Lingyi, her performance skills were only 21 points, while Sun Meng didn't even have those skills.

It seems that the two of them did not neglect their art studies during the time they were at home preparing for the college entrance examination.

Not bad.

"Hello, Teacher Zhang."

"Teacher Zhang, you're so busy, yet you still came all the way here to pick me up from the airport. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"..."

Sun Meng and Zhou Lingyi's parents came forward to greet them, and their attitude was very polite.

Zhang Wen shook his head repeatedly after hearing this.

"It's nothing. We're not strangers. Last time you came to Beijing for the art exams. You came and went in a hurry, didn't eat or have fun. Now that both the art exams and the college entrance exams are over, and the children have received their acceptance letters from their desired universities, how can I, as their teacher, not show my appreciation?"

"..."

The four parents felt a little embarrassed upon hearing these words.

They still remember the first time they met Teacher Zhang. They not only suspected that he was a fraud, but they even argued and said a lot of hurtful things.

But what happened next?
Instead of holding a grudge, Teacher Zhang provided meticulous guidance to their children, helping them pass the art exams.

Now he's even inviting their whole family to Beijing for a trip. Isn't this repaying evil with kindness? The more enthusiastic and indifferent Teacher Zhang is, the more guilty they feel, secretly cursing themselves for being blind and not recognizing the true face of a great teacher.

"Teacher Zhang, you're too kind. You helped our child pass the art exam; we should be the ones thanking you. How could you possibly offer to help? I'll cover all the expenses for the next few days," Mr. Zhou said generously, making up for his past ignorance.

“Old Zhou, I already decided before we left that I’d cover the cost of this gathering, so don’t argue with me,” Mr. Sun said quickly.

Ever since he learned from his daughter that Teacher Zhang worked at Tianxi Media and was a famous songwriter, he had been thinking that he must get along well with Teacher Zhang when they met again, so that he might be able to help his daughter after she graduated from Beijing Film Academy.

“Old Sun, it’s a deal. I’ll come this time, and you come next time,” said Mr. Zhou.

“No, I’ll do it this time, you do it next time,” Mr. Sun said, shaking his head.

next time?

The next time doesn't necessarily have to wait until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.

"You two," Zhang Wen said, "you don't need to argue anymore. I've already arranged the accommodations and itinerary for this trip. You can decide who comes next time."

“Teacher Zhang, we are so grateful to you that our child got into Beijing Film Academy. How could we possibly let you spend money on us?” Mr. Zhou said earnestly.

"Yes, Teacher Zhang."

The other parents also expressed their agreement.

When they enrolled in the special training course, the tuition was only 30,000 yuan. If Teacher Zhang covers all their expenses for this trip to Beijing, how much money will they have left?
It's important to know that they weren't just one or two companies, but nine, totaling more than twenty people.

"The children have successfully made it ashore, how can I, as their teacher, not celebrate at all? Alright, it's settled then," Zhang Wen said firmly.

"..."

After hearing this, the four parents stopped arguing and simply thought to themselves: their child is so lucky to have met such a good teacher as Teacher Zhang.

Then they suddenly remembered something else: when they thought their child had been scammed and went to Teacher Zhang to demand an explanation, what did Teacher Zhang say?

It seems they felt these two children had good talent and couldn't bear to let it go to waste, so they wanted to give them a helping hand...

Now it seems that Teacher Zhang really just valued talent and didn't care about money at all.

"Teacher Zhang!"

As they were talking, more students came out of the exit.

Wang Jiayi, who was admitted to Huaxia Drama Academy, ranked second in the professional examination for the Department of Performance at Huaxia Drama Academy.

Zhang Wen waved to the girl, a relieved smile on his face.

That's good. All skills have improved, and you've even gained an extra 'line,' which shows you're improving yourself.

As time went on, other students and parents arrived one after another. Once everyone was there, Zhang Wen led his group out of the terminal in a large procession, looking just like a tour group.

The bus drove along the airport expressway toward the city.

Zhang Wen counted them; there were twenty-four people in total.

Qiao Shuxin, being a local, came alone, while Han Zhixue came with her mother. The other trainees were accompanied by their parents.

I suppose it wasn't just to accompany my child to Beijing for this gathering, but also to take this opportunity to show my child around Beijing and familiarize them with the city.

"Dear students and parents, it's been half a year since we last met." Zhang Wen stood in the aisle and said with a smile, "Your feelings about coming to Beijing this time are quite different from your feelings about the last time, aren't they?"

"Yes!"

The nine trainees spoke in unison, each with a bright smile on their face, like flowers blooming in summer.

There's a song with lyrics that go: "Our motherland is a garden, and the flowers in the garden are so beautiful..."

These are probably the people they're referring to.

“Yes, you all seem very happy, and I’m happy too, so I’ve prepared a gift for you before you go to university,” Zhang Wen said.

"Teacher Zhang, what gift?" Zhou Lingyi asked, raising her hand with sparkling eyes, clearly very interested in the gift.

Not only the students, but even the parents present looked on with curiosity.

Teacher Zhang provided them with food and lodging, which already made them feel indebted, but now she even gave the children gifts. This kindness is truly profound.

“You are about to enter Beijing Film Academy and Huaxi Academy to study, and you will become actors and directors in the future. My gift to you is to give you a taste of your future work in advance,” Zhang Wen said.

Upon hearing this, the students immediately became interested.

"Teacher Zhang, how do you feel?" Han Zhixue asked.

"Are you going to take us to the film set?" Qiao Shuxin guessed.

“That’s right.” Zhang Wen nodded.

Upon hearing this, everyone became incredibly excited. The bus instantly transformed into a sea of ​​cheers, with everyone shouting and their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

For them, who dream of becoming actresses and directors, visiting a film set is more exciting than eating a fancy meal. It's like opening a door to another world, where they might even see a celebrity.

Zhang Wen raised his hand, and the car immediately fell silent again.

"Let me explain the itinerary for these three days. We'll go to the hotel later, have lunch, and then in the afternoon I'll take you to visit Tianxi Media to learn about the entertainment industry beyond the spotlight. If we're lucky, we might even run into a celebrity..."

"Tomorrow I'll take you to visit the film set, which is also the film set where I'm currently working. You'll see director Han Xiaohua, as well as well-known artists such as Bai Lu, Chen Zhenghao, and Wang Haoyu..."

Upon hearing this, the trainees' eyes lit up. Not only would they be able to visit entertainment companies, but they would also be able to visit film crews and meet many celebrities. Just hearing about such an arrangement was exciting, and their hearts were filled with longing.

"Teacher Zhang, what about the third day?" Qiao Shuxin couldn't help but ask when she saw that Teacher Zhang was not speaking.

Because she grew up in an artistic family, she had worked for entertainment companies and film crews, so she wasn't particularly interested in these things.

"On the third day, I will take you back to Xingxiang Art Examination Training School, where you will share your learning experiences and exam tips with next year's art exam candidates, so that more people can feel the warmth and strength on the road to art education and pass on the belief in pursuing artistic dreams," Zhang Wen said.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Shuxin immediately straightened her back and became very interested.

How can I share my experiences with younger students?

She's willing to do things that put her in the spotlight.

When these people enter the entertainment industry in the future and are asked why they chose the path of acting and persevered, they will say that it was senior Qiao Shuxin who gave them courage and motivation.

It makes me happy just thinking about it.

The other trainees had no objections after hearing this, especially when they heard "pass it on." They even felt a sense of mission and pride in being chosen by Teacher Zhang.
Absolutely, absolutely, we must become role models!

……

(End of this chapter)