Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 90 Fan Binbin's Surprise Attack

Zheng Hui politely extended his hand and shook hands with Xie Xiaojing.

"Thank you, teacher."

He then turned to Director Qian and several other literature department teachers and bowed again.

"Thank you all for giving me this opportunity. I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the classroom.

Normally, after all the procedures are completed, the admission notice will be mailed to the address provided by the candidate a few days later.

But Xie Xiaojing's words just now were practically an announcement of her admission on the spot.

Xie Xiaojing no longer cared about following the rules.

Even if such a student fails the joint entrance examination for cultural subjects specifically prepared for students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Xie Xiaojing plans to write an application to the Ministry of Education to see if he can be admitted through special consideration.

He's determined to have this student.

He even had a feeling that if he handed Zheng Hui a camera and an entire crew right now and let him direct a movie independently, the final product wouldn't be too bad.

Xie Xiaojing turned to Director Qian, who was still replaying the interview in his mind, and said, "Old Qian, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Make me a copy of the interview recording later," Xie Xiaojing said.

Director Qian didn't ask anything, just nodded.

Xie Xiaojing looked back in the direction Zheng Hui had left, already having made up her mind.

Once Zheng Hui enters the academy, he plans to find him a mentor.

Studying at school is called the teacher-student relationship.

But for a director, technique is one aspect, but connections, resources, and industry insider knowledge are even more crucial.

If a young director has a mentor who is willing to share all their knowledge, like the master-apprentice relationship in the old society, it would be of great benefit to their growth.

He himself had no intention of taking Zheng Hui in.

He is the head of the directing department. If he takes Zheng Hui as his last disciple, Zheng Hui will inevitably be viewed with prejudice in the future.

People would speculate whether there was some kind of secret dealing between the master and disciple. Even if Xie Xiaojing wanted to give Zheng Hui some resources, she couldn't do it openly.

However, if other professors were to supervise, there would be no such concerns at all.

He had already decided on the best candidate in his mind.

He took the interview video with him, confident that the person would be interested.

Zheng Hui left the school and took a taxi back to the hotel.

For the next two days, he did not go out and focused on studying and preparing for the exam in his room.

Gao Yuanyuan would occasionally call or come over with some food to sit for a while.

But Li Zongming and Lin Dashan also ended their vacation and returned from their hometown.

As the hotel suites became more crowded, Gao Yuanyuan could no longer find many opportunities to be alone with Zheng Hui; the two mostly chatted by phone.

Two days later, one afternoon, Zheng Hui's phone rang.

He picked up the phone and saw Fan Binbin's name on the caller ID: "Binbin, Happy New Year!"

The voice on the other end of the phone was excited: "Zheng Hui, Happy New Year! I've arrived in Beijing. Are you free now?"

"Convenient, where are you now?"

"I just got off the train at the West Station."

"Wait for me at the exit, I'll have someone come pick you up."

Zheng Hui hung up the phone and said to Lin Dashan, who was reading the newspaper in the living room, "Brother Dashan, go to the West Railway Station and pick up Fan Binbin."

Lin Dashan met Fan Binbin during his last visit to the Beijing Film Studio.

"Okay." Lin Dashan put down the newspaper and went out.

More than an hour later, the doorbell rang.

Zheng Hui opened the door, and Fan Binbin stood at the doorway, dragging a suitcase.

She wasn't wearing much makeup, and her cheeks seemed a bit thinner, but it still couldn't hide her radiance.

"Come in quickly." Zheng Hui helped her carry her suitcase inside.

"Was the journey smooth?"

"It went quite smoothly." Fan Binbin walked into the room and looked around the suite with curiosity.

"Your place is really big."

Zheng Hui poured her a glass of water: "Sit down and rest for a while. Why did you suddenly come to Beijing? You didn't even call ahead."

Fan Binbin took the water glass and sat down on the sofa: "The matter was decided rather hastily."

She took a sip of water, looked at Zheng Hui, and said, "I'm going to Hengdian this month to film 'Little Li Flying Dagger'."

"I came to the capital to take care of some business, and I stopped by to see you while I was there."

She paused, put down her water glass, and said something that surprised Zheng Hui.

"I've terminated my contract with Qiong Yao's company."

Zheng Hui was stunned for a moment.

He knew that Fan Binbin would eventually terminate his contract with Qiong Yao, and even end up in court, but he didn't expect it to happen at this time.

In his memory, this matter should take some time to unfold, and he was certain he would see news about it in various entertainment news outlets.

How come it was resolved so quietly now?

"What happened? How was it resolved?" Zheng Hui asked.

"Qiong Yao's company originally sued me in court, demanding one million in compensation."

Fan Binbin spoke calmly, as if he were talking about someone else's story.

"Later, my mother went to see their person in charge in mainland China and talked to them several times."

"Finally, after court mediation, 200,000 yuan was paid in compensation, and the matter was settled."

97

"Two hundred thousand?" Zheng Hui frowned.

For Fan Binbin now, this is still not a small amount.

"That money—"

"My mom paid."

Fan Binbin said in a low voice, "That 200,000 yuan deposit slip is money that my parents have painstakingly saved over many years in their business."

After she finished speaking, she stopped talking and just lowered her head, looking at her fingers.

The room fell silent.

Zheng Hui could sense the suppressed emotions emanating from her.

Seeing that it was getting late, he stood up and said to Li Zongming, "Brother Zongming, go downstairs and get her a room, the one next door, so it'll be easier to look after her."

Li Zongming nodded and went out.

Fan Binbin remained seated on the sofa, showing no intention of resting.

She suddenly looked up at Zheng Hui and said, "Zheng Hui, how about we have a drink?"

Zheng Hui doesn't drink much. He's tried it with his modified body and can drink a lot without getting drunk. He simply doesn't like the taste of alcohol.

But looking into Fan Binbin's eyes, which were filled with pleading and a desire to vent, he nodded.

"it is good."

He called the hotel and ordered several dozen beers and some snacks to go with them.

The two of them sat down at the coffee table in the living room and started drinking from the bottle.

Zheng Hui simply kept him company, drinking very slowly.

Fan Binbin drank very quickly, as if it weren't alcohol but an antidote.

She doesn't seem to have a high alcohol tolerance, or perhaps she has too many things on her mind; she gets drunk on her own thoughts rather than on alcohol.

Before she had even finished the first bottle of beer, her cheeks flushed and her eyes began to look somewhat unfocused.

She became more talkative, rambling on about what happened before and after the contract termination.

It talks about how the lawyers from Qiong Yao's company threatened her, how her mother had to beg people in a humble manner, and how she hid at home, afraid to go out, for fear of being mobbed by reporters.

Zheng Hui listened quietly without interrupting, only occasionally refilling her empty cup.

After downing another half bottle of wine, Fan Binbin was even more intoxicated.

She put down her half-finished beer and suddenly said, "I might—have to sign with another agency."

"After I terminated my contract with Qiong Yao, a company approached me and said they wanted to sign me. It was called Pikachu King Company."

"The boss promised to give me lead roles in five films over three years."

Zheng Hui's expression changed. Pikachu King.

He had heard this name in his later life, and judging from the news reports, it wasn't a good thing.

His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to dissuade Fan Binbin from this idea.

He said he signed her?

However, I haven't assembled a film crew yet, and I just finished my interview at the Beijing Film Academy, so I haven't had time to access resources in the film and television industry.

What can we use to promote her?

Sign her, and then what? Are you just going to let her sit around waiting?

Or maybe you could ask PolyGram if they have any resources in the Hong Kong film and television industry? Or perhaps you could ask Richie Jen? He has a lot of film and television resources coming up in the next few years.

Zheng Hui's mind raced as he tried to think of a way to break the deadlock.

He must come up with a convincing plan, a future more enticing than the empty promise of five films in three years, to entice Fan Binbin.

Just as he was deep in thought, a warm scent carrying the smell of alcohol suddenly approached him.

Before Zheng Hui could react, he felt a soft touch on his lips.

He opened his eyes wide in surprise, and Fan Binbin's face was right in front of him, magnified countless times.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and there was even a tear hanging in the corner of her eye. It was hard to tell whether she was drunk or crying.

Her kiss was relentless and headstrong.

He instinctively reached out to push her away, but as soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she wrapped herself around him, her arms tightly around his neck, and kissed him even more passionately.

The air was filled with the scent of her perfume, mixed with the malty aroma of beer.

Zheng Hui was only nineteen years old.

He possesses a maturity and experience far exceeding that of his peers, yet physiologically he remains a vigorous young man.

A single spark can ignite a whole grassland, and his pushing and shoving gradually ceased.

His hand slid off her shoulder and finally landed on her slender waist.

The living room lights had become somewhat dim at some point.

Outside the window, the lights of countless homes in Beijing shone; inside, two young figures were entangled together.

Everything became logical and natural, and people reluctantly agreed.

The next morning, Zheng Hui woke up first.

He opened his eyes and looked at Fan Binbin, who was still fast asleep beside him, his thoughts a bit complicated.

After a while, Fan Binbin's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

She saw Zheng Hui looking at her, her eyes darted away, then she suddenly sat up in bed, grabbed the clothes next to her, and haphazardly put them on.

"I—I should go." She lowered her head, not daring to look at Zheng Hui.

She threw back the covers, trying to get out of bed, but as soon as her feet touched the ground, she went limp and fell forward uncontrollably.

She winced in pain, gritting her teeth as she tried to stay upright.

Zheng Hui noticed her unusual behavior.

He quickly got out of bed, picked her up in his arms, put her back on the bed, and pulled the blanket over her.

"Don't move."

After speaking to Fan Binbin, Zheng Hui picked up the room phone and dialed Lin Dashan's room number.

"Dashan, go to the hotel restaurant and get some breakfast, something light."

After hanging up the phone, he moved a chair and sat on the edge of the bed.

The room was quiet, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Zheng Hui looked at Fan Binbin and spoke first: "Why?"

Fan Binbin buried his head in the blanket and didn't say anything.

Why did you suddenly act like that last night?

"Why did you decide to just leave this morning?"

Fan Binbin, lying under the covers, began to shrug slightly.

Suppressed sobs came from under the covers. Zheng Hui didn't urge him, but just waited quietly.

It took a long time before Fan Binbin finally lifted her head from under the covers.

She was crying her eyes out, her eyes were red and swollen.

She looked at Zheng Hui and said in a hoarse voice, "The boss who asked me to sign a contract—"

"He's willing to support me, but there are conditions."

"He wants me to—give something away."

She spoke haltingly, tears streaming down her face again.

"I don't want to—"

I want to give you my first time.

"Then we'll sign the contract."

When she said those words, her voice was filled with resentment, dissatisfaction, and a deep sense of reluctance and grievance.

Zheng Hui could sense her inner struggle.

She was like a small animal forced to the edge of a cliff, knowing full well that there was an abyss ahead, yet having no choice but to leap into it.

Before jumping, she wanted to leave her most precious possession to the person she loved.