Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 96: The peach blossoms have all fallen, yet I cannot return; when the peonies bloom, I will see you again.

Two days later, in the early morning, in the parking lot of the VIP Lou Hotel, Lin Dashan was stuffing Fan Binbin's several suitcases into the trunk of his car.

Standing next to Fan Binbin was a young girl with an ordinary appearance but extremely lively eyes.

The girl's name was Xiaoyun, and she was Li Zongming's personal assistant, whom he had introduced through a friend.

"Xiaoyun used to work as an assistant to several second-tier singers who performed in various venues in the south. She was quick on her feet and kept her mouth shut."

When Li Zongming led the group to meet Zheng Hui, he explained everything clearly: "Most importantly, she also understands the ins and outs of the film crew. She knows exactly who she can meet and what kind of drinks she can have."

Zheng Hui stood by the car door, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yun.

"Once you arrive at the film set in Wuxi, take good care of Ms. Fan's daily life. Turn down all unnecessary dinners and drinking parties on set, as well as private invitations from producers and assistant directors."

Xiaoyun nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, boss, I know how to deal with those old foxes."

"If Ms. Fan suffers even the slightest grievance on set, you can hold me responsible. If there's any sign of trouble, I'll call you immediately."

Zheng Hui withdrew his gaze and looked at Fan Binbin.

Fan Binbin took a step forward, getting closer to Zheng Hui.

Zheng Hui straightened her coat: "The contract is signed, the resources are secured, go to the film set and film well."

Li Zongming is keeping an eye on Chen Yong's side, so you should observe and learn as much as possible on the set of "Little Li Flying Dagger." After filming wraps up here, you'll basically be joining the cast of "Young Justice Bao."

Fan Binbin grasped Zheng Hui's hand as he adjusted his collar, her fingertips lightly tracing the back of his hand.

"I'll do whatever you say." She lowered her voice, her tone hooked. "I'll be waiting for you to visit the set in Wuxi."

Zheng Hui calmly withdrew his hand: "Go ahead, don't miss your flight."

Lin Dashan opened the back door and helped Fan Binbin and Xiaoyun into the car.

The car sped along the parking lot exit into Beijing's morning rush hour, heading towards the Capital Airport.

After seeing Fan Binbin off, Zheng Hui returned to his suite.

The room instantly emptied, and the scent of Fan Binbin's favorite perfume seemed to linger in the air.

Fan Binbin went to Jiangnan to film a movie, and Li Zongming, with a head full of public relations plans, also began to travel around. It was time for him to leave Beijing.

The phone on the table vibrated, breaking the silence of the room.

Zheng Hui answered the phone, and the voice of the financial director of PolyGram's Hong Kong headquarters came through the receiver.

"Mr. Zheng, excuse me. The first batch of CD royalties for 'Stubborn' and 'Floating Life' in Asia has been calculated, and the detailed report has been faxed to your hotel front desk. After deducting the prepayment, the remaining funds will be deposited into your Macau company account this afternoon."

"Thanks for your hard work."

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Hui asked the waiter to bring up the fax.

He sat on the sofa, quickly flipping through the reports in his hands.

"Stubborn" has sold 700,000 CDs to date, but this is the total sales; the first batch only settled 400,000 copies.

He can get about 20 yuan per bill, which is 8 million. After deducting the advance payment of 500,000, he still has about 7.5 million Hong Kong dollars in hand.

"Floating Life" has already sold 1.3 million copies, with the first batch estimated at 500,000 copies. The royalty share for "Floating Life" has increased by 6%, so he can get about 26 yuan per copy.

After deducting the advance payment of five million, he will receive eight million.

Two bills totaling HK$15.5 million – this huge sum shouldn't just sit in a bank account earning interest.

He had to personally return to Hong Kong and Taiwan to see what the funds could be used for, and also to handle subsequent copyright and investment matters.

Besides money, there's also education.

Zheng Hui walked to his desk and opened the calendar. He circled the dates in April with a red pen.

The notice regarding the "Program for Joint Enrollment of Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Students by Regular Institutions of Higher Learning in the People's Republic of China" was issued as early as January 30, 1997.

According to regulations, the registration period for the Joint Entrance Examination for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan students is from April 10th to April 30th.

Registration points are set up in Guangzhou, Macau, and Hong Kong, with the official exams starting in June. Although Director Xie Xiaojing has already approved the interview for the Beijing Film Academy, the academic subject process must be completed, and the required score must be met.

Zheng Hui picked up a pen and wrote "Register in Macau/Guangzhou" in his notebook.

After a brief pause, he wrote "Third Album" below.

The lingering popularity of "Floating Life" is still spreading throughout the country, but the music scene changes extremely quickly. Since I have songs from the next few decades, I will definitely release an album every three or four months to make the most of it.

Releasing one song a month means constantly cycling between recording and promotion, and it also makes it easy to end up competing against yourself.

Three or four months is just right. After three months of record sales, most people who wanted to buy the album have already done so, and the new album release continues to generate revenue.

If I release two or three more albums this year, each selling over a million copies, I'll be able to stand on equal footing with the Four Heavenly Kings.

Next year we should start thinking about how to get past them.

Zheng Hui is considering what kind of album he should make.

The first album, with its focus on youthful passion, resonated with students; the second album, with its focus on maturity and reflection, struck a chord with middle-aged men.

What should the third piece of information convey to this market?

The names of Jay Chou, JJ Lin, David Tao, and other future pop stars flashed through Zheng Hui's mind. The new millennium was approaching, and a craze for R&B and Chinese-style music was about to sweep across the entire Chinese music scene.

But it's only 99, there's no rush. We can release one or two more in different styles before considering Chinese style or something.

Let's think about it when we get to Hong Kong. We can ask Cheng Tung-han for his advice then.

Evening, Qianmen Street.

The century-old signboard of Quanjude lit up in the night, and the entrance was bustling with people.

Zheng Hui, wearing a baseball cap pulled low, discreetly entered the reserved private room on the second floor under the guidance of a waiter.

Pushing open the door, Gao Yuanyuan was already there.

When she saw Zheng Hui come in, she immediately stood up, her eyes sparkling: "Brother Hui! You're finally done with your work!"

Zheng Hui took off his coat and handed it to her, who was hanging on the wall, and sat down opposite her.

"I've indeed been held up by some trivial matters these past few days." Zheng Hui picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Have you ordered yet?"

"We ordered a roast duck and a few specialty cold dishes." Gao Yuanyuan sat back down in her chair, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at him.

A moment later, a chef in a white coat pushed a cart into the private room and began slicing the roast duck in front of him. His knife skills were swift and precise, and the sliced ​​duck meat was arranged on a plate like a blooming peony.

Gao Yuanyuan picked up a lotus leaf pancake, took two slices of duck meat with skin on, dipped them in sweet bean sauce, and added shredded green onions and cucumber strips.

She handed the rolled-up duck pancake to Zheng Hui on a small plate.

"Try it, and see if the roast duck chef has been slacking off today."

Zheng Hui picked up a duck pancake and took a bite. The outer skin was crispy and melted in his mouth, while the duck meat inside was tender and juicy, and the aroma of the fat instantly spread in his mouth.

"The chef didn't slack off today, so you should eat too." Zheng Hui nodded and swallowed the duck meat.

Gao Yuanyuan rolled one up herself and said while eating, "Brother Hui, I have some good news for you."

"The TV series I filmed earlier is going to air on CCTV!"

"CCTV? What TV series?" Zheng Hui asked, puzzled.

"Yes, CCTV! It's called 'The Story of Interns'." Gao Yuanyuan smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Although my role isn't particularly large, my mom was so happy that it was broadcast on CCTV. She's been showing it off to all the neighbors in the alley every day."

"There are so many professionally trained actors who would kill to get on CCTV's platform." Zheng Hui wiped his mouth with a napkin. "What's the exact date it airs? I'll definitely watch it."

"Next Wednesday night at 8 pm," Gao Yuanyuan announced the time, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Zheng Hui nodded, making the time a memory.

Halfway through the meal, the atmosphere in the private room was warm and relaxed.

Gao Yuanyuan chattered on about the interesting things that happened on set.

"That director was really fierce; he would yell at people on set all the time. One of the actresses in the same group was made to cry three times by his yelling."

Gao Yuanyuan stuck out her tongue: "Luckily, I've acted in two dramas before, and since my roles weren't many, whenever it was my turn, as long as I memorized my lines according to the script, the director didn't say much to me."

Zheng Hui listened quietly, occasionally offering a few comments.

"When a director yells at an actor, it's usually because the actor hasn't found the character's state. You were just playing yourself, you were playing a student, so naturally you didn't need much coaching."

Zheng Hui picked up the teapot and poured her some hot tea: "However, if you really plan to pursue a career in acting, you can't just rely on playing yourself."

Gao Yuanyuan held her teacup and nodded thoughtfully.

"I feel the same way. When I watch those veteran actors perform, their whole body is full of emotion. When I stand in front of the camera, I always feel like I don't know where to put my hands and feet."

"Take your time, observe and learn more. Once I get into the Beijing Film Academy, I'll take you to visit big film sets and ask the teachers for advice." Zheng Hui casually made a promise.

Gao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded repeatedly.

Zheng Hui put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, and looked at the girl across from him who was drinking duck bone soup with her head down.

"Yuanyuan, I'm leaving the capital in a couple of days."

Gao Yuanyuan stopped moving, looked up, and the soup spoon in her hand was still suspended in mid-air.

"You're leaving? Where are you going?"

"Going back to Macau, and while I'm at it, I'll also make a trip to Hong Kong. Registration for the Joint Entrance Examination for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan students is about to begin, so I need to go back and get the paperwork done. I also need to take care of the accounts and royalties with the record company."

Gao Yuanyuan put the soup spoon back into the bowl, and her excitement from before instantly dissipated.

"So—when are you coming back?"

"After registering and taking care of other things, I still have to stay in the south to study and prepare for the exam in June."

Zheng Hui mentally calculated his itinerary: "I estimate I won't be able to return to Beijing until May."

Gao Yuanyuan lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions within. Her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth, wrinkling the smooth fabric.

"May—" she murmured softly, her tone filled with undisguised disappointment.

The private room quieted down, with only the occasional footsteps from the corridor and distant noises.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of Quanjude. The night wind, carrying the chill of early spring, swept over them, dispelling the smell of roast duck from their clothes.

Zheng Hui flagged down a Xiali taxi, opened the back door, and let Gao Yuanyuan get in first before getting in himself.

The street scene outside the car window rushed past, and the dim yellow light of the streetlights flashed alternately across the two people's faces.

The carriage was quiet. Gao Yuanyuan kept her head turned to look out the window without saying a word.

As she passed by Yuyuantan Park, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Zheng Hui's profile.

"I was originally thinking that once you're done with this busy period, we could go to Yuyuantan Park together to see the peach blossoms."

"I passed by there a couple of days ago, and the flower buds have already formed knots. I estimate they'll all be in full bloom next week. The whole garden will be pink then; it'll definitely be beautiful."

She bit her lower lip, her eyes dimming.

"By the time you come back in May, the peach blossoms will have all withered and fallen, not even a single petal will remain."

Zheng Hui looked into her eyes and fell silent for a moment. But the image of Fan Binbin's radiant face, brimming with ambition and submission, involuntarily flashed through his mind.

One is like a passionately burning red rose, with thorns and desire; the other is like a quietly blooming white rose, with clear expectations.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at the disappointment in Gao Yuanyuan's eyes, but didn't reply immediately.

"Actually, it would be good if you came back in May." Gao Yuanyuan suddenly broke the silence, forcing a smile.

"If we can't see the peach blossoms, we can go see the peonies."

She moved closer to Zheng Hui, her eyes regaining their light and dispelling the gloom from before.

"The peonies in Fengtai are very famous. There's an old saying: 'Fengtai peonies are the best in the world.' May is the time when they are in full bloom."

She stared into Zheng Hui's eyes, her gaze filled with both inquiry and anticipation: "If you're free sometime, let's go to Fengtai to see the peonies together, okay?"

The carriage was filled with the girl's fragrance, mixed with the chill of the early spring night breeze.

Zheng Hui looked at the face in front of him, a gentle smile appearing on his lips.

"it is good."

Zheng Hui reached out and gently ruffled Gao Yuanyuan's hair.

"The peach blossoms have all fallen and I have not returned, but I will see you when the peonies bloom."

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks flushed slightly. She turned her head away from Zheng Hui, but didn't dodge his hand, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

The taxi drove into Yungang Street in Fengtai District and slowly stopped under the streetlights at the entrance of the compound.

Gao Yuanyuan opened the car door and waved to Zheng Hui from the night breeze. Zheng Hui sat in the car, watching her light and cheerful figure disappear behind the gate of the compound.