1991: The Era of Hong Kong Dramas

"good!"

Yuan Yingming shouted in a strong voice and took the lead in clapping.

The crowd applauded. In the final scene of the character Little Jew, both Vivian Chow and Sean Lau delivered outstanding performances, and onlookers secretly wiped away tears.

Wang Jingwen stood still, observing intently, without moving.

This one passed on the first try.

Vivian Chow sat up from the bench, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and took a deep breath.

Liu Qingyun also stood up, rubbed his nose, and turned his head away to recover for a while. The staff began to move around, some handing out water, others adjusting the lights.

Huo Sheng walked over, squatted down in front of the monitor, and whispered to Wei Jiahui, "Have you heard of 'Red River Valley'?"

"That Canadian folk song?"

"right."

Wai Ka-fai, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"

"It suits this place perfectly!"

Huo Sheng hummed softly, "Please come and sit beside me. Don't leave in such a hurry. Think of the pain I feel after you leave, and the friends who love you..."

Wai Ka-fai's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "Buy it! Buy this one!"

Huo Sheng was startled by the pat on the head and smiled.

"Any other recommendations?" Wai Ka-fai pressed.

Yes, it is.

Huo Sheng shook his head, not telling the truth, "We'll listen to it together at the next meeting."

Wei Jiahui glared at him: "Are you trying to keep me in suspense?"

"Sigh, we really have to wait a while longer!"

……

By the time we finished work, it was already dark.

The lights on set came on, the incandescent bulbs casting an unreal glow on the set, making the grass and benches look somewhat artificial. The crew began packing up, moving props away, and coiling up electrical wires; the once bustling set suddenly became much quieter.

Lau Ching-wan changed his clothes and came out of the dressing room, wearing a dark T-shirt and his hair was still a little sweaty. He saw Huo Sheng still standing next to the monitor talking to Wai Ka-fai, so he walked over.

"Ah Sheng, want to eat together later?" He patted his stomach. "I'm starving, I've been rehearsing all afternoon."

Just as Huo Sheng was about to speak, Vivian Chow came out of the dressing room.

She changed into a light-colored top, tied her hair in a low ponytail, and removed all her makeup, revealing a clean face.

Hearing Liu Qingyun's words, he paused in his steps.

Huo Sheng spoke up at that moment: "Let's skip it today, we need to take someone home."

Vivian Chow unconsciously twitched the hem of her dress. Seeing Amy Kwok also come out of the dressing room, she said, "Brother Ching Wan, since screenwriter Fok isn't with you, shall Amy and I eat with you?"

"Sure," Liu Qingyun said.

This isn't the first time Vivian Chow has played Steven. The relationship between Sean Lau and Amy Kwok is gradually warming up, which is obvious to everyone on set.

The three of them walked out together. When they passed the door, Vivian Chow stopped, glanced at Faye Wong, smiled, and nodded slightly.

Wang Jingwen also replied.

Although she was a struggling singer at the moment, she maintained a free and easy temperament from beginning to end, and did not do anything special because she was less famous than anyone else.

Liu Qingyun followed behind her, and before walking out, he glanced back at Huo Sheng, his lips curving into a smile as he mouthed: "You're really something, kid."

Huo Sheng responded with a silent "Go to hell."

It was completely dark when I came out of TVB.

The streetlights came on, illuminating patches of light on the road, as if they had been sliced ​​open. The night breeze was a bit cool, carrying the salty scent of the sea, blowing in from Clearwater Bay.

Wang Jingwen crossed her arms; she wasn't wearing much clothing today.

Huo Sheng looked up at the sky. "Let's not take the bus, let's take a taxi."

He walked to the roadside and flagged down a red taxi. The door opened, and Wang Jingwen got in first, followed by Huo Sheng, who gave the driver the address of the Jordan Recording Studio.

The car drove off.

The street scene outside the window recedes frame by frame.

Neon lights, signs, pedestrian overpasses, people waiting for buses, office workers finishing their shifts, and housewives holding their children's hands.

Hong Kong is always very bright at night, so bright that it makes it seem like there's no difference between day and night.

Wang Jingwen turned her head to look out the window. The night was hazy, and it was hard to tell whether she was admiring the scenery or just lost in thought.

It was quiet for a while.

She suddenly spoke up, "I'm sorry."

She watched a filming session today and finally understood "The Woman Who Is Easily Hurt".

"Don't rush in and out, please cherish my heart." She had always felt that this was humble, weak, and that she was always putting herself in the position of a victim.

But when she saw Vivian Chow lying on the bench with her eyes closed and a slight smile on her lips, she suddenly realized that this did not mean humility, but rather that she had been hurt too much, so much so that she no longer had the strength to hide, and finally admitted that she was tired.

They thought they were so cool, but they didn't know anything and criticized others without any reason.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

Huo Sheng didn't need her to explain in detail why she apologized.

Her face was reflected in the car window, and the streetlights slid across her face, brightening and dimming repeatedly.

Wang Jingwen spoke up again.

Have you ever been to the capital?

"..."

Huo Sheng didn't know how to answer and remained silent for a moment.

Wang Jingwen wasn't prepared to listen to what he had to say and continued, "I grew up in a hutong. My mother was a soprano in a coal mine art troupe, but she wouldn't let me sing when I was little. She thought children should focus on their studies."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Later, I got into the Biology Department of Xiamen University."

Huo Sheng turned his head to look at her.

"Biology Department," Wang Jingwen repeated, a slight smile playing on her lips, whether from amusement or something else, "I've already received the acceptance letter."

"And then?"

"My dad was transferred to Hong Kong, so I came with him."

She's usually a woman of few words, but for some reason, she felt very safe right now and started talking non-stop:

"I only realized after I came to Hong Kong that my real name was too mainland Chinese and not easily accepted by Hong Kong people. The company asked a master to help me name myself Wang Jingwen."

The light from outside the car window slid across her face in beams.

"When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I couldn't understand a word of Cantonese. My dad's friend invited me to dinner, and everyone at the table spoke Cantonese. I sat there like an idiot. Later, I started learning by watching TV every day, watching the Mandarin subtitles, listening to the Cantonese pronunciation, and learning it sentence by sentence."

She turned her head and looked at Huo Sheng.

Have you heard my debut album?

Huo Sheng shook his head.

"I'm working very hard," said Faye Wong. "I'm trying my best to be a qualified Hong Kong-style innocent girl."

"Every album I release flops. The company tells me to laugh, so I laugh; they tell me to wear whatever they tell me to wear; they tell me to be called whatever they tell me to be called."

She leaned back in her seat, the back of her head against the car window, staring at the roof. "When I was in Beijing, I thought I was pretty opinionated. But after coming to Hong Kong, I realized that I don't even have the right to dislike anything."

"..."

Looking at that face, Huo Sheng couldn't help but sigh.

For some, obeying the company might be something they don't care about or even want. But for those who are truly true to themselves, it's no less than a process of eroding their individuality.

After a moment of silence, Wang Jingwen suddenly asked, "Do you really think that the name Faye Wong is harder to become famous than Wang Jingwen's?"

Huo Sheng looked at her.

The neon lights outside the car window reflected on her face, flashing on and off.

"It has nothing to do with the name."

"Um?"

"You'll become famous," Huo Sheng said confidently. "You'll become famous so much that the whole world will know you, and everyone will remember the name Faye Wong."

"You trust me that much?"

"You're both hardworking and talented."

Huo Sheng smiled and said, "Who knows? Maybe I'll have to use our friendship to get you to sing the theme song for me."

Wang Jingwen smiled along with him:

"No problem. If I become famous, I'll sing for you in every movie you star in."

After saying that, she herself felt it was unrealistic. She glanced at the night sky, shook her head slightly, and said, "Unfortunately, it's not realistic."

"Don't you believe me?"

Huo Sheng smiled and said, "Perhaps, if you sing my song, you will really become a sensation in Hong Kong, and I will be the first person to remember your name."

Wang Jingwen turned to look at him.

"Wang Fei".

He called out.

Wang Fei paused for a moment.

She hadn't heard those two words in a long time.

The people at the company call her Faye Wong, Sister Ka-ying calls her Faye Wong, Leung Wing-Chun calls her Faye Wong. Even she herself has almost forgotten what it feels like to be called Faye Wong.

She stared at him for two seconds, smiled, and then said something from the bottom of her heart:

"Thanks."