Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

"Are you the Pacific Police? You're meddling in things bigger than the United Nations! It's legal, you know?"

Yang Che retorted directly to the voice, and only after he finished did he realize that it was a woman around sixty years old, and then he became frightened.

The middle-aged woman immediately raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, "Oh dear, these young people nowadays..."

Gao Yuanyuan, however, took his hand and whispered with a smile, "Run!"

So the two of them held hands and ran out of the residential area, laughing and joking.

"There's a place selling tripe near my house."

After getting into that car, which had been used by who-knows-how-manufactured people, Gao Yuanyuan said this.

Where do you live?

"Fengtai District, Yungang area."

Yang Che suddenly turned to look at her, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Gao Yuanyuan opened her eyes wide: "What's wrong?"

Yang Che looked away and started the car: "Nothing's wrong. Your family doesn't live in the aviation compound, does they?"

"Yes, that's right."

Yang Che reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers.

He went there a while ago. It's 35 kilometers away. There's no subway, only buses. The road conditions are terrible. The one-way commute takes an hour and a half.

She came several times in August, and sometimes when I wasn't there, she would stay for a while and then go back.

She never complained, she would only say in text messages:

"It's really hot today, drink plenty of water!"

"It's going to rain. They said you didn't bring an umbrella and you should take a shower right after you get wet, otherwise you'll lose your hair."

...............

Yang Che thought about the little things they had done together over the past month. Although she had spent most of her time alone in quiet, they hadn't talked much.

But at this moment, Yang Che felt as if they had been together for a long time. This feeling was like the faint smell of wood in the study, not strong, but always there.

"So you came here just to take the bus?"

Gao Yuanyuan played with his large hand, then shook it upon hearing this: "I'll take a taxi when I can't get one, but I'll get off when there are more cars and then hail a taxi."

Yang Che's lips twitched. Give me back my gratitude, you bastard!!!

"Oh, I thought you took the bus."

Gao Yuanyuan said in a serious tone: "Taking the bus is too far. Let me tell you, after I transferred to No. 55 Middle School in high school, I took the bus for 3 hours every day. I've had enough of it."

And there are pickpockets. Let me tell you, my bag has been cut twice. Every time I take the bus, I imagine a pickpocket cutting my bag; I'm terrified they'll cut my waist with a little force. After I started earning my own money, I stopped taking the bus.

Yang Che was amused by her still somewhat frightened expression.

"Really, don't laugh."

"I was just charmed by your cuteness. By the way, how did you end up attending No. 55 Middle School? Is it in Ganjiakou?"

"My parents made me take the exam, and I wasn't really willing to."

At this point, Gao Yuanyuan suddenly became somewhat somber, lost in unbearable memories.

"I was very lively before junior high school, and I didn't have much of a concept of gender. I was like a tomboy. My classmates were all my childhood friends, and we were all from the same compound."

Until I went to No. 55 Middle School, I didn't dare to talk to boys because I was afraid that the other girls would beat me up.

It's good to be a guy; I've gained a little fame, and they don't dare bother me anymore. It's just that I didn't make any more friends in high school.

I used to have excellent grades, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get into No. 55 Middle School, a key school, from the suburbs, but my high school grades were just average.

Back then, I often read all sorts of extracurricular books, like my parents' "October" and "Harvest." I liked Chen Ran and Zhang Jie. Zhang Jie had a book called "Wordless," which was about her emotional entanglement with an older man. Actually, I didn't quite understand it, but I just forced myself to read it. As a result, I felt very conflicted and became quite sentimental. Anyway, I was like that for a long time.

Until I saw your "My Sassy Girl," I watched it all night, laughing until tears streamed down my face, and crying my eyes out too.

Yang Che listened silently. He couldn't empathize with her because he was envious. Yes, envious, extremely envious.

That's youth. Some say youth is cruel. Sigh!

When people reach middle age, having endured enough hardship and suffering, and having gained a concrete understanding of birth, aging, sickness, death, daily necessities, grievances, anxieties, frustrations, regrets, and so on, they will realize how free and joyful youth truly was.

Youth is unaware of sorrow, youth is unaware of sorrow.

"So, Gao Yuanyuan, is this still a confession?"

"Yes, thank you, Teacher Yang Che!"

Yang Che smiled and said softly, "Anything you actively and bravely strive for and accomplish, regardless of the outcome, the process itself will reshape you and give you a powerful sense of agency. Remember this feeling; it will give you strength when you feel powerless to move forward, and it will benefit you immensely throughout your life."

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment, then took his hand and kissed the back of it.

"Yuanyuan, haven't you thought about moving out? It would be more convenient for you to take on roles and travel between production crews."

"I haven't even graduated from junior college yet, and I'm not even thinking about joining a production team."

"Never thought about becoming an actor?"

Gao Yuanyuan nodded, then shook her head: "I haven't decided yet. I studied public relations and secretarial work, and I want to work as a white-collar worker in a foreign company. But right now, I'm doing pretty well filming movies and TV shows during my holidays; it's really lucrative."

"Would you like me to ask about filming GG for you?"

"You have to find me some work!"

"You live so far away, and taking a taxi back and forth must be quite expensive. I'd rather give you a dating fund than accept it. So, I'll just introduce you to some jobs instead."

Gao Yuanyuan's lips curled up, a hint of smugness in her expression.

"You're very rich?"

"What's with that expression? Are you rich?"

Gao Yuanyuan nodded: "Yes, I'm quite wealthy."

Yang Che then chatted with her, explaining that he knew she was discovered by a talent scout in her first year of high school, filmed a video of a guy, and then entered the entertainment industry.

Now we know this girl has photographed 15 GG (Glass) products, including some big brands such as Kangshifu instant noodles, Lulu almond milk, Canon, Pepsi, and Li-Ning sportswear...

As for acting, I filmed "Spicy Love Soup" during the summer vacation after my second year of high school, "Lost in the North" during the summer vacation after my first year of college, "The Story of the Intern" during the winter vacation after my second year of college this year, and "We the Common People" during the recent summer vacation.

All I can say is that she's young and beautiful, and very popular. Even Fan Bingbing doesn't have that many guys these days.

Yang Che also talked about himself, saying that he was just an ordinary art student at a teacher's college.

"You're really amazing."

"Do you think that people who study art are all pretty talented?"

"Isn't that right?"

Yang Che scoffed: "It's just a last resort. It's purely to get into a university with low scores and become an artist. It's not as prestigious as you think."

China lacks an environment conducive to painting, and it may not exist even in a hundred years. In the future, if you hear anyone say how amazing a contemporary painter is, just consider it bragging or a scam; they're all just trying to freeload off others.