Huayu: Starting from an Unemployed Male Model

Wei Jun reheated the breakfast in the kitchen.

The two ate and chatted.

"After breakfast, I have to go out." Wei Jun took a bite of a fried dough stick and drank a sip of soy milk.

"Going to Zhang Yimou's place?" Xu Lu knew why he had come to Beijing; he was just a sleeping buddy for him on his way.

"Yes, let's go see him."

Yang Hua had already arranged a time, so they went to meet him. Wei Jun didn't take the so-called audition to heart. Apart from lacking achievements in film and television, he already possessed all the professional qualities of a mature actor.

Their physiques and stage presence are both top-notch, in no way inferior to those movie stars.

"Do you need me to go with you?" Xu Lu asked, his mouth full of a fried dough stick, his words muffled.

"No need, you can go about your business. Aren't you going to the pre-show meet-and-greet with the actors?"

Xu Lu's schedule is quite tight. After finishing filming "Our Shining Days", he will rest for a few days and then join the cast of "Candle in the Tomb: The Weasel Grave", co-starring with Ruan Jingtian.

"It's just a quick meeting and a chat," Xu Lu changed the subject with a grin. "My skin was in bad shape from filming late into the night, so I was planning to get a beauty treatment today. But after exercising with you, my skin and energy are much better, which saved me a lot of money."

"Brother, you're like a power bank for me."

"So, have you decided how you're going to reward me?" Wei Jun asked with a slight smile.

"There'll be a surprise when you come back tonight," Xu Lu said with a mysterious smile.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

After finishing breakfast, Wei Jun went out to keep his appointment.

He drove a white Audi, which belonged to Xu Lu. It was usually left in the garage and not driven much. He didn't want to drive that blue Porsche, which was too conspicuous and flashy, and he was afraid that paparazzi would remember the car model and license plate number.

Zhang Yimou's studio is located on the East Fifth Ring Road, not far from the villa area on Xulu Road. However, it took about an hour and a half of traffic to get there, with frequent stops and starts, before we finally arrived at an old building.

Wei Jun parked his car and came to a courtyard. Before he even entered, he heard all sorts of humming sounds coming from inside. He glanced over and saw a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls practicing their voices.

They were all dressed in exercise clothes, hands on their hips, humming softly from time to time. Next to them, an elderly woman lay on a rocking chair, holding a feather duster and tapping it up and down on the ground.

If a little girl mispronounces her voice and it sounds harsh, the woman in the rocking chair will tap the ground with a feather duster and say things like, "How have I been teaching you all this time?"

Wei Jun gently knocked on the courtyard gate. The dark gray wooden door made a silent sound, breaking the atmosphere of practice inside. Everyone in the courtyard turned their eyes to him, and when they saw that it was a handsome man, they screamed instantly.

"It's Wei Jun." The girls recognized him and their faces lit up with excitement as they began to whisper among themselves.

When the noise stopped, the woman in the rocking chair snapped, "What are you yelling about? Keep practicing." With that, she got up and walked towards Wei Jun.

The humming sound started again from behind.

"May I ask who you are?" The middle-aged woman was unsure of the man's identity. He looked good and had a familiar air about him, as if she had seen him somewhere before, so she was quite polite to him.

"I'm Wei Jun, and I have an appointment with Director Zhang," Wei Jun said with a gentle smile.

"So it's you. I've seen your 'A Tour of Beijing.' Please come in and have a seat," the middle-aged woman gestured for him to enter, chatting as they walked. "Director Zhang is busy upstairs. I'll go and call him down for you."

The middle-aged woman brought over a round wooden stool. The stool looked old and had a few cracks, but it was very clean. She then poured a cup of tea and brought it to Wei Jun.

Wei Jun accepted the gift with both hands, thanked her, and the middle-aged woman nodded, then turned and went back to the old building to call Zhang Yimou.

Wei Jun sat casually, sometimes taking a small sip of tea, sometimes staring intently at a certain spot, and sometimes looking at the flowers and plants in the courtyard or the little girls who were training.

The girls in the courtyard, around seventeen or eighteen years old, were chanting lines from a TV series, but their eyes were secretly glancing at Wei Jun. When Wei Jun looked up at them, they would immediately look away, their expressions becoming serious and focused, and the lines they chanted would be clearer and more forceful than before.

Wei Jun felt a burning gaze coming from the group of girls. He turned his head and saw an extremely pure girl with a head that covered her face, a full and round forehead, large and bright eyes with slightly upturned corners, and a clean and smooth face. She was a typical deer-like beauty.

Liu Haocun noticed Wei Jun looking over and immediately shifted her gaze, staring intently at the flowerpot in front of her as if there was something inside. A few seconds later, she secretly glanced at Wei Jun again and saw him staring straight at her, smiling and nodding at her. She instantly lost her composure, and her lines began to falter.

Wei Jun chuckled inwardly, then looked away from Liu Haocun.

Liu Haocun secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that Wei Jun was no longer looking at him.

Wei Jun waited for a while, and then came the sound of footsteps from upstairs. An old man wearing a dark baseball cap, with so many wrinkles on his face that they could crush a mosquito, came downstairs.

"Wei Jun, you've arrived." Zhang Yimou reached out his hand from afar.

"Director Zhang, hello." Wei Jun stepped forward and shook Zhang Yimou's hand, feeling the strength in his hand. He thought to himself, "The old man is still very energetic."

"He is indeed a young talent and a man of great appearance." Zhang Yimou released his grip.

"Director Zhang is the kind of person we filmmakers should learn from." Anyone can engage in mutual flattery. Wei Jun isn't exactly a filmmaker yet; he's only made one film with a very small role.

"I invited you here mainly to meet you, and you certainly didn't disappoint," Zhang Yimou laughed heartily, his wrinkles crinkling into flower-like shapes with his laughter. He then changed the subject, pointing to the group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls in front of him, "What do you think of them?"

Wei Jun immediately said, "Director Zhang's eye for talent is definitely not bad. This place will surely produce many award-winning 'Zhang Yimou girls' in the future."

"You, you always have such a sweet tongue," Zhang Yimou said, pointing at Wei Jun with his finger. "Would you be interested in giving them some pointers?"

Zhang Yimou had seen his performance and knew that he was exceptionally capable, more than qualified to guide these girls.

The little girls who were practicing looked expectant when they heard Zhang Yimou's suggestion. They had seen the "Touring Beijing" music video and knew that Wei Jun's physique and stage presence were excellent. They were sure that getting his guidance would be great. Most importantly, they could openly look at Wei Jun.

Girls in the prime of their youth, influenced by movies, TV shows, and romance novels, all love handsome guys like Prince Charming.

"Okay." Wei Jun agreed without hesitation.

The middle-aged woman who had come over immediately stopped the girls from training, gathered them in the center of the courtyard, and made them sit in a large circle.

Wei Jun felt the intense gazes of the crowd, but he was not intimidated. He stepped to the center of the circle and stood there.

"Hello, my name is Wei Jun."