Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

Li Xiang would never refuse Huang Lei's kindness, and quickly replied, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Teacher Huang!"

"It would be wonderful if you could tell me about the ins and outs of acting under a great director. I'd love to hear that."

This little flattery was perfectly timed, making Huang Lei feel comfortable, but he retorted with a hint of annoyance, "You're always so talkative, never serious."

Then he changed the subject, becoming serious again:

"I'll give you three days to thoroughly understand the original novel of 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' focusing on figuring out the characters' inner thoughts. After you've finished reading it, I'll teach you some acting details."

As he spoke, he looked Li Xiang up and down, then nodded and said, "However, your age is similar to the character's. If you were to play yourself, it would actually be suitable."

There's no need to overthink those fancy techniques; just be natural. Director Zhang loves to personally refine actors, shaping them little by little into the person he wants them to be.

If I teach you too much, I'm afraid it will seem too deliberate, and I'll end up falling short and not catching his eye..."

The teacher and student whispered to each other in the corner for a long time, which eventually attracted the attention of others.

A bolder student sidled up, laughing and asking, "Teacher Huang, what were you and Li Xiang secretly talking about? And why were you hiding it so well?"

The two exchanged a glance, neither intending to reveal Zhang Yimou's affair to anyone.

Li Xiang spoke first, half-jokingly: "Hey, my family found me an audition opportunity right after the exams. I want to take advantage of this time to practice more and ask Teacher Huang for some pointers."

No one doubted this statement. After all, it's common for students at the Beijing Film Academy to take on acting roles, and many classmates had already planned to find a small supporting role during the winter break to practice their acting skills.

Everyone just laughed it off and didn't ask any more questions. But after this commotion, the students in the class all had a better understanding of the situation:

It seems that Li Xiang's relationship with Teacher Huang is indeed closer than that of others.

Only Wu Jinyan looked at Li Xiang and Teacher Huang, his brows furrowed, as if deep in thought.

She recalled bumping into Li Xiang talking to a middle-aged man on campus today. Although the man was dressed plainly, he was definitely not ordinary; he might be some big shot in the industry.

Then I recalled the scene of the group strolling around campus together on the day we enrolled—

The fact that Li Xiang could be accompanied by Teacher Huang personally, and even by a senior actress like Xu Jinglei who is at the peak of her career, clearly indicates that Li Xiang's background is not simple.

Therefore, based on this, Wu Jinyan's heart stirred at the audition opportunity that Li Xiang had just mentioned:

An audition that would earn special guidance from Teacher Huang and such attention from Li Xiang must be no ordinary role. She subtly withdrew her gaze, silently noting the details in her mind.

Li Xiang is hiding his true intentions well; we should keep an eye on him in the future. There might be a great opportunity hidden behind this audition.

Time flew by amidst the non-stop practice. As soon as the final exams were over, Li Xiang's phone rang. It was Uncle Wang.

The phone call didn't mention the exam; it simply stated, "I'll pick you up from school at eight o'clock in three days."

Li Xiang agreed readily, after all, the ladder to heaven was right in front of him, and whether he could hold on to it depended entirely on this opportunity.

So on the day of the audition, he got up before dawn.

After tidying myself up in front of the mirror, I finally chose the most ordinary student outfit—jeans, a white T-shirt, and a down jacket, and simply combed my hair.

His most prominent identity now is that of a student at the Beijing Film Academy. There's no need for him to add any adult-like frills; a clean and simple approach is best.

At eight o'clock, Uncle Wang's car stopped right downstairs in the dormitory building. Seeing his outfit, he didn't say much, just nodded slightly.

Li Xiang opened the car door and got in. The two didn't say much as the car drove smoothly toward their destination.

But as he drove, Li Xiang gradually felt that something was wrong.

Although it was still within the Third Ring Road, Uncle Wang actually drove his car into an old-fashioned residential area that looked quite old.

Upon entering the main gate, the three faded characters "Huahuiyuan" on the gate stood out prominently.

He simply couldn't connect this ubiquitous old-style residential building with the residence of a top-tier director.

"Uncle, where did this place come from?" he couldn't help but ask. "Director Zhang, such a big name, really lives in a place like this?"

Seeing his surprised expression, Uncle Wang laughed instead: "It's not that bad—it's just that Director Zhang's studio is here."

"A studio?" Li Xiang looked up and around, his eyes full of doubt.

The buildings throughout the community were dilapidated, with peeling paint, making it impossible to see any signs of them being suitable as studios.

Seeing that Uncle Wang didn't intend to explain further, he wisely kept quiet, only unable to suppress his curiosity, looking around curiously the whole way...

The car wound its way through the buildings before finally stopping in front of a three-story building deep inside the residential area.

This building doesn't look like a proper residential building; it's more like a simple office building commonly found in residential communities, or perhaps a property management or community activity room.

The hallway was dimly lit, and the door was a plain green security door; in fact, a patch of paint had chipped off, exposing the sheet metal underneath.

This scene is in no way comparable to the studio of the top director known as the "National Master" who just finished hosting the Olympics.

Meeting Uncle Wang's meaningful gaze, Li Xiang didn't say anything more and obediently got out of the car.

It was still before nine o'clock, and the whole building was quiet, without a sound. Obviously, the employees hadn't arrived yet.

Uncle Wang stepped forward and tried to pull the green security door. The hinges creaked open.

"Come in." He stepped inside first, muttering to himself.

"Director Zhang is a naturally diligent person; he's bound to be the first one here at this time." His tone clearly indicated that he was used to it.

Li Xiang followed them inside. The hallway was still dimly lit, and the air smelled of old wood and paper.

Turning further in into a brighter room, it finally resembled an office space—

It had at least the necessary tables and chairs, and several posters hung on the wall, including "Red Sorghum" and "Raise the Red Lantern," all of which were Zhang's early representative works.

Looking at these familiar scenes, Li Xiang's sense of unease subsided somewhat, and he finally felt a bit like a director's office.

After walking a few more steps, they came to a door with a sign that read "Director's Office." Uncle Wang stopped and turned to him, saying:

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go in and say hello first." Li Xiang nodded, watched as Uncle Wang knocked on the door, and then pushed the door open and went inside.

Not long after, just a minute or two, the door opened again, and Uncle Wang was inside, waving at him and saying, "Come on in, kid."

It was only then that he belatedly felt a surge of tension, and his palms began to feel slightly damp.

But now that things have come to this, being nervous is useless—he can only cheer himself up in silence. Besides, if others can be selected, why can't he?

So he straightened his clothes and walked in with his head held high and chest out.

To be honest, this was the first time in his two lifetimes that he had ever met face-to-face with such a big shot.