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

With the male and female leads confirmed, the pre-production of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" has finally come to an end.

However, to Li Xiang's surprise, Director Zhang never arranged for him to meet the little yellow duck, even though he took leave specifically for this purpose.

Forget about acting together or studying the script together.

Full of doubts, he could only confide in Teacher Huang: "Teacher, what do you think is the reason for Director Zhang's actions?"

"With the male and female leads not having many scenes together, will filming go smoothly? I've been worried about that the whole time..."

After hearing this, Teacher Huang simply patted him on the shoulder without offering any further explanation. And he never got to see the little yellow duck again.

Then one day, Li Xiang suddenly received a message from his senior sister Fu that the female lead of the movie had officially signed a contract at the studio that day, and asked him to come over if he had nothing else to do.

This time, he finally met the female lead of the play—Ms. Little Yellow Duck.

And then there's Zhang Weiping, the legendary head of New Pictures, who disappeared from the public eye three years later.

It was only then that he belatedly realized how farsighted his uncle and Director Zhang had been...

Because the contract he signed with Zhang Yimou was only for the film "Under the Hawthorn Tree" from the beginning. In other words, he is still a free agent.

However, Little Yellow Duck signed an agency contract, and directly with New Pictures Film Studio.

Perhaps to many, signing with New Pictures is a dream come true—

After all, being able to establish a deep partnership with a renowned director like Zhang Yimou means they will likely never have to worry about resources again.

But only Li Xiang knew that what seemed like an opportunity was actually a bottomless pit.

What impressed him even more was that his Uncle Wang had led him around this pitfall long ago, without causing any dissatisfaction from Zhang Weiping.

Even Director Zhang's side clearly tacitly approves of this, otherwise how could he only sign actor contracts and not involve agency contracts?

After thinking it through, Li Xiang didn't go near Zhang Weiping. Instead, he quietly moved into the group of staff members to join in the fun.

Zhang Weiping, beaming with health, shook hands with the Little Yellow Duck's family and patted the little yellow duck's thin shoulder, looking greasy and as if to say, "Leave it to me, you can't go wrong."

Li Xiang found it so cringeworthy that he couldn't even maintain his composure when looking at it...

However, Li Xiang's actions were also observed by Fu Lulu, who was standing nearby.

After a moment's thought, she reached out and pulled Li Xiang along, leading him straight out of the office building. Once they were alone, she solemnly instructed him:

"Don't be silly and rush in. You should know that from now on, our leading lady is a signed artist with New Pictures."

Seeing Li Xiang's nonchalant expression, she raised her voice: "Look at your silly face, I can tell you didn't read the original contract carefully."

"I really did read it carefully back then!" Li Xiang quickly protested, "Why is Senior Sister criticizing me again?"

"After seeing this, you still don't understand? What did you sign? It's a single-film contract! The other person signed a management contract with New Pictures today."

Isn't that clear enough? To New Pictures and President Zhang, she, the leading actress, is family; you're just an outsider. Do you understand?

"But this wasn't mentioned at all when we signed the contract, and it didn't say that I had to sign with their company to get the role..."

"I didn't mention it. That's because of Uncle Wang and Director Zhang's connections. They're the ones who shielded you from this hurdle."

Otherwise, try it on someone else. Do you really think that such a big pie can be easily held by an "outsider"?

It's just that this character's role wasn't as prominent as the female lead's; otherwise, even out of respect for Director Zhang and Uncle Wang, he probably wouldn't have let it go so easily.

She paused, her tone softening slightly: "So when you see him, just greet him politely, don't say anything more, and don't attract his attention..."

If he really sets his sights on you, you're in for it.

Li Xiang then remembered Zhang Weiping's reputation for being a "big mouth," known for his formidable fighting spirit and his ability to spout off without hesitation.

Even the chairman of China Film Group was given the nickname "Zuo Shan Diao" by him.

If this kind of person doesn't like you and really tries to trip you up, you'll be in for a world of trouble.

He felt a chill run down his spine, and his earlier nonchalance vanished instantly. He quickly nodded, "Senior sister is right, I'll remember that."

Seeing that he had taken her words to heart, Fu Lulu visibly relaxed and softened her tone: "It's just that we two get along well. I might not say these things to anyone else."

She glanced in the direction of the office building and then cautioned, "The main problem is that your gaze in the room was too direct. If he had seen it, he would definitely have remembered it."

Don't be fooled by the glamorous surface of this industry; there aren't many good people inside, and quite a few are petty and narrow-minded. So, try to avoid getting involved as much as possible to avoid trouble; it can't hurt.

Li Xiang nodded, understanding that his senior sister genuinely cared for him. Recalling his behavior inside the room earlier, he realized it had indeed been inappropriate.

"Thank you for reminding me, Senior Sister. I will definitely remember this time," he replied earnestly.

Fu Lulu smiled and said, "Just remember that. Let's go, it's time to go back."

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

Just a few days after the male and female leads were confirmed, Zhang Weiping began to make new moves.

Various news items about the film were released one after another, and finally even the audition details were revealed, including those about Li Xiang, a freshman at the Beijing Film Academy.

However, for the general public, the most attention-grabbing character is undoubtedly the "Little Yellow Duck," who plays the female lead. After all, the nearly month-long audition process had already garnered a lot of attention.

Her ability to stand out as a high school senior without formal training, coupled with the halo-inspired title of "Zhang Yimou's Girl," has attracted almost all the discussion.

Of course, some attention was also focused on Li Xiang.

After all, as the male lead directly handpicked by Director Zhang, he neither participated in the open audition nor was he a freshman, which inevitably led some people to have wild speculations.

In this day and age, the term "resource-backed person" doesn't exist yet. If this were in later generations, he would probably have been given that title long ago.

However, these discussions have not yet reached Li Xiang.

On the very day the news broke, he had already requested a long leave of absence from the school, arranged by Teacher Huang.

After packing his luggage, he rushed to the film set without even having time to say goodbye to his classmates.

Things in the entertainment industry are prone to gossip. Rather than staying in school and being pointed at, it's better to join a production team early and focus on making a good film.

Once the filming is finished in two or three months, the controversies surrounding him will naturally subside.

After all, jealousy is a time-sensitive thing; no one will hold onto it forever. That's unrealistic.

Besides, he's just an unknown newcomer right now. Joining the crew earlier would make him seem more proactive and might even earn him a reputation for being dedicated...

Even if he couldn't, he didn't want to be overshadowed by the little yellow duck.

Just as my senior sister said, the other party is "one of us" at New Picture, while he, in some people's eyes, is probably just someone who got in through connections.

If he doesn't have even the slightest outstanding quality, he'll probably have a hard time establishing himself on set, let alone feeling comfortable.

You know, he never thought about becoming good friends with this little yellow duck lady, or creating any kind of CP (couple pairing) with her.

He even wouldn't mind stepping on her momentum and using her as a stepping stone if given the chance.