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

As dusk fell, Li Xiang dragged his suitcase into the dormitory building and bumped into several classmates carrying basketballs, who seemed to be planning to go out for some exercise.

The others were also taken aback when they saw him. Zhao Lei, who was in the lead, spoke first, his tone mocking:

"Hey, isn't this our 'Zhang Yimou's leading man'? He's finally back."

Li Xiang caught the hint of sourness in her words, but didn't take it to heart.

After all, everyone knows what it means to be in a Zhang Yimou film, so this reaction is perfectly normal.

He quickly dragged his suitcase aside to make way, and replied with a smile, "I'll come back as soon as filming is over. I'd like to stay, but the director won't let me."

"You're kidding me." Another boy snatched the suitcase from his hand, preparing to help him carry it to the dormitory, but he didn't stop talking either.

"We're still studying Stanislavski in school, and you're already making a real movie with Director Zhang."

There was envy in his words, but no malice. After all, they all knew that even without Li Xiang, this opportunity probably wouldn't have fallen into their laps.

Looking at their basketball and then at the suitcase that had been snatched away, Li Xiang figured the game was off, so he didn't say anything and followed the others back to the dormitory.

The dormitory door wasn't locked; it opened with a push. Several boys followed Li Xiang in without any ceremony.

Seeing that no one was in the room, Zhao Lei, the long-time guest, leaned against Yunlong's desk and explained to Li Xiang:

"The three of them are probably at an internet cafe."

Li Xiang was not surprised by this.

After all, from the moment he entered the dormitory building, he felt a wave of heat envelop him, probably because the building was poorly ventilated.

Especially in this kind of weather, I'm afraid no one can stay in the dormitory except when they come back to sleep at night.

"Okay, I'll tidy up first. Please make yourselves at home, guys."

As he answered, he unzipped his backpack and reached for the box of braised beef his mother had given him—it was too hot, and it would spoil if he kept it covered up any longer.

The boys didn't stand on ceremony; they pulled up the nearest chair and sat down. Before they even had a chance to sit down, they started talking non-stop.

"Li Xiang, tell me quickly, what's it like filming? It's completely different from rehearsing skits at school, isn't it?"

"And what's Director Zhang like on set? Is he very serious? I heard he's extremely demanding when it comes to camera work, and even the slightest imperfection is unacceptable?"

"And that little yellow duck, is her acting really as good as New Pictures claims? Is it difficult to act alongside her?"

At this moment, two more boys squeezed into the dormitory. They were from the same department but different classes, and they had seen each other a few times in their major courses.

Li Xiang quickly greeted them, since they were classmates.

And he wasn't some arrogant genius, so naturally he didn't look down on anyone.

"Why didn't you go out?" he asked casually as he placed the braised beef in the shade on the windowsill.

"It's almost finals time," one of the boys wearing glasses said, scratching his head.

"I was cramming at the last minute, thinking I'd just memorize the theory in my dorm room."

As they spoke, the group moved closer, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"Li Xiang, what's it like working with Director Zhang? Is he the kind of person who's incredibly strict, where you can't afford to make even the slightest mistake?"

When asked the question again, Li Xiang belatedly realized that everyone was actually quite curious about Director Zhang.

But then I realized that the Olympics had just ended, and the opening ceremony he directed had shocked the entire country. He was at the height of his fame.

Let alone making movies, just being associated with him in any way is enough to make people talk about it.

Moreover, in the eyes of acting students, he is practically a mythical figure, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him one of the "supreme gods" in the world of directing.

But as someone who has lived two lives, he had seen later works such as "Under the Light" and "Man Jiang Hong," and even "The Great Wall."

This also meant that Director Zhang's aura had long since lost its mystique in his eyes—

While it wasn't exactly a demystification, it transformed from awe into pure respect, recognizing that even this great director has his limitations and stylistic trajectory.

But he forgot that in the eyes of these young students, being chosen by the then-rising star Zhang Yimou to act in his film was an incredible stroke of luck.

The eagerness in the eyes of these people gave him a slight wake-up call.

He simply pulled up a chair and sat down, no longer offering perfunctory answers, intending to say something truly useful.

"Well, it is indeed strict, but not in the way you might imagine—it's more about meticulous attention to detail."

"Just like when we're rehearsing a play, if one look isn't quite right, the teacher might say, 'Find the feeling again,' and that's it."

But on set, if Director Zhang felt something was "wrong," they had to start over immediately. After all, the movie was only sixty or seventy minutes long, so every frame was incredibly precious.

What he wanted wasn't something formulaic, but rather the authenticity of that fleeting moment.

Seeing that the others were frowning and didn't quite understand, Li Xiang thought for a moment and put it in simpler terms: "It's roughly like the meaning of 'Of all the waters in the world, I only take a sip'."

He doesn't want you to be straining from beginning to end; he just waits for that one moment of inspiration, and when that moment is right, the whole scene comes alive, it becomes real.

The boys' eyes lit up as they listened, and Zhao Lei even stroked his chin and muttered, "So the less it seems like acting, the better?"

"That's roughly the idea." Li Xiang nodded. "What he wanted was 'to look like the real thing,' not 'to act like the real thing.'"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle, recalling Zhang Yimou's exclamation of "Something's not right" while staring at the monitor during filming.

"And then there's the lighting and positioning. When we practice scheduling at school, it's all idealized."

Once you're actually on set, the moment the camera is set up, even a half-meter difference in the actors' positions completely alters the lighting and shadows.

You have to find the right angle yourself, memorize your lines, and your brain has to work incredibly fast.

Several people listened attentively, and one even pressed for more information: "Weren't you nervous acting alongside such a big star? And with that little yellow duck again..."

"She's alright," Li Xiang quickly interrupted. He didn't want to praise her, but he also didn't want to criticize her in front of others.

"Needless to say, the actors' acting skills have long been at their peak, and there is no sense of incongruity at all."

As for the little yellow duck.

For newcomers, being natural and unpretentious is perfectly fine.

And let me tell you, this film crew...

He got more and more engrossed in his talk, and it felt like he was learning something new by reviewing the old.

The boys initially maintained a certain distance, as if he were "different from us now," but as they listened, that barrier suddenly disappeared.

"Great job, Li Xiang! This trip was definitely worthwhile. He shared a lot of valuable information with us. We really need to thank him!"

Just as Li Xiang was about to reply, his phone rang, and the words "Teacher Huang" appeared on the screen in large letters, which was also seen by the people next to him.

"Well, I just finished speaking and the teacher called." Someone joked from the side.

Li Xiang answered the phone, and Huang's cheerful voice came from the other end: "Hey kid, are you back in the dorm?"

"Hey? Your information network is even better than our advisor's," Li Xiang said with a smile.

"Of course, I've always been fully aware of your every move..." Teacher Huang paused.

"Are you done cleaning up? If you are, come over here and we'll have dinner together tonight."

"I'm only halfway done, almost done, just give me ten more minutes, teacher."

After hanging up the phone, the boys who were gathered around tactfully stood up and said, "Oh, I do! Well, you go ahead and do your work. We'll talk again when we have time."

"Okay, as long as you're willing to listen... See you later."

After seeing them off, Li Xiang turned around and continued packing his luggage.

Since Teacher Huang was waiting, he didn't dare to delay and quickly put the things in the suitcase away properly.

I stuffed all my clean clothes into the closet, hoping that I could lie down and rest as soon as I got home at night.

He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, then picked up his backpack and ran toward the office building.