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

In the days that followed, Li Xiang was so focused on his studies that he had no time to think about those troublesome things.

I haven't been to the classroom for almost a semester. The theory classes are alright; I can borrow classmates' notes to catch up and keep up.

But the practical skills I learned in my major courses have fallen far short.

He wasn't so arrogant as to think that after making a movie, the Beijing Film Academy had nothing left to teach him and that he could make his own way in the world.

Especially in this era, celebrities are not as adored as they are in later generations.

Even if you're a rising star, you still have to attend all the required classes, take all the required exams, and practice all the required skills; in fact, you have to be more thorough than others.

Otherwise, gossip such as "he's gotten arrogant just because he acted in a movie" or "he doesn't care about his studies" would spread throughout the entire campus in no time.

So he could only put all his effort into catching up with the schedule, neglecting everything else.

Unexpectedly, this effort brought an unexpected surprise.

At least the gazes on campus that were fixated on the title of "Zhang Yimou's leading man" have gradually become less inquisitive and critical, and more accepting.

Being able to make movies may have an element of luck, but spending every day in the rehearsal room, taking dense notes, and constantly asking questions of the teacher are all real efforts.

Even if some people are still feeling envious, they have to admit that those who are willing to put in this kind of hard work will eventually succeed, even if they don't get this opportunity.

Gradually, more and more classmates started to talk to him.

During rehearsals, people would call on him to practice their lines together, and after class, when problems arose, everyone was happy to pull him aside to discuss them.

After a while, he became even more popular than before. No one kept mentioning him as a potential boyfriend anymore; they all treated him as an ordinary classmate who studied together and kept up with the curriculum.

Of course, Li Xiang didn't forget about the film crew either.

Every now and then, he would call his senior sister Fu to ask about the progress of post-production editing or to inquire about the preliminary plans for publicity and distribution.

He's not some naive young man who knows nothing, and he certainly doesn't think that everything is fine once filming is over.

Will his scenes be cut during editing? What release date is it scheduled for? How does New Pictures plan to arrange the promotion? He needs to find out all of these things.

After all, given Zhang Weiping's temperament, it's quite possible that he might actually ditch him, the male lead, and take only the female lead to do promotional work.

If he doesn't keep a close eye on things, and the movie becomes a hit while he disappears without a trace, that would be truly unfair.

While juggling his studies and keeping an eye on the film crew, Li Xiang finally made it to his final exams.

When the results came out, he knew he was truly in the running; at least, no one could find fault with his score.

Now, the whispers and gossips on campus have completely died down. Those who previously mocked him for getting roles based on luck can only shut up now.

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

With the holiday over, Li Xiang finally had time and rushed to Zhang Yimou's studio with fruit and snacks.

This is also a way to maintain this hard-won relationship; at least before the movie is released, this relationship cannot be neglected.

However, he knew his limits and never bothered Director Zhang when he was busy. Instead, he would wait for Director Zhang to take a break, bring him some fruit and snacks, and chat with him for a while.

Over time, the two became even closer than when they were filming.

This is not surprising. When filming, there are many people and distractions on set, and Director Zhang is preoccupied with camera movement, so he has no time to get to know him well.

Now that the studio is quiet with fewer people, we have more time to gossip.

After eating the fresh fruit that Li Xiang brought for several days in a row, Zhang Yimou knew in his heart that something must be wrong with the kid.

That day, Zhang Yimou had just put down his storyboard when he saw Li Xiang eagerly approaching again, and he jokingly said:

"You've been coming here a lot lately, haven't you? You're not going home for the holidays, you're always running over here. People who don't know you might think you work for my studio."

"I would be more than happy to be your employee, Director Zhang, but I'm afraid you might not think much of me."

Zhang Yimou leaned back in his chair and chuckled, "What would my film studio need an actor like you for? I can't have you as the male lead in every movie."

"Giving you a supporting male role would be beneath you. What, you're having second thoughts and want to move on to a new scene?"

"How could that be! I didn't even go back then, and after that incident, it's even less likely. I never even considered that possibility."

"Then what are you hoping to gain by constantly coming here?" Zhang Yimou looked at him, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"Let me make this clear first, my studio doesn't sign people. If I did sign you, I'd have to keep worrying about you, and I'm too old to handle that kind of stress."

"I understand, I understand. I wasn't thinking of getting ahead overnight. It's just that the movie is about to be released, and I still don't have a management company, so I'm getting anxious."

Hearing this, Zhang Yimou raised an eyebrow in confusion and said, "That shouldn't be the case. You played the male lead in my movie, how come no company has approached you?"

"Really not." Li Xiang himself was puzzled. "I've been thinking about it too. After all, I'm the male lead in your movie. Surely no one would be interested in me."

"Wait a minute." Zhang Yimou said, raising his hand as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"I'll call Lao Wang—see if he's the one who stopped it for you?"

Li Xiang was stunned when he heard this.

He was busy with exams during this period and only called Uncle Wang twice. Uncle Wang was busy at the time, so he thought he would meet him during the holidays to talk in detail.

Zhang Yimou had already picked up his phone and put it on speakerphone to make the call.

As soon as the call connected, he went straight to the point: "Old Wang, Li Xiang said no one has contacted him to talk about the company. Did you stop them?"

"That kid is preparing for his final exams, so I told the people in the industry not to bother him for now."

"We'll talk about it after the exam. What's wrong?" Uncle Wang said on the other end of the phone.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yimou laughed.

"This kid keeps coming to my place every few days. At first, I thought he had something urgent to discuss, but when I asked him, I found out that no one had contacted him to talk about the company, and he was really panicking."

Since you're not around, you've come to me for advice.

Uncle Wang chuckled when he heard this: "That kid just can't keep his composure. I'll give him a good talking to later. He's already thinking about these things right after the exam."

"Don't criticize him anymore." Zhang Yimou gestured with his chin toward Li Xiang.

"He's right next to me. I made the call right in front of him. You can say whatever you want now, so I can hear it."

"Hey, this kid, you're so busy, and he still keeps bothering you. He's really inconsiderate," Uncle Wang said with a laugh.

"Hey, hey, don't talk to the child like that. No matter how busy I am, I'm not a robot, do I not have time to rest?"

Besides, this kid never comes empty-handed. He brings a variety of fruits, all of which are washed clean, practically ready to be fed to me.

I'm indebted to him, so I'd love for him to spend more time chatting with me.

"But Lao Wang, the kids are on vacation now, what are your plans? I happen to be here, so I can give you some advice."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Wang agreed, realizing that no matter how thorough his own thinking was, it couldn't compare to Zhang Yimou's status in the industry. He then said:

"To be honest, at first I wanted this kid to sign with your film studio, but you make movies however you want, sometimes only one every few years."

We can't let him waste his prime years waiting for roles. At his age, he should be pushing forward; constantly waiting for your roles will easily limit him."

"And I wouldn't want him to go to a big company like Huayi. There are too many constraints, not to mention the many people there who are from all sorts of backgrounds."

Even if I have some influence, there are plenty of people in the industry with more influence than me. If he really gets arrested, I might not be able to protect him. So when they contacted me, I politely declined.

Zhang Yimou nodded in agreement: "Indeed, their company is a mess and not suitable for a young person like him. It would be too difficult for him to make a name for himself there."

"So, do you have any other ideas? Or maybe you should find a top agent to manage him?"

"The top agents... in the industry, there are only a few like Wang Jinghua and Chang Jihong. But they have a lot of artists under their management, and their relationships with film and television companies are mostly supply and demand."

Li Xiang is still young. Even after considering seniority and personal connections, he might not get any good resources.

"Hmm, that makes sense." Zhang Yimou nodded. "Newcomers working with top agents may seem to have powerful backing, but they are actually easily marginalized."

Experienced professionals are more reliable and easier to work with, and film companies also recognize their expertise. Newcomers, on the other hand, rarely have a chance to succeed unless their companies invest heavily in promoting them.

He then looked at the person on the other end of the phone: "Stop beating around the bush. If you didn't have a solid plan, you wouldn't have stopped me for so long. Just tell me, what are you really thinking?"

"Haha, I knew I couldn't hide it from you. To be honest, I do have a lead, and they've already come knocking on my door—Hua Ce, you know him, right?"