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

Back at school, Li Xiang temporarily put aside his other thoughts and became a good student.

He attended classes on time and even took some time to talk to his homeroom teachers, Chen Bing and Huang Lei, about making the movie.

Both teachers were amazed by his ability to "make his own cakes and eat them himself."

Huang Lei, in particular, had just been introduced to a film opportunity that was still uncertain not long ago, and now the script has been written and filming is about to begin.

He had also read the script, and although the subject matter was somewhat niche and not quite to his taste, he had to admit that...

These kinds of sharp stories with slightly questionable values ​​are always popular at film festivals.

So he wholeheartedly supported him, and when he heard that Li Xiang wanted to ask him to take some acting lessons for the role, he readily agreed.

Class teacher Chen Bing smiled and nodded, telling him to focus on his studies while also attending to his important matters.

More than a week passed in this routine.

That afternoon, Li Xiang was engrossed in his textbook when his phone started vibrating repeatedly—

First it was Zhang Yimou's call, then it was Uncle Wang's, both urging him to take leave from school as soon as possible.

It turns out that Kara Hui arrived in Beijing today and signed a contract with director and producer Uncle Wang regarding her schedule.

Only then did they suggest meeting the screenwriter of the film, and that's when they decided to call Li Xiang out of school.

The meeting place was not chosen to be Zhang Yimou's studio—there are too many people there, and besides, this is not Director Zhang's own project, so there is no need to use his venue.

Li Xiang took a taxi directly to his usual restaurant. He pushed open the door to the private room, where three people were already seated.

"You're here?" Uncle Wang waved to him as he entered. "Yinghong, this is the screenwriter you've been wanting to meet, and also the male lead of our play, Li Xiang."

Kara Hui was clearly taken aback by the introduction, then smiled and stood up to shake hands.

It turns out that after Li Xiang and Uncle Wang left, Zhang Yimou contacted Kara Hui through connections that same day, and even spoke directly with her.

In Hong Kong, artists often don't bring assistants when they're not working. Although Kara Hui won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, she doesn't have many public appearances except for a few art films.

When she heard that the great director Zhang Yimou had personally approached her, she was flattered and overwhelmed.

When she heard that the film was the directorial debut of a renowned cinematographer, she agreed to it without hesitation, without even asking any questions about the details of the script.

However, Director Zhang clearly hadn't forgotten about this. After finding out Kara Hui's communication method, he quickly sent her the script.

After receiving the script, Kara Hui practically wore it out over the next few days.

The more she watched, the more she felt that the character was tailor-made for her, and some of the plot points even subtly echoed her own experiences when she was young.

She made a quick decision, settled her affairs, and rushed to the capital.

It's worth noting that Kara Hui's life story is more dramatic than any movie; she's someone who has weathered several major ups and downs.

A strong woman who can stand up again has no problem with either emotional intelligence or IQ.

Although Zhang Yimou was the one who initially made the connection, she showed no disrespect to Director Wang Shu after meeting him; on the contrary, she became even more respectful and enthusiastic.

This pleased both Uncle Wang and Zhang Yimou.

Although Uncle Wang is well-known in the industry, he was already somewhat flattered to be able to invite an award-winning actress on his first time directing.

Seeing Kara Hui's sincere attitude, he naturally showed his full sincerity, and the two became much closer over time.

Coincidentally, Kara Hui is from Shandong, and her ancestral home is the same place as Uncle Wang's. Once this connection as fellow townsmen was established, the conversation flowed freely.

So when Kara Hui learned that Li Xiang was the screenwriter, she immediately stood up.

Li Xiang, not wanting to be impolite, quickly jogged a few steps forward, solemnly extended his hands, and shook hands with her, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement:

"Ms. Kara Hui, I've heard so much about you! You're my idol, especially for that movie 'At the End of Daybreak,' when you said to the camera, 'You've all lied to me'..."

The light in your eyes didn't go out all at once; it trembled first, like a candle flame being swept by the wind, flickering with a hint of disbelief.

Seriously, I watched that scene at least ten times, and every time I could find something new in your subtle expressions. That's what it means to bring a character to life.

"Don't say that."

"I should be thanking you for writing such a great script; I couldn't take my eyes off this character at first glance."

"You said you acted well in 'Inner Demons,' but I think I could have acted even better in 'Saint Seiya.'"

Her character arc was so complete—the obsession with revenge, the instinct of motherhood, and the final self-sacrifice; her entire life was burned through…”

She took a deep breath, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "You really don't come across a character like this, who can create a closed loop, for many years."

To be honest, even if it weren't for Director Zhang's connections, if I saw this script somewhere else someday, I would probably fight tooth and nail to get it.

The thought of playing her fills me with both excitement and anticipation.

The two stood there chatting animatedly, and Uncle Wang could only smile and wave his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, stop talking here, sit down and eat while you chat."

Kara Hui then released her hand, gesturing for Li Xiang to sit down first. As she sat down herself, her gaze remained fixed on Li Xiang.

This also made everyone realize that she genuinely liked the script and the character, and consequently felt closer to the creators.

Kara Hui was initially quite surprised that Li Xiang could write such a profound script at such a young age, but after listening to him talk about his thoughts during the creative process—

From the characters' motivations to the plot development, the logic is so clear that it doesn't seem like something a newcomer would write—and that makes sense.

After all, during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, many talented individuals emerged, and there were plenty of people younger than him who wrote excellent scripts.

However, Li Xiang's ability to write such a solid script for his own future development truly impressed her.

She glanced at the other two people at the same table... She knew that Li Xiang was bound to succeed, and his future achievements were limitless.

What impressed her even more was that Li Xiang didn't sacrifice his screen time to highlight himself; instead, he made the strengths of the two main characters complement each other, creating a balanced and equal performance.

This at least shows that he is not the kind of person who would do anything for an award; he has professional ethics and, more importantly, artistic talent.

This is also why she was exceptionally warm towards the male lead after learning that he was the screenwriter.

If it were her, and she had the ability to write an award-winning novel for herself, she probably wouldn't be able to resist adding a lot of drama about herself.

However, in this drama, the mother's character arc is even more intriguing and heart-wrenching than that of the protagonist.

However, it was impossible to have a deep discussion about creative work at the dinner table, so after thinking about it, Kara Hui made a decision on the spot.

I'll stay in Beijing for a while longer, partly to travel around and partly to practice my Mandarin.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiang casually asked, "Sister Hong, you came alone, without an assistant, right?"

Our company has an apartment in Beijing that's just sitting empty. If you don't mind, it would be more convenient for you to stay there.

Kara Hui thought for a moment and did not refuse: "That would be great, it would save me the trouble of looking for a hotel and cause you trouble."

"What are you saying?" Li Xiang quickly waved his hand. "It would be my honor to learn acting skills from you for a few more days."

Uncle Wang and Zhang Yimou, who were standing nearby, smiled and didn't interrupt, seeing that the two got along well.

In short, the meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests.