Chapter 1524: Trouble Comes Knocking

As Tan Kaixuan was leaving his house, Zhao Fusheng suddenly said, "That girl, bring her to see me sometime."

"What?"

Hearing this, Tan Kaixuan stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. He turned around and looked at Zhao Fusheng speechlessly: "Do I look like the kind of person who hangs himself on one tree?"

"Yes."

Zhao Fusheng said without hesitation.

If anyone in the world understood Tan Kaixuan best, it was probably himself.

In fact, Zhao Fusheng felt he understood Tan Kaixuan even better than Tan Kaixuan understood himself.

After all, in his previous life, Zhao Fusheng had witnessed with his own eyes how Tan Kaixuan rose and ultimately headed toward destruction.

To be fair, the Tan Kaixuan of that time was not much different from now—equally buoyant with success, equally famous at a young age.

Even his characteristic of never forgetting his roots had not changed at all.

But in the end, that guy still walked down that road of no return.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, it was simply because he had no one by his side to hold him back.

Zhao Fusheng hoped he could find a good emotional归宿.

Rather than ending up like in his previous life, a lonely ghost.

"Don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing." Tan Kaixuan knew Zhao Fusheng meant well, but this kind of meeting, almost like something out of a romantic drama, felt strange to him.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged and said nothing more.

Although Tan Kaixuan acted indifferent, he could tell that the guy still had some feelings for that girl.

Others might not know, but Zhao Fusheng was well aware that Tan Kaixuan, seemingly heartless, was actually a romantic at heart. He might not care about wild girls, but for a good girl who kept herself pure, Tan Kaixuan easily fell into the net of love.

He didn't know the girl's name, but someone who struggled to call for help in yesterday's situation was still decent. He just hoped Tan Kaixuan and she would have a good outcome.

……

……

As night fell, the city, forged by the wisdom and sweat of countless people, was ablaze with lights and thronged with people.

Tong Xiaoya, back in the dormitory, lay in bed all day.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"Yaya, what's wrong?"

Her roommate, seeing her dazed expression, was a bit puzzled.

Yesterday, the three of them had gone to the celebration banquet together, but when they turned around, Tong Xiaoya had disappeared. She came back in the morning, saying she had gotten drunk and stayed at a hotel for the night.

The excuse was flimsy, but since they were all adults, no one called her out on it.

In their eyes, this was a common occurrence. Many senior students in the department had experienced such things. It was said that a certain senior from the class of '96 had been noticed by a big director, made a movie, and won an award.

As for other losses, they just treated it like being pressed by a ghost or bitten by a dog.

As for treating the other party as a villain?

What a joke. How many big villains are there in this world? Life alone is enough to defeat most people.

Students studying performance may seem glamorous, but who knows whether they can become famous after graduating and entering the entertainment industry?

Every year, so many people graduate from the performance departments of major professional drama schools, but not every one of them becomes a big star.

To become famous, sometimes you need not only acting skills but also someone to promote you, the right opportunity, and the right script.

Even the right director is very important.

Take the movie A Better Tomorrow, for example. At the beginning, although Mark was played by Fat Gor (Chow Yun-fat), his role wasn't actually that big. The main focus was on Ah Kit, played by Leslie Cheung.

But at that time, Leslie Cheung was tied up with other commitments, so the director had to shift the script's focus to Mark. Coupled with Fat Gor's deepening understanding of the character, it ultimately created a tragic hero.

To put it bluntly, without that script and the passionate performances of Fat Gor and others, John Woo's so-called 'violent aesthetics' would be nothing but garbage!

A good director's most important quality is understanding performance.

Why do people say Tsui Hark is amazing? Because that guy really understands drama. He seriously teaches actors how to act. Legend has it that when Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei were filming Painted Skin, Tsui Hark personally taught them acting, explaining carefully, even demonstrating himself, before starting the shoot.

Good directors, like good actors, have an understanding of the character. The depth of this understanding determines how brilliantly the character is portrayed.

Of course, there's a matter of degree here.

For example, if an actor develops their own interpretation of a character due to the role, and it conflicts with the director's ideas, whose opinion should prevail?

Each side has its own reasoning. There's never a definitive answer when it comes to changing the script.

In his previous life, Lu Chuan was almost driven crazy by a certain scumbag surnamed Jiang while filming The Missing Gun. At most, he cried six times in a single day!

If a good actor fails to meet a good director, they either sink into self-degradation or simply let themselves go. In that case, you'll find the entire play feels particularly awkward.

I've digressed. Let's get back to the point.

Tong Xiaoya, however, turned a deaf ear to her roommate's concern, lying there, staring at the ceiling above her head, lost in thought.

"Yaya, say something!" the roommate said helplessly.

"I'm fine. Let me be alone for a while."

After a long while, Tong Xiaoya's low voice sounded, carrying indescribable weariness.

After all, anyone encountering such a thing would surely be at a loss. Tong Xiaoya's reaction was only human.

Feeling anxious and uncertain is the most normal sensation when humans run into trouble.

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open, and someone walked in, saying to Tong Xiaoya, "Yaya, someone's looking for you."

"For me?"

Tong Xiaoya was startled, somewhat surprised.

She was from an ethnic minority, her family not in the capital. In 2004, she had attracted attention by performing at a gala with her dance specialty, then got into the Central Academy of Drama. She had few acquaintances here, aside from a few roommates, and rarely left school on ordinary days. So why would someone be looking for her?

With a hint of suspicion in her heart, Tong Xiaoya still sat up, freshened up, and accompanied by two roommates, went downstairs to the dormitory entrance.

As they descended the stairs, the two roommates teased her, "Yaya, I didn't know you had friends we don't know."

Tong Xiaoya's heart stirred, a faint hope rising—could it be that guy coming to find her?

But when she reached the bottom and saw the person standing at the door, Tong Xiaoya's face instantly turned pale.