Chapter 0039: Someone Like Me

Some things in this world change, and some do not.

For example, the upcoming final exams, and the person Zhao Fusheng now had to face.

"You're not going?"

Zheng Yao looked at Zhao Fusheng in surprise. She had just called him over from the dormitory, meaning to have him accompany her to Ninghai Film Academy to find the leading actress.

But Zhao Fusheng shook his head like a rattle-drum. No way—if Fan Bao, that lunatic, saw him, she'd definitely go crazy.

Most importantly, the commercial didn't need any other actors; just Fan Bao, plus the photographer and director, would be enough.

In Zhao Fusheng's words, the most important thing about the commercial wasn't the actor, but the lines.

"I really won't go. That girl goes crazy the moment she sees me. Don't say you know me." Zhao Fusheng blinked and said to Zheng Yao with great seriousness.

Hearing this, Zheng Yao had no choice but to nod. Still, after a moment's thought, she asked, "Then how much should we pay her? Ten thousand?"

"Isn't that a bit much?" Zhao Fusheng shook his head. "She's a newcomer. Giving her a thousand or so is already good."

Originally, he had indeed wanted to offer Fan Bao a high price, but on second thought, not to mention that this matter would definitely be reported to Liu Shaomei of Runshengyuan, simply offering a newcomer model ten thousand yuan was inherently suspicious.

Of course, both Zheng Yao and Liu Shaomei were willing to give him this face and favor, but Zhao Fusheng didn't want to accept it.

The hardest debt to repay in this world is a favor debt. Although Zhao Fusheng now hoped Fan Bao could earn more money, the problem was that one should not accept rewards without merit. If he took their money and owed them a favor now, then one day he would have to repay it tenfold or a hundredfold.

"Alright, then I'll pay according to the market rate." Zheng Yao nodded, but in her heart she was still thinking that, for Zhao Fusheng's sake, she would add a few hundred yuan for that girl named Fan Bao.

Little did she know, Zhao Fusheng had never cared about that bit of remuneration. What he cared about was the fame this commercial could bring to Fan Bao.

Only he knew how enormous a sensation this commercial for the throat lozenges would cause.

Sometimes, material benefits are not the most important; intangible assets are the greatest.

Perhaps now, apart from Zhao Fusheng himself, no one knew what that commercial would bring to Fan Bao.

…

…

June weather, a child's face—it changes at any moment.

The morning had been clear and cloudless, but by afternoon, a steady drizzle set in.

The rain poured down like arrows loosed from the sky, drumming against the dormitory windows with a crackling sound.

Zhao Fusheng sat on his bed, gazing out the window, his mind occupied with matters close to his heart.

After all these years of reform and opening up, people had grown more pragmatic. Fewer were restless and eager to take a gamble; most chose a stable, predictable life, seeing the end from the start even in their youth. They didn't want to change, nor did they dare to.

But without dreams, without the courage to strive, what meaning was there in living?

The problem was, with neither capital nor connections, an ordinary person hoping to turn his life around—Zhao Fusheng knew—still had a long road ahead.

Fortunately, he understood that there was never such a thing as fate playing tricks. The outstanding figures in this world actively chose the environment they wanted; if they couldn't find it, they created one themselves.

"So boring..."

Just as Zhao Fusheng was lost in thought, Wang Zhen's voice rang in his ears. There were no classes that afternoon. Tan Kaixuan and Hu Xia had gone to the library; in Wen Yu's words, they were inseparable as glue and lacquer. If the school weren't so strict, Tan Kaixuan would probably have rented a place off campus by now.

Zhao Fusheng snorted at that. Did they think it was still the social climate of five or ten years ago, renting a place outside? He was a hundred percent sure that if Tan Kaixuan actually made that request, Hu Xia would break up with him without a second thought.

Though he had only met Hu Xia a few times, Zhao Fusheng could tell she was a girl soft on the outside but firm within.

"How about we play cards?"

Seeing Wang Zhen and Wen Yu looking so bored, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said.

"Cards?" The fat and thin pair exchanged glances, clearly puzzled by Zhao Fusheng's suggestion.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled, pulled out a deck of cards, and said, "Come on, I'll teach you a game."

"What game?"

"A new game?"

Wen Yu and Wang Zhen looked at each other, curiosity on their faces.

Two hours later, the rain outside stopped. Tan Kaixuan returned to the dorm with a cheerful face. "Guys, I'm back!"

But to his surprise, no one paid him any attention. What met his eyes were three figures with faces plastered with slips of paper.

"Pair of twos, two cards left."

"Don't move! Four threes."

"Damn, how do you have a bomb?"

"Been waiting for you."

The exchange between Wang Zhen and Wen Yu left Tan Kaixuan completely confused, and he asked curiously, "What are you playing?"

"Fight the Landlord."

The two replied in unison.

Zhao Fusheng looked up and smiled: "Want to give it a try?"

Tan Kaixuan thought for a moment, tossed the things in his hand onto the bed, and said, "Come on, count me in."

Seeing the guy's curious look, Zhao Fusheng smiled, got up to give him the spot, and went back to his bed to read. As for the rules, Wang Zhen and Wen Yu would naturally explain them.

Half an hour later, the dormitory was lively again.

...

...

The biggest difference between girls' and boys' dormitories is that boys can always use whatever is around them for entertainment and find their own joy.

Girls, on the other hand, prefer to immerse themselves in their own little world.

It's said that people's moods get gloomy on rainy days. Many girls, when it rains, become as irritable as they are a few days before their period.

Fan Baobao was very unhappy now, undoubtedly because of Yuan Lu, who slept across from her. Just because she had a guest role in a self-produced TV series at the city station through her parents' connections, she walked around with her nose in the air all day. What was so great about that? Without her good parents, who would want her?

Fan Baobao sneered inwardly, then let out a soft sigh.

Having good parents was also a kind of good luck. In life, sometimes luck really can determine a lot.

Though unwilling to admit it, Fan Baobao knew she envied Yuan Lu.

At the very least, she didn't have to worry about the future, while Fan Baobao had to work hard for hers.

"Maybe I'll do temporary promotions on weekends," the thought flashed through Fan Baobao's mind. The family house would probably be sold in a few days. Although Uncle and Aunt Zhao were really good to her, knowing the family had no income, they always secretly gave her pocket money—maybe even more than that bastard Zhao Fusheng got.

But Fan Baobao didn't want to be a parasite. The Zhao family wasn't rich either. Uncle Zhao would have to support her studies next year, which was already an immense kindness. So she figured she'd better find part-time work to earn living expenses.

Though the pay for temporary promotions wasn't high, if she could find work every weekend, she could make five or six hundred yuan a month, enough to live on.

"Ugh, this rainy weather is so annoying. I wanted to buy cosmetics," Yuan Lu's voice rang out with a hint of smugness. "I saw a perfume the other day, over three hundred, and I thought it was pretty nice."

Once someone started, naturally others chimed in. Soon a few girls listened enviously as Yuan Lu talked about her favorite perfume.

Fan Baobao snorted inwardly, dismissing it. Spending three hundred yuan on a bottle of perfume was such a waste.

With that money, she could live for half a month.

But she also knew that Yuan Lu was deliberately trying to get under her skin. This scene had played out in the dorm more than once.

"Hey, Baobao, why don't you buy cosmetics?" Yuan Lu asked Fan Baobao, knowing the answer.

By this time, the innocence of youth had mostly worn away among young people; material things had become more important to them. In short, the pure era of the early 1990s was long gone, leaving only an increasingly vulgar ivory tower.

In the eyes of Yuan Lu and most of the roommates, Fan Baobao was just a poor girl relying on her looks. She wanted to be famous? Dream on!

Hearing Yuan Lu's question, Fan Baobao sneered. When it came to verbal sparring, except for that bastard Zhao Fusheng, she had never been afraid of anyone. "Sorry, I've never needed cosmetics since I was a kid. As they say, natural is the most beautiful. Only those who need to cover up their flaws would desperately try to gild themselves, right?"

That indiscriminate verbal bomb instantly silenced everyone in the dorm. Miss Fan curled her lips inwardly, mourning for her roommates who had fought alongside her.

None of them could take a hit as well as that Zhao Fusheng guy.

"Heh, keep talking tough," Yuan Lu said, her face pale with anger, glaring at Fan Baobao. "If you've got the guts, don't wear makeup at your next audition."

Just then, the dorm door opened and several people walked in. The girls were startled and quickly stood up.

"Counselor."

"Dean."

The ones entering were Fan Baobao's counselor and the department head, along with two unfamiliar women.

The one in front had shoulder-length hair and wore a black professional suit, looking quite capable.

"This is General Manager Zheng from Future Advertising. She's here to select an advertising model from among you," the counselor explained with a smile to the best female students in the class. "This ad will air on CCTV-1."

In an instant, the breathing of several girls in the dorm quickened.