Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

As the morning light pierced the thin mist over Hengdian, Zhang Yu was smoking in front of the white marble railing of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Ming and Qing Palaces.

The hem of the dark gray trench coat fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and the mole under her left eye gleamed almost imperceptibly in the rising sunlight.

Today is March 8th, Women's Day.

My phone vibrated; it was a text from Li Xiaoming: "Director Zhang, Happy Women's Day! We've given all the female staff members on the set half a day off today. We'll start filming again at 2 PM. If you're free this morning, some investors would like to invite you to play golf."

Zhang Yu replied, "I had something to do this morning, please thank them for me."

After replying to the text message, he turned to look at the Taihe Hall Square—it was deserted, devoid of its usual hustle and bustle. A few young men from the props team were packing up the equipment left over from yesterday's filming; they nodded to him from afar when they saw him.

"Good morning, Director Zhang!" Assistant Director Xiao Wang ran up the steps, panting. "Sister Chen Chen and Sister Huang Ying went out early this morning, saying they were going shopping in the city. The other actresses have also made their own plans."

Zhang Yu nodded: "I understand. You should also take half a day off; you've worked hard these past few days."

Xiao Wang was a little surprised: "Director Zhang, aren't you going to rest?"

"Let me take a look at the script." Zhang Yu pulled a well-worn copy of the script for "A Scholarly Family" from his trench coat pocket. "Some details need to be revised."

Xiao Wang tactfully left. Zhang Yu sat down on the steps, opened the script, but his gaze fell on the light blue bracelet on his wrist—the one Jing Tian had left behind, a few small stars shimmering in the morning light. He remembered Meng Ziyi's words from last night: "You've collected so many stories, do you have your own?"

Yes, but it's too complicated and too burdensome.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Zhang Yu still went to the golf course near Hengdian World Studios. Not because he wanted to play golf, but because Li Xiaoming called again, saying that an important person from the investors wanted to meet him.

The grass on the sports field was lush and green; in March, the Jiangnan region already felt the breath of spring. Zhang Yu changed into his sportswear and headed towards the clubhouse. From afar, he saw Li Xiaoming talking to a man in his fifties standing by the lawn. The man was wearing a white polo shirt and sunglasses; he was slightly overweight but possessed a strong presence—it was none other than President Wang from last night's dinner.

"Director Zhang is here!" Li Xiaoming waved enthusiastically. "Come in, Mr. Wang came here today to apologize to you. He said he drank too much last night and spoke in a somewhat offensive manner."

Mr. Wang took off his sunglasses, a smile plastered on his face: "Director Zhang, I'm really sorry about last night. I can't control myself when I drink. Please don't take it to heart."

Zhang Yu smiled faintly: "President Wang, you flatter me. It's normal for everyone to express their own opinions on work matters."

"That's good, that's good!" Mr. Wang patted him on the shoulder. "Let's play ball well today and not talk about work! By the way, I brought two friends with me; they're your fans!"

As he spoke, he waved towards the clubhouse. Two women emerged from the clubhouse and walked towards them.

The first woman appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing a white athletic skirt and a pink polo shirt. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her slender neck and delicate collarbones. She was tall with long, straight legs that shone brightly in the morning light. Her features were sweet with a touch of allure, and she had two shallow dimples when she smiled, making her seem as approachable and charming as a girl next door. She was Tang Yan (Tang Yan's nickname), a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, who had just finished filming an idol drama and was currently on the rise.

Next to her was a slightly younger girl, wearing a light blue tracksuit, with long, loose hair and no makeup, but her skin was so flawless it looked like it could be pinched to release water. Her features were delicate like a porcelain doll's, with large, expressive eyes, a straight nose, and pink lips; she was as pure as mountain spring water. She was Zhang Tian'ai (Zhang Tian'ai), a sophomore at the Beijing Film Academy, who had already filmed several commercials and was a rising star heavily promoted by her company.

Two women, with contrasting styles but equally beautiful, approached. President Wang introduced them with a smile: "Tang Yan, Zhang Tian'ai, and this is Director Zhang Yu, the talented director you've all wanted to meet!"

Tang Yan's eyes lit up, and she extended her hand: "Director Zhang, hello! I've seen your film 'Autumn Day,' and I especially loved the delicate handling of emotions!"

Her hands were soft and warm, and the pressure of her handshake was just right. Zhang Yu politely replied, "Ms. Tang, you flatter me. I've also seen your performance in 'Summer Love Song,' you were very talented."

Tang Yan's cheeks flushed slightly: "I'm sorry to have made you laugh at those idol dramas, Director Zhang."

Zhang Tianai was a little shy and said softly, "Director Zhang, hello... I'm your fan. Could... could I take a picture with you?"

As she spoke, she actually pulled out a small camera, her eyes filled with the expectant look of a child asking for candy. Zhang Yu smiled: "Of course."

Zhang Tianai happily stood beside him, asking Tang Yan to take photos. While taking the pictures, she naturally took Zhang Yu's arm, their bodies very close. Her slender, supple body beneath the light blue sportswear was subtly revealed; even through the thin fabric, one could feel her body heat and the unique fragrance of a young girl.

After the photo was taken, Zhang Tianai looked at the camera screen with sparkling eyes: "Thank you, Director Zhang! I will cherish this photo for the rest of my life!"

Mr. Wang laughed heartily: "Tian Nuan is such an honest kid! Director Zhang, please don't mind him!"

"No," Zhang Yu said. "It's a good thing that young people are enthusiastic."

The four started playing golf. Zhang Yu's skills were average, but Boss Wang was clearly a pro, hitting every shot accurately and far. Tang Yan and Zhang Tian'ai, on the other hand, were just playing around—Tang Yan's form was standard but lacked power, while Zhang Tian'ai was clumsy, hitting the ball into the bunker several times.

"Coach Zhang, please teach me!" Zhang Tian pouted and ran to Zhang Yu's side to whine after hitting the ball into the sand bunker for the third time. "I just can't seem to get it right."

She tilted her head back as she spoke, her big eyes blinking like a kitten longing for its owner's touch. Zhang Yu took her golf club: "Look, this is how you grip the club..."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and taught her how to hold the bar. The position was very intimate; Zhang Tianai was almost leaning against him. He could smell the jasmine scent in her hair and feel the softness and slight trembling of her body.

"Relax your wrists and use your waist strength when swinging..." Zhang Yu's voice rang in her ears, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.

Zhang Tian'ai's cheeks flushed crimson, her heart pounding as if it would burst. She could feel the warmth of Zhang Yu's chest and smell the faint scent of tobacco and his masculine aroma. In that instant, her mind went blank, completely forgetting that she was learning to play ball.

"Give it a try." Zhang Yu released her.

Zhang Tianai took a deep breath and swung the club according to the method he was taught—this time, the ball finally flew out, not far, but at least it didn't go into the bunker.

"I did it!" She jumped up with joy, turned around and hugged Zhang Yu. "Director Zhang, you're amazing!"

The hug was sudden, yet natural. Zhang Tian'ai's body was soft and warm, like a ball. Zhang Yu could feel the curves of her chest pressing against his own, and could smell the even stronger jasmine scent emanating from her.