Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

He had just finished getting his food and sat down when he heard a clear voice: "Master!"

Zhang Yu looked up and saw Zhang Tian'ai running over with a tray of food, her ponytail bouncing behind her head. She was wearing a light pink tracksuit today, with no makeup, and her skin looked so good it seemed like you could pinch water out of it.

"Tian'ai? What brings you here?" Zhang Yu asked, somewhat surprised. Zhang Tian'ai had finished filming her scenes a few days ago and should have returned to Beijing by now.

"I took leave!" Zhang Tianai sat down opposite him, her eyes sparkling. "I heard that Sister Chen Chen was hospitalized and the crew needed help, so I asked the school for a week off to come back and do odd jobs!"

When she said "odd jobs," she sounded particularly proud, as if it were something extraordinary. Zhang Yu laughed: "You're an actor, what kind of odd jobs do you do?"

“Anything is fine!” Zhang Tian’ai counted on her fingers. “I can help with rehearsing lines, I can help carry props, I can help buy lunch boxes… Master, don’t let my appearance fool you, I’m very capable!”

She spoke with such earnestness and fervor. Zhang Yu looked at her, at this nineteen-year-old girl, whose eyes held the purest kindness and enthusiasm.

"Thank you," Zhang Yu said sincerely, "but you really don't need to do this. There are crew members on set."

“That’s different.” Zhang Tian’ai shook her head. “My master has been kind to me and gave me the opportunity to act. Now that my master is in trouble, of course I have to help. This is the most basic principle of being a person.”

She spoke simply, but sincerely. A warm feeling welled up inside Zhang Yu. In this complex circle, such pure-hearted people are so rare.

"By the way, Master," Zhang Tianai lowered her voice, "I heard... people from Huayi Brothers came looking for you?"

"You are very well-informed."

"Yang Mi told me," Zhang Tianai said. "Master, are you going to sign with Huayi Brothers?"

"Still considering."

“I think…” Zhang Tian’ai hesitated for a moment, “I think we can sign it. Huayi Brothers is on a roll right now, and President Wang has great vision. My mentor is so talented, he deserves a bigger platform.”

Zhang Yu was somewhat surprised: "You know Huayi Brothers?"

“I know a little bit.” Zhang Tianai nodded. “I have a senior who signed with Huayi Brothers. She said that the resources there are very good and they value newcomers. However… she also said that Huayi Brothers’ contracts are very strict and the penalty for breach of contract is very high.”

That's the truth. Zhang Yu flipped through the contract; the figure in the penalty section was astronomical to him right now.

“Master,” Zhang Tian’ai suddenly looked at him very seriously, “I will support whatever decision you make. If you sign with Huayi Brothers, I will work hard to act, and when I am qualified in the future, I will also sign with Huayi Brothers and continue to work with you. If you don’t sign, I will follow you wherever you go.”

She spoke like a loyal soldier pledging his allegiance. Zhang Yu laughed: "Silly girl, your life is your own; don't make decisions for others."

“I’m not doing this for anyone else, I’m doing it for myself.” Zhang Tian’ai insisted, “Master, I believe in you. Only by following you can I become a good actress. This is my choice.”

There was an almost devout trust in her eyes. Zhang Yu looked at her, and the star-shaped birthmark under his left eye felt slightly warm—Zhang Tian'ai's starlight mark, pure and fiery, just like her.

After lunch, Zhang Tian'ai really went to do odd jobs—helping the crew move equipment and organizing the makeup artist's makeup case, keeping herself very busy. The crew members all liked this down-to-earth and hardworking "junior sister".

Watching her retreating figure, Zhang Yu made a decision in his heart.

---

2 p.m.

The afternoon filming took place in the "Imperial Garden" of the Ming and Qing Palace, where Liu Shishi was filming her scene—she plays a dancer who encounters Gu Jiangnan in the garden and performs an impromptu ballet.

Liu Shishi had already finished her makeup, wearing a light green embroidered cheongsam, her long hair styled in a retro updo, and her makeup was light and elegant. She was warming up, stretching her slender neck and arms, and every movement exuded the elegance of a dancer.

As Zhang Yu walked over, she had just finished a backbend, and the slit in her cheongsam revealed her fair and straight calves, their lines as beautiful as a sculpture.

"Director Zhang." Liu Shishi saw him and immediately stood up straight, somewhat reserved.

"Relax," Zhang Yu smiled. "You don't need to be nervous for this scene. Just dance and do what you're good at."

“But I…” Liu Shishi bit her lip, “I have no problem dancing ballet, but to portray the charm of a dancer… I’m afraid I can’t do it.”

"What do you think is the charm of a dancer?" Zhang Yu asked.

"It's... alluring, seductive, that kind of..." Liu Shishi blushed and couldn't continue.

“Wrong,” Zhang Yu shook his head. “Real dancers, especially high-class dancers during the Republic of China era, were not what you think. They were artists, socialites, and clever women who knew how to use their beauty and talent to navigate relationships with men. Their charm was not vulgar seduction, but elegant allure.”

He paused, then continued, "Think about it, a girl who has studied dance since childhood, forced into prostitution due to her family's decline. She wears a cheongsam and dances Western ballet, which is a contradictory beauty in itself—a collision of East and West, an intertwining of purity and worldliness. This complexity is the charm of this character."

Liu Shishi listened intently, her eyes gradually brightening: "Director Zhang, I think I understand..."

“So you’re not playing a ‘dancer,’ you’re playing a ‘dancer forced to become a dancer,’” Zhang Yu said. “When you’re dancing, forget you’re filming, forget everything around you, just dance. Let the dance speak, let your body speak.”

Liu Shishi took a deep breath and nodded: "I'll give it a try."

Filming begins. The music starts—Chopin's Nocturne. Liu Shishi dances in the garden, her light green cheongsam billowing as she spins, like a lotus leaf swaying in the wind. Her ballet skills are excellent; every movement is precise and graceful. But more importantly—she embodies a sense of contradiction.

Pure ballet movements paired with a worldly cheongsam; elegant dance moves paired with a sorrowful gaze. Especially the final still frame, where she slightly tilts her head back, tears sliding down her cheeks, yet a smile plays on her lips.

That kind of broken beauty made the entire audience hold their breath.

"Cut!" Zhang Yu called out, clapping, "Very good! Liu Shishi, you've grasped the essence!"

Liu Shishi stood there, panting, tears still on her face, but her eyes shone like stars: "Really? Director Zhang, I really acted well?"

“Really.” Zhang Yu walked over and handed her a bottle of water. “You are very talented, not just in dancing, but in acting.”

Liu Shishi took the water, blushing, and said, "Thank you, Director Zhang..."

“However,” Zhang Yu changed the subject, “you were too nervous, your body was too tense. When you’re dancing, you need to relax and enjoy it. Next time before filming, take a deep breath and tell yourself, ‘I am her.’”

"Yes!" Liu Shi nodded vigorously. "I've got it!"

Filming continued. Back on the monitor, Zhang Yu felt a slight warmth under his left eye, around his eye. Liu Shishi's star-like mark had taken shape—a blend of artistic pursuit, a yearning for recognition, and… gratitude and admiration for him.

The progress is accelerating.