Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

"Come on." Chen Chen sat down next to him. "Is everything really alright with Wang Jinghua?"

"There are no problems for now," Zhang Yu said. "However, Wang Zhongjun won't give up; he definitely has other tricks up his sleeve. We need to be prepared."

"We'll meet force with force and water with earth," Chen Chen said calmly. "We've already experienced the worst; how much worse can it get?"

There was a resolute determination in her tone. Zhang Yu looked at her and suddenly said, "Chen Chen, thank you."

"Thank you for what?"

"Thank you for not leaving during the most difficult time, thank you for taking out your savings, and thank you for managing the reshoot site so well," Zhang Yu said earnestly. "Without you, the studio wouldn't have survived until today."

Chen Chen turned his face away: "I told you, I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for the studio, and for myself."

"I know," Zhang Yu smiled, "but thank you anyway."

The two remained silent for a moment. On set, crew members were packing up equipment, and actors were removing makeup and changing clothes; the noise only made this corner seem quieter.

“Zhang Yu,” Chen Chen suddenly asked, “if the studio really succeeds, what’s your next step?”

"Make more good movies and cultivate more good actors," Zhang Yu said. "Then... change some things. Change some bad habits in this industry, change the living conditions of actors, and change the aesthetics of the audience."

He spoke grandly, but Chen Chen listened attentively.

"And...what about your private life?" she asked softly.

Zhang Yu looked at her: "Personal life... Once the studio is stable, I want to have a proper relationship. Not scheming, not using, but purely loving someone and being loved in return."

Chen Chen's heart skipped a beat. She didn't dare look Zhang Yu in the eye, and just lowered her head to play with her fingers.

"Who... could that person be?" she asked, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Zhang Yu didn't answer, but simply reached out and gently took her hand.

Chen Chen's hand trembled slightly, but he did not pull it away.

“Chen Chen,” Zhang Yu said, “Give me some time. Once all of this is over, I will give you an answer, an explanation.”

"how long?"

“One year,” Zhang Yu said. “After one year, whether the studio succeeds or not, I will give you an answer.”

Chen Chen looked up at him, her eyes reddening: "Okay. I'll wait for you for a year."

This promise was weighty. Zhang Yu knew it represented the greatest trust and patience Chen Chen could offer him.

He tightened his grip on her hand, the star-shaped birthmark under his left eye warming slightly. At that moment, Chen Chen's star-like mark shone even brighter—not with painful longing, but with a hopeful anticipation.

---

8 PM, hotel room.

That evening, while Zhang Yu was revising the script in his room, Yang Mi knocked on the door and came in. She had changed into loungewear, a light pink sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, her long hair loose, and her face bare, looking much gentler than during the day.

"Director Zhang, am I disturbing you?" she asked.

"No, come in." Zhang Yu put away the script. "Is there something you need?"

Yang Mi sat down on the sofa and took out a notebook from her bag: "I've made a plan about the development paths for us artists after the joint venture is established. Would you like to take a look?"

Zhang Yu took the notebook and opened it. Yang Mi's plan was very detailed, listing everyone's characteristics, strengths, suitable routes, as well as specific timelines and resource requirements.

"You really put your heart into it," Zhang Yu said sincerely.

“Because this is my future.” Yang Mi said seriously, “Director Zhang, although Wang Jinghua is very capable, she has many artists under her management, and it’s impossible for her to take care of everyone. We have to plan our own path and then let her execute it, instead of waiting for her to make arrangements.”

“You’re right.” Zhang Yu nodded. “This plan is excellent; we can discuss it with Wang Jinghua. But Yang Mi, I have a question for you.”

"You say."

"What are your plans for the future?" Zhang Yu asked. "Do you want to be a top-tier actress, a respected actress, or... do you have other ideas?"

Yang Mi was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I want to be a producer."

This answer surprised Zhang Yu.

"Producer?"

“Yes.” Yang Mi’s eyes lit up. “Director Zhang, I’ve been observing for a long time and I’ve found that in this industry, no matter how famous an actor is, they are still passive and are chosen. But producers are proactive and choose others. I want to have initiative, to decide for myself what to film, who to use, and how to film it.”

She spoke boldly, but Zhang Yu sensed her ambition and vision.

"So you're following me not just to act, but to learn how to be a producer?"

“Yes.” Yang Mi said frankly, “Director Zhang, you are the director I have ever met who understands creation the most and who understands business the most. I want to learn from you, to learn how to combine art and business, and to learn how to be a creator with a voice.”

Zhang Yu looked at her; this twenty-year-old girl always managed to surprise him.

“Okay,” he said. “From today onwards, you will not only be an actor, but also the project manager of the studio. For the next project, ‘The Longest Day in Chang’an,’ you will be involved in the production.”

Yang Mi's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Really." Zhang Yu smiled. "But it will be tough, so you should be mentally prepared."

"I'm not afraid of hard work!" Yang Mi said happily, like a child. "Thank you, Director Zhang!"

Her star-studded legacy became more complex at this moment—not just ambition and gratitude, but a sense of mentorship and inheritance.

After seeing Yang Mi off, Zhang Yu stood by the window, looking at the night view of Hengdian.

The birthmark under his left eye shone as brightly as a real star at that moment.

He could feel the starlight imprints within him resonating—Chen Chen's waiting, Yang Mi's inheritance, Bai Bing's composure, Gao Yuanyuan's innocence, Zhao Liying's resilience, Dilireba's spirituality, Li Binbin's resonance, Wang Jinghua's approval, Liu Yan's sense of belonging, Li Bing's support, and Gulinaza's expectations…

Thirty-three marks, thirty-three powers.

Seventy-five more questions to go.

The road ahead is still long.

But Zhang Yu knew that he was no longer walking alone.

He has companions, comrades-in-arms, and people who believe in him.

This is enough.

Outside the window, the night is getting dark.

But dawn will always come.

……

March 27, 2000, 9:00 AM, Beijing, sunny, 7~18°C.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the arrival hall at Beijing Capital International Airport, Zhang Yu dragged his black suitcase out of the gate, the mole under his left eye glowing slightly in the cool northern morning light. He had just disembarked from an early morning flight from Hangzhou, and just ten hours earlier he had been at the Hengdian film set finishing up reshoots. Now he stood in the city that would determine the fate of his studio.

Zhang Yu's phone vibrated; it was a text message from Chen Chen: "Have you arrived yet? It's cold in Beijing, remember to wear more clothes." It was concise, but Zhang Yu could read the concern between the lines—since the promise they made on set three days ago, their relationship had entered a subtle new phase. They were no longer just lovers, nor just work partners, but a tacit, unspoken bond.