Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

“You’ll see once you try.” Zhang Yu took the plane from her hand, squatted down, and began to work. His movements were very professional; the shavings were of even thickness, and his pressure was precise. In less than ten minutes, a crooked tenon was straightened and fitted into the mortise perfectly.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted in quiet gasps of amazement.

Chen Chen stood there, watching Zhang Yu's profile as he focused on his work. Morning light shone on his eyelashes, casting dappled shadows. He was back, not as a boss to exert pressure, but as a member of the team to share the burden. This gesture was more powerful than any comfort she had anticipated.

"Alright, stop looking." Chen Chen clapped his hands and got back to work. "Everyone back to your positions, let's get back to work. Now that Director Zhang is here, let's raise today's target by 20%."

The set was bustling again, but the atmosphere was noticeably different. Zhang Yu's return was like a shot in the arm, reigniting the fighting spirit of the exhausted team.

---

10:30 AM, Props Area.

The props area has now become the liveliest place on the entire set. Zhang Yu not only does the work himself, but also starts teaching the others. Liu Shishi, Wang Likun, and Dilraba Dilmurat surround him, watching him demonstrate how to sand the smoothest wood surface with minimal effort.

"Relax your wrists and use your waist to power your arms." Zhang Yu stood behind Dilraba, teaching her how to hold the plane. The position was very intimate; Dilraba was almost completely embraced by him, and she could smell the faint scent of soap and wood shavings on him.

Dilraba blushed, her heart pounding. She could feel the warmth of Zhang Yu's chest, the gentle breath he exhaled as he spoke brushed against her ear. But she dared not be distracted, and could only concentrate on learning the movements.

“Yes, that’s it.” Zhang Yu let go of her hand and watched her operate it herself. “Dilraba is very talented and learns very quickly.”

"It's because Director Zhang taught us so well," Dilraba said softly, avoiding his eyes.

Not far away, Liu Shishi was learning wood carving, carving a simple plum blossom. Zhang Yu walked over to give her guidance: "You need to be decisive when you make a cut, but don't use too much force. The wood grain has direction, so carve along the grain; it's less effort and looks better."

He took the carving knife and demonstrated, his fingers long and strong, holding the knife with the elegance of holding a pen. Liu Shishi looked at his focused profile and suddenly remembered what her dance teacher had said—"A true master does everything like art." The way Zhang Yu carved wood did indeed resemble the creation of a work of art.

"Director Zhang, how come you have so much?" Wang Likun couldn't help but ask. She was learning lacquer work on the side, and her hands were covered in tung oil.

“We were poor before, and we had to do everything ourselves.” Zhang Yu said without looking up. “In college, to save money, we made our own props for the film crew whenever possible. Later, I found that things made by hand feel different when you use them—you know every texture and every flaw, just like getting to know an old friend.”

He spoke casually, but the girls listened intently. In this industry, most directors talk the talk but don't walk the walk; it's rare to find someone like Zhang Yu who's willing to do everything himself.

"Director Zhang," Liu Shishi mustered her courage to ask, "Do you think... we can finish on time?"

Zhang Yu stopped carving, looked up at the busy people around him, and then smiled: "Yes. Not because I'm confident, but because I believe in you. You guys are even more hardworking than I imagined."

These words were spoken with great sincerity. The girls all smiled, their tired faces regaining a long-lost radiance.

---

Noon, in the clothing section.

On the clothing section, however, progress encountered a problem. Several cheongsams that Yang Mi was in charge of had issues during the dyeing process—different batches of dye had slight color variations, which were especially noticeable under sunlight.

"I'm so sorry, Sister Honey..." The young apprentice in charge of dyeing was on the verge of tears. "I really followed the recipe exactly, I don't know why..."

Yang Mi frowned as she looked at the several cheongsams of different colors. Today, she was wearing a light gray work uniform, her long hair was tied in a bun, and there was some paint on her face, but it did not affect her beauty at all. Instead, it added a touch of down-to-earth authenticity to her appearance.

"Don't rush, let me think." Yang Mi squatted down, carefully comparing several pieces of fabric. Her mind raced—re-dye all of it? Not enough time. Use it like this? It would affect the texture of the image. Is there any other way...?

"Use tie-dye." A voice came from behind.

Yang Mi turned around and saw Zhang Yu walking over. He had washed his hands, but there were still traces of wood shavings under his fingernails.

Tie-dye?

“Yes.” Zhang Yu picked up a piece of fabric with a slightly darker color. “Since the color is uneven, we’ll make it ‘deliberately’ uneven. We’ll use tie-dyeing to create a gradient effect on these cheongsams. This technique did exist during the Republic of China era, so it won’t be considered a mistake.”

That's a clever idea. Yang Mi's eyes lit up: "That's right... how come I didn't think of that! But none of us know how to tie-dye..."

“I know a little bit,” Zhang Yu said. “I studied traditional printing and dyeing in college. But I need help; it’s quite a lot of work.”

"I'll help!" Gao Yuanyuan immediately raised her hand. "I learned tie-dyeing in my school's handicraft class!"

“I’ll learn too!” Zhao Liying said.

“Me too,” Zhang Tian’ai said, not wanting to be left behind.

Yang Mi looked at the group of girls, then at Zhang Yu, and suddenly smiled: "Okay, then we'll revise the plan. Director Zhang, you teach us."

For the next two hours, the clothing area transformed into a dyeing workshop. Zhang Yu taught them how to tie the fabric, how to mix the dyes, and how to control the soaking time. The girls learned very diligently, with Yang Mi being particularly engrossed—she found she really enjoyed the hands-on process, watching the plain fabric slowly change color in the dye, like watching a life being given color.

"Director Zhang," Yang Mi suddenly asked while waiting for the treatment to begin, "Are you this kind to everyone?"

Zhang Yu was teaching Gao Yuanyuan how to tie a knot when he heard this and looked up: "What do you mean?"

“What I mean is,” Yang Mi carefully chose her words, “you’ve been very caring and patient with Sister Chen Chen, with us, with Reba and Shi Shi… This is rare in the industry. Most directors, especially male directors, are either aloof or… have ulterior motives.”

She was very direct. Zhang Yu laughed: "Yang Mi, do you know why I started this studio?"

"For freedom?"

“Not only that.” Zhang Yu put down the fabric in his hand, “It’s also to create a place—a place where talented people can be respected, people with dreams can be supported, and young people can grow up without being subjected to unspoken rules. I’m good to you not because you are women, but because you are ‘people,’ people of value who deserve to be treated well.”

When he said this, his eyes were clear, without any ulterior motives. Yang Mi looked at him, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her—a sense of being moved, admiration, and a hint of... a flutter of excitement that she herself was unwilling to admit.