Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

"How will you handle this?" Zeng Li looked at him. "It's a fact. Although I was the other woman, I did interfere in someone else's marriage. Even if I clarify it, the audience won't believe it. They'll call me a 'green tea bitch' and say I'm hypocritical."

Her voice choked with emotion: "Director Zhang, I'm thirty-five this year. I finally got a good role, and I finally have a chance to make a comeback... I don't want to ruin it like this."

Zhang Yu stood up, walked to her, squatted down, and looked her in the eye: "Zeng Li, look at me."

Zeng Li raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

“First, it wasn’t your fault; you were the victim.” Zhang Yu’s voice was firm. “Second, even if the audience doesn’t believe you, I believe you. Third, as long as I’m here, no one can ruin you.”

He paused, then continued, “I’ve contacted that man’s ex-wife—not his current wife, but the one who beat you up in the street back then. She’s willing to testify that the man has a history of deceiving girls, and that you are one of the victims. In addition, I’ve also found mutual friends from when you were dating, and they can also testify that you genuinely didn’t know he was married at the time.”

Zeng Li was stunned: "How...how did you find these people?"

“If you’re determined to find it, you can always find it.” Zhang Yu smiled. “If Wang Zhongjun wants to play the media war, I’ll play along to the end. Tomorrow morning, we’ll hold a press conference. You’ll attend and clarify things. That man’s ex-wife will also be there to testify.”

Zeng Li's tears fell: "Director Zhang, thank you... thank you so much..."

"Don't cry." Zhang Yu wiped away her tears. "What you need to do now is prepare well for tomorrow's press conference. Remember, you're not going to admit a mistake, you're going to clarify things. Stand tall and be confident."

“Yes!” Zeng Li nodded vigorously.

Zhang Yu looked at her and suddenly asked, "Zeng Li, do you believe me?"

"I believe you," Zeng Li said without hesitation.

"If I asked you to do something, something that might be difficult for you, would you be willing?" Zhang Yu asked.

Zeng Li looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt, but even more so with trust: "What is it?"

Zhang Yu stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to her: "If I said I need your complete trust and immersion, that I need you to give yourself to me completely—not just professionally, but emotionally and physically, would you be willing?"

Zeng Li was stunned. She wasn't a little girl; she understood the meaning behind those words. Looking at Zhang Yu's back, that tall, powerful figure, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.

"Director Zhang, do you...do you have feelings for me?" she asked directly.

Zhang Yu turned around and looked at her: "What if I said yes?"

Zeng Li's heart raced. She was thirty-five years old, had been through several relationships, and was long past the age of impulsiveness. But facing Zhang Yu, she found her heart still racing, and her face still flushing.

“Director Zhang, I…” She bit her lip, “I’m not a little girl anymore. I’ve been through a lot, and I know what relationships are like. I’m very grateful for your kindness, help, and protection. But I don’t want to let gratitude lead me astray…”

“I don’t want your gratitude,” Zhang Yu interrupted her. “I want willingness. If you don’t have feelings for me, then forget it. I won’t force you, nor will I change my attitude towards you because of this. You are still an artist under ‘Hua Yu,’ and I am still your director.”

He paused, then continued, "But if you have feelings for me, don't suppress them. This industry is too complicated, and we all live too tiring lives. Sometimes, following your feelings is much easier."

Zeng Li stared at him for a long, long time. She remembered how good Zhang Yu had been to her these past few days—helping her with her acting, teaching her how to act, protecting her from the rumors. She remembered the admiration and concern in his eyes when he looked at her during filming today. She remembered her own loneliness and longing over the years.

Then she stood up, walked to Zhang Yu, and hugged him.

"Director Zhang, I..." Her voice was very soft, "I don't know if this is love, but I know that I want to be close to you, to rely on you, to... be with you."

Zhang Yu hugged her, his voice low and deep: "Have you thought it through?"

"I've thought it through." Zeng Li looked up at him. "I'm willing. I'm completely willing."

That night, the lights in Zhang Yu's office stayed on very late.

Zeng Li's mark was truly fulfilled that night. This thirty-five-year-old woman possessed a mature body and rich emotions; her sacrifice was not as passionate as that of a young girl, but rather deeper and more enduring.

Number of Starshine Marks: 47/108.

Late at night, Zeng Li fell asleep in Zhang Yu's arms. She slept soundly, her face still streaked with tears, but her lips were relaxed. Zhang Yu looked at her, his fingers gently tracing her cheek.

This mature woman is like aged wine; she needs to be savored slowly, but once tasted, the aftertaste is lingering.

The night is deep in Hengdian outside the window.

Tomorrow is another new day.

---

June 28, 2000, 9:00 AM, banquet hall of Beijing Chang'an Hotel.

The venue, which could accommodate 300 people, was packed, with cameras and microphones pointed at the stage. The press conference for the TV series "Awakening of Insects" and Zeng Li's defamation lawsuit were underway. On stage, Zeng Li sat in the center, with Zhang Yu and Wang Jinghua to her left, and her lawyer and a haggard-looking middle-aged woman to her right—Ms. Zhou, the ex-wife of that man from years ago.

"Thank you to all the media friends for attending." Zhang Yu, as the host, spoke first, his voice carrying throughout the venue through the microphone. "Today's press conference has two main purposes: first, to announce the latest filming progress of 'Awakening of Insects'; second, to make a formal response to the recent false rumors circulating online about Ms. Zeng Li."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "I know many of you are here for the gossip, but I want to remind you all—a journalist's pen can make or break a person. Before you write a single word, please examine your conscience."

The audience fell silent. Zhang Yu's aura was too strong; his imposing presence, even without anger, made many reporters abandon their spectator mentality.

"First, please let Ms. Zeng Li speak."

Zeng Li wore an elegant beige suit today, her hair styled in a graceful updo, and her makeup was light yet refined. Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the microphone, but her voice was steady: "Dear media friends, hello everyone. You've probably all heard about some recent rumors circulating about me. Today, I don't want to defend myself; I just want to tell the truth."

She took a deep breath: "Thirteen years ago, I had just graduated from the Central Academy of Drama and met Li Moumou when I was filming my first movie. He was one of the investors in that movie and took good care of me. He said he was single, divorced for many years, and had no children. I was twenty-two years old at the time, naive and foolish, and I believed him. We dated for seven months until one day, a woman came to the set, slapped me in public, and said that I was a homewrecker."