Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

A low murmur arose from the audience.

Zeng Li's eyes reddened, but she tried to remain calm: "Later I found out that Li Moumou had never divorced, and his wife was this Ms. Zhou. I was cheated on for seven whole months without knowing it. This incident hit me hard, and I even thought about leaving the entertainment industry. It was the director at the time who persuaded me to stay. For the past thirteen years, I have worked hard and acted seriously, hoping that one day I can prove myself with my abilities, not with these scandalous news stories."

She looked at Ms. Zhou beside her and said, "Today, I specially invited Ms. Zhou to tell everyone the truth."

Ms. Zhou, around fifty years old, wore a simple gray dress and had gray hair, looking older than her actual age. Her voice trembled slightly as she picked up the microphone: "My name is Zhou Hui, and I am Li Moumou's ex-wife. I was married to Li Moumou for eighteen years and we had two children. He was... a womanizer, a playboy, and liked to deceive young girls. Zeng Li wasn't the first, nor will she be the last."

She wiped her eyes: "It was wrong of me to hit Zeng Li on set back then. But I was too angry at the time. Li Moumou lied to me, saying he was going on a business trip, but he was actually going to celebrate Zeng Li's birthday. Later I found out that Zeng Li was also a victim; she had no idea that Li Moumou had a family. Over the years, I've wanted to find an opportunity to apologize to her, but I didn't have the courage. Today, I want to say in front of everyone—Zeng Li, I'm sorry. Also, those rumors that Zeng Li was a mistress are all false; someone is deliberately smearing her."

After Ms. Zhou finished speaking, she bowed deeply. Zeng Li quickly helped her up, and the two looked at each other, their eyes filled with tears.

There was a few seconds of silence in the audience, then applause erupted.

Zhang Yu took the microphone at the opportune moment: "The truth is already very clear. Ms. Zeng Li is a victim, not a perpetrator. Regarding this malicious rumor-mongering incident, 'Hua Yu' has officially sued Wang Zhongjun and several media outlets under his control, demanding compensation for emotional distress and a public apology. The relevant legal documents have been submitted to the court."

He paused, his voice turning cold: "At the same time, I hereby formally warn certain people—playing with fire is fine, but be careful not to get burned. 'Hua Yu's' artists are not to be messed with by just anyone. Whoever dares to touch them, I will make them pay the price."

After the press conference, reporters swarmed around her for interviews. Zeng Li, with the help of Zhang Yu and Wang Jinghua, managed to break through the encirclement with great difficulty.

"Director Zhang, thank you." Back in the car, Zeng Li finally couldn't hold back her tears. "If it weren't for you, I would never be able to wash away this stain in my life."

"Don't cry, your makeup will be ruined and you won't look good." Zhang Yu handed her a tissue. "It's good that things are resolved. What you need to do next is to perform well in 'Awakening of Insects' and let your work speak for itself."

"I will." Zeng Li wiped away her tears, her eyes resolute.

At 1 p.m., the group returned to Hengdian. As soon as the car entered the training camp gate, Zhang Yu saw a familiar figure standing in front of the office building—Liu Xiaoli, Liu Yifei's mother.

Today she wore a dark blue business suit, her hair was neatly tied up, and she wore gold-rimmed glasses. She exuded the rigor of an intellectual and the anxiety unique to a mother.

"Ms. Liu," Zhang Yu greeted her as he got out of the car, "when did you arrive?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning." Liu Xiaoli's expression was very serious. "Director Zhang, I would like to talk to you about Yifei's matter."

"Okay, let's talk in the office."

In the office, Liu Xiaoli got straight to the point: "Director Zhang, I don't agree with Yifei's long-term training at the training camp. She's only fifteen years old and should focus on her studies. After filming those two scenes in 'Awakening of Insects,' I'll take her back to Beijing to continue attending an international school."

Zhang Yu poured her a cup of tea: "Ms. Liu, I understand your concerns. But Yifei has acting talent, and it would be a great pity if she weren't properly nurtured."

"No matter how talented you are, you have to finish your studies first." Liu Xiaoli's attitude was firm. "I suffered a lot back then because I entered this industry too early. I don't want Yifei to follow in my footsteps."

“Times have changed,” Zhang Yu said. “The entertainment industry today, although it still has problems, is much more regulated than before. Moreover, ‘Hua Yu’ has its own principles—no coercion, no deals, and protection of artists. You can rest assured with Yi Fei here.”

Liu Xiaoli looked at him sharply: "Director Zhang, it's not that I don't trust you. But I've heard that the actresses at 'Hua Yu'... all have very close relationships with you. Shu Chang, Jing Tian, ​​Zeng Li... the way they look at you isn't just the way they look at a director."

That was too direct. Zhang Yu was silent for a few seconds, then smiled: "Ms. Liu, are you worried about me?"

“I’m worried about Yifei,” Liu Xiaoli said. “She’s still young and doesn’t understand things. If you’re nice to her, she might misunderstand and develop feelings she shouldn’t. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

Zhang Yu stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to her: "Ms. Liu, I admit that I am very kind to female artists. But my kindness is measured. Yi Fei is fifteen years old, and in my eyes she is just a child. My kindness to her is that of a teacher to a student, or an elder to a junior, nothing more."

He turned to Liu Xiaoli and said, “If you’re worried, you can accompany her throughout. You can watch over Yifei during her training and stay on set while she’s filming. But please give her a chance and let her try this path. If it really doesn’t suit her, it’s not too late for her to go back to school.”

Liu Xiaoli fell silent. She looked at Zhang Yu; the young director's eyes were sincere, and his words were very persuasive.

“I need time to think about it,” she said.

“Okay.” Zhang Yu nodded. “But there’s something I need to remind you of—Yifei really wants to stay. Yesterday she told me that she wants to be an actress, a good actress. It’s a good thing for a child to have dreams, and as parents, we should support them, not stop them.”

Liu Xiaoli's eyes wavered. She recalled her daughter's excited voice on the phone yesterday: "Mom, the training camp is so much fun! The teachers are all great, and the classmates are great too! I want to stay and learn!"

Finally, she sighed, "Let me see the training camp's environment and curriculum. If it's really well-organized, I can consider letting Yifei stay until the end of this summer."

“No problem.” Zhang Yu took out a document he had prepared beforehand from the drawer. “This is the detailed information about the training camp, including the course schedule, faculty, and student rules. Take your time to look through it, and feel free to ask me any questions.”

Liu Xiaoli took the document and began to carefully review it. Seeing her focused expression, Zhang Yu knew that the matter was half successful.

3 PM, training camp's physical training room.

Today is the first assessment for the second batch of trainees. Twelve girls, including Meng Ziyi, Zhang Zilin, and Zhang Hanyun, are dressed in matching black dance costumes, lined up in a row, and look nervous.

Seated on the judging panel were Zhang Yu, Wang Ou, Song Qian, and a dance instructor. Wang Ou officially assumed the role of artist director today, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, her hair tied in a low ponytail, her makeup impeccable, radiating a professional aura.

"First one, Meng Ziyi," Song Qian announced.