Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

The conversation lasted an hour, with Chen Chen and Tang Yan discussing acting for most of the time, while Zhang Yu occasionally chimed in. Tang Yan noticed that Zhang Yu's gaze towards Chen Chen was complex, containing nostalgia, guilt, and another emotion she couldn't understand.

Before leaving, Chen Chen said to Tang Yan, "Act well, you have great potential. This industry is very demanding on actresses, but there will always be a place for truly good actors."

She then turned to Zhang Yu: "Thank you for still being willing to see me. I came back this time not only to see old friends, but also to take care of some things."

"Just say so if you need help."

"Not for now." Chen Chen paused. "Huang Ying is back too, did you know?"

Zhang Yu's expression froze for a moment: "When?"

“Last week, she contacted me and said she wanted to see you.” Chen Chen gave Zhang Yu a meaningful look. “It’s time to put an end to what happened between you two.”

After Chen Chen left, only Zhang Yu and Tang Yan remained in the office. Silence filled the air, and Tang Yan didn't know what to say.

"Were you scared?" Zhang Yu finally spoke.

"That's a bit of a surprise," Tang Yan said honestly. "I didn't know you were married."

“That was a long time ago.” Zhang Yu walked to the window. “Chen Chen is a good woman, but we weren’t right for each other. After we broke up, she went abroad, and we rarely kept in touch.”

"That oriole..."

“That’s another story.” Zhang Yu interrupted her, his tone unusually weary. “Tang Yan, the reason I arranged for you to meet Chen Chen today is to let you know that everyone has a past. My past is somewhat complicated, but it shouldn’t affect your present and future.”

He turned around, his eyes serious: "You are you, and they are them. My training and expectations for you have nothing to do with them. Understand?"

"I understand." Tang Yan nodded, but the doubts in her heart had not completely disappeared.

It was late when Tang Yan left the company. Walking alone on the street, her mind replayed everything that had happened that day: the joy of signing the contract, Gao Yuanyuan's advice, Jing Tian's veiled sarcasm, and Chen Chen's appearance...

She suddenly realized that Zhang Yu's world was far more complex than she had imagined. That director, so decisive on set and composed in Berlin, had a past and entanglements she didn't know about.

And this past is somehow re-entering the present.

……

The script reading for "The Glamorous Imperial Concubine" was held in a hotel conference room on the East Fourth Ring Road. Besides director Hu Mei, lead actresses Gao Yuanyuan and Tang Yan, Lu Yi, who plays the male lead, and a host of important supporting actors were also present.

Director Hu Mei's opening remarks were very direct: "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is not an ordinary period romance drama. It is a history of the rise and fall of a family, and also a history of the growth of two women in a chaotic world. The sisters Lin Jinxiu and Lin Wan'er represent two choices for women in that era—one conforms to the times, and the other resists fate."

The reading session begins from the very first episode. Lin Jinxiu and Lin Wan'er's first scene is in their family garden. The older sister is embroidering, and the younger sister is reading; beneath the seemingly tranquil scene lies an impending storm.

Gao Yuanyuan read Lin Jinxiu's lines first, her voice gentle yet firm: "Wan'er, Father said that the young master of the Zhang family will come to propose marriage next month."

Tang Yan continued, her tone innocent like a young girl: "The Zhang family? That young master Zhang who returned from studying abroad? I met him once; he spoke in a very formal, bookish way, nothing interesting."

"Marriage is a major event, it's not a matter of whether it's interesting or not." Gao Yuanyuan's voice lowered. "My father's point is that with the unstable situation, arranging a marriage as soon as possible is a guarantee for our family."

"Use my marriage as security?" Tang Yan's tone shifted from innocent to sharp. "Sister, do you think so too?"

This seemingly simple dialogue laid the foundation for the sisters' personality differences and the tone of their relationship. Director Hu Mei called a halt: "Tang Yan, your transition just now was a bit abrupt. Lin Wan'er is naive, but not childish. Her opposition to marriage stems from a desire for freedom, not from willfulness. Let's do it again."

Tang Yan adjusted her mindset and started over. This time, her tone carried a hint of thoughtful rebellion.

The reading session lasted all day. During the lunch break, Gao Yuanyuan and Tang Yan ate together.

"How are you feeling?" Gao Yuanyuan asked.

"Director Hu Mei's requirements are so meticulous," Tang Yan exclaimed. "She even adjusts the emphasis of a single interjection."

“That’s her style,” Gao Yuanyuan said, “but that’s also where her value lies. Actors who have been trained by her all experience a qualitative improvement in their performances.”

The afternoon's reading involved more complex emotional scenes. Lin Jinxiu married a man she didn't love for the sake of her family's interests; Lin Wan'er, on the other hand, secretly fell in love with a progressive young man. The two sisters made different choices amidst the tides of history, but both paid a price.

When reading the scene where Lin Wan'er parted ways with her lover, Tang Yan's voice choked with emotion: "After this departure, I don't know when we will meet again."

The actor playing a progressive young man continued, "When this country is better, I will come back and marry you."

What if we can't wait?

Silence. Then came a voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Then pretend I was never here."

Upon reading this, Tang Yan's tears truly fell. It wasn't acting; she was deeply moved by the character's fate. The meeting room fell silent; everyone was touched by the emotional power of the scene.

Director Hu Mei unusually did not call a stop, until Tang Yan calmed down on her own.

"Very good." Hu Mei only said two words, but for Tang Yan, it was the highest praise.

At the end of the reading session, Hu Mei summarized: "Everyone's understanding of the characters is basically in place, but it still needs to be deepened. The most difficult thing to portray in a Republican-era drama is not the external aspects, but the internal aspects—the people of that era had a kind of perseverance and sacrifice that is difficult for us to understand now. Go back and continue your homework. We will go to the set next week for a makeup test."

It was completely dark when Tang Yan left the hotel. Just as she was about to hail a taxi, a black sedan stopped in front of her. The window rolled down; it was Zhang Yu.

"Get in the car, I'll take you somewhere."

The car drove towards the east of the city and finally stopped in front of an old-fashioned residential building. The building was old, but the location was excellent, right near the Workers' Stadium.

"What is this?" Tang Yan asked, puzzled.

"This is where I lived when I was young," Zhang Yu said, locking his car. "It's also the house where Chen Chen and I got married."

Tang Yan was stunned, not understanding why Zhang Yu had brought her here.

"Come with me." Zhang Yu didn't explain and walked straight into the building.

The apartment was on the third floor, with two bedrooms and a living room. The decor was simple but tidy, as if someone had been cleaning it regularly. Zhang Yu turned on the light, and the living room layout came into view—a wall full of bookshelves, an old-fashioned sofa, and a piano by the window.

“After I left, Chen Chen kept this place as it was,” Zhang Yu said softly. “She said it held many memories for her and she couldn’t bear to change it.”

Tang Yan looked around and could feel the weight of time in this space. The bookshelves were filled with movie-related books, some of which had yellowed pages; on the piano sat a framed photo of Zhang Yu and Chen Chen in their youth.

Zhang Yu in the photo looks much younger than he does now, with bright eyes; Chen Chen smiles gently, her head slightly resting on Zhang Yu's shoulder. Both are wearing white shirts, with the iconic building of the film academy in the background.