Chapter 163: Him Again
It was a story about a young man chasing his dreams, facing constant setbacks, yet still searching for his path.
Alone and adrift, he struggled relentlessly, but opportunities eluded him, failures mounting, rejections piling up. He could barely afford rent or food, his girlfriend leaving him, consumed by the loneliness of the city, gazing at the stars, his future uncertain. One day, he started dreaming, dreaming of achieving everything he desired, the success he craved, immersing himself in this fantasy, until… he woke up.
That was the premise of Dream Life.
Director Wang needed an actress to play the male protagonist’s ex-girlfriend, but no one wanted the role, an unsympathetic character, neither likable nor glamorous.
Yet, the character was crucial to the story’s development. Director Wang had even offered a higher salary than the male lead, hoping to attract a well-known actress, but even then, no one was interested.
In the end, he had to settle for lesser-known actresses.
Tang Yumeng was the sixth to audition. She entered the room with confidence, her demeanor calm and collected in front of the camera. But as she began her performance, her eyes changed, her aura shifting, transforming into the character.
Director Wang had to admit, she was talented. A graduate of a prestigious university, her acting skills were undeniable.
But whether to cast her… that was a different matter.
He hadn’t decided yet.
After Tang Yumeng’s audition, the next actress entered. With only about ten candidates, the auditions would be finished by noon.
Yu Linna, bored and restless, decided to take a walk. Lex Film Productions, once a major player in the industry, had been declining in recent years, their output mediocre, even Director Wang Weifan, once a celebrated figure, now dismissed by many as a has-been. A veteran director who had won numerous awards during the early days of Chinese cinema, he had failed to adapt to the changing times, the rise of commercial films.
Though he had attempted to direct commercial films, they had all flopped.
He had since abandoned the commercial realm, focusing on art house films, though without much success.
Yu Linna had read the script for Dream Life, sent to her by Tang Yumeng. It was a story about a young man struggling to become a star, relegated to minor roles, his efforts constantly met with failure.
This story… it feels familiar…
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had encountered this story before, though she couldn’t place it.
Then she realized it mirrored her own struggles in the entertainment industry, her relentless efforts, her constant rejections, her dashed hopes.
No wonder she felt a connection to the story; the protagonist’s struggles resonated with her own.
As she walked, she saw Director Wang Weifan talking to an unremarkable-looking man in the hallway. The director’s expression was calm, almost indifferent, while the other man, seemingly trying to persuade him, was growing increasingly impatient.
Yu Linna’s eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the man.
Sensing her gaze, the man turned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, quickly replaced by a smile.
“Miss Yu, what a coincidence. Back for another acting gig?”
Yu Tianchen’s greeting was casual, as if addressing an acquaintance.
“You know this young lady?”
“Of course. She used to be one of our actresses at Chenghe. Right, Miss Yu?”
He smiled, his demeanor seemingly harmless, but to Yu Linna, his smile felt… fake.
“Since you two know each other, why don’t you… show him out?”
“Sending me away already, Director Wang?”
“I’m just a small-time director, not a businessman. What business could I possibly have with you? Anyway, I have to go. I’m busy.”
Director Wang’s blunt dismissal was surprising, considering Yu Tianchen’s status at Chenghe, even if he was younger.
But Director Wang wasn’t fazed.
“Miss Yu, if you please. Director Wang isn’t interested in collaborating, much to my disappointment. You see? It’s just like your situation before.”
“What are you doing here, Yu Tianchen?”
“Discussing business, of course. Miss Yu, why are you giving me the cold shoulder? You weren’t like this before.”
“Why should I be polite to you?”
If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have entered the entertainment industry, wouldn’t have fallen into Chenghe’s trap, wouldn’t have almost been…
She had no fondness for Chenghe.
Yu Tianchen simply smiled, unfazed by her hostility.
This Yu Linna, still as defiant as ever, thinking she could fight the world. She would soon learn the world would always crush her.
“Miss Yu, I had high hopes for you. You had so much potential. Turning you into a star… that was my mission. But unfortunately, Miss Ye bought you out. Though I wanted to keep you, I couldn’t refuse her father’s request.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“If I had stayed, Chenghe might have gone bankrupt. I wouldn’t have earned you a single cent.”
This girl…
Yu Tianchen chuckled, his composure unwavering.
His amiable appearance masked a sharp, calculating mind, a hidden blade waiting to strike.
You never knew when he would attack.
“Miss Yu, we nurtured you, gave you opportunities, even commercials. Is this how you treat your former employer?” His smile deepened, a glint in his eyes, his hands in his pockets, like a messenger from hell.
“I’m not stupid. I know the difference between help and harm. Just tell me, what did you offer Nangong Ying to make her betray me like that?”
“Nothing. But she did approach us, wanting to sign a four-film contract. Her only condition was that we bring you to Chenghe.”
He was lying.
If it were that simple, Nangong Ying wouldn’t have betrayed her.
She would never forget that day, the betrayal, the smug faces at Chenghe.
“Miss Yu, you seem angry.”
“What do you think? Should I be polite to you?”
“It’s just a betrayal. What’s there to be angry about? Besides, you were the one who chose to trust her.”
“I…”
“And if you weren’t so greedy, so ambitious, would you have fallen for it?”
“…”
He had a point. Back then, she had been greedy, her desires exceeding her grasp, mistaking a starting point for a finish line.
“But I understand your greed. You’re an orphan, after all, having nothing, naturally craving more. Someone who has been treated like a commodity, bought and sold, having nothing… it’s understandable you would want more.”
“Have you said enough?”
His words were cruel, deliberately designed to inflict pain, a fact he couldn’t possibly be unaware of.
But he was doing this on purpose.
He smiled, his demeanor calm and unassuming, like an ordinary, harmless man, his true nature hidden beneath the surface.
“Miss Yu, how does it feel to be sold like a commodity by your own parents? Anger? Sadness? Or… despair?”
Yu Linna’s face contorted with rage, her eyes blazing with fury. If she had a brick in her hand, she would have thrown it at him without hesitation.
“Yes, that’s it. That expression. That’s the real you.”
Yu Tianchen continued to smile, unfazed.
He had researched her background, her past, her vulnerabilities. He was deliberately provoking her.
“If you hate Chenghe, you should hate your dear friend Nangong Ying even more. You should hate her for not helping you, for betraying you. Do you understand?”
“…Everyone at Chenghe is scum.”
Her hatred for Chenghe burned within her, her eyes red, her fists clenched, struggling to control her anger.
“And you, discarded like trash… are you any different? Are you even human?”
“What did you say?”
“Shall I tell you? Your parents… your biological parents… they sold you to human traffickers, treated you like trash. Do you understand now?”
“…You’re trying to provoke me again.”
Though she said so, her anger had subsided, replaced by a chilling fear.
She tried to calm herself, but her heart pounded in her chest.
“Silly girl, think about it. If you weren’t abandoned, why haven’t your parents looked for you all these years? Why hasn’t your family ever appeared? You even submitted your DNA to the police, and yet… no one came.”
“What… what do you want?!”
Yu Linna’s voice rose to a shout, her eyes blazing. Who would have thought this usually gentle girl was capable of such rage?
“So, I ask you, why are you still so naive? Why do you still trust people? Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?”
“…”
“You blame Chenghe, you resent us, you even threaten us. But it’s all because you’re naive. If you weren’t so naive, so greedy, would you have fallen for our trap?”
“Stop… stop talking…”
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand, Miss Yu. We have our own rules, rules you’re not privy to. Now do you understand?”
Yu Tianchen, the epitome of evil, was deliberately cruel, his words a twisted form of revenge for her earlier defiance.
And Yu Linna, in his presence, was powerless.
