Chapter 1714

Corner of the playground, club activities.

Under the tea art club's canopy, Zhong Bai walked over and sat down beside Lu Qiaochuan.

"Where's Ren Yifan?"

"Did you forget?" Lu Qiaochuan looked at her strangely. "He said he was going into seclusion."

"When did he say that?"

"It's been half a month. Wait, don't tell me you didn't notice Ren Yifan hasn't appeared for over half a month? My god, if he knew this news, how heartbroken he would be."

Zhong Bai defended herself: "Of course I remember, I just ignored the time for a moment, didn't expect it had been so long. Ren Yifan's voice and smile are still before my eyes, as if he never went far, as if everything is still yesterday."

"Indeed," Lu Qiaochuan nodded in agreement. "I didn't expect him to play for real this time. It seems he really went to great lengths to deceive girls."

Ren Yifan, having reached his junior year, lost his competitive edge, his grades dropped, and he was taken by a senior to attend a conference, where he discovered his professional Spanish ability was insufficient.

So he studied hard to improve himself, aiming to become a ten-thousand-yuan Spanish translator. He rebuilt his core competitiveness, found his charm, and at the same time made sufficient preparations for long-term girl-chasing in the future.

After a sigh, Lu Qiaochuan said, "Zhong Bai, do you have something going on lately?"

"No, what could I have going on?"

"How would I know? I just feel you've been a bit off lately."

"Then your feeling is wrong. It's just that we're too busy this semester, all arranged by Xiao Cuier, making me exhausted every day." Zhong Bai casually found an excuse.

"Is that really so? Zhong Bai, if there's anything, you must say it."

"Of course it's like that. Don't you know I'm thick-skinned?"

At this moment on the playground, Yu Hao was taking a walk with Xiao Haiyang.

"I feel you've been quite depressed lately?"

Xiao Haiyang subconsciously asked back: "Have I?"

"Very! Extremely!" Yu Hao said. "And Zhong Bai has been quite strange lately too. What's your situation? Didn't you say before that you were already getting closer? Why is your love life not going smoothly now? Why?"

"If I knew why, you wouldn't be able to see I'm depressed." Xiao Haiyang shook his head and let out a long sigh. "Maybe Ren Yifan is right, but I still don't want to give up."

"What did Ren Yifan say?"

"Just that Zhong Bai and I aren't a good fit, that Zhong Bai just treats me as a backup. It's been over two years, Zhong Bai has been single for two years, and I still haven't caught her. He told me not to waste time on Zhong Bai and to walk into the big forest early to embrace nature."

"And is that right? It's absolutely correct, okay?" Yu Hao rolled his eyes. "If you had the perseverance you have chasing Zhong Bai to chase someone else, you would have caught them long ago."

"But I just like Zhong Bai, I don't like anyone else. What can I do?"

Xiao Haiyang's tone was very low, lacking spirit.

He was right. Regardless of gender, if you don't get a response while pursuing someone and decisively leave to pursue the next, then everyone could pair up well, and this world would be much more harmonious.

It's just that the word 'like' has too much weight. Everyone always knows there are tigers on the mountain but heads toward the tiger mountain anyway, always thinking there are no tigers, thinking they can climb the mountain. A single sentence of 'he/she is different' decides many things.

In this respect, one of the factors of some social problems might lie in so-called liking and love. Some men and women are liked too much, so they lose this point, leading to promiscuity, triggering some people's resentment, some people's dissatisfaction, some people's longing that cannot be obtained, and some people's envy, jealousy, and hatred.

From this, various problems gather, various people gather into groups, different thoughts begin, dirty purposes begin to brew and collide, and the trend of thought comes out...

Yu Hao clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Ask the world what love is... I set my heart on the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch. Haiyang, take care of yourself."

"If only I could take care of myself." Xiao Haiyang waved his hand irritably and turned to say, "Is your filming plan ready?"

"It couldn't be better. You say Xiao Cuier is really something, changing it back and forth. They didn't even invite us, yet she insists on rushing over. How boring. It would be better to let us film our own stuff. That would be so relaxing; why go all the way there to be looked down upon."

The two were talking about how Bu Village self-funded an event and received support from the local government, inviting college students to go there to film and compete, with many rewards for excellent works.

Originally, Southern Media University wasn't invited, but other rival schools of the same level all went, so the college leadership wasn't convinced and demanded the photography class go film, with the college covering expenses, determined to strike down the arrogant spirit of the rival schools.

After filming in Bu Village and returning to school for final exams, the semester would be over.

The next day, led by class monitor Lu Qiaochuan and deputy monitor Lin Luoxue, the photography class set off by train, transferred to a bus, and arrived near Bu Village.

Just like in the original drama, everyone was mocked by other colleges, and then Lu Qiaochuan borrowed money from Ren Yifan to rent a generator, turning around to counter the other schools.

Afterward, he took everyone to live in a school built by the village's god-like figure, Wang Xuan, who sponsored this filming, providing accommodation, food, and some equipment.

Wang Yan treated it as a vacation and came along.

While everyone was tidying up their things, he saw Wang Xuan working hard alone, planning to cook dinner for everyone, so he went up to help.

"Do you know how to cook?" Wang Xuan asked.

"I think you probably don't know how to cook."

"How did you tell?"

"All these cooking utensils you have were sent over just now. It would be strange if you knew how to cook."

Wang Xuan argued: "There are so many of you eating, I don't have such a big pot."

"Is that so? Then what about this set of pots, pans, and spatulas?" Wang Yan waved his hand. "Alright, stop being stubborn, let me cook."

"You can cook?"

"Let's put it this way: if I opened a restaurant, you'd have to queue for a month to eat my food."

Wang Yan wasn't bragging; his culinary skills had long since made him a master of the culinary arts.

"You really can brag. Is that how all you big directors talk?"

Wang Xuan knew Wang Yan was a documentary director and had even searched for Wang Yan's encyclopedia, learning that Wang Yan was currently the most successful documentary director among the young generation in the country, bar none. He had achievements, awards, and mainstream recognition.

"Talk is cheap, just watch."

Immediately, the two started cleaning the vegetables; cooking for twenty-five people was a decent amount of work.

"Old Wang, what are you doing? Switched to logistics?" Lu Qiaochuan asked in surprise, watching Wang Yan stir-frying under the canopy.

"Idle is idle, might as well provide service to the classmates."

"Then let me help you. My filming task is very simple, mainly recording my own actions over the past half month. Just set the camera there."

Bi Shisan volunteered.

Wang Yan smiled and nodded: "You're a genius. This documentary idea is fantastic."

"Thanks, I knew you'd understand me."

Lu Qiaochuan fell into silence...

Gradually, the classmates finished tidying up and came out, seeing Wang Yan and Bi Shisan busy cooking, while Wang Xuan was fiddling with a camera filming Bi Shisan, and Lu Qiaochuan was setting up a machine to film Wang Xuan.

In their previous exchange, Wang Xuan wanted to learn photography, and Lu Qiaochuan discovered Wang Xuan had some substance, so he wanted to record Wang Xuan...

Zhong Bai walked over to get food, looked at Wang Yan without saying a word, and silently turned to walk away.

Immediately after, Lin Luoxue walked over gloating, winking at Wang Yan with a smile: "If you're cooking, then we're in for a treat. Thanks, Chef Wang."

Li Shuci followed closely to get food, teasing Wang Yan in Lin Luoxue's tone.

This was a double entendre that only they understood. One was that Wang Yan's cooking was truly delicious, and the other was the situation between Wang Yan and Zhong Bai, which Lin Luoxue and Li Shuci were watching as a spectacle.

This was something that couldn't be helped; they couldn't stop Wang Yan, so they could only find joy in misery, watching the jokes between Zhong Bai and Wang Yan.

"If you're cooking, then we're in for a treat. Thanks, Chef Wang." Yu Hao also learned to speak like them, acting all cheeky.

This was the person who truly wanted to eat the melon; unfortunately, if he wanted to know all this, he'd probably have to wait many years...

Filming began, and everyone carried out their filming activities.

Bi Shisan chopped wood and cleaned vegetables every day, and even took over the stir-frying step; he made breakfast and lunch, while Wang Yan made dinner.

Most of the remaining time, Wang Yan wandered around nearby, taking photos everywhere with his camera. He didn't disturb others' filming, nor did he help with anything, just enjoying himself peacefully and happily.

The scenery here was quite good; if not for that, the local government wouldn't have supported this event. They just wanted to create some buzz, using the intangible cultural heritage of cloth dyeing, as well as the natural scenery and cultural landscape here, to build a cultural tourism destination and attract some outside tourists.

One day, Wang Yan was wandering in the village, which was full of college students. At a house at the entrance of the village, Wang Yan saw a young woman in floral clothes sitting in the courtyard, facing Zhong Bai's camera and accepting an interview.

"Hello, may I ask if you are Director Wang Yan?"

The young woman stopped talking, stood up, and greeted Wang Yan, who was about to leave.

"It's me." Wang Yan smiled and nodded. "Didn't expect anyone here to recognize me."

"I've won awards too, okay!" Zhong Bai said with some annoyance, because Wang Yan's arrival disrupted her recording. "This is Zhou Mengqi, whom we heard about before we came."

"Hello, I've seen the films you shot; they're quite good."

"I can't compare to you. I especially like the National Day documentary you shot recently; it has small love and big love, and also the scene of a prosperous age..."

Zhou Mengqi gave a very restrained, fierce compliment.

"Undoubtedly, you are a person with vision. What do you think of my 'Life's Flavors' series?"

"Authentic..."

The two exchanged views on documentaries, and Wang Yan said: "If you're interested, you can think of a theme, make a simple filming plan, and send it to me. When the time comes, you can go film an episode and see."

"Really?" Zhou Mengqi asked, unable to believe it.

Resources in this line of work are very scarce; it's not like you have work to do and money to earn just because you won an award. Of course, being an assistant director or something is possible, but it's too hard to get ahead.

"Of course, what reason would I have to lie to you?" Wang Yan said with a laugh. "Although you're quite pretty, I don't have those thoughts yet, you can rest assured about that. The main reason is that I've been filming 'Life's Flavors' for too long. Although different industries have a sense of freshness, I find it hard to make progress with this same structure, a problem my classmates have all noticed.

However, because of my contract, and because this is a stable, money-making series that also trains personnel, I don't want to give it up easily. Since I've met you and your level is quite good, I'll let you try. If it works, everyone is happy. If not, there are others."

This Zhou Mengqi had a melon-shaped face, thin cheekbones slightly protruding, and delicate features; she was still very pretty. At the same time, because she was too thin, she had a bit of a sickly beauty.

Seeing Wang Yan's sincerity, Zhou Mengqi believed him eighty percent and couldn't help saying: "Thank you, Director Wang, I will definitely prepare well..."

Immediately, the two exchanged contact information, and Zhou Mengqi went back to continue the interview.

Wang Yan walked away under Zhong Bai's gaze, going to wander around the village...

That night, after dinner, Wang Yan was sitting in a corner smoking alone when Zhong Bai found him.

"Are you doing this to help me?"

"Confidence is good, but you can't be narcissistic. I really have seen the films she shot. Since I met her, I gave her a chance. Even if I didn't do anything, wasn't she cooperating with your filming?"

"But she taught me her filming experience again."

"That means she thinks highly of you." Wang Yan laughed.

His appearance made Zhong Bai angry. She hummed: "Then you're just acting on lust, you big pervert!"

Wang Yan said indifferently: "If you say so, then so be it. I really am trash. If she's willing, I have no opinion. If I get into the entertainment industry in the future, who knows what the situation will be."

"You're shameless!" Zhong Bai pointed angrily.

"According to common sense, you should keep some distance from me."

Wang Yan reached out his index finger to touch her finger. Zhong Bai retracted her hand with a 'whoosh', blushed directly, and opened her mouth to condemn Wang Yan for being a hooligan.

But she heard Wang Yan continue speaking, "But you don't want to be with me, yet every time you see me you throw me flirtatious glances, and you're always secretly looking at me. What exactly are you thinking?"

"Who's looking at you? Who's throwing you flirtatious glances? I was glaring at you. If looks could kill, you'd have been hacked into a thousand pieces long ago."

"You shouldn't even glare." Wang Yan shook his head and said, "Glaring at me means you have emotions, and having emotions means you're still thinking about me. Zhong Bai, think about it carefully yourself. Always being so hot and cold with me is bad for both you and me. It's easy to cause misunderstandings and affect you in finding your own happiness."

Zhong Bai was silent, glared at Wang Yan fiercely again, hummed, and turned to leave...

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