Chapter 54: Oh, My Damned Charm!

"A long, long time ago..."

"When I first walked into a movie theater and saw those interwoven lights and shadows, I was profoundly shaken!"

"So, the screen could be that huge..."

"So, sound could be that clear, that vividly layered, and images could be that dazzling..."

"That day, I walked out of the movie theater..."

"That day, I couldn't sleep all night..."

"Cinema art was like a tiny seed, planted deep in my heart, and over time, nurtured by the years, it slowly sprouted..."

"..."

Outside the window, neon lights spilled over the folds of a suit.

Zhou Yang's deep gaze fixed on his reflection in the window glass.

In Zhou Yang's solemn voice, Li Yijie seemed to return to that old film theater of the celluloid era, watching a child stunned into silence by the giant screen.

"I come from Suzhou Province, from a remote little village in a small county so obscure, you'd need a magnifying glass to find it on a map..."

"I was an excellent student, top of my class, but my family was poor—a well-known welfare household..."

"Since childhood, I remembered one saying: knowledge changes destiny..."

"If not for that accident, I would have finished high school, pursued my childhood dream, worked hard to get into Yanying, and become a screenwriter, cinematographer, or director... Even if I hadn't succeeded, I would have still been a film professional..."

"But fate is so cruel..."

"My mother died in an accident; my father was diagnosed with cancer. The treatment drained every last penny we had, yet still, it couldn't save his life..."

"..."

As he recalled the past, Zhou Yang's voice grew dry, as if something were clogging his throat.

A sorrowful atmosphere drifted through the vast room; Li Yijie listened, and without knowing why, a sharp ache rose in her chest, until her eyes slowly reddened.

She wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

After briefly introducing himself, Zhou Yang turned his gaze away and fixed it tightly on the screenplay.

"I, who had nothing, once considered ending my life in the simplest way..."

"Two months ago, I jumped into a raging river..."

"The sensation of drowning, of water choking me—I still remember it vividly..."

"I thought I was dead..."

"But no one expected that, in the end, fate gave me a second life..."

"I washed ashore—I survived..."

"..."

"From then on, I swore I would live my life—once, for myself!"

"My pursuit and burning passion for cinema became a force that not only carried me step by step to Yanjing, but pushed me to do everything I could..."

"In just a few short months, I met many people—we shared the same dream and survived together in this strange city!"

"Then, because we were unprofessional, because we were poor, because we needed to eat, we ended up making a film mocked by the entire internet—'Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2'..."

"During that time, we were at rock bottom, facing all kinds of ridicule and criticism—even treated as clowns..."

"But we never gave up!"

"We kept pushing forward!"

"I don't think that was humiliation, or some shameful memory to bury."

"It was the path I walked to get here!"

"..."

Inside the room.

Zhou Yang's eyes gradually hardened; deep within them, as if a tiny flame were burning.

Across from him, Li Yijie kept wiping her tears, wanting to speak, yet ultimately saying nothing.

For some reason, as Zhou Yang spoke—especially about these past months—images kept rising in her mind...

Figures who kept moving forward on the path of dreams, falling again and again, yet rising each time, covered in mud, never giving up.

Next door.

When she accidentally overheard those words...

Zhang Jiali's body trembled slightly.

She kept wiping her tears with napkins.

The so-called Boss Zhou, who had once mooched meals and drinks, had such a painful past.

After a brief silence.

Zhou Yang steadied his emotions, smiled, and looked at Li Yijie with extraordinary sincerity.

"Young Lady Li... In this world, as long as we keep persisting, keep reflecting, we can make progress step by step..."

"It's just that some people walk faster, others slower..."

"Like us—after finishing that film, 'Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2,' we learned so much. I even took detailed notes on every aspect of cinematography..."

"..."

As he spoke, Zhou Yang quietly pulled a notebook from his chest.

On the notebook were written nine characters: "Filming Notes."

With tear-blurred eyes, Li Yijie opened the notebook.

【July 1st, our film began shooting. Today's shoot was bumpy; the props team kept making props, but they always fell just short...】

【July 2nd, camera angles are truly difficult. Also, we held a meeting, unsure how to frame the shots to look good...】

【July 3rd, we solved many problems, but we discovered what we shot seems a bit like shit. Everyone on the crew couldn't take it anymore; some left early. We held another meeting and worked hard to summarize the issues...】

【...】

Page by page, the shooting notes filled half a book.

Looking at these page after page of diary entries, Li Yijie felt a mix of emotions.

"So you were originally so..."

"Yes!" Zhou Yang nodded, his gaze even more sincere and earnest: "So, not attending a professional academy is actually no big deal... lacking a degree doesn't mean anything either. Life's journey is falling down again and again, then standing up again and again, constantly correcting oneself to walk better and steadier..."

After Zhou Yang finished speaking, he paused briefly, then took out the script again and placed it on the table.

"Young Lady Li, I cannot guarantee how this film will turn out, but I can guarantee this film will be shot better... I cannot guarantee how others will view our film, but I can guarantee that as long as you have a dream, you love film, and you are willing to try, then on this journey, you will harvest countless joys and successes in life..." Zhou Yang stood up and looked at Li Yijie with his most earnest gaze.

Li Yijie trembled slightly.

After looking down and thinking for a long time, she nodded: "I am willing to try, but I might know nothing; you must have patience..."

"Everyone who knew me before said I was a sculptor... they all said I am good at discovering every person's strengths and carving them into perfect jade stones. Young Lady Li can do it too!"

"Then..." Li Yijie nodded excitedly: "Okay, Zhou Yang, I will invest and act in your film!"

"You won't regret it!" Zhou Yang nodded seriously.

"Zhou Yang, I..." Li Yijie hesitated somewhat.

"Speak..."

"Can I hug you? I have been looking for you all these days..."

"Young Lady Li, this is not appropriate. I make films, I do not sell my body; I feel this is not right..." Zhou Yang shook his head, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Li Yijie looked at Zhou Yang, her eyes turning red, her beautiful face filled with seriousness: "I will ask my father to add another 500,000 in investment for you!"

"Young Lady Li, I am a person with strong principles. Principles keep me pure and allow me to maintain distance from many girls in this complex entertainment industry. It is not about this fifty thousand. Although I currently need it, I believe in the future I can earn it through my talent. However, when I think of Young Lady Li being so sincere, pursuing art so devotedly, and being so earnest and pure about dreams... I imagine Young Lady Li spent a lot of effort searching for me online. In that case, come on!"

"..."

Zhou Yang extended his arms with a serious expression, smiling as he looked at the girl with a red face coming to hug him.