Chapter 829: Eyeing Each Other

Si Jiu Cheng, Yushui's House.

He Yushui grabbed a feather duster and went straight for her son Ma Rui, striking him while scolding: "Ma Rui, have you grown some guts? I told you not to apply to the Film Academy, and yet you went and took the art exam behind my back! Do you believe I'll tear up your acceptance letter right now?"

As she spoke, she reached out to tear the letter.

Ma Rui took several hits, grimacing in pain, but he refused to yield: "Mom, if you tear up my letter, that's against the law!" He retorted with his neck stiffened, "You yourself graduated from the Music Conservatory, so why can't I work in the entertainment circle? Besides, you run your own film and television company! Why won't you let me benefit from that? If you keep being this unreasonable, I'm going to go be my eldest uncle's son!"

He Yushui was so angry she was gasping for air: "You dare? Look at your mother—I hit walls everywhere I try to make a movie! Isn't it better to just do business honestly? Look at He Zheng, he's already worth a billion! And then look at you!"

Ma Rui muttered unconvinced: "Mom, just be content. Brother He Zheng was so worried a while back he almost jumped off a building."

He Yushui sighed, feeling he was a disappointment: "Fine, if you want to go to the Film Academy, then study directing. What's the point of studying acting?"

Ma Rui grew anxious: "I want to be an actor, why can't I?"

He Yushui blurted out: "Don't you have any self-awareness about what you look like? Single eyelids, thin lips—it'd be a miracle if you ever got famous! You didn't take after me at all, you took entirely after your father!"

Ma Rui stiffened his neck: "Ugly stars are popular now! Then I'll be an ugly star!"

He Yushui raised the duster to strike again: "If you were truly ugly, that would be one thing, but you aren't even that ugly! You're just plain-looking, understand? You'd be lost in a crowd! With your looks, you're only fit to be an undercover agent!"

"Mom, no matter how you discourage me, I'm definitely going to school!" Ma Rui was determined.

He Yushui slapped the feather duster onto the table: "You can go, but don't expect a single cent from me for tuition!"

Ma Rui said stubbornly: "Tuition at the Film Academy is only one thousand yuan a year; my New Year money is enough. Plus, I've asked around, and the school gives a fifty-yuan subsidy every month! I can just do some odd jobs to cover food. If all else fails, I'll go mooch off Grandma!"

He Yushui sneered: "I'll tell all our relatives later that no one is allowed to give you a single cent. Let's see how you survive then!"

Ma Rui's eyes turned red, and he shouted: "Mom, you're going too far! You let my sister Ma Ning do whatever she wants, why is it that when it comes to me, it's not allowed?"

It was mid-August when He Yuzhu returned to Si Jiu Cheng.

Just as he entered the house, he received a call from Liu Rusi, asking him to bring the siblings Ivan and Sofia over together.

He Yuzhu muttered to himself, guessing she had something important to discuss—after all, the siblings had been with him the entire time during his months away, and some confidential matters must never be leaked.

He walked with the two of them along the edge of Shichahai when he suddenly noticed a film crew shooting on location, blocking the road.

He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry and stood to the side, watching quietly.

A bearded director shouted "Action," and a female actress fell into the water, screaming for help. Immediately, a young man threw his bicycle to the side of the road, jumped into the water with a splash, nimbly pulled the girl to the shore, and began patting her cheeks while calling out to her.

The girl did not wake up, so the young man gritted his teeth, leaned down, and immediately began performing artificial respiration on her.

After a few attempts, the girl slowly woke up, and upon opening her eyes to see a man kissing her, she raised her hand and slapped him.

"Cut!" the director shouted loudly.

He Yuzhu had sharp eyes and recognized at once that the young man was his nephew, Ma Rui.

He had long known that this kid was determined to break into the entertainment circle as an actor.

Unlike He Yushui, who blocked him at every turn, He Yuzhu had told him: "Do what you want to do. Being an actor is fine; if you don't want to do it one day, you can always change careers. Learning acting when you're young is good for doing business, too."

He hadn't expected that in the few months he was away, the kid had actually managed to get into a crew and start filming.

Ma Rui also saw He Yuzhu and hurriedly approached him, embarrassed: "Eldest Uncle! Who is this girl with you? She's so beautiful!"

He Yuzhu kicked him, making him stumble, and laughed: "You brat, I haven't seen you in five or six months, and instead of asking how I've been, you're asking about the girl?"

Ma Rui said with a cheeky grin: "Mom has told me since I was little that no one in this world can beat you, so you're always safe wherever you are!"

He Yuzhu scolded: "Didn't your mother fight tooth and nail to keep you from this line of work? How did you get into the crew?"

Ma Rui sighed: "Don't mention it, my mom is a tyrannical despot! I secretly took the art exam and got into the Performance Department of the Film Academy, but she absolutely refused to let me go and almost tore up my acceptance letter!"

He Yuzhu was a bit puzzled: "Your mother is strange; she herself studied vocal music, so why is she so against her son working in this field?"

Ma Rui chuckled: "Exactly! Eldest Uncle is the only one who understands me. To be honest, I chose this because I grew up watching my parents in the circle and felt from the bottom of my heart that I was best suited for it."

He Yuzhu asked again: "School hasn't officially started yet, so how did you get into a crew to film?"

Ma Rui looked smug: "Mom wouldn't let me borrow money from relatives, so I went to Director Wang, who she's worked with before. He's very loyal and arranged a role for me... I can get two thousand yuan for this shoot, so won't my tuition be covered?"

He Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh as he listened, thinking to himself: Oh, He Yushui, you've been spoiled by me since you were little, making you so domineering and stubborn.

As they were talking, Ma Rui's eyes kept darting toward Sofia.

He Yuzhu hurriedly introduced them: "This is Ivan, and beside him is his sister, Sofia. Ivan is in business with your Brother He Zheng, and Sofia will be going to school in Si Jiu Cheng from now on."

Ma Rui shook hands with Ivan openly and then proactively reached out to shake hands with Sofia.

Sofia had an outgoing and generous personality and shook his hand with a smile.

Ma Rui asked in English: "Girl, how old are you this year?"

"I just turned fourteen, not yet fifteen."

Ma Rui was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped—no matter how he looked at her, he thought she was at least seventeen or eighteen; he hadn't expected her to be only fourteen! The little thoughts that had just sprouted in his heart instantly sank.

Sofia, on the other hand, had a very good impression of the young man before her and said with a smile: "Are you an actor? I've loved watching movies since I was little."

Ma Rui shamelessly urged: "Sofia, why don't you apply to the Film Academy too? With your looks, you'd definitely be a huge hit as an actor!"

He Yuzhu said: "Do you think the Film Academy doesn't require academic subjects? She can barely speak Chinese yet, how could she take the exam?"

Ma Rui, standing to the side, chimed in with a grin: "Sofia, I'll teach you Chinese from now on; just give me a little tuition."

Sofia looked at Ma Rui's naturally comedic face, and her eyes lit up instantly: "I can pay you to teach me Chinese, I really want to!"

He Yuzhu was at a loss for a moment, thinking to himself: This girl is too easygoing; she agreed to this the moment they met?

Ivan saw his sister taking such an interest in his benefactor's nephew and felt very happy.

He had worked with He Zheng for many years and knew well that the He Family was reliable and loyal. Furthermore, since the He Family had helped them avenge their blood feud, he held the He Family in high regard. If his sister really ended up with Ma Rui in the future, it would be a wonderful thing.

Although there was a four or five-year age gap... that didn't matter much; by the time Ma Rui graduated from university, Sofia would be just eighteen and an adult.