1novels Chapter 5 Winds of Change
Chapter 5 Winds of Change
Guangzhou.
A villa on the banks of the Pearl River.
This villa is located at the foot of Baiyun Mountain, nestled against the mountain and beside the water, in a tranquil environment.
It doesn't stand out from the outside; the gray exterior and understated entrance make it appear rather plain compared to the ostentatious mansions around it.
But only those who truly know the industry understand that houses in this area cannot be bought simply with money.
On the third floor of the villa, there is a south-facing art studio.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the entire room with brightness and light.
Several oil paintings hang on the wall, some depicting landscapes and others figures. The brushstrokes are skillful, and the use of color is bold yet precise, conveying a sense of relaxation that only truly talented people can achieve.
A woman was sitting in front of the easel.
She was probably around thirty years old, wearing a loose linen shirt, her hair casually pulled back, with a few stray strands hanging down beside her ears.
She wasn't wearing makeup, but her skin was so white it was almost translucent, and her features were so exquisite they seemed unreal.
Her eyebrows resembled distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn waters, her nose was high and straight, and the curve of her lips carried a natural, unguarded softness.
If you put her photos and Liu Xiaoli's photos from when they were young side by side, you'll find that they are at least nine-tenths similar, and the former's features are even more stunning.
At the same time, her temperament was colder and more indifferent than Liu Xiaoli's, like a lady who stepped out of an ancient painting, or a hermit in a deep mountain.
Her name is Ye Yunzhu.
Ye Yunzhu is a painter, or more precisely, the kind of painter who doesn't worry about money or fame and paints whatever he likes.
She doesn't have many works, but each one is of extremely high quality and innovative.
Critics say her paintings "have a rare sense of power," but she herself hasn't thought that much about it; she simply enjoys painting.
At this moment, she is holding an iPad, and the screen displays the hashtag #LeftEarStillsLeaked#.
She flipped through the candid stills, looking at them one by one, very slowly and carefully.
I wouldn't call it idol worship or being a fangirl.
She is looking at a person's bone structure.
People who study art see people differently than ordinary people.
Ordinary people judge a person by their appearance, whether they are good-looking, handsome, or beautiful.
When she looks at a face, she looks at its structure, proportions, light and shadow, the direction of the bones, and the attachment points of the muscles.
In her eyes, Gao Huan's face was almost a perfect subject for research.
The height of the cheekbones is just right; they are neither too high, making one appear harsh, nor too low, making one appear flat.
The sharp and powerful angle of the jawline provides a solid base for the entire face.
The curve of the brow bone, the line of the bridge of the nose, the angle of the cupid's bow—every detail seems to have been precisely calculated, yet together they present a natural and seamless feel.
What interests her most is the contradiction in that face.
The lines of her brow bone and nose bridge are strong, giving her an aggressive beauty; but the shape of her eyes and the curve of her lips are soft, even with a hint of fragility.
This contrast between strength and gentleness creates a wonderful tension on his face, making people want to look at him more.
Ye Yunzhu zoomed in on a photo.
That was a close-up of Gao Huan's profile; the light came from the side, creating a strong contrast of light and shadow on his face.
Half of his face was in the light, and the other half was in the shadow. The dividing line fell precisely on the bridge of his nose, splitting his face into two completely different worlds.
Ye Yunzhu stared at the photo for a long time.
Then she put down her iPad, picked up a paintbrush, and sat down in front of a blank canvas.
She didn't paint his face.
She first laid a base color on the canvas—a very deep blue, almost black, like the night sky or the deep sea.
Then, using a wide brush dipped in titanium white, I brushed out several rough, uncertain lines on the dark blue background.
That was the feeling Gao Huan gave her.
Ye Yunzhu doesn't like to be disturbed when she's painting, and everyone around her knows this.
The villa's servants wouldn't come upstairs at this time, and her assistant wouldn't call either.
The studio was extremely quiet, with only the soft rustling of paintbrushes touching the canvas.
Ye Yunzhu painted for a while, then stopped, took two steps back, and tilted her head to look at the effect on the canvas.
Not satisfied.
She frowned, wiped away the part she had just drawn with a rag, and started over.
This time, she changed her approach.
Instead of trying to capture his temperament, she began to paint his eyes.
She tried to capture the look in those eyes—a distant, indifferent look, as if they didn't care about anything but were also searching for something.
Ye Yunzhu stopped to rest after painting until noon.
She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee, looking out at the Pearl River.
Several cargo ships slowly sailed across the river, and sunlight shone on the water, breaking into golden spots.
She recalled the first time she saw Gao Huan.
It wasn't "Gu Jian Qi Tan" (Swords of Legends), it was something from even earlier.
At that time, she saw a photo of him in the margins of an art magazine; it was a candid shot.
He was wearing a white T-shirt, leaning against the wall of the Beijing Film Academy. Sunlight fell on his shoulders, and he tilted his head slightly, as if listening to someone speak.
The photo was very small, only the size of a palm, and was tucked inside the GG page of a magazine; you wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely.
But Ye Yunzhu noticed it.
She cut out the photo and put it in the album.
At the time, she thought it was just a passing fancy and that she would forget about it after a while.
But later she found herself looking at the photo from time to time, and even imagining how to draw him.
She's not the type of person who would follow celebrities.
Her family background shaped her aesthetic sense and taste, as well as her restraint and sense of propriety. She wouldn't scream "husband" like those young girls, wouldn't pick someone up at the airport, and wouldn't go crazy for rankings on Weibo.
She simply felt that this person deserved to be painted.
Moreover, she had a gut feeling that if she could paint him, the painting would become a milestone in her career.
Ye Yunzhu put down her coffee cup and sat back down in front of the easel.
She picked up her paintbrush and began to paint for the third time.
……
Hangzhou.
Xiasha, Hangzhou Dianzi University.
Zhang Ruonan, a freshman majoring in information engineering, is lying on her bed in her dormitory. The light from her phone screen shines on her face, making her eyes sparkle.
Her roommates were chatting downstairs, discussing which cafeteria to eat at that night, but she didn't hear a word they said.
She was completely immersed in the world of Weibo.
Under the hashtag #LeftEarStillsLeaked#, she saved the pictures one by one, even when her hands ached.
"Ruonan, what are you doing?" Her roommate on the lower bunk poked her head out. "Be careful when you come down from the upper bunk, don't slip."
"Save the image." Zhang Ruonan said without even looking up.
What kind of image should I save?
"Gao Huan's picture."
My roommate leaned over for a look and then made an ambiguous "Oh—".
"Is it him? The one you keep talking about?"
Zhang Ruonan finally raised her head, pushed up her glasses, and said with a serious expression, "It's not 'it's him, it's 'it's him!'"
Her roommate laughed at her tone: "Okay, okay, it's him! Can you come down and eat first? You've been holed up in bed for three hours."
"Wait until I've saved all these pictures."
Zhang Ruonan continued scrolling through her phone.
Her Weibo homepage has been completely taken over by Gao Huan.
Gao Huan's biggest fans are frantically posting pictures, videos, and all sorts of archaeological materials, and the reposts and comments are full of fans who are just as crazy as her.
She clicked on a video, which was a clip of Gao Huan participating in a campus event at the Beijing Film Academy.
The video quality wasn't great; it was clearly shot with a phone. But Gao Huan's face actually looked better in the blurry image—the hazy, veil-like blur made his features appear more defined.
Zhang Ruonan stared at the screen three times before saving the video.
Her phone's photo album already has a special folder called "Huan," which contains more than 3,000 photos of Gao Huan.
From stills from "Swords of Legends" to behind-the-scenes photos from various events, and magazine prints, almost all of Gao Huan's public photos since his debut have been included.
She became a fan of "Swords of Legends" during its first week of airing.
That night, she was watching another show when she accidentally caught a glimpse of "Swords of Legends" while changing channels. It happened to be a close-up shot of Gao Huan.
Just one glance.
Just for that one second.
She knew it was over.
"When will I be able to see him?" Zhang Ruonan muttered to herself, then browsed Weibo again and found a new topic: #Gao Huan Xu Yi#.
Clicking through, all you see are stills and discussions about the movie "The Left Ear".
Someone posted screenshots of the passages describing Xu Yi from the original novel and compared them with stills from the drama. The comments were unanimously "100% accurate" and "This is the Xu Yi I imagined."
Zhang Ruonan saved all the stills from the show and then typed a line in the comments section:
"Gao Huan's Xu Yi is the kind of boy I'd be willing to wait for with my whole youth."
After sending it, she thought for a moment and added another sentence:
"No, it's not waiting, it's chasing."
She pressed the send button, then stared at her comment for a few seconds. Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed, she clutched her phone to her chest.
"Ruonan!" her roommate called again, "Are you coming down or not?"
"Here it comes!"
Zhang Ruonan climbed out of bed, put on her shoes, and followed her roommate out of the dormitory.
Walking on campus, the sun was shining brightly, the osmanthus flowers were in bloom, and the air was filled with a sweet fragrance.
As Zhang Ruonan walked among her roommates, Gao Huan was still on her mind.
She remembered a dream she had last night. In the dream, she became Little Ear from the movie "The Left Ear," standing at the entrance of the film set, watching Xu Yi, played by Gao Huan, walk towards her from the end of the corridor.
He looks even better in my dreams than in photos.
He walked up to her, looked down at her, and asked, "What's your name?"
She woke up before she could answer.
Zhang Ruonan sighed.
"What's wrong?" my roommate asked.
"It's nothing," Zhang Ruonan said, "I just feel that it would be nice to see him."
Her roommate patted her on the shoulder: "Keep up the good work. When you become a designer and make a lot of money, you can rent out an entire theater to watch his movies."
Zhang Ruonan thought about it and felt that although this goal was a bit far away, it was not entirely impossible.
However, one should always have dreams.
What if it happens?
……
Beijing.
Lu Han's management company.
In the conference room, Lu Han sat on the sofa, with several documents spread out on the coffee table in front of him.
His agent, Yang Tianzhen, sat opposite him, holding a cup of coffee, with a serious expression.
"Gao Huan was the first artist signed by Li Bingbing's company. He was admitted to Beijing Film Academy in 2011 and signed a contract in the summer of 2011."
"My debut work was 'Swords of Legends,' and before that I filmed a low-budget movie called 'The Coffin in the Mountain,' which hasn't been released yet and didn't make much of a splash," Yang Tianzhen said.
As Lu Han listened, he gently tapped his knee with his fingers.
Yang Tianzhen continued, "Li Bingbing's connections in the industry are undeniable, and since she and the Li sisters run this company together, they certainly have plenty of resources."
As their company's first artist, Gao Huan will definitely be given full support.
"So what are his weaknesses?" Lu Han asked.
Yang Tianzhen thought for a moment: "Exposure."
He doesn't appear on variety shows much, doesn't do many interviews, and even posts very little on Weibo.
Before "Swords of Legends," his public profile was virtually nonexistent.
"Is this a weakness?" Lu Han asked rhetorically.
Yang Tianzhen was stunned for a moment.
Lu Han said, "When we were in South Korea, the company told us that insufficient exposure was a weakness."
But this is China, and the situation is different.
Look at those actors who have truly established themselves; how many of them maintain their popularity through frequent exposure? Their work is what truly matters.
Gao Huan doesn't post on Weibo or appear on variety shows, but his dramas are airing, and that's enough.
Yang Tianzhen was silent for a moment, then nodded: "You're right."
Lu Han stood up and walked to the window.
The sky over Beijing was hazy and gray, and the tall buildings in the distance were only blurry outlines in the smog.
"What's his next project?" Lu Han asked.
"The Left Ear will be released next year. The director is Alec Su, the team is good, and the original IP is also very popular, so it should be a hit."
Lu Han nodded.
He sat back down on the sofa, picked up a document, flipped through a couple of pages, and then suddenly asked, "Any news from Wu Yifan's side?"
Yang Tianzhen's expression became subtle: "His mother has been very active lately."
Lu Han raised an eyebrow.
"After Wu Yifan returned to China, his mother has been helping him negotiate resources."
Yang Tianzhen said, "How should I put it, she has a lot of confidence in her son, and thinks that Wu Yifan is unique and the most outstanding one."
Her attitude towards other celebrities is basically, "My son is the best; no one else is worthy."
Lu Han smiled: "Typical motherly mentality."
"The problem is," Yang Tianzhen lowered her voice, "that she's not just like that in her mindset, she's like that in her actions too."
She rejected several collaborative projects that could potentially compete with Kris Wu, arguing that she "didn't need to share resources with others."
She also publicly stated that Kris Wu has the largest fan base among casual viewers in the industry, and other celebrities try to ride on his coattails.
Lu Han shook his head.
He didn't look down on Wu Yifan, but he felt that this kind of mentality was dangerous.
In the end, you're likely to be the one who suffers.
"Forget it, it's other people's business, let's not worry about it," Lu Han said. "Let's just focus on doing our own thing."
Yang Tianzhen nodded and began to discuss the upcoming itinerary with him.
……
Beijing.
A high-end apartment.
Wu Yifan had just come from another room in the gym, wearing a black tank top and with wet hair.
His mother, Wu Xiuqin, sat on the sofa in the living room. On the coffee table in front of her was a laptop with an Excel spreadsheet on the screen, filled with various data.
"Look at this."
Wu Xiuqin pointed at the screen, "Your Weibo follower growth rate has increased by three percentage points this week compared to last week. After the news of Lu Han's contract termination came out, your search index also surged."
Wu Yifan walked over, drying his hair, and glanced down at the screen.
"What about Gao Huan?" he asked.
Wu Xiuqin's expression changed slightly, then she turned to another page: "His data has indeed increased rapidly, but it's still not as good as yours."
"What's the difference?"
"His fan base is too homogeneous; most of them are drama fans, and their loyalty is not strong enough."
Your fans are different; they have many die-hard fans, high loyalty, and they're willing to participate in chart rankings and spend money—these are all solid, tangible statistics.
Wu Yifan didn't say anything, sat down on the sofa, picked up a bottle of water and took a sip.
Wu Xiuqin continued, "And look at his resources, he only has one notable work, 'Swords of Legends,' and he was the second male lead in 'The Left Ear.'"
What about you? You're the male lead in Xu Jinglei's film *Somewhere Only We Know*, making your big-screen debut—your starting point is different.
"Mom," Wu Yifan interrupted her, "Can you please stop comparing me to others?"
"I'm not comparing you to others," Wu Xiuqin said. "I'm helping you see your own strengths."
In this industry, those who are more handsome than you are not as tall as you, those who are taller than you are not as handsome, those who have better acting skills than you don't have as much online popularity, and those who have more online popularity than you don't have as good acting skills.
You are omnipotent, understand?
Wu Yifan leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
In Wu Xiuqin's eyes, he was indeed all-around capable.
Wu Xiuqin's confidence in her son has reached an almost obsessive level.
She felt that Wu Yifan was the most outstanding young man in the world, and no one could compare to him.
"That Gao Huan," Wu Xiuqin spoke again, "you don't need to worry about him too much, he won't be popular for long."
There are people in the industry who become famous overnight because of one TV series, but they fade into obscurity after a couple of years.
You're different; you're aiming for an international path. Your goal isn't to compete with these people.
Wu Yifan hummed in response but didn't say anything more.
He picked up his phone, opened Weibo, and searched for "Gao Huan".
The first item is the topic #LeftEarStillsLeaked#.
He clicked on it and looked at a few photos.
After a moment of silence, he put down his phone, stood up, and went into the bathroom.
As the hot water poured down, he closed his eyes, and Gao Huan's face appeared in his mind.
He had to admit that the face was indeed handsome.
But his mother was right; you can't survive in the entertainment industry just by looking at your face.
He has his advantages, and Gao Huan has his advantages.
As for who can go further in this wave of traffic, time will tell.
……
Magic City.
Chedun Film and Television Base.
When Gao Huan entered the studio, Chen Duling was already there, sitting in a corner reciting her lines.
When she saw Gao Huan come in, she looked up and smiled at him.
That smile contained affection, shyness, and a hint of resentment from being interrupted by a phone call at the hotel entrance last night.
Gao Huan nodded to her and walked over to Su Youpeng to listen to today's filming schedule.
Su Youpeng glanced at him, hesitated, and finally said, "Handle your own affairs regarding Nazha and Duling. Don't let it affect filming."
Gao Huan nodded: "I know."
Su Youpeng patted him on the shoulder and didn't say anything more.
Today's filming went very smoothly; we got it in one take, two takes, and three takes.
Gao Huan was in great shape, so good that even Su Youpeng was surprised.
He thought last night's events would affect him, but it seems they haven't at all.
Gao Huan is like a finely tuned machine. No matter what happens outside, once he's on set, he can focus all his attention on his role.
Chen Duling was also in good condition, but her gaze would occasionally drift towards Gao Huan before quickly returning to his own.
That cautious, tentative gaze perfectly matched Xiao Erduo's feelings for Xu Yi.
Su Youpeng looked at the monitor and nodded in satisfaction.
By the time filming ended that day, it was already dark.
Gao Huan changed his clothes and came out, standing at the entrance of the photography studio. He took out his phone and glanced at it.
On Weibo, the hashtag #LeftEarStillsLeaked# is still gaining traction, with the number of views exceeding 500 million.
He casually scrolled through the comments and saw one that had been pushed to the top of the trending list:
"Gao Huan's looks are the kind that can make people cry."
He's handsome, he's beautiful, he's good-looking in a way that transcends gender.
He was a painting just standing there.
Gao Huan stared at the comment for two seconds, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
A painting, interesting.
He locked the screen, put his phone in his pocket, and looked up at the night sky.
He couldn't see many stars at night in Shanghai, but he knew that in a certain direction, there was a Purple Star that never moved and was always in the very center.