novellhall Chapter 38: Four Scandals Erupt, and Various Parties' Thoughts
Chapter 38: Four Scandals Erupt, and Various Parties' Thoughts
2005 years.
November 20th.
On the Beijing Film Academy campus forum.
A post got bumped up.
It's bright red and extremely popular.
The poster is called "Photography Department Slacking Off King".
It's the one where they secretly filmed Wei Yi and Yang Mi gazing into each other's eyes in the cafeteria last time.
This time he clearly learned his lesson and didn't use his phone, instead using a Nikon D70 with a telephoto lens.
It's estimated that they were hiding on the third floor of the teaching building opposite the administration building, and captured the moment Fan Binbin took off his sunglasses across the entire square.
The post's title was simple and direct: "Fan Binbin spotted secretly meeting Wei Yi at Beijing Film Academy! Pictures and proof included!"
The text consists of only two lines: "I personally witnessed Fan Binbin waiting for Wei Yi at the entrance of the administration building. The two were chatting and laughing as they got into the van together. According to reliable sources, Fan Binbin has been confirmed to join Wei Yi's debut project."
Six consecutive photos were pasted below.
From Fan Binbin taking off her sunglasses, to her reaching out to tug at Wei Yi's sleeve, to the two walking side by side towards the school gate, the last picture is of the nanny van driving out of the main gate of Beijing Film Academy.
With its unique angles and precise composition, each photo looks like a screenshot from an idol drama.
Within half an hour of the post being published, there were nearly 500 replies.
"Holy crap! It really is Fan Binbin!! He's getting more and more handsome! Even in unedited photos he's so beautiful!"
"Wait, think about the way she tugged at Wei Yi's sleeve."
"What's there to 'taste'? Weren't we just getting carried away with the conversation?"
"Upstairs, have you never been in a relationship? That's called flirting, and it's a body language that only happens when you're very close to someone."
"I'm so jealous. Seriously jealous. What makes Wei Yi so special?"
"Because he got a perfect score on the college entrance exam, because he shot a VOGUE cover for Gong Li, because he is the most outrageous genius in the history of Beijing Film Academy."
"The comment upstairs sums it up perfectly. Let's move on; the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs."
In the afternoon, the post was discovered by a moderator of the Tianya entertainment section.
The article was copied verbatim, but the title was changed to be even more sensational: "Exclusive! 24-year-old Fan Binbin falls in love with 18-year-old top scorer in the college entrance examination, and a genius director from Beijing Film Academy is born."
Tianya's traffic is tens of thousands of times that of the Beijing Film Academy forum.
Less than two hours.
The post was pushed to the top of Tianya's daily trending list.
The comments below started spiraling out of control.
"Wow, Fan Binbin has started dating younger men?"
"Eighteen years old, just turned 18, how could she do this?"
"Upstairs, if you looked like Wei Yi, would you really be able to do that?"
"To be honest, this guy is really handsome, more handsome than many male celebrities these days."
"The key point is that he's not just any ordinary handsome guy. He got a perfect score on the college entrance exam, turned down Tsinghua and Peking University to study at the Beijing Film Academy, shot a cover for Gong Li in Vogue before the semester even started, and was specifically requested by Anna Wintour. Is that what you call a handsome guy? That's a genius."
"So Fan Binbin made a move ahead of time? He's really quick to capitalize on this trend."
"You can't really say it's freeloading; what if it's true love?"
"True love my ass. Is there such a thing as true love in the entertainment industry? I bet they'll break up in three months."
"Three months? I'll bet you one month."
The post went viral on Tianya that same evening.
Sina Entertainment immediately followed up with a formal entertainment news article.
The press release was relatively restrained, with the headline "Fan Binbin appears at Beijing Film Academy, suspected of being invited to star in the debut film of a genius director."
However, a few personal opinions were still inserted into the main text.
Things like "the two were behaving intimately," "Fan Binbin took the initiative to link arms," and "insiders revealed that their relationship was unusual."
And so on.
The news release was tantamount to official confirmation of the rumor.
Overnight, everyone found out.
Inside a luxury apartment in the capital.
When Li Xue pushed the door open and came in.
Li Binbin, the older sister, just finished another round of auditions for "The Knot".
She was leaning back on the sofa, rubbing her temples.
"Sis, how did the audition go today?"
"Not very good."
Li Binbin opened his eyes, took the thermos cup from his sister, and said wearily, "The director clearly prefers Xu Ruoxuan. He barely even looked at me during the audition today. She brought her own investment to the project, so I don't think I'll get the lead role."
She added, "Even if I settle for the second female lead, I still have to be mindful of others' opinions. When I came out just now, I heard that Zhu Yin was also in talks for the role. She's a Hong Kong star; what do I have to compete with her?"
She gave a self-deprecating smile: "Don't look down on me. I'm one of the so-called 'Four Dan and Two Bing' actresses now, but what's the reality? Zhang Ziyi has already gone to Hollywood, Zhou Xun has Li Shaohong's company supporting her, and Zhao Junqi's 'Moment in Peking' was a huge hit. Only I am stuck in the middle. Luckily, I have a little maidservant to cushion my fall, otherwise it would be too embarrassing."
Li Xue didn't respond to that.
She opened the notebook, then opened the comments section of Sina Entertainment, and then handed the notebook to her sister.
"Sis, take a look at this."
Li Binbin glanced down and frowned. "Fan Binbin? What is she trying to create this time?"
"It's not a publicity stunt."
Li Xue sat down next to her, her tone unusually serious. "Sister, you might not know much about Wei Yi. But I've looked him up. He got a perfect score on the college entrance exam this year, the only one in the country to do so. He turned down Tsinghua and Peking Universities and went to the Beijing Film Academy. Before the semester even started, he was pulled in by Zhang Yimou's 'Curse of the Golden Flower' crew to be the head of the second photography team. The VOGUE cover he shot for Gong Li sold out immediately. LV and Anna Wintour approached him, but he politely declined—because he was making a movie."
Li Binbin put the thermos on the table, showing a hint of interest: "Continue."
"At the Beijing Film Academy, he's treated like a precious gem. As for Han Sanping, his film project has been approved, and China Film Group invested ten million yuan. This investment isn't much for a film, but the resources behind this film—the Beijing Film Academy, China Film Group, and the international fashion industry—we haven't been able to connect with any of them yet."
Li Xue took out another sheet of printed paper, which was covered with writing.
"And sis, take a look at this too."
"Fan Binbin went to see Wei Yi yesterday, and this morning her photo was directly sent to the website of Vogue International Edition, saying it was a preview for the next issue, personally selected by Anna Wintour. It happened so quickly. What does this mean?"
"This means that this young man named Wei Yi holds a direct path to the international fashion world."
"Sister, think about it, how many of our domestic female celebrities can truly enter the international fashion circle? Gong Li is one, Zhang Ziyi is half one, what about the others? They can't even get their hands on the door."
Li Binbin was silent for a moment, then looked at his sister's expression and suddenly smiled:
"Xiao Xue, have you been driven to hallucinations by Mom's constant pressure to go on blind dates? What extraordinary abilities could a freshman at Beijing Film Academy possibly have?"
"Sister, think about it carefully."
Li Xue didn't laugh. She stared at her sister and said, "This isn't about the ten million investment; it's about Wei Yi himself."
"The fact that he's already caused such a stir before even filming his movie shows that he's not just good at studying, but truly capable."
"And he's only eighteen, a freshman in college. What about later?"
She paused, then added harshly, "Didn't you see how proactive Fan Binbin's maid was?"