Chapter 73 Gao Yuanyuan Takes the Initiative
Chapter 73 Gao Yuanyuan Takes the Initiative
The next morning, the conference room of the VIP Building Hotel was temporarily used as an audition venue. Zheng Hui sat there bored, flipping through today's "Beijing Youth Daily".
"The person has arrived," Li Zongming said as he walked over.
Zheng Hui closed the newspaper, looked up, and the conference room door was pushed open, and Gao Yuanyuan walked in.
She wasn't wearing the white dress from yesterday's photo; instead, she was wearing a down jacket and a scarf around her neck.
Although she was dressed in bulky clothes, her face was still visible, and she looked sweet and lovely.
After she entered the room, she took off her scarf, revealing a section of her slender neck: "Good morning, everyone, I am Gao Yuanyuan."
The director looked up, didn't ask her to perform any complicated talents, and casually picked up a bottle of Wahaha purified water from the table and handed it to her.
"Take a sip, and you can tell the water is very sweet and pure."
Gao Yuanyuan took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and tilted her head back.
She took a small sip, her throat bobbing slightly. After swallowing the water, she put down the bottle, her lips curving upwards and her eyes forming crescent moons.
There were no exaggerated exclamations, no affected mouth-wiping gestures.
It was just a simple smile.
The director kept staring at her face until she finished, then turned to look at Zheng Hui.
"Mr. Zheng, what do you think?"
Zheng Hui looked at Gao Yuanyuan; for that brief moment, she did indeed exude a refreshing feeling.
The girl has striking features, especially her eyes, which are so bright they seem to hold a pool of water.
In an era before beauty filters and editing, such striking good looks are a gift from God.
"I think it's good." Zheng Hui nodded. "It has a clean and pure feel, which fits the image of purified water."
The director initially thought it was a good idea, and since the person who invited her to audition was the spokesperson, he was naturally happy to do her a favor.
"Okay, then it's her. She has a great image, she'll definitely look good on camera."
"Thank you, Mr. Zheng, thank you, Director." She stood up and bowed.
The audition process was very simple, taking only about ten minutes.
The director and Li Zongming began discussing the upcoming filming schedule and contract details.
After signing the document, Gao Yuanyuan did not leave immediately.
She stood in the corner of the conference room, watching Zheng Hui, who was discussing the shooting script with the director.
When the director went out for a smoke with the script and Li Zongming went to deliver the legal documents, only Zheng Hui and Lin Dashan, who was packing up their things, remained in the room.
Gao Yuanyuan walked over: "Um—Mr. Zheng Hui."
Zheng Hui looked at her suspiciously: "Is there something else?"
Gao Yuanyuan placed her bag on the table, unzipped it, and carefully took out two items from inside.
Two CDs.
One of them is the mainland version of "Stubborn," published by Swan Audio-Visual Publishing House.
The other one is the Hong Kong version of "Floating Life".
PolyGram's "Iogo" is an album title in traditional Chinese characters. The cover features his face, half in light and half in shadow, against a backdrop of light and shadow.
This is an authentic Hong Kong edition CD.
In this day and age, it's not easy to buy a genuine Hong Kong CD; you have to go to stores that specialize in selling bootleg CDs or imported CDs to find one.
"Mr. Zheng, could you please sign your name for me?"
Gao Yuanyuan handed over the record, her face showing anticipation and a little nervousness.
"I especially love these two albums." She pointed to the album "Floating Life": "Especially this one. I went to several stores but couldn't find it. In the end, I had to ask a friend to bring it back from Hong Kong."
"I was thinking that even if I didn't get the role, it would be worth it to meet you and get your autograph."
As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Zheng Hui, with the joyful look of a fan seeing their idol.
"Did you bring a pen?" Zheng Hui asked.
"I brought it!"
Gao Yuanyuan quickly took out a black marker from her bag and handed it over with both hands.
Zheng Hui took the pen, opened the two CDs, pulled out the lyric booklet, and signed his name in the blank space.
"Thank you for your support." Zheng Hui handed the record and pen back.
Gao Yuanyuan took it as if it were a treasure and carefully put it back in her bag.
"Mr. Zheng, I won't bother you any longer. See you tomorrow for filming."
She waved to Zheng Hui, turned around and walked quickly out of the conference room, her steps as light as a deer's.
The first day of filming, outdoor scenes.
The location was chosen to be on a university campus in Beijing.
The setting for GG is summer, with bright sunshine. In Beijing right now, it's December, and the temperature is minus five degrees Celsius.
The fallen yellow leaves on the tree-lined paths of the campus have been swept clean.
To create a summery feel, the production team specially brought in several high-powered lighting devices to simulate strong sunlight.
They also tied some fake leaves to the branches of trees on both sides of the road.
"All departments, prepare!" the director shouted, wrapped in a military overcoat and holding a megaphone.
"Actors, take your positions!"
Zheng Hui took off his thick down jacket, leaving him in only a thin white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
The cold air instantly seeped into his pores, and he jumped twice on the spot to get his blood flowing and warm his body.
On the other side, Gao Yuanyuan also took off her coat.
She was wearing a white dress, the hem of which just went past her knees, revealing her calves.
In that instant, Zheng Hui saw her shiver and get a layer of fine goosebumps on her skin.
"Scene 1: Encounter while cycling. Three, two, one, action!"
Zheng Hui straddled a bicycle, pushed off with his feet, and the wheels began to spin.
Gao Yuanyuan was carrying a few books as she walked along the roadside, and the two passed each other.
Zheng Hui squeezed the brakes, braced himself on one foot, and turned around.
Gao Yuanyuan also stopped and turned around, her hair blowing in the wind.
"Card!"
The director yelled, "Okay, that's a good take! Let's make it a perfect one!"
The on-site staff immediately rushed over with down jackets and wrapped the two of them in them.
Gao Yuanyuan's lips were trembling from the cold, and she quickly drank a few mouthfuls of hot water handed to her by a staff member.
After a ten-minute break, filming resumed.
This scene shows the two of them sitting on the lawn chatting.
The camera zoomed in very close, mainly focusing on the upper bodies and expressions of the two people.
You don't need to say anything, just pretend you're having a great conversation.
"start!"
Zheng Hui was holding a bottle of purified water, and Gao Yuanyuan was sitting opposite him, looking at him with bright eyes.
"Mr. Zheng," she said softly, her lips moving very little, but it looked like they were chatting on camera.
"Hmm?" Zheng Hui maintained his smile.
Who wrote the lyrics for your song "The One I Love"?
I wrote it myself.
"Where's the piece?"
"It's also myself."
The adoration in Gao Yuanyuan's eyes deepened; this look didn't need acting—it was a completely genuine expression of emotion.
"You're amazing, this song is so sweet."
She leaned closer: "And that song, 'Next Year Today,' made me cry when I heard it. How old are you? How could you write such sad lyrics?"
Zheng Hui looked at her; the two were very close, close enough that he could see the fine downy hairs on her face.
Her gaze towards Zheng Hui was intense, direct, and undisguised.
Zheng Hui remembered some gossip news he had read in his previous life.
At this point in time, at the end of 1998, she should have been deeply involved with Director Teng.
Why is the way she's looking at me now so strange?
That look in her eyes wasn't just the adoration of a fan for their idol; it also carried the shyness and tentative anticipation of a young girl in the throes of first love.
"The more experiences you have, the more naturally you'll be able to write them down," Zheng Hui replied calmly, leaning back slightly to create some distance between himself and the writer.
"Card!"
The director exclaimed, "Great eyes! Especially Yuanyuan's gaze just now, it had that feeling of first love!"
Gao Yuanyuan blushed slightly upon hearing the director's praise and lowered her head to straighten her skirt.
During the subsequent filming, Gao Yuanyuan became even more proactive. As soon as the director yelled "cut," she would move closer to Zheng Hui.
Sometimes they ask about music, and sometimes they talk about the performance on camera.
"Mr. Zheng, did my smile just now look a little stiff?"
"Mr. Zheng, when will your next album be released?"
"Mr. Zheng, where do you usually go for leisure activities in Beijing?"
She was like a curious child, constantly hovering around Zheng Hui. The crew members all noticed, and they were exchanging knowing glances behind his back.
Anyone could see that this girl was interested in Zheng Hui.
Zheng Hui remained polite and courteous throughout.
He would answer her questions and give her some guidance on acting, but he would never overstep his bounds.
He's not a saint; any man would be vain if a beauty like Gao Yuanyuan took the initiative to befriend him.
But he instinctively remained wary of girls who hadn't sorted out their relationship status; the fact that he almost got arrested for being a scoundrel in his past life still haunted him.
The two-day location shooting ended quickly.
On the third day, we moved to the photography studio.
It's much warmer inside the shed; with the lights on, the temperature is even a bit high.
Today we're shooting close-up shots and product demonstration shots.
In front of a green screen, Zheng Hui held a bottle of purified water and made a voice broadcast to the camera.
"Love is purity."
"Wahaha Pure Water, that's what I love."
He repeated it more than a dozen times, with subtle differences in tone and expression each time.
Gao Yuanyuan stood behind the monitor, staring intently at Zheng Hui on the screen.
When it was her turn to have a close-up shot, Zheng Hui didn't leave; he sat next to the director and watched.
"Okay, Yuanyuan, look at the camera as if you were looking at your lover," the director instructed.
Gao Yuanyuan stared at the camera.
In that instant, her eyes softened, and a smile played on her lips, as if she were seeing someone who had captured her heart through the lens.
"Okay! That's a wrap! We're done!"
A round of applause erupted from the audience.
The three-day shoot went even more smoothly than expected.
The staff began packing up the equipment and disassembling the lights.
Zheng Hui stood up and stretched his neck.
Gao Yuanyuan changed back into her own clothes and walked up to Zheng Hui.
"Mr. Zheng Hui!"
Zheng Hui stopped and turned to look at her.
"What's up?"
Gao Yuanyuan's cheeks flushed slightly: "Can I ask you for your phone number?"
After she finished speaking, she quickly added, "I just... I have some music-related questions I'd like to ask you. Don't worry, I won't bother you!"
Zheng Hui sighed inwardly as he looked at her nervous expression.
He knew that refusing might embarrass the girl.
He took out his phone: "Go ahead and tell me, I'll write it down."
Gao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up, and she quickly recited a string of numbers.
Zheng Hui entered the number and dialed it.
Gao Yuanyuan's phone rang in her bag.
"This is my number," Zheng Hui said. "But I'm usually quite busy, so I might not be able to answer the phone right away."
"It's okay! It's okay!" Gao Yuanyuan quickly waved her hand, "I'm already very happy that you gave me the number!"
She put her phone away and waved to Zheng Hui.
"Mr. Zheng Hui, Mr. Li, I'll be going now. Goodbye."
"goodbye."
Only after watching her skip and hop away did Li Zongming speak.
"The way she looked at you was weird. I don't know if it's true or not, but you should be careful. In this industry, many people who approach you uninvited are a bit suspicious."
Zheng Hui said somewhat helplessly, "She's just a pure fan, and I haven't even said anything about having anything with her yet. It's not even close to happening."