Chapter 74 Visiting Fan Binbin on Set
Chapter 74 Visiting Fan Binbin on Set
Li Zongming left, and Zheng Hui sat on the sofa. He picked up his phone and unconsciously scrolled through his contacts.
He didn't take Gao Yuanyuan's matter to heart.
He took Li Zongming's words to heart. This circle is a deep and murky place, and those who approach you on their own initiative always have various motives behind their actions.
He doesn't have time to discern the truth or falsehood of those intentions, nor does he want to get involved with a woman who might have a boyfriend.
He slid his finger across the contacts list, and a name popped up.
Fan Binbin.
Zheng Hui stopped what he was doing and looked at the three words.
He remembered that the girl had never contacted him again after they parted ways at that commercial performance in Shenzhen.
He took the initiative to ask for the other party's contact information. According to the rumors about Fan Binbin that he knew in his later life, the other party should find an opportunity to contact him, or at least send a page to say hello and establish a good relationship.
But so much time has passed and there's still no sign of it.
Zheng Hui frowned, carefully recalling the scene at that time.
He took out his phone, handed it to her, and asked her to enter her pager number.
and then?
Then he took the phone back.
It seems he forgot to give her his phone number.
Zheng Hui was both amused and exasperated.
He only left the other party's pager number, but did not give them his own phone number.
In an era when not having a cell phone meant being out of touch, even if Fan Binbin wanted to contact him, she couldn't find him.
No wonder he hadn't received a single pager in so long. He dialed the paging service hotline.
The call connected, and a standard female voice came through: "Hello, this is X paging service. What number would you like to call? Please provide the information you wish to leave."
Zheng Hui said into the microphone, "Calling, the message is: Ms. Fan, this is Zheng, please call back 13."
""
"Okay sir, message sent, goodbye."
After hanging up the phone, Zheng Hui casually tossed his phone onto the sofa. He figured Fan Binbin was probably filming right now, and even if he saw the pager, he probably wouldn't have time to call back until after he finished work.
He went into the bathroom, took a shower, and then turned on the TV, watching it listlessly.
A period drama was playing on TV. Zheng Hui watched for a few minutes but lost interest. Just as he was about to change the channel, his cell phone on the sofa rang.
Zheng Hui picked up his phone and glanced at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar landline number with the area code for Beijing.
He pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.
Hello.
A girl's voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding cautious and tentative.
"Hello, may I ask who this is, Zheng?"
The girl paused, as if organizing her thoughts, and then added a sentence.
"Is it Mr. Zheng or Ms. Zheng?"
Zheng Hui smiled as he heard this voice.
He leaned back on the sofa, shifting to a more comfortable position, and said, "It was Mr. Zheng who approached you for your pager number backstage at a commercial performance in Shenzhen."
The other end of the phone went silent instantly.
A full five seconds passed before a small, surprised exclamation rang out.
"Ah! Mr. Zheng! It's you!"
The girl's voice suddenly became cheerful, and she spoke much faster.
"I—I saw the message from the paging station and couldn't believe it. I wondered if it was you, but I didn't dare to think about it too much."
Zheng Hui could picture her holding the phone, looking both surprised and a little flustered.
"What, do you know a lot of Mr. Zhengs?" he joked.
"No, no!" Fan Binbin quickly explained, "I didn't expect you to call me. I saw you enter my number that day, and I waited for a long time but didn't receive your call. I thought you had forgotten about me."
Her voice carried a barely perceptible hint of grievance.
"It was my oversight," Zheng Hui admitted frankly. "I was busy that day and forgot to give you my number, otherwise you would have called me long ago."
"No, no, you're a big star, you must be very busy, it's normal that you didn't get to play." Fan Binbin's voice sounded much happier.
"By the way, Mr. Zheng, congratulations!"
"What are you congratulating me on?"
"Your new album! 'Floating Life'! It's selling exceptionally well in Hong Kong and Taiwan!" Fan Binbin's tone was full of excitement.
"The Taiwanese actors in our crew are all talking about you! They say your autograph session blocked the streets of Ximending, and many people couldn't buy your CD."
"
Zheng Hui listened quietly without interrupting her.
She continued, "I also bought your tape. Many people in our crew bought it, and everyone listened to it in their dorms during breaks."
That song, "Ten Years," makes one of the ladies in our dressing room cry every time she hears it.
"And also, I saw the news about you endorsing Wahaha purified water!"
I've been filming the second season of "My Fair Princess" in Beijing recently. A few days ago, the crew sent me a copy of the Beijing Times, and I immediately spotted your photo. It's really beautiful, so sunny and lovely.
Like a little girl showing off her treasures, she recounted everything she knew about Zheng Hui, one by one.
Zheng Hui realized that this girl was definitely very interested in his news.
Many reports in later generations said that in order to meet the deadline, the crew of "Princess Pearl 2" had a very tight filming schedule, and the actors were seriously sleep-deprived every day. They were so tired that they could lie down and fall asleep anywhere after filming.
Despite such a demanding job, she still had the energy to keep up with all the news about a male singer she had only met once, and even knew about his sales success in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
This sentiment is self-evident.
Zheng Hui's heart stirred, and an idea popped into his head.
He interrupted Fan Binbin, his voice carrying a hint of casualness.
"Which film and television base in Beijing is your crew currently filming at?"
Fan Binbin paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "I'm—I'm at the Beijing Film Studio, and also in Huairou, running back and forth between the two."
"Oh—" Zheng Hui drawled, then changed the subject, asking directly, "Is the management strict on your film set? Is it easy for people to visit?"
Fan Binbin on the other end of the phone was stunned; she seemed not to have grasped the meaning behind Zheng Hui's question.
Without waiting for her reply, Zheng Hui continued with a smile, "I happen to be in Beijing these few days, and I don't have anything urgent to do. How about I come visit you on set?"
"Visit the set?"
Fan Binbin's voice was stammering; she seemed unable to believe what she had just heard.
"You—you're here to visit me on set?"
"Is that not allowed?" Zheng Hui asked back.
"Sure! Of course!" Fan Binbin's voice instantly rose, filled with surprise and excitement.
But she quickly calmed down, her tone still uncertain.
"However—our production team is quite strict, especially with outsiders. I need to ask the production company first."
"But don't worry!" she quickly added, "It should be fine! You're such a big star, they'll definitely welcome you! Wait a moment, I'll go ask right now! I'm coming right away!"
"Okay, no rush, go ask first. Call me back when you find out."
"Okay! Wait for my call!"
After hanging up the phone, Zheng Hui put it aside and smiled.
He knew that the other party would definitely do everything they could to make this happen.
For Fan Binbin, who is still a minor supporting actor, a special visit from a popular singer means a lot.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, in the dormitory of the film crew at the Huairou Film and Television Base.
Fan Binbin gripped the landline microphone tightly in his hand, his heart pounding wildly.
She put down the phone, stood there for several seconds, and then forcefully clenched her fist.
She didn't have time to change her clothes, just quickly tidied her hair, opened the door and rushed out.
It was already past nine o'clock at night, and most of the actors had finished work and were resting, but the lights were still on in the production team's office.
The core members of the production team for "My Fair Princess" were mostly from Taiwan; they were Qiong Yao's own team.
On the mainland side, Hunan TV contacted a local production team to handle filming and local affairs.
Fan Binbin is looking for Liu, the production manager on the mainland.
She jogged all the way to the door of the production team's temporary office and knocked on it, panting.
"Come in."
Fan Binbin pushed open the door. The office was filled with smoke, and several staff members were gathered around a table, discussing something while looking at a schedule.
Sitting in the main seat was a slightly overweight middle-aged man, none other than Producer Liu.
When he saw Fan Binbin, he frowned and sounded somewhat impatient.
"Xiao Fan? What's up so late? Don't you have any scenes to film tomorrow morning?"
Fan Binbin, catching her breath, quickly walked up to him, her face showing both nervousness and excitement.
"Producer Liu, I want to ask you for a favor."
"What is it? Speak quickly, we're busy here." Producer Liu didn't even look up.
"That's how it is." Fan Binbin tried to keep his voice as steady as possible.
"I have a friend who wants to visit the set tomorrow. Is that convenient for him?"
Producer Liu finally looked up, glanced at her, and his eyes showed displeasure.
"Friends? What friends? The crew has rules that unauthorized personnel can't just come and go as they please, don't you know that? If every actor's friends came to visit the set, wouldn't this place turn into a vegetable market?"
Several staff members around her stopped their discussion and looked at her curiously.
Fan Binbin's face paled slightly, but she still mustered her courage and said the name.
His name is Zheng Hui.
"Zheng Hui?" Producer Liu repeated the name, feeling it sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place it.
A young stage manager standing nearby reacted and exclaimed in surprise, "Zheng Hui? Is he singing 'Stubborn' and '..."
Is it Zheng Hui from "Ten Years"?
Producer Liu was stunned for a moment before he finally connected the name with the singer who had recently become incredibly popular.
He looked Fan Binbin up and down again, his eyes filled with suspicion.
"Which Zheng Hui? The one who sings? Xiao Fan, you're not kidding me, are you?"
He scoffed, "How could you possibly know him? He's the hottest singer right now, a big shot whose autograph sessions cause traffic jams in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Could he be your friend?"
His tone was clearly disbelieving and tinged with sarcasm.
In his view, Fan Binbin was just an insignificant supporting actor in the crew, with no background or connections, so how could she possibly climb up to someone as high as Zheng Hui?
Most of them are young girls who are vain and boast and brag here.
Fan Binbin's face flushed red, and she hurriedly explained, "Producer Liu, I'm not joking! It's true! He just called me personally and said he's in Beijing right now and wants to come over tomorrow."
Seeing her so confident demeanor, Producer Liu's doubts began to waver a little.
He fell silent, his mind racing.
If what Fan Binbin said is true, then the significance of this matter is completely different.
What level of artist is Zheng Hui now?
His first album sold over five million cassettes in mainland China, and his second album sparked a buying frenzy in Hong Kong and Taiwan, selling over 400,000 copies in ten days. Now, the news refers to him as the Newcomer of the Year.
If a rising star of this caliber could visit the set of "My Fair Princess 2," that would definitely be great news.
This not only brings exposure to the production team, but it is also a very prestigious thing for him, the production manager from mainland China.
He asked again to confirm, "Are you sure it was him who offered to visit the set?"
"I'm sure!" Fan Binbin nodded vigorously.
Producer Liu stared into her eyes for a few seconds before finally making a decision.
"I can't make that decision myself. The core decision-making power of the production team lies with Taiwan. I can report to Director He on your behalf."
The "General Manager He" he mentioned refers to Qiong Yao's daughter-in-law, He Xiuqiong, who is also the general producer of this drama in Taiwan.
Producer Liu picked up the phone on the table, found a long-distance number in Taiwan, and dialed it.
The phone rang a few times before being answered.
Producer Liu unconsciously bent over, and his tone became extremely respectful.
"Hello, Mr. He, I'm sorry to bother you so late. I'm Lao Liu from the mainland."
"Well, there's an unexpected situation I'd like to report to you."
He carefully organized his thoughts: "There's an actress in our crew named Fan Binbin, the one who plays Jin Suo. She just came to see me and said a friend of hers wants to visit the set."
"Yes, her friend is that singer who's very popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan right now, named Zheng Hui."
He Xiuqiong on the other end of the phone was clearly stunned, her voice filled with surprise: "Zheng Hui? How could he know one of our young actors? Lao Liu, are you sure this is true? Maybe the young actor made it up to create hype."
"Mr. He, the young girl doesn't seem to be lying."
Producer Liu quickly said, "Besides, this kind of thing is easy to expose, she shouldn't have the guts to lie."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as they were clearly weighing the pros and cons and the truth of the matter.
As a seasoned television producer, He Xiuqiong keenly sensed the news value behind this incident.
"If Zheng Hui is really willing to come, that would be a good thing!" Her voice came over.
"He's so popular right now, and his willingness to come to our production team is beneficial for both of our publicity efforts. Here's what you should do: tell Fan Binbin that our production team warmly welcomes Mr. Zheng!"
"You must make proper arrangements for the reception; you absolutely cannot neglect our distinguished guest. After he leaves, tell me what happened during his visit, and I'll have the Taiwanese media release a press release as well."
He Xiuqiong thought further ahead, adding, "When he arrives, you can subtly probe him and ask if he's interested in acting."
If he'd be willing to make a cameo appearance in our show, even if it's just one scene and a line or two.
"Okay, okay, I understand, Mr. He. Don't worry, I'll definitely handle it well!"
Producer Liu hung up the phone with a bow and scrape, and when he turned back to look at Fan Binbin, his expression had completely changed.
The previous impatience and sarcasm vanished without a trace, replaced by a warm smile.
"Xiao Fan!" He patted Fan Binbin's shoulder affectionately. "You heard Mr. He's phone call just now, right? Mr. Fan said he warmly welcomes Mr. Zheng to our production team to provide guidance!"
"You're really keeping your abilities hidden! You know such an important person, why didn't you say so sooner!"
"Hurry up and call Mr. Zheng right now to ask him when he'll be free to come over tomorrow. That way we can prepare in advance, clear the area, and arrange for his reception."
Fan Binbin had anticipated this outcome, so she wasn't particularly surprised. She nodded and said, "Okay!"
I'll go return the call right now!
She turned and ran out of the office, back to her dormitory, picked up the phone, and dialed Zheng Hui's cell phone number.
The call was answered quickly.
"Hello, Mr. Zheng!" Her voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"I've asked! The producer agreed! They said you're warmly welcome!"
"When would be a convenient time for you tomorrow?" Fan Binbin asked cautiously.
"Tomorrow afternoon, around 2 PM. Where is your film crew filming tomorrow?"
Fan Binbin said, "We've been filming at Beijing Film Studio recently, on the Ming and Qing Dynasty-style street."
"Okay, see you tomorrow. Also, don't keep calling me Mr. Zheng, it sounds too formal. Just call me Zheng Hui from now on."
Fan Binbin replied happily on the other end of the phone, "Okay! Zheng Hui, see you tomorrow!"
After hanging up the phone, Fan Binbin held the receiver, leaned against the wall, and let out a long sigh.
Outside the window was a chilly winter night in Beijing, but she felt warm all over.
She knew that starting tomorrow, something might change.
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