Chapter 21

After a morning and half of the afternoon, over fifty students registered investments with the Dream Chasers Club, all in the range of $1,000 to $3,000. Bob invested $5,000, the most among the five, so he received a collector's edition of the July 1998 issue of Playboy, which would keep him busy.

Although he had to part with the adult magazines he had collected over the years, Ye Wei felt very satisfied. The enthusiasm and trust of his brothers filled him with gratitude.

He also had a responsibility to make this film crowdfunding a success and set a precedent, making everyone the cool kids the world would watch!

Now, they had raised over $220,000, but all the money was still just numbers on a register. They needed to establish a new company and open a corporate bank account before they could sign contracts and transfer funds. The investment contracts also needed to be drafted by a professional entertainment lawyer. There was a lot to do.

But today was Veterans Day, so there was no rush. By the afternoon, Ye Wei announced the解散, saying that they would stop for the day and everyone should enjoy the rest of the holiday!

At a bus stop near a beautiful residential house on the eastern end of Sunset Boulevard in Brentwood.

Lily leaned against her silver women's touring bicycle, checking her watch again, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. It was almost 16:15, almost 15 minutes past the agreed time. She muttered不满地, "Bastard..."

Whether it was a date or not, being late was not the behavior of a gentleman, especially since she had never been treated this way before, not even in her wildest dreams...

Did he forget about it? Wait... she suddenly thought of a more terrifying possibility. Was the whole thing just Ye Wei playing a prank on her? Was he hiding somewhere, laughing maniacally while spying on her?

But before she could think more, a figure on a bicycle came rushing from the opposite side of the street. It was Ye Wei, wearing a sports T-shirt and jeans. She immediately felt relieved; she had overreacted, and he was just rudely late...

Squeak! The red mountain bike with a rear seat came to a stop in front of her. Ye Wei put one foot down and said, "Sorry, I'm late. I just got back from school."

"School?" Lily was taken aback. A lousy excuse was better than a joke, and she certainly wasn't buying it. "Ah, very funny."

"It's true, not for studying, but for some other things." Ye Wei parked his bike and got off, mentally preparing for her to be angry. Being late was indeed his fault.

"Is that so... Okay." Lily tentatively believed him, mainly because of Ye Wei's character. If he really wanted to be late, he would have been late confidently without lying.

"Uh, thanks." Ye Wei was a bit incredulous. Was she possessed by the Virgin Mary? He couldn't help but look her up and down.

White T-shirt, light blue thin outerwear, linen seven-eighths pants, all from brands like Chanel. She had slightly rolled up her sleeves, her brown-black hair tied in a ponytail with a small butterfly clip, looking stylish, youthful, cute, and fresh.

Her thick, long eyebrows were still so spirited, and in her clear eyes, there seemed to be a hint of pique.

He laughed and said, "You look great."

"Thanks..." Lily rolled her eyes, but there was a sweet feeling in her heart. She didn't care and looked at the rear seat of his bike...

Ye Wei turned around and took something out of the bamboo basket tied to the rear seat. It was the Jane Eyre doll. He hummed "The Imperial March" in a serious tone!

"Shut up!" Lily burst into laughter. This wasn't Vida, it was Jane Eyre! The Jane Eyre she had been searching for for so long! She was both happy and excited, reaching out to take it, but he held it up with both hands and said solemnly, "Young lady, you must pass a test to get it," to which she pouted and said, "What!?"

"Today is Veterans Day, so Jane Eyre wants to know your attitude towards war before deciding whether to follow you. It doesn't want to become a soldier one day and be given a nickname like 'Deaf' by the drill instructor and fellow soldiers..."

Before Lily could understand what he meant, her smile grew wider. "Why 'Deaf'?"

"Because her name is Jank-Ear (useless ears). You know, that's the level of English Americans have." Ye Wei said with a helpless look.

"Ha ha... I get it..." Lily couldn't help but laugh. Jane Eyre, Jank-Ear. Her shoulders shook with laughter. "Do you hate Jane Eyre that much?"

Ye Wei laughed and said, "Not me, but the army is like that! Come on, your answer."

"OK, OK..." Lily suppressed her laughter, furrowed her brows, and said solemnly, "War is terrible, I hope for world peace." This was the truth!

"Good, may world peace be with us, may the Force be with us, 'Deaf' is yours." Ye Wei solemnly handed the Jane Eyre doll to her. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you're a war enthusiast; she's deaf and won't hear what you say."

Lily couldn't help but laugh again, taking the old doll. Her feelings were indescribable, joy, gratitude, and a sense of wonder... She hugged the doll and looked at him with soft eyes, smiling, "Thank you, this gift means a lot to me, I really like it, thank you."

"Take good care of it." Ye Wei shrugged, feeling happy. This was the best $100 he had ever spent.

The handover ceremony was complete. They looked at each other for a moment, a strange atmosphere rising between them. They both had something to say but didn't know how to express it, just laughing a few times.

Ye Wei took the initiative and said, "So, that's it? Or, shall we hang out for a while? It's still early..."

"Um, yeah... okay." Lily's voice was soft, her heart beating a bit faster. She told herself, "This isn't a date, after all, I just received a gift from him. It would be rude to refuse. This isn't a date, just hanging out!"

"Where shall we go?" she asked.

"How about Barington Dog Park? It's quite fun there."

"Sure, let's go there."

They pushed their bikes eastward, a 15-minute ride to their destination. But they wanted to walk first to digest the current situation.

There weren't many vehicles on the boulevard. They walked along the roadside, chatting as they passed by the gardens of various houses. Children were always playing and chasing each other on the lawns, and the flowers and trees were still lush, making it hard to feel the cold of early winter.

"Can I ask you what you were busy with at school today? The Squid Operation?" Lily was genuinely curious. She couldn't imagine going back to school on a holiday.

"A big thing." Ye Wei turned to look at her, telling her it was fine, and said, "I'm raising money for a film production project, with an initial goal of $500,000."

"Ah? Are you serious?" Lily couldn't help but be surprised. His expression and tone were serious, but what he said sounded absurd. Film production? A ninth-grader? $500,000?

"Serious. Many people at school have joined, they believe in me, they're all good people." Ye Wei smiled and looked at her. "I understand, it's hard for you to believe now, but one day, you'll be amazed by reality. Then you'll remember my words, 'I told you so.'"

Lily didn't fully understand the situation, thinking he was joking or exaggerating about a school film festival. She smiled and nodded, "I'll wait for that day."

Talking about films, she remembered something and said seriously, "About 'The Wedding Is Near' and the rumors about you at school, I want to say again, I'm very sorry."

"No need. I'm already grateful and proud that 'The Wedding Is Near' didn't bring down my family."

Ye Wei sighed. After the incident, this was the first time he had confided in someone, and it turned out to be her. "I don't want it to be a hurt, but a wake-up call, an inspiration to make positive changes. Before, I lived under my parents' protection, only knowing how to ask for things; but now, I'm different. I understand responsibility, I know how to leave my parents' protection, grow up, and then protect the family I love and who loves me."

Lily listened, her heart stirred. She didn't expect him to be so serious and mature, not just a carefree troublemaker...

"I want to make films to achieve this goal. You might think, 'What films, what can a kid under 16 do?'"

He paused and said firmly, "But I don't see it that way. It all depends on whether we are willing to work hard and pursue our goals. Sometimes, you need to be passionate and obsessive, not thinking too much, not caring what others say, firmly believing in your goals, and believing you will succeed, walking forward no matter what, always walking forward."

"Right..." Lily nodded, looking at the young face that seemed to glow. If before he seemed mature, now he seemed even more profound...

She had seen many excellent peers, who often showed their immaturity to others. He gave her a different feeling, not a high-and-mighty role model or rival, but a partner who could lead her forward...

"Ye, I did feel that way just now." She didn't know what she wanted to say, trying to explain, "But... as our school motto says, 'They can because they think they can.' I believe that no matter what you plan, you must stick to your ideas, even if no one supports you."

"Thanks, I will." Ye Wei felt her encouragement, his heart warming. "Call me Wei, or Wei Ge, but in Chinese, it sounds like 'Big Brother Wei,' so..."

"Wei is fine, Wei!" Lily smiled.

"Li Li." Ye Wei smiled and asked, "What about you? Any goals?"

"I'm not sure yet..." Lily thought and shook her head uncertainly. "Maybe become a TV host... like a talk show host? Yes, I'm very enthusiastic about becoming the youngest talk show host..."

But it was just an idea. She hadn't thought much about it, but she felt she thought more than most of her peers aged 14-16. At least she wasn't interested in topics like what color nail polish to wear.

"Talk show? Then you really need to practice your speaking skills, unless you want to be called Limbs-Collins."

Ye Wei burst into laughter, ringing his bike bell, which chimed as if it was laughing too.

"Bastard." Lily laughed and kicked his bike. "Limbs" in slang means legs, especially beautiful women's legs. His joke implied that if she didn't have good speaking skills, people would only notice her legs...

"I admit, your speaking skills are currently better than mine, but I'm not bad either, Viper!" she countered.

"Oh! That hurts me." Ye Wei feigned surprise. "Viper" means a venomous snake, a drug addict, a drug dealer, or a treacherous person... none of them good! He said indignantly, "My jokes are a form of praise, but your jokes will offend guests!"

"This is a special treatment for you, other guests don't get it." Lily also laughed and rang her bike bell, ding ding ding.

"You're really harsh." Ye Wei laughed, then had a natural thought, "Have you ever thought about singing? The youngest Grammy winner?" Her father was a rock star.

"No talent, no interest..." Lily's smile faded slightly, as if she wanted to say something but didn't. She looked troubled and said after a while, "I don't like being seen as 'Phil Collins' daughter.' I am who I am, not anything else. Do you understand?"

A person determined to prove herself independently? Or a girl who still harbors some resentment towards her father? Ye Wei nodded, "Okay, but you know, that will always be a fact."

Lily murmured, "Yes, I just... I don't know..."

"Hey, let's not talk about this anymore, let's do something fun!" Ye Wei suddenly interrupted her confusion, enthusiastically suggesting. They had just become friends, why talk so much about serious things? Whether it was a casual hangout or a date, it was all about having fun!

"What?" Lily stopped thinking, her eyes brightening with interest.

"Um, a bike race, who gets to the park first wins! The loser has to bark at the dogs, start—"

Before Ye Wei finished, he ran to his bike, jumped on the seat, and pedaled furiously, racing towards the park like the wind.

"Hey, wait! Start over, I'm not ready!" Lily quickly got on her bike and pedaled to catch up. "My bike isn't a mountain bike, this isn't fair!!"

"Girl, there's no such thing as fairness in this world, only winners and losers, hahaha—"

"This isn't fair, but you'll still lose...! Wait!"

On the quiet boulevard, a few squirrels were searching for food in the trees. The two laughing bike riders passed by, their figures drawing the squirrels' gazes.

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