Chapter 59

Li Qian met two new friends, although this matter was actually quite unreliable.

One was named Cao Zhan, and the other was named Yu Bojun.

At the time, Li Qian and Wang Jinglu were eating rice noodles in a rice noodle shop, chatting about the movie they had just watched. Since Wang Jinglu was planning to apply to the Film Academy and had attended a summer tutoring class, their conversation about the movie could delve much deeper. Li Qian's comments on the movie became somewhat sharp.

Then, Cao Zhan and Yu Bojun, who were also eating rice noodles in the same shop, were drawn over.

This Cao Zhan had actually been seen before.

He was around forty years old, with a sexy stubble around his mouth and chin, a square face, short hair, and wearing a graffiti T-shirt and jeans, giving off a very沧桑 (weathered) uncle vibe. The first time Li Qian saw him, she almost mistook him for the character Sir Huang from "Infernal Affairs." Upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn't the same person. This time, at first glance, she almost mistook him for Tony Leung again because the weathered and rugged charm of the two was very similar.

At the time, Li Qian was singing Russian songs in the restaurant, and he was the one who applauded and tipped her 100 yuan twice. Later, he found out that Li Qian only knew those two songs and was quite disappointed.

Later, Li Qian learned from a restaurant waiter that he was actually the big boss behind the restaurant, and the young woman who interviewed and hired her, the restaurant manager, was Cao Zhan's third wife.

Of course, Li Qian remembered him, but he clearly didn't remember her.

As for Yu Bojun... he was an extremely handsome and well-dressed young man, with the air of a wealthy family's son.

The two came over straight away, introduced themselves, and said they wanted to chat. This introduction made Li Qian's eyes widen immediately.

Because Cao Zhan said he had a pen name, Huang Yujie.

Hearing this name, Li Qian immediately remembered the article "The Wolf is Coming!" she had read in the newspaper, and she instantly knew why the two had come over.

However, she couldn't help but feel a bit chaotic.

To be honest, if it were a different time and place, even if it weren't so coincidental that it was during her date with Wang Jinglu, Li Qian would have been very willing to have a deep conversation about current domestic films with them. But at that moment, Li Qian really didn't want to deal with them.

But since they came over, Li Qian had to introduce herself as well.

When it came to the young man who sang Russian songs in the restaurant, Cao Zhan was instantly puzzled, and then his eyes lit up.

Upon hearing the name, the two unexpectedly found another connection.

As soon as he heard Li Qian's name, he immediately asked if the songs on Liao Liao's album were written by her.

Good grief, that was a perfect match.

Li Qian played guitar and sang in the restaurant, and Cao Zhan was the restaurant owner and also a half-fan of hers;

Li Qian was very interested in movies and had many ideas, while Cao Zhan was a screenwriter, film critic, and also did movie soundtracks;

Li Qian was skilled at writing songs, whether it was lyrics, melodies, or compositions, and had made Liao Liao a big star with five songs. Cao Zhan was also a veteran rocker, a famous lyricist and composer in the industry, and one of the top five bassists in the country. Coincidentally, their songs appeared on the same album.

With so many layers of connections, they couldn't help but become friends.

As they chatted, Li Qian discovered that Yu Bojun was also a director and screenwriter. Although he made movies because his family owned a chain of cinemas with over thirty screens across the province, and his films were only shown during off-peak periods, he already had five directed works to his name by his early thirties, which was still an impressive achievement.

Coincidentally, the movie "Love Never Loses" that Li Qian and Wang Jinglu saw on their first movie date was actually his work—another layer of familiarity!

Perhaps, the phrase "birds of a feather flock together" comes from this.

The three of them really started chatting, and the more they talked, the more excited they got.

They began by commenting on the love movie they had just watched, then moved on to criticizing "Love Never Loses," then discussed the status of martial arts films in domestic cinema, then turned to shooting techniques, and finally, without realizing it, they started talking about the impact of CG technology on the future of cinema.

Cao Zhan was undoubtedly an insider in the film industry, and Yu Bojun was also an insider. Although Li Qian was not yet familiar with the domestic film industry in this timeline, her past experiences gave her a clear understanding of the industry's development trends that the other two could not match... Thus, the three of them chatted for over an hour, drawing the attention of everyone around them. In the end, even the boss had a complaint, and they had to get up and leave.

Throughout the entire time, Cao Zhan and Yu Bojun didn't seem to think it was beneath them to discuss movies with a teenager, and Li Qian didn't feel uncomfortable talking to two men in their thirties and forties.

After leaving the rice noodle shop, Yu Bojun suggested finding a place to continue chatting, but Li Qian refused. She had already neglected Wang Jinglu for so long, and if she continued to chat with them, the day would be ruined.

So, they agreed to meet the next day at the intersection of Jing San and Wei Liu, at the bookstore Cao Zhan owned.

The next day, Li Qian picked up Wang Jinglu on her bicycle and headed straight for Jing San and Wei Liu.

Sure enough, there was a bookstore called "Bun Wen."

It was clear that Cao Zhan and Yu Bojun took the arrival of this new friend very seriously.

Not only was Cao Zhan's wife there, but Yu Bojun's girlfriend was also present.

As soon as Li Qian and Wang Jinglu arrived on the second floor, Yu Bojun pointed at them and laughed, saying, "You really aren't ashamed to ride such a破 (old) bicycle and bring a girl out! When I went back and asked Old Cao about you last night, I heard that several music companies have already offered 150,000 yuan per song. If you're willing to write songs, you'll make a lot of money! Do you have to show off how poor you are?"

It had to be admitted that compared to the Porsche and Land Rover parked outside the bookstore, Li Qian's bicycle was indeed very shabby, but Li Qian didn't feel embarrassed at all. She just smiled and asked Cao Zhan, "What do you think, Cao Ge?"

Cao Zhan, looking indifferent and half-asleep, said sharply, "Only nouveau riche and businessmen want to show off their power all the time!"

After saying that, he pointed at himself and said, "I'm a businessman!"

Then he pointed at Yu Bojun and said, "His family is nouveau riche!"

The three of them burst out laughing.

After going back last night, not only did Cao Zhan and Yu Bojun inquire about her, but she also called Liao Liao and asked her to find out about them, which was quite a shock—

Because Cao Zhan was part of the music industry, Liao Liao could find more detailed information. It was said that Cao Zhan's ancestors were from a scholarly family, and for several generations during the Shun Dynasty, they were all imperial scholars. Cao Zhan's great-great-grandfather even held the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Although the Cao family had not held office for several decades, they were still wealthy.

As for Cao Zhan himself, he dropped out of school at seventeen and went to Shuntian to play rock music with a guitar. Later, he switched to bass and was once known as the "Bass King" in the underground rock scene. However, after nearly a decade of struggling without much success, he became disheartened and returned home to inherit the family business, get married, and have children. He also tried writing some non-rock folk and love songs and submitting them to record companies. Later, he began to venture into screenwriting and film soundtracks.

Now, he writes one or two scripts and a film soundtrack each year and composes dozens of songs. Many record and film companies invite him, but he is content to stay in Jinan and live a carefree life.

As for Yu Bojun, he is known as a famous playboy in the entertainment industry, changing girlfriends every one or two years.

In short, these two are known as geniuses in their respective fields.

The "Bun Wen" bookstore had three floors. The first floor sold books and audio-visual products, the second floor was a coffee bar, and the third floor was the personal reception room and studio of the big boss, Cao Zhan.

When Li Qian and Wang Jinglu arrived, everyone went up to the third floor.

Then, for the rest of the day, except for lunch at a nearby small restaurant, they spent most of the time chatting. Later, it was mainly Li Qian, Cao Zhan, and Yu Bojun discussing music and movies, while Cao Zhan's wife, Yu Bojun's girlfriend, and Wang Jinglu chatted about women's and girls' topics.

Of course, Wang Jinglu was too young to join in the conversation much and often just smiled and listened.

Cao Zhan's wife, surnamed Huang, was not a top beauty, but she had a graceful demeanor, was gentle and intelligent. Although she was accompanying a high school girl and a somewhat snobbish young star, she managed to make both of them feel happy. Even Wang Jinglu, who was not good at handling such situations, did not feel neglected.

However, every time she turned to see Li Qian, who was drinking tea and excitedly talking, Wang Jinglu couldn't help but feel a strange emotion.

Yesterday, and on the way to the bookstore today, Li Qian had already told her a lot about Cao Zhan and Yu Bojun, so she knew they were two accomplished and capable men.

She wasn't stupid; she knew what it meant for Li Qian to sit and chat with such men.

So, when they all ended their small gathering and went home, Wang Jinglu didn't show any signs in front of Li Qian, but she gradually became silent after returning home.

Li Qian had been one of the first to know about her songwriting, and she had always followed the rise of Li Qian's songs. So, she knew Li Qian was talented. But at that time, Li Qian was still the same Li Qian, still by her side, and hadn't changed much. The only change was that he had a bit of money and a bit of fame in the music industry.

Li Qian was still the high school student Li Qian.

But today, in this special setting, when she saw Li Qian chatting with two adults, and adults who had achieved a lot in their respective fields, she suddenly realized that although Li Qian was still the same Li Qian, he was really different from before.

Now, Li Qian seemed to be someone she had to look up to.

So, her mood suddenly sank.

...

September 1st, the start of the school year nationwide.

Wang Jingsnow drove her younger sister to school, watched her complete the enrollment procedures, helped her put her bedding and luggage in the assigned dormitory, and gave her a few instructions before driving away.

However, she didn't go home or back to the company; instead, she turned onto the southbound highway.

Producer Li Baolong had been calling almost every day, and she knew that if she didn't want to dance according to the company's plan, she had to meet someone.

She couldn't delay any longer.

***

The editor has already notified that the book will be released tomorrow, so this will probably be the last public chapter.

Here, let me express a sigh: Two months! I wonder how the release will perform and how many friends will be willing to pay to read what I write.

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