Chapter 2

In February in Yanjing, although there was already a hint of early spring green, the cold wind and the chill still gave off a sense of desolation. Despite this, the entrance of the Yanjing Film Academy was crowded with many people, both men and women, old and young. However, these young people, regardless of gender, were all considered handsome and beautiful.

Many people would have already understood that the entrance examination for the Yanjing Film Academy was taking place here, and it was the final round. However, at this critical moment, some people seemed to be struggling to hold on.

"Son, wake up! Wake up!"

"Child! What's wrong with you? What's the matter?"

A middle-aged couple was frantically circling around a young man, as the exam was about to start, and their son had suddenly fainted.

"Where am I?!"

Wu Xiang felt his head was incredibly heavy, as if it wasn't his own. The light was blinding, so he quickly opened his eyes. "This isn't right! Wasn't that a green light? Isn't this a pedestrian crossing? Why is someone calling me?"...

"Huh?!" Wu Xiang was immediately stunned, as he saw an incredible scene.

"Son! You're awake?"

"Son, how are you?"

It was actually his parents?!

He had just been thinking about the script, and although he wasn't paying much attention, Wu Xiang was very clear that he hadn't violated any traffic rules. But in the blink of an eye, he saw his parents, who didn't look old at all!

"Son, you scared me to death! What's wrong with you? Is it because of the exam pressure? Should we find a place to rest?" His mother's concerned gaze made Wu Xiang feel warm inside, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years.

"You really are something, always letting us down at critical moments. The exam is about to start, and if you leave now, what about all our previous efforts?" His father was right, unlike his mother, he wouldn't indulge him.

"You old man, the child is in this state, and you're still thinking about the exam! Our Xiangzi has always had a weak body, are you trying to kill him?" His mother was still the same, somewhat indulgent.

Hearing this, Wu Xiang understood. It seemed he had been given a second chance, and this was the most critical period of his life—college entrance exams!

Wu Xiang had always loved watching movies and was very interested in the film industry. His dream was to become a big director if he couldn't become a big star. So, when he was in high school, he decided to apply to an art school to become an art student.

If he hadn't forgotten, it should be February 1997, the time for art school exams. Because it was his first time traveling far from home, his parents came with him.

From this, it was clear that Wu Xiang was a typical "little emperor." He was the only child in the family, and all the love was focused on him, which made him somewhat spoiled.

Being capricious was a common trait, and Wu Xiang thought he could control it, but there was one fatal flaw. Wu Xiang was a picky eater, which led to his poor health and extreme thinness.

Health is the capital of revolution, but by the time Wu Xiang realized this, he had already made an irreparable mistake.

It was this exam, this decisive art exam, where Wu Xiang fainted due to poor health before the final test. Although he eventually completed it, he failed. The blow was so severe that he didn't perform well in the college entrance exam either, and ended up attending a second-tier university. After graduation, he first became a web writer and later a junior screenwriter, participating in many criticized anti-Japanese dramas.

Logically, Wu Xiang could have retaken the exam, even multiple times, but he didn't. This major setback left him disheartened, and he could no longer face the exam!

There was a reason for this. Although Wu Xiang was a "little emperor," he was the legendary "other people's child" from a young age. His math was a bit weak, but he was always first in the humanities, from elementary school to high school, without ever paying for a school choice. If not for his bias in subjects, he would have been a top student. So, although he was a "little emperor," he had the capital to be one.

But because of this, the proud Wu Xiang was so devastated by this failure that he couldn't hold his head up and gave up on himself.

Now, in this situation, should he take the exam or not?!

"I think the child should come back next year."

"How can you discourage the child like that? This is giving up halfway! How can he become successful like this?"

... His parents began to argue, and some other parents of candidates gathered around, as Chinese people love to watch and join in the fun.

"Brother, what is your child taking the exam for?" People like to get involved.

"Our child is taking the literature class exam." His father answered politely.

"Sister, your child is so thin. Why not go back and prepare to come back next year?" Some onlookers observed carefully and offered reasonable suggestions.

"Um..." His mother was a bit embarrassed.

Now, every family has only one child, and they can't bear to hit them. Sometimes even harsh words make them feel heartache. This is the general situation in society.

Wu Xiang had already made up his mind. He hated his former self, who would bend at the slightest setback. He wanted to change everything; this was an opportunity, an opportunity he must seize!

Wu Xiang stood up, moved around a bit, and said, "Mom, Dad, I'm fine. I'll take the exam!"

At this moment, for some reason, Wu Xiang's parents saw something different in their child, as if he had grown up...

As the crowd entered the examination room, Wu Xiang kept recalling the residual memories in his mind. He actually didn't have much confidence in this exam, as he had too many grievances about it.

In fact, the exam failure wasn't entirely due to his fainting. There were other reasons, such as Wu Xiang's overconfidence in his previous exams.

To put it in modern internet slang, it was "TOO-YOUTH-TOO-SIMPLE-SOMETIMES-NAIVE!"

At that time, Wu Xiang was somewhat young. Although he was fearless like a newborn calf, he was also immature and didn't consider things comprehensively, which led to his failure in this exam.

Wu Xiang originally wanted to apply for the directing program, but in 1997, the Yanjing Film Academy did not admit undergraduate students in directing. They would only start admitting a class next year. So, Wu Xiang had to apply for the literature program.

The first round wasn't a problem; it was just basic knowledge, and as long as one's IQ wasn't too low, they could pass. But the second round was where the problem arose.

The literature program's second round exam was film analysis and writing, which was Wu Xiang's strength. He had always liked this, so it should have been easy.

But when Wu Xiang saw the exam question, he couldn't help but be surprised, as the film given as the exam question was "The Story of Qiu Ju"!