Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 97 Graduation

Amidst the frenzy surrounding domestic female celebrities, Fu Yibai quietly returned to the Beijing Film Academy campus.

In July of this year, he officially ended his university career.

However, because he was far away in North America, he was unable to return to attend his graduation defense and graduation ceremony.

But none of that matters, since he's now a top director in China and has the backing of Dawn Studio, which helps Beijing Film Academy admit over a dozen graduates every year.

The school leaders at Beijing Film Academy specially arranged a separate thesis defense for him.

Fu Yibai's graduation defense was held in a small screening room, presided over by Xie Xiaojin, the department head. Three senior professors sat in the audience, with Zhang Jiandong sitting on the far side, his face beaming with an undisguised smile.

The title of the dissertation is "xxxxxxxx".

Fu Yibai stood on the stage, without a script, speaking at a slow pace and with clear logic.

Forty minutes, no hiccups, no wasted words.

After the defense, Zhang Jiandong was the first to stand up and applaud, his wrinkles crinkling into a smile.

As Fu Yibai stepped off the stage, Zhang Jiandong patted him on the shoulder.

"Good lad, you didn't embarrass me!"

"Thank you, Teacher Zhang."

Xie Xiaojin walked over, holding the defense evaluation form in her hand.

"Yi Bai, although you have graduated, Beijing Film Academy will always be your home."

"When I have time later, I'll come back and give a lesson to the younger students."

"If Teacher Xie asks, I will definitely come."

After leaving the small screening room, Zhang Jiandong took him to a hot pot restaurant next to the school.

It's an old restaurant with a small storefront, featuring copper pots and charcoal fires, and freshly sliced ​​mutton.

Time flies.

Before you knew it, you graduated.

It feels like filming "Black Coal, Thin Ice" was just yesterday.

Zhang Jiandong looked at Fu Yibai with a sigh.

"Kid, you really don't plan to go to graduate school?"

With your grades, the school can directly recommend you for admission.

Fu Yibai quickly shook his head.

"No, teacher."

I'd better not waste the school's spots.

I don't have much time to study right now. I have a ton of work at the company, and several projects waiting for me to film.

"Fine, if you don't want to read it, then don't."

He put down his chopsticks and looked at Fu Yibai.

"Given your current situation, you really don't have time to spend at school."

But remember what Teacher Xie said: when you have time, come back and give those kids a lesson, and tell them what a real movie is.”

"must."

Fu Yibai raised his glass and toasted Zhang Jiandong.

It was already evening when they came out of the restaurant, and Zhang Jiandong was so drunk by Fu Yibai that he was staggering.

Fortunately, Zhang Jiandong's home was not far from here. After dropping him off at home, Fu Yibai took a taxi to Fan Binbin's apartment.

The indoor air conditioning was on full blast, and a cool breeze swept over us.

There was no one in the living room. The TV was on, playing an old movie, and the volume was very low.

There was sliced ​​fruit on the coffee table, still wrapped in plastic wrap.

"Binbin?"

"In the bedroom!"

The sound came from the master bedroom, with a slightly muffled nasal tone.

Fu Yibai changed his shoes and went inside, pushing open the bedroom door.

Fan Binbin was lying on the bed with an open English textbook in front of him and a laptop next to him with a paused English teaching video on the screen.

She was wearing a loose white T-shirt, her hair casually tied into a bun, revealing her smooth neck.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, her eyes lit up for a moment, then her face fell again.

"You're back... I almost threw up from carrying that back."

Fu Yibai walked over, sat down next to her, and picked up the textbook to flip through it.

"Is this useful?"

"I don't know, but I'll just memorize it for now."

Fan Binbin rolled over, lay on his back on the bed, threw the textbooks aside, and stared at the ceiling.

"Xiao Li hired a foreign teacher for me. Starting tomorrow, I'll have three hours of spoken English lessons every day."

Do you think it's possible to learn it in a month?

Fu Yibai looked down at her.

With her makeup removed, her skin was smooth and delicate, but her eyes and brows showed signs of fatigue.

"You learn quickly, a month should be enough."

"real?"

"Um."

Fan Binbin smiled, reached out and hooked his neck, pulling him towards her.

"Honey, can't you just decide on me beforehand?"

Fu Yibai looked down at her. Her face was radiant and beautiful under the dim light. The indomitable spirit in her eyes was intertwined with the softness she showed at that moment, making it hard for anyone to refuse her.

But he just smiled and gently brushed his finger across the tip of her nose.

"Dream on."

Fan Binbin pursed her lips, let go of his hand, lay back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.

"I knew it."

She paused, then turned her head to look at him.

"Then give me a heads-up: how many people are competing this time? How confident am I?"

Fu Yibai lay down beside her, placing his hand on her waist.

"Many. Zhang Ziyi, Li Binbin, Zhou Xun, and several others from Hong Kong and Taiwan have all sent messages."

Fan Binbin remained silent for a few seconds.

"So, what do you think are my advantages compared to them?"

"As for the advantages..."

I."

"…"

You just said there couldn't be pre-arranged deals.

"It can't be decided beforehand."

After all, this is the company's first Hollywood project.

If it's pre-arranged, that's incredibly disgraceful.

However, if your performance is not much different from theirs, I can choose you.

So you still need to work hard and not embarrass me.

After hearing this, Fan Binbin's eyes curved into crescents, and she reached out and pinched his waist, but the force was so light that it was like a tickle.

"Ugh, I need your help with tutoring now."

"Tutoring?"

"That's right, that's how you tutor."

After saying that, Fan Binbin kissed him.

Late at night.

The bedroom lights dimmed, leaving only a warm yellow bedside lamp casting intertwined shadows on the wall.

The English textbooks were pushed onto the floor, and the notebooks were closed.

One by one, the city lights outside the window went out, leaving only the signal lights on the tops of a few tall buildings in the distance still flashing in the night sky, like an echo from another world.