In the system panel, Zhang Tiancheng cast a wistful look at the string of production companies listed behind the reward section before using his mind to click the "Learnable" option behind the Level-4 Director skill.
In an instant, Zhang Tiancheng found himself in a classroom.
He was the only person there, and the blackboard was a silver screen playing footage of Chen Kaige directing *Farewell My Concubine*.
Whenever the footage reached a crucial moment, it would pause, and a note would appear on the side explaining why a wide shot was used for that particular frame, why three cameras were used to shoot from the side in this scene, why only a single lens was used in that spot, and so on...
The footage was merely a fragment of Chen Kaige's work on *Farewell My Concubine*. Once it finished playing, Zhang Tiancheng returned to the system panel, where the "Learnable" tag behind each skill had now vanished.
After casting one more longing look at the string of companies in the reward section, Zhang Tiancheng finally exited the system panel.
Then, with his arm around Zeng Li’s delicate shoulder, he drifted off to sleep.
Before two days had passed, the New Year's Day holiday arrived, and the entire campus suddenly grew much quieter.
Zhang Tiancheng didn't go home. Both his parents were abroad, so there was nobody at the house anyway.
Zeng Li didn't go home either; her family lived in Hubei, which was a bit too far.
Throughout the New Year's holiday, the two of them spent their time visiting tourist attractions around Beijing.
As soon as the New Year's holiday ended, winter break was not far off, but the examination period was also approaching, plunging the students into a state that was both agonizing and full of anticipation.
On January 7th, there were three days left until winter break.
At noon, Zhang Tiancheng and Zeng Li were having lunch in the cafeteria.
Chatting as they ate, Zeng Li gradually realized that something seemed off with Zhang Tiancheng.
Normally, Zhang Tiancheng had plenty to say, but today she was the only one talking about her plans for the winter break.
"What's wrong with you? Are you feeling sick?"
Meeting Zeng Li’s eyes, which were filled with concern, Zhang Tiancheng didn't know how to begin for a moment.
"I... I... I..."
Zeng Li was made a little nervous by his stuttering.
"Oh, are you trying to drive me crazy? If you have something to say, just spit it out."
Zhang Tiancheng took a deep breath and said, "Well... I’ve asked for an extended leave. I won't be coming to school next semester."
Zeng Li froze for a moment, then asked anxiously, "Extended leave? Did something happen at home?"
"Nothing happened at home. I'm planning to go direct a movie next semester."
Zeng Li's big eyes widened even further.
"Direct a movie!"
"Yeah, I've already cleared it with my teacher."
"Wait, where did you get the investment from? You didn't get scammed, did you?"
There were plenty of scammers around nowadays with all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, often swindling people under the guise of movie investments—things like that had happened before.
So the moment she heard Zhang Tiancheng was going to make a movie, Zeng Li immediately suspected he had been taken advantage of.
Zhang Tiancheng shook his head slightly. "No, I'm planning to get the money from my parents to make the movie."
Zeng Li was stunned. Having been in a relationship for over a year, she had never asked about Zhang Tiancheng's family background. But judging by his usual spending habits, which were on par with everyone else's, she had assumed his financial situation was similar to her own.
Yet... yet to be able to pull out money just to make a movie—his family must have at least tens of millions in assets!
"Making a movie costs at least several hundred thousand. Will your mom and dad actually give it to you?"
"They will. When it comes to money, my parents have always given me whatever I ask for."
Zhang Tiancheng spoke with absolute certainty. His parents had divorced several years ago, and afterward, each had become immersed in their own career, neglecting his care. Because of this, whenever he asked for money, both of them would provide it; even when he didn't ask, they gave him plenty.
Ever since their divorce, the New Year's cash gifts and regular allowance they had given him over the years hadn't been squandered either, leaving him with over 700,000 saved up.
It took Zeng Li a few seconds to process the fact that her boyfriend's family was very wealthy, after which she began asking about the movie project.
"Where are you planning to shoot? Have you put together a crew yet? Making a movie isn't simple—you'll need to find a script supervisor, cinematographer, costume designer, and props master yourself."
"I'm going to Hong Kong to shoot. My uncle has worked at Emperor Motion Pictures in Hong Kong for many years and knows a lot of people in the industry; he can help me put a crew together."
Zeng Li’s eyes widened as she cried out in shock, "Hong Kong? Can you hold your ground there?"
Before Zhang Tiancheng could reply, Zeng Li immediately tried to dissuade him. "Why don't you shoot in Mainland China instead?"
The Mainland hadn't fully developed yet, and compared to the Mainland, Hong Kong was superior in every aspect. People from Hong Kong also held a condescending attitude toward people from the Mainland.
The film and television industry was no exception; over the past few years, quite a few people from Hong Kong had come to the Mainland to shoot television dramas.
Clearly coming to the Mainland to make money, everyone from the top-tier celebrities down to the crew's odd-job workers looked down on Mainlanders and frequently joined forces to bully them.
If Zhang Tiancheng, a Mainlander, went rushing off to Hong Kong to make a movie and couldn't command respect, he could forget about finishing the film.
Zhang Tiancheng shook his head slightly. "Some of the plots in my script are a bit sensitive. If we shoot in the Mainland, the SARFT won't let it pass. We have to go to Hong Kong to shoot. You don't need to worry about me getting the short end of the stick over there—with my uncle around, they won't dare act too arrogant."
Zeng Li remained deeply worried. Although she hadn't started filming yet herself, she had heard plenty of stories about how Hong Kong celebrities bullied Mainland artists.
Still, since Zhang Tiancheng had put it that way, she couldn't press her objections too far.
"Well, just be careful. If you really can't get it made, move the shoot back to the Mainland. Safety first."
Zhang Tiancheng nodded and reassured her, "Don't worry, I've already thought it through. If it's truly impossible to shoot in Hong Kong, I'll rewrite the script and move the production to the Mainland."
Zeng Li didn't say much more about Zhang Tiancheng not coming to school next semester, but that night, after the two of them checked into a hotel, Zeng Li abandoned her usual demeanor and became exceptionally proactive and assertive.
After the intense battle, Zeng Li quickly drifted off to sleep, leaning against Zhang Tiancheng's muscular chest.
Holding Zeng Li's delicate shoulder, Zhang Tiancheng sighed inwardly.
When he first pursued Zeng Li, it was purely a case of being captivated by her looks, but after a year of dating, Zeng Li showed him care in every possible way. Human hearts are made of flesh; since Zeng Li treated him with absolute sincerity, he had naturally fallen truly in love with her.
The reason he hadn't told Zeng Li about not coming to school next semester until now was that he knew her too well. Half a year away from school and half a year without seeing each other would make her unhappy while they were in the throes of a passionate romance.
With another sigh, Zhang Tiancheng turned off the lights, closed his eyes, and dived into his editing studies.
On January 11th, amid howling winds and heavy snow, Zeng Li and Zhang Tiancheng sat in the airport waiting for their flight.
Zeng Li rested her head on Zhang Tiancheng's shoulder without speaking. She had no heart for words; with this separation meaning they wouldn't see each other for half a year, she simply had no mood to talk.
Zhang Tiancheng wrapped his arm around Zeng Li's delicate shoulder and remained silent as well.
After the two of them sat in silence for half an hour, Zhang Tiancheng spoke in a low voice, "As soon as I finish filming, I'll bring the film back to Beijing for post-production editing. It should take about three months."
Zeng Li's eyes lit up, and like a cat, she rubbed her cheek against Zhang Tiancheng's shoulder.
"It's a deal then. I'm not even asking for three months—four months! It cannot exceed four months!"
"Mhm."
At that moment, the airport announcement chime sounded, and boarding for the flight to Jingzhou, Hubei, began.
"Let's go."
His right arm, which was around Zeng Li's delicate shoulder, gave her a gentle pat.
Reluctant to part, Zeng Li stood up, dragged her suitcase, and walked toward the boarding gate, turning her head back every three steps.
After watching Zeng Li enter the boarding corridor, the announcement for passengers boarding the flight to Pengcheng began shortly after.
Zhang Tiancheng stood up, pulled his suitcase, and walked toward the boarding gate.
It was already past four in the afternoon when he touched down in Pengcheng.
Pengcheng was basking in brilliant sunshine at the moment, feeling a little warm.
As soon as he got off the plane, Zhang Tiancheng immediately took off his down jacket, walked out of the airport, and hailed a cab home.
After his parents divorced, Zhang Tiancheng lived with his father, Zhang Zenghua.
Zhang Zenghua had a business friend in real estate who had developed a villa neighborhood a few years prior, and Zhang Zenghua had purchased a villa there.
The villa was massive, spanning several thousand square meters, and the lawn surrounding the house was big enough to play basketball on.
However, the villa lacked any sense of human warmth. After Zhang Tiancheng left for Beijing to study, Zhang Zenghua had dismissed the live-in housekeeper because he was out negotiating business every day and only spent about ten days a month at home, making a housekeeper unnecessary.
Upon returning home, Zhang Tiancheng followed his usual routine: he first called a cleaning company and asked them to send over an hourly maid.
Once the maid finished cleaning, he went out to buy groceries and daily necessities.
Zhang Tiancheng had no friends in Pengcheng either; his former high school classmates had long since lost touch with him. Every time he came home, he lived the life of a single man.
Yet Zhang Tiancheng didn't find a single man's life boring.
He intended to star himself in the movie he was going to shoot in Hong Kong, and since that film contained quite a few action scenes, he had hired a coach who knew Brazilian jiu-jitsu to teach him the discipline.
Although his body had been drastically enhanced by the system—to the point where fifty men couldn't take him down in a fight—he possessed physical strength alone and knew nothing about combat techniques.
He spent his mornings learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu, his afternoons writing the script for his next movie, and his evenings chatting on the phone with Zeng Li, living a very fulfilling life every day.
After eight days of living alone, in the evening, just as Zhang Tiancheng was sitting on the living room sofa watching television and preparing to cook dinner shortly, Zhang Zenghua returned.