EFB Chapter 111 Past Life and Present Life
Chapter 111 Past Life and Present Life
It wasn't that Zhang Lei deliberately forgot; rather, for the past two months, she had been immersed in the role of a woman who rose from a lowly palace maid to a noble imperial concubine. Every day, she pondered how to portray the forbearance, struggle, scheming, and genuine emotions of a woman in the deep palace.
She almost became that person, and the identity of "Zhang Lei," including Zhang Lei's ex-boyfriend, Zhang Lei's past, and Zhang Lei's troubles, all became distant and blurred.
"Wang Bo... what's wrong?" Zhang Lei asked, her tone so calm that even she was a little surprised.
"He participated in 'The Voice of China' and is now incredibly popular! He has nearly three million followers on Weibo, and every episode features an original song that becomes a hit! The company wants to capitalize on this popularity to help you and him rekindle your old flame—no, I mean, to trigger a wave of nostalgia!"
Sister Mei spoke rapidly, "Didn't you two date back when you were at Rainy Girl Entertainment? Even though it was only for a few months, at least you have photos together and a story!"
Zhang Lei remained silent for a few seconds.
Her memories slowly awakened, like an old film reel, with blurry images and intermittent sound.
Wang Bo, the boy who always practiced singing quietly at Yuji Entertainment, has a great voice, but a somewhat introverted personality.
They did talk, and the actual time they spent together was probably... three or four months?
We were both young and not famous back then, and we got together more out of loneliness and to keep each other company.
Later, she switched jobs to Starlight Media, and the relationship naturally faded, leading to a breakup that ended without a clear conclusion.
In her memory, Wang Bo was a singer with some talent but lacking opportunities. He was gentle and even somewhat timid, confused about the future, and dependent on her.
Is Wang Bo... incredibly famous?
"Sister Mei," Zhang Lei finally spoke, her voice still dazed from just leaving her role, "I'm a little tired, and... Wang Bo and I are a thing of the past."
"The past is the best!" Sister Mei exclaimed excitedly. "Audiences love the 'former lovers reunite at the top' trope! Think about it, you two started out as nobodys and worked your way up together. Then you moved to a big company, and he stayed at a small one. Now he's made a comeback through his own abilities—what a perfect script! It's tailor-made for trending topics!"
Zhang Lei didn't say anything.
She walked to the window and looked at the lights of the antique-style buildings in Hengdian lit up in the night. Suddenly, she felt that it was all absurd.
She secluded herself on set for two months, playing a fictional ancient woman, and shed countless tears for that woman's love, hate, and grudges.
In the real world, her almost forgotten ex-boyfriend suddenly became a rising star in the entertainment industry.
She intends to use this long-past, forgotten love affair to gain attention.
"Leilei, listen to me," Sister Mei's tone softened. "I know you don't like hype, but we have to face reality. You're currently a second-tier actress, neither here nor there, and it's hard to say whether this drama, 'Deep Palace Scheme,' will be a hit. Wang Bo's popularity is real; if we ride this wave, how much publicity money can we save? Besides, it's not like you're actually getting back together with him. It's just posting a few old photos and saying a few words of blessing, and the media will naturally make up stories."
Zhang Lei closed her eyes.
She recalled her dream when she entered the industry—to become a true actress and let her work speak for itself.
But three years have passed, and despite the resources that Yu Ji and Starlight Media have allocated to her, she is still hovering in the second tier, mostly playing supporting roles, and occasionally taking on a lead role in a low-budget web series.
The company has always positioned her as a "potential young actress with great acting skills," but the word "potential" has become somewhat ironic over time.
"I understand," Zhang Lei heard herself say. "What time is the flight tomorrow?"
"The company will send a car to pick you up from the airport at seven o'clock in the morning."
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Lei stood by the window for a long time.
The phone screen automatically lit up, and a trending Weibo post read: "Wang Bo's 'Those Flowers' sparks a wave of nostalgia across the internet, with views exceeding 100 million!"
She clicked on it and saw a video clip of Wang Bo singing and playing instruments on stage.
The man in the picture is wearing a white shirt and jeans, holding a guitar, and the light shines gently on him.
Zhang Lei looked closely at that face.
It's still the same face, but it seems different.
In my memory, Wang Bo always had a somewhat timid and unfocused look in his eyes, and he would unconsciously lower his head when he smiled.
The person in the video has clear and firm eyes. When singing, he closes his eyes slightly, his expression is focused and calm, and there is a hint of confidence on his lips.
Is this really Wang Bo?
Or perhaps she's been so immersed in her role these past two months that she's become detached from people and things in the real world?
Zhang Lei turned off the video, opened her contacts, and found the number she hadn't contacted in a long time.
My finger hovered over the dial button, but I didn't press it in the end.
Forget it.
Even if we call, what would we say?
Congratulations on becoming famous, or are you discussing a publicity stunt?
Everything's weird.
She threw her phone on the bed and went into the bathroom.
As the hot water splashed on her face, she suddenly remembered a line from the TV series "Deep Palace Scheme": "In this deep palace, who isn't an actor? Performing a play written by others, shedding their own real tears."
She smiled at herself in the mirror.
Okay, then let's perform.
One day, when she becomes a top-tier, or even above-top-tier, woman, she will have the authority to say no.
She is determined to repay Starlight Media tenfold for all the grievances she has suffered today and in the future.
At the same time, in Lin'an City, at Xiaoyi Culture Recording Studio.
"The theme for the fifth issue is 'family'?" Chen Mo scratched his messy hair. "This theme... is not easy to write about. If it's too sentimental, it'll feel greasy; if it's too restrained, it'll seem cold."
Wang Bo took a handwritten score out of his backpack and placed it on the control panel.
"It's already written."
Chen Mo leaned over to look at the sheet music, muttering the title: "This song title is really direct."
He started looking at the lyrics, initially just browsing casually, but as he looked, his expression gradually changed.
After a short while, Chen Mo stopped.
He looked up at Wang Bo: "You..."
"What's wrong?" Wang Bo asked.
"You're a prodigy," Chen Mo said seriously. "An absolute prodigy."
He looked down at the score again, this time very slowly and carefully.
Wang Bo walked into the recording studio, took out his guitar, and casually strummed a few chords.
The night outside the window was deep, and only the dim light of the equipment indicator lights illuminated the recording studio.
After reading the score, Chen Mo remained silent for a long time.
So long that Wang Bo thought he had fallen asleep.
"Wang Bo," Chen Mo finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "did you cry when you wrote this song?"
Wang Bo was taken aback: "Why do you ask that?"
"Because these lyrics..." Chen Mo said, "They're so real, so real that they don't seem written, but rather come straight from the heart."
He pointed to a section of the sheet music: "Every time I send my parents back to their hometown, it's like this. I'm clearly reluctant to part with them, but I have to pretend that nothing's wrong. My dad will also say the lyrics from the song, and then turn around and walk away very quickly."