Chapter 49: Little Nezha and Immortal Liu

This premiere is a bit unusual!

To think he would talk about this.

At other premieres, the creators usually express their gratitude.

For instance, as the leads of a film, they would thank all the crew members involved in the production, their partners, and the support of their fans.

The creators would share their experiences and insights regarding the filmmaking process—for example, a director might discuss the filming experience, character development, or the conception of the plot.

But Cheng Sheng was different; he was talking to the audience about time-travel novels. Was he planning to encourage people to write time-travel novels?

Cheng Sheng had truly broken new ground, becoming the first person to discuss time-travel historical fiction at a premiere.

Master Han smiled slightly and said to Principal Xu Xiaozhong, "Your student is quite interesting. He truly seems to love history."

"Haha, it's just a personal hobby," Xu Xiaozhong replied with a laugh.

Wang Jinhua whispered to Fan Shuangbing, "Did you see anything?"

Fan Shuangbing looked confused. "What?"

Wang Jinhua shook her head. "You! After listening to all that, haven't you thought of anything?"

Fan Shuangbing shook her head slightly. What could she possibly think? That Cheng Sheng was an eccentric?

Instead of giving thanks or looking toward the future, the premiere was centered on time-travel novels.

"Bingbing, if you want to act in Director Cheng's films in the future, you must study history books thoroughly when you get back," Wang Jinhua said.

What?!

Fan Shuangbing was stunned.

She felt like her IQ wasn't high enough to keep up.

She had already entered the entertainment industry, and now she was being told to read history books?

Wasn't that a bit ridiculous?

Besides, did she look like someone who enjoyed reading history books?

If she did, she wouldn't have enrolled in the Xie Jin School of Film and Television Arts at Shanghai Normal University; she would have majored in something history-related.

"Sister Hua, is that really necessary?" Fan Shuangbing asked with a bitter smile.

"Listen to me. I won't harm you," Wang Jinhua said.

"Alright then," Fan Shuangbing said gloomily.

Wang Jinhua's foresight was truly remarkable.

Aside from giving Fan Shuangbing common ground to talk to Cheng Sheng, she had also guessed one thing: if Cheng Sheng's future casting choices were correct, he would likely select actors who possessed a deep understanding of history.

They say one step ahead leads to many steps ahead; Wang Jinhua's vision was truly unique.

Besides Wang Jinhua, there was another person who saw through this.

And that person was none other than Tong Yaya.

She didn't see it because she was as calculating as Wang Jinhua, but rather through a woman's sixth sense—she felt that if she wanted to star in Director Cheng's films in the future, she absolutely had to study history.

Only by understanding history would there be an opportunity.

After Cheng Sheng finished speaking, the leads were interviewed by reporters. Each person answered roughly one to three questions; if it exceeded that, they would stop.

After all, the premiere had already lasted quite a while, and if the interviews were dragged out any longer, someone would inevitably lose their patience.

After about ten minutes, the interviews finally concluded.

The audience left the theater reluctantly.

Cheng Sheng stayed behind to exchange filming insights with the directors from the Central Academy of Drama, and then exchanged pleasantries with Master Han and the others.

"Director Cheng, this is my cousin and her best friend, Liu Yifei. They really want to meet you. And this is my godmother, Liu Xiaoli; she has taken great care of me, almost like my own mother, and has introduced me to many resources."

Just as he had seen off Principal Xu Xiaozhong and the teachers from the Central Academy of Drama, Su Chang approached with two adults and one child to introduce them.

"Hello, Director Cheng. I am Liu Xiaoli," Liu Xiaoli said with a smile.

"Director Cheng, my name is Liu Yifei," Liu Yifei said excitedly.

Cheng Sheng knew both of them. He smiled and shook hands with each of them, releasing them immediately.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd and the presence of reporters, Cheng Sheng didn't dare to linger on their hands. If this were caught on camera, there would be all sorts of rumors circulating online.

"What about me! Why didn't you say my name?" Song Zuer said, pouting in displeasure.

"Little sister, what is your name then?" Cheng Sheng said, patting Song Zuer's small head.

No one understood this little Nezha better than Cheng Sheng.

Entering the entertainment industry at the age of seven, her path had been like someone opening a brilliant, glowing door for her.

Cheng Sheng had seen her portrayal of Nezha in the *Lotus Lantern* prequel from another memory; Song Zuer's performance had been genuinely stunning, not at all like a child who had just started her career.

In the future, Song Zuer would rely on her halo as a child star to smoothly become a top-tier celebrity.

Unfortunately, in 2003, she was caught up in a tax scandal.

News broke that she had evaded taxes, and the amount was shocking.

Once the news broke, the entire internet exploded, with everyone speculating whether it was true.

After all, many viewers had grown up watching the little Nezha, and they didn't want it to be true.

Once the halo was gone, Song Zuer might have slowly faded from the public eye.

If that had happened, it would have been a pity, as Song Zuer had both beauty and acting talent—a rare combination for such a young actress.

Fortunately, she grew steadily through the years, and like the sun after a storm, it was soon confirmed that the tax scandal had nothing to do with her.

"My name is Song Zuer. Big brother, you can call me Zuer," Song Zuer said with a smile.

"Zuer, that's a beautiful name."

Cheng Sheng offered a compliment, then turned to Liu Yifei. "I saw your performance as Bai Xiuzhu in *Romance in the Rain*. You portrayed the innocence and charm of a young girl very naturally."

"Thank you, Director Cheng," Liu Yifei said shyly, bowing slightly.

Liu Yifei was still young and didn't quite know how to socialize yet.

"Director Cheng, Changchang said you took great care of her on set. Thank you for looking after her. Her childhood was very unfortunate; she suffered many hardships from a young age, but she has grown into a well-behaved and sensible girl," Liu Xiaoli said.

Cheng Sheng knew a bit about Su Chang's history; her childhood was indeed unfortunate.

Her parents divorced when she was only five months old. To support her, her mother struggled alone in Beijing, leading a very difficult life.

A few years later, her mother passed away from illness. She then went to live with her uncle's family, only to find that they had also immigrated abroad for various reasons.

"Ms. Liu, Changchang is so well-behaved and her acting is so good; it is only right that I look after her."

For an actress like Su Chang, Cheng Sheng truly did take extra care of her on set.

"Director Cheng, then we won't trouble you further. If there is an opportunity to cooperate in the future, please give them more chances."

Seeing that people had come to find Cheng Sheng, Liu Xiaoli was very sensible and did not continue to linger.

Cheng Sheng thought for a moment and said to the group of four, including Su Chang, "Read more history books."

With that, Cheng Sheng turned to greet Ning Hao and Xing Aina as they approached.

"Read history books?"

Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli were both bewildered.

Who reads history books to act in a movie? Shouldn't they be reading the script?

Su Chang fell into a brief silence, thinking it over, and suddenly, she began to understand.