Chapter 1685
Confession
Fate is unpredictable, and even the most meticulous plans can have oversights.
Zhang Yuan only considered the thoughts of the Quyi Association members, but he didn't anticipate that someone from the higher-level Federation of Literary and Art Circles would "use a borrowed knife to kill someone."
What should I do?
If this doesn't work out, at most people will curse me in their hearts and criticize those Tianjin colleagues for being unruly.
But if it works out, then it won't just be people cursing me in their hearts anymore...
He's like someone on a suicide attempt who's been caught in a power outage and is stuck, unable to go up or down.
This is no trouble...
Zhang Yuan thought about it again and again, and realized that this was a bad idea.
When you encounter trouble, you should seek out a wise person!
He took some gifts and went to the small courtyard in Pitiao Hutong.
"Mr. Yuan, I've come to see you!"
If the sky falls, the older generation will hold it up; I need to find a powerful backer quickly.
"Huh?" The old man was practicing Tai Chi in the yard, following along with the broadcast.
Even though the city was already frozen and very cold, the old man was wearing a white short-sleeved jacket, looking clean and neat.
After Zhang Yuan let the old man move in, he carried out a complete renovation of the house.
The entire house is heated by underfloor heating, which is on for half the year.
Logically speaking, the old man's health should have been quite poor by this time in his previous life.
The main reason is that he lives in the Northeast, which is too cold and bad for the health of the elderly, and the medical care there is naturally not as good as in the capital.
The three northeastern provinces were all harsh and cold places in ancient times. The ancients said that they were exiled to Ningguta and enslaved by armored soldiers.
Ningguta is located in present-day MDJ City, Heilongjiang Province.
According to some records from the Qing Dynasty, half of the prisoners exiled to Ningguta would die en route.
Even after they arrive, it's not over; 70% of the remaining half won't survive the first winter.
Although it's cold in the capital, it's still much better than in the Northeast.
Elderly people in Northeast China are most afraid of winter. It's very dangerous. Not only are they prone to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems, but they also easily encounter snow and ice when they go out. If an elderly person falls, it can be very serious, and most of the time they will never be able to get up again.
They were well cared for by him; he hired several people to look after them, and a family doctor came to check on them every week.
In the summer, the old man didn't like air conditioning, so he specially bought large blocks of ice to put in front of the electric fan to bring cool air, using an ancient method to beat the heat.
With meticulous care, one's health will certainly improve significantly. High-ranking leaders generally live long lives because they have adequate conditions and medical care in their later years.
Given Mr. Yuan's current circumstances, he is already the envy of all his peers.
When the old man saw him arrive, he didn't stop, but responded and continued practicing Tai Chi.
Zhang Yuan was waiting nearby.
He only walked over slowly after finishing a set of moves.
Seeing that he was still unwilling to retire, the old man deliberately walked slowly without using a cane.
"Why have you lost weight?" the old man said with displeasure after looking him up and down.
"It's for filming, there's no other way, that's the requirement."
"You're thin too, and Shishi is thin too. Why do all the young people these days like this kind of thing?" The old man likes people who are well-off and feels uncomfortable seeing people who are skinny.
After sitting down and chatting for a while, the other person tested his verbal skills, complaining as always that he wasn't working hard enough.
"I'm too busy; I really don't have time to think about my major."
"Maybe one day I won't be filming anymore, or I'll have less filming, and then I'll have time to think about it." He just had to get by.
"You young people only know how to make money now. I don't know what's wrong with this world. All you care about is money," the old man complained, shaking his head.
"Because you have to spend money everywhere, you can't do without money." Zhang Yuan spread his hands, "I can't help it."
If we were still living in an era of fixed salaries, I wouldn't be pursuing wealth.
As they chatted, he brought up the matter of the Chinese Quyi Association.
"I knew you'd look shifty the moment you arrived today; you couldn't be up to anything." The old man, with his legs crossed, sipped his tea and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Tell me about it."
He honestly explained the problems he encountered.
"The council meeting of the Chinese Quyi Association is held every five years, and new members will be selected." Zhang Yuan leaned closer and whispered.
"I've just completed five years, so I'll have to be re-elected."
He thought to himself, "Now I've offended Qu Xietong and his associates, they're sure to ruin my reputation."
Don't try to kill me when voting.
I want to be re-elected!
Having a position and not having a position are two different things.
Many people already disliked him for climbing to this position at such a young age, and now they finally had a reason to do so.
"If you're always playing with eagles, you have to be careful not to get pecked in the eye by one." The old man understood after hearing this.
It's not unreasonable for young people to seek wealth, power, and sex.
I also prayed when I was young.
He then made a few more comments criticizing them for being self-righteous and creating their own problems, just speaking off the cuff.
“Well then, I have an adopted son named Cui Qi.”
“I know, he’s also a member of the Chinese Quyi Artists Association. I’ve talked with Teacher Cui and even had a meal with him.”
"Yes, he is also the honorary chairman of the Beijing Quyi Association, the chairman of the Dongcheng District Quyi Association, and an advisor to the Taipei Quyi Troupe."
The old man rattled off a long list of dishes as if reciting a menu.
Then she gave him another disapproving look.
If you practice diligently, these achievements will come easily to you.
"I'll have him go and ask the higher-ups for you, to find out what's going on."
"There's another saying: 'Every sip and every bite is ordained by fate.'"
"It is also said that the arising and ceasing of conditions are beyond human comprehension."
"The law of cause and effect means that you have caused the result and are now reaping the consequences."
"But can someone who has become entangled in your karma escape unscathed?"
After listening, Zhang Yuan understood a little.
Yes, you used my proposal to achieve your goal, and thus you are also implicated in my karma.
If you get involved in cause and effect, you will suffer retribution.
Zhang Yuanxin thought to himself, "It seems like I'm the karma for many people..."
"Then I'll trouble Professor Cui Qi to help introduce me so I can have a face-to-face chat with the other party."
"That's right." That's what the old man meant when he asked his adopted son to inquire.
You're using my students as pawns, picking them up and using them, then throwing them away afterward?
impossible.
We need to have a set of rules.
As the saying goes, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; at times like this, it's the old master who has to make the decisions.
After settling down, he headed towards North America.
Upon landing, I went directly to a top-tier apartment in Manhattan, New York.
"welcome!"
The three Olsen sisters went out together to greet them.
Other guests, seeing the host's great commotion, assumed he was some important person.
I never expected him to be Chinese.
Many customers, upon seeing people with yellow skin, immediately turned their heads away and stopped paying attention.
As the movie "American Dreams in China" says, discrimination in the United States will never disappear.
Because it's a hybrid nation, discrimination is part of their DNA.
Zhang Yuan is an easygoing person, so he also followed local customs.
I discriminate against you too!
Rough skin, extremely strong body odor, and terrible at math...
He doesn't really care about most of his customers; they're mostly jerks.
"Attention everyone, I think many of you recognize this man." The older woman led him to the large living room on the two-story floor and introduced him to everyone.
"Our family's friend comes from the distant, mysterious, beautiful, and bountiful East, Zhang Yuan."
The older sister is indeed a businesswoman; she had clearly practiced beforehand. When she said his name, not only was the order of the surnames correct, but her pronunciation was also very normal.
"Thank you for the invitation from the Olsen family. I hope to have a pleasant evening with everyone." He greeted them casually, which was met with a boisterous American cheer.
He'd seen this kind of scene many times; very few of them were genuine.
"A gift for you." Elizabeth, dressed up carefully and even with her hair permed, handed him a bright red gift box.
Unlike traditional Chinese culture, when Chinese people receive gifts, they are reserved about the monetary value of the gift and do not open the account on the spot.
Getting married is like this: after the wedding ceremony, when all the guests have left, the young couple lies on the bed counting their money.
This is called secretly enjoying yourself.
White people are outgoing and prefer to open gifts on the spot, while also providing emotional value to the gift-giver.
"Wow!" Zhang Yuan forcefully opened the ribbon, lifted the lid, and rummaged through the shredded paper used for stuffing inside...
Everyone says mooncakes are over-packaged, but take a closer look at how American gift packaging works.
He opened his mouth wide and took a watch out of the box.
It seems to be from Olsen's own brand...
He thought to himself, "Your family is really stingy."
“This is a gift from my sister, and…” Teacher Xiaobai raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise: “This is a gift from me.”
She was better off and gave me a pair of diamond-studded cufflinks.
"I also have gifts for you."
Zhang Yuan took out three small boxes.
Inside were three pieces of jade, each the size of a balm balm, but greener and brighter.
The item is small, but the stone is of excellent quality, top-grade, without any flaws.
And they found a famous craftsman to do the carving.
"Here, take this." He handed a piece to his older sister.
"The figure on this is Tathagata, also known as Shakyamuni."
"The name Tathagata means that by relying on the path of true reality, through continuous effort and accumulation of good causes, one finally becomes a Buddha, hence the name Tathagata."
"Just like you, you have become one of the most well-known entertainers and entrepreneurs in the United States through your own efforts."
"Oh, the meaning is very good." The older sister took it and looked at it carefully for a few moments.
"This is for you." Zhang Yuan then gave his second sister a pendant engraved with Guan Yu's name: "Guan Yu is one of the most famous historical figures in China."
"Known for loyalty and courage."
"At the same time, he is also a god who controls wealth."
"Wishing you to earn more money is the highest blessing in Chinese culture."
The second sister was quite pleased to hear that it was the God of Wealth.
He took out the last piece and handed it to Elizabeth.
"This is Guanyin."
It is also called Avalokiteshvara.
Originally, she was called Guanyin, but during the Tang Dynasty, in order to avoid the taboo of Emperor Taizong of Tang's name, she was changed to Guanyin.
The Heavenly Khan is more ferocious than all the gods and Buddhas; people must avoid his sharp edge.
"It means compassion and liberation."
May you be free from all pain and trouble in life.
“Wow, Zhang, you’ve put a lot of effort into this.” Elizabeth stared at him intently, while holding the jade pendant to her neck.
Is it pretty?
"It makes your skin look very fair, elegant and glamorous."
"That's very well said." She took Zhang Yuan's hand and said, "Let's go over there and talk. I'll introduce you to my friend."
She is a local and has many friends, both men and women.
They come in all shapes and sizes: some are homebodies, some are strong, some are tall, some are short, some are fat, and some are thin.
"Looks like you have a lot of friends." "Aren't a few of them your ex-boyfriends?" Zhang Yuan joked.
"Of course not, I wouldn't invite my ex into my life," Teacher Xiaobai said, raising her glass as she drank.
As she spoke, she stole a glance at Zhang Yuan's expression.
The background music in the room suddenly changed to Mariah Carey's famous song "All I Want For Christmas Is You".
Playing this song at Christmas in North America is equivalent to playing Andy Lau's "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Wishing You Prosperity) during Chinese New Year in China.
They are brainwashing songs of the same level.
Mariah Carey could live off the royalties from this song for the rest of her life, earning millions of dollars every Christmas.
Every few years she would re-sing a version and release it, earning tens of millions more.
That's how it is with singers; they can retire comfortably by mastering just one song.
"Let's dance together." Elizabeth heard the song and pulled them to an empty space.
"This is my first dance of the day, you know?" she said, making a point of mentioning it.
For foreigners, the first dance is very important, much like the first toast at a Shandong dinner party is to whom you offer your toast.
The conflict between the Beckhams and their eldest son and his wife erupted when Victoria, as the mother-in-law, stole her daughter-in-law's first dance at the wedding.
The old man went up and danced the first dance himself.
Who the hell is getting married?
Qiuya is getting married, and you're here singing and dancing.
"Looks like I'm going to be seen as an enemy by a lot of people," Zhang Yuan continued jokingly.
Perhaps it's not a joke.
After the two started dancing easily, Zhang Yuan noticed that many people around them were casting enthusiastic glances at them.
She comes from a wealthy family, is famous, beautiful, and young.
Elizabeth is the object of many people's desire.
Seeing that her target was dancing with a foreigner for the first time, she felt both frustrated and resentful.
As soon as the music ended, Zhang Yuan became cautious.
“Don’t be nervous, Zhang, just enjoy it,” Elizabeth reminded him.
Zhang Yuan nodded slightly, but did not relax.
He quickly dodged a large white man's stumble and the wine glass that had been knocked over in his hand.
"Watch out, buddy." Zhang Yuan raised his hand and patted the man on the shoulder.
In this country where school bullying is rampant, I naturally have to be careful.
Hollywood movies have demonstrated this countless times.
For example, in the first Spider-Man movie, Tobey Maguire played Parker, a nerd who was bullied by the school bully.
Even though Americans are making this kind of content all the time, countless Chinese parents still send their children to high schools, or even middle schools, in North America.
They even thought that others were civilized and reassuring, and even went so far as to say that they had less academic pressure.
He became very reserved and stopped showing himself, only chatting about work with Olsen's two older sisters.
Confirm the publicity strategy and direction.
“You guys are so boring.” Elizabeth, holding a glass of wine, leaned against the door and looked at them. “Hey, we’re having a party, so let’s not talk about work.”
The two older sisters looked at their younger sister with a mixture of disdain and doting gaze.
Yes, you're right.
“Perfect timing, I have something I’d like to talk to you about alone.” Zhang Yuan took the initiative to step forward and led her to a quiet place.
The two went upstairs to their room.
As soon as I entered, a man carrying a beer barged in.
"What are you all doing hiding in there? I'd like to join you."
"Get out." Zhang Yuan gave the other person a cold and impolite look.
It's obvious at a glance that he's one of Xiaobai's suitors, deliberately causing trouble.
"Are all Chinese people so rude?"
"Robin, please leave," Elizabeth said sternly, arms crossed.
The other party then waved his hand, went out, and slammed the door shut.
In North America, if a man and a woman enter a house alone at a party, it's considered a sign that they're about to have sex.
“I said this when we parted last time.” Zhang Yuan took her hand and led her to the floor-to-ceiling glass.
Looking out, you can see a large part of Manhattan.
The night shone on the two of them, on their bodies and faces.
"We need to think carefully about emotional matters. Even in this era of convenient transportation, distance remains a difficult barrier to overcome."
"Is it you, or are all Chinese people like this? Always thinking so far ahead, can't you just enjoy the present?" Xiaobai pouted and complained.
“My problem.” He gently put his arm around the other person’s lower back.
Their eyes met, and the other person's eyelashes fluttered slightly as they naturally turned their head away.
The kiss was gentle and lingering.
After a long while, Zhang Yuan finally separated his lips, which were still somewhat stuck together.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
Elizabeth's face broke into an uncontrollable smile, the kind where the corners of her mouth were stretched wide.
But when she looked at Zhang Yuan, she found that his gaze was calm and composed, without the intense emotional fluctuations she had experienced.
“You’re different from when we first met,” she said after a pause.
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "You're not mistaken, I was faking it back then."
How are you feeling?
“You are actually better now, more authentic, and have a lot of successful and mature charm.” She shook her head slightly.
"Therefore, I need to make a mature decision."
Zhang Yuan replied in a calm voice.
"We cannot overcome the huge differences in nationality, lifestyle, and place of residence."
"And you just said that you wouldn't let your ex-boyfriend get involved in your life."
“I can imagine that if we were really together, we could probably stick it out for a while, a few months or a few years.”
"But eventually we all become so tired that we want to end it all."
"And when that moment comes, we will no longer have the chance to meet, eat, and chat together."
"I'll become one of those ex-boyfriends you'll never invite to your future parties."
Zhang Yuan appeared to be deep in thought.
"I don't want things to turn out that way between us."
"So you're going to give up the present for the future?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.
"Have you seen 'Speed'?" Zhang Yuan suddenly changed the subject.
The other person nodded in confusion.
This film is a classic by Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, featuring a bus loaded with bombs that will explode if the bus travels below 80 kilometers per hour.
It's a classic, and it still captivates audiences even today.
When this movie was filmed, Keanu Reeves wasn't very famous yet; he was considered a second-rate Hollywood actor.
Sandra Bullock is almost a complete newcomer.
The director first chose Keanu Reeves, and then selected the female lead.
The reason Sandra Bullock was chosen as a newcomer was because during her audition, the way she looked at Keanu Reeves and the conversation between them had a somewhat innocent and ambiguous feel to it.
The director liked this feeling.
But he didn't know that the feeling was real!
Sandra Bullock liked Keanu Reeves from the first moment she met him.
Few women would dislike Keanu Reeves if they saw a photo of him in his early twenties.
This is all normal.
What neither the director nor the female lead knew was that Keanu Reeves also had feelings for Sandra Bullock.
But the two of them kept quiet throughout the entire filming process, and neither of them said a word!
Later, in interviews, the two admitted to the affair at different times, revealing that they had strong feelings for each other while filming.
It was never mentioned, simply because of the professionalism of the job.
Keanu is a bit like Daniel Wu, handsome and innocent.
The two leads were so sweet back then.
Sandra said she had never eaten truffle chocolates before, and that she was just saying it casually.
Keanu rode his motorcycle to buy it, and within two hours he personally delivered it to her door so they could eat together.
Even after all this, the two of them still didn't express anything.
Years later, when both parties learned about this and understood each other's feelings, they felt regretful but also fortunate.
"Because they knew that if they had stayed together back then, given their personalities, they would have eventually broken up."
"And after we separate, we'll be like strangers, and it would be very awkward if we met on the red carpet."
"Rather than the passion of a few months of youthful innocence, they would choose a friendship that lasts for more than ten years, or even decades to come."
Zhang Yuan recounted the story in detail.
Keanu and Sandra are super close, they're practically best buddies.
He used these two examples to express his point.
"I don't want to become strangers with you."
I want to be your friend, your friend forever.
"Instead of being a fleeting passerby."
Elizabeth listened to these words and felt that these were words meant for confessing one's feelings...
"This is my choice."
"I like you, even a little bit..." Zhang Yuan didn't say the word "love".
He was a bit confused about what love was and didn't fully understand it.
"But I think friends are our best refuge."
"Just like the Guanyin statue I gave you, I will become a good friend who can often accompany you, chat with you, and solve your troubles and worries."
Especially now that we have business dealings with them, we absolutely cannot go any further.
This was Zhang Yuan's rational choice.
If they really stick together completely, it will be very beneficial to the business in the short term, but once they break up, the backlash will be even more severe.
I don't need to rely on women to get ahead, so I might as well be honest about my attitude.
"I understand and can accept it." After hearing his words, the other person pursed his lips and tilted his head.
"So that was the last kiss, right?"
"From now on, we can only kiss as friends." Zhang Yuan hugged her and pressed his cheek against hers.
After they parted, the other person looked at him for a while, then asked with a smile.
Who is the lucky girl who will spend Christmas with you?
Based on her woman's intuition, she felt that Zhang Yuan must have a partner.
“Someone.” Zhang Yuan didn’t answer in detail, but hugged her again.
Merry Christmas again.
"I hope we can meet again next year."
"of course."
The other person replied politely and generously, "I hope you can find your own happiness."
"You too, I'm leaving now."
He then stopped keeping it in his way.
He left the room, greeted his eldest and second eldest sisters, and then departed.
Elizabeth looked lost and forlorn as she stood at the door of the room.
But soon, she took a deep breath, rallied her spirits, went outside, and resumed playing music and dancing. (End of Chapter)