Chapter 47: "Closed-Door Training"

“Goodbye, Sister Mi!” At noon, Li Mi dropped Zhou Ran off at the residential complex that Chef Huang had arranged. After bidding Li Mi farewell, Zhou Ran glanced at the complex before him. If all went according to plan, he would be spending the next month or so here, accompanied by Chef Huang and Zhang Xiaofeng.

Their task was to rigorously train Zhou Ran’s acting skills, ensuring that when filming began, he would fully meet the demands of the production. To help him reach this goal as quickly as possible, both Chef Huang and Zhang Xiaofeng were committed to doing everything in their power to get him up to standard. After all, the sooner he was ready, the more time there would be for filming.

There was another advantage to this closed training: no information would leak before shooting started. No one would ever suspect that a top-tier, wildly popular young star would seclude himself in a residential complex for over a month just to prepare for a film.

For Zhou Ran, every day represented a substantial sum of money. Some had estimated that, given his current status, even a single endorsement commercial would bring in a seven-figure fee at the very least.

Only after Zhou Ran had disappeared from view did Li Mi drive away, already buried in a mountain of tasks to tackle. For instance, she had to negotiate the details of Zhou Ran’s contract—most of it was settled, but a few minor points still needed to be ironed out.

Moreover, while Zhou Ran trained in seclusion, Li Mi needed to build his studio from the ground up. At the moment, the so-called “Zhou Ran Studio” consisted of just Zhou Ran and Li Mi—one boss, one employee. Clearly, two people would never suffice; expecting Li Mi to handle everything for Zhou Ran was a fantasy. The most basic positions had to be filled, and Li Mi intended to personally interview every new hire.

After all, if the boss was working so hard, the sole employee couldn’t afford to drag him down.

“Knock, knock! Anyone home?” Zhou Ran had climbed five or six flights of stairs to reach the apartment Chef Huang had mentioned—only to discover, to his dismay, that the building’s elevator was out of order. By the time he reached the door, he was out of breath and a bit exhausted.

Inside, two people were already waiting on the sofa: Chef Huang and Zhang Xiaofeng. Zhang Xiaofeng had arrived more than an hour earlier than Zhou Ran.

“Is Zhou Ran really that tough, Teacher Huang?” As Zhang Xiaofeng chatted with Chef Huang, she listened to the story of Zhou Ran’s audition the day before. Just hearing it made her wince.

“Knock, knock!”

As Zhang Xiaofeng and Chef Huang were chatting, they suddenly heard a knock at the door. At first, Zhang Xiaofeng wondered who it could be—after all, only a handful of people knew about this apartment. Right, only a handful of people. Suddenly, it dawned on her who it must be. She quickly straightened her clothes, and after making sure she looked presentable, she walked over to open the door.

“Coming! Just a moment!” she called out.

As she did, Chef Huang watched her little gestures from his seat on the sofa, his face breaking into a knowing, almost maternal smile.

Zhang Xiaofeng thought she was being discreet, but Chef Huang had already seen through her intentions back when they filmed “Hello, Life!” together. He was much older than both Zhou Ran and Zhang Xiaofeng, and with his years of experience, he could tell at a glance that Zhang Xiaofeng harbored a fondness for Zhou Ran. Her little actions before opening the door only confirmed his suspicions—truly, age brings wisdom.

Zhou Ran didn’t have to wait long at the door before it opened. Sure enough, it was Zhang Xiaofeng who greeted him.

“Hello, Sister Xiaofeng!” Zhou Ran called out cheerfully. Since filming “Hello, Life!” they had exchanged contact information and occasionally chatted, exchanging pleasantries now and then.

What Zhou Ran remembered most vividly was how Zhang Xiaofeng often shared food photos on social media, especially late at night. He had a clear memory of this, because whenever he felt hungry at night, he would inevitably come across her food posts.

Chef Huang had been waiting on the sofa for ages for the two of them, but when he went to check, he found them already chatting away at the door.

“Ahem! Ahem!” Chef Huang cleared his throat twice, finally pulling the two young people out of their conversation.

“Come on, let me show you where you’ll be staying,” he said, leading Zhou Ran to his room and giving him a brief tour of the apartment’s amenities.

The place had been carefully chosen by Chef Huang—it belonged to a friend of his, with excellent privacy and plenty of space for training. As for the risk of nosy neighbors or secret filming, there was no need to worry; the entire building had been purchased by Chef Huang’s friend. Yes, when you have money, you can afford such extravagance—buying an entire building just like that.

Once Zhou Ran’s belongings were settled, the three of them gathered in the living room, each finding a spot to sit.

Once they were all seated, Chef Huang formally announced Zhou Ran’s training plan. Zhou Ran was to rise at eight every morning. From Monday to Friday, Chef Huang and Zhang Xiaofeng would take turns teaching him acting techniques and discussing the film’s storyline. Even on weekends, Zhou Ran wouldn’t have a break; Chef Huang had already made arrangements for him to practice the drums intensively on Saturdays and Sundays.

Chef Huang had specifically asked Zhou Ran about his drumming skills the previous day. Zhou Ran admitted he knew nothing about drums. He was a bit helpless—he could play piano, guitar, violin, and had even dabbled in the erhu, but when it came to the drums, he was completely at a loss.