Goodbye means goodbye. Since the moment Zhang Yimou and Gong Li separated, they were no longer the same couple. Zhang Yimou really sacrificed a lot for Gong Li, and was almost blacklisted. In those days, the two of them were considered to be having an affair. After the media reported it, Gong Li almost couldn't stay in China anymore.
Zhang Yimou, with a determined heart, went to Hong Kong. By then, he had already won international awards and was living quite comfortably there, even directing a film, *A Terracotta Warrior's Tale*. Those were probably the happiest times for the two of them; free from domestic moral constraints, they had money and time. Later, they went their separate ways, largely due to Zhang Weiping, but their relationship had also soured somewhat.
(The specific reason might be that Zhang Yimou is a bit tired of Gong Li. After all, someone of his status has no shortage of women, and Gong Li isn't exactly a demure young lady; she has quite a temper. Zhang Yimou isn't exactly mild-mannered either. It's very likely that their personalities clash. Of course, there are also many women throwing themselves at him. Chen Ting was able to rise to prominence because she was young and beautiful. As men get older, they tend to prefer younger women. This isn't a joke.)
But that's the best way; we can still be friends even after we've parted ways.
It's understandable that they're not friends. Gong Li is in the industry, and Zhang Yimou's current reputation means he'll still need her in the future. Although Gong Li hates Zhang Yimou, in this circle, as long as you're of similar status, you can remain friends after parting ways. There's no such thing as becoming enemies after separation. Everyone gives each other face and avoids gossip, since they're public figures. Speaking ill of an ex could potentially ruin their career and cause them to suffer public criticism. That would turn them into enemies, so it's better to avoid trouble. That's why many celebrity couples in the group get divorced. It's impossible not to hate each other. No one knows the real reasons behind it, but you can't talk about it, and you can't speak ill of your ex, otherwise, it would become a deadly feud.
So, while you might not see people remain friends after breaking up in other places, you see them everywhere in the entertainment industry.
"Old Chen, what's wrong? Why do you look so long-faced? There are so many leaders here today. What happened to you? Director Zhang is here too." Chen Hong tugged at Chen Kai's shoulder and whispered in his ear.
The reason Chen Kaige looks so sad is simple: he and Zhang Yimou were classmates. Chen Kaige comes from a family of actors with Beijing residency, and his father had already arranged a job for him before he even graduated. Zhang Yimou graduated from the cinematography department. That's right, Zhang Yimou didn't actually graduate from the directing department; he and Gu Changwei were both cinematography majors, while Chen Kaige graduated from the directing department.
When Zhang Yimou first graduated, he worked as a photographer for Chen Kaige.
Chen Kaige has always looked down on Zhang Yimou and this Northwest farmer. Just kidding, Director Chen, a member of a family of directors, and his first wife, Hong Huang, was a noblewoman from a prestigious family. That's no joke. Three generations of her family were nobles. Her great-grandfather was a warlord, and her stepfather, Qiao XX, was a very powerful figure. Her mother was also a translator who worked for a great leader. Chen Kaige married her because of this background.
In reality, he was living off her. At the time, Gong Li earned $8,000 a month at a foreign company, while Director Chen earned less than 100 RMB a month. Director Chen's overseas studies were all funded by her; he was really enjoying his life as a kept man.
To get back to the point, firstly, Director Chen looked down on Zhang Yimou, and secondly, the two were classmates. He always wanted to be better than Zhang Yimou. When Zhang Yimou won the Palme d'Or, Director Chen asked his father to help him create "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," which also won the Palme d'Or.
However, the award he received was highly questionable. His father arranged everything from investment and direction to screenwriting, production management, and props staff. His father was also involved during filming. Therefore, there has always been some doubt about whether the film was actually directed by Director Chen or whether it was directed by his father and had his name on it.
It's hard to say, after all, they are father and son.
I finally caught up with him, and he became famous. You son of a bitch, you won an Oscar in no time, and your movies are both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Only I, Chen, deserve these honors. What right do you, an old farmer, have?!
Tian Zhuangzhuang, standing to the side, smiled slightly. He knew what Director Chen was thinking. It was all about who among the classmates was competing with whom, who was good, and who was bad. This old class monitor knew it all perfectly well.
This guy is also ambitious, but he's even more impressive than Director Chen. His family is basically all in the entertainment industry, not ordinary people. His parents are both leaders, and Li Xuejian is his cousin-in-law. In his eyes, the only director in China he respects is Zhang Yimou. But while he's incredibly talented, because he's too talented, he made "The Blue Kite" and got a ten-year ban, five years longer than Jiang Wen.
Actually, Zhang Yimou almost got banned too, because the film he made was a bit too... well, you know. Some higher-ups were unhappy, since many scenes were indeed a bit too much. Although that's true, it was during a special period, but Zhang Yimou was lucky and nothing serious happened. That's why he went to Hong Kong at the time.
At this moment, Zhang Yimou, his face flushed from drinking, walked over to his old classmates' table at the Beijing Film Academy and first looked at Wang Hui.
"Principal Wang, it's an honor to have you here. Let's have a drink."
Wang Hui smiled and said, "Director Zhang, you're the pride of our Beijing Film Academy! When do you have time? Come give a public lecture at our academy and talk to the younger students about your experiences. These young people nowadays are all so hot-blooded and arrogant, they don't know their place. They're even less reliable than you guys were back then. They all think that once they graduate, investors will be waving their wallets around, practically begging them to invest in their films. They're all incredibly arrogant. You should come over and talk to them, give them a lesson. These kids only have ideals, they don't understand anything..."
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