Chapter 83 deserves negative marks! It absolutely deserves negative marks!
Chapter 83
Yu Pan was really busy during his senior year of college. The two mountains of graduation thesis and postgraduate entrance examination preparation weighed on him, leaving him with no spare time left.
It wasn't that no one approached him about licensing his articles during that time, but ever since that unpleasant experience at the film academy, Yu Pan had become extremely wary in this regard, somewhat like someone who had been bitten by a snake once.
In addition, he was genuinely too busy and felt things weren't going smoothly, so he politely declined all invitations that weren't quite right for him. He figured it was better to avoid trouble and didn't want to get into any more problems.
Fortunately, Yu Pan is always organized and knows which task to focus on at each stage. She followed the plan step by step until she successfully submitted the final draft of her graduation thesis and received her graduate school admission notice. Only then did she have the mind to think about things other than studying.
For Yu Pan, staying at her alma mater for graduate studies meant that her living environment didn't change much, and everything was familiar and routine.
If I had to point out a difference, it would be that graduate students' lives are indeed more focused and require more self-management. The course schedule is not as full, and you have to plan a lot of time yourself. Whether you bury yourself in books or think about creative work is entirely up to you.
Meanwhile, Shen Yanzhou's company entered a period of stable development and grew larger and larger. He no longer needed to travel for work every few days and do everything himself, so he naturally had more time to stay at home.
Their lives were filled with both mundane details and warmth.
On a weekend afternoon, the warm sunlight streamed through the windows into the living room, and the two of them sat cross-legged on the plush rug in front of the sofa, basking in the sun and chatting idly.
Sometimes when Yu Pan was reading, he felt that his nails were getting a bit long. Just as he took out his nail clippers, Shen Yanzhou would naturally sit down next to him and extend his hand.
"Don't move, I'll cut it for you." He held Yu Pan's fingers, his head down, his expression focused.
Or, if Yu Pan saw people eating on TV and casually remarked that the food looked delicious, then that dish would definitely appear on the table within a couple of days. Shen Yanzhou was always like that, silently taking every word he said to heart.
The days flowed by quietly. In his second year of graduate school, Yu Pan decided on his thesis topic, which was "how to transform literary narrative and film narrative," a topic that had been of interest to him for the past few years.
His life is now very routine. Apart from spending time with Shen Yanzhou at home, he spends his time either in class or in the library at school, flipping through those thick theoretical books.
His mentor's surname was Fu, and he was an old acquaintance—the same teacher who had worked with him on revising the play script during his freshman year's Youth Day. Yu Pan felt particularly at ease knowing he could continue learning from Professor Fu.
After class that day, Yu Pan took a newly written short story to Professor Fu's office. The story was short and was a rather bold attempt by him, using a somewhat disjointed and unconventional narrative style.
Professor Fu put on his reading glasses, read the manuscript quietly, pondered for a moment, and then looked up at him from the paper: "Xiao Yu, what are your plans for the future? Will you just focus on your studies, or...?"
Yu Pan didn't hesitate much and spoke frankly: "Teacher, I don't think academic research and creative writing are in conflict. I study so that I can better write the stories I want to write," he paused, "and not just write them on paper."
Ultimately, Li Cheng's incident still left a thorn in Yu Pan's heart. The thought of his child, whom he had worked so hard to give birth to, possibly being dressed up haphazardly by someone in the future, or even altered beyond recognition to attract attention, made him feel suffocated.
His idea was quite straightforward: he wanted the story to be presented to the audience as faithfully as possible. To avoid repeating past mistakes, the most fundamental solution was to firmly grasp the initiative in his own hands.
Starting with revising the script, if possible, he even wanted to film it himself and tell his own story through the lens.
After listening, Professor Fu didn't think he was neglecting his duties at all. Instead, he slowly picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and took a small sip. "When it comes to creative work, the worst thing is to shut yourself in and struggle with yourself."
Professor Fu put down his teacup and said earnestly, "There needs to be communication and interaction. Sometimes, you need someone knowledgeable to point you in the right direction so you can avoid some detours."
He looked at Yu Pan and continued, "Here's what we'll do: I'll take you to meet someone tomorrow night. He teaches at a drama academy, and his eye for stories... well, it's quite unique. As for his temperament, it might be a bit eccentric, but he's really capable."
Yu Pan felt a little uneasy, but she still nodded in agreement.
When she got home that evening, after dinner, Yu Pan helped clean up the dishes and told Shen Yanzhou about it.
Shen Yanzhou, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, was washing dishes in front of the sink when he heard this. He turned to look at him and asked, "What's wrong? Are you worried that the teacher has a bad temper and you won't get along?"
Yu Pan pouted, took the bowl that Shen Yanzhou had rinsed and handed over, wiped it with a dry cloth, and did not deny it: "Anyway, when the time comes, he can say whatever he wants, I will listen, and if I think it makes sense, I will write it down, and if I think it is inappropriate... I will just let it go in one ear and out the other."
Shen Yanzhou was amused by his words, shook the water droplets off her hands, turned around and pinched his cheek: "Hmm, our Panpan has her own opinions now. Go ahead, it won't hurt to listen more, just consider it broadening your horizons."
"Mmm." Yu Pan responded, put down the bowl, leaned into Shen Yanzhou's arms, rested her forehead on his shoulder, and smelled the reassuring scent emanating from him as always.
Shen Yanzhou hugged him and patted him on the back. "What are you afraid of? You write so well. Besides, I'm here for you."
Yu Pan snuggled against him, and her slight unease was quickly dispelled by the sense of security that Shen Yanzhou gave her.
He knew perfectly well that writing is, at its core, a very personal matter. A thousand people will have a thousand different interpretations of Hamlet, and no one can guarantee that their work and ideas will be accepted by everyone.
But since Professor Fu has given me this opportunity, it's always a good idea to listen and see.
-
The following evening, Yu Pan arrived at the restaurant where she had arranged to meet Professor Fu half an hour early. The restaurant was near the drama academy. Since she had agreed to pick up Shen Yanzhou after their meeting, Yu Pan didn't drive and took a taxi instead.
After giving Professor Fu's name, Yu Pan followed the waiter into the reserved private room. While waiting, she looked at the beautifully presented menu on the table and silently rated the dishes in her mind.
The shredded pork with sweet bean sauce looked rich and flavorful, which was good; I'd give it a 90. The roast duck is their signature dish, so I'd give it a 95. Turning to the soup section, I saw the red date and white fungus soup…
Yu Pan recalled that the last time Tan Bai came to Beijing to visit him, they ate at this restaurant and ordered a red date and white fungus soup. As soon as he tasted it, it had a flavor that the ingredients had been stored for a long time, and even someone as easygoing as him found it hard to swallow.
Negative marks! Negative marks are a must! He mentally drew a big X.
As he was engrossed in his food review, time flew by. Before long, footsteps and voices approached from outside the private room. Yu Pan immediately composed himself, stood up from his seat, and straightened his clothes.
The door was pushed open by the waiter, and the first person to enter was his mentor, Professor Fu. Yu Pan bowed slightly, "Professor Fu."
"Hmm, have you been waiting for a while?" Professor Fu nodded with a smile, stepped aside to make way for the person behind him, and said, "Old Ji, come in."
The person who followed Professor Fu in was wearing a dark Zhongshan suit and had a slender figure. Yu Pan's gaze fell on the person's face, and she first felt a vague sense of familiarity.
Ji…surname Ji…A much younger face overlapped with her memory. Yu Pan was startled, hesitated for a while, and then asked uncertainly, “…Teacher Ji?”
Ji Yun was also taken aback upon hearing this, and then carefully examined the young man in front of him. "Panpan?"
"Teacher Ji! It really is you!" Upon confirming his identity, Yu Pan's face lit up with a smile. He took a few steps forward and hugged him tightly, just like he did when he was a child.
Ji Yun was jolted back half a step by his sudden hug, then chuckled and patted his back lightly.
A moment later, the two separated. Ji Yun looked up at Yu Pan, who was more than half a head taller than her, and said with emotion, "Panpan has grown up so much. She's an adult now."
"Yes!" Yu Pan nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling, unable to resist sharing the most significant change in his life, "Teacher Ji, I can talk now!"
Professor Fu, who was standing to the side, looked at this scene and laughed in surprise: "Good heavens, so you two knew each other all along?"
Ji Yun smiled and explained, "When I was sent to the countryside, I lived next door to his house and watched this child grow up."
"What a coincidence!" Professor Fu clapped his hands and laughed. "Look, you were making excuses when I called you, and you almost missed it, weren't you?"
"Yes, yes, it's my fault, it's my fault." Ji Yun apologized with a smile and sat down at the dining table.
Yu Pan naturally sat down in the seat next to Ji Yun, her excitement still lingering.
"If you think about it carefully, it must have been ten years since we last met, right?" Ji Yun asked.
Yu Pan shook her head and corrected her seriously, "It's been almost eleven years."
Seeing that he remembered so clearly, Ji Yun couldn't help but laugh as she recalled the scene from back then, saying, "Yes, look at my memory. Panpan remembers it much better. Teacher is getting senile."
“Professor Ji, you’re not old at all,” Yu Pan said. Then, feeling that she couldn’t neglect her mentor, she quickly turned to add, “Professor Fu, you’re not old either.”
Professor Fu was amused by his awkward attempt to make amends, and deliberately put on a stern face: "What you said sounds even more wrong, you might as well not say it at all."
Looking at Yu Pan beside her, Ji Yun's myriad thoughts ultimately boiled down to one question: "How have you two been all these years? Is everything alright?"
Yu Pan briefly summarized her experiences over the years: "The year after you left, my brother and I also left Xishan Village. Later, I developed some health problems, so my brother took me to Lanzhou, where he worked and treated my illness at the same time. After I recovered, I went back to school, took the college entrance examination, and was admitted to Peking University."
"What about Xiao Zhou?" Ji Yun asked. He wondered what had become of the quiet but very opinionated boy he remembered. "Is he in Lanzhou now?"
“No, he mainly works here now.” Yu Pan’s voice became lighter and her eyes crinkled when she mentioned Shen Yanzhou. “He will come to pick me up after work. He will be very happy if he knows you are here too!”
Looking at the natural expression on Yu Pan's face when he talked about Shen Yanzhou, Ji Yun patted his hand with satisfaction and sighed, "As long as you're doing well, that's all that matters. Being doing well is better than anything else."
As they were talking, the waiters began to serve the dishes one after another.
Professor Fu, as the host, warmly invited everyone to start eating.
Yu Pan held her bowl, trying her best to control the speed at which she picked up food, and to eat slowly and elegantly.
If there's one habit he hasn't been able to completely break despite being carefully raised by Shen Yanzhou all these years, it's probably his eating speed.
He picked up a piece of roast duck, carefully dipped it in sauce, added shredded scallions and cucumber strips, rolled it into a thin pancake, took a bite, and the crispy duck skin and tender duck meat filled his mouth, making him squint his eyes in satisfaction.
Seeing his familiar little expression, Ji Yun smiled, tried it herself, and then inquired about Yu Pan's research project.
Yu Pan put down his chopsticks and answered seriously, saying that he felt the logic of storytelling at the grassroots level should be the same for the texts he liked and the images that interested him, and he wanted to figure it out.
"Oh? So what do you think is the biggest difference between the two?" Ji Yun put down his chopsticks with interest.
Yu Pan thought about it carefully and organized her thoughts: "Words can describe in detail what you are thinking, like a slowly flowing river. But films rely more on seeing and hearing. You have to show those rivers through the characters' facial expressions, body language, or a special lighting and shadow. It's a bit difficult, but that's precisely why it's so interesting."
"You've hit the nail on the head." Ji Yun nodded approvingly. "Being able to realize this and understand the importance of demonstrating rather than lecturing already puts you ahead of many beginners."
At this point, Ji Yun paused, as if remembering something, "Speaking of which, when you were little and hadn't yet mastered sign language, you liked to draw on the ground with a twig, drawing the sun, flowers, and animals. Your Aunt Chen even joked back then that maybe she could train you to be a little artist someday."
Yu Pan was a little embarrassed by his words, "Did I say that? I... I don't quite remember..."
…
As the dinner was drawing to a close, Yu Pan's phone, which was on the table, rang. It was Shen Yanzhou calling, saying that he had arrived near the restaurant.
Yu Pan's eyes lit up, and she looked up at Ji Yun and said, "Teacher Ji, my brother has arrived."
Ji Yun smiled and nodded: "Okay, it's a good opportunity to meet."
Not long after, the door to the private room was pushed open by the waiter, and Shen Yanzhou stepped in.
"Professor Fu." He nodded to Professor Fu first, then his gaze fell on another person. Like Yu Pan, he hesitated for a moment, with a hint of uncertainty, "Professor Ji?"
Looking at the tall and upright man in front of him, Ji Yun could hardly connect him with the unusually silent young man in her memory after losing his parents.
He stood up, somewhat agitated, took two steps forward, and patted Shen Yanzhou's strong arm forcefully, saying repeatedly, "Xiao Zhou... good, good, good! You've grown into a tall and strong man, that's wonderful!"
The group sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, mainly as Shen Yanzhou and Ji Yun learned about each other's recent situations over the years.
Seeing that it was getting late and everyone had their own things to do tomorrow, Professor Fu smiled and suggested that we call it a day, as there would be plenty of time in the future.
As the group walked out of the restaurant, the late autumn breeze carried a distinct chill. Yu Pan, wearing only a sweater, subconsciously shrank her neck.
Shen Yanzhou immediately noticed this. After saying goodbye to the two teachers again, he put his arm around Yu Pan's shoulder and urged him to walk a few steps to the car. He opened the passenger door and let him sit down. Then he took out a jacket that he always kept in the back seat and helped him put it on.
"I told you to wear more clothes this morning, but you didn't listen. Wearing so little, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?" Shen Yanzhou said in a low voice as he helped him put on his clothes.
Yu Pan let him do as he pleased, muttering in protest, "The sun was quite strong when we came out, I didn't feel this cold."
After putting on her clothes, Chen Yanzhou casually buttoned one of them up, and with the car's heating gradually filling the room, Yu Pan quickly felt warm.
He leaned back in his chair and watched as Shen Yanzhou walked around to the driver's seat and sat down. Then he began to tell Shen Yanzhou about meeting Teacher Ji that evening with great interest. "At first, I didn't even recognize him. Teacher Ji's appearance hasn't changed much, except that his hair has turned a bit whiter, but he looks very energetic."
Shen Yanzhou started the car. He could feel that Yu Pan was really happy. Following his words, he replied, "Yeah, I think so too. She's full of energy, just like before."
"Teacher Fu said he was going to introduce me to someone, but I never expected it to be Teacher Ji!"
Yu Pan was still immersed in the excitement of the reunion, and she spoke whatever came to mind. "He still remembers that I liked to draw on the ground when I was a child. Brother, isn't that a coincidence? It feels like a dream."
“Yes, it’s quite a coincidence.” Shen Yanzhou drove steadily. “It means you two are destined to be together.”
Yu Pan gradually calmed down, turned her head to look at the neon lights outside the window, and after a while, she whispered, "Brother, I'm especially happy today."
It wasn't just because he saw his teacher whom he hadn't seen for a long time, but also because he felt that his life trajectory had been miraculously connected at this moment because of Teacher Ji's appearance.
The roots of the past and the path one wants to take in the future are intertwined.
"Yes, I can tell." While waiting at a red light, Shen Yanzhou reached out and squeezed Yu Pan's hand, which was resting on her lap. "As long as you're happy."
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Author's Note: Panpan [Three-Cat Head]: Charge towards your dreams!
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