At the dinner table, Liu Xiaoli was serving food to the two children, saying, "Zhiyan, don't be shy. Auntie doesn't know your preferences, so I made a lot. Eat more."
"Auntie, I like everything. My dad is also from the Northeast, and since I was little, my favorites have been 'Guo Bao Rou' (sweet and sour pork), 'Liu Rou Duan' (sautéed sliced pork), and 'Di San Xian' (sautéed potato, green pepper, and eggplant)."
Watching Han Zhiyan eat very gracefully, yet the food disappeared quickly, Liu Xiaoli, feeling her cooking skills were quite good, smiled slightly.
After Han Zhiyan devoured three bowls of rice, the little girl, who usually ate very little, also finished a full bowl. At this moment, both of them patted their stomachs on the sofa and exchanged a smile.
"Auntie's cooking is really delicious. It's been so long since I've had such good food."
"Zhiyan, if there's no one home in the future, just come to Auntie's place for dinner. Anyway, Auntie has to cook for this little gluttonous girl every day," Liu Xiaoli said with a smile to Han Zhiyan while clearing the table.
While eating, Liu Xiaoli chatted with Han Zhiyan for a long time and learned what his parents did. He had spent a long time living alone since he was little, and he was currently living by himself, which explained why Han Zhiyan seemed to possess a maturity beyond his age.
"Yeah, yeah, I feel like Mom's cooking has gotten better since you came. I ate so much today!" The little girl burped as she spoke, then covered her mouth and chuckled shyly.
After chatting for a while, the three of them agreed that he would come over for dinner again in a couple of days. With the little girl's reluctant gaze, Liu Xiaoli saw Han Zhiyan home.
After arriving home, washing up, and lying in bed, Han Zhiyan thought about his dinner conversation with the little girl and fell asleep without realizing it.
Then began the routine of going to school, freeloading meals, writing scripts, and watching movies. In between, Mia and Han Zhiyan's father also returned a few times, had several meals with Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei, and thanked them for taking care of Han Zhiyan during that time.
Han Zhiyan and Liu Yifei also became closer and closer, and it seemed they had endless things to talk about every day.
A year passed in the blink of an eye. Han Zhiyan had grown to one meter eighty, and with a year of exercise, the young man was gradually developing a mature appearance. Liu Yifei was also twelve years old, growing even more graceful and elegant.
"Brother, are you really not going to stay with me anymore?" The little girl asked, tugging at the young man's sleeve with a reluctant and pitiful tone.
She looked at Han Zhiyan eagerly, hoping he could still stay with her. In this foreign land over the past year, this brother, who was interesting to talk to, smiled gently, always made her laugh, and took care of her, had become her best friend.
"We're still in the same neighborhood, not far apart, and didn't I just move a few months ago? It's not far from your house. We can still see each other after school, you know." The young man patted the little girl's head and said with a smile.
"Okay then, I'll also study hard and catch up with you soon." The little girl had clearly grown dependent on Han Zhiyan this year.
"Hurry up, hurry up! Today Mom made sweet and sour pork ribs and barbecue..." Liu Xiaoli already had the idea of having her learn dance or acting, and she had started controlling her diet. She hadn't eaten these things for a long time.
Han Zhiyan smiled and followed the little girl's pace.
Although Han Zhiyan was reluctant to leave this adorable little girl, he had been a good student in his previous life, and going back to junior high now was genuinely boring and a waste of time.
He had Mia help him find connections to start high school early. Han Zhiyan's goal was to complete his credits in one year and go to college early, so he could have his parents help him assemble a team to make movies.
As time approached 1999, China Film Group Corporation was about to be established, Macau was about to return, and WTO accession negotiations had been ongoing for several years. The tide of the times was about to arrive.
Han Zhiyan did not want to waste too much time in junior and senior high school. He had been in this world for almost two years, and with his parents' support, he was like a dry sponge, constantly absorbing all kinds of knowledge, including directing, screenwriting, cinematography, lighting, editing, and more.
At the same time, he also learned a lot about finance. He clearly remembered that the dot-com bubble burst was approaching. This year, with Mia's help, he sold some scripts he didn't like, and with some royalties from publishing his plagiarized works, he earned several million US dollars, which also gave him a small reputation in Hollywood. He also needed to complete his initial capital accumulation; he didn't want the producer-centric system of Hollywood to restrict him.
Although the little girl's emotions were well-hidden, her sadness was still evident. After they waved goodbye, Han Zhiyan returned to his own home, packed his things, and went to bed early, ready to embrace his next high school journey.
For those vibrant and energetic young boys and girls, they do not frequently look back at their past like adults do.
They always stride forward with heads held high, fearlessly rushing into the tide of the new era. They are full of infinite aspirations and expectations for the future, with only the path and goals ahead in their eyes. Their steps are light and firm, as if they will never stop.
Time is like a gentle breeze, softly brushing by, yet inadvertently taking away our youth.
With financial power and his own efforts, he completed enough credits and graduated from high school early in less than a year. With Mia's help, he applied to New York Film Academy and USC School of Cinematic Arts.
His parents were both trying to get Han Zhiyan into their respective schools. And in this happy dilemma, Han Zhiyan received the admission email for the USC School of Cinematic Arts directing program, class of 1999.
During the waiting period before college, Han Zhiyan also assembled his own financial team, registered an offshore company in the famous Cayman Islands, and prepared to complete capital accumulation during the upcoming internet bubble... As time reached September 1999, it was time for college enrollment. With the little girl's reluctant gaze, he boarded the plane to Los Angeles. The young man and young woman had both reached their respective crossroads in life, but temporary separation was for better companionship in the future.
1999 was a year worth remembering. In this year, the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia was bombed, but the United States called it an "accidental bombing." This is something that all people cannot and must not forget.
This year, Shenzhou-1 was successfully launched and returned, marking a major breakthrough in China's aerospace technology and laying a solid foundation for future manned spaceflight.
This year, China and Portugal completed the handover ceremony, and we resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macau, establishing the Macau Special Administrative Region, marking the end of colonial rule in Asia.
At the same time, the Euro was officially issued this year, and this year, Alibaba, Dangdang, Ctrip, Shanda, and Tianya Forum were officially established... Of course, another major event happened in 1999, but because of the confidentiality agreement, those of us who participated in it back then need to keep it a secret...