A Washed-Up Star's Journey to Becoming a Director

Before he closed his eyes, he was a top-tier idol adored by millions.

When he opened them again, he had become a washed-up idol reviled by millions.

Just as Lu Ming's haters thought he would never recover,

Lu Ming took a different path and made his comeback in the entertainment industry as an up-and-coming director.

In 2029, at the 86th Venice International Film Festival awards ceremony, the Chinese newcomer director's film, “Child of the Sea,” unexpectedly won the Golden Lion for Best Film, becoming the night's biggest dark horse.

The moment this young director from China appeared at the ceremony, he caused a commotion, simply because his face was impossibly handsome.

The media ran a series of headlines, including “A Light for Chinese Cinema, the Power of a New Generation: Lu Ming” and “The Most Spectacular Reinvention, the Victory of a Rising Idol: Lu Ming Is Back.”

A few notes:

1. The male lead's name, “Lu Ming,” and his fans' name, “Aicao,” come from the Book of Odes, “Deer Crying”: “Yoo-hoo, the deer cry, eating the mugwort in the fields.” The plant in the original verse refers to mugwort. I chose this poem because of the idiom “deer crying as they eat mugwort in the fields.” I love the idea of treating others with sincerity, which is also one of the male lead's most important qualities.

2. I made him a rising idol because I think he would need to study and train to move from washed-up celebrity to director. Even in a wish-fulfillment story, I want the logic to hold together. However, given my experience so far, I'm not very good at portraying the mindset of people over thirty, and the story will only follow the male lead up to age thirty. So I decided Lu Ming should become famous early, which means he has to be a rising idol. That way, he can graduate from university, take a gap year, spend three years abroad getting a master's degree, and still be only twenty-six when he returns.

3. This story is not based on any real person. “Washed-up celebrity” and “rising idol” are just labels for the character at the beginning of the story. Please don't try to identify a real-life inspiration after reading only the blurb and opening. Thank you!

4. I tagged this as a “wish-fulfillment story” because the character's growth has some pretty wish-fulfillment elements and is far removed from reality. I can only say that my writing style is a little gentle, so it may not feel very exhilarating. Consider this an advance warning.

Theme: In the end, we are the ones who decide the direction of our lives.