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Author's Note:
Jiang Lai: I used to drink alcohol with my wife when we slept together, but I won't have to anymore!
Chapter 6
Over the next two days, Lin Zhi threw herself back into work, dealing with different bigwigs from all walks of life every day. She was exhausted and put her absurd affair with Jiang Lai out of her mind.
That evening, Qi Chuan had an interview scheduled, and Lin Zhi, worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it, arrived at the recording studio early.
The host was a woman named Yang Shuo, who was known for her sharp tongue. Celebrities who appeared on her show generally went down two extreme paths: one was to become a huge star, and the other was to be vilified.
Qi Chuan was mentored by Lin Zhi, and apart from being a bit too straightforward, he doesn't have any major scandals. However, it cannot be ruled out that Yang Shuo deliberately fabricated some negative stories about him.
Lin Zhi pushed open the door and walked in into the dressing room. Yang Shuo was already there, getting his makeup done and looking at the script.
Yang Shuo saw Lin Zhi in the mirror and quickly signaled the makeup artist to stop: "Lin Zhi, what brings you here?"
Lin Zhi thought she was being hypocritical, but still smiled politely: "Waiting for Qi Chuan."
Yang Shuo: "Oh! Right, Qi Chuan works for your company, right?"
Lin Zhi nodded: "That's right."
The two remained silent for a while, and even the makeup artist could tell that they were not familiar with each other.
Lin Zhi took out her phone and found Kevin in the list.
Lin Zhi: [Who is Jiang Lai's agent? Has she been chosen?]
After a while, my phone vibrated.
Kevin: [Okay, I've chosen, Shangyi.]
Lin Zhi thought for a moment and replied: [Shang Yi has too many artists under her management and can't handle them all. Let Sister Nan take care of her.]
There was no reply from the other end yet; she wondered what they were busy with. She glanced at the time on her phone; Qi Chuan was late.
Five minutes later, Qi Chuan and his assistant entered the dressing room. Neither of them expected Lin Zhi to be there either. One of them looked overjoyed, while the other looked distressed.
Qi Chuan moved closer to Lin Zhi: "Sister, what brings you here?"
Lin Zhi snorted and criticized, "You're already ten minutes late."
The assistant stepped forward to explain, "Sister, Qi Chuan had an upset stomach this afternoon, so I went to buy him medicine, which took a little longer."
Lin Zhi's anger subsided slightly: "Don't let this happen again. Don't keep everyone waiting. Go and put on your makeup."
Qi Chuan smiled and nodded, then obediently sat down in the chair and waited for the makeup artist to apply his makeup.
The show isn't live, but the audience is real, which is one reason why it's so popular. Fans who want to see their idols in real life definitely won't miss it.
Before going on stage, Lin Zhi specifically instructed Qi Chuan on what he could and couldn't say. Qi Chuan said he remembered and performed very well after the recording started. He spoke very politely to the host and was also able to take a joke.
As the program was nearing its end, Lin Zhi finally relaxed. Just as she was about to sit down, she heard the host ask, "We understand that Qi Chuan is not from a professional acting background, but he has achieved great success in his acting career. I find that very rare. How did he do it? Do you have any secrets to share with everyone?"
The assistant gasped, muttering, "Oh no, this is too cruel. They're practically trying to get Qi Chuan to admit he was sexually harassed?"
Lin Zhi crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on the stage: "What are you afraid of? Don't you know whether Qi Chuan has been sexually harassed or not?"
Assistant: "He didn't, but if he said something that would cause netizens and fans to misunderstand and think it was a 'hidden rule,' then that would be the end of it."
Lin Zhi: "The company also has a public relations department."
Seeing that the boss remained calm and composed, the assistant felt relieved.
Qi Chuan kept glancing at Lin Zhi; this question wasn't in the script, and he was clearly caught off guard.
Lin Zhi patted her chest, meaning she was telling the truth.
Qi Chuan understood and said, "There's no secret to it, hard work is the most important thing."
Host: "Many actors work very hard, but they never get a chance to make it big. Is it just fate?"
Qi Chuan's smile was noticeably stiff; if it weren't for the camera pointed at him, he would probably be swearing by now.
"I think it's partly due to fate, but more so because I have a great mentor, my agent, Lin Zhi. Without her, I wouldn't have everything I have today."
After Qi Chuan finished speaking, he looked tenderly at Lin Zhi in the audience. The latter was taken aback, then smiled and nodded. This scene was captured by the camera.
After the show ended, Lin Zhi drove herself back to the company, while Qi Chuan and his assistant were driven back by their driver.
Lin Zhi drove a little faster, and when she arrived at the company, she found that there were already fans waiting downstairs, holding light sticks with Qi Chuan's name on them. Lin Zhi only glanced at them before turning the steering wheel and driving into the underground parking garage.
These fans are always incredibly resourceful; Lin Zhi is sometimes very curious about where they find out about the schedule.
In the conference room, Lin Zhi was scrolling through Weibo. As an agent, she had to check the trending topics on Weibo several times a day.
Knock knock knock
Qi Chuan's assistant knocked on the conference room door, and only opened it after receiving confirmation from the people inside.
Lin Zhi put down her phone and leaned back: "Your fans are all downstairs."
Qi Chuan sat down next to Lin Zhi and said with a smile, "Yeah, my hands are about to fall off from signing autographs for them."
Qi Chuan's smile is very infectious, so Lin Zhi positioned him as a younger brother type. As it turns out, Lin Zhi's choice was correct, and he did gain a lot of older female fans... and even mother fans.
"Qi Chuan, I think what you said today was a bit inappropriate."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"It's fine for you to thank me, but you should thank your fans even more. No matter how great you are, it's useless without fans. You should always remember that."
Lin Zhi is very gentle in private, but she becomes very serious when it comes to work. Even though she has a very beautiful face, Qi Chuan is still a little intimidated.
"Okay, sis, I'll be more careful next time."
Lin Zhi hummed in agreement, took out an iPad from her bag, swiped the screen a few times, and then handed the iPad to Qi Chuan.
"This is Director Yu's new film, 'The Isolated Island,' where you play the second male lead. The audition is in two days at the CapitaLand Mall. Prepare well these two days and you must land this role, okay?"
Qi Chuan swallowed hard, flipping through the script, looking quite stressed: "Sis, are there any other options?"
Lin Zhi frowned slightly: "Yes, there's another role for a dead person. Do you want to play it?"
Qi Chuan shook his head immediately after hearing this and returned the iPad to Lin Zhi: "No need, sister, just send me the audition script."
Seeing how frightened he was, Lin Zhi couldn't help but laugh: "Then you should work hard and not let my hard work these past few days go to waste."
To get the role, Lin Zhi treated Yu Wei to several meals, each time trying to sell him Qi Chuan. Eventually, Yu Wei was moved and sent her the script for the second male lead, giving Qi Chuan an audition opportunity.
Lin Zhi sometimes felt sorry for the artists in her company. Although Kevin's father gave him enough start-up capital, the company had no background and was not large in scale, so all the resources were obtained by drinking together at one dinner table after another. Lin Zhi firmly believed that one day their company would gain a place in the industry.
Lin Zhi is unaware that her destined Ziwei Star has already arrived by her side.
Lin Zhi: "Ellie".
The assistant looked up: "What's wrong, sis?"
"Pay close attention to the fans around Qiao Chuan, and watch out for any sasaeng fans."
Sasaeng fans are a terrifying phenomenon; they are extreme, crazy, and frightening.
Ellie nodded: "Don't worry, sis, I'll be careful."
"Well, it's getting late, let's take Qi Chuan back."
Before leaving, Qi Chuan took out a White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket. It was a gift from a fan and part of his persona: "Sis, you seem to have been quite tired these past few days. Here's some candy for you. I hope it will make you feel a little sweeter."
Lin Zhi accepted the candy and smiled gratefully, "Thank you."
Qi Chuan: "Goodbye."
Lin Zhi: "Okay, goodbye."
After Qi Chuan left, Lin Zhi sat on the chair for a long time before getting up. She was really tired, especially her back...
Suddenly remembering last night, Lin Zhi's face flushed. She vividly remembered what happened last night. Although she was drunk, she was not drunk to the point of blacking out. However, she couldn't control her behavior. To be honest, she was the one who actively seduced Jiang Lai.
At first, she just wanted to test whether kissing would make her feel disgusted. Her body was restless, and she desperately wanted Jiang Lai to kiss her. Then she couldn't stop herself.
She remembered what Zhang Zhen had told her: "You're disgusted by men's touch, but have you ever thought about women? You're 29 years old, it's time to give it a try. I'll find you a woman tonight."
If she hadn't witnessed that scene in her childhood, she probably wouldn't have been so resistant to men. But having lived for twenty-nine years, she had never been interested in any woman. So she kept convincing herself to accept Cheng Anan. She used to love him, but refused to be touched by him. Even Lin Zhi herself couldn't face that.
Although Lin Zhi rejected Zhang Zhen at the time, her words remained etched in her mind until she met Jiang Lai.
The feeling was amazing, like my body was floating on a cloud, and I wasn't lying on a bed but on a cloud.
Lin Zhi pinched the bridge of her nose, inwardly cursing herself for being a pervert.
As soon as she stepped out of the meeting room, her phone rang. Lin Zhi unlocked her phone and saw Kevin's message.
Kevin: [Sorry, Zhizhi, I was busy and just realized I hadn't replied to your message, but I've arranged the newcomer's agent. As you requested, I personally delivered the newcomer to Sister Nan's office~]
Lin Zhi stared at her phone, her features almost scrunched up.
Even 0 shouldn't be treated like this!
Lin Zhi: [Okay...]
Lin Zhi thought for a moment, then tapped her fingers on the keyboard: [Sister-in-law, please don't call me that]
In a villa, a man shouted shrilly, "Lin Zhi~ Who are you calling 'older sister-in-law'!"
The man who was checking the stock market nearby turned around in horror to look at his lover, then turned away sheepishly.
Lin Zhi looked at the red dot next to Kevin's profile picture, smiled, and stepped into the elevator.
The elevator descended to the second floor and suddenly stopped. The elevator doors opened, and Nan Moxi and Jiang Lai stood side by side outside the elevator doors.
Nan Moxi admired Lin Zhi when she was in college, but Lin Zhi didn't want to sign with a company at the time. Nan Moxi secretly gave her several roles behind the company's back; although they were minor characters, they were good shows and good training for a newcomer. Nan Moxi thought Lin Zhi would enter the entertainment industry after graduation, and Lin Zhi thought so too. However, after that incident, Lin Zhi stopped accepting roles. Nan Moxi felt sorry for Lin Zhi and didn't blame her.
After the company achieved some success, Lin Zhi brought Nan Moxi over. Nan Moxi was a good agent, and Lin Zhi always respected her.
Lin Zhi bowed politely: "Sister Nan, it's so late and you haven't gone home yet."
Nan Moxi smiled and said, "Yes, I'm very satisfied with this newcomer. I'm confident that I can train her well. Where did Kevin find such a promising talent?"
When Jiang Lai heard her praising herself, she quickly said, "Sister Nan, you're exaggerating."
Lin Zhi looked at Jiang Lai, just as Jiang Lai looked up and their eyes met. The latter seemed flustered, while the former remained composed, as if nothing had happened yesterday.