"One heater is too few. It's barely enough to install in the lounge. What about the dressing room? Doesn't Han Xiao need to touch up her makeup before going on stage?"
"If we don't have enough, we'll take some from others. There are many of them, and they won't be cold if they squeeze together."
...
The remaining warmth was dispelled by these words. Chen Fu tightened the cotton coat she was wrapped in, while the team leader gave a helpless smile.
From then on, Chen Fu understood the meaning of those six words.
Han Xiao is the heir apparent of their company.
Unlike Xihe, Tianyu is an idol company that focuses on the idol market. Because of their high fan loyalty, this type of company initially earns more money than typical film and television companies. When the group first debuted, Chen Fu was running around doing commercial performances almost day and night, but the treatment they received for their hard work was very average. The company was reluctant to promote and publicize for them, music video recordings were always rushed, and sometimes they even had to buy their own stage outfits.
She thought that once she got through the early stages of their debut and the company saw the group's commercial value, things would improve. But she never saw that day, not even after the group disbanded.
Where did all the money she earned for the company go?
Later, when the company faced bankruptcy, she had no choice but to give the contract to Xihe through Tianyu. While signing the contract, she accidentally saw Han Xiao's packaging fee. The number on the white paper made her unable to believe it. How could a company on the verge of bankruptcy come up with such an amount? The publicity and public relations expenses that Tianyu spent on him every year were simply like water flowing away.
It turns out they were the ones earning money to support Han Xiao.
Not only that, but once when the group was supporting Han Xiao, this bloodsucking parasite actually acted arrogantly when he saw them.
Under these circumstances, how could Chen Fu not hate Han Xiao?
Thanks to Tianyu's exorbitant public relations fees, Han Xiao's public image was practically perfect. In front of fans and the media, he was always a refined and elegant gentleman, a gentle and approachable figure. In reality, however, he was hot-tempered and arrogant, and had committed countless despicable acts behind the scenes, the extent of which even he himself couldn't count. Such people are often two-faced and adept at deception.
A couple of years ago, Tianyu signed many trainees, but the company only had a few debut spots each year, and almost no one was willing to waste a year's worth of effort. As a result, these trainees took the company's year-end evaluation very seriously. Han Xiao took advantage of this mentality and, through a combination of coercion and inducement, created a chaotic atmosphere within Tianyu.
Chen Fu almost didn't want to think about anything more disgusting. She hated Han Xiao even more than she hated Sun Hao.
Sun Hao at least doesn't engage in underhanded practices.
Seeing that the person in front of him didn't react, Han Xiao pulled up a chair and moved closer. He leaned over to the dressing table and examined Chen Fu. This person had changed a lot since their last meeting—the cautious demeanor was gone, and Chen Fu's perpetually furrowed brows were slightly relaxed. In the Chinese entertainment industry, thinness has always been considered beautiful, and the thinner and more sickly one is, the more applause one receives. When Chen Fu left Tianyu, she was practically just a skeleton, but under Lu Xiaomi's careful feeding, she had gained a lot of weight.
"It seems Sister Fu has been doing well lately. She's gotten even more beautiful than before."
"She's doing really well," Han Xiao said, nearly dropping his jaw in astonishment when he heard that Chen Fu had been chosen as the female lead in "Cultivation." This woman couldn't even get a chance to be his backup dancer back in Tianyu, and now she'd landed the female lead role in Xihe's SSS+ project? How could anyone not be dumbfounded?
His tone was deliberately ambiguous, and his hand reached out in a half-hearted manner, lightly brushing along Chen Fu's jawline to the side of her face. Just before it touched her, Chen Fu slapped his hand away.
A dark red mark immediately appeared on the back of Han Xiao's hand, and he winced as he pulled his hand back.
"We're all colleagues from the same company, why is he so fierce?"
This is a tactic Han Xiao is used to employ.
Chen Fu lit a slender women's cigarette with a menthol capsule.
"This is Xihe, not Tianyu Shengshi."
She placed a finger on Han Xiao's chest, and the distance between them gradually increased.
"If you cause trouble here, no one will clean up your mess."
Even after her wrist was knocked off, Han Xiao wasn't angry; she just smiled and sat back down in her original seat.
"Oh, this is Xihe. It's really different to have someone backing you up. Sister Fu, how did you manage to hook up with President Lu? Can you share your experience with me?"
Using appearance to exchange for resources is nothing new in the industry. Han Xiao asked the question in a very sincere tone, sounding just like a student asking a teacher a question he didn't understand.
Chen Fu felt a prickling sensation, and she exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Don't talk nonsense."
She neither responded nor denied, her face always bearing a mocking smile, a smile that irritated Han Xiao. The reason Han Xiao was so popular at Tianyu was mainly because he was willing to go all out, giving people whatever they wanted. However, after several years, he hadn't become a big star. The capital initially invested in him saw no return and was no longer willing to continue investing. And as time passed, he was no longer young; few people would pay exorbitant fees simply for his good looks.
As his career declined, he was overwhelmed by the pressure of reality. He was also controlled by hormones and drugs, and could hardly control his emotions, leading to an exceptionally frantic lifestyle in recent years.
"How could that be nonsense? Photos of you two kissing on the beach were taken..."
What?
Han Xiao's words startled Chen Fu. It was already evening when she was chatting with Lu Xiaomi that day, and the crew was preparing dinner. The filming equipment had been packed up early that morning. They were sitting far away, and there was hardly anyone around. The kiss came suddenly, and if she hadn't been watching closely, she wouldn't have been able to capture it on camera.
(Yanshan: Hehe, you didn't expect that, did you? I've been watching you two the whole time.)
Seeing Chen Fu's displeasure, Han Xiao became even more smug.
"Sister Fu, Sister Fu, it's the same for you with everyone. We'll keep it quiet. Don't you want to terminate your contract with Tianyu? I can help you."
Han Xiao's thin hand brushed against Chen Fu's skin, and he stood very close to her. Chen Fu could smell the perfume on him; the scent was so strong it was almost pungent, as if he were deliberately trying to mask some unpleasant odor.
This is what Little Bell saw when she returned.
The girl hadn't seen Han Xiao much and didn't know he knew Chen Fu before. She stood at the door for a while, thinking, before she remembered who this person was. She asked him suspiciously why Brother Han was here.
However, this is clearly not a question she should be asking right now.
"Sister Fu, President Lu is back."
Why is Lu Xiaomi back now? She just left.
"Ms. Lu said she left in a hurry and forgot to tell you, but she has turned back now and should be arriving soon."
Han Xiao's expression instantly fell silent. Chen Fu smiled and nodded in agreement.
Chapter 18 CP18
Upon hearing that Lu Yu was coming, Han Xiao's face immediately darkened.
"Sister Fu, I'll come see you later."
However, when he stood up, the gloom on his face vanished. Han Xiao gave Xiao Lingdang a charmingly gentle smile. The little girl had never seen anything like this before. She only felt that the person in front of her was particularly easy-going and handsome, and her previous doubts disappeared in an instant.
The contrast between Han Xiao and Chen Fu made Chen Fu feel nauseous, and she made every effort to show disgust on her face.
Lu Xiaomi texted Chen Fu ten minutes ago to say she had arrived home, and specifically told Chen Fu not to push herself too hard while filming tonight, so how could she possibly be coming back now? Although Xiao Lingdang had just graduated from school, she was particularly clever and reliable. She quickly came up with this excuse to get rid of Han Xiao, and Han Xiao, who was already feeling guilty, was fooled by the lie she made up on the spot.
Chen Fu gave her assistant an appreciative smile.
*
No sooner had Han Xiao left than the production crew informed them that filming was about to begin. Chen Fu's scene today required her to go into the water, and although it was already late December, even though Liaocheng was located in the south, the nights were still very cold. Going into the water in such weather would be an extremely grueling challenge for the actors.
Knowing that Chen Fu had an injury to her right leg, Yan Shan mercifully allowed her to wear multiple layers of protective gear before filming began. With the crew's call of "action," Chen Fu jumped into the water without hesitation.
Actually, the old injury to her right leg is secondary. Her fractured leg has almost healed intermittently, and it's not a disease that will recur.
However, Chen Fu developed rheumatism a few years ago when she was in a girl group. She had almost recovered, but because of the failure of the last mission, as punishment, Chen Fu's old ailment relapsed.
Fortunately, her scene went relatively smoothly. With Yan Shan's shout of "Cut!", Chen Fu surfaced, gasping for breath. Several crew members pulled her ashore, and the December wind made Chen Fu's knees ache terribly.
It's definitely bulging again...
She was in a hurry to go back to her room to deal with the situation when a soft blanket was suddenly draped over her. Chen Fu initially thought it was Xiao Lingdang coming to meet her, but when she looked up, she found that the person in front of her was Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing had just finished filming, and most of his makeup was off. He was already young, and being trapped in a persona all day made him seem unreal. After removing his makeup, he looked as refreshing as a male college student.
Chen Fu was surprised that Jiang Qing would come.
Are you still cold?
The blanket did indeed drive away most of the chill, but Chen Fu's knees were in excruciating pain. She took the hot water Xiao Lingdang offered and gave a faint thank you.
"I just finished my work there, so I came to see you."
Chen Fu nodded, took the towel from her assistant, wiped her face, and prepared to leave. Jiang Qing did not expect Chen Fu to be so indifferent, and awkwardly blocked the middle of the road.
"I thought about what you said last time, and you were right. I was too idealistic. I'm sorry."
His words were gentle and considerate, making it hard not to feel good about him. However, his good intentions had turned into deliberate sugar-coated bullets. Jiang Qing didn't understand Chen Fu well enough, and every nonsense he said only deepened Chen Fu's pain.
Upon hearing this, Chen Fu smiled faintly.
Why do you always apologize whenever you see me?
She tried her best to be perfunctory with the person in front of her, her tone carrying a hint of frivolity due to their intimacy. The way her lips curled up was quite beautiful, but it was hard to tell whether it was joy or mockery.
*
It was already past midnight when they got back to the hotel. Chen Fu was a late sleeper, so Xiao Lingdang was used to chatting with her for a while.
The girl seemed particularly excited after returning from the film set today. Little Bell is young and can't hide her excitement on her face. She kept telling Chen Fu, "Sister Fu, Sister Fu, Jiang Qing is so handsome!"
Chen Fu laughed and said that he was a big star, of course he was handsome.
"No, actually looks don't matter. Jiang Qing is not only handsome, but also such a gentleman. He was so gentle when he draped the blanket over you today, just like in an idol drama, isn't that right, Sister Fu?"
Chen Fu sneered inwardly.
They're all ancient foxes, why are you playing these ghost stories with me?
It had been a long time since Ye Xin's last harassment, and Chen Fu gradually began to understand what was going on. Logically speaking, Ye Xin wasn't the type to pick fights easily, and she was wary of President Lu; even if she wanted to intimidate him, she wouldn't have gone this far. She was so angry at the time that she didn't react at all, only remembering later that Jiang Qing was Ye Xin's top artist.
With this connection, Ye Xin's actions that day become easier to understand. In the drama "Cultivation," if the male lead's character isn't well-developed, any attempt to reverse the situation will rely on post-production manipulation. Ye Xin first puts on a show of force, testing whether Chen Fu is a pushover, while Jiang Qing then puts on a deeply affectionate act, apologizing and admitting his mistakes. This combination of soft and hard tactics is truly ingenious.
Chen Fu didn't believe that Xiao Lingdang wouldn't notice.
"I've been an artist for too long and have seen too many handsome men, so I don't feel anything for Jiang Qing."
Although this young girl is young, she is incredibly shrewd. Even if she didn't realize it, she wouldn't be praising Jiang Qing in front of Chen Fu for no reason today.
Ultimately, it was just to sound out what Lu Xiaomi was thinking.
Xiao Lingdang is Lu Xiaomi's person. Since her boss can't be with Chen Fu every day, she can't let her boss's wife be snatched away by someone else. That's why she painstakingly found topics to talk about and acted cute, just to hear Chen Fu's attitude towards Jiang Qing.
"Actually, when it comes to gentleness, I feel that President Lu is a bit better than Jiang Qing."
Upon hearing this, Xiaolingdang let out a soft "Ai!" with an ambiguous expression, and said, "Sister Fu, please don't shower me with PDA."
Chen Fu said, "I'm not showing you any lovey-dovey stuff. I'm telling the truth. President Lu is really gentle."
However, the weather is unpredictable.
Chen Fu thought.
Many of her tasks failed because of Lu Yu's unpredictable attitude. Sometimes she was like two completely different people, extremely good when she was good and extremely bad when she was bad.
This hot-and-cold attitude left Chen Fu unsure of Lu Yu's feelings for her. Frankly, their relationship was nothing more than a half-hearted transaction; those seemingly affectionate glances and ambiguous kisses were merely readily available flattery. Chen Fu was used to these tricks and had become adept at them, but after the previous clashes, she found herself feeling that her efforts were backfiring...
For example, on the night she injured her right leg for the second time, Lu Yu apologized with a cold face, then pinned her against the wall and kissed her. His hot breath brushed against her neck, and in the quiet darkness of the night, Chen Fu felt as if she were trapped in Lu Yu's arms, and her heart and eyes were filled with the scent of the person in front of her.
It's been a long time since 0505 has assigned her any tasks.