"Anxi?" Ji Anbo thought he had misheard and couldn't help but repeat, "Why didn't you tell me she was coming?"
"...Miss Anxi said...that you were late for work and that she's going to write down the time you were late to report you!" The secretary stammered, but still chose to tell the truth.
Ji Anbo was speechless; this was definitely something Ji Anxi would do. "Be smarter next time. Just because she says not to tell you doesn't mean you won't tell her. What if she needs to see me urgently and you're late?"
The secretary remained silent and said nothing more. If there were a next time, she would definitely listen to Miss Anxi again. Everyone knew that Young Master Ji was a sister-obsessed brother. He only dared to say a few words when Miss Anxi wasn't around. Oh no, he was talking about her, the innocent person. Anyway, putting Miss Anxi first in everything would definitely prevent any problems.
When Ji Anbo pushed open the office door, he saw Ji Anxi sitting listlessly at his desk, her hands supporting her face, seemingly lost in thought. The loud noise of the door opening didn't even disturb her.
"Second Brother, you've finally arrived." Ji Anxi said casually after Ji Anbo sat down in front of her.
Ji Anbo glanced at her and said, "What brings you to my company today?"
Ji Anxi went straight to the point: "Did you invest in the drama 'Mountains and Wind'?"
For some reason, Ji Anbo was a little nervous. Perhaps it was because he had promised Ji Anxi to let her try her luck in the entertainment industry, but hadn't kept his word, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Second Brother, don't be nervous!" Ji Anxi said. "I'm not here to question you. If you really invested in this drama, could you do me a favor?"
"You don't mind me paving the way for you?" Ji Anbo felt that his younger sister had changed her personality in an instant. He was gratified but also very curious. After all, Ji Anxi was very strong-willed, and it was really not easy for her to say such a thing now.
Ji Anxi was completely unaware that the topic had gone off track, and went along with his words: "I've already figured it out. It would be foolish not to take the shortcut if there was one. Besides, I'm not young in the entertainment industry now. If I take it one step at a time, I'll have to wait until I'm in my forties or fifties to become famous."
These are words Ji Anxi would never normally say; she must have listened to someone or been influenced by someone to come to this conclusion. "Who has such power to convince you?"
These words reminded Ji Anxi of Zhou Paihuai, and then she remembered the purpose of her visit today. She said, "Don't ask so many questions yet. I already said I came to ask for your help. Since you invested in 'Mountain and Wind,' it shouldn't be too difficult for you to insert another role into the production, right?"
She originally thought that such a small matter would be easily resolved by her second brother, who would surely agree. However, to her surprise, Ji Anbo strongly disagreed with the idea: "I know you two are close, and I believe that since you consider her a friend, she must be a person of good character... But no matter what, she has a peculiar personality. Although she's quite popular, she also has a lot of haters. If she also acts in this drama, what if you get dragged down by her and end up with a bunch of haters too?"
Hearing her second brother's words, Ji Anxi, who had once been Zhou Paihuai's number one hater, felt complicated. She had now forgotten why she had initially criticized Zhou Paihuai. If it was merely because of her acting skills, that would be too superficial. Only after getting to know her did she discover that Zhou Paihuai was a remarkably open-minded and insightful girl.
"How can you say that? She's so popular, she might even be able to help me out. You obviously don't understand the entertainment industry!" Ji Anxi started acting like a rogue. "I don't care, I just want to act with her!"
Zhou Paihuai was really quite capable; after all, he, as her older brother, hadn't seen Anxi act so shamelessly in a long time. He couldn't resist such a charming and coquettish scheme and was about to agree when he suddenly thought of a very serious question: "Was this something you two planned together, or did you just do it on your own?"
Well, it was indeed Ji Anxi who came to ask about this on her own initiative. That day, she passed by Cheng Minxin's office and overheard Zhou Paihuai and Cheng Minxin arguing. Apparently, it was because the makeup and styling for the role Zhou Paihuai chose was not satisfactory to his agent, but Zhou Paihuai was unwilling to compromise.
Zhou Huahuai said she really liked the story, so she liked the characters in the story and wanted to play a role in that play. However, the story of "Mountain and Wind" is not bad, and I believe Zhou Huahuai would like it too. Moreover, the character of the second female lead in "Mountain and Wind" is also very good. It's a win-win situation, so she has no reason not to agree.
Seeing that his younger sister didn't answer for a long time, Ji Anbo knew that Zhou Huaihuai himself was unaware of the matter. He said, "This film was originally invested in for you. If you want her to film with you, and she agrees, I won't object. But younger sister, you can't make decisions for others. You always have to listen to other people's opinions."
Ji Anxi nodded. Having gotten the answer she wanted from her second brother, she should now go to Zhou Paihuai for another answer, hoping that this time she would get the answer she wanted as well.
... ...
After taking an acting class together and seeing the teacher off, Ji Anxi went straight to the point with Zhou Paihuai about the second female lead in "Mountain and Wind." She even said, "If you don't want to play the second female lead, playing the first female lead is not out of the question. Actually, I quite like the character of the second female lead."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Paihuai refused without hesitation: "I'm afraid that won't work. Although the start date for 'King of Chaos' hasn't been set yet, the important roles have already been cast. The same goes for 'Mountain and Wind.' The start dates for the two productions will definitely be close, and I don't want to be working on two productions at the same time."
"I didn't say you had to work on two different film sets!" Ji Anxi said anxiously. "Didn't Sister Cheng say there would be big problems with your makeup and styling in 'King of Chaos'? Anyway, you haven't signed a contract yet, you don't have to choose 'King of Chaos' at all. You like good stories, and the story of 'Mountain and Wind' isn't bad either..."
"It's not a matter of good or bad, it's just that I've made my choice..."
"Are you worried that people will gossip about you taking this role?" Ji Anxi interrupted her. "You yourself said that you would walk your own path and not care about what others think. How come none of that matters to you?"
Zhou Paihuai knew that Xiao Heifen meant well, but their situations were completely different. If it weren't for Xiao Heifen herself, the drama "Mountain and Wind" wouldn't exist. So Xiao Heifen couldn't be considered an outsider who landed the lead role; the role was originally meant to serve Zhou Paihuai. However, it was unacceptable for Zhou Paihuai to inexplicably intrude through nepotism. If Zhou Paihuai really did act in "Mountain and Wind," although it wouldn't be considered a case of unspoken rules, her relationship with Xiao Heifen would definitely change, which was the last thing she wanted.
Seeing that the hater was getting more and more agitated and might even anger her, she couldn't think of a way to comfort her.
"Am I good-looking?" Zhou Huaihuai suddenly asked, deliberately moving closer to Ji Anxi.
A stunningly beautiful face, flawless and breathtakingly beautiful, suddenly magnified several times over before her. Even Ji Anxi, who was used to seeing such a face, was momentarily speechless. After a long silence, she somewhat flusteredly pushed the person away slightly: "What are you doing?"
“It might sound a bit narcissistic, but I haven’t acted in a year after all. I believe my acting has improved a lot, but if I were to act with this face, how many people do you think would actually pay attention to my acting skills?” Zhou Paihuai took a few steps back. “Actually, at first, Sheng Huanyan was just a normal villain in a good script for me, but now I feel it’s fate. She’s the most suitable role for me. Don’t you agree?”
“That’s right!” Zhou Huaihuai’s lack of martial ethics has caused Ji Anxi to completely lose her mind, so whatever she says goes.
"So, have fun joining the crew! I'll definitely come see you when I have time!"
--------------------
Author's Note:
No update tomorrow
Chapter 74: Interpreting the Fortune Telling Was a Waste of Time
In the end, Zhou Paihuai signed on for the drama "King of Chaos", and Ji Anxi also obediently agreed to act in "Mountain and Wind". Now everything is ready, and they are just waiting for the crew to start filming.
Cheng Minxin has recently become superstitious. She believes that Zhou Paihuai's many misfortunes over the years might be due to her lack of reverence for gods and Buddhas. She's heard that many artists in the industry believe in this and frequently visit temples to pray for better success in the industry.
Since Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi haven't joined the crew yet and have a lot of free time, Cheng Minxin wanted to take them to pray to the gods and Buddhas.
When she told Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi the news, the two were playing a game together. At a crucial moment in the game, they both naturally refused.
"Not interested!"
"No time!"
Although both of them refused, Cheng Minxin was very determined this time and was determined to take them.
"If you guys aren't going, take me with you to play games."
“... ..."
“... ..."
Zhou Paihuai could no longer farm in Xiangxiang's jungle, and Ji Anxi Feifei could no longer farm in the bottom lane. They looked at Cheng Minxin with pained expressions, not understanding why she could say such cruel things. It was just praying to gods and Buddhas, couldn't they just do it? Why did they have to use such a self-destructive method?
Zhou Paihuai once thought that playing this game with a newbie would be a very simple and fun thing. After all, although Xiao Heifen was bad at first, he could hit wherever he was pointed, and he was even pretty good as her seventh piece of equipment. Ji Anxi once thought that this game was very simple. If she couldn't beat the good ones, she could always beat the bad ones. Until their duo team added a manager who was addicted to playing badly.
Cheng Minxin is usually a very capable and calm person, but she becomes impulsive once she enters the game. It's one thing to be bad at the game, but she can't seem to learn to be quiet and collected. Once she's in the game, it's like she's possessed by some demon, constantly taunting her own teammates and the opposing team. Naturally, this prompts others to passionately engage in online flame wars, and even the opposing team sometimes joins in. The game essentially turns into an online verbal battle, forcing Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi to participate, which is incredibly painful for them.
"Well, I think I've had a lot of worries lately, so listening to some Buddhist chants is a good option."
"I suddenly realized I'm free, Sister Cheng, where are we going?"
Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi changed their minds again. They were really afraid that because of Sister Cheng, they would develop PTSD from gaming and lose their source of joy.
Cheng Minxin smiled. Those two brats were still too green to compete with her. She said, "Don't worry, I won't take you too far. There's a very efficacious temple on the outskirts of City A. Go back and pack your things today, and come to the company on time tomorrow morning."
"good!"
Seeing that Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi were about to leave together, Cheng Minxin suddenly remembered something and said, "Anxi, stay for a moment, I have something to tell you."
"oh!"
Ji Anxi thought Cheng Minxin had kept her around for some important reason, but it turned out to be about a Weibo post. She asked her if she had a Weibo account and if she had any followers.
"Um, let's just pretend there isn't any!" Ji Anxi almost blurted out that there was, and that there were quite a few followers. But at the last moment, she remembered that her Weibo account was mainly used to smear Zhou Paihuai, and many of her posts were digging up dirt on Zhou Paihuai. Now, to expose her own account in front of Zhou Paihuai's own mother and manager, only a fool would do such a thing.
"It's fine if you don't have any. I'll register a new Weibo account for you now. Just start managing it well from now on!" Cheng Minxin didn't expect her to have many followers anyway. Registering a new account would prevent her from being exposed by people she knew. "After you post the account information, I'll arrange for Mumu to buy some followers for you."
"Oh, I need to buy powder too?"
Cheng Minxin said, "This is all normal practice. You need to have a base of fans first before you can attract real fans with your work and the topics you generate. Otherwise, who would care about paying attention to you?"
“That’s true!” Ji Anxi immediately stopped worrying. Since she was going to enter this industry anyway, she wouldn’t take some things too seriously. “Can I manage the account myself?”
"As long as you don't post any weird stuff, it's fine. Actually, I don't really care about your Weibo accounts anyway, as long as you don't use your main account to gossip and get on the trending topics every day!" Cheng Minxin didn't directly mention Zhou Paihuai's name, which was a way of giving her face.
Alright!
The next morning, Zhou Paihuai and Ji Anxi arrived at the company one after the other. Sister Cheng was already all ready to go, with the car and everything prepared.
Have you had breakfast yet?
As she casually asked the question, she saw two little heads bobbing back and forth in front of her. Cheng Minxin was momentarily charmed by their cuteness. She smiled and took out two breakfasts: "We're going to have something earlier today. You two can make do with something in the car!"
"Thank you, Sister Cheng!" the two said in unison again, their understanding of each other was perfect.
Cheng Minxin looked at the two of them suspiciously, feeling that their familiarity was a bit too much. Although they were both Chen Siku's students, neither of them had ever been this close to Chen Siku, as if they had known each other for a long time behind her back. However, their good relationship wasn't necessarily a bad thing, after all, Ji Anxi's identity was extraordinary, and in the future, Zhou Paihuai wouldn't be the pitiful little girl who could be bullied by others anymore.
"Do you have something to say?" Zhou Paihuai sensed that Cheng Minxin wanted to say something, so he asked directly without thinking too much.
Cheng Minxin shook her head and said, "There's nothing to say. In a little while, you two should sincerely pray to the gods and Buddhas so that your future development can get better and better."
"Don't worry, all the necessary rituals will be included."
The car drove smoothly forward and soon arrived at Puhua Temple outside City A. It was indeed a bustling place of worship; even though it wasn't a festival or the weekend, there were still quite a few people coming to offer incense. Fortunately, the weather was perfect for being fully bundled up, so even with Zhou Paihuai wearing a hat, mask, and sunglasses, it didn't seem strange at all.
The three of them traveled together and quickly finished worshipping all the Buddhas in Puhua Temple. They thought they could leave after worshipping, but Cheng Minxin insisted on getting a fortune stick, saying that the fortune sticks here were very accurate.
Alright, whatever gods or Buddhas, we're already here, so getting a fortune stick isn't a big deal. But I didn't expect this place to be so strict; the three of them came together, but they couldn't get fortune sticks in the same room and had to separate. But they're not children anymore, so separating doesn't matter.
"What would you like to ask, benefactor?"
"I want to see what my future career will be like!" Zhou Huaihuai hadn't forgotten the purpose of his visit today, and of course, he wanted to draw a fortune stick related to his career.
After speaking, Zhou Paihuai picked up the divination stick container on the table, closed his eyes, and sincerely began shaking the sticks. Soon, a stick appeared. Zhou Paihuai picked it up and handed it to the master before him: "Master, could you please interpret this stick?"
The fortune slip Zhou drew read, "After the peaks and the clouds turn, a new village appears amidst the willows and flowers." She seemed to understand it, yet she also seemed not to. In any case, it didn't sound like a good omen.
"This is a winning lottery ticket; whether it's good or bad depends entirely on your decision."
"... ... " Could this master be a fake? Wasn't he supposed to be interpreting the divination slips? Why is he only saying this one sentence that's completely incomprehensible?
"Please, benefactor—" The master was about to see the guest out.
The honest Zhou Paihuai spoke frankly: "Is that really all? I didn't understand!"
The master smiled and said kindly, "These words are the oracle. Please contemplate them carefully, and you will understand their true meaning."
So all his efforts in interpreting the divination were in vain? Zhou Paihuai left the room speechlessly. Sister Cheng and Xiao Heifen were already waiting outside. They had come out earlier than him, which meant they had interpreted the divination faster.
"Did you all understand what I meant by interpreting the divination slips?"
"Don't you understand?" Cheng Minxin asked her back.
Ji Anxi nodded slightly. If Zhou Paihuai looked at her closely, he would have noticed that her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly indicating that she was experiencing the stirrings of love.
Zhou Paihuai suddenly grabbed Cheng Minxin's hand and said, "Sister Cheng, I think I might need to hire another tutor for my academic subjects. I have a serious problem with my comprehension."
"Get lost!" Cheng Minxin slapped her hand away. "Be serious!"
Zhou Paihuai winced in pain and withdrew his hand. He then walked over to the little black-faced girl and asked, "What did you ask about? What was the fortune telling?"
“… …” Ji Anxi looked up at her, “This… …I don’t want to tell you.”
"You're being too stingy! It's not like saying it will make it not work. If you say it, I'll tell you too, okay? I'll tell you first."
"No!" Ji Anxi refused again. "It's getting late, we should go back!"
“... ..."