Assistant Pingping carefully lit the fire for her before saying, "Anqi, don't argue with Sister Hua..."
Xu Anqi was already burning with anger when Pingping's words were like adding fuel to the fire, and she retorted angrily.
"Whose side are you on anyway?!"
Pingping pursed her lips before revealing Hua Rong's previous attempt to poach Chu Meibo, and then advised, "Anqi, you know that Sister Hua has a bad temper. If you really anger her, she will go all out to promote Bai Shilan, which will not do you any good."
"Ha! I knew it! Why did she suddenly sign someone like this? Turns out he's a fake?"
After failing to recruit Chu Meibo, Hua Rong became somewhat obsessed. So when she finally found Bai Shilan, who had a similar temperament to Chu Meibo, she immediately signed her, hoping to replicate Chu Meibo's path to fame.
Seeing Pingping's worried face, Xu Anqi said irritably, "What are you worried about? With the real thing right in front of you, who would want to go and see a fake? Haven't you heard? Small fame comes from promotion, big fame comes from fate. Forced promotion will be punished by heaven. What's there to care about if it's just mud that can't be plastered on a wall!"
As she spoke, she added reluctantly, "I've seen clips of her acting. Her acting is excellent, and her aura comes from within; others can't imitate it. Just you wait, Hua Rong's wishful thinking won't come so easily."
Although Xu Anqi and Shen Huai had some disagreements, she had to admit that when it came to judgment, Hua Rong was far inferior to Shen Huai.
Hearing her say that, Pingping seemed a little relieved, but still advised Xu Anqi: "In that case, you should try even harder to get along with Sister Hua, so that she will know who is truly worth supporting."
After listening to her, Xu Anqi was surprisingly calm: "Don't you understand? From the moment she truly decided to support Bai Shilan, our relationship could never get better."
"A naive and innocent little princess? Do you really think I can live with this persona for the rest of my life?" Xu Anqi retorted.
Pingping looked at Xu Anqi helplessly.
“Let me tell you, what Hua Rong wants is an obedient doll, someone who will obediently make money for her. If I lose my value one day, she will kick me aside immediately.” Xu Anqi shook her head. “I haven’t made any progress in the past three years. I’ve spent too much energy on variety shows, endorsements, and various fashion resources, while neglecting what I need to make a living.”
“When I left Shen Huai, I swore that I would be better than I was under him, but three years have passed and I’m still living off the legacy Shen Huai left me. How ridiculous! But the legacy will eventually run out, and I can’t wait until that day to think about making changes.”
Pingping looked at Xu Anqi in shock. She had always thought Xu Anqi was spoiled and willful, but she never expected that Xu Anqi would understand her situation so clearly.
Unbeknownst to her, Xu Anqi had been following Shen Huai since her debut. Although she refused to admit it, she was still subtly influenced by Shen Huai. It was precisely because of this that even amidst all the glamour, she could still clearly see the hidden worries beneath the surface.
Who wouldn't want to make money comfortably and be adored like a little princess? But there's never been such a simple thing in this world. Sometimes what seems like getting something for nothing is just luck. When fate demands a price, the cost may be unbearable.
This was the first lesson Shen Huai taught Xu Anqi. Even though she couldn't remember the scene, she still firmly remembered the principle in her subconscious.
Xu Anqi stubbed out her cigarette: "Alright, let's not talk about this nonsense. I'll just ask you one question: are you planning to follow me or Hua Rong? If you follow me, you'll have to listen to me obediently from now on. If you're still thinking of tipping off Hua Rong, you might as well hand in your resignation letter."
Pingping was startled, realizing that Xu Anqi actually knew everything. She understood immediately and quickly pledged her loyalty to Xu Anqi.
After knocking on the person, Xu Anqi felt a bit cold, so she wrapped her coat around herself and went inside.
She had just stepped off the elevator when she ran into Song Yimian.
Upon seeing her, Song Yimian quickly bowed politely and said, "Sister Anqi."
Xu Anqi glanced at him and casually asked, "Where are you going?"
Song Yimian answered politely, "Sister Hua asked me to go to her office. She said there's a role in a movie and she wants me to audition."
Xu Anqi said "Oh" and didn't say anything more, then led Pingping out of the elevator.
Song Yimian kept his hand blocking the elevator door until Xu Anqi left before re-entering the elevator.
Xu Anqi happened to see this scene out of the corner of her eye and suddenly asked Pingping, "Is this child a new employee at the company?"
Pingping had no choice but to introduce Song Yimian's identity to her.
Upon learning that Song Yimian hadn't made a name for himself in two years under Hua Rong's tutelage, Xu Anqi was somewhat surprised: "Isn't his contract about to expire? Hua Rong is still giving him acting roles? Is she doing charity work, or is this kid her long-lost younger brother?"
Pingping: "..."
Pingping stammered, "I heard that Sister Hua has been taking him to some drinking parties and stuff lately..."
Xu Anqi frowned. Of course she knew what these drinking parties were for. It was normal for wealthy and powerful people to invite minor celebrities from the industry to entertain them at their parties. Xu Anqi herself had dined with investors before.
But if what Pingping said is true, Hua Rong was originally going to terminate his contract, but suddenly gave him an audition opportunity, it must be more than just having a meal together.
There are indeed people in the industry who exchange their bodies for resources. It's a mutual agreement, and Xu Anqi doesn't think there's anything wrong with it. But when she thinks of Song Yimian's clean and well-behaved face, and the way his eyes lit up slightly when he talked about the audition, she feels a little uncomfortable.
She asked Pingping, "Do you have his WeChat?"
"Yes." Pingping realized what was happening after she finished speaking and hurriedly said, "Anqi, you mustn't get involved in this mess..."
“I know what I'm doing. —Give me the phone now.”
Pingping couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she took out her phone, but she still kept trying to persuade her.
"So verbose!"
Xu Anqi typed a string of words and then clicked send.
"Okay, here's your phone back."
Pingping frantically opened her phone, wanting to undo the message.
Xu Anqi grabbed her arm and said, "Is it really necessary? What could a single message possibly do..."
Before she could finish speaking, Pingping's WeChat buzzed.
This is a message from Song Yimian.
Thank you, Sister Pingping. I will definitely be careful. [fist pump][fist pump]
Upon seeing this message, both of them could picture Song Yimian replying earnestly and obediently.
Pingping coughed, swiped her finger across the screen a few times, but ultimately didn't delete the message.