Chapter 18
"By the way, do you remember the older sister I brought home when you were little?"
Jiang Lai nodded and complained, "I remember, I wanted to play with her later, but you wouldn't let me, saying you were afraid of exposing my identity."
At that time, Jiang's father was at the height of his fame, and there were many envious people. While others would keep their children out of the public eye, everyone knew that the person had children. Jiang's father, however, was straightforward and directly announced that he had no children.
Min Xuehua said, "Now that I'm asking you to find her, why aren't you going?"
Jiang Lai stuck out her tongue: "Now that I'm the one hiding my identity, what's wrong with her?"
“Something happened in her family, and the children are also pitiful. Her father was in a car accident during the peak of his career.”
Min Xuehua brought it up on purpose. Lin Zhi was her boss, and she would have heard some rumors about what had happened in her family. Min Xuehua just wanted to see if her silly daughter would know that her boss was the sister she had cried her heart out to find back then.
The results told Min Xuehua that her daughter was just like her in every way, except that she wasn't very intelligent... just like her father.
Jiang Lai's heart tightened upon hearing this. She swallowed the porridge in her mouth and hurriedly said, "Then you should help her. Didn't you say before that she was your proudest student? You can't just abandon her just because she changed careers."
"I've helped you, I've helped you. Look how nervous you are. If you were a boy, wouldn't you be marrying her?"
Jiang Lai was taken aback. She had thought about it before, but not anymore. She had stopped thinking about it ever since she got together with Lin Xi.
Ugh... why am I thinking of Lin Xi again? Ugh, what bad luck.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Lai sat in her chair and pondered for a long time, feeling that something was wrong, but she still couldn't figure it out until Anna knocked on the door.
Nine years have passed since Jiang Lai last met Dolphin Sister. It's been so long that Jiang Lai can't remember much anymore, not even Dolphin Sister's face. Perhaps when she's powerful enough to surpass her father's achievements, she'll be able to meet Dolphin Sister again.
hiss...
What should I say when I see Sister Dolphin? After all, it's been so long since we last met; she might even have forgotten who she is.
Jiang Lai suddenly remembered a saying: "It's better to cherish the memory than to meet again."
No! It's better to cherish the memory alone than to meet again! Waaaaah!
During the morning rehearsal, Xia Fanrou noticed that she seemed a little distracted, so she lightly flicked her forehead: "Little one, why are you so unfocused?"
"Huh? Who's the little one?"
"Pfft." Xia Fanrou crossed her arms and covered her mouth with a laugh, "Are there any younger people in this crew than you?"
No, that's not available.
Jiang Lai clasped her hands together and apologized, "Sorry, Teacher Xia, let's try again."
"Never mind, that's not right."
Xia Fanrou closed the script. Jiang Lai thought she was angry and was too scared to say anything. It was not good to offend a senior in less than a month since filming started!
However, Xia Fanrou was not angry at all, and even chatted with her: "What are your plans after this movie is finished?"
Jiang Lai didn't know why Xia Fanrou asked that question. As a newcomer, she still had to listen to the company's instructions. It was just that the increasingly successful boss was humane and didn't force her to do things against her will.
Jiang Lai pretended to think, but she didn't actually open up to her. In this circle, who can truly open up to whom? It's just a matter of whether you can influence me or not.
"I don't know, I just do whatever the company tells me to do."
"Oh... Have you been checking Weibo lately? Netizens are all speculating about who will play the second female lead in 'The Island'."
Xia Fanrou changed the subject too quickly, and they really just chatted casually. This person had no airs of a senior at all. Jiang Lai hadn't used the flattery skills she learned in the film crew for more than half a month.
"I haven't been checking Weibo much these past few days."
Xia Fanrou smiled and said, "Someone posted a Reuters photo and captured you, but unfortunately your face isn't very clear."
Yu Wei had no intention of excessively promoting "The Island" before filming ended, and his attitude was quite casual. He said, "You can spread your own stuff, I'm fine with it. We filmed it, so we filmed it. Anyway, you don't know the plot."
Jiang Lai's curiosity was instantly ignited. Xia Fanrou noticed this and said, "Check if your fans have spotted you. I'll go find the director."
"Okay, Ms. Xia, go ahead."
After Xia Fanrou left, Jiang Lai asked Anna for her phone back to browse Weibo. She then discovered that she had received many mentions, all from her fans asking if it was her.
A concerned citizen commented: "[This is definitely Lai Lai! That snow-white neck! That figure! I'd recognize her even if she were ashes! Don't argue, it's definitely me, Lai! Waaaaah!]"
Happy Four Happiness Meatballs: [I hope I can see Lai Lai's new drama in my lifetime!!!]
Jiang Lai You Ni: [Replying to the comment above, the female celebrity my grandma admired when she was young has finally debuted! /flowers/]
A very rational person commented: [Lai Lai has signed with an agency, this should be her debut work! Seriously, is her career booming and her resources really that good? Two artists are acting in Yu Wei's dramas at the same time? It shouldn't be through back channels. Suddenly I'm starting to look forward to "The Island"]
Lai Lai Lai! : [It's definitely not through back channels, they're so rich they're broke! Let's look forward to it~ My Lai will be a huge hit!]
Jiang Lai was amused by the comment "thriving but poor," wondering why netizens would speak the truth so readily these days.
There are many rumors circulating online, and no marketing accounts have revealed anything. Jiang Lai has a feeling that paparazzi will come and find out who the second female lead is in a few days.
She forwarded a screenshot of the comment to Nan Moxi, asking: "[Sister Nan, can I give you a heads-up?]"
Although Nan Moxi was busy, she still replied to her artist's WeChat message quickly: "[Yu Wei probably doesn't want you to reveal this. He always likes to create suspense, and what netizens know now is all information he deliberately released. Did he tell you to be careful when you travel?]"
[No.]
After a moment, Nan Moxi replied: [I just checked the other lead actors' Weibo posts. You can post some photos; we can use this buzz to gain some fans before the movie's promotion. But don't post anything related to the movie itself; you signed a contract.]
Jiang Lai: [OK!]
Jiang Lai is actually quite fond of her fans, but she's just too lazy to manage her Weibo account.
Jiang Lai didn't have any scenes in the afternoon, so she put on a mask and sunglasses, changed into her own clothes, and took Anna to the beach.
The sea here is quite clear, but since this isn't a tourist area, there aren't many people; it's mostly locals.
"Anna, take two photos for me."
Jiang Lai handed over her phone, then took a few steps back, posed with her back to the sea, and with Anna's photography skills, she could easily capture a stunning, atmospheric photo.
Jiang Lai looked at the photo and gave Anna a thumbs up with satisfaction: "Great job!"
Anna chuckled: "What's so special about that?"
The two didn't dare linger for too long, fearing that paparazzi would take pictures of their faces.
Back at the hotel, Jiang Lai sent the photos to Lin Zhi before even editing them. Lin Zhi didn't reply for a long time, and Jiang Lai knew she was probably busy, so she didn't bother her.
She tossed and turned, and the rustling sounds caught Anna's attention. When she turned around, she saw a beautiful woman with her buttocks sticking out, arched like a shrimp.
Anna: Oh no, oh no, the artist I've only been working with for less than a month has already developed mental problems.
"Lai Lai, what's wrong?"
"Huh?" Jiang Lai looked up, her messy hair casually covering her face, making her look like a resentful woman left alone in an empty room.
"I'm fine, nothing's wrong."
Anna: "Oh..."
Which psychiatric hospital is better?
Anna silently opened Baidu and typed Jiang Lai's symptoms into the search bar. A few seconds later, Baidu provided various answers.
1. It is recommended to see a psychologist, listen to subtle cues more often, and do more outdoor exercise.
That's pure nonsense. Next point.
2. It's probably due to staying up late and not getting enough rest. Pay more attention to sleep and maintain a happy mood.
Hmm, this seems reliable. Jiang Lai has been a bit tired lately.
3. Do you always find yourself grinning like an idiot while looking at your phone? You spend all your free time looking at your phone, and you keep flipping through it.
Anna perked up instantly upon seeing this message—it was Jiang Lai!
She continued scrolling down: "Most likely it's lovesickness, unrequited love, that's what happened to my friend!"
Anna panicked. She imagined herself standing in Lin Zhi's office, being scolded by Lin Zhi, holding a resignation letter in her hand, surrounded by the public relations team.
I'm sorry, folks, I can't stay in the big city anymore, Anna! No... I, An Cuilan, am going home to farm!
The young woman, experiencing puberty, could never have imagined that her assistant could come up with so much in just a few minutes.
“Anna.”
"ah?"
Jiang Lai stood up and sat cross-legged: "I have a friend who just broke up with her boyfriend. But my friend is very upright and kind. According to her personality, she probably won't be able to get over the heartbreak for a long time because her ex-girlfriend was very, very, very awful."
Anna sensed something was off, so she didn't interrupt, giving me a look that said, "You say what you want to say, I'm listening."
Jiang Lai deliberately controlled her emotions, afraid that if she got excited, the other party would notice something amiss: "Then my friend met someone, who was very handsome and kind. The two of them had some things happen, and later my friend found that when that person was not around, she would miss her a lot. If she didn't receive any messages, she would get nervous and couldn't concentrate on anything. She wished she could sprout wings and fly over to find her."
After hearing this, Anna roughly made her own judgment. Fortunately, she had studied psychology in college: "Hmm... your friend has fallen in love with that person, hasn't she?"
Jiang Lai reacted strongly, denying it: "Impossible, at most it's liking, admiration! It's too much of a jerk for her to like someone else right after breaking up!"
"But didn't you say her ex was really awful? She met that guy after her breakup, so how could she be considered a jerk?"
Jiang Lai seemed to be persuaded, and touched her bare nose: "Then she might really have fallen in love with that person?"
"It could also be liking."
"oh..."
After asking the question, Jiang Lai paused for a moment, occasionally looking up at Anna and saying, "She's really just a friend of mine."
Anna nodded: "I know, you don't have a chance to meet any new people."
Facing Jiang Lai, Anna pretended to be nonchalant and picked up her phone, staring into thought at the names in the notes. Jiang Lai kept her distance from the male actors in the crew, speaking politely without batting an eye.
Hmm... Could it be Director Yu?!
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Author's Note:
Ann believed it to be true: Blah blah blah
Zhang Zhen, who experienced the same thing: I'm truly speechless...