Xie Wang waved to him: "Alright, keep working hard and try to win her heart with your own abilities."
Xie Lin: "Definitely!"
After Xie left, only Xie Wang remained in the office. He opened Ling Shuangjiang's WeChat, feeling overly happy, even a little unrealistic.
Does Ling Shuangjiang really like him?
When did it start?
Were you captivated by his charm?
Or were you moved by his travel guide?
Xie Wang frowned slightly, beginning to feel anxious and uncertain.
So many people say that Ling Shuangjiang likes him, it must be true, right?
If he were told in the end that Ling Shuangjiang didn't mean it that way, he wouldn't be able to handle it.
He might even jump into the river.
Xie Wang chuckled self-deprecatingly, adding that Xie Lin was a good-for-nothing.
He himself is even less capable.
—
Inside the office, Ling Shuangjiang signed her name on the contract, officially signing the film contract with the production company.
Li Man had originally approached him about an art-house film, and he had been preparing for it. However, the film company suddenly sent a notice the day before yesterday, informing them that there were problems with the script and the plans had changed, so the film would have to be postponed until six months later.
Just then, the director that Xiang Ming had introduced to Ling Shuangjiang sent him an audition message. Since he was available, he went to the audition.
Director Jia was very satisfied with the audition results. He immediately decided to cast him as the male lead, and the contract was officially signed today.
Director Jia joked that he and Xiang Ming were friends, so Xiang Ming often introduced actors to him. But those actors were all incredibly beautiful, yet their acting skills were simply unbearable to watch.
So when Xiang Ming introduced Ling Shuangjiang as the male lead in his new movie, he almost broke off his friendship with Xiang Ming.
Later, Xiang Ming mentioned the TV series "Mom, I Love You the Most" that Ling Shuangjiang had acted in when she was a child, and only then did he agree to meet her.
Unexpectedly, Ling Shuangjiang gave him a pleasant surprise.
Having worked in the film industry for so long, he can tell what's going on with an actor's appearance and temperament at a glance.
Ling Shuangjiang's face is particularly suited for the big screen, possessing a natural beauty that is unadorned and captivating. She can be both alluring and innocent, and her acting is vivid and natural, showing no fear of the camera.
Especially the lines, I don't know if it's because of professional training or just good natural talent, but they are delivered very well, making the audience feel very immersed.
"I've been taking professional courses to practice my lines for the Frost's Descent scene, often for a whole day, and I've made great progress," Li Man explained to Director Jia.
Director Jia asked in surprise, "How many classes have you had? How long is each class?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "We've had five or six classes already, each class is eight hours long."
Director Jia's gaze towards Ling Shuangjiang held a newfound approval.
"I heard that you've been very popular lately. The fact that you can still concentrate on taking acting classes all day long when you're so popular is enough to show your composure and focus."
"The entertainment industry is too superficial now. Many new actors dream of becoming famous overnight. Some people get arrogant after they become famous and stop working on their acting skills. They focus all their energy on marketing and hype and have no professional ethics. Even if such people become popular, they will fall sooner or later if they do not have any works to support them in the long run."
Ling Shuangjiang said thoughtfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Director Jia. I will remember it."
Director Jia patted him on the shoulder: "It's not a lecture, but I think you're pretty good."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and said goodbye to Director Jia that evening.
The movie he starred in is called "Redemption." The filming location is not far from here, in the mountains on the outskirts of Bintan City. The filming period is two months, and the actors can choose to stay in a suburban hotel or go home.
Ling Shuangjiang hasn't decided yet and plans to discuss it with the production team before filming begins.
Soon, various film and television bloggers on Weibo sent out the latest production announcement, stating that Ling Shuangjiang had officially joined the cast of director Jia Zhanglin's "Redemption" and would play the male lead.
The news spread quickly, but Ling Shuangjiang's fans on Weibo didn't dare to be too happy. This kind of phenomenon of film and television production companies teasing fans often happens. If they rashly claim the role, they might be screenshotted and ridiculed by malicious people who say that their idol is a washed-up celebrity with no resources who just likes to make up stories and is willing to be teased.
[Wow, the male lead in Jia Zhanglin's art film? Ling Shuangjiang has amazing resources; she's definitely a resource-driven star.]
[Isn't this just playing with fans' enthusiasm? Ling Shuangjiang is currently very popular, so they're using him to generate hype and then officially announcing the real male lead later. Isn't this a common practice?]
[It's unlikely. Ling Shuangjiang isn't good enough for this level of film. Jia Zhanglin is a top director of the 90s generation; they wouldn't be interested in his work.]
[It's okay. If the male lead isn't Ling Shuangjiang in the end, he can go complain to his domineering CEO friend, and maybe then the Heavenly King will fall.]
[Wow, really! Having a domineering CEO as a friend is so great; no one else can learn the essence of our Little Frost's skills.]
[Yeah, when others film dating reality shows, they might just add someone as a WeChat friend at most. But when he films a dating reality show and it ends badly, he manages to keep people in relationships with him. His gay tactics are something others can't learn.]
[I'm taking my little Frostfall away. We don't do this. Anything without official confirmation is fake.]
[Have you been being sarcastic and sarcastic for days? Shuangjiang is just close to Xie Wang, it's infuriating!]
Li Man has been monitoring the discussions about this matter on Weibo. The production team is currently in the promotional phase, so it's not a good time to announce the cast. Moreover, one of the main actors is still undecided, so the official announcement will have to wait a few days.
Ling Shuangjiang adopted a strategy of not responding, refusing to participate or get involved no matter how much netizens discussed it.
He himself doesn't care, he can make the official announcement whenever he wants.
—
Two days later, the final lead actor was confirmed. Ling Shuangjiang needed to have dinner with the film's main creative team and investors. Li Man specially helped Ling Shuangjiang with her styling, making her look very elegant.
Ling Shuangjiang asked, puzzled, "Isn't it just an ordinary dinner party?"
Li Man said meaningfully, "The second male lead in our crew is named Chen Xingxi. You may not have heard of his glorious deeds. In any crew he's in, there will definitely be press releases about him outshining the male lead. Today is his first time having dinner with the film company, and he will definitely bring paparazzi to take photos of him with a simple and unpretentious fake no-makeup look. To avoid you being included in the photos and being dragged down, we still need to be careful."
Ling Shuangjiang: "Okay, I understand."
Soon, the group arrived at a private room in the hotel restaurant, where, in addition to Director Jia, there were also some film producers and investors.
As a newcomer and lead actor, Ling Shuangjiang, despite being the male lead, remained polite and courteous to the supporting actors and seniors in the crew, showing no airs of a star and always maintaining humility.
Several veteran actors had a good impression of Ling Shuangjiang. When they saw that he was not talking during the meal, they would try to find topics to talk about with him and help him to get to know the film producers better.
Chen Xingxi's makeup was very heavy today, and Li Man was glad she had foresight when she saw it.
Although Chen Xingxi felt somewhat displeased and jealous of the new male lead, he didn't show it too much.
When speaking to Ling Shuangjiang, he always wore a gentle smile, maintaining a harmonious and peaceful relationship.
Producer Chen, holding a wine glass, asked, "The place we're eating at today is a bit small. Why did you book this private room?"
"It's peak season right now. The entire sixth and seventh floors have been booked by a group of wealthy tycoons for a dinner party. I just passed by on the sixth floor, and it was very lively inside," Director Jia explained with a smile.
Producer Chen said, "Oh, that's right."
This hotel is the first six-star hotel in downtown Bintan, and the prices are extremely high. A private room costs at least 100,000 RMB per night, and the cost for an entire floor is approximately one million RMB.
Chen Xingxi asked curiously, "Do big shots need to book out two entire floors for a dinner party?"
Producer Chen replied, "There might be good news."
Chen Xingxi gossiped, "Director Jia, have you seen any of those really famous ones?"
Director Jia smiled and said, "No."
Ling Shuangjiang has always been calm and quiet, and she is not the type of person who would take the initiative to speak or show off at the dinner table.
Director Jia understood his personality and didn't make things difficult for him during the toasting or other activities. The group simply clinked glasses, since the purpose of the dinner was very simple: just a regular crew get-together.
Ling Shuangjiang has never been a heavy drinker. She can usually have a few drinks without any problem, but today everyone is happy and she has been drinking with the production team and director team in turn, so she is already slightly drunk.
The worst part is that some people like to drink baijiu (Chinese white liquor), while others prefer red wine. If he mixes them up and drinks with them, the effects of the alcohol will definitely come later.
After dinner, Producer Chen led the crew in singing. Ling Shuangjiang felt really uncomfortable and slowly walked to the bathroom to vomit.
He happened to run into Director Jia making a phone call when he came out.
"Xiang Ming, when are you guys going to finish? It's just a group payment; if you pay and leave early, no one will notice you."
"Are you a primary school student? You have to chip in with your buddies just to contribute money. Who cares about you, Mr. Xie and the others?"
"Okay, come find me when it's over."
After hanging up the phone, Director Jia turned around and saw Ling Shuangjiang: "Xiao Ling, are you drunk?"
Ling Shuangjiang's hair was a little messy, and she smiled shyly, "Well, I don't drink often."
Director Jia understood: "Go home and rest as soon as you finish eating."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded and walked slowly, supporting herself against the wall.
Mixing baijiu (Chinese white liquor) with red wine makes it very easy to get drunk.
Ling Shuangjiang's stomach felt like it was being burned by fire, and her vision was sometimes blurry and sometimes clear.
Seeing his condition, Director Jia worried that he might fall, so he went over and helped him into the private room.
The people inside were having a great time, but Ling Shuangjiang, who was sitting beside him, was feeling increasingly unwell. He leaned back on the sofa, his cheeks and ears burning, his breathing becoming more and more rapid, and he felt dizzy.
He wanted to find his phone to call Li Man, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand. He was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyelids open.
Director Jia looked at him worriedly and sent a WeChat message to Li Man, asking her to pick up Ling Shuangjiang and take her home early.
Soon after, Xiang Ming came to see Director Jia. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Producer Chen, Xiang Ming noticed Ling Shuangjiang and asked, "What's wrong with Shuangjiang?"
Director Jia: "He was drunk, so I called his agent in."
Seeing that Ling Shuangjiang was quite drunk, Xiang Ming took out his phone and made a call: "Shuangjiang is drunk downstairs, do you want to come?"
Xie Wang: "Wait for me, I'll be right there."
Li Man rushed in first and saw Ling Shuangjiang so drunk. She anxiously tried to help him up, but Ling Shuangjiang seemed to resist and wouldn't let anyone else near.
"Shuangjiang, it's me, Li Man. You're drunk. Shall I take you home?"
Ling Shuangjiang was drunk and confused, having lost her senses; she could only shake her head slightly.
"I'll help you back." Li Man wanted to try again, but this time Ling Shuangjiang showed obvious refusal, and even her brows furrowed slightly in discomfort.
"Frost's Descent." Xie Wang arrived at this moment. After Producer Chen saw the person from the future clearly, he turned off the karaoke machine, stood up and looked at him.
"Why did you drink so much?" Xie Wang asked Li Man.
Director Jia explained in a low voice, "When we drank during the Frost's Descent festival, we mixed up the baijiu and red wine, so we got quite drunk."
Xie Wang's expression was serious as he gently squatted down: "Shuangjiang, I'll take you home."
Hearing the familiar voice, Ling Shuangjiang slowly opened her eyes and looked at Xie Wang carefully for a few seconds, as if to confirm it.