Lin Zhi: "Qi Chuan, you did a good job today. Director Yu is quite satisfied with you."
Qi Chuan was somewhat disappointed. He had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Hundred Flowers Awards last year, and all the directors he had worked with praised him highly. Yet Yu Wei's evaluation of him was merely "relatively satisfied."
"Sis, Director Yu is way too arrogant."
Lin Zhi smiled and shook her head: "Director Yu is making art."
"All right."
Qi Chuan's assistant leaned over and asked, "Sister, Qi Chuan is flying to City C later to participate in a reality show. Would you like to come along?"
Lin Zhi: "No, I've been busy with social engagements lately. I'm having dinner with Director Yu later. Please take good care of Qi Chuan and be mindful of what you should and shouldn't say in front of the camera."
Qi Chuan's lips moved, but he didn't speak. Instead, he patted his assistant and whispered something in her ear.
Upon hearing this, the assistant hurriedly rummaged through her large handbag, then took out a blue box and handed it to Qi Chuan, who then passed it to Lin Zhi.
"Hangover cure, drink one before a social event, and you won't have to worry about people forcing you to drink."
Lin Zhi was taken aback, then took the blue box: "Thank you, that's very thoughtful."
Qi Chuan's cheeks were slightly flushed, and his eyes seemed to be glued to Lin Zhi. It was only when his assistant urged him that he remembered he had to catch his flight.
In the van, the blush on Qi Chuan's face faded slightly. His assistant smiled and asked, "Brother Qi Chuan, do you still like Sister Lin Zhi?"
The blush that had faded returned, he pursed his lips, glanced out the window, and softly hummed in agreement.
Ever since he joined the company, Lin Zhi has always accompanied him to various events and joined film crews with him. Later, as the company grew and he gained fame, Lin Zhi couldn't handle it all, so she found him an assistant.
That was the boy's first crush, but after learning that Lin Zhi had a boyfriend she had loved for many years, he quietly kept his love to himself. Yesterday, when he learned that Lin Zhi had broken up with her, the fire in his heart was reignited. He understood that there was a gap between him and Lin Zhi. A woman like Lin Zhi must have a very outstanding man by her side. Qi Chuan wanted to wait until he could support the entire company and make Lin Zhi no longer have to work so hard before confessing his love to her.
The assistant, of all times, threw water on his lament: "I don't think Sister Lin Zhi has any romantic feelings for you. When she looks at you, it's like...like..."
The assistant couldn't find a better way to describe her anxiety.
Qi Chuan replied calmly, "To see my son?"
The assistant nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes."
Qi Chuan disagreed: "That's a kind of love too. Look at our company, how many people can she care about like that? One day she'll fall in love with me."
The assistant glanced at the love-struck man and pursed her lips, thinking to herself: Whatever makes you happy.
Today, Yu Wei treated the crew to a meal. Because he had a good relationship with Lin Zhi, he invited her along. Lin Zhi naturally agreed, as Director Yu's gatherings were known for being very clean.
At the dinner table, Lin Zhi and Xia Fanrou sat side by side, the two beautiful women sitting together creating a stunning scene.
Xia Fanrou's company and Lin Zhi's company were not exactly rivals, and the two talked quite a bit during the meal.
Suddenly, Yu Wei raised his glass and stood up, saying, "This glass is for Vice President Lin. I can't drink today because I'm driving, so I'll use tea instead. I hope Vice President Lin doesn't mind."
Although Lin Zhi is the company's vice president, few people call her that. In the past, the big bosses at drinking parties would affectionately call her Xiao Lin.
Unlike other large entertainment companies, there are quite a few companies like theirs in this industry. It's rare for someone to be invited to a meal by a big shot in the industry. For a young and promising director like Yu Wei to call her Vice President is a sign that Yu Wei truly respects her.
Lin Zhi stood up, holding her cup, and said politely, "I dare not accept the title of vice president."
"Oh! How could I not accept such praise? You've provided a great actor for my new film, so I naturally have to thank you properly."
Lin Zhi subconsciously thought of Qi Chuan: "Qi Chuan still has a lot to learn."
Yu Wei was taken aback and asked the assistant director next to him, "Who is Qi Chuan?"
Although it was a bit rash, he genuinely didn't remember. He only remembered the play, not the person. If you mentioned the person's performance in the play, he would remember it better than anyone else.
The assistant director quickly reminded him: "The actor who auditioned for the second male lead is an artist personally trained by Vice President Lin."
Yu Wei suddenly realized and apologized repeatedly: "I'm so sorry, Qi Chuan... um, I remember now, his acting skills do need improvement, but the role of Wu Xuezhi is very suitable for him. However, the good actor I was talking about is not him. Um... his name is Jiang Lai, right? This name is easy to remember, Jiang Lai... In the future, I wish her a bright future."
Lin Zhi drank the tea in a daze, and it took her a long time to recover after sitting down. It wasn't that she hadn't seen geniuses before, but she never expected that a genius was in her own company. If what Yu Wei said was true, then giving Jiang Lai to Nan Moxi was truly the right decision.
Xia Fanrou picked up her glass and clinked it against Lin Zhi's glass before drinking the water in her glass: "She's a good actress. If you hadn't signed her, I would have definitely persuaded our CEO Qin to poach her."
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "Then I will definitely keep her here."
That's what she said, but Lin Zhi was a little unsure. Huasheng Media had cultivated too many "Xia Fanrous," and their thriving businesses were as insignificant as ants in front of a big company like Huasheng. Lin Zhi wasn't sure if Jiang Lai would choose Huasheng. Maybe it was just that Jiang Lai had just graduated from university and didn't know anything, which was why she was signed by an old fox like Kevin.
But then I thought about it again. Jiang Lai's resume was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. Her parents were just small business owners with no background or experience. How could Huasheng possibly notice her? You have to know that Xia Fanrou is the daughter of the Xia Group. She's the kind of person who would go home and inherit the company if she didn't act.
Thinking about it this way, Lin Zhi felt much better, and from that day on, Lin Zhi began to care about Jiang Lai.
Yu Wei was very efficient. Jiang Lai received the notification of her successful audition the next day at noon. She was to leave for H City two days later. Because she was a newcomer, Nan Moxi went with her, but only for a few days to help her build relationships with the crew before leaving.
The night before her flight, Jiang Lai secretly returned to her parents' house. Although she knew there wouldn't be any paparazzi there, she was still very careful. Perhaps it was because of the fright she suffered as a child, but she rarely returned to this villa after that. She even needed to use GPS to find her home.
Knowing that his daughter was coming home, Jiang's father specially asked his wife to come home early to cook for her, as he was afraid his daughter wouldn't like the food the housekeeper made.
Jiang's mother, who was preparing for her next film, specially put down her work and went into the kitchen to cook for her daughter.
Jiang's mother was cooking in the kitchen, while Jiang's father chatted with his daughter. Jiang Lai looked at the tea her father had brewed, and then thought back to the tea she had brewed for Lin Zhi that day...
That's so unprofessional, it's incredibly embarrassing.
"Lai Lai, did you hear that?"
"Huh?" Jiang Lai snapped out of her daze and looked at her father. "Dad, what did you say?"
Jiang's father sighed: "If you join Yu Wei's group like this, won't you get scolded mercilessly?"
Jiang Lai was somewhat skeptical: "Is Director Yu really that terrifying?"
"I heard it from the junior artists in the company."
The sounds in the kitchen suddenly stopped, and Jiang's mother came out wearing an apron: "Xiao Yu has very high standards for actors. It's quite difficult for you to have his role in your debut film."
Jiang's father suddenly realized something and slapped his thigh: "That's right! Yu Wei seems to be a fan of your mother!"
Jiang's mother smiled wryly: "He's just too eager to learn."
Jiang Lai drawled out her words as she nestled into the sofa: "Ah~~~ Then I'd better be very careful, very careful, very careful! If people find out that the famous director Min Xuehua is my mother, I don't know what kind of rumors will spread!"
"Hey?" Jiang's mother put her hands on her hips, adopting the director's authority: "Am I really that unpresentable?"
Jiang Lai smiled apologetically, "Mom~ Good Mom~ Don't be angry, I just mean you're so amazing and impressive! Your daughter just wants to be like you. You and Dad didn't have any connections when we entered the entertainment industry, did we?"
Jiang's mother snorted: "What you said is pleasing to the ear, but I can barely accept it."
If the parents' glory is too dazzling, it will overshadow the children's brilliance. Jiang Lai doesn't want to stand on the podium one day and hear people saying: "She only got her position because of her parents' good resources."
People become lazy when they ride in cars too much, and they even forget what it feels like to walk.
After finishing dinner, Jiang Lai didn't linger and hurriedly drove back to her apartment.
After washing away her fatigue, Jiang Lai put on her silk pajamas and got into bed.
A warm yellow dolphin-shaped nightlight was placed on the bedside table. Jiang Lai patted the dolphin affectionately. Because it had been there for so long, the light of the dolphin had become very weak. Jiang Lai had tried to fix it again and again, but even if she could fix the exterior, she couldn't fix the aging interior.
Jiang Lai will always remember that Spring Festival when she was thirteen years old. A special guest came to her home. Her mother said that the guest was her student and that the girl's family situation was special and pitiful.
Jiang Lai was very angry because her mother told the older girl that she was a relative's child. Jiang Lai felt abandoned and cried loudly. Then, as if by magic, the older girl took out a small dolphin from her tattered schoolbag.
Jiang Lai's crying stopped abruptly, her eyes drawn to the little dolphin. Her older sister ruffled her hair and asked if she missed her mother. Jiang Lai stared blankly at her mother behind her, swallowing back the words she wanted to say.
My older sister said she misses her mother too, but her mother and father are having a fight, so she can't go home. She's afraid of her father.
Xiao Jianglai didn't know why her sister couldn't go home, but she still took her sister's hand and shyly lowered her head.
So much time has passed that Jiang Lai has forgotten what the older sister looked like, because at the time she was only focused on the little dolphin and only remembered that the older sister had big eyes and a beautiful smile.
The next day, her older sister left. Xiao Jianglai wanted to play with her sister, but her mother wouldn't allow it. Xiao Jianglai understood that she couldn't let others know that she was her parents' daughter, not even her pretty older sister.
As Jiang Lai was pondering, the little dolphin suddenly lost its light, plunging the room into darkness. She sighed and crawled into bed.
In her dream, her sister gave her a new toy dolphin, and she said, "I'm not afraid of Daddy anymore."
--------------------
Author's Note:
Lin Zhi: You want to steal my wife!
Jiang, the henpecked husband: Don't be angry! It's all my fault!
Chapter 10
The airport was bustling with activity today, crowded with people waving banners supporting Xia Fanrou, some gripping their DSLR cameras so tightly their hands were trembling with excitement, and the sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly.
Jiang Lai walked behind and frowned when she saw the group of people gathered in front of her: "Is that Xia Fanrou in front?"
Nan Moxi glanced at it and replied, "Yes, if nothing unexpected happens, she'll be using the VIP channel."
Jiang Lai stood on tiptoe and could vaguely see the woman who was surrounded and unable to move: "She looks so pitiful."
Nan Moxi laughed heartily: "So many people envy her, and you actually think she's pitiful? Besides, I have a feeling that you will become someone even more dazzling than Xia Fanrou in the future."
Jiang Lai did not deny it, but she would not compare herself to anyone; she would always compare herself to her past self.
Director Yu demanded that everything be kept secret before the film's promotion, not even the cast list was released. Jiang Lai signed a confidentiality agreement, so her pitifully small number of fans had no idea that Jiang Lai was going to make a movie. Without fans, she boarded the plane much faster than Xia Fanrou on the other side.
We booked economy class tickets, and the three of us sat side by side.
With some time before takeoff, Jiang Lai idly browsed Weibo, clicked on the trending entertainment list, and immediately saw Xia Fanrou's name.
Jiang Lai clicked on it out of curiosity and found it was Xia Fanrou's airport photo. The person in the photo was wearing sunglasses and had a confident and proper smile. A passerby took a picture and posted it on Weibo, and it actually went viral and made it into the top three. The comments were all praising Xia Fanrou's stunning looks and how beautiful she was even without retouching.
Nan Moxi glanced at her, as if she understood her little thoughts: "You're no worse than her. When you come back after filming and promotion, people will take pictures of you too, and I'll help you with your image then."
Jiang Lai asked, "Should we buy trending topics?"
Nan Moxi nodded: "Of course, what do you think is the reason why Xia Fanrou always makes it to the trending topics?"
Jiang Lai immediately understood; it turned out that the team behind an artist was truly crucial for their success.
"By the way, Sister Nan, do you have Sister Lin's WeChat?"
Nan Moxi hummed in agreement and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Last time Sister Lin took me home, I was so nervous that I forgot to thank her. I realized later that I was a bit rude and wanted to apologize to her, but I don't know how long it will be before I can go back to the company."
Nan Moxi believed her and pushed Lin Zhi's business card to Jiang Lai while muttering, "Lin Zhi is a very good person, not as scary as you think. Even if you don't apologize, she won't hold a grudge against you."
Jiang Lai looked at the business card that was pushed towards her, gave Nan Moxi a vague reply, and then clicked on the dolphin cartoon avatar. The avatar was so cute that Jiang Lai could hardly believe it was Lin Zhi.
Just as Jiang Lai sent the friend request, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that the plane was about to take off. Disappointed, Jiang Lai opened the flight simulator, looked at the WeChat interface, and thought that she would accept the request as soon as she got off the plane.