Xin He said in surprise: "Jiang Chuyi, what are you looking at? You look so serious."
"What?" Jiang Chuyi quietly held up the phone.
Xin He glanced at her suspiciously and asked, "What are you secretly looking at?"
"Nothing." Jiang Chuyi grabbed the chopsticks and covered it up, "Just some news."
Xin He continued to ask, "What news?"
"Social hot spots." She changed the subject. "Why did you take so long to talk on the phone? Did something happen suddenly?"
"Oh, nothing." Xin He looked unhappy and took a sip of juice. "My agent wanted to talk to me about the new drama, the one called 'September Rain'."
Jiang Chuyi said "oh" to show that she understood, then lowered her head and continued eating.
Xin He frowned and put down the cup: "What are you saying? Are you trying to fool me?"
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and found that Xin He was always very sensitive in some strange ways. When she was unhappy, she would speak very directly. The rumors in the circle that she was a princess and a big shot were probably because of this.
Jiang Chuyi patiently explained to her: "I'm not being perfunctory with you. This is a business secret. It's not easy for me to ask about it."
"What's so secret about it?" Xin He sneered, "Aren't you going to join the group with me too?"
"What?"
Jiang Chuyi was a little confused. "I just met the director and didn't even go for the audition. How come I have to join the crew with you?"
Xin He pouted her red lips, with an expression that said, "I'm just awesome, if you know what's good for you, just hold my thighs tight." She said in a cocky tone, "What's wrong? If I say you can join the group, you can join."
Is this the feeling of being pampered
Jiang Chuyi has grown up and has experienced what it feels like to be the little wife of a domineering president in a woman.
Jiang Chuyi joked, "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Don't be narcissistic." Xin He replied.
She pretended to be confused: "Could it be that I have helped you before?"
"You helped me."
Unexpectedly, she responded like this. Jiang Chuyi paused, "Ah? What? When did I help you?"
"Didn't you help me when we were filming before?" Xin He said casually, "You don't have to think too much. Didn't you say that your agent is very interested in this pie? For me, it's just a matter of asking for it. Just be happy."
Jiang Chuyi was speechless.
Seeing that she was silent and her expression could hardly be described as happy, Xin He began to have some doubts.
Is there something wrong with what I said? Does it sound like I'm giving alms? Did I hurt her self-esteem
Thinking of this, Xin He coughed and added dryly, "Well, don't think I'm being harsh. I just think your acting is good. Although you're a little obscure, popularity doesn't matter. Fair competition is definitely better than those bastards who can only flirt with their fans. Uncle Li already admires Director Qin, and you're his apprentice. Even if I'm not in the cast, they'll still consider you for this show."
Jiang Chuyi listened carefully to Xin He's somewhat stuttering speech, and knew that she had misunderstood. She smiled and explained, "I'm not sad, nor do I think your words are harsh. I'm just very touched. You said that I have good acting skills, so I deserve this drama. I think you are a very good person, which is completely different from what people say outside."
She said this from the heart.
It’s not because I’m grateful to her for providing me with resources through her connections, but I feel that I’m lucky to know Xin He, to some extent.
Chen Yi always said that she was simple-minded and stubborn, but in fact Jiang Chuyi knew a lot of things. If she fought for some things, hyped them up, tried to create a persona that was in line with the current public aesthetic trend, and used all means to grab resources, she could get more than what she has now.
In this circle where profit is paramount, there is rarely such thing as "human touch". Jiang Chuyi has been in it for a long time and has become much more sophisticated. She is no longer obsessed with niche movies. In order to earn announcement fees, she has taken on many popular fantasy and costume dramas, playing various unpopular green tea roles and other discarded roles in them.
But in recent years, after performing these popular movies, she still feels empty and numb. Maybe there is still a small part of her heart, a very lonely part, that doesn't want to go with the crowd.
Everyone around him, Gao Ning, Chen Yi, and many others, were instilling in Jiang Chuyi the idea that traffic was supreme. Including herself, she seemed to be gradually accepting this idea.
Until today, I heard from Xin He that popularity is not important, she still has acting skills.
Jiang Chuyi repeated solemnly: "Thank you so much."
Xin He was born not to be sentimental and had a serious embarrassment, so she was not used to having any warm interactions with others. She was fidgeting and didn't know what she said to move Jiang Chuyi so much.
Xin He thought hard for a long time before finally saying something impulsive, "What is there to thank me for? You guys who act in art films are just too sensitive."
Jiang Chuyi shook her head slightly: "I rarely act in movies now."
“Why not act?”
Jiang Chuyi smiled bitterly: "The box office of the movies I acted in before was very average. Unlike commercial movies, I couldn't make much money. I still have to pay off my mortgage. But if I have the opportunity in the future, I will still act."
Xin He: “…”
The phrase "paying off the mortgage" is so down-to-earth that she looked as if she had seen a ghost and asked in surprise: "Haven't you debuted for many years? Why do you still have to pay off the mortgage??!"
"Well, housing prices in Shanghai are very expensive." Jiang Chuyi blushed, "I saw a flat in the city two years ago, but I was too embarrassed to ask my parents to pay for it, so I used my film remuneration to make a down payment."
"What do your parents do? Is your family in financial difficulty?"
"My father is a university professor, and my mother is a doctor." Jiang Chuyi waved her hand, "It's not difficult, it's not difficult, my family is pretty good, just an ordinary well-off family."
"Oh, a highly educated person, a scholarly family." Xin He snorted and laughed, "No wonder he is Qin Tong's apprentice."
Qin Tong is well-known in the industry for his aloofness and never caters to the current situation. Most of his works are of the type that do not make money but are easy to win awards. In the early years, many famous "TV Kings" and "TV Queens" liked to work with him, one to transform into a movie star to improve their status, and the other to win awards for gilding.
But Qin Tong never gave these people face. When he refused, he would speak harshly, which directly made others lose face. As commercial films gradually occupied the market in recent years, and fast-food programs such as variety shows flourished, many investors were not very interested in art films.
In addition, Qin Tong's health condition was not very good, and he had no energy to prepare new works in recent years, and gradually faded out of the public eye.
Jiang Chuyi could tell something was wrong with her tone, so she asked, "Do you have any problems with my teacher?"
"It's okay." Xin He hesitated, rolled his eyes at her, and said reluctantly: "Are you stupid? My uncle is Lai Yushan."
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Lai Yushan is the first-tier movie star who was once humiliated by Qin Tong in public...
Jiang Chuyi was silent, "I forgot."
Xin He said sarcastically, "My uncle does admire Qin Tong, but this old man looks down on him and thinks his acting is poor."
Jiang Chuyi automatically ignored the name "old man", after all, she was used to hearing Gao Ning call him that.
Not knowing what he was thinking of, Xin He sneered and said in a very disdainful tone: "He told my mother that I should also act in movies in the future. People of his generation were backward in thinking and thought that being able to act in movies was a big deal."
After listening, Jiang Chuyi suggested: "Although acting in movies and TV dramas is the same, they are both acting, and neither is superior to the other, but if you want to give it a try, I think you can talk to your agent and try a lot of different things to experience it."
"It's not like I haven't acted before, showing my face in those New Year's films, but I was just a vase in the background anyway."
Jiang Chuyi thought for a moment, "Hua Rui's resources in the film industry are indeed a little weak."
"I'm not like you." Xin He said bitterly, "Those big directors think I'm too pretty and lack temperament, which affects the quality of their works."
Jiang Chuyi didn't know who she was praising at first, but she sensed something else. She smiled and said, "I'll ask my teacher for you some other day to see if he can give you some advice."
"What are you asking? Do you want me to be humiliated by your teacher again, just like my uncle who got taken advantage of me?"
Xin He turned her head and muttered in a low voice, "Besides, I'm not helping you for these things. You don't have to please me."
"You misunderstood." Jiang Chuyi said hurriedly, "I'm not trying to please you. I just think that if you want to change your mind in the future, it would be great if I could help you. You're good to me, and I want to be good to you too."
I can only say that Jiang Chuyi, a natural idiot, is a perfect match for a tsundere like me.
After a few seconds of silence, her face turned red and she yelled irritably, "Alright, alright, why are you talking so corny! I'm getting goosebumps!"
Jiang Chuyi added: "However, the films made by my teacher and his colleagues basically cannot get any investment now, and the funds are very limited. If there is a chance for cooperation, I may not be able to offer you a very high salary."
"Tsk." Xin He was very disdainful after hearing this, and said coldly, "Do I look like someone who is short of money?"
"… "
Jiang Chuyi, who was still working hard to save money to pay off her mortgage, felt like she had been shot in the knee.
This was the first time Jiang Chuyi met Xin He alone. Before they set off, she thought the atmosphere might be a little awkward, but they got along so well. After dinner at the tea restaurant, they went to a bar and chatted until the early morning.
When I got home in the evening, Zongye’s airport photo was still high on the trending search list.
Jiang Chuyi was playing with her phone before going to bed, and naturally thought of the comment she saw that night about someone wearing the same ring. She turned over in bed and sat up again.
Could it be that Zong really has some feelings for me
The more I think about it, the more suspicious I become.
But didn’t Xin He say that he had a girl outside the circle whom he had been secretly in love with for a long time
Besides, her looks could be described as pretty among ordinary people, but in the flourishing entertainment industry, she can only be described as not ugly at best.
Not to mention anything else, just among all of Souya’s rumored girlfriends, any one of them is definitely much more beautiful than her.
Jiang Chuyi and Zong Ye have known each other for such a short time, she shouldn’t have such great charisma to cause today’s top stars to have any strange thoughts about her, right...
I couldn't sleep until almost morning, and I went through the brief chat records with Zongye several times.
There doesn't seem to be anything ambiguous...
Jiang Chuyi finally balanced her mentality, patted her face, and thought to herself.
From now on, I really can’t look at the world with the mindset of a CP fan anymore.
Don't be so sentimental. You should have some understanding in your heart, otherwise it's easy to hurt others and yourself.
*
Jiang Chuyi booked a flight for the day after tomorrow to visit Qin Tong in Beijing. She stayed for a few days and accompanied him to the New Year's Eve party of Star City TV.
This New Year’s Eve party is held grandly every year, is broadcast live, and requires a red carpet walk.
Jiang Chuyi specifically controlled her diet for a few days in advance.
At the star-studded New Year's Eve party in the cold winter of December, Jiang Chuyi accompanied Qin Tong out of the car.
She lifted the hem of her smoky blue dress, took a deep breath for a long time, and finally controlled her shivering body in the cold wind, and walked through the dark crowd of reporters and media.
As expected, no one came to interview her.
Jiang Chuyi and Qin Tong entered the heated performance hall smoothly. The host led them to the VIP area near the front row.
Qin Tong had not appeared in public for a long time. This time, he was invited by Xingcheng to attend the New Year's Eve party, which attracted many people to come and greet him. Most of the guests invited by Xingcheng were of high status. In addition to some investors, the directors who participated in the filming of the movie "Western Storm" last time were also there.
Because she had to walk the red carpet, Jiang Chuyi had nothing to do as her assistant had kept her phone before she got off the car.
I'm very sleepy, but I can't sleep.
With nothing to do, I flipped through the program list in my hand, and when I saw those familiar names, my heart was moved.
"Spend the Long Years with You" by Xin He
-
"1008" Zhao Guangyu-
"Windsor Constellation", "Ventilation Cone", "Stars Shine" BloodXGentle
Jiang Chuyi looked around, leaned over, and whispered hello to Qin Tong. She wanted to go to another area to find Jinqing and get her phone back.
Maybe I can record a video for them backstage then...
She asked a young-looking staff member for directions, and the young lady asked her to wait for a moment while she went to make the connection.
As I was waiting, I heard the sound of people chatting next to me.
"Oh, I just met Xibao. Damn, they are so handsome in real life, even more handsome than in the video. I was dizzy. I didn't even dare to look up when I walked past them."
"Who? Where?"
"BloodXGentle! You'll see it later. Souya and I even looked at each other. It really fascinated me to death."
"Alright, alright, stop being such a fangirl."
When I came back to my senses, the two people next to me had changed the subject. They lowered their voices and seemed to be chatting about some gossip or secrets.
Jiang Chuyi asked Jinqing to get her phone back, then returned to her seat.
Hearing the noise, Qin Tong turned his head, glanced at her phone, and said coldly: "You are impatient."
Jiang Chuyi felt guilty, so she clutched her phone tightly and dared not say a word.
Just when I was about to listen to the lecture obediently, the girls in the fan section behind me suddenly started screaming like crazy.
Many people in the venue heard the noise, stopped talking and laughing, and turned to look, Jiang Chuyi was no exception.
—In the guest entrance passage, there were four figures surrounded by cameras and walking in.
Most of the stars present looked at them, smiling and enjoying the fun on the surface, but they actually felt a little jealous in their hearts.
We have to admit that Xibao is an idol whose popularity in China is almost zero. Wherever he goes, there is no traffic at all, and others can't envy him much.
Just by showing up, the noise made by the fans was enough to shock everyone in the venue.
After looking for a while, Jiang Chuyi turned her head back.
Qin Tong said, "They are the group that's been very popular recently? The one you were in the movie with last time?"
"Yes." Jiang Chuyi said the name of the group Xibao.
The old man frowned when he heard this strange name.
She said no more, restrained her gaze from moving in a certain direction, and sat still.
Guests came in one after another, but the commotion caused by the western storm could not be stopped.
The show hadn't started yet, but the director was very sensible and started cutting shots on the big screen. Ten seconds later, the camera suddenly stopped on someone.
He was sitting in the first row of the performance guest area, hunched over, listening to the people next to him talking with his eyes downcast, speaking incoherently, and turning a water bottle with his hands.
The patrolling camera scanned his wrist bone, which looked like a bamboo branch, and stopped at his face. Cheeks, lips, chin, all in close-up.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the man tilted his head, with half of his face in the shadows. After being reminded by others, he saw himself on the screen, silently pulled up the corners of his mouth, and smiled.
Then he raised his hand politely and greeted the people present.
The scream that had just stopped sounded again, and it was even more exaggerated and fierce than before, deafening, and the earth-shaking scene almost blew the roof off.
Qin Tong asked again: "Who is this?"
Jiang Chuyi came back to her senses and whispered his name, following the group of fans behind her who were shouting heart-wrenchingly.
The clan.
(End of this chapter)