CHAPTER 10

"This script was delivered by Chai Ziqiu, but it's just a first draft and needs some revisions." An Ling said from the side. Chai Ziqiu is a well-known screenwriter in the industry, who keeps a low profile and is somewhat reclusive but highly talented.

"Has the director been decided?" Qin Yinong didn't rush to continue reading. She noticed earlier that the script's cover was blank, without even a proper title, indicating that it was probably just a rough draft.

An Ling coughed. "Not yet."

"What about the investors? Producers?"

"Nothing is confirmed yet."

Qin Yinong pressed her finger lightly on the script page and sneered softly, "Then why are you giving it to me?"

Actors at Qin Yinong's level no longer need to audition or seek acting opportunities. As long as she wanted, there would be countless scripts delivered to her doorstep, all from top-tier screenwriters and directors in the country, who would contact her directly. However, if she decides to take on a project, she expects it to be one with a well-established production team.

Typically, the process of making a film starts with the script, followed by the selection of a producer who wants to invest in the script. The producer then hires a director and other key personnel, collectively chooses the cast, assigns a supervisor, secures funding, and begins filming. Of course, there are exceptions to this conventional process, but they are rare.

If they were to divide the entire process into ten steps, they were just taking the first step now. In this industry, good scripts are not lacking; what's lacking is the opportunity and the ability to bring them to life. Many excellent scripts are left untouched, gathering dust in the bottom of drawers, without anyone showing interest. Qin Yinong has worked on dozens of films over the years, both as the lead and supporting roles, but she hasn't exhausted all the good scripts.

An Ling fell silent for a moment and said, "You asked about genres you haven't done before, and this one came to mind."

In reality, she just wanted to divert Qin Yinong's attention. Now that she had achieved her goal, An Ling reached out to take the script back. "Let me give you another one. After all, same-sex films can't be released on the mainland, so you don't have to take it."

Qin Yinong gestured for her to stop. "You've already given it to me. It won't hurt to take a look." She suddenly smiled at An Ling. "If it can't be released, then it can't be released. At least give other actresses a chance to win awards."

An Ling laughed too.

Leaving aside other aspects, she just liked how Qin Yinong exuded an uninhibited and bold attitude when talking about acting.

"Alright, don't brag too much. It sounds like you're guaranteed to win an award." As a manager, she occasionally had to symbolically advise her artist to be more modest, even though her mouth was already curled up in amusement, not taking it seriously at all.

Qin Yinong sat up slightly, fluttering her long eyelashes. Her dark, shiny pupils seemed to be immersed in two autumn pools, brimming with tenderness. She pretended to be serious and asked, "An, do you think there's anyone in the country who can surpass me?"

An Ling pondered for a moment and smirked, "Your Yaoyao?"

Qin Yinong couldn't help but burst into laughter. She covered her face with one hand and sighed, speechless.

If Tang Ruoyao could really surpass her, she would probably be ecstatic to the point of fainting.

After a while, she regained her composure and smiled, saying, "As for Yaoyao—"

An Ling suddenly shouted, "Shut up!"

Her shout stunned Qin Yinong, who swallowed nervously, feeling a sense of dread.

Among the onlookers, Guan Han chuckled.

Qin Yinong glanced at her, and Guan Han quickly pretended to admire the scenery around them.

After preventing Qin Yinong from shamelessly engaging in lovey-dovey talk starting with "Yaoyao," An Ling felt extremely pleased. She smiled and said, "I have some other scripts that I think are good. I've printed them all out and will give them to Guan Han later. She'll deliver them to your home. Are you heading home soon?"

"Yes."

An Ling lifted her chin slightly and pointed to her own desk, indicating Guan Han. "They're in the second drawer on the left side. Go fetch them for me."

Guan Han nodded. "Got it."

She agreed but glanced at Qin Yinong, seeking her approval with her eyes. Qin Yinong nodded, and only then did Guan Han step forward. She walked over without looking around, swiftly and skillfully finding the scripts that An Ling had mentioned. She brought them over, holding them in her hands and temporarily placing them on the armrest of the sofa.

Qin Yinong casually placed the unnamed script with the LGBTQ+ theme on top.

An Ling glanced at Guan Han once more.

Although this assistant was hired by the studio, it didn't take long for Qin Yinong to pick her out. An Ling didn't know much about her, as she always had an icy expression, a stark contrast to Qin Yinong. Judging by the current situation, it seemed that she had become Qin Yinong's trusted confidante.

It wasn't a bad thing for Qin Yinong to have her own confidante, but as An Ling, she couldn't help but feel a bit complicated. In terms of seniority and closeness, she should be the one at the forefront. How could a young girl like Guan Han take that position?

An Ling secretly felt a twinge of jealousy.

Guan Han maintained her composure, playing her role as the invisible presence.

After spending a considerable amount of time in the office, Qin Yinong sat up, propping herself on the sofa with her hands and making a gesture of farewell. She smiled lightly and said, "Well then, I'll be going..."

An Ling hesitated for a moment, then called out to her, "There's something I'm not sure whether to tell you."

"What is it?" Qin Yinong asked.

"It's about Yaoyao. " An Ling unintentionally used the previous nickname.

Qin Yinong pretended to be casual but corrected her seriously, "Tang Ruoyao."

"..." An Ling said, "Tang Ruoyao."

Qin Yinong sat back down, her expression solemn. "What's wrong with her?"

An Ling pursed her lips and said, "It's not something serious. It's just that she wasn't in a good state during the awards ceremony a couple of days ago, and she's been receiving criticism online."

For Qin Yinong, being criticized was a normal occurrence, and even for An Ling, it wasn't a big deal. Qin Yinong had instructed not to clarify the situation for her, considering it a waste of manpower and resources. It was more meaningful to focus on other things. The PR department, which had always been in need of attention, had unexpectedly become the most relaxed department. It was as if it didn't exist. It was only when the studio started signing other artists that the PR department gradually began to function normally.

Qin Yinong reached out her hand, and Guan Han quickly handed her the phone, already opened to the Weibo page.

Qin Yinong scrolled through the trending topics and glanced at the top comments. She threw the phone back to Guan Han and said coldly, "These people have no shame. When they can't win fair and square, they resort to underhanded tactics by targeting Yaoyao."

The average intelligence of netizens was only that of a seven-year-old. In today's information rich-society, they were the easiest group to manipulate. As long as you hired some internet trolls and set the tone, the netizens would follow along, thinking they were upholding justice and fairness. These headlines were clearly planted by someone to smear Tang Ruoyao. Even the previous excessive hype and criticism of "Little Qin Yinong" were the work of these people.

An Ling was used to Qin Yinong's thick filter and responded impartially, "You can't say it like that. Her situation is indeed not good. The negative aspects are being presented in front of everyone. If others don't criticize her, it won't be convincing. When you're popular, there will always be controversies."

"Who bought the trending topic to smear her?" Qin Yinong asked.

An Ling had already found out the instigators from the marketing company and mentioned a few young actresses' names.

Qin Yinong didn't recognize any of them. She simply listened and promptly forgot about it afterward. These people were not worthy enough for her to remember.

"Help her resolve this." Qin Yinong didn't waste any words and glanced at her wristwatch. "It's now 10:30, I want this trending topic completely gone before noon. Bring some positive momentum to the forums and gossip groups and flip public opinion. And..."

Qin Yinong pondered for a moment, dangerously narrowing her eyes. "Deal with those insignificant rivals of hers. Give them a little push and play some tricks behind the scenes. I won't let them get away with it."

An Ling nodded. "Understood."

An Ling would be able to remove the trending topic immediately, even before noon. After all, she was skilled at handling these matters. Otherwise, with Tang Ruoyao's rapid rise in popularity, blocking the paths of so many people, and facing countless known and unknown enemies, how could there not be a single negative news? Just one person's spit could drown her! And it was all because Qin Yinong had instructed An Ling to clean up the mess behind the scenes and eliminate any potential threats right from the start.

Qin Yinong's icy gaze softened, and she eased her expression. "Next time, you don't need to consult me for such matters. Just handle them directly."

An Ling asked, "But weren't you ignoring her recently?" She thought Qin Yinong had no intention of protecting Tang Ruoyao anymore.

A complex expression flickered in Qin Yinong's eyes. She turned to look at a pot of green moss in the corner of the wall and spoke in a low voice, "It's my business if I neglect her. I haven't told you to ignore her. You should treat her the same way you treat me."

An Ling couldn't help but think that she cared more about Tang Ruoyao than Qin Yinong did.

An Ling sighed. "And what about you?"

Qin Yinong turned to look at her, putting on a casual smile. "What about me?"

"What if someone splashes dirty water on you? If you want to..." An Ling paused, not wanting to use the term "whitewash" because Qin Yinong had never been tainted. It was those other people who were dirty. She stared earnestly into Qin Yinong's eyes. "If you want to clarify things, I can help you clarify them one by one, starting from when you were eighteen. It may take time and effort, but no matter how difficult it is, I can do it. You can trust me."

Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, An Ling had seen plenty of situations where facts were distorted and lies were spread. But the malice directed towards Qin Yinong was something she had never encountered before. She was only eighteen when she first met Qin Yinong, and by the time she was twenty-three, she wondered how Qin Yinong had endured those five years.

There was a faint shimmer of water in Qin Yinong's eyes.

She smiled briefly but remained silent. After a long while, under An Ling's pleading gaze, she finally said, "Let it go."

An Ling said, "But..."

Qin Yinong waved her hand and gently interrupted her. "Thank you for your kindness. But it would just give those bone-chewing dogs another reason to celebrate. I don't want to give them the satisfaction."

"Gossip is temporary, but films will remain. A hundred years from now, I will be written in textbooks. What about them?" Qin Yinong casually countered.

"You're already in textbooks. Acting academies use specialized books that mention you." An Ling said with a tinge of bitterness, forcing a smile.

"Is that so? I'm honored." Qin Yinong smiled and then called out, "Guan Han."

Guan Han responded promptly, "I'll bring the scripts."

Qin Yinong smiled softly and said, "An, if there's nothing else, I'd like to go home."

An Ling replied, "Sure, I'll walk you out."

Guan Han picked up the script.

At the doorstep, Qin Yinong raised her hand. "No need. I know the way. Focus on your work."

An Ling watched Qin Yinong's figure recede into the distance, and her pupils reflected a tiny, receding red dot that grew smaller and smaller. Her fingers gripping the doorframe turned white with exertion.

Qin Yinong had almost been driven to her death by that group of people in the past. Now she rarely faced the media or any cameras other than those during film shoots. Was it disdain or fear?

Guan Han stood in the elevator, holding a stack of scripts. She glanced at Qin Yinong with her peripheral vision.

Qin Yinong lowered her eyelashes, making it difficult to discern her emotions. She remained unusually silent.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and Guan Han reached out to retrieve it. It was a bit challenging to do so with the heavy stack of scripts in her hands. Qin Yinong naturally took the scripts from her, saying calmly, "Check your phone first."

Guan Han nodded and unlocked the screen.

As she looked at the screen, her expression became peculiar, and she glanced back at Qin Yinong.

"What's wrong?" Qin Yinong asked.

Guan Han said, "It's Miss Yao." Almost instinctively, Guan Han blurted out, "Would you like to have a call with Miss Yao?" Perhaps it would improve her mood.

Qin Yinong's eyes trembled, and she pressed her lips tightly together.

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT