CHAPTER 11

Wei Jiabao's follow-up moves came much faster and harsher than Cai Juan had anticipated.

Naturally, there were no more updates about the film, they never received any calls to inform them of the second shooting location. What's more, the films they had previously been in touch with all seemed to vanish into thin air.

Cai Juan knew full well that Xiang Xiaoyuan was probably blacklisted, but she wasn't quite sure to what extent the other party would go.

Summer quickly passed, and by the time the drizzling autumn rain arrived, Xiang Xiaoyuan had been resting at home for four months.

Shencheng was one of the top three cities in the country, bustling and extravagant, a place of extravagance and luxury, but also a city where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

Xiang Zhishi rented an apartment near the center of Shencheng, a three-bedroom, two-living-room space, with a monthly rent of over thirty thousand.

Xiang Zhishi graduated with a master's degree in finance from a prestigious university. He was a talented student from a poor family and a notable figure on campus. After working for a few years at a well-known investment bank in Shencheng, he later partnered with colleagues to start his own firm, where he gained a reputation in the industry. He established a studio for his younger sister, which brought him into the entertainment world.

Xiang Zhishi was tall and slender, with refined features and a scholarly air. Despite his genteel appearance, his investment decisions were sharp and ruthless, his approach was aggressive. During Xiang Xiaoyuan's university years, he had successfully collaborated with several investors on projects, yielding promising returns. However, years of hard work had taken a toll on his health, leading to lung cancer. After a major surgery, he had been recovering at home for some time.

Two years after Xiang Xiaoyuan graduated, she had almost no income. She had spent a considerable amount on her education, learning dance, languages, and various other interests, all of which required substantial financial investment.

Their studio's financial situation was consistently dire, living beyond their means.

What surprised Cai Juan was that every time the studio seemed to be at a dead end, they would always find a way out. Xiang Zhishi, a newcomer to the entertainment industry, not only adapted seamlessly but also seemed to have a mysterious and solid network of connections.

How had he willingly ended up in this studio?

At that time, he was working as a manager in "Boyi Media." The company was large, with factions vying for power, constant internal strife. He kept a low profile, not relying on anyone for protection, which ensured his safety but also made it hard for him to advance. He worked diligently, dedicating himself to his artists, one of whom quickly rose to stardom. However, jealousy and envy arose, and his same-sex preferences was exposed. While such occurrences were not uncommon in the entertainment industry, the popular young actor he had nurtured began to see him unfavorably, making things difficult for him in various ways.

At a gathering, which was essentially a formal social event, it was nothing more than going to offer a few drinks to the capital bosses and say a few flattering words. In a secluded corner of the corridor, he had been trying to persuade the current popular young actor for a long time. The other party, looking down on him, with a hint of mockery in his eyes lined with black eyeliner, said, "Brother Cai, I'm not like you, I can't sell my butt."

Cai Juan's head buzzed, blood rushing to his face.

The popular young actor was still smiling, "Why don't you take my place? You understand better."

Unable to bear it any longer, Cai Juan threw a punch, hitting the young man's face. The star, not used to this kind of treatment, retaliated with a kick to Cai Juan's stomach. The pain made him break out in a cold sweat, and he fell to the ground, where the star landed another kick.

If it hadn't been for Xiang Zhishi's timely appearance, he might have been seriously beaten.

He still remembered how Xiang Zhishi had held the popular young actor's wrist, smiling gently, "Mr. XX, let's talk civilly, this is a public place."

The young star winced in pain, his handsome features contorted, "You... Let go of me please."

Xiang Zhishi released him, and the young star sized him up. Dressed in a shirt and slacks, Xiang Zhishi looked clean and refined, giving off a rare air of nobility. The young star couldn't tell who he was or what his background was, so he stormed off in anger.

Cai Juan, in pain, tried to get up when a long, fair hand reached over, naturally helping him to stand.

"Thank you, thank you, what should I call you?" Cai Juan felt warmth in his heart as he grasped Xiang Zhishi's dry, warm palm.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. How about you?" Cai Juan sighed, feeling a bit flustered. The other man's demeanor was so clean and elegant that it made him feel somewhat ashamed and even a bit out of place.

"That's good to hear." Without giving his name, Xiang Zhishi left gracefully.

Cai Juan stood there in a daze, not following after him.

Later, he lost his job. In this world, there are plenty of instances of burning bridges after crossing rivers. The company didn't care who was right or wrong, they only looked at who was more valuable, and he naturally became the one sacrificed.

Most of his savings were in the stock market, and the rest had been sent to his mother. He was living in a place rented by the company, and soon he would be thrown out. When he was at his wit's end, he encountered Xiang Zhishi again, and from then on, they formed an inexplicable bond. One could also say he had boarded a "pirate ship."

Xiang Zhishi offered him the same salary as when he was at "Boyi Media." At first, Cai Juan felt quite guilty about it. He only needed to take care of Xiang Xiaoyuan, and since she hadn't done much filming, the workload didn't really compare, it felt more like he was her personal assistant—booking her flights, studying with her, and taking care of her daily needs. To be honest, the workload was less than a third of what he used to handle.

Later, even when Xiang Xiaoyuan wasn't working, Xiang Zhishi continued to pay him.

"Bro, this isn't right! I can't keep taking a salary!" Cai Juan had adjusted to calling him this for a long time in his mind. Xiang Zhishi was handsome and upright, a true straight guy made of stainless steel. He couldn't entertain any romantic thoughts and could only think of him as a brother.

"Cai Juan, we don't see you as an outsider. Besides, you still have your mother to support, so don't refuse." Xiang Zhishi said with a smile.

"But you can't just let her be like this..." Cai Juan lowered his voice, glancing at Xiaoyuan's room. "Bro, aren't you worried?"

Resting at home for a few months, Xiang Xiaoyuan just stayed at home watching movies, apart from going to the gym, she had no other pastimes.

Cai Juan was really worried. Xiang Xiaoyuan had the talent, but she couldn't afford to waste time like this, especially for a female actress, the golden years for actresses were limited.

"Just let her be." Xiang Zhishi said with a smile, looking at him. "Why don't you go talk to her?"

'You're her brother, if you don't talk to her, how can I?'

That remark stuck in Cai Juan's throat, almost bursting out.

Having known each other for many years, he was quite familiar with the personalities of these siblings. Xiang Zhishi had a smooth and mature demeanor in business that contrasted sharply with his caring attitude toward his sister, which was entirely indulgent and compliant. The problem was that Xiang Xiaoyuan had a strong personality. To say it nicely, she was unique and proud, but to say it bluntly, she had a bad temper, was stubborn, and wouldn't compromise.

Currently, active female actors in the country could roughly be divided into two categories: the idol-driven stars and the skilled performers.

The idol-driven stars were usually younger actresses from TV dramas, singers, girl groups, or hosts, primarily born in the late '80s to '90s. Zou Yirui belonged to this group of young actresses.

The skilled performers were more associated with cinema, those who had won awards or received nominations, as well as niche artistic performers and theater actors, showing a wide age range and diversity. He Chenying could be considered a top figure among this group.

But Xiang Xiaoyuan didn't belong to either of these categories. She fit into an invisible third category, composed mostly of unknown minor stars, extras, and undefined individuals like her.

Her starting point was very high. As a university student, her first movie, directed by a famous director, was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival, entered the main competition section, and competed for the Best Actress award against internationally renowned actresses.

Her problem was that she had no follow-up works and was incredibly unlucky. Subsequent works have not had the chance to be released publicly. Her biggest problem is that she has high standards, is picky, and won't work on scripts she doesn't like, TV shows she doesn't want to be a part of, or variety shows (although there aren't many variety shows looking for her at the moment).

When Cai Juan first joined the studio, he enthusiastically designed several development paths for Xiang Xiaoyuan, such as a sweet, foodie persona, a straightforward and naive character, or an ambitious and positive young woman persona, among others.

All of these were rejected by Xiang Zhishi, who said it was because Xiang Xiaoyuan wouldn't like them.

Cai Juan felt it was a shame countless times. Given Xiang Xiaoyuan's talent, if she were willing to accept a few TV dramas or star in some mainstream commercial films, she would have already risen to fame. At the very least, she could have become a familiar face in the entertainment industry, accumulating some popularity.

Most people made their way up like this, always seeking better opportunities, and there would eventually come a day when they succeeded.

Outside, the autumn rain fell steadily, bringing a hint of chill. Xiang Zhishi wore a cardigan, his complexion remained pale after his illness, and his voice was gentle.

At this moment, what flashed through Cai Juan's mind was the night when he stopped the wrist of that popular young actor for him—thin, white, healthy, and strong.

A slight pang of sadness stirred in his heart.

He had to do something.

Even if Xiang Xiaoyuan didn't listen to him, found him annoying, or didn't understand him, he still needed to persuade her.

If this continued, she, a promising seedling, would be wasted.

He said, "I'll go talk to her! We can't just let her be like this!"

Xiang Zhishi smiled again. He slowly walked over to the sofa, sat down, the smile still lingering on his face, and gestured for Cai Juan to sit.

Cai Juan took a deep breath, just as he was about to leave.

The door creaked open.

Xiang Xiaoyuan stood at the doorway, her shoulder-length hair slightly disheveled, her face pale as if it had been dampened, a hint of redness around her eyes, standing up straight, "No need to persuade me, I'll go act in TV dramas!"

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