CHAPTER 22

The New Year quickly passed, and the night after the Lantern Festival, Xiang Zhishi took Xiaoyuan out for the first time.

"Dress a bit more formally."

Xiaoyuan nodded and changed into a knee-length black dress. The neckline was special, with a higher curved shape in the front and a V-shape at the back, beautifully showcasing her delicate neck and collarbones.

She looked in the mirror, holding a makeup brush up to her face, preparing to apply it.

"Oh my God, stop! Your skills are terrible! Let me do your makeup!" Cai Juan said, holding a makeup bag and motioning for her to sit down.

Xiaoyuan sat down reluctantly, "It's not that bad, you know..."

Ignoring her, Cai Juan turned to Xiang Zhishi, "Brother, can I do some fancy eye makeup?" It's been a while since she had makeup done, and today was a rare occasion to dress up properly, so Cai Juan felt a bit excited.

Xiang Zhishi, a typical straight man who knew nothing about makeup, nodded, "You decide."

"Great!"

"After applying the foundation, hmm," Cai Juan expertly opened a box of powder, swept it on the sides of her nose, and tilted her face slightly to apply eye makeup.

"Your eyelids, eyes, are perfect for eye makeup. You can handle any eyeshadow color." he started with earth tones as a base, layered a slightly grayish light purple, blended it, and added a bit of shimmer.

"The highlight is here." He took out an eyeliner pencil and drew small arrows near the outer corners of her eyes, close to the eyebrows.

With a stroke of mascara, one glance revealed a complete cat eye makeup.

Light and cute, between fluttering long lashes, there was an inexplicable charm.

"Oh!" Xiang Zhishi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Not done yet."

Xiaoyuan's hair just reached the base of her ears, so Cai Juan chose a small pearl hairpin to pin back one side, exposing a bit of her earlobe. Then she applied blush to Xiaoyuan's nose tip and lightly brushed her earlobes, leaving a soft flush.

Amidst her dignified, elegant demeanor, there was a hint of youthful shyness.

"Oh~" Xiang Zhishi marveled, "So beautiful."

Xiaoyuan stood up, turned around, and looking at herself in the mirror, she also felt amazed, "Wow, am I really this good-looking?"

Cai Juan: "..."

This was just a slight makeover, and these siblings had no idea about their own attractiveness. Looking in the mirror, both of them were tall and slender, with long limbs, resembling each other. The sister was charming and beautiful, while the brother was handsome and refined, while he was round-faced and chubby, like a round potato!

Comparing oneself to others really makes one frustrated! Happiness doesn't come from comparison!

He went to Xiaoyuan's shoe cabinet to pick out shoes.

"Cai Juan, don't pick ones that are too high, I can't wear them!" Xiaoyuan called out.

"Got it." he brought over a pair of black flat velvet Mary Jane shoes, "But you still need to learn how to walk in high heels. How can a female star not know how to wear high heels?"

He couldn't pick high heels, Xiaoyuan's options were quite limited, as she mostly wore sneakers.

Or, once there's a bit more financial freedom, he really needs to buy a pair of branded shoes first.

Alternatively, once Xiaoyuan becomes famous, there might be brands willing to sponsor them...

He firmly believed that day would definitely come!

At the five-star hotel of Tonghua Group in Shencheng, built by the riverside, it was incredibly luxurious.

The spring chill lingered, and the deep twilight of Shencheng was dazzling with lights, enchanting in the night.

Xiang Zhishi called a luxury car. As soon as they arrived at the hotel entrance, a doorman hurried over to open the car door for them, and security came to greet them.

The car was filled with warm air, but it felt a bit cold when they got out. Xiaoyuan wore a black suit over her dress and linked her arm through her brother's as they entered the main door. The lobby manager approached with a smile, "Mr. Xiang, Miss Xiang? Please follow me." He led them inside.

Xiaoyuan held her only Chanel handbag in one hand and linked arms with Xiang Zhishi, discreetly looking around, "Brother, how does he recognize you?"

Xiang Zhishi whispered, "The regular guests at this hotel are all from the industry. I've been here a few times before, so I'm not a stranger."

"Then, it's impressive that they remember you." Xiaoyuan said, surprised.

Xiang Zhishi smiled slightly, "This is one of the hotels under the Tonghua Group, it's a basic requirement for a five-star hotel to make guests feel at home."

"Another one from Tonghua..." Xiaoyuan murmured.

When they reached the elevator area, the lobby manager and the welcoming staff led them directly to an elevator and pressed the button for them.

Xiaoyuan glanced around.

There were a total of ten guest elevators, and each one might go to a different floor, she guessed.

One elevator was a bit special, with a uniformed employee standing at the entrance—an attractive elevator attendant.

At that moment, the elevator arrived. The lobby manager bowed slightly, and the greeters led them into the elevator.

"Brother, who are we going to meet?" Xiaoyuan asked curiously.

"We're going to meet a few producers and investors." Xiang Zhishi patted her hand, "Just say hello, chat for a bit, and then you can go play by yourself."

Five-star hotels have various entertainment and leisure facilities, she wouldn't be bored.

"Okay." She obediently agreed.

It was the first time she accompanied her brother to socialize, and she felt a bit uncomfortable inside. She didn't show it on the outside, playing the role of a polite and modest younger sister, letting her brother take the lead.

What surprised her more was how effortlessly Xiang Zhishi socialized with these so-called big shots in the entertainment industry, getting along extremely well.

After a while, she made an excuse and stepped out.

The first-floor banquet hall was lively, seeming to be hosting some kind of gathering. She walked over.

The service staff at the entrance saw her attire and opened the door for her.

She waved her hand slightly, turned back, and walked away. There was a small flower hall nearby, seemingly deserted, and upon entering, she was greeted by a floor-to-ceiling window, framing a view of the river outside.

Xiaoyuan realized she had forgotten to bring her coat, so she didn't go far. She took out a coconut candy from her handbag, sat down, played on her phone for a while, and heard footsteps behind her.

"Um, sister, I can't go back yet. There's a gathering to attend. About my book 'Zui Xiaoyao [Drunken Wanderer]'... Yeah, that book got bought... Of course, I want to be the screenwriter. I don't want others to mess with my book!"

The light in the flower hall was not dim. She saw a man who was probably not yet thirty, young and handsome, with deep peach blossom eyes that were incredibly profound, not showing any pretentiousness but rather exuding a sunny boyish charm.

He was on the phone and looked surprised when he saw her.

Xiaoyuan blinked.

He glanced at her several times, waved and smiled, a form of greeting.

Continuing his call, he said, "By the way, sister, is Tangtang asleep? Oh, Tang Zhao is with her? Okay then..."

"Hey, wait, don't hang up yet... I just remembered something... Did the diapers I bought for Tang Tang arrive last time?"

Whatever was said on the other end made his expression freeze for a moment. He touched his nose and awkwardly replied, "Ah, kids in elementary school don't need diapers anymore... How would I know..."

"Alright, alright, then I'll play with Tangtang when I get back to Xiangcheng. Yes, yes, I'm bothering your family of three! Seriously, I am an uncle, you know?"

"Okay, bye!"

Finally finishing his call, he looked over at Xiaoyuan, "HI!"

He was quite friendly.

Xiaoyuan nodded, smiled, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Wait, wait," the man sized her up, the admiration in his eyes undisguised, "Sorry to intrude, but may I ask, are you an actress?"

His eyes were clear and pure, without any lecherous feeling. As he approached, there was a faint scent of cologne, not overpowering. Xiaoyuan replied, "Sort of."

Seeing her acknowledgment, his eyes brightened even more. "Nice to meet you, I'm Shi Hai. Can I have your business card?"

.......

"...Are all writers this strange?" Xiaoyuan walked out of the flower hall and searched online for "Canghai Yisu"."

"Wow, he really is a big shot."

Not just any big shot. He was a platinum-level writer on Hongxiu Network, known for works mainly in the fantasy and martial arts genres.

Two of his books had been adapted into film and TV with huge success, propelling many young actors to fame, and even veteran actors gained popularity from his scripts.

She had been too fixated on acting in movies before and hadn't paid much attention to TV dramas, so she wasn't well-informed on these matters.

She checked the crew of these two shows on Douban, and his pen name was listed in the screenwriter section.

He seemed quite interested in her, talked to her for quite a while, and asked for her business card, saying he would consider her for suitable roles.

Earlier, she had been skeptical, but since she had Xiang Zhishi's business card in her small bag, she gave him one. Given that her resources were currently blocked, she didn't hold much hope.

Just as she was thinking, someone familiar entered her field of vision.

It was Wang Ji.

The young man had a supermodel-like figure with fair skin. The white shirt inside his black suit jacket was unbuttoned at the top two buttons, exuding a mix of youthful and mature male hormones.

He followed behind a lady dressed in a high-end suit with exquisite makeup as they turned into another lounge.

Xiaoyuan had no time to hesitate even for half a second and followed directly.

Instead of entering, the two stood in the adjacent lounge talking.

Xiaoyuan dared not get too close and, using the cover of the nearby green plants and a slightly taller hibiscus, stealthily observed.

The lady was of average height, her high heels quite high, her hair neatly combed back, looking very neat and tidy.

"I heard Wang Ji is Wei Zhuang's lover," she recalled the gossip Lu Jingnian had shared with her.

Wang Ji was here? So this must be the legendary Wei Zhuang?

How should she put it? She felt a bit ordinary, and he looks nothing like Wei Jiabao.

"Assistant Gao, I would like to request another meeting with President Wei." Wang Ji said, knowing he was taller than most and currently needed something from her. He didn't stand up straight, and his tone was very earnest.

"Mr. Wang, as far as I know, President Wei has no intention of meeting with you." Assistant Gao replied with a professional smile.

"Assistant Gao," Wang was unwilling to give up, "President Wei only met me once."

He said once, but in reality, it was only five minutes, no, did he even have five minutes?

Wang Ji thought back to that night, which seemed like a chance from heaven. He didn't even know who the other person was, he was only informed by his agent to go to a presidential suite.

He took a shower, washing very carefully and thoroughly, and changed into a bathrobe. The robe was custom-made, made of pure silk, with a faint scent of high-end perfume.

He anxiously waited for a long time, but the other party did not show up.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he remembered what his agent had told him, "Use all means to win that person's favor. As long as that person is willing, you won't have to worry about anything, everything will be yours."

The excitement hidden in his agent's cautious words stirred his own anticipation. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling mirror, assessing himself beneath the bathrobe. He was confident in his looks, but at that moment, he started to feel uneasy.

Was his hair too long? His stubble seemed a bit unkempt, and the shape of his abs didn't look quite right.

At that moment, someone entered the room.

He turned towards the door.

Under the crystal chandelier, a woman stood there.

She was wearing a black men's suit, her facial expression indifferent, her black eyes deep, lips slightly curled, giving off an air of disdain towards everything.

Wang Ji's mind went blank, and even his breathing stopped.

She was looking at him, yet seemed to not be looking at him, not approaching him, just standing there.

Wang Ji was stunned for who knows how long before he hurriedly approached her, "You, you..."

He couldn't even string together basic sentences.

Without waiting for him to speak, the woman had already turned away. Her aura was too strong, leaving Wang Ji hesitating and unable to follow, only able to watch her slender legs outlined by the black trousers walk away step by step.

Ten minutes later, Assistant Gao came in and had him sign a 'Confidentiality Agreement.'

The contract stated that as long as he didn't disclose tonight's events, he would receive two medium-sized investments in film and television resources. He had no say in the choice of resources, only the right to accept.

He signed it.

As expected, producers for TV dramas soon approached him.

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