Chapter 160 Danger [VIP]

Chapter Summary: There's a saying, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets."

At the victory celebration banquet.

Surrounded by admirers, Mu Zhi barely got to eat a few bites of food. Wave after wave of people came up to toast her, showering her with compliments—some sincere, some obviously flattering, and some exaggerated praise.

Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai, who were sitting next to Mu Zhi, waited until each group of people finished offering their toasts.

Only then did they begin to tell Mu Zhi about their feelings while sitting in the audience that evening.

Zhou Jingzhu said enviously, "Zhizhi, you looked absolutely stunning tonight."

With a touch of melancholy, she said, "If you had debuted with us back then, I wonder what Five Flowers would be like now."

The next second he laughed again: "However, now that you're a top-tier actor, your future prospects are even better."

Gold shines wherever it is.

Liu Cai praised him earnestly, saying, "Your performance tonight was wonderful, congratulations."

Mu Zhi clinked glasses with them: "I'm so glad you came."

When asked what his thoughts were after the successful conclusion of the birthday party,

"Relaxed?" That was Mu Zhi's first thought.

Her schedule has been packed for the past two months. She has been practicing singing and dancing intensely, pushing her limits and challenging herself, all in an effort to give her fans a perfect performance.

The "performance" is now over.

She felt as relaxed as an actor standing in front of the camera hearing the director yell "Cut! That's a wrap!"

After using this stage to officially say goodbye to my idol Mu Zhi, from now on I will only be actress Mu Zhi.

The celebration banquet has ended.

Ji Binghe personally drove Mu Zhi home.

Mu Zhi had a feeling that her agent had something to say to her.

Sure enough, on the way back...

When they were waiting at a red light for a minute and a half, Ji Binghe spoke up.

"The birthday party tonight was a great success."

"An hour ago, I received a strong invitation from a shopping platform for their 618 gala. I bet you'll get invitations from all the major TV stations for this year's New Year's Eve gala, and even offers to release a single for you, etc..."

"The person in charge of the planning team that we collaborated with for this birthday party was very enthusiastic tonight, chatting with me about plans to 'go on a concert tour.' Zhizhi, backstage tonight, did you have any ideas about developing in that direction?"

The light turned green, and Ji Binghe stepped on the gas, driving the car forward.

Mu Zhi quickly replied, "No."

Mu Zhi went online to browse some netizens' and fans' comments on her performance tonight.

There was a lot of praise.

Most of these praises probably come from "surprise," as people didn't expect her dancing, singing, and overall stage performance to be of this caliber.

Because she had been away from the stage for four years, many people had no concept of Mu Zhi standing on the stage, so they were amazed when they saw her stage performance.

In fact, the five songs were the result of Mu Zhi's two months of intensive practice, and they were her limit.

If she were to participate in another talent show, it would be very difficult for her to deliver a high-quality and outstanding performance in just a few days, and she might not be able to match tonight's level.

She is very clear about her abilities, what she is good at, and what she is not good at.

A person's energy is limited. Actress Mu Zhi's filming work and other schedules have almost taken up all her time, leaving her no time for a personal life.

I never thought about developing a career in film, television, and music.

I won't let tonight's flattery go to my head and make me think I'm awesome.

Ji Binghe breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Zhizhi, you're very clear-headed."

As Ji Binghe drove with her eyes fixed on the road ahead, she sighed, "There's a saying, 'The higher you climb, the colder it gets.' In this industry, it's very dangerous for an artist like you who has achieved a certain level of fame and status, with a bright future ahead of you."

This danger comes from the environment; you'll be watched by many people. A whirlpool might appear at any moment, and a slight misstep could send you tumbling into the abyss.

It also stems from within herself. Mu Zhi is now strong enough that her team members obey her every command, and everyone she encounters at work praises, flatters, and fawns over her. It's easy for her to become arrogant and lose herself.

Staying true to oneself and remaining true to one's original aspirations, remaining untainted by the mud, requires a strong will.

Mu Zhi: "Sister Ji, thank you. I will stay alert at all times."

No one is invincible.

Mu Zhi imagined it: In the original world, she successfully won the Best Actress award, felt that she had proven herself to her mother, and became a first-line actress, and her career would develop further.

Her next goal is definitely to become a triple crown actress and surpass her mother.

Maybe I really will drift away, maybe I'll go crazy.

The current Mu Zhi has experienced death once and been reborn.

Living in this parallel world, she sometimes feels like an alien, lacking a sense of belonging and having no interest in luxury or indulgence.

I'm not interested in the fame and fortune in the entertainment industry.

Although she was focused on filming, she was never some innocent, naive girl.

With two lifetimes of experience in the entertainment industry, Mu Zhi has encountered all sorts of people, heard and learned about many of the industry's dirty secrets, and has many cautionary tales to learn from.

She will protect herself.

Ji Binghe was relieved to hear that.

She has witnessed Mu Zhi climb from a newcomer to where she is today. Outsiders may think Mu Zhi is lucky, but as her manager, she knows very well how much Mu Zhi has sacrificed and how difficult it has been for her to get to where she is today.

Mu Zhi has not yet truly reached the highest peak.

Ji Binghe hopes that Mu Zhi will not only stop here, but continue to move forward and see even more beautiful scenery.

They took Mu Zhi back to the Donghua Mansion residential area.

Happy birthday, Zhizhi.

"You've worked hard these past few days, now you should get some rest."

"Okay, Sister Ji, drive carefully on your way back."

Mu Zhi waved and stood there watching her agent's car drive away.

Then he walked towards the elevator.

I'm home.

Mu Zhi took out her phone and glanced at the time; there was still half an hour until midnight.

She was indeed feeling a bit tired and was about to put down her phone to take a shower and rest.

I received a message from He Zhiyue.

[He Zhiyue] Teacher Mu, are you back? Screenwriter Yan's new draft of the script is out.

After their last meeting in Hengcheng, Mu Zhi read the script for the company's film project and offered some of her own ideas.

Was this revised based on her suggestions?

Before Mu Zhi could reply, He Zhiyue sent over the electronic version of the script.

Mu Zhi sat down on the sofa.

When she first received He Zhiyue's message, her first thought was that he would ask her to meet him under the pretext of the script.

But he didn't; he simply sent over the script.

They were acting like they were discussing business.

Then another message came through.

[He Zhiyue] Teacher Mu, I have finished reading the new script. If you have any questions, please let me know.

[He Zhiyue][Document] This is the list of directors, actors, and film crew to be invited. Teacher Mu is welcome to give feedback.

Mu Zhi didn't plan to stay up all night to read the new script, thinking she would read it tomorrow.

But a document that He Zhiyue sent later piqued her curiosity, and she pointed at it with her index finger.

After opening the file, as He Zhiyue said, it was a list of proposed invitees. For example, the director section listed the names of several well-known directors in the industry.

Does that mean she can offer her opinion on which director she wants to work with?

Is He Zhiyue trying to involve her in the entire process of preparing this film project for Lanxing Media? She's making it seem like the film is tailor-made for her and that she's the best fit for the project.

And the time the file was sent.

It's hard not to think of it another way: He Zhiyue is here to discuss business with her, or is he giving her a... birthday present?

He seemed certain that she wouldn't accept any physical gifts he gave her.

So they tried to find ways to give her "gifts" that she couldn't refuse, in a roundabout way.

Mu Zhi hadn't yet decided whether or not to take on this role from Lanxing Media.

She replied to He Zhiyue truthfully, stating that he shouldn't have sent her the later document and that she wouldn't participate in any other preparatory matters for the film project.

Muzhi's contract with Lanxing Media will expire at the end of next year.

Filming for this movie is expected to begin in the first half or middle of next year.

So it's not as simple as just taking on a role in a movie.

He Zhiyue, on the other end of the chat box, seemed to have guessed Mu Zhi's concerns.

I sent several messages in a row to explain.

[He Zhiyue] Don't overthink it. This drama is no different from the ones you've done before.

[He Zhiyue] Even if Teacher Mu chooses not to renew his contract with Lanxing Media by the end of next year, since the senior management team at Lanxing Media and I have decided to choose this script and believe in it.

[He Zhiyue] Then Teacher Mu is the best choice, nothing more.

[He Zhiyue] Don't feel burdened.

Mu Zhi looked bewildered.

He Zhiyue meant that he wouldn't use this movie to force her to renew her contract with Lanxing Media if she accepted the role.

Regardless of whether she renews her contract or not, Lanxing Media has decided to pursue this film project, so as long as Mu Zhi is willing, she will be the lead actress.

[He Zhiyue] You must be very tired tonight, get some rest.

[He Zhiyue] After you finish reading the script, you can come to the company to discuss it in detail when you have time.

[He Zhiyue] Goodnight, Teacher Mu.

Mu Zhi replied to He Zhiyue with a "Goodnight".

Although there's still a year and a half left, it's time to put renewing the contract with Lanxing Media on the agenda and think about it carefully. Mu Zhi thought to herself.

The following day at noon.

Mu Zhi opened her eyes and met the blinding, scorching sunlight streaming in through the window.

I was stunned for a moment.

The sun seems to be hanging very high in the sky.

I picked up my phone from the bedside table and was shocked to see that it was already noon.

No wonder the sun was so bright.

Last night, after saying goodnight to He Zhiyue, it was already midnight.

After washing up, she finally had time to surf the internet.

I didn't fall asleep until 1:30.

I'm probably just too tired lately.

I slept until this time.

Mu Zhi quickly got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom.

The next film, "Safe Evacuation of All Personnel," is expected to begin filming at the end of July.

For the next month or so, Mu Zhi has no other commitments and will enter a period of seclusion to read scripts and study her character.

Before going into seclusion, Mu Zhi planned to take a week-long trip with her team as a perk for everyone to relax.

However, she had to read the script before going on the trip.

After lunch, Mu Zhi printed out the new script that her boss, He Zhiyue, had sent her the night before and bound it according to the page numbers.

She likes to read printed scripts.

After reading the script, Mu Zhi found that her previous suggestions had been adopted, and the revised script suited her taste even better.

The script and the role were tailor-made for her; she simply couldn't say no to the script...

Mu Zhi plans to go to the company tomorrow to discuss the film project with He Zhiyue in person.

That afternoon, however, a major event occurred.