Chapter 36

As expected of a boss, he even comes to work late.

It was almost ten o'clock in the evening when Song Song finally arrived. She picked up the empty cup on Ranlong's table, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Ranlong, long time no see."

The alcohol washed over her, warming her stained eyes. She looked up at Song Song and saw she had changed. From a pure, unpretentious schoolgirl, she had become a graceful, mature woman. She didn't show her emotions, but her smile was the perfect complement. She looked like a grown-up ready to sit down and talk business.

It’s only been a few years, what has Song Song experienced?

Ah, Ranlong forgot again. She was the only one who had remained stagnant for so many years. Everyone else had grown up, but she, the only one who refused to repent, was still acting like a child...

"Long time no see. Are you not acting anymore?" Ranlong asked her.

"Yeah, being an actor is too hard. People like us who have no background or good looks won't make it no matter how hard we work. It's better to open a small shop, right?"

“Hmm…”

Ranlong recalled that Song Song was the most hardworking and ambitious person in her class. If she wanted to play a delivery driver, she would deliver food for a month; if she wanted to play a powerful figure, she would rack her brains to sneak into business banquets.

She works in a bar to earn money, rather than relying on her status as a Jinan Film Academy student to take on unrefined roles. This is because she has a clear bottom line and is selective with roles and scripts. She refuses to take on roles that are vulgar, that have distorted values, or, to put it bluntly, that offer quick cash. But true artistic pursuits are few and far between, and those who rely on film pay for a living simply don't have the luxury of getting involved.

It is a bit sad to see such a persistent person leave this industry.

Perhaps Song Song's approach was wrong from the start. Without capital, connections, or popularity, there's no point in choosing scripts or roles. The right approach is to take whatever roles are available, like Qiu An did, and if you don't have money, just act as a face.

On second thought, Song Song did nothing wrong. The fact that this industry cannot retain people who pursue art is due to the market, and it is what the market deserves.

"You can't drink much, don't drink too much."

Song Song had no intention of greeting Ran Long. After saying this, he walked away with his cup.

Yu Le withdrew his gaze from Song Song and looked at Ran Long, continuing the previous topic: "Have you thought about joining Chiye with a formal contract? Hulu Media is not capable of accommodating your future, so why not take this opportunity to jump to Chiye."

Ranlong didn't answer in a hurry. Instead, he asked her calmly, "Has Rancheng paid off the money he owed Chiye?"

"I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it!" Yu Le patted his thigh. "Your mother, Hu Fanghui, is a very trustworthy person. We have never asked for the debt, and she always remits the money on time."

"So how much is left now?"

"As for what's still owed, it doesn't hurt Chiye at all. It doesn't matter. If you want, you can treat it as a benefit of signing with Chiye. Let bygones be bygones, and write it off. If you're not satisfied with the split of the remuneration, I can help you negotiate a higher ratio."

"Is that so? I understand. I appreciate your kindness..."

"Don't be so quick to refuse." Yu Le interrupted her, "You can go back and think about it carefully. Looking at all the domestic film and television companies and artist management companies, none can compare to Chiye. Everyone has witnessed how many actresses and actors Chiye has produced over the years, as well as how many first-line artists. What's more, Chiye is still in its growth stage. Unlike other leading companies, they squeeze artists, reduce staff, and sell buildings to make ends meet. Even if they occasionally improve, it will only be a sunset."

Hulu Media couldn't offer her anything better. But no matter what, Ranlong wouldn't accept Chiye's offer. If she absolutely had to change jobs, there was a better place.

Doesn’t Qiu An have another studio?

Even if she was exploited by Qiu An, it didn't matter. Qiu An wouldn't treat her badly anyway. After all, Qiu An still had to pretend to be a good daughter in front of Ms. Hu. Oh, even if she stopped pretending one day, Ran Long would intervene and let Ms. Hu see her true face. From then on, she would never recognize a daughter outside. It would be worth it.

Ranlong smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go back and think about it. You can't sign a contract over a drink. I think you're serious this time."

Ranlong said this, turning on her phone to check the time. Seeing this, Yu Le put his arm around her shoulders affectionately and said, "It's still early, why don't you play a little longer? I didn't invite you here just for work. I'll go get Song Song and we can catch up."

"No need, it's almost time for me to go back." Ranlong took Yu Le's hand off her shoulder.

Ranlong had drunk too much to stay here any longer. It wasn't that she wasn't sure about her alcohol tolerance, but four small cocktails were far from enough to make her drunk.

But the alcohol content of the cocktail was unknown, and she was choking on the dried fruit bread. She drank it as if it were water, and didn't notice that the alcohol content of each glass of drink was abnormally high.

At this moment, the aftereffects of the liquor were rising from his stomach to his head. His eyes felt like they were on fire, and he could hardly open them. His mind was torn between sobriety and intoxication, and he was extremely tired.

Even though Song Song was present, Ranlong felt a little uneasy.

She felt like Song Song had changed. It was a change that came from the inside out; appearance wasn't an accomplice but a result.

After graduation, Ranlong's contact with Songsong became less and less frequent, until they finally stopped. Ranlong didn't think much of it, thinking she was just like the others, and seeing her time was running out and no longer useful, he slowly distanced himself from her.

But when they met again this time, Ranlong vaguely felt that the reason why Song Song didn't contact her seemed to be due to herself.

I wonder if the current Song Song will still send me home when I’m drunk like he did back then.

As for Yu Le, Yu Le is the one with bad intentions.

She would only say: "Are you drunk? There is a room upstairs, do you want to go and rest first?"

The room in the private bar, you can figure out what it is used for just by thinking with your lower body.

Even if no one would do anything to her, Ranlong didn't want to lie on the bed sheets where countless people had rolled naked.

This is still the case... "even if".

Ran Long said with disgust, "You really can't change your bad habits. Yu Le, you're still a pimp, right? How could I believe the nonsense of someone like you?"

Ranlong held the cell phone in her hand, and she knew how to dial the emergency number the fastest.

"Oh my! How could you say that to me? You're both a dog and a pimp? I just wanted you to get some rest! Forget it, if you're really worried, I'll let Song Song stay with you, okay?"

Ranlong was drunk, but she hadn't forgotten that this bar was owned by Song Song. She had even hoped that Song Song would take her home. How ridiculous!

Ranlong struggled to stand up, her movements were much faster than expected, as the alcohol had affected her control over her limbs.

After sitting for a long time, he suddenly stood up and felt dizzy. His steps became unsteady and he stumbled into Yu Le's arms, who had already opened his arms.

A gentle force crept up her waist, and Yu Le pinched the flesh there. Ran Long immediately felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

Feel like vomiting.

Yes, just spit it out.

Ranlong immediately opened his mouth and without hesitation, reached into his throat.

Before she could do more than two moves, Yu Le grabbed her hand and said, "Ranran, what are you doing? Vomiting is harmful to your body. You are not that drunk yet, you are just feeling a little uncomfortable. Be obedient and come with me to rest for a while."

"Let me go!" Ranlong shouted.

After hearing this, Yu Le hugged her even tighter: "How can I let go of you like this? Huh? What if you accidentally fall? You are going to join my company and become a big star. You have to take good care of every piece of flesh on your body~"

Yu Le's dirty breath blew onto Ranlong's ears, and the smell of bacteria made Ranlong want to just soak in water and wash it clean.

"Don't touch me! I have the alarm button on my hand and can call the police at any time."

"Why are the police involved?" Yu Le pretended to be surprised. "Okay, okay, I won't touch you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Le suddenly loosened her hand. Her movement was very large, and her hand deliberately hit Ran Long's wrist.

As soon as Ranlong loosened his grip, the phone fell to the ground and flew far away.

Ranlong clenched her teeth tightly. She wanted to pick up the phone, but the tables, chairs and sofas in front of her were all double images. As soon as she took a step, she kicked the corner of the table that appeared out of nowhere.

The alcohol numbed her sense of pain, but her body began to sway unsteadily again. Just before she fell to the ground, Yu Le caught her again.

Even though there was no external force hitting him, the shaking of his head felt like it had been hit hard. He felt dizzy and the whole world was spinning.

Yu Le laid Ranran down on the sofa, stroked her face with his hand, and said kindly, "Don't be so impulsive, Ranran. You really misunderstood. I'm not a pimp."

To show his loyalty, Yu Le picked up Ran Long's phone and put it back in her hand: "Look, I've returned your phone. If anything happens, you can always call the police, right?"

Ranlong was almost fading from consciousness. She opened her eyes only after a long pause, not being able to distinguish who was in front of her for a moment, and nodded obediently.

"So good~"

Yu Le pinched her face, and his long little fingernail scratched her chin.

Suddenly, Ranlong remembered that she would not grow her nails so long.

Qiu An was afraid that her nails would harbor dirt and grime, so she always cut her nails flush with the fingertips, keeping them clean and beautiful.

Also, her perfume is mild and soothing, not so offensive.

Qiu An has a sensitive nose and can't smell anything too pungent.

"Yu Le." Ran Long opened his eyes and held her hand. "I shouldn't have been so impulsive to slap Qiu An before. If I hadn't hit her, I wouldn't have been banned."

Yu Le was surprised, and followed Ran Long's words to comfort her: "It's okay, it's all in the past. I can help you get back what you deserve."

"No, what I meant was that when I was discussing the plan to slap her with you, you should have stopped me. But you didn't. You even encouraged me."

"Yes, it's all my fault. I'll double it back to you later, okay?"

compensate……

Seeing that Ranlong was in a daze, Yu Le took the initiative and held Ranlong's hand, and put his other hand around her waist, holding her in his arms.

The movement of her body made Ranlong feel dizzy again, and her eyes were burning intensely. She felt so uncomfortable that she didn't want to open her eyes...

Yu Le put his nose close to her dyed hair, greedily absorbing the fragrance from her hair.

Ranlong was dressed conservatively and simply today, a round-neck T-shirt and skinny jeans. But that didn't stop Yu Le from pulling out the clothes she had tucked into her pants.