Chapter 32: Excessive fatigue softened...

After the public event concluded, the brand hosted a small dinner party.

Wen Shili doesn't usually like attending these kinds of occasions; the social interactions are more tiring than holding several concerts in a row.

"Mr. Shili, thank you for coming. You've worked hard today." Halfway through the banquet, the brand's CEO, Song Yao, finally took a break, picked up his wine glass, walked over to Wen Shili, and gently clinked glasses with his.

Wen Shili handed the wine glass to the waiter beside him, "I'll be going now if there's nothing else."

Song Yao didn't insist, took a sip of wine, nodded, and said, "Okay, come over to my place sometime?"

“Okay, you can arrange a time with Cao Jun then.”

Cao Jun was enjoying watching his friends' verbal sparring when the flames unexpectedly spread to him. He shrank back and spoke up for himself, "President Song, Brother Li has to fly again soon."

It was past 9:30 p.m. when they came out of the banquet. Since it was close to his parents' residence, Wen Shili had Cao Jun drive the car directly to Rongyuan.

Mother Jian Rong had already retired for the night. Aunt Yun heard the noise and came out of her room. "Xiao Li, you're back?"

Aunt Yun was a long-time housekeeper, efficient, clean, and very tactful. Wen Shili nodded slightly to her, "You go and rest, I'll be upstairs in a bit."

Even though he doesn't stay back for long, his room is always cleaned and spotless.

Rongyuan is very quiet. My father bought a house in this community because he liked the environment. He has lived here for more than ten years, and the pillows and sheets still feel and smell familiar.

I got up very early today. After being under the gaze of everyone all day, I'm finally back in a familiar place and can get a good night's sleep.

But when I closed my eyes, those blurry, tearful eyes were there again.

She looked at him and asked, "Have you ever experienced that feeling where no matter how hard you try, it's all in vain?"

After venting her emotions, she appeared unusually calm, and her tone was light and airy, but he could hear the heavy sadness in her voice.

Perhaps it was because it was so late, and the extreme fatigue had softened his guard. When those eyes looked at him, he forgot to look away.

She was clearly drunk, but as if afraid he would laugh at her, she chuckled softly, avoiding his gaze, and murmured to herself, "From the very beginning, others had already defined your area of ​​activity. And you had absolutely no right to know, how pathetic."

In the end, she didn't want his agreement, and insisted on clinking glasses with him, saying, "Come on, repeat after me: They're blind!"

Wen Shili sat up, rubbing his forehead, and heard Aunt Yun's voice outside the door saying that dinner was ready.

He quickly washed up and walked out of the bedroom. His mother, Jian Rong, was standing downstairs staring at him with a half-smile. "Oh, the big star has come back."

Wen Shili sighed helplessly, "Mom, can't you be normal for once?" This routine has to be repeated every time.

"You brat, you've got some nerve saying your mom's not normal. Don't try to change the subject. Who said they were coming back last time? Did I force you?" Then, without a word, they flew directly to City A, sending a meaningless message just before takeoff.

So you still remember this grudge? Wen Shili said, "I'm just afraid that you'll get tired of me and want to get rid of me again."

Hearing his words, Jian Rong straightened her expression and asked, "Have you thought it through?"

"Yes, that's what we agreed on back then."

"OK, let's wrap this up properly."

-

After the meal, Cao Jun came to pick me up in his car again.

"Brother, I just asked this morning, and the teacher from yesterday is already fully booked. How about we find another photographer for the next event?" If not, he can still try to find another one.

"?" Wen Shili looked up. When did such a trivial matter need to be reported? It's always been his decision.

Cao Jun explained, "I saw that you were quite satisfied with the photos he released yesterday." Not only did the studio release them, but they also posted the photos on their WeChat Moments.

"Oh." Wen Shili seemed to just remember, and said in a low voice, "It's a task given by Song Yao."

"Oh—" Cao Jun understood. "No wonder." This was included in the friend's price.

Cao Jun glanced at his expression; the light blue under his eyes seemed to have deepened a bit, indicating that his schedule had indeed been quite tight lately. Next, there would be another two weeks of non-stop work. He slowed down the car. "Brother, why don't you take a nap first?"

Wen Shili shook his head. "It's okay, drive your car."

His phone vibrated on his lap. He reached for it instinctively, opened WeChat, and saw a message from Song Yao at the top: "Dude, you're a true friend."

Song Yao really didn't expect him to be so helpful. He seemed reluctant at the event, but afterwards he even promoted him on his WeChat Moments.

It's worth noting that Wen Shili's promotional space on his WeChat Moments is only opened up a few times a year, and whether or not it's given to him depends entirely on his preference.

"I'll definitely get them to raise your endorsement fee next year."

Wen Shili replied, "I'll remember that."

Further down were Lin Hao's complaints and Cao Jun's simultaneous announcements...

Wen Shili turned off the screen, pulled down the brim of his hat, and didn't roll it down any further.

-

Throughout the end of July, Sheng Yi was extremely busy.

Hongjie said she would get priority in choosing, which she initially thought was just a polite remark. It wasn't until the resources were poured in that she belatedly realized how special they were.

Regardless of the size of the event, as long as her schedule allows, she'll accept it. She wants to first gain public exposure; other things aren't a priority at the moment.

Even Lao Qian, who only cared about getting his fill, privately told her that it was time to start making plans. He also subtly inquired about how she had gotten on Luo Hongyu's side.

Sheng Yi herself was also confused and didn't want to explain the old grudges to Lao Qian, as she knew he would feel guilty if she did. After exchanging a few casual words, before hanging up, Lao Qian subtly mentioned, "She's not simple behind the scenes."

Sheng Yi said, "Yes, thank you for reminding me. I will make my own judgment."

Regardless of her motives, at least for now, she wants to seize the opportunity presented to her.

With business activities in full swing, Sheng Yi also didn't want to neglect the film and television industry. She would contact any publicly advertised actor recruitment events for suitable roles. In addition, with the inside information from Sister Hong and Lao Qian, she also submitted her resume to some private film production teams.

After finishing one round of work and finally stopping, it suddenly dawned on me that I seemed to have overlooked something important, but I couldn't quite grasp the clue. The next day, I opened my eyes to another non-stop workday.

Each day is divided into segments. She leaves home early in the morning and doesn't return until late at night. In the midst of this real busyness, she feels her own existence with absolute certainty.

Fu Xiaodan is still away on a business trip and sometimes when she gets home she's too lazy to move at all, so Sheng Yi simply buys a few bags of instant food and puts them in the refrigerator. She cooks some noodles, dumplings, or something similar in a small pot, and they can have a meal in no time.

After struggling in the low-end market for a while, Sister Hong somehow landed her a business opportunity with a mid-range luxury brand. The brand was keen to expand into the domestic market and had spent a fortune on advertising. They had recently announced their spokesperson: Xu Jiayi, a rising star who had starred in several hit dramas in recent years. Xu Jiayi's fans were also incredibly supportive, enthusiastically advocating for a powerful collaboration and working together to promote the brand.

Sheng Yi had seen their ads on Weibo before, and she was surprised to find herself participating in their latest event.

The brand clearly valued this event; their brand ambassador was present, the host was a popular female host from Hunan TV, and the guests were top KOLs in the cultural and artistic fields. She, sandwiched among them, could barely be considered a filler. Comparing them side-by-side, Sheng Yi couldn't help but admire Hong Jie's persuasive skills.

She went straight home after the event, and by the time she finished cooking a bowl of noodles, the related trending topics had already reached a high position.

Sheng Yi doesn't have a studio. After the brand released the photos, she picked a few and posted them on her Weibo. Her fans showed their support, and the compliments were different every day. She's gotten a little numb to it lately.

Once a trending topic appears, fans react like parched land receiving rain, showering the trending topic with their carefully selected beautiful pictures.

"Exquisite and beautiful, we cordially invite you to appreciate it."

"Sister is so beautiful!!! I'm screaming like crazy!"

Some passersby were also surprised, "This is Sheng Yi, right? She hasn't been blacklisted yet?"

"She's been very active lately; you can see she posts updates on Weibo almost every day."

"Oh well, I haven't seen it trending in a while."

"To be forgotten is her ultimate fate."

"However, I think she suits K brand style quite well. Xu Jiayi looks too masculine in it."

Whether it was intentional provocation or genuine comments from passersby, the topic veered off course and devolved into a battle between Xu Jiayi's fans and anti-fans. Inevitably, Sheng Yi was also dragged into the fray.

When she refreshed the page again, the trending topics were filled with comments about the poor suddenly becoming rich and others blaming others for their power. Sheng Yi was stunned for a moment before realizing that this referred to her, right?

Sheng Yi's fans finally realized that the situation was turning against them and began to apologize one after another, even urging each other to delete the posts, saying things like, "Baby, be good, think of your sister, if you like it, go to her Weibo or send her a private message."

"I've watched all of Jia Yi's dramas. Her acting is superb, and she's incredibly beautiful! Both of them are wonderful, so please don't be misled."

...

Sigh, Sheng Yi lost interest in watching anymore and silently finished her noodles. When will she be able to stand tall and proud?

After cleaning up the kitchen, I picked up my phone and realized that Xiaoyou had sent several voice messages during that time.

"Oh my god, Yiyi, when did you go to K's event? Congratulations!"

"But you are really too beautiful. Xu Jiayi standing next to you is so embarrassing, hahaha."

Are you free tomorrow? Let's go shopping.

She's been cooped up at home lately and feels like she's going to get moldy all over. Plus, she keeps seeing that annoying guy Lin Hao, which is really taking a toll on her mental health.

Sheng Yi told her that tomorrow's schedule was already set, with two auditions, which were quite far apart, so she probably wouldn't be able to find the time.

Xiaoyou said, "Okay, you're all so busy, I'm the only one who's bored out of my mind."

"You guys?" Sheng Yi asked casually.

“Yeah, even Cao Jun is too busy. It’s hard to find someone to complain to.” She added, “But then again, it’s true, it would be a waste for Shi Li to pay him so much if he was too idle.”

"Oh?" Sheng Yi became a little curious.

Xiao You gave a number, which really surprised Sheng Yi. She thought about asking if she could do it herself, but in the end she didn't continue.

Xiaoyou didn't really have anything on her mind; she just rambled on for a bit and then hung up the phone.

Wen Shili. Xiao You's mention of him made Sheng Yi realize that she hadn't been paying attention to his news for a while.

Opening their chat history, she didn't say anything, and he didn't reply.

My WeChat Moments is also clean; the last post was from several days ago, about the opening of a new store of a luxury brand.

Sheng Yi casually gave it a thumbs up, without making any further effort to gain attention.

The next day, she traveled from the east side of the city to the west side. Two film crews were involved. One was a minor supporting role in a big-name director's crew, with very few scenes. Perhaps because so many people wanted to play it, they simply held an audition and put everyone together for a quick review.

This director has directed many classic plays before, and being selected will help him secure more opportunities in the future.

After auditioning for the renowned director's film in the morning, Sheng Yi grabbed a quick bite at a nearby restaurant before rushing off to her next destination.

The second production team was for a web series. She searched online, but even marketing accounts couldn't find any related information. She auditioned for the fourth female lead, a role that wasn't very big, but at least she had a name and a surname.

When she arrived, she realized that the director wanted to cast new actors, and Sheng Yi had no idea how she, a seasoned veteran, had somehow ended up in the role. Perhaps, in the director's eyes, her previous performances were nothing short of haphazard.

Perhaps because she's been working on a lot of projects lately, she's lost that anxious feeling she used to have. After the interview, she went back to what she was doing. She got home relatively early, so she gathered some ingredients from the fridge and cooked a nice meal.

To be honest, since returning from her aunt's house, she hadn't properly satisfied her appetite for a long time. Fast food and takeout had become her main source of food lately.

Before going to bed, I browsed various apps and saw the news about Wen Shili's concert all over the internet.

It seems that as soon as you pay attention to this name, he will appear in your field of vision in an overwhelming way, stubbornly refusing to give you a moment's respite.