Chapter 80 80 Deep-seated Flaws
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After the television was muted, it was as if the whole world had quieted down, with only the faint sound of a stream.
She had never been to such a secluded place before. She wouldn't dare come alone; if she got lost, her phone would run out of battery, and she could wander forever without ever meeting a stranger.
After finishing his breakfast, he rinsed his cup and went into the bedroom. Wen Yining was fiddling with her old phone in the living room, but she wasn't having a good time.
Several cracks ran from the bottom to the top of the screen, all because that jerk insisted on video chatting with her while showering. She dropped it in the shower. When we get back, we'll have to get a new one. Once you get used to a new phone, this old one just just doesn't feel right.
Bored, Fang Nong scrolled through the chat history in the crew's group chat. She sent a friend request, hesitated for a second, and then accepted it.
Can you come back tomorrow?
【Um. 】
Fang Nong sent several mirror selfies. The background was the film crew's dressing room, right next to her usual seat. The lip gloss on the table was open. The focus was on her makeup and the dress she was wearing, which were almost identical to her outfit in the movie.
The dress was a costume she had worn. Her hair was long and curly black, and she wore exaggerated earrings and jewelry. Facing the camera, her face was radiant, her eyes full of ambition, and her straight neck conveyed both pride and stubbornness.
Undeniably, Fang Nong also fits the character in the script.
Wen Yining stared silently at the screen, zooming in little by little. Her heart skipped a beat as she instantly understood the other person's intention. Undeterred, she still wanted to try out the makeup and outfit of the female lead. She was unwilling to be a supporting role, and even more unwilling to have a small role.
Fang Nong continued sending messages: "I tried Xiaoying's makeup today. Actually, her style of dress is quite different from mine, but after she changed into this long dress, the director and producer were quite amazed."
[I heard you were hesitant for a while because your boyfriend didn't agree to you acting, right? But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that countless people would want. Compared to your classmates, you're really lucky.]
...
She often envies the children of celebrities, whose parents pave the way for them early on. With their parents' status, they can easily gain fans just by showing their faces.
Wen Yining's fingers went cold. She typed a line in the chat box, then deleted it. In the end, striving for opportunities and roles is normal in any field; it all comes down to using different methods.
By now, Cheng Yuzhou should be sober. He made a voice call, and it was the second time the other end answered. A slightly hungover voice asked, "Wen Yining? What time is it? Are you alright?"
"Boss, you haven't gone to the company yet?"
I heard the sound of the blankets being turned over, the phone was hung up, and a video call came in. I was worried about her.
Wen Yining saw Cheng Yuzhou rubbing his temples, looking exhausted, and asked, "Where have you guys been? Where's that bastard Shen Yueze?"
He went to his room.
Wen Yining got up from the sofa and went to the courtyard. The camera flipped to show him the surrounding primeval forest and bamboo sea, as well as streams and waterfalls. "But I don't know the exact location. I fell asleep on the way."
"Is this a paradise? The scenery is nice, but you guys are acting like you're on vacation. I almost rear-ended him yesterday, thinking he might have some violent tendencies in bed. I hope he doesn't kill you..."
"This has happened in the company before. The girl was young and wanted to marry a big shot. Money isn't that easy to earn. In the end, she was sent to the hospital in the middle of the night. They had something stuck in her... and they couldn't get it out. She bled a lot."
He earnestly warned: "Many men are perverts, especially rich and powerful men."
Wen Yining's ears turned red, and she didn't want to talk about this in detail. When he was in a bad mood, he did not distinguish between right and wrong, but it was not to the point of using tools, which was within her tolerance.
There's another important point I haven't mentioned: "Don't forget about Shi Yuheng's film." "Don't worry, don't worry, he won't replace you. He promised me that. But the competition is really fierce. A while ago, Shen Yueze also wanted to get you a good role in Nie Qiu's film. He said he would give you a chance, but then... well, never mind."
Cheng Yuzhou held the cat in his arms. It was a tabby cat, and it was restless. It stayed for a few seconds before trying to leave, looking unwilling to be petted.
She was a little surprised, but still calmly replied, "If it doesn't work out, then so be it. Shi Yuheng is a good guy, and he's very demanding."
Wen Yining knew nothing about this; he hadn't mentioned it, and she hadn't asked.
Film investment isn't just about a few hundred thousand or a few million. Even if you invest tens of millions, you might not have a say in the business. Besides, famous directors' films never lack investors.
There are quite a few young masters and princesses who bring their own investment to TV dramas, but their roles are not very important. The main characters are basically famous, especially for big projects, which dare not use newcomers as the main actors.
Simply throwing money at the problem can be useful, but not very effective; a combination of capital and connections is necessary to succeed.
If Shen Yueze were to invest tens of millions for her, she would still feel that she wasn't worth that much. The drama and the movie couldn't be released immediately, and if something unexpected happened in the middle, or if she was unlucky, she might lose everything.
There are countless films that have been shelved for five or six years and still can't be broadcast.
She accepts gifts and pocket money without a second thought, since she's already given in bed with him.
Moreover, Cheng Yuzhou had told her that film and television investment was not easy to make money. Apart from money laundering, the production costs of a drama were too high, and more than half of them resulted in losses, which was like gambling.
The process is also lengthy, involving editing, censorship approval, and release. It can take several years for the funds to be recouped, which is too slow.
Shen Yueze could use this money to invest in other things, anything, and it would be more profitable than film and television.
Cheng Yuzhou frowned and thought for a while. Seeing that she didn't want to stay there, he said, "Can you get a taxi here? If not, just sneak back."
“I checked, but it won’t work. It’s too far away. He said his car ran out of gas, but I don’t know if it’s true or not.”
"So what are you eating?"
"It seems to be a guesthouse, and it's quite far from the center, so he had it delivered here."
Wen Yining continued to take pictures of the area her camera could capture. Just as she had said, there was no sign of human habitation nearby; it was all forest and bamboo groves, and the sound of waterfalls flowing in the nearby canyon could be heard.
"Say something nice about him,"
Cheng Yuzhou roughly knew where this place was, but Shen Yueze wouldn't let him go, so there was nothing he could do. Just like last night, he even crashed into that Porsche 911. "I sent my car to be repaired, and they thought I had been in a car accident and asked how I crashed it."
Wen Yining felt a little guilty when she thought about the car model. "Maybe he'll compensate you when he's in a better mood."
"Money is a small matter, there's insurance, as long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
Cheng Yuzhou held his head and said, "After I fell asleep, I had a dream. Damn, it scared me to death. I dreamt that you were murdered."
...
Wen Yining leaned on the table, chin in hand, lost in thought, her mind a jumble of thoughts. After listening, she chuckled and asked listlessly, "How was she murdered?"
"Aren't there guys who killed two wives and got away with it? There are just too many weirdos out there. They're cold-blooded and inhuman to begin with. Let me tell you, that guy XX, his company has a lot of idols, and he regularly sends them to the big boss, who gets a villa with really good privacy."
"Before entering, you have to be searched. Electronic devices are not allowed. I heard that once someone died while playing, but they said it was suicide. They paid the parents money afterward to cover it up. But it's much better than in South Korea, where there are far more suicides."
"How much money did you lose?"
"It must be at least a million, otherwise why would they be happy to do it? But to be honest, what kind of good parents would let their kids, who are still minors, start working on their own at fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen?"
“If you truly care, how could you bear to let your child suffer? You just treat them as money-making machines, and once you get the money, you don’t care anymore.”
Lacking both love and money, they are particularly prone to going astray.
"The one on the table yesterday looked more normal?"
Cheng Yuzhou's worries were not unfounded. She had heard similar stories before, but for some reason, she had an inexplicable dependence on Shen Yueze in this regard.
"That's because their true nature hasn't been revealed yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly walked out of the bedroom, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cup. He was shirtless, his figure smooth and sexy, his waist slender, and the drawstring of his casual pants swayed with his steps. He glanced at her indifferently, sat down on the sofa, and waited for her to bring dinner without asking any questions.
Wen Yining remembered that he was in neutral. His pants were loose, so she couldn't tell. She just felt that he had rested quite well yesterday, at least much better than her. He was calm and lazy, like he was on vacation.
On the open-air balcony, with the windows open, she leaned back with her back to the outdoors, her elbows resting on the railing. Her black hair was being blown by the refreshing mountain breeze. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, and the cool breeze was invigorating. If it weren't for the fact that hundreds of people from the film crew were waiting for her, she would have been happy to stay here for a few more days. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, her restless heart seemed to be calming down.
His gaze was on the screen. When the other party asked for the specific route, he replied with a voice message, his voice a little hoarse and weary.
She didn't even bother to look up. "They're talking badly about me."
Wen Yining felt that his voice was very sexy in bed. When he wasn't in a good mood, he didn't talk much, and almost all of his words were lewd.
"I have to be back before eight o'clock tomorrow morning; I've already promised the production team."
He patted the spot next to the sofa, indicating that she should sit down.
Cheng Yuzhou on the other end of Wen Yining's phone was still rambling on, but it was all about the entertainment industry. She replied perfunctorily, "Let's talk about it when we get back, boss."
After the video call ended, the living room returned to silence.
He said lazily, "We'll see how you do."
"What's the meaning?"
As soon as Wen Yining sat down, she felt a sudden panic. She stared intently at him, as if she needed his permission to leave.
She thought Cheng Yuzhou was exaggerating.
He casually tossed his phone, which landed lightly on the coffee table. The black phone slid a few centimeters and stopped at the edge. He said calmly, "You were drinking and holding hands with someone else behind my back. I'm being nice by not messing with you."
"What was it last night?"
Wen Yining suspected he was on drugs, as he smelled of alcohol on him. She wasn't sure if he had been drinking, but he had clearly just come from a drinking party.
"The 'doing' I'm talking about isn't this kind of 'doing'."
"..."
In her confused state, she was forced to say a lot of dirty jokes. She felt that was enough. Even if she was angry, she should have calmed down by now. The obvious pinch marks would make others think it was abusive.
/
After the items were delivered, she was the first to open them and start looking through them. There were several trendy brand T-shirts, casual pants, cargo pants, jeans, etc. that he often wore...
There was also a bunch of food: fruit, steak, eggs, bread, pasta... all the easy-to-make kind. The only thing missing was her clothes. Wen Yining threw a peach that had rolled off the shelf at him, almost hitting him, and said indignantly, "Why aren't there any for me? Didn't I tell you?"
"I forgot."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Since waking up, it's been like a vacuum, and I still have to walk around in front of him. I'm not used to this feeling.
He took the ingredients out of the packaging bag, glanced at her long legs and noticed the bruises above her knees, and said, "Go barefoot, it'll be more convenient."
What it's convenient for is obvious.
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A note from the author:
Sorry, my darlings! 30 red envelopes!
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Someone just asked about the reason for the contradiction.
The beginning of this chapter explains
We also need to consider their inherent weaknesses.
Shen Yueze only likes her, not loves her. If Ning were to ask him for something, he would consider giving it to her (through a transaction), but Ning has never asked for much money or resources.
He didn't offer it voluntarily. Reason 1: In his mind, for the first few months, buying some luxury goods and giving some pocket money is enough. After a long time, after dating for several years, he will give big items like cars and houses (but depending on how much he likes them).
Reason 2: Subconsciously, he didn't want to keep her with money, and didn't want to treat it as a transaction.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, he always felt that it was perfectly acceptable for girls to be after money.
But after falling for her, I'm conflicted because I don't want her to only be after my money. [laughing and crying emoji]
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Neither of them are the type to blindly give their all.
In Ning's mind, Shen Yueze is a typical person who is not suited for a stable life. [laughing and crying emoji]
If it's just about sleeping together, she'd choose him without hesitation, but a long-term relationship isn't feasible; she can't control him. She needs to find an honest man.
With Ze, she was the one who went along with Ze; with others, it was others who fawned over her.
But deep down, she's also attracted to strong, assertive men; it's a physiological attraction (this is related to genes and is almost impossible to change).
He also felt that Ning was not suitable for marriage (of course, he hadn't considered it yet).
These psychological traits, or rather, inherent weaknesses, are crucial to all subsequent choices; after all, character determines destiny.
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