Chapter 32
The person sitting in the fluffy chair unconsciously rubbed the paper cup with their fingertips. Their heartbeat was like a clock that had missed a beat, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. They stared at a group photo on the table, lost in thought. Was that Vice President Li and his girlfriend in the photo?
Business is the priority. Recalling Sister Song's advice, Vice President Li is a very direct person. She speaks and acts directly and is easy to get along with. She chose to sign with Yunfan because Yunfan is already a very good company in the complex industry environment.
The main reason for her visit was to help Sister Song find suitable roles for her to enter the industry. However, where would she find resources suitable for an unknown amateur like herself? And now her family needs money, so she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. You must be Ruan Xingran? The new recruit Sister Song is mentoring?"
"Hello, Vice President Li, I am Ruan Xingran."
Looking at the somewhat awkward girl sitting in the chair, Li Miao realized that, just as Sister Song had said, those who could be selected by talent scouts from ordinary people were indeed good-looking and had a temperament that fit the image of a pure, elegant, and resilient little white flower. But this kind of girl was more in demand.
"You have two supporting roles in dramas. We can arrange for you to join the cast with your own investment. If you can make a good impression on the audience, things will be much better later. Sister Song should have already shown you the role. It's not very complicated. It's just a nice but superficial character. It's not a deep character, but it's very likable. You can get some acting training. Do you have any other requests?"
Can you even ask me to calculate your wages first? Listening to what Vice President Li said, Ruan Xingran knew that this was already a very good offer. She was an ordinary person with no fame or professional skills. She didn't have to struggle as an extra. The company directly paid her to debut as a supporting actress. There weren't many 'rules' involved. But considering her family situation and the increasingly aggressive attitude, Ruan Xingran took a deep breath.
“Vice President Li, this is already good enough, I know that, but my family situation is a bit special and urgent right now. I came to the entertainment industry to try my luck for this reason, so, could I…”
"How much money do you need to solve your current problems?" Interrupted, Ruan Xingran stared blankly at the person sitting at the desk.
“I know you want to get an advance, but you’re not producing anything right now, and the company is spending money to promote you. How can you expect an advance? It’s pointless to make long-term plans with someone who’s about to starve. All I’m saying right now is just empty promises to you. But we’re not doing charity, so let’s solve the problem and talk about the terms. How much do you need?”
"Thank you, Vice President Li."
"No need to thank me. Who knows, maybe the show will become a hit? Maybe you'll break out of the industry? Let's settle your matter first with this money, and then we can talk about the rest. After all, audience appeal is unpredictable. I'm just trying to reassure you so you won't jump ship once you become famous. We'll see how things go after the show airs. If it's good, we won't exploit you. We'll draft a new contract with you, and the terms will be better than they are now. The main thing is that the signing period will change, and the company will at least recoup its costs. Any questions?" Li Miao said, eating the small cake she had bought, seemingly chatting casually.
Ruan Xingran finally understood what Sister Song meant by being direct. She was not in a position to negotiate terms, but the company did not kick her while she was down by forcing a contract. Instead, they resolved her problems, reassured her, and even promoted her. They were betting on her to become famous and keep her here. Wasn't this the best option for her right now?
"Thank you, Vice President Li, that's fine."
"That's good. Go find Sister Song then, and remember to close the door when you leave."
"They're kicking people out like that?" Ruan Xingran realized once again what directness meant. After Ruan Xingran became famous, she wondered when the change in her destiny began. She thought it was probably at this moment. She didn't even say two words the whole time. She was direct and efficient, without any wrangling. It was a win-win situation for her and the company. She didn't embark on another predetermined path, which was something she didn't want to.
As soon as Ruan Xingran left the office, she saw the other protagonist in the photo on her desk in the hallway. He was walking with their company's "number one female star." After glancing at him curiously, Ruan Xingran went to find his agent.
After Li Miao and the others left, she began to make arrangements for her date. It had been two years, and she was doing very well at work now, so she could break away from Guan Shiyun. If that was the case, would Guan Shiyun, that bad woman, be able to rest easy?
Finally, she could take their relationship to the next level. Li Miao imagined herself in a dreamlike state, and couldn't help but lick her lips. She had been drooling over Guan Shiyun for so long, and now her wish had finally come true. Otherwise, she would have teased Guan Shiyun until she was all wet and ignored her. After the anniversary, she would see what excuse Guan Shiyun, that bad woman, would have to pester her every day and make her compensate her, double the compensation. Perfect.
——
Guan Shiyun looked at the person in front of her with utter helplessness. Qiu Xue had told her that she absolutely had to see her to discuss the contract terms, except that she wouldn't talk to Qiu Xue. "Well then," she thought, "we'll talk about it. We'll agree on something mutually beneficial." Before coming, she texted Li Miao, saying she'd bring some dessert so she could check on the cat at work.
Li Miao, who was enjoying dessert, rushed over immediately after seeing Guan Shiyun's message and waited outside. Yu Chuyao herself didn't know why she came to Yunfan; perhaps it was for a short rest, or perhaps it was indeed the best choice in terms of her interests.
"It's really not easy to meet with Mr. Guan. May I ask him a question after we finish discussing business?"
"Business is settled, then I wish us a pleasant cooperation. Ms. Yu, I'll be leaving now." Upon hearing this, Guan Shiyun automatically ignored it. She was joking; if she didn't leave now, would she expect the cat squatting outside with a serious expression to get angry?
Some people automatically block others, after all, it took a lot of effort to finally meet the person.
"I'm so bad, and my reputation is so bad, why would President Guan still help me? After all, President Guan has also suffered losses from me, hasn't he?" "You said it yourself, I only suffered losses from you. Whether you are bad or not is for the police to judge. These are two separate things and do not constitute a causal relationship."
Yu Chuyao looked at this woman, who still had that gentle and mild demeanor. Her nonchalant attitude was annoying, making her want to tear off the mask and see what was hidden behind it. She never thought that any of her choices were wrong. It didn't matter if 99 out of 100 people said she was wrong. What did she need those things for—character, reputation?
As she sat by the roadside, pondering how to save money on her next meal, she couldn't see towering buildings or passing cars. All she saw were strings of numbers: 36,000 yuan per square meter, 42,000 yuan per square meter. Here stood over 40 million, there over 60 million, and just a glance around revealed hundreds of millions. A few 150,000-yuan items passed by, a few million more, and many more over 300,000…
She had no tragic past; she simply loved money, purely greedy. She wanted fine clothes, sports cars, villas, and all those numbers on the table—not to sit on the street watching others possess them. Yu Chuyao walked up to Guan Shiyun, step by step, trying to break down Guan Shiyun's mask, to see what she truly was. She had never understood Guan Shiyun before, and she still couldn't. She had never been able to fathom Guan Shiyun.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I resisted that kiss? Ask me if I don't like women? Ask me why I pursued you? Ask me why you helped me afterwards? When the news about the film crew got to you, I thought you would at least ask me if it was true, ask me why I did it, or even ask some stupid question. Or you could come and scold me, call me shameless and ungrateful, or even slap me."
Guan Shiyun glanced back at Yu Chuyao, who was walking slowly towards her. She still had that carefree and disdainful attitude, and every step she took had a unique charm, just like her ambition and every choice she made.
Sexy, alluring, and enigmatic, her unwavering ambition was unstoppable, which was what attracted Guan Shiyun, why she was willing to continue offering help, and also why they ultimately parted ways. Guan Shiyun once couldn't fathom her feelings, and she still can't now.
"All I need to know is that you are resisting."
"What if I said I resist because I like you?"
Guan Shiyun lowered her eyes and smiled softly. This once charming woman, a person who was determined in everything she did, now had a crack in her ambitious eyes.
“Then I would assume that Miss Yu wants to overturn the contract that was just drafted and renegotiate a more favorable condition for you.” Guan Shiyun raised her eyes and looked into those ambitious eyes. Their eyes met, but Yu Chuyao still couldn’t see a crack in her face.
Whether it was because she felt guilty or something else, Yu Chuyao looked away first, but only for a moment, before she resumed her mischievous expression and walked over to open the door to see the person off.
"Mr. Guan is as shrewd as ever, not easily fooled."
"You're not as good as before; you're acting guilty now that you've been exposed."
"It's not that I'm guilty, it's a ploy to lure you in, a strategic retreat. After all, women always do incredibly stupid things for love. Let's see if Mr. Guan is the same way, whether he still has feelings for me, and whether he'll fall for it again. It's both fun and profitable."
Guan Shiyun felt helpless. She was certain that Yu Chuyao didn't like her. The little spark that had been ignited when she first realized her sexual orientation was extinguished when she came to the truth. Looking at that crack, she had originally planned to let her go and help her, but instead she came to provoke her.
Then don't blame her for being blunt and sarcastic, and for daring to flirt with her kitten.
"Chu Yao, ambition is ambition. What are you trying to explain? You went to all that trouble to call me here just to make me see that you're guilty? You're so kind."
Yu Chuyao watched Guan Shiyun turn and leave, then opened the office door. Sure enough, she saw the little cutie waiting outside. She knew this little cutie would be watching her like this. A playful smile played on her lips, and a hint of amusement lingered in her eyes. She had originally intended to let Guan Shiyun go, but Guan Shiyun had actually mocked her before leaving.
Ha, let her go? Impossible. She's just going to cause trouble for this masked monster. Anyway, she can't see what's behind the mask, so why should we let her go? Go home and mess around.
"Guan Shiyun, I like you. Kiss me again and let's get back together, okay?"
The demonic sound came from behind, so shocking it left her speechless! Looking at the kitten outside the door, Guan Shiyun's gentle face couldn't hold back any longer. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then turned to look at Yu Chuyao with a questioning expression. That woman was acting the same way again, the cracks in her eyes were gone. But what was this "Farmer and the Snake"? Guan Shiyun's inner monologue burst out of the book; she really couldn't hold back anymore and exploded.
"Are you a dog? Do you have any manners? You repay kindness with enmity, you snake woman, are you sick?"
Taking advantage of the instant the mask cracked open, Yu Chuyao rushed over and planted a kiss on the soft strands of hair.
Yu Chuyao ignored Guan Shiyun and the staggering figure she was pushed, fixing her gaze on the cute little girl's face. The cute little girl's face turned red in an instant, and the corners of her mouth finally curled up in a triumphant smile, but she felt it wasn't enough and lightly licked her lips in a provocative manner.
*Slap*—*Slap*—"I'll teach you to think about Guan Shiyun! I'll teach you to think about my girlfriend!"
The crisp sound of a slap accompanied Li Miao's angry roar. Not satisfied with the slap, she pushed the woman and continued to tear at her. The whole scene was chaotic and frantic. The woman who had been slapped laughed wildly, as if she had finally gotten the slap she had been longing for...
"Hahaha…"
Li Miao was furious. The moment the office door opened, she heard what this woman was saying. Before she could even open her mouth to curse, she saw this madwoman kissing Guan Shiyun. She dared to kiss Guan Shiyun! And she did it deliberately in front of her! She was even staring at her defiantly!
Li Miao was absolutely certain that her intuition was correct. This madwoman was still harboring ulterior motives towards Guan Shiyun. Her intuition was definitely not wrong. She was furious! Furious! Guan Shiyun wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. She was going to tie her up and nail her to the bed, and make her talk from dusk till dawn, saying that she only loved her.
She wanted to hide this bad woman away, not letting anyone see her. Guan Shiyun was hers, hers alone.
The commotion didn't spread too far, but a few people still saw it. Qiu Xue sat in her office as if she sensed something, as if someone was saying that she was a heartless good-for-nothing who only cared about gossip.
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