When Jiang Ning and Yan Keyi arrived, quite a few people were already there. Yan Keyi was still a newcomer in the industry, so there was no way she would have seniors come to greet her. Therefore, Jiang Ning was showing Yan Keyi around to meet people.
Fortunately, it wasn't just Wu Jiang who had connections; several other people from the same production crew had also arrived. With their introductions, Yan Keyi wouldn't feel particularly awkward.
"Xiao Yan, come here."
Qin Yiran was chatting with Huang, the assistant director of the program, when she saw Yan Keyi and called her over.
Yan Keyi glanced at Qin Yiran, then at Jiang Ning. Worried that Yan Keyi wouldn't be able to handle things alone, Jiang Ning went with her.
"Teacher Qin, Teacher Huang."
Upon arriving at the two, Jiang Ning greeted them on Yan Keyi's behalf.
Director Huang remained silent, merely observing Yan Keyi and Jiang Ning. But for some reason, Jiang Ning felt uneasy under his gaze.
"Brother Huang, this is Yan Keyi, the little girl I told you about before. Even Director Hu kept praising her performance."
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Qin Yiran quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. One of them focuses on variety shows, while the other focuses on film and television. Although their areas of expertise differ, it's undeniable that Hu Yiming holds a relatively high position in the industry.
Sure enough, upon hearing Qin Yiran say that even Hu Yiming was full of praise for Yan Keyi, Huang Dao's expression softened slightly.
"So you're the muse that Brother Hu has been talking about all along. Nice to meet you."
Huang Dao's tone wasn't particularly enthusiastic, but it was still polite. After all, Yan Keyi doesn't have much of a following yet, so it's normal for her to be looked down upon. However, with Qin Yiran here to help, it shouldn't be a big problem.
Seeing how the two initially seemed dismissive but gradually changed their attitude to expressing interest in collaborating if opportunities arose, Jiang Ning and Qin Yiran felt somewhat relegated to the background during their conversation.
Seeing this, Qin Yiran smiled at Yan Keyi.
Jiang Ning had always known that Qin Yiran took good care of Yan Keyi, but not many people would actually be willing to introduce their connections. Jiang Ning was very grateful to Qin Yiran for this.
"Looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to treat you to a meal. Yiyi, thank you so much for taking care of me."
"Hey, it's nothing, no need to thank me. If you really want to express your gratitude, could you help me make an appointment with Sister Yin?"
Helping Yan Keyi was just a side thing for Qin Yiran; Yan Keyi only needed a little push to rise to the top, and Qin Yiran just happened to be able to take advantage of that.
Qin Yiran never expected to ask Jiang Ning for anything for helping Yan Keyi. But if she really needed Jiang Ning to repay her in some way, then she would help her out.
If she were to ask He Yin out alone, she definitely wouldn't agree.
This was the first time Jiang Ning had heard He Yin's name from Qin Yiran. She knew there must be a story between the two of them, but neither of them had brought it up, so she had never asked.
However, this does not mean that Jiang Ning is not curious about this matter.
Jiang Ning's curious gaze swept over her, but Qin Yiran didn't flinch. Given Jiang Ning's intelligence, it would be strange if she truly didn't notice anything.
These things had actually been kept in her heart for a long time, and she had never told anyone about them. However, this was not a suitable place to talk about them, so Qin Yiran thought she would talk to Jiang Ning about it when she had time later.
She was now at a loss as to what to do with He Yin.
Sensing Qin Yiran's inner conflict, Jiang Ning bluntly stated that if she didn't want to say something, she didn't have to.
Soon, everyone had arrived, and under Wu Jiang's direction, they were finally able to eat normally.
Today's gathering was a private dinner, and since both the production team and the crew were familiar with each other, there wasn't much formality.
But as the meal progressed, the assistant director and a few others came over to toast them.
First it was Hu Yiming, then Qin Yiran, the most senior member of the cast, followed by some other senior members.
Given Yan Keyi's lower profile, placing her last is actually quite reasonable. However, everyone in the previous rounds drank, even if it was just to save face. It would seem inappropriate not to drink when it came to Yan Keyi's turn.
"Director Huang, my Yiyi is really still young. She's not even an adult yet, so she really can't drink that much."
Although Yan Keyi and he had a fairly harmonious conversation just now, Jiang Ning still didn't feel very comfortable with her.
He brought a group of people with him. It wouldn't be a problem for Yan Keyi to drink a cup or two, but once she started, what if they each offered her a cup? Would Yan Keyi drink or not?
Moreover, these people are all considered Yan Keyi's seniors in the entertainment industry. This would only put her in an awkward position. Therefore, Jiang Ning had no choice but to refuse.
Jiang Ning has a cool and aloof appearance, and Yan Keyi's age is also a factor. It would be inappropriate to force her to drink.
However, Director Huang seemed very persistent. They actually interacted with him, the assistant director, more often than the director himself. Since he hadn't given in, the others naturally remained silent as well.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Ning realized that things were getting a bit complicated.
"Old Huang, our Xiao Yan is still a little kid! How can you bully her like this? Is it because I, Old Hu, have no standing in this industry anymore?"
Hu Yiming was chatting with someone at another table when Li Ying came to inform him of the situation, which is how he discovered what was happening here.
Qin Yiran was preoccupied and didn't have a high alcohol tolerance. After being toasted several times, she got a little drunk and went outside to get some fresh air to sober up. Otherwise, Hu Yiming wouldn't have needed to make an appearance.
But Hu Yiming is naturally protective of his own. If he hadn't found out, he would have let it go. But if he had, he would definitely have spoken up for Yan Keyi.
They had already witnessed Yan Keyi's drinking capacity at the wrap party. At the time, they hadn't thought much of it and had urged her to drink a few glasses. Later, they realized that Yan Keyi was indeed still young and shouldn't drink alcohol, and now that someone was trying to get her to drink in this setting, Hu Yiming would definitely disagree.
With Hu Yiming's support, Director Huang's attitude finally seemed to soften a bit.
But he still seems somewhat persistent.
"Brother Hu, what are you talking about? It's because you've always praised Xiao Yan so highly that you've decided to mentor her and have a couple of drinks with her. It's because I like this young lady."
Director Huang has a fairly good reputation in the industry, and outsiders would only assume that he wants to mentor younger generations without thinking too much about it.
But he's already said all that, if Yan Keyi still doesn't drink it, she'll really seem unreasonable.
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