Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Shao Chengzhang, are you childish? ...
The online taxi was already waiting at the door. After Ms. Chi got in, Shen Zhuo asked her to send him a message when she got home.
After seeing Ms. Chi off, she and Shao Chengzhang strolled back. A gentle night breeze mingled with the fragrance of flowers, and the streetlights blared with the chirping of insects. Walking side by side on the path, undisturbed by no one, it was a peaceful and quiet place.
Chen Zhuo stretched his arms, took a deep breath, and exhaled. "It's been ages since I've taken an evening walk like this. It feels so good."
"Do you want to take a walk?" Shao Chengzhang asked.
"Okay." Since moving to Yuelan Bay, Chen Zhuo had never walked around this upscale neighborhood. Looking up, she could still see the high moon and the twinkling stars. She counted more than a dozen, and she couldn't help but hum a song.
Shao Chengzhang also raised his head.
Chen Zhuo said, "Those who can distinguish stars are amazing. To me, they all look the same."
Shao Chengzhang: "Actually, they're pretty much the same. The average person can only see a few thousand stars, and most of them are distributed in the Milky Way. The brightness differences are small, and their positions are fixed, so they all look pretty normal to us."
He paused, then continued, "But actually, every star has its own spectrum, mass, and orbit. Every planet has different contents, just like us humans. What truly distinguishes us is our inner selves."
Shen Zhuo smiled lazily, with a hint of teasing in his tone: "There is still a difference. I not only look at the inner qualities, I also look at the face."
Shao Chengzhang asked: "So you agreed to marry me because of my face?"
Chen Zhuo looked at him and asked instead of answering, "So you married me because you liked my inner qualities?"
Shao Chengzhang looked at Shen Zhuo and smiled. Well, it wasn’t that simple at the beginning.
Chen Zhuo looked at the silently glowing stars in the sky again, and sighed with emotion: "But looking at it this way, the stars are also very lonely, spinning around in the universe, and only when they are seen, discovered, and named by people do they have meaning."
"Whether they have names or not, the fact that you saw them tonight shows their value."
Shen Zhuo glanced at him and couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth. Why didn't she realize before that Shao Chengzhang spoke in a set way, but she particularly enjoyed listening to him.
Yuelan Bay is indeed a wealthy area. The planning of the entire community is very good. There is also an indoor basketball court and badminton hall. There is an open-air swimming pool on the second floor of the apartment. Shao Chengzhang took Chen Zhuo to have a look. He said that he would come here to swim every morning and asked her if she wanted to join.
Chen Zhuo refused bluntly: "No." It was difficult for her to get up, let alone swim, and she didn't even know how to swim.
It was past nine in the evening and there were still people at the swimming pool. The water was shimmering under the lights and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
On the lounge chair closest to the corridor, a broad-shouldered, muscular man sat with his legs apart, wiping his face with his hand, as if he had just come ashore. Hearing footsteps, he glanced over and saw a pretty young woman approaching him. He put on his goggles again, stood up, and casually stretched his arms. He walked to the shore and did a beautiful dive, diving neatly into the water with a small splash.
Chen Zhuo couldn't swim, or more accurately, couldn't breathe, so she could only tilt her head back and slowly paddle. Seeing someone who could swim like this, she couldn't help but stop and take a few more glances.
Shao Chengzhang stood beside her and saw that her eyes were slightly widened, with an expression as if saying "how awesome". He glanced lightly in the direction of the swimming pool. The guy's freestyle swimming posture was not standard.
Shao Chengzhang's assessment was concise: "They were dragging their elbows and paddling, clearly lacking strength."
"Really?" Shen Zhuo, an outsider watching the fun, looked at the man and said, "I think he swims pretty fast."
"His movements aren't standard. He has no strength. If he doesn't speed up his strokes, he'll sink to the bottom. He should have kept his elbows high when entering the water. He dares to show off in front of others with this level of skill."
"Why are you showing off? I'm just swimming here." Chen Zhuo smiled speechlessly, "Did they ask you to be the judge?"
Shao Chengzhang thought to himself that the man had glanced at him several times before he entered the water. He grumbled unconvincedly, "I swim much better than him."
Chen Zhuo heard it and chuckled, "Shao Chengzhang, are you childish?" She looked down at her phone. It was almost half past nine. She waved at him, "Let's go back."
After returning home, Chen Zhuo received a message from Ms. Chi that she had arrived home. After replying, she took her notebook and went straight to the bed, leaning against the headboard to do her work. Shao Chengzhang, who had just finished taking a shower, came up from the other side.
"Don't you have to...work?" She found that since Shao Chengzhang started sleeping in the same bed with her, he went to bed earlier and earlier at night.
It took Shao Chengzhang a few seconds to realize that Shen Zhuo still misunderstood his job. "No need." He was a little distressed about how to confess to her that he did not run an adult store.
What a terrible misunderstanding.
Shao Chengzhang tried to ask her: "Aren't you curious about my work?"
Chen Zhuo paused swiping his finger across the touchscreen. It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious, but what should she talk about? The various functions of the toy, or the niche hobbies that everyone was usually ashamed to talk about?
She shook her head: "Not curious."
Shao Chengzhang asked again: "Then you are not curious about me either?"
Shen Zhuo shook her head. She had a strong sense of boundaries. Except for Ms. Chi and Jiang Jun, with whom she was very close, she always followed the principle of not asking unless others asked.
Whether out of curiosity, gossip or concern, prying into other people's privacy is quite offensive.
Having a sense of propriety is also the reason why she gets along well with her colleagues and artists.
Shao Chengzhang said "Oh" in a light tone, unable to hide the loss in that moment.
Chen Zhuo was about to finish reading the script and looked at him, "What do you want to say? I'll be done soon and we can talk later." After saying that, Chen Zhuo yawned. This boring script made her drowsy.
"No." Now is not a good time. "Go to bed early after work. Good night." Shao Chengzhang lay down and closed his eyes.
Shen Zhuo glanced sideways at him.
He had just finished taking a shower, and his hair hung softly in front of his forehead, softening his angular face and making him look very obedient. His hands were placed naturally on both sides of his body, straight and well-behaved.
Chen Zhuo couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth slightly, so... well-behaved.
Not long after, Chen Zhuo closed his notebook and placed it on the bedside table, turning off the bedside lamp.
*
The new employee training went smoothly. There were four directors at Whale Joy Entertainment, and each director would first bring two interns to their respective departments for a month-long internship before rotating positions. Just as Shen Zhuo was introducing the new employees to their colleagues, his phone rang.
Chen Zhuo was very surprised to see the caller ID and quickly picked up the phone, "Hey, Sister Li Qun, why did you think of calling me?"
Xia Liqun is Chen Zhuo's former colleague, ten years older than her. The two have had a good relationship since she first joined the company. Four years ago, Xia Liqun resigned from Jingxi Entertainment and went to H City, but they have always kept in touch.
"Zhuo'er, I'm in City A. Are you free at noon? Let's have lunch together?"
"Of course there must be one." Shen Zhuo agreed readily.
In order to make it convenient for Chen Zhuo, Xia Liqun made an appointment directly at a shopping mall near the company, and they gave each other a big hug as soon as they met.
Xia Liqun took Chen Zhuo's hand and said, "It's been two years since we last saw each other. Why do I feel like you haven't changed at all? Becoming a director hasn't crushed you."
Chen Zhuo smiled and said, "How come you haven't changed? You have fine lines around your eyes, and my hair is falling out so much that I have to start saving money for hair transplants. But you, on the other hand, when we stand together, how can you tell you're my sister?"
"Just lie with your eyes open."
The two of them chatted and laughed as they entered the restaurant, and ordered their dishes after they sat down.
Xia Liqun's trip to City A was a business trip, and her current career still involves her in the film and television industry. Ever since the short drama craze took off a few years ago, Xia Liqun, with a long-term vision, saw great potential for growth. So, she resigned and founded a company in City H, where she began producing short dramas. The company is currently thriving, and she's already raking in a ton of cash thanks to several hits.
"How have you been lately?" Xia Liqun asked. Shen Zhuo shook her head. "It's still the same. Without you guys here, there's no one to protect me." She began to complain about Yang Ruize.
"Why don't you come work with me, and I'll continue to protect you." Xia Liqun joked. Two glasses of juice came up, and she pushed the passion fruit one to Chen Zhuo, saying, "If you ask me, you're really wasting your talent working under Yang Gou. Have you ever thought about changing companies?"
"Ah? I haven't really thought about that." Chen Zhuo pinched the straw to stir the fruit drink, and the crushed ice and the glass made a slight sound when they collided.
"Ever since Sister Hua left, Yang Ruize has been left alone. Old artists have terminated their contracts, and new hires haven't been able to come on board," Xia Liqun said. "Of course, I'm not saying you're bad at selecting talent. It's just that the current culture is too bad. Some artists aren't even as good as us actors in short plays."
What Xia Liqun said made sense, and Shen Zhuo could only smile bitterly.
She sighed, "I've stayed at Jingxi all this time because of Sister Hua."
Sister Hua, whose real name doesn't contain the character "花," earned the nickname "Sister Hua" due to her extreme strictness with her artists, often described as "ruthless and cruel." Over time, everyone in the industry adopted the nickname. Over a decade ago, her fame was even greater than the artists themselves. Every artist she mentored was transformed, and the resources she provided them were unparalleled. Chen Zhuo began his internship with her during his junior year of college, and it was she who nurtured him step by step, from a complete novice to a capable and capable agent. Three years ago, Sister Hua retired and spent her remaining years abroad.
"But sister, to be honest, Sister Hua's tricks don't work anymore."
Of course Shen Zhuo agreed.
Twenty years ago, before the current entertainment ecosystem, agents played a crucial role. They were responsible for securing roles, promoting artists, negotiating deals, and managing their lives. For artists, they held immense influence, relying heavily on their resources and connections.
But things are different now. Economic companies are becoming more and more mature. In order to provide more professional services to artists, their business has been divided into multiple sectors, such as film and television, business affairs, publicity, and new talent training. Even Jingxi is the same, with Chen Zhuo alone responsible for film and television contracts.
Artists establishing their own studios also give them greater say, even allowing them to manage their own studios independently. Coupled with the current surge in investment and the prevalence of traffic, platforms have essentially controlled the entire film and television market. Often, actors are directly chosen by the platforms or the investment community, with agents serving as mere mouthpieces between the platforms and the artists. For smaller artists without assistants, agents often double as babysitters.
"Chen Zhuo, you need to think clearly about why you want to stay here." The dishes slowly arrived. Xia Liqun raised her chin to signal her to start eating quickly. "I'm not trying to persuade you to resign or anything."
"If you're here to make money, to retire here, and get a decent salary, you wouldn't want to mentor a complete newcomer like Guan Siyu, right? But if you have your own ideas and concepts, you have to see if they align with the company. It's obvious that Yang Ruize and you are not on the same page."
Chen Zhuo listened attentively, nodding occasionally. She frowned slightly and said, "It's true that I've been in Jingxi for too long."
Xia Liqun hit the nail on the head, "I know you're sentimental, but this isn't the time to be sentimental. Think clearly about what you want. Either find a more suitable employer, or leave when you should. Don't delay yourself. Your own development is the most important thing."
"People who've been married for decades can still get divorced, not to mention you just work for a company. Oh, by the way," Xia Liqun suddenly asked, "Do you have a boyfriend? Are you still single?"
"Ah?" Shen Zhuo didn't expect the topic to change so quickly. She was still immersed in her previous thoughts.
Xia Liqun noticed the ring on Chen Zhuo's right ring finger and asked in surprise, "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend? I really want to know what kind of guy you're dating."
In the past, Chen Zhuo was one of the younger ones in the company, so naturally she was taken care of by the older sisters. Of course, they also showed concern for her relationship. They were shocked to learn that Chen Zhuo had always been single. It was hard to believe that he had never been in a relationship with his looks. Later, the older sisters came across some good-looking guys and kept trying to match them up with her, but she refused them all. In the end, they thought Shen Zhuo liked girls, and they were very open-minded and told her that even if she liked girls, they would not discriminate if she said it, which made Chen Zhuo laugh and cry.
"No." Chen Zhuo turned the ring, "Actually, I... am married."
"Huh?" Xia Liqun paused with her chopsticks. "You got married so quietly. You're too distant from us."
"It was quite sudden. We just got married not long ago." Chen Zhuo smiled apologetically.
"How did you meet?"
"Blind date."
Xia Liqun's jaw dropped. "Blind date?! You actually agreed to go on a blind date?"
You should know that Chen Zhuo absolutely did not accept the form of blind dates before. She felt that this form was too purposeful. She wanted to have a natural and mutual relationship. But as she got older and saw people around her breaking up and getting divorced, she felt that being single was really good.
"It's pretty magical anyway. I went on a blind date with him once, and then we got married."
Xia Liqun smiled and said, "When fate comes, it cannot be stopped. If you are the right person, you will be together in no time."
Shen Zhuo smiled and said nothing, just taking it as his agreement.
Xia Liqun pulled out two tickets from her bag. "I happen to have two tickets for a talk show. It's sold by a friend of mine. I heard the label is pretty good. It happens to be a weekend show. Take them and go see it with your husband tomorrow."
Chen Zhuo said, "No need, just go and see."
"I'm going back to H City tomorrow and can't watch it." Xia Liqun pushed the ticket over.
"Okay." After hearing her say that, Chen Zhuo accepted it. However, she didn't want to go and see it with Shao Chengzhang. She would ask Jiang Jun later.
"Nowadays, the main focus is on selling emotional value, like talk shows, skits, etc., to make you cry or laugh. I understand all of that, but the more exaggerated thing is Lumi recently, you know, it's crazy."
Thanks to Bu Fan, she knew about Lumi, so she was not so ignorant. She nodded in agreement.
"I feel like I'm old now. I don't understand how a blind box can be so popular. The stock library is so long. Even my friends say they regret not buying Dreamora stock earlier. They say if they had known how Dreamora was doing this, they should have invested heavily at the end of last year."
Shen Zhuo agreed because she couldn't understand it either.
"But I feel that the boss of Dreamora is quite ambitious. I heard that they have also started to enter the film and television industry and have already started preparing for a movie. There may still be hope for animation, but won't they just wait to lose money if they make a live-action movie? The special effects in China are so poor." Xia Liqun complained.
Shen Zhuo grasped the key point, "Are they going to make a live-action movie?"
"Yes, you can check the records online."
Shen Zhuo felt that she and Dreamora had a subtle connection, so she had to find out whether the actors had been confirmed.
After dinner, the two of them took the escalator down one floor at a time and finally reached the first floor, which was right in the atrium. They didn't know what kind of activities were going on, but the place was full of people even on a Friday afternoon.
After squeezing through the crowd, Chen Zhuo discovered that it was a flash mob event organized by Lumi. Next to it was the Dreamora store, and there was a long line at the door to enter the store.
"See, it's just that popular." Xia Liqun smiled in confusion.
Chen Zhuo looked at the Dreamora store sign. She didn't know where she got the intuition and confidence from, but she knew she could get this project for Guan Siyu.
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