Chapter 29: Jinjiang Dufa I want to choose a gift for you...
Lu Chiyuan chose a restaurant that required membership to enter. It was Chinese style and ancient. There was a yard outside the box where they sat. Rockeries surrounded an artificial flower pond, and golden carp were hidden under the water lilies.
The sun shines through the potted plants at the door, and fine golden rays of light sprinkle all over the ground.
Jiang Chen sent the address to Ling Qi. He happened to be nearby, and he drove over as soon as he finished his work.
Before entering the box, Ling Qi thought Jiang Chen was the only one there.
After entering the box, Ling Qi first saw Jiang Chen, who was sitting closer to the door. A smile appeared on his face, and he was about to hand over the small gift in his hand, when he glanced at Lu Chiyuan on the other side.
Ling Qi was stunned. Lu Chiyuan was serious. He sat on the chair with a calm expression. Facing Ling Qi's eyes, he nodded slightly as a greeting.
This was the second time Ling Qi met him, and he was still a little reserved.
He looked at the small gift in his hand. Because it was not big, the bag the clerk gave him was just right, and it didn't look awkward in his hand. He originally wanted to give it to Jiang Chen, but now that Lu Chiyuan was there, the atmosphere became subtle, so he could only keep the gift in his hand for the time being.
Jiang Chen asked him to sit down. Seeing that his expression was slightly stiff, he thought about bringing one more person with him, and explained: "I am not familiar with City A. I am afraid that if I just make an appointment at a random place, I will be photographed by paparazzi, so I asked Brother Lu to help me choose a private place."
Knowing that Jiang Chen was thinking about him, Ling Qi felt warm in his heart and a shy smile appeared on his face.
He was not resisting Lu Chiyuan, but he did not expect that such a busy man like Lu Chiyuan would actually help find a place and dine with them.
Ling Qi's eyes quickly swept over the two of them. When he heard Jiang Chen's name from Lu Chiyuan for the first time, he had a strange feeling.
Secret maintenance, silent indulgence.
The waiter came in to take orders, and Jiang Chen asked Ling Qi about his taste: "Do you have any dietary restrictions? Is there anything you can't eat while working?"
Self-discipline is very important for celebrities, and Jiang Chen understands this.
Ling Qi thought of his own recipes, his face was bitter, and he curled his lips helplessly. He did not insult Jiang Chen and said, "I am not picky about food."
At worst, I can go back and do more exercise. As long as I can lose weight, my agent won’t say anything.
Jiang Chen understood. He considered the preferences of the three people and ordered a few of the restaurant's signature dishes.
While waiting for the meal to be served, the atmosphere in the box was a little too quiet.
Since they had only met once, the topics they could talk about were very limited, but Jiang Chen still tried his best to talk to Ling Qi, chatting about random things and gradually livening up the atmosphere.
He helped Ling Qi out of a momentary weakness and had no idea about him. However, after a conversation, he did have some memory of his character.
Ling Qi has a very decent appearance. To describe him, he has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. The oppression from his previous company made him lack vitality and look a little gloomy. After leaving his previous company, he became more outgoing and his gloomy temperament faded.
Unlike his appearance, his personality is more reserved. He is neither hasty nor slow, and does not fight or compete.
Jiang Chen could imagine how much courage he mustered to call him that day.
"I've seen the movie that made you famous. Your acting is pretty good. Although immature, it's still remarkable." Jiang Chen praised sincerely. He said he had seen it, but he just watched a few clips in his spare time.
This is the advantage of short videos, which capture the most exciting parts so that people can guess the general idea after watching a few clips.
Ling Qi was flattered, and Lu Chiyuan looked at him sideways, as if thinking about something.
If he remembered correctly, the film that made Ling Qi famous was a romance drama.
In order to sign Ling Qi, he of course had to understand Ling Qi's potential. Ling Qi's acting skills were indeed good, but the script was a bit weak and many plots were unclear. In his critical eyes, it was not that good.
Jiang Chen can fall asleep when watching a romance movie, so how can he persist in watching such a long TV series?
Is he watching the show or the people?
Ling Qi was encouraged by Jiang Chen's praise and told him about his recent work focus. His agent helped him pick out a few scripts, including one about solving a crime. The director was attracted by his thick eyebrows and big eyes and thought that he was very suitable for the character of the male lead and wanted him to try it, but his agent had some concerns.
Jiang Chen picked up the keyword "unit drama" and asked, "Who is the heroine?"
Ling Qi said: "It is said to be Liu Yunyan."
Jiang Chen: “…”
The word "don't continue" was already on the tip of his tongue, but Jiang Chen didn't utter it out.
[Liu Yunyan was furious after filming this drama, and the drama never gained popularity.]
Jiang Chen couldn't quite remember who the male lead of this drama was. He vaguely felt that something was wrong. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What are the names of the other scripts?"
Ling Qi called out a few names. Jiang Chen's expression was dull for a moment. Perhaps he didn't expect the situation to be so similar to what he had guessed. He couldn't help but laughed in silence.
[That's great. They all died. Either the actors had problems or the subject matter had problems. They were carried away before they even went on air.]
Jiang Chen scratched his face, not knowing how to tell Ling Qi.
Ling Qi is a person whose destiny was changed by him. He originally thought that he would have a bright future in the entertainment industry, but he did not expect that there was a more realistic problem before him.
In the original novel, Gu Tingsen entered the entertainment industry, bad movies emerged like mushrooms after rain, and good productions were rare. There were countless top-tier bad movies, and various inferior awards were praised one mountain higher than another, but the real powerful actor and actress were rare, and even no one had a name.
The entertainment industry is Gu Tingsen's kingdom for making money, and Ling Qi, a powerful actor, is a variable. The world consciousness wants to protect Gu Tingsen's interests, so naturally it has to make the variables disappear in the eyes of the public.
The scripts he has on hand now include many masterpieces, but if they cannot be put on the screen, they are just pure pie in the sky. After a year or two of struggling, his golden period will be wasted.
Jiang Chen thought about all the popular works mentioned in the book in his mind, and there was an inconspicuous script with two male protagonists that unexpectedly became popular after it was broadcast.
This script experienced a casting change storm midway through. One of the male protagonists hooked up with an investor, looked down on the script, absconded with the money, and stabbed the crew in the back.
Later, when the drama became popular, he was dragged out and ridiculed by the public.
The leading actor who replaced him took this opportunity to terminate his contract with his former company and joined Linfeng Group. In a very short period of time, he quickly lost his popularity and became a marketing mogul.
Whenever there is a public relations problem, this drama will be brought out to suck blood.
This drama has experienced many disasters, but it still stands firm.
Jiang Chen felt that Ling Qi could fight for this script. If it was someone else's luck, he might be embarrassed to take action, but if it was Linfeng Group, he would not feel guilty at all.
But judging from the current trend, this script is not popular and may even be criticized.
Given Jiang Chen and Ling Qi's current relationship, it would be difficult for him to interfere with his decision.
Jiang Chen hesitated.
Lu Chiyuan sat next to him, seemingly not paying attention to their conversation, but his attention was actually on Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen's inner thoughts reached his ears word for word. He understood his hesitation. He felt that it was not convenient for him to intervene, and he was also afraid that Ling Qi would think too much.
Lu Chiyuan adjusted his sitting position slightly and said to Ling Qi, "There's no rush to get the script. I'll call your agent later and promote the short film you're shooting now to see how it gets received."
Ling Qi is currently shooting a commercial, and his original company has suppressed his exposure, causing his popularity to not catch up, and he is almost fading out of the audience's sight.
The agent picked this one out of all the invitations. The reason was that the director of this advertisement wanted to try something new, promoting the product in the form of a short play, which would give Ling Qi enough time to show his face.
Lu Chiyuan suddenly spoke, and Ling Qi's brain didn't react in time. Under his aura, he followed suit and said "OK". Then he thought about it and realized that Lu Chiyuan was blocking him from taking over the script.
Ling Qi was a little puzzled, but he didn't think too much about it. Perhaps it was when he was about to give up that Lu Chiyuan and Jiang Chen pulled him up from the abyss, and he had an inexplicable trust in them.
No matter what happens next, he believes it won't be worse than before.
Lu Chiyuan's intervention was far more convincing than Jiang Chen's, and Jiang Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After the dinner, Ling Qi and Jiang Chen became closer. He didn't stay long because he had work to do and his agent called to urge him.
Before leaving, he still mustered up the courage to hand the gift bag he had prepared to Jiang Chen, and said goodbye in a hurry without giving Jiang Chen a chance to refuse.
Jiang Chen looked at the bag in his hand and chuckled.
[Is this the first gift I received in this world? ]
Lu Chiyuan's mind moved slightly, and his gaze fell on the bag with a dim look.
Jiang Chen took out the contents and took a look. It was a brooch with a rose theme. The silver-white leaves were decorated with diamonds to create a water drop effect. It sparkled in the light and was very beautiful.
When Lu Chiyuan saw that it was a rose, he tightened his grip, a feeling of displeasure lingered in his heart, and his gaze involuntarily shifted to Jiang Chen's face.
Jiang Chen lowered his eyes, stroking the rose petals with his fingers, as if thinking about something.
After a while, he raised his head and met Lu Chiyuan's eyes, which he couldn't retract in time. When their eyes met, there was a glimmer in his eyes, his eyebrows were flying, and the smile on the corners of his mouth continued to expand, which was so eager that it was impossible to refuse.
"Brother Lu, do you have work this afternoon? If not, can I invite you to go shopping with me?"
The heat invaded Lu Chiyuan, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes narrowed slightly. In this brief moment, he didn't know what Jiang Chen was thinking, but when he saw Jiang Chen's smiling face, his mind fell uncontrollably on the brooch.
He tried his best to restrain himself and said, "Want to choose a return gift for Ling Qi?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. He couldn't take care of Ling Qi at the moment.
【I want to choose a gift for you. 】
Lu Chiyuan's heart was beating uncontrollably. It turned out that Jiang Chen was thinking about him when he was looking at the brooch. The coldness in his eyes melted away, and he was full of anticipation for the upcoming surprise. Warmth emerged in his eyes and gradually turned into a smile.
He heard his own voice, with joy: "Okay."
Under the bright and beautiful appearance of the prosperous city, there are also dark and damp places where the sun cannot reach. In the dilapidated old city, garbage is piled up in the aisles, and the soup and water from the kitchen leak out of the bags, mixed with the hot weather, fermenting into an unpleasant sour smell.
In the shabby rental house, the old ceiling fan made a creaking sound, and the dark walls were covered with what looked like footprints or rotten mold.
The cockroach crawled out from the garbage pile at the door, wandered around the house, and then crawled under the tattered sofa.
The person lying on the sofa playing with his mobile phone didn't notice it at all. He had a cigarette in his mouth and his fingers, which were yellowed by smoke, kept moving the game interface.
On the other side of the living room, the scorching sun and the high temperature of the stove mixed together, turning the kitchen into a big steamer, stuffy and hot.
Shen Zhiyi was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with her hair casually tied into a bun. Sweat kept flowing down the tip of her nose and forehead. She raised her sleeves and wiped them again and again, but still couldn't resist the hot weather. Soon she was sweating profusely again.
She looked at her grease-stained hands, then looked at the narrow stove where pots, pans, and utensils were stacked in a haphazard manner. If she moved just one of them, everything would shift. If she was a little slower, they would all fall down at once.
Shen Zhiyi closed her eyes, the sound of the game piercing her ears like a devil's sound. She turned around angrily and walked into the living room, slapping the phone away from the person on the sofa!
"I've had enough. Why did you have to find a house like this? Isn't the money I gave you enough for us to stay in a hotel?"
Huangmao didn’t seem to expect Shen Zhiyi to get angry, he took the last puff of the cigarette in his mouth, spit it directly on the floor, sat up and stomped on it a few times with his feet.
He stared at Shen Zhiyi with sinister eyes and said, "How much money did you give me? Not even enough for me to touch it twice. It's like this, save some money. Do you still think you are a big lady who has everything you want?"
Shen Zhiyi choked, Huang Mao's words hit her heart. In order not to arouse the suspicion of security, she did not dare to bring too much cash. After arriving in City A, she and Huang Mao withdrew some money, but soon she found that all her cards were frozen.
The money she took out was all her belongings, but now there is not much left.
But in just a few days, her life changed drastically. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She grabbed Huangmao's hand and said, "I gave you so much money? You didn't save a penny?"
The yellow-haired man shook her off, looked at her greasy hands with disgust, and said, "Are you annoying? Have you cooked the meal? I'm almost starving."
Shen Zhiyi stumbled and hit the coffee table, and suddenly felt a piercing pain in his calf.
Huangmao took out some paper and wiped the oil off his hands, then threw the paper at Shen Zhiyi casually and yelled at her: "Are you deaf and cold? Hurry up!"
Shen Zhiyi shuddered, tears welled up in his eyes, and his tears were like beads falling off a string.
The yellow-haired man frowned. He was upset when he saw Shen Zhiyi crying. He kicked over the coffee table and said, "Cry, cry, cry. You just cry every day. What the hell are you crying for? I'm unlucky because of your crying. That's why I lose every time. MD, nothing goes well for me since I met you."
Huang Mao cursed and dragged her out by her arm. Shen Zhiyi yelled and punched and kicked him, but the strength difference was too great and he threw her into the toilet.
Huang Mao held the door with a wooden stick, and Shen Zhiyi slammed it hard inside, but it was useless. She shouted and cursed angrily, but Huang Mao turned a deaf ear to her.
He rushed into the room, found Shen Zhiyi's bag, dumped everything out, and found a stack of cash and a jewelry box. He opened the box and found a sapphire bracelet, which was very heavy.
"I'm going to get rich. I'll have the capital after selling this!"
Huang Mao looked greedy, put the money and cash in his pocket, took the key to the room, and walked out directly regardless of how Shen Zhiyi yelled.
He was eager to go and gamble right now and win back all the money he had lost before.
As long as he has money, what does it matter to him whether Shen Zhiyi is dead or alive?
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