Chapter 75 Invitation
The Chinese New Year is less than a month away, and because the weather is so cold this year, many crews have stopped working.
Firstly, this was to give the actors enough time to rest and prepare for the filming schedule after the Lunar New Year. Secondly, as the year draws to a close, there are more and more entertainment industry events like dinners, cocktail parties, and New Year's Eve parties, which take up too much of the artists' time and make it impossible to film.
But these activities have never had anything to do with Lou Yiqi.
She belongs to an artist studio owned by a friend in the circle. As soon as she entered the studio, the front desk staff and other studio staff all greeted her with smiles.
"Sister Qi is here?"
"Sister Qi, please sit down first. What would you like to drink?"
"Sister Qi, please wait a moment. President Ding is still in a meeting."
Lou Yiqi was sitting in President Ding's office. President Ding's secretary assistant was bringing her hot coffee and smilingly asking her to warm herself up when a figure rushed in.
"Got it! Got it! This year's GM Charity Dinner invitation is so hard to get..."
Before she could finish her words, she was glared at by the secretary assistant who was holding the coffee. The girl, who had just started working, saw the person sitting in the office. The smile on her face froze immediately. She opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, and instinctively put her hands behind her back.
This action was simply an attempt to hide something, and the secretary assistant wanted to throw this young person into the snow to wake her up, but for now, she could only smile more gently and said carefully: "Sister Qi, you are a senior in the studio. Everyone, including President Ding, respects you very much..."
"I understand," Lou Yiqi said with a smile. Her smile was deliberately soft and charming, and honestly, anyone could tell it was fake. "I'm so tired from filming, and my old bones can't take it anymore. Mr. Ding, please arrange for someone else to go to the charity gala."
The secretary assistant and the newcomer breathed a sigh of relief, and spoke sweet words of flattery as if they were free, calling her "Sister Qi" one after another.
Lou Yiqi felt chilled after hearing this.
She knew full well that she wasn't the studio's main artist, but she thought that finally landing the role in "The Abyss," a truly big-budget film with a female lead, would elevate her status within the studio. The invitation to the GM charity dinner, which came every year, would be hers this year.
It seems that she was overthinking it.
Lou Yiqi tried not to show any expression. She checked the time and stood up and said, "Boss Ding, this meeting will be quite long, right? I just came to ask him when he can arrange an assistant for me. Xiao Tan has gone home to take care of the baby. It's nothing serious. Please tell her for me. It's so cold, I'm an old man, so I better go home and stay home."
The secretary and the new employee exchanged smiles once more, then stood up and walked her to the door. As soon as the office door closed, the new employee wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'm so scared! I thought she came here just for the invitation. If they ask me who Mr. Ding is bringing as his female companion, what am I going to say? Should I even tell them that Mr. Ding had already decided on Lin Manman as his companion?"
The secretary's assistant scoffed, "Do you really believe what she said? She's here just to be CEO Ding's female companion. She probably thinks her role in 'The Abyss' gives her a different status. She doesn't even consider her age. It's a waste to send an old, obscure celebrity like her to such a fashionable ceremony."
Lou Yiqi didn't want to listen to what was said next.
She was afraid that she would do something impulsive, cry, rush in and slap the secretary assistant, and ask harshly, "Who do you say is Lao Hu Ka?"
But in the end, Lou Yiqi did nothing but left quietly.
Because she's well aware that she's getting older. She's been in the industry for twenty years and is already 41. Female artists from her generation have either retired to get married and have children, or have become legendary stars in the film industry, or have won multiple Best Actress awards in television. Each one has a reputation, a portfolio, and trophies to their name.
They've already ascended to the top ranks of the entertainment industry, having generally won a Golden Globes award or three Golden Globes before the age of 35. After turning 40, they enter their illustrious stage, meticulously selecting scripts and gilding themselves with a golden image with each production. Most of the time, they're either recuperating at home or attending high-profile events, maintaining their prestigious status as a star and steadily ascending to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry.
Only she always fell short, always missing out on the three Golden Globes Best Actress awards. Because of this lingering absence, she's become something of an "old, obscure figure" in the industry. Studios naturally prefer to invest resources in new talent, rather than those who are the subject of gossip and ridicule for their ageless devotion. New talent is a plus; they can market their beauty and their status, and the entertainment industry, a place of excess and debauchery, is always in short supply of beautiful, young newcomers.
She should have recognized it earlier.
Lou Yiqi took the elevator downstairs and couldn't help but glance at his phone.
In three days, it will be the biggest fashion ceremony in the entertainment industry - the GM Charity Dinner.
Luxury brands and fashion magazine groups host charity dinners, inviting celebrities and wealthy individuals to attend. This has long been a tradition of fraternizing between the entertainment and fashion worlds. As a domestically-originated and internationally renowned luxury brand, GM's charity dinners are a high-end fashion event, one that even international stars struggle to secure an invitation to, and domestic celebrities are even more eager to secure one.
Twenty years have passed. This is the charity dinner she has been thinking about for twenty years, but she still can't get her hands on it.
She thought... Lou Yiqi gave a bitter smile. She thought that if she accepted "Abyss Rescue", things would be different.
It seems we'll have to wait until "The Abyss" is finished filming before it can be released. But how long will that take? Given Runjia Entertainment's style, who knows how long it will be held back?
Two years? Five years?
Does she have that much time to wait?
As we drove away from the studio building, the sky outside was overcast, as if it was going to snow again. Lou Yiqi gripped the steering wheel, feeling a heavy heart.
She has to wait again, and every opportunity slips away from her. Is it because she is not good enough or she is not lucky enough?
Whenever this happened, she would think of that opportunity twenty-one years ago, the person who... enthusiastically promised her a future, but finally ruthlessly abandoned her.
Is she not good enough? Why is it always like this?
Lou Yiqi almost had the urge to step on the accelerator and drive fast, but he could only keep reminding himself that he was a public figure and could not act recklessly.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
Lou Yiqi was in a confused mood at the moment. He originally wanted to hang up the phone, but unexpectedly, he pressed the wrong button and answered the call. A sound immediately rang out from the car's Bluetooth.
"Hello, is this Ms. Lou Yiqi? I'm Yang Pei, an assistant to the president's office of Runjia Entertainment Group."
An assistant to the president's office of Runjia Entertainment Group? Lou Yiqi was glad she didn't miss the call and asked hurriedly, "Hello, I'm Lou Yiqi. What can I do for you? Is this about the movie 'Abyss Rescue'?"
"You could say that to promote the movie 'The Abyss,' President Du has decided to invite you to accompany her to the GM charity dinner. Would you be willing?"
Lou Yiqi felt a buzzing in his head. He quickly pulled the car over and asked, holding his breath, "Boss Du wants me to go to the GM charity dinner with her?"
"Yes." Yang Pei confirmed, "Ms. Lou, do you agree?"
Is that even a question? Of course she agrees! Lou Yiqi was thankful that it was the car's Bluetooth, which caused her voice to be slightly distorted, so as not to reveal her nervousness and excitement. "Yes, I do."
"Okay, we've learned that your assistant has taken leave. We'll take care of everything, including the process, styling, and so on. Is that okay? Once the arrangements are made, we'll send a temporary assistant to accompany you. She'll let you know the specific itinerary, and the invitation letter will also be delivered to you."
Invitation letter?
Lou Yiqi was almost stunned.
She knew how rare invitations to the GM Charity Dinner were. They were almost exclusively given to select individuals; even their studio only had one. In principle, each invitation only admitted one person, and only those of exceptional status could bring additional guests. For example, A-list celebrities were allowed to bring one assistant, but they had to stay backstage and not enter the venue. Wealthy individuals who had previously donated over ten million yuan to charity dinners were allowed to bring one companion.
Many female celebrities in the entertainment industry, especially those without significant status, rely on their special connections with wealthy sponsors to attend the GM Charity Dinner as female companions. However, this is a well-known rule within the entertainment industry: female celebrities who attend can easily publish press releases boasting about their attendance. As long as they don't explicitly state that they were invited, the GM Charity Dinner will generally not interfere.
They also need the show-off of celebrities to elevate their own status.
As for those stars who were actually invited, their fans can show off their invitation letters for several days.
Given the Du family's status, they were definitely invited to the GM charity dinner, so it wouldn't be difficult to bring her along. But Lou Yiqi thought she was going as Du Wanwan's female companion, but she didn't expect she actually had an invitation!
"I..." Lou Yiqi's voice tightened, almost in disbelief. "Do I have an invitation too?"
"Of course, you are the heroine of "Abyss Rescue", and this invitation is prepared for you." Yang Pei smiled, reminded her of some details, and hung up the phone.
Lou Yiqi parked the car on the side of the road for a long time, and his mind was unable to come back to its senses.
A few minutes ago, she was trying to find out who the studio had given the invitation to, and upon learning that she had once again been disqualified, she was still feeling very disappointed. Unexpectedly, just a few minutes later, she had her own invitation!
It's not someone's invitation, but her own!
Twenty years later, she was actually invited to the GM charity dinner!
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