Chapter 254 The Incident
Xia Mian feels like he's basically working two jobs: daytime sales and nighttime gigolo work. It's equally tiring, sometimes even more tiring than the day shift, making him start to miss his clients. Sexy Xia, taking orders online!
He seemed to be God's favorite, getting whatever he wished for. Not long after, Zhao Wei called mysteriously: "Xia, guess what great job I got for you?"
There aren't many jobs that a top agent like Zhao Wei would call "good," Xia Mian guessed: "A male lead drama?"
"Wow, that's great! It's definitely a male lead drama. It's a period detective story, he'll be the main character, absolutely the lead. Filming starts after the National Day holiday, I'll send you the script to your email later."
Since his debut, Xia Mian has never played a leading role. After gaining experience in several dramas, he felt he could give it a try. However, he still felt a lot of pressure.
What if I can't handle the drama? I'll be ridiculed to death by the haters, right?
"Brother Wei, please hire another acting coach for me. I want to improve my acting skills before I join the crew."
Zhao Wei noticed his nervousness and readily agreed: "Okay, but you don't have much time to study. I've also got you a movie role, a supporting role, but the part is quite memorable."
The client's arrival was so sudden that Xia Mian happily replied, "Okay."
"Xia, look, the company has given us plenty of resources, and they've been very prompt with payments. The first year of the contract is almost up, what do you think...?"
“Renewing the contract, right?” Xia Mian smiled. “Wei Ge, we’re so close, there’s no need to beat around the bush. Let’s be frank. Renewing the contract is fine, but I have one request.”
A familiar sense of oppression washed over Zhao Wei, who wiped away her sweat. After thinking for a while, she finally remembered who she had experienced it with before—her husband, Jay Chou!
What are the requirements?
"Release a single within three months, and release a mini-album before the next contract expires."
Zhao Wei was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard.
Xia Mian is good at singing and dancing and enjoys it. Her company did a background check before she signed with them, so they knew that. However, the Chinese entertainment industry has never had a mature music show stage. If you want to pursue a singing and dancing career, apart from the exceptionally successful ones, the rest either become "recycled" contestants on talent shows or switch to acting and start from scratch.
He directly trained Xia Mian as an actress, which saved Xia Mian from many detours.
“Brother Wei, after this year, I’ve gotten used to filming, recording variety shows, and endorsing brands. I also feel that developing according to the plan you gave me is pretty good,” Xia Mian paused, “but every time I meet a singer who has just finished a show at the company, I always think to myself, if I were standing on the stage, what kind of performance outfit would I wear, what kind of stage makeup would I put on, and what kind of stage would I present to the audience, relaxed or intense… Brother Wei, I want to give it a try. Can you ask the company for me?”
Xia Mian does have many of the bad habits of rich kids, but after spending time with him, you'll find that he has a very easygoing personality. The two of them are always chatting and laughing. Zhao Wei rarely hears him speak to him in such a serious and earnest tone.
“My little darling,” Zhao Wei shook his head helplessly, “you’re using the contract to manipulate me. Do you think I have any room to refuse? You don’t need to ask the company; I can just agree to it.”
Who makes Xia Mian profitable? Last year, Xia Mian contributed 20% of the company's profits!
Moreover, Zhao Wei had seen Xia Mian's performance, and with his discerning eye honed over many years in the industry, he was certain that this newcomer would become a huge star no matter which path he took.
Intelligence + diligence + stunning good looks = a gift from God.
However, Zhao Wei still felt the need to remind her, and continued, "Xia, your work schedule is quite full right now. Releasing a single will definitely require sacrificing a lot of personal time. Can you accept that?"
Xia Mian said confidently, "Yes, and it will not affect my filming performance at all."
"OK".
After finalizing the training plan for the new contract period, Zhao Wei returned to the company to have the legal department draft the contract, and the two parties officially renewed the contract two days later. At the same time, the company began to fulfill the terms, finding a suitable dance song for Xia Mian from the music library, and preparing to send Xia Mian to South Korea next week for special training in preparation for filming the single's music video.
While amazed by the company's high efficiency, Xia Mian was also a little disappointed.
This special training is being conducted in a completely closed environment; he can't go home, and Zhou Pingchuan can't come to see him. In other words, they won't be able to see each other for half a month and can only communicate via WeChat and phone calls.
I was looking forward to being busy and to having my night shifts canceled, but when it came time to say goodbye, I felt reluctant to leave.
Actually, working the night shift... is pretty great. Zhou Pingchuan has a good figure, is well-endowed, and is skilled in bed. He provides excellent service. Apart from the long hours and the grueling nature of the job, there are no other drawbacks.
Xia Mian felt guilty for acting on her own initiative.
So when he got home that night, he put on a pitiful act: "Brother Chuan, the company arranged for me to go to South Korea for closed training next week. I was only notified today. I'm sorry."
This little guy, he's really good at shifting blame with a sense of righteous indignation.
Zhao Wei would report Xia Mian's situation to him every few days, and Zhou Pingchuan knew perfectly well whose idea it was to release the single.
He was surprised by Xia Mian's courage to step out of his comfort zone, and also found his attempt to shift blame both laughable and infuriating.
Of course, he couldn't bring himself to expose Xia Mian: "Since you've made up your mind, work a thousand times harder towards your goal. I'll be waiting for you at home."
Unexpectedly, he answered like that, and Xia Mian's heart softened: "Thank you."
Thank you for understanding my persistence, for forgiving my willfulness, and for being willing to accompany me without considering personal gain or loss.
The two spent a weekend together, day and night. On Monday morning, Xia Mian went to South Korea alone to pursue his dream.
The company's instructors are the teachers of many celebrities and famous choreographers; their level is top-notch, and their teaching style is extremely strict. Xia Mian has to change her clothes two or three times a day—she gets soaked in sweat and can't wear them anymore.
The benefits were indeed significant. In just half a month, his understanding of dance reached a new level, and he personally choreographed a dance for his new single, which was unanimously recognized by the mentors.
On the last day, he said goodbye to his teachers with reluctance. One of the teachers said in broken Chinese, "Mianmian, you will definitely become the best idol, Fitghting."
Xia Mian nudged his shoulder: "Thank you for your kind words, I will keep working hard."
After waving goodbye to her teacher and leaving the training room, Xia Mian glanced at the sun she hadn't seen in a long time, and the first thing she did was call Zhou Pingchuan: "Ahhhhh I'm out of seclusion!"
"How's your further education going?"
"You've made tremendous progress; the saying 'you're never too old to learn' is truly a wise one. The only downside is... I miss you a little."
Zhou Pingchuan paused, his hand holding the pen still. "Where do you want to think of it?"
“The head at the top wants to,” Xia Mian hid in the alley around the corner, “and the head at the bottom wants to too.”
Zhou Pingchuan chuckled: "Then why did I call you last week to offer to help you..."
"Absolutely not! The teacher lives in the room next to mine. What will I do if she hears us?" Xia Mian quickly stopped her.
Zhou Pingchuan finally understood. This kid was all talk and no action, spouting one boastful line after another, but when it came to actual combat, he was a coward.
He realized Xia Mian was outside and, not wanting to make her blush, he changed the subject as she asked: "So when do you plan to come back?"
"I have a dermatology appointment at 2 PM. After the procedure, I'll go buy some things... Tomorrow morning, I'll ask Chestnut to order them for me..."
Before Zhou Pingchuan could finish saying "tickets," he suddenly heard a muffled groan, followed by the sound of a phone falling to the ground.
Zhou Pingchuan frowned deeply: "Mianmian? Mianmian!"
The only response he received was silence.
Zhou Pingchuan put down his phone.
The pen left a long, frighteningly black trail of ink on the paper.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com