Chapter 70
After the audition, Li Mo and Fan Weiqi walked out of the room together. As soon as they stepped out the door, Fan Weiqi excitedly slapped Li Mo on the shoulder.
“You were amazing, Li Mo! During that scene, I felt like I was falling in love with you! It was so exhilarating! It’s been a while since I’ve had such a strong scene partner! You’ve awakened my acting passion!”
“Hahaha, Sister Weiqi, you’re exaggerating. I wasn’t that good.”
“Exaggerating? I’m serious! If the director hadn’t yelled cut, I would have kissed you right there!”
“Hehe, Sister Weiqi, you’re so silly.”
“Oh, stop calling me ‘Sister’ all the time! You’re making me feel old! I’m still young and beautiful! Come on, just call me by my name.”
“Okay, Weiqi.”
“Hmm, that still doesn’t sound right. Oh well, I’m sure we’ll get these roles. We’ll be working together, so you can call me Qiqi, and I’ll call you Mo Mo. It will help us build chemistry.”
“Okay… I hope you’re right, Qiqi.”
“Yes, that’s better. Mo Mo, I’m so glad it’s you auditioning for the lead role. If I had to play opposite that Yulin girl, I’d have nightmares! Ugh, she’s so fake!”
Fan Weiqi shuddered dramatically, rolling her eyes.
“Who’s Yulin?”
“The girl who was behind you in line.”
“What about her?”
“She’s a total two-faced phony! I worked with her once. She acts all sweet and innocent around men, but she’s cold and aloof with women. It’s disgusting.”
“Really? She’s that bad?”
“Hmph, she’s even worse. I once saw her flirting with the director, a married man! I can’t stand people like that! Why can’t they just focus on acting instead of all this drama? It’s so annoying.”
“Okay, okay, Qiqi, calm down. You’ll get wrinkles if you keep frowning.”
“You’re the one who’ll get wrinkles! Stop teasing me! Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
“Hee hee hee, tell me, where did you come from, you adorable creature? I love you! The more I see you, the more I like you! No, wait, I’m the older one. You should call me ‘Sister.’”
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
Li Mo laughed, thoroughly entertained by Fan Weiqi’s antics. She found her hilarious and fun to be around. They had only known each other for a few hours, but she already felt a strong connection with her, a sense of camaraderie.
“Hey, Mo Mo, we’re both stuck here waiting for the results. You must be free, right? Want to hang out with me?”
“Um… I need to ask my agent.”
“Come on, let’s go find her and ask.”
Fan Weiqi dragged Li Mo to the waiting area, where they found Yu Wenqian.
“How did it go? Was the audition okay?”
“I think it went well.”
“Hi, you must be Mo Mo’s agent. Let me tell you, your Mo Mo is amazing! She was so good that even Director Wang applauded! You know how hard it is to impress him! She’s incredible!”
“Hello, Miss Fan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, you’re both so formal! Calling me ‘Miss Fan’ and ‘Senior’! What did I do to deserve this?”
Yu Wenqian frowned, looking at Li Mo in confusion. This wasn’t the Fan Weiqi she knew. In their previous encounters, Fan Weiqi had always maintained a cool and aloof demeanor. Why was she acting so differently now?
“Oh, never mind. Anyway, I’m free for the next few days, and I want to take your Mo Mo out for some fun. Is that okay?”
“Yes, of course. But Li Mo is new to this industry. I’m worried she might not know how to avoid the paparazzi. Perhaps you could keep an eye on her, Miss Fan, and make sure she doesn’t get photographed.”
“No problem! Leave it to me! I know a private club owned by a celebrity. It’s very discreet.”
“Okay, that sounds good.”
“Great! It’s settled then! Mo Mo, send me your hotel address. I’ll pick you up later.”
“Okay, see you tonight.”
“Bye, sweetie!”
“Bye.”
Fan Weiqi left, and Yu Wenqian turned to Li Mo, her curiosity piqued.
“Do you know Fan Weiqi?”
“No, we just met today. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. I’ve never seen her so playful and carefree before. She’s always been so cold and distant. I thought you two were old friends.”
“I had no idea she was so fun! She’s completely different from her public image. Hahaha.”
“Just be careful when you’re out with her tonight. Don’t worry me, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.”
“Sigh… You’re both the same! You think being an agent is easy?”
“Okay, okay, Sister Qian, don’t be angry. I was just kidding. I’ll be good. Don’t worry. I’ve been good so far, haven’t I?”
“Hmph, don’t think I don’t know about you and Ms. Song. I’m just pretending not to notice. Tsk.”
“… There’s nothing going on between us. You’re misunderstanding.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. It’s your personal life. Just don’t do anything scandalous in public. Otherwise, you’ll be making my job a lot harder.”
“… Okay, I’ll be careful.”
Yu Wenqian dropped Li Mo off at her hotel. Li Mo rested for a while and then changed into a new outfit, preparing to go out. Just as she was ready, her new phone rang.
“Hello, is this Mo Mo?”
“Yes, it’s me. Are you here?”
“Yes, I’m here. Come down now.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Li Mo left her room and told Yu Wenqian that she was going out. She took the elevator down to the lobby and walked towards the hotel entrance, where she found a red Ferrari parked outside. The window rolled down, revealing Fan Weiqi, who waved to her excitedly. Li Mo smiled and got into the car.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you shopping! Hehe.”
“Sister, you can’t do that. I’m not old enough.”
“Hehe, it’s too late to run now! Hahaha.”
Fan Weiqi drove the Ferrari towards the most bustling district in Shanghai, a maze of skyscrapers and crowded streets. They navigated through the city center and then turned into a quieter alleyway behind the main street, lined with historical buildings.
Fan Weiqi pulled up to an old courtyard house. From the outside, it looked like a museum, but as they approached the gate, Li Mo noticed the tight security. They had to use an electronic keycard to open the gate.
After passing through the gate, they encountered another checkpoint. Fan Weiqi rolled down the window and handed her membership card to one of the guards. The guard compared her face to the photo on the card and then allowed them to pass.
Fan Weiqi retrieved her card, rolled up the window, and drove towards the underground parking entrance. They parked the car and entered an elevator.
“Qiqi, this place is so mysterious! How did you find it?”
“The owner is a good friend of mine. It’s a private club for celebrities and business elites. Ordinary people can’t get in. And the membership requirements are very strict. You can’t just buy your way in. You need to be recommended by an existing member.”
“Wow, that’s impressive! So, you guys have these secret places to hang out? No wonder we never see celebrities at public events! You’re all hiding out in these private clubs!”
“What do you mean ‘you guys’? You’re a celebrity now too! Silly girl! Once you’ve been in this industry for a while, you’ll discover more of these places. You think every celebrity is a bookworm who stays home all the time? These places exist, but they’re very discreet to keep the paparazzi out.”
“What kind of things can we do here?”
“Everything! There’s a dance hall, a bar, a casino, a theater, a gym, a swimming pool, a restaurant… You name it, they have it.”
“Really? That’s amazing!”
“This one is actually quite small. Land is scarce in Shanghai, so they couldn’t build a bigger place. The one in Beijing is much bigger. I’ll take you there sometime.”
“Yes, please! I want to see it!”
“Okay, let’s go eat something first. I’m starving.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
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