Chapter 60: What She Wants
The conditions offered by the other party indeed attracted her. Although she didn’t particularly like being tied down, she had to admit that the terms were sufficiently generous. She entered this circle alone from the beginning, without familiar friends around. If Yu Linna could smoothly enter this circle, that was also a tempting reason.
After all, entering this circle but not giving Yu Linna any substantial help, as a friend, it was hard to justify. Especially that screen test, her appearance snatched away the female lead position, rendering her efforts futile. Her heart still held some guilt.
She did want to help this friend.
“You can call me when you’ve thought it through.”
Yu Tianchen left his business card and departed with a meaningful smile. The hospital room was once again left with just these two girls, and the extra consolation gifts.
Nangong Ying looked at this business card. If it were before, she might have chosen to throw it away. But not now; she hesitated. Entering the entertainment industry, she should be aware of how deep the water was. What Li Yuexin said just now wasn’t unreasonable either. Fighting alone was ultimately too difficult; she needed someone to guide her.
Orange River was the most famous company in the film circle. The quality of the movies they produced each year was very high. In the early years, they even exported films for screening abroad, which was a great honor. Domestically produced films rarely went abroad, but Orange River successfully sold company-produced films overseas in its early years.
Although it hadn’t been doing well these past few years, it was still the largest film company in the country.
“Xiao Ying, although Orange River is a big company, I don’t recommend you go in. It’s not that I have any prejudice. This Yu Tianchen is not as good as imagined.”
Li Yuexin, as an insider, naturally knew how deep the water was. How could she not know the underlying principles? Actively coming to the door, it was impossible to return empty-handed. They were playing for real.
Although she had never filmed a movie, she also knew how many hidden rules there were. What she feared most was that Nangong Ying, as a newcomer, would be exploited.
“Thank you, Sister Yuexin. I will consider it myself.”
Now Nangong Ying needed to think carefully. She didn’t know how to make a decision.
She was an ambitious person. Wanting to climb up, she had to put in more effort than others. She had no acquaintances in the entertainment industry, no relatives; everything started from zero. Relying on a few recommendations was useless; she had to have strength. At the same time, she needed opportunities.
Joining Orange River was indeed an opportunity.
And, it could also help Yu Linna.
The conditions were truly too generous. It could be seen that Orange River came with sincerity; they wanted to create a new star. A star who no longer just flaunted beauty, but could bring shock to the audience. They clearly knew that the female stars of the old era would gradually be eliminated; they needed reform.
During these days of recuperation, Nangong Ying would call Yu Linna every day to understand her situation. From Yu Linna, she learned that Yu Linna was currently participating in the summer comic convention and had even become a cosplayer. Although Nangong Ying didn’t watch anime, she somewhat understood cosplay.
“Nangong, are you still filming?”
“Yes, still filming. It should end in about another month. I’ll come back during post-production. Linna, I want to see you.”
“Hehe, let’s eat after you come back.”
Their relationship had been good since before, never stiff.
Although the screen test incident made things a bit awkward, it didn’t affect their friendship; they were still quite close. When Nangong Ying was filming outside, she often thought of Yu Linna far away. This was something she hadn’t experienced when she was away before.
Perhaps it’s because I have someone to care about now, Nangong Ying thought silently.
“Hey, Linna, do you still have the mind to enter the entertainment industry now?”
“Why ask this? I haven’t decided whether to continue developing in it. Let’s see how things go.”
Yu Linna, like Nangong Ying, had an ideal in her heart, a dream of becoming famous. The difference was that Nangong Ying always wanted higher, wanted more. While Yu Linna only wanted what she deserved, only wanted to escape poverty.
Compared to Yu Linna, Nangong Ying was really lucky. She had everything, and people helping her. In childhood, she had her father’s company, the coach’s help. After growing up and entering this circle, she also had Li Yuexin’s guidance. She was very smooth, always very smooth.
Just thinking of Yu Linna still struggling silently at the bottom, she also wanted to pull her up.
After all, Yu Linna was also her friend.
“Linna, if given a chance, are you willing to grasp it? Will you continue to be an actress?”
“…If there’s a chance, I think I will fight for it.”
When she said this sentence, her destiny was already inseparable from the entertainment industry.
She was always unwilling to let go, always wanting to possess, simply because she had nothing, so she wanted everything. In the end, she couldn’t keep anything.
She wanted to become famous too much, she wanted to be rich too much, to the point where she couldn’t see anything else.
Her goal had always been to follow Nangong Ying’s footsteps, never changing. Deep down, she still longed to walk the same path as Nangong Ying.
Yes, she wanted to become Nangong Ying.
She wanted to be the shining star.
“Then, are you willing to enter the entertainment industry with me? The two of us, go to higher and farther places together.”
Nangong Ying wanted to walk forward with her, go to the highest place together. She didn’t hope for anything extravagant, just wanted to move forward with Yu Linna. Her life, her existence, had already been branded by her.
She really wanted to walk forward with her.
She wanted to walk on the same path with her.
“Nangong, you’re…”
“I want to walk with you. Can you set off with me?”
She wanted to go to higher and farther places.
Yu Linna pressed her lower lip tightly, silent for a long time. Her body trembled, but she tried hard to endure it.
She knew, always knew, that Nangong Ying was an all-around talent. As long as she wanted, she could go anywhere. She could become an athlete, but she didn’t take that path. She could be a singer, but she chose to be an actress.
As long as she wanted, she could do anything.
But Yu Linna was different; she couldn’t do anything. One wrong choice for her meant utter defeat.
It wasn’t that she didn’t dare to gamble; she really couldn’t afford to lose. She had nothing to lose. She didn’t dare to gamble anymore.
That feeling of giving everything, yet ending up with nothing, she didn’t want to experience it again.
“Nangong, I… I don’t know.”
She hesitated. She didn’t dare to make a decision immediately.
She had nothing, couldn’t afford to lose. One loss, and nothing would be left.
But in her heart, she longed for success.
And the reason she wanted to succeed was simply to eat her fill, wear warm clothes, and live like an ordinary girl. Enjoy the happiness she didn’t enjoy in her previous life. She didn’t dare to hope for anything extravagant, only hoping for days where she could eat her fill, afford new clothes, use furniture, and live in a house.
She and Nangong Ying were completely different.
Nangong Ying stood by the window, holding the phone, also falling into silence. She knew that persuading her to join wasn’t that simple. Yu Linna and she were different people after all. She couldn’t be like her, giving everything.
“Then think about it slowly. There’s plenty of time. I won’t force you. But I still hope you can walk with me.”
In the very end, only this sentence remained, followed by silence.
Nangong Ying put away her phone, looking at the sky outside the window. A few fallen leaves drifted past with the wind. A trace of depression appeared in her eyes. As a genius, how could her shoulders not bear pressure? How could the things she endured not be heavy?
She wanted to walk with Yu Linna, also because only Yu Linna could give her a sense of peace. As long as she was by her side, she could persevere through anything. That year too, because Yu Linna was there, she expressed her feelings to her father: she wouldn’t be an athlete anymore. It was also from that time that she began a new chapter in her life.
She wanted to continue being with Yu Linna. Even if Yu Linna accomplished nothing her whole life, that didn’t matter.
Yu Linna had nothing. If she considered Nangong Ying her only one, that would naturally be best. Then she could always have her.
A day later, Nangong Ying returned to the work site, continuing to film the unfinished scenes. Director Zhang had already told her not to rush, but she still insisted on filming. She wanted to finish quickly so she could go home sooner.
The actors and staff in the crew were infected by her dedicated attitude, working even harder, even working overtime to rush filming, day and night. And the most hardworking one was Nangong Ying. She had too many scenes to complete. Even with her martial arts foundation, filming with a sense of visual appeal was by no means easy. Getting injured while filming action scenes was unavoidable. Her ankle injury had just healed when she fractured her palm. There were also several times when prop swords almost scratched her face.
But even so, she persisted in filming, without complaint or regret. She wanted to prove with her own efforts that she could succeed.
“Director Zhang, that Nangong girl is really dedicated. You said she’s a newcomer, I really can’t tell. She looks more like a veteran actor.”
“I also didn’t expect this newcomer to be so dedicated. I can see her future in this little girl. She will definitely succeed, I believe so.”
Everyone liked this dedicated young actress on the set. Here, she was the youngest, but endured the most hardship, and she was a girl. This made many male actors feel ashamed. During filming, there was less fooling around and more professionalism.
And when Nangong Ying rested, she would also take the script and go to a corner to read it, slowly pondering by herself. Days passed. She closed the script. It was time to make a decision.
One day after work, Nangong Ying said goodbye to the crew staff, greeted the co-actors, declined the dinner invitation, and went back to her rented place alone holding her bag. And she pressed a few keys and made a call.
“Hello, Mom, are you home?”
…
“Yes, I’ve thought it through.”
…
“Please tell Dad, I will continue to be an actress, absolutely no regrets.”
…
“I don’t like being tied down. I will definitely choose my own future.”
The cool breeze blew past, covering her face.
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