Chapter 62: Intentions
Nangong Ying and Ye Zhiyun’s relationship wasn’t great. When they first met, they couldn’t stand the sight of each other. At that time, Ye Zhiyun hadn’t sorted out her relationship with Yu Linna yet, and she took the initiative to cause trouble for her, subsequently clashing with Nangong Ying.
Naturally, their relationship couldn’t be good. But now was different from the past; Ye Zhiyun’s relationship with Yu Linna wasn’t as bad as before either.
But it didn’t mean the relationship between these two had improved.
“Nangong, you’re here? This is Miss Ye, one of our investors. Miss, this is our female lead.”
Director Zhang’s tone was quite polite when introducing them, different from his attitude on set. Nangong Ying could also see that this Miss Ye held quite a high position in the director’s heart.
She hadn’t known before that this person had such a significant background, even being one of the investors in the movie she was filming. The world is truly small.
“Hello, Miss Nangong. My name is Ye Zhiyun, same age as you.”
Unexpectedly, Ye Zhiyun’s attitude was very gentle, completely different from their first meeting. And her tone of voice was also comfortable, especially her face, making it impossible to dislike her.
If Nangong Ying hadn’t known her beforehand.
“Hello, my name is Nangong Ying.”
Nangong Ying extended her hand and shook hers.
Director Zhang then said a few words, and then seemed to need to go backstage to check the filming progress, so he excused himself first. Only Ye Zhiyun and Nangong Ying were left in the lounge. Without the restraint of outsiders, the two naturally didn’t need to be so formal. Nangong Ying stood very impolitely in front of her, blocking the door behind her.
“Speak. What do you want?”
Her face was filled with hostility. Towards this girl, she had no good attitude at all. In her heart, this girl was not a good person. Anyone who bullied Yu Linna was not a good person.
Miss Ye herself seemed to have no reaction, her face still holding a faint smile, although the smile had faded slightly.
“I just came to visit the set. It’s not excessive to check the progress of a movie project I invested in myself. Don’t you think, Miss Nangong?”
“Cut the crap. Hurry up and say it. What are you here for?”
This little girl named Nangong Ying really disliked her quite strongly; it had reached a serious level. Although Ye Zhiyun herself didn’t care.
It should be said that this situation was expected.
In the lounge, an oppressive aura enveloped them, though it was one-sided. But just this aura was enough to suffocate an ordinary person. But who was Miss Ye? She was completely unaffected.
“I’ve already stated my purpose: to visit the set. It’s that simple. If you think there’s another motive, that’s just you overthinking.”
Dealing with this kind of person, Ye Zhiyun also felt helpless. It was originally a simple matter, yet it was made so complicated.
Nangong Ying was still a novice; there were some things she didn’t understand yet. Ye Zhiyun didn’t plan to do anything to her; she wasn’t that bored.
Ye Zhiyun bypassed her body, opened the door behind her, and walked straight out, completely unaffected by her. Nangong Ying’s aura was strong, yes, but Ye Zhiyun’s wasn’t weak either; she couldn’t be suppressed.
Besides, she was also doing it for Yu Linna. She didn’t blame her.
Nangong Ying suddenly deflated like a balloon, watching her leave blankly, yet unable to take a step forward.
She really hadn’t expected Ye Zhiyun’s background to be so significant. The moment she arrived just now, there was a slight unease deep in her heart, but she never thought of backing down. She just didn’t expect Ye Zhiyun to merely glance at her and leave.
Just as she said, she was just here to visit the set, nothing more.
Anyway, for her, Ye Zhiyun, as long as the movie could be released smoothly, she would still make money, although not as much as Orange River.
And Nangong Ying had already decided to decline this company’s invitation. The reason was none other than too many restrictions. She only proposed one condition: she was only willing to film one movie for them, but would not become a signed artist under their banner.
She never thought that her attitude would seem extremely arrogant in the eyes of Orange River’s senior management. But she still didn’t know disaster would strike.
And one-third of the movie “Storm Seal” had already been filmed. The remaining scenes would be expedited and should be finished soon. Then she would participate in post-production reshoots, and it should be almost done.
The biggest problem now was that this movie lacked a soundtrack. The director had tried various ways to hire musicians, but well-known musicians didn’t want to compose for this movie, and some musicians quoted prices too high to afford. Although Orange River had invested, musicians seemed unwilling to compose for such a “third-rate movie.” After all, damaging one’s reputation was not worth it.
However, the soundtracks provided by the affordable well-known musicians didn’t meet the director’s requirements. This really troubled Orange River.
Nangong Ying rushed filming on one side, and reviewed her lessons after work on the other. No matter how hard she worked, she was still a third-year high school student; she still needed to have a sense of time.
After filming one-third, the entire crew began to move locations, shifting the shooting spot to Beijing to film the remaining scenes. The process was very arduous, but Nangong Ying still persisted. After arriving in Beijing, Nangong Ying unintentionally heard news from her mother’s phone call. Her father’s training team happened to be stationed in Beijing, asking if she wanted to go over.
Nangong Ying hadn’t seen her father for a long time. In her memory, this father had always been very strict, demanding a lot from her. But privately, he was a good father. Nangong Ying always wanted his approval.
Work finished early this day. Nangong Ying packed her things and went to the training team in Beijing alone, not returning to the hotel. Although the agent offered to accompany her, she politely declined. She changed her clothes and took a taxi there alone.
Her father used to be a professional athlete, a national-level one, who represented the country in the Olympics and brought glory to the nation. Nangong Ying was a legitimate “second-generation star,” just that she didn’t follow her father’s old path.
Late at night, the weather in Beijing was still a bit cool, different from home. The training team’s address was inside the stadium. When Nangong Ying arrived by taxi, a row of security guards stood at the entrance. She wanted to go in, but the security guards wouldn’t let her.
“My father is inside. Tell him his daughter is here.”
“Okay, what’s your father’s name? I’ll go inform him.”
“My father’s name is Nangong Zhuo.”
“…Girl, are you here to cause trouble?”
The security uncle had a pained expression, and his attitude towards this girl became unfriendly. Putting other things aside, how could one casually claim a star athlete as their father?
Nangong Zhuo, this name was very famous throughout the country. Although several years had passed and the name gradually faded, this name was quite resounding a few years ago. This national-level athlete once represented the Chinese team in competitions, passed through numerous trials, won gold medals, left foreign competitors behind, and brought glory to the country.
He had also endorsed advertisements. An athlete endorsing advertisements meant he already possessed the strength of a star. Unlike the entertainment industry, stars in the professional circle were truly one in ten thousand.
Therefore, when Nangong Ying said her father was Nangong Zhuo, the security uncle thought she was here to cause trouble.
“If you don’t believe me, forget it. I’ll call him myself. I’ll have him come pick me up.”
Nangong Ying didn’t intend to waste time, took out her phone, pressed a few keys, then put her left hand in her pocket and quietly waited for a response.
Soon, a voice came from the other end of the phone. Nangong Ying said a few words. The person on the other end was silent for a moment, said “hmm,” and hung up. Three minutes later, a sturdy middle-aged man wearing a sports shirt and black trousers walked out.
The man’s face was handsome and upright. Unsmiling, he always wore a serious expression. Due to age, wrinkles began to appear on his face. His bronze skin, paired with his muscular lines, gave him a more masculine look. He was over 1.9 meters tall, with a robust build. At forty, he still maintained the temperament of his youth.
“Mr. Nangong.”
The security guard greeted him. He pointed at Nangong Ying, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn’t dare to speak. Who would have thought this girl really managed to call him over?
Nangong Zhuo looked at his daughter. Compared to when she left, Nangong Ying’s eyes were more resolute. Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her temperament had quietly altered.
“Dad.”
Nangong Ying called him.
“Come in.”
Nangong Zhuo ultimately couldn’t bear to send her away and let her in. The stadium was originally for training national-level athletes; he, as a coach, had no right to let outsiders in. But his daughter was another matter.
In the past, Nangong Zhuo was a professional long-distance runner, representing the national team in many competitions, often making headlines in foreign competitions, known for his flying legs, and breaking Guinness records several times. Originally, an athlete’s career lasted until around thirty, but he persisted until thirty-four before retiring.
After retiring, he originally wanted to wholeheartedly train his daughter to take over his mantle, but his daughter had no interest in long-distance running. So he changed direction, letting her learn martial arts, then letting her play tennis. But in the end, his daughter became an artist.
“Dad, I’ve signed a contract. From now on, I’m an artist.”
On the way into the stadium, everyone knew Nangong Zhuo, but the little girl following behind Nangong Zhuo was quite unfamiliar, as no one had seen this person before. Nangong Ying had a conversation with her father on the way into the stadium, even though he might not necessarily respond.
“Okay.”
Sure enough, Nangong Zhuo’s tone was very cold.
“Dad, are you still blaming me?”
Nangong Zhuo’s brow furrowed slightly but quickly returned to normal, his pace still not slowing down.
“Good or bad, that’s your choice. I have no right to interfere with you.”
Although he said that, Nangong Ying could hear the unhappiness in his tone.
So much time had passed, yet her father still didn’t approve of the path she had chosen.
Once, Nangong Zhuo wanted to train Nangong Ying into an athlete, letting her also represent the national team. With Nangong Ying’s talent, she had the opportunity. But she couldn’t persist.
“Dad, you really are blaming me.”
Leave a Reply