Chapter 78: Star Dream
The crew’s work became busy again. Staff members handled each step methodically, ensuring no errors occurred. The cinematographer focused the lights, ready. Under the director’s arrangement, the actors entered the set to prepare their scenes.
Nangong Ying, the newcomer actress who had originally been kicked out of the crew, returned for some unknown reason, leaving the entire crew puzzled. But the entertainment industry itself was a deep pool; no one knew how deep it ran. Everyone was smart enough not to ask. The male lead, Liang Hui, was quite happy to learn that Nangong Ying had safely returned to the crew. He generously announced that after work tonight, he would treat everyone to Haidilao, causing the entire crew to boil with excitement.
Nangong Ying just smiled faintly, saying nothing, seriously immersing herself in filming. In this movie, although her screen time wasn’t large, she was still the female lead, so she had to put in 100% effort.
Under the careful guidance of the two directors, Nangong Ying’s acting skills improved. Although still at a newcomer level, her growth rate was very fast. The fact that she dared to compete with veteran actors on the same stage showed that her aptitude wasn’t bad.
Moreover, her status was different now. Before, she was just an actress signed for one movie, an actress invited into the crew. But not now; she was already a member of the big company Orange River, an actress under their banner.
Although she didn’t have much box office appeal, nor great fame, she was still the champion of the National Singing Competition. With such a title, it could be used for a good wave of publicity when the movie was about to be released.
After all, the current young generation was still very keen on the topic of the National Singing Competition.
“Wrap it up! Everyone worked hard. Come early tomorrow.”
After a day, filming was finished. Nangong Ying got a chance to rest. It had been a long time since she experienced such intense filming. It felt quite fulfilling, but at this moment, she couldn’t feel happy at all.
She declined Liang Hui’s kind invitation and went back alone with her bag. Li Yuexin had been waiting for her outside for a long time. These past two days, Li Yuexin had gotten used to picking her up every day. Their relationship warmed up quickly.
“Xiao Ying, you know the movie our band did the soundtrack for Director Zhang, right? That movie seems to have been unbanned. The director can continue with post-production.”
“Okay.”
She knew about this matter, perhaps clearer than anyone else.
But she wouldn’t say.
“And you’ve also become an actress under Orange River. Things are unpredictable.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Tell me… is the movie being unbanned related to you agreeing to sign with Orange River?”
She fell silent.
Sure enough, she couldn’t escape Sister Yuexin’s eyes, Nangong Ying couldn’t help thinking.
Yes, the reason the movie could be unbanned, and she could smoothly return to the crew, even becoming an actress under Orange River, was all related to her.
It was also the matter she least wanted to bring up. If she had the chance to choose, she wouldn’t make this choice again, because this choice was truly too difficult.
“I guessed it. But I didn’t expect you to be so straightforward. The previous you didn’t seem like the type willing to yield to others.”
“That was before. Now I’ve thought it through. There are no unchanging people, only unchanging things.”
Looking up, Nangong Ying said this, her eyes filled with sorrow.
In a short period, she had become sentimental.
Li Yuexin definitely couldn’t guess that Nangong Ying, in order to trade with Orange River, let Orange River give her back everything, and sign her as an actress, was because she sent Yu Linna in as her scapegoat. The person who should have been subjected to the unspoken rules was originally her, Nangong Ying.
It was she who betrayed her friend, her selfishness betrayed her. She knew she was a bastard.
But she couldn’t retreat. She could only walk on. Even if it was wrong, she could only walk on. Because this was the only path she could take.
“Sister Yuexin, tell me, was choosing to be an actress the right decision?”
Her eyes held a hint of confusion, looking ahead, already starting to blur.
Back then, for her ideals, she gave up being an athlete, gave up the path her father arranged for her. Now she chose to be an actress, a star. But how could the entertainment industry be as simple as she imagined? Without certain rules, how could one survive in this circle?
When she discovered the gap between ideals and reality, she felt defeated. But one thing was obvious: she didn’t want to give up her current ideal. She still wanted to be a star, wanted her fame to be greater, let the entire mainland know her name. Even surpass her father.
“There’s no good or bad. You’ve already chosen this path, so you have to walk down it. Because people have to be responsible for their own choices.”
Didn’t Li Yuexin come through the same way back then? Rolling and crawling in this circle, finally achieving her career, becoming popular. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the rules of this circle, just that she also couldn’t let go of that ideal.
But if she knew that everything Nangong Ying possessed now was obtained by betraying a friend, what would she think…
“Sister Yuexin, I argued with my friend.”
“Is it that friend of yours named Yu Linna? Then you really need to talk to her properly. Aren’t you friends? If you talk properly, she will definitely understand.”
“No, it’s impossible now. We can never reconcile again.”
“How can you say that, Xiao Ying? This isn’t like you.”
“If possible, I also wish this wasn’t true.”
Nangong Ying knew clearly what she was doing, knew what she had done, but she couldn’t stop it.
She had let Yu Linna down. She had let down that trust.
She was a complete jerk.
The person she swore to protect became the one she hurt the most.
What was Yu Linna doing now?
At this moment, she knew what kind of place she had come to. The cruelest rules of the game were laid before her, yet she couldn’t change them. Wanting to earn 3 million for Orange River in a short time, besides acting, she couldn’t think of a better way. But she couldn’t get roles.
So, besides this rule, she really couldn’t think of what else to do.
And the breach of contract penalty was 80 million. What kind of joke was that? She couldn’t earn that much in her entire life. How could she pay it back? Fate was playing a joke on her. Since childhood, she had been alone, struggling to survive until now. Now, finally finding a way to live a good life, yet having to pay such a painful price.
She really didn’t want to do this.
“Sniffle…”
She stayed alone in the toilet crying, secretly crying. Covering her face, utterly helpless.
If she had known this place was a wolf’s den, she wouldn’t have come in no matter what. Just because she believed Nangong Ying, believed her words that becoming famous could help find her relatives in this world, she entered without hesitation.
But only after entering did she discover that everything was her being too naive.
How could there be such good things?
All this was just a game for the rich, yet she, a poor person, took it seriously.
She wiped away her tears. Before things got bigger, she decided to find Nangong Ying. Only by finding Nangong Ying could the problem be solved. Otherwise, she would really be done for here.
She put on a black hoodie, walked out of the company gate alone, looked at this building. Clearly, this was the Orange River Company that people envied and pursued, the company many actors longed to enter, the leader of the entire film industry, the conscientious company in the eyes of the audience. But, it was Yu Linna’s nightmare…
She wouldn’t leave herself here. She swore she must escape Orange River.
But how to escape? This was another problem…
Because besides making money, she really couldn’t think of anything else.
Paying the penalty was also unrealistic.
Beep beep beep—
On the other side, Ye Zhiyun got busy. After the previously invested movie made money, her assets increased instantly. Now with more funds on hand, she naturally wanted to make larger investments, preferably earning even more.
“Hello, Director Xu, when are you free? Let’s have a meal sometime. I have a project I want to discuss with you.”
“Hello, Boss Huo, it’s me, Ye Zhiyun. Is it convenient for you? I want to discuss something with you.”
Miss Ye was a very busy person, with many social engagements to attend. Although the age of a high school student, she had already learned how to deal with bosses.
The romance movie directed by Murong Yan before had good word-of-mouth during its release. A movie with little early promotion broke into the top five of the monthly box office charts amidst the siege of many blockbusters, ultimately grossing 320 million. Ye Zhiyun received her share, and her liquid assets also increased.
And next, she had new plans. One was to invest in a major production, definitely needing box office guarantee, preferably Orange River’s. Additionally, she wanted to invest in an animated movie. As a veteran anime fan, she always wanted to invest in an animated movie but lacked the opportunity. Now she wanted to find this opportunity.
“Miss, the movie ‘Storm Seal’ has been unbanned. It’s said that people from Orange River gave Nangong Ying a chance, letting her sign under their banner. Because of this relationship, this movie was unbanned. Meaning, the money Miss invested still has a chance to yield returns.”
“It’s just a pity we lost the chance to extort Orange River.”
She said coldly.
What tricks were these bastards at Orange River playing? To actually pull this move? Was the conflict between Nangong Ying and Orange River just an act?
“Moreover, according to reliable sources, ‘Storm Seal’, in order to attract audiences upon release, has been renamed ‘Storm Seal Chronicle’. Probably considering the name wasn’t attractive enough.”
“Changing the name is fine too. It sounds a bit like a fantasy novel. Just don’t know what the reaction of the audience watching the movie will be when they realize they’re watching a martial arts film.”
Ye Zhiyun didn’t forget to roast the movie’s name. Although roasting it as a martial arts film, it actually had some relation to fantasy. After all, there were special effects, and when the female lead died and was frozen in the extreme cold land at the end, there would also be extensive special effects.
But Ye Zhiyun only hoped this movie could make money. After all, she was a businesswoman; what she wanted was still money.
“Miss, we should set off.”
“Okay, getting busy again. Looks like I have to take leave for tomorrow’s quiz. The homeroom teacher probably wants to strangle me. Let’s go, let’s go to work.”
Miss Ye started her busy days again. In the days of making money, she slowly forgot the existence of a certain person.
Leave a Reply