After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Shao Niannian didn’t hide her failed confession from Gu Yizhi and Su Chaoyue.

When Gu Yizhi first heard the news, she found it hard to believe. Although she was stuck at a business dinner, her heart was with her best friend. She ducked into a small corner and began a barrage of messages: “That shouldn’t be right. Based on what you told me, she definitely seemed interested in you.”

“Trust me, no lesbian gets kissed for no reason and then doesn’t block you,” Gu Yizhi hummed. “Wait, sorry, let me rephrase. No normal person stays that calm after being forcibly kissed…”

Thus, Gu Yizhi concluded firmly: “Babe, she definitely has designs on you—either your body or your feelings. Is it possible she rejected you just to play hard to get?”

Shao Niannian: “…”

Niannian felt speechless. “Zhizhi, is your confidence innate?”

“I think my logic is sound! If she didn’t have a guilty conscience, why would she just say ‘sorry’ and hang up?” Gu Yizhi frowned and advised, “Regardless, I don’t support you giving up like this. Try a few more times.”

“You’ve liked her for so many years; it’s a bit of a waste to quit after one rejection.” Gu Yizhi even brought up her own past: “Think about when I chased that senior in high school. I was rejected seven or eight times, but later…”

“Later, didn’t you give up anyway?” Niannian truthfully exposed her friend’s past. “You didn’t even try that hard. I ghostwrote all the love letters. Chaoyue picked up the afternoon tea for you on her way to the Literature Club. You just talked a big game and followed her around like a puppy.”

“Isn’t it normal that you didn’t get her?”

Dumbfounded, Gu Yizhi licked her dry lips several times. She wanted to argue but couldn’t find a comeback, so she forcibly pivoted back to the main topic. “We’re talking about your problem now. Stop interrupting me.”

“Pursuing someone is like this: be thick-skinned and try a few more times. If it really doesn’t work, then we’ll give up.”

Niannian remained silent, huddled in her bed.

Gu Yizhi sighed. “Forget it, let’s just give up then. Maybe she really just wants us to take the hint.” She continued her solo analysis.

Suddenly, Su Chaoyue joined the group chat. After reading the entire history, she also advised Niannian to let it go.

Unexpectedly, Niannian possessed a rebellious streak; the more those around her urged her to quit, the more she felt she couldn’t give up so easily. When she finally stated she should keep trying, the group chat fell silent for nearly five minutes.

Finally, Su Chaoyue reappeared. “If Niannian thinks it’s right, I will always be on your side.” No questions of right or wrong, no asking for reasons.

Gu Yizhi, perhaps moved by something, sent a “Fighting!” and added: “If there’s anything I can help with, feel free to ask.”

It was a casual courtesy, but Niannian actually had something for her.

In her ten years in the industry, Niannian’s network was actually quite average. People she worked with spoke well of her, but she rarely had deep connections. She would help if asked, but she resisted involving others in her personal life. This resulted in her having very few people she could call on a whim, aside from the few colleagues under Gao Hui.

Therefore, to find out about Jiang Yan’s movements, she had to rely on Gu Yizhi.

Gu Yizhi, realizing she had accidentally volunteered for a big task: “…”

“Fine. I’ll get you info later.”

“Okay.”

The day the crew sent Niannian off was quite grand. Aside from recording videos and taking photos to tell fans she was fine, they took the opportunity to dominate the trending list for some free movie promotion. Their production wasn’t short on cash.

Before boarding the plane, Niannian spoke with Gao Hui, who was waiting at the VIP exit. Fans knew she was wrapping up today but didn’t know she was flying back to the coast. To be safe, they kept a low profile—especially since Niannian’s concussion hadn’t fully healed; being swarmed by a crowd could cause issues.

As soon as they got into the car, Gao Hui bombarded her with questions about her health. Only after scanning her up and down did she breathe a sigh of relief. “You scared me to death.”

“You have no idea. When I saw that video and the photos on Weibo, my heart stopped. I was shaking. I was so afraid you were… goner.”

Returning to a familiar place felt like coming home. Niannian leaned back against the leather seat and let out a soft “mm.” “Afraid I was a goner and your commission would drop by half, right?”

“You could have just thought that without saying it.” Seeing that Niannian was in high spirits, Gao Hui began discussing work.

“Do you remember Director Wang? Wang Qing. The one who invited you for Legend of the Fox Demon before you were replaced by a last-minute swap.” Seeing no reaction from the horizontal Niannian, Gao Hui knew she wasn’t focusing. “The director of Jiang Yan’s Nights of Indiscretion.”

The “salted fish” Niannian immediately perked up at the mention of Jiang Yan’s name, her eyes tracking toward Gao Hui.

“Nights of Indiscretion is getting a theatrical re-release this year, and they’re doing a city roadshow. Director Wang wants to know if you can join as a special guest.”

Gao Hui frowned slightly. “I originally wanted to decline for you. They’re clearly just after your traffic, and you’ve never actually worked with a big director like him. But since the promotion is linked to Jiang Yan, I didn’t want to interfere directly.”

Gao Hui spoke earnestly: “I have to remind you—even though you’re on the actress path, you have a massive amount of girlfriend fans, mother fans, and career fans. Among your generation of ‘flowers,’ you’re the one who enters a new set consistently every year. If you make your feelings too obvious, your career will definitely take a hit.”

“Let’s get the ugly truths out of the way first.”

As Niannian’s manager, Gao Hui had to consider her future. In previous years, Gao Hui would use any excuse to keep Niannian away from Jiang Yan, whose reputation for being a “playgirl” preceded her. Part of it was genuine care, part of it was professional.

But this time, with Niannian filming alongside Jiang Yan and Wen Jing, Gao Hui felt a strange sense of “my daughter has grown up.” She realized she was no longer a rookie manager, and Niannian was no longer the seventeen-year-old minor who had signed with her.

Accepting the situation, Gao Hui gradually allowed the contact. She even begrudgingly accepted communication from Jiang Yan’s manager.

Niannian stared at Gao Hui. “I want to go!”

Gao Hui sighed, but her lips curled into a smile. “I figured.”

“The roadshow guests are announced officially, right? That should be fine?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’ll let Director Wang know. You rest for a few days first; the schedule isn’t that tight. I’ll book a doctor for you. Go home and lie down; I’ll go to Huo Lv’s place and pick up Baobei (the cat).”

“Okay! Thanks, Sister Hui! Love you!”

Niannian spoke loudly, but the sudden exertion tugged at the nerves in her forehead, making her dizzy again. Gao Hui quickly made her lie back down.

At home, Niannian changed into clean clothes. She noticed she had gained a bit of weight; in the full-length mirror, her face looked a bit rounder. Exhausted from the trip, she fell asleep almost instantly.

Gao Hui returned with Baobei and a bag of cat treats. The moment they entered, the cat jumped from her arms, padded gracefully toward Niannian’s room, hopped onto the bed, and curled up beside her. It was a practiced routine.

Gao Hui checked on them, and seeing both were fine, returned to the living room to coordinate the day’s work. She was looking for a hospital for Niannian’s follow-up; just as the search results loaded, a friend request popped up on WeChat.

It was from Jiang Yan.

Gao Hui hesitated for a second before clicking “Accept.”

Immediately, a message came through with a private hospital address and a VIP entrance number.

Gao Hui rubbed her eyes and looked back at her browser.

Huh? Is big data this powerful now? It’s already pushing my search history to Jiang Yan? What kind of obscure connection is this?