After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Shao Niannian listened to Yang Yang’s words, and the food she had just eaten felt like it had turned into a “culprit” burning through her digestive tract. The churning discomfort in her stomach made her realize how violently her emotions were fluctuating.

Niannian didn’t even dare to peek at Jiang Yan’s expression with her peripheral vision. This silence meant that this plan wasn’t just Yang Yang’s decision alone. She gripped the white porcelain teacup until her fingertips turned white.

It made sense. With Jiang Yan’s stature, how could she ever be coerced by capital in this industry? She was the capital—whether it was connections or money, she had everything she wanted.

To Jiang Yan, Shao Niannian was likely nothing more than an inconspicuous stalk of bamboo in a vast forest. Years of accumulation had finally allowed the bamboo to sprout from the earth, rushing toward Jiang Yan with an unstoppable force. But how could a lowly bamboo stalk compare to precious golden phoebe wood? Even if you added all of her up, she was barely worth a few leaves on Jiang Yan’s tree.

Niannian lowered her gaze and took a small sip of tea.

Suddenly, she understood why Jiang Yan’s attitude toward her had changed so drastically over the past few days. It wasn’t the “sincerity moving a great tree” narrative she had imagined.

It was simply a matter of utility.

If she didn’t possess the “dividend potential” Yang Yang spoke of, their relationship likely would have returned to the status quo of the last ten years the moment they finished the Mute Woman shoot—zero intersection. Even if they appeared in the same venue, Jiang Yan would always be the focus of the crowd, while where would Shao Niannian be? Just a second-tier actress, somewhat known to the audience, but unable to secure resources without a struggle. In high-end venues, she wouldn’t even be worthy of an invitation.

Just like the Mefeirios anniversary—without Mr. Li’s help, someone of her rank wouldn’t have even gotten a ticket, let alone a private vlog shoot with Jiang Yan.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Every gift of fate comes with a price tag. It was only at this moment that Niannian felt the crushing blow of reality.

Her prolonged silence caused the others at the table to falter.

“Miss Shao?” Yang Yang hadn’t expected the proposal of a “Bound CP” to be met with anything other than joyful acceptance. Her eyes flickered toward Jiang Yan, who was still eating in silence.

Yang Yang kept her professional smile, but her eyes sent a clear message to Jiang Yan: “It seems this little girl doesn’t love you quite as deeply as we thought.”

Gao Hui, on the other hand, let out a soft, imperceptible sigh of relief. She reached for food with her chopsticks, delighted by Niannian’s rare silence. Regardless of what Niannian was thinking, a calm attitude meant they held more leverage.

Right now, Jiang Yan’s side was the one asking for a favor. Regardless of Niannian’s actual feelings, Gao Hui wasn’t about to let a single scrap of resource exchange slip away. The calmer Niannian appeared, the higher their autonomy in negotiations, and Yang Yang would have no reason to push the price down unfairly.

Hearing Yang Yang call her name, Niannian set down her cup and stood up with a polite smile. “I’m sorry, I need to speak with my manager privately for a moment. Please excuse us.”

Gao Hui, who had just stuffed a piece of lobster into her mouth, stood up immediately and followed her out.

The door closed, and the room fell into a heavy silence.

Jiang Yan used her chopsticks to pick up a river shrimp that had been stained dark by the soy sauce. The extreme salt and spice stimulated her taste buds, but she didn’t so much as flinch at the unpleasantness. The crisp sound of her chopsticks hitting the porcelain bowl was the only thing bringing a spark of life back to the room.

Yang Yang carefully observed Jiang Yan’s expression. Using ten years of experience to judge that Jiang Yan was in a foul mood, she bit back her teasing and opted for consolation.

“She’ll agree.”

Jiang Yan’s eyelids lifted slightly. Her gaze toward Yang Yang was devoid of emotion, cold and detached. “Do I need you to tell me that?”

“How many resources did you promise her privately?”

Yang Yang knew she was being asked about the results of her negotiation with Gao Hui. She nodded slightly. “One more TV series and one more movie than before. Plus, a shared marketing team.”

“But Gao Hui rejected the shared marketing team.”

Jiang Yan: “Why?”

“She didn’t say.” Yang Yang shrugged. “Gao Hui’s job might not be hard because of her own lack of ability, but because her artists are far too individualistic. They have a huge influence on her professional decisions.”

Yang Yang thought about how there were six more artists just like Shao Niannian and felt a headache coming on. Managing one Jiang Yan was already a full-time job. The only difference was that Jiang Yan came with her own traffic, capital, and a fierce drive for success—she was a natural.

Other artists couldn’t even dream of that.

The soundproofing of the private room was excellent. Once outside, Niannian felt the full noise of the crowded Cantonese restaurant. The lunch rush was in full swing, and the sound of the decorative water wheel in the lobby only added to her inner turmoil.

Niannian walked faster and faster. Following behind, Gao Hui couldn’t figure out where this sudden burst of anger had come from. She was worried that Niannian, without a mask or hat, would be recognized in the middle of the restaurant. Before she could call out, Niannian pushed open a heavy fire exit door and entered the stairwell.

The “creak” of the door triggered the motion-sensor lights. Gao Hui followed closely.

“Why are you angry? A few days ago, weren’t you happy just to shoot a vlog with her and go to the same party? Why are you upset now that you can become business partners?” Gao Hui asked, as if coaxing a child.

“…” Niannian couldn’t quite put her finger on what she was angry about. She frowned, frustrated. “I feel like a fool.”

“Huh?”

“Yang Yang’s words just now… wasn’t she just certain that I would agree? On what grounds? My feelings aren’t a crime, so why should they be treated like a commodity to be measured for value? Using them to assume I’ll follow blindly… it’s like…”

It was like Jiang Yan had seen through her foolish love long ago, yet continued to play along with the charade of her “ten-year unrequited search for love.” This feeling of being completely exposed made Niannian feel humiliated.

Gao Hui fell silent. She reached out to straighten Niannian’s collar, just as she had years ago when they first signed a contract in a meeting room. Back then, it was a high school uniform; now, it was a casual sports jacket.

In over a decade, Gao Hui had never truly forced Niannian to do something she didn’t want to do, nor had she pushed her artists into “society” just to make more money. Niannian and Huo Lv were the same in that regard. Gao Hui complained constantly, but she held a firm moral line.

Usually, Gao Hui would have already pulled Niannian back to the room to decline and leave. But this time, she didn’t. She smoothed the wrinkles on the jacket and lowered her voice. “But those are the rules.”

“Just because you like someone doesn’t mean they have to reciprocate or respect your feelings. You’ve been rejected once already, which means you aren’t Jiang Yan’s type. If you want to be with her, this is a rare opportunity.”

Gao Hui’s finger tapped Niannian’s forehead. “So what if feelings are measured like commodities? At least your love for her has a measurable value. If she didn’t see the underlying profit potential, when do you think the next time you’d be able to speak to her would be? Another ten years?”

“Youth doesn’t have that many decades to waste. You’re twenty-five, not fifteen. If you really like her, take the branch she’s holding out and climb up the vine. Whether you repeatedly offer her your heart or simply enjoy the pleasure of her company, what if you don’t end up together? If I advise you to give up now, can you actually cut off ten years of love in an instant?”

“That’s not realistic.”

Gao Hui squeezed Niannian’s shoulder and said earnestly: “Even if you don’t end up together, sleeping with Jiang Yan isn’t a bad gig. After you break up, you’ll have the resources, the career, and the gossip about having slept with your crush to brag about.”

“She and her manager are calculating you into their plans—can’t you calculate them back? If you want to be serious, be serious. If not, just play around and focus on your career. Regardless of whether the love is real or business-oriented, can your heart really switch to someone else right now?”

Niannian’s throat felt dry and painful. She felt like she couldn’t even control her breathing, and a dull ache in her chest made her eyes sting. The lights in the stairwell were dim.

Her vision blurred. At first, she thought it was the lighting, but then the ache in her chest turned into a sob. Gao Hui pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe her tears.

Only then did Niannian realize she was crying.

“I think I’m a bit stupid.”

“I was already rejected once, yet as long as Jiang Yan is even slightly nice to me, I feel like there’s a glimmer of hope.”

Based on that tiny bit of self-delusion, Niannian had clumsily offered her heart to Jiang Yan over and over. Today in the dressing room—the intimacy, the tenderness, the whispers, the way their lips met against the lockers…

It was all just a hook, and she had swallowed it. Jiang Yan was testing her, gauging how much that love was worth and what profit it could bring.

Gao Hui said softly, “Shall we leave then?”

“…” Niannian bit her lip, then shook her head.

She looked up at Gao Hui, a flicker of resolve appearing in her tearful eyes. Ten years of longing and Jiang Yan’s hot-and-cold, casual tenderness had finally made Niannian want to explore the doubts she had long buried.

“I’ll sign. Why wouldn’t I?” Niannian wiped her face and said coldly. “At worst, we sleep together and part ways once the resources are mine. Since we’ve come this far, if I don’t move forward, I’ll never know what happens.”

“Maybe I’m the one who likes her now, but after we actually spend time together, maybe it’ll be her turn to like me.”

“When she falls for me and the contract ends, I’ll be the one to clap my hands and walk away. We’ll see who’s the one crying then!”

Gao Hui: “…”

Gao Hui’s brows remained knitted. She hadn’t expected her usually gentle artist to take this bait after being provoked. She watched Niannian—who now radiated the energy of a “vengeful heroine”—and could only mutter in her heart: I hope she really thinks that.

Looking closely, Gao Hui couldn’t tell if Jiang Yan was playing dumb, floating through life without being touched, or if her acting was so superb that she couldn’t distinguish truth from performance.

What Gao Hui said today was her honest opinion. Niannian might not be the best fit for Jiang Yan. In that case, her artist might as well enjoy the perks, get over the crush, and take the resources.

A beautiful dream, achieved in bed; piles of cash, falling from the sky. Sex life, career, and money—all in one package.

Gao Hui suddenly thought: Wait, isn’t Jiang Yan the one losing out? She’s paying Niannian and getting ‘slept with’ by a fan.

Where else can you find a business deal this tragic?