After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 7

Who is Little Ji? Someone: “I don’t know.”

Those who have been in the film and television industry long enough know that nine out of ten investors are idiots, and the remaining one is a massive idiot, you just have to bluff them.

Ji Youyi was a typical commercial film director. Behind her string of high-box office movies, there was no shortage of investors she had successfully hoodwinked.

“I have a thought, it might not be right, but hear me out,” Ji Youyi said, choosing her words carefully based on her persona. “An artist’s creative level is always lower than their aesthetic level. So, when investors describe this or that with flowery language, they actually have no idea what they want. If we revise according to what they say, we’ll likely never meet their standards.”

The male lead’s “explosive” entrance was, to put it bluntly, just for him to experience life, the most important thing was for him to have fun during the shoot.

The female lead wanted to be beautiful and to dance, she simply wanted to be famous and gain fans. Therefore, giving her a good character design was the top priority.

As for the production company, they wanted to make money. If you talked to them about how a certain change would make the film more marketable, they’d at least lend an ear.

“What we need to do is finish the product we want first, then refine and summarize based on the client’s core demands, and bluff. I mean, persuade them to accept it.”

Ji Youyi was in a hurry. She chatted with Li Zhulan for half an hour and then rushed off. Before leaving, she added Li Zhulan on WeChat, agreeing to revise the script together that evening.

The “urgent matter” was truly urgent, and it was a top priority in life, she needed to make money.

There were over five million in loans waiting to be repaid in her account, yet she only had a few banknotes in her pocket. Ji Youyi had come to the film city specifically to find a way out.

Actually, in the internet age, there were countless ways to make money online. If she took advantage of her current viral status to start live-streaming and talk about her experiences, she’d likely blow up.

But Ji Youyi didn’t like making money that way.

She had scenes to film this afternoon, but nothing scheduled for tomorrow.

She changed back into her regular clothes, kept her makeup and hair as they were, and left the set. She wanted to see if there were any one day jobs nearby for tomorrow.

Although the outside world always touted Ji Youyi as a “famous director” in her original world, she knew very well that she was just a “multi-functional film and television migrant worker.”

She was adopted at the age of five. The name “Ji Youyi” was one she had given herself back then.

Her adoptive mother took her to Hong Kong, where she worked as a child star. Not long after, she became an apprentice to learn filmmaking and began touching upon various roles within a film crew.

Since she was a little bean sprout barely over a meter tall, she had spent her days on film sets. Working more than fifteen hours a day had been her norm for the past twenty years.

She had worked in every department on set, production, cinematography, lighting, recording, costume and makeup, art direction, and props. She had also climbed the ladder step by step as a script supervisor, casting assistant, 1st AD, and executive director.

With so many skills, she wasn’t worried about finding work.

Ji Youyi bought a pack of cigarettes and a box of chewing gum at a supermarket. She put one in each pocket, if she met someone who smoked, she’d offer a cigarette, if they didn’t, she’d offer gum.

After wandering for the whole noon, she had added many contacts and joined over a dozen crew recruitment groups.

As 2:00 PM approached, the scenes at her current set were about to start. Ji Youyi massaged her stiff facial muscles from smiling too much and decided to make one last stop.

She left the film city and walked toward a location she had just heard about. Supposedly, there were many film companies there, which meant more opportunities.

They were called film companies, but the storefronts looked more like photocopy shops, cramped little shops with similar names squeezed into the middle of a noisy wet market.

Ji Youyi stopped in front of one shop sign and saw two lines written on the notice board outside:

Short Drama The Ruthless Tyrant’s Palm Sized Pet starts filming tomorrow. Urgently seeking actors, starting from 300 a day.

Short drama?

In the mind of a film director like Ji Youyi, a series under 20 episodes counted as a short drama. But in the public eye, they were usually called TV series or web dramas, rather than being referred to directly as “short dramas.”

Driven by curiosity, Ji Youyi pushed the door open and entered.

A crude bar counter had been built over the bare concrete floor. A girl with a ponytail stood behind it, organizing a mountain of files.

The wall behind her was covered in gaudy movie stills and posters, likely the works produced by this company.

The girl glanced at Ji Youyi, her hands never stopping: “Here to audition? The female lead is already set.”

“I don’t need to be the lead,” Ji Youyi explained with a friendly smile. “As long as it’s a female role, I’m fine. See if there’s anything I can play?”

The girl pulled out a sheet and tossed it onto the counter: “Two left.”

Most of the roles on the call sheet had been crossed out. Of the two remaining female roles, one was the female lead’s maid, a role with more screen time, filming for 4 days at 800 per day. The other was the “vicious female supporting character,” with only one day of filming tomorrow, paying 1,000.

Ji Youyi pointed to the latter without hesitation.

“I am perfectly suited for this role!” she began her pitch. “I’m known as a specialist in ‘villainess’ roles. I’ve played the vicious female supporting character in many works, like…”

She quickly glanced at the posters on the wall behind the girl, improvising on the spot with a silver tongue, ” The Fragile Dodder Flower Transmigrates as a Deserted Concubine, The Sickly Villain Has a Love-Hate Relationship with Her, After the Breakup, the Entire Wealthy Family Went Crazy for Me, and so on.”

After speaking, she pointed to her face and regained her pleasing smile. “Look at my makeup. I just came off a period drama set.”

As she expected, the girl didn’t bother to verify. She just nodded. “Let me see your profile.”

Ji Youyi’s attitude was impeccable. She immediately stood tall and turned her left side toward the girl.

“The other side.”

With a strong sense of conviction, Ji Youyi rotated 180 degrees.

The girl nodded again, pulled up a script document on her phone, and pointed to a passage for Ji Youyi to see. “Read this.”

Ji Youyi entered the character instantly, acting with full emotional intensity. Before she could finish two lines, the girl interrupted, “That’s enough. Add me on WeChat and wait for the notification. Makeup at 6:30 AM tomorrow. I’ll send you the location tonight. Don’t be late.”

From entering the door to getting the role, the whole process took less than a minute. It seemed these “short dramas” were truly short in every sense.

In the new media era, there was an excessive pursuit of fast-paced content creation. As a former traditional film director, Ji Youyi might have felt slight discomfort, but times had changed. Now, she hoped for more opportunities like this so she could pay off her debt sooner.

Leaving the company, Ji Youyi checked her phone and saw a new text message.

Fang Ruohan: [Little Ji~ Are you still filming in D City? I happen to be here on a business trip. Want to grab dinner? [Dog Head Emoji]]

Of course she did.

Ji Youyi replied: [Sure! Just the two of us? Sister Meng…]

She typed a few more words and then deleted them all.

Fang Ruohan was Sister Meng’s subordinate. If she was in D City for work, she was most likely there with Sister Meng.

Since Meng was in D City, it would be polite to invite her. But since Fang Ruohan hadn’t mentioned Meng, if Ji Youyi brought it up, she might seem sycophantic. Contacting Meng privately might look like she was reporting behind someone’s back. Furthermore, even if she did invite Meng to dinner, with her current financial situation, she couldn’t afford a high-end restaurant, and the meal wouldn’t be enjoyable. So, it was better not to ask…

Ji Youyi weighed the options in two seconds and typed: [Yes yes yes! What do you want to eat! The night market here is so lively, I’ll take you there to play!!!]

The night market was great, the night market was cheap!

D City Airport.

Hearing the sound of the trunk opening, Meng Xingshu woke from a light nap. A moment later, the right side car door opened, and her friend stepped inside.

Lin Shan was holding a spray bottle, misting her face vigorously. “Long distance travel is not for humans. I almost withered away in there.”

Meng Xingshu reminded her, “If you had flown to S City, you could have sat for two fewer hours.”

“Isn’t this so I can work for Boss Meng?” Lin Shan put down the spray bottle and looked at Meng Xingshu with a touched expression. “But you actually came to D City to pick me up. Good sister.”

Meng Xingshu gave a soft “mm.” She hadn’t slept well these past two days, and her voice sounded a bit weary. “After all, I still need you to work for me.”

Over a decade ago, Lin Shan’s mother, Lin Miao, founded Filmily. It was one of the earliest websites in the country to provide integrated online video services.

In recent years, by keeping up with the times, innovating boldly, and deeply binding itself with the Chinese cinema superstar Meng Xingshu, it had become the largest streaming platform in the country.

Lin Shan herself was Meng Xingshu’s best friend.

The two had been classmates since they were nine years old and were deskmates for eight and a half years throughout primary, middle, and high school.

Meng Xingshu was quiet with excellent grades. Lin Shan was originally a mischievous one, but after spending so much time with Meng Xingshu, she actually learned some steadiness.

Meng Xingshu covered for her in class, let her copy homework, and highlighted key points before exams, saving her from countless beatings by Lin Miao. The two had forged a deep “revolutionary friendship” since then.

Lin Shan knew more or less about the affairs of the Meng family.

In her first year of high school, Meng Xingshu was spotted by a talent scout and began her acting career, but all the money she earned was taken by Meng Yuting under the guise of being her “guardian.”

Consequently, after reaching adulthood, they established Lingxing Media. Lin Shan served as the CEO and signed Meng Xingshu, using a contract to strictly limit her visible income.

A small portion of the salary Meng Xingshu earned went through the official accounts, while the majority returned to her hands through other means.

Lin Shan was the one operating the entire process. She had once asked Meng Xingshu, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the money?”

Meng Xingshu hadn’t even looked up. “Then go ahead and run.”

Meng Xingshu had always had this personality over the years, cold and indifferent toward everything, as if she didn’t care about anything.

It wasn’t that Lin Shan truly had any foul intentions. She simply enjoyed teasing Meng Xingshu every now and then, though she unfortunately never saw a reaction.

Lin Shan never said it out loud, but she was grateful to Meng Xingshu from the bottom of her heart.

Even though Lingxing was now a leader in the domestic film and television industry, the truth was that in the early years, Lin Shan’s abilities were limited. She hadn’t even figured out her own mother’s company business, let alone starting her own. It was all thanks to Meng Xingshu teaching her hand in hand.

From fundraising to project development, from resource allocation to wining and dining talent, she followed Meng Xingshu to learn operations, management, and technology, and how to complete value exchanges during social engagements. Even though they were the same age and Meng Xingshu was even a few months younger. Lin Shan had always followed behind her like this.

With Lingxing’s status solidified, Lin Shan had long since grown into a respected entrepreneur in the industry.

But she was merely holding the title for her friend; the final decision making power of the company lay with Meng Xingshu. Lin Shan figured that saying she worked for “Boss Meng” wasn’t wrong at all.

Anyway, she was now looking forward to the day Meng Xingshu would finally break free from the Meng family so she could return Lingxing to her, while she herself went back to Filmily to lie flat as a pampered second generation heir under her mother’s wing.

But until then, she still had to honestly serve as the CEO of Lingxing.

“I’ll be staying in D City for a few days. Aren’t there a few projects currently filming? I plan to keep an eye on the sets.”

Lin Shan asked, “What about you? What are you doing in D City? I didn’t hear about you having any work here.”

Meng Xingshu: “I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?” Lin Shan’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She asked urgently, “What happened that makes you want to go to the set? Who collapsed? An actor? A director? Or the sky?”

Meng Xingshu disliked going out. Ever since Lin Shan became capable of handling things on her own, she had never visited a set with her again, everything was always handled via online communication. Lin Shan couldn’t imagine what could possibly convince her to go.

“There’s a big scene being filmed today. I happen to be free, and it’s more intuitive to see it on site.”

Meng Xingshu looked at her coolly and asked back, “The matter I asked you about the day before yesterday, how is the investigation going?”

Lin Shan: “Oh, that. I found some things. I used to think the circle was small, but after checking, why are there so many people surnamed Zhang? And that profile picture you mentioned, an ugly half-body shot, it doesn’t help filter at all. Please, which ‘President Zhang’ doesn’t use a profile picture like that?”

As Lin Shan spoke, she handed her phone to Meng Xingshu. “Here, take a look. Is it any of these?”

Meng Xingshu glanced at it. “No.”

“Any more information? For example, where did you see this profile picture?”

“No.”

Lin Shan was very puzzled. “So why are you looking for this person? Does he have anything to do with Zhang Chunxue?”

“No.”

Lin Shan took back her phone. “Fine, I’ll check again later. Probably some nobody from a corner somewhere. Aren’t we going to a dinner party tonight? I’ll ask around then, too.”

Meng Xingshu nodded and looked toward the driver’s seat. “Ruohan, remember to book a table for yourself.”

This was their habit for many years. If Meng Xingshu had a social engagement, she would let Fang Ruohan book a separate table for herself on the company’s dime.

Fang Ruohan hurriedly said, “Teacher Meng, no need. Little Ji said she’s treating me to dinner tonight, so after I drop you off, I’ll need to take some time off.”

Meng Xingshu paused slightly and repeated, “She’s treating you to dinner.”

“Yes.”

“She has the money to treat you?” Meng Xingshu’s tone was slightly cold. Hadn’t she only accepted the medicine and refused to take that 20,000 in cash?

“She said so, at least. Otherwise, how could she get me to go? After we eat, I’ll definitely rush to pay the bill.”

Meng Xingshu: “Mm.”

The car interior fell silent.

Meng Xingshu took out her phone. The lock screen was clean, with no unread messages.

Signal near the airport was often poor. She opened WeChat directly and watched the “Receiving” status at the top spin in a circle, the chat interface still showed no new message notifications.

Her finger swiped past rows of muted dialogue boxes and clicked into the one that wasn’t muted. The most recent message was still that friend request.

Meng Xingshu closed her phone. After a second, she flipped it open again, turned off the silent mode, and closed it once more.

Beside her, Lin Shan was gossiping: “Who is Little Ji?”

With a “ding,” Meng Xingshu’s phone rang. She opened it to see it was a spam text.

Meng Xingshu had no expression on her face as she blocked the source, deleted the message, and put the phone back on silent.

The screen dimmed naturally. She turned her gaze to the window, and her words fell inside the car like frozen frost:

“I don’t know.”