After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Am in a Relationship with My Scummy Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother - Chapter 23

Whether it was Shu Yueqing or Shen Junfu, Huo Qingzhuo wanted neither of them; she simply let Old Jiu turn them down.

The moment Huo Qingzhuo stepped out the door, she was automatically stuck to by the “Jing Bai brand” adhesive bandage. Jing Bai wasn’t a man of many words; it was mainly because he didn’t know how to deal with social niceties, so staying by Huo Qingzhuo’s side felt a bit more relaxing.

Up until the moment of the opening ceremony’s incense offering, Jing Bai never left Huo Qingzhuo’s side.

Huo Qingzhuo had no idea that in a teahouse some distance away, two people were sitting by the window looking in her direction. They were none other than Shen Junfu, who had just been rejected by Old Jiu, and Shu Yueqing.

“No way, I have to call Huo Qingzhuo. Why did she refuse? What, does she think she can survive peacefully in the entertainment industry relying solely on that face of hers?”

Shen Junfu hadn’t noticed the situation outside; she was still talking to Shu Yueqing about being rejected by Old Jiu. She only wanted to help because Huo Qingzhuo had saved her once. She had worked so hard to get this investment opportunity out of Shu Yueqing, and it was rejected just like that?

“There’s no need,” Shu Yueqing had remained hidden earlier, leaving everything to Shen Junfu. Now, watching the film crew in the distance, she raised a hand to stop Shen Junfu. “Just remember this favor she owes you; it won’t be too late to repay it later. Let’s go.”

“But…” Shen Junfu wanted to say more, but after a glance at Shu Yueqing, who had already stood up, she swallowed her words.

Naturally, Huo Qingzhuo knew nothing of this. Once the opening ceremony concluded, she was officially part of the crew. She never liked doing things half-heartedly; even during the initial adjustment period between actors on the first day, she strove for perfection.

Rediscovering the rhythm from her past life, Huo Qingzhuo almost failed to brake in time. Her presence was so overwhelming during her scenes with Jing Bai that she nearly forced him out of character. It took four or five retakes before they finally got it right.

The first day was fulfilling and pleasant. Not only did Huo Qingzhuo complete her filming tasks, but she also managed to finish three sets of exam papers. Her private tutor wasn’t due for another two days, so Jing Bai took it upon himself to act as her primary academic coach.

Everything was progressing well, and the atmosphere of the crew was rare in its harmony and drive. Relationships grew stronger, and it was then that Song Jue suddenly announced a major decision: the crew was moving.

“Didn’t we say all of this would rely on post-production synthesis? Why the sudden shift to location filming?” Jing Bai looked at the location written on the emergency notice, his face contorted in pain. “An average altitude of over 4,000 meters? Good heavens, with my small physique, will I even survive going there?”

“What’s the big deal?” Old Jiu slapped Jing Bai on the back of the head from behind. “You’re 188cm tall, stop acting like Lin Daiyu for me. Just act properly. We move out after finishing the next two days of scenes. People have already gone ahead to make arrangements. If you drop the ball, I’ll take you apart.”

Jing Bai: …Truly family.

Seeing everyone discussing the matter, Huo Qingzhuo calculated the time and looked at Old Jiu. “Is there an estimate for the filming duration?”

“Half a year.”

When Old Jiu said half a year, he meant exactly half a year. In a desolate, uninhabited place with an average altitude of four to five thousand meters where even birds didn’t linger, the entire crew endured for three months. They then traveled all over the country to capture different scenes, persevering from the clear skies of late September until the following spring in March.

During this period, the number of times Huo Qingzhuo went home could be counted on one hand. She only went back once for college entrance exam registration and once for the New Year. This time, there was no way she was going to miss it again.

As the wrap-up approached, the crew finally returned to the city.

After filming the final shot, following Song Jue’s shout of “Wrap!”, the breath Huo Qingzhuo had been holding finally escaped her.

“Bang!”

Streamers exploded above Huo Qingzhuo. Old Jiu and the others surrounded her holding tea. “Congratulations on wrapping!”

“Same to you all! Everyone worked so hard!”

Six months was enough time to change many things. Huo Qingzhuo accepted the tea and greeted those around her. The slightly green and youthful appearance from half a year ago had completely faded, replaced by the dazzling brilliance of a dusty pearl finally revealed. Even those who spent every day with her in the crew couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder.

After the wrap party ended, Old Jiu and Huo Qingzhuo remained until the end.

“Do you want to rest for a while, or join another crew immediately?”

Tucking away the signed contracts, Old Jiu looked at Huo Qingzhuo and once again shamelessly marveled at his own eye for talent.

Loosely pulling her long hair back, Huo Qingzhuo—who hadn’t touched any alcohol—sipped her juice. “I want to rest for a bit. The Gaokao is in three months, and that is very important to me. Even if I join a crew, there’s no rush for this moment.”

“That’s fine,” Old Jiu wasn’t one to make demands, and he had no objection to Huo Qingzhuo’s decision. “Which school do you want to apply to? A-Drama? S-Drama? B-Film? Take your pick; I know mentors in all of them and can help write recommendation letters.”

“No, I want to apply to A-University, the Finance Department.” Huo Qingzhuo spoke with such iron determination that she nearly made Old Jiu choke on his wine.

“Cough, cough.” After coughing twice, Old Jiu wiped his mouth and looked at Huo Qingzhuo in disbelief. “Are you crazy? A-University? And the Finance Department? Good heavens, you went straight for the highest difficulty. You’ve got quite the future, kid.”

A-University, A-City University. The name sounded ordinary, but with the words “A-City” attached, it was anything but.

As the nation’s financial center and one of the world’s three major trade hubs, A-City was practically paved with gold and boasted an extreme level of commercial development. Against this backdrop, A-University was born, known as one of the global temples of business schools.

This might not seem intuitive, but one only needed to look at its alumni to understand.

Half of the top 100 on the national rich list graduated from or did advanced studies at A-University. On a global scale, A-University has over a hundred alumni at the ten-billion-dollar level, and there are even those at the hundred-billion-dollar level. Even the heirs of major prestigious families consider graduating from A-University a badge of honor. One could imagine just how incredible this school truly was.

Not to mention A-University’s gold-standard major, the Finance Department—there simply aren’t enough spots for everyone fighting for them.

“Looking down on me?” Huo Qingzhuo had become quite familiar with Old Jiu over the past six months, and his reaction was within her expectations. One could only say that Old Jiu’s reaction was among the smallest and most understated.

“I’ll be honest,” Old Jiu’s expression was somewhat conflicted. “A-University is very hard to get into, let alone when you’re working part-time. Even students with exceptional grades—the top ten ‘Zhuangyuan’ in the country—might not necessarily get into A-University’s Finance Department. This… while there’s still time, change your goal. This isn’t called an ideal; it’s called a delusion.”

“I know. I’ve researched A-University. Their admission score line isn’t the absolute highest, but the difficulty lies in the fact that they have an additional internal assessment. I only need my score to reach the threshold to enter that internal assessment. As for whether I succeed or not then, I’ll leave it to fate.”

Huo Qingzhuo spoke easy goingly. With the accumulation of experience from her past life, her grades in this life had improved by leaps and bounds; reaching the admission line for A-University wouldn’t be a problem. As for A-University’s internal assessment, she had looked into it—it was a practical exercise and specific operation regarding business and finance.

Huo Qingzhuo was even more confident about this. In her previous life, she had started from nothing, and while carving out a place in the entertainment industry, she was also someone who had made the corporate rich list based on her commercial assets. Without a few tricks up her sleeve, she wouldn’t dare boast like this.

Seeing that Huo Qingzhuo’s mind was made up, Old Jiu didn’t say much more. He raised his glass toward her. “Fine, then I won’t say anything else. I’ll just wish you… may your dreams come true, may your future be bright, and may you successfully enter A-University’s Finance Department!”