Guess What? The Entire Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m Dead - Chapter 8

Lin Chenghuan wrestled with her thoughts for a while before laughing at herself for getting worked up over such uncertain speculations. She decided to focus first on how to discuss the affiliation matter with Fang Yuan before considering anything else.

However, she didn’t have to ponder the issue for long, as Fang Yuan had already paved the way herself.

Zhuo Yi had already paid Li Xiaoyi, Lin Chenghuan’s assistant, for two months. If Zhuo Yi continued to cover the expenses, it would feel inappropriate. So, while Fang Yuan was resting in Hangzhou after visiting the set in Hengdian, Lin Chenghuan seized the opportunity to discuss Li Xiaoyi’s situation with her.

Of course, this was merely a pretext. The arrangement for the assistant naturally led to the topic of Lin Chenghuan joining Zhuo Yi or affiliating with the company.

“Sister Fang, Xiaoyi is an excellent assistant, and I’d really like to keep her, but…” Lin Chenghuan paused here, waiting for Fang Yuan to reassure her that it was fine to poach her staff before bringing up the affiliation idea.

However, Fang Yuan smiled leisurely and went straight to the point, proposing the very solution Lin Chenghuan had in mind.

“If you like Xiaoyi as your assistant but don’t want to poach her from me, perhaps you could affiliate with Zhuo Yi, it would make all procedures much more straightforward.”

Lin Chenghuan was slightly taken aback. With Fang Yuan bringing up the affiliation herself, there was no need to carefully phrase her request! Now, the initiative was in her hands, and saying she would “consider it” might give her more leverage.

But Fang Yuan’s thoughtful gesture made her reluctant to play such games. After all, affiliating was already a favorable arrangement for her. No matter how high Zhuo Yi’s commission on her acting fees might be, it wouldn’t exceed what she would have to pay if she were fully signed under the company.

“That’s indeed a great solution, and it’s about time for me to return. Why not officially come back under your wing, Sister Fang?” Lin Chenghuan replied with a pleased smile.

“You’ve finally come around… welcome back! With your top-notch acting skills, Huanhuan, it’s only a matter of time before you win a Fengshang Award and show everyone what you’re made of.” Fang Yuan’s eyes lit up, clearly delighted.

“I’ll be counting on your guidance from now on, Sister Fang,” Lin Chenghuan said, still smiling.

“Mutual success. So, when would you like to sign the affiliation agreement? If you plan to take a break before accepting new roles, we can delay it.”

“I do intend to take some time off before my next project, but since the agreement needs to be signed sooner or later, we might as well do it now.”

“Alright.”

The two then carefully discussed the details of the agreement at Fang Yuan’s vacation villa and eventually signed the contract. For film, television projects, and endorsements, the company would take a 20% commission. Lin Chenghuan would continue living in Nanjing, attending meetings remotely when necessary.

“How about taking on an advertising endorsement first? It could silence the critics and reassure your fans,” Fang Yuan suggested.

“That works. Thank you, Sister Fang.”

“Good, I’ll keep an eye out for opportunities.”

With business concluded, Lin Chenghuan bid farewell to Fang Yuan and spent some time touring Hangzhou with Li Xiaoyi. The West Lake was perpetually crowded, and even the sweltering weather couldn’t dampen the tourists’ enthusiasm. The Broken Bridge was so packed it resembled a “human bridge.”

Despite wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, Lin Chenghuan was nearly recognized and had to make a quick escape after only a short stroll. Being spotted in such a place could easily lead to being crushed by an excited crowd.

It was indeed wiser to avoid going out at times like this. Lin Chenghuan soon returned to Nanjing. A few days later, Fang Yuan contacted her, informing her that a brand wanted her to endorse one of their beverages and the compensation was quite generous.

“They’re most eager to promote an orange juice brand, but said oolong tea would also work if you’re unwilling.” Fang Yuan chuckled over the phone, and Lin Chenghuan could practically envision her sly expression.

“Why would I be unwilling? ‘Orange’ has always been my affectionate nickname, and ‘orange juice’ is what my fans call themselves.” Lin Chenghuan laughed too. Though exasperated by many absurd rumors, she felt no trauma associated with the “orange” moniker.

When she first debuted, fans affectionately called her “Orange” while referring to themselves as “Orange Juice.” Later, before a drama’s cast was officially announced, the female lead’s team used Lin Chenghuan for publicity hype. When the final cast reveal excluded her, she found herself inexplicably targeted by the lead actress’s fans.

Heaven knew she never intended to take that role and had minimal contact with the production team. After becoming an unwitting victim, she naturally developed some resentment toward that actress. When the latter visited her set, Lin Chenghuan’s attitude remained perfunctory.

Opportunistic media seized the chance to create drama, publishing paparazzi shots with sensationalized captions. Thus, she acquired the nickname “Sour Sister.” Combined with her original fruit-themed nickname, “Orange Sister” gradually transformed into a derogatory term.

Faced with this turn of events, Lin Chenghuan found herself caught between laughter and tears. In her youthful impulsiveness, she finally understood how every word and action would be magnified in the entertainment industry. Though infuriated by online trolls, she never transferred that resentment to the affectionate nickname from her debut days.

Fang Yuan, having been her agent for years, understood this perfectly. As Lin Chenghuan reminisced, Fang Yuan’s voice came through the receiver again.

“I’ll pretend to hesitate during negotiations to squeeze more money out of them. If they contact you directly, don’t give the game away.”

“Don’t worry, Sister Fang.” Lin Chenghuan chuckled.

However, the brand never reached out to probe Lin Chenghuan’s stance. Fang Yuan directly secured the new endorsement fee. When Lin Chenghuan heard the amount, she nearly floated with joy, Director Fang truly was remarkable.

Though Zhuo Yi was merely a talent agency, its extensive connections secured an endorsement fee nearly matching what she’d earned at Xia Yao. More impressively, despite having no releases during her two-year semi-retirement, she still landed an endorsement worth nearly ten million, a rare opportunity.

Days later, Lin Chenghuan completed the commercial shoot in Nanjing, conveniently located where the brand’s contracted advertising agency had a branch. Thus, without additional travel, she effortlessly earned a seven-figure sum, far easier than grueling film shoots.

If only it could always be this effortless… but that was impossible. Without acting projects, her popularity would wane, diminishing her market value and endorsement opportunities.

After sending Li Xiaoyi a 10,000-yuan “work commemoration” red envelope, Lin Chenghuan contacted Lu Zhiwei, informing her she’d signed with Zhuo Yi while maintaining her residence in Nanjing.

“That’s good. Zhuo Yi has always collaborated closely with our company. Prepare to accept Xia Yao’s projects,” Lu Zhiwei replied.

“Haha, it seems I’ll still need President Lu’s guidance moving forward.”

“What guidance? We’re simply joining forces to create hit dramas [Smiling Emoji]”

Following their usual ritual of professional compliments, Lin Chenghuan noticed Lu Zhiwei’s smiling emoji usage had sharply increased. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the other party’s tone seemed… unusual.

After the commercial was filmed, the question became when to officially announce it. Not long ago, Lin Chenghuan had been on a trending search related to her “demise,” and after clarifying the situation, she hadn’t posted anything on Weibo. Announcing a brand endorsement directly without any buffer would have been awkward.

To avoid backlash, Fang Yuan’s PR team racked their brains for a long time and finally came up with a strategy of “suppressing first, then elevating.” They hired promoters to amplify the mocking discussions about Lin Chenghuan having no acting roles or endorsements. After she appeared on a negative trending search, Lin Chenghuan would then “lose her patience” and step forward to prove herself.

After all, Lin Chenghuan’s public persona had recently been leaning toward a more eccentric and unrestrained image. Although she didn’t actively post on Weibo, she enjoyed replying to comments.

However, after discussions, Lin Chenghuan didn’t directly respond to the haters. Instead, she comforted the fans who came to her page to vent their frustrations and call for her return.

She also posted a Weibo update about visiting West Lake, accompanied by serene and picturesque photos. As expected, her fans were thrilled and eager to run into her, while the haters mocked her for being unprofessional and completely washed up.

With the groundwork laid and the timing just right, Lin Chenghuan finally posted a collaborative Weibo with the Liyuan brand.

In the video, Lin Chenghuan held a bottle of orange juice with a sweet smile as a river of orange juice surged in the background. She then began reciting the ad copy:

“Youth… why hold back? Full of firepower! Liyuan Fresh Orange Juice, giving you a cool summer, ignoring the heat, restoring your energy! Youth, should be full of vitality!”

Later in the video, Lin Chenghuan took a sip of the drink amidst a backdrop of oranges flying everywhere, her expression blissful and content. She had watched herself on camera many times before, but she still couldn’t help finding the scene utterly ridiculous, like something out of a madhouse.

Of course, the ad copy was well-written and seemed to carry a subtle jab at the haters. As soon as the Weibo post went live, it exploded in popularity.

Fans were naturally overjoyed by her comeback, commenting enthusiastically: “Wow! Huanhuan has landed an endorsement!” “Buy, buy, buy!” “We have to make this sell out!” “Drinking orange juice with my wife!” Meanwhile, the haters were momentarily stunned, unable to keep up with the flood of fan comments.

Soon, Lin Chenghuan’s Weibo post had over a hundred thousand comments, with the top comments being overwhelmingly positive, a far cry from the storm of criticism under her previous clarification post. Of course, if sorted by the latest comments, traces of the haters could still be found.

[Orange Sister endorsing orange juice, after two years of ‘cultivation,’ her skin has definitely thickened.] [Full of firepower? Who wrote this ad copy with such sarcastic undertones? Could it be Orange Sister herself?] some commented.

Not long after, Lin Chenghuan’s endorsement deal with Liyuan successfully made it to the trending searches. After analyzing the ad copy, people began discussing which company she had signed with.

Affiliated operations are bound by cooperation agreements and cannot be traced on corporate search platforms, but Zhuo Yi had never intended to hide this. Besides, it’s nearly impossible to conceal which agency an artist is signed to. Soon, insiders revealed that Lin Chenghuan had joined Zhuo Yi.

As for whether she had set up a studio under Zhuo Yi or directly signed with them, no one could say for sure, and most people didn’t understand the difference between the two. Even if it was an affiliated arrangement, as Lin Chenghuan navigated the entertainment industry, she would essentially be considered a colleague of Zhuo Yi’s employees.

“Why hasn’t she returned to Xia Yao? Would Sister Wei secretly cry under the covers late at night?” Someone quickly shifted their focus to Lin Chenghuan’s former company.

[Come on, would a top star from Xia Yao cry? It’s Lin Chenghuan who’d be the one crying under the covers,] another replied.

[Zhuo Yi is a decent company too, they produced a Best Actor in just a few years. Xia Yao’s operations are too scattered, with too many people prone to scheming. It’s normal she doesn’t want to go back.]

…

As she scrolled through the heated discussions, Lin Chenghuan pictured Lu Zhiwei crying under the covers and found the image utterly bizarre. Please don’t spin such tales about her composed and aloof former boss!