Pharmaceutical Negotiator - Chapter 27

How tall should a seven year-old child be? Surely they should be a head taller than Qi Baihong.

Such a small child was held by the hand by Zhang Sitan; the tiny hand was soft and a little clammy.

Big eyes, long eyelashes, a cute little upturned nose and rosy lips, a chubby face, and porcelain doll like fair skin and dark, velvety hair no wonder so many directors were willing to overlook acting skills just to have her film commercials.

Such excellent visual conditions must arouse so many people’s affection utilizing her to promote maternal and infant products or children’s clothing truly made her a unique asset.

The director saw Zhang Sitan lead the child over and thought shooting could finally begin. He let out a long sigh: “My little ancestor, please come and shoot quickly. I can wait, but the equipment can’t.”

Qi Baihong did not meet the director’s gaze; she looked towards the drinks Cheng Jue was holding in her hand.

Zhang Sitan released Qi Baihong’s hand, told Qi An to continue watching her, and went to explain to the director, intending to call it a day.

“Give me one.” The clear, crisp voice spoke again. Qi Baihong stared intently at the bag of colorful bottles and uttered her second sentence of the day here.

Cheng Jue was stunned for a moment, shook the bag in her hand, and looked suspiciously at Qi Baihong and then at Qi An.

After confirming with a look that the child was indeed talking to her, her eyes sparkled with excitement. She took two steps forward, squatted down in front of Qi Baihong, and said in a surprised tone: “You want to drink it?”

Qi Baihong nodded.

Cheng Jue was overjoyed. This was the first time she had spoken to a celebrity this closely, even if it was just a seven-year-old, not-very-famous child star.

“These are all cold, aren’t they? Can she drink them?” Qi An spoke up to remind her. Children’s stomachs are the most delicate.

“Oh, right.” Cheng Jue thought for a moment, then rummaged through the bag, “Orange juice! This one isn’t very cold.”

She helped Qi Baihong twist it open and handed it to her with an expectant look.

Qi Baihong cupped the bottle with both hands and took a small sip from the rim. Since it was taken from the freezer, it was still a bit cold, and her little face wrinkled.

Then she raised it and took a few large gulps.

A child’s mouth is small after all, and not much of the orange juice had gone down.

“Does it taste good?”

Qi Baihong nodded, examining the yellow bottle carefully, still savoring the remaining pulp in her mouth. She asked: “What is this?”

“Orange juice!” Cheng Jue answered quickly.

Qi Baihong stared closely at the bottle, seemingly contemplating the two words, “orange juice.”

From the front, the director’s angry voice was heard: “Isn’t this a joke? Just saying you won’t shoot anymore?”

Qi An looked in the director’s direction, worriedly glancing at Zhang Sitan. Fortunately, the latter’s expression showed no great change.

The director disagreed with stopping work and went to find Liu Yujing. Zhang Sitan was afraid that Qi’s mother would gossip about Qi Baihong’s private matters, so she followed too.

The theater fell silent again. Although the actors who had performed earlier clamored to leave, the few takes of the big scene that had just been shot were ruined, so they didn’t dare to go either.

This play was divided into two parts. The first part was the scene work, which was finished in the morning. Now they needed to shoot the second part, the dance drama. The close-up movements of the dancers were finished in the morning, and now only the large scene of the child actor looking at the stage actors remained.

Qi Baihong was in poor condition and physically unwell, so she really should rest more.

If they had to switch people and still have a seamless transition… Qi An suddenly thought of someone.

The more she thought about it, the more feasible her idea seemed.

“Cheng Jue, can you help me watch Baihong here for a bit? I need to find Sister Sitan,” Qi An asked.

“Yes, yes, you go ahead, no problem,” Cheng Jue readily agreed.

Qi An quickly ran backstage and knocked on the door of the resting room.

The door was opened by Liu Yujing again. Qi An quickly said: “I need to speak to Sister Sitan.”

Zhang Sitan heard the voice, poked her head out, and met Qi An’s eager gaze.

Qi An waved at her.

“What is it?” Zhang Sitan stepped out of the resting room and pulled the door shut.

“Sister Sitan, I thought of someone who can immediately replace Qi Baihong,” Qi An said, sounding happy.

“Who?”

“Little Bao!”

Qi An explained further: “The hospital isn’t too far from the set. We can film him sitting in a wheelchair watching the play, and later we can add some interviews with him and his family. Put it together, and it’ll even save time.”

“It’s possible, yes,” Hearing Qi An say this, Zhang Sitan was also wavering.

First, she was worried about Little Bao’s health, but she also felt that bringing him to watch the play would be a new experience for him. Second, she was worried that Little Bao had never faced a camera before and might look unnatural.

However, Qi Baihong didn’t have much acting skill either; she was wooden and also unnatural.

“I’ll ask,” Zhang Sitan replied.

She sent a message to Chen Yongmei, and after receiving a reply, she called and talked to her in detail about the matter.

“How was it?” As soon as she hung up, Qi An quickly leaned in to ask.

“She agreed,” Zhang Sitan’s reaction was quite subdued, “I’ll go ask for Liu’s and the director’s opinion.”

“Good.” Qi An replied joyfully, feeling she had helped solve a difficult problem.

Zhang Sitan went back into the resting room. Not long after, she and the director came out together; judging by their expressions, it seemed to be a go.

“How is it?” Qi An leaned in.

“Mm, Guo director and I are going to pick him up. Mr. Liu has already notified the secretary to draw up a new contract.”

“Okay.” Qi An was happy that the issue could be resolved. “I’ll go with you.”

“You should rest here. Don’t go back and forth.”

“Ah.”

When Qi An heard that Zhang Sitan wasn’t taking her, her face turned into a look of grievance. The light in her large eyes flickered a few times, and in the final moment as she lowered her gaze, it instantly went out.

Inside, a little yellow dog stood up straight with its hands on its hips. Mean Sister Sitan, why won’t you let me come along.

The door to the resting room shut out the hysterical shouting of Qi’s mother just moments before. The corridor was very quiet and cool.

But Zhang Sitan’s mind was still replaying the chaotic scene of everyone arguing, each sticking to their own opinion, making her heart feel utterly exhausted.

Seeing Qi An’s visibly fallen expression and upwardly pouted lips, Zhang Sitan still managed a smile. Although her spirit was already very weak, her heart still fluttered slightly.

She gently ruffled Qi An’s short hair, then smoothed it back down “There won’t be enough room if you come. Rest well here. We’ll be back soon.”

“Hmm?” Seeing the lingering dissatisfaction in Qi An’s eyes, Zhang Sitan cupped her head with both hands and gently shook it.

Her deliberately upward inflected, clear “Hmm?” made Qi An lose her resolve. Having her head shaken was like an electric current passing through her, leaving her feeling tingly.

Such a foul play she could only surrender.

“Hmm,” Qi An replied softly. She originally wanted to make a sexy, upward inflected breath sound like Zhang Sitan, but the more she tried, the tenser her vocal cords became.

Ah! Someone just got scalded by boiling water.

Fortunately, Zhang Sitan didn’t notice Qi An’s slightly forced and dry voice at all. Having dealt with Qi An, she quickly followed Director Guo out of the theater.

In the hospital, Chen Yongmei, who had just finished talking with Zhang Sitan, looked utterly disbelieving.

They want to invite Little Bao to shoot a promotional film! Two hundred thousand yuan as compensation!! And it will be broadcast on a satellite channel!!!

Why did it feel so unreal? Their round, little Little Bao didn’t look like someone who would photograph well. Is it too late to lose weight now?

“Diapers, diapers, get a new pack,” Zhao Xinrong, who had already started packing, called out to the dazed Chen Yongmei.

“Oh, oh.” Chen Yongmei snapped back to reality.

“I’m going to wash Little Bao’s face again. He can’t look too dirty,” Chen Yongmei turned around, pulled out a washbasin and a towel from under the bed, went to the bathroom, filled the basin halfway with water, and soaked the towel in it.

Zhao Xinrong had a lot of body fat, and they didn’t dare turn up the air conditioning in the ward too high. Plus, he was excited and busy packing things, so he was already sweating profusely.

Chen Yongmei soaked two towels and handed one to Zhao Xinrong.

Little Bao was changed into a small, mandarin-collared short-sleeved shirt. Chen Yongmei draped the warm towel over his face and wiped it a few times, then took the facial cream, scooped a chunk with her finger, and dabbed it on his small nose and cheeks.

“I don’t want the Frog Prince!” Little Bao loudly protested, strongly resisting the smell.

“Little Bao needs to put it on. It will be moist and soft, and the makeup sister can apply makeup easily,” Chen Yongmei applied the cream to Little Bao’s face, half coaxing and half-insisting.

Once they were tidied up, Zhao Xinrong lifted Zhao Canbao onto the wheelchair.

“Should we put some shorts on Little Bao?” Chen Yongmei looked at Little Bao’s smooth lower body, thinking they should perhaps be careful during the shoot.

Zhao Xinrong had the same thought as Chen Yongmei. He had tried a few times before to make Little Bao wear pants, but his legs were too swollen, and the fabric would stick to his skin and chafe painfully.

“I don’t want to wear them!” When Little Bao heard Chen Yongmei’s question, he remembered the suffering he endured every time he wore pants and protested again.

Zhao Xinrong was also troubled, knowing the child was in pain.

“Little Bao, we are going to be on TV, just like the cartoons you watch. You’ll be able to see yourself on TV too. Other children wear pants. If they see you not wearing any when they watch TV, won’t they laugh at you?”

Little Bao didn’t say a word, just lowered his head and picked at the head of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

It was a plastic toy Zhao Xinrong had bought for him.

“Then I’ll wear them,” Little Bao sighed quietly.

Chen Yongmei’s eyes welled up again seeing the child behave so obediently. She handed a pair of adult cotton boxer shorts to Zhao Xinrong.

Zhao Xinrong helped Little Bao put them on, rubbed his legs to stimulate blood flow, took a blanket, covered his legs with it, and carefully tucked it in.

It was summer, but the blanket was still thick, with a velvet lining.

So, Zhao Xinrong always carried a small fan with him, helping to blow air onto Little Bao’s soles and under his butt.

He blew carefully, making sure his legs wouldn’t catch a draft.

Pushing the wheelchair into the elevator lobby, Little Bao tightly hugged the Tyrannosaurus Rex in his arms.

Zhang Sitan and Director Guo got out of the car. The shadow of the sun fell, and they saw the family of three outside the shade.

“I said we should come up and help push. It’s so hot waiting here.”

“It’s okay, Little Bao also wanted to come out and get some fresh air.”

Little Bao squinted his eyes in the sun and obediently greeted Zhang Sitan while holding the Tyrannosaurus Rex: “Hello, Sister Sitan.”

“Hello, Little Bao.” Zhang Sitan placed her hand across Little Bao’s forehead to shield him from the sun. “Let’s talk in the car.”

Once inside the car, Zhang Sitan introduced Director Guo to them.

“This project is something we’ve been preparing for a long time, and the filming process is very professional, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“We’ll sign the contract first when we arrive. Any concerns you have can be added to the supplementary agreement.”

“No, no,” Chen Yongmei sat awkwardly in the back seat with both hands on her knees. “We trust you. We truly feel honored to have such a great opportunity.”

“Hahaha, you are helping me tremendously. Seriously, this shoot can’t be delayed any longer,” Zhang Sitan said, turning back from the passenger seat.

Upon arriving at the theater, Director Guo first opened the trunk to take out the wheelchair. Zhao Xinrong felt very embarrassed and awkwardly helped steady the wheelchair beside him.

Once the wheelchair was on the ground, Zhao Xinrong pressed down on it to ensure it was stable before opening the car door to lift Little Bao out.

“Let’s go in,” Zhang Sitan ushered them, leading them to the resting room.

Qi Baihong and Qi’s mother had already left. Liu Yujing still needed to contact them again with a lawyer to discuss the breach of contract fees.

Qi An was in the theater hall, unaware that Zhang Sitan had returned. She sat idly in a seat, not even bothering to look at her phone, resting her head in her hands and daydreaming.

“This is Mr. Liu,” Zhang Sitan then introduced Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong.

Chen and Zhao shook hands with Mr. Liu, their faces full of surprise and flattery.