Chapter 33 – I have the final say
Wu Xue sneered, “Yeah, do you need me to go print out some posters and put it up around here to save you the energy of having to shout it out here?”
Then, she basically dragged Su Yi into the room.
Su Yi opened her new phone. WeChat, Weibo and the broadcast apps were all there. Barely two minutes in, and she heard a string of notifications coming through her phone.
She had plenty of friends in the industry, but most were just the kind who liked each other’s post and greeted one another when their paths crossed during work. They never really talked in private, and anything work-related was handled by Wu Xue.
So, who would send her so many messages?
She stopped in the middle of unpacking, leaning on her bed took a look at the phone that was still charging.
[Liu Xi: What are you doing? Do you have time for a chat?]
[Liu Xi: Why are you not replying either…]
[Liu Xi: Don’t mistake me, I’m not interested in you that way, I just want to ask you something.]
[Liu Xi: Wish you a prosperous, auspicious time.jpg]
[Liu Xi: Hey, you went travelling with Ying-zi? Can you at least not ignore me?]
Without opening the e-red packet, Su Yi replied.
[Goddess Su Yi: I’m sorry, I lost my phone before this, is something the matter?]
Literally, the reply was in seconds.
[You’ve lost your phone? How about I give you one, I’ve a friend who just opened a phone shop in Shanghai and can help you get the newest brand.]
[Goddess Su Yi: No need, I’ve already bought a replacement, is there anything?]
[Liu Xi: It’s actually not much.]
[Goddess Su Yi: Toast to our friendship.jpg] Okay, goodbye.]
[Liu Xi: … no, there’s actually a little something, that… Could you please share with me your schedule for the next few months?]
Su Yi quirked her lips and was noticed by Wu Xue sitting across her, who asked, “What are you looking at, your face is so colourful?”
“Someone’s asking me for my schedule for the next few months.”
“Who,” Wu Xue asked, “Chu Ying?”
“No, Chu Ying’s friend.” Su Yi typed away, saying, “I’ve mentioned him up once, called Liu Xi.”
Wu Xue blurted out in a harried tone. “Don’t tell him!”
Su Yi was still looking down, oblivious to the person beside herself. “I know, but what’s there to ask? Aren’t my fans always posting about my schedule on Weibo? Moreover, I’m always at the set recently…”
[Goddess Su Yi: This I cannot share, my agent will be angry /zipping my mouth shut]
[Liu Xi: Understandable, your agent is awesome, conscience of the industry, you’re too lucky.]
???
She realised that there was probably a trench the size of the pacific between her and Liu Xi; she really couldn’t understand him. She was about to close the chat when the other sent something.
[Liu Xi: The room you stayed in is quite good, how many rooms does it have? I asked Ying-zi just now, he didn’t want to tell me.]
[Goddess Su Yi: How did you know which sort of room we stayed in…]
[Liu Xi: Ying-zi posted it on his moments.]
Su Yi paused and didn’t bother replying Liu Xi, hurrying to open Chu Ying’s moments.
It was posted half an hour ago, three pictures. The first two were the images of Su Yi with the Disney characters – yes, the very ones in which her eyes were closed. The last was a candid shot, captured secretly – she was looking down while tying her hair up. Perhaps because she’d tucked her chin in too hard, there was a faint double chin.
… she had no idea what was up with this angry yet happy feeling.
She clicked ‘like’ and opened the chat with Chu Ying.
[Goddess Su Yi: You make me look ugly in the photos!!!]
[Chu Ying said: Not ugly.]
[Goddess Su Yi: How come you’re replying so fast, aren’t you in a meeting?]
[Chu Ying: Yes, like you.]
This was a very confusing statement, but Su Yi understood at once – last time she was playing with her phone in a meeting, she had been caught by none other than Chu Ying.
But she was at most a listener there, Chu Ying was presiding over.
[Goddess Su Yi: The boss playing with his phone at a meeting would give a bad impression. I’m going to be busy too, focus on your meeting.]
[Chu Ying: Okay.]
After exiting the chat, she realised she had about ten more messages from Liu Xi.
“What’s with this guy, how could he have so much to say?” As Su Yi mumbled to herself, she opted for muting her WeChat, ready to use a move she’d relied on frequently – pretending not to exist.
Wu Xue said, “Why not just blacklist him?”
“No, that’s still Chu Ying’s friend.” Su Yi got up and stretched. “Go back, I’ll shower and look at the script before sleeping.”
Wu Xue returned to the room and realised that An Xuan still hadn’t returned.
During the two days Su Yi spent on holiday, An Xuan had disappeared regularly too as if she was also on holiday. She’d never heard that the other had any relatives or friends in Shanghai.
Well, there was nothing to do by staying behind and she was too lazy to interfere with An Xuan’s private life. So, after sending An Xuan a message she went to sleep.
**
Early next morning, Wu Xue came to Su Yi’s room. The two had just left the room when they ran into An Xuan, who’d just exited the elevator.
Su Yi was still sleepy. She yawned. “Why are you only just back?”
“So, sorry.” An Xuan’s hair was a mess, and she still had make-up on though half of it was mussed up. “Yi-jie, are you going to the set now? I’ll take your bag for you.” As she finished speaking she came up to take Su Yi’s bag.
Su Yi hid her wrist behind her. “No need, what were you up to, you’re a mess?”
“I saw that you weren’t around and went out,” An Xuan said in a very soft voice. “I didn’t hold up anything, did I?”
Su Yi eyed her. Not only was her hair a mess, her clothing was a mess too. She waved a hand. “You did, hurry up and go take a shower then take a cab to the set, don’t make Wu Xue do your work for you all day.”
An Xuan nodded a little pitifully, went to take the room card from Wu Xue before sprinting to the room.
In the car, Wu Xue asked, “Why were you so fierce? It’s early in the morning and we have nothing important on.”
“There’s no reason to get paid and slack at work. Praise when deserved, criticize when needed.” Leaning against the car window, with her eyes closed, Su Yi said, “You’re not usually this nice.”
“Isn’t this because her family’s not that well off.”
“There’s plenty of such people. Her monthly salary of a few thousand already makes her one of the more competent of such people.” Seeing that the topic was drifting further away, Su Yi changed the topic. “Did Li Min find you these two days?”
“No,” Wu Xue said. “I heard that these two days Cheng Anan was driving her crazy.”
As expected, at the set, when they were passing by the makeup room next door, they saw Cheng Anan looking at the script with red eyes.
Perhaps Wu Xue’s heels clacked too loudly, Cheng Anan immediately looked their way. Once she saw Su Yi, for some reason her eyes turned even redder.
“…” Su Yi thought about it, and still said, “Anan, are you alright?”
Cheng Anan covered her face with her hand and shook her head violently.
Wu Xue whispered. “Don’t ask, just go back to your makeup room.”
Su Yi was confused. “What is it?”
“No one wants their idol to see them down,” Wu Xue said. “You’d not understand that feeling.”
“…”
She really didn’t understand.
She went back to her makeup room and was putting on foundation. After thinking hard, she said, “How about you ask An Xuan to bring some fruits when she arrives and send it over to Anan’s makeup room?”
Wu Xue nodded. “Done.”
Just when she was done with the makeup, she heard a WeChat notification.
[Chu Xi sent you a friend request, additional notes:。]
She accepted and the other followed it quickly with a message.
[Chu Xi: You said earlier… what will you teach me?]
[Goddess Su Yi: You tell me first, who is Ruolin?]
Although Chu Ying clearly didn’t remember this person, that Chu Xi would bring her up, had to have a reason.
[Chu Xi: ???]
[Goddess Su Yi: Or you think I’d give you a lesson for free?]
The other side was silent for a long while before slowly replying.
[Chu Xi: Our neighbour from long ago, she is really beautiful and really nice. Her family’s really rich too. The main point is that she really likes my brother, when he was younger she would follow him every day, they grew up together and are born to be a couple.]
Just then the crew came in to ask her to start filming.
[Goddess Su Yi: You’re really good at talking, this conversation is over.]
Li Min was reading the script. Upon seeing Su Yi, her expression relaxed. “You’re finally back.”
“I was gone only for two days.” Su Yi allowed the hair-stylist to help her neaten the errant strands that had only just come out and smiled. “These two days didn’t go smoothly?”
“Don’t mention it, I have finally come to realise that not every newbie is as good at receiving rebukes as you were. It’s been so long and she’s still not in the right headspace.”
“Please don’t, she’s much better than I was, and I had been scolded by you for a few months before that.”
As they were talking, Cheng Anan came out. She had put on makeup again, and the red in her eyes was pretty much gone. She seemed to have adjusted well.
Su Yi and Cheng Anan were in the first scene together.
Cheng Anan was the male lead’s primary love interest, while Su Yi was the male lead’s mistress. This scene, Cheng Anan found out about Su Yi’s existence, and it was also the first time the pure white flower lost her temper. Cheng Anan was to slap Su Yi.
As soon as Cheng Anan opened her mouth, Su Yi knew that this scene was over.
She raised her voice, but there was no confidence. She could not control the emotions in her eyes either.
As expected, after the first line was uttered, Li Min called ‘Cut’.
“You’re here to find the mistress, not to pour water for her. The way you were just now, someone not in the know would think you’re a maid who’s trying to fight against her mistress!”
Cheng Anan looked down and started crying again. “Yi-jie, sorry.”
Su Yi paused. “Why are you apologising to me?”
“You have to film again…”
Ay.
Su Yi sighed and took a tissue from the person beside. “Don’t cry, let’s not waste time and continue, do your best. Just be confident when you’re speaking, sometimes your voice can carry your emotions.”
They went back and forth two more times, but while the first half was satisfactory, they were stuck at the end.
Cheng Anan was far too restrained in slapping, making it far too obvious she was only acting.
Just when Li Min was about to get angry, Su Yi spoke. “One more time.”
Li Min said, “Can we do that? How about we have Cheng Anan adjust her mind set first.”
“No need,” Su Yi said. “Anan, let’s do this for real, slap me in the face, let’s try to pass this in one go.”
Cheng Anan was naturally unwilling. Before she could speak, she heard a low male voice come from somewhere not too far away.
“No.”
Su Yi paused too. Looking to the side, she saw Chu Ying who had arrived sometime unknown, standing behind Li Min.
“… but this would waste a ridiculous amount of time.” Su Yi came back to herself, speaking softly.
“She’s unable to get in the flow. We’ll film until it’s Okayed, and if it still doesn’t work we’ll change the actress.” Chu Ying’s expression was as usual, his tone unwavering. “I’m the investor, I have the final say.”
Comments