Following that, the talks that took place proceeded exceptionally smoothly. During this time, the Director found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Shen Jingbin. If it werenât for Xiangpeng noticing Zhao Chengningâs dissatisfaction and quietly pointing it out to the Director on the side, he probably would have continued staring at her.
From the Directorâs tone, Shen Jingbin getting the role of female lead was a done deal. On the other hand, Xue Sijiaâs expression remained overcast throughout their discussions. Sheâd initially thought that the role was guaranteed to be hers, only to have it stolen by someone else. Anyone would be unhappy if such a thing happened to them.
After asking both sides for their opinions, a contract was drawn up and signed on the spot. They then said their goodbyes and left. Xue Sijia remained silent the entire time till their MPV arrived, while her Manager had a face full of smiles as she bid the others farewell. Shen Jingbinâs group gave them a polite smile in return. Throughout the entire exchange, Xue Sijia remained unmoved till her Manager prompted her, causing her to break into a false smile before she entered the car.
Once Xue Sijia got into the car, Xuya angrily said, "Whyâs she acting so high and mighty? Sheâs just a minor celebrity. Sooner or later Iâll take care of her."
Zhao Chengning patted him on the shoulder and said, "Forget about it, sheâs got the backing of Long Dinghai from Dawn Emperor Entertainment. Sheâs not one of those minor celebs that you can afford to provoke."
"Long Dinghai? Is that the same Long Dinghai that Iâm thinking of?" Shen Jingbin asked in astonishment.
Zhao Chengning looked towards her and nodded his head.
Xuya looked a little worried. "No wonder sheâs so haughty; she has Long Dinghai as her backer. Tsk, she really is a prime example of âusing oneâs connections to exploit othersâ. Sigh, public morals are degenerating with each passing day."
Shen Jingbin didnât find Xuya suddenly shrinking back the least bit strange as sheâd heard many stories about Long Dinghai.
Different from Zhao Chengning who came from a wealthy and respectable background, but kept a low profile, news of Long Dinghai spread far and wide. Even someone like her who never paid attention to the happenings around her had heard her elders mention him. However, none of it was good. Rumour had it that his family had its roots in the criminal underworld, but had washed its hands of its illegal ways in recent years and moved into the entertainment industry instead. Be that as it may, his family was still as influential as it was before, and it was nothing to scoff at.
Speaking of which, amongst this generation of youths, Long Dinghai and Zhao Chengning represented two different ways of life.
"Stop talking about pointless things and drive," Said Zhao Chengning as he looked helplessly at Xuya who was going on about his lifeâs enlightenment.
Xuya rubbed his nose, fished out his keys, and jumped into the car.
Xue Sijiaâs expression darkened the moment she got into the MPV.
Seeing this, her Manager tried to console her. "Donât feel bad about it, that girl really is very beautiful... Donât glare at me like that. Even after being in the entertainment industry for so long, Iâve never seen someone who looks as good as her. You losing out to her is nothing to be ashamed about. And, even if itâs just a supporting role, your part in the video is indispensable."
Xue Sijia sneered. "Hah, since when have I ever taken up a supporting role for someone else?"
"Sijia, at times itâs easier for the supporting role to gain fans than the lead. If you show some weakness by occasionally taking a supporting role, you can arouse your fansâ affection for you. Furthermore, since you, an experienced actor is taking up a supporting role, wouldnât that put more pressure on her? If she screws up, she might end up incurring everyoneâs displeasure."
"Do you really think thereâs a chance of that happening?" Xue Sijia asked in return.
Yangshu fell silent and thought back to that woman from before, but didnât reply.
The displeasure in Xue Sijiaâs eyes deepened. She whipped out her handphone, and after a few taps of her fingers, a number appeared on her screen.
"Whoâre you calling?" Yangshu hurriedly asked.
Xue Sijia ignored her.
After listening to the phone to ring many times, the call finally connected.
Xue Sijia knew full well which part of her the other party liked, so she got straight to the point and said, "Mr Long, itâs Xue Sijia."
"I know, whatâs happened?"
"I didnât manage to get the lead role for Yijuâs promotional video; I only managed to get a supporting role."
The voice on the other end sounded indifferent. "Oh, you failed? So what do you plan to do now?"
"I recalled a similar thing happening last time, but the screenwriter changed the script to include two female leads."
The other party laughed. A short while passed before the person replied, "Youâre getting more and more ambitious. The phrase âa man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephantâ fits people like you perfectly."
Without any change in her tone, Xue Sijia replied, "Thatâs because I have what it takes to swallow an elephant."
"Alright, I understand," Once the other party had heard her reply, they laughed again before reverting to their previous indifference. After exchanging another sentence, they finally hung up.