The backstage open dressing room was bustling with people. Yun Daixi asked the makeup artist for makeup remover and carefully wiped away the smudged lipstick. She then chose one of her usual shades and applied it meticulously.
Chi Muye's personal makeup artist was waiting backstage, while the dressing room was staffed with a long-term, independent team.
Makeup artist Xiaoling had just heard about the confession backstage. As she watched Daixi apply lipstick in front of the mirror, her eyes sparkled: "Sister Daixi, today is so romantic!"
She put the lipstick back in the box and forced a smile: "It's quite romantic."
"Little puppies are all the rage now," people in the industry know that Yun Daixi is the one who has been promoting and discovering him all along. "Sister Daixi, you're doing a nurturing project, isn't that great? He can take care of you in the future."
"Yes, it's good."
Yun Daixi had no desire to continue the conversation, but Xiaoling hadn't yet grasped her meaning. Just as she was about to say something more, Yun Daixi applied some more powder, stood up, and said goodbye.
On her way to the parking lot, every staff member she encountered congratulated her.
She nodded to each person in gratitude.
Telling him about this plan on his birthday would be too cruel.
Yun Daixi decided to go home first and deal with the rest tomorrow.
She sent Chi Muye a message after getting into the car: I'm too tired lately, I'm going home first. You should also get some rest after your concert.
After considering his upcoming schedule, and being a professional agent, I added: "Drink less at the celebration banquet. Going to the photoshoot with a puffy face is the greatest disrespect to the photographer and retoucher."
After getting home, showering, and tidying up, I lie in bed scrolling through various news articles, while others might just be casually browsing.
She was actually checking whether today's trending search metrics met expectations.
What new news has our rival's star made about? And who will be chosen as the other major brand ambassadors?
It seems I've gotten used to it; everything I see is somehow connected to work.
She contributed to the two most popular trending topics on the hot search list today.
Several public accounts have revealed the identity of Jiang Xianxian's rumored boyfriend, a top-tier tycoon, but among the various answers, the young master of the Fang family is not mentioned.
I don't know if the Fang family still cares about their reputation, but they've managed to get someone to handle everything.
A video of Gu Li'an's speech inside the Mercury banquet venue was unearthed by someone, and fans below it started arguing.
Fans advised Jiang Xianxian to focus on her acting and not be deceived by men, saying that there are no perfect men who are handsome, rich, and loyal, and that few women who marry into wealthy families have a good ending.
Those who ship this couple say you're being nosy. Cherish the present; sleeping with such a great man is a win!
She didn't dare to watch the videos related to Chi Muye, as she knew her performance on stage must have been quite poor.
The comments were mostly filled with blessings; die-hard fans all know that Yun Daixi is his benefactor.
But the more this trend continues, the more harshly she will be criticized when she tries to stage a breakup in the future.
She got up to get sleeping pills from the cabinet; her long-term irregular sleep patterns had led to a certain dependence on sleeping pills.
I took out a piece, put it back, and went to the wine cabinet to get a bottle of red wine. On the way, I went to the kitchen to rinse the wine glasses.
I came back, sat on the sofa, and turned on my phone to cast the variety show featuring my artist, Li Chengru, to my screen.
Consider this a relaxed form of check-up.
She turned on her phone and saw a missed call from an unknown number. It was already 1 a.m., and fearing it might be an emergency, she called back.
The notification sound went unanswered until the very end, so I had to give up for the time being and watch the variety show on and off.
Halfway through the movie, the phone rang again; this time it was Chi Muye.
She answered, "Hello."
The background noise was loud, but it couldn't mask his excited tone: "Xixi, why did you go back? We're getting ready for the celebration banquet, do you want to come along? You're the star of the show today too."
He had been calling her Sister Daixi until tonight, so this sudden change of address is baffling.
"I'm too old, you guys go ahead, I've already washed up and am getting ready for bed."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Chi Muye's tone changed: "You were acting, weren't you?"
It was past midnight, and he had grown another year older. Yun Daixi truthfully replied, "Yes. Listen to me..."
Before I could finish speaking, the other end of the phone had already hung up.
No matter how many times she called, he stopped answering.
He could only call his assistant and instruct her: "Keep a close eye on Chi Muye tonight, and contact me as soon as possible if anything happens."
Her phone is always online 24/7.
After that phone call, my mood for watching the variety show vanished completely.
I got up, broke off a sleeping pill, swallowed it with some alcohol, and went back to my room.
-
In the following days, Chi Muyi did not appear at the company again, nor did he send any messages to Yun Daixi.
His assistant reported that when he didn't have a work schedule, he would lock himself in the recording studio or rehearsal room and work on music.
Yun Daixi asked, "Did he agree to hand over his social media account password?"
The concert, which has been in preparation for so long, is finally starting. If something inappropriate is said at this time, it would be absolutely devastating.
She had assumed that the unruly Chi Muye would firmly refuse, and she was prepared to step in and ask for it herself.
Unexpectedly, the assistant replied, "It's already been given, and given decisively."
This was beyond her expectations.
The assistant added, "I just... I don't know if I should tell you. I think he gave it to me so readily because he wanted me to tell you..."
After going around in circles for a while without getting to the point, Yun Daixi raised her voice slightly, with a hint of warning: "But what?"
"All his account passwords are related to you, Yundaixi..."
She suddenly choked up and couldn't speak.
"Sister Daixi, I'll hang up now." The person on the other end was quite sensible.
"You are not allowed to tell anyone," she added.
-
Gu Li'an hasn't contacted her these past few days.
She hasn't reacted at all to Jiang Xianxian's recent attempts to take advantage of her influence.
That makes sense, since no names were mentioned and it would probably only make things worse.
Jiang Xianxian had recovered well. Being naturally playful, and having been cooped up for so long, she called Daixi: "Sister Daixi, please release me from prison soon!"
"Now you know what pain is? Did you ever think about these things when you were reaching your climax in bed?"
"Sister Daixi, it's easy for you to say that when you're not in the situation. Have you ever experienced it? Do you know that kind of irresistible pleasure?"
Yun Daixi almost choked on her words: "You're a top-tier celebrity with a lot of influence, so watch your mouth, especially when you're being interviewed. Don't lead the kids astray."
"Oh," Jiang Xianxian pouted on the other end of the phone, "Sister Daixi, you really are still a child in this regard."
Yun Daixi took her styling team to Jiang Xianxian's house. There was an important dinner party tonight, which would be her first public appearance since the scandal with Gu Li'an. Everything needed to be carefully prepared.
The person who organized the gathering was Mr. Cheng Wei, whom I met at Li Lifei's house that day.
I heard that I have a really good script for a Hong Kong-style movie, and filming will start next spring.
After meeting that day, Yun Daixi heard more or less about the story of this unexpected newcomer, Chen Yaojin, who said that he quickly bought a lot of good scripts in the industry, and directors were flocking to him one after another.
The film we're discussing today is also being pursued by the rival agency.
Before the drinking party, Yun Daixi called Li Lifei for advice: "Uncle Li, what do you think of this matter? Is there a catch?"
Uncle Li replied, "I introduced the film crew to them."
Yun Daixi: "No wonder, thank you very much, Uncle Li. I will definitely win it."
Just as she was about to hang up, Uncle Li interrupted her and continued, "I'm only responsible for recommending scripts and directors. Casting is none of my business. As for why they approached you and Jiang Xianxian, you should think about it yourselves."
"Also, it's best not to provoke that Mr. Gu."
Uncle Li probably also saw the rumors about Jiang Xianxian and Gu Li'an.
Yun Daixi replied, "I understand," and then hung up the phone.
In the private room, Mr. Li sat in the main seat, next to the well-known director Fan Yan. He was usually quite proud and arrogant, but at this moment he could only be forced to sit at this dinner party.
With the economy in a bad state lately, anyone who can attract investment is considered a big shot.
Mr. Cheng still had his hair slicked back, and his complexion was much rosier than when we last met.
Seeing the two of them come in, he quickly invited Jiang Xianxian to sit next to him and said with a smile, "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Miss Jiang. I've seen all the news about this lately; these media outlets are really quite boring."
It seems that this obsequious attitude is because they've seen the news about her and Gu Li'an.
Jiang Xianxian curled her red lips: "I'm used to it, it doesn't bother me."
Mr. Cheng called for the dishes to be served: "This is a modern Chinese restaurant, low in sugar and low in fat. Miss Jiang, you can eat without worry, you won't gain weight."
It's good that he thought of everything.
Although they were major investors, they didn't dare to directly say who they would cast as the female lead. During the meeting, President Cheng and Director Fan talked as if they were practicing massage.
In the end, Fan Yan said, "Ms. Jiang is very suitable for the female lead in 'Summer in Hong Kong' in terms of both appearance and temperament. She can attend the audition when she has time."
The implication is that you shouldn't expect everything to be settled after eating this meal; it's just a ticket to an audition.
Jiang Xianxian raised her glass with both hands to toast, saying, "Director Fan, you've started casting. I'll definitely be the first one there."
President Cheng also raised his glass and joined in: "That's good. I admire Miss Jiang very much. I'm sure I can win her over if I go."
Just then, President Cheng's phone rang. Before answering, he took a careful deep breath: "Hey, President Gu."
Everyone present quieted down. There were some speculations about the capital behind Cheng Wei. Now that the news had just been released, he invited Jiang Xianxian over to discuss cooperation and even called her personally during the discussion.
This inevitably leads one to speculate that the wealthy businessman rumored to be dating Jiang Xianxian in the news is none other than President Gu.
After saying something on the other end of the phone, President Cheng replied confidently, "President Gu, don't worry, the notebook I chose is definitely the most suitable."
After hanging up the phone, President Cheng turned around and picked up another glass of wine: "President Gu just called personally to congratulate me on choosing a good script and actors. I have always trusted his judgment, and I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration this time."
As he spoke, he turned to Jiang Xianxian and said, "You'd better prepare well for your audition. I've heard that Director Fan has high standards."
Jiang Xianxian nodded obediently: "Definitely, definitely."
After the drinking party ended, the driver came to pick them up. Once in the back seat, Jiang Xianxian asked, "That Mr. Gu, how dare you use him? You weren't planning to sell me out, were you?"
Yun Daixi turned around and looked her up and down, then said jokingly, "You're my cash cow. I'd sell myself rather than sell you."
Mr. Gu did not show up at today's dinner, but through President Cheng, he managed to gather several big names in the entertainment industry.
Even Uncle Li, who was preparing to retire, was inevitably dragged into it.
-
After dropping Jiang Xianxian off at her apartment building, Yun Daixi received a call from Chi Muye.
Jiang Xianxian had already seen the video. Without asking any questions, she could roughly guess Yun Daixi's whole plan. She immediately jumped out of the car, waved goodbye, and said without making a sound, "I'm going upstairs first."
The car door closed, and Yun Daixi told the driver to head home.
Chi Muye must have overheard something on the other end of the phone, because he immediately said, "Can you not go home first?"
It was time to explain her plans to him in person. Yun Daixi said, "Then let's meet at our usual place."
It was a small bar called Night Rose.
Back when Chi Muye wasn't famous yet, he would always come here to perform his new songs and see how people reacted. The owner was a good friend of Yun Daixi.
Upon arriving at the bar, the owner personally led Yun Daixi to a specially reserved, hidden private room.
Chi Muye was already sitting inside.
There's a roadshow scheduled for this afternoon, so it seems I haven't been home to rest yet; I still have makeup on.
She sat on the sofa, her hands pressed against her thighs, curled up like a wounded little wolf that had strayed from its pack.
Yun Daixi sat down beside him, as if comforting her own child: "Chi Muye, would you like me to tell you the whole plan from beginning to end?"
He didn't answer, remaining silent for a long time before finally raising his face.
The light was dim, but it shone directly on his tearful eyes: "Even if it's fake, can you keep lying to me?"