Chapter 253: “sponsor” Collapses, Storm Brewing
“Who did you say? Xiang You? What does he want with me?”
Hotel top floor, in Chi Ye’s room.
Xiao Liu came back from outside the door and told Chi Ye that Xiang You was waiting at the doorway for him, brought over by Sheng Ning’s assistant.
No, what does Sheng Ning mean by this?
Does she think I’m too idle usually? Sending Xiang You over to perform a high heels can’t reach history for me?
“Teacher Chi, why don’t you want to see him?”
The nearby Empress Dowager had her back turned with the “acceptance speech”… um… it was the Golden Eagle Goddess’s acceptance speech, because she and Chi Ye were now far ahead of other artists in the voting…
As for why **number can see the vote count… no need to look, just guessing tells that their vote counts are 100% going to win.
If #Chi Pan Xia Yu# fails to get Golden Eagle Male God and Golden Eagle Goddess this year, it’s not their problem, it’s Mango TV and Golden Eagle Festival’s problem.
“It’s not that I don’t want to see him, it’s that he keeps asking me to act in movies, I have no schedule.”
Chi Ye sighed.
Xiang You this person, to put it nicely is simple, to put it bluntly, nearly forty years old and still acts like a child.
Half a month ago, Jin Sui had already greeted him, saying Xiang You’s father, after seeing Jin Sui achieve a certain level of career development in internal entertainment circle, got ideas and prepared to produce a big investment movie.
And the other side sincerely wanted to invite him to star in it.
Chi Ye took one look at the script and knew bad things were coming, so he found an excuse to prepare to turn it down.
Who knew, Xiang You somehow learned of this message, because he also had a role in this movie, not best actor but a supporting actor with a lot of scenes.
Yes… he had the same idea as Arthur… if Chi Ye starred, then he could properly market another wave of “brotherly love” and go viral a bit.
Additionally, though Chi Ye didn’t think of himself as Hong Kong Circle young actor, now almost the entire internal entertainment circle classified him as Hong Kong Circle’s number one young actor… so as Hong Kong Circle’s number one young actor, he’s “one of us”, thus Xiang You had been pestering Chi Ye lately.
“So annoying, why do I feel like he has ‘ulterior motives’ toward you?”
Jin Xia suspiciously glanced at Chi Ye.
Chi Ye was a bit displeased: “Have I fallen to this level in your heart?”
“…… Hmph hmph, anyway you’re no good person either.”
Jin Xia inexplicably hummed twice, then stood up: “Wait for me.”
“What are you doing?”
Chi Ye was stunned.
“I’ll go curse him back!”
Jin Xia put hands on hips: “We have no schedule, you have to accompany me to act in movies, tell him to go wherever cool and stay there!”
Chi Ye: “……”
“It’s fine Teacher Chi, you might offend people if you say it, but I won’t.”
Chi Ye puzzled: “Why won’t you offend people?”
“Because if I say it, it’s him offending me.”
Chi Ye: “……”
Jin Xia happily came over: “You’re my boyfriend now, I can do these things for you oh.”
Chi Ye looked at her for a long time, then reached out and flicked her: “Don’t move, I’ll go talk to him.”
“Ah…” Empress Dowager was stunned, slightly unwilling: “Do you think I can’t handle this? Don’t worry Teacher Chi, from childhood to now, I’m best at being annoying.”
Chi Ye: “…… I think you’re the most likable.”
He stood up, walked to the door: “It’s fine, Xiang You is reasonable too, talk to him nicely, he should understand me.”
“Oh, alright then.”
Jin Xia stopped talking, obediently straightened her back, eyes showing “fierce light”: “If he dares talk too much, I’ll go up!”
“…… He won’t dare.”
Chi Ye opened the room door.
……
The other side.
Hotel lobby’s red carpet venue, at this moment, many artists were already gathered here chatting idly.
Today was Golden Eagle Festival opening time, no need to walk red carpet, but many artists arrived early, tomorrow was the official Golden Eagle Gala and award ceremony.
At this moment, many industry big stars and top streamers gathered together, plus quite a few behind-the-scenes capital bosses, mostly drama circle but also film circle.
And in fact, in internal entertainment circle, drama circle has always controlled the “mainstream” audience group.
Though they lag behind film circle in prestige and star power, evidently drama circle maintains popularity by showing face, film circle elevates status with prestige, this is industry consensus.
A veteran actor who starred in national-level hit drama might not be valued in industry, but in audience’s eyes, that’s a “big star”.
Not to mention the young pretty top streamer peanuts who hold internal entertainment circle’s traffic code now, especially first-tier peanuts, all with sky-high ambitions, can’t even rank in film circle, but at Golden Eagle this rare big gathering, finally have “a seat at the table”.
“Heard? Chu Luan Yu seems to have gotten into trouble.”
“Real or fake?”
“Her backer sponsor broke up with her, why would I lie to you.”
“Tsk tsk, she’s a representative resource person, this is tough for her.”
“Heard she has good relationship with Chi Ye.”
“Don’t leech, just did a few variety shows together, how is everyone in the circle now close to Chi Ye, is Chi Ye God?”
“You don’t mean… Prince Jiang and Hong Kong Circle Prince right.”
“Hey, don’t talk nonsense, I didn’t say that.”
In the crowd, Peng Chen and Chu Han Zhou sat on the sofa, listening to nearby people chat idly, not very engaged.
Chu Luan Yu, just a second-tier little flower in industry, debuted so many years without a representative work, shot several times more big productions than others but each one flopped, simply comparable to Goujian before leaving Yue Na.
Um… speaking of Goujian, Peng Chen and Chu Han Zhou’s moods became even less beautiful.
This year Yu Yan didn’t come… Yu Yan since Magic City Fortress incident, was already temporarily “nowhere to be found” in industry.
Actually neither understood what Yu Yan’s psychology really was.
Because with his fan base and foundation, no official announcement of dating, even if Magic City Fortress flopped hard, no need to be so passive right?
His reaction could only prove that in several “rivalries” with Chi Ye he was completely crushed, hurting this former unrivaled top streamer’s self-esteem—Yu Yan wasn’t an effort type persona anyway, privately always very lazy.
But his laziness different from Sister Shang, Sister Shang was naturally so, while Yu Yan after experiencing too much flashy world, had raised threshold.
Now he had no threshold, but also no drive.
“What a pity, without Chi Ye, Yu Yan could stay red at least another two-three years, unrivaled top streamer’s two-three years, how much money is that?”
Peng Chen took a sip of water, shaking head, face full of regret and feeling.
Once upon a time, he could only follow behind Yu Yan’s butt licking Beijing Circle, but now Yu Yan gone, he became Beijing Circle’s newly pushed young actor because of just-wrapped 749 Bureau.
How to put it… only say he was fated to be red, indeed no one can block it.
“Who says not.”
Chu Han Zhou nodded along, this former rival pair now because of Chi Ye and internal entertainment circle traffic young male star shifting pattern, could actually sit together chatting… entertainment industry is that magical and fantastical.
“Remember during the four big double hit dual top streamers period, how harmonious we were back then?”
Chu Han Zhou leaned on sofa, started reminiscing past, and once people reminisce past, proves recent days not going well…
“Back then no Chi Ye, Ji Hemming not in yet, me and him bundled Si Zi and Yu Yan together… honestly, Yu Yan was much more generous than Chi Ye, look during the four bigs, did he say anything?”
Chu Han Zhou sharply critiqued Chi Ye: “Look at Chi Ye now, same unrivaled top streamer, yet made it into ‘one break’, good guy, leaves us behind to play solo, tell me, what has internal entertainment circle become now? He refuses bundling… did he forget how he bundled other little flowers back then?”
Peng Chen gave him a sidelong glance: “Don’t be mad, he’s hot cake now, times changed, Xing Ni came out, no one can rival him, but now Xing Ni popularity passed so long, really want good career development, still shoot modern idol dramas.”
“Modern idol dramas? Like Jiang Cheng, shoot four-five modern idol dramas a year?”
Chu Han Zhou sneered, shaking head.
Arthur shot five modern idol dramas in a year, non-stop overnight shooting feats now spread throughout internal entertainment circle.
Speaking of Arthur, also a genius, even before Chi Ye went red, known in industry as jinx light, when danmei hot shot danmei, others all went red but he just started and above began clearing danmei, banning the genre.
No danmei, he targeted suspense drama market… those years kiwifruit’s suspense dramas hot, many young actors rose via it, then… then suspense dramas started flopping.
Chi Ye sang released album red, he followed with album, still no splash.
To Xing Ni airing, exploding Southeast Asia, Arthur’s devil claw finally reached modern idol dramas.
Chi Ye seriously suspected Arthur was Jin Ming’s illegitimate son, otherwise why both so unlucky?
“You don’t say, this effort type contestant might actually succeed.”
Peng Chen lazily stretched, then waved hand: “Not talking him… that drama I mentioned earlier, interested?”
“…… You mean the one with Chu Luan Yu as female lead?”
“No, she’s not female lead now, she’s third female lead.”
Chu Han Zhou stunned: “Third female lead?”
He realized something: “Really in trouble?”
Peng Chen didn’t speak, face mysteriously inscrutable.
……
That day, Chu Luan Yu exposed by some famous gossip blogger for tax evasion, amount quite large.
Incident broke, instantly topped Weibo hot search list.
Industry insiders knew this news earlier than outside world, especially Peng Chen probably knew a day ahead.
Uninformed industry people all thought Chu Luan Yu broke up with her “sponsor”, trouble was inevitable sooner or later, because so many resources unmatched to her star power over years, offended too many people invisibly.
But only few knew Chu Luan Yu actually had no sponsor, her resources so good because family background very strong.
But… no smooth sailing life, recently she lost her biggest reliance.
Reliance “sponsor” gone, her getting in trouble was natural, just didn’t expect it so fast and fierce.
Still remember when Chi Ye just reborn, first program met Chu Luan Yu, even drew her beginner acting skills honed over seven years.
Later, they worked together once in Time With You, but after that almost no interaction.
Her incident in internal entertainment circle considered relatively “serious” type, because internal entertainment circle many exposed for tax evasion past few years, but few with “repeated notifications yet unrepentant” phrasing.
Incident fermenting, Chu Luan Yu also attending this Golden Eagle Festival yet had no mind to follow it.
In the room.
Usually always reserved inside, never cared about any gossip, only interested in her kind, Sister Yu looked slightly haggard.
Her agent who followed since debut persuaded: “It’s fine, it will pass.”
“I just didn’t expect… it to come so fast.”
“You mean family or career?”
“Both I guess.”
“…… Rest for a while, tax already paid, will be fine.”
Chu Luan Yu glanced at agent, calm with hint of panic over sudden loss of privilege: “Really?”
“…… Really.”
Two looked at each other in silence.
“Who exposed it?”
After long, Chu Luan Yu suddenly asked.
Agent paused, then said: “Seems like… Yue Na’s artist.”
“Yue Na……”
Chu Luan Yu murmured, fell into thought.
Previously her relationship with Yue Na not particularly close, but behind-the-scenes ties had good cooperation with Yue Na, so when Chi Ye first got in trouble, she didn’t get involved.
So Yue Na, or people related to Yue Na, knew many of Chu Luan Yu’s things.
But who exactly did this? Would Yue Na cut ties with her so fast?
So afraid of “retaliation”?
“Who could it be…”
……
In some dirty messy rundown rental house, Jiang Mou held phone, disheveled: “I did what you promised, where’s the money?”
“Half less? No… why?! The thing I handled by coming out, offended how many people, and you give me this little?!”
Jiang Mou eyes bloodshot: “I tell you, if you dare short me money, don’t blame me for spilling everything!”
Words fell, other end already hung up.
“……”
“Fuck!!”
Jiang Yi silent full ten seconds, then fiercely smashed phone, coldly laughed and chugged white liquor: “Good good good… fine, playing like this huh, then no one plays!”
……
Next day.
Golden Eagle award ceremony day.
Chi Ye straightened his sleek custom suit, Professor Chi’s classic outfit in Xing Ni drama.
By his side, Jin Xia lively and charming like a lark, chestnut long hair slightly curled, boldly holding his arm.
“Where want to eat after evening ends?”
“Um… I want to go to street food stall.”
“Little glutton, craving gutter oil again huh?”
“…… Teacher Chi better revert to original state, you talking like this so oily.”
“Gutter oil kind of oily?”
“Ahh! Give me back refreshing handsome Teacher Chi, get off him quick, I’ll fight you!”
