Chapter 114: You Fly First, Dumb Bird
Coming out of Huang Ke’s room, Xuan Xia first held up two fingers to Ji Ziyao, then retracted one finger.
She clicked her tongue: “Two endorsements? One female second lead?”
Ji Ziyao glanced at her, “Do you suddenly feel like you’ve been smashed on the head with a windfall of wealth?”
Xuan Xia glanced back at him and calmly continued, “Not really. I just suddenly understand why he’s a big agent.”
The confidence is on another level, no wonder Lu Mindan wants to be with him.
Ji Ziyao seemed to catch the meaning in her words and shook his head in exasperation.
After a second of silence, he said: “Can’t you tell this is compensation for you because of the hot search?”
Xuan Xia smiled and said: “I can tell. It’s called compensation, but it should really be called hush money, right?”
Pausing, Xuan Xia changed her words: “Or maybe a fee to let things rest?”
Ji Ziyao didn’t speak, but it was clear he agreed with her understanding.
It’s normal for artists from the same company to compete, but after all, they’re from the same company, and in the end, they’re all making money for the company. Even competition should be healthy, not using dirty tricks that end up harming the company’s interests.
If they couldn’t dig up who did it, that would be one thing, but now they know who it was. If he makes a fuss upward, the company higher-ups will have to step in and resolve it.
Huang Ke isn’t afraid of accountability, but he already said upfront that he’d take responsibility, so he’s definitely offering some benefits to appease the victim.
Even Ji Ziyao didn’t expect Huang Ke to be so generous.
When Huang Ke asked him how to make the arrangement, he thought Huang Ke might help him get an endorsement in progress, but he didn’t expect him to directly give two, plus a female second lead.
Although Huang Ke didn’t guarantee that the female second lead would definitely be Xuan Xia’s, just telling them to go to the audition.
But Ji Ziyao was certain in his heart that this role was secured.
Secured it was, but this compensation was too generous. What he worried about instead was whether Xuan Xia could handle it.
“Why that look?”
Ji Ziyao withdrew his line of sight from Xuan Xia, “After your scenes here are done, hurry back to Yanjing for performance class.”
Xuan Xia raised her hand, index finger and thumb forming an OK sign.
Once she lowered her hand, Xuan Xia suddenly sighed, “It seems like the resource person label is about to stick.”
Indeed.
Jumping from a guest supporting actor in a few scenes straight to female second lead. Who would believe it’s not a resource person?
So, give up this role? …How could that be!
After all, it was exchanged for her “innocence,” how could she not take it.
So the only thing to do now was to take it seriously and seize this opportunity with effort.
So Ji Ziyao added, “Once the script arrives, you’ll be the early bird that flies first despite being slow.”
……
Back at the fifth floor where they were staying, Xuan Xia first knocked on Li Xinze’s door.
Qu Xingxuan was occupying the other bed in the room, energetically holding his mobile phone and chatting.
At this moment, he didn’t show any sign of the previous physical and mental trauma.
Xuan Xia first asked Li Xinze if he had reported the situation here to Daoist Master Qin, and got the expected affirmative answer without surprise.
In short, Li Xinze hadn’t missed a single thing, whether it should be said or not.
Xuan Xia didn’t ask him how he made the report, but looked at Qu Xingxuan and said: “I understand what Daoist Master Qin sent you here for.”
Qu Xingxuan shifted his attention from his mobile phone and asked back: “What did he send me for?”
Xuan Xia had Li Xinze bring over the bag holding the hand rope and bell, then held up the bag and said: “Daoist Master Qin is really good at fortune telling, he knew there would be results, so he sent you to pick up the package.”
Qu Xingxuan stared at the bag: “…”
He was unwilling to believe it.
Xuan Xia continued: “When dawn breaks, take this back to Daoist Master Qin.”
Qu Xingxuan couldn’t lie still, sat up in protest: “Is this a joke? I just arrived tonight, and you want me to sleep one night and go back? I refuse. You can’t exploit a minor like this.”
Truth be told, from the moment he left Changsheng Temple on this trip, he had no intention of going back.
And he wouldn’t easily go to Changsheng Temple again in the future.
After these days of nine-to-five shifts, Qu Xingxuan felt he had tasted enough of the bitterness of working.
He even increasingly felt that Xuan Xia tricking him to Changsheng Temple was a conspiracy, just to give Daoist Master Qin a break, right?
Sitting at the post wasn’t so bad, but he really couldn’t stand being questioned by every uncle and auntie who came for fortune telling.
He explained until he was about to explode on the spot, but they still didn’t believe him, preferring to trust Daoist Master Qin’s few words.
Xuan Xia said: “So you want to keep smelling the stench?”
Qu Xingxuan smirked smugly, lying back down fearlessly, “Silly, the stench is long gone.”
“It only stank for a bit right after the illusionary scenery ended, but it dissipated quickly. Probably because the sorcery from above was broken, those two things of yours are likely just dead objects now, no more trouble.”
“I see…” Another bit of useless knowledge added.
However, even though Qu Xingxuan said that, Xuan Xia still felt it was best to send it back to Changsheng Temple soon; keeping it nearby felt unsafe.
With so many people in the hotel, what if something happened?
But Qu Xingxuan was clearly uncooperative, so in the end Li Xinze took on the job of delivering the package himself.
Xuan Xia thought for a moment and said: “My scenes should wrap up in the next couple of days. Brother Li, why don’t you rest up and head straight back?”
Meaning he could go back and report, no need to rush over again.
Li Xinze just smiled and said: “I’ll listen to Mr. Qin.”
Xuan Xia: “…”
Fine then.
Adding up everything, it was already late. Xuan Xia said good night to the two, returned to her room to wash up and sleep.
***
On the next day’s filming schedule, Xuan Xia had a scene in the afternoon.
After lunch, she went to report to the film crew.
Li Xinze had returned to Ningzhou that morning, so now Qu Xingxuan was filling in as assistant.
It was his first time seeing a film crew and filming, and he was excitedly over the moon.
Once at the film set, Xuan Xia heard the news that Lu Mindan had taken leave from the film crew and left early that morning.
This leave was for a full three days.
Three days was enough time for Xuan Xia to finish her remaining three scenes and wrap up.
In other words, she wouldn’t have a chance to see Lu Mindan again.
Xuan Xia had no particular thoughts on this, but she was curious: “Where did she go on leave?”
Yang Wanxiu said: “Want me to check?”
Xuan Xia nodded, “If you can find out.”
Yang Wanxiu said it was simple, took out her mobile phone and operated for a bit, and Lu Mindan’s itinerary came up.
“She went back to Yanjing, on a flight just before eleven in the morning. She’s already arrived now.”
Yanjing, huh?
Not sure if going back to Yanjing was to go home or to meet someone.
Xuan Xia first said “Got it,” then sighed: “Artists really have little privacy. Their itineraries are all crystal clear—terrifying.”
Yang Wanxiu grinned sheepishly and didn’t respond.
Just as they were talking, Jiang Feng came over.
