Chapter 207: 《girl》 Wrap-up
“……No matter how popular, he’s just traffic.”
On the other side, Director Feng, sitting on the sofa, bared his teeth and cleared his throat with phlegm: “Ke~ You say, is this kind of traffic scarce? Not really.”
“It’s not like before. Traffic is the market now.”
Director Yang looked at Director Feng: “Xiao Gang, you still talk about us. Haven’t you used traffic yourself?”
“Fuck, did I use it? I made money from their fans. That’s different.”
Director Feng laughed, waved his hand: “Hurry up, let that group below come up quick too. Let’s have a good time tonight.”
“……Alright.” Director Yang nodded, then muttered to Director Lu: “I think we can still try. Before, it was all through middlemen. We haven’t contacted him directly… I think we can send him a few scripts, give him an opportunity.”
Director Lu felt a bit unhappy upon hearing this—because Chi Ye had once refused to act in his purple 749 Bureau purple.
“You handle it. Anyway, if he wants to enter the circle, he has to chug three bottles first, or no deal.”
Director Lu waved his hand.
“Hey.”
At that moment, Director Feng, who was about to go upstairs for a shower, turned back, bared his teeth: “When is Sheng Ning arriving? I’ve always craved her type. No chance before, this time I gotta get my fix.”
“Hm?”
The two were stunned. Director Yang puzzled: “Sheng Ning? We didn’t invite her.”
“You invited her?”
Director Lu shook his head too: “No.”
Director Feng was also taken aback, then said: “Ah, Old Wang told me he sent the message. I thought this big honey would come.”
“……This woman really doesn’t know her own weight. She’s been picking fights with us lately. I say, we gave her face. Tell her straight, give her more face and she’ll be shameless. No more movies for her, see if she’s still arrogant!”
“Don’t say that. She’s still ‘capital’ after all, haha.”
“What capital? How much money? Been in the drama circle too long, I think she really believes she’s some big shot.”
“……”
……
Meanwhile.
Lemon Entertainment.
“Sister Ning, Beijing Circle put out the word that Film Circle won’t take your projects, rejecting traffic from bad movies… The two scripts we just negotiated both have Beijing Circle background… They’ve been withdrawn.”
In the office, the newly appointed assistant was worried: “Director Zhang’s role was officially announced, set for Ling Han.”
Sheng Ning crossed her legs, sneered: “Won’t take my projects? It’s not ten years ago. The circle is rotten like that. Who are they telling?”
“……But after all, film and drama circles are two circles. Look at us…”
Sheng Ning paused, then said coldly: “Yeah, two circles…”
“Then reject all those platform projects that Beijing Circle is hyping up their traffic they want to lick. Also… put out the word that kiwifruit won’t give Beijing Circle traffic any project resources.”
“They’re ‘soft banning’ me? I’ll soft ban them first.”
The assistant was startled, hesitated: “Sister Ning… Platform and Film Circle still cooperate. If we say this… won’t it be bad?”
She had another sentence unsaid: We only have dry shares, still divided from popular actors’ earnings. Not even a small shareholder, and not really kiwifruit’s true head.
“……Just say that. I won’t take any projects with Beijing Circle traffic.”
Sheng Ning knew the huge gap in strength between herself and the entire Beijing Circle, but her personality wouldn’t let her “kneel” like that.
Actually, in this conflict with Beijing Circle, the “Chi Ye incident” was just the trigger. Later it had nothing to do with Chi Ye, but Sheng Ning’s personal personality and experiences wouldn’t let her be kneaded like dough by Beijing Circle.
You want to warn me? You want to soft ban? Get the whole Film Circle to boycott me?
Movie roles that were already negotiated, just because of some trivial matter, cold storage and warnings… And then expect me to kowtow in thanks?
Fuck off! Bunch of idiots!
Yes, her personality was too tough, so she couldn’t accept this near-feudal humiliation. Film Circle is so big, why beg your one family?
Whoever likes being a dog, go be one.
“Got it.” The new assistant was previously in Sheng Ning’s team, so she knew Sheng Ning’s temper well. She hesitated a while but didn’t tell Sheng Ning about some Beijing Circle big shot wanting to “invite her” to “play together.”
Otherwise… she feared Sheng Ning would post on Weibo to “rip apart” Beijing Circle on the spot.
“Anything else?”
Sheng Ning stubbed out her cigarette, lit another, saw the assistant still standing there dazed, frowned.
“Um… This is the summer slot movie publicity and distribution schedule… And… I just made a phone call to have the platform take down Chi Ye’s those garbage ads…”
Sheng Ning nodded: “Mm, anything else?”
“……Ad department is a bit unhappy.”
“Then let them go die.”
“……”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“Out.”
“……Okay.”
……
Early April.
purple Girl purple film crew.
The final scene, also the only kiss scene between Zhou Ye and Shen Jiayi in the whole film, was deliberately saved for last, for when they were in the best state.
The entire film crew held their breath, all staring at the golden couple on the rooftop.
They were about to separate, seemingly “missing” the most important four years in each other’s lives.
……
April’s wind, like a boy’s hesitant confession, sometimes warm and soft, sometimes with a chill.
Occasionally a light rain falls, not cold, but inexplicably reminds one of some unfulfilled promise.
The night after the college entrance exam, Zhou Ye and Shen Jiayi sneaked onto the school rooftop.
Zhou Ye chewed mint candy, used a laser pointer to draw lines on the night sky: “Look, from Alpha Aquilae to Alpha Lyrae is exactly 26 light-years, just like…”
“Just like the distance from Tsinghua to Fudan.”
Shen Jiayi suddenly continued, moonlight casting fragmented shadows on her eyelashes.
Zhou Ye turned his head to look at her.
Moonlight slanted in from the dome, falling on her eyelashes, shattering into tiny light spots.
Her breathing was light, chest slightly rising and falling, school uniform collar revealing a section of fair collarbone, like the softest stroke in an unfinished sketch.
He suddenly felt his throat dry.
“Hey, Shen Jiayi.” His voice was low and hoarse: “You say, for 26 light-years, how long will it take us to catch up?”
She didn’t answer, just took a student small flashlight from her pocket, turned on the flash, raised it to the sky.
Blinding white light exploded in the darkness, like an artificial star.
“Happy birthday.” She said softly.
Zhou Ye froze.
Midnight had passed, today was her eighteenth birthday.
……
“Here it comes!”
Outside the rooftop, the director took a deep breath. He noticed that Shang Youshu’s eyelashes were starting to tremble, her beautiful eyes like stars.
In the shot.
Zhou Ye suddenly rolled over to brace beside her, shadow falling, blocking most of the light.
Shen Jiayi’s breath hitched, fingers unconsciously gripping the small flashlight tight, the flash’s glow swaying between them, illuminating his eyebrows and eyes close at hand.
“Zhou Ye, you…”
He leaned down and kissed her.
The first time, he bumped her nose tip, mint candy’s coolness brushing her lip corner. Both panicked and turned their heads away.
“Damn.” He chuckled lowly, breath hot: “Harder than solving physics problems.”
Shen Jiayi’s ear tips burned, but then she reached up to cup his face. In the last second before the flash went out, she tilted her head up and kissed him.
In the instant darkness fell, the sensation was infinitely amplified.
His lips were warm, carrying mint candy’s freshness, and soda’s slight sweetness.
Her heartbeat raced almost breaking through her chest, fingers unconsciously clutching his collar, as if afraid she’d fall in this starry river.
In the distance, security’s flashlight beam swept the corridor, the metal door lock’s clatter startling them.
When they panicked apart, Shen Jiayi’s hair clip caught Zhou Ye’s school uniform button. In the tug, she “hissed,” Zhou Ye fumbled to undo it, fingertip brushing her earlobe, scorching.
“Done for.” He laughed lowly: “Now we’re really ‘entangled.'”
Shen Jiayi glared at him, but in the darkness quietly curved her lips.
Before leaving, Zhou Ye disassembled a starry sky puzzle, split into two halves, stuffed one into her hand.
“Until the day we meet again…” he said: “It has to fit into a complete one.”
Under moonlight, the puzzle edges glowed faintly, like scattered stars.
The line from Vega to Aquila silently pointed to their clasped fingertips.
—26 light-years, perhaps very far.
But this moment’s heartbeat was as close as breathing.
purple Girl purple is beautiful, love is beautiful, youth… beautiful.
……
“Cut!”
The director held his breath for a while, saw Chi Ye and Sister Shang both stand up, paused half a beat, then shouted: “—I declare, purple Girl purple, wrap-up!!”
“……Yay!!”
“Finally wrapped.”
“Ah, vacation vacation.”
“Two teachers…”
Staff came forward, and everyone noticed Chi Ye and Shang Youshu both had lips tightly closed, staring at each other.
“What did you eat?”
Chi Ye felt the strange taste in his mouth, frowned: “Stinky?”
Sister Shang’s little face flushed red, spat: “Stinky what? I… I just ate some garlic.”
“Garlic?”
Chi Ye surprised: “Why eat garlic?”
Sister Shang stared at him for a long time, said wistfully: “I was afraid you’d nest on me~”
“After all, I’m so beautiful… I really feared you… couldn’t hold back, Teacher Chi.”
Chi Ye: “……”
“Hm…?”
Suddenly, Sister Shang’s expression changed, belatedly realizing, glared at Chi Ye angrily: “You… what did you eat?”
“Oh.” Chi Ye explained: “Ate some stinky.”
Sister Shang: “?!”
Chi Ye added: “Surströmming.”
“Urgh!”
Sister Shang instantly dry-heaved.
While crying: “Chi Ye… If you had any heart, you wouldn’t do this to me!”
“……Just kidding, why puke at those words?”
Chi Ye was speechless: “Just one bite.”
“Chi Ye, Chi Ye… You treat me like this. I know my charm is great. You wanted to use this chance to see my ugly side, then kill your desire!”
Chi Ye eyed Sister Shang, who was vomiting and snotting, sincerely said: “What ‘ugly side’ of yours haven’t I seen? Need to kill it?”
Sister Shang: “……”
Dead memories attacked her. Her little face flushed red, pointing at Chi Ye: “You… you… I’m human too, a normal carbon-based life form. Those are all normal reactions!”
“Yes yes yes, I know. No need to explain.”
Chi Ye nodded.
“……Chi Ye, remember this. I will never show ‘ugly side’ in front of you in this lifetime!!”
Chi Ye watched amused, but inwardly happy for Sister Shang… Seeing her like this should reduce the negative effects from ‘getting into character’ a lot.
He left to find Keke, who had just arrived on set.
Sister Shang took water from her assistant, rinsed her mouth, then accidentally “gulp,” swallowed it.
“Hm?!!”
Sister Shang’s eyes widened, suddenly savoring carefully, smacked her lips: “This… this surströmming… doesn’t taste that bad?!”
Assistant paled in fright: “Sis, sis, don’t eat random stuff. This is stinky! Don’t pick up this habit!”
Sister Shang: “……What do you know! Of course I won’t eat it. Relax!”
Assistant still uneasy inside—she wasn’t relaxed at all, and felt Sister Shang could really do it.
Sister Shang thought sinisterly inside: Chi Ye, I’ll remember this. One day I’ll pay you back a hundredfold!
……
On the other side.
“Sent me more bad scripts?”
Chi Ye after hearing Keke, surprised and baffled: “What are they thinking? So eager for me to act in their gua jiu cai movies?”
“They probably really want to gua your fans’ leek.”
Keke thought so too.
“Tell that… Director Yang, Director Lu, and whatever director, no schedule, not taking, don’t bother me.”
Chi Ye rejected three in a row.
“Mm… I already rejected them.”
Keke had struck first.
The two sat in the RV. Chi Ye picked up a file, glanced twice, then said: “purple Influenza purple film crew set up yet?”
“Yes, extras have practiced ‘breakdance’ for two months. Half a month till shooting starts… Try to start early, every day is money.”
Chi Ye nodded, then eyed her: “You bossing me now?”
Keke put hands on hips: “Chi Ge, I’m your agent, and the company’s manager!”
“……Fine, you’re awesome.”
Chi Ye decisively didn’t argue with the company “manager.” Keke was now a well-known big agent + boss in the circle. Things had changed!
He thought, then asked: “Female lead not set yet?”
“Can’t find suitable. purple Influenza purple female lead has many requirements: acting skills, pregnant makeup… appearance… age, young married woman… Per your requirements, we tried famous actresses, but… suitable ones either have too much star power or don’t want to offend Beijing Circle…”
Keke habitually adjusted the AC to 24° for Chi Ye: “Also… Once they hear no romance with you, nobody wants to come, can’t ‘rub off’…”
“There are a few unknowns, or actors with no Beijing Circle ties… Invitations sent. Sui Zong recommended a few too.”
Chi Ye frowned: “Too slow. And unknowns won’t do. How to rub off with unknowns… How to guarantee movie quality?”
Keke blinked: “What do you think…”
“Think what? You asking me?”
Chi Ye speechless: “Spend money to hype outsiders?”
“Why don’t you say it yourself…”
Keke muttered.
Chi Ye glanced at her: “Say what? Make me bow? No way. Whoever wants to act can. If not, get Sister Shang! Have her play pregnant… Speaking of, Sister Shang’s little belly is up again lately. Perfect fit.”
Sister Shang, just passing the RV outside, narrowed her eyes, glared sinisterly: “Definitely not saying nice things about me!”
