Chapter 236: Top Streamer Mouth, Specialized Cure For Little Flower
Sister Qianzi is a person who’s very good at self-deception.
When she was little, she liked Barbie dolls, but her family wouldn’t buy her one, so she made up a little doll figure to fool herself, constantly brainwashing herself: This is a Barbie doll, this is a Barbie doll.
Sister Qianzi cares a lot about billing order, so after the Ghost official announcement, in order to “avoid reality” and avoid being mocked face-to-face by Chi Ye, she not only turned off her mobile phone, but even started reminiscing about the past, using the “technique” from her childhood to brainwash herself.
But what should come can’t be avoided.
On the second day, when she turned her mobile phone back on, she was shocked to find that Chi Ye’s WeChat bio had been changed to: “Ghost billing order ranking comes first, hope all industry friends take note.”
Shi Jinwei opened her mouth wide, dumbfounded.
In a fit of anger, she sent Chi Ye a WeChat message: 【You’re so childish!】
Chi Ye didn’t reply to her, not all morning.
Sister Qianzi, who was originally furious, started to hesitate, then became anxious and uneasy, and finally even started to regret in her heart—Did I speak too harshly to him? Why isn’t he replying to me… Is he mad… So petty!
On the other side.
Chi Ye wasn’t mad; the reason he didn’t reply to Sister Qianzi right away was simple—he hadn’t seen it.
Even if he saw it, he didn’t want to reply; Sister Qianzi is just “that kind of person,” cheap—let it sit for a while so she can reflect on it herself.
At the moment, he was at a coffee shop, preparing to meet with Sister Shang to discuss running publicity and distribution for Girl together next, and finalize their announcements.
Now that it’s early September, all the major investors and film producers for this year’s National Day Slot have already started their overwhelming marketing and publicity campaigns; the early ones began releasing press releases and trailers from mid-August.
Girl is taking a more conventional approach this time, starting publicity and distribution a month in advance.
But…
Chi Ye waited left and right, and saw that half an hour had already passed the appointed time, but Sister Shang still hadn’t arrived.
“Did she fall in again?”
Chi Ye was worried in his heart, thinking maybe he should leave first and reschedule after Sister Shang finished her shower.
Click-clack, click-clack.
Suddenly, the sound of high heels hitting the ground rang out; Chi Ye looked up and saw Sister Shang bending over, sneaking toward him furtively.
Chi Ye raised an eyebrow: “Did you get caught stealing again?”
Sister Shang sat down, looking around nervously left and right; once she saw no one was paying attention to her, she relaxed and apologized softly: “Sorry, Teacher Chi, I’m late.”
“How sorry exactly?”
Sister Shang was stunned, then smiled awkwardly: “Just… sorry, you won’t blame me, right?”
“I will.”
Sister Shang: “…”
She felt a bit aggrieved and lowered her voice: “I had a reason.”
Chi Ye glanced at her sideways: “Don’t tell me you tried some weird diarrhea remedy again.”
Sister Shang’s little face turned bright red: “Chi Ye! Don’t always look at me with tinted glasses; I… I didn’t, I just had a bit of a ‘conflict’ with my agent, and I’m afraid she’ll ‘chase and kill’ me.”
Chi Ye listened, completely dumbfounded: “Huh? Chase and kill? Conflict?”
“Didn’t you always have a good relationship with your agent? What did you do to make her hate you so much?”
Sister Shang glanced at him: “It is my fault; I did something that made the company and her both collapse.”
Chi Ye was curious: “That serious? You ate Wallace and clogged the company’s toilet? Spill the tea, I want to hear it.”
Sister Shang stared straight at him: “I collaborated with you.”
Chi Ye: “???”
“Sigh.”
Sister Shang sighed faintly: “It wasn’t a big deal before, but recently the company introduced me to some projects from great directors; things were going pretty well at first, but somehow, in the last couple of days, they all don’t want to use me anymore.”
“Ah.”
Chi Ye nodded in realization: “That’s because you’re no good; what does that have to do with me?”
Sister Shang gave him a side-eye: “Xiao Chi, that hurts my feelings; I took your project to help your studio, and now you’re using another woman as the female lead and rejecting so many people in the film circle— of course they’ll reject me back.”
“Besides… I’m just trash anyway.” Sister Shang suddenly lowered her head sadly: “I’ve acted in movies for so many years, but I can’t even scrape together a passing score; everyone says I’m a box office poison, no one has faith in me, and I’m really not living up to expectations…”
Chi Ye crossed his legs and thought carefully, then nodded: “True.”
Sister Shang looked up: “Don’t you feel guilty?”
“Guilty about what?”
Chi Ye saw her like this and knew she was just messing with him; he was speechless: “What do you mean ‘using another woman’… If I use you, would you come?”
“Of course… not.”
Sister Shang chuckled: “I asked around about that Ghost; the filming time is too long… not suitable for me.”
Chi Ye was puzzled: “Tell me the truth—what exactly did you do to piss off the others? It’s not just this reason, right?”
Her collaborating with him was something decided long ago; her agent and company couldn’t just now react to it—otherwise their response time would be way too slow.
So…
“So… I just… I just… just think they’re right to reject me, after all, I’m such trash… cough cough.”
Sister Shang blinked guiltily, then added: “I just told them no problem… and pushed off all the collaborations that might perhaps probably still had a chance.”
Chi Ye: “???”
He suddenly laughed in relief: “If I were your agent team, I’d want to ‘chase and kill’ you too.”
Sister Shang waved her hand with a grin: “No biggie, no biggie; let’s get started… After I finish this gig with you, I’m going to Iceland to play; I want to see the northern lights, soak in hot springs… um… I want to have fun.”
Chi Ye stared at her for a while, then nodded: “Okay, taking a vacation sounds pretty good.”
……
Taking a vacation isn’t good.
At least Shang Youshu’s company and team are extremely frustrated right now.
Shang Youshu spoke lightly to Chi Ye, but in fact, her team has never given up on the idea of entering the film circle… they actually got in, but then “rolled” back out.
I still remember the first two years after Sister Shang became famous; her fairy sister face was just too advantageous, and she received quite a few invitations and projects from great directors.
Her film career was even smoother than Jin Xia’s; she entered the film circle almost as the female lead, rarely playing supporting roles, and many veteran actors in the industry had acted with her.
But…
Maybe it really was the team’s poor judgment, or perhaps a metaphysics issue; in any case, Sister Shang’s film career performance was far from ideal, full of ups and downs.
Approaching ten years of fame, she has no standout movie works to her name; with repeated failures and flops, the film circle and audience naturally became disenchanted with her over time.
So she doesn’t want to act in movies anymore?
Of course not.
Not to mention that movies are the ultimate pursuit and stage for every actor, but purely from a business perspective, if Sister Shang wants better development in the future, she must enter the film circle… In a few more years, if she’s older and still can’t produce results, she might really fade into the crowd.
So, after the Ghost official announcement, Sister Shang’s team was dumbfounded, dazed, and speechless at the “retaliation” coming “head-on” from the film circle—Hey buddy, Chi Ye is Chi Ye; you have beef with Chi Ye, why take it out on our Sister Shang?
And the film circle has their own side: First, they’re not targeting Sister Shang, but Chi Ye doesn’t have many friends in the industry, and Sister Shang is indeed one.
Secondly, why did you, Shang Youshu, star in Girl back then?
Anyone who’s not a fool could see that at the time, Chi Ye Studio had basically zero influence in movies… Considering the people Chi Ye had offended, you could call it negative.
In that situation, you still eagerly ran over; who would believe you two have no connection or relationship?
Plus Sister Shang’s status in the film circle amounts to nothing, so it’s not targeting—targeting requires an “equal” target; you need that status and identity.
Messing with Chi Ye is targeting; boycotting you, Shang Youshu, is just hitting the rabbit while grabbing the grass—convenient.
Sister Shang’s team was furious; even Shi Jinwei couldn’t stand it—If not for you, would our Sister Shang be like this?
Sister Qianzi was equally dumbfounded when she got the news, but she felt a bit wronged… After joining the Ghost film crew and not even seeing Chi Ye’s shadow, she felt even more aggrieved.
……
Ghost film crew.
“The male lead isn’t even here; how am I supposed to film?”
Sister Qianzi sat imperiously in the RV, questioning the director newly signed by Chi Ye Studio.
The director was very panicked… Even though Chi Ye ranked above Shi Jinwei, but… that’s Chi Ye!
Him ranking above a little flower was no surprise at all—hadn’t Sheng Ning been ranked below too?
So Sister Qianzi being ranked below was perfectly normal.
But her own star power, status, and identity were still top streamer level in the industry, plus Sister Qianzi’s past “feat” （ of feuding with Chu Han Zhou ） was still fresh in memory; the director and the entire film crew were indeed terrified.
“Teacher Shi, President Chi has movie publicity to run; we’ve planned long ago to film the second male lead, second female lead, and your scenes first; he’ll join once he’s done.”
“All my scenes are with him; how am I supposed to film without him?”
Although Sister Qianzi had privately prepared for filming and even done her makeup, she still sought “face” verbally: “Call him and tell him to come back, or I’ll wait for him.”
The director: “…”
“You go call him.”
Shi Jinwei gestured “coolly” with her hand, looking calm and composed.
“Qianzi, have I given you too much face?”
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out.
Chi Ye walked over with his team members and spotted Sister Qianzi putting on airs at a glance; he wasn’t in a great mood these days, so he pointed at her: “Three seconds; get down here and film.”
Shi Jinwei: “?!”
After seeing Chi Ye, she actually felt inexplicably happy inside, but hearing his words with so many people around watching her, her face couldn’t hold up; she raised her chin: “Chi Ye, be a bit polite to me; I…”
“Are you coming down or not?”
Chi Ye glanced at her and gestured: “Down or not?”
Shi Jinwei: “…”
She felt a twinge in her chest again, grinding her teeth in anger: “I won’t!”
“Come on, someone lift her out, RV and all; I’ll recast.”
Chi Ye didn’t indulge Sister Qianzi at all, waving to summon people.
“Chi Ge, Chi Ge, no no no.”
Sister Qianzi’s long-awaited little assistant finally appeared, “firmly” dragging Shi Jinwei off the car and hurriedly saying: “Sister Shi has her makeup done; she’s just stubborn… not… we’ll film, we’ll film…”
“Let go of me; I’m not filming!”
Shi Jinwei angrily shook off the little assistant’s hand.
Seeing this, the little assistant thought she was really mad and scaredly let go.
Shi Jinwei paused, her sapphire eyes dumbfounded at the little assistant: You really let go?
The little assistant was also stunned: Sis, aren’t you really mad?
Chi Ye watched these two doing their usual antics, a bit speechless; he waved for the director and others to leave first, then sauntered over to Shi Jinwei: “Look at you, always making your assistant take the blame.”
“I didn’t.”
Shi Jinwei turned sideways, deliberately facing away from Chi Ye so he couldn’t see her face, while showing off her curvaceous figure.
Chi Ye raised an eyebrow: “I’m not in a good mood; don’t make me more irritated.”
Sister Qianzi, who wanted to bicker a few more rounds with Chi Ye, was stunned and subconsciously dropped her arms, looking at him: “I… I’m not… what’s wrong with you?”
Chi Ye sighed and rubbed his temples.
“……Is it because I won’t film?”
Sister Qianzi felt a bit guilty, thinking you’re so petty… Would I really not film? I’ve memorized all my lines for today……
“Qianzi.” Chi Ye sat on the steps, thought for a bit, then said: “What do you think this film circle bunch is up to?”
Shi Jinwei was stunned.
“Just because I didn’t let their pushed people act in my project, they’re pissed? Or is it old and new grudges… I won an award, took their meat, and they’re unhappy?”
Sister Qianzi was silent for a moment, then hit the nail on the head: “You rejected too many people; you rejected everyone, didn’t give anyone face.”
Chi Ye looked up at her: “Do you think I should have?”
Sister Qianzi fell silent.
She was a “beneficiary”; what could she say?
She… told the truth: “Actually, you should have.”
“Fuck that.”
Chi Ye suddenly spoke vulgarity: “I’d give them a big slap.”
Shi Jinwei was stunned, and only after a long while spat: “What dirty words are you saying… What if others hear you…”
“It’s already been heard by others.”
Chi Ye sighed.
Shi Jinwei turned back to scan and saw no one else; she subconsciously wanted to ask who heard, but suddenly paused, her little face turning ashen: “You mean me?!”
Chi Ye looked at her, amused.
“……Chi Ye, you… you’re so boring; I don’t want to talk to you!”
Shi Jinwei originally wanted to mouth off at Chi Ye a bit more, but thinking of how he’d just said he wasn’t in a good mood, she unusually held it back, sat silently beside him, in a very unhappy mood.
Chi Ye didn’t ask why she wasn’t leaving; he really was puzzled about the film circle matter right now…
Of course, with his mental fortitude, it’s not like it’d bother him much.
But… the matter of Girl’s scheduling being divided up by several famous directors’ big-budget films did make this black-hearted capitalist a bit unhappy.
This unhappiness soon reached a peak.
Because another blockbuster that hadn’t been slotted yet chose to slot into the National Day Slot, and Girl’s scheduling was “taken” a lot again.
The lead actor and director of this movie were both acquaintances.
Zhang Guowen, Director Lu.
