Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised and didn’t think much of it. He nodded and asked, "Why did you come so early? Weren’t you supposed to join the crew a few days later?"
"All my work got canceled." Zhou Yun smiled, "You know."
Lu Yuan seemed to just realize and asked, "Because of the Zhao Qin incident? That’s absurd. They can spread things that have no basis as if they were true."
Zhou Yun smiled wryly.
"Great, let’s have dinner together tonight; I’ll call Xiao Gu, Siyao, and the others," Lu Yuan said.
Zhou Yun had no plans for the evening, so she nodded and agreed.
"By the way, wasn’t there a show scheduled to ?" Lu Yuan asked.
The show "After the Scandal" was set to shoot Zhou Yun’s behind-the-scenes life in the crew, and this had already been discussed in advance.
Since it was a modern drama, the demands for secrecy around makeup were not as strict as for period dramas. On the other hand, the team from "Scandal" wouldn’t enter the actual filming area but would shoot after Zhou Yun finished work for the day, so the crew agreed.
As the lead actress, the more popular Zhou Yun was, the better for "Eighth Heartbeat."
By evening, Zhou Yun arrived at the restaurant booked by Lu Yuan, only to find Xu Siyao alone there.
Xu Siyao was touching up her makeup. She looked up at Zhou Yun as she entered. It wasn’t clear if it was because her agent had scolded her for ignoring Zhou Yun in front of the cameras last time, but this time Xu Siyao called out "Sister Xiao Yun" indifferently, no longer acting like she didn’t recognize her.
Zhou Yun smiled faintly and said "long time no see," then sat down and took out her phone, not speaking further.
In contrast to Xu Siyao, who was meticulously made up and ready for the camera at any time, Zhou Yun wore no makeup. Her makeup skills were mediocre; without a makeup artist, she would at most apply foundation and lipstick herself. But since she was just having dinner with a few people from the crew, Zhou Yun couldn’t be bothered to do so.
The silent atmosphere continued until Gu Huaichun arrived.
Accompanying Gu Huaichun was Yin Zhou, the second male lead of "Eighth Heartbeat," also an artist signed with Yuehai Network.
Both were handsome with well-defined facial features, showcasing Yuehai Network’s aesthetic preference in signing male artists.
As soon as these two entered, Xu Siyao immediately stood up with enthusiasm.
"Brother Chun, Brother Zhou," Xu Siyao’s smile was very sweet, "Hello, I’m Xu Siyao."
Gu Huaichun and Yin Zhou seemingly knew each other well, and they greeted Xu Siyao with a smile one after the other.
Xu Siyao had not attended the previous script reading sessions; this was her first time meeting Gu Huaichun and Yin Zhou.
Zhou Yun already knew them and exchanged a few pleasantries. Then Gu Huaichun started checking his phone.
Zhou Yun was aware that Huaichun had a grudge against her; she kept her face neutral and also looked down at her phone.
Xu Siyao was proactive, chatting with Yin Zhou, and their conversation seemed heated.
Zhou Yun overheard one side of their talk; Xu Siyao was asking Yin Zhou if he usually played badminton, as she wanted to find a playing partner.
Yin Zhou said, "I don’t play, but I remember Huaichun does."
"Really?" Xu Siyao looked at Gu Huaichun in surprise, "Brother Chun, how about we play badminton together in the future?"
Gu Huaichun looked up at Xu Siyao, responding lukewarmly with a hum.
Xu Siyao seemed delighted, "Then I’ll add you guys on WeChat and start a group, so I can call you for a game."
After Xu Siyao added them as WeChat friends, she turned to Zhou Yun as if she had just remembered something, "Sister Xiao Yun, do you want to join us?"
Zhou Yun smiled faintly, saying, "No thanks, I don’t play."
Yin Zhou said, "I don’t play either; maybe we can learn together?"
Just as Zhou Yun was about to speak, suddenly, Gu Huaichun interjected, "She’s a big celebrity; where would she find the time to join us for badminton?"