Zhou Yun does indeed like "Luoyan", but so far only the first ten episodes of the screenplay have been created. Whether the final result will be any good is unknown.
Zhou Yun is fairly cautious.
"Sister Lan, other than ’Luoyan’, have there been any external productions looking for me?"
Zhou Lan said: "Regarding external productions, indeed there are quite a few, but I feel like the quality of the scripts is very average. To be frank, your popularity is so high now, and having starred in a major drama like ’Heart Inquiry’, I can foresee that after ’Heart Inquiry’ airs, once your acting skills are recognized, you will receive better offers than you are now. Right now, most are aimed at your popularity, but honestly, I think they aren’t even as good as ’Letter to You’."
"Sister Lan, don’t take ’Heart Inquiry’ as the benchmark; how many productions can meet that standard in a year?" Zhou Yun said, "Don’t focus all the attention on lead actress roles either. As long as the character is good and the team is solid, I am also willing to play the second female lead. Look at ’Heart Inquiry’, I played a second female lead."
Zhou Lan sighed and said: "I really don’t know what to say, you’re now in a very awkward position. Your popularity is at its peak, but you haven’t had any work released yet. This has made your commercial value highly anticipated, but whether you can actually carry a role is still unknown. The production teams that we approve of may not be interested in you at this time."
"Can you help me with auditioning?" Zhou Yun asked.
"Audition?" Zhou Lan inhaled sharply, "To be honest, Xiao Yun, with the current film and television production environment in our country, auditions are basically a joke, just a formality. The main roles are never determined through auditions; intended candidates are already in mind during the preparation phase. If you go to audition, others will give you face and an opportunity, but if the audition is unsuccessful and the word gets out, it would be bad for your personal image. Here is not like Hollywood, where there’s a traditional culture of auditioning."
"If it really doesn’t work out, then just take ’Luoyan’. ’Luoyan’ has a more interesting story than ’Letter to You’. Fantasy series have been filmed in such a clichéd way over the years without much innovation." Zhou Yun said, "It’s just that I want to take on more external productions. Sister Lan, if possible, I really don’t want to always circulate within familiar circles."
Zhou Lan: "If you are wary that ’Luoyan’ is produced by Chengqian and fear getting too entangled, leading to more complex interpersonal relationships later on, I actually think this is a good opportunity. The only senior executive from Chengqian that you really know is He Yong. With such a long contract period with Chengqian, if you don’t want to always be restricted by He Yong, you should use your advantages to establish your own network within Chengqian. Once you have your own network, He Yong wouldn’t dare to target you as casually as before. Your biggest weakness in dealing with He Yong right now is isolation."
The words of Zhou Lan gave Zhou Yun new insights.
"Who is the producer of ’Luoyan’?" she asked.
Hearing this name, Zhou Yun fell into deep thought.
There are several top producers in Chengqian Film and Television, and Liang Haiyuan is one of them.
If ’Luoyan’ wasn’t valued by Liang Haiyuan, such an original fantasy script would not have been taken on by Chengqian Film and Television.
Fantasy projects have high costs, and original scripts are riskier than IP adaptations.
The project could only be initiated with Liang Haiyuan’s endorsement.
Zhou Yun had not previously interacted with Liang Haiyuan. She had only dealt with Yin Zishi, and her impression wasn’t very positive.
To put it plainly, Yin Zishi only saw her as a female celebrity who had risen to fame by chance and never took her seriously.
"Then did Liang Haiyuan personally hand me the script for ’Luoyan’?" Zhou Yun asked.
Zhou Lan: "Of course not. If it was a script passed on by Liang Haiyuan, I would have definitely emphasized it to you. These scripts are all sent over from Chengqian Film and Television in a package, meaning to let us pick and choose. If interested in any project, then further contact can be made. Of course, if you are willing to act, Liang Haiyuan definitely wouldn’t refuse."
"I understand. Then... Sister Lan, you tell the company that ’Letter to You’ is also seeking me and that I am still hesitating and considering."
Zhou Lan was a bit surprised.
After a brief moment of surprise, Zhou Lan understood Zhou Yun’s intention.
What Zhou Yun did not expect was that He Yong appeared on set that very evening.
Zhou Yun finished a scene, went back to the hotel after work, and saw He Yong in the makeup room.
Zhou Yun looked at He Yong in surprise.
He Yong smiled slightly and said, "You’ve worked hard these days; you look thinner."
Zhou Yun raised her hand and touched her face, asking, "Really? It’s fine, my weight has been stable. Are you here for me, President He? I just finished work, I’ll take off my makeup."
He Yong nodded and said, "Go ahead with removing your makeup, there’s no rush."
Zhou Yun was initially a little surprised to see He Yong, but her surprise soon faded.
After all, He Yong’s appearance was not that surprising. Since Luo Zhiqiu had come to talk to her, she knew that He Yong would definitely come looking for her.
He Yong would not let her be poached by Luo Zhiqiu.
Especially now, with Wei Ru Xue’s contract renewal with Chengqian Entertainment almost certainly not happening, Chengqian Entertainment was in great need of a leading actress.
Zhou Yun had a clear understanding; she calmly waited until Li Li helped her remove the makeup and take off the head covering. She changed into casual clothes in the dressing room, and came out feeling relaxed.
He Yong’s eyes brightened and said, "Your bare face outshines other female celebrities."
Just as he finished speaking, Su Yan walked into the makeup room with her entourage.
Su Yan looked at He Yong without expression, then turned towards Zhou Yun.
Zhou Yun hadn’t expected such an unexpected coincidence.
She said: "President He, don’t flatter me to death, who can truly withstand such flattery without being a celestial beauty."
He Yong, seeing Su Yan, chuckled awkwardly.
He didn’t cower from Su Yan. Frankly speaking, Su Yan was only a first-tier female celebrity, not as influential as Wei Ru Xue.
He Yong was just a bit embarrassed that his compliment to Zhou Yun was interrupted, making the situation awkward for her.
But Su Yan didn’t say anything. With her usual temperament, she would have spoken coldly by now, but today she behaved out of character. Accurately put, she had been somewhat out of character these days.
Zhou Yun didn’t have much to say, and left with Zheng Xiaojue to return to the hotel.
"President He, coming from afar, is there something you want to tell me?"
He Yong laughed and did not beat around the bush, directly saying: "I heard Luo Zhiqiu from Zuo Jing approached you."
"Ah, yes, she approached me." Zhou Yun nodded.
He Yong did not expect Zhou Yun to admit it so straightforwardly.
He had thought Zhou Yun kept it secret, not wanting others to know.