After meeting with Liu Pinran and returning to the car, Zhou Lan frequently looked back at Zhou Yun, hesitating repeatedly before speaking.
"Sister Lan, just say what you want to say."
"Why did you suddenly say those things to Liu Pinran at the end?" Zhou Lan asked.
"I just felt like saying them."
"He...sigh, never mind, it’s actually not worth mentioning. Right now, the film company positions you as the sweet romantic drama’s leading actress; it’s normal for him to say that," Zhou Lan said. "Actually, we still need the company to secure a good script for you."
"The company wouldn’t want to, right?" Zhou Yun said.
Zhou Lan found it hard to answer for a moment.
Indeed, the company was reluctant. Zhou Yun’s sudden rise to fame was solely based on scandals; in the eyes of the company, this popularity was just a fluke. They thought it best to cash in on the attention while it lasts. Once the hype dies, Zhou Yun would still be the same Zhou Yun, and people would only remember the scandals associated with her—not a public image worth long-term investment.
"What exactly does the company position me as?" Zhou Yun asked.
Some of her peers had secured several Variety shows, and others had securely started on the acting path, moving from one film or drama to another. Whether they would become popular was another matter, but their career paths were clear.
However, Zhou Yun’s career direction had never been clearly defined.
Zhou Lan said, higher-ups at the company had different opinions about Zhou Yun’s future development, which is why they hadn’t settled on a plan.
But Zhou Yun knew deep down that although what Zhou Lan said had some truth, more critically, certain people within the company were hindering her career prospects.
Some wanted to see her bow down, others wanted her to never succeed.
Being too beautiful was a temptation for some and a threat to others.
Zhou Lan took a deep breath, "I will talk to the company."
"Would talking help?" Zhou Yun asked with a scoffing smile.
Both she and Zhou Lan knew that this disdain wasn’t directed at Zhou Lan.
"Now is the best time for you to negotiate; you don’t need to show up, I’ll go," Zhou Lan said.
Zhou Yun wasn’t surprised by Zhou Lan’s words. Zhou Lan had always been dedicated and diligent at work, never slacking off. Before Zhou Yun’s recent burst of popularity, it was Zhou Lan who had negotiated everything for her. Zhou Yun didn’t want to put Zhou Lan in a difficult position, but now was the best opportunity she had encountered. If this chance wasn’t taken, who knew when the next one would come.
The next day, Zhou Lan went to the company and arranged for a temporary assistant to accompany Zhou Yun to Zheng Xiaowei’s studio.
Although Zheng Xiaowei’s big show was next month, preparing for such a show required more than a month.
Zhou Yun was there to try on clothes.
Zheng Xiaowei greeted her with a surprised smile, immediately complimenting Zhou Yun on how beautiful she was. Her direct and open attitude made Zhou Yun feel embarrassed but genuinely pleased.
She also liked girls like Zheng Xiaowei, who beamed joy from every pore when smiling.
"I’ve been really tired lately, you must be tired too, sorry to bother you with trying on clothes during such a busy time," Zheng Xiaowei said.
Zhou Yun: "I can never resist new clothes, especially those designed by you. I’m really looking forward to it."
Zheng Xiaowei led Zhou Yun into her office, where the assistant had already taken out the prepared clothes and hung them on hangers.
With one look, Zhou Yun’s eyes and face were full of astonishment.
Zheng Xiaowei’s designs leaned toward elegance, fairy-like vibes, and classic styles. Even without trying them on, the dresses displayed in the office were stunning to Zhou Yun.
They spent the morning trying on each piece, with Zheng Xiaowei occasionally jotting notes and sketches in her notebook. Two hours passed.
They decided on three dresses as options.
"So beautiful!" Zheng Xiaowei exclaimed.
Zhou Yun said, "So beautiful! I love these dresses so much!"
She looked at herself in the mirror, genuinely feeling that she looked incredibly beautiful in these dresses.
"I want to change the design here," Zheng Xiaowei picked up a ribbon hanging from the dress Zhou Yun was wearing, "I suddenly think this ribbon is too superfluous, it shouldn’t have such cumbersome embellishments."
Zhou Yun turned to look at herself in the mirror and said, "With this ribbon, the dress feels princely, but without the ribbon, it feels more like a young queen."
"Exactly," Zheng Xiaowei’s eyes sparkled, "My dresses shouldn’t project a soft princess-like quality; I want something more powerful!"
As they were chatting, suddenly a somewhat familiar male voice rang out.
"What a coincidence, Zhou Yun is also here."
Zhou Yun turned around in surprise and saw Chen Fusi in a suit.
"President Chen, you’re here!" Zheng Xiaowei happily went over to greet him, "Zhou Yun is trying on dresses for next month’s big show."
"Very stunning," Chen Fusi said, though his eyes stayed fixed on Zhou Yun.
Zhou Yun was puzzled as to why Chen Fusi was here.
Zheng Xiaowei introduced him to Zhou Yun, "President Chen is my partner, and he handled unexpected issues for next month’s big show."
Zhou Yun said warmly, "Mr. Chen’s business is really extensive."
He had a hand in a Variety show scripts last time, and now he was involved in a fashion brand.
Chen Fusi asked, "Are you done trying on the clothes? Since we’ve met, let’s have lunch together."
Zheng Xiaowei looked back at Zhou Yun, "Xiao Yun, will you be able to join?"
Zhou Yun hesitated for a second between accepting and declining, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Sure, but I have work in the afternoon, so I might not be able to stick around too long. Please don’t mind if I have to leave early."
Chen Fusi’s eyes crinkled with a smile, "Then I’ll go make the reservation."
He seemed to have come just to exchange pleasantries, as he left after speaking.
Zhou Yun smiled at Zheng Xiaowei, asking, "Xiaowei, when did he become your partner?"
A complex look of apology flickered across Zheng Xiaowei’s face, "After the last gathering at Sister Ting’s, I ran into some finance and venue issues for my show, and Sister Ting introduced him to me."
Zhou Yun nodded, "I see, it’s good that those troubles were properly resolved."
"Sigh, managing a show domestically is a bit more complex than I expected," Zheng Xiaowei said softly, "Later on, starting a factory, opening stores, promotions, etc., I thought these things were simpler than they are."
Zhou Yun said, "It’s good that Mr. Chen could help you solve these troubles, the worst situation is when problems arise and you’re powerless to fix them."
"Yes," Zheng Xiaowei said, "Though we’ve just met, he seems quite capable."
The two chatted casually for a while, neither one bringing up what Zheng Xiaowei had warned Zhou Yun about that night.
Zhou Yun’s face maintained a smile throughout.
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