Kang Zhenyu didn’t ask further but confirmed the meeting time with Yuran, "Okay, no problem. When does President Yu plan to meet her?"
Yuran glanced at his watch, frowned, realizing that meeting now would likely be too late, so it would have to wait until after the weekend.
"Next Monday, ask her to come to the company to talk."
Kang Zhenyu wasn’t sure he could get Meng Qiuyan to come to the company. In recent years, Qiuyan had endured a tightrope existence; her days had been filled with hardships. Without being sure of her safety on his side, she might not agree to meet.
He shared his concerns with Yuran, who knitted her brows, "Brother Kang, then please tell her that it’s me, Yuran, who wants to see her.
If she still has doubts by then, you can call me directly, okay?"
"Okay." With Yuran’s attitude, Kang Zhenyu felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart.
Seeing that the issue between the two was resolved, Qi Younian smiled slyly at Yuran, "Do you want to see the ratings for ’Empress of a Generation’?"
Yuran: "... Seeing your schadenfreude, I guess I could predict the outcome without even watching."
"So boring." Qi Younian seemed regretful as he stroked his hair, looking rejuvenated, "Yinchao, this shameless guy, does he really think that anyone can play the leading lady of ’Empress of a Generation’?
Naive. When I wrote the script, it was tailored solely for Fu Yuran. Yet, it ended up with Fu Bairan, that acting newbie, playing the role. The flop was to be expected."
Yuran was somewhat surprised, "President Qi, that’s incredible. A character written specially for someone, which no one else should play, is that what you mean?"
"Don’t nitpick my words. I didn’t mean that. What I meant is, I don’t know about others, but Fu Bairan definitely can’t play the role."
Kang Zhenyu also looked at Qi Younian with amazement, "Why?"
Qi Younian appeared profound, "Scripts stem from life, yet transcend it. Although times may differ, the essence remains the same. The charm that Fu Yuran can bring to a role is something Fu Bairan cannot even touch upon.
It’s also a good opportunity to show her the difference between a fool and a genius. The public’s eyes are clear; do they think that just any face will do, and people would pay for it?
Looks are unquestionable, but they’re definitely not everything when it comes to great work. Good looks are merely icing on the cake; they can never surpass a quality script and acting skills.
Although in recent years, looks and popularity have indeed guaranteed viewership and box office.
But even then, that’s just a boost in progress. Sooner or later, acting will be the key to success.
Capital operations may make you famous for a while, but without acting skills, you won’t get far. The audience isn’t stupid and won’t always pay for trashy films.
And facing fickle audiences, you can’t ensure that your popularity will last forever."
There was really no way to refute his words. Changing the topic, he looked at Yuran and laughed, "So President Yu, please ensure that when you select your projects in the future, you avoid repeating the same genres.
Also, don’t let the quality drop below your previous work. That way, you can maintain your standard and truly differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Not for people to comment that you’re just pretty, have a great body, or dress well.
That’s an entertainer, not an actor.
Moreover, I hope that you don’t rush your filming pace. Producing too many films often results in poor quality.
Nine out of ten turn out to be rubbish.
Let alone cause the audience to think that you are an entertainer just to make money."
Suddenly, Yuran realized that Qi Younian’s words at this moment were really too much. She nodded her head, "Don’t worry, President Qi. I will certainly be a quality actor, not just an entertainer."
Because... when she was Fu Yuran, wasn’t she just an actress?
The strobe lights that had accompanied her since her debut, and her supporting audience and fans, ended up having a very poor impression of her because she later took on some projects urgently in need of money.
They believed she was a star who disregarded her fans’ feelings and had no bottom line, just to make money. During that period, her popularity, which she had built up over many years, was mixed because of her own actions.
The fans who liked her believed she had her own difficulties, while some who had once liked her quickly turned from fans to haters because of these actions, hating for the sake of hating.
It wasn’t a matter of who was more at fault, she herself eventually headed in the wrong direction.
This time, she had no intention of repeating her past mistakes. Although she knew that Qi Younian had directed his words specifically at her, it didn’t matter—she would just pretend Qi Younian was concerned about the once-rebellious girl.
After having a staff meal at Ran Studio, she received a phone call from Bo Yan.
She went to Qi Younian’s office to take the call.
The employees all craned their necks, Qi Younian sneered, "The afternoon tea provided by President Yu can’t even entice you to crane your necks, can it?"
One employee was bold, and since it wasn’t working hours, started joking around, "President Qi, why don’t you share some gossip with us? President Yu is being all secretive; who is she talking to on the phone?"
Qi Younian laughed like a doting father, "Take a guess..."
The employee felt a shiver down their spine and a chill on their back and retracted their gossiping gaze, burying their head, "Never mind, I’m not curious at all."
"Tsk..." a sigh ensued.
The other employees shifted their gaze away when they caught Qi Younian’s looking over, indicating that they actually weren’t that interested, Qi Younian huffed, "When it’s time for you to know, you’ll definitely be informed.
As staff of the studio, I hope you won’t be overly curious about the boss’s affairs.
In case you have a heart attack, it won’t count as a work-related injury."
"President Qi, we’re all still young, we can take a hit, we won’t have a heart attack," an employee asserted, boasting about their robust health.
Kang Zhenyu, who normally wasn’t much of a talker, actually cracked a smile and joked, "Don’t be too confident. You might end up having a heart attack. For the safety of your lives, it’s better not to know."
This only made people more curious.
Just then, Yuran came back from taking the phone call, facing pairs of inquisitive eyes. She was puzzled, "What are you all looking at me for?"
Everyone’s eyes immediately flicked to Qi Younian. Qi Younian leisurely continued eating his boxed lunch, and with a slight smile, he said, "Everyone is very curious who you were talking to on the phone. You were so secretive, I’m also curious."
Yuran: "..." You’re curious about nothing.
Qi Younian coughed lightly and spoke nonchalantly, "President Yu, why don’t you just tell us? After all, we’re all family here. Don’t worry, I’ve already said it, a heart attack doesn’t count as a work-related injury. They’ll handle it themselves."
Faced with pairs of eyes waiting for an answer, Yuran held her forehead, "Actually, I never intended to keep it from you all. Sooner or later you’d find out anyway, there’s no real difference whether I say it or not."
"Exactly..." the crowd agreed.
Yuran: "It was a call from my husband."