He Jinxia said, "The favor he asked of me was a minor thing for me, just consider it a casual investment on my part. Who knows, he might become even more famous in the future?"
When she uttered these words, He Jinxia was unaware that Duan Yu would indeed shine in the art film circle in the future, producing a work that would be shortlisted at major film festivals every two years, and becoming a standard award-winning type.
However, the box office for his productions was always quite dismal, with "Eighteen Years Old Sky" being among the top three in terms of box office among the art films he directed.
What she was even less aware of was that when Duan Yu became famous, she would become famous earlier than him, and stand at a peak that nobody could have predicted.
As she continued to pass the time chatting with Sheng Yan, suddenly, a call came through on He Jinxia’s phone.
Seeing that "Duan Yu" was the caller, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, she said goodbye to Sheng Yan and disconnected their video call, switching to answer her phone call instead.
What He Jinxia discussed with Duan Yu, Sheng Yan did not know, but he believed in Jinxia’s abilities, confident that she would handle the matter very well.
As the person in power at Tonghua Entertainment, he saw more than others did. The success of the dramas Jinxia took on was not only due to her luck, but also her eye for selecting scripts—this was the first step.
The second step was ability.
Opportunities knock on the door, but do you have the ability to seize them?
Many stars choose to act in low-quality dramas solely for the money, displaying short-sightedness, but there are some who are selective with their scripts. Unfortunately, the projects they are interested in don’t necessarily choose them.
Which actors will perform which roles isn’t just a competition of the capital behind them, but also requires the actors to deliver powerful performances themselves, proving their acting skills.
Some actors are not lacking in influence but lack true ability.
Sheng Yan pondered for a moment, feeling a sense of urgency rising within him, and took the initiative to search for "Duan Yu" on the search engine.
As Jinxia became more and more outstanding and caught the attention of an increasing number of men, he felt it was necessary to research the men she came into contact with and take precautions beforehand.
As a former single man who had managed to shed that label, he needed to be extra vigilant and nip any potential issues in the bud.
On this matter, Sheng Yan strongly expressed his possessiveness towards Jinxia.
Having just looked up "Duan Yu", his first reaction was to assess Duan Yu’s appearance, and he let out a slight sigh of relief, raising an eyebrow involuntarily.
Hmm, not as handsome as him.
After reviewing Duan Yu’s entire profile, Sheng Yan was completely at ease, no need to worry anymore.
Although Duan Yu’s background was very ordinary, to be on the safe side, he still sent a message to Zhang Ming to have him do some investigating.
Zhang Ming was quite helpless when he received the message.
He pondered with some melancholy: Was he a paparazzo, Sheng Yan’s agent, or He Jinxia’s covert agent?
Resigned to his fate, he collected the information while muttering under his breath, "Where in the world can you find such a hardworking employee, who willingly works overtime for the boss without seeking any reward and outside of working hours? This kind of employee should get a raise!"
He touched his conscience and felt good, yes, not a bit of pain!
Under the cover of night, dark currents surged, and each person played out their own different life stories.
The next day, the weather was clear, with the sun rarely showing such favor to Berlin, leaving the city in a state of sunlight all day long.
In Berlin, where the weather is often gloomy, this kind of sunny weather was particularly delightful.
Because of the sun’s generous affection, many people chose to go out that day. The streets became crowded, buzzing with activity.
In the afternoon, after having lunch, He Jinxia was pulled by Master Tony to a beauty salon in Berlin for a full-body SPA, hoping to get a head-to-toe makeover and shine brightly.
The Berlin Film Festival is a famous international film festival, and since it’s abroad, He Jinxia didn’t have to worry about dressing too eye-catchingly and overshadowing the other stars.
Going abroad was about showcasing the pride of Huaxia Country, competing in beauty with a host of female stars, and glowing with one’s unique radiance! The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel-fire.ɴet
If she could outshine the celebrities from other countries, it would actually be a good thing, and no one would have any objections, let alone pick a quarrel.
The red carpet was a battlefield where stars openly and secretly competed, where both female and male celebrities would pull out all the stops to attract media attention, aiming for more coverage.
After all, it was a grand international stage, and if one’s images were broadcasted far and wide, it could increase their fame in many countries.
Of course, if the film they were in was awarded a prize, it would be even better, but that kind of success was too elusive, unlike the tangible reality of the red carpet.
He Jinxia was kneaded violently by the massage therapist, occasionally letting out cries of "Ah" as her body’s specific acupoints were pressed, feeling both numb and painful.
The beauty salon had many small compartments, and the soundproofing wasn’t good, so He Jinxia’s cries could be heard by the surrounding rooms, and naturally, she could also hear cries from other rooms.
Initially, she felt embarrassed about crying out due to unbearable pain, but as she did, it was as if she gave the signal for others receiving massage treatments to start crying out too.
He Jinxia felt mortified as she heard Cheng Xiaohua and Tony’s cries.
Cheng Xiaohua, "Harder, harder, yes, that’s the spot, hiss—so satisfying!"
After a while, Sister Xiao Hua added, "It was very painful at the start of the massage, but after it’s done, my whole body feels relaxed, not bad, just wish you used a bit more strength."
Tony, on the other hand, created a different vibe, his voice mingling with Cheng Xiaohua’s shouts to form an eerie symphony.
Cheng Xiaohua, "Harder, hmm, right, keep that pressure!"
Tony, "Hmm~ah! Hmm~~so comfortable, hiss—gentler!"
What on earth was she listening to!
Just then, as the massage therapist was working on a pressure point, He Jinxia felt a jolt of pain and joined in the eerie symphony with her own "wah wah" cries, and everything descended into chaos!
Somehow enduring through the devilish SPA, soon after, He Jinxia was pushed by Master Tony into a styling salon for a makeover.
An hour later, a woman emerged from the changing room.
In the mirror, a beauty with a Flowers Bun atop her head, a red plum blossom jade hairpin slanted on top, draped in a moon-blue Cloud Silk Cloak, with Cloud Silk Embroidered Shoes on her feet, gazed dazedly at her reflection.
The beauty, without any makeup, had lips that were vivid and luscious from the previous "torment," and her affectionate phoenix eyes showed a hint of melancholy. As she slightly furrowed her brows, the onlookers felt their hearts ache.
Tony couldn’t help but widen his eyes, muttering to himself; upon closer listening, Cheng Xiaohua could make out phrases like "Oh my God," "incredible," and "such charisma," among other words of praise.
After He Jinxia walked out of the changing room, Tony was helplessly caught in this frantic, obsessed state.