Actresses

Chapter 46 Provocation

Shi Jiahe was deeply moved, but before she could react or utter a single word, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and Zhuang Pan and Sister Shi returned one after the other.

Shi Jiahe suddenly realized that her obsession with Zhuang Pan's role was no longer so strong. Otherwise, why wouldn't she have cared so much about the two of them being away from their seats for so long?

For her personally, the meal had already achieved another, more important purpose.

"Sorry, I just got a work call, so I chatted with Panpan for a while and got everything sorted out before I came back." Although Sister Stone's tone was deliberately relaxed, her expression clearly couldn't lift her spirits.

"It's alright, it's alright, we all understand. We've also been discussing some ideas about the rest of the film, and we're all getting along quite well. Jiahe and President Ning have already started discussing their more specific roles," He Yuran said with a smile.

Shi Jiahe felt slightly relieved that Sister Ran had actually become more active, which made her feel much more relaxed.

Zhuang Pan's expression was even more gloomy than before, suggesting she had argued with Sister Stone outside about something. However, this had nothing to do with the people in the private room. Shi Jiahe, on the other hand, was now more detached and even more certain that she had no intention of trying to persuade them anymore.

She thought, if all else fails, I'll find other ways to spend traffic through Wei Ning. At worst, I'll ask Wei Ning to come up with some other ways to get through the meeting, and then we'll deal with it as it comes.

But after seeing everyone's state, Wei Ning smiled even more brightly, as if he had been given a shot of adrenaline. "You've finished talking about work, so you're not allowed to leave! Let's get back to our serious business."

Zhuang Pan slumped into her chair, looking dejected, and said, "Where were we talking? I can't remember. Ugh, I'm just not going."

Stone Sister's expression wasn't good, but she still maintained basic politeness. She frowned upon hearing this. "Panpan! We can't talk to President Ning like that. Even if this collaboration doesn't work out, we'll meet again someday."

"Oh, please don't try to teach me anymore. It makes it seem like you were being nice earlier." Zhuang Pan looked up at Wei Ning. "President Ning, we've known each other for a while now, and I believe you're not such a petty person. We've already made things clear, so let's call it a day. I'm feeling a bit unwell right now and want to go home."

"It's alright, it's alright!" Wei Ning's face showed no anger. "There are some things we should have discussed properly back on set. But at the time... I was busy with things I thought were important and neglected to have a heart-to-heart talk with Panpan. I completely understand why you're angry if I try to make up for it now. I have to thank Sister Ran and Jiahe for giving me this opportunity today. Actually, since that drama, my creative concepts have undergone a fundamental change, but I haven't had the chance to express them through collaboration with Panpan."

"President Ning, what changes are you referring to?" Stone Sister chimed in, probably trying to smooth things over.

"When I started this project, I didn't begin with the script content, but rather with the overall budget framework. Because it needed to pass approval, I had to cast the male lead first. After the actor was cast, all the script revisions and adjustments revolved around him. However, I forgot about the most important female audience and the female actors—even though I'm a female producer myself! I admit, when Panpan first offered suggestions on the role, I was initially annoyed; I felt like she was just making things difficult for me. But as the producer, I had to patiently meet the lead actor's demands. Later, after the production ended and the show finished airing, I saw the negative reviews online. At first, I was very frustrated because I couldn't understand why I had put in so much effort. Later, I seriously reflected..." I've thought about it for a long time. Why did this show fail? It wasn't the actors' fault, and even though I disliked the director because he was perfunctory, it wasn't his fault either. The root cause is my problem. My methods and philosophy were flawed, leading to a fatal flaw in the entire production from the very beginning. And no matter how much I adjusted the script during filming, or how much I did marketing and reputation management during the broadcast, I couldn't salvage it. Because the foundation shifted. When the female lead couldn't stand up to the character, failure was inevitable. Although accepting the facts is painful, I must accept them. As for the apologies and thanks I shared with Panpan earlier, they were all sincere. These feelings have been weighing on my heart, and I haven't been able to express them. Today, I've finally conveyed them to you, and I've fulfilled a wish."

"Oh dear...Mr. Ning, if you say that, we'll feel bad." Sister Stone was more tactful and replied decisively, "A film crew is a chaotic place, and you have to deal with countless problems every day. We understand that. So there's no need for us to be so polite."

Shi Jiahe listened to these irrelevant chatter while her hand under the table opened Weibo and started scrolling. Clicking into the entertainment trending topics, she suddenly spotted a familiar name among the rising keywords.

Zhuang Pan's boyfriend was photographed with another girl. Of course, this isn't about Zhuang Pan herself, but rather the exposure of a suspected relationship for a rising male celebrity. As for the girl photographed, Shi Jiahe thought carefully and realized it wasn't the one she saw in Gubei Water Town.

Goodness, how many lovers does this guy have?

Shi Jiahe's heart skipped a beat. This was probably the reason why Zhuang Pan was in a bad mood earlier.

However, it remains unknown what Stone Sister and Zhuang Pan discussed, or whether Stone Sister achieved her goal of forcing Zhuang Pan to break up.

Even yesterday, Shi Jiahe would have tried to get a single answer out of him. But now that she had achieved one of her goals, she could call it quits.

Judging from the current situation, Zhuang Pan insists on leaving, so let her go.

"Alright, you two have said enough. If you have something to do, you can leave. We'll continue eating," He Yuran said from the side.

Today, He Yuran delivered a remarkably decisive performance, exuding superstar-level composure and charisma that captivated everyone's attention and commanded respect.

"Actually, I originally thought Panpan and I were on the same wavelength, but thankfully we had this meal today, and I realized that everyone's thoughts are really different. You can't force things. Since you want to focus on experiencing life through dating, if this is your understanding of what acting is and what life is, then I can only say that we probably won't meet on any film set in the future. Good luck, Panpan, but I still wish you all the best."

He Yuran's tone was very calm, full of the arrogance of a top-tier movie star. It even carried a condescending sense of superiority, as if it were an honor for him to speak to her.

But Shi Jiahe wondered, was it just my imagination? Ran Jie was not only not annoying, but it was one of her most radiant and dazzling moments.

Zhuang Pan was stunned. She could ignore what others said, but He Yuran certainly deserved to be the exception.

But Zhuang Pan was no pushover either.

"Sister Ran...you're a senior I respect, but I haven't offended you, have I? Did you have to say such harsh things?"

"Because the truth can never be pleasant to hear. We actors aren't people who like to hear the truth. I genuinely thought you were just blinded by love before, but I've realized there's a fundamental difference between us. You not only lack love and have poor taste, but you also don't care about your public image at all, which I completely can't understand. Because I've always had a prejudice against young, popular actors, the first person to change my opinion of them was actually Ms. Wei Ning. She told Jiahe that they needed a popular actress to pass the audition. And the first person we thought of was you. Ms. Ning was very surprised when she found out about this." I only found out later that you two had worked together. Everyone says the entertainment industry is small, and this is a perfect example! I thought it was fate guiding us back together after all these years. But you not only care about the past, but your comments about acting are especially absurd! If you really want to improve your acting, put aside your personal feelings and focus on others, not yourself. To say something we both hate to hear, this industry doesn't lack actresses. As long as a female role is offered, plenty of people will want it. So, I'm not begging you; if you don't want to come, that's fine too.

"Saw someone else?" Zhuang Pan frowned, muttered a few words to herself, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Saw someone else... what does that mean?"

"You'll have to figure that out yourself," He Yuran said, pointing to the side. "For example, your manager. Last time you came to my house, all you told me was how bad she was, but all I saw was her protecting you. It's normal to have complaints when working with a team, but you can't take it to heart and really want to end this long-term partnership. You can't be so heartless. Even if you have ten more relationships, you still won't understand relationships. Love is just one kind of relationship, a very, very small part, my little sister Panpan."

Upon hearing this, both Sister Stone and Zhuang Pan's expressions turned sour.

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "Oh my god! So Sister Ran was waiting here! It seems she's really given up on Zhuang Pan, and even stirred up trouble for them... The two of them are probably going to have a big fight when they get back."

But in some ways, she also felt a sense of relief.

The long-term relationship between artists and their managers cannot be simply viewed as that of boss and employee. It involves many emotional factors and even other factors, so the complex relationship of love, hate and interdependence is often difficult to explain to the outside world.

As an agent herself, Shi Jiahe naturally takes the agent's position. Although she feels grateful to He Yuran at times and resentful at others at others, being in the same situation, she can't help but wonder: What does Sister Ran really think of me? Will I be fired one day before I can even leave?

But after hearing these words, Shi Jiahe felt as if a fluffy pillow had burst into her heart. Leaning against it felt warm and comforting, and she felt extremely safe and reassured.

Zhuang Pan couldn't save face any longer. She stood up abruptly and stormed out. Sister Stone, without bothering to greet everyone properly, followed her out.

Wei Ning took the opportunity to start eating, and said, "I don't think those two will be coming back."

He Yuran glanced at her phone and stood up as well. "Jiahe, you can use my card to settle the bill later."

Shi Jiahe shook her head vigorously, "No, no, I just added a bottle of wine, it's not appropriate for you to treat me. I'll do it myself."

"No need, consider it my treat. Keep the wine here, come back next time if you can't finish it. I have to go now."

Wei Ning put down her chopsticks and was about to say something when He Yuran reached out and pressed down on her shoulder.

"You and Jiahe can relax and enjoy your meal here. I think you two still have a lot to talk about, especially how to divide the work in the preparation."

Wei Ning paused for a moment, then her brows relaxed and her expression became excited. "Sister Ran, you mean, promise me—"

"There's nothing to refuse. We're all working together. We'll talk about it later." With that, He Yuran grabbed her things and strode out without waiting for Shi Jiahe to see her off.

Once in the car, He Yuran told Xiao Zhao, "Drive to Jiuxianqiao. I'll give you the detailed address in a bit."

Xiao Zhao didn't dare ask any more questions and immediately started the car. The car was so quiet that you could hear the sound of hair falling to the ground.

He Yuran frowned, picked up his phone, and said, "Fan, I'm on my way now. But I still don't understand why you have to audition for such a small role? Isn't the production team going too far?"