Caught in Affairs with Superstar-Chapter 19 - The Beginning of the Scandal: 19

Zhou Lan raised her phone and said, "Some of Song Chi's fans are accusing you of clout-chasing."

Her tone feigned casualness, but her eyes carefully observed Zhou Yun.

Many people who seem to have a strong resilience crumble under cyberbullying.

In this regard, Zhou Lan couldn't be reassured.

However, Zhou Yun just uttered an "Oh," paused, and then said, "I had guessed it before. They aren't entirely wrong. The brand did invite me obviously to leverage the popularity, and I accepted the invitation; I can't claim ignorance."

"Actually, I'm really worried that you're pretending to be relaxed, acting like it doesn't matter when it actually bothers you deeply, eventually obsessing over it," Zhou Lan sincerely said, "Many artists become depressed because of this."

Zhou Yun lightly smiled. Just then, golden sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a hazy glow on Zhou Yun's gentle smile, conjuring the words 'timeless beauty' in Zhou Lan's mind. This smile of Zhou Yun, filled with stories, was a moment worth capturing on camera.

"Don't worry," was all Zhou Yun said.

In the following days, Zhou Yun was continuously busy between various engagements, with no time even to indulge in random thoughts.

It wasn't until Monday, after the weekend, that she finally got some free time in the morning.

Zhou Yun had the rare chance to sleep in until ten in the morning, slowly waking up, stretching lazily in bed, and ordering a coffee delivery while still in bed, only getting up when the delivery arrived.

Around noon, her driver came to pick her up and took her to meet with Zhou Lan at the company.

She was there today to discuss business matters.

Due to the sudden surge in popularity and the subsequent butterfly effect, Zhou Yun had been trending for the past week, resulting in many brands seeking collaboration.

Zhou Lan wanted to seize this opportunity, to find a good script for Zhou Yun during this time.

The script is what really matters.

To put it pragmatically, fame without works is like duckweed on water, unstable.

Having a memorable role in a memorable work is extremely important for an artist.

A popular role could sustain an actor with benefits for five years.

A classic role could sustain an actor for a lifetime.

Zhou Yun's company is named Chengqian Entertainment.

Chengqian Entertainment only handles artist management, but it is backed by Chengqian Group which has a film and television production company.

Zhou Yun was there today to meet with people from the film and television production to see if there were any suitable projects.

Zhou Lan met Zhou Yun downstairs and they went straight up by elevator.

They were headed to the meeting room on the seventh floor, but the elevator stopped on the fifth floor.

This building was entirely occupied by Chengqian Group's office area, although the fifth floor wasn't part of Chengqian Entertainment.

The person who entered was a familiar face, Wei Ru Xue.

Wei Ru Xue, Chengqian Entertainment's top female artist and an actress, had been in the industry for twelve years. She became famous online with a photo from her arts examination, and was subsequently signed by Chengqian Entertainment. She had passed through phases of being the pure campus belle, ancient drama sweetheart, and dominant leading lady, and now she was among the top celebrated mature actresses.

Wei Ru Xue walked in, wearing a black jacket, holding a coffee, her gaze sharp, followed by a slightly overweight girl who looked like an assistant.

Zhou Yun and Zhou Lan moved aside to make room.

"Hello, Sister Xue," Zhou Yun politely greeted her first.

Wei Ru Xue eyed Zhou Yun from top to bottom, then curved her lips into a smile that was not particularly warm, and called out Zhou Yun's name, "Zhou Yun?"

Zhou Yun smiled sweetly.

Wei Ru Xue looked at Zhou Yun with a strange expression. Her scrutiny was too obvious, devoid of any insincere goodwill, seemingly quite dismissive of Zhou Yun.

Fortunately, the seventh floor arrived in no time, and the elevator doors opened, Wei Ru Xue walked out directly.

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Zhou Yun did not expect Wei Ru Xue to also be heading to the seventh floor.

Zhou Lan whispered, "She has such a strong presence."

She had not spoken just now.

Zhou Yun nodded, chuckling lightly, "But it seems she doesn't really like me."

Zhou Lan still spoke softly, "People in the company say she dislikes seeing younger and prettier female artists. She is very insecure."

"We are almost eight years apart," Zhou Yun said.

"In the entertainment industry, there's hardly any difference between a female artist at twenty-two and one at thirty; their paths often overlap," Zhou Lan explained, "Although she is trying to transition, it's not something that can just happen. She's been contacting several powerful film companies trying to strengthen her position through them, aiming to win some major awards. Because of this, the company is somewhat displeased with her."

"Is she accepting outside offers?"

"The film production side wants her to support other artists in the company, but she's unwilling to take the roles that the company arranges for her," Zhou Lan said, "Actually, artists at her stage all face this issue, wanting to advance further while the company wants to make money. The roles that could help her transition don't pay very well."

Zhou Yun hummed in acknowledgment.

"Don't be too picky in the meeting later. At this stage, you should first stabilize your footing with the company's support. Only when you're truly famous can you negotiate terms with the company," Zhou Lan advised, "But don't be overly accommodating either. Having your own stance makes it easier to handle things and prevents others from taking you lightly, as the people from the film production side can be quite proud."

"I understand."

They arrived at the meeting room only to find it empty.

"Did we come to the wrong place?" Zhou Yun asked instinctively.

Zhou Lan checked and confirmed the location, saying, "No, it's correct. Let me ask if they changed the location last minute."

Zhou Yun waited for a while but soon saw Zhou Lan's expression turning somewhat grim.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Yun asked.

Zhou Lan said, "They said they are during a meeting with someone else, asking us to wait a bit."

"Oh, no problem, let's wait then," Zhou Yun pulled out a chair and sat down.

Zhou Lan said, "I'll urge them a bit."

"Never mind, don't rush them," Zhou Yun said, "It's not a big deal anyway."

Zhou Lan also sat down.

They ended up waiting for half an hour before the tardy party arrived.

The man leading them, wearing a white shirt with striking handy features and an elite aura, although late, entered calmly with a smile, a hint of apology in his tone, "I apologize, Miss Zhou Yun, for making you wait; I just ran into an important person and got delayed."

Zhou Yun gracefully stood up and said, "It's fine, you were busy."