Due to Zhang Heshan losing his mind at a crucial moment, Xie Guan failed to escape after the meeting and was dragged to dinner by Director Bai. To his surprise, the dinner was held at a familiar place: Blue Moon Club.
Xie Guan walked in with a bitter face, thinking, “Have all the restaurants in the entire city closed down except for this one?”
This dinner was not as awkward as the afternoon meeting. After the executives took their seats, Yao Jing called the actors who were already arranged. The female lead did not arrive yet. Shortly after, the male lead Qing Lan and the second female lead Jiang Yingying arrived. Following them, a few female actors from Starlight, who had nothing to do with the filming, also came. They were probably called by Yao Jing to accompany the guests and get acquainted.
The atmosphere was lively with beautiful women surrounding the place. Xie Guan felt a headache coming on. He heard Director Bai sneer next to him, saying, “Oh my, this is quite lively. It’s almost like the Spider Demon’s cave.”
Birds and swallows flitted around, creating a lively atmosphere in the room. Xie Guan was being surrounded by all sorts of strange and noisy characters, making his head spin. He heard the director beside him let out a cold laugh and sneer softly, “Oh, how lively it is in here, almost as chaotic as the Spider Demon Cave.”
Xie Guan’s mouth twitched and he whispered, “You’re sitting here too, you know.”
Bai Luzhou glanced at him sideways. “Wukong, you should be a bit more self-aware.”
They exchanged a smile, raised their glasses, and downed their drinks in one go.
Feeling bored, Bai Luzhou scanned the room and lowered her voice to complain to Xie Guan, “Why is the guy named Zhang so obedient today?”
Xie Guan absentmindedly played with his glass and glanced at Zhang Heshan. The person in question was sitting with a young woman in his arms and drinking. As soon as Zhang Heshan noticed Bai Luzhou looking, he reflexively let go of the girl, instantly on high alert.
Xie Guan hurriedly looked down, feeling awkward. “He’s probably… uh, scared.”
Bai Luzhou asked, “Oh?”
Xie Guan explained the situation, leaving out Yin Lisha’s name. Bai Luzhou, both angry and amused, stifled her laughter in fear of being overheard by others, and nearly choked while holding back her amusement.
Xie Guan sighed helplessly. “You’re laughing… Isn’t this a sad story?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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The ladies at the table were drinking Margaux, while the men were all having domestically produced ten year old Moutai. Xie Guan’s alcohol tolerance was average, and he wasn’t feeling very well lately. After just two drinks, he was already feeling a bit tipsy. Bai Luzhou looked at him rubbing his temples in disbelief, “It’s only been a couple of drinks. I haven’t even tasted it yet, and you’re already dizzy?”
Xie Guan felt defeated. Bai Luzhou, who was arguing fiercely with Yao Jing and Zhang Heshan the whole afternoon, remained lively and energetic, showing no signs of fatigue. Xie Guan wondered what she was made of.
“In this state, if you go out to shoot with me, you’ll collapse within three days,” Bai Luzhou said with a hint of seriousness, “Your show must be almost done, right? Use this time to exercise properly; otherwise, you won’t be able to handle it when you start filming.”
Xie Guan sobered up a bit, “Okay, I’ll pay more attention in the future.” He hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Director Bai, I’ve always wanted to ask you, I’m just a supporting actor in the TV series, and this role isn’t important. Why did you…”
“Why did I insist on casting you?” Bai Luzhou took over the conversation but didn’t answer immediately. She took a sip of red wine and carefully said, “This is just my idea, and I still need to discuss it with the screenwriter. I can give you a rough idea, but I can’t guarantee it will be changed for sure.”
Xie Guan nodded seriously, “Please, go ahead.”
Bai Luzhou said, “I want to elevate Yue Qingluo into the role of the main antagonist.”
“Cough, cough, cough, cough…!” Xie Guan was suddenly choked by the wine. “Yue Qingluo” was the character he played before, a minor cannon fodder. If it was really changed like that, he would probably be criticized fiercely by fans of the original work and the TV series.
Enthusiastic about stirring things up, she didn’t expect this kind of reaction from Xie Guan, and felt quite disappointed. “You’re so young, why are you so conservative? Not fun at all.”
Finally recovering from his coughing fit, Xie Guan cleared his throat and apologized sincerely, “I didn’t mean to dampen your enthusiasm. It’s just that these changes, wouldn’t they be too… what’s the word, too surprising?”
“The vitality of art lies in constant innovation,” Bai Luzhou said. “This is how they exploit IPs nowadays. They stick to a certain plot pattern, make a TV series, then a movie, and after a decade or so, they remake it with a couple of popular actors and dare to call it a ‘masterpiece.’ Even newcomers like you firmly believe in this formula. But in reality, this rapid money-making approach severely damages the art that requires dedicated creativity. If directors just film whatever is written in the novel, why do we need screenwriters?”
“Looking at it from a different perspective, if there’s already a TV series, and then they make a movie with exactly the same plot, would you, as an ordinary viewer, be interested in watching it again? Why not spend that money on something else? Why do they have to keep recycling the same content three times, right?”
Xie Guan nodded humbly, taking in Bai Luzhou’s words. However, she didn’t continue speaking. She raised her glass and silently downed a mouthful of wine, a fleeting expression of desolation crossing her eyes.
Xie Guan sighed, picked up his glass, clinked it crisply against hers, and finished the remaining white liquor in his cup.
They sat amidst the glitz and glamor, surrounded by the most luxurious side of the entertainment industry. Capital reveled, glasses clinked, music and dance flourished, while the true creators remained hidden in dim corners, carrying hearts full of worries. Yet, there was no one to speak to, no one willing to listen. They could only confide in a struggling young artist who didn’t even know if he could make a breakthrough.
Changing the script was just the difficult first step. Even choosing an actor on her own required Bai Luzhou to battle with the financiers for an entire afternoon. In the future, she would face constraints from various parties, and when this work finally came into the world, she had no idea what it would turn out to be.
“Oh, don’t think too far ahead in this matter. Getting too deep into it can lead to pessimism,” Bai Luzhou quickly adjusted her mood and smiled, “Paths are forged by people. There are always more solutions than difficulties. The burden of artistic heritage hasn’t fallen on your shoulders yet, so there’s no need to be afraid for now.”
Xie Guan also smiled and poured her a drink. Bai Luzhou lit a Zhonghua cigarette. Just as they were about to enjoy their conversation, a man was holding a glass. suddenly sat down next to Xie Guan. He casually greeted, “Teacher Xie, Director Bai, what are you talking about that makes you so happy?”
Bai Luzhou didn’t recognize the man for a moment. Seeing the awkward situation, Xie Guan hurriedly greeted him to remind Bai Luzhou, “Qing Lan, long time no see.”
Qing Lan ignored Xie Guan’s greeting and first exchanged pleasantries with Bai Luzhou. He raised his glass in a show of respect before turning to Xie Guan, feigning politeness, “Teacher Xie, hello.”
Qing Lan currently held the position of the leading male actor in Starlight, all thanks to his distant family ties with Yang Rong, the CEO. Xie Guan had almost no interaction with him, mainly because the gap between them at the time was too significant. Qing Lan was also accustomed to looking down on others, so Xie Guan never expected him to come over and approach him. He was unsure how to respond.
He kept addressing him as “Teacher Xie,” his tone carrying a strange tone. Xie Guan didn’t want to cause trouble and smiled, “Brother Qing Lan, you’re being too polite. Technically, you’re my senior. I can’t possibly accept the title of ‘Teacher Xie’ from you.”
“What’s there that I can’t accept? Teacher Xie, you’re being too modest,” Qing Lan said with a half-smile, “The whole company knows about this afternoon’s incident. I heard even President Yao has to yield to you now. Congratulations, Teacher Xie, for reaching the top in one step.”
He pushed his glass forward, as if he wanted to clink glasses with Xie Guan. “I’ll toast to Teacher Xie, we’re colleagues now. We’ll be shooting Director Bai’s film together in the future. Teacher Xie, you wouldn’t deny me this, right?”
Xie Guan discreetly glanced in Bai Luzhou’s direction. Qing Lan was obviously looking for trouble, but with the director present and the fact that they would be working together on the same production, Xie Guan couldn’t outright refuse Qing Lan. He needed to consider Bai Luzhou’s interests.
In Chinese drinking culture, offering a toast is a matter of etiquette. Whether you like it or not, you have to drink when someone offers a toast; it’s considered impolite not to. Given the friction Xie Guan already experienced with the investors in the afternoon, causing another dispute between actors from the same project could potentially jeopardize the entire production.
He couldn’t afford to create more problems for Bai Luzhou.
Xie Guan filled his own glass, politely clinked glasses with Qing Lan, and said, “Brother Qing Lan, you’re a top actor, unlike me. I signed with a big company, but I still haven’t had a breakthrough role. Even so, I have to say that fame comes with its fair share of troubles, and the entertainment industry can be quite complex. If we encounter any issues in the future, I hope Brother Qing Lan can offer some guidance.”
Qing Lan took the veiled threat to heart, feeling annoyed. However, Xie Guan’s reputation was well-established, and he didn’t shy away from challenging even the investors. If it came to a conflict with an artist, it would be no different. Qing Lan obeyed Yao Jing’s orders to pick a fight, but in the end, he valued his life more. He reluctantly downed his glass, made a few sarcastic comments, and left in frustration.
Yao Jing was covertly observing the situation from a distance. When she saw that Qing Lan’s attempt didn’t go well, she cursed him for being useless. After a while, she devised another plan and signaled for a Starlight actress to take turns offering Xie Guan toasts.
Since Qing Lan couldn’t handle it alone, they decided to gang up on Xie Guan.
Yao Jing had a strong vindictive streak, and Xie Guan didn’t want to create trouble. Despite his splitting headache, he gritted his teeth and endured it. By the time the drinking session ended, he already vomited twice in the restroom.
Everyone at the gathering was quite intoxicated, so assistants were called to pick them up. Those who drove to the club arranged designated drivers. Since Xie Guan didn’t drive there or have an assistant with him, he struggled to keep his balance as he exited the club. Feeling disoriented and not knowing which way to go, he stumbled into the outdoor parking lot on the club’s west side.
In the bitter cold of a sub-zero day, the combination of cold and alcohol left him numb. After aimlessly wandering around in circles for a while, he eventually abandoned his search for the exit. Clutching his forehead, he stumbled to a corner of the parking lot, where he sat down and remained motionless.
He didn’t know how much time passed, but in the parking lot, the headlights of a Porsche flashed a couple of times. A man bundled up in a coat hurriedly made his way toward the car but accidentally tripped over the seated Xie Guan.
“Oh, damn it!” The man jumped back in surprise, cursing under his breath. When he was about to ask who the hell was sitting there causing trouble, he turned around. Under the dim light of a lamppost, he saw a pale but familiar face.
Huo Zhikuan’s tone suddenly changed as he muttered under his breath, “What the hell?!”
He quickly took out his phone and swiftly dialed a number. “Bro! Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Yes huo mingjun shame on you hmph 😤 poor xie guan.. Why is he so unlucky to suffer like this 😔
💐💐💐💐
Would have much preferred a kind stranger to this forced coincidence 😒
Just remembered they’re in that guy’s club… Oops 😅