Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor- yuki_shuichi, Proofreader- adjective
Zhongrui Entertainment, inside the manager’s office.
The manager said, “Today, you have an interview, a magazine photoshoot, and dinner with a platform producer.”
“The interview is about your movie ‘Who,’ which earned 300 million yuan at the box office just three days after its release. They will ask you to share some interesting and challenging moments during the filming process, as well as any difficulties you had to overcome. Since you don’t like to read from a script, we didn’t prepare any specific content for you in advance. Just try not to give overly simple or controversial answers. If there are any questions you don’t want to answer, feel free to say so.”
“Regarding the magazine photoshoot, it’s for the cover and feature interview of ‘OPEN’ magazine. The content is quite similar, focusing on the promotion of ‘Who’ with a mysterious and dark theme.”
“As for the dinner party with the platform in the evening…”
The manager faced the packed itinerary on the tablet and had only discussed half of it when she noticed that she could no longer continue. She placed her hands on her waist, stared in the direction of the sofa, and scolded, “Qinming? Ren Qinming, did you hear anything I just said?”
The man laying on the sofa, with his back facing outward and his hat covering his face, didn’t make a sound.
The manager had no choice but to raise their voice, “Ren Qinming, did you really fall asleep? If you didn’t, then say something!”
Ren Qinming hugged his arm, remaining motionless.
The manager couldn’t believe it!
She had been in the industry for twenty years, representing countless actors, famous or not, even those who came from wealthy families. But she had never encountered someone like Ren Qinming who was so unresponsive and indifferent.
The assistant felt like his main role was to mediate between Ren Qinming and his previous managers, saying, “Sister Lan, don’t be angry. Brother Qinming drank too much last night and took an early morning flight back from City B. He’s still recovering from the hangover…”
But it was fruitless, Xu Lan’s explosive temper was already on the verge of erupting. “I didn’t even ask him about the scandal of being caught kissing someone, and he still dares to play the excuse of being hungover with me?!”
Just as the assistant was about to say something to remedy the situation, a sharp and clear untimely ringtone echoed in the office.
Then the two of them saw a certain “hungover” person abruptly spring up from the sofa, sitting up straight and swiftly grabbing his phone, eagerly checking his messages. Not really looking like someone who was hungover.
It was obvious that he wasn’t sleeping, he just didn’t want to talk to her.
Xu Lan’s already unstable blood pressure instantly skyrocketed.
She clenched the tablet in her hand and then threw it down ruthlessly against a pile of documents, originally planning to get angry.
However, it was unknown as to what Ren Qinming saw on his phone, but this person’s temper erupted first. He suddenly stood up from the sofa, completely ignoring their existence, and with an air of arrogance, he walked straight towards the door.
The assistant had much foresight, had already poured a cup of tea in advance, and uttered a series of, “Don’t get angry, sis.”
Xu Lan finally understood why Zhongrui Entertainment offered Ren Qinming’s manager position with double the salary of their peers, yet no one was able to stay for long.
Even if one wasn’t angered into sickness, but in consideration of their health, it was best to resign as soon as possible.
“Anyway, just ignore me no matter what.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the table. “As I have authority over your matters, I’ll handle everything myself and won’t ask for your opinion. First, let’s figure out how the itinerary got leaked this morning, then we’ll expose all those marketing accounts that spread rumors about your relationship and issue a statement to deny them.”
Ren Qinming, who had already reached the door, finally stopped in his tracks. “Who said I’m going to deny anything?”
Xu Lan raised an eyebrow in question. “If you’re not denying, then what are you planning to do? Admit the relationship?”
To be honest, she hadn’t even considered the possibility that Ren Qinming would refuse to clarify the situation. How many male celebrities with a face like Ren Qinming’s could guarantee a clean personal life? She had seen her fair share of scandals in the industry.
Taking ten thousand steps back, even if two people were dating, who could say for sure how long the fleeting passion of these youngsters would last?
text in paragraph
If they break up in a week, does that mean they had to announce it again?
It was just causing trouble for the fans.
No matter how Xu Lan looked at it, this matter was a done deal, and there was no escaping it.
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.
It turned out that she unknowingly poked Ren Qinming’s sour spot, and the tall man with long legs turned around from the doorway, slowly approaching her step by step.
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Xu Lan had seen big winds and big waves and wasn’t easily shaken by even the most absurd circumstances, but Ren Qinming truly deserved the title of a talented dark horse who has won the Best Actor award.
Ktf sbecu wjc kjr ralii rb sbecu, yea tf kjr ajii jcv fzevfv j olfgmf jegj. Snfc lo tf vlvc’a vb jcsatlcu yea rajgf ja sbe ojmf ab ojmf, la ofia ilxf tf mbeiv rkjiibk sbeg ktbif ilof. Llr fsfr tlv atf olfgmfcfrr bo j ibcf kbio, jcv fnfgs qbgf kjr kjgclcu tfg, ‘Gb. Rba. Jbcagbi. Zf.’
Xu Lan, who was experienced in handling various situations, mentally articulated her words before she opened her mouth, “Do you know how much of your box office is supported by fans? Do you even know how many of your fans are girlfriend fans or wife fans? Even if you don’t consider yourself, from the perspective of the company’s interests…”
A voice interrupted, “From the perspective of the company’s interests, Xiao Ren, it’s completely fine for you to be in a relationship!”
Xu Lan immediately looked incredulously towards the door, saying, “Director Wang!”
The person who came in was Wang Duan, the boss of Zhongrui Entertainment.
Despite being in his fifties, he maintained a great physique and carried himself with an air of confidence. Wearing a suit, he still exuded a hint of charm and elegance.
As soon as he entered, the first thing he did was give an approving glance to the assistant—the assistant anticipated that Xu Lan couldn’t handle it and gave him the message.
Xu Lan felt she really was about to be angered into dizziness, even she knew the economic benefits of Ren Qinming maintaining his single image. As the boss of Zhongrui, Wang Duan couldn’t possibly be unaware, right?
“It’s fine if Ren Qinming doesn’t want to clear it up, but even Director Wang doesn’t plan to clear it up?”
Wang Duan, a dignified boss, patiently comforted her and handled the situation with a great temperament.”Well, Xiao Ren is already 26, not a teenager anymore. We should give him some trust. If he’s confident in having a relationship that lasts for two years without breaking up, then we can acknowledge it. A loyal image can also attract fans.”
Xu Lan was even more puzzled. Setting aside the fact that it was rare for anyone to have a stable relationship for two years, she said, “The entertainment circle is so messy. How many people can stay committed for two years?”
This time, Wang Duan didn’t respond to her immediately. Instead, he looked at Ren Qinming with a smile and asked, “What do you think, Xiao Ren?”
What could Ren Qinming say? This man did it on purpose, knowing that Ruan Song wouldn’t get back together with him easily.
“Anyway, there’s no need to clarify it.” The man wearing the cap had profound eyes, then tossed this sentence out and raised his hand to push open the door to leave.
The assistant followed closely behind, carefully helping to close the door. “Mr. Wang, Sister Lan, you two can continue chatting. We’ll leave first. I’ll keep an eye on Qinming this afternoon, so don’t worry.”
Wang Duan happily waved his hand to agree to his departure.
Xu Lan strongly disagreed with Wang Duan’s lenient attitude towards Ren Qinming. “Although it’s inappropriate for me to say this, it’s because you indulge him that it becomes necessary to spend twice as much to hire a manager, and in the end, we can’t retain a single one!”
Wang Duan grinned and affectionately called her “Sister Lan.”
“It’s clear that our Sister Lan has exceptional professional abilities, it’s just that Xiao Ren’s situation is a bit special. I’ve never said anything to the people who worked before you, but because I feel Sister Lan is a person of good character, you definitely will understand why Xiao Ren is so opposed to his managers after I explain the events that happened in the past.”
………
At the underground parking lot, the assistant fastened his seatbelt and asked the person next to him, “Was that a message from Brother Song just now?”
Ren Qinming turned his head to look out the window, remained silent for a while, and then responded, “He asked me to clarify that it was just a gesture of support due to being drunk and that there’s a problem with the photo angle.”
The assistant didn’t rush to respond.
Based on his three years of experience working with Ren Qinming, he knew that just this sentence alone was not enough to shake Ren Qinming’s well-trained calmness.
The person in the passenger seat added, “He even said he didn’t have time to play these scandal games with me.”
Ren Qinming, who said these words, had a hoarse voice, his forehead pressed against the car window, and his eyes, which were adored by countless fans, were lowered. He couldn’t find a trace of the confidence he had just shown in front of his manager. He even seemed a bit aggrieved.
The assistant placed the palm of his hand on the steering wheel and comforted, “Brother, don’t be too upset. Brother Song has been going through some difficulties lately, so it’s natural that he’s not in a good mood.”
Ren Qinming didn’t respond.
The assistant thought for a moment and then said, “At least you got to kiss yesterday, you’ve earned a profit, brother. You should be happy!”
The cold King of Hell immediately loosened up and smiled along with him.
Yeah, after breaking up for an entire year and being snubbed despite showing good intentions, these past few days weren’t bad.
The assistant’s trick of coaxing Ren Qinming with Brother Song worked like magic, but nobody would believe it if they heard it.
Director Wang knew best that no matter what others might think of Ren Qinming, he genuinely liked him. Not for anything else, but because Ren Qinming could still be loyal to Brother Song despite facing such difficulties.
A piece of mud couldn’t be dyed, even if it was submerged in a dye pot, it wouldn’t forget its original color.
The assistant cheerfully started the car and said, “The interview doesn’t start until 2 PM, so we have an hour break. Do you want to go home and catch some sleep?”
Whether he was hungover or not, he only made it up as an excuse for Xu Lan to hear.
Ren Qinming didn’t drink too much last night. He just went a little crazy after drinking, wanting an excuse to see Ruan Song. He didn’t sleep all night.
But Ren Qinming had no intention of resting. “No need to rest, let’s go to the hospital.”
The assistant stepped on the gas pedal and said, “Alright.”
…………..
After Ruan Song finished eating lunch, it was already three in the afternoon.
He felt like he crawled out of the club, unable to escape from those guys even when pretending to be drunk.
As he stood on the street, other bosses were picked up by cars and taken away, only he stood around disorientedly as the cold wind blew. At least he managed to get the business card of that idiot producer and allowed Ruan Song to call whenever he was ready.
To not appear too eager and be pressured to lower the price, Ruan Song intentionally played a game of cat and mouse, saying that he still had some work to wrap up.
“Do you plan on writing this crappy script?” Chen Yan sympathized on the other end of the phone. “I just asked around for you, and everyone says this producer named Liu’s project is mediocre. His methods are improper, and only a ghost would know whether or not his films would be broadcasted.”
Ruan Song was walking towards the subway station and called as promised, to let someone know he was safe. “Who cares if it gets aired? As long as I finish the script, and he gives me money, it’s fine. If I don’t write scripts, where will I get money from? Unless you are willing to raise me?”
Chen Yan shook his head repeatedly and sighed. “But you mustn’t put our names on it. Just come up with a pen name and deny it if anyone asks if you wrote it.”
It was too undervalued.
“Nonsense.”
Ruan Song, seeing that he was almost at the subway entrance, said he had to hang up the phone. “I’m going to my mom’s first, it’s time to pay her fees again.”
Chen Yan replied, “How about your brother help you out a bit, I still have one year in my pocket, so I’ll give you fifty cents.”
“Forget it, keep it for yourself. It’s fine if you just leave some food for me to eat.”
After Ruan Song finished speaking, he hung up the phone and was about to head towards the subway entrance when suddenly his phone rang.
Chen Yan transferred him 100 yuan with a message.
[Fat Man Weighs Over 1000jin, and His Face Accounts for 800jin: Brother, don’t take the subway. Let’s splurge and take a ride-hailing car. If you consume too much alcohol, I worry that you will lose your balance while riding the subway and end up being run over by the train wheels. If your face gets damaged, your financial prospects will be completely ruined.”]
This time, Ruan Song didn’t bother being polite and simply accepted the money.
[If you have money, I’ll marry you, Song: Thanks.]
………….
Before going to the hospital, Ruan Song stopped by a shop to buy some fruits.
The owner of the fruit shop remembered him because of his distinctive appearance. The first time he saw Ruan Song coming to the shop, he thought a celebrity had arrived. They had a chat, and the owner learned about his mother’s situation.
Every time Ruan Song went to buy something, he always got discounts and special offers. The shop owner would try to give him the best deals, considering it one of the few benefits his mortal flesh brought him.
Before entering the hospital room, Ruan Song took the time to freshen up and make sure there was no smell of alcohol on him. He wanted to get rid of the redness on his face due to drinking and entered the room with a smile.
“How are you feeling today, Mom?”
The woman lying on the hospital bed, upon seeing him, didn’t seem happy. She even scolded him, saying, “Didn’t you just come earlier? Why are you here again? I’ve told you not to come to me every day. You need to focus on your work. What if you lose your job?”
Ruan Song’s gaze shifted, and sure enough, he saw an unfamiliar bouquet of flowers and a basket of fruit placed on the bedside.
Ever since his mother’s condition worsened a year ago and she was transferred from the hospital in their hometown, City B, to a hospital in City A, Ruan Song would often see things in the hospital room that didn’t belong to him.
He would ask his mother who visited.
His mother couldn’t explain it clearly. Her memory had been blurry for many years, and every time, she would mistake that person for her son.
At first, Ruan Song still questioned who this person could be. There was one time when he jokingly said to his mom, “Your son is so handsome, can just anyone be your son?”
To which his mom replied, “Handsome, indeed, always handsome!”
With that, Ruan Song understood.
Looking at the list of people who could visit his mom, there was no one else with a similar level of attractiveness as him, except for Ren Qinming.
Fortunately, Ren Qinming only brought some fruits and supplements and didn’t argue to pay the medical expenses for him.
Ruan Song couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him anymore. After all, his mom had treated Ren Qinming well in the past, and now that she was sick, it was only right for him to come and visit.
Ruan Song sat down by the bedside, washed the fruits he had bought, and carefully placed them in the fruit basket. “If I don’t come, what would you do? You won’t let me spend money to hire a caregiver for you, so I have to take care of you myself.”
“Mom is just a bit confused, but she can still take care of herself. You don’t need to worry about me, sending me food and drinks every day and having doctors and nurses checking on me. I can take care of myself. You and Xiao Ren don’t need to worry about me.”
Ruan Song’s mom had been bedridden all year round, with a few strands of silver hair at her temples. Every time she would smile, she looked extremely beautiful, just like when she was young, exactly like Ruan Song, a stunning beauty.
Whenever Ruan Song would see his mom like this, his nose would feel sour. He skillfully took a knife and started peeling an apple. “I’ve told you so many times, Mom. I broke up with Ren Qinming a year ago. Don’t keep mentioning him. I’m the only one who’s worried about you.”
Ruan’s mom immediately understood, lowered her voice, and chuckled. “That’s right, our Xiao Ren is famous now, a big star. I can’t mention him, or else other people might overhear it.”
Ruan Song spent some time chatting with his mom in the hospital room, but after a few sentences, his mom urged him to leave and go back to work.
When Ruan Song stepped outside, the attending physician just happened to pass by in the corridor.
The two of them unconsciously lowered their voices while talking. “I feel like my mom’s condition has worsened again. Now she’s starting to forget some of the things I told her just a few days ago.”
The doctor’s face turned solemn. “Indeed, we need to schedule the surgery as soon as possible. The tumor has been compressing the nerves for a long time, and if it ruptures, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Ruan Song had heard similar words before.
Not only did he have to pay for his own daily expenses, but he also had to pay for his mother’s long-term hospitalization and medication expenses. With this surgery on top of that, it was like a giant mountain that he had no means of scaling.
The doctor has seen many cases like this. Most common people were afraid of getting sick. Usually, young people like Ruan Song’s age not only struggle to afford medical treatment but might not even have any savings.
Now, besides actually spending money on treatment, everything else was futile.
The doctor understandably patted his shoulder and said, “First, take care of the hospitalization fees, then we’ll figure out a way for the surgery fees. Money doesn’t come in a hurry.”
It was another significant expense.
After paying the fees at the counter, Ruan Song felt like he had lost at least ten pounds. He was completely broke, with nothing left in his pockets.
His mother had gone against her family’s wishes to marry his father, causing a rift between them. His father came from a poor background, and he passed away in a car accident when Ruan Song was young. Now, there were hardly any people he could borrow money from.
After finishing all the necessary tasks, Ruan Song stood at the smoking corner outside the hospital and lit a cigarette.
Hesitating multiple times, he finally pulled out the business card that could scald his hand and called with enthusiasm, “Hello, is this Mr. Liu? It’s Xiao Song, yes, the screenwriter who had lunch with you at noon. After coming home, the more I thought about it, the more I felt a connection with you. I thought, why wait when we can seize the opportunity? I’ll quickly finish up my current work. Where are you right now? If it’s convenient, should I come find you now so we can sign the contract today?”
—————-
The author has something to say:
A certain award-winning actor: He is running out of money, he is running out of money. When my wife needs something, it’s my turn to make an appearance!
Thanks for the update ❤️❤️❤️
Thank You for the new chapter (๑ơ ₃ ơ)♥
QAQ that’s really sad!