“Hahahahaha, Brother Jin, I grew up watching your shows too,” He Xingzhou took the opportunity and guffawed mockingly.
But Lu Jin was a shrewd man. He would never put himself in an awkward position. He also teased, “Out of everyone here, I think only Brother Cang didn’t grow up watching my shows.”
Lu Jin debuted as a child actor when he was three. Since then, he took part in countless works. Aside from his absence during Grade 9 and Grade 12, he took part in countless popular works over the twenty-odd years he was in the industry.
“And me,” Yun Xiangxiang raised her hands, and everyone looked at her weird. She explained, “I don’t really like to watch TV.”
“You’re kidding,” Sun Qiluo found it unbelievable.
They became actors because they had that dream thanks to their love of TV shows since they were kids.
Yun Xiangxiang wasn’t a graduate from an acting school, but her acting in her maiden film, “Caring Love”, didn’t look unrefined. Someone who disliked TV couldn’t be born with such acting talents.
“I wasn’t lying. I dislike TV,” Yun Xiangxiang looked awkward. “My mom filled all my time with tutoring and school when I was a kid. If you want me to name any cartoon, I’d only be able to name at most three.”
If that’s the case even with cartoons, it would be even worse with TV dramas. Yun Xiangxiang disliked TV in her past life too. She would only watch it to research their acting.
She wasn’t biased against TV dramas. She just didn’t have the time to finish a whole show. Watching films was a faster affair.
“I can assure you that Xiangxiang is being honest,” Wei Shanshan nodded.
She would frequent Yun Xiangxiang’s home for meals during the filming of “Caring Love.” Yun Xiangxiang’s mother would occasionally regale them about Yun Xiangxiang’s childhood. The trophies that filled her house were also evidence of her unusual childhood.
“Nobody’s always born great,” Lu Jin concluded.
“Okay, okay. Let’s stop talking about life. Go back and have some rest,” Yun Xiangxiang ended the conversation.
Wei Shanshan stayed with Yun Xiangxiang. Everyone had a standard room. As Wu Zhao sponsored their flights, Yun Xiangxiang didn’t bring her assistant and Ai Li along.
She was just going to be here for a few days, after all. If she insisted on bringing someone over, she would seem like an invalid.
Everyone brought someone over. But that probably wasn’t their idea. It must have been arranged by their agent or the company.
On the other hand, He Wei gave Yun Xiangxiang a lot of space. He would respect and acknowledge her decisions.
Wei Shanshan wasn’t far away from her crew. She came here with her agent, but he left after handing her to Yun Xiangxiang. She came here to hang out with Yun Xiangxiang. Her agent would bring her back to the crew tomorrow.
“It’s more relaxing being with you,” Wei Shanshan threw herself onto the bed and lay there in a sprawl.
“You better think of something to de-stress, or else depression’s going to knock sooner or later,” Yun Xiangxiang was worried.
“That might have really happened if you didn’t help me out this time,” Wei Shanshan tilted her head. “You heard about an actor getting canceled by the internet recently? Every time I remember that I might have ended up like her, I get a chill down my spine.”
Wei Shanshan was talking about some young actress who starred in a TV drama. Just because she acted as a drop-dead gorgeous lady, groups of the original work’s fans attacked her. Some comments were sharp, some inappropriate, some insulting.
The villainous media outlets would then ride on this trend, making slanderous write-ups just for traffic. There would be a new story about her every day.
“I have no idea what her agent is thinking,” Wei Shanshan couldn’t understand it. “If she was chosen for that role, her company must be backing her up. How could they let her get canceled?”
“The agent might be the one providing these stories, you know,” Yun Xiangxiang poured a glass of water for Wei Shanshan.
“Did the agent bear hatred with the actor? Look at this story. If she’s that bit weaker, she might have killed herself,” Wei Shanshan didn’t believe Yun Xiangxiang.
“Every agent works differently. Some loved to create a ‘facade’ for their actor. Some prefered ‘blitzing up’ theirs. Some liked to give them problems to overcome…,” Yun Xiangxiang saw how agents could be like in her past life.
After taking a sip to wet her lips, she continued, “Everyone’s psychological strength is different. You might break down from all this. But there are some who are strong, and then there are some who would do anything to make a wave of the trend.”
The world was huge. It accepted every freak. The sky is infinite. It mirrored the vicissitudes of life and the differences between humans.
“Heavens, I can’t accept this,” Wei Shanshan was upset just by reading the news of others. She might go insane if it happened to her.
“This might not be her own idea either,” Yun Xiangxiang sat beside Wei Shanshan. “The actor had lost their autonomy the moment they signed the contract. Especially the part about their image. If they don’t cooperate with the company, then the fate of being sidelined awaits.”
Every contract would last at least ten years which would be all of someone’s youth. Nobody could afford to waste that.
Everyone wanted to succeed in the industry. Some, like she and Wei Shanshan, were lucky to have met great companies. Some were not as lucky and had to go forward no matter what.
They would put themselves in harm’s way just for the day they regained their autonomy.
“Thanks for the pep talk. Now I feel really lucky.” Before this, Wei Shanshan still had some complaints about her company.
Yun Xiangxiang counseled her precisely because she knew about this. Brilliant Entertainment was a gem of a company. Wei Shanshan wouldn’t be able to stay real otherwise.
She would either be kicked out of the company or ended up as a fake shell of herself.
“Count your blessings. Aside from it being new and having inexperienced staff, Brilliant Entertainment’s a great company. With that temper of yours, you would been out of the industry soon enough if your company was Huan Yu or The Era of Stars.”
Yun Xiangxiang poked her forehead, “Don’t just think about yourself when you do anything from now on. You have to think of everyone else. If you want your company to back you up, you have to think about the state your company is in.”
Never be merciless. Always keep your cool, especially when the problem is going to involve a bunch of people.
Don’t end up being both the victim and the one in the wrong.
Those who can do it should always counterattack. Those who cannot should try to get the best compensation they can.
The damage was already done anyway. Instead of shaping themselves into a villain, they should try to make the most of their situation.