“Xiangxiang, you got a chance to promote your film even being at your own home,” Tao Manni’s bed sat across Yun Xiangxiang’s bed.
“Surprise, surprise,” Yun Xiangxiang replied.
“I like ‘Hotshot Sunday.’ Tune in to it every week. It’s hilarious. Both of the hosts are quite talented too,” Ma Linlin leaned on the banister at the edge of her bed, “When will that episode where you appeared air? I want to watch its premiere!”
“Nanzi’s TV drama will only air in mid October. He probably went to the show to try to promote it. The episode will most probably air in the week of the ninth of October. They must have trailers. You shouldn’t miss it if you watch every episode,” said Yun Xiangxiang.
“When will you go on a variety show, Xiangxiang? We’ll go to the live venue to support you,” Feng Xiaolu blurted.
It seemed like Yun Xiangxiang never went on any shows after the movie award show and talk show.
“It depends on whether the films after this require it or not. I probably won’t go on reality shows or the like,” Yun Xiangxiang didn’t really like to make her presence known through these shows.
“Why? I see a lot of reality shows being really meaningful. Variety shows are getting widely popular these last few years too,” Tao Manni was puzzled.
“I would rather go film one more film if I have that much time,” Yun Xiangxiang stared at the ceiling. “I can still say that I’m going to work if I film. Makes my application for a leave easier. It would be nonsense if I use the leave to go on variety shows. I’m worried that I might get expelled from the university.”
There were only two reasons for a celebrity to go on variety shows if they weren’t going to promote their work: fame, and money.
“Get some sleep. There’s still military training tomorrow,” Yun Xiangxiang yawned to stop them from continuing their questions.
Everyone saw the light of victory after getting scorched and drenched continuously for a whole day. Just a day before the military parade [1] however, they had to go through a fifteen kilometer intense training. Everybody was only hanging on by a breath when they returned to the university.
However, everyone was in high spirits on the day of their graduation from military training. They finished their own events as a team. Yun Xiangxiang even got an honorary certificate for outstanding cadet. They were only counted as official members of Qingdao University from then on.
Even though they despised their instructor during the military training, most of the sentimental ones shed tears of sorrow when they sent them off at the end of military training.
All of the instructors were soldiers in the army. It would be hard to meet them after this. The university didn’t really care what they did during the first night. Everyone threw a lively night party together.
It happened to be a weekend where they had two days for themselves. However, the dean sought Yun Xiangxiang out and asked her to prepare a draft for her speech as the new students’ representative tomorrow. She would represent the new intake to give a speech during the university’s opening ceremony on Monday.
Yun Xiangxiang finally returned to her home which she had left for three weeks with a mission on her. The gate of the parking lane used an automatic car plate recognition system. They needed to stop the car for a while. It was at this moment that someone knocked on Yun Xiangxiang’s car’s side window.
“This guy had been waiting in front of the neighborhood since early morning,” Song Qian said to Yun Xiangxiang.
“Unlock it,” Yun Xiangxiang said to Song Qian while she rolled the window down.
“Yun Xiangxiang, I got a script and I want to invite you to star in it,” He also knew that he was short on time and got straight to the point without any prior introduction.
“Do please get in the car,” Yun Xiangxiang said smilingly.
Yun Xiangxiang knew this man from her past life. In fact, she owed him a favor in that life.
Hua Xiangrong was somewhat famous at that time. She went to a hotel that day just to take back something she left. However, some scandal about her messing around with the investor of the filming team strangely appeared the next day. It dealt a massive blow to her.
It was Du Changrong, whom she had never interacted with, that helped her clear her name. It was because he saw her taking something back that day. Du Changrong was notoriously direct. He also offended many people because of that. He had no conflict of interest with Yun Xiangxiang. What he said settled the matter.
Much later, someone discovered that the reporter was bribed and she was to be the scapegoat for something. Were it not for Du Changrong, her reputation would’ve plummeted. A lot of scripts would even skip over her directly.
She would have to lay low for at least a while. However, it might have been an inescapable pit for a newbie who was just starting out. She would have to pay some price that she didn’t want to if she wanted to have a good script under these circumstances.
Du Changrong didn’t seek her out for his TV drama after that. They didn’t collaborate either.
Later, Du Changrong quit the TV industry and turned to film producing. He wrote the script and directed the films himself. However, his few films in the film industry were flops. Slowly, nobody wanted to invest in his films.
On top of that, he stubbornly refused to return to the TV industry. That caused him to be nearly forgotten by everyone over the last couple of years.
Du Changrong didn’t expect Yun Xiangxiang to let him in the car that easily. He promptly opened the door before getting into the car, “You know me?”
“I have seen your movies and searched about your news,” Yun Xiangxiang could only answer like that.
“And I thought Old Man Zhou had already given you the heads up,” Du Changrong chortled after he said that. “You’re now under Huan Yu Century Entertainment. It won’t look nice if I use Old Man Zhou’s name here. I think he won’t go out of his way to tell you either.”
Yun Xiangxiang smiled, but did not elaborate.
Du Changrong kept mum while he held his script in his hand. His hands stroked his script lovingly while he followed Yun Xiangxiang to her home.
Yun Xiangxiang poured a cup of tea for Du Changrong herself, “Director Du.”
“You don’t have to call me that. I might change careers next year,” Du Changrong smiled bitterly. “I’m barely hanging on by the skin of my teeth in this industry. Used to be stubborn and thought that everyone else had no taste. Now, even I am starting to doubt myself.”
“Director Du’s films are deep.”
It was a shame they were too esoteric for the normal audience. Modern audiences look to films as an outlet for entertainment. They needed straightforward films that could dance with their emotions without needing them to rack their brains to find out what it was trying to convey. She could only say that Du Changrong’s way of expression was too roundabout.
“Seems like I didn’t come all the way here for nothing if you could say that. I got a script here, though I can’t get any investors. But I’m still not giving up on it. See if it can hit the right note with you,” Du Changrong handed the script over to Yun Xiangxiang.
He heard about Yun Xiangxiang’s personality from Zhou Wei. He knew that Huan Yu Century Entertainment didn’t hold back on supporting her. Besides, Yun Xiangxiang’s acting skills were good; her age matched with the female protagonist’s. On top of that, Yun Xiangxiang had enough sway currently. Her reputation was also top notch.
He worked up the courage to bet on himself when he thought about how Yun Xiangxiang could shoot a film like “University Dream”, and when he saw the interview show about her.
Yun Xiangxiang had the right to choose which script she wanted to take. That was one of the terms in the contract. He Wei coincidentally wasn’t here. He could bypass him and go straight to her.
As long as Yun Xiangxiang liked the script, he believed that He Wei could convince Huan Yu Century Entertainment to invest, going with his personality to be soft-hearted with someone under him. Du Changrong didn’t need much either. Eight million yuan was already enough to film it.
“Director Du, I will read this script seriously. However, I must tell you that you will have to wait until winter for me to film. Even if I do agree to play as this character,” Yun Xiangxiang didn’t read the script first.