Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 298 Piercing the Heart with Arrows
The person was wrong, but the room was right; it was Zhao Liying who opened the door.

Zhao Xiaodao has changed quite a bit since we last met.

When I first met him last year, his skin was darker and his face wasn't as supple and round as it is now.

Xiao Dao has been with Fan Xiaopang for a year, and it seems he's been treated to good food; now he looks even more like a steamed bun.

Back then, she looked like a girl who had just come from the village to work; now, she looks like a maidservant to a wealthy young lady.

"Little Knife, who is it?" the young lady from the depths of the room asked loudly.

Liu Jing had thought about many things, and the most plausible guess was that the little bun was arranged by Fan Xiaopang.

In an effort to win over the other partner, the partner offered up his lackey for the other partner to enjoy.

To be honest, Liu Jing was quite interested when he saw her round little face just now.

Her skin is so plump and fair, just like Sisi's two years ago.

When filming "Chinese Paladin 1", many viewers called Xixi "Liu Baozi".

However, Sisi is cute and cuddly, while this girl is fierce and intimidating.

Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief, then took another deep breath. Why was Zhao Xiaodao so surprised by his arrival? Was he waiting for someone else?

"You womanizer." Zhao Xiaodao stepped aside; there was no need to announce his arrival, the boss would definitely let him in.

"Is this about me?" Liu Jing couldn't help but pinch it a couple of times; it felt bouncy and smooth.

"I've never seen it before." Zhao Xiaodao suddenly looked flustered, as if he had thought of something.

"..." Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, as if a car had run over his face.

The young lady came out from the inner room, wearing a loose bathrobe and a face mask.

The exposed skin is as smooth and lustrous as snow and pearls.

Compared to this, Zhao Xiaodao looks like a little dark-skinned girl again.

"Why are you here? Aren't you with that person?" Fan Xiaopang asked in surprise.

There are many philanderers, but Zhao Xiaodao only had one, so she quickly went to greet him.

She doesn't have any particular plans for tonight; she's really just having dinner. With the Empress here, she definitely won't get a chance tonight; she won't be chosen.

"Since you're here, of course I have to stay with you." Liu Jing said with deep affection, as if it were the truth.

"You're so kind." Fan Xiaopang looked touched and took it as a genuine compliment.

Zhao Xiaodao's ears twitched. What did I just hear? A womanizer sleeping with so-and-so? Who is that? Someone with higher priority than Sister Bing?

Liu Jing grabbed the chubby little face and said, "Comrade Xiao Dao, curiosity killed the cat."

"I...I'll go make some tea." Zhao Xiaodao dared not speak his anger. You've got addicted to pinching, huh? Go home and pinch your sister instead.

Fan Xiaopang's eyes flickered; his attitude towards Xiaodao was still the same as always.

“Ever since filming for ‘Rouge Snow’ started, we’ve been harassed every night. There are actors, producers, wealthy businessmen, and playboys. It’s incredibly annoying,” Little Fatty calmly explained to Liu Jing.

"An actor? Wallace Huo?" Liu Jing guessed, this was the most likely candidate to be the male lead.

"This guy's pretty sensible. He's never lonely, and every night a different woman goes to his room. He won't bother me, afraid of getting into trouble." Fan Xiaopang chuckled, pulling Liu Jing inside. "You don't need to worry about me, and you don't need to lift a finger. If I can't handle these things, I might as well go home and have your baby. I can't offend them all when they knock on the door at night, so I let Xiaodao stay with me. This firewall is very strong, and Xiaodao is pretty reckless; she doesn't care who the other person is."

"You've certainly made the most of her talent." Liu Jing wasn't surprised; the beautiful actress's rise to producer had doubled her appeal.

It's common for male producers to have affairs with female celebrities.

It's not surprising that female producers like to sleep with male celebrities; in fact, it's even more outrageous.

Female celebrities are eager to offer themselves up, and male celebrities will do the same.

"Take a shower, I'll put a face mask on you." Fan Xiaopang pushed Liu Jing into the bathroom. He smelled strongly of the restaurant, so it seemed he really came to keep him company as soon as possible.

"You come too." Liu Jinglan was lazy and needed help, so he pulled the chubby boy in.

"Oh no! I just put on a face mask..."

"You shameless, depraved couple..." Zhao Xiaodao muttered through gritted teeth, deciding to sleep with earplugs tonight.

A dozen minutes later, Liu Jing emerged wrapped in a bath towel, looking refreshed.

He doesn't need to blow-dry his hair or do any other care; he just takes a simple shower.

"So fast..." Xiao Dao was looking at the computer when he noticed Liu Jing sitting in front of the tea table and suddenly woke up.

"..." Liu Jing felt as if another car had run over his face.

"No, it's slower than before. No, I mean, you're done washing." Zhao Xiaodao blurted out in a panic.

Liu Jing's muscular physique made her lose her composure and become even more incoherent.

"It's almost ten o'clock, and you're still working. You're really hardworking." Liu Jing leaned over and took a look. His eyes were glued to the page where they were applying for roles in the TV series "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre".

"Sister Bing asked me to try Xiao Zhao and Zhu'er." Zhao Xiaodao took a deep breath and silently recited the Heart Sutra, though he was a little rusty.

Last year in Hong Kong, the boss had a secret rendezvous with a woman. She held several positions, one of which was a maidservant.

The music played a cacophony of sounds, and I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She searched online and found that some people said reciting the Diamond Sutra could help her fall asleep peacefully. The Diamond Sutra was too long and too difficult for her. She then chose to memorize the Heart Sutra, which did have some effect.

"Why don't you give Spider a try?" Liu Jing's heart stirred, and he looked her up and down, finding her somewhat interesting.

"Zhu'er? Are you going to appoint me?" Zhao Liying asked hurriedly.

"I'm sorry, I don't have that authority." Liu Jing saw that the other girl wasn't going to pour him tea, so he poured tea for himself instead. The young girl seemed a bit tactless.

"Oh." Zhao Liying didn't feel too disappointed. She wasn't Sister Bing, and she didn't even have the right to get in through connections.

Having seen countless beauties, why would a big radish like himself be interested in an ugly duckling like himself?

“Zhu’er is stubborn, wild, and proud; you have those traits. You don’t have much acting skill or talent, so choosing a role that fits your own characteristics will give you a better chance. Besides, Zhu’er is disfigured, so appearance isn’t a major requirement.” Liu Jing took a sip of tea; it wasn’t as good as the one Zhang Tian’ai had brewed.

"Thank you for your guidance." Zhao Liying pursed her lips. What the other person said was true, so there was nothing to be discouraged about. She really didn't have any acting skills, talents, or looks, but the fact that the other person was giving her guidance was already a sign of special consideration.

"Each person can apply for two roles, one as their first choice and one as a backup. You can consider Xiao Zhao as a backup; her round face, big eyes, and petite figure all fit Xiao Zhao's innocent and charming appearance. You may look cute, but your personality isn't cute at all, and your smile isn't sweet either..."

"Young Master, I still choose Zhu'er." Zhao Liying didn't want to hear anymore; not a single word came out nice. Do you talk to your sister this bluntly? Won't you get beaten to death?

"What are you two chatting about? It's so lively." Fan Xiaopang came out, his face without a face mask, making his skin look even whiter and smoother.

"She wanted to audition for the role of Yitian, right? I'll give you some advice. We can't let this opportunity pass us by." Liu Jing carefully examined Fan Xiaopang. If there were another ranking of the four beauties, he would definitely vote for Xiaopang.

"Then give me some advice." Fan Xiaopang smiled brightly; she liked the look in the man's eyes at this moment.

"Your skin is quite fair; I suggest you make it even fairer." Liu Jing's eyes burned with desire; this girl was openly seducing him.

"Sister Min gave me a box of ointment last time, and it worked quite well. I couldn't use it all, so I gave some to Xiaodao. Do you think her skin has become whiter too?" Fan Xiaopang leaned close to Xiaodao's face.

Zhao Xiaodao's eyes darted uncontrollably down the ravine, secretly envious. It wasn't very big, but it was just right—something she didn't have.

Liu Jing also chimed in, "It really has whitened out; the ointment is quite effective. Once 'The Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Order' is released, it'll probably be even more scarce."

When he was filming, he made the several beautiful actresses look stunning. Zhang Min, in particular, looked young and beautiful, like she was in her early twenties.

When it was released, soft advertisements flooded the market, promoting not only the movie but also the product, Huayang, and the ointment.

"She's very elastic, and she's naturally good-looking." Fan Xiaopang touched Zhao Xiaodao's face.

"Tsk tsk, Xiao Dao is a living advertisement." Liu Jing couldn't help but pinch her again, as if he could squeeze water out of her. A twenty-year-old girl, truly the best age.

He suddenly thought of someone who was incredibly beautiful with makeup, like a swan, truly embodying the image of someone who was the most beautiful woman in the world. Without makeup, however, she was dark-skinned and thin, a real ugly duckling.

If she had used the ointment, the effect would definitely have been more obvious than Zhao Xiaodao's; that would have made her a living advertisement.

Tong Liya was also at the wrap party for "The Yin Yang Sacred Fire Order". Zhang Min gave her some ointment, but I don't know if she used it.

Liu Jing's curiosity was piqued, and he really wanted to see the results.

“Xiao Dao is the sweet and cute type, and many men like this type.” Fan Xiaopang lifted Xiao Dao’s chin and turned her little face toward Liu Jing.

"It's cute, but it lacks a bit of sweetness," Liu Jing commented.

Zhao Xiaodao was on the verge of tears. "You two are judging me like a piece of merchandise. How can I feel sweet anymore?"

She didn't dare say anything yet; she had to thank her boss, as this was a way of selling her.

"Can she debut? Can she make it in the acting industry?"

“If you want to push them too hard, you can easily get them to the second tier. Whether they can squeeze into the first tier depends on fate,” Liu Jing shook his head.

"Fate?" Fan Xiaopang murmured.

"Hurry up and dry your hair, it's all wet, don't get sick. Didn't you say you were going to give me a face mask? I'll go wait for you in the inner room." Liu Jing didn't believe in fate, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen Fan Xiaopang as his bond.

"Okay! I'll be right there."

After Liu Jing left, Zhao Xiaodao looked dejected. "Sister Bing, I guess I have no chance. He doesn't think highly of me, and the other judges certainly won't either."

Fan Xiaopang dried his hair. "Xiaodao, if you count what you just did as an audition, you only failed once. If you're this discouraged after just one attempt, don't even think about becoming a star. Just be my assistant. You're reliable, hardworking, and discreet. I can rely on you for life."

"I don't want to be a star, but I want to prove myself. Any job is a profession, and I want to be an actor," Zhao Xiaodao said with a determined expression.

Fan Xiaopang put down the towel. "About seven or eight years ago, that was my lowest point. I was running around to seven or eight film sets a day, and that was how it was for a while. My feet were blistered, and I'm not exaggerating, even my shoes wore out. You can't imagine the helplessness and confusion I felt. I never want to experience that again. But I'm also grateful for the experience I went through. A lot of people have been criticizing me these past two years, but without that experience, I might not have been able to handle it."

Zhao Xiaodao stood up, picked up a towel, and helped his boss dry his hair. "I understand. One failure is nothing. Compared to you, mine is nothing. I will learn from you, running to ten film sets a day, every day, everywhere..."

"Haha, you don't know anything! You've been brainwashed by my toxic motivational talk. Back then, there were many people like me running around to different film crews, but very few of them succeeded. There aren't many kind people on film crews; they're all ruthless. Running around to many film crews is not as good as having a benefactor. If I hadn't met a series of benefactors, I would have been completely taken advantage of long ago." Fan Xiaopang laughed loudly.

"Sister Bing, you are my benefactor," Zhao Xiaodao said quickly.

Fan Xiaopang smiled. Last year on Yahoo! Search Star, if Liu Jing hadn't paid more attention to Zhao Xiaodao, she wouldn't have bothered to even glance at such a young girl.

As she got to know the girl better, she found that she was quite nice and had many admirable qualities.

While in Hong Kong, she discovered that Liu Jing was still paying attention to this girl, and it wasn't just a passing fancy, which made her even more attentive. Later, as Zhao Xiaodao learned more and more, she became even less likely to let her leave.

"What did he say?" Fan Xiaopang asked.

"He suggested that I choose Zhu'er first, and Xiao Zhao second," Zhao Xiaodao replied.

"Then let's listen to his advice."

"Yes! I understand. If I gain it, I'm lucky; if I lose it, it's fate. The important thing is to participate..."

"Read less inspirational stuff in the future. It's cloying and doesn't offer any real nutrition. If you have a chance to compete, then fight for it with all your might. It's like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge; if you're a step behind, you'll always be behind. You might give way to others, but they won't. There are no free lunches; only by fighting can you find a way out. Fighting until you're battered and bruised is better than missing out. If you miss out, you can only watch others laugh, cry while watching their backs, and eat dust following behind them." Fan Xiaopang sneered.

"But..." Zhao Xiaodao was frustrated. "I want to fight too, but how can I fight? What do I have to fight with?"

"The opportunity is right in front of you; it's all about how you seize it. If I had had the same opportunity as you back then, what a pity..." Fan Xiaopang didn't feel any regret; she never regretted what had already happened. The past is the past; one must look forward to go further.

"You mean a big radish? This... isn't that bad?" Zhao Xiaodao hesitated.

"Whether others say it's good or bad doesn't matter, as long as I like it. In the future, when thinking about these issues, don't think about other people's attitudes first, but ask yourself if it's worth it. If it is, then do it. If it's not, then ignore it. The most important thing in accomplishing something is yourself. Asking for other people's opinions will inevitably lead to failure." Fan Xiaopang got up. She didn't plan to blow-dry her hair; she was going to take a shower later, so she would do it all at once.

"I understand. I will definitely study my talents and acting skills well. I can do it with Yahoo Search Star, and I can do it this time too." Zhao Xiaodao cheered himself up, suddenly feeling a surge of excitement.

Fan Xiaopang sneered, "You don't understand anything. If hard work were useful, why would we need to cling to powerful figures?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, seemingly casually, and asked, "Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"No, I'm still young." Zhao Xiaodao looked bewildered. Why was she suddenly asking about relationships? Was she going to introduce me to someone? I'm not in a hurry, and I don't want to.

"Never been with a man?" Fan Xiaopang asked even more bluntly.

"No...no..." Zhao Xiaodao stammered.

“You have a good bargaining chip.” Fan Xiaopang stroked Xiaodao’s face and then pinched his chin. “There is no such thing as getting something for nothing in this world, nor is there any equivalent exchange. If you want to get something, you have to give something first. This has always been the principle. It’s human nature, and it’s also animal nature.”

Zhao Xiaodao fell silent, finally understanding.

"Sister Bing, you're already one of the top artists, why do you still work so hard?"

"What does it matter if you're at the top of the entertainment industry? Once you reach the summit, you'll find there are even more mountains behind you. There's always one higher mountain than the next, and you're always looking at the next one. I'm trying to climb higher, to prove myself, and even more so, to take control. But even at the top, an artist is still just an artist; once they're on the dinner table, they're just another dish."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Hehe, I'm helping myself."

Fan Xiaopang went back to the inner room with a grin. She was going to help the man put on a face mask. Knowing the man's nature, he might even put on a face mask for her.

Zhao Xiaodao was in a daze. The registration interface was right in front of him, the information had been uploaded, and the cursor was on "OK," but he couldn't press the button.

The inner room was filled with laughter and chatter, while the outer room was completely silent except for the hum of the laptop cooling system.

As the laughter intensified, Zhao Xiaodao woke up with a start, spitting lightly, "You two adulterers, here we go again."

"Bang!" Zhao Xiaodao slammed his laptop shut and quickly lay down on the bed.

She had no intention of changing rooms and understood her role. If the two of them were photographed by paparazzi, it would mean they were discussing the script or negotiating a collaboration, because she was there as a third wheel.

The Heart Sutra becomes unfamiliar after one repetition, becomes familiar after two repetitions, becomes easy after three or four repetitions, and becomes perfect after five or six repetitions in one go.

She recited it silently dozens of times, but to no avail; she always felt that the sound was even louder tonight.

Zhao Xiaodao sat up and took out a scripture. "At one time, the Buddha was in the Jeta Grove of Anathapindika's Park in Shravasti, together with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks. At that time, the World-Honored One, at mealtime, put on his robes, took his bowl, and entered the great city of Shravasti to beg for alms… Sister Bing, is this all your effort? It doesn't seem that arduous, that painful…"

Xixi often reads "Selected Works of Mao Zedong", Yang Mi diligently reads "Tao Te Ching", Gao Yuanyuan is reading "Das Kapital", and Zhao Xiaodao's reading list is Buddhist scriptures.

"Excellent! A low level of education is not a problem. As long as you love reading and learning, you can still become cultured." Liu Jing came out from the inner room and couldn't help but praise.

Zhao Xiaodao was reading with a frown on his face. He admired people who studied hard, especially in such a harsh learning environment.

"Aren't you...aren't you going to wash up?" Zhao Xiaodao was startled and stammered.

"I'll wash up when I get back." Liu Jing waved his hand, deciding to go back to sleep.

Sisi asked him to come here to keep his sister company, but he couldn't actually obey and come.

"You're leaving?" Zhao Xiaodao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up to see him off.

"You don't want me to leave?" Liu Jing suddenly turned around. I think I misunderstood what he just said.

"I can go with you." Zhao Xiaodao mustered her courage, her small face resolute, as if she were going to the execution ground.

"You're the White-Haired Girl, but I'm not Huang Shiren." Liu Jing lost interest, feeling like he was playing the villain.

"I'm not white..."

"You're the fairest."

Zhao Xiaodao couldn't continue speaking, and Huang Shiren left with a flourish, without a trace of regret.

"Pah! Big radish..."

"Xiao Dao, bring the computer over here, I need to use it."

"Sister Bing, it's almost midnight, are you still working? You need to get up and put on makeup at four o'clock tomorrow, is that alright?" Zhao Xiaodao put on a smile and carried her computer into the inner room.

The inner room wasn't as messy as I'd imagined; in fact, it was quite clean.

Fan Xiaopang lay on the bed, looking alluring, languid, and with a rosy complexion, appearing very regular, normal, and well-fed.

"It's okay, I'm in great spirits, even better than usual." Fan Xiaopang pulled the blanket up a little higher.

After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she hadn't noticed before, but her words had entered her own mind.

It seems that I'm always exhausted afterward, but I always feel very energetic the next day.

"Sister Bing, he didn't like me." Xiao Dao sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the computer.

"What?" Fan Xiaopang was a little confused. At this moment, his body felt lazy and his mind was a little sluggish.

“I just told him I could sleep with him, and he just left,” Zhao Xiaodao explained.

"Cough cough cough... Let me catch my breath." Fan Xiaopang coughed suddenly, grabbed the bottled water from the bedside table, took a few gulps, and finally came to his senses. "Xiaodao, just tell me directly?"

"Why not just say it directly? Do you expect me to write a love letter?" Zhao Xiaodao wondered. "Isn't it true that you have to give something to get something? We're not dating, it's just a transaction. Why go through all that trouble?"

"You're such a cutie, so efficient. We'll talk about it tonight." Fan Xiaopang rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling a headache.

You've run into Liu Jing; if you'd met any other big shot, they'd think you were setting a trap.

How can you be so blunt about something like this? Wouldn't that just make them look like beasts? They usually put on a civilized act first, and then do their beastly deeds.

Besides, even if you say it directly, you can't do it with a third person present. That's shameless of the big shot.

The reason I can work with him is because I'm not a big shot yet, so I can be shameless.

"Oh, I see, I chose the wrong time," Zhao Xiaodao suddenly realized.

Fan Xiaopang nodded twice, saying, "You're not completely stupid yet." But when he heard what Xiaodao said next, he was utterly speechless.

"That's true, you two were at it for so long, he must have been exhausted." Zhao Xiaodao said, annoyed.

Fan Xiaopang rolled his eyes. "Then they're not human. I can't handle two more of them."

"Xiao Dao, from now on, listen to my instructions. Do exactly what I tell you to do." Fan Xiaopang stopped beating around the bush; she felt this girl had a problem with her comprehension.

Based on her experience in handling affairs, she concluded that Xiaodao was an excellent executor.

But never let her make decisions on her own; if she does, things could turn out like they are today, a complete mess.

Just tell her what specific thing you need to do.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you." Zhao Xiaodao breathed a sigh of relief; this was much easier.

She didn't object to accompanying Liu Jing.

Before entering this circle, she had made ample mental preparations.

It doesn't matter who you accompany, but if you accompany a young, talented, and capable person, that's your good fortune.

I had had such thoughts before, but she immediately dismissed them. Wouldn't that be competing with Sister Bing for favor?

Bingjie treats me so well, how could I possibly steal someone else's man? Would I even be human?

"Xiao Dao, I'm a little tired, help me up." Fan Xiaopang struggled to get up, but every muscle in his body was sluggish.

Zhao Xiaodao quickly helped Bingjie sit down at the table. A line of poetry flashed through his mind: "A maidservant helps her up, delicate and weak."

"Who wrote this again? It seems to be by Li Bai," Zhao Xiaodao muttered to himself.

"It's time to put an end to this." Fan Xiaopang wrapped his clothes tighter, concealing his exposed skin.

"Are you going to break up with Liu Jing?" Zhao Xiaodao asked in surprise. It would be a shame to throw away such a powerful figure.

"I'm shutting down my blog," Fan Xiaopang said irritably, nearly choking on his own words.

She didn't want to waste time talking to Xiaodao, so she opened her drafts folder. Inside were two drafts she had written a month ago. She needed to make some changes and delete some of the content.

"The internet is like an ugly monster. You never know when or where it will pounce on you, bite you hard, and leave you bleeding and stunned on the spot, speechless. ... There are so many things I want to say, and so many grievances I can't express. I think my current feelings can only be described in eight words: 'pierced by arrows, you'll get used to it.'"

She hesitated for a long time, even though it was several thousand words long, whether or not to send it.

This was her response to the negative news she had received over the years, and it was also her last response.

I had a long talk with Liu Jing today, and I finally made up my mind.

"A hail of arrows in the heart, you'll get used to it," Zhao Xiaodao murmured.

"Yeah! You'll get used to it."

As he clicked send and the blog closed, a line of poetry flashed through Fan Xiaopang's mind: "The light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains."

She was certain it was by Li Bai.

(End of this chapter)