The battle for traffic in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 545 What a disappointing Nun!

dong dong~
The two people who were chatting in the music room stopped, and Xu Xing helplessly shrugged at Cai Jini.

"There are too many messy things."

"Brother Xing is always super busy."

Cai Jini laughed.

After Xu Xing went out and saw that the door was closed, his assistant Xiao Yun spoke softly.

"She's almost there."

"Ah."

Xu Xing nodded and went back into the room.

"Another party invitation, so annoying."

"That's just how Americans are, they're always partying," Cai Jini chimed in, adding, "Xing-ge, wanna go?"

"Of course I'm not going. I'd be exhausted if I went to every party."

Xu Xing sighed.

"oh oh."

Cai Jini nodded repeatedly.

Actually, he felt a little regretful, because a party invitation that Xu Xing's assistant had to personally report to must be extremely high-end. If Xu Xing could take him there, he could make more connections.

For example, at the parties Xu Xing had taken him to before, there were not only big names in the American record industry, but also executives from the six major Hollywood studios, partners from Wall Street investment banks, and Asian celebrities from all walks of life... Chatting with them, Cai Jini felt that he had become more high-class.

In fact, he did receive many collaboration invitations, and many people wanted to mold him into the next "Xu Xing".

As for Cai Jini going to the party... just like he was complaining to Xu Xing about.

"That Justin Bieber I just mentioned, he's such a show-off. He can barely walk straight, and he acts like he's got a nose on his face. Those people really have no respect for us. Brother Xing already taught him a lesson, and one day I'll make him pay!"

Since there were only two people in the room, Cai Jini started joking around.

That was Xing Ge's enemy, and he had to make a firm statement.

Did he do anything to you?

Xu Xing asked.

Cai Jini quickly shook her head.

"No, but I feel quite uncomfortable."

"Hmm... You're implicated because of me, aren't you? He probably knows I'm the one who brought you here. Actually, he's at the party, you didn't need to go."

"It's not that I wanted to go, it's...it's that they insisted on taking me, and I...I couldn't refuse..."

"Ah."

We chatted for a while longer.

dong dong~
The door rang again.

Xu Xing sighed again.

Cai Jini quickly made an indifferent expression and gesture. He was already surprised and happy that Xu Xing had called him here at the last minute. Before, he had repeatedly said that he wanted to visit, and Xu Xing would only see him occasionally.

Cai Jini watched as Xu Xing walked to the door and leaned out. She didn't hear what he said to his assistant, but saw him turn around.

"I need to answer a call; I didn't realize my phone was dead."

"Brother Xing, you go ahead with your work."

Cai Jini, who quickly stood up, even bowed slightly involuntarily.

After Xu Xing went out to answer the phone, Cai Jini also took out her phone to check it. The battery was quite full, so she went online to surf the internet.

Whether in China or overseas, everyone is still talking about "One Day"... The more Cai Jini reads, the more envious she becomes, sighing in her heart, wondering when she can be like Xing Ge.

Ta-da!
The woman's WeChat message popped up.

Xing said that we should be careful about our private lives, so she can't be considered my girlfriend.

The woman wanted to see him.

However, Brother Xing is far more important than any woman, and Cai Jini was about to politely decline.

dong dong~
There was another knock on the door.

Xu Xing's assistant walked straight in.

"Brother Xing is too busy for the time being. He has an online meeting to attend later. He asked me to apologize to you because he won't be able to come down for a while."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Cai Jini quickly stood up again. "I'm so sorry to have bothered Brother Xing. Just then, someone came to see me, so I'll have to go now. I'll apologize to Brother Xing for not being able to say goodbye in person."

However, just as Cai Jini was about to leave, he saw Xing Ge, who was on the phone, come out from upstairs and wave goodbye to him.

Cai Jini really felt that Xing Ge was paying more and more attention to him!

He bowed and waved goodbye.

After Cai Jini left, Xu Xingcai turned around, picked up the red wine and wine glass next to him, and went to the study.

Son Ye-jin, dressed in a dark red dress, was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a magazine she had picked up from the coffee table. When she heard Heo Haeng come in, she looked up, her bright red lips slightly pursed, and her eyes crinkled into a smile.

Ms. Sun had come to say goodbye to Xu Xing.

But don't look at what she says, look at what she does.

The exquisite makeup, especially the brighter lipstick than before, and the fact that red wine was ordered as a drink, were all very obvious signals.

Even though she told Xu Xing that she had already booked a flight for three hours later and would be leaving that night.

Ms. Sun had meticulously prepared for the meeting, and Xu Xing had also made thorough preparations.

Just then, the sound of cars driving out one after another came from downstairs. Son Ye-jin showed a slightly curious look, but Xu Xing did not respond.

There was no need to tell her that one car carried Cai Jini, and the other car carried her assistant, who was wearing the same thin trench coat she had arrived in, as well as a mask and sunglasses.

So, Son Ye-jin spoke first, her smile tinged with embarrassment.

"I don't know if Yoona told you, but I met with her like this before I came to America. At that time, I had the idea of ​​asking Yoona to ask you to give me some more support, but in the end I didn't say anything."

“No,” Xu Xing shook her head as she opened a bottle of red wine. “We rarely talk about other women.”

"Yoona talked to me a lot about you—uh," Son Ye-jin suddenly realized, her smile turning awkward, "It was because I, this incompetent senior, asked her that she..."

Xu Xing smiled.

"I only know that if she has something she believes shouldn't be told, she definitely won't tell it."

"..." Son Ye-jin nodded, then seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Actually, now that I've calmed down, I find myself quite strange about my impulsiveness. Although I'm absolutely certain that I'll be an actress for the rest of my life, I don't feel like I absolutely need to get any particular opportunities or resources right now."

"I had already made a life plan: dating, going public with my relationship, and getting married—as I said before, when you reach a certain stage in life, let what should happen happen naturally. I had decided to hold the wedding no later than the beginning of next year."

"Congratulations."

Xu Xing interrupted.

Son Ye-jin smiled more relaxedly.

"Thank you. Anyway, I found myself acting strangely for a while, like I wasn't myself anymore. Thankfully, I eventually calmed down and became myself again. Of course, I need to thank you the most; you helped me calm down. Thinking about it now, you, despite your young age, possess an astonishing maturity and self-control, which makes me feel truly ashamed. Perhaps that's why you've achieved such amazing success at such a young age! Even—"

She couldn't help but cover her face with her hands as she laughed.

"Anne Hathaway is honored to appear in your music video. It's incredibly embarrassing to think about my and my company's presumptuous attempts to collaborate. It's really shameful."

“It won’t be embarrassing or shameful,” Xu Xing chuckled. “If it weren’t for the fact that I really couldn’t work with Nuna, I would have invited her long ago. Hathaway was a candidate suggested by the team after seeing the album title ‘One Day.’ They extended the invitation and facilitated the collaboration. It really didn’t have much to do with me.”

Son Ye-jin then removed her hand from her face, smiled, and winked.

"Yoona said you have a really nice voice, and I can feel it too."

"...Then it's just that I have a nice way of speaking."

Xu Xing slightly pursed her lips.

Son Ye-jin, however, seemed a little nervous.

"No, I mean I was very happy to hear it and felt very comforted because I received the most praiseworthy affirmation. My way of speaking might be a bit clumsy."

“I can understand some things better from what Minna said.”

Xu Xing smiled and shook her head.

Son Ye-jin slightly averted her gaze.

"I always keep my words simple, just like I've always hoped to be a simple person."

“Me too, but life is too complicated.” Xu Xing sighed slightly. “Actually, I really want Nuna to have the opportunity to shine in Hollywood. But as you can see, they are always trying to seduce me, hoping that I will always stand with them. That’s why I have to constantly remind myself to stay clear-headed and not let them succeed.”

"I...didn't I say that Hollywood is nothing to worry about? I think as long as I keep getting roles, that's good enough. Besides, Hollywood scripts aren't necessarily suitable for me."

Son Ye-jin crossed her arms and stretched them out in front of her.

“That’s true,” Xu Xing nodded. “They’ve been inviting me to act in Hollywood projects, but I haven’t decided to go yet because I feel that their scripts don’t tell stories that suit me. For real actors, these big Hollywood directors and big projects are really deceptive. What’s the point of playing a minor supporting role in such a project, even if it’s not a big role and the character itself is terrible?”

“Uh, is that the kind of project they invited you for?” Son Ye-jin asked in surprise. “I heard that you can freely choose any role in Hollywood that doesn’t have to be played by a white or black person, and there are thousands of scripts for male leads waiting for you.”

"No, I am..."

Xu Xing seemed unsure how to continue the conversation.

Son Ye-jin understood, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

“I know that in big Hollywood projects, I can only get very small roles no matter what. If I were a newcomer, in my early twenties, I might still want to try my best. But I've been acting for 20 years, and at this stage of my career, it's impossible for me to want to play those kinds of roles anymore.”

"Hmm... Didn't Erika tell you? Some of the projects I'm interested in are actually by a new director. He's only worked as a screenwriter before and hasn't made any official films, but I really like the script. It's about Koreans, albeit immigrants. I haven't experienced immigration myself, but I think playing a character like that would be a very interesting challenge. Of course, I'm completely calm now. There's a very high chance I'll mess it up, isn't there?"

Son Ye-jin seemed more at ease.

Xu Xing was very surprised.

"It was just such a small project? Then...how could it be..."

So you made the decision to go to sleep?
That half-sentence was left unsaid.

Xu Xing certainly knew what project Erika was using to entice her. It was a Hollywood project that looked big but was sure to flop after its release. Xu Xing had never even heard of it in her previous life.

After the first unexpected incident in Singapore, CJ joined in, and the project they brought was one that Hsu Hsing had heard of.

Among Korean films from the post-Parasite era, compared to "The Decision to Break Up," "Past Life" was the only one that truly made a splash in Hollywood.

The male and female leads and the director are all of Korean descent, so some people feel that it cannot be considered a Korean film.

Of course, this film, "Past Life," only generated a wave of nominations through public relations and did not win any substantial awards.

However, this is also why this project is not just a small project by a completely new director. It is a pre-produced award-contending film that was a collaboration between CJ and Oscar contender A24 in its previous life, and now Netflix has also joined in.

Even though Heo Hsin-soo took away "Parasite," which meant that Bong-soo's "The Lodger" was only one step away from being nominated for an Oscar, and Korean films have not been as hyped as they were in the past two years, it has still really spurred Korean films to continue to strive for an Oscar.

In this context, "Past Lives" is actually more important than "Previous Life".

This is not just a movie, but a collection of resources jointly promoted globally by Netflix, A24, and CJ.

For Son Ye-jin, this was a truly rare opportunity. If she were to achieve any further breakthroughs in her acting career, she might never have another chance. That's why she was so excited.

Son Ye-jin, realizing what Xu Xing was about to say next, felt her cheeks flush slightly, but she still maintained a relaxed smile.

"I really like the script. It might not be that good, you write scripts too, but I really like it."

What kind of script is it?

Xu Xing took the initiative to ask.

Son Ye-jin began to speak.

It's a story about childhood sweethearts separated by immigration who reunite after many years, causing some ripples as they talk about their respective situations, and eventually returning to peace.

Listening to her story, the red wine seemed to have fully awakened.

Xu Xing poured the wine, and the two clinked their glasses lightly, took a small sip, and continued their conversation.

She said that Hsu Hsing would also share some of her own views.

By the time the already bland script ran out of things to say, half a bottle of red wine had already been drunk.

“It’s a real pity. I also think that if Nuna had been able to star in it, it would have been a great film.”

Xu Xing said regretfully.

Son Ye-jin, her face flushed, remained silent for a moment before softly agreeing.

"Yes, even though I've calmed down, but..."

"That's why Nuna made that decision before..."

"So I started to hate myself..."

"Actually, I was quite happy yesterday. I had a feeling that I was acceptable to slaves."

"Actually, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have..."

"So……"

Xu Xing looked directly into Son Ye-jin's eyes, and only continued speaking after Son Ye-jin's gaze, which had slightly shifted, returned to her.

"Nuna actually still wanted to act in that movie."

"Yes……"

Son Ye-jin spoke softly, nodded slightly, and then prepared to shake her head again to explain.

But Xu Xing spoke again.

“Then I called Bajaaria and told her that I hoped Nuna could star in the movie. As long as I showed my determination, she would agree. The decision to develop a second season of Childhood Games is in my hands; it's just a very ordinary movie.”

"..." Son Ye-jin was utterly shocked, her eyes trembling slightly. "I...I didn't—"

Xu Xing, who had already made the call, smiled easily and gave her a "shh" gesture.

The call was quickly answered.

A very short phone call.

It sounded like Xu Xing only briefly mentioned that he hoped she could star in "Past Life" because he had just learned about it and thought it was a great script, and he felt she could play the role well.

Xu Xing listened with a smile to what the other person was saying, and when she spoke again, it was just casual conversation with a smile. Xu Xing said that she did not want to disturb their work, and then promised to go to the party next time. Then, the phone hung up.

It sounds unbelievably simple, although Bajaaria and Lee Mi-kyung's flattering attitude towards Hsu Hsing at yesterday's party already gave it away, so it must be that simple.

But...it really is Bajaaria over there—Xu Xing wouldn't lie to her...Xu Xing agreed to go to the party, even though he agreed with a smile, does he need to give something in return...? Why would Xu Xing do this...?

Son Ye-jin's mind is a mess.

Xu Xing looked at her, who was somewhat stunned, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"It's all settled. Nuna, just wait to arrange your schedule and join the filming."

"I……"

Son Ye-jin tried hard to say something.

Her cell phone rang.

Lee Mi-kyung's phone call.

Pick up the phone quickly.

A slightly sarcastic laugh immediately reached their ears.

"So, things have always been this simple, haven't they? You're really lucky. Get ready for the audition again in seven days; it'll still be a formality."

After a few words, neither too long nor too short, the call ended without giving Son Ye-jin a chance to speak.

Lee Mi-kyung was indeed very dissatisfied with her, and said several times that she had made things too complicated, causing trouble for Lee Mi-kyung as well.

...So, it's true, it really only took Xu Xing to say the word. So, Bajaaria, Li Meijing, and Erika were actually patiently cooperating with Xu Xing... Xu Xing said they used her to seduce him, and he could always make the decision easily, but it also came at a price... He also had to give something, right... for her?

...Seven days, seven days—a very clear hint. So, what exactly is Xu Xing...?

"Uh, what's the problem?"

A gentle voice sounded in my ear.

Son Ye-jin snapped out of her daze, and Heo Haeng, who was next to her, handed her a glass of red wine that was half full.

"Shall we celebrate getting the role?"

Clean, polite laughter.

He took the glass, clinked glasses, took a small sip... and tilted his head back higher and higher.

Drink it all in one gulp.

Call ~
Breathing softly.

"Thank you, really, thank you."

Pour the red wine back in.

"It's nothing. Actually, after Nuna came over today, I knew I had to help Nuna get a role, no matter what kind of role it was. Or rather, it was from the moment Nuna started sending me messages."

The words whispered in my ear.

The words were whispered in my ear.

"...I feel a little ashamed. I deliberately said things that seemed indifferent, but actually..."

"Actually, I could tell too. I was very happy when I received the message from Nuna. When I saw Nuna arrive, she was wearing such a beautiful dress and high heels, and her makeup was even more elaborate than yesterday, especially the color of her lipstick, which was really beautiful. Was it specially chosen? I thought, Nuna must have made a decision."

"I feel like crawling into a hole... I did make a decision, but I also like to deceive myself. The lipstick, I really did pick it out specifically... umm~"

A long while passed.

"I've always thought Noona's lips are very beautiful."

Even softer words came out of her mouth.

Even quieter words were spoken.

"Phew~ I've always thought you were pretty handsome too~"

"really?"

"Yeah~ Really~"

"I'm really happy. But I also feel like I'm being despicable."

"...Don't talk about yourself like that. You... said it so many times, it was me, um~"

A very, very long time passed.

A deep sigh was heard.

The chuckles sounded almost simultaneously.

"You useless noona~"

"..."

It looked like they were crying.

In the end, I couldn't hold back my tears, but not because I was sad.

So the soft laughter continued to ask.

"Unprecedented?"

"..."

I don't know how to respond to the crying.

The soft laughter didn't press the matter further; instead, it was replaced by the gentlest kiss.

There is still a lot, a lot, a lot of time to ask questions.

Gentle yet firm, loved by everyone, and capable of solving almost any problem.

If they cannot solve the problem, then offer them the utmost respect; judging from Nuna's disappointing performance, it must be solvable.

We celebrate the promise that Teacher Fan had not been able to keep, and finally got the chance to take another small step forward.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Triumphant, or regretful?"

"...What's there to regret?"

"You meticulously planned the rendezvous to prepare for the risk of it being exposed. You wanted to create a huge uproar, a dramatic reversal to slap people in the face, and demonstrate your control over the so-called top stars. You wanted to be like Wang Churan, letting everyone know that you slept together, but without being able to prove it. But nothing happened. Isn't that a shame?"

"No, it wasn't that elaborate. It was just normal risk avoidance, not even as elaborate as hiding it in a suitcase. Besides, am I that weird?"

"Aren't you a pervert?"

"Or I'll let you hear what she has to say. Everyone blames themselves for being greedy."

"...So, you filthy entertainment industry people are really—sigh, Xu Xing, a thought suddenly popped into my head. If you hadn't inexplicably added me on WeChat and pulled me into being your assistant, and if I hadn't seen so many awful things in the industry, I'd probably still criticize those celebrities whose careers have collapsed and who seem pretty bad, but I'd still have a soft spot for many of them. Like this one today, when she officially announced her relationship at the beginning of last year, I actually believed it for a moment...sigh, never mind, it's too funny. I don't seem to be any different from them. Thank you, Xu Xing, without you I definitely wouldn't be able to make so much money so easily. When I heard Xiaoyun report that you were being so cautious today, my first reaction was relief and a sigh of relief. Of course, I also wanted to complain that the whole world was focused on your album, but you were at your villa...forget it, never mind, you're really something else. I've said so much, and I've almost stopped talking so many times, and you're not even going to finish what you were saying?"

"You didn't ask me to say it."

"Haven't you given in now?"

"Didn't I already say that?"

"That's it?"

"Otherwise—thank you. I—"

"As long as I hang up quickly enough, I won't see you being inexplicably dramatic and disgusting again, oh dear~"

thump~
broken.

(End of this chapter)