My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

I admire your courage.

That was all Yao Lingling could say, while adding in her mind, "But I sympathize with your situation even more."

Gao Xia works on short dramas, serving as director, producer, and screenwriter herself, and sometimes even acting in them. She has spent all her savings on basic filming equipment. The place where she works now is so remote it's like a ghost town. The building is at least 30 years old, and the walls are peeling.

Yao Lingling looked into their operations and found them to be absolutely terrible. They had filmed several short dramas, but not a single one had been sold. What was the point of making short dramas? They were just not suited for it. She couldn't help but ask, "Gao Xia, why do you think you can make short dramas?"

Gao Xia thought for a moment and replied, "I think I have a sense of humor. What do you think?"

Turning away, forcing myself to suppress a laugh, I said seriously, "I also think you're quite humorous. Okay, let's go out to eat, it's on me."

"Lingling, I didn't call you here so you could treat me to a meal. I wanted some advice on what I should do next."

"You'd better not ask for my opinion. I know nothing about your industry. If you ask me, I'll suggest you change careers. You've done all the work for this short drama by yourself. It's so hard, and you're not even making any money. I think you should give it up."

Gao Xia seemed to be struggling, and finally said, "If this last work of mine is still not successful, I will listen to you and change careers. You have to find me a job then, otherwise I'm afraid I'll starve to death."

He patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let you starve."

Investing in her is not an option; Yao Lingling has no money, but she certainly has the financial means to keep her from starving.

The two went downstairs together. Yao Lingling glanced into the dressing room and saw the actress getting her makeup done. After the makeup was done, she looked quite pretty. "Gao Xia, you must have spent a lot of money hiring actors."

"No, no, it's all about shares. That's my cousin, we're like partners."

Okay, fine, it's one thing to mess with yourself, but to drag your relatives along and mess with them too? Aren't you afraid your family will break your legs when you get home? "Shouldn't you bring them along for dinner?"

"We'll bring some back for them later. We've only done half of their makeup, so we can't waste it."

They found a Chinese restaurant, and Yao Lingling handed the menu to Gao Xia. Unexpectedly, Gao Xia, who used to be so conscious of her figure, ordered braised pork belly and braised pork knuckle with rock sugar, etc., as if she was really craving them.

Seeing that Yao Lingling had ordered a few vegetables, Gao Xia said, "You only eat this? No wonder you maintain such a good figure."

"I can't help it, I eat seafood every day, I just want some vegetables now." Gao Xia drank half of her water and looked up at her. "It's like killing someone by breaking their spirit, killing someone by breaking their spirit."

When the topic turned to Gao Xia's short drama, Gao Xia immediately became interested in talking about it, telling Yao Lingling that her drama was called "The One from the Sun," and it was about a Cinderella who met her dream man.

The scene we're filming today is about the female lead encountering a scumbag who seduces and then abandons her, leaving her heartbroken. Meanwhile, the male lead, bathed in sunlight, appears as if he's the son of the sun, and thus begins a love story with the female lead.

Yao Lingling rubbed her temples. The plot was so melodramatic and illogical. Where was the enjoyment? She wanted to advise Yao Lingling not to film it at all. In the end, it would just be kept for her own self-appreciation, a waste of time. And all those makeup products were bought with money.

"Sigh, the biggest problem I'm facing right now is that we can't find anyone to play this scumbag. We don't have enough actors. If all else fails, I'll have to dress up as a man myself."

Is this how you're going to compromise? Audiences these days are so picky. If you just fudge things like this, it's no wonder this show won't sell.

Just then, Yao Lingling's phone rang, showing a WeChat message. She picked it up casually, saw the sender's name, and her face lit up with joy. She quickly opened it.

It turned out that Chen Xiao received a call from Chen Long, who said Yao Lingling was in Hanjiang and asked him to look after her. He also asked Chen Xiao to help her out if she encountered any difficulties. Chen Xiao thought he had nothing to do today, and he remembered that he had met her at the Junxiao Plaza branch last time and they had eaten together, but afterwards he spent the afternoon in Liu Jingjing's office and hadn't seen her since. So, he decided to go see how she was doing. After all, when he met her at Chen Long's wedding banquet, they got along quite well.

"Who is it, your boyfriend?"

"Is it that obvious?" Yao Lingling quickly explained, "No, it's a friend."

"Really?" Gao Xia looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you look so lovestruck?"

He kicked her under the table. "You've been filming too many short dramas, haven't you? You have so many melodramatic scenes in your head."

She replied to Chen Xiao's message, telling him that she was hanging out at a short drama studio at a friend's place, and that he said he wanted to come over and check it out, probably just to kill some time. Yao Lingling was naturally overjoyed, and while sending the address, she said to Gao Xia, "He'll be coming to see me in a bit. He's my brother-in-law's cousin."

"Hmm—that's a good idea. I'll see if you'd be suitable to play a cameo role for me later."

Yao Lingling was dumbfounded. "You want the boss of Junxiao Commercial Management to play a cameo role for you? Can you find a bigger star than him? It's harder to invite him than to invite Andy Lau. This person really dares to think big."

"That Gao Xia, I'm afraid he's not good enough to play the male lead. He doesn't have that much time to come here to film."

She didn't want to reveal Chen Xiao's identity, so she politely declined Gao Xia's offer, citing time constraints. Unexpectedly, Gao Xia gave her a look that said, "Are you crazy?" and replied, "How could I let him play the male lead? He has no acting experience at all. If he messes up my performance, will he compensate me?"

I rolled my eyes. You're still complaining? If we could get him to act in it, as long as the boss of Junxiao Group is involved in the show and we use that as a gimmick for promotion, even if the show is terrible, it will still sell.

The boss of Junxiao Group is so mysterious that countless people want to see his true face. This drama is likely to become the most popular bad drama in history. The key is that it is also a melodramatic love story. Gao Xia's cousin is lucky to act alongside the boss of Junxiao Group and even have a love story with him. This drama will probably become a hit after it is finished.

Besides, if Gao Xia were to invite Chen Xiao to be the male lead, wouldn't those people from Junxiao Capital be scrambling to invest? If the boss is acting, this crappy filming equipment won't do; it has to be replaced! The costumes and props are terrible; they have to be the best. The director is terrible; he has to be replaced—uh, she looked at Gao Xia and suddenly realized that she was also quite suitable to be a screenwriter. In an instant, so many images flashed through her mind.

“Gao Xia, if you can really get him to act in your film, it will definitely be a hit, and you can get as much investment as you want.”

"Come on, do you think he's Andy Lau? You think he's guaranteed to be a star and can get as much investment as he wants? Do you think he has 500 million?"

Yao Lingling rolled her eyes at her. Who do you think you are? If Chen Xiao were to act in your drama, Junxiao Capital could probably make you the biggest film and television company with a little effort. Junxiao Capital wouldn't even bother with a 500 million yuan deal.

"Use your imagination and add two more zeros."

Gao Xia chuckled, "Lingling, it's been a while since I've seen you. How come you've become such a braggart? You used to be such a low-key person."

Yao Lingling remained as low-key as ever, but how could she possibly be low-key when you wanted Chen Xiao to act in a movie? She didn't argue with her anymore. If Chen Xiao was going to act in a movie, then it was just the two of them idly chatting. With his status, how could he possibly agree to that?

After finishing their meal, the two walked back to the company. On the way, Yao Lingling received a call from Chen Xiao, who told her that he had already arrived on the first floor of the office building. She quickly pulled Gao Xia along and started running.

"Hey, hey, what's the rush? It's only natural for a man to wait for a woman; the longer he waits, the more sincere he is."

Yao Lingling ignored her, and Gao Xia lingered, so she jogged over alone, telling Chen Xiao to wait. She was joking; she really didn't dare. After so many days, they finally had a chance to meet. If he got angry and left because of her neglect, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

"Are you crazy, woman? I'm so full, how am I going to run away?"

Gao Xia, wearing high heels, followed Yao Lingling, running until her stomach started to hurt; she had eaten too much at the meal.

Yao Lingling ran to the lobby on the first floor, slightly out of breath, and saw Chen Xiao wearing a light gray polo shirt and casual cropped pants, looking neither overly formal nor lacking in elegance.

His eyes curved slightly, with faint smile lines at the corners, as if they held the essence of a bright, sunny afternoon.

She walked quickly toward him, and at that moment Gao Xia had just arrived at the door. She saw Chen Xiao with his thin lips slightly pursed and a faint smile on his lips. The sunlight shone on his face, even his eyelashes were gilded.

"My God—this is exactly the person I've been looking for! He's a real heartthrob, no wonder my show is a hit!"

He leaned lazily against the turnstile, one hand in his pocket and the other casually holding a gift bag. His posture was relaxed but not decadent; instead, it had an unintentional charm.

As Yao Lingling and Gao Xia approached, he straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Yao Lingling's face, his smile deepening, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

He took a step forward and gently handed the gift bag to Yao Lingling, his long fingers moving naturally. "Here, this is for you. It's to apologize for leaving without saying goodbye at Junxiao Square last time." His voice was deep and chuckled, with a slight rise at the end, as if hiding a little bit of pride.

Gao Xia watched this scene from afar, cupped her round face in her hands and rubbed it, unable to believe it. No wonder she had been unable to find a suitable actor. It turned out that all of this was the best arrangement. This person was so nice. No wonder Lingling said that he would definitely become popular if he participated.

Sunlight streamed through the glass door, bathing Chen Xiao in its glow, making him appear as if he were enveloped in a soft filter. His smile, his movements, even the tone of his voice carried an irresistible warmth. When Yao Lingling accepted the gift, her fingertips accidentally brushed against his hand; the touch was slightly cool, yet inexplicably made her heart race.

Seeing Yao Lingling's stunned expression, he tilted his head, his smile widening: "What, aren't you going to open it and take a look?"

Subconsciously and obediently, he took out a gift from the bag. It was a Tiffany emerald and diamond necklace. This one, with a 26.23-carat sapphire and diamond, was worth over 500 million yuan. Chen Xiao bought it when he was strolling around Junxiao City, intending to give it as a gift someday.

"So valuable." Yao Lingling had sold Chanel before and had seen similar necklaces in Shanghai's Huijin Plaza, so she knew they were quite expensive. "Just wearing it for fun, it's not really valuable," Chen Xiao waved his hand, looking at Gao Xia who had walked closer and was staring at him. Yao Lingling quickly introduced them, calling Chen Xiao "President Chen" and Gao Xia her best friend, the owner of a short drama studio.

On the way, Yao Lingling had already sent a message introducing the project. Chen Xiao wasn't surprised; he had never seen anyone else film a short drama before, and it was out of curiosity that he suggested coming over for a look.

"Mr. Gao, you don't mind if I come here to learn a bit, do you?"

Hearing his humble and modest question, Yao Lingling felt a little dizzy, but the next second she heard Gao Xia say generously, "Of course I don't mind. If you're interested, I can teach you." She was completely flustered and really wanted to cover Gao Xia's mouth.

But Gao Xia was clearly very interested in Chen Xiao. Just as Chen Xiao finished his polite remark and fell silent, she took the initiative and asked, "Handsome, are you interested in acting?"

"Yeah, I'm quite curious. When I was little, I watched those big stars play many roles, and it was like experiencing different lives. It was quite interesting."

This is his genuine thought. Many people dream of becoming big stars when they are young, envying the glamorous appearance of celebrities on screen and the many beautiful women they have with them.

"I have a role here that's perfect for you. How about I help you fulfill your dream? And it even has intimate scenes, you know. Do you want it? Do you want it?"

Her voice was seductive, which made Chen Xiao chuckle: "Suitable for me? What kind of role?"

Yao Lingling was stunned. Gao Xia was serious! She really dared to bring it up! And what about intimate scenes? Why would she need intimate scenes in a short drama?

"Hmm, how about playing a scumbag and filming a kissing scene? Are you interested?"

What?! Yao Lingling was stunned. Gao Xia must be crazy. She didn't ask President Chen to play the lead role, but to play the scumbag. Her heart was pounding, and she felt like she was suffocating. She looked at Chen Xiao, wondering if he would get angry.

Fortunately, Chen Xiao maintained his smile, seemingly unperturbed by Gao Xia's suggestion. Instead, he chuckled and pointed to himself, asking, "Me, play a scumbag? I've never acted before, and I don't know how to act."

Gao Xia scrutinized him carefully, which drew a glare from Yao Lingling, who gestured for her not to be too presumptuous. But Gao Xia paid no attention to her, or rather, she was already engrossed in her own storyline. She couldn't find a suitable actor before, but now a handsome man had fallen from the sky. It was like a godsend; this was a sure sign that the show would be a hit.

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, Gao Xia gave off a "Don't worry, I've got this covered" look, which was quite reassuring.

"The best acting is no acting. Just tone down your appearance a little and play yourself."

Chen Xiao was taken aback, while Yao Lingling gasped. Gao Xia was openly calling him a scumbag! Chen Xiao looked at Yao Lingling with a wry smile, as if to say, "What kind of best friend is this? How can she speak so disparagingly?"
"Gao Xia, don't talk nonsense. How could he possibly play that role? No, that's not right, how could he possibly act—"

Ignorance is bliss. Even if Gao Xia knew Chen Xiao's identity, this is her last chance in this drama. She's finally got a handsome man like him, and she's determined to seize the opportunity.

"Of course you could! It's just a scene, and it's even an intimate scene. If it becomes popular, you might become a big star someday."

Yao Lingling almost laughed in exasperation. Why did he want to be a big star? Chen Xiao couldn't help but add, "I'm not interested in celebrities, but I'd like to see how you film. I've never seen anything like it before."

Gao Xia tempted her, "Filming is boring. Acting is much better. You can immerse yourself in the role, and you get paid. Most importantly, if you become famous, you'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of your life. You'll be financially free in no time."

"Gao Xia, shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?" If she weren't afraid that Chen Xiao didn't want to reveal his identity, she would have pried open Gao Xia's squinty eyes to let her see who this person was. You want him to be financially free? How much more free does he want? He buys commercial real estate worth hundreds of billions at a time. Isn't that free?
Chen Xiao waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. He came out today to relax, and Gao Xia's attitude made him feel at ease.

"Please introduce your script."

Seeing that Chen Xiao was interested, Gao Xia's eyes lit up, and she quickly invited him to sit down. She moved a chair and sat opposite him, and began to introduce her book in detail—"The Man from the Sun."

Yao Lingling covered her face, feeling utterly ashamed. However, she did admire her enthusiasm for her work; it was just that she had chosen the wrong path. If she had switched to a more suitable field, she would definitely have made a name for herself.

Chen Xiao couldn't help but exclaim as Gao Xia explained, "Could this plot be any more melodramatic? What? A scumbag cheats on the female lead, and then the male lead is someone from the sun."

I couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Gao, did the male lead come down from the sun?"

Gao Xia was speaking enthusiastically when she was interrupted. She took a sip of water to moisten her throat; she had eaten too much salt at noon and was already thirsty, and after talking for so long, her throat was practically burning. She nodded at Chen Xiao's question: "That's right, coming down from the sun, it has the meaning of 'son of the sun'."

Chen Xiao fiddled with a sandalwood safety buckle that someone had placed on the coffee table, and said, "In the sun, with such high temperatures, isn't that equivalent to being cremated? How can you go after the female lead?"

Yao Lingling couldn't help but laugh, while Gao Xia opened her mouth wide, tea spilling from the corner of her mouth. "Brother, what's wrong with your thinking? This is a short drama, you know? This story is purely fictional."

Even fiction needs logic, right? Otherwise, won't the audience criticize you to death? Chen Xiao thought that once this drama was made, he would be the first to go in and give it a few sarcastic remarks.

"No, brother, we've been discussing this for a long time. What do you think of my suggestion? I'd like you to play the man who cheated on the girlfriend of the Son of the Sun. That would be very prestigious, and it would even be an intimate scene. Let me tell you, some people offered me money to act in it, but I refused. I only think you have the talent."

Chen Xiao said seriously, "Speak clearly, don't I have a talent for acting?"

Gao Xia shook her head. "How would I know if you have acting talent before you've even acted? I can't lie to you, right? But you'd be absolutely perfect as a scumbag."

Yao Lingling kept her head down, afraid that she would laugh out loud and be punished by Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao didn't seem to mind, "Continue introducing your plot."

"The rest is simple. After you dumped the female lead, you abandoned her. Then the male lead—the one from the sun—entered, fell in love with the female lead, and in the end, the male lead drove a Rolls-Royce Phantom and the two of them lived a sweet life together."

Chen Xiao frowned. "I have a question. Is the female lead so easily swayed by other men? What did the male lead see in her? Was he attracted to her because she was blessed by a scumbag?"

"Pfft—" Gao Xia spat out the tea she had just swallowed, and Yao Lingling couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, you've gone too far. You're questioning the screenwriter's abilities. Even big names wouldn't dare to do that, how dare you?"

He waved his hand and said, "Where did you find this lousy screenwriter? If he wants to make a living from this, he deserves to starve."

Yao Lingling was laughing so hard she could hardly live. Looking at Gao Xia's face, which was turning white and then purple, she realized that Gao Xia was practically starving to death. Chen Xiao had really hit the nail on the head.

"Brother, are you here to act or to cause trouble? You say the script is no good, then you write it." Gao Xia had a stomachache, not knowing whether it was from eating too much and running or from being angry with him, but it was related to him in both cases.

Chen Xiao nodded seriously, "Okay, add a little something to the end of your story: when the 'cremation man' is driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom and preparing to live happily ever after with the female lead, the scumbag reappears, driving a Buick M7. At this point, the female lead realizes she still can't forget him, so she gives the 'cremation man' a 'friend zone' card and turns to chase after the scumbag."

At this point, the 'cremated person' couldn't accept it and loudly asked her, "Why don't you ride in your Rolls-Royce Phantom and go find that scumbag? What do I lack compared to him?"

By this point, Gao Xia was completely dumbfounded. What was wrong with this guy's thought process? It was bad enough that the scumbag made his final appearance, but why did he have to drive a Buick Regal M7? Then Chen Xiao continued his script—"At this moment, the female lead turned to the 'cremator' and said: 'Have you ever heard the saying—I'd rather cry in a Buick Regal M7 than laugh in a Rolls-Royce?'"

Yao Lingling and Gao Xia were both dumbfounded. A feel-good drama can be brainless, but can it be this brainless?

"Dude, are you kidding me? This show is bound to flop!"

Chen Xiao shook his head. "You're wrong. If you film it the way I told you, it's guaranteed to sell. I guarantee it'll sell for at least 200 million. You can ask her if you don't believe me."

He looked at Yao Lingling as he spoke. Gao Xia hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Yao Lingling and saw her nod seriously. Chen Xiao said it could be sold, of course it could be sold. 200 million was just a matter of a few meals for him.

Gao Xia still couldn't believe it. It could sell for 200 million? That would turn her life around.

Chen Xiao then said, "If you can't sell it for 200 million, go find Yao Lingling. Her brother-in-law is rich. Have him buy it."

“You said his brother-in-law would buy it, so he bought it?” Gao Xia pursed her lips, still reeling from the shock of the 200 million yuan.

She stood up and said, "You decide for yourself. If you go with my plan, it'll be 200 million. If you go with your plan that blocks screenwriters, who's going to watch those lousy jokes?"

Say what you will, and don't call her a terrible screenwriter. If we follow your logic, she'll be even worse. Your screenplay is so terrible it's earth-shattering. She suspects that if it were made into a film, she'd be bombarded with criticism.

"Really 200 million?"

Yao Lingling nodded again in confirmation.

"Let's do it!" (End of Chapter)