Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 35 Jiangying Media's First Artist

To be honest, it's a bit of a pity that Chen Duling's original career path was not going well!

In 2013, she broke into the entertainment industry with just an ID photo.

On Facejoking, a website that ranks campus beauties and hunks across the country, she topped the list of goddesses, surpassing Zhang Zetian, the "Milk Tea Sister" from Tsinghua University.

Then, she debuted as an amateur in the big-budget film "The Left Ear," a high starting point that many young actresses could only dream of.

At the time, she hesitated about the entertainment industry. As a top student in science and engineering with a score of 621 on the college entrance examination, she felt that she was out of place in the entertainment industry.

After all, she likes model airplanes and enjoys building airplanes...

So I chose to go back to school to continue my studies and complete my education first.

After graduating and deciding to officially debut, she did not sign with a professional agency but chose to operate like a family workshop, which resulted in a lack of resources. She could only take on remakes of IPs that capitalized on the popularity of "The Left Ear" and youth dramas, producing a lot of "black history" and falling into a dead end of "acting in bad movies, poor market feedback, and downgraded resources," and was regarded as a "discarded child."

Lacking formal training and professional background, his acting skills have been criticized...

It was like a debut that was the peak of their career... and then they flopped!
For the next eight years, he remained relatively unknown.

Even Rao Xueman, who was her guide at the time, joked that she didn't dare to contact her.

You can only tell how well she's doing each year by the gifts she gives you on holidays!
If the gifts are a bit more expensive this year, things might go a bit better.

This year seems to be just average; perhaps they haven't received many endorsement deals.

But Chen Duling was proud and self-consistent, and she did not give up!

Drawing inspiration from the Go concept of "sacrificing pieces to gain the initiative," the series abandons its obsession with the female lead's star power and instead adopts a "sea of ​​questions" approach.

She actively sought opportunities in Hengdian, playing different supporting roles in 17 dramas within 11 months, experiencing diverse characters to improve her acting skills and break free from the "naive and innocent young actress" label.

But it was still very difficult at the time. She simply couldn't carry a drama, and was put on the "cautious cooperation list" by investors!
But sometimes, things just happen that way.

In 2023, she landed the lead role in "When the Wild Geese Return"!

This is her first time independently carrying the lead role in a period drama, and investors generally believe that "her star power is not enough to support investment."

One of the production companies for the series is "Liubai Films". Although it had previously produced "The Longest Day in Chang'an", the core team for this series is composed of newcomers, and the script was polished in just four months.

"When the Wild Geese Return" and "Ink Rain and Clouds" were regarded by the platform as market experiments. The selection of actors such as Chen Duling, Wu Jinyan, and Meng Ziyi, who were "popular but not top stars and whose reputation had declined", was essentially a low-cost gamble of "gaining traffic if it becomes popular and losing nothing if it flops".

Industry insiders predicted that "When the Wild Geese Return" would be a "routine production from Hengdian World Studios," believing that Chen Duling "couldn't carry the lead role" and that it would "flop as soon as it airs."

An anonymous producer stated, "The platform scheduled the show at the end of the winter break, clearly to make way for an S-level drama."

The show became a hit, and her career took off again!
But nearly eight years were wasted in the meantime!

With Jiang Ye around, everything is bound to change!

Chen Duling was sipping her soup when she looked up at the question: "Looking for you?"

His tone carried a clear hint of doubt.

“Of course.” Jiang Ye leaned forward slightly and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice. “But you don’t need to answer right away. You can go back and discuss it with your family.”

He paused for a moment, then added, "And let's also see if my little company can catch the eye of Chen, the academic genius."

Chen Duling put down the soup spoon, the porcelain spoon making a crisp sound as it hit the rim of the bowl.

Looking at the man who had suddenly become serious, she suddenly remembered how he had explained scenes to her during filming, with the same focused expression that made it impossible to look away.

"Is Director Jiang recruiting?" She tilted her head slightly, her ponytail slipping off her shoulder. "But I've heard that companies run by new directors are all very poor."

“Tsk,” Jiang Ye exaggeratedly clutched his chest, “Chen’s words were so hurtful.” He suddenly lowered his voice, “But you’re right, we’re really poor right now, so we need to hurry up and sign a few future stars, like…”

His gaze fell on her meaningfully.

The cafeteria lights fell between the two of them. Chen Duling saw the seriousness in his eyes, and also that familiar teasing.

She knew this was no joke, nor was it a spur-of-the-moment thing.

But she hasn't figured out her future yet!

“Okay,” she nodded gently, “until I graduate, if your company hasn’t gone bankrupt yet…”

"Hey!" Jiang Ye's eyes widened. "You don't trust me at all?"

Chen Duling suddenly smiled, her eyebrows curving into beautiful crescent moons: "I believe you."

"So you have to work hard, so that I won't be left without anyone to rely on when the time comes."

Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon.

The streetlights on campus lit up one after another, forming warm bands of light in the deepening night.

Jiang Ye gazed at the girl's silhouette softened by the lamplight across the street and suddenly felt that winter in Nanjing seemed warmer than in Beijing!
……

Jiangsu Province, Changzhou!
Changzhou Tourism and Commerce Branch of Jiangsu Provincial United Vocational and Technical College.

This vocational school in Changzhou is known for training talents in tourism, commerce, and the arts. Although the campus is not large, it is exquisite in every aspect.

The training building has a reception desk that resembles a five-star hotel, the business department classrooms have exchange rate displays for various currencies, and art students often sketch in the fountain square with their easels.

During lunch break, two girls walked side by side on the tree-lined path.

One of them had a high ponytail, fair skin, and her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled, with a small dimple on her right cheek.

She was wearing a simple white sweatshirt and jeans, with faded white sneakers on her feet, exuding a youthful and vibrant aura.

"Hey, look at this!"

The girl with the ponytail suddenly grabbed her best friend's arm and excitedly shook her phone screen. "Hehe, look, 'Literary Trends' magazine is recruiting models for a photoshoot. I want to try it out!"

Her best friend chuckled and leaned closer for a look, then immediately gave her a thumbs up: "Go for it! You're so pretty, you'll definitely get chosen!"

She winked mischievously, "Maybe some director will spot you and you'll go straight into the entertainment industry! When you become a big star, don't forget your sisters!"

Upon hearing this, the girl smiled even more brightly, her dimples deepening, and her eyes shining as if filled with stars.

She waved her hand generously: "Absolutely! Once I become famous, you'll be working for me, and we'll live the high life together!"

The sunlight slanted across her face, and she smiled so broadly that her eyebrows practically flew up.

His eyes were completely squinted into two curved slits, as if he couldn't open them because of the sunlight, or as if he was laughing so hard that he couldn't close them at all.

His mouth stretched almost to his ears, revealing a small row of neat teeth, with even his gums peeking out slightly, making no attempt to hide them.

She was probably laughing too hard, and a few tiny freckles of light and shadow squeezed out from the tip of her nose. She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her mouth, but put it down again as soon as it reached her cheek. Instead, she tilted her head back and laughed even more happily, her shoulders bouncing up and down, and even the shimmering light at the ends of her hair seemed to be dancing.

His smile was exaggerated, but inexplicably infectious!

……

Jiang Ye finally arrived at the school gate.

His trip to see Dudu was just a side trip, since they were both in Jiangsu Province anyway. His main purpose was to sign Jiangying Media's first artist!
(End of this chapter)