I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

"Alright, alright, I was being too insistent. Let's not dwell on these troublesome things." Chen Kai's tone was gentle, tinged with a hint of probing: "We haven't had a proper time together in a long time, so how about tonight..."

"Why not what?" Chen Hong interrupted instantly with a cold face, her eyes full of sarcasm: "Why don't you continue to go and be intimate with those women who surround you outside? I'm tired, I'm going to take a shower and rest. You can sleep on your side tonight."

In her heart, she sneered: With your abilities, you're practically useless. You still go out and have affairs every night. Don't you even look at your own situation? Wanting to share a bed with someone is just a pipe dream.

After saying that, she ignored Chen Kaige's face, which had instantly turned ugly, turned around and went straight into the master bedroom, grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, clearly audible.

Chen Kai stood in the living room, his face alternating between pale and flushed, filled with anger and frustration, with nowhere to vent his pent-up rage.

After a brief standoff, he could only let out a cold snort, angrily turn around, and slam the door shut as he left.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Chen Hong came out after taking a shower and found that Chen Kaige was no longer in the room. Her face remained expressionless, and she showed no intention of searching for him.

Holding her phone, she tapped her fingertips and sent Cheng Sheng a sexy private photo of herself, her hair slightly damp, and her figure alluring, after she had just taken a shower. She waited quietly for his reply.

……

Meanwhile, at the Feng family villa.

The living room was dark and gloomy late at night, with only a wisp of cigarette embers flickering in the darkness.

Feng Dapao sat alone on the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke swirling around him, his whole being exuding a gloomy and oppressive aura.

Xu Fan, who pushed open the door, was startled by the dark and silent scene. He quickly reached out and turned on the living room light, scolding, "Old Feng, sitting here smoking in the dark at night, are you trying to scare me to death?"

The glaring lights came on, illuminating the fierce and resentful look on Feng Dapao's face.

He looked up at Xu Fan and asked in a somber tone, "Where have you been so late?"

"Where else could we go? To a social gathering with Chen Hong and her friends in the industry," Xu Fan replied casually. Seeing his unpleasant expression, she instantly understood. "Did you get upset with Chen Kai again?"

Knowing Feng Dapao's personality too well, every time he's so gloomy and depressed, it's almost always related to Chen Kaige.

Sure enough, Feng Dapao stubbed out his cigarette and burst out in a fit of rage: "That Chen Kaige has completely gone too far! Tonight, a big shot hosted a dinner party, and I took the initiative to lower myself to greet him and exchange pleasantries, but he didn't even lift his eyelids and ignored me with disdain, making me lose face in front of all the big shots in the industry. It's simply too much!"

"What's there to be angry about?" Xu Fan had long seen through the fickleness of human relationships and calmly comforted him: "Now that he holds the Venice Golden Lion Award, he's incredibly popular and his status has skyrocketed. He's become arrogant and will only have to put up with more of a fuss in the future."

Feng Dapao clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with urgency and resentment: "I don't want to see his face or suffer any more of his temper! How's Cheng Sheng's script coming along? When will it be finalized?"

"Don't rush," Xu Fan said calmly, reassuringly. "Since Cheng Sheng has personally promised to deliver before National Day, he will definitely not go back on his word. Just wait patiently."

She paused, remembering Cheng Sheng's message from earlier that day, and continued, "By the way, Cheng Sheng sent me a message yesterday saying that he wants to personally select the female lead for this new film."

"What? Impossible!"

Feng Dapao almost instinctively blurted out a refusal, his face full of resistance.

"Don't get agitated." Xu Fan interrupted him directly, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Either accept his arrangements completely, or give up on this script altogether. Everyone in the industry knows that Cheng Sheng's scripts are the most sought-after resources right now. Countless directors would kill for them. If he just opens his mouth, let alone a female lead, even if he pre-selected all the roles, there would be plenty of people vying to cooperate."

Feng Dapao's expression shifted between light and dark, filled with resentment yet utterly helpless. After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, he could only grit his teeth and compromise, his face grim: "Fine, he can decide on the female lead, but apart from that, he can no longer interfere with the casting and filming arrangements for any other roles. I must take full responsibility for all of them."

"He only mentioned the female lead's request, and nothing else," Xu Fan replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Feng Dapao's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was really afraid that Cheng Sheng would completely sideline him and take over all authority, then he, as the director, would become a mere figurehead with no say whatsoever.

"I haven't even seen the script yet, and the female lead is already out of reach," Feng Dapao muttered to himself with a self-deprecating tone, then looked at Xu Fan: "Did he say who he plans to cast as the female lead?"

"It wasn't explicitly stated; it should be announced after the script is finalized," Xu Fan replied casually.

She said this, but deep down she already knew the answer—Li Xiaoran.

Cheng Sheng had already privately informed her of the candidate, but specifically instructed her to keep it a secret for the time being to avoid premature disclosure that could cause scandals and controversies within the industry.

With this thought in mind, Xu Fan smiled knowingly.

Without a doubt, Li Xiaoran and Cheng Sheng must have a close relationship; otherwise, such a leading role in a blockbuster award-winning script would never have fallen into her lap out of thin air.

This kid is truly a free spirit.

He publicly has Zeng Li, a dignified and elegant girlfriend, but privately he's constantly entangled with himself and Chen Hong. Now he's secretly supporting Li Xiaoran. He's really good at hiding things, and who knows how many people he's keeping secret from.

"I guess it's Li Xiaoran." Xu Fan smiled slightly. Anyway, Feng Dapao would find out sooner or later, so it was better to tell him now, as long as he didn't announce it to the public.

……

Time flies, and the end of September has quietly arrived.

In just half a month, the Chinese entertainment industry has been rife with controversies and fluctuating popularity.

The buzz surrounding Chen Kaige and Twins' triumphant return to China continues to build, garnering widespread online acclaim and official recognition, firmly dominating headlines and becoming the most talked-about topic in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, Shengli Films' highly anticipated new work, "Crazy Racer," was officially announced to be released during the National Day holiday, instantly igniting the entire internet.

Since "Crazy Stone" became a huge hit online with its low budget, Ning Hao's dark humor style has been completely legendary, accumulating a massive number of loyal viewers.

After a long hiatus, the sequel, "Crazy Racer," has been officially announced, instantly raising the expectations of countless viewers.

In order to build positive word-of-mouth for the film and boost box office revenue during the National Day holiday, Shengli Films launched a comprehensive and all-encompassing publicity campaign.

Online, materials and promotions were widely distributed across the entire network. Offline, the entire crew was arranged to travel to major cities for roadshows, participate in variety show recordings, and appear on talk shows, achieving comprehensive exposure and frequent online buzz.

In just a few days, audiences across the country learned that "Crazy Racer" was scheduled for release during the National Day holiday, and their anticipation soared.

This year's National Day holiday film season was unusually quiet, dominated by imported blockbusters with only one high-quality domestic film, leaving audiences disappointed and full of complaints. Now, the highly anticipated "Crazy Racer" has entered the fray, instantly filling the void left by domestic films and igniting nationwide enthusiasm for movies. (End of Chapter)