She debuted after having a child with a celestial being.

The car drove out of the service area and rejoined the highway.

Liu Yifei nestled in the passenger seat, adjusting it to a semi-reclined position. She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes that were excessively beautiful even without makeup.

She picked up a book, flipped through it a few times, and then put it down.

Xiao He spoke up: "Sister Xixi."

"Um?"

"Have you ever thought about what would have happened if you had signed with Huayi back then and left President Chen?" Xiao He paused.

Liu Yifei turned her head and glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"You know quite a lot."

A slight smile played on her lips, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "Looks like you've done a lot of preparation for your debut."

Xiao He chuckled twice but didn't reply.

Liu Yifei was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Her gaze shifted to the outside of the car window.

"Back then, Huayi offered me a full agency contract plus original shares in the company. The terms were very high, and they were pushing me to become Huayi's top female star to fill the void left by Fan Meimei's departure."

This happened in 2007.

That year, Huayi Brothers showed great sincerity in trying to sign Liu Yifei.

First, they presented her with a substantial gift: the Hollywood blockbuster "The Forbidden Kingdom," starring Cheng Long and Li Lianjie, and directly gave her the female lead, Golden Swallow.

The prevailing narrative at the time was that it was to help Liu Yifei pursue an international career path.

"Do you know what a full agency contract means?"

Liu Yifei's voice brought Xiao He back to reality.

"Scripts, endorsements, commercial performances, revenue sharing, public relations, and publicity—all are handled by Huayi. They call the shots."

She paused.

"Mr. Chen's intention is to insist on independent project contracts. He wants to take control of his own path."

Finally, at Chen Jingfei's request, Liu Yifei chose the latter.

"So, the role of Zhu Yingtai in the martial arts film 'The Butterfly Lovers' directed by Ma Chucheng, which Huayi Brothers had agreed to, has fallen through."

When Liu Yifei said this, her tone was very soft, but Xiao He could hear the underlying tension beneath that nonchalant manner.

Xiao He gripped the steering wheel, but his mind involuntarily began to reminisce.

Back then, Chen Jinfei chose to sign with WMA, abandoning mainland channels and focusing all his efforts on overseas markets.

In 2008, "The Forbidden Kingdom" was released, and Liu Yifei became the first Asian actress to top the IMDb Newcomer list, gaining international recognition.

At the end of April, "The Forbidden Kingdom" was officially released. In early May, she appeared at the US premiere with Cheng Long and Li Lianjie. WMA held a formal signing ceremony for her.

At the time, media reports indicated that six Hollywood scripts had been sent to her for selection.

She was signed by William Morris Agency, one of the three major talent agencies in the United States, whose artists include international superstars such as Julia Roberts and Zhang Ziyi.

Among Chinese film stars, only Zhang Ziyi and Liu Yifei were signed at the time.

Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.

pity.

WMA did not help her secure any leading or supporting roles in Hollywood.

There are sporadic overseas activities, magazine shoots, and brand appearances, but no substantial film and television resources.

In the end, he had no choice but to return to China to develop his career.

In 2012, the four-year contract expired and was not renewed.

This international route did not work.

Xiao He went through this information in his mind and slightly adjusted the angle of the steering wheel.

"sister."

"Um?"

"Let me help you sort it out."

He cleared his throat, his tone shifting from casual to serious.

"You were single for two years, from 2008 to 2009."

Liu Yifei remained silent.

In 2009, "Chinese Paladin 3" was broadcast. Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, and Tang Yan all appeared at the same time.

He paused for a moment, then continued speaking one by one.

"In 2011, Yang Mi rose to the top of the popularity charts with 'Palace'. In the same year, Liu Shishi starred in 'Scarlet Heart' and Tang Yan starred in 'Summer's Desire.' The three of them collectively surpassed Yang Mi and became the 'Four Little Actresses.'"

The air inside the car was silent for a few seconds.

"Sis, you were a top-tier TV drama actress before 2006."

Xiao He's voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered displeased Liu Yifei.

"Bai Xiuzhu debuted in 'The Story of a Noble Family.' Wang Yuyan in 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' made her stand out. Zhao Ling'er in 'Chinese Paladin' garnered national popularity. Xiaolongnu in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' achieved legendary status."

"You are the Golden Eagle Goddess, in the same tier as the Four Dan and Two Bing."

He turned his head and glanced at her.

"After 2008, I was relegated to the '85 Flowers' category. I was in the same category as Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Tang Yan, and Zhao Liying."

Do you know what I mean?

Liu Yifei was stunned.

She knew these facts better than anyone else.

The company staff simply didn't lay out her past in such a direct way.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice was a little lower than before.

Xiao He took a deep breath.

"Sister, your golden four years are from twenty-one to twenty-five."

"We were stuck waiting for opportunities in Hollywood and wasting time traveling overseas."

The car fell silent.

The only sounds were the tires rolling over the road and the whooshing sound.

Liu Yifei leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on the hazy sky outside the windshield, lost in thought.

A while later.

She sighed.

"After I came back, why did I choose movies instead of TV series?"

"Firstly, the mainstream resources, top IPs, and directors in Beijing's entertainment circle have already been allocated. If I want to get an opportunity, I can only wait for resources that were approved after 2012."

This is true. The Beijing entertainment circle system is not something anyone can just enter, nor can you immediately get projects if you want them. It requires advance planning.

"Secondly, I chose movies because movie resources can be assembled on the spot."

She paused.

"Mr. Chen's meaning is very clear: I'm already a TV drama actress. If my movie is also successful, my commercial value will be second to none among mainland female stars."

Xiao He could tell that when she made this decision, she and the people around her were full of confidence.

"I just didn't expect it."

A smile appeared on her lips, a smile tinged with self-mockery.

"The path of filmmaking is not easy."

Xiao He nodded.

"Sister, from 2010 to 2017, you worked hard to make movies. Most of them lost money, a few broke even, and none of them were big hits."

He showed no mercy.

Of the seven films starring Liu Yifei released between 2014 and 2017, more than half failed to gross over 7 million yuan at the box office.

"For Love or Money" grossed 6636 million, "Outcast" grossed 2433 million, "The Night Peacock" grossed 3317 million, and "The Third Way of Love" grossed 7323 million.

This even led to losses for the investor, Huashi Entertainment, and setbacks in its IPO.

"The Chinese Widow" only grossed 1400 million yuan in 5 days.

"If you're labeled a box office poison, investors won't dare to give you a large budget."

He paused for a moment.

"But actually, the core issue isn't that your movie is really bad."

Liu Yifei finally turned her head to look at him.

"What is that?"

Xiao He looked at the road ahead.

"The key issue is that you don't have any TV series exposure."

He counted them one by one.

"In the past four or five years, there have been zero nominations for the Golden Rooster Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards, and the Huabiao Awards."

"Without awards, there's no sustained boost in public interest. Without TV dramas, public goodwill disappears."

"People's impression of you is still stuck in the era of Little Dragon Girl."

He turned his head and glanced at her.

"Your on-screen persona is disconnected from the image of you in the audience's mind."

These words were spoken.

Liu Yifei was stunned.

He was completely frozen, as if struck by something.

It has been discussed countless times within the company.

Why do my movies keep flopping?

Why is it that even with solid acting skills, good looks, and abundant resources, they still can't achieve success?

No one has ever broken through this barrier with such simple words before.

The problem isn't with the movie itself.

It means they've lost public favor.

Viewers' fondness for Liu Yifei and their memories of her are still stuck in the era of Wang Yuyan, Zhao Ling'er, and Xiaolongnu.

What about after that?

She plunged headlong into the film industry, appearing on the big screen countless times.

Modern, period, artistic, commercial—but the audience didn't keep up.

She transforms on the big screen.

The audience's impression remains stagnant.

This is a disconnect between public perception and reality.

This is the gap in public perception.

Liu Yifei stared at Xiao He for a full five seconds.

"Xiao He".

Her tone changed; it was no longer the teasing tone of an older sister towards her younger brother, but a serious tone that reflected a genuine re-evaluation of him.

"You're pretty good. What did you major in at university?"

She turned her head slightly to the side.

How do you know so much about the ins and outs of the entertainment industry?

Xiao He grinned.

"Sister Sisi, I'll say it again."

He gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed ahead.

"You know nothing about your younger brother except that he's handsome."

"Tch, you think you can just climb a ladder without being given one?"

Liu Yifei glared at him, but the corners of her eyes were curved.

She straightened her seat, turned to the side, and looked intently at Xiao He.

"Then you analyze it."

Her tone carried a hint of consideration, but also a touch of genuine curiosity.

"My dear sister, what should we do next?"