Huayu: The young actress is heavily dependent on me

The two parties confirmed several details, including the revenue sharing ratio after the broadcast and the rights to develop derivative products. The atmosphere was as relaxed as if they were having a casual chat.

As I walked out of the conference room, the sunlight streaming through the window shone directly onto the penguin logo wall at the end of the corridor.

Bai Mengyan followed behind Chen Li, holding the letter of intent she had just signed, her face still showing a dreamlike, dazed expression.

"Boss," she said in a low voice, her canine teeth flashing at the corner of her mouth.

"We've landed another project already? Last time, you had to work so hard to get three million in investment for 'So Cute Us,' and this time the platform actually came to us, and even managed to get the copyright fee so low?"

"That's because we have a criminal record."

Yangyang Jin flipped to the project list page in her notebook and added an asterisk next to "The Eternal Love" with her pen.

"A score of 7 million views is the best bargaining chip."

Chen Li didn't reply, but simply took the letter of intent, flipped through it, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

This IP had already proven its potential in its previous life—it garnered over 100 million views within 18 hours of its premiere and received a 7.1 rating on Douban.

The reason why a low-budget family drama can outperform big-budget productions during the summer season is never because of top-tier resources, but because of its accurate target audience and the core emotional resonance of family dramas.

More importantly, this time-travel historical romance drama and his previous modern campus youth drama "So Cute Us" belong to completely different genres.

One is about youthful nostalgia, and the other is about time travel and romance. Their audiences overlap but are not completely the same, which can help him expand his content portfolio from a single theme to a wider range of genres.

As for Tencent, when they entrusted this project to him, it was less a bet on the show itself and more a bet on him as a person.

That's how the entertainment industry works—once you have a hit, everything else becomes much easier.

Stepping out of Tencent's Binhai Building, the March sun shone brightly in Shenzhen. Yangyang Jin closed her laptop, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Chen Li:

"Teacher Chen, there's something I need to discuss beforehand—how will the production budget for 'The Eternal Love' be secured?"

Chen Li paused slightly but did not reply.

Yangyang Jin continued:

"Although 'So Cute Us' is a hit, the revenue sharing hasn't arrived yet. Tencent's settlement cycle is three months after the premiere, which means that the money won't be in our accounts until May or June at the earliest."

"Moreover—Sister Fan will also take a cut. You are a contracted artist with her studio, and according to the contract, your artist management income and music copyright income will be split proportionally."

"After deducting Fan Jie's share and taxes, what we actually get isn't enough to support the production of a new drama."

"Should we talk to Sister Fan again and ask her to invest an additional amount?"

"We can't contact Sister Fan anymore," Chen Li said.

Yangyang Jin's words certainly hit the nail on the head. According to the previous agreement reached with Fan Bingbing's side, Chen Li's artist management income and music copyright income would be split proportionally.

"We'll pay for this show ourselves."

Bai Mengyan, who was next to her, was popping a mint into her mouth when she heard this and almost choked.

"Why? Didn't Sister Fan give three million so readily last time? And 'So Cute Us' made so much money, she should be even more willing to invest."

"Last time was last time." Chen Li stopped, turning his gaze away from the glass curtain wall in the distance, his tone calm but firm.

"I signed a one-year contract with Sister Fan, which expires this June. Counting on my fingers, there are only two or three months left. If I want to start my own business, I can't have any more connections from now on."

"If I still need Sister Fan to foot the bill for my new drama, what happens after the contract expires? Should I continue to work under her studio? Or should I let her take a stake in my new project as an investor?" He shook his head.

"If you're going to be independent, you have to be completely independent. Sister Fan has been kind to me, and I remember her support this past year. But kindness is kindness, and career is career; we can't mix them up."

Bai Mengyan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Yangyang Jin pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"I've already made up my mind..." Chen Li nodded with a smile, opened her phone, and tapped the WeChat chat interface.

......

In late March in Beijing, willow catkins had already begun to float in the air.

Following the location sent by Jing Tian, ​​Chen Li found the teahouse hidden deep in an alley in Chaoyang District.

When he pushed open the door to the private room, Jing Tian had already arrived.

She was wearing a beige cashmere cardigan, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, and on the table in front of her were two freshly brewed cups of Biluochun tea, their aroma wafting through the air.

The sunlight streaming through the window fell perfectly on her profile, making her appear even more gentle.

"Oh, busy man Chen, you finally remembered me?" Jing Tian raised an eyebrow.

"The last time I saw you was before the Chinese New Year—count it on your fingers, how long has that been? No phone calls, no WeChat messages. If I didn't see you trending on social media, I would have thought you vanished into thin air. It's been months! You heartless bastard."

"Sister Tiantian, didn't I bring a great project to apologize?"

Chen Li smiled and sat down opposite her, placing the folder he had brought with him on the table.

Jing Tian picked up his teacup, his gaze passing over the rim and landing on Chen Li.

He was looking down as he flipped through a folder, his profile outlined cleanly by the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window.

She suddenly realized that only a few months had passed since their last meeting in Hengdian, and the young man in front of her was no longer the new actor who needed her help to pass messages or things.

"So Cute Us" has garnered 7 million views, and "Undyed" and "The Wind Rises" dominated the KuGou charts for months, with even her staff listening to them on repeat.

Even her temperament has undergone a dramatic change, becoming even more attractive!

"I just secured the production rights to a new project with Tencent. It's a time-travel/pet story with a good original IP. I'm in charge of the script, production, and casting. The female lead hasn't been decided yet—you were the first person I thought of."

Jing Tian was about to put down his teacup when he heard this and paused slightly: "The female lead?"

She placed the teacup on the table, the bottom of which tapped softly against the wooden table. Her tone, which had been teasing Chen Li just moments before, softened slightly.

"You're a real gentleman, you didn't forget your sister when something good happened. At least you still have some conscience."

"Of course," Chen Li said naturally, taking a sip of his tea.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Dilraba and Sister Tian. We were filming 'Ban Shu Legend' in Hengdian before—"

"What hotball?" Jing Tian put down his teacup and interrupted him.

Her tone suddenly softened, and although a smile still lingered on her lips, the curve of that smile noticeably narrowed.

"Let's not talk about other women when we're alone."

Chen Li: ? ? ?

Why does it smell like vinegar?

Sister Tiantian, you weren't like this before?