The flow of high-end luxury brand commercial events is more or less the same.
Stars and guests invited to the event first watched the fashion show of domestic new products of the season by models, and then were led to the already prepared banquet area.
Although the brand had pre-marked everyone's name at each seat, it still couldn't stop the artists from socializing all over the venue.
The liveliest place in the entire banquet hall was in front of a large table that looked exceptionally luxurious from the outside. Through the gaps in the throng of people, Hǎiyáo vaguely saw Jì Yǔ's profile.
The man showed no superfluous expression, constantly engaged in conversation with the imposing middle-aged man beside him.
Several clueless artists wanted to get closer, but were politely intercepted halfway and could only leave with their wine glasses in hand, looking dejected.
Retracting her gaze, Hǎiyáo turned her head and noticed Qí Háo diagonally in front of her, so she got up and walked over.
The two started chatting again, and she was even pulled by him to be introduced to several artists at the same table. During this time, two actors who were known to the original host before her retirement even came forward to say hello, which was an unexpected bonus.
Hǎiyáo only returned to her seat, holding up her skirt, when the brand's spokesperson started speaking on stage to express their gratitude.
Mǐn Yì beside her was clearly disdainful of her active performance today. While using his wine glass as a cover, he whispered sarcastically in a voice only they could hear: "Zhāng Hǎiyáo, this is all you're capable of. You, a comedian, are worth groveling to like a hired performer?"
"Wow! Is Brother Háo not worth it, but you are?" Hǎiyáo turned her head, her beautiful eyes full of pity for the intellectually challenged: "He at least earned 800 million at the box office with his Lunar New Year film."
"Eight hundred million?" Mǐn Yì's expression became even more contemptuous upon hearing this figure.
"Oh... I almost forgot. The person sitting next to me is a nominee for this year's Golden Flower Awards for Best Actor! The movie he starred in also recently achieved the gratifying success of nearly two billion at the box office?"
Once these words were spoken, Mǐn Yì, having been thwarted twice before, immediately became vigilant and glared at her warningly.
Hǎiyáo considered herself thick-skinned and someone who loved to pluck teeth from tigers. How could she care about a man's gaze which caused no substantive harm?
She then flashed a smile sweet enough to kill, pitching her voice high and speaking softly, her tone exceedingly gentle, yet her words were like sharp knives, cutting to the bone: "Brother Háo's background is indeed not as good as yours. He doesn't have capital to help him hire veteran film emperors to boost his box office."
"How many of those two billion in box office were for you? Don't you have any idea? Or are you blind to the bad reviews of your acting online? At least someone dragged you to achieve box office success, but even though it was a dual-male-lead film, you shamelessly went for a Best Actor nomination yourself..."
"Everyone in the industry knows the weight of the Golden Flower Awards. How does the saying go? A flood can drown Jinshan Mountain!"
Mǐn Yì hadn't expected Hǎiyáo to say such things in full view of everyone. Even if others couldn't hear clearly, he still felt like he was losing face.
His face turned ashen, his brows furrowed tightly. Just as he was about to retort, he was startled by Hǎiyáo's sudden lean towards him, causing his breathing to hitch.
In the space between their breaths, there was a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Since Hǎiyáo's makeup and styling today were done by his team, he recognized the faint scent without much effort. It belonged to Night Lily of the Valley from the internationally renowned perfume brand Manha. It was a familiar scent, but for some reason, it made him feel a slight warmth.
Her bright face, even at such close proximity, showed no discernible pores. Her looks were still the same. Clearly, she hadn't seemed particularly special before, so why...?
Mǐn Yì was puzzled, but the slight unease that arose in his heart was quickly dispelled by Hǎiyáo's next words.
"With a successful career and a beauty in your arms, shouldn't you be happy? There are cameras from several media outlets pointed at us over there. Mr. Mǐn, are you sure you won't smile?"
His eye muscles twitched uncontrollably. Mǐn Yì began to regret agreeing to his agent's suggestion for them to appear together.
However, despite his helplessness, at this moment, he still had to use all his acting skills. Facing the pretty face that made him grind his teeth, he forced a smile, his eyes filled with icy chill.
"Scare a ghost."
Hǎiyáo raised her eyebrows defiantly, not to be outdone. But to outsiders, their posture at this moment seemed rather intimate.
Perhaps he finally remembered that he was constantly exposed to the cameras of various media. To avoid ruining his plans for the day, Mǐn Yì did not actively create any more conflicts during the rest of the banquet.
Hǎiyáo pouted with regret at this, then, at an unnoticeable speed, successfully filled her stomach.
When the event ended, she rode back to his studio in Mǐn Yì's car. After returning the borrowed items, she walked to the roadside under the scrutinizing gazes of several staff members and took a random taxi.
It was just past midnight when she got home. As soon as she opened the anti-theft door, the living room lights were bright.
Jiǎng Lěi was curled up with great effort in the gap between the sofa and the coffee table, processing something on her laptop. Hearing the noise, she said without looking up: "There are spicy rabbit heads in the kitchen that I packed. I specifically asked the store to vacuum seal them. Save them for your dinner tomorrow. Don't eat them now, or you'll be swollen tomorrow morning."
Automatically blocking out the latter half, Hǎiyáo happily walked into the kitchen, peeling open the food packaging and muttering: "Instead of going to the company to work overtime, Sister Lei, are you treating this as an employee dormitory?"
"Besides, I don't have any work scheduled tomorrow, so I don't care if I'm swollen!"
"Oh, right. I met an old acquaintance at the event today, Qí Háo. He said he's preparing a comedy film with others and thinks a small role in it is perfect for me. He plans to recommend me to audition." She mumbled the good news from not long ago while chewing on a spicy rabbit head.
At this moment, Jiǎng Lěi, who had been engrossed in her work, reacted and turned around in surprise: "What a coincidence? I just received a notification from the production team before you came in."
"It's the ancient costume fantasy drama that Fengxing Media is investing in, which I mentioned to you before. The preliminary cast is expected to be quite luxurious. They want you to go for an interview tomorrow morning at nine... Zhāng Hǎiyáo, didn't I tell you not to eat it?!" The woman seemed on the verge of a breakdown when she saw what she was holding.
"...Don't worry, I'm naturally beautiful." Hǎiyáo said with a cheeky smile, trying to appease her, then quickly changed the subject: "I'll review the script for the female supporting role you gave me earlier tonight. I'll definitely complete the task!"
As expected, hearing this, Jiǎng Lěi's attention was successfully diverted, and her expression showed a hint of joy: "They're not planning for you to audition for the female third role. The production team wants you to try for the female second role."
Huh?
Hǎiyáo narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She never believed that pies would fall from the sky, nor did she naively think that such a pie would land right on her head.
Impressed by her dazzling performance on the variety show?
Don't joke. There are countless talented people, but only a select few can make it to the top.
"Why?" she asked without any pretense.
Jiǎng Lěi's reaction was also peculiar. She stammered in response: "They said... because you look poor."
???
What kind of nonsense is this?
In a flash, Hǎiyáo suddenly remembered something and slowly turned her head towards the entrance.
A black and gold lighter lay quietly on the shoe cabinet.
Could it be that her soliloquy had been overheard by that big shot?
Was it really necessary for him to humiliate her in such a subtle way just because she called him a damned capitalist? The most crucial thing was that she didn't feel humiliated.
She pursed her lips, feeling somewhat speechless.
If the facts were as she thought, how should she put it?
...The thought process of capital big shots is indeed quite peculiar.