A Temperament That Needed Teaching a Lesson

"A bunch of losers huddling together."

Huang Li's tongue was vicious as he reasoned with Sun Li. "Who among them isn't a loser? What kind of image does Shen Shanden have? An angry youth, a radical young man, a rebel against convention, profit above all else. One stumble and he won't get back up. You're the only one treating him like treasure."

"Is China Film Group's lead role in this fake? You don't need to worry about China Film Group's projects, do you?" Sun Li retorted. "Shen Shanden already has fans, and he climbed up step by step through studying and learning. How can his public image be anything like what you described?"

Huang Li dismissed it with contempt. "What the hell is public image worth? The film industry runs on connections. His reputation in the circle already stinks, and the academic school hates him."

"So you kicked him while he was down." Sun Li's tone carried a hint of mockery.

Huang Li spoke as if it were only right. "He deserved it. He's that arrogant, challenging the rules of the entire circle. He brought it on himself."

"But China Film Group values him," Sun Li said.

Huang Li continued to shoot down Sun Li's argument. "Do you think Han Sanping can cover the sky with one hand? He's got no shortage of controversy himself. Maybe one day he'll take one wrong step and fall. Like I said, Shen Shanden can't take a beating."

Sun Li refused to accept it.

At the end of the day, it was just playing a role—such a simple thing. Yet Huang Li had immediately raised it to the level of choosing sides within the industry.

"Fan Bingbing, Huang Xiaoming, and Chen Kun have all joined. And Wu Jing—Wu Jing has staked everything he owns to support it. Are they all fools, and you're the only smart one?"

"I really am the smart one." Huang Li did not take it as sarcasm, answering as though it were self-evident. "I told you, they're all losers."

"Fan Bingbing—what kind of image does she have? There was no place for her at Huayi, so she left. She's looking for a new backer now."

"Chen Kun has run out of roles to play. He's half retired from acting and switched to making music."

"Huang Xiaoming knows how to conduct himself, but that's about it. His company is mediocre, and like Chen Kun, he's reached the end of the road."

"Wu Jing is even worse. An actor from my generation, all he can do is go in circles in the Hong Kong scene like a headless fly."

"Sun Li, listen to me! The most important thing in this industry is connections. I'm not criticizing you, but Tangren, where you used to work, was built on Hong Kong and Taiwan behind-the-scenes crews. It's on the very fringe of the television industry."

"You need to open your eyes wider. Just wait and see. One failure, and Shen Shanden will show his true colors. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."

Sun Li snapped, "So you're the only one with industry resources, is that it?"

"I really do have them." Huang Li had no idea what modesty was. He said unhurriedly, "We agreed that after we got married, you'd return to the family. Don't overthink it. I'll give you spending money."

Huang Li could not possibly let his wife keep working in the entertainment industry.

Who would let a beautiful wife stay in that circle? He knew all too well what the men in that circle were like. Just looking at himself was enough.

And if Sun Li met too many people, built her own connections, and developed a career of her own, would he still be able to make grand declarations of love from afar?

Huang Li stared at Sun Li, applying pressure. He knew her well.

In the past, once he had won her over, she had always been the one to yield in their relationship.

I can earn money myself! Sun Li said inwardly, but her spirit still deflated.

After coaxing her daughter to sleep, Sun Li called her boss and close friend, Cai Yinong.

"Sister K."

Sun Li sounded somewhat aggrieved. Ever since giving birth, her emotions had been poor.

Cai Yinong's English name was Karen, and those close to her called her Sister K.

"Lili, what's wrong?" Cai Yinong asked with concern.

Sun Li and Cai Yinong were more than colleagues; they were good friends. They had witnessed each other's careers.

"Sister K, is Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio going smoothly?" Sun Li first asked about her friend's work.

"Pretty well. There's a newcomer who's especially good, Liu Shishi. I'm thinking of signing her," Cai Yinong said.

As a mainlander who had managed to make a name for herself among Hong Kong behind-the-scenes circles, Cai Yinong had more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

Tangren's dramas generally aired in Taiwan. Cai Yinong came from the Hong Kong industry, and from the boss to the production staff, most of Tangren's people were from Hong Kong and Taiwan circles.

Tangren's connections were mainly in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In its early years, Tangren's male leads were all people from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

But anyone with eyes could see that Huayu's future lay on the mainland, so Tangren had gradually begun shifting toward the mainland.

Artist management was now more profitable than making dramas. The company's top female star had been painstakingly cultivated, only to marry and have children at the height of her career before leaving the industry. Cai Yinong could not wait forever, and she was currently scouting for someone new.

"That's good. Come over to my place for dinner together sometime."

Sun Li's voice was somewhat low. She felt as though she had dragged her good friend into a pit.

Cai Yinong had started out as an agent. Though she was now a boss, her mind remained delicate and perceptive. Hearing that Sun Li was upset, she asked, "Lili, if something's wrong, tell your sister."

Sun Li told her about the conflict weighing on her heart.

Hearing this, Cai Yinong was not especially surprised.

When Sun Li got married, she had already anticipated this.

To keep a relationship balanced, the woman naturally needed a career. Otherwise, she would have no Discourse Power at all within the family.

It was impossible to say Sun Li lacked ambition, but Cai Yinong understood Huang Li even better. He held status within the industry and was also a teacher at Beijing Film Academy. Between the two of them, Sun Li was completely under his thumb.

Cai Yinong sighed, knowing full well that this was a private matter between husband and wife. "Even your sister can't really persuade you on this. The entertainment industry is a mixed bag of fish and dragons. Devoting yourself to your husband and raising your children may not be a bad thing."

The next day.

Sun Li arranged to meet Shen Shanden at a café for a talk.

China Film Group's key project, and another chance at the big screen—even if she had to decline, Sun Li still wanted to explain it to him in person.

Upon receiving Sun Li's invitation, Shen Shanden set aside his work and went to meet her himself.

She had already gained a certain degree of fame before getting married and having children. The Grand Director film needed actors like her.

"Li, how long has it been since we last met? You've lost quite a bit of weight."

Shen Shanden shook her hand and asked after her health.

Sun Li smiled as she helped him order a drink. "Looking after a child is worrying work. I've been a little tired."

Shen Shanden looked around. "Where's Duoduo?"

Sun Li said, "My mother-in-law is helping look after him."

After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Shanden went straight to the point. "Li, let me briefly introduce the The Grand Director project. To be realistic, this project is an attempt at upgrading Chinese Cinema's industry, and also an effort to carve out a new path for costume blockbusters and the Blockbuster Strategy."

"You've seen the audition sample for Su Xiaoxiao's role, right? This character has two sides to her and is highly challenging. Only with a capable actor like you joining can I truly rest easy."

As Sun Li listened to Shen Shanden's introduction, she wanted to speak several times, but was too embarrassed to say it.

Only after Shen Shanden finished did she say softly, "Duoduo is still little. I can't take this role."

Shen Shanden's face immediately darkened.

Was she messing with him? If she had no intention of cooperating, a phone call or an email would have sufficed. Yet she had called him out here and delayed so much of his work.

"That's truly regrettable."

Shen Shanden's tone turned cold.

Sun Li apologized, "I understand this is a good opportunity. Thank you for thinking of me. When there's a chance in the future, we can work together again."

Shen Shanden had completely lost interest in talking, but he still remained polite. "The crew has plenty of matters waiting for me. We can talk again if there's an opportunity in the future."

With that, Shen Shanden stood up to take his leave.

There was really no need to keep talking. He called her "Li," and she really thought she was his elder sister? It was a little off-putting.

She had probably gone stupid from pregnancy. Huang Li had wanted to stick his hand into the project when it had first been established, and even now was taking interviews to throw veiled barbs at him. If not for Sun Li having some fame of her own and being able to help The Grand Director, Shen Shanden could not have been bothered to deal with her.

Seeing that Shen Shanden was about to leave without even touching his drink, his attitude compared to before was not merely night and day—it was practically an instant falling-out.

Sorrow welled up in her heart.

After becoming pregnant and giving birth, her career was gone. She had also let Cai Yinong down. At home, Huang Li lectured her, and there were conflicts in her relationship with her mother-in-law. This morning, the moment she stepped outside, she had been nagged about one thing after another.

She could not stop herself from crying.

Why was she the one swallowing grievances both inside and outside the home?

Why did the better a person was, the more they had to suffer injustice?!

"Stop crying. If people see you, they'll think someone bullied you." Shen Shanden sat back down helplessly.

Luckily, this was a public place. If it had been somewhere private, he would really have feared that postpartum depression might drive her to do something foolish. If she jumped, there would be no explaining it.

"I'm sorry."

Sun Li hurriedly explained, "I just felt especially embarrassed, so I wanted to make things clear face-to-face."

Shen Shanden lectured her, "I'm very busy, not as idle as you are. Next time something like this happens, you can reply by email to the casting director or assistant director. If you feel you can't explain it clearly, a phone call works too. There's no need to go to such trouble over something that isn't going anywhere."

"That way, no one delays anyone else's work. This is basic workplace common sense."

Shen Shanden noticed that after being lectured, Sun Li's emotions instead gradually stabilized.

Some people were naturally sensitive. Perhaps Sun Li was the type who needed to be lectured—Shen Shanden found the thought strange.

He continued, "I can understand how you feel. Being out of society for two years can leave you feeling disconnected."

"But that isn't actually very long. Your core skills and professional qualities won't disappear, and changes in the market environment are normal. Even people who have been working continuously need to keep learning. You should focus on improving yourself."

"If you don't want to stand under the spotlight, you could perform in stage plays or something. Of course, you should also quickly learn the tools for communication and collaboration."

Being scolded actually made Sun Li feel better.

"Thank you. Having someone talk to me has made me feel much better."

"That's enough, then."

Once Shen Shanden saw that her emotions had stabilized, he quickly left.

After finishing her coffee, Sun Li thought for a moment and edited a text message: "I'm really sorry about this time. Can we still chat like friends in the future?"

Shen Shanden received the message, read it, and did not reply.

Back at the set.

Ma Youde came over to report on the direction of public opinion. "The public-level buzz around the 'A weak nation has no art' controversy has died down, but the debate within the industry hasn't disappeared. Several film weeklies are still trading blows."

Those who supported Shen Shanden talked about industry and technology.

Those who rejected him often started from artistic merit.

These artistic types layered jargon over jargon and concepts over concepts, endlessly repeating that metaphysical set of theirs. They did not mention the current state of the domestic industry or the lessons and experiences of foreign film industry development at all—or perhaps they simply did not understand them.

It was hollow and dull, but they were not quiet about it.

"Same old tune—ignore it. This is publicity too."

Shen Shanden left it on read without replying. He declined interviews; whenever asked, the answer was that he was in seclusion making a film.

"The name recognition is out there. Then we'll release news about the project in stages. Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun joining will create a rhythm and give netizens a sense of participation."

"A sense of participation!" Ma Youde murmured to himself, not forgetting to pull out his little notebook and jot it down. He felt like he had learned quite a bit again.

The Spring Festival was drawing near.

Shen Shanden had arranged the holiday matters and personally went to Chen Hao to fill Sun Li's vacancy.

"Sister Hao."

Whenever Shen Shanden needed a favor, he never skimped on courtesy.

Chen Hao was anything but polite. "Shen Shanden, you've got the nerve to show your face in front of me?"

Hearing the resentment in her tone, Shen Shanden could not help but freeze.