Ye Jin was startled. So much had happened over the past few days that she had almost forgotten she was a third-tier actress on leave from a production!
Naturally, she had not entered the entertainment industry to pursue some so-called dream or become famous. Her manager, Huo Yun, had talked her into it.
Though Huo Yun was only thirty-five, she had already spent fifteen years in the industry, working her way up from an assistant to a top manager with several big-name celebrities under contract.
Ye Jin had met Huo Yun at a dinner party. Huo Yun had been stunned by her heavenly beauty and told her outright that if she signed with her, she was confident she could make her a best actress award winner someday.
But at the time, Ye Jin had little ambition. She had only planned to follow her family's arrangements, maintain a good public image, and marry into a wealthy family.
She had honestly told Huo Yun her plans, but Huo Yun had not given up. Instead, she had tried to persuade her, even telling her that fame would give her an advantage when marrying into a wealthy family!
In the end, Huo Yun had convinced Ye Jin. But even after entering the entertainment industry, she still had not put in much effort, refusing overly busy schedules or jobs with heavy workloads.
Fortunately, her bearing and looks were outstanding. Many directors declared at first sight that she was the ideal choice for roles such as a noble young heiress or a breathtakingly beautiful white moonlight. Combined with Huo Yun's abundant resources, this had landed her a few reasonably well-known roles.
Huo Yun often told her, "If you'd only put in a little effort, how could you possibly still be stuck on the third or fourth tier?"
When Ye Jin married into her so-called wealthy family and wanted to cut back on work, Huo Yun was even more exasperated at iron that refused to become steel. "How can living with your palm held out compare to the confidence of earning your own money? You'd better not regret this!"
At the time, Huo Yun's words had stirred something in Ye Jin. But before she awakened to the plot, even when she was moved, the inertia of the plot still carried her along her original course in life.
The drama Ye Jin was filming was called Kunlun Duel. Naturally, she was not the female lead, but the production she was participating in was no small project. She played the third female lead, a character with a rather appealing setup, in an S+ historical romance drama.
She did not have many scenes, but her character would still have a presence when the show aired. It suited her requirements of gaining exposure and maintaining a good image perfectly.
Yet even on such an easy production, Ye Jin had already taken leave several times. For this latest absence in particular, she had casually made up an excuse because she could not reveal that Su Chengjing was missing.
But naturally, Huo Yun had only gotten this far by being shrewd. She had immediately recognized that Ye Jin was lying.
She had roared on the spot, "Why don't you just stop acting and go home to be your pampered young madam? This little temple of mine can't accommodate a great deity like you. Don't worry, I won't take any more jobs for you."
Then she had hung up and had not contacted her since.
Now that Ye Jin had awakened, she naturally would no longer devote herself to being some wealthy family's daughter-in-law as she had before.
But should she keep acting?
Ye Jin knew perfectly well that she had absolutely no talent for acting. Otherwise, she would not have spent her entire previous life working behind the scenes. Her looks back then had not been much different from her looks now!
But what else could she do?
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. If she remembered correctly, since this world was an old-school novel, its entertainment industry was relatively underdeveloped. Could she use her knowledge of the future plot and her forward-looking perspective to invest?
The more Ye Jin thought about it, the more excited she became. Wouldn't investing be easier than toiling away on set? At last, she, a mere worker, could turn the tables and become capital herself!
But she soon calmed down again. To succeed, she first needed to research this world's entertainment industry thoroughly, then find a partner familiar with the business. And among the people she knew, who understood the entertainment industry better than Huo Yun?
Remembering Huo Yun's fury when she hung up, Ye Jin still felt lingering apprehension. But if disaster was coming, there was no escaping it. After agonizing for a while, she dialed Huo Yun's number anyway.
Chapter 8
The phone rang for almost a minute, but no one answered.
Ye Jin sighed. It seemed she really had offended Huo Yun badly before. Now she would not even answer her calls.
Would she have to go to her office carrying thorn branches on her back to beg forgiveness?
Just as Ye Jin was about to hang up, the call suddenly connected, and a hoarse female voice dripping with sarcasm came from the other end.
"What are you calling me for? Are you planning to tell me you're quitting and going straight home to be a rich man's wife?"
Ye Jin was not particularly good-tempered. Even while maintaining her refined-lady persona, whenever someone targeted her, she would find a roundabout way to hit back.
But she was trying to obtain Huo Yun's forgiveness now. How could she snap back?
She simply pretended not to understand and said with a smile, "Huo Yun, naturally, I'm calling because I've finished dealing with things at home and can get back to work. Please let the director know I can return to the set tomorrow. And let Xiao Zhang, my assistant, know she can just meet me on set tomorrow."
Huo Yun felt as though she had punched cotton. How had she never realized how thick-skinned Ye Jin was?
But Ye Jin was indeed discussing business, and Huo Yun always kept business strictly business, so she could only agree.
"Understood. I'll pass the word along."
Still, Huo Yun was unwilling to let Ye Jin off just like that and resolved to put her in her place.
"Oh, right, I need to remind you that because you've taken so much leave over the past six months or so, a lot of work has piled up. If you want to keep doing this, prepare yourself for a killer schedule. If you can't take that kind of hardship, I suggest you announce your retirement right now. If you say so early, you might even pay a little less in breach-of-contract penalties."
Ye Jin: ... It was clear that Huo Yun really harbored a deep grudge against her.
Having already decided to move behind the scenes later, Ye Jin naturally did not want the killer schedule Huo Yun described. But Huo Yun was still angry, so Ye Jin could only grit her teeth and agree.
"Don't worry, Huo Yun. I'll work hard."
The scolding Huo Yun had already prepared about Ye Jin's lack of ambition suddenly stuck in her throat. Ye Jin had actually agreed! Could her marriage be falling apart, leaving her unable to remain a wealthy socialite and forcing her to come out and support herself?
Though it was rather unkind, Huo Yun could not help secretly hoping so. If Ye Jin could no longer be a wealthy socialite, she would have no choice but to settle down and focus on her career!
So Huo Yun made a decision. She canceled her engagement to accompany the best actor she managed to a variety show tomorrow and instead planned to go to the set to lie in wait for Ye Jin.