Chapter 110: Yun Xiangxiang’s Opinion
He Wei brought Yun Xiangxiang to a home restaurant. It was a famous Chinese restaurant. It was said that the family’s ancestor was the palace chef.
This place only accepted appointments. Patrons would usually have to make an appointment a month prior to have a spot. They limited their spots to sixteen tables a day.
The dining spot was an immaculate courtyard. It was obvious that the master wasn’t short on money just by looking at the house.
The owner opening this Chinese restaurant was probably out of passion, or to share great food with people who understood food.
A waiter in Tang Dynasty garb approached them once they got out of the car. He Wei told him about the room he reserved, and the waiter took them there with a polite smile.
The room was decked out with Chinese style decoration. There was even a room divider inside it. A small table was behind the divider. A Guzheng [1] was placed on top of it.
He Wei and Yun Xiangxiang had just sat down when a girl wearing cheongsam came in and started playing the Guzheng.
The swirling tune of the Guzheng and the twirling fragrance of sandalwood made them forget about the hustle and bustle of life immediately. They immersed themselves in this world of artistic poetry.
They arrived at the spot half an hour earlier. He Wei was the one who reserved this spot. He used a lot of connections before managing to trade a spot with someone else. He Wei had mentioned to Yun Xiangxiang about the fact that Wu Zhao absolutely adored this place.
However, no matter how famous or adoring Wu Zhao was, even he couldn’t break the rules. He had to make an appointment every time.
He wouldn’t necessarily have the time even if he managed to reserve a spot. When he did, he would usually have to wait in line.
The other trio arrived after they waited for fifteen minutes.
The man in the middle looked like he was in his fifties. He had a standard square face. He was slightly tanned. Worry lines were etched into his forehead, and he had deep set eyes and looked stern and uptight. Yun Xiangxiang felt that he was the great director, Wu Zhao.
The man on the left looked like he was in his forties. He was only wearing casual sports attire, but he radiated a feeling of sharpness of mind. Yun Xiangxiang didn’t know who he was.
The man on the right was in his thirties. He had bold features and slanted eyes, but they were not slanting up. They weren’t dangerously mesmerizing, instead, they had a touch of depth and keenness. His features that were supposed to make him look tough gave him a unique feel by harmonizing it with the soft edges of his outline.
It was a face that had a lot of space for improvement. It was imposingly handsome; it could be on par with Xue Yu’s face.
Yun Xiangxiang recognized him. He was the main male lead of ‘The King’s Plan’
“Director Wu, Old Man Cao, Teacher Lu [1]. Please, please, have a seat,” He Wei stood up and greeted them first.
Yun Xiangxiang stayed behind He Wei obediently. Even if someone was looking at her, she didn’t intrude He Wei’s speech. She also didn’t get closer to them on her own, only greeting them with a nod and a smile.
At least Wu Zhao’s team’s first impression on Yun Xiangxiang wasn’t bad.
He Wei only introduced her when the trio had taken their seats, “This is the actress that I just took under my wing. She’s Yun Xiangxiang.
He then introduced the trio to Yun Xiangxiang separately, “Director Wu, Wu Zhao.”
Yun Xiangxiang greeted him with a smile, “Hello, Director Wu.”
She wasn’t overcautious, but she didn’t speak much. She also didn’t try to ingratiate herself with him. Wu Zhao responded with a smile, “Greetings.”
“This is Cao Chi, the great producer. Just call him Mr. Cao. He likes people calling him that,” He Wei was a bit more relaxed when he was introducing Cao Chi. It was obvious that both of them must have been friends in private.
It was logical. If they weren’t friends in private, how could they even get the script and character of the film that he was producing?
“Hello, Mr. Cao,” Yun Xiangxiang maintained the same attitude with him without any bias.
“I don’t think I need to introduce this handsome man,” He Wei laughed.
“Hello, Teacher Lu,” Naturally, Yun Xiangxiang knew household names like Lu Jing.
“Hello, Teacher Yun. I heard that there will be some good food, so I’m just here for some free food. I hope I’m not giving you too much pressure,” Lu Jing was an easygoing guy.
“It’s not my treat. No pressure on my wallet’s part,” Yun Xiangxiang livened up the air with her high EQ answer.
“Hahahaha….” Cao Chi guffawed. He said to He Wei, “Old Man He, I am going to put a lot of pressure on your wallet today.”
“Unleash your belly and eat. I guarantee that I have enough money!” He Wei was being very generous.
Everyone’s distance closed a lot with this. They had already ordered the dishes and already had the staff prepare them. Since everyone was here now, the dishes were ready to serve.
He Wei talked to Cao Chi and Wu Zhao about their recent lives. They then followed up with an analysis of the film industry’s recent trend, audience, and film genres.
Their topics ranged from domestic to foreign. ‘The King’s Plan’ didn’t show up even after they had talked for half an hour. They didn’t even mention Yun Xiangxiang.
Yun Xiangxiang wasn’t even the least bit anxious. She listened to their conversation in earnest and didn’t interrupt even once. Even so, nobody could ignore her.
She had already taken note of the trio’s preferences. Every time someone tried to use their chopsticks to take some part of their favorite dish but the dish got turned away too far, Yun Xiangxiang had already turned the dish they wanted back to them quietly even when they didn’t put their chopsticks down out of politeness.
Everyone could pass it off as a coincidence if it was a one-time thing. But when it happened too much, everyone knew that she was a lady that could read the room and took care of everyone.
Her way of pleasing everyone was subtle. He Wei was the host here. As He Wei’s actress, she could take up the job of tending to the guests as host. Making the guests feel like they were home was her responsibility. It wasn’t exactly going out of her way to curry favors.
It was the silent tenderness that made everyone feel comfortable.
Wu Zhao put his chopsticks down after taking another bite out the dish that Yun Xiangxiang turned to him, “Us old fogeys didn’t even let the young lady speak after we talk for so long. I know that you’re here for the character of Madam Xi. Talk about the Madam Xi that you have in your mind.
Cao Chi and Lu Jing already almost had their fill. They put their chopsticks down and listened sincerely.
Yun Xiangxiang wasn’t going to shy away. She wiped her mouth with a tissue, “I did my research over the last three days. However, I could scarcely get anything from the books. I can only talk about my thoughts shallowly after reading them.”
“All of the states during the Warring States period couldn’t be separated into different entities. It was a state of chaos where morality was corrupted, but the warring states were something that people looked up to. During the early stages where rulers vied for the top spot in the Warring States period, women had an abysmal social standing. It was obvious through the wedding system where the princesses’ sisters or good friends would also be married along with them to be concubines to the male. Even though Madam Xi was a princess of the Chen Nation, she wasn’t from the family of direct descendants. She didn’t have to get married along with her sister who was from the direct descendant bloodline. It was clear that she was smart here.”
Cao Chi nodded when she talked. Lu Jing also gave an encouraging look.
Wu Zhao was expressionless. His emotions were indiscernible.
Yun Xiangxiang wasn’t the least bit affected. She continued, “She was so smart and beautiful, yet she could hold herself and wasn’t reduced to a mere tool. She didn’t get sent to any strong nations by the Chen Nation’s ruler in an attempt to ingratiate himself with them. It was obvious that she wasn’t just smart; she also had her ways to settle matters. That was why she chose to marry herself to Xi Nation that was small and weak. She could help the marquis of Xi to be close with good ministers and eschew the bad ones so that the Xi Nation could be self sufficient. It can be said that she had a political vision.”
“Madam Xi was a woman who had vision, great plans, and wisdom. She was someone who could be greatly respected,” Yun Xiangxiang finally concluded.
She was only constricted by her time and environment. Even so, in a dynasty where there was a large discrepancy between the societal standing of men and women, she wasn’t someone who had to rely on men for everything.