Through the glass window, Ah Sha saw two birds perched on a branch outside. Tian Yiyi's remark brought a bland smile to Ah Sha's face. "And where, might I ask, did you come by that knowledge?"
"I..." Panic flashed in Tian Yiyi's eyes. But a split second later, her eyes returned to normal. There was a hint of smugness in her tone when Tian Yiyi spoke next. "I have my ways, of course. Seeing that we're both rookies here, I'll let you in on something else."
When she saw that Ah Sha had barely reacted to what she had just said, Tian Yiyi felt a bit peeved. "I've already given up on the lead role," Tian Yiyi said. "Stars Entertainment has agreed to give me the second lead. As for you? Well, I can help you get the third lead role, if you want."
"Oh?" Ah Sha said, finally raising her head. For a moment there, Tian Yiyi found herself slightly dazzled by the radiant beauty held inside Ah Sha's eyes. "Damn, this woman really is beautiful," Tian Yiyi thought. Then again, the feeling of amazement was soon replaced with a surge of unbidden jealousy. "So what if she's beautiful?" Tian Yiyi thought. "She still won't be getting the role."
A second later, Tian Yiyi felt her smile disappearing.
"Help me how? By jumping into bed with Mr. Potbelly for a second time?"
Mortified, Tian Yiyi stumbled back two steps as she stared back at Ah Sha with wide eyes. She had read through this girl's file when she had been at the fat guy's place yesterday. From the file, Tian Yiyi knew that this girl had just returned to the country and that her background was by no means impressive. Heck, the file said that she was only sixteen, and yet she had read the current situation like a book...
"Haha. I thought you were all pure and innocent! Well, since you already understand, then I don't have to say anything else. Brother Yuan would like to have dinner with you today," Tian Yiyi said through gritted teeth. That g*dd*mned lard-arse even had the nerve to fantasize about Mei Jing when he was with in bed with her yesterday.
Without sparing Tian Yiyi another glance, Ah Sha stood up, turned around, and walked away.
"You don't want the role?" Tian Yiyi yelled at her.
"Of course I want it. But I want the lead role. Doing it your way just isn't my style," Ah Sha shot back without even turning her head around.
Stunned, Tian Yiyi stared after Mei Jing's leaving form. After a while, she recovered, and stomped her foot. "Humph! Be full of yourself all you want. You're just another pretty face, that's all. Let's just see how hard you'll be crying later..."
"Ken, these are the files of the final three candidates." Qi Xiu handed the files to a man sitting behind the desk. After that, he added, "The one called Tian Yiyi has already been chosen as the second female lead. She's a graduate from an acting school. We're prepared to sign her."
Beautiful and slender fingers gripped the files. Those fingers belonged to a very young and handsome man whose beautiful features were perfectly sculpted but emotionless. His dark and profound eyes were like deep pools, calm and waveless.
Nobody would suspect that such a man was capable of burying a person alive the moment his feathers were ruffled.
The man flipped through the files casually before shooting a glance at Qi Xiu. "So, who is it? Who has she bribed with her body?"
"Fat Yuan," Qi Xiu said with a look saying that his suspicion had been confirmed; Qi Xiu knew that the Boss would have smelled something fishy right away. Nothing could get past the Boss.
The Boss' eyes lingered on Mei Jing's photo. "What about this one? Did you run background checks on her? Is this her real name?"
"I did," said Qi Xiu. "She's a university graduate who has just returned from overseas. Her parents had both migrated. There's nothing too impressive about her background." Qi Xiu glanced at the files once more. "So, which one of them are we using, then?"
"Sign all three first. Ask them to be present at the dinner party the day after tomorrow." The man flicked his fingers to dismiss Qi Xiu. Qi Xiu was just about to step outside when he heard a woman's voice coming out from somewhere on the Boss' body.
"Lala, lala! Time to pick up your phone, Brother Xunxun! Lala, lala! Time to pick up your phone, Brother Xunxun!"
Qi Xiu gathered all the files. Then, he left the office without taking a single peek. That was his Boss' private phone, and there seemed to be only one number in it. Every time that ringtone sounded, the Boss would pick up the phone no matter where he was or what he was doing.
Also... Whenever that ringtone sounded, the Boss' perpetually paralyzed face would always become soft and tender with emotion.
"It has to be a woman!" Qi Xiu thought, engaging his inner gossip. God only knew which woman had enough allure to have that kind of effect on the Boss.
Ah Sha sat inside the meeting room where a capable-looking woman dressed in a business suit was putting away a stack of contracts. "From now on, you're a celebrity represented by Stars Entertainment. I'm in charge of the rookies. You can call me Sister Fang."
"Sister Fang," Ah Sha greeted the woman politely. Ah Sha could tell that despite the woman's stern appearance, the woman did not slight Ah Sha just because she was a rookie.
The door of the meeting room opened; a woman dressed in trendy clothes walked in. "You wanted to see me, Sister Fang?"
"Nana, this is the new celebrity you'll be in charge of. You guys should get acquainted with each other."
A look of dissatisfaction formed on Nana's face and she dragged Sister Fang to the doorway.
"Wasn't I supposed to be assigned to Tang Yue? How come things have changed?"
"This is the company's arrangement."
"Sister Fang! Manager Yuan gave me his word last time. He promised me that I'll be assigned to Tang Yue!"
"Well, why don't you take it up to Manager Yuan, then...?"
Ah Sha's lips were pressed together into a tight line as she eavesdropped on the conversation going on outside. Several moments later, Ah Sha heard a loud bang. Nana had shoved the door open and was now walking back inside.
"I'm Zhou Na, your agent." Zhou Na appraised Ah Sha from head to toe for a moment and found her mood turning slightly better.
Zhou Na had to bust her chops in order to persuade Fat Yuan to assign her to be Tang Yue's agent. Everyone in the company knew that there was something going on between Tang Yue and the big Boss; they were ongoing rumors that Tang Yue might be the woman whom the Boss was seeing. But now she ended up being assigned to this Mei Jing after all that effort she had gone through. Deep down, Zhou Na was utterly enraged.
Luckily, this Mei Jing looked pretty. Then again, so what if she looked pretty? In this line of work, beauty could be found anywhere.
"As a rookie, I hope you'll listen to everything I tell you and fully conform to the company's plans. Don't use your beauty as an excuse to start showing me attitude. Don't think you're now a star just because you've signed a contract with us. Right now, you're still a nobody."
Ah Sha was not bothered at all by Zhou Na's attitude. Instead, Ah Sha merely nodded. "I'm aware of that."
Seeing that Ah Sha at least knew her own place, Zhou Na could find nothing else to criticize. Zhou Na handed her a business card. "Be at this store the day after tomorrow. Three o'clock in the afternoon," Zhou Na said. "That's where you'll pick out your dress for the company's dinner party."
"I'll be there on time," Ah Sha said, putting the card away. Zhou Na stood up to leave but then paused when another thought occurred to her. "Be well-prepared. This is your debut."
Ah Sha stood up as well. She nodded and said, "I will."
Back home, Ah Sha showed Xin Qing the contract she had just signed. "Mommy, check it out!"
"You got in on your own?" Xin Qing took the contracts. "Xunxun didn't recognize you?"
"I didn't even get a chance to see the man," Ah Sha said a little grumpily.
She had called Xunxun that afternoon. That was the rule that Xunxun had set for her; every afternoon she must call Xunxun while Xunxun would call her at night. They had been doing that during the three years they were apart when she was overseas.
One time she forgot to call because she was in class; and she didn't send him a text either. She ended up finding Xunxun standing outside her dorms that same night. She dared not forget to call him since that incident.
"Go get changed," Xin Qing said. "We're about to have dinner."
Only then did Ah Sha notice that Xin Qing was sitting in a wheelchair. "Mommy! Did daddy prepare this for you?"
"Mmhm. It's from your grandpa Mo Lin." A look of amusement formed on Xin Qing's face as she ran her palm over the armrest of the wheelchair. She had no idea what type of material the wheelchair had been constructed from. All Xin Qing knew was what Young Master Shen had told her when he brought the thing over that afternoon; apparently, this thing had over ten functions. Oh, and not even a frigging bomb could damage it.
Ah Sha pushed Xin Qing into the dining hall. "I bet daddy will be home by the time I count to three!"
The front door opened with a bang before Ah Sha even started counting. Ying Qingcang walked over in hurried strides. When he reached Xin Qing's side, he bent down and kissed Xin Qing on the lips. "I'm home. What have you been up to today?"
"Daddy, I heard from Ah Che that you only went to the company in the afternoon. Honestly, what could mommy do in just three short hours?"
Ying Qingcang patted his daughter's head. "I would still worry even if I leave her side for just a minute!"
After washing his hands and getting changed, Ying Qingcang pulled Xin Qing into his arms and then sat down. "Where's Chengcheng?"
"Wangwang had a basketball match at school today. Chengcheng stayed behind to watch the match," Xin Qing said. "I didn't tell her that Ah Sha's back. I was worried that he might let it slip when he sees Xunxun later."
Ying Qingcang nodded and glanced at Ah Sha. "I've prepared the house. You can move in tomorrow."
"Mmhm!" Ah Sha took a sip of soup. "Thank you, daddy!"
Xin Qing glared at the father-daughter pair. "Isn't it nice to just come home openly rather than engaging in this cloak-and-dagger stuff? Now you even have to move out."
"Mommy, my status would be exposed if the company finds out that I'm staying here. Besides, I'll be very busy from now on. It'll be more convenient if I move out. I'll still come visit you every week!"
"I got you a car. It's already parked inside the garage. Be careful when you drive," Ying Qingcang reminded.
Ah Sha gave him a salute. "Yes, sir!"
Ah Che drove Ah Sha to her new home the next day. It was a small housing area with a comfortable environment. The house was not big, just roughly one hundred square meters in expanse. The home decor was obviously done based on what Ah Sha liked; everything came in pink, and the place was filled with cartoon dolls and stuffed toys.
Ah Sha had never tried to deny that she had a princess complex. She was a damsel at heart who had allowed herself to be spoiled rotten by Xunxun. In fact, this childish hobby of hers had been the subject of her friends' teasing and mockery when she was still studying overseas.
"The cleaners were all hired from Xin Enterprises, so it definitely won't be a problem when it comes to their trustworthiness. They'll clean your room once every three days." Ah Che worked on moving her bags inside while he kept on nagging. "There are a lot of decent restaurants nearby. Their numbers are all listed inside that notebook over there. Oh, and also, the young miss wants you to go back home to have soup whenever you are free..."
"Alright, alright!" Ah Sha pushed Ah Che out the door. "I get it already! Hurry up and leave!"
After chasing Ah Che away, Ah Sha took a shower and dove head first onto the round bed which, unsurprisingly, came in pink. Then, she pulled out her tablet and began scrolling through the news.
The following afternoon, Ah Sha arrived on time at the boutique listed on the business card. When she entered, she noticed that both Tang Yue and Tian Yiyi were already picking out their clothes.
"You're only here now?" Zhou Na said when she noticed Ah Sha. "Well, I suppose you're on time, literally. Aren't you even worried that they'll pick out all the good ones?" After that, Zhou Na handed her a few dresses. "Here. I've grabbed these for you beforehand. Hurry up and try them on."
Ah Sha thanked her and took the clothes to the fitting room. She frowned when she saw the clothes that Zhou Na had picked out for her. The clothes all seemed provocative and immodest; they either had a plunging neckline or would leave her entire back exposed.
Ah Sha went over her options in her head. After a while, Ah Sha decided to bring the dresses out of the fitting room. Ah Sha saw Tian Yiyi outside the fitting room. The latter was dressed in a fish tail dress, one that left her entire back exposed. The sounds of Tian Yiyi's mocking laughter filled the fitting room when she saw that Ah Sha had yet to put on a dress. "Couldn't find one that suits you? Take my advice and go with something modest. Tang Yue had already taken the most expensive dress," Tian Yiyi taunted.
Ah Sha merely smiled at Tian Yiyi and said, "Yours look very pretty." After that, Ah Sha pulled the drapes aside and walked outside.
When Ah Sha got out, Zhou Na was seated on the couch, flipping through a magazine. When she raised her head and saw that Ah Sha was not in one of the dresses she had picked for her, Zhou Na glowered. "Why haven't you changed into one of the dresses? We still have to do your hair later. Why are you dallying around?"
"None of these suits me. I want to pick my own dress," Ah Sha said, tossing the dresses to one side. After that, she headed straight to the few clothing racks and started picking her dress carefully.
Angered, Zhou Na stood up. "Hey, what do you think you're doing? Are you questioning my taste?"
"No. It's just that they don't suit me," Ah Sha said, picking out a pink sheath dress. "I like this type," Ah Sha said.
"This has nothing to do with your likes or dislikes. Anyway, you must wear the ones I had picked out for you," Zhou Na said, staring at her forcefully.
Ah Sha smiled. "The ones you picked will only have men leering at me with lewd eyes. Are you sure you aren't a pimp or a procurer?"
That comment had instantly caused Zhou Na's face to change.