“That ruthless, huh!”
Wen Ying was just speculating, but Li Mengjiao took it seriously, cursing Liang Dan for being shameless.
Yuan Fenghui gave Wen Ying a second glance, seriously considering her earlier jest.
If Wen Ying could really follow through with such decisiveness, Yuan Fenghui genuinely wanted to hire her as a full-time agent.
Sensing Yuan Fenghui’s appraising look, Wen Ying put on an innocent expression, “Teacher Yuan, I was just talking. I wouldn’t actually do it.”
Yeah, right, I believe you!
Li Mengjiao might be a bit dim, but this one was too clever.
And being a minor, she could lower people’s guards. If she had the mind to scheme, even a seasoned player like Liang Dan could fall for it.
That morning’s dress-snatching incident was a perfect example.
It seemed like Liang Dan’s group got the upper hand, but Yuan Fenghui knew Wen Ying hadn’t cared for the dress A-Feng prepared in the first place, so she let Liang Dan take it.
Xu Mei ended up wearing the dress Wen Ying didn’t want, while Li Mengjiao found something far more suitable for today’s audition. What a perfect setup.
After cursing Liang Dan, Li Mengjiao had a new question, “Teacher Yuan, how did you know that man was sent by Liang Dan?”
What if he was actually a staff member arranged by the TV station?
The audition location had been set long ago.
But last-minute changes weren’t impossible, right?
Li Mengjiao wasn’t trying to argue with Yuan Fenghui; she was genuinely curious. She couldn’t be expected to grow without being taught, could she? As Yuan Fenghui said, no one could protect her 24/7. She needed to learn to protect herself and develop her own judgment!
Yuan Fenghui, preoccupied with the upcoming audition, was a bit distracted but wanted to test Wen Ying, so she let Wen Ying explain to Li Mengjiao.
“Go ahead, speak freely.”
Wen Ying actually thought it over carefully.
This audition opportunity was secured through Li Zhentao’s efforts.
But even earlier, Yuan Fenghui had gotten the tip-off.
And this morning, when Yuan Fenghui had her take Li Mengjiao for styling, what was Yuan Fenghui doing?
Wen Ying boldly guessed, “Because Teacher Yuan has informants at Hunan TV. I don’t know who they are or how many she has, but the audition time and place are definitely being watched by her people. Teacher Yuan knew when the audition time was moved up, so there’s no way she wouldn’t know if the location changed. Since there was no new information, that man was obviously lying!”
That impressive?
Li Mengjiao’s mouth fell open slightly.
Was this real life or a spy thriller?
Yuan Fenghui, however, gave Wen Ying an approving look.
Wen Ying was pretty much spot-on. Yuan Fenghui hadn’t been at Mr. Guan’s company long, but she’d already cultivated a few “friends” at Hunan TV.
The stylist A-Feng choosing Liang Dan was unexpected. With so many stylists working with Hunan TV, Yuan Fenghui hadn’t anticipated Liang Dan picking A-Feng for Xu Mei’s styling today, or their groups wouldn’t have clashed.
Yuan Fenghui’s original plan was to bring Li Mengjiao to the audition unannounced, catching Liang Dan off guard.
But plans don’t always keep up with changes. They ran into each other at the styling studio, and now Liang Dan was on alert.
As for whether her informants at the TV station would betray her… Heh, Liang Dan’s rapid rise at Hunan TV had stepped on plenty of toes. If someone wanted to deceive Yuan Fenghui, they wouldn’t have leaked the news about the undecided spokesperson in the first place.
Yuan Fenghui was very pleased with Wen Ying’s sharpness. If Wen Ying had any interest in becoming a star, Yuan Fenghui would’ve signed her on the spot.
Herding one sheep is herding, herding two is no different, especially when this sheep was so clever and not easily fooled.
Can’t sing? She could learn. Can’t dance? She could practice. Even a stubborn stone in Yuan Fenghui’s hands could be polished into fine jade!
And Wen Ying was no stubborn stone.
Her natural attributes were excellent.
Most people judge Wen Ying by her appearance, but someone with Yuan Fenghui’s keen eye looks at bone structure.
Those with good bone structure grow more beautiful with age, what’s called “blossoming.” Conversely, some who look good as kids don’t develop well in puberty and end up less attractive as adults.
Yuan Fenghui didn’t contradict her, meaning Wen Ying was right.
There really were informants… Li Mengjiao was still a bit lost, “What about next time? Even if Teacher Yuan were split into eight pieces, she can’t have connections with every partner.”
No one can be well-connected everywhere.
Yuan Fenghui got ahead by doing her groundwork, especially since Li Mengjiao came from Hunan TV’s talent show, so their ties to the station wouldn’t break easily.
These adult ways of doing things were too much for Li Mengjiao to digest. Wen Ying gave up on forcing her to grow too fast and comforted her, “Teacher Yuan’s connections are important, but you need to hold your own. If you’re capable, her connections can be the icing on the cake. If you’re not up to par, even if Teacher Yuan turned into an octopus, it wouldn’t help.”
Ding.
The elevator arrived.
Wen Ying and Li Mengjiao stopped talking and followed Yuan Fenghui out.
Everyone waiting outside the audition office looked over.
Zhang Yangning had been scrolling on her phone but smiled when she saw Li Mengjiao.
The company had already decided to push Xu Mei for this spokesperson role.
Ever since Xu Mei hooked up with Young Master Cao, her resources at the company had skyrocketed.
Xu Mei was the annual champion, with a bigger album promotion budget, and Zhang Yangning accepted that.
But after the album, the company arranged for Xu Mei to act in a drama… Zhang Yangning didn’t want to act herself, but the company didn’t even ask her, which left a bad taste.
If Xu Mei kept succeeding, the company’s resources would tilt even more toward her, and Mr. Guan would stop noticing other signed talents, including Zhang Yangning.
Since it was just a formality, Zhang Yangning would rather see Li Mengjiao get the spokesperson role.
At least Li Mengjiao had broken free from the company and wouldn’t compete for resources with signed talents!
With her own interests in mind, Zhang Yangning smiled when she saw Li Mengjiao, relieved she hadn’t missed the audition.
Yuan Fenghui was impressive, never missing a chance to fight for Li Mengjiao.
As Zhang Yangning looked her over, she noticed something.
Li Mengjiao’s look today was so casual.
It was hard to pinpoint what was different, but it made you want to keep looking. Compared to Xu Mei’s meticulous styling, it gave a completely different vibe.
So, Li Mengjiao suited double pigtails so well.
Zhang Yangning didn’t like that style herself but had to admit it fit Li Mengjiao perfectly—cute and lovable, making people want to protect her.
Yuan Fenghui strode toward the audition office, nodding naturally at Zhang Yangning, “Is Xu Mei auditioning inside?”
“Yes, Teacher Yuan.”
Zhang Yangning put away her phone, replying politely.
Yuan Fenghui smiled, “I listened to your album. You sing well, and Teacher Huang Yongjuan’s production is top-notch.”
Better than Xu Mei’s album!
If the company put effort into promoting Zhang Yangning, she could become a powerhouse vocalist—not a top idol, perhaps, but a singer who could steadily earn for the company long-term.
