Live together?
Xu Mei stood up from her chair, then slowly sat back down, casually taking a drag of her cigarette:
“Why are you telling me this? Can I stop it?”
With Li Mengjiao’s current popularity, Xu Mei couldn’t deceive herself even if she tried.
Liang Dan couldn’t stop Yuan Fenghui, so what could Xu Mei do to prevent The Princess’s New Clothes from airing?
Pan Li was a bit exasperated: “Sis, this is your first drama! If the east doesn’t shine, don’t we still have the west? How can you not care?”
The so-called east not shining referred to Xu Mei’s prospects as a singer.
Her debut album sales had long been surpassed by Li Mengjiao.
Her performance fees were far lower than Li Mengjiao’s.
More importantly, this year’s talent show was even more popular than last year’s, and Mr. Guan’s company had signed almost all the popular contestants this year!
Once the competition was over, what would be left for her?
With so many new artists waiting to release albums, the company wouldn’t have time for her anytime soon.
The west shining meant Xu Mei shifting her focus from singing to acting.
Starring in a Taiwan idol drama was an opportunity Xu Mei had fought for when she was at her peak and most valued by the company. Having started, it would be a pity to give up easily.
Pan Li’s words indeed touched on Xu Mei’s concerns. Xu Mei stared at her: “What do you mean? Just say it straight, don’t beat around the bush.”
Pan Li was similar to Fu Jing, yet different. Xu Mei didn’t trust Pan Li.
As for Fu Jing, she hadn’t been running around with Xu Mei in recent months, claiming to focus on her studies. But Xu Mei had heard from other classmates that Fu Jing had gotten close to Qin Yi recently. Qin Yi had started a “Shrimp King” chain in Shanghai, offering part-time jobs to alumni, and Fu Jing had applied!
Xu Mei thought: One by one, they’re all trying to gain something from me.
Fu Jing was, and so was Pan Li.
Even Mr. Guan, Liang Dan, and Cao Shao—none of them were truly sincere to her!
Xu Mei’s sarcastic gaze was obscured by the exhaled smoke, unnoticed by Pan Li: “We can’t stop Yuan Fenghui, but we can keep an eye on the boundaries of Li Mengjiao’s new drama. Is it appropriate for an underage girl to be all lovey-dovey with a male actor on screen in an idol drama?”
In today’s idol dramas, even with the smallest boundaries, the leads still have to kiss.
How old is Li Mengjiao? Since she’s playing the female lead in an idol drama, there must be something to exploit.
This idea came from Professor Fang, who couldn’t say it himself due to his position, so he had Pan Li relay it to Xu Mei. The only way to stop The Princess’s New Clothes from airing was Li Mengjiao’s age. Hunan TV might want to turn a blind eye, but if someone reported it, the station would have to reluctantly give up this prize.
Pan Li used the example of the Taiwan idol drama Meteor Garden from a few years ago.
“I heard Li Mengjiao’s drama has a production budget of 20 million. The sets must be lavish. If the SARFT banned Meteor Garden, they could ban The Princess’s New Clothes too. If her drama can’t air, Sis, isn’t that your chance?”
A 20-million investment!
Xu Mei’s drama in Taiwan, Jade Forest, was a co-production with Hunan TV. Its budget was higher than the average Taiwan idol drama, but not by much.
Even with 20 million, it was only on par with The Princess’s New Clothes. In terms of overall lavishness, Jade Forest couldn’t compete because its budget was mostly spent on actors’ salaries.
Unlike The Princess’s New Clothes, which cast an unknown Taiwanese male model as the lead, Jade Forest had a male lead who starred in a hit idol drama last year, a female lead from a popular mainland fantasy drama earlier this year, and even the second male lead was a familiar Taiwanese heartthrob. This lineup guaranteed ratings, but with famous actors came high salaries. With a limited budget, more money went to actors, leaving less for sets and production.
The Princess’s New Clothes had an unknown male lead and was filmed when Li Mengjiao was at a low point in popularity, so her salary was likely low. That meant the budget went into production, making lavish sets imaginable.
No wonder Yuan Fenghui was confident enough to vie for a prime-time slot.
Audiences today aren’t as easily fooled as a few years ago. To film a princess, you need the grandeur of a princess.
Yuan Fenghui’s confidence could also be a weapon to attack The Princess’s New Clothes.
Pan Li finally hit the mark, and Xu Mei stubbed out her cigarette:
“It is quite inappropriate. I know you hate Li Mengjiao. Now that you’re in the company, you know that while Mr. Guan is nominally in charge, Liang Jie makes the big decisions. Whoever helps Liang Jie gets her favour, right?”
Pan Li had been cozying up to Mr. Guan since joining the company.
Mr. Guan might be interested, but he lacked the courage.
The company couldn’t survive on Mr. Guan alone, and he knew it, so he didn’t dare cause trouble under Liang Dan’s nose.
Pan Li’s chances of advancing through Mr. Guan were slim. She’d be better off aligning with Liang Dan.
Liang Dan was pragmatic, promoting those with ability. If Pan Li could solve the The Princess’s New Clothes issue for Liang Dan, she’d surely gain her favour.
So Pan Li wasn’t helping Xu Mei—she was helping herself.
Xu Mei couldn’t stand Pan Li treating her like a fool, goading her to stir up trouble.
,When it was clearly beneficial to Pan Li too, why should Xu Mei take the lead and let Pan Li reap the rewards?
Xu Mei was usually gentle and refined, rarely so sharp-tongued. Pan Li was stunned.
“Sis, I’m really thinking of you…”
“You call me Sis, yet expect me to do your dirty work? If you want to do it, I won’t stop you. If you don’t, stop yapping in front of me. If you try to use me as your pawn again, I’ll tell Liang Jie we can’t afford an assistant like you. Sure, Liang Jie doesn’t value me as much as before, but I can still make money for the company, and she won’t ignore me.”
Xu Mei’s words left Pan Li speechless.
Xu Mei was the company’s asset, someone who made money.
No matter her future prospects, she could still hold her own for now.
Pan Li got into the company through Professor Fang’s connections but hadn’t done anything remarkable. As a salaried employee, she was expected to serve the company’s assets.
If Xu Mei went to Liang Dan, Pan Li would be replaced as her assistant.
Pan Li, who couldn’t do much else, would likely end up as a low-level errand girl in the company.
Not to mention whether Pan Li could accept that—Professor Fang would lose face first.
Pan Li was choked by Xu Mei’s words.
“Sis, I know what to do.”
Xu Mei was different from before.
Looking at the almost emaciated Xu Mei, Pan Li realized this for the first time.
At the door, a figure quietly turned to leave.
Hearing such things always put one in a dilemma: keep the secret or sell it to Yuan Fenghui for a favour?
Zhang Yangning twirled the ring on her finger.
Xu Mei was done for. After this year’s competition, as last year’s third-place finisher, she’d have even less standing. Limited resources would go to this year’s newly signed popular contestants. She had to find another way out for herself.
