Cao Shao and Guan Zong dismissed Wen Ying’s role as a screenwriter, but Professor Fang, who had dealt with Wen Ying directly, was quietly wary of her.
Fang didn’t voice this.
A distinguished professor shouldn’t fear a high school girl, whether by age or experience. If Fang expressed her concerns, Cao Shao and Guan Zong might mock her behind her back.
Adults care about face. Cao Shao and Guan Zong were focused on Yuan Fenghui, but Fang fearing a high school girl? How embarrassing.
Compared to someone like Fang, Yu Tianlin was far more straightforward. Sensing a threat from Xie Qian, he immediately started discreetly investigating him. Anything that could jeopard the Miracle Group’s future, Yu Tianlin wouldn’t take lightly.
Trying to get information from Tianjiao’s staff was a dead end. Yuan Fenghui had brought a few assistants to Hunan, and she demanded a lot from them. Whatever their other skills, tight lips were a basic requirement. Loose-mouthed assistants didn’t deserve to work with company artists on location.
Why snoop on Xie Qian?
Trying to poach Tianjiao’s investors?
Tch!
How shameless.
Tianjiao’s assistants were tight-lipped, and Yu Tianlin’s side got nothing. Eventually, they turned to Fang, and Xu Mei knew more.
“A high schooler?”
“Yeah, same high school as Li Mengjiao. Classmates.”
Xu Mei knew Wen Ying, Xie Qian, and Wang Shuang, all Li Mengjiao’s classmates.
Wen Ying was in Hunan, likely for the ratings celebration for *The Princess’s New Clothes* tomorrow, as her name was in the screenwriter credits.
Xu Mei had known Wen Ying for a while. Initially, when Qin Yi praised Wen Ying’s competence, Xu Mei was annoyed. Later, meeting Qin Yi’s parents, they preferred Wen Ying too. Back then, Wen Ying was a chubby kid with tanned skin, posing no threat to Xu Mei’s looks.
Xu Mei and Qin Yi were long over, so there shouldn’t have been further ties with Wen Ying’s group. Yet, Li Mengjiao became a popular star, and Wen Ying, who was selling crayfish at a night market last year, transformed into a bestselling author and hit drama screenwriter.
Xu Mei sighed. Yu Tianlin’s assistant quietly asked, “Are they all classmates from the same arts high school?”
Many active Taiwanese screen stars graduated from Huagang Arts School, so the assistant’s misunderstanding was understandable.
Xu Mei shook her head. “Not an arts school, just a provincial key high school.”
Qin Yi, her ex, was from Chengdu’s provincial key high school. He’d talked about his alma mater when they dated. Students there often competed in contests, got direct admissions to top universities, or studied abroad. Li Mengjiao was the only one who became a star.
Yu Tianlin’s assistant got the picture.
—Didn’t sound like Yuan Fenghui’s cultivated new talents.
The assistant smiled, “Miss Xu, Tianlin-ge is looking forward to working with you.”
Flattery costs nothing, and the assistant dished it out.
Truthfully, Xu Mei’s status was far below Yu Tianlin’s.
But she loved hearing it.
Missing this year’s National Day gala performance list was humiliating for Xu Mei, who craved validation.
She was last year’s talent show champion! Li Mengjiao, a runner-up, made the list, as did third-place Zhang Yangning, but Xu Mei was snubbed. It was too much!
After Yu Tianlin’s assistant left, Pan Li slipped in sneakily.
“What was Yu Tianlin’s assistant asking about Wen Ying and them?”
“…Thought they were Yuan Fenghui’s new talents.”
Probably saw Xie Qian as the biggest threat.
Though Xu Mei had met Xie Qian, she didn’t really know him.
Pan Li hesitated, “Xu Mei-jie, acting with Yu Tianlin is a great opportunity. Should we discuss with Cao Shao—”
Discuss what?
Discuss stirring up a scandal with Yu Tianlin, obviously!
If Xu Mei couldn’t get popular again, Fang would collapse first. When Yu’s assistant came asking about Wen Ying’s group, Fang had a sudden idea.
It’s not a new trick in the industry. Scandals during filming boost a show’s exposure and the buzz around both parties, especially helping the lesser-known one when fame levels differ.
Fang, too proud to suggest it herself, had Pan Li gauge Xu Mei’s interest.
Pan Li barely hinted, and Xu Mei was hooked.
In the past, Xu Mei might’ve played coy despite wanting it. But a year in the industry’s ups and downs cured her of that pretense. She kept her public persona but was open with Pan Li.
“Tell Sister Fang to mention it to Cao Shao first, then I’ll talk to him myself.”
A girlfriend stirring up a scandal with another male star? Cao Shao wouldn’t have been thrilled when he and Xu Mei first got together.
But now, Cao Shao’s interest in Xu Mei had cooled. They hadn’t split because he wanted to test the waters of investing in a show. Their relationship was no longer purely emotional but tied to mutual benefits.
If Xu Mei could spark a scandal with Yu Tianlin, she’d gain, and so would Cao Shao. He’d be mad not to agree!
Not just Cao Shao, even Guan Zong was all in.
Learning the idea came from Fang, Guan Zong was even pleased.
Who wants to pay someone for nothing? Fang’s idea finally showed some value!
Cao Shao and Guan Zong planned to bring up the scandal idea when meeting Boss Jin and Yu Tianlin tomorrow.
To get Yu Tianlin on board, they’d need to offer him something.
—Have Zhang revise the script to make Yu Tianlin and Xu Mei’s scenes more sizzling? Add more scenes between the male lead and supporting actress? What a sly move. Cao Shao and Guan Zong were taking advantage of Boss Jin being an industry outsider.
Outsiders trying to cash in on entertainment have to pay some “tuition.” Jin had money to burn anyway!
The two felt no guilt whatsoever.
Cao Shao and his group aimed to gain the most with the least cost, shafting the biggest investor.
Yuan Fenghui didn’t care about them. Hearing from an assistant that someone was snooping on Xie Qian, she laughed. The Miracle Group would never guess Xie Qian wasn’t a new talent but one of *The Princess’s New Clothes*’ investors.
Yuan mentioned it to Xie Qian:
“You’ve got the Miracle Group spooked. Sure you don’t want to join the industry?”
With looks like that, not entering was a waste. Yuan half-joked, half-seriously urged Xie Qian.
Before he could reply, Wen Ying, Wang Shuang, and Li Mengjiao protested in unison:
“Xie Qian’s not joining!”
“Yeah, he’s tutoring us.”
“Teacher Yuan, if you’re short on talent, how about me?”
Xie Qian staying out was a loss for entertainment, but if he joined, it’d be a loss for three struggling students.
Li Mengjiao thought entertainment lacked challenge. Xie Qian should aim for a field with more technical depth, or his brilliant mind would be wasted.
Wen Ying and Wang Shuang agreed, with Wang even offering to “guest star” in Yuan’s new show.
Xie Qian, seeing the three panic, gave a faint smile. The box of study guides he brought to Hunan wouldn’t go to waste this holiday.
But to Yuan’s invitation, Xie Qian had zero interest:
“Teacher Yuan, I’m not into on-camera work.”
Yuan caught a hint.
He only said he wasn’t interested in being on camera, not the industry itself.
Xie Qian’s family was wealthy, having invested three million in *The Princess’s New Clothes*. Maybe the Xie family would venture into film and TV someday!
