Benshan’s beloved disciple, starting from the 2009 Spring Festival Gala
Chapter 14 - What do you mean by giving me the room key?

Chapter 14  What do you mean by giving me the room key?

“Auntie’s back, I’ll leave now, goodbye.”

Seeing that Zhang Tian’ai’s mother had returned from the bathroom, Qu Yiming said goodbye to Zhang Tian’ai and walked over to sit beside Song Xiaobao and the rest of the crew. Just as he sat down, Xin Zhilei, who was sitting at the same table as Qu Yiming, came over with a glass of wine to toast him.

“Director Qu, thank you for giving me the opportunity. I’ll toast you,” Xin Zhilei said.

Xin Zhilei had finished filming her scenes over a week ago. After the shoot, she returned to her hometown in Hecheng for a while. Today, she had just arrived in Shen City, just in time for the crew’s wrap-up party. Her purpose was simple: to get closer to Qu Yiming.

At this moment, Xin Zhilei was a small-time nobody in the entertainment industry. Her family background was very ordinary—her father was bedridden, and her mother had to care for him, making it impossible for her to work. All the family responsibilities fell on her.

She had gotten into the Central Academy of Drama purely by luck and the help of a benefactor. However, since graduating in 2007, she hadn’t landed any significant roles. The role of the wife in Lost in Thailand was the only one she could put on her resume.

You can imagine how much Xin Zhilei envied Qu Yiming, who had risen to fame overnight. But that was just fate.

“Director Qu…”

Song Xiaobao, quick to react, poured a glass of wine and handed it to Qu Yiming.

Over the past month of working together, Song Xiaobao had developed immense respect for Qu Yiming. His talent was undeniable, and the bold move to make a 50-million yuan bet with the company was something Song Xiaobao had never encountered before.

Xin Zhilei’s decision to approach Qu Yiming was also influenced by the bet. Although Uncle Ben had told everyone to keep it confidential, the news had still leaked to the company’s artists. The crew members passed it on, and eventually, everyone in the industry had heard of it.

As for who leaked the secret, no one knew. But most people in the industry did not believe that Qu Yiming would win the bet. The reason was simple: they believed the popularity brought by the Spring Festival Gala was too superficial and difficult to capitalize on.

The decline in Qu Yiming’s commercial performance reflected this, with his booking price dropping from 2 million to around 800,000 to 1 million yuan per show, a significant cut.

Returning to the present, Qu Yiming took the glass of wine from Song Xiaobao and toasted Xin Zhilei.

“Your acting is good. We’ll work together again if there’s a chance.”

“Thank you, Director Qu.”

The two drank up.

Meanwhile, Zhang Tian’ai’s mother glanced at Qu Yiming and asked her daughter, “What were you two talking about?”

Looking at Xin Zhilei chatting with Qu Yiming, Zhang Tian’ai felt a pang of jealousy and replied, “We didn’t talk about much, just that I should thank him.”

Her mother nodded.

“Yes, you should thank him. Remember to stay in touch with Director Qu. If he wins the bet, his future will be limitless.”

After joining the Lost in Thailand crew, Zhang Tian’ai’s mother had done some research on the entertainment industry through gossip magazines. Aside from the notorious unspoken rules, she had also learned about the hierarchy in the entertainment industry:

Top Director → Capital → Top Screenwriter → Film Actors → TV Actors → Singers

She firmly believed this hierarchy and thought that if Qu Yiming won the bet, he would rise to the top of the industry, and if he remembered old acquaintances, he could help Zhang Tian’ai secure her future. However, she also wondered whether relying on old connections alone would be enough…

Zhang Tian’ai’s mother suddenly tightened her grip on her daughter’s hand and looked at her expectantly.

“What’s wrong, mom?” Zhang Tian’ai asked in confusion, withdrawing her gaze.

“Jiaojiao, do you think there’s a chance you could win Director Qu’s heart? I mean, marry him?”

Her mother looked at her daughter eagerly.

Zhang Tian’ai pointed at herself in disbelief. “Me?”

It was like the situation in an old Chinese drama where someone was supposed to catch the Tang Monk and his disciples.

“Mom, are you sick?” Zhang Tian’ai asked, concerned as she touched her mother’s forehead.

“Ugh, you’re the one who’s sick!”

Her mother swatted Zhang Tian’ai’s hand away. While the mother and daughter were debating whether to go all in, Xin Zhilei had already made up her mind.

She had been in the entertainment industry for several years, and she knew what the bottom line of the industry looked like. Without a benefactor or a backer, there was little chance to rise to the top.

Before joining the Lost in Thailand crew, Xin Zhilei couldn’t find a reliable way to make it big. She was afraid that if she risked everything, it wouldn’t pay off. But if she could get close to Qu Yiming, she felt it would be a win-win situation, even if Qu Yiming lost the bet. After all, he still had his master to rely on. So, Xin Zhilei switched places with Song Xiaobao and slipped a room card to Qu Yiming.

????

Qu Yiming looked at the slightly blushing Xin Zhilei, utterly confused.

What’s this supposed to mean?

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