Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 80 Negotiation

Chapter 80: Chapter 80 Negotiation

"Su Qingwan" is a character with a dual nature; if played well, it can be the icing on the cake for the entire drama.

If not performed well, it doesn’t affect the overall progression of the plot, which is precisely why the crew was willing to offer this role straight to He Jinxia.

However, for a crew that wanted He Jinxia to support the newcomers, they were probably hoping that He Jinxia wouldn’t play the role well.

After changing into the elaborate costume, the drama’s costume consultant looked He Jinxia up and down and asked sharply, "You’re a bit thinner than the official data released, aren’t you?"

He Jinxia nodded, "Yes, I’ve lost a bit more weight these past few days."

Upon hearing this, the costume consultant’s expression became somewhat complicated, and she waved her hand,

"Don’t lose any more weight from now on. If you get any thinner, you won’t be able to fit into this costume. Although it’s just a regular outfit for Su Qingwan, we put a lot of effort into making it, and it would be too time-consuming to redo it."

He Jinxia replied with a gentle and soft tone, "Alright, my weight has stabilized and won’t decrease further."

Seeing He Jinxia’s easygoing nature, the costume consultant’s lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and arranged for a stylist to do He Jinxia’s hair and makeup.

There were limited stylists in the crew, and today was the day for the promotional photo shoot, so everyone was busy. He Jinxia had to wait for a while before it was her turn. During the wait, Cheng Xiaohua whispered some freshly gathered gossip to her ear.

"Xiaxia, the costume consultant was badmouthing you on Weibo. When you made your weight loss declaration, she publicly doubted you could do it, insisting you were just showing off."

He Jinxia’s eyes flashed briefly as she reminded in a low voice, "There are many people with loose lips on set; you need to be careful, don’t let others catch anything that can be used against you."

Cheng Xiaohua hurriedly nodded, "Don’t worry, I understand the limits."

She looked around, and seeing that no one was approaching, she continued to share interesting insider stories of the crew with He Jinxia to better acquaint her with the working environment and avoid any blunders.

A first-level assistant is the highest-ranking assistant within Tonghua Entertainment. Even before He Jinxia started working on set, she got a preview of Cheng Xiaohua’s capabilities as a first-level assistant—

Her ability to sniff out gossip was on par with a paparazzo’s!

Whether it was rumors or overt news, Cheng Xiaohua could provide details, seemingly nothing escaped her keen eye, which made He Jinxia feel a tinge of regret inside.

It was such a shame that Cheng Xiaohua wasn’t a counter-espionage intelligence analyst for Hua Country!

Listening to Cheng Xiaohua, who assured that her sources were absolutely reliable, He Jinxia asked curiously, "How did you find out about all this?"

Cheng Xiaohua proudly smiled for once and patted her chest proudly, "Because I’m willing to humble myself and mingle with the base-level workers! Don’t look at how thin and small I am, I’ve got a lot of strength. When I have free time, I help move props, hand out water, and the like. Before long, those base-level crew members get familiar with me."

She paused and leaned in to whisper mysteriously, "Don’t underestimate the base-level staff in the crew; they’re really keen and have an incredibly accurate read on people."

He Jinxia was amused by her manner and smiled without speaking, feeling once again that Luo You made a good choice in picking Cheng Xiaohua as an assistant. Wasn’t she just a gem?

She couldn’t be bothered to correct how Cheng Xiaohua addressed her; since morning, she had heard at least five different nicknames from Cheng Xiaohua’s mouth. As long as she knew Cheng Xiaohua was talking about her, it was fine.

Cheng Xiaohua was momentarily distracted by He Jinxia’s close-up smile.

He Jinxia’s smile was genuinely beautiful, each different smile possessing its own charm.

Her gentle smile that morning made her seem amiable and approachable, devoid of any celebrity airs.

Now, that slight smile with lips pressed together, elegant with an undertone of restraint and grace, the allure flowing through her eyes and eyebrows, had Cheng Xiaohua completely mesmerized.

"Fat Emperor, you are so beautiful..."

He Jinxia couldn’t help but laugh out loud and tapped Cheng Xiaohua’s face with her hand, her voice like a clear trickling spring, "Are you very happy to tease me?"

Cheng Xiaohua snapped out of it and nodded vigorously!

With such beauty in front of her, teasing was of course delightful, and besides, she was telling the truth!!

The door of the makeup room was knocked, and a female stylist hurried in, apologizing, "I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ll do your makeup now."

He Jinxia shook her head gently and said, "It’s okay."

Seeing her amicable demeanor, the stylist breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Xiaohua silently stepped aside, walked out of the makeup room, and continued to gather information.

Meanwhile, as He Jinxia was getting her makeup done, Luo You also met with the production’s top brass to discuss the contract issues.

"Mr. Luo, our production team has already shown great sincerity to Miss He Jinxia. We can’t increase her role any further; adding a few more scenes, and she’d have more screen time than the female lead!"

Luo You replied with a laugh, "Mr. Fang, it’s not like that. Jinxia is very popular now. With her on board, you’re guaranteed ratings. Otherwise, a TV series with a completely new female lead might not convince the audience!"

Another man interjected sharply, "He Jinxia does have popularity, but she hasn’t been in any productions. Whether her popularity can be converted into monetary value remains to be seen. The offer we have made is already very generous, and there’s no room for more scenes."

Luo You raised an eyebrow, "President Yang, that’s a bit one-sided. If you really weren’t interested in Jinxia, you wouldn’t have paid such a price to bring her onto the production team. As for screen time, Jinxia is also starring in a movie; her acting skills are guaranteed."

"No, the screen time that He Jinxia is asking for is too much. The production has many variables, as Big Agent Luo well knows. It’s one thing to add scenes for He Jinxia, but to demand she appears in the final cut with a specific number of shots and minutes is simply bullying!"

Luo You, "President Fang, I’m also considering Jinxia’s interests. Her first act was in a movie with a very good starting point. Now she’s stepping back to do a TV series. She specifically lowered her standards for this series.

Only by guaranteeing screen time can we ensure her popularity won’t drop. I can’t just watch my artist sacrifice so much for this TV series, can I?"

"Big Agent Luo, let’s not talk that way. If He Jinxia’s acting isn’t up to par, giving her more screen time would only give the audience more reasons to criticize her. Think it over..."

The two sides began a tug-of-war.

In the business world, negotiation is necessary, and when actors sign contracts for film and television projects, negotiation is required. Whether it’s from the buyer’s or the seller’s side, there is an interest chain behind each, and neither wants to come up short.