In a city where celebrities reside, fans and paparazzi are always staking out the airport.
Jiang Juyou was left alone briefly while checking in her luggage. As soon as she finished and came back out, the group of fans and paparazzi swarmed around her again.
Someone immediately threw a provocative question at Jiang Juyou. She didn't seem fazed, but the surrounding fans were visibly angered, their eyes shooting daggers at the man who asked it.
Jiang Juyou acted as if she hadn't heard the question, casually stretching her neck with her arms crossed.
Today, she was wearing a long black coat that reached her calves. Her hair was tied in a low bun at the back of her head, with a few loose strands framing her face.
Some fans joked that Jiang Juyou's outfit made her look like a wealthy widow who had just lost her husband - understated and elegant, yet tinged with sorrow.
The source of her melancholic appearance was the redness in her eyes.
Jiang Juyou seemed to have pulled several all-nighters, as there were dark circles under her eyes, which were also bloodshot. She looked much more haggard than usual.
Noticing that Jiang Juyou hadn't heard the earlier question, other fans began chattering excitedly, their actions becoming rougher as they pushed the tactless paparazzo out of the way.
"Ms. Jiang, are you going to attend a filming ceremony?"
"Ms. Jiang, I brought some local specialties from our area..."
"You look so beautiful today. It's a shame we didn't bring our cameras."
At this point, Jiang Juyou pretended to have just heard them and removed her earphones. "What?" she asked, indicating that she truly hadn't heard anything earlier.
The crowd surrounding her caught the attention of passersby, who kept turning their heads, thinking she might be a celebrity.
Seeing that she had taken off her earphones, the fans' expressions brightened considerably. They repeated their questions, chirping like little birds.
A girl with a canvas bag slung over her shoulder adjusted her glasses, her face flushed with excitement as she asked cheerfully, "Are you going to attend a filming ceremony?"
Jiang Juyou nodded, "Yes."
This gentle demeanor was completely different from her usual image on TV shows, causing the surrounding fans to let out muffled squeals of delight.
The sudden noise made Jiang Juyou flinch slightly, seeming uncomfortable.
Many of these fans had come to like Jiang Juyou through watching her on TV shows. There were even dedicated fan forums online where people would speculate about her recent schedule and post updates.
Jiang Juyou had far more fans than most people realized. If ranked among trainees, her fan base would likely place in the top ten.
Without her earphones, Jiang Juyou was bombarded with questions. She didn't answer all of them; for those she couldn't respond to, she would simply squint her eyes and smile, trying to deflect.
For instance—
"Ms. Jiang, did your thesis pass?"
"..."
Seeing her silence, playful laughter erupted around her. The fans teased each other, "Why bring up such a sensitive topic? Jiangjiang, let me scold her for you!"
"How could you say that to someone who's about to graduate from senior year?"
"Hahahahaha, right, right, we shouldn't mention it."
And another example:
"We heard on the forum that you're about to have your own variety show. Is that true?"
Jiang Juyou didn't speak, but she tilted her head, like a puppy hearing the words "going out for a walk," as if to confirm what she'd heard.
Her assistant behind her also tilted his head in confusion.
"Ah... no, there isn't."
"I knew it was just a rumor."
"Then Jiangjiang, could you film a vlog and share it with us?"
Although these were all common topics, they became dangerous when directed at Jiang Juyou. Her assistant, who had been warned by the PR department, quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, we need to go in now!"
Jiang Juyou also fell silent, nodding to the surrounding fans, "You should all head back now."
"Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"
"Update your Weibo more often!"
"Bye-bye, Jiangjiang! Good luck with your thesis defense!"
Once they entered the VIP lounge, both of them let out a sigh of relief. The assistant's eyes finally revealed his shock, "How did they know about that?"
He was referring to the personal variety show that had just been mentioned.
The latest proposal from the variety show department was to film a personal show for Jiang Juyou, emphasizing her role as a producer. However, Jiang Juyou had rejected it, saying she was too busy recently to cooperate with the staff for filming.
Jiang Juyou was also surprised, "They really have their finger on the pulse." She had only learned about this proposal yesterday, yet these fans had already seen rumors online today.
She shrugged her shoulders, saying, "It's scary..." Then she turned and sent a message to HR, mentioning that someone had leaked information externally and asking for an investigation.
-
While the music and acting departments were running smoothly, the variety show department had been in a lull since the end of "21 Heartbeats of Youth," with several show proposals being rejected one after another.
The PD of Team A in the variety show department was tugging at his hair in the conference room, his face full of anxiety. "...Quick, let's brainstorm again."
"Boss, we're really out of ideas. I've never felt so creatively drained before."
"Lack of originality! Lack of originality! They all lack originality! Ahhh, my head hurts!"
"...If all else fails, should we ask Producer Jiang again?"
The others at the table looked at her, their faces clearly saying "Are you serious?"
"...Producer Jiang already said she doesn't have time for filming," someone across the table replied.
The person who made the suggestion raised her hand and explained, "No, I mean, we could ask if Producer Jiang has any ideas." As she continued, her confidence waned, "After all, it was Producer Jiang who rejected all our proposals..."
"..."
The PD rubbed his temples, "The boss is paying you to come up with show ideas, and you want to ask the boss instead?"
Hearing this, the person who made the suggestion also began to feel foolish, "..."
But in the end, the PD threw caution to the wind, "Fine, we'll ask her later. Let's see what direction Producer Jiang wants to go in. We can't just keep sitting idle."
-
Today was the opening ceremony for the drama, and it was Jiang Juyou's first time attending such an event.
As this was Random Entertainment's first self-produced TV drama, Jiang Juyou took it very seriously. She had been following up on the progress ever since the script was completed, although her "following up" mostly consisted of asking for updates from time to time.
However, after the system issued a task, she was forced to change from an observer to a participant.
Jiang Juyou was the producer of this project, responsible for controlling all budgets during the filming period. All her knowledge about being a producer came from internet searches, and for unclear parts, she had to humbly consult Cheng Yuan.
Suddenly, a flood of information rushed into her brain, causing her to feel dizzy and sluggish for the past few days, her mind in a state of not fully booting up.
Today was no exception—
Standing by the hotel window, Jiang Juyou held a cup of hot tea, gazing at the distant scenery. She took a sip, then let out a sigh.
"Hah..."
She abruptly asked the system, "How will I know when the task is completed?"
The film industry was far from her comfort zone. During the preparation for this TV drama, Jiang Juyou had to attend many unnecessary social events. Although it was considered overtime with extra pay, Jiang Juyou felt her spirit was being polluted.
The system, which usually ignored her, spoke up this time, "When the work is released."
Jiang Juyou put down her cup and sighed again, "Hah..."
Outside the window, she could see the shape of the wind. The invisible breeze suddenly became visible as it brushed past the leaves.
Seeing this, Jiang Juyou suddenly remembered something, and her expression became less confused, "Oh right, how did you handle those reimbursements? I've been meaning to ask but kept forgetting."
"There's a finance office in the company. I told them it's an outsourced company that comes to process things occasionally. I just told them to label the items that need reimbursement according to requirements and leave them on the desk."
She frowned in confusion, "But how do you process the things left on the desk?"
"Do you have a human body?"
The wind outside suddenly stopped, and its traces could no longer be found even in the treetops.
"Hey!"
"System?"
"Cong Lixia?"
Jiang Juyou called out several times without response. Just as she was about to give up, it suddenly spoke—
"I don't have a human body, nor am I allowed to have one."
The wind outside seemed to sense something, disappearing without a trace, even the leaves that had just been shaken down were gone.
Jiang Juyou also stopped moving, mulling over its words, "...What do you mean by 'nor am I allowed to have one'?"
The system fell silent again, and this time it didn't respond no matter how many times Jiang Juyou called out.
At this moment, someone came to knock on the door, "Producer Jiang, we can go downstairs now."
Jiang Juyou turned around and responded, "Coming right away!"
She thought that after being distracted by other things, Jiang Juyou would forget about the system, but not today.
While packing her things, she muttered, "You're too fond of the silent treatment. You won't have any friends if you keep this up."
Jiang Juyou was just habitually talking to herself, as the system usually ignored her, never responding no matter what she said, only appearing briefly when issuing tasks.
But today seemed a bit unusual. After Jiang Juyou's muttering, the system suddenly spoke up, "Are we friends?"
"No, you're my boss!" retorted Jiang Juyou, the working girl.
She quickly finished packing, ran to the bathroom to check her makeup, and then opened the door to leave.
This time, it was Cong Lixia who was left waiting.
-
Just as the opening ceremony ended, Jiang Juyou was trending on social media.
#JiangJuyouAttendsOpeningCeremony#
The topic attracted many curious onlookers.
"You scared me! I thought the hangover cure went to film, but it turns out she's still being the boss."
"This trending topic is really startling."
"Last year Random Entertainment was just a small workshop, and this year they're investing in TV dramas... Is your entertainment industry that profitable?"
"In my opinion, the female lead should be played by Jiang Juyou instead."
Jiang Juyou even reposted the production team's Weibo to show her support.
The system, which used to give Jiang Juyou the cold shoulder, now chirped away like a little bird next to her ear, constantly saying something. But she acted as if she couldn't hear it, talking to others, communicating with her assistant, chatting on her phone – doing everything but responding to the system.
Left with no choice, the system finally had to use its trump card.
"You're about to graduate and sign a formal employment contract to become an official employee. Why don't we discuss your salary?"
Jiang Juyou's eyes lit up with a "ding".
