Ji Nian was puzzled as she opened Weibo and saw that what the blogger had just said had become a hot search term, along with the screenshots of her Weibo name and comments ranking second on the hot search list.
"Are netizens really so bored these days? Even this can make it to the hot search list." Ji Nian muttered to herself.
Looking at the comments below, except for Cheng Li Ran's fans who were all criticizing, the rest were fine.
"I've been listening to this guest's songs on repeat recently, never getting tired of them."
"I started paying attention to this little girl because of the guest."
"Going crazy from being poor?"
"Why are you on the hot search again? Always trying to get attention."
"Disgusting."
"You there, what did she even do wrong? Why are you saying that about her?"
Ji Nian stopped paying attention to these comments and opened WeChat to reply to He Yi's message.
Ji Nian: Is it bad to be on the hot search?
He Yi was startled upon receiving the message. She thought about it and concluded that being on the hot search must be good - any popularity, whether good or bad, meant you were on the path to stardom!
He Yi: I thought about it and realized you've been on the hot search so many times recently that Heaven must have opened a backdoor for you. You're on the path to fame! Sis!
Ji Nian: I'll borrow your auspicious words and become famous quickly, so I can earn money to pay off debts.
He Yi: I support you in spirit!
Ji Nian: Okay, I'm going to watch TV shows now.
He Yi: What show? You're watching TV shows now? Weren't you not into them before?
Ji Nian: I have to eat from an actor's bowl, so of course I have to learn.
He Yi: Is there any hope left for your acting skills?
Ji Nian: ?
He Yi: Alright, I look forward to the day your acting improves.
Ji Nian: Bye.
After saying that, she switched screens back to the TV drama. She had just gotten to the scene where the servant girl played by the female lead was dragged out and beaten with a plank. The scene, the acting, it was so good that Ji Nian couldn't help sighing that it looked quite realistic.
The male blogger who had covered her song was also surprised to see Ji Nian's comment and it caught fire too, with everyone seeing the original singer come to comment and gave it a ton of likes.
"Oh my god, the original singer came to comment!"
"To be honest, the male version is different from the female version, each has its own style."
"Despite all the negative press, it can't be denied that Ji Nian is a good singer."
The blogger felt honored to receive acknowledgment from the original singer. He was the only cover out of so many that got a comment from her, so he was admittedly excited. He replied with a thankful emoji and followed her back.
Having binge watched the TV drama starring the female lead all night, Ji Nian fell into a deep sleep, exhausted after traveling by car all day.
Over at Shen Shuyao's side, she had finished recording the variety show, since she was just a guest and not a regular cast member. Her agent had only gotten her on for two episodes.
Next, the company had arranged for her to sign on for a new drama. She was going to have dinner with the director tonight.
"What are you looking at on your phone?" Agent Ling Jie saw the woman staring at her phone and asked curiously.
Shen Shuyao was looking at Ji Nian's Moments newsfeed. They had agreed to keep in touch over WeChat, but she hadn't sent any messages these past few days, busy with who knows what.
"Nothing, just looking at Moments." Shen Shuyao sounded a little down.
"Is this Ji Nian?" Ling Jie was a bit surprised to see the arrogant, noble-looking photo on the phone.
"Yes, we recorded a variety show together last time."
Shen Shuyao opened up their chat window, wanting to say hi, but felt a little embarrassed since Ji Nian hadn't messaged her first. She felt awkward and didn't know what to say.
"Keep your distance from this Ji Nian. She has too much negative press. Once you get associated with those online rumors, whether real or fake, it could drag you down since you're just starting out." Ling Jie frowned, clearly not supportive of her hanging out with Ji Nian.
"Nian is really nice." Shen Shuyao was unhappy, not wanting to hear the agent badmouth her.
"Shuyao, I've painstakingly brought you to where you are today after your debut. Don't blame me for the warning - any mistake on your part will come at a great cost."
Ling Jie had managed many artists before, and Shen Shuyao was finally gaining traction. Her hopes were high, since artists earning money meant the agent would earn a nice income too.
Shen Shuyao didn't like this agent, but had no choice since the company had assigned her, and Ling Jie had helped her for almost a year now. Her assistance could not be denied.
But she was always condescending and often ordered Shen Shuyao around, disregarding her wishes when scheduling things, which often made her very uncomfortable.
"Tonight's dinner is with Director Lin, who's a huge director. You got the third female lead role, so you'll likely need to rely on him in the future. Make a good impression tonight." Ling Jie said in a flat tone, briefing her on tonight's schedule.
"Ling Jie..." Shen Shuyao spoke hesitantly, "Can I not go..."
Ling Jie turned to look at her in surprise, before putting on an stern face and answering, "Hmm?"
Shen Shuyao lowered her head, angry inside but speaking softly, "That Director Lin...everyone knows what kind of person he is. I'm afraid he'll..."
Ling Jie scoffed and looked at her with slight contempt. "What woman in this circle is innocent? You have no fame to begin with. If you don't show your face in front of the director at dinners, how will he remember you?"
"But..." Shen Shuyao looked up at the woman, shocked inside. She knew Ling Jie was capable, and had hinted before about going to dinners, but didn't expect her to state it so blatantly this time.
"Just go over first, several actresses will be there, what are you afraid of?" Ling Jie had already made the decision.
Shen Shuyao felt indignant inside, but what did she mean by that? Implying that with so many actresses, Director Lin might not even look her way?
Seeing the silent response, Ling Jie didn't say anything more. She had been in this circle for a long time, some people were modest at first when they debuted, but once ambitious, they couldn't wait for opportunities like this to come by frequently. She would understand Ling Jie's good intentions later.
"Xiao Duo, take Shuyao over tonight. Contact me if anything comes up." Ling Jie instructed the assistant who had been standing silently nearby.
Xiao Duo had been listening in the whole time. She felt it was inappropriate but still quietly acknowledged, "Okay."
Shen Shuyao was upset and didn't speak, lowering her head as she got in the car. She wanted fame, wanted everyone to know her, but not by using her looks to curry favor with directors.
Agent Ling Jie hurriedly left after taking a phone call, but not before reiterating that they must not be late for the dinner tonight.
Xiao Duo saw the sullen woman sitting silently in the car. Having been her assistant for over half a year, how could she not know she was upset? So she moved closer.
"Sis Shuyao, you're unhappy right?" Xiao Duo was only 21 this year, having graduated early from college and becoming an assistant by chance, this being her first job.
"She's always like this, never consulting me, never respecting my opinions." Shen Shuyao's eyes were red, feeling wronged with tears welling up.
Xiao Duo was also helpless. As an assistant, she was like a nanny, handling all the trifles and preparations. She had no say, only able to follow arrangements.
