“…”

Jiang Nan tried hard to block out those unhealthy thoughts.

"Teacher Xia is from Orange Entertainment?"

Xia Chi rubbed the back of his neck a little embarrassedly: "Ah, yes, it's just a small company, it can't compare to the resources of the big platforms..."

"Tsk—" Gao Sheng scoffed, the gold watch on his wrist dazzling. "What's that? Sweet Orange Entertainment. They're just a small operation, they can only invest in a few web dramas..."

Xia Chi's fingertips tightened on the wall of the cup.

"It's not the depth of the water that matters, as long as there is a dragon inside." Jiang Nan glanced at Gao Sheng helplessly, and slowly helped him out.

"I just watched the surveillance video playback. Your control of emotions is very precise, and the sense of layering is also very good." After a pause, he added: "Much better than when I first started filming."

Xia Chi was startled, and when he looked up, he met Jiang Nan's clear eyes - those eyes reflected an amber luster against the light, which made people's hearts tremble.

The image of Jiang Nan in my memory is always split - the sincere boy on the talent show stage, with an untamed wildfire burning in his eyes; the reserved and aloof gentleman in the magazine blockbusters, even his fingertips exuding a coldness that keeps strangers away; in the entertainment news, he is pinned to the gossip pages by blurry candid photos, and the accompanying text always carries the glaring labels of "arrogance", "alcoholism" and "scandal".

But in the fan filter, he is a pawn hunted by capital, a broken white moonlight who has been cyber-bullied to the point of being emaciated.

Xia Chi is often confused about which one is the real him.

Until this moment, mottled sunlight shone through the curtains, and he saw the old age in Jiang Nan's eyes, like a glass cup on the verge of breaking, reflecting a heart-wrenching fire.

Those whose spiritual light is scattered have weak spirit and energy, like a candle in the wind, flickering.

But this man who was clearly about to break apart still wanted to pull up everyone who was stuck in the quagmire. He said to Xia Chi in the corner, "You acted very well."

The air conditioner was buzzing, and there was a faint smell of alcohol in the air, and Xia Chi's throat tightened.

"Really? Really? I've actually read a lot of your works. I've always studied the wanderer in 'Cold Night' as a textbook..."

"That one..." Jiang Nan's eyes flashed with a complex expression. "If we were to reshoot it now, I could handle many details better. Oh, and," he suddenly thought of something, "I heard your company is planning to shoot a period drama?"

"Yes!" Xia Chi's eyes lit up, then dimmed again, "But we are a small company and can't afford someone like you..."

"As long as the script is good," Jiang Nan interrupted him, "If there's a chance..."

Gao Sheng suddenly coughed heavily, his venomous gaze piercing Jiang Nan. "I think you've been a bit too arrogant lately..."

He lit a cigarette and started puffing away in the RV. "How could you even consider this kind of crappy project that barely gets an A-level rating?"

[What a walking biochemical weapon bomb.]

Xia Chi's throat was tightened by the smell of smoke, and he couldn't help but secretly look at someone's arrogant face.

Suddenly I remembered a hot search on Weibo.

Last year, a video of this guy pointing at a fan's nose and calling him a "cheap bone" at the airport went viral, and the hot search term #姜南小组玩大牌# stayed on the Internet for three days. In the end, Jiang Nan posted an apology on Weibo.

My buddy's low quality is obvious to all.

Xia Chi couldn't help but defend his own company: "Although it's a small- to medium-budget film, the team is very solid, and the director is Du Binquan..."

"Du Binquan?!" Gao Sheng suddenly burst into a shrill laugh. "You haven't even cleaned up your shit yet, and you're already preparing for a new play. Don't you small companies do background checks when selecting talent?"

Xia Chi was indignant: "Those are all malicious rumors spread by colleagues..."

"Naive," Gao Sheng shook off the ashes from his cigarette. "Who cares about the truth now?"

He smiled sinisterly, "Jiang Nan, have you ever calculated how many more failures you can have? Your last drama is stuck in review, and Republican-era films like Luo Jian weren't very popular to begin with. If your next drama fails again, your resources will be downgraded, and you'll only be able to play supporting roles in the future. Without the company's resources, what leverage do you have left?"

He took a drag on his cigarette, and the smoke ring flew towards Jiang Nan with its fangs and claws. "Fans are ruthless creatures. They climb the wall faster than turning the pages of a book. Do you still think you are the top star you used to be?"

Jiang Nan turned his face away to avoid the stench.

I could hear someone chattering on the microphone.

[Holy crap! This old wall lamp got its head stuck in the door?]

Even if Jiang Nan isn't as famous as he was, he's still a top-tier star. Director Luo's movies, no matter how hard they try, can't even come close to him, okay? How come they've become so light and unpopular?

[Are you crazy? You're distorting the principles of nature just to disparage your own artist.]

Xia Chi caught a glimpse of the large gold watch on his wrist, and his back teeth clattered.

[Last year, you earned 80 million just from endorsements. Don't you have any idea?]

[You really think you’re so powerful! You’re nothing if you leave Jiang Nan!]

I don’t know if something unpleasant happened before Xia Chi came, but Gao Sheng suddenly got angry and didn’t care at all about the presence of outsiders.

"Don't be so rude to me. The entertainment industry is changing so fast. How could you still be as popular as you are now after leaving the company? Don't be naive. There are so many people younger than you. I can give my resources to anyone..."

【That's bullshit.】

You're like the straw in the market. You think you're precious when you tie a hairy crab to it. But wait until you tie leeks to it, and you'll know your own worth.

The room was quiet for a while.

Gao Sheng felt a little lonely without anyone to support him.

Maybe it was because of his eyesight, but Jiang Nan seemed to smile with his lips pursed.

"Jiang Nan! What's that expression on your face?"

Gao Sheng was completely enraged.

"You think you've grown strong enough, but if the company wants to ban you, who would dare to hire you? You'll completely disappear from this industry!"

[General Gao boasted a lot.]

"puff--"

Jiang Nan couldn't hold it in and turned his face to the window.

Xia Chi suddenly remembered another important thing.

Jiang Nan's contract seems to be about to expire.

This guy is trying to scare the tiger.

【Jiang Nan, please don't be afraid of him.】

Capital is driven by profit, not relationships. Those who act as middlemen are even taking advantage of the situation to bully others.

"You said to ban it, so I banned it. Are you the king of heaven? Who are you trying to scare?"

On the other side, Gao Sheng was feeling bored and angry. He suddenly opened his cell phone and shook it at Jiang Nan.

"Zhou Xu's Weibo data from last week showed a single post had over a million retweets."

The phone screen displayed a WeChat Moments post from a sports brand director. The man in the photo stood at the center, the brand's CEO lovingly wrapping his arm around his shoulders. The caption read, "The future of this new generation of top stars is promising."

"Congratulations to him then."

Jiang Nan was too lazy to even look at it.

Xia Chi could clearly see the face in the photo.

As someone who has one foot halfway on the edge of the fan circle, he certainly knows who Zhou Xu is, the artist from the same company who always "happens" to wear the same clothes as Jiang Nan in press releases, a frequent visitor to trending searches on Weibo, and who is called "a resourceful figure who relies purely on marketing" by fans.

Over the past year, Zhou Xu's name has dominated almost all of Guanghui Media's premium resources: from Jiang Nan's regular guest appearances on national variety shows, to the brand endorsements he's been collaborating with for three years, and even serious films like "Silent," which have Zhou Xu in a supporting role. Meanwhile, Jiang Nan's schedule has become increasingly tidy.

Gao Sheng smiled clearly: "The audience always likes something new... They call me brother today, and they can call someone else tomorrow. As the saying goes, there is always someone young."

[Bah! How dare you show off this ugly capitalist child?]

[There's a lack of successors, and they can't bring out any new talent. This is simply courting disaster.]

[Those who debuted as a group, some have had their contracts terminated, some have been put on ice. Your glory has delayed so many promising talents. Only Jiang Nan has the blood to last until now. You should be secretly happy that you have a cash cow to cling to. Why are you still getting into a fight?]

【Draw a circle to curse you! 】

"A-choo!"

Gao Sheng frowned and sat up straight. Just then a phone call came in. The moment he answered the phone, his expression suddenly changed and he smiled like a grandson.

"Oh, Mr. Zhang! You're personally asking about this. Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"

The person on the other end of the line seemed to ask something, and Gao Sheng suddenly burst into laughter, his voice rising an octave: "Jiang Nan? That must be Jiang Nan, he's in my car right now, he just finished filming a scene directed by Luo Jian, he's so tired that he doesn't even want to talk..."

"Injured? Hey, they're just minor injuries. In this line of work, injuries are inevitable. There's no way they'll affect my work."

He deliberately kicked the tip of Jiang Nan's shoe, "Is that right, Jiang Nan?"

Jiang Nan didn't even raise his head.

Xia Chi wanted to glare at him.

[Fuck, this guy must be a human trafficker.]

[How can cattle and horses even breathe? They're kept working non-stop even though their bones are broken.]

[What do you mean by a minor injury? Is this an artist or a mule?! Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't dare to do this!]

[Jiang Nan was chased by a car agency and didn't say a word, but now they are being magnanimous on his behalf...]

"Don't worry, I have a schedule, but…" Gao Sheng suddenly lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret, "There are five or six variety shows vying for him right now, but since we're friends, I'll definitely give you priority!… I just have to bring an extra person… Yes, yes, that Zhou Xu… He's a future top star, a rising sun."

"puff--"

Xia Chi almost burst out laughing.

【Bring new people, bring your sister. 】

"Why don't you keep bragging? You're going to contradict yourself so soon?"

[My own son can’t walk yet…]

As Gao Sheng hung up the phone, he heard Xia Chi pretentiously ask Jiang Nan, "Hey, Mr. Jiang Nan, why are you giving resources to the popular young star when you have five or six out-of-date idols that are being vying for you on various variety shows? Zhou Xu is a top star..."

Jiang Nan knew he was playing yin and yang, so he smiled and said, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Xia Chi covered his mouth and said, "I know, it's called industry inheritance. But it's not a good thing to keep doing this. When will this future top star learn to walk independently?"

Gaosheng's boasting was exposed and his face turned red.

"You know nothing, Zhou Xu has so many upcoming hit dramas..."

"Oh~ He's the upcoming "explosive emperor." One or two supporting roles have already gone viral. He's filming a lot of dramas later, right? They're all funded by Guanghui, right? Guanghui is really a big spender, wow..."

Xia Chi pondered these words with a wicked smile on his face, and suddenly raised his head to look at Gao Sheng's face.

[The nose bridge is knotty, lips are as thin as a knife, and there is a main line on the right cheek, which means that the noble people around you will be unlucky.]

[No wonder Jiang Nan has had such a miserable life these past few years...]

[If this beast is not eliminated, there will be great disaster! ]

"?"

Jiang Nan was shocked when he heard this. He looked at Xia Chi, but found that there was murderous intent in Xia Chi's smile.

Xia Chi suddenly slapped his thigh. "Oh my—speaking of Zhou Xu… doesn't he have a major role to play today? He's supposed to be sneaking into the enemy camp to rescue Chaoyang. It's already so late, and why haven't I seen him?"

He deliberately took out his phone and exaggeratedly checked the time, "Director Luo hates people being late..."

This sentence woke Gao Sheng up. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu didn't reply, but Zhou Xu's assistant replied: "Brother Zhou Xu can't be contacted, what should I do!"

"Hiss! What's wrong with this guy today?"

Gaosheng felt a little nervous.

Jiang Nan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his tone calm but undeniable. "The last time I took on a variety show, the shifts in schedule and the flight delays caused a lot of unhappiness with Director Luo Jian. I only have three days free this month, so I can't make it in time for the variety show schedule. Director Luo Jian's team won't let me overlap with other projects."

Gao Sheng roared with a fierce face, "He said no, so he won't? You have to listen to that old man? The variety show package is three million, and you only make a few bucks for filming that Republican-era movie? You're so poor and yet you have so many problems."

"When I signed the contract, it said I wouldn't overlap with other projects," Jiang Nan said seriously, "and I want to take some time to calm down."

Gao Sheng seemed to have heard something funny: "Are you still acting well? You're just a traffic star, and you think you're Tony Leung Chiu Wai. If you don't make some quick bucks now, you'll be starving in a few years. And you're still thinking about that music studio, right? Tsk——"

Jiang Nan's face turned pale instantly, as if he had been stabbed in the chest. His slender fingers clenched unconsciously, and the joints turned bluish-white.

Gao Sheng saw his pained expression, and with a smile on his face, he intensified his criticism: "Do you think those girls really care about what you sing? Your fans only recognize your face. Who wants to hear you sing?"

I want it!!! I want it!!! We all want it!!!

Xia Chi stared at Gao Sheng's greasy face and wanted to pour milk tea on it.

[Jiang Nan won first place in the talent show that year, thanks to his great vocal skills!]

If it weren't for your lousy company's eagerness to make a quick buck and forcing him into a crappy drama, he would have released an album and held a concert long ago!

[You're such a wasteful bastard! I'm so unlucky to be joining your Glory!]

Xia Chi gnashed his teeth and cursed in his heart. Suddenly, he felt a gaze falling on him. He subconsciously looked up and met Jiang Nan's gaze.

The eyes that always contained a reserved smile were now calm as water, and the glass-like pupils were like a bottomless abyss, calm on the surface but surging undercurrents.

Xia Chi clearly saw a glimmer in his eyes, like the touch of a traveler who had been wandering for many years when he finally heard the accent of his hometown.

That look was so revealing that Xia Chi almost wanted to look away, as if he had accidentally seen something he shouldn't have. However, Jiang Nan had already lowered his eyes, hiding his inexpressible fatigue and emotion, and put on that perfect mask again.

It was so fast that it made people doubt whether it was an illusion.

"Boom—"

Suddenly there was a loud noise in the studio, and the RV shook.

Jiang Nan frowned, and he and Xia Chi turned to look at the source of the sound at the same time. They looked at each other, pushed open the car door tacitly and walked over.

As soon as I arrived at the studio door, I heard Director Luo Jian's furious roar coming from inside.

"What the hell is going on!!!!"