Actresses

Chapter 33

Shi Jiahe got into the car, her mind in turmoil.

But she couldn't come up with an answer the whole way, and that resentment towards her work, which had disappeared for a while, resurfaced. Although she was able to control it, she knew that once this feeling resurfaced, her condition would be uncontrollably eroded, and she would gradually deteriorate.

Especially after she devoted all her energy to this project that didn't even exist yet, she felt that the thing was gradually taking shape, from being completely unreliable. It seemed like she could reach out and touch some vague edges, and it even gave her the delusion that she could place a sense of value in it.

Over the past few years, no matter how smoothly Shi Jiahe was progressing with her work, He Yuran would occasionally erupt in inexplicable rage, like a bolt of lightning striking from the blue, forcing her to immediately stop everything and soothe the artist's emotions. Yes, no matter how busy she was with other things, the most important thing for the artist's team was always the artist's emotions.

Shi Jiahe spent countless hours internally trying to calm herself down, finally managing to face this daily routine with composure and ignore her own inner turmoil.

But for some reason, her patience seems to have decreased lately. Especially today, she particularly doesn't want to face He Yuran's temper.

So, Shi Jiahe started thinking about other things, intentionally pushing away this feeling of resistance. For example, before meeting Sister Stone, she needed to find out about Zhuang Pan's situation.

Shi Jiahe specifically searched for the drama starring Zhuang Pan as Wei Ning from back then, and couldn't help but sigh, it was truly the most low-key S+ ever...

Some S+ rated shows, while flops, at least make some noise; the worst are those that flop completely and silently. Shi Jiahe even vaguely remembers when this drama officially announced its start of filming, because a set of fan-taken photos of Zhuang Pan's makeup and styling went viral. But after filming wrapped and it entered its broadcast period, something went wrong, and not only did it disappear without a trace, not even a single negative trending topic. In the entertainment industry, it's not afraid of criticism, it's afraid of nothing. Because attention is the foundation of the film and television industry. When people have no enthusiasm to even criticize a drama, it's truly a flop.

Shi Jiahe's focus was on what exactly was the grudge between Zhuang Pan and Wei Ning.

She scoured Zhuang Pan's fan page for a lot of highlights and summaries before gradually clarifying the ins and outs of the matter. This is where fan wars really come in handy, because the internet's memory is better than a person's, and fan summaries are always the most comprehensive. Shi Jiahe's mood improved the more she read, and she even searched Wei Ning's social media, laughing hysterically. But judging from the fans' accounts, they were all using the same common reasons to attack the production team. What actually happened between the artist and Wei Ning is something the fans definitely don't know; it seems she'll have to ask Sister Stone directly.

It's quite surreal to see an industry acquaintance being criticized by fans, because just looking at the name online makes it seem like a complete stranger. But when Shi Jiahe saw Wei Ning's smug and boastful remarks in an interview from several years ago, she was also quite moved. Indeed, Wei Ning's arrogance at that time offered a glimpse into the platform's most glorious years.

Having almost finished her homework, Shi Jiahe immediately made an appointment with Sister Shi. Without needing to think about her words, she went straight to the point.

"If Panpan isn't filming today, how about we go out for a bit?"

She was thinking that even if He Yuran had something come up today, she wouldn't consider it, because she had important business to attend to.

Stone replied quickly.

"What a coincidence, I just woke up. Would you like to come to my office if it's convenient?"

Shi Jiahe was just agreeing when a new WeChat message came in. It was from an acquaintance she asked to help find Zhao Cai. She glanced at the preview; it basically said that they had found the person, but there was a sudden emergency.

Shi Jiahe's desire to see Sister Stone vanished instantly. She exited Sister Stone's interface and quickly replied here: "What did you say?"

An acquaintance sent me a screenshot.

A person with the online name "Zhao Cai" (meaning "Lucky Money") is looking for roommates in a drama literature alumni group within the industry.

Shi Jiahe paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure it's this person?"

"My junior from the drama department said that his junior perfectly matches the characteristics you described. But I didn't expect her to be in this situation. What do you think we should do? Should we still help you make an appointment?"

Shi Jiahe now feels more than just a desire to see Zhao Cai; she also feels intense curiosity and a sudden surge of concern.

"Yes! Send me your WeChat ID."

An acquaintance sent her a screenshot of Zhao Cai's WeChat ID. Shi Jiahe stared at the profile picture and name, pondering for a long time how to greet her. Although the other party had vouched for it, she wasn't entirely sure if this was the girl she had met before. After all, everyone in this industry was short of money these days, and it wasn't uncommon for people or cats to be named Zhao Cai.

She asked an acquaintance, "Do you have this person's phone number?"

The acquaintance was clearly getting impatient and didn't want to ask another question. "Isn't there a WeChat ID? Just add me and we can chat directly. I don't know what you want, so don't make me relay your messages."

Shi Jiahe clicked her tongue and hesitated for a long time, not knowing what she was dawdling about, before finally sending the friend request.

"Hello, this is He Yuran's agent, Shi Jiahe."

At this moment, her inner tension seemed to reach its recent peak, partly due to a sense of guilt, after all, she was keeping this from Wei Ning. But just yesterday, she had been scrutinizing this young man in the meeting room with a somewhat condescending air. She began to regret not being more friendly then.

I waited a long time for a reply to my friend request.

Screenwriters, they must get up very late. That's what Shi Jiahe thought to herself.

During this time, Sister Stone had already sent her company address, and the two confirmed that they would meet at 3 PM. Shi Jiahe went straight to the conference room as soon as she entered the company, where she bumped into Ding Yi with Danzi and Xuanxuan. The four of them looked at each other in surprise.

He Yuran was not there.

Shi Jiahe looked around and lowered her voice, asking, "Did the boss go to the restroom?"

"The boss has gone out," Ding said with a smile.

Shi Jiahe was taken aback. "I didn't see her in the elevator. Did she go the wrong way?"

"I don't know. The boss didn't say anything after he arrived, and then he stormed out angrily with the phone in his hand. We don't know why either," Ding Yi shrugged.

Shi Jiahe glanced at everyone's bewildered expressions; they probably weren't lying.

She was even more unsure. Who was Ran Jie targeting?

In the past, Shi Jiahe would have definitely called her boss to ask where he was and then set off for him herself. But today, she didn't even bother to pick up her phone. She had to go out in the afternoon; she didn't have time to comfort He Yuran.

After guessing for a while without any results, the rest of the people went back to their workstations.

Even with the boss away, she still needed to eat, and she had to compare prices from various takeout options and choose carefully. But Shi Jiahe had no interest in that at all.

She figured it was about time to head over to Sister Stone's place, but she felt uneasy and increasingly worried about the application that hadn't been approved. Even if Zhao Cai wanted to catch up on sleep, she couldn't possibly sleep until the afternoon, could she?

Unwilling to give up, she asked the acquaintance who had relayed the message, "Is there any new information?"

Even acquaintances were confused. "Didn't you two talk? Why are you asking me?"

Shi Jiahe was too lazy to explain, and only asked, "What else did she say in the group chat?"

An acquaintance sent me a voice message.

"No, this group isn't very active anyway. Even among alumni and seniors, we rarely talk in the main group. Close friends meet up privately, right?"

Shi Jiahe could only say thank you, and then opened the screenshot from yesterday again. This time she noticed that although the text in the "Fortune-Bringing" group was short, it was somewhat heartbreaking upon closer inspection.

"Hi everyone, sorry to bother you... I'm a 23 graduate of the Dramatic Literature Department at this university. I'm shamelessly asking for your help because it's really urgent. There's a problem with my rented apartment, and I have to move out within a day. I'm wondering if any senior or junior students could temporarily take me in? I'll move out as soon as I find a place, and I promise I won't stay for free! Just add me on WeChat. Thank you so much!"

Shi Jiahe hesitated for a while, then searched for Zhao Cai's WeChat ID again, edited a few words, and sent it over.

"After seeing the message in the group, do you still need to share an apartment?"

This time, the other party approved the application almost instantly.

"Hello," said the lucky charm on the other side.

"Is it convenient for you to make a phone call now?" Shi Jiahe typed a message, feeling that text messages on WeChat wouldn't be enough to express things clearly in this situation.

"It's not possible right now, I'll call you back in a bit."

"No problem, I'm available anytime."

Shi Jiahe glanced at her watch. She should have called a car to find Sister Stone, but she was worried that Zhao Cai might call at any moment.

Just as she hesitated to get up, a person walked into the conference room. It was none other than the boss, He Yuran.

Shi Jiahe blurted out, "Ran-jie, where did you go?"

He Yuran slammed the door shut, sat down with a dark face, and didn't say a word.

Shi Jiahe hesitated for a few seconds, but still took the initiative to step forward, forcing a smile, and asked in a kind voice, "Sister, what's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood today."

He Yuran remained silent, simply crossing his arms and coldly staring at her with a chilling gaze.

Just then, Shi Jiahe's phone suddenly vibrated. She turned the screen over and saw that it was a fortune-telling app.

She whispered, "Sis, can I take this call?"

He Yuran stared at her like a statue, motionless, not even blinking.

Shi Jiahe was initially bowing, appearing obsequious to outsiders. But at this moment, she had already made her decision; answering Zhao Cai's call was more important, at least for this instant. So she decisively announced her choice, "Boss, I'll take this and be right back."

This is tantamount to telling He Yuran to her face: Boss, I know you're upset right now, but I have other more important things to do.

Then, Shi Jiahe deliberately avoided looking at He Yuran's face, walked around from behind, opened the door, and quickly walked towards the stairwell.

She asked in a low voice, "Hey, is this for attracting wealth?"

The person on the phone sounded a little timid, but from the tone of their voice, she could tell it was the young screenwriter she was looking for. "Yes, is this Sister Jiahe?"

"Yes, yes. We just met yesterday. I wanted to add you on WeChat, but as you saw, Wei Ning stopped me. I don't know why, so I asked around and luckily found you."

"Oh..." Zhao Cai didn't offer any explanation, but continued timidly, "Is there something you need? Actually... I shouldn't have added you on WeChat. But I saw you mentioned sharing an apartment..."

"Can you tell me what your situation is right now?"

"Which matter are you asking about?"

"Let's get to the urgent thing first, how's your apartment?" Shi Jiahe thought to herself that the issue of not being allowed to add each other on WeChat could wait. As a fellow migrant worker in Beijing, she understood that finding an apartment was definitely the top priority.

"Oh...sigh..." Zhao Cai sighed heavily. "The landlord said he wanted to sell the house, and suddenly found a buyer. He only gave me one day to move out. I was working and packing at the same time, so I really couldn't go out to look at houses. So I can only ask around to see if anyone can let me move my things over temporarily."

"So, have you found it yet?"

"No... I haven't actually packed my things yet..." Zhao Cai said, her voice becoming aggrieved, as if she could cry at any moment.

Shi Jiahe felt as if a scene she had suddenly seen before her eyes had appeared.

A young girl sat amidst a pile of cardboard boxes, her belongings scattered on the floor, wiping away tears as she packed them up. Although there were no valuables, everything was carefully selected and purchased by her. Suddenly, the landlord informed her that the apartment was for sale and she had to move out the next day, or all her belongings would be thrown away as trash. The girl had no choice but to take leave from work and go home to pack her things overnight.

Suddenly, the image blurred, as if it had been submerged by a heavy rain.

Shi Jiahe couldn't help but sigh.

The person sitting in that pile of boxes wasn't Zhao Cai; it was herself from ten years ago.

Shi Jiahe switched to Stone Sister's interface and started typing at top speed: "I'm so sorry, my boss has some urgent business to attend to. I'll contact you again tomorrow! I'm really, really sorry! [crying][crying][crying]"

Just then, Zhao Cai's hesitant voice came through the receiver, "Sister, I need to keep in touch, or else..."

Shi Jiahe exclaimed "Ah!" and came to her senses, immediately interrupting Zhao Cai.

"Give me your address, I'll come find you now. Don't cry, I won't let you sleep on the streets."