I'm Rich - 3
Chapter 3
Back home, Guan Zhiyi slipped off her coat, sank onto the sofa, and sat there absentmindedly for a long while.
Qi Chengyan's return had caught her completely by surprise, and in the wake of that shock and joy, childhood memories came flooding back, unspooling through her mind like old film.
Back then, Qi Chengyan had lived right next door to her family. The two households were close, and he and her brother, Guan Yuanbai, had been classmates since elementary school. They had practically grown up together.
Because of that, Guan Zhiyi had always been especially attached to him.
As a child, she'd trailed after the two of them everywhere, and whenever Guan Yuanbai scolded her, she'd duck behind Qi Chengyan for cover.
With a six-year age gap, their school years never overlapped. By the time she entered elementary school, they were already in middle school. When she reached middle school, they had gone off to university. But even though they were never at the same school, Qi Chengyan would often come to pick her up at her brother's request.
She had always loved having him come to take her home. Guan Yuanbai never let her eat food from roadside stalls, but if she pestered Qi Chengyan long enough, he'd always soften and buy her whatever she wanted...
Guan Zhiyi couldn't help laughing when she remembered how shamelessly spoiled she'd been as a child.
Ding dong.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Guan Zhiyi snapped out of her reverie and went to answer it.
At this hour, there was only one person who would ring her bell. Sure enough, when she opened it, her best friend and next-door neighbor, Song Qiaofei, stood outside.
"Ta-da!" Song Qiaofei held up the tray in her hands. "Here! Try one!"
Guan Zhiyi glanced at it. "You made these?"
"Yep! Spent ages baking them. This batch is for you."
The fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies smelled rich and buttery. Guan Zhiyi inhaled, forced her gaze away from the tray, and declared firmly, "I think I've gained too much weight lately. I need to lose some."
Song Qiaofei rolled her eyes dramatically. "Lose some? Give me a break. Everyone's got their own fate. You could starve yourself down to a supermodel and those roles still wouldn't be yours."
Song Qiaofei had debuted in the same girl group as Guan Zhiyi, and they'd both transitioned into acting around the same time. Years had passed, and neither of them had escaped the ranks of actresses struggling somewhere around fifth- or sixth-tier, teetering on the edge of obscurity.
"What do you mean?" Guan Zhiyi asked.
"I mean I practically starved myself into a supermodel figure, and what did it get me?" Song Qiaofei sighed. "I still couldn't land that role in Feng Tou."
Guan Zhiyi blinked. "I thought you said that one was basically in the bag…”
"Turns out I was full of it, okay? Next thing I knew, it went to the daughter of the classmate of President Zhao's friend. That's the industry for you. A little background beats everything.” Song Qiaofei stuffed a cookie into her mouth. "We've been grinding away for years and we're still nobodies. We can't even get close to a decent script. Maybe it's time to switch careers."
Guan Zhiyi paused, then reached over and took the half-eaten cookie from her friend's hand. "Don't say that."
"Just being real."
Guan Zhiyi took a bite, chewing as she mumbled, "If you love it, you keep going."
"Love doesn't pay the bills." Song Qiaofei sighed dramatically. "You know... maybe we should just cozy up to some CEOs. Seduced a few bosses or something?"
Guan Zhiyi burst into laughter. "Comrade Song, don't entertain such wicked thoughts. Besides, even if you did... who's to say any of those CEOs would want you?"
Song Qiaofei froze, then let out an exasperated laugh. "Guan Zhiyi!"
"Kidding, kidding!” Guan Zhiyi grinned. "Seriously though, leave me a few more cookies. They're actually really good."
Deep down, she knew Song Qiaofei wasn't wrong. Acting was her dream, sure, but dreams didn't cover living expenses. She'd sworn up and down that she'd make it on her own without her family's help, and she meant it. But supporting herself meant earning money.
She'd been out of her last production for nearly six months now, and not a single script had come her way. Rent cost money. Transportation cost money. The savings in her bank account were dwindling alarmingly fast.
After seeing Song Qiaofei out and closing the door, Guan Zhiyi sank back on the sofa, worrying as she nibbled on another cookie.
She'd barely finished one when her manager, Liu Yun, called. Guan Zhiyi jumped at the caller ID and immediately shoved the rest of the cookies aside.
"Hello? Hello?" she answered hastily.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. Just finished dinner."
"Dinner?" Liu Yun was notoriously strict about her artists' weight management. "What did you eat tonight?"
Guan Zhiyi glanced guiltily at the cookies. "Boiled vegetables."
"It better have been."
"It was." Guan Zhiyi nodded instinctively before realizing Liu Yun couldn't see her. "Yun-jie, why are you calling? Is there a role for me?”
"Actually, yes. There's a reality show offer that just came in. Most of the other cast members are confirmed, and now they're looking for a cheaper female artist to round out the numbers. Originally they wanted a newcomer, but I pushed for you instead. You've got a bit of name recognition and your fee's low enough, so I managed to snag the spot."
Low fee...
That description hit painfully close to home.
But Guan Zhiyi wasn't exactly thrilled about reality TV. "So… what's it called?"
"Beat the Fat. It runs for a month. The cameras follow each celebrity's daily diet and workout routine. Basically, it's a weight-loss and fitness show."
"...I'm not fat enough to be on a weight-loss show, am I?"
"You think it's actually about losing weight? That's secondary. What audiences actually want is a glimpse into celebrities' everyday lives."
She continued, "I know you don't like variety shows, but Zhiyi, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, without exposure and popularity, nobody's going to hire you for dramas. And honestly, I'm doing this for your own good. If you don't want it, there are plenty of people waiting to take your place."
Guan Zhiyi knew every word was true. These days, acting alone wasn't enough to keep celebrities in the public eye. Besides...she hadn't worked in so long. A variety show was still income.
"So? Not interested?"
"No, I want it! I'm in!" Guan Zhiyi hesitated, then added, "But what about scripts? Is there anything out there that might suit me?"
"As for scripts..." Liu Yun thought for a moment. "The Imperial Court is still casting female roles."
"The Imperial Court? As in the The Imperial Court? Jiang Xiaochen's novel?"
"You've read it?"
"Of course I have! That book was massive when I was in college, I absolutely loved it." Guan Zhiyi's voice shot up with excitement. "Yun-jie, are there auditions? When can I go? I'll take any role!"
In truth, Guan Zhiyi had excellent natural qualifications.
Unfortunately, none of her previous productions had made much of a waves, and her company kept signing fresh new faces. She had remained stuck in an awkward middle ground, neither successful enough to receive serious promotion nor unsuccessful enough to be dropped entirely.
"Our company bought the adaptation rights years ago. They've only recently started looking for investors and pre-production." Liu Yun paused. "By the way, Yitong's interested in it too."
"I see..."
Zheng Yitong was one of the company's more successful actresses. Not exactly A-list, but firmly established among the industry's second-tier stars. She was also notoriously arrogant and rarely acknowledged colleagues who weren't as famous as she was.
Liu Yun considered it for a moment. "There are a few roles the company reserves internally. Tell you what, tomorrow night President Zhao's having dinner with some investors. You'll come with me."
"Dinner? Not an audition?"
"You show your face, make an impression, and you'll have a better shot when the actual auditions come around. Get it?"
Guan Zhiyi had never liked these kinds of business dinners.
"Zhiyi? Zhiyi?"
"Ah... I'm here."
"I'll pick you up tomorrow evening. Dress yourself up a little."
"Yun-jie... about that..."
"If you want the role, you're coming. And for once, don't come up with a dozen excuses to bail. It's just dinner, they're not going to skin you alive. What are you so afraid of?!"
Guan Zhiyi, caught red-handed, felt her cheeks heat. "…got it."
"Good. I'll hang up then. Be ready tomorrow."
"Okay."
After ending the call, Guan Zhiyi felt a brief wave of discouragement. She had never been good at socializing, and these networking dinners always made her uncomfortable.
But the feeling didn't last long. This was The Imperial Court! Not just a novel she adored, but a major IP. She didn't need Liu Yun to tell her how precious an opportunity this was.
Besides...
Anyway, it was just dinner. If simply showing up improved her odds even a little, it would be worth it.
**
The next evening, Guan Zhiyi started her makeup a full hour early. At the agreed time, she headed straight to the underground garage and climbed into Liu Yun's car.
About forty minutes later, they pulled up in front of a luxury hotel.
Guan Zhiyi looked out the window and froze.
Nanjue Grand Hotel.
She knew this hotel extremely well. Not only was it one of the most famous hotels in the capital, it also belonged to the Guan Corporation. And the hotel division, as it happened, had always been her brother Guan Yuanbai's domain.
"..."
What incredible coincidence.
"What are you staring at? Get out." Liu Yun urged.
"Right."
Guan Zhiyi pressed her lips together and reassured herself: It couldn't possibly be that much of a coincidence. Her brother was a busy man. There was no way she'd randomly run into him here.
After getting out, a valet took the car while Guan Zhiyi followed Liu Yun into the hotel.
"Tonight's guests are all potential investors. Don't say anything unnecessary. Make a good impression."
"Of course."
Privately, Guan Zhiyi thought it would be even better if she could simply eat without saying a single word.
"I know you've been out of work for a long time." Liu Yun glanced at her. "Zhiyi, people like us don't have wealthy families or powerful connections. When opportunities come along, we have to fight for them."
Guan Zhiyi nodded vigorously. "You're absolutely right!"
"Good. Let's go in."
The dinner was being held in one of the hotel's private dining rooms. By the time Guan Zhiyi arrived, most of the seats around the large round table were already occupied. Out of everyone present, she recognized four people.
One was their company's President, Zhao Zhihui. The other three were actors from their company. One man and two women, including Zheng Yitong.
"Sorry we're late." Liu Yun's expression transformed the instant she entered, effortlessly switching into her professional networking face.
Guan Zhiyi obediently followed beside her, nodding politely to everyone around the table.
"So Liu Yun finally made it." One of the investors laughed. "You're late, that calls for a drink, don't you think?"
"Of course, Mr. Huang! I'll definitely have an extra glass later." Liu Yun guided Guan Zhiyi forward. "Let me introduce everyone, this is one of my artists, Guan Zhiyi."
Guan Zhiyi offered a small wave. "Hello, everyone."
"Come, have a seat." Mr. Huang warmly pulled out the chair beside him before joking, "Don't hold back tonight. Tonight's on your President Zhao anyway."
Zhao Zhihui laughed. "Mr. Huang, are you planning to bankrupt me with one dinner?"
"As if someone like you could be bankrupted by a meal."
The room erupted in laughter.
Only three seats remained: one across the table was impossible to reach. Another had already been taken by Liu Yun. That left Guan Zhiyi no choice but to sit in the seat Mr. Huang had pulled out for her.
As she settled in, though, her gaze drifted to the chair directly across from her—right next to Zhao Zhihui. The seat of honor.
Why was the seat empty?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Liu Yun voiced the same question. "President Zhao, are we still waiting for someone?"
Zhao Zhihui nodded. "Let's wait a little longer. Should be here any minute."
Liu Yun nodded, then leaned closer to Guan Zhiyi to whisper, "Looks like there's a big shot coming tonight.”
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Author's Note:
Who's making such a grand late entrance?
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