Chapter 203 - 171: Rising Phase: 07

Words : 1216 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 203: Chapter 171: Rising Phase: 07 On the ride back, Zhou Yun was thinking that she shouldn’t have accepted Chen Fusi’s invitation for a drink. It was a momentary lapse of judgment, lured by the fact that he was a big boss in the film and TV industry, which seemed like a good networking opportunity. The feeling of making acquaintances with a purpose made her uneasy. Suddenly, Zhou Yun felt she was being too hasty. The continuous setbacks from "Luoyan" and "Life" had made her anxious. "Heart Inquiry" had wrapped up production, but she hadn’t secured any follow-up roles. The office romance drama arranged by the company was a challenging project, and Zhou Yun didn’t want to keep spinning in the same dull and homogenized roles. One such project, "Eighth Heartbeat," was already a major pitfall in her life. Zhou Yun didn’t dare to watch her performance in "Eighth Heartbeat," fearing it would be like lightning striking, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Returning to her apartment, Zhou Yun changed her clothes and went to the bathroom for a soak in the tub. Just as she was about to lie down, her phone rang. It was Zhou Lan. Zhou Yun turned on the speaker and lay comfortably in the bathtub, exhaling a sigh of relief. Zhou Lan called to ask how her dinner went, wondering if Chen Fusi had an ulterior motive for inviting her. Lazily, Zhou Yun recounted her evening’s experience to her. "Absolutely no hidden agendas. The guy just wanted to have dinner with me. Too bad I’m not good at socializing. I could barely lift myself from the seat, my words weren’t sweet, and I couldn’t flirt. I met a big boss, shared a drink, and didn’t even dare to ask for his WeChat." Zhou Yun ranted about her shortcomings but ended up feeling more relaxed from head to toe. "Sister Lan, whatever were you thinking, picking someone as wooden as me?" "Everyone has their own way. If you were that slick, what would you need me, your agent, for?" Zhou Lan’s voice carried a smile, and she sounded in high spirits, "I later contacted President Tong from New Shield. Since ’Life’ isn’t happening, I heard he has a comedy movie in pre-production. He said that the cast isn’t set yet, and there are a few roles we could choose from if we’re interested." "A comedy movie?" Zhou Yun asked. "A comedy starring Shen Yao," said Zhou Lan. "What?" Zhou Yun exclaimed, sitting straight up in the bathtub. Zhou Lan: "Calm down, calm down. When I heard it was a comedy starring Shen Yao, I was as excited as you." Anyone who knew who Shen Yao was would understand why Zhou Yun was so excited. If you look back over the past thirty years, Shen Yao’s name might not be at the very top of the movie industry. But considering just the last five years, Shen Yao is a name you can’t ignore in the movie circle. He has dominated the box office rankings, holding the number one and two spots. His comedy movies are a guaranteed box-office draw. Imagine how many actors are eyeing this juicy opportunity. Zhou Yun asked, "Do we stand any chance? Shen Yao’s movie, a lot of actresses must be vying for a role, right?" Based on the casting of Shen Yao’s last two films, even the third or fourth female leads were played by famous actresses. Zhou Lan said, "Whether we can compete for a role depends on our abilities, but our biggest advantage is actually your popularity and buzz." "My popularity and buzz are needed for Shen Yao’s movie?" Zhou Yun asked in surprise. It wasn’t that she underestimated herself, but Shen Yao himself was the movie’s biggest billboard, and everyone else was just icing on the cake. Zhou Lan: "Shen Yao isn’t omnipotent, and besides, did you think his movies don’t need popularity and buzz? Besides, your acting is great, you’re beautiful, and though you lack a bit in acting experience, you’re in no way inferior to others." Zhou Yun laid back into the water, "The competition must be tough." "It is tough, indeed. But don’t worry, there’s still a chance. I heard that the script has three main young female roles. Besides, you have other advantages as well. Compared to other top actresses, you’re much more affordable." "That’s a bit of a blow." "Don’t be discouraged. Tomorrow, President He will dine with New Shield’s people, and he’ll advocate for you too," Zhou Lan said. "Ah? Dining? Didn’t we say we were going to turn down dinner invitations?" "You told me to tell President He to cancel, but I didn’t. Now it worked out well. We can’t talk about ’Life,’ so we can discuss Shen Yao’s new movie. If you could strike gold with this role, it would be greatly beneficial for your future film opportunities. Not to mention, you’d benefit from the box office." "Who doesn’t know that box office is mainly thanks to Shen Yao?" "You’re not thinking, are you? Jackie Chan’s movie box office relies on Jackie Chan, so why do so many celebrities still clamor to be in them? Movies will elevate you," Zhou Lan said, "Think about it. If you’re in the movie and so many people watch it, won’t it make some waves? Even if just one-tenth of them become your ticket-buying fans, it’s worth it!" Zhou Yun: "Sister Lan, don’t be so excited. Stay calm. It’s still uncertain whether I can be part of the cast. Just relax." Zhou Lan: "I won’t discuss it further; you can’t understand my feelings." Zhou Lan hung up after that. Zhou Yun: "..." She was somewhat torn between laughter and tears. How could she not understand Zhou Lan’s enthusiasm? But she was afraid of getting her hopes up and then being disappointed. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Zhou Yun reminded herself not to hold out too much hope, but she couldn’t help thinking about it over the next few days. Busy with work, she resumed her hectic schedule of going from one filming location to another once she left the set. Every day involved removing makeup, doing makeup, styling, changing clothes, and keeping a Smiling Face. This was her life. As her exposure increased, her Weibo followers also became more active. Most were fans she gained from the reality show "After the Scandal." As she stayed busy, the weather was getting colder, too. In mid-December, Zhou Yun flew to Beijing to shoot a magazine cover. As she got off the plane, snow started to fall. Sitting in front of the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling window watching the snow, Zhou Yun felt exhilarated. She opened a bottle of champagne and drank by herself. She took a photo of her glass with the night view out the window as the backdrop and posted it on Weibo with the caption: "It’s snowing. What about where you are?" Her fans eagerly left comments. Zhou Yun was flipping through their messages eagerly when suddenly, she received a call from Song Chi. It had been a long time since they last made contact. But Zhou Yun didn’t feel any sense of unfamiliarity. She answered the phone with a familiar tone, "Did you finish work early today?"

Chapter 203 - 171: Rising Phase: 07

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