Chapter 220 - 186: Rising Phase: 22

Words : 1226 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 220: Chapter 186: Rising Phase: 22 Of course, Zhou Yun stopped in time, preventing any embarrassing incident from occurring. After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yun went to meet Shen Yao. Shen Yao looked like an ordinary middle-aged man with a bit of extra weight. He didn’t have the glamour of a celebrity, dressed in a simple black down jacket, with all his facial imperfections fully visible. However, his whole atmosphere changed when he smiled. It was a familiar smiling face that made people subconsciously smile along and feel at ease. "Brother Yao, hello, I am Zhou Yun." "Hello, Xiao Yun." Shen Yao waved his hand, "Let’s not use formal titles, the constant ’yous’ make my scalp tingle, I really dread it." Zhou Yun gave an embarrassed smile. The two, a man and a woman, naturally wouldn’t meet alone privately. Shen Yao’s agent and Zhou Lan were also present. However, both of them did not speak much, tactfully acting as the background. "I actually wanted to meet you before the New Year, but I’ve been busy with promotions until these last few days," said Shen Yao. "I’ve seen the drama you are in, you look pretty on camera, but you are even more beautiful in person." "Thank you, Brother Yao," Zhou Yun smiled shyly. Shen Yao continued, "This movie of ours is a modern comedy, and several female roles require acting ugly, you know?" In comedy films, it’s common for actors to play ugly roles. Many handsome male actors and beautiful actresses are reluctant to act ugly, as it could impact their image. Zhou Yun nodded and said, "That’s totally fine with me." Her attitude was very natural; she did not hesitate at all. Shen Yao had said similar things to many others, but rarely did anyone respond as straightforwardly and decisively as Zhou Yun. Usually, hesitation and concern were the norm, and those who verbally agreed without showing worry were already considered good. Shen Yao also knew that the entertainment industry nowadays is different from before; an artist’s image not only relies on their personal opinions but also involves the company’s branding strategy, demands of the sponsoring brands, fans’ opinions, etc. Acting ugly was not that simple. Zhou Yun’s straightforwardness somewhat surprised Shen Yao; did she not realize that there were many factors involved? It wasn’t as simple as her willing or unwillingness. At this moment, Zhou Lan spoke. "Xiao Yun really loves your films, so when she knew she had the opportunity to participate, she specifically discussed her wishes with the company, and they agreed to fully support her participation." With that said, Shen Yao understood. It turned out she was well-prepared. Shen Yao grew a bit more pleased with Zhou Yun. The meeting between both parties went very well, they added each other on WeChat, and left with smiles. The initial impression was good; the details would be handled by others later. "It’s almost certain, I think Shen Yao is very satisfied with you," Zhou Lan said happily. "I hope everything goes smoothly," said Zhou Yun. After experiencing the issues with "Luoyan" and "Life", Zhou Yun was not at ease until the contract was signed. "Liu Pinran wants to meet you," said Zhou Lan. "I mentioned that drama to you before, ’Dark Sky’, Yuehai wants you to work with Gu Huaichun." "Why meet me in person, can’t you just talk about it?" asked Zhou Yun. Zhou Lan sighed with a smile, "Miss, you are so popular now, ’Eighth Heartbeat’ made a fortune for Yuehai Network, you’re a major contributor, of course, they want to meet you, to build a good relationship with you, which is more beneficial than building a good relationship with me." "What’s the use of building a good relationship with me? Even if I want to act in this drama, if the company disagrees, I can’t act," Zhou Yun retorted. "That’s not how you should say it. If you really want to act in this drama, how could the company disagree? It’s not an art film, the pay is high, besides, it’s Yuehai who’s inviting you to act in this drama, the company can even push more people into the cast. If He Yong stops you from acting in this drama, other executives might actually have objections," Zhou Lan said. "The customized workplace drama the company talked about arranging for you is making progress. If you take on these two dramas, and add Shen Yao’s movie, your schedule for this year is almost full." "Let’s wait for the complete script of ’Dark Sky’ before signing the contract; I don’t want to be duped," Zhou Yun said. Zhou Lan nodded, agreeing. She then laughed and said, "At first I thought you wouldn’t want to take this movie." "Why?" "You thought ’Eighth Heartbeat’ was terrible, right?" Zhou Lan said. "The first collaboration was so unpleasant, how could the second one go smoothly?" "The terribleness of ’Eighth Heartbeat’ was due to the script and the director, not the fault of me and Gu Huaichun. Since the original story of ’Dark Sky’ is good, and it has a director like He Chen who has made good films, why would I disdain ’Dark Sky’ because of ’Eighth Heartbeat’," Zhou Yun said. "And besides, historical detective dramas are something I’m quite interested in. When I was young and watching TVB detective dramas, I always thought the policemen looked so cool. Now I can’t play a policeman, but playing a constable would still be satisfying." Zhou Lan snorted, "I think you just want to work with Gu Huaichun again." Zhou Yun: "Gu Huaichun is indeed a very good actor, and you can’t deny that." Zhou Lan: "Then why don’t you go and act in a movie with Song Chi again? Song Chi is also a very good actor, no, to be precise, Song Chi is the best among the young male actors, isn’t he?" "But he hasn’t approached me again, and Sister Lan, the roles Song Chi plays are not something I can vie for now, if it weren’t because of him, I couldn’t have possibly acted in ’Heart Inquiry’. I can’t shamelessly ask him to introduce me to more roles." "I knew you were thin-skinned," Zhou Lan lightly snorted. After a few days, Zhou Yun eventually went to meet Liu Pinran. After all, the person was a high-level executive at Yuehai, a key figure in the video website industry, closely related to her career. Zhou Yun couldn’t afford to snub him. What Zhou Yun didn’t expect was that Liu Pinran brought Gu Huaichun with him. "Oh, look at this beautiful pair, a match made in heaven, standing together they make such a magnificent view," Liu Pinran remarked with an exaggerated tone, "truly too good looking, our Yuehai’s lucky charm!" Due to ’Eighth Heartbeat’, Yuehai’s stock prices went up, making everyone involved quite wealthy. Zhou Yun used her eyes to ask Gu Huaichun about the current situation. Gu Huaichun responded with his eyes: Don’t ask me, I have no idea. Zhou Yun was supposed to sit with Zhou Lan, but unexpectedly Liu Pinran suddenly asked Zhou Lan to sit next to him, so Zhou Yun had to sit with Gu Huaichun instead. Liu Pinran’s eyes were like those of a benevolent elder, full of affection as he looked at the young pair sitting opposite him.

Chapter 220 - 186: Rising Phase: 22

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