Chapter 16: Conflict disputes
Translator: Aafkee
Proofreader: ChaiTea
"D-Director Zhong…"
Shen Yu felt such a massive impact on his brain that he apparently could not digest Zhong Simo's question. He adjusted his standing posture with stiff limbs. Seeing Zhong Simo's face scattered all his thoughts which were barely organised in his mind in the first place.
The person standing right in front of him was the biggest legend in the entertainment circle. The man who was destined to leave a significant mark in the history of the world's film industry. The highly talented Zhong Simo.
Shen Yu had envisioned many times how he would introduce and display himself when facing Zhong Simo as his audition preparation these days.
But that was for an audition, not when only the two of them stood awkwardly facing each other. The worst thing was how Shen Yu suddenly thought that Zhong Simo resembled that drunk man he met on that rainy day a few days ago.
Thinking that, Shen Yu recalled a detail and secretly glanced at Zhong Simo's left wrist. On the other hand, Zhong Simo reacted by raising an eyebrow and smiling before he took out a wristwatch from his breast pocket and swayed it in front of Shen Yu's eyes.
"Are you looking for this?"
"Director Zhong," Shen Yu could only smile bitterly and tried to explain himself politely, "I thought you didn't want others to know about that night."
But why was Zhong Simo rushing to expose himself?
"Indeed, I don't want others to know. But how are you 'others'? You were there to experience it yourself." Zhong Simo understood what Shen Yu was hinting at and suddenly felt playful. He acted as if he didn't understand, smiling as he intentionally left his words ambiguous.
"I..." Shen yu was once again left speechless.
"I lost my cool a little that day because of some annoying matters at home, but fortunately, I had your help and didn't make a big deal out of it. Since we got the chance to meet again like this, I don't think I have anything to hide, so I want to thank you in person." Good thing Zhong Simo knew how to read the atmosphere. After teasing Shen Yu enough, he straightened his face and explained himself.
"It is nothing; it is what I should have done." Shen Yu responded politely.
"Oh, it is what you should have done? What type of relationship do we have that you have to do that for me?" He questioned Shen Yu with a smile on his face. Unexpectedly, Zhong Simo wanted to tease him more. His attitude changed, becoming flirtatious again after hearing Shen Yu's polite words.
Shen Yu already had some red wine, and the alcohol was only starting to take effect. Hearing Zhong Simo's words, his face flushed red with anxiety.
Holding it in until he couldn't anymore, Shen Yu also laughed in the end and muttered, "Please just think of me as a good Samaritan."
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Huh?"
Zhong Simo took a few steps towards Shen Yu and patted his left shoulder.
"Life is short. There aren't many people qualified to make you sad all the time. You can always take your revenge afterwards if they did you wrong."
That sentence was arrogant and confident, a sentence that is full of Zhong Simo's style. Listening to Zhong Simo, the little bit of gloom left in Shen Yu's heart disappeared.
He had no time to think about anything else. He was too busy being surprised at Zhong Simo comforting him and how he was not as difficult to get along with as the rumours suggested.
"Let's add each other on WeChat." Zhong Simo took out his cell phone and shook it in front of Shen Yu's eyes, pulling his runaway thoughts back on track.
"Ah, okay."
Before his head could wrap around what was going on, Shen Yu had already fished out his phone and added Zhong Simo as his friend. After the friend verification went through, only then did he realise who he had added. He hesitated for a second, edited the contact name to "Mr Pit Jumper", and then quickly put down his phone as if he had done something wrong.
Zhong Simo did not realise Shen Yu's actions, "Then I'll leave first. I still have an appointment with a friend over there. See you in a couple of days." He smiled as he said goodbye after typing something on his phone.
"Goodbye, Director Zhong." Shen Yu sighed in relief. What happened tonight was all too bizarre for him, and he was still trying to wrap his head around it and calm down.
"Goodbye," Zhong Simo turned around, walked a few steps, and suddenly turned back to Shen Yu again.
"Oh, right. Have you watched Innocence?"
"Yes, I have." Shen Yu replied hurriedly.
"The scene when the stepfather was killed, have you thought about how the teacher acted when the camera moved away?"
Zhong Simo smiled and shrugged his shoulders at the confused Shen Yu after that and turned to walk away with big strides without turning back this time.
It wasn't until Zhong Simo disappeared around the corner of the corridor that Shen Yu realised he was given a hint for his audition.
Shen Yu could not stop a smile from forming on his face. It was the first time he truly understood the meaning of "a blessing in disguise". If not for Mei Fei abandoning him, he wouldn't have been comforted by the director he had admired for so many years.
Just as the saying goes, the onlookers see the clearest. Shen Yu's negative emotions were at their peak when he received the sudden notice of his being abandoned this afternoon, and he could barely manage to keep a calm image at the surface. He could only escape his own negative emotions after his unusual interaction with Zhong Simo just now. Shen Yu was finally able to find the right direction.
Shen Yu took a deep breath, tidied up his clothes and turned around to head back to his suite where his company was holding the year-end party.
The party had already reached its climax during the time he was out. The rich smell of champagne was floating in the air, and the warm lights constantly flashed, creating a perfect atmosphere for singing and dancing. Even those who were usually disciplined unconsciously raised their voice as they spoke, mixing with the electronic reverb music, filling the whole space with noises.
Shen Yu looked around and finally found Mei Fei sitting on a sofa, her back towards him, as she said something to Bai Zhuzhen.
Bai Zhuzhen was the first to notice Shen Yu. He smiled politely and greeted him, "Shen Yu."
"Zhuzhen," Shen Yu responded by nodding back at him.
When Bai Zhuzhen and he entered the company at first, they were pretty close as they belonged to the same batch of newcomers. Then, they were both assigned to Mei Fei. Bai Zhuzhen became more and more popular, while Shen Yu remained the same. It was then that Bai Zhuzhen one-sidedly distanced himself from Shen Yu.
Greeting each other like this was merely an act.
"Do you have something you need to discuss with Sister Mei? I'll have a walk over there, then."
Bai Zhuzhen took his glass of wine and stood up. Perhaps he drank a little too much, but he let out a sigh filled with emotions as he passed by Shen Yu, seemingly wanting to say something. He ended up merely patting his shoulder and left quickly.
Shen Yu didn't know what Bai Zhuzhen was up to. Shen Yu had grown to understand this person's profit-oriented nature over the years and has always chosen to avoid him as much as possible.
But they would not belong in the same company very soon, so what happened to Bai Zhuzhen afterwards had nothing to do with him. With that thought, Shen Yu didn't bother or care about what Bai Zhuzhen wanted to express and went straight to Mei Fei and sat opposite her.
"Good evening, Sister Mei."
Mei Fei did not actually drink much. She was merely sitting in the corner where she could listen and observe, collecting the news and information most likely to leak during drinking games. Mei Fei's expression did not change much when she saw Shen Yu; she merely responded lightly. She had already said what she needed to say in the afternoon. Saying anything more would only elicit a negative response from him.
"Oh, Shen Yu. Is there something you want to talk to me about?"
"I have carefully thought through what you said in the afternoon, and I would like to ask you for a favour."
"What is it?" Mei Fei was a little surprised.
"What you mentioned this afternoon was spot on. After giving it much thought, I don't think it's appropriate for me to stay in this company."
Shen Yu looked at Mei Fei and smiled frankly.
"The filming for the Pursuit of the Wind will not end for another month or so. The company will know my decision not to continue my contract with them once you have stopped managing me. Does that mean I will not receive any resources from the company for the rest of the 11 months?" Despite it being a question, there was no doubt in Shen Yu's voice.
"You're right." Mei Fei took a sip of wine and waited for Shen Yu's next word.
"Sister Mei, I am already 27 years old. I don't think there will still be companies which are willing to sign me if I drag on for another year. Since there is no point in me staying here, why don't we cancel our contract once the filming is over?"
Mei Fei swayed her wine glass and smiled playfully in response, "That's hard to say."
It wasn't difficult to understand Shen Yu. Shen Yu no longer holds any value to Hua Long Entertainment, and the company will not spend any more resources on him. Since that's the case, it would be better to terminate their contract early, which would be harmless to Hua Long but would give Shen Yu a new opportunity.
There was nothing to lose for Hua Long Entertainment. However, a business person will always value profit, and Shen Yu's proposal would bring no gain to the company. It was highly likely that the company would reject his proposal. That was why he came to Mei Fei, hoping she would contribute a little.
"It would be hard to say for me, but it must be different if it's Sister Mei." Shen Yu first complimented Mei Fei before changing the conversation's direction.
"Besides, many people know that I am an artist under you. Xiao-Liao has been receiving resources for his debut from the company non-stop these months, yet I am being hidden. It won't do Xiao-Liao any good if the public uses this against him once he gets popular. It's best to terminate my contract now, and no one has to worry about it anymore."
"Hmph, you're threatening me." Mei Fei squinted her eyes, her tone clearly unhappy.
"I would not dare. I am merely stating the facts." Shen Yu was not intimidated by Mei Fei's words and continued, "After all, I am the one who's forced to leave the company. I can't say I can take the blame for this."
Mei Fei did not say anything. Shen Yu also became silent, quietly waiting for Mei Fei to decide. After god knows how long, Mei Fei finally put down her glass of wine and gave in.
"Wait for my update tomorrow."
"Thank you, Sister Mei." Shen Yu smiled at the response, thanking her genuinely.
"I actually thought quite highly of you when I first chose you." Knowing that she won't see him more than a few times after this, she expressed her sincere thoughts unprecedentedly.
"It's a pity you were too rigid and didn't know how to adapt. An artist may only have one opportunity to become popular, and once that opportunity is gone, it's gone."
"Thank you for your recognition." Shen Yu didn't comment much on that. He had a bottom line which was considered laughable in the industry. No matter what kind of opportunity it was, he would never cross his bottom line.
Mei Fei shook her head and refused to look at Shen Yu again. Having achieved what he wanted, he merely said goodbye and left when he saw her reaction.
Shen Yu was too focused on getting his contract terminated that he couldn't understand the underlying meaning of Mei Fei's words. A year or so later, he finally understood the strange behaviours of both Mei Fei and Bai Zhuzhen.
Of course, it was all an afterthought.
After settling the problem with his contract, Shen Yu went around to meet a few people who he was more familiar with before he left the club quietly.
As expected, Zhong Simo did not appear again. Shen Yu put on a mask and cap and got into a taxi, laughing a little at his ridiculous thoughts. An encounter with Zhong Simo in itself was extremely rare, and there he was, thinking he wanted to see him again.
Shen Yu told the taxi driver his address, took out his phone and saw a notification from WeChat instead.
"Mr Pit Jumper: Don't drive if you drank. Rest early."
Shen Yu subconsciously smiled as he saw the chat interface and typed quickly.
"Yup yup, I'm taking a taxi back."
"Don't you have an assistant?" The other side replied very quickly.
"My assistant is on leave. It's no problem. I'm a man, after all."
"That's good, then. Send me a message when you're home."
"Gotcha, Director Zhong."
Shen Yu edited the autocorrect-ed "gotcha" to "got it", hesitated a few seconds, and changed it back.
Zhong Simo's profile picture is of a dark sky with only a shimmering night in the darkness. The picture was mysterious and classy, just like the person himself. Shen Yu compared it to the teddy bear profile picture his sister chose a few years ago when he had just created the account. He rubbed his face through the mask, feeling an inexplicable sense of shame.
No comments:
Post a Comment