"You've arrived."
Yan Shaohan, who was standing in the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) center directing the operation, looked over and beckoned to Xiao He and his group.
Xiao He took the initiative to greet him: "Director Yan, good afternoon."
It's already very cold in Beijing. Although it hasn't snowed yet, people are already breathing out white mist when they talk. Yan Shaohan, on the other hand, is dressed very simply, in just a pair of trousers and a denim jacket. He looks full of energy and is not affected by the cold wind at all, which Xiao He, who is wrapped in a down jacket, greatly admires.
Upon seeing Xiao He, he greeted him warmly: "Xiao He, Sister Liu, it's been a long time! Come, let me introduce our female lead to you."
He then grabbed Xiao He's arm and led him through the main room to a nearby lounge.
On the way, he was very excited: "I'm so happy that my goddess was able to play the female lead!"
Xiao He was somewhat surprised: "Did Director Yan refer to a real person when creating the female lead, Yin Lan?"
"Hehe, yes." Yan Shaohan scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "At the time, I really liked her image, so I borrowed some of her appearance when creating the comic. I never expected the comic to become so popular... I didn't even expect her to come, but luckily Director Zhuang is very capable and helped me contact her, and she actually agreed to come!"
As he spoke, Yan Shaohan wore a lecherous grin: "This feels like a dream, so unreal—"
Xiao He: It is indeed a delightful thing to have the goddess model who served as the reference play the role herself.
Xiao He immediately became curious as well.
Who exactly is the "goddess" that Director Yan mentioned?
Pushing open the door to the lounge, one finds a strikingly beautiful woman sitting inside.
She was flipping through the script in her hand when she heard the noise and immediately looked up, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Ah, it's Yin Qi!"
Upon seeing the woman, Xiao He's eyes widened suddenly.
"It's actually Guo Xinya?"
Not to mention Xiao He, Liu Rulan was also momentarily surprised when she saw Guo Xinya.
Guo Xinya was the one Liu Rulan had mentioned to Xiao He before. Due to her outstanding appearance, she became a glamorous woman in the films of many directors as soon as she debuted, and was very popular.
But later, she insisted on challenging herself by taking on various roles that would damage her image, trying to prove that her acting skills far surpassed her beauty. In the end, she gained a little but lost a lot, achieving nothing and gradually fading from public view.
Actually, Guo Xinya was just an adult when she debuted. Later, she worked in various directors' film crews, playing various roles, until she won the Best Actress award for her role as a femme fatale. At that time, she was only twenty-four years old.
Now, many years have passed, and Guo Xinya is only thirty-four years old. She still looks stunning, seemingly unchanged from her younger days, and is considered one of the top beauties in the entire Chinese entertainment industry. Perhaps due to her less-than-ideal acting career and setbacks, Guo Xinya now possesses an added layer of understated intellectual beauty.
Xiao He had only ever seen her on television before, but now that he saw her in person, he finally understood the regret and pity that Liu Rulan expressed when she mentioned Guo Xinya.
Guo Xinya is truly stunning. Her facial features are perfectly proportioned, like a precious jade meticulously crafted by Nuwa when she created humans—exquisite and radiant. If she hadn't gone astray back then, she would probably be among the top actresses today.
Guo Xinya first nodded to Yan Shaohan, then turned her gaze to Xiao He and Liu Rulan: "Sister Liu, it's been a long time. Are these the new recruits you've been training recently?"
Liu Rulan nodded: "It really has been a long time. It seems like it was ten years ago when we last met, right?"
Guo Xinya gave a helpless bitter smile: "Yes, after all this time, it seems I've still accomplished nothing. I'm sorry to have made you laugh."
"Don't say that. I've also left Jiaxing Entertainment and started training new talent on my own, haven't I?"
Liu Rulan smiled and looked at Xiao He: "You can just call her Sister Xinya."
Xiao He immediately smiled, trying his best to fit the character of Yin Qi, and said with a smile, "Hello, Sister Xin Ya! I used to love watching Sister Xin Ya's movies. It's an honor to be able to work with Sister Xin Ya this time."
Guo Xinya nodded slightly to Xiao He: "Your portrayal of Meng Zetian was also very good and impressive. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
"Thanks."
Yan Shaohan then eagerly approached Guo Xinya: "Sister Xinya, are you feeling better now? Do you need some water?"
"No need, I'm much better now, thank you for your concern, Director Yan."
Guo Xinya answered with a smile.
"That's great!"
Yan Shaohan breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's wrong?" Liu Rulan asked with concern.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just had a bit of low blood sugar earlier, but I'm much better now," Guo Xinya explained.
"Sister Xinya is so dedicated." Yan Shaohan stood to the side, his face full of admiration and respect. "She was the first to arrive at the scene, so she had to wait the longest."
"She's so wonderful! She's beautiful, dedicated to her work, and her understanding of the script for 'The Corner' is spot on. She's simply my angel, my goddess—"
Once he started praising Guo Xinya, Yan Shaohan's mouth never stopped. He was a complete brainwashed fan of Guo Xinya. If you dared to contradict him at this moment and say something like "Guo Xinya is just so-so", he would definitely come up and fight you to the death.
They're really no different from brainless fans.
Xiao He and Liu Rulan, standing to the side: ...
Great, on my first day on set, I discovered that Director Yan is a "die-hard fan".
I just hope he can avoid being influenced by his own preferences and stick to the right direction in filming.
Facing the subtle, observing gazes of Liu Rulan and Xiao He, Guo Xinya felt a little embarrassed and said tactfully, "Director Yan really has a straightforward personality, and he's quite interesting to talk to, haha."
Yan Shaohan stared at him: Wow, he was really touched, the goddess praised him!
Liu Rulan, quick-witted, immediately praised Yan Shaohan: "Yes, as expected of Director Yan, he's truly exceptional!"
Xiao He: ...As long as everyone is happy.
As Xiao He watched the scene turn into a praise contest, the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he shifted his gaze elsewhere.
This is a small courtyard that has been temporarily converted into a lounge. Apart from some basic dressing tables and chairs, the surrounding furnishings remain as designed by the original homeowner, which is a medium-sized chess and card room.
There was a chess and card table in the center of the room, but it was now piled with some of the crew's belongings, making it look a bit messy.
Xiao He's gaze swept over these things, and finally shifted to Guo Xinya, whereupon his eyes narrowed.
On the spot where Guo Xinya had just been sitting, there was still her small bag. The bag was slightly open, and a small medicine bottle was casually stuck in the opening. It was inconspicuous, but it caught Xiao He's attention.
Xiao He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked casually, "Oh? Is Sister Xinya taking medicine? If you're sick, you should take care of yourself."
As soon as Xiao He spoke, everyone's eyes turned to him.
Liu Rulan: ...What is this kid up to?
