Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 54: Chapter 50: Lingering Regrets

’It’s not my fault I’m not a bigger star, is it?’

’These are the cards I was dealt, and I’m already working so hard to improve!’

’No matter the job, I always work hard to finish it. I’m never pretentious, and I never slack off. Compared to other celebrities, where have I fallen short?’

’I’m not an idol who relies on fan traffic, so how could I possibly become a huge sensation overnight?’

’In this industry, people are always scheming. If you don’t focus on acting and don’t have good projects to back you up, how can you build a stable career?’

’I’m not Jack’s magic bean, able to grow into a towering tree in the blink of an eye.’

’Weren’t you the one who came looking for me in the first place, saying you had chosen me?’

’And now you’re complaining that I’m growing too slowly?’

’Who doesn’t want to wake up as an A-list superstar? But is that realistic?’

’We’ve only been working together for a little over ten days, and I’ve already landed two variety shows and two magazine covers. On top of the few endorsement deals we’re negotiating, I also became a poverty-alleviation ambassador. That’s already amazing!’

’It’s devastating that a big project you prepared so carefully ended up paving the way for someone else, but that’s not my fault!’

’What does Sun Lizhi’s mess have to do with me, Ni Bingyan?!’

’This woman has no sportsmanship. She’s in a bad mood, so she’s using me as a punching bag.’

Ni Bingyan felt both wronged and angry.

Wei Shuojie was probably still grieving over her big project. She sat in her chair, covering her face and crying silently, utterly heartbroken.

Ni Bingyan blinked, forcing her tears back.

’Shouldn’t I be the one who feels wronged? What the hell are you crying for!’

’If crying could solve problems, what’s the point of working so hard?’

’We might as well have a contest to see who can cry more earnestly!’

Right now, she felt like a pitiful husband watching his wife mourn her foolish ex. She didn’t know whether to comfort her or feel sorry for herself.

’This is just exhausting!’

Pressing her lips together, Ni Bingyan put on a stern face, grabbed some clean clothes, and went to take a quick shower.

When she came out, Wei Shuojie was already gone.

Worried, Ni Bingyan got dressed and went next door. She could hear Wei Shuojie still crying her heart out through the door. After a moment’s thought, she sighed and retreated to her own room.

It had been about two months since the incident with Granny Sun, but Wei Shuojie still couldn’t get over it. ’The hurt she suffered back then must have been immense.’

It was like they had started a company together. Just as the business was taking off, her partner embezzled all the funds and ran off with his mistress, leaving her with a complete mess. She certainly had good reason to cry.

Negative emotions need an outlet after building up for a long time; it’s not good to keep them bottled up. ’It’s probably best to let her cool down on her own for a while.’

Back in her room, it was long past her usual bedtime, but she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

So she pulled out her phone and logged into Weibo.

’Sister Wei was right about one thing today. It was one thing for me not to know some obscure secret, but for me not to know that Chu Qiushan is Gao Linghui’s uncle-in-law when everyone else does? That’s unacceptable.’

’The original owner of this body was too much of a slacker, and I’m a newcomer here. I really need to study up!’

’See? If you don’t do your homework, you end up not knowing things that everyone else does. When people get in your face and chew you out, you can’t even dare to fire back.’

’In what way am I worse than anyone else?’

’I’m not.’

’I am absolutely top-notch!’

’I was just careless before. It’s not too late to mend the fences now!’

Ni Bingyan clenched her fist.

She took out a notebook and lay on her bed, slowly organizing the information—she’s his ex-wife, she’s her best friend, her current boyfriend is her cousin, and her cousin’s ex-girlfriend is...

As everyone knows, the most difficult web to untangle in this world isn’t one of love, but the web of relationships in the entertainment industry.

Ni Bingyan felt this stuff was harder to master than Norwegian.

’People in the industry just love to pair up with other people in the industry. That’s really not a good thing! Look at this mess! If they actually get married and have kids, the children won’t even know what to call their relatives.’

’They could call her "Auntie" because she married their uncle, but also "Auntie" because she’s their mom’s sister. The poor kid would be so traumatized!’

’I’m different. I would never date someone from the industry.’

Unable to sort out her thoughts, Ni Bingyan listlessly poked at her phone and, before she knew it, had clicked on the familiar Weibo trending topics.

The first thing she saw, at the very bottom of the trending list, was the hashtag #UnforgettableRegret.

Ni Bingyan: "..."

’Alright, so today just has it out for me, doesn’t it?’

’Saving all the critical hits for tonight.’

’What the hell does your "unforgettable regret" have to do with me! Why did I have to see it?!’

She was just being completely unreasonable now.

She clicked on it, and this particular "unforgettable regret" actually had something to do with her.

[SOB SOB SOB! As expected of Director Xu! You’re the only one who can handle a major IP! All those other butchered adaptations are trash!]

[Who is this peerless, hidden gem of a Little Fairy!! AHHH! My Eldest Senior Sister! She walked right out of the book! WAHHH I’m so moved!]

[I knew Director Xu wouldn’t let me down! This is so faithful to the original!]

[I guess the things you can’t have are always the most beautiful! It suddenly reminds me of my ex. If I had just tried a little harder back then, maybe I wouldn’t have any regrets.]

[Eldest Senior Sister’s sword pierced my heart. Danger, danger. I’m done for, done for. I’ve fallen for her~]

[Does anyone know what other shows this actress has been in?]

[Sister Bingbing’s beauty is killing me~ Can I introduce you to my mother’s daughter? I’m warning you, you don’t have to be so rigid about gender sometimes!]

...

The praise was overwhelming, and the online discussion exploded. All sorts of wild comments popped up one after another. Reading them, Ni Bingyan felt like her horizons had been broadened.

It turned out that the major IP adaptation directed by Xu Liangyu, titled "Nine Heavens," had wrapped filming and was about to be released.

That sly old man had released a trailer.

Under the guise of her having a cameo, he had used the "White Moonlight" Eldest Senior Sister to score a ton of points with the original novel’s fans.

’Being this beautiful is such a hassle.’

From the looks of it, this show was most likely going to be another hit.

Back on set, this same old man had pitifully pulled her aside, begging her not to pull any tricks to get more screen time. He seemed like a comical character, but he was actually very dedicated to filming and was a particularly popular director in the IP adaptation circle.

After scrolling through Weibo for a bit, she got bored. She went back to her own homepage and casually posted something to boost her own morale—[To forge iron, one must first be strong. To gain others’ approval, I just have to work even harder!]

After venting, her confidence to strive forward returned.

Ni Bingyan opened WeChat and found Director Xu Liangyu.

[A sticker of a cute bunny poking something.]

[Director Xu, your new show looks like it’s going to be a massive hit!]

[Congratulations, congratulations!]

Director Xu was probably busy; he didn’t reply for a long time.

Still worried, she snuck over to the door of the room next door to listen for any sounds.

She must have cried herself tired. There was no sound from inside.

Thinking about it, Wei Shuojie hadn’t said anything too harsh. She was just disappointed that Ni Bingyan wasn’t a big enough star to hold onto good resources. Although her choice of words was careless and hurt her pride a little, it wasn’t truly malicious.

"Sigh! Forget it, forget it. I’ll forgive you this once. I’m a very forgiving person, you know."

Muttering to herself, Ni Bingyan ordered some hot milk from the hotel, then returned to knock on the door.

Wei Shuojie’s eyes were swollen, her nose was red, and her hair was a mess. Seeing Ni Bingyan at the door, she reacted a bit slowly. After a moment, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Not asleep yet? What’s up?"

Ni Bingyan handed her the hot milk. "Here. Drink some hot milk. It’ll protect your stomach lining so you don’t feel awful when you wake up tomorrow. Don’t drink so much next time!"

The warm light from the hallway spilled down, making her whole person seem to glow with warmth.

Like a walking hot-water bottle with long legs.

Wei Shuojie’s mind was actually clear. She knew she had lost her composure, she just couldn’t control it.

Seeing that the girl didn’t hold a grudge and had instead come to check on her, her eyes full of sincerity, Wei Shuojie couldn’t help but feel a wave of regret. "I’m sorry. I lost control earlier and said some things I shouldn’t have."

To have to trade something she had prepared so carefully for a favor, and then have to smile and say "thank you," all to clean up a stupid mess caused by the paparazzi—the more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt.

It had been many, many years since she’d had to deal with something like this.

"It’s okay! I know you’re suffering inside, and you usually keep it all bottled up without telling me."

Ni Bingyan pretended to be magnanimous, but as she spoke, she still felt a knot of discomfort in her heart. She looked down, scuffing the thick carpet with the toe of her shoe, then looked up, her tone firm.

"Sister Wei, I will work hard. Please, just give me a little more time!"

’Face reality and stop being so disappointed by the gap between your expectations and me.’

’The actress you used to manage was great, but I’m working this hard. I definitely won’t be any worse than her in the future!’

’What’s the point of always being so resentful~’

At that moment, Ni Bingyan’s ambition swelled a thousand, ten thousand times over.

She didn’t want to be the one who was always looked down on.