Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 55: Chapter 51: As Expected of You

"You chose me. One day, you’ll realize you actually made a wise decision for once."

As long as your head isn’t always in a fog, I’m sure that when you’re old and gray, sitting in a rocking chair and basking in the sun, you’ll feel comforted, right?

The future is long. There’s no point in dwelling on all that crap from the past.

After saying her piece, Ni Bingyan turned and headed back to her apartment next door. Right before she went in, she even let out a wolf whistle!

Wei Shuojie’s mind was a bit slow on the uptake. It wasn’t until the door next door clicked shut that she finally processed what had just happened.

’Is she—saying I was being stupid in the past? That I crashed and burned with Sun Lizhi because of it? And that backing her from now on is the wise choice?’

’That girl!’

’She just won’t let herself be taken advantage of, will she!’

Wei Shuojie stood at her door, but she didn’t feel the sting of the jab.

The milk in her hand was still warm, just like that sharp-witted girl!

"So soft-hearted, yet so sharp-tongued! I wonder how she ended up like this."

Wei Shuojie muttered a few words and closed the door. Miraculously, the frustration in her heart had vanished completely.

Feeling like she’d finally gotten it off her chest, Ni Bingyan returned to her room in a great mood. Just as she was about to go to sleep, a message came in from Xu Liangyu:

[Hey! Why haven’t you reposted on Weibo?! You need to promote it! This is your big IP project, you know!]

’That old man is so shameless. Did he forget my billing in the show, or how little I was paid? If he wants me to promote it on Weibo, he should go talk to Sister Wei.’

’It’s not in my contract.’

’When I took those two supporting roles, I didn’t think much of it—just some extra cash. I was so naive back then.’

’When Sister Wei found out, she said it was beneath me and that I didn’t know how to protect my own market value. Now, she wishes I’d never even been in that show. Why on earth would she want me to promote it heavily?’

’Everyone gets it, so there’s no need to spell it out.’

Ni Bingyan smiled and sent a voice message: "Next time you cast me as the female lead, Uncle Xu, I promise I’ll promote it every single day! How’s that sound?"

Xu Liangyu started out as a martial arts choreographer and used to direct wuxia films. He was not only skilled at action design but could also handle large-scale scenes. Later, when the market for wuxia films dried up, he switched to directing xianxia dramas. He never expected to hit the right note, and he shot to fame as a renowned director.

For the current Ni Bingyan, being his female lead would be a great gig.

Filming movies alone doesn’t bring in much money; the real money is in TV dramas, variety shows, and endorsements. You have to take a shot, regardless of the outcome.

Without a second thought, Xu Liangyu was about to refuse.

But he was very shrewd and clear-headed. He knew not to offend people with his words, so he immediately came up with an excuse: "My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, so I have to go home and look after my grandchild! Who knows, maybe in two years when I’m ready to film another drama, you’ll be such an A-list superstar I won’t be able to hire you even if I wanted to!"

He hadn’t agreed to a thing, yet he’d managed to flatter her and leave her feeling happy.

’That man’s so slick, stick some fur on him and he could play the Monkey King himself!’

Ni Bingyan just sent back a "Hmph" and ended the conversation.

Most directors have the power to choose the main characters. Maintaining a good relationship with directors is very helpful for one’s career.

With the directors she’d worked with, Ni Bingyan not only kept in touch throughout the year but also remembered all their birthdays. She even set alarms to wake herself up at midnight sharp to send them birthday wishes.

Her motto was: work hard, work hard, and work harder still. Strive in every way imaginable. If you don’t run your competitors into the ground, they’ll run you into the ground!

Putting down her phone, Ni Bingyan was out like a light. She was incredibly resilient and truly never let unhappy things weigh on her mind.

While she was sleeping soundly, Wei Shuojie next door had just finished showering. She sat in front of her laptop, drying her hair with one hand while typing with the other, preparing for the next day’s interview.

Having been in the industry for so long, she was well aware of all the dirty tricks. She needed to go over everything again and see if there was anything she’d missed.

’That girl may be sharp-tongued, but she’s still young and inexperienced. She doesn’t know shit!’

’If I, her agent, don’t pay more attention, she’ll get scammed so badly she’ll be counting the money for the person who ripped her off.’

’At this hour, knowing that girl’s habits, she’s probably sleeping so soundly she’s blowing snot bubbles.’

’My cursed, overworked life! Still slaving away over here!’

Despite her complaints, she threw herself into her work with unprecedented focus.

’Hmph! You’d better live up to your words! If you turn out to be another ungrateful brat, then I’ll just have to admit I’m a terrible judge of character.’

**

「On the same day Ni Bingyan was busy filming her variety show, Sang Yuan’s observation period ended and he was discharged from the hospital.」

During the day, he’d entertained his sister and her family. After seeing them off post-dinner, he took a leisurely stroll toward Number 32, only to find the house completely dark when he arrived at the gate.

He pulled out his phone to check the time. Since it wasn’t her usual bedtime, he figured she must have gone out of town for work again. He glanced at the apricot tree visible in the yard, then ambled back to his own home.

In his past life, he had moved into Number 32 after they got married. He had discovered that Ni Bingyan was deeply insecure, and she felt more at ease living in her own house.

That apricot tree, which wasn’t very tall, was chopped down by her one night after their daughter mischievously climbed it, fell, and scraped her knee. For years afterward, their daughter would reminisce about the apricots from that tree, insisting they were the sweetest she had ever tasted. Eventually, unable to ignore his daughter’s constant talk, he planted a new one in the same spot, but the fruit it produced was nowhere near as good.

’In this life, I’ll definitely watch her carefully. I won’t let her fall again.’

’The flowers on this tree are beautiful, and its fruit is so sweet. I’ve heard apricot trees can live for over a hundred years. If we take good care of it, when we’re gone, the children will have something to remember us by.’

’Sigh, she’s not even my girlfriend yet! Why am I thinking about a daughter? Why am I getting sentimental over a tree?’

In his heart, she was his wife, the mother of his children, his deeply loved partner with whom he had shared a bond that transcended life and death. But in her eyes, he was still a stranger.

’And probably not a very good one at that.’

This sense of disconnect was incredibly frustrating.

Sang Yuan kicked a small pebble as he walked.

’If we get married earlier in this life, will our children come sooner? And if they do, will they still be the same ones?’

’Ah, these are a father’s worries! I can’t even talk to my wife about them.’

’I can’t let her know that I died so tragically in our past life.’

’Something like that will absolutely not happen again in this life. I won’t let her suffer that kind of pain ever again.’

Just as he was lost in his conflicted thoughts, a special notification chimed from his phone.

’Oh, my wife is venting on Weibo again. I’ve long known about this habit of hers, but my memories were incomplete before, so I didn’t know her username. Now I can finally spy on her.’

’Hehe, let’s see what she’s posted this time.’

He excitedly tapped it open, but his brow furrowed as he read.

’Is this... Did someone bully her?’

In their past life, she had told him about the injustices she had personally experienced.

Getting roles stolen was a minor issue. What really got to her was being looked down on, hearing people say she was a certain way because she didn’t have parents. That was a feeling she could never quite shake.

She adored children. If he hadn’t been so principled, he was afraid she would have spoiled them rotten. Every time he’d try to reason with her that they couldn’t do something, she would always argue that you can’t spoil a child rotten with love. As long as their core values are sound, doting on them will only make them feel cherished.

To prove her point, she told him about her own childhood.

"’When you’re a kid without a mom and dad, it feels like no matter how hard you try, you’re always a step below everyone else. The thing I hate most in the world is being looked down on. If you’re not capable enough, you can work hard to make up for it. But your family background? What can I do about that? I don’t have one, and that’s that. I can’t just magically produce parents for myself.’"

To prove she wasn’t just making a sweeping generalization, she also told him about things she’d encountered at work after she transmigrated.

"’People always look down on someone like me, who has no connections. They always assume any success I achieve through hard work was actually gotten by sleeping my way to the top. It’s a horrible feeling.’"

’It looks like she was looked down on again on this trip.’

Anyone else in this situation would probably be indignant and start cursing, but her? She would probably just grit her teeth in secret, study harder, and push herself to improve.

’She might never understand that people don’t look down on her because she isn’t good enough. They look down on her because she’s *too* good, and their jealousy makes them say nasty things.’

’Otherwise, for someone as good as her, who would be so heartless as to say such hurtful things?’

’I have to find a way to help her.’

Sang Yuan stroked his chin as he walked a lap around the residential complex. A plan began to form, and he got in his car and drove off to find his sister.

’To protect my wife’s pride and prevent her from being labeled a ’resource celebrity’—someone who only gets roles through connections—I’ve avoided investing in the entertainment industry in both lifetimes. Now, I can’t figure out how to give her resources without leaving any traces.’

’But where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I still have my sister, don’t I?’

’Sigh, when you have such a hardworking and ambitious wife, you have to be self-aware as a husband. You have to steel your heart and absolutely not interfere!’

’My sister is the best. She always doted on her sister-in-law.’

’This is all secondary, though. How do I get closer to her?’

’It feels like our romance from my past life isn’t much help this time around.’

Sang Yuan felt like tearing his hair out.