“With an attitude like yours, if the Li family finds out, I wonder if they’ll regret giving you the invitation.” Chi Qingwei placed the teacup in front of Shen Zuofeng.
Shen Zuofeng pouted and said, “Well, I suspect their intentions too. Who knows what their purpose is in sending this invitation?”
“My company may have a hit game right now, but compared to your corporations, it’s still nothing to brag about. Based on my company’s current strength alone, this invitation shouldn’t have come to me. An invitation that shouldn’t have reached me somehow did, I suspect they’re up to no good.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Chi Qingwei replied. “Given your company’s development, the prospects are very promising. It’s a good thing to court potential rising stars early on.”
“Anyway, I don’t have a good impression of their family.”
After all, that Li Xuanyi had the audacity to act as if he were Chi Qingwei’s fiancé from the get-go.
If his family hadn’t been scheming about Chi Qingwei, how could Li Xuanyi have behaved like that?
Chi Qingwei found it amusing; this person was acting like a child now.
“Come with me tomorrow. I’ll introduce you to some people who might be helpful to you,” Chi Qingwei suggested.
“Sounds good.” Shen Zuofeng nodded, watching Chi Qingwei as she sipped her tea. With a slight smile, she asked, “Are you this nice to every suitor?”
Chi Qingwei set down her teacup. The deep brown fabric of her shirt, with its excellent drape, looked incredibly smooth, and the black tailored trousers hugged her straight, long legs. The entire “elegant scoundrel” vibe captivated Shen Zuofeng’s heart.
As Shen Zuofeng observed Chi Qingwei, her heart swelled with emotion. How could one person so perfectly align with her aesthetic preferences?
“Do you want me to treat all of you the same way?” Chi Qingwei asked.
Shen Zuofeng pouted and muttered softly, “Of course not.”
Who would want the person they like to treat them the same as everyone else?
That would be unbearably jealousy-inducing.
Chi Qingwei found it amusing. In front of her, this person had so many little expressions. But it was undeniably cute.
“Then rest assured, for now, there’s no one else but you.”
Shen Zuofeng’s lips curved into a smile. She hadn’t intended to show it so obviously, but she couldn’t suppress her delight.
Even though Chi Qingwei had said “for now,” the fact that she was the only one so far was enough to satisfy Shen Zuofeng.
She would strive to ensure that, in the future, it would remain only her.
“Do you have any plans this afternoon?” Chi Qingwei asked.
“Hmm? No,” Shen Zuofeng replied.
“Perfect. Come with me this afternoon to observe the casting for the drama. The crew is already assembled, and the casting starts this afternoon.”
“Great!” Shen Zuofeng was pleasantly surprised. She hadn’t expected Chi Qing Media to move so quickly.
“But isn’t the script not finished yet?” Shen Zuofeng recalled. “Are they going to film while writing?”
“Yes, the initial part of the script is complete. We can proceed with both tasks simultaneously.”
Shen Zuofeng nodded. In her previous life, she had seen crews that filmed while writing. It allowed for immediate feedback and more flexible revisions.
“There’s still some time before the afternoon. Why don’t you rest here for a bit?” It was currently lunch break.
Shen Zuofeng glanced around Chi Qingwei’s office before collapsing onto the sofa. “Then I’ll sleep here,” she said.
To be honest, Shen Zuofeng could already feel her eyelids growing heavy. Her workload had been intense lately, and she hadn’t gotten enough rest. Now that she was finally relaxing, all the accumulated exhaustion washed over her.
Chi Qingwei had initially intended to fetch a blanket for her, but after noticing Shen Zuofeng’s relatively thin clothing, she reconsidered and said, “Go sleep in the restroom.”
The temperature was quite chilly, and she was worried that even with a blanket, Shen Zuofeng might catch a cold sleeping on the sofa.
“Then where will you sleep?” Shen Zuofeng asked.
“I won’t be sleeping. There’s still some work I need to finish,” Chi Qingwei replied with a sigh, glancing at the documents on her desk.
“Then I’ll stay here and keep you company,” Shen Zuofeng said, taking off her coat and draping it over herself. She looked up and smiled at Chi Qingwei.
Silly.
Chi Qingwei shook her head helplessly and went into the restroom to fetch a thick blanket. Handing it to Shen Zuofeng, she said, “If you catch a cold, it’s your own fault.”
“Don’t worry, I have the constitution of a top-tier alpha,” Shen Zuofeng replied, taking the blanket and wrapping it around herself contentedly. The blanket carried a faint, pleasant scent of mint.
Chi Qingwei didn’t respond further and returned to her desk to resume her work. Chiliang Media had just gotten on track, and there was still much to do.
By two in the afternoon, Chi Qingwei had finished her tasks and walked over to the sofa. Shen Zuofeng was still fast asleep, curled up with her face mostly buried in the blanket, leaving only a small part of her cheek visible.
Chi Qingwei rubbed her eyes and looked at the exposed cheek. Perhaps because she was sleeping so soundly, Shen Zuofeng’s skin had a delicate pink flush against its fairness, making Chi Qingwei want to poke it and see what would happen.
At that thought, Chi Qingwei’s lips curled into a faint smile. Since she wanted to, she might as well act on it.
She raised her hand and gently tapped Shen Zuofeng’s cheek with her index finger. The skin felt smooth and delicate, like jelly.
“Zuofeng, time to wake up,” Chi Qingwei called softly while poking her.
“Hmm…”
Shen Zuofeng felt something unusual on her face and instinctively buried her face deeper into the blanket. At the same time, she drowsily opened her eyes, only to see darkness. It wasn’t until she lifted her head and looked toward the source of the voice that the world brightened again.
“Is it time?” Shen Zuofeng’s voice was hoarse from sleep, carrying an unexpectedly seductive tone.
“Yes, get up and freshen up. We’ll head over soon,” Chi Qingwei said, standing up and hiding her “criminal” hand behind her back, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Shen Zuofeng blinked at her but didn’t call her out on it. She got up, folded the blanket neatly, and then went into the restroom to tidy her slightly tousled hair. She splashed some cool water on her face, jolting herself awake instantly.
When Shen Zuofeng emerged, Chi Qingwei noticed water droplets still sliding down her cheeks, and some strands of hair near her temples were damp and clinging to her skin, adding a touch of allure to her appearance.
“Dry yourself,” Chi Qingwei said, handing her a tissue.
“Thank you.”
Shen Zuofeng wiped the water off her face, feeling much more refreshed.
“Let’s go, then,” Chi Qingwei said, picking up her car keys. This time, she planned to drive Shen Zuofeng there herself.
Just by looking at the production team of “The Sword Quest Chronicles,” one can see the level of dedication Chiliang Media has invested in this project.
Director Wang Fuke, who won the highly prestigious Best Director award at the Quanbiao Awards, is exceptionally skilled at capturing beauty. He excels at fully showcasing an actor’s beauty without compromising the plot or character development. Often, actors who have worked under his direction see their perceived beauty elevated to new heights afterward.
With Wang Fuke as the director, the screenwriter is naturally no slouch either, a gold-medal screenwriter with multiple awards to their name. Today, they were huddled with the Future Technology Development Department, refining the storyline.
“Any ideas for the cast?” Shen Zuofeng asked from the passenger seat of Chi Qingwei’s car.
“Director Wang has invited several actors from the industry for auditions. Whether they’ll be finalized depends on the audition results. However, Director Wang is also keen on discovering new talent. If none of the current auditionees are suitable, he plans to hold open auditions at schools.This project marks a genre Wang Fuke has never attempted before, which is why he is taking it especially seriously, fearing he might mishandle this new material.
“Do you have the audition list for this round?” Shen Zuofeng wanted to get a preliminary understanding of the actors’ profiles and their previous works.
“No. Director Wang said he wants to keep it a surprise for us. He suggested we watch their performances directly on-site, as knowing too much in advance might create preconceived notions. So, we won’t know who’s auditioning until we get there.”
Chi Qingwei found this somewhat baffling. She couldn’t quite grasp Wang Fuke’s reasoning. If he didn’t want them to have fixed impressions, wasn’t he himself selecting actors based on their image or past roles, assuming they might fit the part? Moreover, audiences form their impressions of actors precisely because of those established images.
Could it be that this rule was only meant for the two of them?
Shen Zuofeng shook her head and smiled. “Preconceived impressions are meant to be broken. If someone can shatter them, their performance must be truly remarkable.”
Chi Qingwei sighed helplessly; she still couldn’t figure out what Wang Fuke was thinking.
When the two arrived at the office building where the auditions were being held, the place was already crowded with people waiting. Aside from those personally invited by Wang Fuke, many had come to audition simply because of his reputation.
After all, every project Wang Fuke directed had become a hit.
“Assistant Director Chi, and this must be Future Technology’s CEO Shen?” Deputy Director Zhao Feiyun’s eyes lit up with admiration. He had long known that Chiliang Group’s Assistant Director Chi was stunningly beautiful, but he hadn’t expected Future Technology’s CEO Shen to be equally captivating. Standing side by side, neither outshone the other instead, they complemented each other perfectly.
“Yes, Zuofeng, this is Deputy Director Zhao Feiyun,” Chi Qingwei introduced.
“Pleased to meet you, Deputy Director Zhao. I hope you don’t mind my late introduction,” Shen Zuofeng extended her hand.
“You’re too kind, CEO Shen. Please, this way. The auditions have already started, but aside from a few supporting roles, none of the lead roles have been finalized yet.” Zhao Feiyun shook Shen Zuofeng’s hand and led them inside, where hopeful auditionees could be seen waiting at every turn.
The onlookers watched as the two women were respectfully ushered inside by the assistant director, their eyes lingering with awe on their retreating figures. Despite being accustomed to seeing countless beauties in the entertainment industry, they were still stunned by these two women not just one, but two at once!
For a moment, a wave of concern washed over them. Could these two also be here for the audition? If so, what chance did the others have?
If they were the director, they would undoubtedly prioritize casting these two as well.
Just their looks alone would captivate countless fans and break hearts.
With faces like that, this drama was bound to be a hit.