“I saw START Entertainment posted on Weibo, saying they signed you. Not bad, little Li Li, you really made it into the Crown Prince’s company.” Cheng Du congratulated her.
Ji Xueli fastened her seatbelt and sighed, “Getting the Crown Prince to agree wasn’t easy.”
“Did he give you a hard time?” Cheng Du asked curiously.
“Not exactly a hard time. It was more of a psychological battle—whoever gives in first loses.” Ji Xueli didn’t know how else to explain it, so she used a metaphor.
“Is it that complicated? But since you can already follow him around, what’s there to be afraid of?” Cheng Du started the car. He truly admired her—once she decided to pursue Duan Qingyu, she immediately took action, swift and decisive.
However, judging by the Crown Prince’s past behavior, the fact that he had allowed her to stick around for over a week meant he didn’t see her as just a plaything or an object.
“I’ve been abroad for the past few years and don’t know what’s been happening domestically. Tell me about the current state of the entertainment industry.” Ji Xueli changed the subject.
“Well, the ones I can name off the top of my head are Ren Tang, Lin Qiao, Guan Ru, and those types. They’re among the more popular ones in recent years. Little Li Li, since you were previously on the path of a rising starlet, you’d be considered their competitor.” Cheng Du wasn’t all that familiar with the entertainment industry.
He just knew about female celebrities.
Ji Xueli nodded. She had searched for information about the original host before and found quite a few scandals—mostly labels like “pretty face with no talent.” That was why the original host had resolutely gone to Germany to study.
If her acting skills didn’t improve this time, she’d probably be criticized again for going abroad to study… And to make matters worse, this time she had chosen to play a villain.
“Turn around, head to the film school.” Ji Xueli spoke up immediately.
“Huh… Oh, okay.” Cheng Du glanced at her expressionless face, thinking she had been motivated by his words. But in reality, she just didn’t want others to criticize her.
Because she wouldn’t be able to resist firing back.
“For the Haitang Bay project, he’ll send a dedicated person to follow up later. There’s no need for us to meet anymore.” Duan Qingyu glanced at him.
Ji Yanzhou watched him leisurely packing his things and said, “Stay away from her from now on.”
Duan Qingyu looked up, a playful smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. “You should be saying that to her.”
“She just returned and isn’t familiar with Huacheng or the Upper District. She knows even less about you.” Ji Yanzhou’s voice was cold and rigid.
People called him the Crown Prince not just because of the Duan family’s status, but because of him.
“Then I look forward to the day she learns about me.” Duan Qingyu lowered his eyes, perfectly composed.
What did it matter if she wasn’t familiar with the Upper District? The Upper District had no rules—he was the only rule.
With that, he picked up his coat, stood up, and walked out, ignoring any expression or reaction from Ji Yanzhou.
Duan Qingyu tossed the car keys to Zhen Zhang, who had hurried over, his dark eyes filled with indifference.
Ji Yanzhou watched his departing figure and thought of his words, his hand clenching so tightly that veins bulged on the back. So, he intended to continue getting close to Ji Xueli.
Xie Yujun suppressed the bitterness in her heart and poured him a glass of warm water. “Should I call the driver now?”
“Yes.” Ji Yanzhou closed his eyes and responded.
“Miss Ji is a reasonable person. She must have her own plans.” Xie Yujun tried to soothe him.
“Joining Duan Qingyu’s company is her plan?” Ji Yanzhou couldn’t hold back his anger as he spoke.
She could have easily entered a company under his wing, or had the Ji family acquire one, yet she insisted on charging into the tiger’s den.
“START Entertainment is an industry leader, and Miss Ji likely has her eyes on that,” Xie Yujun remarked.
Ji Yanzhou did not respond. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “Which artist in the company currently holds the most value?”
“It should be Guan Ru. She and START Entertainment’s Ren Tang are the rising stars among the new generation of popular actresses.” Xie Yujun wasn’t sure why he was asking but still carefully recalled and answered.
“Pour all our resources into her,” Ji Yanzhou ordered.
Now that Ji Xueli was making a comeback, she would be competing against those popular young actresses. The entertainment industry could also be seen as a business war. He wanted her to know that he, too, had the capability.
Xie Yujun hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. Their focus wasn’t particularly inclined toward this entertainment company, but judging by his current intentions…
It seemed they would have to divert a portion of their efforts.