Once Gu Yusheng got busy, she completely disappeared.
For the past two days, even Ni Xia had no idea what she was actually doing.
It was not until Tuesday morning, when Ni Xia was just about to call her, that Gu Yusheng called first.
“I was just about to look for you. Let me tell you—”
“Listen to me first.”
Gu Yusheng interrupted her. “I have one bad piece of news and one even worse piece of news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
“…”
Ni Xia said, “Can I choose not to hear either?”
“No. I can’t keep it in anymore.”
Gu Yusheng’s calm voice suddenly changed into a wail.
“That internet investment big shot I told you about the other day—how does he actually know Cameron?!”
Ni Xia: “…”
“How does he even have Cameron’s contact information?!”
“…”
“What if he really asks Cameron about you?!”
“…”
Ni Xia covered her face and told herself it was fine.
If Cameron complained about her, maybe she could at least get his autograph.
“What’s the worse news?”
“Sigh…”
Gu Yusheng let out a heavy sigh before saying, “I talked to the copyright holders of the original novel. They said the author politely declined.”
“What does ‘politely declined’ mean? What exactly did they say?”
“They said there’s no need to rush the renewal. We can see what happens when the time comes.”
Gu Yusheng said, “I don’t know what that means. Could Qinhai Entertainment have already reached an agreement with her and is just waiting for our copyright to expire?”
Neither of them knew the answer.
Silence during their phone calls had become normal for Ni Xia and Gu Yusheng lately.
Several minutes passed before Gu Yusheng spoke again.
“What were you going to tell me just now?”
“Oh.”
After hearing two pieces of bad news in a row, Ni Xia was already too numb to feel anything.
“Funny thing is, Luo Zhan contacted me today.”
“Luo Zhan?”
Gu Yusheng immediately became alert.
“What does he want?”
“He didn’t say much. He just said he wanted to meet and talk. Apparently, they’re very interested in this project.”
“That’s exactly what he told me when he approached me.”
Gu Yusheng thought about it.
She had already rejected him, so why was Luo Zhan contacting Ni Xia separately?
“If they’ve already settled the copyright issue, why does he need to meet you alone? Is he trying to sign you too?”
“That’s possible.”
Ni Xia hesitated.
“Maybe I should meet him and see what he really wants.”
Gu Yusheng thought about it for a long time.
If it were anyone else, she would have simply told Ni Xia to go. But Luo Zhan’s character was too questionable, and she really wanted to know what he was planning.
“How about I go with you?”
“No. If he deliberately contacted me privately, he probably doesn’t want you there.”
“But I’m worried he’ll do something shady.”
“This is a society governed by law. What can he really do to me?” Ni Xia said. “At worst, I’ll meet him somewhere near a police station. If anything feels wrong, I’ll call the police and have him arrested.”
Gu Yusheng laughed when she heard that.
“You could also meet him near your husband’s law firm. If anything happens, just have your husband sue him on the spot.”
At two in the afternoon, Ni Xia walked into a café beneath the Hengtou office building.
She had met Luo Zhan once before, so she spotted him from a distance.
He was wearing a finely tailored light-colored suit, sunglasses, and his hair was slicked back. He looked quite stylish, but for some reason, his appearance seemed completely mismatched with his personality.
When Ni Xia walked up to him, Luo Zhan raised his head. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses.
He seemed to freeze for a moment before taking off his sunglasses and standing up. He warmly reached out his hand.
“You must be Director Ni. I didn’t expect you to be so beautiful in person. You look just like a celebrity!”
Ni Xia gave an awkward smile.
“You’re too kind. Just call me Ni Xia.”
“Of course.”
Luo Zhan sat down first.
“Please, have a seat. What would you like to drink?”
“Just lemon water.”
Ni Xia had never been good at dealing with strangers. And after Gu Yusheng had already labeled Luo Zhan as a shady businessman, she felt especially uncomfortable around him.
Fortunately, Luo Zhan did not waste much time. After a few polite exchanges, he got straight to the point.
“I invited you here today mainly because I wanted to talk about Bailey’s Underwater World. I’ve actually been following the project since last year, but at the time, I was busy filming Boss, Stop Fooling Around. By the time I finished and came back, I didn’t expect…”
He put on a regretful expression before continuing.
“But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. You’ve run into some difficulties now, but perhaps that also gives us an opportunity to work together.”
Seeing that Ni Xia remained silent, he continued.
“I personally really like this novel, and our boss also really likes this project. Oh, right, our boss is—”
“Director Meng Hai,” Ni Xia said. “I know. My friend Gu Yusheng visited your company not long ago.”
At the mention of Gu Yusheng, Luo Zhan sighed.
“Ah, Gu Yusheng.”
He shook his head.
“She’s a hardworking and talented girl. It’s just…”
Ni Xia asked, “What happened?”
“Let me put it this way. After all, I’m a producer too.”
Luo Zhan said, “As the person steering a project, a producer has to turn a simple idea into a finished film that eventually reaches the audience. That’s not easy. I won’t even mention all the difficulties during preparation and filming. The distribution resources and publicity strategy afterward can directly affect a movie’s ultimate fate.”
“Of course, I’m not saying Gu Yusheng is incapable. She’s just young. She lacks experience and resources in many areas, so when problems arise, she can easily find herself overwhelmed. That’s why things have reached this point…”
“To be honest, the difficulties you’re facing would hardly be a problem if this were one of our company’s projects.”
Seeing the confused look on Ni Xia’s face, Luo Zhan smiled.
“You may not know much about our company. Let me tell you about it.”
On the café terrace, with the cool autumn breeze blowing, Ni Xia listened to Luo Zhan for more than half an hour.
She suddenly understood why Gu Yusheng had almost fallen into his trap.
The company’s ability to coordinate and integrate resources across the entire film industry chain was truly tempting, even after removing all the exaggeration from his sales pitch.
When he mentioned some of the resources they could provide, Ni Xia really found herself momentarily tempted.
“So, President Luo, you mean…” Ni Xia asked. “You want to sign me with your company, and then we work together to finish this movie?”
Luo Zhan smiled and nodded. He took a contract from his briefcase and handed it to her.
“Professionally speaking, your future is limitless, and our company needs talent like you. Personally, I feel that we really click. I’m sure working together would be a very pleasant experience.”
While Luo Zhan continued with his polite sales pitch, Ni Xia had already opened the contract.
She only skimmed through it before asking, “President Luo, do you have an electronic copy of this contract?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Could you send me a copy? I’d like my lawyer to take a look at it.”
Luo Zhan’s eyes flickered.
“You have a lawyer?”
“My high school classmate.” Ni Xia smiled. “He usually helps me review contracts and things like that.”
Hearing that the lawyer was a young man around Ni Xia’s age, Luo Zhan picked up his phone and sent her the electronic copy.
“I’m jealous. If I’d had a lawyer friend when I was young, I wouldn’t have fallen into so many traps.”
Ni Xia did not respond. She lowered her head and sent a message to You Jue.
Ni Xia: I have someone from a film company who wants to sign me. Can you take a look at the contract for me?
J: Send it.
When she looked up again, she met Luo Zhan’s admiring gaze.
“You can completely trust that we’re a good match. I’ve watched all your work, and I like every one of them.”
“Your graduation film, the one you entered in the Youth Film Exhibition, was also judged by a friend of mine. He gave it the highest score in the entire competition.”
Ni Xia’s eyes curved into a smile.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Luo Zhan said, “But the one I like most is My Cat. I still can’t understand how a second-year college student could handle visual storytelling so brilliantly. Unfortunately, those judges at the Jiangcheng Micro Film Festival…”
“Oh, you probably don’t know them. I know them quite well. They’re all old-fashioned people. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have won only the Best Student Film Award.”
If Ni Xia had not previously signed with a film company and been cheated so badly that she almost cried;
If Gu Yusheng had not cursed Luo Zhan out;
If Ni Xia had not personally heard the phone call Luo Zhan made in the restroom at the exhibition center;
she might have gotten carried away and signed the contract for the sake of the resources offered by a major company.
Fortunately, Ni Xia had come prepared this time.
And a little more than ten minutes later, You Jue finished reading the contract and replied with just three words.
J: Tell him to get lost.
Whoa.
Looking at those three words, Ni Xia thought that anyone who didn’t know better might think she was paying him protection money instead of legal fees.
“President Luo, I appreciate your offer.”
But she had to admit, those three words gave Ni Xia a tremendous boost of confidence.
She pushed the paper contract back toward Luo Zhan and lifted her chin.
“But I have no plans to sign with any company for now.”
“Do you have some concerns?” Luo Zhan asked. “You can tell me. We can talk openly about them. The important thing is not to waste time. The sets we’ve already prepared are just sitting there, and I’m hoping we can start filming as soon as possible. Our funding can be made available at any time, and the actors won’t be a problem either. As long as you sign, we can definitely start filming smoothly this year.”
“I don’t have any concerns. From the very beginning, I wanted to make this an independent film. I’ll only feel comfortable if I’m the one holding the steering wheel.”
“We won’t interfere too much with your creative work. You can rest assured about that.”
“Then can I draft the contract myself?”
The clouds overhead slowly drifted across the sky, blocking the sunlight. Luo Zhan’s expression darkened along with them.
They had been talking for so long that his mouth was practically dry, yet this young woman still refused to budge. All she did was keep going around in circles with him.
His patience finally ran out, and his expression changed completely.
“Are you incapable of understanding plain language? If you don’t sign with us, how are you going to start filming? Do you have money right now? Do you have the resources?”
Remembering the real reason she had come today, Ni Xia deliberately said, “As long as the copyright is still in my hands, I’ll find a way.”
After saying that, Ni Xia looked at Luo Zhan’s dark and sinister expression.
Finally, his personality matched his outfit.
Wasn’t this exactly the style of an executive from one of those scam compounds in Myanmar?
He sneered.
“If you really had a way, would you have dragged this out until now? Besides, you only have six months left on your copyright, right?”
“We can just renew it.”
Ni Xia shrugged.
“It’s not like the copyright is expensive.”
“True. The copyright isn’t expensive.”
Luo Zhan laughed.
“So no matter how much you pay to renew it, I’ll add another three million.”
After Luo Zhan’s figure finally disappeared from sight, Ni Xia felt as if every bone in her body had been smashed apart with a hammer.
With a loud slap, she collapsed onto the table.
The sky had fallen.
It was all over.
She could barely even breathe now. If she couldn’t start filming within six months, the project was as good as dead.
The lemon water tasted like vodka.
On this chilly autumn afternoon, Ni Xia was so anxious and frustrated that she wanted to scream right there in public.
Of all the things that had gone wrong, Zhongyue Huitou was to blame.
If they hadn’t broken their word, none of this mess would have happened!
The more Ni Xia thought about it, the angrier she became.
She grabbed her phone and furiously sent two messages to You Jue.
Ni Xia: Can Zhongyue Huitou be sentenced to death?
Ni Xia: Shoot them! Shoot every single one of them!
J: …
J: I hold court during the day and perform exorcisms at night?
Ni Xia groaned miserably a few times before asking again.
Ni Xia: Then can you make Qinhai Entertainment go bankrupt tomorrow?
J: ?
J: I’m a lawyer, not a sorcerer.
Ni Xia was about to cry.
Ni Xia: Then marry me. I really have no other choice. Please, I’m begging you.
J: …
Ni Xia: Then name your price. How much of the money do you want after it’s done?
Seeing that You Jue did not reply, Ni Xia continued.
Ni Xia: Five million?
Still no reply.
Ni Xia: Eight million?
Still nothing.
Ni Xia: Ten million! I can’t offer any more than that!
After a long while—
J: Sorry, I don’t sell my body.
Ni Xia: If you don’t sell your body, I’ll have to sell mine.
J: ?
J: Where are you?
Ten minutes later.
People came and went outside the café, while the customers around her chatted and laughed happily.
Ni Xia sat there with a miserable expression, her eyes completely dull.
Then she saw You Jue walking toward her in long strides.
The temperature in Jiangcheng had suddenly dropped over the past two days, falling below twenty degrees Celsius. Without a jacket, it was difficult to withstand the autumn wind.
Yet You Jue had hurried over wearing nothing but a white shirt.
With his broad shoulders, slim waist, and tall, well-proportioned figure, he stood out among the crowd.
His brows were slightly furrowed as he scanned the café from a distance, searching for Ni Xia.
When he reached her table, he asked, “Has he already left?”
“Mm.”
Ni Xia nodded.
“You didn’t sign the contract?”
“No.”
Ni Xia shook her head.
You Jue breathed a sigh of relief. Then, seeing how troubled she looked, he said, “You don’t need to have any expectations of that company. The risks in the contract are very high. If you sign it, you may lose control over your work and your rights to future profits. The biggest problem is the clause concerning work created as part of your—”
“When will you finally agree to marry me?”
Ni Xia had not heard a single word he said.
She looked at You Jue anxiously.
“You name the conditions. I’ll agree to anything I can do!”
You Jue: “…”
His expression turned cold.
He wasn’t angry.
He was simply speechless.
“Forget it. I’m never going to marry you.”
Just then, a waitress carrying a tray happened to walk past You Jue.
She heard what he said and stumbled in shock, nearly spilling the coffee on her tray.
You Jue: “…”
“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”
“Then do you know any other outstanding single men?”
Ni Xia irritably ran a hand through her bangs.
“Good job, decent character, and handsome.”
Was she shopping for vegetables?
You Jue looked at Ni Xia coldly and spat out two words.
“No.”
“Then it’s you.”
Ni Xia’s expression also darkened. She looked at You Jue with complete resignation.
“Husband.”