Chapter 13
Xiang Qingwei and Miss K met at a Japanese restaurant.
If she wanted to win the woman over, she first needed to understand what the woman liked and disliked, including her taste in food.
Xiang Qingwei knew Miss K liked raw seafood and fine dining, with an average price range of at least five hundred yuan per person. The woman despised hotpot, believing it was nothing more than an upgraded version of spicy noodle soup, and the smell of sweat inside hotpot restaurants also turned her off.
The average price range per person at the restaurant Xiao Wu booked was around two thousand yuan, which satisfied Miss K.
Xiang Qingwei was allergic to seafood but loved various types of sushi, so it wasn't an issue for her.
Miss K turned thirty last year, and every inch of her screamed "money." She would schedule regular appointments at the salon every month, never washed her hair at home, dressed in luxury brands from head to toe, and exuded an air of affluence.
"My face isn't too stiff, is it?" Miss K asked as soon as she entered the private booth, removing her sunglasses.
Appearance-wise, she could not be considered pretty—austere, even, with a sharp chin and tall nose—but her single-fold eyes were spirited, her short bob sleek and sophisticated. She carried herself with poise and grace.
Xiang Qingwei's eyes were known to be sharp. It was impossible to escape her gaze, and she immediately noticed the traces of Botox on Miss K's face, from her forehead to her chin and cheeks.
"It's not overly stiff, but it's clear you've had work done. You know my eyes are keen, so while I can tell, I doubt others will notice."
Miss K's personality was a little peculiar; she considered herself straightforward and hated dishonesty, but she also wasn't a fan of honesty. Therefore, speaking with her required finesse.
As Xiang Qingwei spoke, she leaned in closer, carefully studying her features. "But it's quite effective; your skin looks more taut and plump, and it certainly does make you look younger. Seeing how well it worked on you, I almost want to try it myself."
Miss K rolled her eyes, but her lips had already curled into a smile. "You're still so young; what do you need Botox for?" She playfully pinched Xiang Qingwei's cheek.
"Your skin is so soft it could squeeze water out; you're only three years younger than me, so how do you maintain such youthful skin? It's almost as if you're still in your early twenties. Seriously, some people are just born to make others jealous." She sat down as she chatted.
Xiang Qingwei sighed. "I don't think I'll make it past three years before I start aging prematurely."
Miss K chuckled, washing away the last bit of her envy. "If you ask me, you're just looking for trouble. Why didn't you just cling tightly to Boss Fu's thighs? You could have had everything you wanted with the snap of a finger. Instead, you insisted on making a living by yourself, struggling for measly pocket change."
Despite her harsh words, Miss K only gave Xiang Qingwei her full attention after hearing the news of her split with Fu Yanbai. In all honesty, she admired the woman's independence.
While rumors within the industry claimed Fu Yanbai grew tired of his girlfriend, given that he never lacked companionship, this time, Fu Yanbai seemed different—he was always seen with his girlfriend. Yet even with his newfound seriousness, he still tired of her in the end.
Those in the know, like Miss K, understood that Xiang Qingwei had left him of her own volition.
At first, Miss K refused to believe it.
Who was Fu Yanbai? In this industry, even a sneeze from him could send shockwaves through the entire community. Regardless of how famous or powerful you were, everyone had to respectfully address him as Mr. Fu, Boss Fu.
Countless celebrities, both famous and obscure, had been eager to get close to him. If Boss Fu took a fancy to them, offering them a single resource or opportunity, it would be enough for these women to survive for years.
Besides, even putting aside his immense power and status, Fu Yanbai himself was quite attractive and naturally drew in many admirers.
In his early twenties, he had dabbled in acting due to curiosity, but he quickly quit after filming finished, as his body was pampered and couldn't withstand such hardship. However, the experience piqued his interest in the film industry, so he took over the reins of Hua Ying, which was still a small company at the time. Unexpectedly, it grew into an industry leader within a decade.
Fu Yanbai had lived a life surrounded by beautiful women since his youth, so he had only ever done the dumping himself; never the other way around.
This was Xiang Qingwei's first successful attempt at rejecting him, and Miss K imagined Fu Yanbai's humiliated expression, feeling her mood lift.
She later interacted with Xiang Qingwei a few more times and found herself growing more admiring of him, to the point their relationship became quite close.
In response to Miss K's joke, Xiang Qingwei gave her a small smile before pushing the refined tea set across the table. "Here, don't blame me if I'm lying, but I had to put in a lot of effort to get these."
"You're incredible. I've asked around for months but couldn't get any news," Miss K responded gleefully, her eyes sparkling. Naturally, she knew how difficult it was to acquire such a rare item as a collector of tea sets. She placed them on a nearby shelf and turned to Xiang Qingwei. "All right, what do you need my help with this time?"
Xiang Qingwei smiled. "Don't worry, we can talk after we eat."
Just then, a waiter walked in and handed Miss K a menu. As she placed her order, Miss K said, "Less of your small talk, let's talk while we eat."
Xiang Qingwei's lips curled into a smile.
Miss K finished ordering, then handed the menu to Xiang Qingwei, who simply pointed at a few sushi items before handing the menu back to the waiter.
As soon as the door closed behind the waiter, Miss K said, "All right, out with it."
Xiang Qingwei handed over Ning Yang's profile with a smile, including the songs written by the young man himself. "This is a new talent I recently signed. Take a look."
Miss K raised an eyebrow as she accepted the materials. "You signed a new artist? Don't tell me you're planning on doing another Ling Jiayi situation?"
While Ling Jiayi's program wasn't produced by Miss K, the young woman had been scouted by Xiang Qingwei halfway through participating in the program, which was no secret in the industry.
Miss K's concern was warranted.
Xiang Qingwei simply smiled and said, "Take a look first."
Miss K glanced at her, then flipped through Ning Yang's profile. After only one page, she pulled out a photo of Ning Yang, studied it for a moment, and turned it toward Xiang Qingwei. "Was this photo photoshopped?"
In the photo, Ning Yang wore a white shirt, light-colored jeans, and a black backpack, standing casually by the side of the road.
Xiang Qingwei had taken this photo that day while they were having dinner without Ning Yang's knowledge.
First, Xiang Qingwei thanked the waiter who had just served them, then turned to Miss K. "This is the original, unedited photo, and he looks even better in person."
"Really?" Miss K asked, her gaze still fixed on the cold and handsome young man in the photo. "Where did you find him?"
"On the subway. I saw him from a glance and followed him home," Xiang Qingwei said, glossing over the details.
"Really?" Miss K didn't believe her and asked, "Are you kidding me?"
Recalling her first meeting with Ning Yang, Xiang Qingwei couldn't help but laugh. "You have no idea how difficult it was to get him interested. The first time I went home with him, he thought I was a stalker or a creep. I spent months negotiating before I finally signed him."
Miss K knew Xiang Qingwei's taste was impeccable.
When it came to Ling Jiayi and Tao Yuner, even she had to commend Xiang Qingwei's keen business sense. However, no matter how skilled the manager, neither Ling Jiayi nor Tao Yuner would have reached their current position without raw talent and marketable qualities.
In the end, Xiang Qingwei's gaze was still sharp.
Anyone Xiang Qingwei spent months on was worth giving special attention to.
Just one look at Ning Yang's photo, with his dressed-down outfit, and Miss K had already ranked him in the top five of the show's eighty-something contestants. If, as Xiang Qingwei said, he looked even better in person...
As the sushi chef placed a piece of nigiri into his mouth, Xiang Qingwei added, "He's from a single-parent household; his father passed away when he was young, and his mother is deaf and mute."
Miss K's eyes lit up—what a treasure trove of material! Such excellent conditions coupled with such a tragic backstory! This would generate lots of buzz. But then she realized something wasn't quite right and looked suspiciously at Xiang Qingwei. "This isn't me helping you; it's you helping me here."
Xiang Qingwei chewed and swallowed the sushi in her mouth, then took a sip of water and smiled. "I want to know the list of mentors and contestants."
Miss K smiled back. "Is that all you're here for? The dinner and tea set weren't just for this, were they? Don't worry, even if you don't ask, I'll send the information to you after the press conference."
"I can't wait that long," Xiang Qingwei said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to trouble you, K-sis."
Miss K stared at Xiang Qingwei for a while, then suddenly said, "Weiwei, are you interested in quitting Huaying and coming to work with me instead?"
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback, then smiled. "If I had any intention of changing jobs, I would've come to you first."
Miss K turned on her gossip mode. "You still work with Fu Yanbai. Don't you feel uncomfortable bumping into him at the office?"
Xiang Qingwei drank a sip of water before answering, "Our offices are on different floors, and I'm very busy, so I don't have time to wander around the office. I rarely step foot outside my office, and even if I do, he's the boss and I'm an employee. There's nothing to be uncomfortable about."
Miss K didn't believe her but didn't push for an answer, instead asking a different question. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Xiang Qingwei couldn't help but sigh. "K-sis, do you think I have time to date?"
"You're almost twenty-eight. If you don't enjoy your youth now, it'll be too late." Miss K gave her a suggestive smile. "You're smart and beautiful, so there must be no shortage of young men throwing themselves at you."
In this industry, it wasn't hard to find beautiful people. If one wanted to become famous, they'd have to either look shockingly divine or be completely unique, otherwise a pretty face wouldn't cut it.
Xiang Qingwei had successfully launched Tao Yuner and Ling Jiayi last year, making them the envy of many other artists. In this industry, most celebrities could not starve themselves, but neither could they live a lavish lifestyle. Most people had decent looks, and many believed they could make it big with just a little help from someone like Xiang Qingwei.
Being stuck in the middle yet believing themselves extraordinary was the most agonizing position for these celebrities.
Thus, everyone wanted to be favored by Xiang Qingwei. If she were an ugly and fat middle-aged woman, perhaps these young celebrities wouldn't be so eager, but Xiang Qingwei was young and beautiful. Granted, in the realm of showbiz, her face might not rank among the elite, but it stood out effortlessly among the average.
Nothing about Xiang Qingwei was particularly noteworthy; only her clear and bright eyes could be singled out for praise, yet she scored high overall. She had white skin, an even figure, and a smooth and fine face—one that was pleasant to look at. All these qualities added up to make her quite attractive.
In short, if sleeping with Xiang Qingwei could earn them her favor and a chance to be promoted by her, every pretty boy would willingly climb into her bed.
Fearful of getting sick, Xiang Qingwei calmly said, "I'm afraid of getting diseases."
……
Miss K thoroughly enjoyed her meal, and her mood lifted even higher as she left with the tea set.
The meal had been on the house, and she'd received a gift on top of that. Moreover, Xiang Qingwei hadn't made any requests of her since they'd met, so she owed the man a favor.
Thus, before getting into her car, she gave Xiang Qingwei an answer.
"I'll have my assistant organize the contestants' information and send it to your inbox tomorrow. As for the mentors, I can give you a little scoop right now." Miss K gave Xiang Qingwei three names from her seat in the car, then laughed as she revealed the fourth. "This last one has a bit of a relationship with you."
Xiang Qingwei looked puzzled. "Who?"
Her network primarily existed within the film industry; she wasn't familiar with many people in the music scene.
Miss K spoke a name: "Zhou Yuehe."
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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