Actresses

Chapter 19 Bystander

Shi Jiahe went over the tasks with her colleagues before going downstairs to have a meal nearby and then taking a taxi there.

Shi Jiahe has accumulated some experience in attending these kinds of gatherings: always make sure you've eaten beforehand. Otherwise, you might find that no one is actually eating, because these female celebrities and socialites are practically immortal, able to live without food. However, there's no shortage of alcohol. For an agent like her, who absolutely needs to eat to live and work, although she feels some resistance before attending these gatherings, she can't refuse for both professional and personal reasons, and can only learn to adapt.

Shi Jiahe had vaguely heard of the villa address; it was a purely detached villa community, considered top-tier luxury even among high-end villa complexes. Each villa was worth at least hundreds of millions, with five floors and thousands of square meters of gardens—enough to ride a horse around without anyone bothering you. They even had their own docks, allowing access by car or waterway. The owners were all reclusive, wealthy individuals, going against the trend of chasing fame and fortune, prioritizing privacy and a low-key lifestyle.

When the car arrived at the gate, security personnel in neat uniforms stopped it, saying that the resident had to call and provide the car's license plate number before they could enter. Frustrated, Shi Jiahe called He Yuran again, and after some back and forth, they were finally allowed in. The car slowly drove in, and Shi Jiahe, with an air of curiosity, looked around.

It can be summed up in one word: big.

Even the concrete image of a vast, sparsely populated area can be understood as a miniature version.

If you walk in, it might take half an hour to get to the villa entrance.

The wide road was deserted, and some villas were completely empty, just the structure and bare shell. Shi Jiahe thought that the renovation alone for one of these villas would probably cost tens of millions. Several cars were parked in front of the villas that were clearly inhabited, but she didn't see the flashy luxury cars she had expected. Shi Jiahe had previously heard He Yuran say that the cars parked in front of these villas were usually not driven by the owners, but were used by the nannies for grocery shopping. So the nicer cars were probably all in the underground garage.

Finding the apartment by number, Shi Jiahe had just reached the steps when she looked up and was struck by the sheer size and width of the European-style gate… utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal. She then faintly heard music coming from inside and thought to herself, "Isn't this disturbing the neighbors?" But looking around… there were no neighbors at all.

Forget it, let's not presume to imagine what this kind of life with natural light from all sides is like.

Shi Jiahe stepped forward and knocked loudly on the door, afraid that the person inside might not hear her. A woman who looked to be around fifty years old opened the door, and Shi Jiahe took the initiative to say, "I'm Ran Jie's agent."

"Sister Ran?" The woman hesitated for a moment.

"He Yuran, a film actor," Shi Jiahe quickly added to the character introduction.

This is unusual; it's the first time I've had to introduce my boss's profession and name so seriously.

"Oh, please come in." The woman nodded, her expression still indifferent.

As soon as she stepped through the door, Shi Jiahe felt a sense of unreality.

When I drove in from a distance on the road in the villa area, I only saw it from afar and thought that the interior area must be very large. But when I went inside, the sense of luxury in the space completely assaulted my senses and completely rebuilt my worldview.

The two sides are huge mirrors, creating the visual effect of half a basketball court at first glance. Upon closer inspection, it also looks like several open-plan hallways joined together. The shoe cabinet at the entrance can easily hold two hundred pairs of shoes, and next to it is a row of shoe benches. The entire entrance space serves only one function: a foyer.

It's astonishing that someone could have such a spacious home in Beijing, a city where land is incredibly valuable.

The lady brought over slippers, and Shi Jiahe didn't dare to breathe loudly as she obediently put them on.

"Let's go," the woman said, turning to lead the way.

Shi Jiahe quickly followed, and at the same time opened WeChat to type to He Yuran: "Sister, I've arrived."

The two took the elevator to another floor, then turned several corners, and Shi Jiahe felt she was getting a little lost. At that moment, a particularly arrogant thought even popped into her head: Even if I were given this apartment, I wouldn't live there, because I have no idea how to maintain it. Although I simply can't afford it—not even in ten lifetimes.

Just then, the space opened up before her, revealing a much larger hall. He Yuran and two other women were chatting on a spacious sofa, soothing music playing in the background. Then, a complete set of solid gold stereo system appeared before her, leaving Shi Jiahe completely stunned. She felt as if common sense had failed her.

Her first thought: It should be...gold-plated, right?

He Yuran was lounging comfortably on the sofa, lazily saying, "Look at what you're saying, why don't I just find a guy in this neighborhood and get married?"

The younger-looking woman laughed exaggeratedly: "Ranran, as soon as you open your mouth, I guarantee that every household in this neighborhood will send a man who wants to marry you."

Shi Jiahe had seen this woman on the trending topics before. She was Tao Ye, the wife of the chairman of XX Group. She was also quite active in the entertainment industry and often appeared at gatherings of popular celebrities.

He Yuran waved his hand. "Forget it, if I had that kind of guts, every single household in this complex could send a woman to skin me alive."

After they finished speaking, they both laughed, and another older woman joined in. Shi Jiahe also knew this woman; she was the wife of a famous director, known in the industry as Sister Dong. Her husband was a director, and she was a producer.

The lady who led Shi Jiahe in said softly, "Madam, a new guest has arrived."

"Okay," Tao Ye said casually. Clearly, she was the lady of the house.

Shi Jiahe quickly added a thank you, and the lady left. He Yuran saw her arrive and smiled, patting the sofa beside her. She hurried over to He Yuran's side and sat down on the edge.

Tao Ye and Dong Jie both nodded politely to Shi Jiahe, as if to say, "Introduce yourselves?"

This was the first time Shi Jiahe had ever felt speechless in a social setting. In the past, in the entertainment industry, regardless of the occasion, there were basically only two titles: "Teacher X" or "President X," and choosing one was always a safe bet. But facing Tao Ye, whose social standing was above everyone else, she simply couldn't bring herself to call him "Teacher," a title meant to deceive people. But calling him "President" didn't seem appropriate either? Calling him "Madam" would be even more ridiculous. Forget it, she decided to simply not use any title at all.

Shi Jiahe forced a smile and quickly nodded to the two of them. "My name is Shi Jiahe, Ran Jie's manager."

"Hello." Tao Ye nodded gracefully.

Sister Dong, who was standing next to her, also showed a kind smile.

He Yuran suddenly sat up, straightened his back, and said loudly, "Jiahe says she's my manager, but she's no different from my own sister. She knows more about my affairs than I do myself."

"It's really great to have someone so trustworthy on the team." Tao Ye glanced at Shi Jiahe. "Oh dear, did you get a job offer? What are your next project plans? I didn't hear Ranran mention it earlier."

He Yuran chuckled twice. "Isn't this just a lot of trouble right now? Everyone has their own fate. I don't have your luck. I can't stay at home either, so Jiahe usually spends more time with me, also because she's afraid I'll cause trouble, hahaha."

"Hey Ranran, I think we shouldn't say we should retire gracefully when things are going well. After all, women need their own careers for men to respect them. But we also need to think about ourselves and prepare for the future. It's not about relying on men to support us, but having an extra layer of protection is a good thing."

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "I didn't expect that even though they're rich to be chatting with these girlfriends."

He Yuran patted his face and said, "You're right! Let me think about it!"

Dongjie chimed in, "Ranran, what kinds of roles have you been getting lately? Tell me about them so we can exchange ideas. I'll tell the director when I get back."

He Yuran coughed, but before he could speak, Shi Jiahe saw the woman who had answered the door earlier walk over again.

"Madam, Xiao Zhang is back. Shall we bring the things over now?"

Tao Ye nodded, "Yes, bring them all up."

"Okay," the woman said, and then left.

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, if this weren't modern times, she would really think she was meeting the Empress in the ancient imperial harem. That woman's mannerisms and speech were just like a nanny.

A short while later, the woman and a man with a buzz cut returned, each carrying several boxes. They were all covered in various high-end brand logos, and the two of them placed a stack of boxes in front of He Yuran and Sister Dong.

"Alright, you guys are done here."

After speaking, the woman and the man with the buzz cut left.

Tao Ye turned to look at He Yuran and Sister Dong, and smiled: "I originally wanted to bring it over earlier, but I had too many things to do during the day, so I had the driver make another trip to Four Seasons just now to pick it up."

He Yuran and Sister Dong exchanged a glance.

"This is?"

Tao Ye beamed. "Oh, I have a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. They usually help me receive packages and stuff. Sometimes after shopping, I'll leave my things there first, and then I'll organize them periodically before bringing them home, because I don't necessarily have to keep everything. This is a batch I ordered for our meeting today, as a small token of my appreciation. You can take a look first, and if you don't like anything, I'll have the driver go back to the shop to exchange it."

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "My God, no normal person would accept such an expensive gift in person and then have the nerve to ask to return it and exchange it for something else."

—But the prerequisite is that the person receiving the gift must first agree to accept it.

He Yuran remained silent throughout, not saying a word. Shi Jiahe had no idea what she was up to.

Sister Dong smiled politely, "That's not appropriate, especially since we're here as guests."

"Oh, don't take it too seriously! It's really just a small token of my appreciation, I didn't mean anything by it!" Tao Ye leaned forward slightly, sitting closer to them. "Well, I've got some free time anyway, so I usually hang out with friends from various circles. Actually, my husband also told me that although film isn't his usual business, I can still look into it, just in case there are any business opportunities I can help him expand. You're all deeply rooted in this industry, and you're all exceptionally talented, so I thought we should all keep in touch."

He Yuran suddenly laughed twice, but it was more of a self-deprecating laugh. "Movies aren't really business for you. Sister Dong is right, we should still—"

"Hey! Don't say that. As long as it's an industry, it's a business. Even if the output value isn't that high." Tao Ye interrupted her.

"That's true," Dong Jie continued, picking up where Tao Ye left off. "The film industry doesn't generate huge profits, but cultural consumption is a basic necessity. For now, there's no other form of entertainment that can replace the experience of going to the cinema. I believe the film industry will see a resurgence. Our director said we can't live in anxiety; we still have to do what we're supposed to do, right, Ranran?"

He Yuran scratched his ear. "Well... if you give me a movie role, I know how to act it, but if you ask me about the film industry, I don't really know much about it. My problem is that I haven't studied enough, so I can't explain it well."

He then laughed to himself.

"You're being modest, aren't you?" Sister Dong chuckled beside her. "I think Ranran's personality is really rare among celebrities. Our director often says that many actors these days are more arrogant than the directors, especially since our director is so low-key. But I always felt indignant about this, and the director would just reassure me, saying that I should cater to the actors' emotions, because it's good for the movie. After all, a movie is ultimately 'director's work,' not 'actors' work.' It made me feel really ashamed. I'm the producer, so why should the director have to take care of my emotions? That would mean I haven't done my job properly. So I try my best to do my job before the director does, to cater to and reassure the actors. I can accept all of that, but I still think Ranran's personality is really rare."

"Sister Dong, if there's ever a chance to work with you in the future, I definitely won't need you to bother," He Yuran said, grabbing Shi Jiahe's arm. "I already have someone like that here."

Shi Jiahe tilted half of her body towards He Yuran, revealing a slightly embarrassed smile.

"That would be wonderful! I'll go back and tell the director that we need to work together as soon as possible, then I can relax." Sister Dong said with a smile.

At this moment, Tao Ye spoke up, "Today, I invited us sisters to get together because I was thinking about whether we could do something together. After all, my husband says that people can strengthen their relationships through shared experiences. It's the same among us women."

Sister Dong smiled broadly, "Of course, we should all stick together and achieve a win-win situation for all parties."

"I'll serve everyone!" He Yuran echoed.

Shi Jiahe could tell that He Yuran was forcing a smile.

Tao Ye cleared his throat and said seriously, "It's like this, our eldest son, Dylan, will be back from an equestrian competition abroad next week. He won an award, and after discussing it with my husband, we hired a documentary filmmaker to make a short film about Dylan, which we'll then show to a limited number of friends. This director is quite accomplished; he's won awards at European film festivals. During our conversation, he told me that Dylan is very expressive in front of the camera, has his own ideas, and is very talented. So my husband and I discussed it and decided to invest in a film for Dylan, letting him act in it first. But we also know that there's a lot of backlash online for films that force a child into the movie, so..." "If we're going to do it, we'll make a proper commercial film. Every aspect—script, production, and release—must be commercial. We've already discussed this with Dylan beforehand; he can't be the lead actor. We're going to hire a reputable film director and actors, and everything will proceed according to commercial film procedures. We only have one small request: please give Dylan a small role in the film, with some screen time. That's our reward for him. Today, I'd like to ask for your advice on how to make this happen. Also, female-themed films and related topics have been quite popular these past two years, so I was thinking, perhaps a mother-son relationship would be suitable? What do you all think?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Sister Dong exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, it's really perfect! Indeed, everyone is paying more attention to women's issues these days. Our director will also have someone go over the script in advance to try to align it with popular women's topics. Xiao Tao, you have such a good eye, you're absolutely capable!"

He Yuran didn't speak immediately, but Shi Jiahe, watching from the side, felt that her expression seemed off.

Suddenly, He Yuran frowned, clutched her stomach, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Where... is the restroom?"