After days of hard work, upon hearing the news, everyone was overjoyed. They started to propose various plans and then voted together.
The restaurants by the river all had good food. The crew voted and chose the most upscale restaurant. They happily said they were going to "fleece" Director Ying, and Ying Chengqi agreed with a smile.
During this period of filming, Lu Zhanji and Jiang Li had become friends. They would chat about daily life from time to time and even tease each other occasionally.
As time went by, they grew closer.
He was wearing a dark - gray long T - shirt, looking bright and cheerful: "Director Ying is well - known as a 'stingy person'. This time he's willing to spend so much. It seems winning the award is a sure thing."
Jiang Li laughed along. Her voice was clear and her tone was lively and light, which made people's annoyance disappear: "Really? It seems better days are coming. Even the stingy person is willing to part with his money."
Ying Chengqi came over and gave each of them a light flick on the head: "If you keep talking like this, you two will pay for yourselves later."
Jiang Li laughed so hard that her shoulders trembled.
She was in a good mood.
To be precise, she had been in a good mood for some time.
One of the reasons she liked acting was that every time she joined a crew, she could draw a clear line from the outside world. It was as if she could escape from reality for a short while.
Every time she joined a crew, it was like entering a utopia.
...
After the day's filming, everyone cheered when they wrapped up and were ready to go to the most famous and upscale restaurant by the river for a dinner.
Jiang Li was usually not very interested in dinners. First, she didn't eat much. Second, she didn't like noisy environments, which would make her feel annoyed.
But the atmosphere was great, and the crew members were very enthusiastic, so she didn't decline and followed them with a smile.
Ying Chengqi was really generous this time. He directly ordered the most upscale menu in the restaurant. One private room couldn't hold everyone, so they booked three or four more.
They booked an entire floor of the restaurant.
The main actors sat together. Naturally, Jiang Li sat next to Lu Zhanji. Watching them chatting happily, she just smiled and occasionally raised her glass with everyone.
The atmosphere was warm, and everyone was chatting. No one paid much attention to the details.
On the surface, everything seemed normal, but if one observed carefully, they could notice that she didn't fit in.
She seemed to be on the outside and didn't really blend into this social gathering.
Lu Zhanji noticed this first. He leaned close to her ear and whispered: "Do you feel a bit stuffy? Do you want to go out for some fresh air?"
Jiang Li hesitated for a moment. Then he continued: "This restaurant has a great view of the river. Aren't you interested?"
"I've seen the river view countless times while filming." Jiang Li said with a smile, but still got up and followed him out.
Just as Lu Zhanji said, from the open - air corridor of this restaurant, one could overlook the boundless river.
It was the fifteenth day of the lunar month tonight. The moon was round and big, shining brightly on the water.
Occasionally, a gentle breeze blew across the water, wrinkling the reflection of the moon.
Without the noisy commotion in the private room, Jiang Li felt her ears were finally quiet. She put her hands on the railing, propped her chin with her palms, and looked into the distance.
In fact, she wasn't really in the mood to appreciate the river view. She just preferred this quieter place where she could calm down.
Lu Zhanji stood not far from her, with his back against the railing. He turned his head to look at her: "Got something on your mind?"
After all, he was a few years older than her in the industry and relatively more mature. "Or do you have some feelings recently? You always seem a bit down."
"Brother Lu has good eyesight."
Jiang Li smiled. Since she had gotten closer to Lu Zhanji recently, her address for him had changed from "Mr. Lu" to "Brother Lu".
She joked back: "In a few years, you'd be suitable to be a caring elder brother on variety shows, guiding innocent girls."
"Then I'll practice on you first." Lu Zhanji laughed. "Since you call me brother, I'll help you as much as I can."
Jiang Li looked up at him and just gave a vague answer: "I just feel there's no future in this line of work. Maybe I'm just too tired recently and a bit overwhelmed."
Although she was saying discouraging words, there was still a glimmer of light in her clear and bright eyes, showing her undisguised love and attachment to this profession.
"Do you feel there's no future for your current situation or for the acting career in general? Personal opinions can't represent the whole. You're being a bit one - sided."
"You're sounding so intellectual." Jiang Li snorted with a laugh. "I just feel like a tiny ant trying to shake a big tree. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the power of capital."
She was as weak as an ant, easily crushed.
What she was tired of was not acting, but the life of having to be a social butterfly, flattering and fawning on others.
Once her contract with Jiang Entertainment expired in August, she would be like a person without a backer in the industry. Starting from scratch, she would inevitably have to flatter and please others.
When the wall falls, everyone will push; when the tree falls, the monkeys will scatter. And since she had been with Xiao Yanzhi before, her situation would be extremely embarrassing.
It would be better to just gracefully quit this industry and retain her last bit of pride and dignity.
Lu Zhanji lowered his eyes, looking much more serious: "You're only in your twenties. Why are you so negative about your career?"
"You're a talented actress. Your journey shouldn't end here." Lu Zhanji was a good judge of people. "Be bold and move forward. You'll get no less in the future than you have now."
Jiang Li listened and was silent for a moment.
She would get no less in the future.
It also meant that she would have to pay no less in the future.
Jiang Li propped her chin with her hand and looked down at the ground floor of the restaurant: "Harvest is proportional to effort. I still have a long way to go..."
Halfway through her words, she suddenly saw a very familiar figure on the first floor.
It was Qin Yaoyao.
She was wearing a pink - and - white princess dress, and her hair was curled into ringlets. She looked like a doll.
Jiang Li was surprised to see her here.
She was beaming with joy and was clinging to a middle - aged man who looked in his forties, almost old enough to be her father.
The sweet smile on her face was no less than when she was with Xiao Yanzhi.
The middle - aged man seemed to be enjoying it very much. His rough hand was on her waist, pinching the soft flesh absent - mindedly.
Jiang Li was a bit dazed. She looked several times before she could confirm that it was really Qin Yaoyao.
Xiao Yanzhi had been cuckolded.
"Jiang Li, you didn't finish your sentence just now."
Lu Zhanji spoke. He didn't notice anything strange and just wanted to draw her attention back. "You said you still had a long way to go. Are you going to give up?"