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Yaxing Entertainment was just a small-scale studio and its well-known artists could be counted on five fingers. But in fact, Gu Yaxing was very discerning. The artists he signed were not only good looking, but also had great potential for popularity. Not to mention Luo Ding, who was a vase of impeccable features, even the current “big brother” of the company, Hu Xiao, could definitely be described as having both a good appearance and talent.

The problem with Yaxing Entertainment was that it could not hold on to its talents. Yaxing’s structure was too small and its resources too few.

Although Gu Yaxing had been popular in the past, he had gradually declined after falling out with his company and though he was well-connected in the entertainment circle, he had few true friends who were willing to assist his efforts.

Further, he was too independent and too honest. To determine who had potential, he often tried his best to support his recruits. But that was the full extent his abilities.

At the end of the day, Yaxing was not a big company. It had poor conditions and had too few headline-makers. Thus, when Yaxing artists become popular they are eager for a better future. Who would like to stay here and fight alongside him?

Gu Yaxing was hit hard by this. Seeing that he was now almost middle-aged, but was still earning nothing, his drive to grow the company had been exhausted.

Luo Ding had shocked him at Gong Liangguang’s banquet. It was as if a penniless and hungry beggar had suddenly found that the broken bowl he was using to beg for alms was a priceless antique. His first thought was to take good care of Luo Ding. With such singing skills and temperament, as long as Luo Ding was pushed with a little care, it would be unreasonable for him to remain unpopular.

So, he asked Luo Ding’s former agent, Yang Kangding, to bring to him all the shows that Luo Ding had recorded during this period of time. Gu Yaxing planned to take a good look at this artist who had been ignored for so long.

However, the young man who had appeared on the crude and unprofessional low-cost shows, had no expression on his face other than a stiff smirk from the beginning to the end, making Gu Yaxing feel odd. The low-resolution image quality also failed to show the charm of Luo Ding’s outstanding features. The young man on the screen and the one he had encountered not long ago were almost like two different people.

No wonder he didn’t notice Luo Ding for several years. Since the dissolution of the group, Luo Ding had been inconspicuously silent.

When Luo Ding pushed open the door into the building, Yang Kangding was still grinding his teeth secretly. When Gu Yaxing informed him that Luo Ding had been chosen for the role in “Tang Zhuan”, he found it unbelievable, because in his opinion, Luo Ding was an absolute nincompoop who had no merits other than his appearance.

He was not smart enough, not determined enough, did not put in enough effort, and even as compared to Hu Xiao the ambition in their eyes were at two extremes.

But in this entertainment industry, if Hu Xiao who was currently popular couldn’t stand out, how could Luo Ding do so? What had Luo Ding done to deserve it? How could he get the role that Hu Xiao dreamed of for nothing?

Hearing the sound of steady and orderly footsteps behind him, Yang Kangding felt a tingle in his back. Inexplicably, he was nervous to face his boss’ inspection. He turned his head slightly and his eyes widened immediately.  

Luo Ding glanced at Yang Kangding, his bottomless gaze almost sucking people in, but this glance was fleeting, and he immediately focused on the person in the main seat: “General Manager Gu.”

Yang Kangding opened his mouth, yet strangely, after looking at Luo Ding’s comportment, he had almost lost the courage to slander him. What was going on? During the audition, he had thought that Luo Ding’s regal bearing was an illusion, but now he appeared like a powerful man who was capable of making anyone overlook his young age. Was this really Luo Ding?

“You can leave now!” As soon as Gu Yaxing saw Luo Ding, a smiled blossomed on his face. He quickly waved his hand to show Yang Kangding the door and walked around the table to draw closer to Luo Ding.

Did you eat yet?

The abrupt change of attitude made Yang Kangding see that Gu Yaxing had really began to attach importance to Luo Ding. Thinking of the empty look that Luo Ding had cast at him just now, he could not help but be filled with regrets. Why did show his attitude so clearly in the past? There was no conflict between fawning on Hu Xiao and being an agent to Luo Ding. Why did he not show his loyalty to Hu Xiao in a different way?

Seeing that this originally unknown guy was suddenly shining brightly Yang Kangding remained cynical in his heart. Luo Ding had no virtue. Had he not been Luo Ding’s agent all this while? Yet after just a few days, Luo Ding had even forgotten Yang Kangding’s last name. He didn’t even say hello at the door. This kind of temperamental personality would not be tolerated in the entertainment industry. Let’s see how long he can continue on like this!

Yang Kangding turned around in a sullen mood, what did he have to fear? He still had Hu Xiao! Luo Ding has just received a role, but Hu Xiao has already completed several movies. With regards to seniority, Luo Ding is still worthless!

As soon as Yang Kangding stepped out, he ran into another acquaintance.

Wu Fangyuan was squatting at the door with his blonde hair.  

The moment Wu Fangyuan saw Yang Kangding he stood up. He was used to being abused by Yang Kangding, as such he was subconsciously wary of him. When he saw the frown on Yang Kangding’s face, he shivered in his heart. Yang Kangding stared at Wu Fangyuan. Though, even after he had taken a few breaths, his face was still flushed he did not dare to utter a reprimand.

Thus, he turned and left stiffly.

“Assassin[1]?” In the room, Luo Ding heard some unexpected news from Gu Yaxing’s mouth. “Choosing a cast member? Cao … Isn’t Cao Dingkun dead?”

Gu Yaxing was stunned: “Yes, Cao Dingkun is dead, but does the earth stop spinning because he is dead? How long did it take Xu Zhen to prepare for this film? Now that the male lead is gone, He must definitely look for a replacement.”

Luo Ding’s fingers trembled, and though his eyes became more inscrutable, his expression didn’t show any change: “Male lead …?”

“The crew is leaping off the wall in desperation. It’s being said that Xu Zhen cannot afford to take ill because of Cao Dingkun’s death.” “Also, that Su … Su Shengbai,” when the topic came to Su Shengbai, Gu Yaxing’s face was very unsightly. “He is running around, trying to network and is using Cao Dingkun’s name as a gimmick to find people to support their audition.”

“They are acting as if folks are unaware of their careful planning. They are unwilling to spend money on hiring a big-name actor and are deploying the dead to keep the situation under control. Really good calculations.”

Luo Ding listened in silence, his hands were clasped, his mouth still smiling.

“But this is a good opportunity for you!” Gu Yaxing’s words turned sharp and incisive. “Xu Zhen is really a good director, and his film is not bad either. This is a rare opportunity. If you can undergo a screen test for a role, it will be a direct step into the movie circle, which is also very helpful to your resume! “

Luo Ding smiled: “What role would I be auditioning for? Basically, all the side characters in the film are already being played by famous people, so would I be auditioning for the main role?”

“Are you not aware?” Gu Yaxing raised an eyebrow and shared gossip. “When Cao Dingkun died, most of the crew dispersed. Coupled with Xu Zhen being hospitalized for so many days, many of the original actors can no longer accommodate the role on their schedules. Your chances … are high! “

Xu Zhen was hospitalized? Why he was hospitalized, Luo Ding couldn’t be clearer.

In the car which was headed to banquet, Luo Ding lowered his head and buried his face in his arms, no longer concealing the heavy haze of emotions and hatred in his eyes.

Xu Zhen and Su Shengbai. He had engraved these two names on the innermost layer his heart. Every passing moment was a warning to him that if he truly wanted to forget his past grudges and start a new life, he needed heal this bloody layer.

As for how to heal…

Gu Yaxing shivered, only feeling that the car had suddenly become several degrees colder. He turned up the air conditioner in confusion and glanced at Luo Ding. He shouldn’t catch a cold.

The “Fashion” banquet was held at the most luxurious hotel in the city. As the No.1 domestic fashion magazine, any small move it made was buzzworthy, not to mention hosting a big banquet like this.

The hotel’s entrance was already packed full of entertainment reporters who were taking photos of attendees, their equipment which was arranged in a row was comparable to that of an awards ceremony.

There was a reason why this annual dinner party was so lively. Ji Jiahe, the editor-in-chief of “Fashion” and his friends had a vast network, thus the attendees who were invited to the banquet were not ordinary little stars. For reporters, the images that could be taken at this event were not inferior to those taken at award shows.

The car stopped slowly in front of the carpet. Gu Yaxing took a deep breath when he saw the all flashes in the night that made it seem like it was day time outside the car. He was worried that Luo Ding would be intimidated and turned around to reassure him.

Who knew that Luo Ding had straightened his back when the car stopped, and that he now he looked back at Gu Yaxing with a calm face.

In order to take good pictures, his features which had been highlighted with a little makeup, became deeper and more profound under the dim light.

Gu Yaxing’s swallowed his attempt to console Luo Ding. Not to mention discomfort, at the moment even he, himself, appeared more nervous.

The door of the car opened and the noise from the outside poured into the narrow space. Luo Ding adjusted his suit and stepped out, with a slight smile on his face.

His erect posture and his composure, which was no less than that of a first-rate star, attracted the attention of onlookers immediately. Some of the reporters who thronged the aisle were stunned at first and then asked for his details.

“How handsome!” Even though this female reporter had photographed countless big names, she couldn’t help but have a little fangirl moment: “Did Ji Jiahe’s hand extend into the political and military circles?”

No one guessed that Luo Ding was a little-known star. The eyes of a reporter are discerning. If an unknown star was pretending to be famous, they would inevitably show some cowardice at such a big event. But Luo Ding, from head to toe, showed no trace of nervousness. Such a person should not be green and inexperienced, right?

But as no one could turn up any answers within a brief period time, everyone immediately decided to shoot some photos! Shoot hard!

For a while, the sound of the shutter was even more intense than it was for the past few heavyweight stars. Luo Ding smiled slightly. After so many years of walking the red carpet, he was experienced and thus this event was a piece of cake to deal with it. He gently turned towards the cameras while walking side by side with Gu Yaxing, his proper posture did not appear rushed or arrogant.

Just as he was about to enter the venue, there was another exclamation at the other end of the red carpet.

Luo Ding looked back subconsciously.

The door of the dark black executive van was opened and almost all the cameras had instantly turned to that position to begin shooting.

Under the strong light, Duan Xiubo got out of the car without a hitch. While buttoning up his suit, his smile remained unchanged, leaving reporters to take pictures in the same way they had for Luo Ding. His appearance triggered an unprecedented riot at the scene. A female journalist was pushed out of her position by an over-excited colleague and was lying on the ground embarrassed.

Duan Xiubo naturally squatted down to help her up. He picked up the other side’s camera, cleaned it and handed it over. “Pay attention to safety.”

Because of his smile, the female reporter’s breath hitched, and she could not say a word when she received the camera with trembling hands.

Duan Xiubo smiled at her, waved his hands around, and said at a volume that everyone could hear: “I will walk slowly, everyone should pay attention to safety.” He said, and as expected he slowed down and left a perfect shot for all the cameras.

Luo Ding stood in the distance, frowning slightly. He had known for a long time that Duan Xiubo had a great reputation with journalists. Even so many years after his debut, when tabloids attempted to use his name as a gimmick, other newspapers and media who caught wind of it voluntarily spent time to clean his name.

Such an existence was rare in the entertainment industry.

Luo Ding also had a good relationship with reporters in the past, but he was clearly much worse than Duan Xiubo. Looking back at it, sure enough, Duan Xiubo was unmatched.

He vaguely felt that he had learned something and turned his gaze to leave.

Earlier, Duan Xiubo had caught sight of Luo Ding standing on the carpet and after seeing that Gu Yaxing was present, he understood why Luo Ding came to be there.

Luo Ding had stopped to watch him, making him think that the other was waiting for him before entering the venue.

But he did not expect that Luo Ding really just looked at him for a few moments, turned his head indifferently and entered without waiting to meet him.

“…” The corners of Duan Xiubo’s self-confident[2] eyes twitched for a moment.

[1] Assassin Is the name of Xu Zhen’s film

[2] This is an important moment, but I could not find the correct term to translate it. The phrase used here is 自作多情, which I believe means “to imagine that one’s love is reciprocated “or to shower affection on an uninterested party.”

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