A Moon and a Cicada - Chapter 6

Dawang Road was a river of traffic. Shen Xin pinched a handful of fish food and tossed it into a meter-long tank, watching her three goldfish feed.

“Goldfish are the best—easy to keep and good to look at.”

The door was suddenly kicked open, giving her a start. Shen Xin glanced toward the entrance but quickly returned to beaming at the fish in the tank. She didn’t seem to mind the intrusion; she was clearly used to it.

The woman who entered had a classic “strong-featured” beauty—deep, sculpted lines with a hint of mixed heritage and bright, spirited brown eyes. Two female assistants followed behind her, hauling oversized suitcases and draped in various bags.

The woman took off her black iron-ring bucket hat, tousled her hair, and handed the hat to an assistant before heading straight for the office sofa.

“Why don’t you just go sell fish at the Shilihe market?!”

“Having ‘fish’ every year is good luck,” Shen Xin replied solemnly. “I had a feng shui master calculate it—I just added one today. Three is the best number for attracting wealth.”

“What’s the status of the resources for Flying Flowers Like a Dream? Wasn’t it supposed to start filming after the New Year?”

At this, the woman scattering fish food straightened up. She set the container on a side table and grabbed two wet wipes to clean her hands. “Why are you so obsessed with her? If you can’t beat her, just avoid the confrontation.”

Shu Mei, known for her fiery temper, slammed her hand on the sofa armrest. An assistant who had just opened a suitcase to organize it jumped in fright.

“Lu Shulin snatched it again!? Shen Xin! Believe it or not, I’ll show you exactly what ‘misfortune’ feels like today!”

“I’m pulling my investment!”

It was that phrase again. The assistants exchanged looks and shook their heads.

Shen Xin immediately broke into a flattering smile. She took a glass of warm water from an assistant, placed it on the coffee table in front of the “Little Ancestor,” and sat down to offer some gentle persuasion. “My dear lady, didn’t we just become a hit last year?”

“What’s the point of being a hit! Last year’s Most Popular Actress at the Golden Vision Awards and the Golden Flower Goddess title—didn’t Lu Shulin take them both!”

Shen Xin spoke earnestly. “No, I mean, we’ve only been debuted for a year. She’s been filming dramas for three. We can’t compare ourselves like that, right?”

Hearing this, Shu Mei grew even angrier. “Are you really undermining our own morale to boost the enemy’s? How are we ‘lesser’? I have 20 million followers, she has 19.8 million. Can you even count?”

“Didn’t the company buy 5 million of those?” Shen Xin muttered, holding her head.

“Shen Xin!”

For the past two days, Song Zhi had studied all of Pinecone’s previous legal disputes, focusing especially on the artist contracts. To maximize the company’s interests in the event of a termination, she had added several new clauses.

Because of the project handover, Wang Huiteng asked her to personally take the renewal contracts and the newly drafted artist agreements to the client’s office. It was a move to show importance and let her “show her face.”

Song Zhi didn’t waste time on the road. She transferred through three buses, using the commute to revise Li Pu’s work report.

Arriving at her destination, Song Zhi broke into a light jog and pressed the elevator button. A person inside stepped forward to hold the door just before it closed. The person then retracted their hand and stepped back against the elevator wall.

Song Zhi, dressed in simple yet professional attire, nodded to the kind stranger in thanks. She was the type who loved to smile—a sweet, comfortable, and healing smile that made people feel good.

Inside the elevator, she adjusted her camel coat and buttoned the blazer underneath, calming her breathing. Seeing a reflection in the polished elevator wall, she turned slightly and gave another small nod; the person behind her responded with a nod as well.

Song Zhi looked at the buttons. She reached out, but stopped—Floor 18? What a coincidence.

Wait. Why did that person look so familiar? That—that—that Best Actress?! Is it her?

It had to be. She had spent the last two days studying her!

In her rush, she hadn’t noticed, but the woman was even more beautiful in person than on screen, and she seemed very refined. She had just been discussing her with Li Pu this morning, and now she was standing less than 50 centimeters away.

Song Zhi didn’t follow entertainment gossip closely, but Hang Che was simply too famous. Between the overwhelming media coverage when she first debuted and her unique aura, it was hard not to know her—not to mention the rumors of her signing with Pinecone flooding the internet lately.

Song Zhi felt a surge of excitement. She had dealt with many clients, but this was her first time seeing a major star up close!

Hang Che, meanwhile, had no idea what was racing through the mind of the person in front of her.

She wore sunglasses, and her turtleneck hid her jawline. Her gaze drifted unreservedly to Song Zhi’s small ear, where a butterfly-shaped earring looked ready to take flight. She was still immersed in the smile the woman had just flashed—a pair of charming aegyo-sal (eye bags) that curved beautifully with her lively eyes. The woman was exquisite, fair-skinned, and perfectly proportioned.

How does she manage to look both sophisticated and sweet? Hang Che wondered.

The entertainment industry was full of beautiful women with various temperaments, but she had never seen one as vivid and spirited as this.

The elevator arrived. Song Zhi could feel Hang Che following her at a distance of about a meter. The sensor doors opened to the reception desk. While Song Zhi stayed to register, Hang Che turned right immediately. Watching the actress’s retreating back, Song Zhi unconsciously sped up her writing.

“What happened?! Didn’t I tell you to cross off the names that didn’t reply?” A woman with heavy makeup stood in the hallway, questioning another girl while holding a stack of A4 papers.

The girl, whose hair was in a bun, didn’t dare look up. She whispered, “But… maybe they just haven’t seen the message yet?”

“What is wrong with you, Tong Nian! Can you do the job or not? If not, get lost tomorrow!”

A stack of files was shoved into her arms; she didn’t even have time to catch them. As the papers hit the floor, Hang Che walked by and knelt to help her. The girl said “thank you” without looking up and scurried into the PR office.

Such a scene was all too common in the workplace.

By the time Song Zhi turned back, Hang Che had vanished around the corner. She put down the pen and followed the receptionist’s directions toward the CEO’s office.

Rounding the corner, she saw the familiar figure again. Song Zhi held her briefcase in front of her with both hands, tilting her head to admire the sight. The woman stood tall in a long black coat, her back to Song Zhi, rhythmically swinging her sunglasses behind her back.

She seemed to be waiting for someone.

In the next instant, she turned to look at Song Zhi.

Song Zhi’s tilted head and relaxed body suddenly stiffened. Her heart began to beat uncontrollably. Such beauty is a form of divine generosity, she thought.

Hang Che gazed at her with a gentle expression. She tucked her sunglasses into her pocket and nodded before turning back toward the office. Song Zhi felt like a “female demon” from Journey to the West who had just spotted a holy monk; she moved toward the woman as if possessed.

She came to a stop beside her. Song Zhi was half a head taller. The woman’s profile was stunning—how could a nose be that straight? They were so close. Is she wearing makeup? How are there no pores on her face?

“Do you want to scatter some?”

This was the first thing Hang Che ever said to Song Zhi.

Her voice had a certain “end-of-the-world” quality to it—rich and deep, but not heavy. It was steady, lazy, and filled with a sense of story.

Why do some people sound so good just by speaking?

Noticing the lack of response, Hang Che turned her head slightly to meet Song Zhi’s eyes. Her gaze was deep and soul-capturing, her pupils like mirrors reflecting Song Zhi back at her.

They were only twenty centimeters apart. One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Song Zhi snapped out of it and hurriedly stepped back. Fearing she might trip, Hang Che reached out to steady her. The noise at the door broke the awkward atmosphere.

Inside, the fish-feeding Shen Xin looked troubled. She turned to see the two women in coats standing at her door in perfect harmony. In the next second, she bloomed like a trumpet flower. She dropped the fish food and didn’t even stop to wipe her hands. “Hang Che!”

On the sofa, Shu Mei turned at the sound. Her eyes widened, and she sat up straight. Hang Che walked forward and, seeing Song Zhi still behind her, tilted her chin toward her. The two entered the office one after the other.

Shen Xin rushed forward to shake hands, only to realize her hands were dirty. “Please sit, please sit! Xiao Ba, pour some water. And this is…?”

“Hello, I am Song Zhi from Beijing Tianyi Law Firm.” Song Zhi extended her hand. Shen Xin shook it perfunctorily. “Oh, right. You sit, too.”

“Hang Che?” Shu Mei couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t taken the rumors seriously—Shen Xin had no real talent; how could she possibly sign a Best Actress?

“Hello. I am the actor Hang Che. Shu Mei? I’ve seen your work.”

Hang Che was poised and proactive. Hearing a senior had seen her work, Shu Mei couldn’t hide her secret delight. She slid closer and cleared her throat. “Hello, Hang… Senior.”

“Just call me Hang Che.”

Song Zhi felt a bit like a third wheel, her gaze wandering between the three. Shu Mei’s assistant, Xiao Ba, brought them hot tea.

The woman on the sofa wore a low-cut black tank top, ripped black skinny jeans, and black studded boots. She looked sweet yet edgy. Perhaps because of her “four-year dream” mindset, Song Zhi felt like a woman nearing thirty who needed to focus on health and preservation; looking at the younger girl’s outfit made her shiver sympathetically.

A true warrior is one who dares to face Beijing’s sub-zero temperatures.

She had personality, but wasn’t it cold? Were female stars a species that didn’t feel the chill? Song Zhi put a giant question mark in her mind.

“Thank you.”

“So, Teacher Hang, have you made up your mind?” Shen Xin sat opposite them and rubbed her hands. Shu Mei also focused her attention.

Hang Che looked at the energetic woman across from her and spoke softly: “I have a few conditions.”

“Tell me, tell me.” Conditions were normal. It would be strange if there weren’t any. Shen Xin leaned her chin on her hand, exuding charm and a posture of “I’m all ears.” Shu Mei, meanwhile, opened Weibo on her phone.

“First, no manager. I screen all scripts myself.”

Hang Che had worked alone since her debut. The main reason she chose Pinecone was for the high degree of freedom. Having no manager was a win-win for both her and Shen Xin, and it was a consensus they had reached over the phone.

“No problem,” Shen Xin agreed readily. Shu Mei glanced at her; the woman looked like a peacock about to fan its tail—flaunting.

“Second, no dinners with investors, producers, or directors.”

“That’s easy to agree to. Our company has always opposed workplace ‘unspoken rules’.”

Shu Mei couldn’t help but snicker, muttering to herself, “Mainly because we don’t have any resources looking for us anyway.”

Shen Xin tsked. “And the third?”

A young girl with a hair bun knocked on the door with an iPad, interrupting the negotiation. “Boss, all the confirmation receipts for the Lantern Festival media gift bags are done. I couldn’t reach a few earlier, so I wanted to wait for their reply before registering.”

“Can’t you talk to Lisa about this?! Can’t you see I’m busy with serious business!” Shen Xin snapped irritably.

Only then did the girl notice there were other guests besides her boss and Shu Mei. She bowed apologetically, her voice filled with guilt. “Understood, Boss.”

“I want her.”

Hang Che spoke the last “non-condition” condition softly.

“Huh?” Shen Xin asked for confirmation. Shu Mei and Song Zhi exchanged a confused glance.

“It’s not that I won’t give her to you, it’s just that she… well…”

Unable to stand Shen Xin’s hesitation, Shu Mei closed her phone and crossed her arms. “She used to work for Qiu Yunyu.”

“I know. I’ve heard,” Hang Che responded. It sounded as if Qiu Yunyu had mentioned it himself.

Shu Mei gave a light laugh, eyeing Hang Che as she leaned against the sofa armrest. “You want something that someone else threw away?”

Hang Che stood up and asked the girl at the door, “Nian Nian, are you willing to be my assistant?”

Tong Nian couldn’t believe it. She looked at her boss and Shu Mei, then back at Hang Che. She saw the woman smiling at her, waiting for an answer.

“I am!”