Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 29.1

Yan Zhen was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond.

Zhao Baoshang’s tone gradually grew cold: “I don’t recall ever playing a role as a Great Princess. When you look at me, exactly who are you calling for?”

“I…” Yan Zhen opened her mouth, but memories of the past flooded her mind—the smoke-filled dark skies of the Great Feng Dynasty and the shattered tiles atop the city walls.

The cold, aloof face of the Eldest Princess flashed before her eyes. In the blink of an eye, it transformed back into Zhao Baoshang’s face, which always seemed to carry a hint of murderous intent.

Yan Zhen shuddered.

She couldn’t reveal the matters of her past life yet, at least not until the Eldest Princess had safely passed her “Death Calamity.” Otherwise, there was no telling what changes might occur.

Yan Zhen coughed twice and forced a calm tone: “I misspoke.”

“Do you take me for a fool?!” Zhao Baoshang didn’t believe her for a second.

“No, I really just misspoke,” Yan Zhen said, her voice trailing off guiltily.

Zhao Baoshang’s tone became even more frigid: “What were you actually trying to say?”

Yan Zhen was at a loss for words.

Zhao Baoshang’s eyes dimmed with extreme displeasure: “You—” After saying just one word, she fell silent.

She couldn’t imagine what she would do if her “little fan” was truly lying to her. Her chest felt constricted, as if a great boulder were pressing down on her; she felt utterly miserable.

“Don’t let me down,” Zhao Baoshang said.

“I won’t lie to you,” Yan Zhen swore. “It’s just that some things aren’t convenient for me to say right now. When there’s an opportunity in the future, I will tell you everything.”

Zhao Baoshang still felt uneasy. She finally realized how important the little fan was in her heart. Although it was surely the Love Gu at work, she really couldn’t hold back anymore; she had to tell her soon.

“Come over first,” Zhao Baoshang said. “I have something to tell you.”

Yan Zhen agreed, then added a reminder: “No kissing.”

Zhao Baoshang raised her voice: “Just get your butt over here!”

After hanging up, Yan Zhen thought for a moment. She and Old Zhao were chess partners, and without his help, she might not have passed the open auditions. Old Zhao had been kind to her.

Going to his birthday empty-handed felt wrong. She mused that at his age and with his love for antiques, he’d seen plenty of fine food and wine. It would be better to give him something functional and aesthetically pleasing—a jade pendant was the best choice.

She hurried to a supply store, bought some materials, and picked out two pieces of unremarkable jade. She spent two hours carving and polishing them, eventually incising a series of runes with a small knife. Once finished, she wrapped them up and headed to Old Zhao’s.

Old Zhao was delighted to see her. “Aren’t you acquainted with our family’s Er-niu? Why don’t you visit more often?”

Hearing her childhood nickname, Zhao Baoshang looked like she wanted to fly away in embarrassment. She glanced at Yan Zhen and turned her face away awkwardly.

Yan Zhen asked, “Er-niu?”

Old Zhao said, “Yes, my second child.”

Yan Zhen looked at Zhao Baoshang: “Er-niu?”

Zhao Baoshang grabbed Yan Zhen’s arm and asked ominously, “Who are you calling that?”

“I think it sounds quite nice,” Yan Zhen said.

Zhao Baoshang’s face turned bright red. Old Zhao chuckled, “Er-niu is thin-skinned.”

Yan Zhen nodded. “Being thin-skinned is a good thing; it means she has a thick reservoir of blessings.”

“But her luck isn’t necessarily deep,” Old Zhao shook his head. He thought of something and beckoned his butler over, whispering a few instructions. The butler hurried off.

Seeing Old Zhao was busy, Yan Zhen chatted a bit more and then walked away. She spent some time in the small garden admiring the flowers. Behind her, Zhao Baoshang followed her out.

The garden had just been watered, giving off that distinct fragrance of damp earth. The ground was wet, making a patter-patter sound as they walked. Zhao Baoshang seemed to have had some wine; her cheeks were flushed pink. Yan Zhen led her to a bench.

“Did you call me over because you had something to say?”

Zhao Baoshang gave no reaction. She sat quietly on the bench with her eyes half-closed, looking as if she were about to fall asleep. After a while, she suddenly spoke out of the blue.

“During the competition, you said you weren’t worthy of being my friend. I’ve thought about it carefully, and I already consider you a friend.”

This was unexpectedly good news. A smile broke out on Yan Zhen’s face. Knowing the Princess’s feelings—good or bad—was enough to energize her.

Zhao Baoshang looked like she wanted to say more, but she pursed her lips and stayed silent. Yan Zhen was already satisfied. Her hard work had paid off; winning the championship had indeed earned the Princess’s recognition.

“Zhao Baoshang, I am very happy that you value me so much,” Yan Zhen said joyfully.

Zhao Baoshang froze, thinking the line sounded a bit like something out of a period drama.

Yan Zhen added, “But even if you treated me like a worn-out shoe, I would still do my best to help you survive your Death Calamity.”

“What ‘Death Calamity’?” Zhao Baoshang’s eyes darkened. “I’ve never believed in that sort of thing.”

“Whether you believe it or not, I will help you,” Yan Zhen insisted.

Zhao Baoshang sneered, “Who asked for your help?” She immediately regretted the laugh and added hesitantly, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Yan Zhen didn’t follow: “What did you mean, then?”

Zhao Baoshang wanted to bite her. Was this person truly oblivious or just pretending? Did she really expect her to lower herself and apologize? At that thought, she felt a surge of anger and decided to ignore Yan Zhen.

Yan Zhen noticed the mood shift but couldn’t understand it. Just as she was about to ask, she remembered the jade pendants. She pulled them out. One was for Old Zhao, and the other for Zhao Baoshang.

“I forgot to give your grandfather his gift earlier. This is a jade pendant I made this afternoon; I carved the pattern myself.”

The larger one depicted a farmer watching immortals play chess, while the pink jade one was carved with a graceful woman in ancient dress with flowing sleeves. Zhao Baoshang took the two pieces and stroked them. Despite being low-quality jade, they felt exceptionally warm to the touch and sent a refreshing sensation through her mind.

“What is this?” she asked, pointing to the pink carving.

“It’s the Crabapple Fairy you played,” Yan Zhen said.

The Crabapple Fairy was the role that won Zhao Baoshang her Movie Queen title. In that film, the costumes and scenery were top-tier. Zhao Baoshang looked at the little figure that resembled her and saw the tiny, intricate patterns carved into it. There were tiny characters on the collar, looking like Daoist runes.

It was a remarkable object. She grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand and stared at her intensely.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Zhen asked.

“I… I want to hug you,” Zhao Baoshang said.

Just a hug? Yan Zhen breathed a secret sigh of relief; she thought Zhao Baoshang wanted to kiss her again. After the last “lesson,” she wouldn’t have known what to say if it happened again.

“Is that not okay?” Zhao Baoshang asked, her grip tightening.

“Of course it is.”

Yan Zhen sat closer, intending to pull Zhao Baoshang into her arms, but as she reached out, she found herself completely buried in Zhao Baoshang’s embrace instead. …It was a bit different from what she expected. She wanted to let go and try again, but Zhao Baoshang held her firmly.

Zhao Baoshang herself didn’t know why she cared so much about this person. She wanted to hide her away in a room, to hug and hold her every day, and kiss her too. But that would be illegal. Yan Zhen had saved her; she couldn’t treat her benefactor that way.

…It was all the fault of that Love Gu. Zhao Baoshang felt she could no longer suppress these emotions. She secretly kissed the side of Yan Zhen’s hair. Then, she said in a cold voice: “The protective charm you gave me last time was okay. Next time, don’t spray toilet water on it; add some different scents.”

Yan Zhen blinked and nodded.

The sounds in the large house gradually died down. Once the banquet ended and all was quiet, Old Zhao’s butler led a middle-aged man into the inner room.

This was Master Meng, the top fate-reading expert in the Capital, and the one who had read the fortunes of the Zhao children. In his reading, most of the children were destined to be mediocre, except for Zhao Baoshang, whose fate was naturally exalted. However, her life carried a “calamity,” and she would need help from a benefactor.

According to Master Meng, her “Death Calamity” would be this year. Thus, Old Zhao had the head of the family invite the master to check her fortune again.

Master Meng first checked the Zhao family’s Feng Shui. The inner courtyard was grand, designed like a traditional siheyuan, but it grew more spacious the further in one went, with bamboo, flowing water, and new pavilions. He saw that the bronze guardian statues and the arrays were intact.

“The head of the family maintains the estate well; the Zhao family’s prosperity will continue for a hundred years,” Master Meng said.

The head of the Zhao family was pleased. He invited Master Meng to read for the younger generation. On the way, they passed a room where a clatter sounded, as if something had fallen.

“In there are the gifts friends sent for my father’s birthday,” the family head explained. The door was slightly ajar. He frowned and reached for the handle, then thought of something and pushed the door open. “Master Meng has worked hard today; why not come in and pick something before you go?”

“These are gifts for the Elder; it would be improper of me to take one,” Meng replied.

“They are just trinkets.” The head of the family pushed the door open. In the center was the blood coral Zhao Baoshang had given—translucent and crystalline, with patterns spreading like whirlpools. “My father liked this best today.”

“Brimming with spiritual energy, a rare treasure indeed,” Meng commented. He was about to look at other things when he caught a specific scent. A yellow box sat near the blood coral, and the spiritual energy seemed to be emanating from it.

“What is in this box?” Meng asked urgently.

“Zhao Er brought it; I think it’s a jade pendant.”

“May I open it?”

“Why not?”

They opened the box to reveal a yellow-red jade pendant covered in chaotic runes that faintly shimmered with silver light.

“This—” Meng’s eyes widened. He had seen many strange runes, but rarely like this—each stroke looked scribbled and careless, yet together they formed a powerful array.

“Who sent this?” Meng asked.

The head of the family didn’t perceive the spiritual energy and assumed Meng simply liked the pendant. “Do you want it, Master?”

Meng shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare take this.”

“Why?”

“This is far more precious than the other items.” Meng placed the pendant in the family head’s hand. “Let the Elder wear it. The other things are just toys; this… this can save a life.”

The head of the family was stunned. He knew Meng’s abilities and that he didn’t lie. He looked at the object and wondered: Who does Zhao Baoshang know that she could get such a treasure?

Meng added, “With such a master around, the Zhao family has no need for me; it would just be gilding the lily. Leave everything to that master.”

“We… we don’t actually know who sent the gift,” the family head explained.

“If you don’t believe me, let’s go to the inner hall and ask Zhao Er,” Meng suggested.

In the hall, Master Meng observed Zhao Baoshang’s face, features, and blood qi.

“Have you met someone recently?” he asked.

Old Zhao asked, “Master, could you be more specific?”

Meng looked at Zhao Baoshang and told Old Zhao, “Miss Zhao Er’s fate was already unique, but now, for some reason, I can no longer see her fate clearly.”

“How can that be?” Old Zhao asked. “Why can’t you see it?”

“I rarely encounter such a thing,” Meng said.

Usually, a person’s facial features don’t change in a short time. Meng had seen Zhao Baoshang’s face just half a month ago, and it hadn’t looked like this. The only explanation was that she had encountered some person or event. Whether it was for good or ill, he couldn’t say.

He asked, “Who gave you the jade pendant you brought today?”

“A friend,” Zhao Baoshang said.

“How old? What is their name?”

Zhao Baoshang instinctively wanted to keep her fan hidden. “Why do you ask, Master?”

Meng paused. “Never mind. If there is fate, we will meet.”