Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 3

Yan Zhen said, “I will analyze it in detail, of course. Don’t be impatient.”

Zhao Baoshang tilted her chin up. “Then begin.”

Yan Zhen pointed at the six coins and said, “This is Liuyao (The Six Lines). Although it looks simple, the lines complement each other and all hexagrams are interconnected, much like the Five Elements. From bottom to top, they are divided into groups of three, consisting of Yang and Yin lines. Usually, people use three copper coins to cast a hexagram, but I use my own ‘Six-Coin Method,’ which is a simpler version of the Meihua Yishu (Plum Blossom Divination).”

Zhao Baoshang sneered. “Nothing but nonsense.”

“I was just afraid you wouldn’t understand. I’ll get straight to the point now.” Yan Zhen smiled and continued, “The first line is Yang (Heads). Although you don’t want to be a star, your career is destined to soar; it’s beyond your control.

The second line is Yin (Tails). The person you seek is neither your true love nor your benefactor.

The third, fourth, and fifth lines are all Yang. They represent your distant relatives, your parents, and yourself, respectively; all will remain healthy and safe until old age.

The sixth line is Yin. If this line were Yang, it would be fine, but because it is Yin, the meaning of the previous lines changes.”

Yan Zhen stopped there.

Zhao Baoshang’s expression turned solemn as she urged, “Changes how?”

Yan Zhen glanced at the tea, which was almost cold.

Zhao Baoshang became wary. “What are you trying to do?”

Yan Zhen said with a beaming smile, “Drink the tea, and then I’ll continue.”

Zhao Baoshang was so angry she was speechless.

Actually, she had heard some of what Yan Zhen just said before. When she was young, her family had invited a highly realized master. After looking at her face, that master said a few things: First, her life would be beyond her own control; second, her benefactor was nowhere to be found; third, the one she sought was the wrong person.

The master had spoken in riddles, but her family’s nanny had remembered those words for over a decade and often repeated them to her. Later, since she wasn’t home often, she had nearly forgotten them—she hadn’t expected to hear something so similar from Yan Zhen.

She didn’t think Yan Zhen was just making it up.

Zhao Baoshang looked at Yan Zhen again, picked up the tea, and downed the bitter liquid in one gulp. Seeing the yellow stains at the bottom of the cup, her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped it.

Yan Zhen continued to smile kindly.

“You can speak now,” Zhao Baoshang said.

“Certainly.” Yan Zhen gathered the coins. “Actually, the sixth line only affects the fifth line. The others aren’t heavily impacted.”

Zhao Baoshang frowned. “What does that mean?”

Yan Zhen said, “It means your ‘Death Calamity’ has not yet passed. Whether you can remain safe and healthy still depends on whether your benefactor is willing to help you.”

Zhao Baoshang was silent for a moment before asking, “What about the second line?”

“What?” Yan Zhen thought for a second. “The one about the person you seek not being your true love?”

Zhao Baoshang nodded.

“That line remains unchanged,” Yan Zhen said.

Hearing this, Zhao Baoshang grew angry and stood up. “You’re a fraud!”

Yan Zhen was also a bit annoyed. “Isn’t the health of your family better than anything else? And yet you scold me.”

Zhao Baoshang didn’t respond. After a moment, she walked out of the room with her long legs and left.

How rude, Yan Zhen thought.

Although this woman looked like the Eldest Princess, she wasn’t her. Their fates were completely different. Yan Zhen felt disappointed, yet also inexplicably relieved.

The Eldest Princess had likely reincarnated long ago.

—Wait, perhaps this woman is the Eldest Princess’s reincarnation.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhen’s eyes filled with respect and determination once more. Fearing her mother would wake up and find her missing, she quickly grabbed some free supplies, stuffed them in her bag, and ran.

As dawn broke, people were washing clothes by the river, gossiping about yesterday’s events. A rooster crowed. Yan Zhen finished dressing and headed out.

Her mother, carrying a basket of supplies from the foot of the mountain, asked, “Where are you going?”

Yan Zhen replied, “To the library to read.”

“Reading again? Is it that ‘Back-Pushing’ something-or-other again?”

Yan Zhen quickly explained, “This time it’s definitely a math book.”

Just then, Lu Ming happened to be walking by. Seeing Yan Zhen, she hurried over and shouted, “Oh! Delivery girl!”

Yan Zhen’s heart sank.

Her mother’s face changed instantly. “Delivery girl?! I told you to deliver food?!”

She raised her basket as if to strike, but stopped when she saw Lu Ming. Stunned, she asked, “Are you one of those people from the city filming a movie?”

Lu Ming blinked blankly. “Uh, yeah.”

“Oh, it’s the one at the foot of Qinglong Mountain with all the big stars, right?” her mother asked.

Lu Ming nodded. “Yes, yes, but we’re the… not-so-famous film crew.”

Her mother didn’t quite understand the difference between famous and non-famous crews. But she could see Lu Ming’s appearance—clean, fair, and looking well-educated.

She immediately pushed Yan Zhen toward Lu Ming. “Our Xiao Zhen is taking the College Entrance Exam this year. You don’t look too old yourself; why don’t you two study together?”

Lu Ming gave a forced laugh. “Huh? I graduated years ago.”

“Then give our Xiao Zhen some guidance! I’ll treat you to chicken tonight.” Her mother pointed at several large roosters in the coop.

Lu Ming’s instinct was to refuse. But remembering Yan Zhen’s warning from yesterday, she quickly snapped to her senses.

I have to find a way to kidnap this ‘True Master’ and take her with me!

“Okay, okay, no problem!” Lu Ming said. “I’ll take her with me now then!”

Yan Zhen’s mother was delighted. “Great!”

Lu Ming smiled and dragged Yan Zhen toward the mountain. As she pulled her along, she asked, “What were you going to do this morning anyway? Deliver food again?”

Yan Zhen answered, “Yeah.”

“There’s no future in delivery. Acting is where the real money is.”

Yan Zhen asked, “How much money?”

“This is why you country folk haven’t seen the world.” Lu Ming leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Guess how much I make for one movie?”

Yan Zhen shook her head. Lu Ming held up one finger.

Yan Zhen asked, “One thousand?”

Lu Ming shook her head.

Yan Zhen asked, “Ten thousand?”

Lu Ming flicked Yan Zhen on the forehead. “I’m just a supporting character, and my base salary alone is 110,000. Plus, if the box office is high, there are bonuses.”

Yan Zhen was shocked. “110,000? That much?”

“Of course! Why do you think everyone wants to be a star?”

Yan Zhen thought that if she could earn 110,000, she would have fulfilled the original owner’s last wish. She looked at Lu Ming. “Did you come looking for me specifically to talk about acting?”

“Wow! How did you know?” Lu Ming was shocked, then giggled. “That’s right. Let me tell you, there’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now. Though, you might not get 110,000. You’re a newcomer, so Director Wang will haggle with you.”

Lu Ming began to explain.

The cliff-jumping incident yesterday had terrified Director Wang. He had investigated thoroughly and found that the person who tampered with the harness was the “Second Female Lead.” She had originally intended to target the “First Female Lead,” but Lu Ming had used the harness first.

With the truth out, the lead actress was furious, Director Wang was shaking in his boots, and the Second Lead was promptly kicked off the set. Since they were in the middle of nowhere, Director Wang didn’t want to hold new auditions, so he promoted the “wronged” Lu Ming to Second Lead.

This left Lu Ming’s previous role vacant. Director Wang told Lu Ming to find any “sister or friend” to fill it.

Lu Ming immediately thought of Yan Zhen. She knew how rare a true celestial master was in modern society. Even if there was only a 1% chance, she wanted to use this opportunity to suck up to the fortune-telling delivery girl.

Yan Zhen was startled. “I’ve never acted before.”

Lu Ming: “…”

Oh right, she’s a country girl who hasn’t seen the world.

But it wasn’t a big-budget movie anyway; it didn’t matter if the acting was just okay. Lu Ming weighed her words and said to Yan Zhen, “It’s fine. No one expects much from the role you’ll be playing.”

Yan Zhen said, “That’s good. What kind of role is it?”

Lu Ming said, “A supporting female role! But it’s a tragic one. Her life has never been smooth—business failure, cheating husband, and her daughter goes missing. It’s guaranteed to make the audience weep.”

Author’s Note:

Yan Zhen (thinking furiously after seeing the hexagram): According to these six lines, the Eldest Princess is my future wife? I must have calculated it wrong. Let’s just make up some other stuff to get through this.

Yan Zhen: #$%^& #@#…

Financial Backer Zhao: It’s a good thing I spoil you, otherwise you’d probably be in a wheelchair in the future.