Wan Yi: "You should say that to Sister Wen’s face."

Hu Yi: "No way. Anyway, I deeply respect Sister Wen in my heart. I know it, and she knows it too."

Tan You slept in until noon. By then, everyone else had finished with their hair and makeup. They gathered together, scrolling through their phones and discussing online comments. But without exception, no one dared to wake her.

As Tan You entered the makeup room, pushing her long hair back, she heard Hu Yi’s voice: "So many people in the industry have followed me these past two days, and I’ve received countless scripts. I never thought I’d be this famous one day."

"It feels like the whole world is my friend."

Wan Yi: "And that’s a bad thing? Isn’t it the same for all of us here? Anyway, I haven’t accepted a single script from outside. Our company has scripts and directors, so why look elsewhere when the best is right here?"

"Besides, I’m still waiting for our director to carry me to success."

Tan You pushed the door open and walked in. "Director Qi wants you to be the male lead in his next movie?"

Director Qi, uncharacteristically dressed in a suit and tie today, said, "Yes. He’s got the acting chops for it. Both he and Wei Wei are skilled actors. I agonized over it for a long time during the auditions for *Prison Tyrant*. In the end, I chose Wei Wei because his look was a better fit for the role."

Tan You sat down in front of the makeup mirror. "I trust your eye for talent."

Director Qi smiled too. "Sister Wen has a great eye as well. The artists she signs never end up in a scandal."

At this, Wan Yi chimed in with great feeling, "The artists at our company are so low-maintenance. If anyone dares to cross the line, the company’s methods are no joke."

He then brought up Ou Hai. "The company filmed a sweet rom-com before. Ou Hai became a huge star overnight, and then he got full of himself. And now? How many people even remember Ou Hai’s name?"

"Our Sister Wen is truly iron-fisted."

Tan You: "You make me sound so ruthless. Ou Hai brought it on himself. It was better for me to step in and suppress him than to wait for others to point fingers later."

"You’ve all been in the industry for a few years now. Regardless of whether you win an award today or how much you achieve in the future, I will not relax my standards for your personal conduct just because of your success."

Tan You’s voice was soft but solemn. "Since you are public figures, you must act like public figures. You enjoy the greatest societal benefits, so you must also bear the responsibilities that come with being in the public eye."

"To be kind, to lead by example, and to convey positive values—I believe this is the fundamental responsibility of a public figure."

Wei Wei promised, "Don’t worry, Sister Wen. We will absolutely protect our reputations."

Tan You smiled. "It’s good that you understand. The truth is, the more you get involved in the dark side of things, the murkier your eyes will become. Right now, your eyes are still clear. But look at those who play around—their eyes and their whole demeanor are completely different from yours."

Director Qi nodded. "Exactly. That really resonates with me. Look at those who are constantly scheming and striving for fame—their eyes are always darting about. And those with murky eyes? Their private lives are most likely a mess."

Wan Yi asked curiously, "Director Qi, who have you seen like that?"

Director Qi dodged the question. "You should mind your own business. Read more books, take more classes, and stay away from these complicated affairs. That’s how you’ll have a long-lasting career in acting."

Zhang Yiyi, who was applying Tan You’s eyeliner, said, "But seriously, I think Sister Wen’s eyes are extraordinary. Her gaze is so calm, but it’s as if she’s already journeyed through a thousand mountains and rivers."

Director Qi also looked into the mirror, his eyes meeting Tan You’s. He smiled. "I get that feeling too. Sister Wen is a woman who has seen the world. She has that unruffled composure that comes after weathering countless storms. That’s already the third stage of enlightenment in life."

"It’s already remarkable for an ordinary person to reach the second stage, but Sister Wen is different. Her eyes are still clear, yet they hold stories within them."

"Honestly, Sister Wen is my ideal female lead. It’s a shame she doesn’t act anymore."

As he spoke, Director Qi’s gaze swept over Tan You’s face and figure, filled with pure appreciation, without a trace of lewdness.

Tan You’s heart skipped a beat. ’These artistic types are really perceptive,’ she thought. ’First Wang Jue, and now Director Qi.’

Wan Yi, playing the perfect hype man, added, "Of course. Our Sister Wen is one of a kind. Even though she doesn’t act anymore, the industry is still full of her legends."

Tan You shook her head. ’No matter what they talk about, it always ends up as flattery.’

Because Tan You didn’t like heavy makeup, Zhang Yiyi focused more on her eye makeup. Plus, Tan You naturally had red lips and white teeth, so to be honest, her look was completed very quickly.

Around three in the afternoon, the group finally left the makeup room. By the time they were leaving the hotel, Old Qi and Director Wang had joined them.

Old Qi and Little Qi truly were father and son. Upon seeing Tan You in the center of the group, Old Qi lamented, "Tell me, with such a stunning look and beautiful figure, why don’t you act anymore?"

Tan You smiled. "I prefer life outside the spotlight. It’s perfectly calm and peaceful."

Old Qi sighed. "What a shame. If you were still active in front of the camera, there’d be no room for anyone else to shine."

Tan You chuckled. "My acting is terrible. I’d rather not embarrass myself in public."

This was the truth. It would be absurd to expect someone who had never taken an acting class to be able to act. Tan You had no problem dancing or giving speeches at major events, but acting? To be honest, she herself found it awkward.

Director Wang said, "You’re being too modest. You’re professionally trained; you have the skills. Weren’t the shows you acted in before quite good?"

Tan You: "I haven’t acted in years; I’ve long since forgotten everything the teachers taught me. Besides, if I were acting, I wouldn’t have time to write scripts. It’s hard enough for a person to do one thing well. How could I possibly blossom everywhere?"

Director Wang immediately changed his tune. "You’re right. You should just focus on running your company and working on your scripts."

Old Qi shot Director Wang a look. "You fence-sitter. No conviction at all."

But privately, he also thought Tan You had a point. If she went into acting, who would they get scripts from in the future? That’s right, Old Qi was already thinking about the future, even though he hadn’t even started filming his current movie.

As they walked out of the hotel, they were immediately met with a cluster of microphones. Tan You, ever so sharp, subtly shifted her feet and fell back a couple of steps. Then, with a light push to Little Qi’s lower back, she sent Director Qi to the very front.

Director Qi grit his teeth in secret, but in front of the cameras, he couldn’t show any anger toward Tan You. And as for Tan You, she used this method to dodge several waves of reporters’ questions.

But what’s bound to happen will happen. No matter how much Tan You tried to avoid them, a reporter finally caught her. The crucial point was that this time, she couldn’t get away, because the reporter was from CCTV.