Director Qi: "Alright, let’s get together sometime. Speaking of which, Wan Yi and the guys have been holed up at home working on scripts since they got back. We can use this as an excuse for a get-together."

Lu Wen: "Did Hu Yi land a role in your project?"

"Mhm," Director Qi chuckled. "Old Wang has his eye on Hu Yi too. Too bad for him, she’s only interested in my script."

"That’s only part of the reason, isn’t it?" Lu Wen’s mind whirred. "Wei Wei is already Old Wang’s male lead. If Hu Yi took the female lead role as well, other people would have something to say about it."

"I suspect Hu Yi was thinking the same thing," Director Qi shrugged. "She’s pretty smart. Becoming more and more of a cunning vixen."

"A vixen?" Lu Wen was a bit surprised. "What’s going on between you and Hu Yi?"

Director Qi sighed. "I knew I couldn’t hide it from you. Hu Yi... it’s really hard not to fall for her."

Lu Wen: "You need to think this through. Breaking up and getting back together is normal in this industry, but relationships shouldn’t be like that. You’re both good friends of mine. Don’t put me in a difficult position."

"I get it. I won’t put you in a tough spot," Director Qi was frank. "I have feelings for her, but I have no idea what she thinks. You know she’s always wanted to find someone outside the industry, which already disqualifies me."

"Besides, she has her own concerns. She sees right through our industry."

Lu Wen shrugged. "Actually, finding someone outside the industry isn’t a bad idea. I’d like to find someone outside the industry too. Generally speaking, when both partners in a marriage are in the business, it rarely lasts."

"Especially those couples who market themselves as role models. It’s usually just for publicity. One minute they’re showing off their love on a show, but in reality, they divorced ages ago."

Director Qi was curious. "You didn’t feel this way a few years ago. What changed your mind? I know plenty of people outside the industry. Want me to introduce you to someone?"

"No, that won’t be necessary," Lu Wen politely declined. "Fate is a funny thing. Who knows, what if I just happen to meet someone one day?"

"True. My own situation is a tangled mess, so I won’t worry about you. In any case, you have your own plans." Director Qi nodded. "Hu Yi... now she’s the really tricky one."

"If you’re serious about this, you’ll have to overcome the obstacles yourself. You’re a director, she’s an actress. If you want to have a long-lasting relationship, you’ll definitely have to be tolerant and make sacrifices for each other."

"For example, one of you might be on set for months at a time. Not seeing each other for that long can easily cause problems. Even if your bond is solid, if someone else is determined to break you up, they’ll find a way."

Director Qi: "I understand what you mean. Sacrifice has to be mutual, I get all that. I’ll have a good talk with her later. She was born to shine on the big screen, and I don’t want to see her trapped at home."

"As long as you truly understand. Why is it that when a man and a woman get together, it’s always the woman who’s expected to make sacrifices?" Lu Wen added. "But if you two really do get together, you have my blessing."

"Well, thank you in advance. If you want to be together, there’s always a way." Director Qi smiled, his words brimming with confidence.

Lu Wen ignored him, her eyes fixed on the film crew. She had to admit, the trainees Tan You recruited were all high-caliber. There was a variety of styles, a true feast for the eyes.

The girls were great too, each with her own distinct look. They weren’t the "pale, young, and skinny" type that was so popular in the industry; their beauty had character.

’She couldn’t write those high-brow, ambitious scripts, but she could definitely churn out some of those sweet romance dramas. Come to think of it, Tan You rarely produced sweet romance dramas. The scripts she provided were almost always in the suspense, fantasy, or palace intrigue genres.’

’But Lu Wen wasn’t like that. One of the greatest pleasures in her life was binge-watching shows, especially sweet romance dramas. When it came to the tropes of the genre, Lu Wen knew them like the back of her hand.’

’With a whole lineup of handsome men and beautiful women right in front of her, if they were to star in a sweet romance drama, Lu Wen’s eyes would practically sparkle.’ She beckoned to the screenwriter, who immediately trotted over to her.

Lu Wen abandoned Director Qi and squatted down with the screenwriter, and the two began to murmur about sweet romance dramas. Forced to overhear, Director Qi shook his head helplessly. ’So his brilliant and formidable Sister Wen was now getting into fluffy little romance shows?’

They moved quickly, and naturally, the scripts were completed in no time. The trainees hadn’t expected that right after they finished filming the short skits, new scripts would be placed in their hands.

And it wasn’t just one, but two scripts. Every trainee in the company got a part, so there was no room for envy anymore. They all buckled down and pored over their scripts. ’Even if it’s just a fluffy romance show, it’s still an opportunity many people would kill for, right?’

While the company was busy with its own operations, the country’s most prestigious awards ceremony began. This time, it wasn’t Tan You who made an appearance, but Lu Wen, walking the red carpet with the rest of the cast and crew.

"This feels nostalgic," Lu Wen said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t chosen a high-end couture gown but was wearing a qipao instead. Her wardrobe didn’t have much else, but it was full of qipaos.

Tan You looked at Lu Wen as well. "It’s been a while since you’ve walked a red carpet. Are you excited about it?"

"A little, yes," Lu Wen didn’t deny it. "Later on, even when I attended all sorts of awards ceremonies and appeared on the red carpet, if you weren’t famous, you just weren’t famous. The reporters wouldn’t bother taking your picture."

"And even if they did, they’d never publish them."

"Ultimately, in this industry, being unpopular is the original sin."

Tan You smiled. "Perhaps. But aren’t you doing great now? Believe me, when you get on that red carpet, countless people will be dying to take your picture."

"I think things are great as they are now. It doesn’t matter if the entertainment reporters interview me or not." Lu Wen smoothed the hem of her qipao. "Speaking of which, I doubt many entertainment reporters would dare to interview you, would they? You shut them down so hard before they were left speechless."

Tan You knew she was talking about when she first arrived. She laughed too. "It might be because I keep a low profile. I really don’t have a very high opinion of entertainment reporters."

Lu Wen felt a sense of satisfaction just thinking about it. "Those reporters, honestly, they really are annoying. By the way, how did you dare to do that back then?"

"It wasn’t a matter of daring to or not. I don’t plan on being an actress anyway," Tan You said lightly. "They might dare to point their cameras at other celebrities, but they wouldn’t necessarily dare to point them at the capital behind them. Though I don’t like that word, ’capital,’ I am learning to be a capitalist with a conscience."

"It’s about time. You should get going."

Lu Wen slipped on the down jacket beside her. "You’ve always had a conscience. Hasn’t our company’s compensation always been great? These days, it’s rare to find a company that even pays salaries in full. And then there’s you, giving out bonuses every now and then."

Tan You: "It’s alright. Everyone has worked hard. Besides, money is something you can’t take with you when you go, to be honest. It’s better to use it to improve everyone’s lives."

"After today’s red carpet, will you attend public events like this again?"