Chapter 6

Two hours before the Starry Night Theatre awards ceremony, Xitang was halfway through her makeup and hair when she was urgently called back to the company.

As she pushed open the door, she found Ni Kailun sitting in the office, her hair in a bun, and her face as black as a pot.

The company’s big boss, Boss Thirteen, was sitting on the side, leisurely smoking a pipe. When he saw her come in, he smiled happily, “Xitang, come in and sit.”

Xitang sat down beside Ni Kailun, “You wanted to see me?”

Boss Thirteen glanced at Ni Kailun.

Ni Kailun sat motionless with a cold expression.

Boss Thirteen called out softly, “Kailun.”

Reluctantly, Ni Kailun reached out and pushed a black square box in front of her.

Xitang opened it, and a dazzling light illuminated the entire room. It was the large diamond necklace from a few days ago.

Xitang, with her makeup complete and her face as bright as a peach blossom in March, joked, “A gift for me?”

Boss Thirteen looked at her. A few days ago, Ni Kailun had come to him to ask for a favor, asking him to give this girl a chance. Trusting Ni Kailun’s judgment, and thinking that a young girl couldn’t cause too much trouble, he had agreed to her request.

This girl had been with the company for several years, and her conduct was impeccable. However, she was inflexible and had too much pride. Fortunately, she was good at her job. He had planned to keep her and perhaps train her to become a manager or work behind the scenes. But today, he had finally seen the truth, and it seemed that he needed to reassess her value.

Boss Thirteen cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Zhao sent this over. He specifically asked for it to be given to you, Xitang. Your time has finally come. Good days are ahead.”

Xitang was startled, “Which Mr. Zhao?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake and her face slowly changed.

She looked at Ni Kailun, who was glaring at her with fiery eyes but could only grit her teeth.

Xitang felt a chill run through her body, and her teeth began to chatter.

Boss Thirteen tapped the ash from his pipe, “Kailun told me that you know the young master of the Zhao and Zhou families?”

Xitang could only nod slightly.

“I don’t need to explain his background, do I?”

“What does he want?”

“Mr. Zhao wants you.”

Ni Kailun suddenly stood up and shouted angrily, “Tell him to go to hell!”

Even Boss Thirteen was a little surprised. The company’s top female agent rarely lost her composure.

Ni Kailun looked down at Xitang, “Xitang...”

Xitang grabbed her arm, her fingers trembling so hard that they almost pierced through the fabric of her coat, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Ni Kailun could feel her back shaking violently through the coat.

The two women looked at each other with ashen faces, their lips trembling.

Boss Thirteen waited for a while until they calmed down, then turned to Ni Kailun and continued, “I know you care about Xitang, but you can’t let her continue like this. She can’t keep taking small, insignificant roles. Since you’ve entered this industry, you have to make a name for yourself. If you don’t, what kind of star are you?”

Ni Kailun was reluctant to give up, but she was thinking hard.

Boss Thirteen said, “In terms of power, not just in Shanghai and Hengdian, but even in the entire Beijing city, the Zhao family is one of the most influential. Xitang, if you want to continue acting in this company, then go.”

Ni Kailun’s face fell completely.

Xitang held her hand and shook her head in despair, knowing that the matter was settled.

The assistant outside knocked on the door, urging them to hurry. Ni Kailun looked at her watch, stood up, and smoothed out a wrinkle on her suit. She turned to Xitang and said in a steady, strong voice, “Do your makeup in the car. We’re going to the red carpet first.”

She instantly transformed back into the capable female agent.

Boss Thirteen shouted from behind, “Hey, aren’t you going to wear that big diamond?”

Ni Kailun pulled Huang Xitang’s hand and turned back, replying indifferently, “Keep it at the company to offset your debt. This girl owes you half a year’s interest, and she hasn’t even been able to afford a steak in the past few months.”

Xitang returned to the company at 3 am.

Ni Kailun had returned from the awards ceremony after socializing at the after-party and went straight into a meeting with the public relations and publicity teams. At the awards ceremony, Zhang Zhiyin, who was walking the red carpet behind them, had her strapless evening gown suddenly slip off, revealing her breasts. Ms. Zhang was immediately flustered, and the audience gasped. The reporters instantly turned their cameras towards her, completely overshadowing the entire “Palace Love” crew. The photos were immediately posted online, causing a sensation and quickly increasing the attention on Zhang Zhiyin’s new movie.

Wu Zhenzhen was so angry her face was twisted.

Before Ni Kailun even entered the theater, she had quickly directed her company colleagues to prepare red envelopes overnight. That night, a media big shot wrote an article analyzing the situation, suggesting that Zhang’s slip was intentional, a calculated move to grab attention, and that her methods were too low and vulgar, even suggesting that next time she should simply strip on the red carpet.

As soon as the article was published, it was widely circulated, and fans started a heated debate.

Ni Kailun rushed back to the company overnight for a meeting. With their rival company trying to take advantage of the situation, they had to seize the opportunity to strike back. The publicity department worked overtime, and early the next morning, Zhang Zhiyin’s company released a press release. Everyone immediately turned their attention to the latest developments.

Xitang had slept on the sofa in the office for a while. After waking up, she bought breakfast for the night shift employees. In the afternoon, Wu Zhenzhen’s publicity team arrived to take over. Ni Kailun pushed aside her work and gave Xitang a meaningful look, calmly saying, “Let’s go.”

Xitang drove to the Peace Hotel on Nanjing East Road. Ni Kailun napped in the car for a while. When they arrived, they walked through the luxurious and elegant hotel lobby and entered the elevator together. As the elevator ascended, Xitang looked at her reflection in the golden metal mirror. Both she and Ni Kailun looked tired after staying up all night.

When they reached the seventh floor, Ni Kailun straightened her shoulders and slapped Xitang hard on the back.

Xitang took a deep breath, bit her lip hard, and habitually raised her head and chest under Ni Kailun’s strict gaze, maintaining a graceful posture.

Following the bellboy, they walked into the deep and grand corridor of the suite. The entire building was silent, like a cold tomb.

Xitang didn’t feel much emotion, just tired.

Zhao Pingjin was a man she had deeply loved.

Now, facing him again, she only felt numb. The heart palpitations, nervousness, sleepless nights, and tossing and turning she had experienced when she was younger were long gone. She had learned that she was nothing special. Zhao Pingjin had countless women more beautiful than her, lining up to be with him. So what was she?

She had simply refused to let go of the relationship when it ended, and he, unable to tolerate such humiliation, would make her life miserable forever.

Shen Min opened the door for them.

Facing Zhao Pingjin’s confidant, Xitang no longer smiled. She simply said softly, “I’m Ms. Ni, from the economics department.”

Shen Min shook hands with Ni Kailun, “Mr. Zhao has returned to Beijing. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to discuss the terms with me.”

Xitang sat down on the sofa in the hallway, feeling weak in the knees.

She heard Ni Kailun go straight into the living room and, without even drinking water or tea, started making demands. She wanted a monthly salary of 300,000 yuan, a specific type of apartment, a car, and roles in certain films and advertisements, with specific requirements for the roles.

Shen Min listened calmly.

Ni Kailun continued, “Mr. Zhao cannot interfere with Ms. Huang’s work schedule.”

Shen Min simply replied, “I need to make a call.”

He went into the room to make a call.

A moment later, Shen Min came out, “Mr. Zhao wants to talk to Ms. Huang.”

Xitang had to follow him into the room.

Shen Min led her to the study and handed her the phone, then closed the door.

“Huang Xitang?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Pingjin’s voice on the other end was low, with a hint of nasal congestion, suggesting he had just woken up. He didn’t mention anything about their negotiation, but simply said casually, “Shen Min said you rejected the female lead role in your company’s new drama?”

The female lead in the new drama was still Wu Zhenzhen, making it a drama of old and new lovers. Before even hearing about it, Ni Kailun had immediately rejected it. Xitang replied respectfully, “Yes, my schedule conflicts.”

Shen Min returned to the living room and pushed a bank card towards Ni Kailun, “Mr. Zhao wants to use this card when he’s in Shanghai. Ms. Huang must accompany him when he needs her. She can adjust her work schedule accordingly. Mr. Zhao agrees to all other terms.”

Ni Kailun took the card and glanced at it. It was a platinum card issued by China Merchants Bank in Shanghai. She nodded and picked up her bag, getting ready to leave.

As she walked towards the door, she turned back and looked at Xitang, who was still on the phone in the room. Her eyes were empty.

She got into the car and said softly to Xitang, “Xitang, tell me, do you still love Zhao Pingjin?”