NABC Chapter 69: Stealing Gao Yuanyuan's Luck?
Chapter 69: Stealing Gao Yuanyuan's Luck?
At 1:30 p.m., Li Si'an and Tang Yun came out of the store.
Tang Yun changed into a plain white dress with tiny blue flowers. The neckline was quite low, but it just revealed her collarbone.
Her hair was down, draped over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled, which she had styled herself with a curling iron.
Li Si'an glanced at her, said nothing, and hailed a minivan.
"Jianguomen, Guanghua Chang'an Building".
The car headed east. Tang Yun sat in the back seat, knees together, hands on her lap, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on her thighs. Li Si'an placed her hand on top; Tang Yun's hand was cool, her fingertips slightly damp.
"nervous?"
"A little," Tang Yun said honestly.
"It was recommended by Director Zhang. He was just being polite; it was just a formality."
Tang Yun hummed in agreement, but her fingers were still drawing circles.
The car stopped on Jianguomen Inner Street. The Guanghua Chang'an Building was a tall building with a glass curtain wall, gleaming bluish-gray in the sunlight. Li Si'an paid the fare, and the two entered the lobby.
The lobby was well-air-conditioned, the marble floor gleamed, and the words "Great Wall International" in metal lettering hung on the wall behind the reception desk. Li Si'an explained his purpose, and the receptionist made a phone call and pointed towards the elevator.
"The nineteenth floor."
The air conditioning in the elevator was even stronger, and Tang Yun hugged her arms. Li Si'an took off his shirt and handed it to her. She took it, draped it over her shoulders, sniffed it, and said nothing.
They arrived at the nineteenth floor. The corridor was carpeted in light gray, and several GG artworks hung on the walls. Li Si'an and Tang Yun walked to the end of the corridor following the room numbers and knocked on a door.
A voice came from inside saying, "Come in."
Pushing open the door, you enter a small office. There's a desk by the window, piled with several GG magazines and a stack of storyboards.
A man in his mid-thirties sat behind the table. He was thin, wore frameless glasses, and a dark blue polo shirt with the collar turned up. He stood up and looked Tang Yun up and down.
Li Si'an stepped forward and greeted him first: "Hello Director Chen, we were introduced by Director Zhang Yibai."
"You're Tang Yun?"
"Hello, Director Chen." Tang Yun's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.
Chen Hanwen nodded, then glanced at Li Si'an. "Who are you?"
"Oh, my name is Li Si'an, I'm a friend of Director Zhang."
Chen Hanwen hummed in agreement and didn't ask any further questions. He picked up a file about Meidenggao from the table and handed it to Tang Yun.
"Meidengo's newest guy this year, the 'Cool Summer' series. Available in print and TV. You have great looks, and I trust Director Zhang's recommendations."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, come with me next door to take a few photos. The makeup artist is already waiting over there. Get yourself ready quickly, and I'll check your performance on camera later."
Tang Yun took the documents, nodded, and glanced at Li Si'an.
"Then I'll go."
"Go ahead," Li Si'an said, leaning against the doorframe. "I'll wait for you in the hallway."
Tang Yun followed Chen Hanwen out of the office and walked to the other end of the corridor.
There was a door half-open at the corner, and the lights of the photography studio shone through. You could see several staff members moving things, and a makeup artist following behind carrying a large box.
Chen Hanwen pushed the door open and went in. The door closed, and the corridor became quiet.
Li Si'an leaned against the wall, put his hands in his pockets, and idly looked at the GG artwork hanging on both sides of the corridor.
A silver-gray sedan, a bottle of dark blue perfume, a can of orange-yellow beverage—all large photographs, framed in aluminum alloy frames, their surfaces matte under the light.
At the end of the corridor was a window, through which the late August sunlight streamed in, cutting a bright rectangle on the carpet.
There was a coffee smell in the air, mixed with the smell of printing paper and carpet cleaner.
He was staring blankly at a picture of a car when the elevator dinged.
Li Si'an subconsciously turned her head to take a look.
The elevator doors opened, and two people stepped out.
Ahead of me was a man in his early thirties, thin, wearing a light blue shirt and dark gray trousers, carrying a black folder in his hand, walking quickly as if he were in a hurry.
A girl followed behind. She was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, denim shorts, and white canvas shoes. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail with a few wisps of hair framing her face, and she wasn't wearing much makeup.
Or rather, it's been applied, but very lightly, so that from a distance it looks like it hasn't been applied at all.
She was clutching an A4 sheet of paper in her hand, the edges of which were curled up, probably because she had been holding it the whole way.
Li Si'an's gaze paused for a moment as it swept across her face.
This girl is quite pretty. Her individual features aren't particularly striking, but they come together in a very pleasing way—the kind of beauty that you find agreeable at first glance, and then can't help but look at again.
Her skin is a bit dark; I don't know if it's from sun exposure or if it's just naturally not very fair. But it looks quite healthy, like the kind of skin tone you get after exercising.
He took another look.
Then he froze for a moment.
Gao Yuanyuan.
His heart skipped a beat, as if someone had flicked his forehead with a finger.
Those eyebrows, those face shape, that chin...
Yes, it's Gao Yuanyuan.
He was much younger and darker than the person he had seen on screen in his previous life, but the underlying features of his face were still there, so there was no doubt about it.
A thought suddenly popped into my head—
In 1996, Gao Yuanyuan became the founder of Meidengao Ice Cream.
Oh right, in his past life, he read in some entertainment news article that Gao Yuanyuan was discovered by a talent scout while shopping in Wangfujing with her classmates during high school. She was photographed looking beautiful and that's how she debuted.
The report also included a screenshot of her boyfriend from back then; he had a round face, almond-shaped eyes, thick black eyebrows, and a particularly sweet smile.
No way?
Li Si'an leaned against the wall, his mind racing. He was standing in the corridor of the Great Wall of China, while Tang Yun was taking audition photos for Mei Denggao in the next studio.
Then Gao Yuanyuan arrived; she was also there to interview Mei Denggao GG.
Did he steal Gao Yuanyuan's luck?
No, it's not accurate to say he snatched her away. Tang Yun was recommended by Zhang Yibai, whom he knew, but he didn't actively steal anyone's job.
But the fact is—if Tang Yun wins this guy, then the opportunity that might have originally belonged to Gao Yuanyuan will be gone.
Li Si'an leaned against the wall, staring at the window at the end of the corridor, feeling a mix of emotions.
In her past life, Gao Yuanyuan debuted because of her beauty and talent. If she is delayed because of this incident in this life, what will happen to Zhou Zhiruo in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber"? What will happen to Yang Tao in "Let's Get Married"?
Will all the shows he watched on screen back then have to be remade?
But the thought only lingered in my mind for two seconds before it vanished.
Tang Yun is his girlfriend, so of course he'd share good news with his own people first.
As for Gao Yuanyuan—the entertainment industry is so big, there's more than one path.