20 Another Flower Vase

The touch of spring was getting more prominent and everything in sight was green. Song Qingli had already taken the car arranged by Gu Zechuan and was heading to the set. The pen mark left on the girl's face was now covered with makeup and could no longer be seen. The golden sunray reflected from the window flashed past her long eyelashes. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she wondered what Gu Zechuan meant.

During breakfast this morning, she refused to eat in a fit of pique. No matter how much Gu Zechuan praised the dishes on the table, she refused to eat. She put on a funny face and the corners of her eyes showed that she was still unhappy. In the end, the man actually picked up one of the soup dumplings and brought it to her mouth.

A gentle light flashed in his eyes. He held a pair of chopsticks in one hand and placed another one below her chin in the other to prevent the soup from dripping onto her dress. His gentleness was like a light that directly hit the bottom of her heart.

The young girl gritted her teeth and bit through the thin skin of the soup dumpling, deliberately making the soup drip onto his palm. He was a smart man. How could he not know that she did it on purpose? If he got angry with her, he only had to order his man to throw her out of the window. No one would disobey the decree but he did not show any emotions.

There was no displeasure in his dark eyes. The man held the chopsticks in his hand and there was only an empty shell of the bun skin left. He gently touched the girl's lips with the chopsticks and urged, "Swallow what's in your mouth. Even a kitten can eat faster than you."

It felt strange.

Song Qingli sat in the back of the car. It was as if her entire body was wrapped in thick fog and her eyes were so blurry that she could not see clearly.

The car suddenly stopped and the young girl collected her thoughts together. The car door was pulled open quickly. A woman in a nude business suit, sunglasses, and red lips stood outside, eluding the vibe that said she was the best. 

The woman got into the car, pulled down her sunglasses, and looked at the young girl beside her. Then, she rolled her eyes and looked straight ahead. The woman casually said, "Another flower vase."

 "..."

Song Qingli didn't know what to do. She had this feeling that the woman in front of her looked familiar but she just couldn't remember who this woman was.

But even if she was some big shot, she shouldn't just call Qingli a flower vase when they've just met, right?

"I don't know who you are and this is the first time we've met. Isn't it a little mean for you to call me that?"

"Hmph, do you have any representative works?" The woman turned her head, her posture like a proud swan, and her voice was filled with disdain.

"Have you ever acted?"

 Song Qingli pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

 "Do you know how to sing or dance?"

 "Do you have any impressive qualifications?"

"Why aren't you talking?" The woman sneered again and looked at the road ahead. "That's why I called you a flower vase. It's a very accurate description of you. You have nothing and you don't know anything. What would you be other than a flower vase?"

 "But..."

Song Qingli held her breath and looked at the woman expectantly, wondering if this sharp-tongued woman had anything nice to say about her.

"Not everyone is qualified to be a flower vase, take it as a compliment."

Song Qingli wondered if this was even actually a compliment.

"My name is Li Zhen and I'll be your manager from now on. I've never worked with a newbie before, you're the first."

"Li ... Li Zhen?" The young girl was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. Her eyes were shining as she stared at the woman beside her. This was the Ace manager who had brought up many best actors and actresses, Li Zhen!

The most, most, most important thing was that she used to be Xiao Yi's manager!

Seeing how the young girl was in awe, Li Zhen scoffed and said, "Don't be too happy now. It's not that easy to be my artist."

Li Zhen reached out and pinched the girl's chin. She took a good look at her, pinched her nose, and rubbed her face. She looked at Qingli from head to toe and finally let out a cold laugh."Your appearance isn't too bad but that pair of fox eyes are too ostentatious."

 "Sister Li, who is it ..."

"I'd advise you not to ask me anything about me. If I wasn't threatened, I wouldn't have agreed to be your manager. From now on, when you're with me, talk less and do more. It's best if you don't talk and just do your job as told. The entertainment industry is a ruthless place, so get rid of all your teenage fantasies. From today on, you have to report to me everything you do, and don't talk nonsense to the media in private."

Song Qingli nodded like she a pestle that was pounding garlic and the short hair on the top of her head also swayed back and forth. She was completely conquered by this manager. This strong and efficient aura from her manager was fascinating.

She was only a student. Although she had not entered the entertainment industry, she still had a good understanding of the affairs in the industry. If she had a good manager, she could avoid many detours in the industry.

 "Sister Li, my name is ..."

"Song Qingli, I know. Shut your mouth and get to know the director, the main lead, and some of the supporting roles first. Don't embarrass me when we arrive later." Li Zhen took out a bag of documents. The documents have information about the director, the main lead, and some supporting actors who had quite some scenes in the show.

Song Qingli once again marveled at Sister Li's efficiency. She was originally worried that as someone new, she would be in a lot of trouble if she didn't recognize any of them when she arrived. Now that she had this secret manual, she felt more at ease.

The young girl flipped through the documents.

This was an ancient Xianxia drama called 'The Cries of the Sword from Ninth Heavens'. It was a big production but since the post-production cost a lot for the special effects, they had to cut on their casting. According to Sister Li, this script was adapted from a novel and had been in preparation for shooting since a year ago. In addition to that, the novel had a lot of fans. If it was not filmed well, they would be heavily criticized for it.

Therefore, it was important to choose actors that fit the original work.

The crew had done a good job of keeping it a secret. No one knew who the cast was until today. This was the director's intention. After all, the power of the public's opinion was too strong. If the public's opinion got involved in the early stages, it would hinder production.

The car drove all the way to an ancient village in the mountains. It was said that not only would they have a meal together today, but the main leads will also be shooting scenes together today. So, most of the actors on set came all the way here without any complaints.

When Song Qingli arrived, there was already a wide open space in the village that was filled with various cars. Most of them thought it was the male lead, Xiao Yi, when they saw the luxurious RV but then, an unknown girl stepped out of it.

"Who's that? I've never seen her before. Is she also part of our crew? "

"She's quite pretty but is there such a person in the entertainment industry?"

"Damn! Look who's standing beside her!"

"Li Zhen! Oh my God, could Li Zhen be this girl's manager?"

"Oh my God, where did this person come from? This RV isn't cheap. Plus, to be able to hire Li Zhen, she must have come from a strong background. Could this be another flower vase that got into someone's bed just to get here?"

"Shush, what are you saying? Lower your voice! She's looking at you."

Song Qingli could feel the searchlight-like gazes from her car. When she heard the discussions of the people around her, her sharp eyes scanned around. Then, Li Zhen, who was beside her, pinched her waist and whispered, "Smile. You will smile like how the flowers bloom."