Chapter 287: You Need Legal Aid?

Speaking of which, Bai Liang really hadn't known what the place Horgos was for before.

It was Reba who told him — it's a city in Xinjiang, sitting on the edge of the rooster-tail wing on the whole map of China, right at the border between China and Kazakhstan, and the name means "the place the camel caravans pass through" or "the place where wealth accumulates."

Mm. A tax haven.

In this remote little border town, just last year, as many as 13,349 newly registered enterprises had set up shop.

A financial staffer at a certain film-and-TV company once described Horgos like this: it's one giant shell-company base — every famous film company in the country has a hollow branch office here!

Bai Liang figured her idea wasn't bad — at any rate, there wasn't much else to do, so he might as well order first.

Seeing Fan Fan Bingbing again, she somehow felt like a different person from before.

When he arrived, she had already drunk half a bottle, and there was an unhealthy flush on her cheeks.

When he'd seen her at the Weibo Night and the Bazaar Charity Night before, even though she was pushing forty, that dazzling big-leading-lady aura of hers had been especially striking.

Yang Mi, that ruthless bet-player, standing next to her had even felt a notch lesser.

But today, although she'd put on makeup on purpose, her eyeliner was still a touch too heavy, smudged into her tear troughs, and the gemstone bracelet on her wrist was digging into her pale wrist.

Like a pair of shackles.

She'd just haphazardly tied up her hair, hadn't even put on lip gloss, and the whole person gave off a contradictory vibe — both listless and polished.

Tilting her head back to drain the last of the wine, the crystal chandelier picked out the fine wrinkles on her neck, and suddenly she really did look a bit like a middle-aged woman.

Of course, the foundation was still there — she was still that top-tier beauty of the entertainment world who had single-handedly carried "dazzling the crowd" to new heights.

"Did I drag you down?"

The very first thing out of her mouth left Bai Liang stunned.

Had she?

But since she'd put it that way, he thought for a moment: "Then you're buying dinner tonight."

Hearing that, the corners of Fan Fan Bingbing's mouth, which had been drooping down, couldn't help but quirk up, and she looked Bai Liang over properly, the way he'd been observing her.

Then she concluded that, for an earthquake big enough to make the whole entertainment world shake, this "named" Bai Liang was utterly unfazed.

Exactly the same as before — looking calm and harmless.

She couldn't help but be reminded of a little over a year ago, when the two of them had stood together on the Weibo Night stage, basking in the spotlight of the whole venue.

Mm. He'd seemed just like this back then.

Actually, it was quite odd — Fan Fan Bingbing and Bai Liang weren't all that close.

They'd only met a handful of times and chatted fairly pleasantly, that was all.

But with this naming, the two of them were now linked together in this strange way, and when Fan Fan Bingbing saw online today that Bai Liang had wrapped filming and was back in Shanghai, she couldn't help but reach out.

She hadn't even expected him to agree — after all, at a time like this, even those closest to her were keeping their distance.

It was only human nature, but it still made one's heart feel a little chill.

And yet Bai Liang really did dare to come — this capybara really doesn't know how the word "fear" is written!

Someone actually dares to get tangled up with her at a time like this?

"Aren't you afraid I'll come to you for help? You really dare to come?" Fan Fan Bingbing just came right out and asked.

Bai Liang blinked: "What, you need legal aid?"

That one line almost made Fan Fan Bingbing spit out her wine — how to put it, her mood instantly lifted quite a bit.

She was starting to get what Shuangzi felt, no wonder that guy could write her into his book.

The person in front of her really was quite something.

"I forgot — you're the type of top student who can pass the bar exam."

"Actually, some things don't require that much legal expertise — it's just like how people in the cultural industry don't necessarily have culture."

"Mm, you really have a point! But I feel like I just got subtly roasted…"

"Should I apologize?"

"No need, roast me a couple more times~"

Roasting at this point — probably too late for that, isn't it.

But Bai Liang had always been easy-going.

People in the cultural industry must have culture, film directors must know how to direct, screenwriters must know how to write stories, film budgets must be spent on films, movie tickets must be sold to people who watch movies, actors must know how to act…

*Clap clap clap! *

Fan Fan Bingbing gave him a round of applause: "What a spot-on summary."

Bai Liang, however, made clear this wasn't his own line — it was something a Mr. Sun said~

The most outrageous part was, these words really did hit a nerve with certain people in the industry.

The drinking session didn't last long — mainly because Fan Fan Bingbing's tolerance didn't seem to be as good as Bai Liang had imagined.

Felt like she hadn't drunk much before she started swaying.

When she got up to leave, if Bai Liang hadn't offered a hand for her to grab, he felt she might have taken a tumble right there.

This is the lethal power of the ultimate mature older-sister type.

However, after Fan Fan Bingbing very naturally asked if Bai Liang wouldn't mind giving her a ride home, she got a refusal without a moment's hesitation.

The reason was simple enough — what Unlike Ni Ni hadn't managed to pull off, Fan Fan Bingbing couldn't either; although her family's Black Bull didn't seem all that well-behaved either… but that had nothing to do with Bai Liang.

Besides, there was a girl waiting for him outside~

"That fast?" Chen Yao, sitting in the business car, saw Bai Liang coming and quickly reached over to open the door for him from inside.

"The way you said that sounds a little weird… she seems drunk."

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant…"

Chen Yao was a little embarrassed and tried to explain, when Fan Fan Bingbing's car slowly passed by; the other party rolled down her window, glanced over, and even nodded and smiled at Chen Yao.

The night dimmed the flush on her cheeks, but her eyes were unusually calm — not a trace of drunkenness anywhere.

"Xiao Bai-ge, what did you guys talk about?"

Actually, Chen Yao had been quite nervous while waiting for Bai Liang — after all, Fan Fan Bingbing is really at the center of the storm right now, and privately meeting with her, if someone photographed them or whatever, would surely cause some not-so-great consequences.

"At first we just chatted about random stuff, but then she's kind of a weird person — she asked me for Sister Yanzi's contact info." "Sister Yanzi's contact info?"

"Yeah, no idea what she wants~"

The answer came quickly though — the next morning, Sister Yanzi called, and in a strange tone asked: "Xiao Bai-ge, Fan Fan Bingbing isn't sleeping next to you right now, is she?"

Bai Liang glanced beside him, confirming that the obedient little face wasn't Fan Fan Bingbing's.

Just to be safe, he even reached under the blanket and felt around — mm, definitely not her!

So he gave a negative answer, saying the person next to him wasn't Fan Fan Bingbing.

This answer made Sister Yanzi a bit surprised — there really wasn't?

"What's up?"

"When a whale falls, all things come to life — Fan Fan Bingbing is definitely going to fall, but the resources on her, like endorsements~"

"Could it be—"

"That's right, she's been referred to us, and it's a top-tier endorsement — she's amazing, Xiao Bai-ge, even after everything blew up there's still a brand willing to give her face."

Sister Yanzi said with some amazement.

No errors in any chapter — read exclusively here!

But she was also curious — how did her Xiao Bai-ge pull it off?

If the two of them really slept together last night, that would be reasonable enough, but since they didn't, it was clearly a bit strange.

They're not related or anything.

Of course, she couldn't be bothered to ask — it was just too mystical, she couldn't figure it out at all.

Bai Liang understood.

The other party wasn't doing it for her brother — she was doing it for her brother.

Knowing she was most likely going to fall, she started laying the groundwork

But isn't this way of hinting a little too subtle?

Would a normal person ever think of using "asking him to sleep together" as a way to hint about her brother?

Bai Liang: Good thing this bro has principles, otherwise wouldn't it have been a huge misunderstanding~

Sister Yanzi: Xiao Bai-ge, your imagination skills aren't something just anyone has either!

Hold on!

"Xiao Bai-ge, what were you up to last night again?"

"I was looking for the cat~" Looking at the big fat cat currently squatting on the bed yawning, Bai Liang said very firmly.

See, found it.

Then he gave the little thing a not-too-light, not-too-hard slap on its butt.

The other party let out an unhappy "ow-woo," jumped off the bed, and wiggled out of the bedroom.

Cat's good, owner's bad — use it and toss it!

When "looking for it" last night, the cat was so involved — it felt like its name had been called all night.

Its owner really worked hard searching for it.

So it diligently learned to open the door on its own, snuck into the bedroom, hoping its owner would see it the moment he woke up.

And then got chased away again.

At this point, Bai Liang wanted to lift the blanket, but found there was quite a bit of resistance, as if someone inside was pulling on it.

"Hm? You're awake?"

"…Mm."

——

"Yao Yao, you're back from wrapping?"

"Hi, President Cai." Chen Yao greeted Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong with full energy.

"Mm, you feel a little different from before."

Ah?!

Hearing this, Chen Yao froze on the spot — is it that obvious?

But Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong seemed to just say it casually, and instead instructed: "You can't be this willful again in the future, okay? The company is still planning to push you hard — don't run off and play some bit role for people for no reason, it drags down your status."

Mm, of course that was just empty promises.

Actually, compared to Chen Yao, Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong was more optimistic about another actress at the company — Hu Bing Qing.

The current top actress Na Zha is now walking a path that's already a bit different.

To be precise, some of the internal resources at Tang Ren — Na Zha now looks down on them a bit.

Those in-house productions, she just doesn't want to act in them.

After all, this top actress of hers is the one who's done the best since Tang Ren Film and TV developed to this day.

Two years ago the media was still saying Tang Ren Film and TV's artists had no successors, and then suddenly Na Zha popped up — not to mention top actress, her development in the film industry completely outshone Hu Ge.

Whether the top actress or top actor has higher status now, that's hard to say, okay.

But this was an unplanned matter — Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong's current approach to Na Zha was simply "let her roam free." She was very clear that when Na Zha's contract expires she definitely wouldn't renew, but when the time came it would be an amicable split, no need for any messy drama.

Because Na Zha not immediately causing a fuss to terminate and jumping ship from Tang Ren was already quite loyal of her.

Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong's attention was more focused on the company's other actresses, preparing to cultivate the next top actress successor.

For now, that candidate was Hu Bing Qing, not Chen Yao.

Half an hour ago, Cai Cai Cai Cai Yinong was still thinking this way.

Half an hour later, she enthusiastically called Chen Yao over and said she was preparing to give her more responsibilities.

Chen Yao: Hmm?

Though she didn't know why, being able to take on more roles, and the company even actively seeking outside gigs for her, should be a good thing, right?

It was just that she didn't quite dare respond to what Cai Yi-nong hinted at as the so-called "top actress."

How could she dare "overstep"!

That Zha is still standing right there! She really doesn't dare entertain even a single thought~

Regarding this, Cai Yi-nong was a bit "frustrated that iron won't become steel," explaining that she didn't mean for her to become the top actress now, but to take over afterward.

Take over—do you understand what that means?

Chen Yao: I understand!

Directly competing with that Zha—she didn't have that kind of nerve.

But the nerve to take over the shift, she not only had it, she had it in spades!

It was just that she didn't quite understand why her own boss had suddenly become so enthusiastic.

Although the boss had been quite good to her before, who the company truly wanted to push was actually well known internally.

Chen Yao wasn't the type who liked to make trouble, nor could she pull off the kind of move Jin Cheng did—anyway, she'd just quietly accept it.

However, when Cai Yi-nong casually asked about the drama "Joy of Life," and then asked whether she knew about Bai Liang's upcoming TV drama schedule, Chen Yao seemed to understand a bit.

This works too?!

She couldn't help wanting to go home and find the cat again

(End of Chapter)