Chapter 256: Don't Go Asking Around

The Charity Bazaar stage was shaped like a "g," wrapping around in a circle, with the empty middle serving as the table seating for the celebrity guests.

Up above were the audience and fans.

After Fang Hong exchanged greetings with the various celebrities, he was led to his seat, during which he naturally also ran into General Manager Xiao Wang and the others.

But neither side showed any expression, and no one gave the other a proper look — they were already at each other's throats.

Especially Feng Kuzi, whose hostility was completely undisguised.

Liu Tianxian still wore a gentle smile, the same toward General Manager Xiao Wang, toward Fang Long, and toward everyone else.

No matter how others treated her, she always treated people with an even heart.

The two were shown to their seats — the seats were at a large round table, on which were placed flowers, as well as mineral water, red wine, and some melons and fruit.

Also seated at this table were Deng Chao, Meng Tingwei, Yi Nengjing, Liu Ye, Tong Dawei, and others, along with some people from fashion and business.

The seat next to Fang Hong was empty — someone hadn't come.

"People in the entertainment circle don't have much culture; they lose their temper at the drop of a hat, especially the actors — they're used to cursing people on set. Don't get into any unpleasantness with them, don't bother with them." Liu Tianxian said quietly to Fang Hong with her head lowered.

"May I take it that you're naming names while scolding people?" Fang Hong was referring to Feng Kuzi.

"Of course you may." Liu Tianxian raised an eyebrow.

Seems this girl also found that group of people annoying — she was merely being polite on the surface.

Fang Hong smiled, picked up the goblet on the table, and Liu Tianxian also picked up her goblet.

The two clinked them and drank together.

This was champagne, very low in alcohol, about the same as beer — it couldn't get you drunk.

It wasn't yet time to drink; at the very least, they had to wait until after the charity auction.

The two were whispering to each other while the venue remained noisy.

Every now and then people would come over to greet Fang Hong. After Su Mang had greeted the others, she came over to say hello: "Xianxian, Principal, I'm really sorry for not hosting you properly."

"It's fine, Sister Su, we can take care of ourselves." Liu Tianxian was polite.

"Let's take a photo together, there's a photographer right here." Su Mang said.

"Sure!" Liu Tianxian agreed.

Fang Hong stepped aside so as not to block their shot.

"Hey, Principal, join us." Su Mang beckoned.

"No need, the two of you can just take it together." Fang Hong waved his hand.

"Come on, join us."

"He doesn't like taking photos, the two of us taking one is fine."

Su Mang was about to go pull him over when Liu Tianxian stopped her.

"Doesn't like taking photos?" Su Mang found it strange — hadn't the Principal acted in a film?

"Yes, he's somewhat averse to taking photos, he hardly ever takes them normally." Liu Tianxian explained.

"I see!"

Su Mang didn't want to force it, so she stood together with Liu Tianxian, put on a smile as usual, and took a photo together.

After the photo was taken and Su Mang left, the two sat down together again.

Liu Tianxian lowered her head and whispered: "Why didn't you take a photo with her?"

"Seeing her sit on those business bigshots' laps, pressing her face against theirs — I find it hurts my eyes." Fang Hong said.

"Just because of that? She's still been quite proper toward you, hasn't done anything excessive." Liu Tianxian said.

"That was because she used to think I was small-time; in the future it may not be the same." Fang Hong said.

"Narcissist. Taking a photo is no big deal."

"I'm afraid that in the future netizens will dig up those photos of her sitting on bigshots' laps, pressing her face against theirs, and by extension think I'm also that kind of messy, dirty person."

"Heh, so you care about your reputation now." Liu Tianxian placed her hand on his thigh.

"It's not that I care about my reputation now — it's that I've never been involved in any messy affairs between men and women. I just play competition, play the game of struggle. I'm not saying I'm a good person, but I have principles." Fang Hong said.

Liu Tianxian laughed softly, rubbing her hand on his thigh.

This man had a bit of a moral cleanliness streak — Su Mang really was too messy, and that might be why this man refused to be in the same frame as her.

Soon the Bazaar Charity began, starting with a group of aloof male and female models strutting across the stage with a "I-don't-care-about-anyone" walk.

They were just too conservative — dressed head to toe, while abroad they wear bikinis and thongs, strutting with such spirit and flair.

And the seat next to Fang Hong finally had someone arrive — Jing Tian and Liu Jiang, who was the president of Bazaar Fashion and Su Mang's direct superior.

"Oh, Principal, you're here too?" Jing Tian's big eyes were bright, an unexpectedly sweet smile on her face.

"Hello, Miss Jing, we meet again." Fang Hong nodded to her, then looked toward Liu Jiang. Liu Jiang met his gaze for a moment and nodded in greeting.

As for what happened before, honestly they had benefited from it, so there wasn't any real grudge.

Liu Tianxian leaned forward, her gaze passing over Fang Hong to look that way.

Jing Tian happened to see her, raised both hands and waved to her, saying warmly: "Hello, Xianxian."

"Hello, Tian Tian!" Liu Tianxian smiled.

Jing Tian came across as quite talkative: "Hey, what drama are you filming now?"

"A magic-themed one, called Now You See Me. What about you?" Liu Tianxian was also quite talkative.

"Me? I just finished filming one called 'Chinese Partners,' a Yutu Production film." Jing Tian gestured toward Fang Hong.

"What a coincidence — the film I'm filming is also a Yutu Production film." Liu Tianxian tilted her body that way and tucked back a strand of loose hair.

Fang Hong leaned back against the chair back so as not to obstruct the two women's lively chat.

"Oh, I envy you so much — you've filmed so many great dramas. Mine was miserable, all men's stories — three men make a play." Jing Tian held up three fair, slender fingers.

"The one I'm filming now is also a men's story — five men make a play." Liu Tianxian held up five fingers.

Duan Yihong, Zhang Songwen, Zhu Yilong, Xie Miao, Zhang Zhijian — these were all main roles in the film, five men, that's right.

Fang Hong watched the two women going back and forth, chatting away as if they were old friends. Why hadn't he seen them get along this well before?

Actually, Jing Tian is the same with everyone in the entertainment circle — very warm, no scheming, can chat with anyone.

And Liu Tianxian is the type who treats well whoever treats her well.

"I see, so you don't really have much screen time then." Jing Tian fretted on her behalf.

"It's fine, plenty of screen time."

Liu Tianxian tugged at Fang Hong's arm: "Come sit over here."

Fang Hong also felt he was in the way, so he swapped seats with her.

Jing Tian watched Fang Hong get swapped away. She wanted to stop it, but in the end didn't say anything — this kind of thing requires a thick skin.

The two women sat together and chatted even more enthusiastically. Fang Hong watched the models finish walking the stage, then three hosts took the stage.

They were: Wang Xiaoya, Chen Weihong, Wu Dawei.

After some connecting remarks, they started getting sentimental. A child came on stage to read a thank-you letter, thanking the Fang Long Foundation for all the good it had done.

Then Fang Long went up and said a few more words.

Soon the first lot was up for auction — a handmade three-piece suit, starting at 200,000, it sold for 1,000,000, won by a middle-aged tycoon.

After that came a platinum diamond-studded wristwatch, also won by an entrepreneur; the celebrities barely made a move.

Next was an illustration, apparently painted by some artist. The moment it was displayed, a bespectacled nouveau riche added a zero to the starting price of 100,000.

Straight to one million — filthy rich!

The whole room went quiet, no one bid. But Fang Hong saw the boss beside Jing Tian — Liu Jiang — raise a paddle on her behalf.

This move made Jing Tian laugh a bit shyly; she hadn't planned to raise a paddle at all.

"Are you sure?" Wu Dawei on stage.

Liu Jiang nodded, confirming.

Then that bespectacled gentleman bid again — 1,500,000!

Liu Jiang immediately bid on her behalf — 1,800,000!

The whole room went quiet, no one bid again. Everyone's eyes turned to Jing Tian — it was obvious he was trying to win a smile from the young lady, so the rest of them shouldn't be so tactless as to compete.

Being the focus of so many eyes, Jing Tian smiled a bit shyly, looking somewhat unaccustomed to it.

She glanced at Fang Hong. Fang Hong was looking at her with eyes full of surprise, astonishment, and confusion.

Last year he sent some something-or-other, she can't remember; this year again!

Being stared at by this man, Jing Tian couldn't help but lower her head shyly, no longer looking at him.

Fang Hong used to think Jing Tian must be the kept-by-someone type, but now it didn't look like that at all. Liu Jiang was very proper — not even a touch of the hand.

When raising the paddle, he held it by the paddle itself!

Plus Ceng Maojun came asking for a role — her background was strong enough that even Wanda and Harper's Bazaar had to give her face.

Put it this way: even at Fang Hong's level, the General Manager of Harper's Bazaar could ignore him, because they're two different circles. Though they overlap, the entertainment circle is lower-tier than the fashion circle.

What kept person could mobilize this much energy, throwing money around and pulling out their network just to make one woman happy?

The only possibility is that Jing Tian is being pampered as a junior — the kind of junior like a son or daughter.

"Why are you staring at her?" Liu Tianxian patted his arm.

Jing Tian went up on stage to collect the lot, and it was Xiao Wang, the General Manager, who presented it to her.

"I feel like she has great popularity — people are always giving her things. I want to give her something too, I don't know what her background is." Fang Hong sighed.

He meant he also wanted to give her a role.

"Don't go asking!" Liu Tianxian shook her head.

(End of chapter)