Chapter 3: Su Qier and the Crappy Film

Chen Ci used the car's Bluetooth to answer the phone: "Hello?"

"Master Ci, are you feeling better?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Chen Ci couldn't help but frown: "Just say what you have to say."

A nasty laugh came from the other end of the line: "Hehe, do you still remember when we formed the band, the little Wang who played drums? He's recently made it big, his dad passed away, and he inherited a large fortune."

Chen Ci: "..."

The caller was one of his disreputable friends, surnamed Zhao, who had once formed a band with him.

Though called a band, it was actually just a tool for Chen Ci to pick up girls everywhere.

They never had any proper performances, and the few of them relied on Chen Ci for support, being his "wingmen." When Chen Ci ate meat, they could occasionally have some soup.

To them, Chen Ci was equally blunt: "Get to the point, stop pretending to be a Beijing person, and stop talking like that."

Before his words even finished, Chen Ci suddenly remembered there was indeed a native Jingcheng person in the car.

He glanced at the rearview mirror; at that moment, Yang Lao Ban's gaze drifted to the window, pretending not to have heard.

"Haha, Master Ci, as long as you're okay, we brothers were really afraid you'd be down and out, who would lead us to gallop..."

Chen Ci immediately cleared his throat to interrupt: "Cough, is there something? If not, I'm hanging up."

"Don't, don't hang up. Master Ci, this is it—Little Wang has returned to Jingcheng these days and wants to get together with us brothers."

"Just that? Really troublesome, I've been busy lately."

Chen Ci firmly refused and was about to end the call, when Lao Zhao on the other end hurriedly said: "Hey, Master Ci, wait a moment,"

Chen Ci's eyebrows were already completely knotted together—this Lao Zhao, how is he getting more and more backward, can't he tell that I don't want to deal with him now?

"What else is there?"

"Didn't I just say it? This kid has recently struck it rich beyond belief. When the band broke up, didn't you, Master Ci, say you wanted to make a movie about our band's story? He's come to you about that."

Chen Ci fell into deep thought; it seemed there was indeed such a matter, but it was nothing more than ordinary drunken bragging.

Of course, Chen Ci's bragging is unlike ordinary people's. Blossoming tongue lotus is just basic skill; ordinary girls can't withstand it.

Combined with a poetry-loving Gu Fu, the effect becomes even more outstanding, so it's no wonder that kid took it seriously.

But at this moment, Chen Ci had no mind to bother with these things, and replied lightly: "Got it, I have other matters; let's talk another day."

"Alright, then there's still one more thing."

"Hiss..."

Chen Ci slapped the car horn, "Can't you say everything at once?"

"Hehe, I've heard there's a really awesome party tonight, Master Ci, would you like to..."

"Get lost!"

"Sure thing!"

Finally, with peace and quiet, Chen Ci couldn't help but wonder if he had taken a blow to the head back then to pick such a person as his wingman.

While driving and calming his emotions, a faint voice came from the back seat: "How awesome is it?"

Chen Ci startled: "Ah?"

Yang Lao Ban from behind repeated: "Didn't you say there's a very awesome party? How awesome is it?"

Chen Ci remained expressionless and calm: "I haven't gone, so how would I know."

"Oh."

"Hmm."

Thus, the journey continued in silence...

Hospital, the blood test needs some time.

Just now, when blood was drawn, it genuinely made Chen Ci look at him in a new light.

Without changing expression, not even a muffled groan was heard, appearing even calmer than Chen Ci.

Chen Ci bought pure milk and handed it over: "Yang Tongxue, here you go."

To be honest, even now, Chen Ci hasn't figured out how to face her.

But we've come this far; might as well leave it to fate.

"Yang, classmate?"

"Don't like it? Then I'll change it."

"No, it's quite good, sounds much better than Yang Lao Ban."

Chen Ci laughed, "Is 'Yang Lao Ban' really that hard to listen to? I personally think it's fine."

Thus, the hospital hallway fell into silence again, the two gazing at each other without words.

Chen Ci crossed his arms and quietly watched her.

Before, I had never observed her so closely; my attention was wholly on her small, square face, and her eyes are very pretty.

Even having seen countless beauties, I have never seen one so radiant and full of spirit.

While Chen Ci observed her, she also didn't let him go unnoticed.

She met his gaze without avoidance, quite different from her previous reaction.

After looking at each other for a while, perhaps bored, she glanced at the clock on the wall and finally spoke: "How much longer do we have to wait?"

Chen Ci stood by the wall: "HCG blood test, probably about one or two hours."

"How do you know that so clearly?"

Chen Ci chuckled: "I was actually going to ask you—you didn't do any homework on such a big matter. After getting your call, I've been looking up information on early pregnancy and prenatal checks all along the way."

"I..."

The pretty girl was at a loss for words; these days she's been under unprecedented pressure, where would she have the capacity to think about all this?

But hearing Chen Ci say he had just looked up the information, she inexplicably felt a bit relieved.

After another few seconds of silence, she seemed to finally think of something: "When we were in the car, that phone call… are you going to make a movie?"

Making movies is one of Chen Ci's most frequently used tricks to pick up girls.

Given the situation, he doesn't know how many drama-school girls he's fed big promises to, never failing, and could be considered well-versed.

"Yeah, I've been looking for investors."

"Oh."

Yang Tongxue glanced away, looking dissatisfied with Chen Ci's answer.

"You heard it all—investment might have some leads; we used to play in a band together, and the movie is also related to the band."

"Alright."

Yang Tongxue nodded, then immediately lowered her gaze, staring at the floor.

"Are you also interested in movies?"

Chen Ci asked knowingly, as if to say, who among actors wouldn't want to make a movie?

Yang Tongxue nodded again: "I haven't acted in a movie yet."

"No way." Chen Ci's interest piqued, his tone tinged with teasing.

"What's not right about it?" she panicked for no reason.

"I remember you weren't in Xingye's *King of Beggars*, were you?"

"Well…"

She suddenly lifted her head: "How can that not count?"

"Why wouldn't it count? That's Xingye—so many people dream of working with him."

"I mean… anyway, it doesn't count; I've never played a lead role in a movie, so that should be fine, right?"

Seeing she still wanted to argue, Chen Ci didn't hesitate to expose her: "No, you weren't in that either—you just finished a film recently, wasn't it called *Gate*? The male lead was Chen Kun, and you played the female lead."

"How do you know?"

At that moment she resembled a startled sparrow, as if everything about her had been seen through by Chen Ci before her.

If saying she doesn't want to admit to *King of Beggars* is because she was young and shy, that could still be plausible.

But as for *Gate*, which had only been released a few months prior, to her it truly was a shadow-like existence.

Putting it bluntly, the film flopped, and it flopped badly.

For a young actress, to play the female lead in her first film, especially one backed by big names like Chen Kun and director Li Shaohong, only to end up with such a result…

That basically amounts to a direct declaration that her film career is over.

Such a movie, with both box office and popularity flopping, utterly mediocre—a trash film she regards as a black mark in her history. She never would have imagined that Chen Ci would know about it so clearly…