Chapter 1127: Only Taking the Bait Without Biting the Hook

"That's right, let's go, let's go, our cold and aloof little princess."

"If you don't agree to come along, you're looking down on us..."

Everyone was insistent, and they even elevated the matter to a question of principle.

Shi Ran was not a fan of celebrities, but she couldn't withstand the enthusiasm of her classmates, so she had no choice but to go along with them.

Originally, she had an appointment with Qi Heng to have dinner together, but now she could only stand him up and mention it in a WeChat message.

She only said she was going out with a few classmates; because her classmates kept urging her and it didn't look good to keep looking down at her phone, she just gave a simple explanation and left it at that.

Soon, Qi Heng replied: Have fun, tell me when you get back, I'll come pick you up.

Outside the university campus, there are many affordable, uniquely styled small restaurants.

But there are also high-end grand hotels, and the one where Hong Yileng was hosting the treat was the most upscale grand hotel near the University City.

A private room.

It was decorated in a magnificent style, and waitresses wearing red cheongsams filed in, serving one exquisite and expensive dish after another.

Baked Australian lobster with egg yolk, Longjing Shrimp, Mediterranean Caviar, French Foie Gras, wild matsutake, king crab...

They weren't necessarily delicious, but they were certainly all very expensive.

There was even a dish of steamed bear paw.

Several of the female classmates came from ordinary backgrounds and had never seen such high-end food; although they had expected it to be expensive, they didn't know it would be expensive to this extent.

Shi Ran's expression remained unchanged, but she sneered in her heart, her vigilance at its peak.

She didn't have a single good impression of this actor named Hong Yileng, even though he was very handsome.

If someone shows courtesy for no reason, they are either a traitor or a thief.

Booking such a high-end restaurant and eating such high-end food—if he were just doing it as he claimed, without any other intentions, she wouldn't believe it for a single second.

She formed a sharp contrast with the other classmates.

Hong Yileng's glib tongue couldn't move Shi Ran, but it moved those few girls to no end.

Under Hong Yileng's instigation, they even tried to coax Shi Ran into taking a part-time job with the film crew.

Shi Ran: "No need, I'm not short of that bit of money."

The air went quiet instantly; the classmates who had been very lively were rendered speechless by her retort.

That's right, Shi Ran's family was the richest in Jiangzhou; let alone five hundred a day, even if it were fifty thousand a day, she wouldn't be tempted, and she wouldn't even blink an eye because of it.

But the few female classmates were different; everyone came from ordinary backgrounds, and in high school, they were all top students who had gotten in through their own real ability.

Originally, they didn't have a very good impression of students like Shi Ran who relied on recommendations, but after spending some time together, they found her approachable and unpretentious, and her grades were excellent and no worse than theirs, which was why their impression of her had improved.

Today, the words Shi Ran said unintentionally hurt everyone's fragile self-esteem.

The best way to maintain self-esteem is to fight back.

"Oh, the way a young lady speaks is just different, isn't it? So wealthy and overbearing; we from small families can't compare."

"That's right, she's from a wealthy family; she could lie down for eight lifetimes and still not finish spending the money at home. What are we? To think we actually wanted to be friends with her—it really was wishful thinking."

"Forget it, our good intentions were treated as a donkey's liver and lungs. Just be careful next time. You all don't need to say sour things either; she wasn't wrong, she really isn't short of this bit of money."

Shi Ran:...

She had a bit of a headache.

She wasn't very good at handling these relationships between girls; those trivial matters were a waste of time to Shi Ran, but what other choice did she have?

Who told her to come over.

She stood up: "Think whatever you want to think. The brains are yours, and the mouths are your own; I can't control that."

Shi Ran turned to leave, but was stopped by Hong Yileng: "Miss Shi, it's like this, everyone misunderstood just now. I didn't want you to go to the crew to be an extra."

"Our crew's second female lead can't make it due to a last-minute issue, and I think you are very suitable."

"Wow..."

The girls let out a chorus of exclamations.

Everyone was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred; if only such a role could fall to them. However, the girls also had some self-awareness and knew that their features weren't good-looking enough to handle such a role.

Those who eat others' food have soft mouths.

Since they had eaten his food, they had to speak for him.

Several girls "let bygones be bygones" and surrounded Shi Ran again, chattering away as they began to persuade her.

"Agree to it, this isn't about money. If you could become a star, how great would that be? In the future, your family wouldn't need to find anyone else to be the brand ambassador; you could just take the role yourself."

"That's right, once you become a big star, you can advertise for your own family for free..."

"Shi Ran, such an opportunity—others couldn't get it even if they wanted to. Now that it's delivered to you, if you don't cherish it, you'd be too stupid. Then you'd be the biggest fool in the world."

She was not good at arguing, and she couldn't get a word in among the chattering classmates.

She had no choice but to wait for them to finish.

The few of them talked until their mouths were dry, only then realizing that Shi Ran hadn't said a word from beginning to end.

"Shi Ran, you agree, right?"

"No."

Everyone: Uh...

So all that lip service just now had been in vain, completely useless.

Shi Ran: "Thank you for your good intentions, but everyone has their own way of living. I have my own goals to strive for, and my goals are very clear, so there's no need to trouble everyone to worry about me."

At worst, she would leave everyone with the impression that she didn't know what was good for her; what did that matter?

She didn't care.

Shi Ran prepared to leave again, but was stopped by Hong Yileng once more: "Don't be in such a rush to reject me. That role is really especially suitable for you; it was completely tailored for you."

"You can consider it slowly. I'll give you time to think it over. Before you've made up your mind, we will all wait for you." This was a preparation for a protracted battle.

"No need, you should consider someone else."

Shi Ran refused once again.

"How about this? We can set a time to discuss the script, or if you are truly unwilling, I will send the script over, and you can decide whether to accept the role after you have read it."

The other party had lowered their posture so much that if she were to refuse firmly again, it would truly seem like she did not know what was good for her.

Shi Ran regretted coming here; she had been pestered the moment she arrived.

"Fine, I agree, but I really have things to do and must leave early."

"I'll see you out." This time, he did not stop her again.

"No need, my boyfriend is waiting for me outside."

Hong Yileng stepped aside, and Shi Ran went out.

He watched the girl's retreating figure, his gaze meaningful.

The next day.

Shi Ran had already prepared excuses for her refusal, but Hong Yileng did not appear.

Nor did he on the third day.

Nor on the fourth day.

It was as if that matter had already been forgotten, as if it were just casual talk at a dinner table that no one took seriously, and the only one who had taken it seriously was Shi Ran herself.

Not only did Hong Yileng not "harass" her, but even the girls who had attended the gathering that day did not mention the matter of having Shi Ran participate in the performance at all.

She smiled self-deprecatingly and soon cast the matter to the back of her mind.

However, something happened anyway.

Liu Min came to find Shi Ran: "Congratulations, congratulations, our great talented woman is preparing to develop in the entertainment industry and will soon become a big star."