Chapter 62: Old Ling

Night, at the hotel.

Guests were feasting, the room filled with the clamor of rising and sitting, glasses clinking, a truly lively scene.

Now that filming was finished, a celebratory dinner was naturally in order.

Unlike the last time when not even a single bottle of wine was served, Director Lin was very generous this time, providing plenty of alcohol and serving endless platters of fish and meat.

Qiu Chixuan’s eyes lit up, and she immediately entered "banquet-sweeping" mode, beginning a revenge-style feast.

Chi Shuai wanted to find her to chat, but Qiu Chixuan’s cheeks were stuffed full, her speech was slurred, and with her poor Chinese, effective communication was impossible.

Chi Shuai had no choice but to slink away.

He could tell that the South Korean beauty’s love for food far exceeded her interest in him.

Chi Shuai felt a twinge of regret; if he hadn’t put so much effort into chasing the foreign beauty and had saved some energy for the Hong Kong beauty, the situation might have been different.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Li Caihua not far away.

Li Caihua didn’t notice Chi Shuai’s gaze; she was watching Qi Hui.

She held a long-stemmed red wine glass, her gaze tinged with resentment, feeling somewhat uncomfortable inside.

Aside from acting, Qi Hui had never said a single word to her, as if she were a man-eater.

Qi Hui, meanwhile, ignored Li Caihua and drank with Lei Jiayin, the two clinking glasses repeatedly like a pair of drinking buddies.

"Old Lei, do you really not need me to be your best man at your wedding?" Qi Hui laughed, raising his glass for a toast.

"No need, it’s too much trouble," Lei Jiayin refused repeatedly. "Just come and drink, don't stand on ceremony with me!"

He’d have to be out of his mind to ask Qi Hui to be his best man!

Qi Hui persisted: "How is that any trouble..."

"Oh? Director, come, come, let’s have one!" Lei Jiayin hurriedly changed the subject, raising his glass to toast Director Lin.

"Haha... come, let’s have one." Director Lin was in a good mood, laughing heartily as he raised his glass toward Qi Hui and Lei Jiayin.

Ding~

[Host has made contact with Director Lin Tianyi, obtained one lucky draw opportunity. Perform the draw now?]

Qi Hui paused slightly. Why was the draw coming only now?

Had this system lost its mind?

"Draw!" Qi Hui thought to himself, and soon, the system provided feedback:

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill: TV Drama Filming]

Good stuff... Qi Hui’s heart stirred; finally, something legitimate.

"Come, come, let’s have a drink!" Qi Hui laughed, filled with excitement.

"Rare for you to let loose, kid," Director Lin said with a smile, knowing full well that Qi Hui had been sticking to his fitness regimen.

"Oh, right, remember to save some schedule for me," Director Lin suddenly said.

"Ah?" Qi Hui was stunned.

Director Lin’s mouth twitched: "You forgot? I told you, I’d give you a supporting role."

"Oh, right, right." Qi Hui nodded repeatedly; he had truly forgotten about that *Living Buddha Jigong* drama.

Nearby, many cast their gazes over, some complex; they didn't even have their next project lined up, yet Qi Hui already had a role?

Sigh... how enviable!

A few others had their eyes darting around, planning to find a chance to chat with Director Lin privately, hoping to snag a role.

If Qi Hui could do it, there was no reason they couldn't, right?

After three rounds of drinks and five flavors of dishes, the dinner party soon drew to a close.

The executive director miserably helped haul people into cars, only feeling at ease once everyone was sent back to the hotel.

Tonight, Director Lin was drunk, and Qi Hui and Lei Jiayin were drunk; only a few actresses who didn't drink remained sober.

Li Caihua wanted to help take Qi Hui back to the hotel.

But Qi Hui and Lei Jiayin were hugging each other like brothers, inseparable.

Li Caihua could only watch Qi Hui leave with a deep, helpless gaze.

"Tsk... I say, Qi Hui, your heart is truly hard," Lei Jiayin said with a clicking sound in the car. "If it were me, I would’ve caved long ago."

"I recorded that," Qi Hui pulled out his phone and sneered. "I’ll play it at your wedding."

Aside from slightly flushed faces, where was there any sign of them being drunk?

Hearing this, Lei Jiayin’s face darkened: "You guy..."

"Seriously, you really have no feelings for Li Caihua?" Lei Jiayin continued to ask.

"None," Qi Hui shrugged. "I don't know if she hasn't come out of character yet, or if she has, but is just refusing to give up for the sake of face."

"In any case, her feelings for me are fake, and I can't possibly be real with her."

Lei Jiayin shook his head: "If I were you, she’d be on maternity leave by now."

"Hehe..." Qi Hui remained unmoved. "The deeper the entanglement, the bigger the trouble."

Don't look at the poor atmosphere now and in the next few years; the authorities will soon crack down on it.

Messing around will only ruin oneself.

Besides... the entertainment industry has a bunch of self-proclaimed "discipline inspectors," like the Wanda Young Master or the top paparazzi Zhuo Wei.

Safety is most important... he, Qi, is a civil engineering guy; he’s not good at the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world. Indulging in such things—honesty is better suited for me.

Lei Jiayin couldn't help but sigh: "You really are clear-headed and transparent..."

The next morning.

Qi Hui walked out of Lei Jiayin’s room, returned to his own to pack, and prepared to leave.

To prevent Li Caihua from causing trouble, he had slept with Lei Jiayin all night.

The further along things go, the less one can lower their guard.

However, just as he reached the hallway, he saw Director Lin smoking.

"Oh? Director Lin?" Qi Hui was surprised. "Not sleeping in a bit more?"

"Getting old, sleep isn't great," Director Lin said while smoking.

Before filming finished, he was exhausted, thinking that once it was done, he’d be lighthearted and get a good night's sleep.

As it turned out, he was lighthearted, but he couldn't sleep; he still woke up at the usual time.

"You came at the right time, wait for me here a moment." With that, he went back into his room with the cigarette in his mouth.

Qi Hui was a bit confused, but Director Lin didn't keep him waiting long and soon came out.

"Here, the producer and I talked it over, here’s a red envelope for you."

"No, no, no... how can I accept this?" Qi Hui’s expression changed drastically, refusing repeatedly, while simultaneously reaching out to swipe the red envelope.

The feel was familiar; it wasn't a huge amount, just a few tens of thousands; any more and it wouldn't fit in the envelope.

It’s not like he could carry money around like a slab of pork belly, like Wang Duoyu, right?

"This is what we agreed on, your previous salary..." Director Lin glared, wanting to intimidate Qi Hui into taking it, but before he knew it, his hand was empty, and the red envelope was already in Qi Hui’s grasp.

Director Lin: "..."

Why was this kid so practiced? Like a corrupt official!

"Goodbye, Director Lin." Qi Hui beamed. "Let me know when there’s news about the supporting role; I’ll be there whenever you call."

Having said that, he went back to his room to pack.

He didn't have much to begin with, but the crew had customized nine suits for him, which required some effort to pack.

Not long after, Qi Hui took a car to the airport, preparing to return to Jingcheng.

By the time Li Caihua woke up, Qi Hui had already been gone for an hour or so.

Li Caihua sighed helplessly, feeling depressed; what an insensitive jerk...

"Hey, Junior Brother, I’m arriving in Jingcheng soon, want to go grab a bite later?" Qi Hui said into the phone.

"Can't, Senior Brother." On the other end, Xiao Zhang was speechless. "I got into a car accident. It’s not serious, just a rear-end collision, no one was hurt."

"But the other party is a woman, acting like a petty middle-aged lady, very difficult to deal with; I have to handle it."

"Is... that so? Alright then..." Qi Hui rubbed his chin. Why did that sound a bit familiar?

"Hey, Senior Brother, are you in Jingcheng?" Qi Hui dialed Lao Ling’s number. "Want to go out for a bite and have some drinks?"

"Can't, Junior Brother." On the other end, Lao Ling’s tone was helpless. "I’m in Zhejiang Province, won't be back for half a month."

"Alright then..." Qi Hui sighed.

"Oh, right, you don't have an agency yet, right?" Lao Ling said. "I recommended you to a professional agent in Jingcheng. She should be contacting you in the next few days; keep an eye on your phone."

"If you’re not interested, you can discuss it and refuse; it’s up to your wishes."

"This... okay, thank you, Senior Brother." Qi Hui was stunned; he hadn't expected Lao Ling to help him like this.

"Small matter, don't stand on ceremony with me." Ling Xiaosu laughed, joking: "When you take off, remember to pull me up."

"That’s a given!" Qi Hui said solemnly, patting his chest.

"Junior Brother, time to work, I’m hanging up." Ling Xiaosu coughed lightly and said.

Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Qi Hui felt helpless. Why was everyone so busy?

After thinking for a moment, he pulled out a phone number and dialed:

"Junior Sister, are you in Jingcheng? I’m back, want to go out and walk around together?"