Chapter 581: Please, I'll Do Anything

"It's so late, Sister Qian En, haven't you gone to sleep yet?"

"Yes, I just finished trying on the wedding dress."

Facing Wen Yongshan's preemptive strike, Chen Qian En narrowed her eyes slightly; after a moment of speechlessness, she responded with composure and a smile: "I feel the few wedding dresses the props team prepared don't quite fit my size."

As she spoke, she pretended to sigh: "They're a bit tight and uncomfortable, so I came out to get some fresh air after the group disbanded."

Wen Yongshan: "..."

Damn my mother!

Who tries on a wedding dress in the middle of the night?

And complaining it's tight and uncomfortable; why don't you just strangle yourself to death?

Having big breasts and a good figure makes you so great, does it?

Wen Yongshan's eye corners twitched subtly a few times; without making it obvious, she glanced over and mentally compared the gap between the two sides...

Hmm...

"But you, why haven't you gone to sleep so late?"

"I don't know how to act in the 'New Earth' MV; I read the script for ages but still didn't understand it, so I planned to come out for a walk to get some fresh air and clear my head." Seeing Chen Qian En had already pulled the tiger's skin, Wen Yongshan naturally raised the banner of work as well.

However, what she said was actually true; she really hadn't understood the 'New Earth' MV script—

She played two roles in the MV: one was the lover of the 'Old Earth' in the Imperial Capital, and the other was the guide of the 'New Earth'; that was the only thing she could clearly see.

The whole script's meaning involved a new world, a new order, plus greed and satire; her little brain wasn't quite enough, suffering the disadvantage of lacking culture.

Considering this was a script personally written by Ning Hao, the newly minted Golden Melody Award director, according to Zhou Yi's instructions, even though she didn't understand it, she still felt she had gained something—

A song MV that looked like it was going for depth, handed to her to act in, was basically equivalent to an art film in the movie industry coming knocking on her door.

Hindered by her background as a young model, although she had always been eating from this bowl, Wen Yongshan had always held the belief of wanting to jump out; Zhou Yi's MV was undoubtedly laying a foundation for her, making the qualifications she could brag about on her future resume look significantly better.

"I see."

Chen Qian En pretended to have a sudden realization; the two then exchanged a knowing smile, tacitly agreeing not to mention anything about Zhou Yi again, as if they had truly come out just to get some fresh air and clear their minds. The only problem was that the place where they were getting fresh air was a bit untimely—

Zhou Yi, who had vaguely heard some commotion outside, hung up the phone and curiously opened the door to peek out; what came into view were the two women chattering away.

"You two are...?"

Upon suddenly seeing one dressed in a cool little camisole and the other in a sexy bodycon skirt, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow with understanding in his heart and spoke with a normal expression.

"..."

"..."

Three minutes later, the two women, having repeated their reasons, sat obediently on the living room sofa of Zhou Yi's suite—each holding a cup of warm water, their faces visibly a bit awkward.

"Drinking ice-cold things at night is bad for the stomach; I don't have any coffee or cola or other drinks here, so just make do with warm boiled water."

Zhou Yi's expression showed no change at all; his words held no contempt or disdain, nor did he expose the two's flimsy excuses; instead, he gave them a way out: "Regarding the wedding dress props for 'Forever Love', I was a bit short-sighted; tomorrow I will tell the props team to change it."

"It's normal for you, Janice, not to understand the 'New Earth' script, because this is also a form of stream-of-consciousness expression where I let myself go; Ning Hao's way of expression is more abstract, no need to take it too seriously."

The two women nodded almost simultaneously.

"Then, we won't disturb your rest." Good at reading the room, Wen Yongshan could see that Zhou Yi currently indeed had no interest in her; considering Chen Qian En, an outsider, was present, she tentatively took her leave after a brief chat.

"Rest well; stay up late and be careful you don't stop growing taller."

Zhou Yi made a joke and did not stop them.

Come on, this girl is only 15 this year—more accurately, Wen Yongshan hasn't even had her 15th birthday yet; she won't turn 15 until December this year. According to legal calculation, she is currently only 14, absolutely criminal.

Although she really didn't look like 14, no one knew if her age had been altered or if she had indeed developed a bit early.

But Zhou Yi didn't want to touch someone who might turn into trouble.

There are many people in the Hong Kong circle watching him, especially the hooligan Fat and the forces behind him; their eyeballs are almost popping out with smoke. If they use this as an excuse to make trouble, Wen Yongshan, a young model with little influence, wouldn't even have a chance to resist; she would definitely be used as a pawn.

"Actually, Zhou Yi, I have one more thing I want to ask you for help with."

Chen Qian En, whose pace slowed down more and more as she walked, stopped just before reaching the door; she gritted her teeth, turned sideways, and looked back: "If you are willing to listen."

This was her last chance.

If she didn't actively fight for it, she felt she might truly regret it for the rest of her life.

She had inquired about Fan Xiaopang's rise to power; the role Zhou Yi played in it was extraordinary. Now, she wanted to replicate it—

Or rather, she wanted to break free from the control of her agency.

"I once told others that there is no one in this world with more love than me."

Unsurprisingly, Zhou Yi chuckled lightly and made a 'please' gesture with his right hand toward the sofa directly opposite him.

He had no doubt about this woman's ambition.

For a bit of exposure, she was willing to cooperate with the production team to publicly take off her bra in front of the camera and place it on a tray, to be displayed to the public in broad daylight—

Even though the expression on her face at that time was visibly a forced smile, she still did her best to cooperate.

In the first half of 2003, Chen Qian En was at the most difficult moment of her life; unwilling to just be a comedy girl or host, she attempted to transition toward acting, but her golden agent, Sun Derong, who brought her into the industry, vetoed it and mocked her looks as insufficient.

Mocked, Chen Qian En immediately took the half-year she was frozen out to undergo minor cosmetic surgery to adjust herself, and then hooked up with a contact of a certain high-ranking official surnamed Su at Taiwan's Sanli Television Station; this high-ranking official, known as the Iron Lady, had a project in hand, and Chen Qian En wanted to play the female lead.

"I know saying this might sound a bit fantastical, or perhaps overreaching and abrupt, but I really have nowhere else to turn."

Taking a sip of water, Chen Qian En, having laid out the reasons clearly, breathed a sigh of relief, and then, throwing caution to the wind, said: "So the only thing I can think of is to come and beg you; as long as you are willing to help me, I will do anything you ask."

In a situation where 'My Fair Princess 3' could be 'rumored' to be blocked because of Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi's reputation in the Taiwanese idol drama industry now was comparable to that of a great demon king.

To break the shackles on her body, Chen Qian En could think of no more effective method than Zhou Yi. To move that Iron Lady, Zhou Yi, who currently represented the mainland channel, was also a bargaining chip.

As for whether doing this would actually have an effect, whether it would stop her from being frozen by the company and allow her to terminate the contract smoothly, she dared not be certain, but it was better than doing nothing.

If she paid the price but Zhou Yi didn't help, or helped but it didn't work, then she would accept her fate.

"Sounds like it might be okay."

Zhou Yi rubbed his chin with his right index finger, a smile playing on his lips: "But I'm not sure if I can definitely influence those people you mentioned; aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

"Win or lose, I accept the result." Chen Qian En, hearing the subtext, forced a smile at the corners of her mouth: "Right now, I am a gambler with nothing left and eyes red from losing; my most valuable chip is myself."

"In that case, let's head back tonight and get a good rest. Tomorrow, come with me to get the wedding dress altered."

"Okay—huh? Hah?" Chen Qiaoen'en, who hadn't caught on for a moment, suddenly knit her brows in confusion.

What does that mean?

"With you in this mood, I'm not really in the mood."

Zhou Yi shrugged with a smile: "Rather than worrying about this and that, let's first see how things turn out before deciding. That way, if it doesn't work out, you can cut your losses in time."

"……"

Chen Qiaoen'en, who since entering the industry had more than once been the butt of fat-joke skits on variety shows because of her figure, wanted to laugh but couldn't: "Didn't expect you to be so particular."

"So long as I want, there'll never be a shortage of women by my side."

Zhou Yi spread his hands, not a trace of boasting.

If Chen Qiaoen'en had no psychological baggage right now and had simply come looking for him, he wouldn't have minded at all.

But she wasn't.

A dead fish of a mood is a real mood-killer.

It's like when you're huffing and puffing, working hard over there, and the other person is on their phone chatting on WeChat, occasionally going "mm, ah" and going through the motions out of bodily reflex.

Back when Fan Xiaopang first came to him, he did the same thing.

"Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word later?"

"Why would I be afraid of that? A bet is a bet, like you said — if I misjudged, that's my own problem."

……………………………

"Fake Drama Turned Real? Zhou Yi and Taiwanese Star Walk Down the Aisle?!"

"Personally Picking Out the Wedding Dress, Zhou Yi and Taiwanese Star Stroll the Imperial Capital Together!"

"Interlocked Fingers, Chatting Happily — Is Taiwanese Star Little Red En Zhou Yi's New Girlfriend?"

"……"

Over the next few days, the "Gui Cang" crew filming in the Imperial Capital stirred up the most eye-catching scandal of the year in the music scene — everyone knew Zhou Yi hadn't used the wedding dress provided by the crew, but had taken Chen Qiaoen'en, the female lead of "Forever Love," to the most renowned custom-wedding-dress atelier in the Imperial Capital to have one made.

The difference between the two was enormous.

The last actress to wear a wedding dress in a Zhou Yi MV was Sun Yanzi, in the two heart-wrenching pieces "Marry Me Today" and "Fairy Tale."

One stone, a thousand ripples—

Once the news broke, people on the mainland all posed one soul-searching question: who is Chen Qiaoen'en?

Known only in Taiwan and a nobody even in Hong Kong, Chen Qiaoen'en was essentially nonexistent on the mainland — even worse off than Qin Lan had been before.

At the very least, Qin Lan had Qiong Yao to "boost her stock."

Chen Qiaoen'en had nothing to her name, yet she got the custom-wedding-dress treatment, and Zhou Yi had personally taken her there.

It would've been hard not to spark discussion.

Tang Yan, who had changed into a qipao to film the "Blue and White Porcelain" scenes, and Yang Mi, who was filming the "You Were Once Young" segments on her own, struck up a budding friendship on the "Gui Cang" set, holding hands every day as they munched on melon and watched the show—

They were curious too.

Although they'd long heard that Zhou Yi went through "girlfriends" quickly, this was their first time seeing it with their own eyes.

Starting from Cheng Hao, whom they'd seen at the hotel before, in just a few short days — Qin Lan, who had already left the crew, and Chen Qiaoen'en, who had only just joined the crew a few days prior — that made three women rotated through.

A philandering big radish, terrifying as such!

Wen Yongshan, who was green with envy but had no share in it, wore a grin on her lips day after day while cursing in her heart.

Damn it!

Chen Qiaoen'en, you have no conscience!

Fox spirit!

Damn fox spirit!!!

When the news reached Taiwan, Sun Derong — who was already furious over Chen Qiaoen'en running off to the mainland to seek her fortune — and Su Limei, a wavering high-level executive at Sanli Television, both gripped their newspapers and frowned in unison—

"What's going on? How did she get hooked up with Zhou Yi?"

"She wants to be the next Fan Bingbin? Taking me for Qiong Yao?! Hilarious!"

Unlike Su Limei's puzzlement, Sun Derong, whose style had always been known for being forceful, was clearly more angry than anything.

The inside story of how Qiong Yao's little workshop had been scared out of its wits back in the day by the then-fresh-faced Zhou Yi was no longer a secret in the industry, but Sun Derong had plied the Hong Kong and Taiwanese entertainment circles for many years, and his connections as a gold-medal agent were nothing Qiong Yao's little workshop could compare to.

He had participated in and led the planning for the rise of part of last century's Taiwanese artists, including Zhang Yusheng, Tao Jingying, and the Orient Express combo;

He'd been poached by Rock Records, then later went out on his own; at Xia Ke Records (formerly Gold Point Records), where Tao Zhe belonged last year, he had once been one of the senior executives.

After going independent, he put together the Romeo combo, pushing Luo Zhixiang and Ou Di into the Taiwanese market at the end of the last century, although by 2001 Luo Zhixiang had already fallen out with him — same as with Chen Qiaoen'en, Luo Zhixiang's falling out with him was also due to a contract dispute that led to being frozen out.

"You're in the music business, and Zhou Yi has basically gone straight for your jugular — what qualifies you to take him on?" Su Limei set down the newspaper in her hands, crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back in her chair, and retorted.

Sun Derong's music-industry connections and status, of which he was so proud, were nothing in front of Zhou Yi — utterly crushed.

Comparing strength, comparing background, it was even more of a joke.

Zhou Yi only had to lift a finger, and he'd hit numbers an ordinary singer could never reach in a lifetime.

Thinking of this, the speechless Sun Derong only grew redder with suppressed fury.

Damn!

Having no choice, and wanting to save face in front of this business partner, Sun Derong shot back: "I also brought out Zhang Yusheng! Tony Leung was brought into the Taiwanese market by me too! Tao Zhe's switch to being a singer and releasing an album at Xia Ke Records also owes me a favor."

"Zhou Yi crushed Chow Yun-fat out of his career — he's at home living out his retirement now, and even with the heat died down he doesn't dare go out for a stroll. If Tony Leung went up against him, how much better would he fare? That guy's got his own pile of troubles behind him too;

"As for Zhang Yusheng, he's long dead — what's the use? The apprentice he single-handedly brought up, Zhang Huimei, can't possibly stand with you either; she's at Warner, would she dare talk back to this Emperor of Warner?

"Tao Zhe — he already left Xia Ke Records this year and joined EE-Media. If I'm not mistaken, for overseas distribution he went through Zhou Yi's channels, so when it comes to picking sides, he'd definitely side with Zhou Yi."

Su Limei, a senior executive at Sanli Television and also a business partner of Sun Derong's, fired off a string of questions that left him utterly speechless.

"I'm cooperating with you, and the key project is idol dramas. The mainland market is the most fertile ground for idol dramas, so don't expect me to take your side. I can still tell which side my bread is buttered on. Qiong Yao nearly died of anxiety a month ago — I don't want to repeat that."

"So I can only sit and watch? What if other artists in my company follow suit?"

"Unless you can restrain Zhou Yi through music or through his status and reputation on the mainland, otherwise there's no solution — you can only pray Zhou Yi doesn't take a liking to any other female artists in your company."

"..."

Damn!

Is there even any law left in this world?!

Still unwilling to give up, Sun Derong slammed his fist hard on the table. The instant the teacup lid rattled, the music station that had just finished the commercial began a new round of music playback—

"Coming up next for our listeners is this week's top ten on the radio music chart. Zhou Yi's song 'Fairy Tale' has shown a slight resurgence — released over a year ago, it still firmly holds the tenth spot, and five of the top ten songs are still Zhou Yi's songs..."