Chapter 6: Suppressed

Tan Yun's expression changed, his smile froze.

Shen Xingman saw that he had nothing to say, so she shifted her focus to Jiang Xiaoyan.

"Jiang Xiaoyan, right?" Shen Xingman stepped back a pace, came up to her, her thin lips slightly upturned, her clear eyes curved, "If I remember correctly, this should be our first meeting."

"Sister Manman..."

"—Call me senior, then." Shen Xingman didn't like people trying to get close by leveraging connections, especially those who came with ill intent, "Although you're older than me, I'm more famous. Isn't that so?"

Jiang Xiaoyan forced a smile, keeping her true feelings hidden, but the fury in her chest had already burned so hot she could barely breathe; she clenched her back molars and after a long pause said, "Yes, since you're more famous, why did the director choose me instead?"

The fox's tail finally showed.

She paused, then pressed on, "Is it that you, senior, are deliberately giving me way, or... the director simply doesn't favor you?"

Those words were a bare mockery, laced with barbs, very unfriendly.

Shen Xingman calmly swept her loose hair behind her ear, looked at the self‑satisfied Jiang, "Jiang, you don't really think that landing Chen Cheng's film puts you on equal footing with me, do you?"

"—!" The remark pierced Jiang Xiaoyan's sore spot like a blade.

"It's still early," Shen Xingman gave her a glance, her figure lithe and untouchable.

Then she turned to Tan Yun, "Old Tan, you're an agent; you should know the difference between second‑tier and top‑tier, right?"

Back then, Shen Xingman refused Tan Yun's contract offer; he bore a grudge, and when she first debuted, he often set traps for her.

The words 'second‑tier' infuriated Jiang Xiaoyan completely.

Those marketing accounts claiming she had broken into the first‑tier were all bought by her team.

In reality, her hype wasn't that high.

Her notable works were only one or two; she lacked the capital and confidence to be listed among the trending young actresses, at best she was just a current hit.

But now she had fallen into a fantasy called 'first‑tier'; being yanked back to reality, the stark truth left her unsure how to accept it.

"Don't embarrass yourself further," Shen Xingman, still good at adding fuel to the fire, said.

He had already hijacked several of her resources; without a proper scolding, Shen Xingman would truly become the 'weak' in a weak‑eats‑strong scenario, and even our classmate Qiao Yun couldn't swallow that.

Jiang Xiaoyan's aura wasn't that strong; in looks she was considerably inferior, and even when enraged, her demeanor lacked the imposing presence Shen Xingman possessed.

"Fine, we'll see," Tan Yun grabbed the furious Jiang Xiaoyan, preventing her from blowing things up.

Jiang Xiaoyan glared darkly, "How long do you think you can dominate? The entertainment world changes so fast, the new wave pushes the old, you won't stay at this spot forever."

"There are plenty of directors who don't want to work with you! You have no background and no talent; you'll fade out sooner or later!"

Shen Xingman's competitive spirit flared; she retorted point by point, "We'll talk when you reach my level."

Jiang Xiaoyan said nothing, and walked away in sky‑high heels.

"Whoa, that was so satisfying," Qiao Yun inhaled deeply, feeling like the top dog, "Babe, you know? The moment your brain connects to Wi‑Fi, my sense of security spikes."

"... " This way of praising someone seems a bit uncool.

"Anyway, back to the point," Qiao Yun sighed, "She stole it from Jiang Xiaoyan, how shameless."

"I have no idea what Chen Cheng thinks, just sending anyone to the role, and the big director, not trustworthy at all," Qiao Yun muttered back in the car, feeling both angry and aggrieved.

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and deleted Chen Cheng's WeChat.

Looking across the entire entertainment world, there are only a handful of good scripts; actors fight for resources to the death, but Qiao Yun hadn't met many like Jiang Xiaoyan who openly snatch them.

There's no way around it; behind Jiang Xiaoyan is the Jiang Family, whose assets rank among the top on Forbes. Previously her lukewarm status was due to lack of acting skill; now her craft has been honed, making resource grabs smoother.

In contrast, Shen Xingman, Qiao Yun recalled when she first signed her, was a background‑less wild fairy; though initially a bit aloof, after some time one finds her unbearably gentle.

In beauty she could crush Jiang Xiaoyan, but in connections she truly lagged behind.

"Manman, any thoughts?" Qiao Yun asked suddenly.

Shen Xingman said nothing, yawned, "I want to sleep."

"???!!" Good grief, Qiao Yun flared up, frantically scratching her head, "Can you be a bit more proactive!!"

Shen Xingman smiled foolishly at her, "Hehe, if you allow it, I can sleep right now."

"... " Qiao Yun felt like jumping off a building, "Babe, Director Chen gave the film to Jiang Xiaoyan, boosting her star power, why aren't you even a bit nervous?"

The entertainment world has a touch of mysticism; top‑tier stars aren't always flawless beauties or hunk, but extraordinary advantages and resources can also crown them.

"Don't be impatient," Shen Xingman rubbed her sore waist, "There are plenty of chances to deal with her."

Since she's going to cause trouble, Shen Xingman won't treat her as a pushover.

Suddenly, Qiao Yun saw a Weibo notification pop up on her phone.

It basically said: Lin Wan secured a high‑luxury perfume endorsement.

Many marketing accounts have already started hype.

That's how the entertainment world works; whenever an artist unlocks a brand or a magazine, fans go wild.

Because premium fashion resources bring higher‑quality exposure opportunities for artists.

It only values an artist's commercial worth, regardless of how poor their acting or works are.

For someone like Shen Xingman, whose reputation, hype, and top‑tier status are all stellar, fashion resources are essentially top‑tier; likewise Lin Wan, an established goddess of the industry, has amassed fanbase and popularity over years, so her fashion resources are naturally not lacking.

But clearly, Shen Xingman's momentum was overwhelming; Lin Wan's position as the top domestic entertainment star couldn't be held, so she went full‑throttle, unwilling to fall behind.

So she rushed to secure the high‑luxury endorsement, determined to outshine her at every turn.

"Honestly, sometimes it hurts; if last year Jiang Xiaoyan hadn't snatched your high‑luxury endorsement, you wouldn't be any worse than Lin Wan in the fashion world."

The Jiang Family's influence is huge, their network vast; hijacking a few endorsements in the gray area is no problem.

Besides, Jiang Xiaoyan's hype last year wasn't low; earning the title 'resource star' wasn't a bad thing for her.

Shen Xingman closed her eyes for a while, then opened them, took a sip of water to soothe her throat, "How about we take that 'Star and Frost' project?"

Star and Frost?

"You said you didn't want to shoot a historical romance, right?" Qiao Yun asked, puzzled.

"Star and Frost" is a wildly popular historical romance, with a mountain of book fans, recognized within the circle as one of the romance genre's pinnacle.