Chapter 7: Actress Affairs

This gossip was rampant at the turn of the millennium, but internet information wasn't developed enough back then, and it was quickly swallowed by the long river of history.

During the filming of *The Bride with White Hair* in 2000, Jiang Qinqin secretly developed feelings for the director, Zhang Xiaozheng; it was only after the director's wife publicly denounced her that the media exposed and sensationalized it.

Looking at her faint sorrow right now, she must have reached the point of having a showdown with the couple.

"How is it?" Jiang Qinqin thought to herself that it shouldn't be common knowledge in the mainland yet, so it was the perfect time to test just how much skill this little Daoist priest actually had.

"Sister Jiang, our Daoist sect is not usually willing to engage in such minor arts as physiognomy and fortune-telling; the so-called study of Feng Shui is also meant to guide people according to circumstances and encourage them to do good."

"But today, the horoscopes of you and this person are in a state of 'clashing,' so you must pay attention."

Zhou Xun probably knew about the lingering ties between her close friend and the Taiwan director, so she hurriedly asked, "Tell us specifically!"

"When the Four Pillars' stems and branches meet a clash, one often loses their body to wine and lust; this person's fate is afflicted by 'rolling wave peach blossom' luck, which is not a good match, and Sister Jiang should stay away."

Jiang Qinqin felt dejected in her heart; how could she not know he wasn't a good match? He had cheated many times before her, and he was a person of ill repute in Taiwan as well.

But struggling in this circle, when could she ever truly make her own decisions...

Seeing that her reaction wasn't too intense, Lu Kuan went on to advise: "Sister Jiang's life chart is in the Geng Chen Great Luck cycle, and 2000 is the Geng Chen year; this is called 'Year and Luck coinciding,' so you should seize the opportunity to advance your career and not be influenced by these rotten peach blossoms—cut ties when you must!"

The speaker had intention, but the listener had even more; hadn't her career just taken off in 2000? Last year, Qiong Yao had gotten her *The Bride with White Hair*, followed by *Hero Zheng Chenggong*, the TV version of *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, as well as *Wind and Cloud* and the period drama *Dreams Come True*.

They were all big IPs and high-quality productions; could it really be, as the little Daoist priest said, that there was such a logical connection within them?

Recalling that sordid affair again, she stammered, not knowing what to say.

Zhou Xun watched, anxious: "Lu Kuan, just tell her what she should do now."

This was now the home turf of the PR company boss.

"Make a clean break with this person and have no more dealings; prepare a press release, and if the other party pulls any tricks, respond and clarify immediately."

Jiang Qinqin looked at him in astonishment; if what he said before was just vague talk, this sentence went straight to the point and completely exposed her current predicament.

In the original timeline, at the beginning of 2002, Zhang Xiaozheng's wife would expose it to the media, and Jiang Qinqin would be publicly denounced, causing twists and turns in her acting career.

"Hmm..." Jiang Qinqin was somewhat noncommittal; it was truly embarrassing to have such private matters laid bare by a little Daoist priest.

But Zhou Xun and Jiang Qinqin were now somewhat convinced by Lu Kuan; the suspicion that he was just playing tricks had vanished, as at least everything he had said so far had been verified.

Do not be surprised by the superstitious filters of entertainment industry figures in this era; have you not heard of the likes of the White Dragon King, Uncle Chen, Wang Lin, and Zhao Qunxue?

As a PR company boss from later generations, Lu Kuan was not surprised by these phenomena; they were determined by the competitive landscape of the entertainment industry.

It should be said that from the moment various capitals entered the entertainment circle, the entire industry faced the uncertainty of high risk and high reward.

Top stars fought each other at the top of the pyramid, but that position could only hold two or three people.

When everyone is extremely excellent, one truly needs a bit of mysterious luck to assist.

Even Ma Yun had flirted with the likes of Wang Lin; besides using him as a broker, it was hard to say if there was any real trust involved.

The topic was a bit heavy, so Lu Kuan turned to Zhou Xun and smiled: "Does Sister Xun want her fortune told regarding romance too?"

"I'm not doing it; I'm used to being free and don't like to listen to advice!"

Zhou Xun was a bit fearful after he had so mercilessly pointed out Jiang Qinqin's affair, and she didn't want to expose herself to an outsider.

She would be known as a "male star harvester" in later generations; before the current Li Yapeng, she already had four boyfriends, the last one being Pu Shu.

One can only say she lived truly freely!

Lu Kuan smiled and shook his head, picking up his tea and blowing on the floating leaves.

He didn't have many judgments about right or wrong regarding the affairs of these entertainment circle actresses; personal emotions had nothing to do with moral righteousness, and he wasn't planning on marrying them, so why worry so much?

This circle was too complex and too magical; no one could escape it once they stepped in.

But as a PR company boss who had seen the storms of the entertainment industry, he had the simplest moral concept for this circle: equivalent exchange.

As for the actresses, they act on impulse and disperse when the excitement fades; why consider so much? Life is about having fun, and the focus should still be on one's career.

"Sister Xun is broad-minded, so I'll give you a piece of advice! Whether you listen or not is up to you."

Both actresses cast inquiring glances, curious about what judgment he would pass this time.

"The film crew is going through a troubled time recently; aren't you going to Suzhou to film tomorrow? No matter what happens, don't go anywhere after you finish filming—just stay in the hotel!"

Of course, he wouldn't tell them about the upcoming turmoil in the crew; he was still waiting to earn those 200,000 from Zhang Jizhong!

But then again, some things can be changed if pointed out by someone, while other things have their own inherent logic; if Lu Kuan were to travel back to before 9/11, what could he change?

The originally pleasant trip of eating and sightseeing ended early due to the heavy hearts of the two actresses; the three returned to the hotel to rest, and the night passed without incident.

In his room, Lu Kuan dialed several numbers that all indicated they were disconnected; it only went through on the third try. It seemed the little Daoist priest hadn't been in touch with his senior brother in Jingcheng for a long time.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Senior brother, it's me, Lu Kuan."

The person on the other end was silent for a moment before cursing: "You son of a bitch, you still know how to call me?"

"Don't tell me you're still doing those swindling and cheating tricks! Come to Jingcheng; if you don't want to go to school, I'll find you work!"

Zhuang Xu worked at CICC after graduating from the Finance Department of Huashengdun Academy.

To say his future was bright would be an understatement, which was also thanks to his internship at Morgan Stanley during his junior year and the recommendation of a professor in the department who thought very highly of him.

He had grown up with Lu Kuan and knew that his junior brother wasn't bad by nature, but had gone astray after their master died with no one to discipline him, and had always refused his help due to pride.

There is a type of person in this world who might swindle and commit all kinds of evil outside, but still has a sense of shame in front of people they are familiar with; those evil deeds might just be for survival.

"Senior brother, I'll be in Jingcheng soon, but you need to do me a favor first—help me register a company."

"A-Ri, your own life is a total mess, and you still want to start a company? A scam company?"

(End of chapter)