Actresses

Chapter 92 Farewell

Looking at the WeChat messages on her phone screen, He Yuran remained calm. She wasn't even as angry as she had imagined.

The owner of this film company clearly didn't take her seriously. Not only did he not mention meeting her, but he didn't even bother to make a phone call to convey his needs. Instead, he simply used a few words to explain what he wanted to do.

He Yuran really wanted to ask, "So, did Shi Jiahe agree to your request? Are you putting on this act with me?" But with her pride, she couldn't bring herself to ask. Besides, she had no right to ask. As a former boss, would she really hinder an employee's next job? But she also couldn't bring herself to praise Shi Jiahe to Ren Jie at this moment, because deep down, she didn't believe Shi Jiahe had actually left the company.

Then, she did something she never expected: she turned off her phone and stopped replying to that person.

As long as there's no response, it can be treated as if nothing happened. On the bright side, there's no way they'll work with Ren Jie again. The genres produced by Yizhen Films are too niche; He Yuran doesn't think she'd ever take on those projects.

She slammed the iPad shut, put it in her bag, and stood up to tell Ding Yi, "I have to go out for a bit. Don't answer any questions from the people in the group chat."

Ding Yi nodded, not understanding.

Before rushing out the door, even in her fury, He Yuran still remembered to send Wei Ning a WeChat message: "Give me your home address!"

Wei Ning called back immediately, trembling with fear, clearly confused. "Sister Ran... is there something you need?"

He Yuran got straight to the point. "I need to see Jiahe. Since you said you live together, I'll also see the screenwriter; we have something important to discuss."

Wei Ning panicked. "Sis? How about I help you arrange a meeting with them... I... I'll call them beforehand and tell them what it's about?"

"No need. Just give me the address, or I'll ask your boss and they'll still be able to find out." He Yuran thought to himself, "Tsk tsk, why am I starting to talk nonsense? I've never even had any dealings with Zhou Chun."

Wei Ning was frightened upon hearing this, as she wasn't sure how deep the relationship was between the celebrity and the platform owner. She obediently sent her home address via WeChat. He Yuran forwarded it to Xiao Zhao and then immediately set off.

In just two weeks, things took an unexpected turn for the worse. He Yuran had thought she could stall for time, pretending nothing had happened, until she found a suitable new agent. Now it seemed she had no choice but to resolve the situation.

To be honest, she didn't know what to talk about after they met, but she had a strong feeling: I have to see you, Shi Jiahe. Whether you want to see me or not.

Throughout the journey, Xiao Zhao didn't dare to breathe loudly, but He Yuran kept muttering to herself.

For example, Xiao Zhao, why doesn't Shi Jiahe tell me anything? She didn't tell me she was sick, she didn't tell me she was poached, she didn't tell me about all the work she did for the screenwriter. What does she take me for? She's not my boss, she's not my friend. I think her resignation was a good decision, otherwise I wouldn't have kept her. Why should I do something good for me only because she feels she needs to lead or persuade me? Why is it that even Cheng Xiaotang thinks I'm not good enough, but I'm the one who's capable? I want everyone to see that I can do it. And so on.

As she spoke, He Yuran found herself actually listening, which actually strengthened her resolve to make this drama.

Before the car even entered the residential area, they could see a person standing by the roadside in the distance. He Yuran quickly told Xiao Zhao to stop, then opened the door and got out of the car.

"Wei Ning?" He Yuran exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing He Yuran, Wei Ning immediately beamed and ran over, saying, "Oh, Sister Ran, I... I've been waiting for you!"

He Yuran said with a smile, "It doesn't matter to me whether you're here or not, I'm going to find Shi Jiahe."

"That won't do, I still have to stay," Wei Ning said with a forced smile.

He Yuran smiled and said, "Afraid I'll take your things? Okay, then lead the way." She turned around and told Xiao Zhao to find a place to wait. Then, she and Wei Ning entered the residential area together.

Wei Ning kept rambling on and on, but He Yuran didn't listen to a word or reply. She only cared about one thing: what kind of life was Shi Jiahe living now? She wanted to see it for herself.

Wei Ning opened the door. He Yuran glanced inside; the living room was quiet. After quietly changing her shoes, Wei Ning went to the two bedrooms to call out to the people there. As usual, screenwriter Zhao Cai was writing behind closed doors, and Shi Jiahe was sleeping in her room. Neither of them knew He Yuran was coming, especially Shi Jiahe. When she saw He Yuran in the living room, her expression was as if she had been struck by lightning, or rather, as if she had seen a ghost.

He Yuran said irritably, "What, you have nothing to say to your former boss?"

Shi Jiahe was still in her pajamas, her hair was messy, and she looked noticeably thinner. She rubbed her eyes hard before saying, "Boss, what brings you here?"

...The word that came out of her mouth was still "boss".

He Yuran suddenly felt a little soft-hearted and hesitated for a moment. "How...have you been lately?"

Wei Ning whispered to Shi Jiahe, "Ran Jie suddenly said she was coming to the house, and I didn't have time to tell you, so I quickly took a taxi back."

However, it was obvious that the two people next to her completely ignored her, staring blankly at He Yuran.

Shi Jiahe, in particular, moved her lips, and after a long while, she said, "I've mainly been catching up on sleep lately. My sleep quality isn't very consistent; sometimes I sleep less when I sleep well, and more when I sleep poorly."

"Listen to what you're saying!" He Yuran forced a smile. "So—have you been forgetting things lately? How's your memory?"

Shi Jiahe grinned, "There's nothing for me to worry about right now, so it doesn't matter whether I forget or not. I just eat and sleep every day."

He Yuran scrutinized her, then frowned. "Why does your face look so much sharper?"

Wei Ning added from the side, "Jiahe's appetite is still very poor, how can she not lose weight?"

He Yuran sighed, "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

After saying that, she began to think: What was I supposed to do before I came here? ...

Shi Jiahe looked a little embarrassed, but still shook her head. "Thank you, sister, but no thanks. I'm not feeling well right now and don't really want to go out. And I don't want to take up your time, Sister Ran."

He Yuran immediately lost her initial enthusiasm, thinking to herself, "This is so boring." But, should I really argue with a patient? Besides, Shi Jiahe doesn't have any of the air of someone working in the entertainment industry right now; she seems to have no desire for social interaction at all. Forcing her would only make things worse for me.

She paused, then said, "So—would Zhao Cai like to talk to me?"

Zhao Cai, who was standing nearby watching, paused for a moment, then pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you returned the money to us and wanted to cancel the cooperation. To be honest, I'm a celebrity, and this is the first time I've encountered someone who doesn't give me any face. But it's okay. I'm here today to tell you, Mr. Zhao Cai, I want to continue making this drama. Are you willing to change your decision?"

The other two immediately turned their attention to Zhao Cai.

At this moment, Wei Ning whispered from the side, "I...I have some off-screen information to add. Before, because of some..." For some reason, Wei Ning subconsciously glanced at Shi Jiahe before continuing, "...things. Zhou Chun always felt that this project wouldn't go smoothly. Even if it got approved, the rating would drop, so the budget couldn't support the current cast. Moreover, Zhou Chun specifically said that she didn't want Ran Jie to act in it herself, and hoped to find another actress. She suggested that you just list yourself as the producer or supervisor. I swear, Ran Jie, Zhou Chun said this herself! So I have to be honest, I don't recommend continuing on our platform under these circumstances. If Ran Jie really wants to continue, it might be better to find another company..."

He Yuran was neither surprised nor angry upon hearing this. She turned to Wei Ning and asked, "When did this happen?"

Wei Ning sounded miserable as she spoke. "It's been recently... because a lot of things have happened. Anyway, Zhou Chun gave me an ultimatum. I thought I could hold on a little longer, but today Zhao Cai refunded all your prepayments. Now I think it might really be time to give up."

Why didn't you say so on the phone?

"Because it's really hard to explain over the phone, I always felt it would be better to talk to you in person, and I always hoped there was still a chance, so it's been dragged on until now..."

"Do you know why your platform is getting worse and worse? Because everyone does things this way! They drag their feet! They try to get away with things! And they always think they have to follow your lead!" He Yuran said angrily, then turned to Zhao Cai, his tone softening. "Zhao Cai, don't worry about that right now. Look at me, look me in the eyes. Although we haven't had much contact, and I know you don't like me, just tell me your gut feeling right now: am I someone you can trust? If you're willing to give me the script—even though I haven't seen it yet, I trust you 100%. I promise you, I'll do my best to make your script a success and try my best to get the best cast, okay?"

Actually, these words weren't meant for Shi Jiahe's ears, because He Yuran felt her anger had subsided, and now it felt as if they were her own true feelings. However, the thought of Ren Jie taking the script and starting over made her grit her teeth in anger.

Zhao Cai's expression was calm, completely unlike the nervousness he had shown when he first met He Yu Ran. He also spoke very politely. "Sister Yu Ran, I've decided to get the script back. After Teacher Shi has rested and secured his next job, we'll see what to do next. Anyway, I'm staying at Sister Ning's house now, so I don't have many expenses and can afford to stay put for a while longer."

After staring at each other for ten seconds, He Yuran knew that she was completely out of the game.

No matter how rich or famous you are, it's useless because they don't want anything from you. Most importantly, they have no emotional connection with you. In the entertainment industry, is profit the most important factor between people? No, sometimes it's more about relationships.

He Yuran suddenly felt her feet sink into the ground, as if something had silently broken off, and her steps immediately became unsteady and ethereal. She smiled weakly and said, "Okay, I understand. I won't bother you any longer." Then she turned and walked out.

Today's trip was well worth it. I saw how they got along and got the answer I expected. No more suspense. Let's go!

"Boss!" Shi Jiahe's voice came from behind.

He Yuran stopped outside the door but didn't turn around. "Seeing that you're recovering well, I'm relieved. Don't call me 'boss' so easily anymore; I'm not your boss anymore. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know; that will never change."

After saying that, she closed the door to Wei Ning's house.

Looking at the elevator display screen, she felt inexplicably anxious, wondering why it was taking so long. Finally, the elevator doors opened with a ding, and she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

Shi Jiahe chased after them. "Boss!"

"I told you to stop yelling like that! If you keep yelling, I'll get angry! You're not even coming back to work."

"...Sister Ran."

He Yuran sniffed hard, then strode into the elevator into the light. Shi Jiahe followed without hesitation. The two arrived at the first floor in silence, but neither moved, watching the elevator doors open and close.

"What? Is there anything else you want to say?" He Yuran was still staring at the elevator's digital display screen.

"Sister, I'm sorry." Shi Jiahe also sniffled.

He Yuran turned his face away, not wanting her to see his expression, but reached out and patted Shi Jiahe's shoulder beside him. Judging from the feel of the touch, he guessed that he hadn't been hit in the face. "Take care in the future. Your health is always the most important thing."

After saying this, she pressed the open button and walked out. This time, apart from the sound of the elevator doors slowly closing, there was complete silence behind her.