After the ceremony, Han Feixu needed to go to the company and find Liang Zhu. Before she left, she said her goodbyes to Lin Yi who replied with a soft smile and said, “Go on ahead then. Pay attention to your safety, and tell the driver to drive slowly.”

Han Feixu stared at her dumbfoundedly when Ye Mingxin appeared behind her, “You’re leaving? Great, I’m leaving too, let’s go to the company together then.”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you going to a photoshoot?”

Ye Mingxin smiled, “You remembered incorrectly. Today I need to participate in an investors’ meeting.”

Lin Yi already knew that Ye Mingxin had made up her entire schedule so she deliberately laid a trap in her word to try and trick her. Unexpectedly, Ye Mingxin was able to remember everything she made up. So, Lin Yi could only smile sweetly and say, “It seems I have remembered incorrectly. Ah, which company’s investor meeting is it?

“Xiuzhi Chemicals.”

Lin Yi let out a loud “ohhhh” and then asked, “Where is it being held?”

“Candice Arts Showroom.”

“What time?”

“6 to 10 pm.”

“How many people from the news media will be attending?”

“I don’t know, that’s something for the investor to decide. Why, do you want to participate too?”

Ye Mingxin’s eyes narrowed as she took the initiative to extend an offer. Among the two of them, one of them still opens her mouth to lie despite her lies being uncovered by the other party, and the other knows that she is lying but keeps asking questions anyways. Meanwhile, Han Feixu who was caught in the middle of this was looking at the both of them with a dazed expression.

What’s happening-ah*? (T/N: Author uses some slang/spelling here that indicates Han Feixu is thinking with a Shandong accent here)

What’s th’ issue? 

What’s th’ issue? 

Are they on good or bad terms-ah???

Lin Yi nodded solemnly, “Since you’ve invited me, I’ll go take a look if I have the time.”

Ye Mingxin: “…..”

After parting, they all got into their respective cars so Han Feixu didn’t get a chance to talk to Ye Mingxin until they arrived at the company. However, even after getting out of their cars, Ye Mingxin was too busy talking on the phone to talk with her.

“Yes, six in the evening at the Candace Arts showroom….it’s already booked? Can’t you ask them to share a part of the space? ….Give them double or triple the rent price and they’ll help you. Hmm? Reporters aren’t hard to find. Just leak some news about me participating and there will definitely be a few tabloids who will rush over.”

“Of course I’m not actually going. It’s rare for me to get a night off, so I want to have a good rest.”

“The main agenda of this meeting….You’re the Director of Public Relations, not me. You can choose the agenda for this meeting. Otherwise, just turn it into a charity event and ask some employees to join a raffle, draw a few winners, and give them a prize. You decide the prize. Then ask Qi Yu for reimbursement. No, not Qi Yu, just look for my second uncle. He is your boss after all.”

After she hung up her phone, she lifted her eyes to find Han Feixu looking at her with a speechless expression.

“Just…because of Lin Yi’s words you’re going to create a sudden conference out of thin air? Is this like that one saying, ‘losers must not lose the battle’*?”(T/N:  输人不输阵, means to try one’s best no matter how badly you are losing.)  

Ye Mingxin went silent and then spoke, “I won’t lose the battle or the war.”

---

After the contract to affiliate them to the Gan Company was signed, Liang Zhu’s office moved from the 16th to the studio on the 19th floor. Originally, Gan Zongming planned on introducing Hollywood’s studio production model and then recruit a group of screenwriters to collectively work together in this space.

However, this plan had one devastating flaw: they couldn’t recruit any talented screenwriters.

Proper and talented screenwriters are like actors, they have their own agents as well. After they’ve finished writing a script, the agent will showcase it and sell it on their behalf. They don’t stick to one company and not to mention each script is different. If one day the screenwriter writes a masterpiece but he only works for one company, then he/she won’t be able to sell it at the higher price the masterpiece is worth.

So no talented screenwriters accepted his offer. Only those literary screenwriters with no talent who write only serious literature and pass them off as scripts accepted the offer. Gan Zongming had interviewed a few personally, but he felt that none of them were good enough. A script needs to impress at least half a film crew in order to be successful. The scripts of the screenwriters who he interviewed were able to move him but only him and did not impress anyone else who read it.

In short, the plan to make a creative studio space died spectacularly and the renovated studio became a waste of space. So Han Feixu was able to get such a good space for cheap.

Since Han Feixu decided to become independent, she has to pay rent in order to use this studio. But the rent price is very low and one can see that it was a price only given to family and friends.

It was only now that Han Feixu felt that nepotism is a very, very good thing, hehehe…..

And so, the entire 19th floor basically became Han Feixu’s domain just like how the 18th floor is Ye Mingxin’s domain. However, Ye Mingxin has more people under her with nearly 200 people working in her studio. Only the most important employees actually work in the studio in the Gan company such as the Public Relations and Administrative departments. The other employees working under her have their own independent spaces as Ye Mingxin rented another 300 square meters (~3230 sq.ft) office outside the company. She also rented an apartment building that consisted of 10 large units for the non-local employees to live in.

When speaking of the best boss in China, it is none other than Ye Mingxin.

Han Feixu’s studio, on the other hand, is not that large as she currently only has 18 people working under her. Four of them were actually sent to her by Ye Mingxin.

She took the elevator up to the floor and got off to take a look. Liang Zhu had even finished setting up an office for her and the entire studio had a refreshing look to it.

Seeing her appearance, Liang Zhu walked over with a stack of documents in her arms.

“Give me 15 minutes to get these done first. Then we’ll leave!”

Two months after her public appearance, Han Feixu had finally begun accepting endorsement contracts and had actually accepted two at once. Today they will be shooting photos for energy-saving lamps and tomorrow it will be photos for a furniture store.

Both are simple enough that each can be done in a day.

After the first episode of 《I Am the Protagonist》aired on TV, many sponsors approached with endorsement offers and there was one company that sells roasted duck necks that personally invited Han Feixu and Nie Kaiyuan to be their spokespersons.

This kind of brand doesn’t often change their spokesperson and each contract is at least 1 year long unlike the foregin chain stores that only sign a 3 month contract at the time. Liang Zhu is currently negotiating with this company and trying to maximize the benefits Han Feixu would get.

Han Feixu obediently moved to the side and waited. An Employee spotted her and quickly stood up to say hello, “Boss Han.”

En…..this title sounds so much better than the ‘Madam’ Wei Xun uses!

Her lips curled upwards as she walked around and inspected her territory.

Meanwhile, Liang Zhu finished up the rest of the documents and picked up her bag, preparing to leave when after taking two steps forward, she realized Han Feixu had disappeared.

She turned around and found a certain someone with their hands behind their back and slowly pacing around like a country’s leader inspecting a military parade.

Liang Zhu: “…..”

Among their own people, Liang Zhu did not bother hiding her true colors. She strode over and grabbed Han Feixu’s arm, dragging her out of the door, “Stop daydreaming! Chop, chop, hurry up, I have a dinner appointment with the people from the roasted duck necks company tonight!”

Han Feixu: =口= Let me go, release me! You can’t make your own boss look bad!

Once they got into the back of the car with Zhong Yuanyuan in the passenger seat, Liang Zhu asked her, “How was the opening ceremony, did everything go well?”

“En, it was okay.”

Liang Zhu: “…..”

Han Feixu: “….”

She really has to stop saying this phrase otherwise she won’t be able to get rid of this habit! QAQ

Liang Zhu was silent for a while before she spoke again, “When I return in the evening, I’ll give a greeting to Director Tian. After all, for such an important ceremony I should’ve gone. I hope he doesn’t think of me badly because of this.”

Zhong Yuanyuan, “You’re fine, Director Tian doesn’t care if you don’t show up. If you show up and bring bad fortunes with you, then he will care.”

In short, Director Tian only cares about the opening ceremony going well. If a lowly agent doesn’t show up, he wouldn’t care much about this matter.

Having said that, Liang Zhu still needs to show sincerity on the surface. So Liang Zhu has already made up her mind about sending a WeChat message to Tian Chengxian later. The car was silent for a while before Han Feixu suddenly asked, “By the way, have the matters with your other artists been settled?”

Their studio may be affiliated with Gan Company and Liang Zhu herself is still under the Gan Company’s name, thus her changing positions will not be a breach in contract, but the artists under her cannot move with her. This certain matter had Liang Zhu running around trying to get everything in place.

“It’s all settled. Mao Yangjun and Ren Shuang have been assigned to other agents. Especially Mao Yangjun who was assigned to a senior agent above me due to his recent spike in popularity. Ren Shuang is not as lucky, but I investigated the agent who took her in and found that the agent is a responsible one.

“As for Su Jue, she’ll continue to follow me for now. Most of Su Jue’s focus is on her little restaurant, so she’ll only occasionally check in. With only her under me, I should be able to focus on the studio.”

Since only Su Jue now reamined, Han Feixu no longer worried about the matter, “That’s great. Will you be with the crew on set on Sunday?”

“Of course. I’ve already bought the airline tickets. Yuanyuan will accompany you on the earliest flight flying out Sunday. I’ll go there a day earlier and pack the RV and book a hotel with Little South.”

Speaking of the RV, Liang Zhu teased, “Right, Han Feixu, your RV is so eye-catching. You just wait, someone will definitely spread a rumor behind your back that you’re someone’s mistress.”

Han Feixu replied calmly, “Well, there could also be rumors about a sugar daddy/mommy, a mysterious family background, or underworld connections.”

Liang Zhu looked at her in surprise, “So you actually understand these things?”

“I don’t understand,” Han Feixu shook her head as she answered honestly, “This is what Ye Mingxin told me.”

Liang Zhu: “…..”

---

The ad they were shooting today is for a company specializing in energy-saving lamps. Han Feixu was going to their studio to shoot photos. Shooting photos and shooting variety shows are a little different. The lighting for variety shows come from above and there is not much lighting required to film. Only occasionally when shooting a close-up will a lighting board be used. Shooting photos for an ad, however, requires at least 5-6 different lighting boards and many different light sources.

Han Feixu raised her right hand, flashing a friendly and natural smile, constantly adjusting her posture according to the photographer’s orders.

She felt like her eyes were about to be blinded by the lights being reflected at her by the boards. Meanwhile, the photographer frowned and looked into his camera before calling out, “Remove that board and replace it with that silver one. I can’t seem to capture the light in her eyes.”

….If the light in her eyes can’t be captured, can’t you just photoshop it in later?

The photographer is someone who holds himself and others at strict standards. So they shot a bunch of photos for hours on end. By the end of it Whenever Han Feixu closed or opened her eyes, she would see several spots of light dangling in her vision.

Liang Zhu comforted her by saying, “Endure it. The endorsement fee is 2.3 million yuan. If you must get lights flashed in your face, then let them flash in your face.”

Han Feixu sighed, “At this rate, when will I be able to earn enough money for the RV?”

Liang Zhu calculated it, “You should be able to get roughly the same amount around a year later or so.”

2.3 million after deducting tax will only be 1.57 million. That is equivalent to about ⅖ of her income taken away by taxes. She sighed again, “It’s not easy to make money.”

Liang Zhu: ….Don’t you know those are fighting words?

She shot photos for the entire afternoon and didn’t return home until about 7 in the evening. By then, the sky hadn’t completely darkened yet and after changing into her slippers she came into the living room with a notebook in her hands.

Ye Mingxin heard her and said to Yiyi, “Say hi to your Mama.”

Yiyi is video calling them from Switzerland, her face full of energy on the screen. Seeing her daughter’s cute little face, the tired thoughts in Han Feixu’s head completely disappeared and she hurriedly ran over to the couch to talk to her daughter.

“Was Switzerland fun?”

Yiyi’s voice was slightly distorted as it carried over through the screen, “Fun~~~~~ But I can’t understand anything the people say.”

Yan Yuerong and Ye Junyuan took her to Basel, a city in Switzerland where the people only speak German. Yiyi can only speak English and Chinese, so she couldn’t understand a single word they said.

The Han Feixu from before memory loss would have taken this opportunity to tell Yiyi to study up on her German, but the current Han Feixu can only sigh and nod emphatically, “Ai, Mama doesn’t understand it either.”

Ye Mingxin who was watching from the side, “…..”

Yiyi had been in Switzerland for just over a day, so she was still full of excitement as she clinged to the computer, her huge chin taking up the entire screen, “Mama, I noticed something interesting! The people here all look the same as me! Mama, do you remember Andre? Before, only Andre looked the same as me but here there are a lot of people who look like Andre!”

Who is Andre = =

Han Feixu could only rely on her poor geographic knowledge instead, “Ah, the Nordic people, um, yes, you and them were one big family five hundred years ago.”

Han Feixu didn’t actually know whether or not they actually shared an ancestry five hundred years ago. She only knew that after 15 minutes of non-stop talking, Yiyi’s little mouth was still moving. Now she was really afraid that her daughter would end up becoming a little chatterbox.

Majority of the time, Yiyi talked while she listened. Half an hour later, Yan Yieron said she would take her out to lunch and then ended the video call. Han Feixu started at the black screen and stayed silent for a while.

Ye Mingxin thought she was thinking about Yiyi. Since Yiyi was born, the two of them hadn’t been separated for more than three days. So she definitely must be uncomfortable to let Yiyi go somewhere so far away from herself.

Ye Mingxin thought deeply and decided to not disturb Han Feixu and let her stay silent for a while.

Just as that thought popped into her head, Han Feixu turned around and looked at her with a face full of innocence, “I’m hungry too, do you have any leftovers left?”

Ye Mingxin: “….Yes.”

The food has been kept warm this entire time, with the soup kept warm in the pot. Ye Mingxin hadn’t eaten yet, as she wanted to wait for Han Feixu to come back and eat together. Ye Mingxin finished her food quickly, while Han Feixu still sipped her soup in small mouthfuls.

Han Feixu mentioned her experience in shooting photos today and Ye Mingxin comforted her, “It’s normal to feel uncomfortable in the beginning. You’ll get used to it after you do it a few more times.”

Han Feixu could understand her logic and lowered her head to drink her soup. Suddenly a question popped up in her mind and she raised her head again, “How much do you make for every photoshoot?”

Ye Mingxin blinked, “I haven’t done any this year, but last year it was 4 million per job.”

Han Feixu: “….” …As the saying goes, one should be content with their life and not blindly compare with others* = =(T/N*: 人比人得死，货比货得扔, a saying from a famous martial arts book)  

4 million is the highest one can go with printed media since the nation has regulations on how high endorsements can pay. 4 million is the absolute limit and if you accept anything higher, then you’ll receive an ominous invitation for tea from the government. Han Feixu drank her soup silently as she bitterly vowed to never ask how much Ye Mingxin makes ever again.

But it felt awkward to sit there in silence while facing each other. Han Feixu changed the topic, “Are you close with Lin Yi?”

She asked this question out of innocence, but Ye Mingxin felt speechless at the fact Han Feixu could ask her such a question.

“Not close at all. There is a grudge between us.”

Han Feixu was shocked, “Grudge? What kind of grudge?”

Before Ye Mingxin could reply, Han Feixu put down her spoon and began to list off her doubts, “She seems to be a good person, gentle, considerate, very good looking, and even though she is a big star she doesn’t look down on others. She even showed concern and care for me.”

Above are all the reasons I hold a grudge against her, alright?

Ye Mingxin felt agitated, “I’m a good person too. I’m also gentle, considerate, good-looking, and I don’t put on airs around you either. I also care about you very, very much.”

Han Feixu was unfazed by her words, “It’s natural for you to show care about me in the first place. However, it’s another thing for an outsider like her to do the same.”

Han Feixu’s casual comment lifted Ye Mingxin’s heart and made her heart burst with joy.  She hurriedly pressed down the corners of her mouth that threatened to lift up, “Then, you’re saying that you should care about me too, right?”

“Of course, that is a natural duty of being a wife–” Han Feixu quickly fell silent. She had already sacrificed herself once for the so-called “wife’s duties”. She quickly changed the subject, “Anyways, I think Lin Yi is a pretty good person. She gives me the same feeling as my mother. She reminds me of her.”

This is not the first time Han Feixu has said this. She had liked Lin Yi before her amnesia because Lin Yi’s behavior and interactions were very similar to her mother’s. At the time, Han Feixu had just lost her parents and was desperate for an emotional substitute. Lin Yi was that substitute and Han Feixu would feel happy just from chatting with her.

Ye Mingxin had her hands underneath the table and blocked by the tablecloth so Han Feixu didn’t see her hands clenched into fists.

The last time this conversation happened, she reacted badly and too rashly. She didn’t understand Han Feixu’s feelings and the two quarreled many times over this incident.

Everytime someone mentions the words “let’s breakup” in a relationship, an additional crack appears on the surface and it’s a crack that cannot be repaired. Although they married, they didn’t actually know each other well enough to have developed a tacit understanding between the two of them. So every time they argued, it was like someone had blurted out the words “let’s breakup” and both parties’ hearts would grow colder with each argument.

Ye Mingxin took a deep breath. This time, she will correct herself.

If Han Feixu still likes and wants to get close to Lin Yi, then that’s okay. She won’t object. She just asks that whenever these two meet up together, they bring her along as well.

…..

Yup. This is the biggest concession Boss Ye, the owner of her own vinegar shop, can make after much careful consideration = = (T/N: Reminder that “vinegar” is slang for jealousy)  

She thinks this is a good idea. She can pay for their clothes and food, and they can talk all they want and pretend she doesn’t exist. She’ll be Han Feixu’s human-shaped wallet. Isn’t this a good deal for her?

So Ye Mingxin pretended to ask casually, “Do you want to be friends with her?”

Han Feixu stared blankly at her and felt that Ye Mingxin’s question was rather strange. She lifted her bowl and grabbed the ladle to give herself another bowl of soup, “Of course I don’t want to. Didn’t you say there’s a grudge between the two of you? I would be out of my mind if I suddenly went out and made friends with someone you have a grudge with. Right?”

Ye Mingxin: “…..”

So it turns out….all she had to say was that she had a grudge against Lin Yi????

When Han Feixu first met Lin Yi, Han Feixu had excitedly told Ye Mingxin about it and Ye Mingxin encouraged her to meet up more with Lin Yi based on the idea that her lover should make more friends. Later, when she found out that Han Feixu went out to look for Lin Yi more and more frequently, she felt a little unhappy, but still didn’t want to come across as overzealously jealous. So she didn’t say anything and acted like she didn’t care at all.

And so, slowly but surely, she grew more and more uneasy. Han Feixu didn’t notice this at all until one day, Ye Mingxin suddenly seemed to change her attitude. Han Feixu was quite dumbfounded and by that time, she was already good friends with Lin Yi. If you tell her to stay away from Lin Yi, she naturally cannot agree.

Ye Mingxin wanted to cover her face and scream into her hands. For such a simple thing, if she hadn’t pretended to be okay with it in the first place then they would never have gotten into a big argument. Furthermore, she would not have become archenemies with Lin Yi and tonight’s unnecessary investors’ meeting would’ve never happened = =

Han Feixu’s most favorite catchphrase is, “My mother/mom/mama said”, which shows just how much influence this woman had on Han Feixu. No one can completely empathize with another person and

At the time, Ye Mingxin could only “slightly” understand what Han Feixu’s was going through at that time. Only Han Feixu understood just how painful it was to lose both of her parents suddenly.

She must have missed her mother very much. If it wasn’t for Ye mingxin’s words just now about a grudge, she most likely would’ve taken the initiative to talk to Lin Yi just like she did with Chi Qiu and Yin Jiahe. However, after learning that she has a grudge against Lin Yi, she will not make friends with her because in her heart, Ye Mingxin’s feelings are more important.

Ye Mingxin raised an eyebrow, “It’s not a serious grudge. Didn’t you hear? She even wanted to get a drink with me. The two of you also used to have a good relationship as she was your friend.”

Han Feixu blew on the steaming soup and then absently replied, “Got it.”

The chicken and winter bamboo soup was just too good. She couldn’t help but drink three bowls of it. Fortunately, she’s not the type to get fat easily, otherwise even running give kilometers would not be able to offset the calories she ingested today.

Han Feixu was anxious about her weight after Ye Mingxin’s comment yesterday, but it would be too hard for her to lose weight right before filming. In reality, she could not be considered fat at all and if she really loses 10 pounds like she planned to then her entire body shape would be out of proportions.

But she really wants to be able to wear that pretty ring, what should she do?

At this time, she needed her almighty assistant, Zhong Yuanyuan patted her chest, “No problem, leave it to me!”

Han Feixu naturally was curious, “You really have a way to lose weight just for my hands?”

“Not just hands, I can even thin out just your eyelids! I’ve been in the entertainment industry for many years, who doesn’t have a trick or two up their sleeve? I’ll prepare the herbs tonight and you can take it before arriving on set.”

After they finished their second photoshoot for the other company, she took a day off and the next day they planned to take off at 6 in the morning.

At 5 the next morning, her luddge was still being packed by Zhong Yuanyuan. There were four suitcases in total yet Zhong Yuanyuian continued to pack more. Han Feixu looked at the luggage in word and could’t help but praise Zhong Yuanyuan.

“Did you somehow pack furniture too? It’s so much!”

“These two are full of clothes for the summer, autumn, and winter weather. It’ll probably take about three months to finish filming, who knows when we’ll actually finish. What if we don’t finish until November? So I felt that I needed to pack some extra just in case.”

“Then why can’t you just pick them up later when I need it? Even if you think that’s too troublesome, couldn’t you have put all of these in the RV yesterday when Little South came to pick up the RV to save on shipping and air costs?”

Zhong Yuanyuan’s expression froze, “Ai, I forgot.”

Han Feixu: “….”

Then what’s the point of having you here???