Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

”These kinds of events are pretty fun. I wonder if there will be any others tomorrow?”

”I asked. It’s only for one day.”

”That braised assorted fish in sauce was so delicious. The meat was tender and flavorful, especially the Korean mint leaves in it. The taste was so unique! I’m going to plant a patch in my yard when I get back.”

”Remember to plant it in a pot. That stuff grows like crazy. If you’re on set for a few months and then go back, it might have taken over the whole area.”

”I also need to buy a cast-iron pot. I feel like this dish has no soul without a cast-iron pot. A big one, BUBBLE~ BUBBLE~ TSK TSK!”

”If you like it that much, we can go eat there again tomorrow. It’s not far, anyway.”

”No, we don’t have to. There are so many other things I haven’t tried yet! It’s not every day we get to come here. We have to make the most of our time and try as many different dishes as we can!”

”There’s no need to rush. We’re changing locations in a few days, and the new film studio is also in the Northeast.”

’There’s plenty of time to eat Northeast cuisine!’

’But it won’t be so convenient if she wants to come back to this specific restaurant for their fish.’

”Then I’m still going tomorrow! Speaking of which, the meat of that cold-water fish was also really good!”

Duanmu Li really wanted to say, ’Without all those old fishing buddies to shoot the breeze with tomorrow, you definitely won’t think it tastes the same!’

’But on second thought, she decided against it.’

’She was already excited enough today. If the topic turned to her newly-made fishing friends, she’d probably talk until the middle of the night.’

Seeing her quiet, Ni Bingyan didn’t mind and continued on her own:

”One of my fishing friends said he’d give me a jar of homemade soybean paste. We’re meeting at eight tomorrow, so I need to keep an eye on the time and go buy a gift for him in return early in the morning. When I get back, I’ll use this paste to stew some fish at home and invite you and Sister Wei over. I wonder if the taste will be very different?”

”The water temperature here is low, so the fish grow slower. The texture will probably be different, right?”

In the end, Duanmu Li couldn’t resist and offered a casual reply.

And that was a mistake. The moment fish were mentioned, Ni Bingyan’s eyes lit up, and she started schooling her on what kind of bait each type of fish likes, how deep they usually swim, how they act when they bite the hook, and what rhythm to use when reeling them in to land them successfully.

’It was a familiar spiel. Duanmu Li had already gotten an earful of it from that group of old fishermen today.’

”The common fish species here are a bit different from the ones I used to catch...”

Listening to her ramble on, Duanmu Li knew she had just learned something new and couldn’t contain her excitement.

Sigh!

’This woman just had that knack. Even the most tight-lipped person would become talkative around her.’

It was eight o’clock when they left the event. The two of them strolled back toward the inn, chatting as they walked, and it felt like they arrived in no time at all.

They entered the inn, sliding open the wooden door and lifting the thick cotton curtain. Still wearing relaxed smiles, they saw Wei Shuojie waiting inside with a man with a crew cut.

When they saw the two women enter, they stood up and walked over to greet them.

”Huh? Sister Wei? What are you doing here?”

After working so hard for so long, she finally got a two-day break and happened to stumble upon an event she loved. Ni Bingyan was overjoyed.

She felt that days like this were especially comfortable.

A job she liked, a good income, and enough downtime to recharge—freedom in life, finances, and thought. What could be better!

Suddenly seeing Wei Shuojie, her nerves instantly tensed up. Her earlier feeling of relaxation vanished in the blink of an eye.

Wei Shuojie didn’t say anything. ’Am I supposed to tell her I didn’t even finish the movie and came straight here without going home?’

Seeing her silence, Ni Bingyan asked again, ”Didn’t you say you wanted to take a proper vacation while I was busy on set?”

’Showing up here without any warning... Did something happen again?’

As she spoke, Ni Bingyan’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on the man with the crew cut.

He was of average height, average build, and average looks. He had a smile on his face, and his single-lidded, squinty eyes looked like two thin slits.

He was dressed neatly, with a glossy, emerald-green jade pendant hanging from his neck. The pendant was carved with a benevolent-looking Guanyin Bodhisattva. Tucked under his arm was a bulging black briefcase.

Noticing her sizing him up, the man immediately smiled and extended a hand. ”Hello, my name is Wang Biao.”

His attitude was neither servile nor overbearing.

Impressively, his words and actions seemed cultured and refined, without a hint of greasiness.

Ni Bingyan’s first impression of him was very good.

As she reached out to shake his hand, Wei Shuojie said, ”You can call him Brother Biao. He’s the new executive agent. From now on, he’ll be with you on set and for your public appearances, handling all the tedious administrative handovers for you.”

’Out in this industry, you always run into things she couldn’t handle personally and an assistant couldn’t manage. Wang Biao’s arrival was perfectly timed.’

’Although she didn’t know how capable he was, he must be decent if he passed Sister Wei’s interview.’

Ni Bingyan immediately smiled and greeted him, ”Brother Biao, hello!”

”Hello, hello. I look forward to working with you.”

”I wouldn’t dare ’guide’ you; I’m the one who needs your help. I’ll be counting on you from now on!”

Ni Bingyan never put on airs, which also gave Wang Biao a good first impression of her.

It was their first meeting, so they weren’t familiar with each other. After the greetings and a few pleasantries, the conversation died down, and it became a bit awkward.

So, Ni Bingyan asked Wei Shuojie, ”Sister Wei, what time did you two get here? Have you had dinner?”

Wei Shuojie nodded and glanced at Wang Biao.

Seeing that the two women clearly had private matters to discuss, Wang Biao tactfully made an excuse and returned to his room. Duanmu Li also claimed she was tired and hurried back to her room for her online classes.

”Let’s go to your room. I need to talk to you about something.”

With a new person on the team, Wei Shuojie, as the lead agent, certainly needed to arrange his work.

Besides, since she’d brought him over directly without any prior notice, she at least had to give her an introduction to Wang Biao’s background.

The two returned to the room. Ni Bingyan brewed a pot of aged tangerine peel tea, and they sat facing each other by the window before she finally spoke:

”Why did you show up so suddenly? Did something happen? Sister Li and I went out to have some fun; we had no idea you were coming.”

She phrased it diplomatically, but Wei Shuojie could still hear the dissatisfaction in her voice.

’She’s blaming me for bringing someone here without telling her.’

’Or rather, for choosing someone without consulting her.’

”Why did I come so suddenly? Why did I have Brother Biao start work early? Don’t you know already? I thought nothing would happen while you were on set filming, but I never expected that on your one day off, you’d find a way to stir up trouble. How can I possibly rest easy without someone mature and steady by your side?”

Ni Bingyan was a bit bewildered. ”But I’ve been behaving myself! Who’s spreading rumors to harm me now?!”

Seeing her innocent face, Wei Shuojie felt her anger flare up:

”The fact that you joined a group of old men for an ice fishing competition is trending on the hot search again today! I know what you’re going to say—that it’s not exactly negative press, and I didn’t think much of it at first. But the more I think about it, the more scared I get. Tell me yourself, how many times have you been on the hot search since I signed you? You have way too many unexpected situations happening around you! This time it’s fishing, what’s it going to be next time? You entered this business, so you should know how dangerous it is. One wrong step, and you’ll be doomed beyond recovery!”

Ni Bingyan was a little upset. ”I’m not the type to act recklessly.”

”A lot of the time, it’s not something your own intentions can control! When trouble comes looking for you, you don’t get a say in refusing it! Besides, you don’t have enough experience. Sometimes there’s a pit right in front of you and you don’t even know it. You only realize it after you’ve stepped in, but by then, it’s too late!”

Hearing the logic in her words, Ni Bingyan didn’t argue back and just nodded in agreement.

Then she looked at Wei Shuojie again. ”So what’s Brother Biao’s background? I should get to know him better, so I don’t accidentally cross any of his lines in the future.”