Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

If the average person were to travel to Paris, where would they go, and what would they do?

If Ni Bingyan had to plan it herself, she would probably look up some influencer-famous spots online and then check them off one by one.

First, she’d go up the Eiffel Tower and have dinner at its Michelin restaurant while enjoying the Parisian nightscape. Then, she’d visit the Louvre to see the Winged Victory, the Mona Lisa, and the Venus de Milo. After that, she’d take a walk along the Seine River, feel the breeze, and watch the sunset...

Next, she’d have to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, walk through the Arc de Triomphe, and also visit the Versailles Palace, the Sacré-C?ur Basilica, and the Fontainebleau Palace.

Finally, there was the Pompidou Art Center and the Orsay Museum. As a self-proclaimed culture enthusiast, she’d have to check those out too.

As for the Champs-élysées, she’d been there so many times for company-arranged street photoshoots during business trips that it had long lost its novelty.

In fact, the familiar street just reminded her of her busy work schedule.

So this time, she was determined not to go.

But since she had been invited to Paris this time, Alan had already made plans, saying he wanted to be a good host. Ni Bingyan decided to embark on an adventure of friendship and follow his lead.

”If you don’t mind, we could invite some friends to join us.”

”That’s a wonderful idea!”

The next morning, Alan came to the hotel to pick her up.

He didn’t go upstairs, but waited quietly in the lobby downstairs.

Even though he had brought an assistant and wasn’t alone, the first thing he did upon seeing Ni Bingyan was to suggest they invite friends to join them.

When dealing with female celebrities, especially when they had no intention of starting rumors with him, Alan was always particularly mindful of maintaining proper boundaries.

Otherwise, one misstep could ruin the friendship, which would be a huge loss for someone like him who didn’t make friends easily.

People without a sense of boundaries are disliked everywhere, but those who are tactful are different.

Ni Bingyan nodded with a smile, agreeing to his suggestion.

After discussing the day’s itinerary and having breakfast together, they confirmed that the friends they were about to meet were also willing to be on camera, and then they set off.

”So, where are we going today? How many friends are coming? Should we ask for their opinions on the itinerary?”

More people meant more opinions. She wanted to experience something special with Alan, but the others might not feel the same way.

If they didn’t sort it out now, arguing in front of the camera later wouldn’t be a pretty sight.

”Oh, Ni, you’re so considerate. Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged everything.”

Seeing Alan Casso puff out his chest and guarantee it, Ni Bingyan didn’t press the matter.

Alan was a man of exquisite taste. He dressed elegantly, had high standards for his quality of life, and usually went out not only with bodyguards but also with three assistants, requiring at least two cars.

Today, with Ni Bingyan and the film crew’s vehicles joining the convoy, the number of people ballooned, and two cars turned into five. He didn’t seem to think anything was amiss, and Ni Bingyan certainly wasn’t going to comment on it.

Alan was busy, and so were his friends.

Getting everyone’s schedules to line up for a vacation was unrealistic, so they would take turns joining the tour group.

Ni Bingyan was all for this arrangement.

’This way, I don’t have to worry about there being too many people to manage properly.’

”Paris has exhibitions all year round—all kinds of them. Luxury goods, antiques, art, even wine. The friend we’re about to meet, Simone, is a glass artist. She’s holding an exhibition right now, and we can ask her to tell us about her work.”

Worried that Ni Bingyan might get the wrong idea, Alan made sure to explain, ”She’s very busy. Besides creating in her studio, she also has to find time to teach at the university, so she rarely comes to the gallery.”

Simone was already a famous artist, and art is a relatively niche interest. Those who like it will like it, and you can’t force those who don’t.

Alan really hadn’t brought Ni Bingyan here just to promote Simone on her show.

Because Simone most likely didn’t need it.

Of course, Ni Bingyan wouldn’t be so cynical.

”Since you brought me here for our first stop, this exhibition must be something special.”

”But of course! It might be a bit niche, but I guarantee you’ll find it completely refreshing! By the way, I’ve already been three times this month! I find it very inspiring for my own artistic creations!”

The lives of Parisians are always filled with art of all kinds, so it was no surprise that Alan loved these things.

Ni Bingyan was also the type of person who liked to visit art and painting exhibitions whenever she had free time, so she was very pleased with this plan.

Her curiosity piqued, Ni Bingyan was filled with anticipation the entire way, wishing a teleporter would just appear in front of her.

After about thirty minutes, they finally arrived at their destination.

The gallery was in a very tranquil setting. They first entered a small park and walked for a while along a stone path until they saw a building hidden among cedar trees.

It was a three-story French-style building, with an L-shaped corridor on each floor. It looked to have quite a bit of history.

Bathed in the morning sun, they walked along the corridor. Through the vintage arched windows, they could see that many visitors had already arrived inside.

The visitors, some in pairs or small groups, others alone, were all quietly looking at the works on display.

Some were deep in thought, while others wore smiles. The variety of expressions was endless, making those outside even more curious.

The exhibition occupied the entire first floor, but the entrance was around the corridor. The tantalizing glimpse through the glass windows made Ni Bingyan’s heart itch with curiosity, and she quickened her pace without realizing it.

Just as they reached the entrance, a red-haired woman came out to greet them.

She had never met Ni Bingyan, but Alan Casso had told her that the friend coming today was from China. Since she might not see a single Chinese visitor in half a month, she figured out who this person was after a moment’s thought.

”Hi, you’re here.”

Asian names can be a bit difficult for Europeans to remember, but Ni Bingyan wasn’t willing to adopt an easy-to-remember foreign name. She simply smiled, extended her hand, and introduced herself.

”Hello, I’m guessing you must be Simone. I’m Ni Bingyan. You can call me Ni.”

The two had already introduced themselves and were shaking hands when Alan finally caught up.

”Oh, Ni, you walk too fast!”

In her high heels, Ni Bingyan was over 1.7 meters tall. In her excitement, she had strode forward, accidentally leaving Alan behind.

”Sorry. I glanced through the window and knew this was something I’d love, so I got excited and sped up. As we say in China, I couldn’t help myself, and I just couldn’t wait.”

”’Couldn’t help yourself’? ’Couldn’t wait’? Oh, you are such an adorable sweetheart!”

To Ni Bingyan’s surprise, Simone could actually speak Chinese!

Before she even had a chance to explain what the phrases meant, Simone already understood what she was trying to say.

”I know you must be curious. I studied abroad in China before, so I can speak some conversational Chinese.”

After that brief explanation, she led the two of them inside.

Simone wasn’t a particularly talkative person, but when she started talking about her work, her face immediately lit up.

”Glass is highly malleable. You can shape it into all sorts of forms and fire it into all sorts of colors. It’s something so cold and hard, yet it can be made to look soft and delicate. It’s magical, isn’t it?”

Looking at the various glass ornaments on the display stands, Ni Bingyan felt that this trip was turning out to be both relaxing and fun!

’This must be what it feels like to steal a moment of leisure from a busy life.’

Just as she was feeling delighted, Ni Bingyan followed Simone around a partition wall. Before she could get a good look at the artwork in front of her, she caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.