Actresses

Chapter 5 New Plan

Master Ye said that filming would begin this year, which means that at least the cast and script must be finalized this year. Securing the actors is the top priority. He Yuran and Shi Jiahe divided the work: He Yuran would personally talk to actresses, while Shi Jiahe would use her connections to check the availability and fees of well-known actresses, and also talk to some artists she knew to explore the possibilities.

In addition, Shi Jiahe had another task: to find scripts and to hire screenwriters.

He Yuran first approached several A-list actresses slightly younger than herself, swallowing her pride to inquire, but without exception, she was turned down. Some refused outright, while others were more tactful, at least creating a group chat before having their agents play the bad cop. The excuses were invariably: "Sorry, Ms. He, my daughter's schedule is completely full." Others cited issues involving other partners' interests or platform revenue sharing, refusing to lower her salary under any circumstances. Some even waited several days before replying on WeChat, saying they were abroad and in a different time zone, and would talk again later. In short, nothing came of it.

He Yu was so angry that he locked himself in his house and started smashing things. When Shi Jiahe received the message, she rushed over from her studio.

As soon as I opened the door, a cushion flew right at me.

Shi Jiahe picked up the cushion and quickly closed the door to prevent anything else from flying outside. After all, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. Looking around, thankfully, even though the big star wasn't short of money, the only thing she would break at home was a cushion.

"Sister Ran, have you eaten?" Shi Jiahe asked cautiously.

He Yuran, whenever she gets angry, will refuse to eat or drink, and she even calls it: "Actors must always be self-disciplined."

"What are you eating for!" He Yuran glared at Shi Jiahe. "I'm not in the mood to eat! This industry is really going to the dogs! How come all the artists these days are so mercenary! Doesn't anyone want to do anything worthwhile?"

Shi Jiahe didn't dare to laugh either. She tiptoed to the sofa and put the cushions back. "Sister Ran, don't be too angry. Let's think of another way. There are so many celebrities; we're sure we can find someone."

"You make it sound so easy, like you're looking for a boyfriend!" He Yuran chuckled to herself, then sighed. "If it were really about finding a man, I wouldn't be so worried, or even finding an investor. Why is finding an actress so difficult?! What did I tell you? An actress's rival is still another actress!"

"Ran-jie, didn't Teacher Ye explain this to us in detail? Don't fall into your old ways of thinking again," Shi Jiahe said helplessly. "It's understandable that the popular young actress doesn't want to come; don't let this affect our progress on the project."

"We can't even find actors, how are we supposed to continue? Tell me why!" He Yuran gritted her teeth.

Shi Jiahe paused for a moment, then said, "Sister Ran, since we're the ones who need them now, shouldn't we also consider their needs? Master Ye is right, your predicament is everyone's predicament. If we change our perspective, what about those actresses who, like us, lack suitable roles?"

He Yuran didn't react for a moment, glaring at her manager who was siding with outsiders. "What do you mean! Whether the others are willing to come or not is still uncertain, and you're already thinking about them?"

Shi Jiahe was also angry. Why was this woman so stubborn? If this big star still wouldn't change her mindset, then she might as well quit this job. Serving someone for a while is one thing, but did she really have to serve someone forever?

Once a person lets go of their inhibitions, their speech is no longer bound by past concerns.

Shi Jiahe roared without thinking.

"Sister, you've been so high and mighty for far too long. Honestly, even if you're at what you perceive as a career low, it's still the ultimate goal that no actress can ever reach! I beg you, come out of your self-imagined hell, even just for a moment, and see what other people are going through. If you don't want to understand your fellow actresses, fine, then at least try to understand the lives of ordinary people these days! Otherwise, who are you making shows for? Who are you trying to connect with? Just your few scattered fans on your fan page? How many young people these days have seen your old movies and understand what you consider art? Wake up, my sister! Stop looking up at the sky, look down at the ground we're standing on!"

Shi Jiahe unleashed a torrent of Gatling gun ammunition from his mind, stiffened his neck, and braced himself for He Yuran's nuclear-level emotional outburst. The words "I quit" were on the tip of his tongue, ready to be uttered at any moment.

Who knew that He Yuran was like a bomb with its fuse removed; although it still posed a great danger, it didn't seem to have been triggered at the moment.

Moreover, her tone was coquettish, implying vulnerability. "So... tell me, how am I supposed to find out? Should I find a job? Or maybe I should drive for a ride-hailing service for a few days?"

Shi Jiahe thought she was hallucinating and tilted her head to look at the boss.

Outside the large French windows behind me, the sunlight was beginning to turn golden. The sky, like an all-encompassing giant, was watching over everything happening on earth with warmth.

"You...aren't you angry?"

"Heh, you're not even calling me 'sister' anymore?"

The two stood a few meters apart, neither moving, as if in a standoff.

"...Sister Ran." As if possessed, Shi Jiahe's temper suddenly vanished without a trace, replaced by a sense of self-reproach. She had spoken too harshly; Sister Ran wasn't usually that arrogant, just lacking a bit of common sense.

"That's more like it." He Yuran shrugged. "You were so aggressive just now, I thought you were going to eat me alive! Since we're on the topic, how about you come up with a plan? How can you let me go out and broaden my horizons?"

"Sis, are you... serious?"

"What, you're questioning this actress's learning ability?" He Yuran raised an eyebrow and tossed her long hair back. "Who didn't start from the crowd? If you can get out, you can get in too."

"Alright, if you're willing, then we'll keep our word."

"Okay, it's a deal then." He Yuran smiled.

Shi Jiahe didn't care whether the sentences matched or not, and stretched out her hand, "I'm applying for two thousand yuan in funding. Please bring it to me, sister."

He Yuran was stunned. "You want cash?"

Shi Jiahe blinked. "I can transfer it to you via WeChat too."

He Yuran looked down to pick up her phone, muttering to herself, "I have to prepay for this little bit of money?"

"Yes, even my own sister keeps clear accounts." Shi Jiahe's temper started to rise again. She quickly tried to suppress it.

How did two thousand dollars become "this little bit of money"? It seems that the first lesson in reforming the film industry must begin with aligning everyone's understanding of money.

Shi Jiahe quickly clicked "Receive Payment." "Ran-jie, for the next few days, you're not allowed to do anything else, and don't make any appointments with anyone! Just focus on following me. I'll pick you up at ten tomorrow morning."

"Ugh! Isn't it too early!" He Yuran said reluctantly. "Where are we going? What are we going to do? Do I need to make any preparations?"

"You don't need to prepare anything. Just go to bed early tonight and get up on time tomorrow morning. I'll be at your house on time." Shi Jiahe said sternly.

"What if I can't sleep?" He Yuran asked, hugging her shoulders and acting spoiled.

"Then I'll drag you out. If you're not afraid of being photographed with your hair all messed up, then go clubbing all night long, I won't stop you."

"Fine, fine, you have quite the temper! I'll do as you say, okay?"

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Shi Jiahe waved her hand and turned to leave without hesitation.

"So, am I supposed to eat breakfast tomorrow morning?!" He Yuran shouted from behind.

"Eat if you can get up!" Shi Jiahe closed the door from the outside.

She knew she couldn't afford to linger any longer. He Yuran was always unpredictable, sometimes acting erratically and sometimes acting normally; his current calm didn't mean he wouldn't suddenly have an attack later. To save her life, she had to make a quick getaway.

As for the activity plan for the next two days, it was actually a sudden idea from Shi Jiahe, but on the way home, the more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. The two thousand yuan was for their living expenses for two days. At a standard of five hundred yuan per person per day, it would be more than enough even in a big city like Beijing, and there would be no need to worry about accommodation.

But Shi Jiahe knew that He Yuran didn't actually have a very clear concept of a few thousand yuan. She didn't even have tens of thousands of yuan.

When they went out for business or shopping, He Yuran was always the one to pay, but she never looked at the bill, swiping her card and leaving immediately. He Yuran didn't even check her balance after buying a house, let alone a meal. Shi Jiahe, on the other hand, never rushed off; she always checked the bill with the waiter first, discovering several times that the restaurant had overcharged her. But He Yuran remained unconcerned, having her own theory: things can be wasted, but money is never wasted. As long as she spent money unnecessarily, someone would be happy. Shi Jiahe, unable to win an argument with the boss, could only roll her eyes each time.

Based on these past experiences, it's necessary to set a fixed budget for the two days to give He Yuran a sense of real pressure. However, it can't be set too low, like 100 yuan a day, otherwise, given He Yuran's temperament, they could just go out, buy coffee, and head home.

That night, Shi Jiahe had no contact with He Yuran for the first time ever and slept soundly like never before.

The next morning at ten o'clock, she went straight to He Yuran's door. When she entered, the living room curtains were drawn. Shi Jiahe was somewhat relieved, proving that he was actually up. But she didn't hear any sounds of human activity.

"Ran-jie? Ran-jie? Where are you?" Shi Jiahe called out as she walked toward the bedroom.

"Stop howling! Where's the toilet?! You scared away all the poop!" A clap of thunder echoed from the closed bathroom door.

Afraid of being overwhelmed by the smell, Shi Jiahe quickly took a few steps back, but still called out, "Just don't fall asleep!"

"You scared me awake even when I was asleep!" she persisted.

With one person urging and the other dawdling, it wasn't until 10:30 that they finally left the house.

But Shi Jiahe was quite pleased; Ran-jie had actually gotten up early, and it was already raining blood. That's right, her expectations of He Yuran were that low now.

After getting into a well-regarded car, Shi Jiahe began explaining the rules of life for the next two days to her still dazed sister in the back seat.

"Sister Ran, let's budget 500 yuan per person for the next two days, including all expenses such as food, drinks, transportation, and entertainment. I'll keep track of everything. Remember, it's only 2,000 yuan in total, so don't spend extravagantly on food. If we overspend, we won't get a penny more."

"Okay." He Yuran yawned. "Where to now? Let's eat first, you can't let me starve!"

Sure enough, although she got up early, she hadn't eaten breakfast. Shi Jiahe nodded with a smile. "Of course. Let's go to Blue Harbor first; it's not too crowded there during the day. The weather's nice today too; we can have coffee and soak up the sun in the square."

He Yuran was still grumpy from waking up, and waved her hand dismissively, "Whatever."

After getting out of the car and settling the bill, the fare was 28 yuan. Shi Jiahe used a 3 yuan coupon, so the actual cost was 25 yuan.

The two headed straight to a light-meal Western restaurant. He Yuran practically swiped through the menu with her eyes closed, ordering a non-alcoholic cocktail, an Americano, and a salad. She originally wanted to order steak, but Shi Jiahe made her look at the price—258 yuan—so she changed it to a wrap.

After finishing brunch, the bill came to 240 yuan.

Shi Jiahe said seriously, "My current disposable balance is 1735 yuan."

He Yuran didn't seem to care, "There's still a lot!"

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "Heh, I hope you still think that way in a moment."