Chapter 0615: The Arrival of a Woman

Zhao Fusheng was not a madman, nor was Jiang Wen. The only reasons he agreed to take on that terrible film were the paycheck and the fact that he simply couldn't refuse the favor.

There was no way around it; Jiang Wen was not some immortal who lived above the mortal world. When friends and relatives came knocking, he had no choice either.

Even someone with Chen Dao's personality couldn't turn down some invitations and occasionally made cameo appearances in bad movies, let alone Jiang Wen.

"Alright, since you're not willing, let's just pretend I never said anything."

Seeing Zhao Fusheng's firm attitude, Jiang Wen didn't want to force the issue. After all, even though they were friends, each had their own circles. He couldn't impose his own ideas on others.

As the two were eating, Jiang Wen received a phone call, and his expression turned strange.

"A friend is coming over soon. Do you want to meet him?" Jiang Wen asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng was a bit surprised. Jiang Wen rarely introduced friends to him anymore because he knew Zhao didn't like dealing with people from the film and television circle.

"Who is it? Are you close?" Zhao Fusheng asked curiously.

"Pretty close. Introduced by Old Ye." The 'Old Ye' Jiang Wen referred to was Ye Jing, the one from the Beijing circle.

"Then let's meet."

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and nodded.

He owed Ye Jing a favor regarding the establishment of the foundation. Since Ye Jing had introduced this person to Jiang Wen, it was effectively an introduction to him as well.

Zhao Fusheng was quite willing to have an opportunity to repay that favor.

After all, any debt was easier to repay than a favor debt.

Jiang Wen got up and went out to make a phone call, presumably to give the address. Less than half an hour later, a graceful woman walked into the restaurant.

The moment he saw the woman, Zhao Fusheng was stunned.

Xu Lei...

What Zhao Fusheng remembered most about this woman was the TV series "Cherish Our Love Forever" from his previous life. As one of the earliest idol dramas in China, that show had made a lot of people famous.

Later, she became increasingly popular in the circle, her status rising higher and higher, and the title of 'number one blogger' was all the rage for a time.

At first, Zhao Fusheng didn't notice anything unusual. But after someone pointed it out, he carefully observed the films she starred in and her co-stars, and then he understood: behind her stood a group of big shots from the Beijing circle.

As for the reason, it naturally traced back to a certain writer.

Of course, no one ever admitted it openly. Some things were like a window paper—as long as no one poked a hole through it, celebrities in the entertainment industry always liked to treat the audience as fools.

Or rather, being in the entertainment industry, these people had gotten used to being whores while putting up a chastity sign.

But the problem was, in this life, Zhao Fusheng had inquired and found that the Beijing circle only had Gao Zhenhai, the top screenwriter, and not the founder of that hooligan literature. Yet from Jiang Wen's words, Xu Lei was still famous. Could it be because of Ye Jing?

With this doubt, Zhao Fusheng looked up and said to Jiang Wen, "And this is?"

"This is Xu Lei, a friend of Ye Jing's." Jiang Wen politely introduced the two.

"And this is Zhao Fusheng, my friend."

"Pleasure. Just call me Fusheng." Zhao Fusheng naturally gave enough face, stood up, and shook hands with Xu Lei.

Xu Lei was twenty-seven years old and appeared much more composed than most girls. She spoke to Zhao Fusheng very politely: "I've heard Teacher Ye mention you many times, saying you're exceptionally talented. I've always wanted to meet you in person, and today I finally get to see the real Buddha."

It had to be said, this woman was very skilled with words. She had an indescribable affability that made you feel, whether familiar or not, that she seemed to value you highly.

If Zhao Fusheng's mental age and physical age were both twenty, he might have been swayed by her.

But unfortunately, Zhao Fusheng was no longer that greenhorn who could be fooled by a few words. Now, he was nothing short of a wily old fox.

Xu Lei's demeanor was certainly warm, but Zhao Fusheng was no less so. He kept complimenting Xu Lei on her beauty and elegance, leaving Jiang Wen astonished, thinking to himself, 'I never noticed before that this kid was so good at winning women over.'

Xu Lei was also surprised. She had learned of Zhao Fusheng's existence from Ye Jing and had gathered some information about him, and she was quite astonished.

After all, he was such a young screenwriter and a genius in advertising planning. She had originally thought he would be the type to be arrogant due to his youth. But after chatting with him today, she suddenly discovered that he was a complete smooth operator.

Yes, that word perfectly described the impression Zhao Fusheng gave Xu Lei at that moment.

She had started her career early and had seen many men in the circle, all kinds. Most of them doted on her like a princess. Because of Ye Jing, some even spread rumors that she was the goddess of the Beijing circle.

Xu Lei was happy to see such rumors.

Every woman, even at thirty or forty, harbors a princess dream deep inside, longing to be cherished like a treasure.

But some women, through the twists and turns of life, gradually have to face reality, finding their princess dreams crushed by the daily grind of life and fed to their husbands and children.

Of course, there are also many women, like Xu Lei, who refuse to compromise with life, or who meet a man who spoils them rotten...

Well, maybe a group of men, and thus she becomes a princess...

Zhao Fusheng knew what kind of woman Xu Lei was better than anyone, even better than Jiang Wen, because Jiang Wen couldn't possibly know the trajectory of Xu Lei's life over the next decade or so, but Zhao Fusheng knew clearly and exactly what path she would take in the future.

Good at managing herself!

That was Zhao Fusheng's deepest impression of Xu Lei from his previous life.

In fact, whether it was her or Zhao Yan, when it came to acting skills, they couldn't compare to the true acting powerhouses. But they were popular and had high status for a simple reason: they were good at managing themselves.

Even including International Zhang, after the fake charity scandal and the ink-splashing incident, she had lost many big-name endorsements. But she was very good at leveraging her strengths. After realizing she had little room for development internationally, she decisively turned to the domestic market. First, she earned praise for her acting in 'The Revenge of a Swordswoman,' then married Wang Bancheng, adopting a down-to-earth persona, and suddenly her image as a good wife and good mother was everywhere.

The entertainment industry is a vanity fair. Everyone wears a mask, hides their true face, and plays their role.

And now, Xu Lei, still just a little fox spirit striving to climb up, had met Zhao Fusheng, a veteran in the game. Today, Zhao Fusheng was looking forward to seeing what surprises Xu Lei would bring him.