Chapter 2: Achieved
Xia Lingying dragged her tired body slowly towards home. Needless to say, she accomplished nothing today.
From initially auditioning for the female lead to being an extra, and now a typist, no matter how hard she tries, no one hires her. Her outstanding educational background, and good external conditions, all seem to be ineffective at this moment. Those proud faces, displaying an arrogant attitude, only give her rejection, rejection, rejection.
After opening the door, Xia Lingying took off her shoes, put them away, walked into the house, and fell heavily on the sofa. Her body, which had been tensed all day, relaxed for a moment. In the hazy state, she dreamed of her father and mother again. The family of three happily gathered together to watch the football game. Her father still bet with her as usual, and when he lost the bet, he pretended to be pitiful. In the dream, Xia Lingying laughed recklessly, and surprisingly, she woke up from the dream because she laughed too hard. Xia Lingying slowly opened her eyes, and couldn't grasp the situation for a moment. She gazed at the ceiling in confusion and waited for her brain to align. After a while, she realized it was just a dream. A sense of loss emerged, and she shook her head and sighed, unwilling to let this happiness slip away. She leaned quietly by the window, savoring the dream, and after a moment, she understood its origin.
It turns out the neighbor's child next door is celebrating their birthday and the sounds of joy and laughter seep through the walls into Xia Lingying's small room. She sat quietly with her arms folded, listening attentively, picturing the scene of a reunited family. A hint of a smile in her eyes appeared.
She didn't know how long she listened. Her smile faded, then she sat up with her legs folded and stared at a family photo on the bedside table. After a long sigh, she buried her head between her bent knees.
So tired, really tired.
How could she avenge his father's shame when her debut is just like this? How can she let her mother enjoy her old age in peace?
An urgent call broke the tranquility of the small room. Xia Lingying took a deep breath, eased her emotions, and then picked up the phone on her right.
"Hello."
"Xiaxia, it's me, Song Yan!"
A young man's voice came from the other end of the phone.
Song Yan was her father's former driver and the only person who still cared for her and her mother after her father's company went bankrupt. Xia Lingying trusted him. Fearing that creditors might come home and startle her mother. She had sent her mother to him for assistance, entrusting him with the last 400,000 yuan her father had left. As for herself, survival was all that mattered.
"What's up?"
Xia Lingying asked softly.
"You have a cold? Why is your voice so nasal?"
Song Yan wondered, muttering a sentence. After a while with no response from Xia Lingying, he didn't pay much attention and continued talking.
"Today, I went to see Xiao Yan, the head of the sales department at 'Nanyang Entertainment.' He used to work under your father, you know. I wanted to see if he could help, maybe arrange a job for you."
Xia Lingying listened quietly, not interrupting. From Song Yan's tone, she already sensed that he must be frustrated like her. When he reached this point, Song Yan fell silent on the other end of the phone. After a moment, his deep voice slowly began to speak.
"Xiaxia, think carefully, did you offend someone? When I left the company, Xiao Yan privately told me that it was a direct order from Mr. Wan at Nanyang. He said, for whatever reason, they are not allowed to hire you. It's likely the same situation with other companies..."
Xia Lingying was taken aback. Had she offended someone? As a university graduate, who could she possibly have offended? Furthermore, to what extent would someone go to such lengths to deal with her?
After ending the call, Xia Lingying lay on the snowy white, soft sofa, with a slight frown, and replayed the various characters she had encountered in the past few days in her mind.
Who could it be? Who would go to such lengths against her? With her cultivated noble temperament since childhood, Xia Lingying generally didn't fuss over trivial matters with others and rarely offended anyone. Moreover, given her current status, how could she possibly come into contact with someone so influential in the entertainment industry?
She tossed and turned until the lazy and beautiful face of Xiao Moyan suddenly flashed in her mind. She widened her eyes abruptly and sat up at once.
Is it her? Xiao Moyan! Why? Could it be merely because of her rejection?
Countless question marks flashed in Xia Lingying's mind. Every conversation they had that day they met replayed in her head. Judging by Xiao Moyan's way of speaking, she seemed to know her father. Could it be some unresolved issue from the previous generation?
With these thoughts in mind, Xia Lingying picked up the phone from the bed, intending to call her mother and find out the truth. After hesitating for a long time, her hand remained suspended in mid-air, eventually withdrawing. She couldn't bear to let her mother, who was already wounded by her father's affairs, suffer anymore.
Xia Lingying sighed, picked up her bag from the table, dragged her weary body, and walked out of the small room once again.
Tuesday, Tiang Huang’s Conference Room.
Xiao Moyan continued the meeting with the directors as usual. Though her face bore a smiling demeanor, her mind was already filled with curses. She twirled her pen, glancing displeasingly at the old men around her. These bad old men were becoming increasingly restless. At their age, what did they know about entertainment and fashion? They planned to operate using methods from the 1970s to promote new talents—emphasizing singing skills and acting abilities, which was all nonsense. In this glamorous era, even if you have exceptional singing skills and acting talent, can one become popular with an old-fashioned face? As for those less important aspects, they could be fixed in post-production. Why put in so much effort to cultivate them? Hmph. Come up with some new tricks yourself. These old men, who never rested, always found fault in every detail. They should have cleaned up and laid in a coffin long ago for someone to carry away. If not for the sake of her father's face, she would have initiated a comprehensive reform long ago.
As she calculated in her mind, Xiao Moyan maintained a warm smile on her face, occasionally nodding gently. The expression that begged for a slap was absolutely infuriating, leaving the senior members, who were already full of frustration, unable to vent their anger. The meeting had to reluctantly come to an end.
Finally done with the headache-inducing meeting, Xiao Moyan was then informed by her secretary that a young woman had been waiting for her for quite some time and was eager to meet her. Xiao Moyan responded with a hint of irritation. A young woman seeking her out individually? Probably just some cat or dog trying to use the backdoor. Xiao Moyan massaged her shoulders and grumpily pushed the door open, and indeed, on the sofa, a young girl with long hair sat, gazing at her with anger in her eyes. Once she saw clearly, Xiao Moyan couldn't help but smile. With the usual mischief, she folded her arms and looked at Xia Lingying.
“Why, little beauty, I thought you weren't willing? Why are you back?"
"What exactly does Miss Xiao want?"
Xia Lingying's calm voice came with a forcibly suppressed anger. Upon hearing this, Xiao Moyan sneered. "Xia Lingying, compared to me, you're still a bit naive. You don't understand how to control your emotions, showing off in front of the boss. With your status as a girl with neither power nor influence, you still want to make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry. It's simply a pipe dream."
Xiao Moyan suppressed her smile, leaned against the door, and looked at Xia Lingying arrogantly.
"What I said will not be repeated a second time."
Xia Lingying frowned, sitting uneasily on the sofa, still refusing to agree. She understood Xiao Moyan's implication, but even though she had once said she would agree regardless of the cost to return to Tian Huang, the thought of her body being taken by this cynical woman in front of her filled her with disgust. It forced her to bite her lip, unwilling to yield.
While Xia Lingying's emotions churned within, Xiao Moyan continued to lazily lean against the door frame, enjoying the delightful sight of the beauty's furrowed brows and inner conflict. Xia Lingying favored white, and today, in contrast to the deliberate embellishments of the previous days' talent shows, she wore a simple white silk dress. The long ladder-shaped neckline and the cross-fold design in front outlined her chest beautifully, revealing a graceful collarbone. A silver belt accentuated her slender waist, showcasing her graceful figure. Her silky, jet-black hair, left unadorned, cascaded gently over her shoulders, evoking a sense of tenderness. Observing her inner struggle, Xiao Moyan chuckled lightly.
"Don't worry, I, Xiao Moyan, will never force others."
Xia Lingying sighed and shook her head helplessly, "Then what are you doing now?"
"What I mean by coercion is that I don't force people on the bed. Don't think wrongly."
With a hint of coquettish allure, Xiao Moyan's voice drifted into Xia Lingying's ears, prompting her to raise her head sharply. She stared at Xiao Moyan without blinking, her eyes filled with disgust. What kind of person was she? How could she lack even a trace of shame?
Xiao Moyan paid no mind to Xia Lingying's contemptuous gaze, shaking her head and continuing to smile cheerfully.
"Kind bosses like me are rare nowadays, Xia Lingying. Give it some careful thought. In the entertainment industry, you should understand that if it's not me, there will be others offering the same conditions as today. Given the current situation, it's probably some bald, lecherous old man, so─"
Xiao Moyan hesitated in her words, but her expression already hinted at a confident victory.
Xia Lingying stared at Xiao Moyan's increasingly bright eyes for a moment, then slowly lowered her head. After a moment, she lifted her head again and spoke slowly.
"I agree, but you must remember what you said earlier."
Xiao Moyan was momentarily puzzled. What did she say earlier? Xiao Moyan, seldom utilizing her precious brainpower, reviewed the conversation they had just had for about ten minutes, nodded, and a malicious smile hung on her lazy face.
"Just for today. Tonight, I'll send a driver to pick you up at the Beiyuan Villa area."
Xia Lingying remained silent, nodding silently. As for why Xiao Moyan knew her address, she decided not to inquire further.
Dealing with this unpredictable woman required a certain level of deference. Even though they hadn't interacted much, Xia Lingying had witnessed the enigmatic and ever-changing nature of Xiao Moyan's character. When gentle, she was like a lazy cat, indifferent to whatever you said. However, when provoked, the lazy cat would instantly transform into a tiger, changing her demeanor faster than the weather.
"I have to dine with some guests shortly, so I won't keep you."
Just after finalizing the terms, Xiao Moyan promptly issued the order to leave. Xia Lingying pursed her lips, choosing not to engage with her on the same level. She picked up her bag and left confidently.
With a sly smile, Xiao Moyan watched Xia Lingying's departing figure, a calculating expression in her eyes. She took out her phone and dialed a number.
"It's me, Xiao Moyan. Go find someone to come to my house now and move the big bed from the study next door."
"Oh, by the way, take a look inside to see if there are any sofas or lounge chairs that can be used for sleeping. Just throw them away."
Author's Note:
Let’s spread the flowers violently, there will be another update at nine o’clock in the evening, o