When will I be the queen

Chapter 503 Family Matters
As for what happened today, Cai Cai was a little confused by the Immortal Lord. It really wasn't his usual style.

“He’s not the kind of person who clearly separates public and private matters. In his hands, everything is both public and private. Given his usual style, when faced with Cheng Jihe’s request for help, he would probably recommend a good acting teacher to him, and he wouldn’t say anything himself.” Cai Cai has known Xianjun for so long and knows how small Xianjun’s circle of friends is. The fact that he hasn’t even mentioned Cheng Jihe shows that he definitely doesn’t have a relationship with Xianjun that would allow Xianjun to answer his questions directly.

But the Immortal Lord not only answered, but also pointed out the crux of Cheng Jihe's difficulties incisively, without any roundabout way.

"I've only ever seen him be completely rude to me; I haven't seen him be rude to anyone else."

Tang Jinyi frowned upon hearing this. Such differential treatment was not a good sign. With a change of heart, she put maggots in the Immortal Lord's body.

"In my opinion, this is easy to understand. He was initially surprised by Cheng Jihe's arrival, and had long wanted to sign Cheng Jihe, but hadn't been able to persuade him. Now, Cheng Jihe has come to him of his own accord, and as you heard from the Immortal Lord, he's taking advantage of the situation. He wants to give Cheng Jihe a good beating when he's most helpless and in need of help, to tell him that he didn't act well before, that it's understandable that he's not as good as him, that he's just not good enough. Then he'll tell him that he's only just started to act a little better now, and if he signs with me, I'll make sure he acts even better."

Tang Jinyi clicked her tongue twice, "The most insidious thing in this world is to take advantage of other people's ideals. Cheng Jihe is obviously a person who is very passionate about acting and wants to achieve something. Didn't the Immortal Lord take advantage of his situation? He used Cheng Jihe's ideals to blackmail and entice him, giving him both a stick and sweet dates."

"This is clearly his own malicious intent, yet he claims he's exploiting your personality. How cunning and treacherous!"

Cai Cai pondered that although it wasn't as terrible as her uncle described, the methods and means were probably like that.

Unable to resist defending the Immortal Lord, she said, "He himself can't speak his mind. It's because he's naturally aloof and taciturn; he's very cautious with his words, and he's even less likely to be open with someone he barely knows. But I'm headstrong, I can't keep secrets, and I speak my mind directly. He just copied me." To be honest, when she first met the Immortal Lord, he really was taciturn; he didn't even defend himself when she wronged him. But now, he's become incredibly talkative, always speaking his mind.
Tang Jinyi really didn't want to hear her child speak up for the Immortal Lord. "He's not taciturn, he's just too lazy to speak. Besides, you're not the kind of child who speaks bluntly and without reservation!" Her child was the gentlest of all! She would never say anything bad about anyone!

Cai Cai chuckled. She wasn't exactly a blunt person, but she was a bit naive and often said things that embarrassed others. She was well aware of this. Besides, she did have a sharp personality and was easily angered, unlike the Immortal Lord, who was gentle and composed. The Immortal Lord never intended to attack others; his coldness was actually quite gentle.

"Anyway, Cheng Jihe was outmaneuvered by the Immortal Lord today." Although this person wasn't exactly a good person either.
In Tang Jinyi's view, Cheng Jihe was the kind of artist who knew how to seize opportunities and exploit loopholes. The moment he entered, he scanned everyone in the room. His eyes gleamed with calculation; it was clear he was weighing everyone's worth. A blatant businessman's manner.
"Businessmen always have a utilitarian mindset when they look at people. Take Cheng Jihe for example. The moment he came in, he looked at the people in the main seat, then you, the Immortal Lord, me, the director, then those holding pens, then those looking at the camera, and finally those on the periphery. Getting these kinds of people to sign contracts definitely requires some tricks."

After listening and thinking about it, Cai Cai realized it was true. "But Cheng Jihe's eyes are very clear and upright. If even the Immortal Lord says he is an upright person, then he must indeed be a very good person." The Immortal Lord is quite accurate in judging people. "He judges people from all aspects. Especially people in the entertainment industry, he says that people in this circle cannot be measured by good or bad, but only by the amount of benefits they have, but everyone is trying to maintain a facade of truth, goodness, and beauty."

Tang Jinyi sighed. The entertainment industry is just a circle of interests, isn't it? "My dear, you need to understand one thing: integrity is a very broad word. It's a grand, positive term that encompasses many admirable virtues, thoughts, and behaviors. From national righteousness and human justice to not lying or being greedy for petty gains, all of these are forms of integrity. When the Immortal Lord said Cheng Jihe was upright, it didn't mean Cheng Jihe was a good person. He was probably referring to a certain aspect in which Cheng Jihe was upright. He also said that Cheng Jihe is cunning. In my opinion, it's difficult for someone with many cunning to be upright."

His child is truly upright and simple-minded. People with many thoughts tend to overthink and calculate. Even if they don't harm others for personal gain, they're certainly acting selfishly.

Cai Cai then realized that using a grand, positive term to praise someone was actually masking something else. She nodded in understanding. "Good words are multifaceted. They can be grand or small, good or bad. It all depends on the subjective feelings and interests involved." For example, her uncle hadn't said a single good word about the Immortal Lord, but that actually showed how highly her uncle regarded him. Because if his evaluation were low, he wouldn't have so many feelings about it.

Cai Cai naturally didn't say this aloud, mainly because she was worried that if she did, her younger brother-in-law would become even more demanding of the Immortal Lord.

Taking the opportunity, Tang Jinyi further lectured Cai Cai, "Look at Cheng Jihe, a very clever person. He only revealed a slight flaw, and the Immortal Lord exploited it. Sometimes it's like that; showing your weaknesses doesn't elicit pity, but rather more scheming. When seeking help, you must first calculate the level of gratitude you can offer. Whether others want it is one thing, whether you can afford it is another. The best way to ask for help is to clearly state the gratitude you can offer, whether it's a reward or an exchange."

"For example, lost and found notices will state a substantial reward for their return. By making your intentions clear upfront, you prevent others from taking advantage of your vulnerability, or at least from being led by the nose. To be more specific, it depends on the person you're asking for help from and what kind of gratitude they want. Some people want money, some want fame, some just want self-satisfaction, and some even want to be rewarded by being treated like a slave."

Tang Jinyi, knowing that Cai Cai was an actress, gave an example that Cai Cai should be familiar with.

"In ancient times, the most common way to repay a debt of gratitude was to offer oneself in marriage or to give one's own children's marriages in return. Both of these methods were ways of repaying a debt of gratitude by satisfying one's desire for control. The latter was more cunning, as it involved sacrificing someone else's life. Even if it was one's own children, they were still someone else."

Tang Jinyi sighed, "So the greatest progress in modern civilization is human rights. I watch those lively historical dramas on TV, and I just can't understand what they're so happy about. Especially that last dynasty. Layer upon layer of oppression, people treated like dirt. Complete liberation, the people truly becoming masters of their own destiny, standing up completely, no longer slaves—it's only been a hundred years or so." If it were the old society, she couldn't even imagine what life would have been like for the women in her family.
Those ancestors who were forced into prostitution, after returning to their clan, tearfully recounted how they were imprisoned in a royal garden, deprived of clothing, and treated like breathing puppets.
The old society was a cannibalistic and evil era.

Cai Cai nodded. "Yes, the people are the masters of the country," she said, "but I see you enjoying those period dramas quite a bit."

Tang Jinyi coughed. "I just wanted to see how far they could go with their acting."

"." Hehe, stubborn.

They finished their meal while talking, and Cai Cai went back to her room to review the script. Zhou Qing came in to keep her company and help her rehearse her lines. Cai Cai had already gone over the Ninth Princess's lines more than ten times and had memorized them. Now, Cai Cai was having Zhou Qing record her deliver the lines to get a feel for the delivery and to test the emphasis. These would be discussed with the director and screenwriter on set during the actual filming. Cai Cai was just going through the motions beforehand to come up with a few that she thought looked good. During the actual filming, she would also observe the reactions of her co-stars.

After filming for more than two hours, Fang Qiao came in. "The Immortal Lord is back." She came to relieve Zhou Qing, because Cai Cai would be asleep soon, and Zhou Qing would have to take care of Cai Cai then.

Just as Cai Cai was about to speak, the Immortal Lord stood at the door and asked, "Would it be convenient for us to have a chat?"

Of course it's convenient.

When the immortal lord entered, Fang Qiao went out, leaving the door open as usual, and sat in the outer room.

Cai Cai's room here is a large suite, equivalent to a proper house with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms. One room serves as a bedroom, one as a walk-in closet, one as a study, and the remaining room is where Fang Qiao and Zhou Qing live. Right now, outside the study where Cai Cai is, there is a small hall, which can also be used for resting and working. Fang Qiao is sitting facing the door, busy at the computer, and can also keep an eye on Cai Cai.

The Immortal Lord sat down opposite Cai Cai, holding a sandwich and a coffee. These two items were the Immortal Lord's standard fare—convenient to eat and nutritious enough to fill him up.

"You didn't have any soup?" The chefs had prepared a delicious soup, especially for the Immortal Lord, along with some rice and dishes. The Immortal Lord replied, "Oh, I haven't had a chance yet. I'll have some later."

"No need, have them bring it over. You can drink it now. You haven't eaten yet, so I'd like some sweet soup. Let's have some together."

Cai Cai told Fang Qiao, and Fang Qiao quickly went to prepare. Soon, four dishes and two soups were laid out on the table between Cai Cai and the Immortal Lord. Tang Jinyi arrived soon after. He had been busy, but upon hearing that the Immortal Lord was going to eat with Cai Cai, he came over.

The immortal lord was too lazy to look at Tang Jinyi's face, so he decided to feed himself first.

Cai Cai asked Tang Jinyi if the family photo had been released yet.
"Not yet. They said it would be in ten minutes, but we had to wait for Chenchen's photos. Chenchen just said he's on his way back, but he had some event going on and took a detour. He probably won't arrive until around 2 a.m. We'll release them together then."

It's late at night again. The platform's programmers must be working overtime, right?

Cai Cai then felt a pang of regret. "My phone and tablet are full of work and homework; there's not a single personal item on them. If I had known, I would have prepared some, and Chenchen wouldn't have had to make this trip." It wasn't that she had absolutely no photos, but they were all unusable. Who could have imagined that this day would be so complicated and necessary?

"I was wondering how Qingqing had time to go over lines with me. I thought Xiaomei and the others must be swamped." Turns out it wasn't announced yet.

The immortal ate slowly, one bite after another. When he was about three-tenths full, he slowed down completely, took a sip of soup to calm himself, and then spoke.

"The company asked if you want to do a live stream." Usually, with a public opinion crisis like this, celebrities would have already done a live stream—to appease fans, reassure advertisers and brands, manipulate and solidify their fanbase, and so on—a whole host of actions. Only Cai Cai remained calm and even attended the auditions. No wonder the other celebrities who came to audition were all surprised to see Cai Cai. She was so composed, it didn't seem like she was a celebrity at all.
Cai Cai didn't want to do a live stream. "I had a feeling that after I revealed my family background, the media and the public's focus would shift from my career to my family. Being an artist hasn't brought any benefits to my family, and now it seems I'm dragging them into being public figures too." Cai Cai could already foresee, "Many reporters will definitely ask me why I became an actress. They might even do an in-depth interview, making me talk about why I became an artist."

Why become an artist? Why else? Because I like it.
“Acting is a job too, why can’t I do it?” Cai Cai didn’t want to answer the question. “If a reporter asks me, I’ll say it’s because I think I’m good-looking, and it would be a waste not to be an artist.”

The immortal lord laughed, "Alright, you must say that then."

Cai Cai glared at him and said, "You must have been asked this question before, right? What did you answer?"

"I love acting." What Cai Cai said is definitely going to happen, because that's how he got there too. In an in-depth interview, he even told a story about how a particular actor's role broadened his horizons. That story is partly true and partly false, but his love for acting is real.

Cai Cai quickly added that she would say the same thing. It's the truth; in this industry, without a lot of passion and ideals to support you, it's sometimes very difficult to persevere.

After the immortal finished eating, he cleaned up the mess himself, noticing that Cai Cai was still unaware of something.
I had to point it out, "In fact, your family members are all public figures." The Tang family are all social elites; even Cai Jiaoyang holds several positions on social committees and frequently appears in the news. Not to mention, the Tang family is a constant focus of Hong Kong media gossip, and they're always featured in mainland China's wealthy gossip. And then there are the women from the Cai family whose names have been written into history—to put it bluntly, they're all more famous than Cai Cai herself.

Tang Jinyi thought of the ancestor in the family who was used as material for film and television dramas, Cai Jiaoniang, who changed her name to Cai Changjin after returning to the family. "This one will probably be brought up again. Let me make it clear, if someone asks you to play this ancestor, you can't agree." It wasn't that she was looking down on the ancestor, "Cai Changjin's suffering doesn't need to be acted out at all. Anyone who has studied history knows how painful her days were, and you don't need to act it out."

Cai Cai agreed, "You're right, someone will definitely come up with this project plan and invite me to participate."

The immortal lord naturally knew this person and asked, "Is she really a member of your family?" He had seen the photo, and she did not look like a member of the Cai family at all.

Cai Cai glanced at Tang Jinyi but didn't dare to say anything.

Tang Jinyi looked at the Immortal Lord, "Why are you asking this? You also need to remember this: if anyone tries to get Cai Cai to do film or television projects related to our family, even if it's just a reference, you can't agree to it." Many films and television dramas in Hong Kong have referenced their family. There definitely are some in mainland China as well.

The immortal agreed, but said, "The idea that the Cai family's tradition of female succession has been referenced in novels, movies, and TV dramas from the last century, and there are also many scripts that address it now. Do we have to avoid it all?" Besides, "There's even a Kingdom of Women in classic literature. Stories about women in power aren't necessarily all about your family. Do we have to avoid them all?"

Tang Jinyi nodded, "We have to avoid that. Because our family doesn't really have a female lineage." She sighed, "The women in our family, those ancestors, slaves, maids, to put it bluntly, were just playthings. The children they gave birth to didn't even know who their fathers were. They only knew who their mothers were, so naturally, the family lineage became female."

The immortal lord pursed his lips and said nothing more.

Tang Jinyi didn't think much of it. "The reason why the women in our family have continued for generations without interruption," he said, reaching out to stroke Cai Cai's face. "It's because of this stunningly beautiful face. Beauty is truly a superpower. Our ancestors, relying on their breathtaking beauty, always had children born, until finally, they had surnames and a proper origin."

“The Cai family of Nandu stands out from the green hills.” Tang Jinyi held Cai Cai’s hand. “This ‘standing out from the green hills’ refers to our family.”

The Cai family of Nandu can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period, and is said to be the royal surname of a small state. The river of history has swept by, with its glorious and desolate periods, good and bad. Now, the only branch of the family recorded in the county annals stands out.

“Cai Changjin is indeed not a member of our family, but one of the three people who came back with her is our ancestor, Cai Changyun, formerly known as Xiao Jinling.”

Immortal Lord's eyes widened instantly. Little Jinling was a heroine recorded in history books. She participated in the major event of assassinating traitors. Her biography could still be found, stating that she was betrayed after the assassination and died a heroic death.

Tang Jinyi knew that the Immortal Lord would be surprised. "Cai Cai didn't mention her name, did she? She must have bragged to you about the heroine in our family, but she didn't tell you her name." Because, "Actually, there are several little Jinlings in our family who are in the public eye. But when someone sacrifices themselves, she can no longer continue to be active, so she takes the opportunity to get away and go home."

"The Cai family produces beauties. Our family's beauties are so stunning that the locals are unwilling to give them all away, nor dare they touch the girls of our direct lineage. This is because at that time, our direct lineage controlled a large part of the economic and technological lifeline."