A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 132 Life and death
It felt like I had died and come back to life.

At the age of twenty-eight, she suddenly experienced the meaning of "physical conquest"—it turns out that there really are men like this in the world. No wonder Xu Qingming knew he was a womanizer, yet she still followed him wholeheartedly.

She must have experienced what she just went through.

As I gradually came to my senses, looking back, it all seemed like a lifetime ago.

For some reason, when Chen Hong turned her head and saw him slumped on the sofa, lost in thought, she suddenly thought of someone she absolutely shouldn't be thinking of at this moment—Chen Kaige.

I suddenly felt like laughing.

For a moment, I was puzzled. What was I thinking back then? How could I have thought Chen Kaige was an ideal choice? —What exactly was so ideal about him?

What's right in front of me is the true ideal of humanity.

Handsome, strong, and intelligent.

Talented, insightful, and ambitious.

Chen Hong doesn't consider herself a girl who gets carried away by love. She's been like that for many years. She knows she's always been the kind of person who's clear about her goals and wants to win people over with one decisive blow. As for love, she's had two relationships, but she's never felt like she's ever been in love with anyone.

Even though it was her first campus romance, the purest and most innocent campus romance in everyone's mind, Chen Hong still didn't feel that she had any so-called love for the other person.

The boy I seduced back then pursued me on his own initiative, purely because his girlfriend at the time was someone I couldn't get along with and was always picking on me—it was so satisfying to annoy her!

As for the one later, well, I was indeed a bit lonely at the time, and he kept pursuing me relentlessly. I was still young then, and he was quite good at bragging, and was considered a big-name director in the industry. I was caught off guard and fell for his artistic charm. Fortunately, I woke up quickly, saw through him, and decisively dumped him.

There's no such thing as love in this world!

I'm 28 now, and I'll soon really be an old maid. It's a pity that I've only acted in a few dramas and saved some money. Qiong Yao dramas made me famous for a while, but not to the extent I wanted. There's nothing I can do about it. I have to accept my fate. While I'm still young and my marriage value is still at its peak, I have to find someone to marry.

After much deliberation, I'll just choose Chen Kaige.

He has a girlfriend but is unmarried. He's a famous director, and quite refined and charming, though he has a lot of flaws. But if you can successfully tie yourself to him, you won't have to struggle for the rest of your life and can live a stable and wealthy life—Director Chen is a dollar-earning entity! Even if the movie loses money, it won't affect him!
enough.

A girl, not a man, from mainland China, not Hong Kong or Taiwan.

A girl's prime is too short. The time she can be a leading lady or a rising star is only a short ten years. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been abandoned by Qiong Yao after becoming famous with "Plum Blossom Trilogy: Between Water and Clouds"—mainland actors, not Hong Kong or Taiwan actors, have too great a disadvantage.

When Brigitte Lin went to Hong Kong at the age of thirty, she was still adored. In ten years, she completely established her position in the Hong Kong film industry. Among the so-called "Xia, Yu, Fang, and Hong", she ranked first!
But mainland actors going to Hong Kong are nothing but rubbish!
Don't think that it's a sad thing that Liu Jialing is ridiculed by Hong Kong people as a "northern girl". Mainland actors are so envious of her that they're almost crying with envy - she even got together with Leung Chiu-wai!
There are very few men like Li Lianjie and Lin Jianlu who can stand on their own two feet in Hong Kong and Taiwan!
Let alone women!

So, at twenty-eight years old, I've permanently lost this opportunity.

That's settled then. Forget about love, just marry a famous and wealthy man!

Love? Haha, I don't know, I've never seen it!
However, she suddenly realized that the man in front of her seemed to be a better target—more famous, richer, more powerful, more talented, and of course, more handsome and younger.

When you don't have a choice, looks don't matter. But once you have a choice, you'll definitely prefer someone who looks better and makes people happy.

Let's go with him, let's win him over!

What nonsense about him being a womanizer! What man in the world isn't a womanizer? The only one who isn't is simply because he can't get what he wants!

Those old farmers in the fields, toiling in the soil with their backs to the sky, are incredibly honest and simple. Those veteran workers in the factory are extremely upright and moral exemplars... Give them ten million and see what happens!

Give him ten million every year, free of charge, just for free, for three years, and see what happens!

I wouldn't dare say 100%, but there are definitely people with a strong sense of morality. However, I doubt even one in a hundred would be among them. The vast majority of people wouldn't even last three years. They'd start having these thoughts after three months, start scheming after six months, and start causing trouble after a year!

Within three years, he will definitely get a divorce and find a new wife! Or he will find a mistress outside!

man!
If Chen Kaige is a womanizer, what's so special about Lin Jianlu being a womanizer?
If I can win him over, and he's willing to marry me, I can even introduce him to new lovers!
As long as he brings money home, as long as we don't get divorced, as long as he supports me for the rest of my life, and as long as he leaves his inheritance to my children in the future, that's enough!

It's progressing smoothly, step by step.

I got closer to him, brought him soup, had lunch together, chatted, and we became more and more familiar with each other.

that's nice!

But without realizing it, watching him sing freely behind that large transparent glass wall, singing English songs, and looking at the people around him outside the glass wall—his manager Ge Fuhong, his assistant Lin Xilei, and Zhao Mingxin, the general manager of Xinli Columbia—they all had expressions of admiration and respect on their faces.

Looking at those Colombian musicians, black and white, not one of them discriminated against him, a person of Asian descent; they all looked at him with great admiration.

I don't know how, but without realizing it, I started to enjoy listening to him talk.

I started to enjoy looking at him like a little girl who had a crush on a boy for many years. I liked to stare at him, daydreaming, having random thoughts, and being lost in thought. At one point, I even went crazy and seriously thought about what to name my first child if it was a boy and what to name a girl if it was a girl!

Like an idiot!

When I suddenly come to my senses, I can't help but laugh at myself: Have you gone crazy?
She's just looking for a man to support her in her old age; do you expect her to experience the feeling of love?

Wake up, you're twenty-eight!
To win him over, you don't need to worship or be infatuated; you need skills, methods, and approaches!
He's clearly a bit of a chauvinist, and the kind with a strong sense of responsibility. These kinds of men are the easiest to control—they can't stand being treated well! They want to repay even the smallest kindness tenfold or a hundredfold! They hate the feeling of owing someone a debt!
It's something I can absolutely control!

As it turns out, it was correct, there was no problem!
The fact that he accepted my invitation and was willing to come to my rented little house as a guest confirmed this: he had taken the bait!
Of course, one thing was a little unexpected.

Perhaps it's because he already has no shortage of girls or bed partners. Once the "I like you" barrier is broken, he suddenly becomes unusually aggressive, even starting to pull down his pants right away—okay, that's a bit too fast, and it might lower your status in his heart, but thinking about it again, it doesn't matter. This kind of man cares about his reputation. You've already said you like him and are willing to be with him for life. He wants it, but you don't give it to him. He'll remember you for life. Even if you give it to him later, he won't have the same pleasure as today.

Those who remember kindness will inevitably remember grudges!

Maybe if he actually gets you, he'll just kick you to the curb!
Then give it to him!

But...but...but...

Ah, what a real man!

It was like dying and coming back to life.

Once she recovered, she couldn't help but stare at him intently, like a young girl who had never experienced love and suddenly met her first love, a boy who made her heart flutter.

How can he be so handsome!
At this moment, I couldn't help but recall my previous foolishness and arrogance—how could there be no love in this world? Throughout five thousand years of history, so many wise people have sung the praises of love with their lives. Although it is hard to obtain, it is not non-existent!
I can't believe I was so stupid as to laugh at the idea that there is no such thing as love in this world!
I was so naive before that I thought marrying a man like Chen Kaige would be pretty good. Love is such an elusive thing, but the real thing is the money that Director Chen can make whenever he wants!
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Love truly exists in this world; it's that feeling that makes you fall in love without even realizing it!

Ha, ha, ha ha ha...

How funny!

I, Chen Hong, can't believe I can still feel what love is in my entire life!

Even if he doesn't love me, and even if he does, it probably won't be much, but... it's enough that I love him!

…………

When Lin Jianlu turned her head unintentionally, she was startled.

She jumped up from the sofa immediately, asking, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

At this moment, Chen Hong was already in tears, but strangely, while she was crying uncontrollably, she also showed an unusually bright smile. Like a fool.

"Hey?"

"Huh? Oh...did I cry? Ha, why would I cry!"

After frantically wiping herself a few times, she simply stopped wiping, stood up naked, and threw herself into Lin Jianlu's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"Jianlu, I love you! I love you!"

Lin Jianlu was a little confused, and it took her a few seconds to react. She gently patted her bare back, still sensing something was off. "I know. I know. I love you too!"

…………

By the time everything was completely tidied up, it was almost dark.

We went out for dinner together.

She exuded a captivating and alluring charm.

After dinner, we strolled around the streets together, chatting casually. She was both talkative and very tactful.

Lin Jianlu didn't even know how to evaluate her anymore.

Her gentleness and obedience are somewhat like Chen Shuhua's, but she is not as silent and compliant as Chen Shuhua. Her sexiness and allure are somewhat like Xu Qing's, but she is not as dissolute, willful, and naive as Xu Qing. Her intelligence and experience are somewhat like Lin Qingxia's, but she is not as indifferent and detached as Lin Qingxia after years of experience in the world.

In short... I like it.

Of course, while Lin Jianlu liked it, she was also well aware that once she returned, and once Xu Qing received the news, given her temper, she would definitely make a scene, no matter how big or small the issue.

To reiterate, she won't be jealous of Jiang Qinqin or Zuo Xiaoqian, but she will definitely be jealous of Chen Hong.

The title of "Number One Beauty in Mainland China's Film and Television Industry" is just too enviable.

Every woman will feel a sense of crisis.

The only person who would likely be grateful to him is Ni Ping.

And what I hate most about myself... well, I already hate myself enough. But what harm does it do me?
"There's no way I could like him! No matter how much he chases me, it's useless! To be honest, I admire his talent, and I don't think it's a big deal whether a man is good-looking or not. But as for him, although I've never worked with him, I've heard a lot about him in the industry. He's too cold-hearted."

“I heard from others that he’s the kind of person who needs everyone to fawn over him, no matter where he is. But he never cherishes those who are truly good to him. I heard that when his father died, he held back for a long time but couldn’t shed a single tear!”

"Really! Why would I say he's lying? But I only heard it from others, anyway... I heard it from others, and in this regard, almost no one would say a good word about him. On the contrary, his girlfriend, Ni Ping, is basically well-regarded... Think about it, he has a girlfriend like that, and he still wants to pursue me..."

Suddenly stopped.

Lin Jianlu was nudged by her, then stopped and turned to look at her.

She lowered her head.

"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

After a few seconds, she looked up with an unnatural smile on her face. "I'm sorry, Jianlu, I lied!" Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment, but she sighed with relief, her expression relaxing instantly, as if admitting to lying had made her feel much more at ease.

"Actually... well, I love you, and I want to confess to you!"

"Actually, I seduced Chen Kaige! I deliberately hung around in front of him. I could guess what kind of person he was just from hearsay. Sure enough, after hanging around in front of him twice, he became infatuated and pursued me like crazy! I refused, and I was so scared that I ran straight to America. Actually, I wasn't scared. I had a film contract with Hong Kong, and I had to come to New York to film it."

"But I miscalculated one thing, which is... Ni Ping still holds some weight in his heart! Later I heard that he had already bought a plane ticket and gone to the airport, but Ni Ping blocked him there, and the two of them had a big fight, but Ni Ping still managed to persuade him to go back. Hmm, I miscalculated!"

She kept her head down, speaking at a measured pace, but her tone was relaxed, as if she were talking about some trivial old story.

"To be honest, my trip back to Taiwan wasn't to visit Chiung Yao. I just wanted to see if there were any acting opportunities left!"

"There's one thing I'm not lying about: I do have some savings. But I'm a person who's quite risk-averse. I always feel like my savings aren't enough, and I'm very afraid of running out of money."

"Well, I'm getting off-topic. Speaking of him... I was originally planning to go back to the capital from Taiwan. I didn't intend to give up on Chen Kaige because I always felt that I was 28 years old and needed to get married. Although his character and morals weren't exactly good, he was definitely talented. If I could marry him, I could basically guarantee that I would be set for life. So... I planned to go back to the capital and try to hook him again."

“My goal is to make him fall in love with me and come to New York to pursue me, but I won’t agree to be with him. I will ask him to go back and break up with Ni Ping, and then I will ask him to register our marriage directly…”

As she said this, she suddenly looked up and met Lin Jianlu's gaze.

Their eyes met, she pursed her lips, smiled, and asked, "I'm very shrewd, aren't I? Very calculating, aren't I?"

Lin Jianlu pursed her lips, remained silent, and looked at her.

She smiled again, "But then, I met you!"

"I need to be honest! I met you in Taiwan, but I didn't fall in love with you! Not at all! My way of looking at men is basically... different from other girls; I don't care about looks. And at that time, I didn't have much feeling for music...! But for you, I came back to New York, to cook soup for you, to please you..."

At this point, she laughed, a hint of shyness she hadn't shown before. "And then, well, I've always been shrewd and calculating! This time I gave up on Chen Kaige and started scheming against you! You've taken the bait, haven't you?"

Lin Jianlu spoke for the first time, nodding, "Yes."

She laughed, a mix of smugness and shyness in her eyes. "To be honest, I'm not a believer in love, but these past few days, I've often watched you recording songs in the studio... just spacing out!"

"Hmm, spacing out! I don't admit it. I don't think I'll ever fall in love with a man! I think that kind of man doesn't exist, and that kind of thing doesn't exist either, because love doesn't exist!"

"I even think that everyone here is... an adult! Talking about love all the time is so pretentious!"

"But... Jianlu! I admit it now, I've fallen in love with you!"

"I've really, really, really fallen in love with you! Just like in those Taiwanese romance novels, I fell in love for no reason at all! You don't know, I really wanted to cry... Haha... Just now on the sofa, I didn't even realize I was crying, but actually I was very happy, incredibly happy! I... have fallen in love with you!"

"Jianlu, I'm telling the truth! Do you believe me?"

Lin Jianlu was silent for a few seconds, then reached out, pulled her into his arms, turned his head, and kissed her hair.

But a moment later, she broke free, tilted her head back, and asked again with unwavering determination, "Do you believe me?"

His eyes were full of sincere longing.

Like a silly yet innocent little girl.

Lin Jianlu smiled and hugged her in his arms once again.

After a moment, he said, "I believe you!"

***
12,000 votes today! I'm begging for monthly tickets!

PS: I belatedly realized that we have a new Alliance Leader. Thank you, Brother "Dragon Battles in the Wilds"! I really can't add any more chapters now. 10,000 words a day is really my limit. Please wait, I'll try my best to hold on for a while and see how many days I can last with 10,000 words. I'll add more chapters for you at the beginning of next month!

We're begging for a second leader! Let's settle accounts together next month!
(End of this chapter)