Benshan’s beloved disciple, starting from the 2009 Spring Festival Gala
Chapter 29 - The Hooked Big Honey

Chapter 29  The Hooked Big Honey

“Phew…”

Yang Mi took a deep breath to calm herself and then sent a private message to Qu Yiming: Hello, Director Qu. Yang Mi thought she would have to wait a long time for a reply, but to her surprise, Qu Yiming replied instantly: Hello, Yang Mi.

He was as active as a high-quality fake account.

Yang Mi scrolled through Qu Yiming’s following list. Apart from the artists under Yiming Media, she was the only one he followed. Yang Mi wasn’t a Weibo newbie, so she knew that Qu Yiming likely didn’t follow her from the fan list. He must have come across one of her posts and decided to follow her.

But why did he follow me, when so many artists posted congratulatory messages?

I wonder…

I’m not even that famous.

Yang Mi fell into deep thought.

If Qu Yiming could hear Yang Mi’s inner thoughts from hundreds of miles away, all he would want to say is—I just didn’t see any other familiar faces, and I was hoping to sleep with a star, that’s all.

I love telling the truth.

Could it be that Director Qu noticed my acting skills?

Chinese Paladin 3 hadn’t aired on national TV yet, but it had a decent viewership on local channels, and it still carried the popularity of Chinese Paladin 1, with plenty of coverage both online and offline. It would make sense if Director Qu had seen some clips.

Also, my contract with the company expires next year, so is Director Qu planning to sign me! I have to admit, now that I think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Yang Mi felt like her analysis was quite reasonable. She immediately picked up her phone and called her agent, Zeng Jia. Yang Mi had signed with Rongxinda in 2005, and Zeng Jia had become her agent.

The two of them were very close, and by 2007, they had even co-founded Jiaxing Film and Television, planning for their future.

“Hello, Mimi?”

“Sister Zeng, it seems like Director Qu is really paying attention to me.”

“Director Qu? Which Director Qu?”

“Qu Yiming.”

“Ah? You met him? Wait, did you go for an audition?”

“No, I didn’t. I just sent a greeting on Weibo.”

“Ah, so it’s just a greeting online? You’re basically just a fan to him, nothing more.”

“No, listen to me. On Director Qu’s Weibo, apart from the artists from his agency, I’m the only one he’s following. Plus, when I sent him a private message, he replied instantly.”

“Well, now that you mention it, it seems like he’s paying attention to you. But why?”

“Because I’m good at acting.”

“Pfft~ Acting? Mimi, you might as well say that Director Qu is interested in your, uh, assets!”

“It’s more than just that, okay? Hey, Sister Zeng, are you saying I have no acting skills!” Yang Mi said, feigning anger.

“You do, but not much. It probably wouldn’t meet Director Qu’s standards.”

“Hmph, I’m way better than that amateur Zhang Tianai. I’ve studied acting for four years at Beijing Film Academy and have been on set since I was young, so I’ve seen a lot!”

Yang Mi was genuinely jealous of Zhang Tianai. At only 19 years old, she’d become hugely popular in less than a year since her debut. Was that fair?

Shouldn’t it be that they, the 85 Flowers, had to first get the resources from the Four Dan and the Two Bing before the 90 Flowers could shine? But now, it felt like they had completely skipped a generation, jumping straight to rivaling the Four Dan and the Two Bing. Wasn’t that a bit too unfair?

Zeng Jia sighed.

“They say small fame comes from being pushed, but big fame comes from destiny. This year’s been pretty crazy. First, there was Director Qu, then he brought up Zhang Tianai. I think there’s something special about Director Qu.”

“So what do you think? After my contract with the company ends next year, should I join Yiming Media?” Yang Mi asked, revealing her true intentions.

Zeng Jia: “Don’t you want to start your own agency?”

“I don’t have the resources…”

Yang Mi: “Can you help me land a leading role?”

Zeng Jia was speechless.

“Dream on. In your dreams, you can have everything.”

“Well, then. Once I get a few leading roles and raise my profile, starting my own agency won’t be too late.”

“Why do you think Director Qu would give you a leading role? Just because… he followed you on Weibo?”

Yang Mi: “You’re the agent. You should contact Yiming Media and ask about it.”

“Fine, I’ll ask.”

……

After filming Lost in Love for 33 Days, the agency had new artists joining, and there were also some drama and movie offers coming in. The artists’ department was no longer empty, and Qu Rou Rou was no longer just temporarily managing the department. She had officially become the department head. Her assistant duties had been handed over to another cousin of Qu Yiming, Wang Tiantian, who had just graduated from college this year. Wang Tiantian was Qu Yiming’s aunt’s daughter.

Being in the entertainment industry, it felt safer to rely on family. At least the foundation of their relationships was built on family ties, creating a more solid connection for mutual benefits.

Of course, if their work performance or attitude didn’t meet expectations, Qu Yiming wouldn’t hesitate to kick them out. The Qu family had six sons and two daughters, all thanks to his grandparents’ ability to have children. Qu Yiming had more cousins than he could count.

Currently, most of the movie and TV offers coming in were aimed at Qu Yiming and Zhang Tianai. The films were mostly comedies, and the dramas weren’t anything special.

Of course, Qu Yiming wouldn’t let himself or Zhang Tianai take on such roles, as it would lower their status. So, the remaining viable resources went to Xin Zhilei and Zhang Ruoyun. Qu Rou Rou was primarily managing them for now. Jin Chen and Li Yitong were still in school and weren’t rushing to take on acting jobs.

……

“Mr. Qu, there’s an artist named Yang Mi. Her agent wants to meet with you to discuss something.”

The next day, Qu Yiming received this report as he arrived at work. So, she’s taken the bait.

Qu Yiming said: “Let’s meet during lunch today. Have the agent bring the artist along. If the artist isn’t free at noon, we’ll reschedule for another time. I’ll confirm the details when I’m available.”

“Understood.”

The new assistant, Wang Tiantian, recorded Qu Yiming’s schedule and went to carry out the task.

……