Chapter 31: A Gathering of Young Actors

"Director~" The senior student playing the Green Hedge suddenly trotted over, trailing a faint scent of citrus perfume. "I heard a new place just opened in Sanlitun..."

"Let’s go sing karaoke!" Meng Ziyi suddenly raised her voice. "I know a place with VIP rooms that have incredible sound systems."

As her gaze swept over Jiang Ye, her eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Several girls immediately began to cheer excitedly.

The senior in the camel-colored coat "accidentally" knocked over a wine glass, splashing a dark stain across Yu Menglong’s jeans.

"Ah! I’m so sorry..."

She hurriedly pulled out a tissue, her long hair brushing against Yu Menglong’s knees as she leaned over.

Ou Hao whistled and leaned into Jiang Ye’s ear. "See that? The girls majoring in acting this year..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Ye shoved him away with his elbow.

On the way to the KTV, Jiang Ye walked at the back.

Up ahead, the girls were huddled together, whispering and erupting into bursts of giggles. He caught fragments of their conversation: "The investor's daughter came to visit the set," "I heard his uncle is..." "Yu Menglong’s last magazine sales..."

Meng Ziyi, however, gradually fell to the back of the group, her high heels clicking against the ground.

"Ah Ye," she suddenly turned, her breath forming a white mist that blurred the smile on her lips. "You actually... enjoy the feeling of being chased, don't you?"

Jiang Ye was about to answer when cheers erupted from the front. Ou Hao had somehow managed to procure a seven-seater business van.

The car window reflected the midnight appearance of Beijing, as well as the sudden clarity in Jiang Ye’s eyes.

Was what flickered in these girls' eyes merely youthful hormones, or raw ambition for the industry?

Perhaps this was the reality of the entertainment circle.

The van pulled smoothly to a stop in front of "Gilded Years." It was a high-end club frequently visited by industry insiders. Uniformed security guards stood inside the marble revolving doors, long accustomed to the comings and goings of celebrities.

"Room 888." As Ou Hao tossed down his black card, he caught a glimpse of the two seniors adjusting their hemlines. The one in the camel coat moved deliberately slowly, showing off her slender ankles.

The private room was larger than expected. Crystal chandeliers cast countless spots of light onto the black mirrored ceiling, and leather circular sofas surrounded a marble coffee table. There was even a small dance floor in the corner.

"The Director takes the center seat!" Ou Hao pushed Jiang Ye toward the middle, while he himself took the opportunity to sink into the right-hand sofa, an arm draped around two of the seniors.

Yu Menglong had just taken off his mask when the senior in the camel coat blocked his path to the song selection screen. "Teacher Yu, help me pick 'Little Luck'~"

Meng Ziyi’s fingers suddenly gripped Jiang Ye’s sleeve. "Ah Ye, let's go over there."

She pulled him to sit in the curved corner on the left. The position was perfectly shielded from the overhead lights, creating a natural, private space in the shadows.

The senior in the beret tried to follow, but Meng Ziyi shot her a sharp look. "Li Meng, Teacher Yu needs someone to help him pick songs over there."

The girl in the beret pouted, and as she turned, her Chanel "Wanderer" bag "accidentally" brushed against Jiang Ye’s back.

"Budweiser Black Gold, Yamazaki 12-year, and a fruit platter—kiwi, no dragon fruit." Ou Hao ordered with practiced familiarity, then suddenly turned back with a mischievous grin. "What are you drinking, Teacher Meng?"

"Long Island Iced Tea." Meng Ziyi took off her knit cardigan, her silk camisole dress flowing like liquid mercury underneath.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the room grew lively. Ou Hao was belting out "Even If I Die, I Must Love" while hugging a senior, and Yu Menglong was being forced to sing "Miss Dong."

Jiang Ye was looking down at a rough cut sent by his editor when a faint scent of orange blossoms drifted to his nose. Meng Ziyi had moved closer at some point, her knee inadvertently brushing against the outside of his thigh.

"Stop looking at that," she whispered, pushing a glass of iced honey lemon water toward him. "You’ve had too much to drink tonight."

The moment her fingertips lingered on the rim of the glass, she pulled her hand back as if burned.

Ou Hao started goading them from across the table. "Teacher Meng, give us a song!" He shoved the microphone toward her.

Meng Ziyi happily took the mic, her hair brushing against Jiang Ye’s cheek. "Then I’ll give it a go..."

She loved singing more than anything.

As the prelude began, everyone waited in anticipation, quieting down to enjoy the leading lady’s beautiful voice.

Meng Ziyi took a deep breath...

"I hear the raindrops falling on the green grass..."

The first line was off-key by a Himalayan margin. Yu Menglong spat his drink onto the coffee table.

"Bravo!" Ou Hao cheered frantically. "This cover has a post-modern deconstructionist style!"

Meng Ziyi sang with growing enthusiasm, completely off-key but incredibly invested. When she reached the line "When I fell in love with you, I still didn't understand feelings," she turned to Jiang Ye and flashed a radiant smile, her eyes shining as if filled with stars.

"...Meeting you, what a stroke of luck~" The final note cracked in a thunderous way, though she seemed completely unaware of it.

The room fell silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous applause. The senior in the beret laughed until she was pounding on Yu Menglong’s shoulder, and Ou Hao even let out a whistle.

"Ah Ye," Meng Ziyi said, gasping for air as she sat back down beside Jiang Ye, her cheeks flushed with excitement and alcohol. "How was my singing?"

She leaned in unconsciously, getting very close.

Jiang Ye lied through his teeth, "It had a very... unique personal style."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up, and she suddenly leaned her whole body toward him. "Then how about we sing 'Hiroshima Mon Amour' together later?"

Jiang Ye: "..."

They didn't leave until two in the morning. When Ou Hao and Yu Menglong left, they each took a girl with them.

In truth, things in the entertainment industry were quite casual. Male artists also needed to resolve their physical needs, so they usually sought out people within the industry. Talent agencies turned a blind eye to this; as long as it didn't go too far, some would even recommend reliable groups to their artists. After all, introductions through acquaintances made things less likely to go wrong.

If a girl had ambition and wanted to become the official girlfriend, it all depended on her methods. But male artists like Ou Hao weren't fools; they wouldn't let just anyone climb that ladder. To them, an official girlfriend announcement had to be someone who could bring them status and resources.

Like Ma Sichun, for instance...

Realistic, yet entirely logical.

...

At three in the morning in Beijing, a taxi pulled up in front of an apartment building near the Beijing Film Academy. Jiang Ye half-carried, half-supported Meng Ziyi into the dim hallway, the motion-sensor lights flickering on and off with their footsteps.

She hung limply against him, the scent of orange blossom perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol, growing thicker in the narrow stairwell. Meng Ziyi was heavily intoxicated, yet before "losing consciousness," she had precisely recited the location of the apartment she rented near the school.

The moment the door pushed open, Jiang Ye caught a faint scent of aromatherapy.

A pair of plush slippers lay scattered at the entryway, one pink rabbit-eared slipper wedged crookedly at the edge of the shoe cabinet. In the corner of the living room, a pile of unopened delivery boxes sat stacked, and a half-finished script on the coffee table was held down by a paperweight, a lipstick stain remaining next to a fluorescent-highlighted note.

"Water... I want water..." Meng Ziyi muttered vaguely, her body subtly guiding Jiang Ye toward the bedroom.

By the time Jiang Ye helped her to the bedroom, she fell backward onto the bed. Her beige knit dress rolled up to her thighs, and her soft, breathing form created a hazy, alluring silhouette under the warm, dim light. Her red lips were slightly parted, revealing the tip of a moist tongue, and the curve of her body, draped in soft fabric, trembled slightly with her intentionally slowed breathing—a sight that took one's breath away.