Chapter 35: The First Artist of Jiangying Media

To be honest, Chen Duling’s early career trajectory was a bit of a pity.

In 2013, she broke into the entertainment industry with a single ID photo. On Facejoking, a national website for ranking university campus crushes, she surpassed Tsinghua University’s “Milk Tea Sister” Zhang Zetian to take the top spot. She then debuted as the lead in the high-profile film *The Left Ear*. It was a stellar start, a height many aspiring young actresses could only dream of.

However, she was hesitant about the entertainment industry at the time. As an engineering prodigy who scored 621 on the college entrance exam, she felt out of place in showbiz. After all, she loved model airplanes and enjoyed building them. Consequently, she chose to return to school to complete her education.

When she decided to officially debut after graduation, she did not sign with a professional agency, opting instead for a family-run operation. This led to a lack of resources, forcing her to take on remakes and melodramatic youth dramas that merely coasted on the residual popularity of *The Left Ear*. This resulted in a backlog of "dark history" projects, trapping her in a vicious cycle of "acting in bad films, receiving poor market feedback, and suffering from declining resources," eventually labeling her as a "discarded piece." Without formal training, her acting was frequently criticized. It could be said that she peaked at her debut, only to then fade into obscurity.

For the next eight years, she remained tepid in popularity. Even her original mentor, Rao Xueman, joked that she didn't dare contact her. She could only gauge how Chen was doing by the gifts she received during the holidays; if the gift was expensive, she was likely doing well. If the gift seemed modest, it meant she probably hadn't booked many endorsements.

Yet, Chen Duling remained proud and self-assured; she did not give up. Borrowing the Go philosophy of "sacrificing a piece to gain the initiative," she stopped obsessing over lead roles and adopted a "sea of questions" tactic. She actively sought opportunities at Hengdian World Studios, appearing in 17 different supporting roles across 11 months to gain experience and shed her "innocent youth" label. Even so, it was incredibly difficult; she couldn't carry a show on her own, and capital listed her as a "cautious collaboration" prospect.

But sometimes, life is magical. In 2023, she landed the lead in *When the Wild Geese Return*. It was her first time independently carrying a historical idol drama, and investors generally believed that "her status couldn't support the commercial investment." One of the producers, Liubai Film & Television, had produced *The Longest Day in Chang'an*, but the core team for this project consisted of newcomers, and the script had only been polished for four months.

*When the Wild Geese Return*, along with contemporaries like *The Double* and *Nine Heavens Purple*, was viewed by platforms as a market experiment. By casting actors like Chen Duling, Wu Jinyan, and Meng Ziyi—who had buzz but were not top-tier stars and whose reputations had previously slipped—the platforms were essentially engaging in a low-cost gamble: "If it's a hit, we gain traffic; if it flops, we lose nothing." The industry consensus for *When the Wild Geese Return* was that it would be a "disposable Hengdian drama," believing Chen couldn't carry a female-led story and predicting it would be forgotten as soon as it finished airing.

An anonymous producer remarked, "The platform scheduled it for the end of the winter break, clearly using it as filler for the S-tier dramas."

As it turned out, the show became a massive hit, and her career set sail anew. But in the process, nearly eight years had been wasted. Now, with Jiang Ye here, all of that was bound to change.

Chen Duling was sipping her soup, and hearing this, she looked up: "Looking for me?" Her tone carried obvious skepticism.

"Of course." Jiang Ye leaned forward slightly, tapping his fingertips on the table twice. "But you don't need to answer right away. You can go back and discuss it thoroughly with your family." He paused, "And while you're at it, see if my little company is even worthy of a top student like you."

Chen Duling put down her porcelain spoon, which clinked crisply against the bowl. She looked at this man who had suddenly turned serious, and she was reminded of how he looked when directing her during filming—a gaze so focused it was impossible to look away.

"Is Director Jiang trying to recruit talent?" She tilted her head slightly, her ponytail sliding over her shoulder. "But I’ve heard that companies led by rookie directors are all very poor."

"Tsk," Jiang Ye clutched his chest in an exaggerated manner. "That hurts, classmate Chen." He lowered his voice, "But you’re right, we are indeed poor right now, which is exactly why I need to hurry and sign some future stars, like..." His gaze was pointedly fixed on her.

The cafeteria lights fell between them. Chen Duling saw the sincerity in his eyes, as well as the familiar teasing. She knew this wasn't a joke, nor was it a whim. But she hadn't figured out her own path forward yet.

"Alright," she nodded gently. "When I graduate, if your company hasn't gone bankrupt yet..."

"Hey!" Jiang Ye widened his eyes. "You have so little faith in me?"

Chen Duling suddenly laughed, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "I do have faith." She added, "So you have to work hard, don't leave me without a backer when the time comes."

Outside the window, the last sliver of sunset sank below the horizon. The campus streetlights flickered to life one by one, forming a warm ribbon of light in the deepening night. Jiang Ye watched the girl’s silhouette softened by the glow and suddenly felt that winter in Nanjing was perhaps warmer than in Beijing.

***

Jiangsu Province, Changzhou.

Jiangsu Union Technical Institute, Changzhou Tourism and Commerce Branch.

This vocational college in Changzhou is famous for training talent in tourism, commerce, and the arts. Although the campus isn't large, it is refined in every detail. The training building houses a simulated five-star hotel front desk, the commerce department's classrooms feature currency exchange display screens, and art students can often be seen sketching in the fountain plaza with their drawing boards.

During the lunch break, two girls walked side-by-side along the tree-lined path. One of them wore her hair in a high ponytail; she had fair skin, and when she laughed, her eyes curved like crescent moons, with a small, deep dimple appearing on her right cheek. She was dressed in a simple white hoodie and jeans, with a pair of well-worn white sneakers on her feet, exuding a vibrant, youthful energy.

"Hey, look at this!" The girl with the ponytail suddenly grabbed her best friend’s arm, shaking her phone screen excitedly. "Haha, look, *Literary Wind* magazine is looking for models for a shoot. I want to try out!"

Her friend, Hehe, leaned in to look and immediately gave a thumbs-up. "Go for it! You're so beautiful, you'll definitely get picked!" She winked mischievously, "Maybe some director will take a liking to you and you'll go straight into the entertainment industry! When you become a big star, don't forget about your girls!"

The girl laughed even more brightly at this, her dimple deepening, her eyes shining as if filled with stars. She waved her hand grandly. "That's a given! When I'm famous, you'll be with me, and we'll eat and drink like royalty!"

The sunlight hit her face at an angle, and as she laughed, her eyebrows seemed to fly upward. Her eyes were squeezed into two curved slits, as if she were blinded by the sun or simply unable to stop laughing. Her mouth stretched wide, revealing a row of neat teeth, with even a hint of her gums showing, not hiding a thing. Perhaps because she was laughing so hard, tiny, freckle-like flecks of light danced on the tip of her nose. She subconsciously reached up to cover her mouth, but lowered her hand as soon as it reached her cheek, laughing even more heartily instead. Her shoulders bounced, and the light caught on the ends of her hair as it danced.

It was an exaggerated laugh, but inexplicably contagious!

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Ye had finally arrived at the school gate. Seeing Dudu was just a side trip on this journey; since they were both in Jiangsu, his main purpose was actually to sign the first artist for Jiangying Media.