If they were at home, Chu Xiaxing would immediately grab Chu Qiuyi by the scruff of her neck, stopping her weird sarcastic behavior. However, the two sisters were sitting properly in the restaurant, and suddenly starting a fight wouldn't be appropriate.
Zhang Anluo heard Chu Qiuyi's mocking tone, and her expression became awkward and stiff, unsure how to respond.
Chen Yanping, being an experienced veteran, looked at Chu Qiuyi with amusement and said amiably, "Then do you have any recommendations?"
Chu Qiuyi raised her eyebrows and immediately signaled the waiter, saying, "Can you even drink the wine here? Everyone basically brings their own wine. Have them get a bottle from my collection."
Zhang Anluo was stunned and asked, "Collection?"
Chu Qiuyi revealed a subtle smile, glancing at Zhang Anluo playfully and teasing, "Didn't my dear sister know? You can store your own wine here, and they'll bring it out when you come to dine. The wine they serve here is just for outsiders.”
Then she turned her head to complain to Chu Xiaxing beside her, “And why didn’t you take a private room upstairs? Still sitting out here… The main hall is full of random guests, the dining environment isn't good."
Chu Xiaxing said calmly, "I don't like private rooms. The environment is too enclosed, the ventilation isn't good, and it's easy to get infected with viruses."
Chu Qiuyi gasped, "Who said that? There are no viruses in private rooms!"
Chu Xiaxing teased, “If I sit in a private room with you, there’s a high chance of person-to-person transmission of the ‘drama queen’ virus.”
Chu Qiuyi: "You're so annoying!"
Chen Yanping was amused by the two of them and couldn't help but ask curiously, "You're actually sisters? Then there's quite an age difference. I never expected Director Chu to have an older sister."
Chu Xiaxing said coldly, "Yeah, I didn't expect it either."
Chen Yanping: "?"
Chu Qiuyi's tone was sincere as she described the situation vividly, like telling a story, "The first time I saw her, I felt she looked familiar, and we even share the same surname, Chu. Maybe it's a predestined relationship from a previous life. I decided to take her as my sworn younger sister right away. We get along really well..."
Chu Xiaxing: “…” Isn’t it exactly a past-life connection? I treated you like a real little sister, and now you want to be my sworn elder sister?
Chen Yanping knew that rich people believed in these things, and she looked thoughtful, then teased, "I see, so should I talk to Director Chu again about the filming fee? Otherwise, won't your sister cause trouble?"
Chu Xiaxing: "...Can you stop with this sister-sister stuff?" Is this what they mean by contagious behavior?
Chu Qiuyi complained, "Oh, I also think it's not good for her to always be filming. Every time she's on set, she's so tired and works so hard. Why be so driven all day long? It's not like we can't afford to eat..."
Since Chu Qiuyi appeared, Zhang Anluo had mostly remained silent, but at this moment, she couldn't help but inquire, "Then what do you do?"
Chu Qiuyi looked at her newly done manicure and said casually, "Me? I'm just an idle person. I usually just do cosmetic treatments and drink tea. I'm too lazy to do anything. I just want to live a life of leisure. I don't have her drive."
Chu Xiaxing said expressionlessly, "I advise you not to listen to her remarks that hinder social harmony and progress. It's easy to erode the will of young people. It's better to be down-to-earth."
Hearing this, Zhang Anluo relaxed a little. Chu Qiuyi just looked rich, but if her social status wasn't high, then she wouldn't have much power either.
Chen Yanping couldn't help but sigh, "I thought you were in the winery business, seeing how knowledgeable you are about red wine."
Chu Qiuyi smiled brightly, "I do have a winery, but who makes money from wineries? It's just a toy. I just play around with friends occasionally. Do you really expect it to make profit?"
"Are you two also in the film and television industry?" Chu Qiuyi raised an eyebrow, looking left and right at the two people across from her, then apologized, "I'm really sorry, I don't know much about this industry."
Chen Yanping introduced herself and said kindly, "I'm just a behind-the-scenes worker. It's normal that you don't recognize me. Anluo has acted in quite a few dramas; you've probably seen some of them!"
Chu Qiuyi turned to Zhang Anluo, surprised and impressed. “Really? You’re an actress? Which agency are you with?”
Zhang Anluo met the other party's bright eyes, and she felt proud at this moment. After all, she was still famous and different from ordinary wealthy housewives. Her agency was quite famous, so she answered with pride, "I'm with Orange Entertainment Film and Television."
Chu Qiuyi pointed to the staff at the next table and blinked, "Then are they also from Orange Entertainment?"
Zhang Anluo lifted her chin, “Yes, this is the team I usually work with.”
Chu Qiuyi simply took out her phone and started flipping through her friends list, "Ah, then you're all from Xiangxiang's company. Why don't we call Xiangxiang out too? It's been a while since I've hung out with her..."
Zhang Anluo asked in surprise, "Xiangxiang?"
Chu Qiuyi looked strange, "Isn't your boss Wang Xiang? Orange Entertainment Film and Television is Xiangxiang's company, right? We even interned together on a film crew back then. She invited me to the company's annual meeting last time, but I didn't go because I was tired. I can make it up today!"
"Honestly, Xiangxiang has aged so quickly in the past two years. Her skin condition has also deteriorated. Managing a company is really exhausting. Why make things so tiring?" Chu Qiuyi flipped through her Moments, then said with great delight, "I see that her location on Moments is nearby. It's just the right time for her to come over!"
Hearing this, Zhang Anluo was shocked, and the Orange Entertainment staff not far away looked at each other in bewilderment.
Some of them also had the big boss's WeChat account, and they immediately looked down to check her Moments. Sure enough, they saw that General Manager Wang Xiang had just posted something, and her location was very close to here.
Zhang Anluo was able to access good resources mainly because of the power of Orange Entertainment Film and Television, but she really wasn't the company's top actress. Wang Xiang had the final say at Orange Entertainment Film and Television. She didn't even care about the top actress, let alone Zhang Anluo, who hadn't played a lead role in a major drama.
Wang Xiang had promoted too many popular actors, and she maintained good relationships with many artists who had left the company. Zhang Anluo really wasn't high on the boss's list.
"Let me ask her what she's been busy with lately..." Chu Qiuyi edited the message, then smiled contentedly, "Oh, she replied! She replied pretty quickly!"
Seeing that Chu Qiuyi was about to invite her boss, Zhang Anluo felt suffocated and panicked, "Sister Qiuyi, maybe… maybe this isn’t such a good idea…”
Zhang Anluo: If the boss comes and sees me today, I'll be finished at the company!
Zhang Anluo could already imagine the scene of Wang Xiang showing up. She would instantly fall to the bottom of the food chain, reduced to serving tea and water for everyone the entire time. At least Chen Yanping was from the platform, so Wang Xiang would probably still be polite to her. Chu Xiaxing and Chu Qiuyi were obviously close, so wouldn't Zhang Anluo be the only employee left?
The staff members of the team also had expressions of resistance on their faces. They obviously didn't want to run into General Wang directly either, and they looked over here uneasily and fearfully. Wang Xiang had a very bad temper and could find fault even when there was none, and she was very good at disciplining people.
Seeing Zhang Anluo's pale face and how frightened she was, Chu Xiaxing knew that the little actress wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble, so she played the good cop, "Alright, she's busy with something. Why do you keep calling people out to eat?"
Chu Qiuyi was quite unconvinced, "Many people want to eat with me, but you're the only one who doesn't appreciate it!"
Chu Xiaxing: "Stop it. If you call out other people's boss, how can they still eat? Who wants to eat with their boss? Wouldn't that cause indigestion?"
Chen Yanping echoed with a smile, "Yes, it would be quite awkward. We were just chatting privately."
Hearing this, Chu Qiuyi glanced at the panicked Zhang Anluo and the worried and cowering staff next door, then softened her voice and relented, "Alright, I'll tell her to reschedule for another day, when you're not discussing business."
Chu Xiaxing nodded, "That's more sensible."
Chen Yanping looked at Chu Xiaxing and said with interest, "I feel like you're more like the older sister!"
Although Chu Qiuyi looked more mature and charming on the outside, Chu Xiaxing's tone had a hint of managing Chu Qiuyi, creating a strange contrast.
Chu Qiuyi leaned on Chu Xiaxing's shoulder like a boneless person and said in a coquettish tone, "Then let her be the older sister. She has to pamper me."
Chu Xiaxing: "...Ew."
Chu Qiuyi said angrily, "What's with that reaction!?"
A moment later, everyone finished their meal happily (except for Zhang Anluo), and Chu Xiaxing finally drove Chu Qiuyi away. She said slowly, "Alright, let's talk about work. That was just a little interlude."
Chen Yanping said sincerely, "Your sworn older sister is quite interesting!"
Chu Xiaxing: "Don't pay attention to her. She's always like that. It was just a coincidence today..."
Chen Yanping took out the script and talked about the progress of the project, asking, "Anluo, do you have any ideas?"
Zhang Anluo was a bit deflated now, like a punctured balloon, with no energy left in her body. Hearing Chen Yanping's voice, she finally came back to her senses and hurriedly said politely, "I'm fine with anything! I'll follow the director's arrangements. What does Director Chu think is appropriate?"
Zhang Anluo was worthy of being an actress. Her attitude was like a Sichuan opera face change, immediately becoming respectful to Chu Xiaxing. Although the two were about the same age, their social circles were different. Zhang Anluo still had some brains and didn't dare to complain about The Immortal Doctor of the Great Song Dynasty anymore.
Chu Xiaxing raised an eyebrow and said, "So, it's fine to schedule the makeup test, costume fitting, and script reading on any day?"
Zhang Anluo said respectfully, "Yes, yes, you can set the time. I should be available lately..."
Chu Xiaxing wasn't polite either. She nodded knowingly, "Okay, then wait for the notification."
After Zhang Anluo and her team left, Chen Yanping was finally able to burst out with her inner schadenfreude and couldn't help but clap her hands and exclaim, "Oh my god, it's the first time I've seen her so submissive! You don't know what the scene was like when I first met her!"
Chen Yanping had never seen Zhang Anluo so humble. The other party was obviously afraid that Chu Xiaxing would find her boss, and her communication style became much gentler.
Chu Xiaxing said, “It just proves that there’s nothing wrong with being opportunistic. Even if she’s bad, she still knows how to read the room. At least she’s got some brains.”
Chen Yanping asked tentatively, "You're not really going to find Wang Xiang to replace her, are you? That would make things difficult for me on the platform."
It was one thing for the main creators to have some friction in private, but it was another to make it public. Producer Chen Yanping had to coordinate the main creative team. Zhang Anluo was an actress handpicked by the higher-ups, but if she was replaced by the boss of Orange Entertainment, it would make the leaders above think that Chen Yanping was causing trouble.
Chu Xiaxing chuckled. “How could I? She didn’t even want to act in this drama in the first place. You think I’d let her get what she wants so easily?”
If Chu Xiaxing replaced Zhang Anluo, wouldn't that be letting her get her wish? The other party still thought that The Immortal Doctor of the Great Song Dynasty was risky and that the other cast members weren’t worthy of her status.
Chu Xiaxing looked calm. “I’m not the kind of chef who complains about the ingredients. I can cook a gourmet meal out of anything. I won’t just have her act in this drama, I’ll also make sure she feels pressured within the crew. I want to push her to use all her skills to act well."
Chu Xiaxing wasn't here to make friends with Zhang Anluo. She just needed to squeeze out all of her abilities. That was the skill of a director. She looked down and flipped through the script, asking, "Does the platform have any other actors they want to recommend? Are we in charge of the remaining casting?"
Chen Yanping: "There are recommended candidates for the male lead, but the supporting roles are relatively free."
Chu Xiaxing: "Okay, I have some ideas for the second female lead."
The female lead of The Immortal Doctor of the Great Song Dynasty was a righteous and kind person who saves the dying and the wounded, but there wasn't much room for her to develop. She was basically the standard protagonist of a historical drama. The second female lead was a scheming and ruthless beauty with a dark side. Her reversal before and after was quite significant, and the things she did were hateful, but the character arc was very clear, making her more memorable.
Chen Yanping glanced at the script and muttered, "But the second female lead will probably be scolded very badly. The audience watching dramas now can't stand this kind of character, and the actress's future career path will be limited..."
Some actors don't like playing villains, mainly because the audience will project their emotions onto the real person, and their future development will be affected, so they all like to take on likable roles.
Chu Xiaxing said calmly, "No, they can handle it. Everyone looks at faces. People's values follow their facial features."
Chen Yanping: "?"
On the day of the makeup test, Zhou Xuelu walked through the building blankly. She looked at the staff hurrying by and followed the message on her phone to find the room Chu Xiaxing mentioned. The makeup crew pushed rolling clothing racks with a clatter, and they passed Zhou Xuelu busily, but couldn't help but stop and look at her.
"She's quite pretty. Which actress is this?"
"I haven't seen her before. I'll go ask the casting director..."
The makeup crew whispered to each other. Today was the makeup test for The Immortal Doctor of the Great Song Dynasty crew, and there were many actors coming and going in the building.
Zhou Xuelu arrived at the room as scheduled. Seeing Chu Xiaxing flipping through the script, she exclaimed in surprise, "So you're actually filming a drama? I thought you were joking with me."
Chu Xiaxing said lazily, "You think I'm joking and still call me? Do you want to play with me too?"
Zhou Xuelu had never been to a film crew before, and she was a little uneasy at this moment, saying weakly, "...Can I really be an actress? I haven't acted before."
Chu Xiaxing's wording also left room for maneuver, "You go with them to do the makeup test first. I can only decide after I see your look."
Zhou Xuelu felt everything on the film crew was new to her now. She obediently followed the makeup crew to try on makeup and change clothes, waiting for them to do her ancient hairstyle, looking at the clothes around her with shining eyes.
The makeup artist repeatedly praised her while applying makeup, "Your hair is really good, and your skin is also very good. What foundation do you usually use? I barely need any concealer on you..."
Makeup artists usually only flatter high-status actors, but Zhou Xuelu's foundation was indeed good. In their minds, 'good foundation = less work', so they were naturally in a good mood.
Zhou Xuelu just wanted to hear outsiders affirm her appearance, otherwise she wouldn't have been so angry with Chu Xiaxing last time. She said hypocritically and modestly at this time, "It's okay, I think it's because your makeup skills are good..."
The two began to engage in commercial flattery, which was simply official and formulaic.
Before long, Zhou Xuelu's look drew gasps of awe in the makeup room, and she was even directly dragged away by the photographer to take a couple of makeup test photos to see if there were any flaws in the shot.
Zhang Anluo was the female lead, and she had already completed the makeup test a few days ago. Today was to discuss adjustments to the details of her makeup. She soon heard the news from the makeup room next door. At first, she thought that the people on this film crew were making a fuss over nothing, praising even unknown actors, but after she secretly looked at Zhou Xuelu's photos, she suddenly couldn't sit still.
In the conference room, Zhang Anluo came to find Chu Xiaxing in a hurry. She wanted to express her dissatisfaction loudly, but when she thought of Director Chu's strong backing, she suppressed her temper and said, "Director, I don't think it's good for the second female lead to look like that?"
Zhang Anluo's inner thoughts: If I'm in the same frame as her, won't I be cannon fodder!
Chu Xiaxing pretended to be stupid and asked, "What? Look like what?"
Zhang Anluo couldn't find a good adjective for a moment, and stammered, "Don't you think she's...a bit too eye-catching?"
Chu Xiaxing said decisively, "How could that be! She looks ordinary and she’s never acted before. She’s nowhere near as good as you!”
Zhang Anluo: “……”