169: Chapter 169 A wise person knows when to yield.

Lu Wanqing tugged down the hem of her skirt, pinching the fabric twice before letting go.

Her agent, Agent Zhou, was still nagging beside her about things to look out for.

The sound of an engine came from the hotel entrance.

A black business van came to a steady stop under the porch.

Li Cheng got out of the driver's seat first and walked around to open the back door.

Jiang Fan stepped out of the vehicle.

He wore a dark gray casual suit, the top button of his shirt undone, and his hair casually swept back.

Director Ning Yuan went up to greet him, and the two shook hands.

"Is everyone here?"

"Yes, we're just waiting for you."

As Jiang Fan walked into the hotel, the eyes of dozens of crew members shifted toward him in unison.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Lu Wanqing stood on her tiptoes to take a peek.

The young man who had just gotten out of the car indeed had a very handsome face.

He didn't walk fast, but every step was incredibly steady.

The aura he exuded did not seem like something a twenty-year-old should have.

Beside her, Agent Zhou murmured, "He's much handsomer than on TV."

Lu Wanqing nodded in agreement.

Director Ning Yuan led Jiang Fan inside, introducing people as they walked.

"You've already met the male and female leads. This one next to them is Lun Zi, who plays Da Chun. That's A Zheng, playing Yuan Hua. And this is Zhang Yang..."

Everyone quickly came forward to shake hands.

"Hello, President Jiang—"

"How are the preparations going?"

Shen Feng complained from the side, "I've memorized all my lines, but Director Ning spent three days nitpicking my acting. I'm practically exhausted."

Director Ning Yuan snorted, "Exhausted? You're still far from my requirements."

Shen Feng shrunk his neck back.

Sister Yue chimed in, "Brother Feng, don't bite the hand that feeds you. The fact that Director Ning is willing to nitpick your acting means he thinks highly of you."

Lun Zi added a jab from behind, "Exactly. When he stops nitpicking you, that's when you're truly finished."

Shen Feng glared back at the two of them. Not wanting to throw a fit in front of the boss, he could only let out a couple of dry laughs.

Director Ning Yuan ignored them and led Jiang Fan further inside.

"This is the actress playing Qiu Ya. Lu Wanqing."

Lu Wanqing jogged a few steps forward and stood in front of Jiang Fan.

Up close, her skin looked even fairer than in her photos.

Her blue dress made her look very refreshing, and her high ponytail revealed her slender neck.

"H-Hello, President Jiang."

Her voice trembled slightly as she extended her hand to shake Jiang Fan's.

Jiang Fan nodded. "Relax, no need to be nervous."

Lu Wanqing swallowed hard. "Yes, I will act well."

Jiang Fan looked at her for a couple of seconds.

Just like in her audition video, her face naturally exuded a clean, first-love vibe.

But standing right in front of him, the visual impact was far stronger than on screen.

Her curves were faintly discernible beneath the blue dress.

Her waist was so slender that it could be encircled by a single hand, her hips filled out the skirt in a smooth curve, and the fabric across her chest stretched over prominent curves.

The moment the audience saw her, they would understand why Xia Luo could never forget her.

Just then, the system panel popped up at the edge of his vision.

"[Target: Lu Wanqing]"

"[Height: 160 cm]"

"[Weight: 51 kg]"

"[Appearance: 8.7 points]"

"[Compatibility: A]"

Jiang Fan withdrew his gaze.

"I watched your audition video. The shot of you turning around was very good. Just keep that feeling and don't overthink things."

Lu Wanqing nodded earnestly, while her agent, Agent Zhou, quietly let out a sigh of relief behind her.

—

Director Ning Yuan clapped his hands twice, gathering everyone together.

The hotel had reserved a large private room for the crew, with round tables pushed together, and the dishes were already served.

The main actors, camera crew, lighting, stagehands, and production team made up a crowd of over fifty people.

Director Ning Yuan raised his glass, "Let's have President Jiang say a few words for us—"

Applause rang out.

Jiang Fan stood before the table, scanning the faces of everyone present.

"Just a few quick words. For this film, I'm not going to talk to you about artistic pursuits or industry passion. Just one thing—"

He placed his glass on the table and tapped the surface with his finger.

"Anyone who slacks off on my set, anyone who is late or leaves early, or anyone who acts like a diva—I will fire you on the spot. I don't care how many scenes we've shot. I can afford to recast and reshoot."

There was dead silence below.

Lun Zi subconsciously straightened his back.

A Zheng, who had been crossing his legs, quietly lowered his foot.

There were two seconds of silence.

Jiang Fan picked up his glass again.

"Of course, I'm not an unreasonable boss. As long as you all act well, once the movie is released, I'll prepare a fat red envelope for everyone. The higher the box office, the bigger the red envelope."

The atmosphere instantly relaxed.

"President Jiang is mighty!" Lun Zi was the first to slap the table.

Shen Feng raised his glass, "President Jiang, I'll hold you to that—"

Laughter erupted instantly. Glasses clinked, and the dinner party gradually grew lively.

Sitting in the corner with her wine glass in hand, Lu Wanqing's eyes remained fixed on the young man opposite her.

Although he was clearly the youngest person in the room, everyone spoke to him with respect.

Gripping her glass, Lu Wanqing recalled that she had met quite a few outstanding men of her age in college.

Athletes, musicians, student council presidents—

But not a single one could compare to the man before her.

They weren't even the same species.

She brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip of red wine to hide her gaze.

"Eat some food. Can you get full just by drinking wine?" Agent Zhou nudged her from the side.

Lu Wanqing snapped out of it and quickly picked up a piece of fish.

After dinner, people gradually began to disperse. With a 6:30 AM call time for makeup tomorrow, everyone had to head back early to rest.

Lu Wanqing walked out with her agent. As they passed the entrance, they happened to run into Jiang Fan.

He was talking to Director Ning Yuan when he paused, turning his head to glance at her.

"Get some rest early. Don't be nervous tomorrow."

Lu Wanqing stood frozen in place, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt.

She opened her mouth, and only after two or three seconds did she manage to squeeze out, "Okay, President Jiang."

Seeing her like that, Agent Zhou gave her a nudge with her elbow, "Let's go, stop standing there like a statue."

Lu Wanqing hurriedly followed her toward the elevator.

Her mind was filled with the way Jiang Fan had looked at her—his gaze was calm, devoid of any ulterior motives.

Unlike some men, whose eyes practically wished they could glue themselves to her body and never let go.

—

At the same time.

In another elevator, Shen Feng leaned against the handrail and let out a boozy burp.

Only he and Sister Yue were in the elevator.

"Did you see that just now?"

Shen Feng rubbed his chin.

"See what?" Sister Yue asked.

"Lu Wanqing," Shen Feng lowered his voice. "That girl was staring at President Jiang the entire night."

Sister Yue rolled her eyes, "Boss Jiang looks like that; isn't it normal for people to stare at him?"

"No," Shen Feng scratched the back of his head. "That expression... I've been acting for over ten years, I know it all too well."

Sister Yue glanced at him. "What are you trying to say?"

Shen Feng didn't answer her directly.

He was thinking about something else.

In the script, Xia Luo and Qiu Ya had two kissing scenes.

He had actually been quite looking forward to it when he first saw Lu Wanqing—

After all, she had such a face and body.

But after seeing the way she looked at Jiang Fan today, he suddenly felt that things weren't that simple.

What if she had designs on him?

For him, a makeshift theater troupe leader who had just signed a restrictive contract, to go and kiss a girl the boss had his eyes on?

Wasn't that just seeking death?

Shen Feng ruffled his hair.

"Sister Yue, do you think I should discuss those two kissing scenes with Director Ning and change them to camera angles instead?"

Sister Yue tilted her head to look at him, her expression slowly changing.

"Shen Feng, your little scheming mind—"

"This is called being wise to the circumstances!"