Lei Yin also heard the conversation from the nearby table. She couldn’t help but curl her lips and muttered under her breath, “Sister Zhenzhen, Xu Xuero is also attending the affiliated high school, although she’s a year ahead of me. Because she’s the apple of the eye of the Xu Group and her exam results are good every time, she was crowned the school flower.”

Meng Zhen had grown up in the orphanage, sometimes not even getting enough to eat. The children there naturally didn’t have the conditions to continue attending school, so she secretly envied those who could do so. Handing a tissue to Lei Yin, she said, “If someone’s grades are good, it means they’ve put in a lot of effort. Looks are secondary. If you can be like Xu Xuero and excel in every exam, I will be even happier.”

Even though Lei Yin had lived with Meng Zhen for so many years, her favorite and most admired star was still Meng Zhen. Now, being personally urged by her idol to study, her mind went blank for a moment. Then, feeling aggrieved, she pouted and nodded in agreement.

After the two finished eating barbecue, Meng Zhen received a call from Director Qian Xubing, “Xiao Meng, have you not terminated your contract with Yunlai yet?”

“Terminating the contract requires paying a five million penalty. I haven’t earned that much money yet, so I can’t terminate it for now.”

Director Qian had worked with Meng Zhen twice and was quite optimistic about the little girl. He couldn’t bear to see Yunlai Entertainment continue to exploit her. He said directly, “Are you interested in signing with Anmei? At the very least, you can sign a B-level contract. The company will pay the penalty for you and then deduct it proportionally from your film salary, appearance fees, and endorsement fees in the future.”

Anmei Entertainment had a reputation in the industry that was infinitely better than Yunlai’s. Meng Zhen hadn’t expected such a good opportunity to come her way. Her slightly raised almond eyes lit up for a moment, and her entire delicate face showed a look of surprise and joy.

“Director Qian, can I really sign with Anmei?”

Qian Xubing hummed.

Actually, this matter was mainly guided by Gu Ting. He held ten percent of Anmei’s shares, making him one of the company’s largest shareholders. Coupled with his excellent foresight, all the industries he had invested in over the years had been highly profitable. Therefore, when Gu Ting suggested signing Meng Zhen, the other shareholders did not object.

However, there was no need to tell the little girl about this, to avoid putting any pressure on her.

Meng Zhen placed her hand over her heart, trying to calm the waves of emotion inside her. She took a deep breath and said, “I’m willing to join Anmei.”

“Alright, since you’ve agreed, I’ll contact Anmei’s staff right away to try to finalize the contract as soon as possible. This way, you can also get access to better scripts and make good use of your time.”

When Meng Zhen hung up the phone, she still looked a bit dazed. Lei Yin waved her hand in front of Meng Zhen’s eyes and asked in a trembling voice, “Sister Zhenzhen, I just heard you mention Anmei. Are you finally going to get rid of that blood-sucking Yunlai?”

“I think so.”

Meng Zhen was also somewhat uncertain. After all, Yunlai Entertainment wasn’t easy to deal with. The company treated all its trainees as money-making tools, and she didn’t know if they would let her go easily.

“Anyway, this is definitely good news. Sister just finished filming 《Investiture》 and already found a new company. You’ll surely become more and more famous. Who knows, you might even bring home a Best Actress award one of these days.”

Meng Zhen raised her hand and pinched the girl’s chubby cheeks, smiling as she said, “You dare to dream big! Best Actress, huh? Having a goal to strive for is indeed a good thing. I’ll work hard for it.”

With Meng Zhen’s suitcase, the sisters headed back to the apartment.

———pr

The next morning, Meng Zhen received a WeChat message from Director Qian asking her to come to Wangchunshen at noon.

Meng Zhen speculated that it was definitely about discussing the contract. Thinking she should dress formally, she picked out a fitted black dress from her wardrobe and paired it with a light beige blazer. Standing in front of the mirror, she carefully examined herself, then applied a touch of peach-colored lipstick before grabbing her bag and heading out.

Meng Zhen arrived at the teahouse twenty minutes early. Most of the waitstaff at Wangchunshen were part-time students who often kept up with online trends, so they recognized her at a glance.

“Ms. Meng, Director Qian has already reserved a private room on the second floor. Please follow me.”

Following the waiter, Meng Zhen approached the private room and knocked on the door. Upon entering, she saw Director Qian and a woman in her thirties sitting on rattan chairs. The room was filled with a faint tea fragrance, dispersing the early autumn chill.

“Xiao Meng, you’re here early. This is Fei Yun from Anmei Entertainment.” Director Qian said.

Meng Zhen bowed politely to both of them and smiled, saying, “Hello, Sister Fei.”

Fei Yun carefully assessed Meng Zhen, a hint of satisfaction appearing in her eyes. Before coming there, she had watched 《Daffodil》 and the episode of 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》. She knew that Meng Zhen had a good appearance, however, films and variety shows undergo post-production editing before airing, so there was still a gap between the artist’s on-screen and real-life appearance. Therefore, Fei Yun couldn’t be certain about Meng Zhen’s actual qualities.

Seeing Meng Zhen in person, Fei Yun was now certain that she had picked up a treasure.

Meng Zhen not only had a good appearance but also a unique temperament, exuding a gentle charm reminiscent of a woman from the water towns, which instantly brought a sense of tranquility to those around her.

“Ms. Meng, I’ve already had a preliminary understanding of your situation. If you’re certain about signing with Anmei, the company will handle Yunlai Entertainment for you.”

Just this condition alone was enough to temp Meng Zhen. After all, Yunlai Entertainment was like a guillotine hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment. If she could successfully terminate the contract, her future path would be much smoother.

Fei Yun took out the printed contract from her bag and placed it in front of Meng Zhen, explaining softly, “All B-level contracts at Anmei have the same terms. However, to sign with you, we need to pay a penalty of five million. The details of the deduction are in the appendix— up to one-fifth of your earnings each time. It won’t affect your standard of living.”

Meng Zhen had to admit that Anmei was indeed much more generous than Yunlai. She flipped through the contract and found that the terms were exactly as Fei Yun had described. Finally, she signed her name at the bottom.

Seeing Meng Zhen sign, Fei Yun’s expression softened considerably. She reached out her hand to Meng Zhen and said, “Meng Zhen, from now on, I’ll be your manager. I look forward to a pleasant cooperation with you.”

Meng Zhen smiled and shook the other party’s hand.

After leaving Wangchun Shen, Fei Yun directly called the company to negotiate with Yunlai. Then, she drove to the apartment where Meng Zhen was currently staying at.

Walking up to the residential complex, Fei Yun looked at the empty security booth and furrowed her brows. “As a public figure, it’s not quite suitable for you to live in such an old neighborhood. Once you have more fans, you’ll definitely encounter problems.”

Meng Zhen knew Fei Yun was right, but she had been preoccupied with terminating her contract and hadn’t dared to spend money extravagantly. When choosing a place to live, she had mainly considered the price, leading her to settle for a somewhat modest apartment.

“How about this? Our company owns a property with decent security facilities. I can help you apply for a two-bedroom apartment there. You can stay temporarily, and we can consider moving later.”

Fei Yun was a proactive person. After discussing with Meng Zhen, she immediately called the moving company. Soon, people arrived to pack and move Meng Zhen’s belongings.

At that moment, Lei Yin stood in the living room, watching Fei Yun directing the scene with round eyes.

“Sister Zhenzhen, who’s she?”

Meng Zhen rubbed the girl’s head and explained, “She’s my manager, Sister Fei Yun.”

Lei Yin then remembered that Meng Zhen had gone out in the morning to meet with Anmei Entertainment’s people. It seemed the meeting had gone smoothly.

“It’s good to have a management company. This way, Sister can focus on acting without worries.”

After the moving company’s staff loaded everything onto the truck and Meng Zhen settled matters with the landlord, the three of them rode in Fei Yun’s car to the new residence.

Fei Yun’s taste was indeed commendable. The new home was located on the twelfth floor, spanning about seventy to eighty square meters. The interior decor leaned towards Scandinavian style, giving it a clean and bright appearance.

“You and your sister settle in here. I’ll head back to the office for a bit. I’ll come find you again tomorrow. Remember to follow Anmei Entertainment’s official account later.” Fei Yun instructed before leaving.

“Sister Zhenzhen, Anmei really treats you well. No wonder so many artists in the entertainment industry want to sign with them.” Lei Yin sighed as she nestled on the sofa. Thinking of the hardships her Sister Zhenzhen had endured before, her eyes welled up with tears. Meng Zhen comforted Lei Yin for a long time before she finally calmed down.

———pr

That night, Anmei Entertainment’s account which had 500,000 followers, made a new post.

【New Member [emailprotected] Meng Zhen】

Upon seeing this, netizens could hardly believe their eyes. Just a short while ago, Meng Zhen was still with Yunlai Entertainment, but due to a tarnished reputation, she was shelved by them. Yet, in just a few months, she managed to join Anmei Entertainment. The speed of her turnaround was simply astounding!

【Oh my goodness, does Sister finally have a new management company? Anmei seems quite reliable. I hope they can get her some good roles.】

【Don’t worry, Anmei wouldn’t do anything shady. With Sister signing with Anmei, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.】

Meng Zhen’s fans quickly forwarded the post, and less than ten minutes later, Meng Zhen came online and also forwarded it with the caption, 【Joining Anmei is my honor.】

Soon after, #Meng Zhen Signs with Anmei quickly trended on hot searches.

———pr

Yunlai Entertainment.

Yu Jing sat on the sofa. Her eyes were glued to the trending topics and her heavily made-up face looked particularly fierce as if contemplating something dark.

Xiao Lan was sitting beside her, holding a lady’s cigarette in her mouth. She couldn’t help but sneer. “Sister Yu is truly our company’s top manager. Your eye for talent is impeccable. Meng Zhen even managed to snatch the role of Daji when was shelved. Now, Anmei has paid off her penalty, and it looks like they’re determined to promote her.”

“Ironically, while boosting help, ultimate success hinges on fate. Meng Zhen emerged from an orphanage and she lacks the luck for stardom. No need for concern.”

At this point, Yu Jing remained stubbornly dismissive, refusing to believe that Meng Zhen, whom she had considered a discarded child, could make a comeback.

“Talking so much now is useless. Meng Zhen may not have a great background, but her luck seems good. Those who opposed her before, like Ji Xiaoling and Yue Yuanzhao, have all fallen. I don’t want to end up as a former wave washed ashore by her.” Yu Jing remarked.