Actresses

Chapter 30 Size

At this point, Shi Jiahe couldn't very well send a long WeChat message to He Yuran asking what was going on, but it would also seem impolite to just leave immediately. Although she didn't have the leverage Wei Ning wanted, she felt more resentment towards Wei Ning than anything else, and her words came out directly.

"If you don't have a script, just say so. Seriously..."

"I said yes, and I really mean it." Wei Ning was also getting anxious.

"Then what have you been doing, circling around in circles? Sister Ran came today to talk about serious matters. But instead, you've been going on and on about abstract things."

Wei Ning was also taken aback. "The topic your sister Ran kept talking about with me, I thought it was because she was interested."

"You've always been so smart, but you've made a foolish mistake. I have to go back to the company; let's talk another day."

Just as Shi Jiahe was about to stand up, Wei Ning pressed her hand down. "Wait a minute, did Sister Ran say something to you?"

"She didn't say anything, but that's her attitude. I need to go back and talk to her too."

"Hey, we've known each other for so many years, you don't have to treat me like this."

Shi Jiahe was also unhappy. "I'm still angry. If you have a script, you're just wasting our time. I'm not in the mood to play those tricks you use on popular celebrities. If you have something to say, just say it. If not, let's all go home."

"What are you saying? So what if she's popular? Your Sister Ran is still a top-tier actress. Whenever you talk to an artist, there's always some build-up."

"Are you out of your mind? What kind of influencer would meet you like this in a roadside coffee shop? Ran Jie came all this way just to hear you say this? Do you think she really wants to hear about those platform policies? Anyone in Chaoyang District could say those things. Did I call you here just to talk about this? Ran Jie doesn't even need to say anything to me; I can see it from the sidelines. Why would someone as smart as you get so hung up on this? Why do I have to explain all this to you?"

"You've got me all confused. So, Ran-jie, you really came to see me just to discuss the script?"

"Yeah, what else could it be? It must mean exactly what it says."

"Am I overthinking it?"

Shi Jiahe chuckled twice. "One of the biggest problems with smart people like you is that you're too smart. Let's make another appointment; that's all for today."

After saying that, Shi Jiahe didn't even bother with Wei Ning, stood up and walked out. He Yuran didn't come back to say goodbye, but when she went out, she saw that he was indeed waiting for her outside.

"You just came out like that?" Sister Ran said with a smile.

"Hmm, she's not sincere, and I don't need to waste my time with her," Shi Jiahe said as she walked over. "Shall I come home with you, or stay at the studio for a while?"

"The weather is so nice, let's find a place to go for a walk. I still think taking a stroll is the most important thing today, since there's nothing else to do anyway."

"Ran-jie, do you want me to take some pictures of you nearby?" Shi Jiahe asked with a smile. "Although I'm not as good at taking pictures as Xuanxuan. Or, we could call Xuanxuan down."

"Whether it's good or bad doesn't matter. Sigh, I've been thinking about how much of what I said in the past was just empty talk. Talking with Wei Ning just now, I suddenly had a long-lost clarity. I understand why so many people are actually reluctant to deal with celebrities; that feeling just clicked!"

"What did you say, sis?" Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "Why does my sister seem to have undergone a complete transformation today?"

"You always pretend to make me happy, but I know it all too well. A former employee from the studio once told me that after leaving the industry, she felt much better and became much more innocent in her words and actions. This is because when dealing with artists, you have to consider whether every word you say will be misinterpreted by them, or whether it will upset them. To put it simply, as an actor myself, I am well aware of how sensitive and vulnerable our group is. And it seems that the better our emotions are taken care of, the more professional our team appears. However, when I truly put myself in their shoes and think back on what others have to say and do to soothe my emotions, I immediately realize how exhausting it is! When energy is transferred from one place to another, the person giving that energy has to empty a large portion of their own energy, don't you agree?"

"...Perhaps." Shi Jiahe listened quietly.

It's fine for celebrities to talk about these things. But as her manager, it's not really appropriate for her to say anything at this time.

"I felt like Wei Ning was constantly trying to appease my emotions, but what I really wanted was for her to just tell me the whole story directly, without all that preamble. But she just didn't seem to understand. That's when I realized that people who work with celebrities for a long time seem to fall into a kind of inertia, believing that stabilizing the other person's emotions is more important than anything else, even more important than getting things done. But now, my need is that I want to get things done. I don't think emotions matter anymore! Can you believe it?"

Shi Jiahe was taken aback.

"Emotions don't matter"—these words, spoken by a famously volatile entertainer, have a particularly absurd and comical quality.

She couldn't help but subconsciously wonder how much of what she said was true and how much was false.

"Sister Ran, I believe Wei Ning must have her reasons. To some extent, I can understand her because I also work as an artist, and the artists' emotions are very important. This is part of our job. Actually, it's not a very serious problem for her."

"But if it's the other way around, and she's delayed getting things done, then wouldn't that be a problem? I suddenly realized that many projects are facing serious problems precisely because everyone is too considerate of our feelings. Now, thinking about my recent films, it seems the directors have been too accommodating to me, shooting one scene in countless ways, scrutinizing every detail. We ourselves were incredibly moved by the final result, but did the audience enjoy it? Do audiences really want to see my films in theaters every year? I suddenly don't think so anymore. Even with my favorite actresses, I can't watch their movies all the time, and it's even more the same for ordinary viewers. A viewer doesn't go to the cinema many times a year. Besides, the films aren't necessarily good." He Yuran said, shaking her head, her expression suddenly turning somewhat pained, as if she was lost in memories of some film.

"Sis... does today's meeting give you so many thoughts?"

"It's not today's meeting that gave me so many thoughts, but rather the things I've been thinking about lately. I see that every actor is unhappy, and everyone thinks that if they appease the actors, the work can continue smoothly, but things still aren't going well. So what's the point of the actors being happy for a moment?"

"But for a project, the most important thing is that it can proceed normally, sister, because no one can predict the outcome, but the losses caused by delays are visible to the naked eye," Shi Jiahe said. "Every project, every supplier, and every company needs to receive payments. A lowly grassroots worker can't possibly predict or be responsible for the outcome of a project. Everyone is just doing their job within their scope of vision and ability. So sister, you don't need to think so much. I don't think the artist is at fault either."

"It's not time to talk about who's right and who's wrong yet. I just think that when I realized this was a problem, we can't let the same problems arise in the things we want to do. At least I have to avoid it myself. The scripts I'm looking for have to be ones that can move you—" He Yuran casually pointed to the road in the neighborhood and the buildings next to it, "scripts that can move the people on this road, scripts that can move ordinary people, not just scripts that make me happy to act, or scripts that can help me turn my career around by playing a certain role. If I'm doing this for myself, then I have to completely remove my own emotions first, as if only then can I create something big enough to contain myself, because first of all, it has to be big enough to hold other people."

Shi Jiahe felt dizzy for a while after hearing this.

"It seems a bit abstract... Let me think about it more, sis. But then I think I understand what you're saying."

He Yuran adjusted a filter on a photo app and handed the phone to Shi Jiahe. "Try framing the shot, include both the blue sky and my background, but make mine smaller."

"OK," Shi Jiahe said after gesturing.

Actually, she didn't take many photos for her boss herself before. She would only help take a few photos when the photographer or Xuanxuan was too busy.

"The trees in the background are a bit messy; let Xuanxuan clean them up with Photoshop later."

"It's fine, a cluttered background doesn't matter, I want it to feel big enough. But pay attention to the proportions. Leave a third of the top blank, and enough space at the bottom to breathe. The smaller I am, the better."

"Yeah, I have that much common sense."

Shi Jiahe compared the photos from left to right, and based on the basic proportions of photography that He Yuran and Xuanxuan had taught everyone before, she took seven or eight photos and then showed them to the boss.

"It's alright, I look pretty good even without makeup today." He Yuran smiled.

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "This photo isn't very good," but she didn't dare to take it.

Who knows if what He Yuran said just now was real? Celebrities' moods can change in an instant. To be honest, the consequences of this are quite high. There's no need to take things too seriously about trivial matters.

"Your sister is in good condition."

"Just pick three images from your studio account and send them directly."

"Huh?" Shi Jiahe's heart skipped a beat.

If these unedited photos are released directly, fans will definitely criticize them again: "Is the studio just sitting around doing nothing? They didn't even edit the photos! And they were just taken casually with a phone! It's not even an event photo!"

The studio doesn't have many active fans to begin with; they're usually urging the studio to do more content, join groups, and fight back against negative publicity. Once these pictures are released, the comment section will probably be incredibly ugly.

"This..." she hesitated for a moment.

He Yuran raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You think it's not allowed to post this?"

Shi Jiahe blinked. "Sis, you can see the background in this picture. People might guess which neighborhood you live in. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

When it comes to persuading artists, if the core reason involves countless explanations, then you need to find another reason that the artist can understand or accept.

"Oh, that's true. I really didn't think of that if you hadn't mentioned it." He Yuran pondered for a moment. "Then how about we go to the park next door to take pictures?"

Shi Jiahe thought to herself, "Xuanxuan, come save me!"

"Should I ask my studio colleagues to help? They take better photos than I do."

Shi Jiahe tried to struggle, but He Yuran grabbed her and dragged her away without a word. "It's not far, it'll only take us half an hour to walk there. There are lots of residential areas around, no one will recognize us if we take pictures there."

"Hey sis! I'll call back in a bit." Shi Jiahe suddenly remembered something and stopped in her tracks.

"OK."

Shi Jiahe quickened her pace and walked ahead, then quietly sent a voice message to Sister Shi: "I saw that those accounts have all edited the copy. Thanks a lot, though. I'll treat you to dinner sometime."

Stone Sister replied to the text message on WeChat very quickly.

"We're filming something in the studio. Are you free later? I'll come over to see you after I drop Panpan off at home."

"Sure." Shi Jiahe sent her home address.

"Okay, I'll find a restaurant later, and we can talk over dinner tonight."

When Shi Jiahe put down her phone and looked back, she was surprised to find that Wei Ning had actually chased after her. She didn't know if Wei Ning had just left or had been following her the whole time.

"Sister Ran!" Wei Ning ran over, followed by a person who looked very young and was quite unfamiliar.

He Yuran stopped and said, "Hey, Beijing Chaoyang is really something. We've run into each other again in just half an hour."

Wei Ning smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Sister, what you're saying... I apologize. I might have misunderstood you because I didn't get to the point earlier. I've called the screenwriter over now, and she'll explain the story in a bit. How about that?"