Chapter 43: The Strict Boss
Shen Ju’an: …
Shen Ju’an remained silent for a full thirty seconds. He hadn’t expected Xu Youyou to still be so persistent about this. Afraid that she would keep pestering him, he quickly said, “Since you’re offering such good pay for bodyguards, I’ll help you get in touch with a few reliable old comrades.”
Xu Youyou immediately seized the opportunity, striking while the iron was hot: “Aren’t you even a little tempted?”
Shen Ju’an: “Next time, for sure.”
Seeing these familiar four words, Xu Youyou gritted her teeth in frustration. She had already planned it out—if Shen Ju’an agreed to sign with her company, she would pair him up with Song Zhibai as a CP (couple pairing).
She was even willing to invest in an adapted drama just for them. The marketing strategy would be easy to set: the sunny and cheerful young man versus the delicate and fragile little white flower. And since both were her artists, she wouldn’t have to worry about losing fans—she could keep them locked in as a CP forever! The CP fans would be happy shipping them, and she would make money for life.
Xu Youyou watched as her golden goose flew away just like that!
“What a pity,” Xu Youyou sighed with deep regret.
Since he wasn’t interested, she could only double down on making money off Song Zhibai instead.
Strict Training Begins
Song Zhibai had been feeling a bit strange these past few days. He hadn’t even started filming his drama yet, but Xu Youyou was constantly hanging around him, looking at him with a weird, intense gaze.
If it weren’t for the fact that there was no hint of desire in her eyes, he might have suspected she was about to do something inappropriate to him.
However, Song Zhibai soon realized that someone was suffering even more than him—his acting coach, Liu Laoshi.
“Mr. Liu, has our little Song made progress these past few days?” Xu Youyou took every opportunity to grab the acting coach for an update.
Liu Laoshi actually liked Song Zhibai quite a bit. After all, the entertainment industry was filled with all sorts of bizarre and shady people, so it was rare to find a fresh-faced young actor who was both good-looking and genuinely dedicated to learning.
If Song Zhibai kept up this attitude, Liu Laoshi was sure he would become famous. And when that happened, Liu Laoshi’s reputation as a coach would rise along with him.
But still—this was too much. He couldn’t handle being questioned eight hundred times a day!
“Miss Xu, I know you care about your artist, but you don’t have to be like those crazy ‘tiger moms’ who constantly pressure their kids and torment their teachers!” Liu Laoshi said helplessly.
Xu Youyou let out an awkward laugh. It wasn’t like she had anything else to do—her only focus was nurturing her future cash cow.
Liu Laoshi added, “Miss Xu, I’ve looked at the script you chose for him. As long as the styling isn’t a disaster, he should at least gain some moderate popularity from this role.”
Xu Youyou, however, wasn’t satisfied. “Just moderate popularity?”
The value an artist could generate varied greatly depending on their level of fame.
She wanted Song Zhibai to become a top-tier, unattainable superstar like in her previous life. This was crucial for her financial future.
Liu Laoshi, now a little annoyed, said, “Miss Xu, there’s an old saying in the entertainment industry: ‘A small hit depends on promotion, but a big hit depends on fate.’ The drama hasn’t even started filming yet, and you’re already expecting him to skyrocket overnight? That’s unrealistic. He’s only been in the industry for a few days! He’s only filmed one short drama and already has a million followers on Weibo. That’s already a miracle!”
Xu Youyou was left momentarily speechless by the expert’s words.
“Miss Xu, too much pressure can backfire. If you keep hovering over him, he might not perform well on set and end up missing his chance. Then you’ll really regret it.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou glanced over at Song Zhibai, who was frowning at his script, completely engrossed. She muttered to herself—could she really be pushing too hard?
In her past life, Song Zhibai had risen to stardom effortlessly. Xu Youyou worried that her interference might actually mess things up this time, making it all a wasted effort.
At that moment, Song Zhibai finished reading a few pages of the script. He was about to reassure Xu Youyou that he would work hard, but when he looked up, she was already gone.
Strategic Support Instead of Direct Supervision
Since she didn’t want to pressure Song Zhibai too much, Xu Youyou decided to take a different approach.
Every few days, both Song Zhibai and Liu Laoshi would receive deliveries of nourishing soups sent by Xu Youyou’s team.
She also made sure to send motivational text messages almost every day:
“Xiao Song, you’ve improved even more than yesterday! I believe in you—you’ll definitely do great in this role!”
“Xiao Song, even though you’re not formally trained, your acting is already much more natural. The next Best Actor award is yours!”
At first, Song Zhibai wasn’t used to this level of flattery. But after seeing these messages every day, he actually started to feel a little strange when she didn’t send one.
A Change of Pace: The Jade Market
After nearly two weeks without any big money-making opportunities, Xu Youyou was starting to feel restless.
Out of boredom, she even went to the Jade Market to watch people gamble on raw jade stones.
The market owner, naturally, remembered her.
“Miss Xu, you come here every day. I’ve served you the best tea, but you haven’t bought a single stone!” he said, half-jokingly.
Xu Youyou had been observing for days but couldn’t tell the difference between the stones. She had also seen many gamblers lose everything in their pursuit of wealth. Naturally, she didn’t dare to place a bet herself, afraid she might become addicted and end up like a real gambling addict.
“I’m just studying for now. Once I understand it, I’ll buy something,” she replied.
The market owner chuckled. “Studying? You have to get your hands dirty to really learn! Miss Xu, to be honest, I sometimes wonder if you’ve quit gambling before.”
Xu Youyou: Huh?
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a model citizen of the new society!”
The owner explained, “If you hadn’t quit gambling, how else could you resist coming here for so many days without buying a single stone? You’re drinking me into bankruptcy with all this tea!”
Xu Youyou knew he was just joking, and she was about to retort when something caught her attention.
She spotted someone who, in her opinion, shouldn’t be here.
“Xueying, this is the Jade Market—the biggest place for stone gambling in Hucheng. There’s a saying that goes, ‘One cut makes you rich, one cut makes you poor.’ Many people come here hoping to change their fate. Some win luxury houses and cars, while others lose everything and jump off buildings,” said Lu Shaoyan.
Gu Xueying’s innocent face was full of curiosity. “This place doesn’t seem that dark. Are you exaggerating?”
Lu Shaoyan chuckled at her naive expression. “For the poor, a single stone here can bankrupt them. But for people like us, this is just a game. Who really cares about losing a few million?”
Gu Xueying gave a soft, almost imperceptible smile.
She could have maintained her elegant composure—until she spotted Xu Youyou, sitting comfortably at a mahogany table, sipping tea like she owned the place.
Lu Shaoyan had no respect for the gamblers outside, but he was polite to the market owner.
“President Lu, bringing a friend to have some fun?” the owner greeted with a smile.
Lu Shaoyan introduced Gu Xueying, “This is my good friend, Miss Gu. Xueying, this is Mr. Chen, the owner of this Jade Market.”
Gu Xueying nodded with a polite smile, but her gaze remained fixed on Xu Youyou. Her expression flickered with complex emotions, shifting like a pie chart.
“Mr. Chen, who is that lady?” Lu Shaoyan asked curiously.
