Chapter 66: An Unexpected Windfall
That evening, Xu Youyou treated the entire film crew to dinner.
Not fond of the traditional drinking culture, Xu Youyou neither wanted to toast others nor be pestered by anyone, so she had the producer book the entire restaurant and changed the banquet to a buffet. This way, crew members could take whatever they wanted. Of course, this also meant the cost was five times the original budget.
“I had no idea that restaurants in Gansu had so much seafood. Now I’m wondering what I’ve been eating on set every day,” one crew member murmured.
“Our crew meals are already pretty decent. At least we have a cook. I’ve been in productions where the budget for meals was 20 yuan per person, but after being skimmed at every level, we ended up with a boxed meal worth barely five yuan—without even a trace of meat.”
“You guys are still chatting? There’s king crab over there! Aren’t you going to grab some?”
“What’s the rush? The boss said there’s plenty to go around, as long as we don’t waste any.”
“When the boss is around, everything is great. Wish she’d stay with the crew all the time.”
While most people were talking about how amazing the food was and stuffing themselves with all kinds of delicacies, one person remained composed—Wang Anna. She maintained her usual slow pace, only tasting a little of each dish, never overindulging.
“Anna, let me introduce you to the boss,” Ouyang Ouyang said, leading Wang Anna toward Xu Youyou. “You’ve contributed a lot of personal wardrobe pieces for this production, and we’ll make sure you’re reimbursed. You won’t be at a loss.”
Wang Anna was the crew’s stylist. Since childhood, she had loved dressing up dolls and styling their hair. Her family even bought a separate villa just to store her collection of dolls.
After graduating, instead of joining her family business, she secretly entered the entertainment industry.
She was not particularly good-looking, had no plans for plastic surgery, and disliked the spotlight. Her dream was to be a stylist—to make beautiful actors shine through her designs.
This was not her first project, but it was undoubtedly the most enjoyable one.
In the industry, her age often led to unfair treatment. Some crews underpaid her, while senior stylists outright stole her designs, claiming it was to help her build a name.
She once argued with a top stylist over this, but the senior, leveraging their influence, threatened to blacklist her.
With Hengdian’s entertainment circle being so small, rumors quickly spread, and soon, fewer productions sought her services. Desperate, she sent out résumés randomly, ultimately landing in this crew.
Initially, she expected Xu Youyou’s visit to be like those in other productions—another tedious banquet filled with endless toasts and small talk. But to her surprise, the entire place was booked for a buffet instead.
Seeing her colleagues genuinely enjoying themselves, she felt a rare sense of relaxation.
Her family had been calling her non-stop, urging her to return home and work for the family business, rather than continuing with what they saw as a “lowly” job. Given her struggles in the industry, she had been wavering in her decision.
“Boss, this is our crew’s stylist, Wang Anna. Don’t be fooled by her age—her designs are both innovative and stunning. Given more time, she’ll undoubtedly become a top-tier stylist in the industry,” Ouyang Ouyang praised.
Xu Youyou had seen some behind-the-scenes clips from the director. Unlike the current trend of dreary, lifeless period drama aesthetics, Wang Anna had a distinct vision—tailoring looks to fit each character, making them stand out.
Xu Youyou had never paid much attention to the entertainment industry in her past life. She knew Ouyang Ouyang and Song Zhibai only because they were hugely popular, but as for stylists, she knew nothing.
However, she trusted Ouyang Ouyang’s judgment. Looking at Wang Anna, she asked, “Are you interested in joining our company? We don’t have a dedicated styling team yet, and you’d be the perfect person to lead it. What do you think?”
Wang Anna had been hesitating about whether to give up her career and return to her family business. But seeing Xu Youyou’s appreciative gaze, she impulsively blurted out, “I’d love to!”
Xu Youyou chuckled. “That’s great, but young lady, shouldn’t you at least ask about the salary?”
Wang Anna smiled sheepishly. “Boss, you’re so generous—I’m sure you won’t shortchange me.”
Ouyang Ouyang chimed in, “Boss, you might not know this, but many of the lead actress’s costumes were actually Anna’s personal collection. She lent them to the production for free. Unfortunately, several outfits got damaged during filming. Should we compensate her?”
Xu Youyou responded seriously, “Of course! We can’t let a young woman suffer losses. Make sure she gets reimbursed.”
Ouyang Ouyang added, “Some of the materials used in the costumes were really rare, and several of the lead actor’s outfits were entirely designed and handmade by Anna herself.”
Wang Anna quickly said, “Boss, just covering the fabric costs is enough.”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “No, you deserve full payment for your craftsmanship and design work. You’re the future chief stylist of our productions—you must be properly compensated.”
Coming from a wealthy family, Wang Anna had never cared about money. She made those Hanfu outfits purely as a hobby, yet they were good enough to dress the lead actress for an entire show. Though she didn’t mind the cost, the respect and recognition from Xu Youyou and Ouyang Ouyang warmed her heart.
Xu Youyou continued, “Song Zhibai is naturally good-looking, but the way you styled him truly brought the character to life. If it weren’t for your meticulous work on costumes and makeup, we wouldn’t have achieved such an amazing result.”
Wang Anna blushed. She had entered the industry to help actors look their best. The drama hadn’t even aired yet, but receiving such praise and acknowledgment strengthened her resolve to stay in the field.
【Congratulations, host! You independently secured an unexpected windfall without the system’s assistance. Reward: 5 training sessions.】
Xu Youyou was stunned. She hadn’t expected the system to reward her for a windfall that wasn’t prompted by a task.
“Wait, Wang Anna counts as a windfall?”
The system confirmed: 【Yes. Wang Anna—a styling prodigy who would have been discouraged by the entertainment industry’s dark side. Originally, after briefly working in the field, she was supposed to quit and return to her family business, inheriting billions. However, she would have always harbored regret, haunted by dreams of the career she abandoned…】
