CH 60

Zheng Baozhu's new lawyer was the one introduced by Lawyer Han previously. After the rumors about plastic surgery spread online, she immediately contacted her lawyer to handle the situation. The rumors had already been forwarded over five hundred times and the evidence that the photo was photoshopped was as solid as a mountain. If they were to sue, they had a strong case.

Because the lawyer was assertive, the so-called [King of Eating Melon Seeds] marketing account quickly caved in and deleted the Weibo post. He then pinned an apology statement, but he didn't admit to photoshopping the pictures; he only claimed to have found them online.

The matter of the apology also became a trending topic. Together with the trending topic [Zheng Baozhu from Childhood to Adulthood], Zheng Baozhu had three trending topics on the top rankings throughout the day, and all of them were high-ranking trends.

Sun Jing's attempt to smear Zheng Baozhu backfired.

After closing the Weibo app, Zheng Baozhu continued to flip through the photo album. By the time Qu Zhi arrived, she had already picked out their photos together.

"It's me, Qu Zhi," Qu Zhi knocked on her door. Zheng Baozhu had asked Qu Zhi to come to her room, as she was having the restaurant send their dinner up to the room. She went to open the door when she heard the knocking and even brought out a new pair of men's slippers, "These were sent to me by Wei Zhen today, they're new!"

Qu Zhi glanced at the slippers she put out. While changing into them, he asked, "Why did Manager Wei send you a pair of men's slippers?"

"Uh, probably because they come in a set!" Zheng Baozhu pointed to the pair she was wearing, which matched the pair Qu Zhi had put on, "This pair was also sent by Manager Wei, and I think they're pretty good!"

"Uh-huh, they are."

But don't you find it a bit odd?

Thinking about today's events, where they had been dealing with plastic surgery rumors all day, Qu Zhi realized Zheng Baozhu hadn't noticed anything amiss with this small matter.

"On my way back, I saw that the marketing account apologized to you?"

"Yes, my lawyer handled it well," Zheng Baozhu closed the door and said to Qu Zhi, "The food has been delivered, let's eat."

"Sure."

The room where Zheng Baozhu stayed was a specially decorated suite with a kitchen and dining room. After washing his hands, Qu Zhi pulled out a chair and sat opposite Zheng Baozhu. When she brought the food out from the insulated container, Qu Zhi was still looking down at the photos on the table, "Where did you find these photos?"

Zheng Baozhu put the plates down and smiled at him, "Hehe, I found them while flipping through the photo album today. I never expected that we took so many photos together in the past."

Zheng Baozhu pointed to one of the photos and lightly tapped it with her fingertip, "Look, this one was taken when you were scared by a puppy, it was Mom who took the picture for us! Your eyes were all red; it really made me feel sorry for you."

Qu Zhi: "..."

He raised his gaze and glanced at Zheng Baozhu, saying, "Since you know your language skills aren't good, don't use words casually."

"How did I use it? Anyone would feel sorry for you in that situation!"

"..."

Qu Zhi silently picked up his chopsticks, took his bowl, and said, "Let's eat."

"Okay," Zheng Baozhu also picked up her bowl and started eating. When she tried to pick up a dish, she noticed that Qu Zhi was attempting to take away the photo where she felt sorry for him.

"What are you doing?" Zheng Baozhu swiftly pressed the photo with her finger and looked at Qu Zhi.

Qu Zhi paused for a moment and said, "Isn't this our photo together? I can take it."

"Uh, my mom already gave you another copy; this one is mine."

"Oh, really?" Qu Zhi withdrew his hand and continued eating. Zheng Baozhu knew he wanted to get rid of his embarrassing photos, so she smiled sneakily, "Besides, taking away this one wouldn't do you any good. I still have plenty of your embarrassing photos here."

As she spoke, she pushed another photo in front of Qu Zhi. "This one was taken during the Children's Day performance. As a boy, you wore heavy makeup. Look at your fiery red cheeks and those extremely long, curly lashes; it's so enchanting, hahaha!"

Qu Zhi: "..."

Why is this kind of stuff still kept until now?

He felt a bit awkward, even the hand holding the chopsticks tightened. However, he pretended to be calm and said, "Those are childhood photos. As long as I don't admit it, they aren't mine."

"..."

This response was not what Zheng Baozhu expected, "You said something about my 'brilliant strategy' before, but your 'brilliant strategy' is beyond my reach."

Saying that, she smiled at Qu Zhi again, "It's okay if you don't admit the childhood photos, but you can't deny the photos from when we grew up, can you?"

She then pulled out a photo from her phone and handed it to Qu Zhi, "Take a look at this one."

The photo was a screenshot from the video of Qu Zhi giving a lecture last time, where he was wearing a dog-ears headband given to him by a child.

After seeing the photo, Qu Zhi was silent for three seconds, then looked up at the smug person sitting opposite him, "Zheng Baozhu, don't forget that I also have your embarrassing past."

"Oh," Zheng Baozhu wasn't afraid, "Then, I will also deny my childhood photos."

Qu Zhi said, "Warrior."

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

"You still haven't deleted it!" Zheng Baozhu almost jumped up in frustration. Qu Zhi calmly held his bowl, picked up a dish slowly, and said, "As it turns out, it was wise not to delete it. If you want us to hurt each other, I can post the video online."

He looked up and glanced at Zheng Baozhu, "Besides, you're a star now, maybe it will even become a hot topic."

"..."

Qu Zhi was indeed the same old Qu Zhi.

She collected all the photos on the table and, as if afraid that Qu Zhi would sneak them off, hid them in the bedroom. Upon reflection, she initially took out the photos to reminisce with Qu Zhi about their childhood, but how did it turn into a mutual embarrassing history?

...Forget it, there weren't many good memories from their childhood, and if they really reminisced, they would just end up cursing each other. :)

After that day, the online uproar about Zheng Baozhu's plastic surgery gradually subsided, and Zheng Baozhu's studio officially began operating. Most of the studio's staff had been hired, enough to maintain Zheng Baozhu's daily work.

However, Zheng Baozhu's current work mainly consisted of photoshoots. First, she did a set of endorsement photos for JS, then the person in charge of JS said she was arranged for an interview with a magazine, and she also had to do a set of magazine photoshoots, all featuring JS's clothing.

The date for the magazine photoshoot hadn't been confirmed yet, but Gao Boyun came to visit Zheng Baozhu's studio right away.

"Not bad, it looks very professional," he said after touring the studio, then sat in Zheng Baozhu's office and even praised the sofa, "This sofa is very comfortable to sit on."

"Of course, I tried several before picking this one," Zheng Baozhu put some effort into decorating the studio with Zhou Xiaonan. Although she wouldn't be working in the office most of the time, she still wanted to have the most comfortable sofa for herself.

"You've been in the spotlight recently, becoming a frequent hot topic," Gao Boyun said, taking a sip of the coffee on the table playfully, "I thought you would become popular only after the drama aired, but it seems I underestimated you. Once your makeup photos were released, you became famous."

"That's all thanks to the support of my peers," Zheng Baozhu naturally referred to Sun Jing. If it weren't for Sun Jing's stunt, she wouldn't have risen to fame so quickly.

Gao Boyun laughed, no longer arguing, and turned to talk about business matters, "'New Moon Wuxin Sword' has already wrapped up filming, and it will enter post-production. Since it's a regular martial arts drama, there won't be too many special effects, so post-production won't take too long. We aim to release it by the end of the year."

"Okay, that sounds good."

"As I mentioned before, I'm preparing for a new TV drama, and I came here today to discuss it with you."

Zheng Baozhu was taken aback, picked up the coffee on the table, and took a sip, "Are you really planning to invite me to be the lead actress?"

"That's the plan," Gao Boyun said, "But you still need to audition for the investors to take a look."

Zheng Baozhu asked him, "What genre is the drama?"

"It's a Republic-era business war drama, [Aspirations of the Heart]. It's an original script that I liked after reading it. The female lead was originally a young lady from a prominent family. Her father was framed and the family went bankrupt. The story is about her efforts to revive the family business and clear her father's name."

Zheng Baozhu paused, "Female-centric?"

"Not exactly. Although the male lead doesn't have that much screen time, he has a strong influence on the story. If you had to categorize it, it would be more of a power couple?" Gao Boyun chose his words carefully, "The male lead came from a poor family as a child and was helped by the female lead's father. So later, when the female lead's family fell into financial ruin, he secretly supported her. However, the female lead didn't know about it initially, so they started out to be enemies at first. Later, they join forces to deal with the antagonists, so it's more of a balanced relationship."

Zheng Baozhu recalled that Lin Ziqin also mentioned this matter last time and asked Gao Boyun curiously, "Has the male lead been cast? Is it Lin Ziqin?"

Gao Boyun seemed a bit surprised at the question, "Why did you think of him?"

Zheng Baozhu said, "He mentioned it to me before, saying that you wanted to cast him as the male lead for your new drama."

"..."

Gao Boyun pursed his lips and couldn't help but mock the popular male star, "He's supposed to keep things secret! At least he was honest with you!"

"..."

"Well, when he told me that he hadn't agreed to take the role yet," Zheng Baozhu added on Lin Ziqin's behalf.

"..."

"Forget it, it doesn't matter," Gao Boyun said, "You said last time that Ye Ling's makeup was too plain, but this time the female lead is supposed to have a stunning appearance, and there will be many beautiful costumes."

Zheng Baozhu was immediately interested, "Director Gao, count me in."

"..."

Gao Boyun sighed.

"But this role is much more complex than Ye Ling's," Even though the TV drama hadn't started filming yet, Director Gao had already started discussing the characters, "In the drama, Ye Ling had very few interactions with the male lead, and she's always portrayed as an aloof character with little emotional fluctuation. It's the easiest role for actors because there's only one state to portray."

Zheng Baozhu nodded while listening. As she said before, the most challenging part of playing Ye Ling was the action scenes.

Gao Boyun continued, "This time it's different for the female lead. She has many different states. In the beginning, she's an innocent and naive young lady who doesn't understand the world. After the family's bankruptcy, she experiences hardships and breakdowns, but she eventually rises again with a strong heart. After she starts her career, she won't immediately succeed. She'll be deceived and betrayed; from knowing nothing to becoming cunning in her schemes. It's a role that requires the actor to patiently delve into it, it won't be easy to perform."

Zheng Baozhu lightly replied, acknowledging that this was indeed a more complex role, especially since they wouldn't necessarily be filming in chronological order, which would increase the difficulty.

After thinking for a while, Gao Boyun finally asked, "What do you think? Are you confident?"

Zheng Baozhu said, "I think although the key moments for this character come later in the drama, the most difficult part to play will be in the beginning. I've watched similar films and television dramas before, and if the actor doesn't handle the early stages well, it's easy to make the character appear foolish, or, um, 'silly and sweet'. From the character's background, she has certainly received a higher education, even possibly having studied abroad. I believe she's highly intelligent and progressive; it's just that her family sheltered her too much, and she's inexperienced in dealing with the complexities of people's hearts."

"You're right." Gao Boyun nodded approvingly, "That's also my biggest concern. If the early stages aren't handled well, it will discourage the audience, and the comments will be full of criticism about the lead being intellectually challenged."

Zheng Baozhu added, "Of course, it's not only the actor's performance but also the scriptwriting. The screenwriter shouldn't write any foolish or silly scenes for the character."

Gao Boyun chuckled, "Are you asking for the script from me? I'll send you the first half later, and you can take a look. The screenwriter is a well-known writer in the industry, specializing in business and espionage themes. They shouldn't disappoint you."

"Thank you, Director Gao. I feel relieved now."

Just as Zheng Baozhu finished speaking, Zhou Xiaonan knocked on the door and walked in, asking, "What are you discussing? It sounds intense."

"Oh, I just accepted a new script," Zheng Baozhu said.

"..."

Zhou Xiaonan was taken aback.

Zheng Baozhu managed to receive a new script while she was here talking about the magazine photoshoot schedule?

Seems like this manager is quite on top of things. :)

"I'll send you a copy of the script later, and you two can discuss it. If there are any updates on my end, I'll inform you promptly," Gao Boyun finished the last sip of his coffee, stood up from the sofa, and said, "I'll head back now."

"Okay, Director Gao, take care!" Zheng Baozhu walked out to see Gao Boyun off and then returned to her office. Zhou Xiaonan couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "What script is Director Gao giving you?"

"It's a Republic-era business war drama, it seems like Lin Ziqin has been confirmed for the male lead role," Zheng Baozhu replied.

"!" Zhou Xiaonan immediately said without hesitation, "Take it!"

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Her manager didn't seem to have any principles!

"In fact, I was also going to tell you that there's a variety show that wants you to participate, but if you're taking a TV drama role, it might conflict with the schedule," Zhou Xiaonan briefly mentioned the variety show. Zheng Baozhu had heard about it, and it had a lot of buzz around it, with favorable terms offered as well.

After considering it for a while, Zheng Baozhu said, "Forget about the variety show. If I'm really taking on a TV drama, I should focus on preparing for it. This role is already more challenging to portray, and it's my first lead role. I want to give it my best."

"Sure," Zhou Xiaonan wasn't someone who only focused on immediate benefits; otherwise, she wouldn't have left Starlight Entertainment. From the long-term perspective of an artist's career, Zheng Baozhu performing well in this role would be much more impactful than participating in a variety show.

Soon, Gao Boyun sent over the electronic version of the script. Zheng Baozhu eagerly started reading it. The script was well-written, and the screenwriter was skilled in character development. Both the male and female leads were charismatic, especially the female lead, who was portrayed with innocence and charm without appearing naive. Even the male lead's storyline was full of tension; it was hard to believe that a male writer wrote such compelling material.

"Zheng Baozhu, there's a package sent to you," Zhou Xiaonan came in with a package and placed it on Zheng Baozhu's desk, "Remember to open it later. And don't forget about the magazine photoshoot the day after tomorrow. You don't need to come to the studio tomorrow if there's no other work."

"Okay, Sister Xiaonan," Zheng Baozhu glanced at the package, and she saw the sender's name was written with a "Lin".

Excitement filled her heart and she immediately opened the package.

Inside, she found ten autographed photos from Lin Ziqin! Moreover, each photo was different! How could she choose just one?!!

She couldn't contain her excitement and spread the photos on the desk, taking a picture of them and sending it to Qu Zhi: "I received Lin Ziqin's autographed photos, yay!"

After work, Qu Zhi opened Zheng Baozhu's message and saw ten different Lin Ziqins posing and flirting with him. :)