Chapter 7

Negotiations With Prince Charming

She wasn’t going to live for the sake of the name “Si Huang”. Instead, the name “Si Huang” would only exist because of her.

Si Huang curved the corners of her lips. She was going to do more than take this name. She was going to slowly take back everything that belonged to her.

“Great! You got the part, Si Huang!” Director Liu could not conceal the excitement on his face once he smiled.

“Hey, Director Liu! Uh… I thought we had decided on Si…” The assistant director next to him got up anxiously.

Director Liu shot him a glare. “I decide who will be cast as Mr. Qianji. This was agreed from the very beginning.”

His glare silenced the assistant director.

Whoosh!

The students in the audience exploded into a cacophony of discussion.

“Si Huang! Si Hua’s fraternal twin brother, Si Huang?”

“How is that possible? It’s not possible!”

“It’s like a huge makeover!”

Amidst the chaos, Director Liu motioned his head toward Si Huang. “Come with me.”

…

In the lounge, Si Huang sat down on a single-seat sofa, facing Director Liu and a middle-aged lawyer.

Director Liu initiated the conversation. “Call your manager and tell him to come over.”

Si Huang shook her head. She remained quiet for two seconds, as if she were formulating the words in her head. Then, she said, “Director Liu, I don’t have a contract with Prime Entertainment.”

Director Liu was stunned. This was clearly the son of the owner of Prime Entertainment and he had a passion for acting. Why hadn’t he signed a contract with his own company?

Si Huang flashed a harmless, boyish smile. “I’m not going to keep this from you, Director Liu. I plan on starting my own company and signing a contract with my own company when the time comes.”

Director Liu remained calm. The middle-aged lawyer next to him, however, came alive. His face might as well have the words “Are you kidding?” written on it in huge letters.

“So…” Si Huang’s expression looked even more sincere. “I’d like to sign an individual contract.”

Director Liu frowned. “What about your assistant, your make-up artist, your co-ordinator, and all the rest? What are you going to do about all that?” He was a smart man. A few words from Si Huang were enough for him to understand one thing: Si Huang had no intention of using resources from Prime Entertainment. Why? Director Liu wasn’t curious enough to dive into someone else’s personal affairs.

“I can do it on my own,” Si Huang replied.

“You’re not a star yet, so your guarantee isn’t worth much.”

“I believe in you, Director Liu.” Si Huang threw the ball back in Director Liu’s court.

Director Liu’s face twitched. He stared at the smile on Si Huang’s face bizarrely for a good few seconds. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “I will dock your pay.”

“Thank you.” Si Huang knew that she had won.

She understood Liu Shu, also known as Director Liu.

He was a passionate and dedicated film director. Although he was stubborn, he knew when to retreat. Besides, he had his own set of rules and limits. He was a perfectionist, but when perfection could not be realistically achieved, he would take a step back. The role of Mr. Qianji in her previous life in a different timeline was a good example. He simply hadn’t been able to find the perfect actor for the role, so he had taken a step back and chosen Si Hua. He wouldn’t give up on the entire show simply because one of the cast members was not up to standard.

However, once he achieved his envisioned perfection, he would come up with every means possible to solve any problem that came his way. He would daringly fight against anyone.

Not only did Si Huang believe that she was Mr. Qianji personified, but she was 200% sure that she was far better than Si Hua or anyone else.

In her past life, she had not only won the movie king award once, but she had been considered a natural drama king. Furthermore, she had 10 years’ worth of acting experience. Even current well-known megastars would not necessarily be a match for her, let alone the greenhorns at this school.

Director Liu certainly wasn’t going to give up on her so easily, as she was the most perfect version of Mr. Qianji.

Si Huang personally led Director Liu from the elevator into the underground carpark of Star Youth Academy of Arts and all the way to the door of his car.

Director Liu had a smile on his face. He entered the car after Si Huang opened the door. “You’re pretty respectful to your elders, kid.” His smile froze in place a second later. “Why are you getting in?”

Si Huang smiled shyly. “I’m hitching a ride. I forgot to bring cash when I left the house.”

Director Liu’s eyelids twitched. In the end, he did not throw Si Huang out of the car.

Although he had met countless handsome men and gorgeous women, this kid was so good-looking that he defied the laws of nature. Even though he was sure that the embarrassed look on his face was nothing but an act, no one could possibly bear to say no to him.

Si Huang smiled at the driver in the front as she sat next to Director Liu and said, “To Fragrant View Societal Homes on Coral Street, please.”

The driver paused and waited for Director Liu to speak up. When he didn’t, he drove toward the address provided by Si Huang.

Fragrant View Societal Homes was an extremely expensive piece of land in H City. The greenery there was amazing, and the security measures were excellent. A lot of celebrities and plutocrats had property there.

Si Huang was going there because she owned a small villa that she had inherited from her late biological mother, Li Lisi.

Everyone in H City and the entire country knew the name Li Lisi. She had been a singer and a superstar 10 years ago, proficient in five different languages, and hailed as an exquisitely beautiful woman with fairy-like looks and an ethereal voice. If it hadn’t been for her early death, there was no doubt that her stardom would have surpassed the land of Z Country. The higher one’s rise to stardom was, the more mythical one’s achievements were.

Even to this day, 10 years later, many people in Li Lisi’s generation still regarded her as a goddess deep down. Furthermore, the famous songs that she had once sung were still raking in money for Prime Entertainment and were used for Prime Entertainment’s shows.

People said that Li Lisi had died from drug abuse, that she had surrendered to her vices. Si Huang used to believe this in her past life and had only discovered the truth much later. Her mother had indeed died from a drug overdose, but she had been force-fed drugs until they had killed her. She had died when she was one year old.

It had happened simply because she had taken Si Huang to the Master of the Si Family at the time, requesting for Si Huang to be recognized, which she deserved.

That silly woman had no idea that Si Zhihan had used her under the guise of love. He had been courting the eldest daughter of the Bai Family on the side while they’d been setting up Prime Entertainment together. She had never thought that when she got pregnant and took a temporary sabbatical to rest in a mountain villa, Bai Qinglan would get pregnant too and would publicly announce her romantic relationship with Si Zhihan, rushing into a shotgun marriage with him.

Li Lisi had only discovered this three months after giving birth to Si Huang. She’d only managed to find an opportunity to speak to Old Master Si when Si Huang was a year old after being stifled by Si Zhihan. She had asked Old Master Si to acknowledge Si Huang’s identity.

The elderly man had been very old but was particularly loving when it came to his grandchildren. Once he’d made sure that Li Lisi would never set foot in the Si Family home again, he had promised to take care of Si Huang. However, Si Zhihan had refused to have a b*stard at home… If the world were to ever find out that this was his b*stard with Li Lisi, it would damage his reputation. Thus, he had an idea—Si Huang would replace Si Hua’s older twin brother, who was the same age but had died prematurely. She would live her life in public by using that identity.