Chapter 104 - 99: Very Unpleasant
"It just takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. No wonder people have such a low opinion of us in the entertainment industry. These inhuman scumbags are a disgrace to us all!"
First thing in the morning, Sister Wei showed up with dark circles under her eyes, cursing the moment she walked in the door.
Ni Bingyan, yawning, came to open the door. Hearing this, she asked, "Did you find something out?"
"Just a toad in the gutter lusting after a swan, playing dirty tricks. I won’t go into the details, no need to sully your ears."
Wei Shuojie, infected by her yawn, let one out herself.
Once inside the courtyard, she pulled out a sheet of A4 paper and handed it to her.
"This whole incident made me realize a gap in our process. Here, this is a list for you. You should memorize it. And remember, just look at it at home. Don’t let it get out."
"What list?"
Ni Bingyan took it and saw it was a string of names. Some had notes next to them to distinguish between people with the same name. It was remarkably detailed.
"The people on this list are all industry folks I know of who have... questionable characters. If any one of them invites you out, no matter what it’s for, you’d better tell me for your own safety. Also, even if a friend invites you out, and you’re close, you need to be cautious. Don’t be completely unguarded. If you’re meeting at night, it’s best not to go alone."
"It’s not like the whole world is out to get me."
Ni Bingyan tried to act casual, but couldn’t help but sigh in the end. "I know. Thanks, Sister Wei. I’ll be extra, extra careful from now on."
Seeing her agree, Wei Shuojie stood on the doorstep, cupped Ni Bingyan’s face in her hands, and studied it before nodding in satisfaction. "You look good. It seems I was right not to call you last night."
"I figured it would take a while to get results, so I went to bed early. Unfortunately, I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep soundly after that. There’s some multigrain bread on the table and freshly made soy milk. If you haven’t eaten, you can have some of that. I’ll just get ready and then we can go."
They were heading to Daolin Studio for styling soon, so she had kept her breakfast simple for convenience.
"Tonight’s red carpet is the top priority. Everything else is minor. The company and I will handle it for you, so don’t worry about it."
"Okay, Sister Wei."
With that settled, Ni Bingyan gathered her things and left with her.
Walking the red carpet is an extremely important job for an actress.
They set out early in the morning and spent the entire day at the studio. Face masks, hand masks, leg masks, full-body masks... followed by all sorts of primping and preening. From her hair down to her toenails, not a single detail was overlooked.
As expected of the top styling studio in the entertainment industry—incredibly professional and efficient.
After the full treatment, they arrived at the event venue at exactly 4:50 PM, ten minutes before the red carpet was scheduled to begin.
"Ugh, I’m so hungry!"
Inside the luxury car the company had specially arranged, Ni Bingyan rubbed her stomach and tried to lean back against the seat, but Wei Shuojie quickly supported her lower back.
"For heaven’s sake, be careful! Don’t mess up your hair! Don’t wrinkle the dress! Just hang in there a little longer."
"I’ve been sitting bolt upright like this all day. I feel like I’m turning into a puppet."
Ni Bingyan sighed.
’Walking the red carpet looks glamorous, but it’s really torture!’
To fit into this beautiful dress, she had only eaten a few slices of multigrain bread and drunk one glass of soy milk the entire day. After putting on the gown, she didn’t even dare to drink a sip of water, terrified she’d have to use the restroom and smudge the dress.
She was so hungry now she felt faint, so she kept talking to distract herself.
"It’s so cold outside. The thought of walking out there just like this is terrifying. Sister Li, do you think I’ll be able to stop myself from shivering? Ugh, I really should have picked a big, poofy skirt. I could’ve worn long johns underneath and no one would have known. I could have even strapped on a dozen heat packs."
"It’ll only be cold on the red carpet for a little while. The venue has heating."
Duanmu Li was very experienced.
"Sister Wei will bring your coat in for you later. You can put it on as soon as you get inside."
Wei Shuojie shot her an annoyed glare. "One gust of wind, your skirt flies up, and a picture of you in long johns will be mocked all over the internet. Since you’re on the clock, be a professional! Your mission tonight is to be absolutely stunning! Got it? If you snag an award, your value next year will be on a whole different level."
For the sake of money, Ni Bingyan immediately perked up!
"Gotta work, gotta grind, gotta climb my way to the top!"
Hearing her mutter to herself, Wei Shuojie gently patted her back. "Alright, alright, I know you’re nervous. This is just a small-time event, a practice run for us. There are much bigger stages waiting for you to conquer in the future! Come on, take a deep breath with me."
Ni Bingyan actually listened and took a deep breath with her. After a moment, she really did feel less nervous!
But...
"I’m just so hungry!"
Unlike other actresses who constantly dieted, she rarely went hungry. To be this famished all of a sudden was truly unbearable.
"You only have to be hungry for a little while longer. Hang in there! Once we’re inside, I’ll sneak you a piece of chocolate. And after it’s all over, we’ll go get something delicious, okay?"
This dress was practically a second skin. It was extremely figure-hugging; even one extra bite would cause an unsightly belly bulge. There was a reason it was considered so demanding—for a whole year, no one had dared to wear it.
For the perfect effect, she had to endure what she must.
As they were talking, it wasn’t long before someone came to tell her to get ready for the red carpet.
The car pulled up to the end of the red carpet, and Ni Bingyan stepped out.
The moment the tip of her shoe touched the ground, camera flashes erupted.
Ni Bingyan forced her eyes open, smiling as she got out of the car and greeted everyone.
The pure white gown, the sparkling diamonds, the low chignon, the fair skin pulled taut and glowing. From the front, she had the grace of a socialite; from the back, she was the epitome of sensuality; and from the side, she was the temptation of a perfect silhouette.
On top of that, she was tall enough that she didn’t need to wear sky-high heels, which made her look even more beautiful when she walked.
This was the definition of 360-degree perfection.
Truth be told, neither she nor the original owner of her body had much experience walking the red carpet. But as she stepped onto this carpet, fully armed in her battle gown, and surveyed her surroundings, a sense of calm washed over her.
’Perhaps this is the kind of talent one needs to become a top-tier actress.’
She wasn’t afraid of the camera flashes; in fact, she rather enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.
She straightened her back, her posture poised, without a hint of timidity or nervousness. That unique, noble aura she possessed radiated from her naturally.
The red carpet was about a hundred meters long, and each person had two minutes, which was more than enough time even for a slow walk.
As she walked, people swarmed her, taking pictures from every angle. Shouts of "Bingbing, look over here!" and "Bingbing, look at me!" were constant...
"Bingbing, you look so beautiful today! That dress is amazing!"
When she reached the signature board, the female host immediately complimented her.
"Thank you. You look beautiful today, too."
The two had no personal relationship, so after a bit of awkward small talk, Ni Bingyan signed her name and was about to leave.
But many people in the crowd called for her to stay, saying they hadn’t gotten enough photos yet.
Resigned, Ni Bingyan stood for a little while longer. Only when the next person was about to arrive did she wave with a smile and enter the venue.
She had expected some cliché drama like people fighting over seats, but the organizers had been very thoughtful and placed name cards on every chair.
A staff member led Ni Bingyan to her seat. She glanced to her left and right and saw two actresses she didn’t know, both of a similar standing to her in the industry.
"Hello..."
She had intended to greet them and make small talk, but the moment she sat down, both women simultaneously turned their faces away, their expressions sour.
Ni Bingyan understood at once. They had no intention of befriending her.
In fact, they seemed to consider it incredibly unlucky to be seated next to her.
Guo Tong had mentioned before that the girls in their class never liked taking photos with her.
And now, after being so meticulously styled, even sparkling diamonds couldn’t outshine her. She made the two equally well-dressed colleagues beside her look like a princess’s handmaidens. It would be a miracle if they had anything nice to say to her.
’Alright, looks like I’ll be getting the cold shoulder tonight.’
Just as she had that thought, she saw Sister Wei coming over with her coat.