Jin Si did not speak when Qi Wu fell silent.
The moment of silence dragged on until Qu Man, who was eavesdropping nearby, could not resist clearing her throat.
"It's time to hand over your phone."
There was a conflicted look on Qu Man's face as she said that.
While she could not hear what had actually been said, she was certain the man Qi Wu called was the Jin Si she knew.
Jin Si was actually quite the weirdo in the entertainment industry.
Most actors would act very cautious whenever they start working on a film set, terrified of giving anyone ammunition against them. When it came to Jin Si, the ones who were cautious and terrified would actually be the production team.
However, with how powerful and skilled he was, there was no one who could actually kick him off his tower.
Hence, despite the fact that he instantly shattered any goodwill anyone might have for him anytime he opened his mouth, his popularity remained unparalleled.
Qu Man's reminder snapped Qi Wu out of her thoughts.
Before hanging up, Qi Wu dazedly replied to Jin Si in a soft but firm voice.
"I do…"
She heard Jin Si chuckle in response.
All of her desires and yearnings that had been whittled away by the years sparked to life in that one moment.
It felt like she had crossed time and space to answer the question she had never been able to answer back then.
Jiang Xuxu came back soon after the call ended.
"Qi Wu, filming is about to start soon."
By now, Qi Wu had regained her composure. She then handed her phone to Qu Man.
Qu Man did not say anything about the situation and merely glanced at Jiang Xuxu before walking away.
Jiang Xuxu walked over and grabbed Qi Wu's arm, muttering, "I was so afraid there would be a trap lying in wait for us that I kept asking that staff member questions."
When Jiang Xuxu looked down to find Qi Wu being unusually silent, she curiously asked, "Why aren't you speaking, sweetie? Did that staff member bully you just now?"
Qi Wu shook her head.
The two words Qi Wu calmly said in response confused Jiang Xuxu.
"Being frugal."
She would have to wait for Jin Si to buy her more lemon drops next time.
*
After Qu Man stepped out of the break room set aside for the contestants, she immediately headed to the backstage control room.
When Song Si, who was surrounded by the rest of the production team and observing the contestants through the surveillance cameras, spotted Qu Man, he solemnly waved her over.
"Why were you gone for so long? How is the woman Chang Xun found for us?"
Song Qi was the typical stern-looking man who appeared strict and stubborn even if he did not say a single word. He sounded extremely commanding every single time he spoke.
Qu Man sighed. "Her beauty is natural. She had never gone through plastic surgery. Chang Xun has very sharp eyes. It's only a matter of time before she becomes famous."
Surprise flashed through Song Qi's eyes when he heard that.
Qu Man's coworkers in the room were more direct with their reactions.
They all chuckled like they had heard the greatest joke of the century. "Are you for real, Qu Man? Did you go easy on her?"
"Someone actually got the demon of Talent Relations to go easy. Are you sleeping with Chang Xun?"
Qu Man immediately slapped the last person who spoke on the shoulder.
As she angrily glared at the man, she huffed out, "Hu Mofei! Can't you be professional?"
Hu Mofei pursed his lips. "Still, the woman's pretty face should be able to bring in some viewers. What's on your mind about the marketing, Mr. Song?"
Song Qi gave Hu Mofei a sideways glance. "You're the head of marketing. You handle it."
He then stood up and walked over to a corner of the room.
"Qu Man, come with me."
Qu Man followed Song Qi and said in a hushed whisper, "There's one more thing you need to keep in mind, Mr. Song."
"Oh?"
Song Qi shot her a glance, signaling for her to continue.
"The woman Chang Xun brought in seems to be connected to Jin Si."
"Huh?"
Even Song Qi, someone who was forever serious, could not hold back his shock when he heard Jin Si was involved.
He glanced at Qu Man. "That's just a guess, right?"
"Yes," Qu Man replied with a nod, but then she added, "I'm unlikely to be wrong though."
Song Qi immediately waved a hand to emphasize his words. "There was no way Jin Si would be involved. We all know exactly what kind of brat he is, don't we?"
The final sentence was spoken so loudly that Song Qi was almost shouting.
Qu Man helplessly stared.
Just as she was about to bring up evidence to back up her words, Song Qi waved his hand once more to stop her from speaking.
"Enough. Even if everyone in the entertainment industry is embroiled in a scandal, Jin Si would never be involved."
Song Si's resolute decision told Qu Man that he would never change his mind unless he saw the proof with his own eyes.
However, Song Qi was also the kind of person who would dismiss anything he witnessed with an excuse he made up.
Upon thinking that, Qu Man suddenly wanted to see what would happen if Jin Si appeared in the show.
Unfortunately, no one on the team would have the nerve to invite Jin Si.
Well, it would be more accurate to say that no one in the entire industry had the nerve to do that.
*
The filming had officially started.
As the order they were meant to enter the arena was decided at random, almost all the contestants present turned to look at her when she entered the hall.
Despite her calm and composed face and plain white dress, nothing could hide the brilliance she inherently radiated.
With the spotlight trained on her, the air around her seemed to sparkle in gold as shimmering dots of light flickered around her.
The stares only went away when Qi Wu walked over to Jiang Xuxu.
She had just sat down when she heard Jiang Xuxu worriedly moan, "Why did you sit down so soon? You should have introduced yourself first."
Hu Mofei who was sitting in the control room was similarly frustrated.
"Why did she not say a single word? Does she have social anxiety? Did Chang Xun not teach her how to keep the camera's attention on her?"
Song Qi, who was in a discussion nearby with the others on the team, rolled his eyes in response.
"She's just as bad as everyone else, so why are you only focusing on her?"
As he said that, he turned to observe the situation in the hall.
He spotted Qi Wu silently sitting beside Jiang Xuxu. She did not fight for attention at all. The moment there was a crowd around her, she would be easily overlooked.
Song Qi was abruptly filled with disappointment, and he shook his head.
"Even the woman next to her knows to catch the cameras' attention."
As soon as he said that, Qi Wu suddenly looked up at the camera closest to her.
As she tilted her head, her long black hair languidly framed her face. With how ethereal and dreamy the lights of the hall were, her beautiful face seemed like the face of a heavenly being instead.
Song Qi was stunned.
"D*mn!"
It was clear that Hu Mofei noticed what was going on as well as he instantly shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Camera Three, stay alert! Also, send me a high-resolution version of that clip to me."
When Song Qi snapped back to his senses, Qi Wu was already looking away. He clicked his tongue and returned to his meeting.
Jiang Xuxu nodded in relief when she noticed Qi Wu understood what to do. "That is within the camera's view. Remember, when you're on stage, you must always know where the cameras are and where they can see you. Otherwise, you might not even be seen at all during the episode."
Finally, this silly beauty understands the importance of where the cameras are, Jiang Xuxu thought to herself.
While all talent shows were rigged, no one would bear to delete any scene that featured a face as divine as Song Qi's.