There was no doubt that Pei Qi's visit to the set was causing a significant delay in the day's work. Even a minute of overtime would make the staff resentful enough to curse him out; if the delay stretched to half an hour, they might even go home and stick pins in a voodoo doll of him. This was especially true for work at a filming base, where overtime was already common, and finishing on time was a rare luxury. Any delay could easily push quitting time to the early hours of the morning.
And the next day, they would have to rush to work, half-asleep, with nothing but a piece of bread in their stomachs, to start the day all over again.
Qin Ran noticed several staff members twitching their lips in irritation. They didn't care who this important guest was or how famous the visiting star might be. After spending enough time in this industry, they inevitably became jaded. Besides, the drama and relationships of these stars were as exaggerated as those in television shows and novels, with nothing to do with the lives of the ordinary workers.
To the workers, only rest and money mattered; everything else was secondary.
One of the staff members led Pei Qi to the front row of the audience, where he would have the best view, smiling warmly and chatting with him. From the way the staff member's mouth moved, Qin Ran could guess what he was saying.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Miss Ling Miaohan's performance is in one of the later groups. Don't worry, our stage design team is made up of professionals, and they'll make sure to showcase Miss Ling Miaohan's beauty to the fullest." Qin Ran parroted these words to Sister Li, who was sitting beside her.
This made Sister Li burst into laughter. She looked at Qin Ran and teased, "Why don't you reveal your identity as the boss of 99 Entertainment and get them to give you the ultimate VIP treatment?"
Qin Ran pouted, "I don't want to. That would just be a bother for everyone."
But the trouble didn't end there. Pei Qi had brought plenty of drinks, ice cream, and small cakes, which his staff distributed to everyone around. Even Qin Ran and Sister Li each received a portion. The drinks were chilled lime juice, the ice cream from a premium brand—each small tub costing over twenty yuan—and the cakes were strawberry shortcakes, which also probably cost around twenty yuan each.
Each portion added up to more than fifty yuan. If they could take these snacks home and enjoy them later, everyone would have been happy. But Pei Qi had said, "It's a hot day, so let's all take a break and enjoy these treats before continuing," which immediately wiped the smiles off the staff's faces.
The work was still there, and taking a break to eat snacks would only push back their already late quitting time. But since the big boss was visiting, he naturally wanted to see everyone gratefully enjoying his treats. When Qin Ran had arranged for Sister Li to distribute drinks and snacks earlier, it had been during a break, and the workers could do what they wanted with them. The situation now was completely different.
The employees looked at their snacks with mixed feelings. While it was nice to get a treat worth over fifty yuan, they were unhappy about the delay in finishing work. They accepted the snacks, but their joy was tinged with frustration. Qin Ran, however, simply took out the ice cream, opened the lid, and dug in with the spoon provided.
Even though the ice cream had been kept chilled, it had softened a bit. With a single scoop, it was easy to dig into it. She put the spoonful into her mouth, immediately feeling the refreshing coolness. As she enjoyed her ice cream, Sister Li handed her portion to her assistant, who cheerfully put away the cake and started on the two tubs of ice cream.
Resigned to their fate, the other staff members knew they couldn't resume work until they finished their snacks, so they put down their tools and began eating. Meanwhile, the poor artists waiting backstage were left wondering why they were being kept in suspense. If any of them were backed by a big company, the staff would have to explain the situation to Pei Qi and rush them onto the stage.
But since they hadn't been called to the stage yet, it was clear that compared to Pei Qi, they were not important at all.
Half an hour later, seeing that everyone had nearly finished, Pei Qi nodded to the staff, signaling that work could continue. The staff took a deep breath, grateful for the reprieve, and hurriedly got everyone back to work to avoid another late night. Soon, the contestants who had been waiting backstage filed out onto the stage.
They had waited more than half an hour for a five-minute performance, but the only ones who would care were their managers. After a few more groups, Ling Miaohan finally took the stage. Her team appeared calm and composed, and Qin Ran, with her sharp eyes, even noticed a crumb of cake at the corner of one team member's mouth.
Instinctively, she wiped her own mouth, only to find her hand clean, which reassured her.
Sister Li, standing beside her, sarcastically remarked, "Look how happy they are eating those cakes. If your identity ever gets exposed, who knows what they'll do to you?"
Qin Ran wasn't bothered. There was nothing to expose; even if it came out, she was just an ordinary student. Besides, who had the time to snap photos of her now? Qin Ran sipped her drink, finding it quite refreshing.
Sister Li watched her, feeling a surge of irritation, then glanced at Pei Qi in the distance. Although his actions were a bit underhanded, he did exude a certain aura of authority, quite intimidating. Unlike their own boss, who still looked like a poor student. Just as Sister Li was mentally complaining, she noticed that after watching Ling Miaohan's performance, Pei Qi started walking toward them.
At first, Sister Li thought Pei Qi had recognized Qin Ran and was coming to speak to her. After all, someone who could suddenly pull out such a large amount of cash must have a wealthy background, and the powerful families in the capital usually knew each other. She suspected Qin Ran was only modest around people like them.
She was ready to watch the show when she realized Pei Qi was approaching her instead.
"Miss Yan Li, it's been a while. Our company extended a job offer to you earlier, but I was surprised you turned it down to join an unknown new company." Pei Qi's words left Sister Li momentarily stunned, even feeling slightly awkward.
Mostly because… she didn't like being called by her real name, Yan Li.
It sounded too similar to "strict," making her name seem harsh and old-fashioned. Even Qin Ran always called her Sister Li. She hadn't immediately responded when Pei Qi addressed her, not realizing at first that he was talking to her. Besides, if he had to use a name, why not her English name: Lily?
After Pei Qi's comment, she remembered the job offer. Pei Qi's company had indeed sent a headhunter to recruit her. Although his company was large, it also meant a complex hierarchy, with many leaders besides Pei Qi himself. Having just left a company where her contract had expired, Sister Li didn't want to be constrained by so many superiors again. Naturally, she didn't choose to join them.
Moreover, she had heard that Pei Qi wanted her to package a certain young lady who was close to him, which meant she would have to meet many of his demands. Sister Li was just looking for a company to work for, a boss to report to, not a demanding taskmaster.
So, she had politely declined and found herself drawn to 99 Entertainment's clear job description, which emphasized not interfering with her work and only requiring her to report to the president and boss. This was exactly the kind of freedom a top agent deserved.
At first, Sister Li had been nervous, thinking the boss wouldn't be so easy to deal with, but to her surprise… the boss turned out to be quite agreeable.
She hadn't expected to run into Pei Qi now, her former potential employer. Sister Li chuckled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over. "Well," she said, her eyes shifting slightly, "99 Entertainment may be a new company, but it's full of energy, with many young people willing to work hard and take risks. After their persistent invitations, I agreed to join their team. Of course, your company is also a well-known industry leader, and I regret not being able to join."
Even if she looked down on the other company, Sister Li knew that in the adult world, it was common to exchange polite compliments. Standing nearby, the older-than-her-years Qin Ran sarcastically thought how typical this was as she sipped her drink, not expecting Pei Qi's attention to shift to her.
"Is this your company's newly signed artist?" Pei Qi asked. "I thought Miss Yan Li turned down our offer because she didn't want to manage someone with connections like Miaomiao, but it seems that's not the case."
You had to admit, Pei Qi was sharp. Despite Qin Ran's low-key demeanor, her previous life had been filled with etiquette training from a strict tutor hired by her mother. While Qin Ran had loosened up considerably in this life, her ingrained manners remained evident. Pei Qi, who had also been trained this way from a young age and was used to the refined behavior of someone like Ling Miaohan, quickly noticed the subtle signs that Qin Ran had received similar training.
Hiring an etiquette tutor wasn't cheap, and the unintentional display of such poise was something that only someone raised with money could afford. Moreover, this was clearly not a nouveau riche family; otherwise, they wouldn't have thought to train their daughter in this way.
Sister Li glanced at Qin Ran, thinking that it made sense wealthy kids would recognize each other. Although Pei Qi hadn't figured out exactly which family Qin Ran belonged to, he had quickly picked up on her wealth. Before Sister Li could respond, Qin Ran smiled, her expression not warm but rather cold. "This… sir, do I look like an artist to you? I'm just a lowly assistant."