Li Jing noticed He Jinxia's gaze and, with a swift glance, exclaimed loudly, "Who cares how one gets it? The point is, on stage, you have to take it seriously. If you do, even an ugly duckling can turn into a swan, and a toad can get a taste of swan meat!"
Luo You's face slightly changed color. He could hear the sarcasm in Li Jing's voice. He was about to say something when he was stopped by He Jinxia, who stood in front of him.
He Jinxia stretched out her plump, fair hand and, with a little force, pushed down on Luo You. With one look from her round eyes, Luo You was immediately intimidated by He Jinxia's commanding presence, and he reluctantly suppressed his anger.
It had to be said, although He Jinxia was chubby, her eyes were quite large. Despite her big face, nothing could hide the sparkle in her eyes.
Turning around, He Jinxia looked at Li Jing, who didn't think they would dare to start a conflict in the office. Unafraid, he smiled at her and said,
"Jinxia, don't mind if Brother Li speaks bluntly. The message is what matters, not the delivery. Focusing on your stage performance is important."
He Jinxia, not looking at him, suddenly smiled and spoke indifferently, "Jinxia strongly agrees with Brother Li Jing's theory."
The smile on Li Jing's face deepened, and he deliberately glanced at Luo You a few times, full of provocation.
Look, no matter how stunning a solo performance on stage is, if you don't make it to the top, you're still just playing pretender!
But the next second, the smile on Li Jing's face suddenly froze.
"After all, first-rate stars like Sister Xingxin and Brother Guo Fan initially made their names from stage performances, which caught the attention of senior management for their potential and provided them opportunities. Gradually, they climbed up to their current positions. Stage performance is indeed important, and not to be taken lightly. Brother Li Jing is absolutely right."
Li Jing tugged at the corner of his mouth and tried to pacify the situation, "Yes, as long as one is willing to work hard, there will definitely be a chance to shine. Jinxia, you need to keep it up!"
Xingxin and Guo Fan are genuine first-rate stars. He wouldn't dare to mock them with tales of ugly ducklings and toads.
He Jinxia nodded earnestly and commented, "Brother Li Jing, Jinxia thinks the same."
Suddenly pausing, as if struck by a thought, she continued, "At the very least, Sister Xingxin and Brother Guo Fan didn't just rise to fame because of opportunities. It also has a lot to do with their own efforts and diligence."
"Therefore, it's not necessarily true that an ugly duckling only turns into a swan because of opportunity. Maybe it's just a swan that was hidden in dust, and the toad might just be a prince temporarily sealed away. What does Brother Li Jing think?"
Li Jing managed to squeeze out a smile and agreed, "Jinxia is right. Opportunity isn't the key factor; oneself is more important. Right, I've heard you want to lose weight? That's good. Once you slim down, you'll definitely be a potential stock."
He Jinxia graciously accepted what was presumably a compliment from Li Jing, her lips curving into a light smirk, "Jinxia would like to thank you in advance for your blessing, Brother Li Jing."
Li Jing, watching He Jinxia's smiling, unyielding demeanor, felt only a deeper sense of frustration building inside him.
At this moment, Luo You stood up, pretending to have an errand and took He Jinxia with him to leave first.
After the two of them left, Li Jing's expression immediately turned gloomy. The third-rate star standing beside him didn't dare make a sound, fearing they would set off a powder keg.
The other agents who had been watching all retracted their gazes, bowed their heads and pretended to busy themselves with work, but simultaneously raised their estimation of how tough He Jinxia was to a new level.
Even someone like Li Jing couldn't suppress He Jinxia.
Interesting, very interesting.
Once outside the door, Luo You finally couldn't help but laugh out loud with a "pfft".
Every time he thought about Li Jing's begrudging expression, forced to maintain a smile, he couldn't help but curl his lips upward. It was truly a delight!
Walking into a secluded tea room, He Jinxia suddenly stopped and called out to him, "Brother Luo."
Luo You paused, turning his head to look at her, and met He Jinxia's serious expression.
Even though her face was chubby and her features seemed rather plain due to being squeezed together, it couldn't hide her eyes, which shone like stars scattered across the sky.
He Jinxia spoke seriously, word by word, "Brother Luo, next time, no one will dare to mock me in front of my face, and you will never be looked down upon again."
He Jinxia knew that the reason Luo You couldn't hold his head high in front of Li Jing ultimately came down to the fact that the artists under him were unimpressive. If she were a top-tier star, Li Jing would be too busy trying to ingratiate himself with Luo You to mock him, wouldn't he?
The relationship between an artist and an agent is interdependent; if one makes a mistake, both are affected. Luo You had treated her with sincerity, and she naturally reciprocated that sincerity.
The words the woman had dropped echoed with a resonance that splashed ripples into Luo You's heart.
Luo You felt his chest filled with a renewed surge of pride. He took a few deep breaths, blinked his slightly moist eyes, and stiffened his face, trying to make himself look serious too.
This kid had really changed.
How come the occasional words she blurted out could give him such a strong boost...
Luo You spoke in a grave tone, "He Jinxia, remember what you said today. Brother Luo believes in you and trusts that you can do what you say!"
He Jinxia met his gaze for a few moments, then suddenly smiled, dissipating the tense and somber atmosphere into calmness.
"Brother Luo, there's no need to conclude so quickly. I understand the principle of taking on challenges that match one's abilities. As for whether I can do as I say, let's wait and see."
After the two left the tea room, a small door beside the sofa swung open.
The first thing to emerge was a slender, jade-like hand, followed by a pair of long, enviable legs, and lastly the face of a man, exquisitely sculpted by God himself, with sharp features and an assertive presence.
Sheng Yan's lips pressed together lightly as he watched the corridor outside the tea room, a thoughtful look passing through his eyes as he murmured, "So she is He Jinxia..."
He remembered her name not from her stunning solo act the day before but from last night when he returned home, and his revered mother repeatedly mentioned those three words to him with great emphasis.
Thinking of something, he tugged at the tie around his neck, instantly transforming from a sharp elite to a decadent, languid man, and then picked up his phone to make a call.
"Mom, I promise you."
It was not until the afternoon of the third day that He Jinxia received the script hurriedly prepared by the "Letter to Future Self" production team, and she went to the TV station to rehearse.
The Imperial Eastern City Film and Television Building had thirty floors, all dedicated to variety shows, divided according to the popularity of the programs.
The more popular the TV show, the higher the floor it occupied, and "Letter to Future Self" was recorded on a middle floor, precisely the fifteenth.
Just one more level up, and they would step into the realm of top-line variety shows.