Chapter 30: Do You Feel Lonely?

Although he had expected this answer, Leng Lu couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. If Chu Luoxi didn’t join Scenery Entertainment, he couldn’t be her manager.

“What’s there to be disappointed about? Didn’t I warn you? She’d never sign,” Xiao Jingxuan remarked leisurely, glancing at the silhouette of Chu Luoxi as she entered the dressing room.

“Yes, your intuition is impressive!” Leng Lu drooped his head, a faint air of dejection about him. “Weren’t you interested in her at first? You had me look into her, so why didn’t you consider bringing her into Scenery Entertainment?”

Xiao Jingxuan’s gaze flickered as he recalled a conversation he’d overheard by chance. “At first, it was mere curiosity. Now, I’m genuinely interested. But she wouldn’t enjoy being tied down. In some ways, she’s much like me. Isn’t that the reason I started my own company? Entertainment companies are too restricting.”

“Uh… but she’s not like you. She can’t just start her own company to avoid being constrained, and without any connections, it’ll be hard for her to get roles, let alone go far,” Leng Lu said with a trace of regret, fully aware of the industry’s entanglements.

“She won’t care. Fame means less to her than a good script. If you have spare opportunities, just let a few slip through your fingers for her; that’ll keep her busy enough,” Xiao Jingxuan replied, already deciding to offer Chu Luoxi the benefit of his own background.

Understanding his intent, Leng Lu was momentarily surprised, then grinned slyly. “To think you’d be so generous, so supportive of Junior Sister Chu—is it really just interest?”

Xiao Jingxuan cast his manager an indifferent glance, then suddenly smiled—a smile so dazzling it seemed to eclipse the world. “Since when do I need so many reasons for what I want to do? I watched her performance yesterday, and yes, I am interested.”

“Didn’t you once say that it’s cold at the top and loneliness comes from having no rivals? Now that you’ve found a rough gem, if she’s too weak and never develops, won’t you be bored in the future?”

“She’s the kind of prodigy who needs only a drop of water to become a dragon. If you watch over her occasionally and lend a bit of support, it won’t take much on your part. I just want to see how far she can go…”

“Oh, so you’re hoping to cultivate a rival for yourself?” Leng Lu’s tone was odd, as if torn between admiration and skepticism.

Drawn out of his own musings, Xiao Jingxuan frowned, not quite understanding this peculiarity. “Why? Is that not allowed?”

“Of course it’s allowed. Why wouldn’t it be? I’m curious about Junior Sister Chu’s future too! Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her and help her ‘flourish’,” Leng Lu replied in a perfectly normal tone, though a strange light flickered in his eyes.

Ignoring his manager’s subtle sarcasm, Xiao Jingxuan elegantly picked up his empty lunchbox and tossed it away, before turning unhesitatingly toward the dressing room.

Seeing this, Leng Lu’s expression twisted even more as he muttered, “He has a private lounge but insists on squeezing into the dressing room? Is this really about cultivating a rival—or does he just want someone who’ll always be by his side? It seems that, with company, one wouldn’t be lonely even without a competitor…”

Quietly letting Xiao Ding do her makeup and hair, Chu Luoxi continued studying her script, completely unaware that Xiao Jingxuan had already decided to support her. It wouldn’t take much—just a little attention from Manager Leng, and she wouldn’t have to worry about not making it in the industry.

Given the chance, with what she now possessed, it was only a matter of time before she soared. So, even without knowing Xiao Jingxuan’s intentions, she remained calm and unhurried, unfazed from the heart.

Having worked with Li Shuangmu for a considerable time in her past life, Chu Luoxi understood him fairly well. Unless forced by circumstances, Director Li was rather picky—perhaps even to the point of giving up entirely if things didn’t meet his standards. Yet, once he found something excellent, he became extremely strict, insisting on making something perfect even beyond perfection.

Thus, Chu Luoxi dared not slack off. Director Li wasn’t just an aesthete; in some respects, he was an absolute perfectionist.

But it had to be said: enduring Li Shuangmu’s rigorous standards was a real test of one’s acting skills. Even in a supporting role, an actor could gain more than from starring in three lead roles elsewhere.

His dramas had always been highly praised, and enjoyed a steady popularity with audiences—clearly not without reason.

Catching sight of someone entering through the mirror, Chu Luoxi greeted casually, “Senior Xiao!”

Generally, alumni from the same school would call each other ‘senior’ or ‘junior,’ but Xiao Jingxuan had taken the initiative to call her ‘junior sister’—a sign their relationship had advanced by more than a step. Although everyone at school addressed him as ‘senior,’ it was always from afar, never acknowledged by the legendary Xiao himself. Chu Luoxi didn’t quite understand why he’d accepted her as a junior sister, but she wasn’t foolish enough to correct him. Over time, she’d grown accustomed to it.

“Mm.” Xiao Jingxuan responded softly, ignoring the odd look from makeup artist Xiao Ding. He found a chair, sat down, and casually picked up an entertainment magazine.

Feeling uneasy under Chu Luoxi’s persistent, curious gaze, Xiao Jingxuan finally looked up and met her eyes in the mirror. “What are you looking at?”

Chu Luoxi blinked innocently without turning her head, meeting his gaze in the mirror as well. “Senior Xiao, are you particularly optimistic about Zhou Yuying?”

The fact that the great Xiao was reading a tabloid magazine—one filled with ninety-nine percent rumors—was shocking enough. But to see him so intently focused on a single report, with the photo spread occupying an entire page and a half, leaving barely half a page for text, and to watch him study it for half an hour? Her suspicion was only natural. Yet, in her past life, Zhou Yuying had enjoyed a brief period of popularity as the so-called ‘Jade Maiden,’ but she had never been an artist under Scenery Entertainment. Chu Luoxi frowned, trying to recall.

She remembered that not long from now, this ‘Jade Maiden’ would be caught in a scandal with an entertainment executive, vanishing from the industry thereafter. The scandal had been so explosive, implicating others and revealing even more unsavory matters, that it dominated headlines for half a year. That’s why Zhou Yuying, as the catalyst, remained vivid in her memory.

Surprised to hear the name from Chu Luoxi’s lips, Xiao Jingxuan frowned and asked, “Who is that?”

But as soon as he’d asked, he caught a glimpse of the magazine spread across his lap—the seemingly pure-faced actress and her bold name. Instantly, his expression darkened, and he tossed the magazine aside as if it were something filthy, a flicker of disdain in his dark eyes. “Never heard of her.”

His mind hadn’t been on the magazine at all, so he hadn’t even noticed what was reported. To him, this kind of news was as good as unread and only polluted the eyes; he’d only picked it up absentmindedly.

Hearing this, Chu Luoxi’s lips twitched. Never heard of her? And yet he’d been staring at the article for so long, so intently? Well… clearly, the great one’s thought processes are far beyond those of mere mortals like herself!