74: Chapter 74 Jealousy and rivalry
It wasn't just Yu Yaowei who noticed; all the Female Celebrities noticed as well.
It was just that everyone had been too reserved earlier, moving too slowly, allowing Yu Yaowei to snatch the best seats first. By the time they walked up, there were no prime spots left.
The top-tier Female Celebrity, Zhao Yifei, recognized Zhu Shasha as Yu Yaowei's assistant and cleared her throat, saying,
"Get up and give me a seat."
Zhu Shasha was just about to stand when Chen Hao grabbed her shoulder and said with a smile,
"She's already seated. If you don't want to sit here, you can go sit across the way."
Zhao Yifei was also quite helpless. After all, her purpose for attending this banquet today was also for this influential figure.
There were no prime seats left in this row, so she had no choice but to move closer to CEO Wei, intending to sit next to him.
Who knew that Shayiva directly blocked her?
"CEO Wei doesn't like anyone sitting next to him when he's eating."
Zhao Yifei couldn't accept that now.
"Where am I supposed to sit?"
According to the seating arrangement, there were four seats for Female Celebrities in Chen Hao's row. Since Zhu Shasha took one, there was definitely one person left without a seat.
Wei Xinglong gave a look, and Shayiva spoke up.
"Arrange another seat opposite CEO Wei."
The COS maids immediately brought a chair and set the tableware. Only then did Zhao Yifei sit down.
Wei Xinglong smiled and said,
"Today I invited a famous chef from Hong Kong Island to prepare his signature, renowned dishes."
Shayiva shook a small bell, and immediately a professional culinary team walked in carrying trays. Each tray was covered with a silver lid, so what dish was inside was temporarily unknown.
They placed one in front of everyone and opened them simultaneously, releasing a burst of fragrance.
"Appetizer: Tianji Shark Fin Soup."
Everyone only received a small bowl, but even this small bowl was extremely valuable.
Wei Xinglong tapped his wine glass with his spoon.
"Eat first, then drink. Everyone, please try it."
Others might think differently, but Chen Hao felt that the texture of the shark fin was a bit like vermicelli, though the soup was very fresh, leaving a lingering, endless aftertaste.
"Bang."
Beside him, Shayiva opened a bottle of red wine and poured it into a decanter, which needed some time before it could be drunk.
While eating, Director Zhang tried to make conversation.
"If CEO Wei finds no issues with the script, we can confirm the female lead today. Zhao Yifei's ancient costume appearance really fits the female lead's temperament, but the final decision rests with CEO Wei."
Zhao Yifei immediately put down her spoon.
"CEO Wei, for this movie, I even specifically went to study classical dance. I came wearing this outfit hoping to perform a piece for you. You can eat while I dance for everyone."
With that, Zhao Yifei stood up, took out her phone, connected it to Bluetooth, played music, and struck a pose to begin dancing.
"I have to say, Zhao Yifei truly lives up to her background from a dance school. Her figure is really good, and her classical dance is very professional."
Everyone watched attentively as Zhao Yifei performed with effort, even circling the dining table to display her most beautiful dance moves in front of every man present.
Especially in front of Chen Hao, she tried her best to be alluring.
When the song ended, everyone applauded generously. After bowing in thanks, Zhao Yifei returned to her seat and looked at Chen Hao with a smile.
"CEO Chen, what did you think of my dance?"
"Professional, absolutely beautiful."
Chen Hao spoke the truth.
Originally, the movie's female lead was locked between two people: Yu Yaowei and Zhao Yifei. Because Chen Hao had made a public statement, Zhu Shasha suddenly entered the running. Without CEO Wei's word, it was uncertain who would secure the female lead role.
The next dish was served.
"Ladies' dish: Concubine's Bird's Nest."
Again, it was only a small bowl. Although it was delicious, the portion was too small; it was gone after just a few bites.
Wei Xinglong asked Chen Hao frankly.
"Who do you think should be chosen as the female lead for this movie?"
As long as Chen Hao dared to recommend Zhu Shasha, the female lead role would be hers.
But Chen Hao was not that kind of person.
"First of all, I haven't read the script, so I wouldn't dare recommend anyone casually. Uncle Wei needs to consider carefully if he wants to invest in this movie to make money."
Wei Xinglong smiled and said,
"I thought you would recommend your friend."
Chen Hao looked at Zhu Shasha and said,
"I think her experience is shallow, and ancient costumes might not suit her. If there is a suitable script in the future, I will invest and let her be the female lead."
Hearing this, Director Zhang immediately stated his position.
"Suitability mainly depends on the styling. Only after trying on the costume will we know if it's appropriate. I think even if she doesn't play the lead, the second female lead role is definitely not an issue."
Yu Yaowei, who had been completely bewildered, finally reacted. Zhu Shasha was about to turn her life around and even steal her spotlight. She immediately interjected,
"I think CEO Chen is correct. Zhu Shasha's experience is still insufficient right now, and more importantly, this script is truly not suitable for her."
Although Zhu Shasha was Yu Yaowei's assistant, an opportunity was right in front of her. If she didn't fight for it, would there ever be a chance for her to rise again?
"How will I know I'm unsuitable if I don't try?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up directly, walked to the outer performance area, composed herself, and suddenly struck a pose.
"Your Majesty!"
She knelt on both knees, tears welling up in her eyes, and then passionately recited a long passage of dialogue from the script.
After the performance ended, everyone applauded. Even Yu Yaowei was stunned.
"How did you know that scene?"
She said casually as she walked back to her seat.
"I marked up your script in red. I handled it from beginning to end, so I memorized it after reading it a few times."
The so-called marked-up script meant that after an actor received the script, they would highlight every line for the role they needed to portray with a red pen, making it clear at a glance during rehearsals which parts needed memorization and which were dialogue scenes with co-stars.
Yu Yaowei fell silent, looking somewhat angry.
Wei Xinglong spoke at the crucial moment.
"The main purpose today is to host Chen Hao. We can discuss casting later; let's eat first."
The next dish was brought out.
"Main course: Steamed Grouper."
Everyone had a whole fish and was eating with relish. The red wine was sufficiently aerated, and Shayiva poured a glass for everyone, which the COS maids distributed.
Wei Xinglong raised his glass in a toast.
"Let's all drink together."
Everyone raised their glasses, and the four Female Celebrities also signaled Chen Hao.
As soon as he took a sip of wine, Chen Hao felt a strange movement under the table—it was Yu Yaowei using her foot to flirt with him.
"CEO Chen, you still remember, right? We collaborated before. I filmed an advertisement for a company you represent."
Chen Hao felt a wave of emotion internally. It was starting already; he wasn't sure he could handle Wei Xinglong's 'Peach Blossom Banquet' (a banquet designed to attract romance).
"Of course, I remember. And a few days ago when I came to Guangcheng, we were even on the same flight."
Yu Yaowei gave a captivating smile.
"And we're staying at the same hotel. This must be fate. Let's have a drink alone."
Yu Yaowei broke the ice first, launching an active offensive. Seeing this development, the other three Female Celebrities were not to be outdone and actively started conversations with Chen Hao.
Conversely, Zhu Shasha was stuck in the middle. Even if she wanted to interject, she couldn't get a word in, appearing extremely uncomfortable.
Wei Xinglong's frog-like face kept smiling; he was very pleased to see this kind of scene.