CHAPTER 684: CHAPTER 60: THE SCENT OF A WOMAN

"Is there some mistake? It was clearly agreed that I would do the Nai Xiang advertisement. How come in the blink of an eye, it got snatched away by that little demon Wang Keke? What was the manager thinking?" The famous actress Chen Sha, surrounded by her assistants, stormed into the Beijing Hotel, where she planned to use the venue to shoot a new idol drama called "Chinese Youth."

Chen Sha has been a famous star in the entertainment circle for almost seven to eight years, and she is only 26 this year. Logically, her age is not considered old, but in the ever-young entertainment industry, her once-admired face had started to bore the advertisers. She and the recently popular actress Wang Keke were from the same management company, encountering each other frequently. Learning that her advertisement had been replaced by another made her stomach churn with rage.

"Sasha, don’t be angry. It’s all because that Wang Keke has a capable sugar daddy." The assistant didn’t dare tell the truth—that the last makeup brand advertisement Wang Keke shot had been very successful, and recently she had done another as a black-haired witch, earning praise for her youthful beauty. When Chen Sha had first started, she also enjoyed such glorious days; at 20, without using any beauty products and pulling several all-nighters, she could still look radiant after a nap the next day.

Unlike the over-25 Chen Sha, who still followed an innocent image even after traveling continuously through South Korea, Thailand, and the United States for various skin-whitening treatments, her age was creeping up on her. With daily late-night shoots and social dinners, makeup was her only remedy against the freckles and forehead lines.

Chen Sha knew her assistant was trying to comfort her, but what could she do? It hadn’t been easy for her to get to where she was today. As the two passed through the revolving doors of the Beijing Hotel, they saw Wang Keke arm-in-arm with a plump, middle-aged man, walking over with an air of arrogance.

"Sister Sha, long time no see. Last time, thank you for accepting the ’Most Popular Female Star Award’ on my behalf," Wang Keke’s delicate face approached, her youthful appearance enhanced by a skilled makeup artist. The entertainment circle currently favored this fresh, innocent look, which reportedly was what Nai Xiang saw in Wang Keke’s pure aura.

Chen Sha gritted her teeth in frustration. What could she do? To the company and the audience, this rising fresh face was the real cash cow. Having spent so long in the showbiz, Chen Sha knew when to advance or retreat. Although unhappy inside, she managed a symbolic smile and extended her hand to shake hands with the middle-aged man.

"Oh my, Sister Sha, when you smile, I can see the laugh lines around your mouth. That’s not good. I have a type of collagen here, recommended by an advertiser who approached me. I’m just too young to take on such advertisements; I worry it might mislead my fans. How about I give this box to you?" Wang Keke spoke while signaling her assistant to hand over a box of collagen drink, which was promptly passed to Chen Sha’s assistant.

Suppressing her irritation, Chen Sha sat at the lounge of the Beijing Hotel. She took out a mirror and meticulously examined the faint traces of laugh lines around her mouth. Could it really be that she was getting old?

"Sasha?" The assistant threw the box of collagen into a trash can.

"Order a couple of drinks, the crew hasn’t arrived yet," Chen Sha sighed and summoned the waiter.

A waiter dressed in a deep red cheongsam came over, recognized Chen Sha, and respectfully asked, "Miss Chen, what would you like to order?"

"The weather is cold, and my stomach isn’t feeling great. Get me something warm to drink, no coffee, or tea," Chen Sha’s mood was indeed sour, making her pickier than usual while ordering.

The assistant listened and cautiously glanced at the waiter’s expression. Waiters in such upscale hotels were also somewhat snobbish, noticing Chen Sha’s difficult ordering, she feared they might gossip the next day about how high-maintenance Chen Sha had become.

The friendly waiter said, "Miss Chen, recently our hotel has introduced a cherry juice drink, including a hot version with ginger. It can whiten skin and warm the stomach. Would you like two cups of that?"

"Hot ginger cherry juice? There’s such a weird flavor? Sasha, maybe you should try something else, like soy milk?"

"Isn’t a new flavor better? Everyone likes new things. I want to see if there’s anything good about this new product." Chen Sha was noncommittal and directly asked the waiter to bring two cups of hot Cherry Juice.