CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST BORN LUCKY...

And so, Ji Ning became the special action consultant for the film crew, with flexible hours and a decent salary. Watching this, Ye Tong felt the contract in her hand suddenly lost its appeal.

Feeling like sour lemons, she insisted Ji Ning treat them to a big dinner that evening.

Just as they were discussing where to eat, the phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from Li Tao, the group leader.

Ye Tong quickly hit the answer button and heard Li Tao’s booming laughter from the other end.

"Congratulations, Xiao Tong, I heard you got the role of the third female lead Yan Fei in ’Gone with the Wind’?"

Ye Tong immediately responded modestly, "Just lucky, just lucky."

"Luck is also a part of strength, Director Feng isn’t someone easily impressed. Don’t be modest. I booked a big table at the Guest Building to celebrate. Bring your sister along, there’s a surprise."

Before Ye Tong could refuse, the call was hung up, indicating that this dinner couldn’t be missed.

Ye Tong glanced helplessly at Ji Ning, "It’s Brother Tao’s first time inviting us to dinner, hard to decline."

Ji Ning nodded slightly; she didn’t mind as long as she could eat well, she didn’t care where.

Ye Tong called Bai Xiaotang to let her know she wouldn’t be home for dinner, then took Ji Ning to a famous restaurant in the film town, the Guest Building.

Usually, Ye Tong would avoid this place. Not to mention the high prices, the diners here were typically directors, top-tier actors, and big investors. Without a reservation, people like her, a background actor, couldn’t even get through the door.

That Li Tao could invite her for dinner here was as if the sun rose from the west.

Standing in the parking lot of the Guest Building, Ye Tong seriously tidied up her hair and clothes using the window of a black sedan, nervously asking Ji Ning, "Sister Ning, does my outfit look okay? If I’d known we’d be dining here, we should have rented some clothes."

Ji Ning glanced at the sedan, then at Ye Tong, a smirk playing on her lips as she raised her brow and said, "Running late."

"Ah?" Ye Tong quickly checked her phone, realizing she was 2 minutes away from the agreed time with Li Tao. She hastily tidied her bangs in the window before hurrying to the restaurant entrance.

Ji Ning glanced at the black car again, hands in her pockets, leisurely following behind Ye Tong.

After they left, the window of the black sedan lowered, revealing an astonishing face.

"President Feng, it’s about time. What do you think?" The assistant in the driver’s seat cautiously asked the man reflected in the rearview mirror.

The man rested his head against the seat, one hand bent casually on the window sill, lazily gazing outside.

He had a captivating face with azure blue eyes, deep and passionate, a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and a tear mole beneath the corner of his right eye, exuding allure that made women passing by frequently look back.

But the man was used to such attention, his gaze on a certain receding figure as his thin lips parted, uttering three words: "Not interested."

The assistant appeared troubled, pleading eyes shining as he said, "President Feng, the scale of the ’War God’ audition is huge, Director Lin highly values the selection of a few main roles, and Xingyu’s recommended candidates aren’t favored, so Chairman Qin asked you to make an appearance before Director Lin..."

However, the man remained uninterested, yawning as he replied, "No time."

The assistant pursed his lips and played his trump card: "Chairman Qin said, as long as you get Xingyu’s artists involved with Director Lin’s ’War God,’ she’ll stop pressuring you to go on blind dates."

"..."

"Where?"

"Second floor, Mozhu Pavilion."

***

Elsewhere.

The news of Ye Tong’s stroke of luck in landing the role of the third female lead Yan Fei in ’Gone with the Wind’ spread rapidly through acting circles at the Anhe Film and Television Base.

Besides generously hosting a dinner, Li Tao specifically mentioned @Ye Tong in the background actors group, using her as a positive example to encourage everyone, making Ye Tong feel a bit embarrassed.

Approaching the Molan Pavilion private room on the Guest Building’s second floor, Ye Tong softly recited the "Ji Ning Proverb" twice before opening the door to enter.

By then, the room was already packed, with only two empty seats remaining.

The guests in the room were background actors Ye Tong was familiar with, and she felt overwhelmed when Sister Meng and others by the door stood up, crowding around to congratulate her.

Seeing this, Ji Ning casually sidestepped the throng of well-wishers, finding an empty seat, helping herself to the tableware as she prepared to enjoy the meal.

Li Tao glanced particularly at Ji Ning; he had seen plenty of sisters and friends turned sour over role hierarchy, but Ji Ning remained unaffected, not even a hint of jealousy in her eyes.

This involuntarily earned her his respect.

After everyone had their fill of excitement, Ye Tong was invited to sit in the empty seat beside Li Tao.

Li Tao personally poured half a glass of wine for Ye Tong, holding his glass and standing up emotionally for a toast.

"Xiao Tong’s entry into the ’Gone with the Wind’ crew for a significant role is inseparable from her tireless efforts. While our background roles are small, the work exhausting, often without a single shot, our passion for acting is no less than those top actors. What we lack is a platform, a talent scout to discover us..."

"Yes, Brother Tao is right."

"What we lack is an opportunity."

"Our acting skills are as good as some actors; we just lack resources."

"Brother Tao, in the future, if there are good opportunities, remember your juniors..."

...

Li Tao’s words ignited their enthusiasm, and everyone began complimenting him, with most of the intended toasts for Ye Tong turning into those for Li Tao instead.

Having downed two or three glasses, Li Tao lowered his wine glass, steering the conversation back to Ye Tong.

Ye Tong immediately raised her glass to toast Li Tao, showering him with rainbow praises, making him so happy that he drank a few more glasses, even forgetting what he wanted to say to Ye Tong.

After Ji Ning had gnawed through four braised pork knuckles, six marrow bones, and eight pork ribs, Ye Tong finally sat down, muttering softly, "Finally, I can eat."

Noticing the plates closest to her nearly empty, she looked helplessly at Ji Ning, whispering, "You could’ve at least left me some meat."

Ji Ning glanced at her, picking up a small rib with little meat and much bone for her.

Ye Tong glanced at the meat in her bowl and resignedly began gnawing on the rib.

At the banquet, very few people, like Ji Ning, ate from start to finish, most sipping drinks and chatting with the occasional bite of food.

Li Tao’s face turned red from drinking, wanting Ye Tong to help him step out for a smoke to sober up.

Some background actors teasingly joked, "Brother Tao, why are you only asking Xiao Tong to smoke with you? Can I join?"

"Right, Brother Tao, why are you so good only to Little Tong? Is there something going on?"

Having seen the message Li Tao sent her alone on her phone earlier, Ye Tong, suppressing her excitement, stood up to help Li Tao out of the situation.

The crowd joked and scolded, but no one actually left the room with them.

Ji Ning glanced at Ye Tong, continuing to play the role of an invisible diner.

Once the room door closed, the noise inside quieted down a bit.

It was like everyone lost the desire to chat and instead began eating.

No one knew how long it had been when suddenly, a male background actor, possibly drunk, slammed his wine glass down heavily, complaining, "Pretty women have such an advantage, getting opportunities in one night that others wait years for. So, people, it’s all about being born right..."