CSGM - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Taking Precautions in Advance
Xiang Xian is the chairman of Golden Culture, a comprehensive cultural company.
Golden Culture is a relatively famous behind-the-scenes investment company in the entertainment industry. It has produced and published several well-known films and television series in recent years, while also taking on organizational work for artistic performances, evening parties, and banquets.
In short, Xiang Xian is a businesswoman, the kind who uses capital to make money in the entertainment industry.
But the land she was currently standing on was indeed her hometown.
She had heard that the show Our Restaurant was coming to her hometown to film, and it just so happened that she was old friends with the show's director. Since she wanted to rest anyway, she gave herself a vacation and came over to make a cameo.
As soon as she arrived, she heard the director boasting about a talented artist on his show. When Xiang Xian asked, the director said the artist was Chu Xi.
At first, she didn't believe it. To her, she had seen plenty of artists, and they were all more or less the same.
However, she now seemed to understand what the director meant, realizing that Chu Xi was indeed a bit special compared to other artists...
Xiang Xian shared with the director with great interest, "She just called me a nepotism hire."
The director immediately retorted, "Well, you are."
Xiang Xian: "..."
He wasn't wrong, it seemed.
But still...
She silently looked at her old friend. She remembered he didn't used to talk like this, did he?
The director hadn't noticed it himself, but his way of speaking had become more direct, very Chu Xi-like.
Back to the cast members' work diaries-
Li Xiling had gotten her wish and was slacking off playing mahjong. She sat on a long bench in the Chinese pharmacy with her legs crossed, one moment beaming with joy, the next frowning anxiously. "Why are there so many pongs..."
In Ren Zhi's shot, Chu Xi burst in carrying a woven flower basket. It was actually a small, bowl-shaped container woven from flower stems and thin branches, with a wide opening. Inside lay a colorful mix of wildflowers.
"Ren Zhi." This time when Chu Xi called out to her, she grabbed her wrist in advance to keep her from running away.
In front of the camera, Ren Zhi's resistance to Chu Xi was significantly lower. She stood her ground and asked, "What is it?"
"Here, I made this for you."
Chu Xi pushed the flower basket into her hands.
Ren Zhi looked at it, then back at her.
Chu Xi said, "Consider it an apology gift. I picked only the best flowers for this, much better than what you can buy outside. Look how beautiful it is. Isn't the aesthetic better than some flower shops?"
"..."
One sentence of apology, five sentences of self-praise. That was Chu Xi for you.
"You should just keep it for yourself."
"Hey, don't," Chu Xi quickly curled Ren Zhi's fingers around the basket, fawning over her like a sycophant. "For the sake of my sincere efforts in making this, just accept it and forgive my offense. Sister Zhi, don't be angry anymore, okay?"
Chu Xi squinted her eyes and smiled at her, the corners of her lips lifting into a brilliant curve, with a hint of trying to please her.
It was just that the way she said "Sister Zhi" sounded so cheeky.
This should make Ren Zhi feel a little better, right? Chu Xi thought.
She had made the other woman furious just now. What a sin.
But she had also been slapped hard across the face-just not by Ren Zhi's hand... but it was close enough.
She touched the bridge of her nose, which she had just injured, and looked at Ren Zhi eagerly. "Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm fine now," Ren Zhi said.
"Really fine or fake fine?" Chu Xi pressed.
Ren Zhi curved her lips into the tiniest of smiles at her and said softly again, "I'm fine."
Chu Xi felt like she'd run into a wall and been rebuffed. It didn't sound real. She could really hold a grudge.
For the rest of the workday, Ren Zhi seemed to exude an aura that warned Chu Xi not to get close.
Chu Xi felt helpless and a little frustrated.
She admitted that she had been careless today and had offended Ren Zhi.
After making Ren Zhi fall off the horse, her face had turned deathly pale. Who knew how long Ren Zhi would stay angry?
This was so difficult...
After work, she picked up her phone and checked the messages Yu Yixue had sent that afternoon.
Yu Yixue was once again condemning her former agency and cursing out Hu Lan.
Between the two, there had to be one narrow-minded, petty dog pulling strings behind the scenes-or maybe it was both of them!
Yu Yixue had sent screenshots of several press releases from marketing accounts she had seen today. All of them claimed that Chu Xi was an ungrateful wretch who had abandoned her former company and turned around to join their mortal enemy, a shameful act!
These smear articles flying everywhere had clearly been paid for and were full of alarmist nonsense!
Yu Yixue was speechless at these retaliatory tactics. It was as if Star Han Agency couldn't stand to see an artist who had left their company do well. She asked Chu Xi to tell her the details of her contract termination with Star Han Agency and what had really happened.
Unlike her, who sent a dozen messages that filled the screen, Chu Xi was concise. She told Yu Yixue that it was Hu Lan who had approached her and initiated the contract termination.
After hearing this, Yu Yixue replied: 【Okay, don't worry about these press releases. I'll find a way to clarify things on my end.】
The person telling others not to worry seemed quite worried herself.
Chu Xi just smiled without saying anything and ended the chat with an [/ok] emoji.
Now, she had to go out and find Luo Yangtian in the other building.
There were no hotels or guesthouses in this village. The place where the restaurant members would sleep tonight was the staff quarters, lent to them by the kind owner of the horse ranch.
Of course, this was kindness for the show. Off-camera, the owner had probably received some payment from the production team.
The two houses near the ranch had a total of five empty rooms. Chu Xi was staying in the east building tonight, while Ren Zhi had unhesitatingly chosen the west one.
Even when sleeping, she was keeping her distance.
Chu Xi walked around most of the ranch to the west building to find Luo Yangtian first.
Luo Yangtian handed her the wind-dispelling and pain-relieving powder he had prepared while working as a temp at the pharmacy during the day. A plastic bag held several small, palm-sized sealed packets.
"Sister Xi, five grams per packet, all sealed just as you said." After speaking, Luo Yangtian added with concern, "Sister Xi, take care of your health."
Wasn't she fine just a while ago? Why did she need to drink Chinese medicine today? Was the intensity of the live broadcast work too much? Had Sister Xi exhausted herself? Luo Yangtian wondered.
"Got it. I'm fine."
"Sister Xi, if it's really too much, let's just take a two-day break from our lessons."
"We'll rest tonight and continue tomorrow."
It seemed Chu Xi left no room for negotiation. After she spoke, she didn't wait for Luo Yangtian's reply and left with the plastic bag of medicine.
She wasn't sick. This Chinese medicine was for Ren Zhi.
She then went to Ren Zhi's room.
"Hi..." She knocked and then spoke, letting Ren Zhi know it was her.
Ren Zhi opened the door with a face mask on.
Her gaze was much softer in the evening, and it seemed her anger had mostly subsided.
For a moment, Chu Xi felt a sense of relief.
She pointed to the item in her hand, gave it to Ren Zhi, and said, "This is the wind-dispelling and pain-relieving powder I prepared for you. Twice a day, one packet each time. Keep it and take it. I checked the weather forecast here, and it's supposed to rain in the next two days. You should take precautions in advance."
Ren Zhi was stunned. She suddenly recalled the scene of Chu Xi getting medicine at the pharmacy during the day.
The medicine Chu Xi had asked for... was it actually for her?
It was only then that she realized Chu Xi remembered the lingering effects of her leg injury, which would ache when the weather changed and it rained.
It had to be said, even Ren Zhi herself wasn't this attentive to her own condition at work.
In that instant, her feelings suddenly became complex.
She looked at Chu Xi. It was only for two or three seconds, but five, six, seven, eight different thoughts had already drifted through her mind.
Then she took the medicine and said softly, "Um... the horse-riding incident had nothing to do with you. I was just angry at myself for being so timid and scared. Don't take it to heart. I'm sorry for taking it out on you... Thank you..."
Ren Zhi's eyelashes fluttered, and a gentle softness veiled her eyes.
In fact, she now truly believed the incident didn't matter anymore.
She remembered the last time her leg had hurt in the middle of the night, it was Chu Xi who had taken her to the local clinic.
One couldn't only remember the bad things and forget the good.
She had offered an olive branch, and just like that, the resentment dissipated.
Chu Xi smiled. "Then I'll head back."
On her way back to the east building, her steps were twice as light as before.
Actually, although Ren Zhi had quite a temper, it was also easy for her to cool down. She was quite easy to get along with.
Chu Xi believed that, as a female celebrity, Ren Zhi's overall qualities were quite good. She admired her.
The ground floor of the east building was a storeroom for hay. The door was closed, but someone was now sitting at the square table placed in front of it.
When Chu Xi returned, she saw Xiao Han, Sister Xian, and a seven or eight-year-old boy sitting there.
On the table was a game board covered with identical pieces. Sister Xian and the little boy were taking turns picking up pieces from it, saying:
"I'll take three."
"I'll take six."
It sounded like a childish game.
Chu Xi glanced at it, then looked away and walked past without the slightest interest.
But Xiang Xian called out to her, "Chu Xi, come play with us."
Chu Xi knew what they were playing with just one glance, but Xiang Xian still enthusiastically and redundantly introduced it to her-
"This is called Bash's Game. There are one hundred pieces on the board. Two players take turns picking up pieces, at least one and at most seven each time. The person who takes the last piece loses."
She said it in a tone that implied, "This game is very interesting."
After all, after the neighbor's kid brought this game over, the three of them had been engaged in a thrilling and intense competition for half an hour.
-Later, she was glad she hadn't said that part out loud to Chu Xi.
Otherwise, it would have been a cruel blow to all three of them.
Chu Xi said coolly, "I know. It's not interesting. You guys go ahead."
Xiao Han was unconvinced. "How do you know it's not interesting if you haven't even played? Don't underestimate the kid just because he's young. He's got quick reflexes and is very experienced at this. You might not even be able to beat him."
When Chu Xi said it wasn't interesting, she meant that from the moment she understood the rules, she knew it was pointless.
It was understandable for a young child whose brain wasn't fully developed to enjoy such a childish game.
But for Xiao Han to make such a pig-headedly stupid comment truly proved the saying-some people look like adults on the outside, but their actual IQ is lower than average.
She walked over to the table, looked down at the board, and told the three of them, "Isn't this a very simple game? The first player to move just has to take three to win."
Hearing this, Xiang Xian looked up at her, her mind racing and her eyelids fluttering rapidly. "This... this depends on mental arithmetic, right?"
Xiao Han also looked at her, not understanding at all, and dared to question, "How do you win?"
Chu Xi said to Xiang Xian, "The person who takes three first can guarantee they'll take the ninety-ninth piece, leaving one for the opponent. It's a guaranteed win."
Xiang Xian shifted in her seat, her expression unchanged as she stared at her. The little boy also looked at Chu Xi with pure, innocent confusion.
Still don't get it?
Chu Xi thought, Forget it. I'm just too kind-hearted tonight, saving three lost lambs.
She spent a minute explaining, "At the very least, you know that the person who takes the ninety-ninth piece will win, right? The number of pieces you can take is limited to a maximum of seven and a minimum of one, which adds up to eight. So, to get the ninety-ninth piece, you first have to get the ninety-first. Ninety-one divided by eight leaves a remainder of three. Therefore, the first player to move is guaranteed to win by taking three pieces. Is there any point in playing anymore?"
Xiao Han thought for a few seconds. "Why divide by eight? What's eight?"
Chu Xi said flatly, "I've discovered that your strengths aren't particularly strong, but your shortcomings are truly short. Eight is a number you can always control on the board. If you can't even figure that out, you shouldn't be playing brain games. Just go wash up and go to bed."
Xiang Xian, who understood first: "..." Such a sharp tongue.
Xiao Han, who slowly understood as well, sat frozen in his seat with an ashen face: "..."
"You guys play by yourselves. Don't drag me into it." With that, Chu Xi left.
Play? How could they still play? She had completely ruined the game!
Xiang Xian took a deep breath, regretting it a billion times over. She never should have called Chu Xi over!
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