Drifting on a String - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The saying "Wealth in the east, nobility in the west" had been popular for twenty years. When Chen Piaopiao first heard it, she never thought she would one day have any connection to this area of new money. The relationships between celebrities were both distant and unified. They could tacitly allow their teams to trample on long-time friends to snatch a resource, yet they were also keen on living together in clusters, forming an impenetrable fortress against ordinary people.

When interviewed, they would say in a low-key and modest manner that they were also ordinary people, no different from anyone else.

But everyone who entered the industry knew just how terrifying it was to have the gilded persona forged by their halo shattered by ordinary people.

Lingyu Mansion was the residential complex that celebrities had unanimously chosen. The landscaping was only considered upper-mid-range, and the apartment layouts were just okay. It wasn't some high-tech residence, nor was it luxuriously unattainable. But when Chen Piaopiao was buying a place, Zhuang He suggested she buy here. The reason was that many A-listers lived here, and many industry connections began with being neighbors.

Secondly, when the paparazzi couldn't get a shot of an A-lister, perhaps they could snap a picture of Chen Piaopiao and publish a small news item.

A professional agent would plant opportunities for advancement in every corner of life.

Chen Piaopiao pressed her fingerprint to unlock the door and switched on the entryway's night mode. A cascade of lights suddenly illuminated the space, the curtains slowly drew open, and the fresh air system operated silently, making the cold residence feel warm and cozy, like a home.

Exhausted, Chen Piaopiao tossed her car keys onto the wall niche and collapsed onto the sofa to make a call.

"Hello, Grandma." Her voice brightened by an octave, a professional smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

"I just got home. I went to dinner with the director," Chen Piaopiao chuckled. "A female director. Grandma, you should watch less of that gossip."

"Yes, I won't be filming for the next few months, but I'm going to be in a play, probably in Jiangcheng."

Her grandma now split her time between Beicheng and Xindu. After staying in Beicheng for a while, she'd complain that no one in the community played mahjong and she wasn't used to it, so she had to go back to Xindu to see her grandson. After a few months in Xindu, she'd ask when Chen Piaopiao would be done filming so she could come to Beicheng to cook for her.

While her legs were still nimble, she was willing to move around more. She said that when she was too old to walk, she would agree to the nanny Piaopiao offered to find for her, and she would just stay home and watch Piaopiao's TV dramas every day.

She also instructed Chen Piaopiao not to choose ugly male leads. The last one looked like a mango and still had to hug Chen Piaopiao, which made her so angry she couldn't sleep.

Chen Piaopiao was tickled pink and readily agreed. Finally, she reminded her, "Grandma, if anyone asks about me or our family, you must not say anything. Not even to people you know well."

After hanging up, she let out a soft sigh. Only when she heard her grandma's voice did she feel like she was truly living.

Even the people from her hometown that her grandma mentioned, people she hadn't had much contact with before, now seemed to have a certain lively charm.

Her lower back began to ache faintly again—an old injury from wirework. Chen Piaopiao struggled to roll onto her stomach, letting out a groan with a frown, and then began to stare into space.

This daze was different from the usual ones. It had content, a single sentence.

"The producer said she doesn't want to use you."

Tao Jin didn't want to use her.

It had been a long time since anyone around her had mentioned that name, but the eighteen-year-old Chen Piaopiao in her dreams mentioned it constantly. She would say it in different tones: "Tao Jin."

Tao Jin, Tao Jin, Tao Jin.

Whispered, secretive, gentle, sweet—without exception, always with a smile.

She told her grandma, "Tao Jin likes you a lot too." She told Le Chu, "Her name is Tao Jin. The 'Jin' from 'to immerse'."

How casually she used to say that name back then, as if certain she would be saying it for a lifetime.

After they separated, she had met people who shared her own name, heard of someone nicknamed Xiao Ma, and heard An Ran's name announced over an airport broadcast, but she never again met another person named Tao Jin. She hadn't even met anyone who used the character "Jin" in their name.

Some people are born to be seared into your heart. It must be to be irreplaceable, otherwise how could even their name be so unique?

Her back stopped hurting, but another part of her began to ache. Chen Piaopiao got up from the sofa, dragged a large suitcase out of the storage room, and snapped it open in the walk-in closet.

From the neat rows of clothes on hangers, she randomly grabbed an item and tossed it into the suitcase.

She didn't know when she had developed the habit. When she was anxious, in pain, or facing an uncertain future, Chen Piaopiao liked to pack her luggage. Only after packing everything she needed to survive, one by one, zipping it up, and sealing it with a combination lock, did she feel a sense of security.

Only then did she dare to set off.

The first time she had packed like this, a figure had leaned against the doorframe, laughing at her. "You don't have to bring everything. Even if you're missing something, you can just buy it there."

Some people aren't afraid of losing things because they have always had plenty. Those who are afraid of losing things are just afraid, period. Even if they buy a new one, a piece of their heart is cut away because the old one is gone.

Zhuang He called.

Chen Piaopiao put the call on speaker and placed the phone by her bed.

"How did it go?"

"I got the script," Chen Piaopiao said, sitting on the carpet and folding clothes. "Sister Tian said she'll email you the contract tomorrow."

Her spirits were low, and Zhuang He could tell. She had just opened a bottle of wine, and her voice was tinged with a lazy huskiness. "You don't want to do it?"

The pay for a stage play was much lower than for a web series.

"If I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't have signed," Chen Piaopiao said, pushing her fallen hair back. "I'm going to Mozhen for the script reading next month. I've asked Li Yu to book my ticket. Are you coming?"

"Me?" Zhuang He was surprised. Agents didn't usually tag along unless there was important business, and besides, she and Chen Piaopiao had met less than ten times. They were more like online friends.

Chen Piaopiao never asked where she was.

It was rare. Those last three words seemed to imply that Chen Piaopiao needed her.

She mulled it over for a few seconds, forgetting about her wine, and said seriously, "If something has happened, you are obligated to inform me. You have to tell me, no matter how big it is. I've told you before, even if you end up in jail, there's still a pile of contracts to deal with."

Chen Piaopiao fell silent. The first time she met Zhuang He, she had been just as direct. She had breezed in, and before her seat was even warm, she had asked, "Do you have a criminal record?"

That question had left Chen Piaopiao stunned for a full ten seconds.

Zhuang He frowned and asked the assistant at the time, "She really has one?"

"No, no, no," the assistant waved his hands frantically.

Zhuang He quickly scanned Chen Piaopiao's file. "Drug use, soliciting prostitutes, prostitution, tax evasion, illegal activities, any of that? Being a mistress, keeping a lover, being a kept woman, sleeping your way up, violating public order and morals, any of that?"

The assistant blinked, looking like he wanted to laugh. "Ma'am, our artist is a woman, and besides, we've always been very down-to-earth in our work."

"I can see that," Zhuang He said, closing the file and slapping it on the table. "Her biggest problem is that she's a mute."

From their very first meeting, her biggest annoyance with Chen Piaopiao was her silence. It was still the same now.

Tap, tap, tap. Zhuang He had, by now, been worn down into having some patience. Her fingers tapped an irregular rhythm on the table.

After folding three pieces of clothing, Chen Piaopiao finally said slowly, "Do you remember telling me that the producer didn't want to use me?"

That's what happens when you hold words in for too long. The moment they came out, it felt like her heart had been struck with a blunt object, aching with panic.

"Yeah, but the contract is in your hands now, isn't it? Result-oriented. Either she compromised, or they changed the producer."

It didn't seem like a big deal. Zhuang He leaned back in her chair.

"They didn't change her."

Chen Piaopiao paused, then said in a small voice, "The producer is Tao Jin."

"Tao Jin?" Zhuang He let out a soft hiss. She'd never heard the name. "What's her background?"

It sounded like there was some bad blood.

"She's my ex-girlfriend."

Well, there was definitely bad blood.

Zhuang He let out half a laugh. Exciting. She picked up her wine and took a sip. "I never thought your PR angle would be homosexuality."

These days, artists were becoming more and more open about their sexual orientations. She would have to add that to her background checks next time.

"Are there any nude photos?" she asked.

...

"No."

Before the person on the other end could ask if there were any chat logs that could be leaked, Chen Piaopiao added, "She wouldn't do that."

Just those four words, nothing more.

Zhuang He fell silent. She understood. Chen Piaopiao wasn't worried about being exposed; she still had lingering feelings.

This was even harder to deal with than a potential scandal. Lovesickness is an agent's lifelong enemy.

She sighed, put away her professional demeanor, and peeled off her face mask. Her damp eyes and brows added a touch of humanity. "So, she doesn't want to use you because she doesn't want to see you?"

Chen Piaopiao's chest felt like it had been poked a few times, leaving a dull ache.

"Maybe," she said with a small laugh.

"How did you date? How did you break up?"

"We dated in school. She was two years ahead of me. In her senior year, she went to Jiangcheng for her career, and I was still studying at An University. I couldn't handle the long distance, so we broke up."

Chen Piaopiao said it as lightly as possible. It was a well-rehearsed line she often told herself.

Life is always like that. You never know which choice will be the needle that pops the balloon. Eighteen-year-old Chen Piaopiao had been ecstatic when Tao Jin's play won an award. No one could have predicted what would follow. At that university theater festival, Tao Jin had begun to make a name for herself. A member of a well-known industry team was on the judging panel and greatly admired her. They added each other on WeChat and would occasionally share information about new plays and exchange ideas.

During Tao Jin's senior year internship, this team, which many envied, extended an olive branch.

The only thing that made her hesitate was that it was based in Jiangcheng.

No, if it weren't for Chen Piaopiao, she wouldn't have hesitated. Every theater person knew that Jiangcheng's arts and culture industry was top-tier in the country. Whether for plays or musicals, many nationally and internationally acclaimed troupes chose to premiere their shows in Jiangcheng.

How could Chen Piaopiao not know that Tao Jin wanted to go?

When she was little, her parents asked if she wanted to live with her father or her mother, but in reality, neither of them wanted her.

Tao Jin asked her if she wanted her to stay in Beicheng or go to Jiangcheng, but in reality, she wanted to go to Jiangcheng.

Back then, Chen Piaopiao had pretended to be relaxed and said, "The opportunity in Jiangcheng is really good."

Tao Jin asked, "What about us?"

Chen Piaopiao laughed at her. "Long-distance is so common, and it's only for two years. What, you can't handle it? When you're well-established, I'll come over. It'll be perfect."

To enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Chen Piaopiao had known how to pretend since she was a child.

She had said, "I want to live with Grandma," not "Please don't abandon me."

She had said, "You should go to Jiangcheng," not "Can you please stay?"

Did anyone really believe that the nineteen-year-old Chen Piaopiao was that confident about a long-distance relationship?

Did anyone really believe that the little Chen Piaopiao didn't want her mom and dad?

Chen Piaopiao blinked, a faint smile on her face.

There was no sound from Zhuang He's end. After half a minute, the creak of a swivel chair came through. "So, who initiated the breakup?"

"I did," Chen Piaopiao said.

"Just because of the distance?"

"Yes."

Zhuang He laughed. "I don't believe you."

"But, for things that don't involve work, you don't have to tell me the truth."

She looked up and finished the wine that had been breathing for quite some time.

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