Chapter Twenty: Gathering (1)

Yun Nan's painting skills were mostly self-taught. Selling her artwork was also one of the ways she earned her living expenses. However, she only took custom orders online. Aside from Fang Xi, no one knew that Xi Jin, the legendary artist greatly lauded on the internet, was actually Yun Nan.

She did illustrations for online novels, drew cover designs, and also graphic novels and serial comics. Sometimes, she would create artwork that would set the art community abuzz as members of the audience discussed their different opinions about them.

Xi Jin's fan base was large and included people from all walks of life; that identity was far more famous than Yun Nan's current renown in the director industry.

By the time Fang Xi called her in for dinner, she'd already completed a sketch.

"Oh? This is a movie poster for '4:30 PM,' I presume?" Fang Xi asked.

"Yes, we can use it to attract traffic," Yun Nan said as she stretched.

Fang Xi smiled. "It's a good idea. If Xi Jin were to promote '4:30 PM,' it's bound to cause a sensation. That's a solid fandom base."

"Then all eyes will be on us. Poor Mika will be under even more pressure," Yun Nan stated half-jokingly. She walked to the dining table and reached for the chicken wings.

Fang Xi lightly swatted her hand away and scolded, "Go wash your hands!"

Yun Nan laughingly went and washed her hands. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. Shi Nian also behaved like this when they were at home. She and Fang Xi were extremely close and they regarded each other as family. But she had only recently met Shi Nian, so why did he treat her like family?

She shook her head to clear it. They'd only been together for a few days, so she shouldn't jump to conclusions. That immature guy was just being nice because he liked her food.

Fang Xi raised her voice so that it would carry to Yun Nan. "The more fans follow the movie, the better it is for the film; its popularity will increase. But you don't have to worry about lacking fans or popularity because you've changed companies. Your films always have a strong following, and this one will, too. The fans only care about the actors' performance, not which company is responsible for producing the film."

Yun Nan returned to the table and spoke as she ate, "We have to watch out for Yun Zhang and Yun Liu. They won't let me, nor my script, go so easily. I had Shi Nian keep them in line last time, but they wouldn't be willing to give up just like that. Yun Zhang is a simple-minded man with a firecracker temper and easily influenced by Yun Liu."

"Yeah, I received news today that Yun Zhang threatened to ban you from the entire industry," Fang Xi reported.

Yun Nan sneered.

"Why don't you tell Shi Nian and get him to back you up?" Fang Xi asked.

Yun Nan shook her head. "I just used Shi Nian's authority to get a large sum of money from Yun Zhang the other day. If I call in Shi Nian again, that'll be bullying him too much. I'll deal with him myself and teach him a lesson he'll remember for a long time."

Fang Xi shook her head as she commented, "I really don't understand what those two are thinking. They could be living good lives but they insist on going against you instead. That's just courting death."

Yun Nan wiped her hands on a tissue and remarked, "They grew up in the lap of luxury and had everything at their fingertips. They thought that whatever they wanted should naturally belong to them. To them, I am an outsider and a predator. Hence, they would not tolerate me."

"Yeah, right." Fang Xi pursed her lips and retorted, "They're nowhere near as high-end and classy as you make them out to be. Under that innocent mask of hers, Yun Liu is a conniving b*tch. You should be careful; people like her can be quite vicious. Just because you've braved bitter hardships and tribulations doesn't mean you could be unconcerned about her little tricks and schemes. She could still cause great harm if she takes a stab at you."

Yun Nan leaned over and said winningly, "I have thick skin. Besides, I have you to protect me."

While Yun Nan and Fang Xi were chatting happily, Shi Nian was a little distracted on his end.

Today was the first time he and his friends—a close and brotherly quartet—had gathered together in more than a year; a rare occurrence indeed. As each and every one of them was sent off by their families to do their duties, they had little chance to meet, and the four of them were never able to sit down together as a group.

They quickly caught up with each other and shared stories.

Liang Han's film production company was doing very well, and managing it was the perfect job for the playboy. To him, his company was a pleasant place with pretty things to look at.

Ye Kun went overseas to study under his brother and was now involved in investment and acquisition. The group could tell from his pale and wan face that he was going through a tough time. Ye Kun's brother didn't coddle him as his father would.

Shi Nian and Xi Cheng traveled around the world for their studies when they were young. Now, they had returned to the city and were stationed there.

Xi Cheng's face was dark the whole time. It was clear that he was in a bad mood.

The three of them listened as Liang Han gave his eloquent speech in silence. He commented on the directors, actors, and celebrities in the country and abroad, one by one.

"Hey, let me tell you guys something; I've been following a new director recently. She's very talented! Although she only filmed two movies, the documentaries she produced were amazing!"

"She's definitely one of the best directors in the country. I watched her documentaries in the middle of the night like they were movies. I've made up my mind to sign with her. With her genius, even if I do nothing else for the rest of my life, I'll still be famous for being Director Yun's aide!" Liang Han boasted and excitedly downed the wine in his glass.

Strewn bonelessly on the sofa, Ye Kun lazily stated, "You said the same thing about that director last time. What was his name again? And look how he turned out. How's he doing now, do you know?"