Many came to the funeral. There were famous stars and great directors, which led to the arrival of obscure celebrities as well as reporters that were chasing after their footsteps. Very quickly, this funeral turned into a socializing party.
"Isn't this strange? She didn't have this many friends while living, and yet now that she's died, there’s so much more." A familiar voice rang out behind Ning Ning.
Without having to turn around, she knew the owner of the voice.
Chen Guanchao walked to a few steps behind her before bending down to place a white chrysanthemum onto the coffin.
"You turned her into an exhibition." He straightened his back from its previous bending position, and turned to face her with a smile.
Ning Ning’s lips moved wordlessly, unable to think of any words of rebuttal because he was right. Someone who was sincerely here to attend their friend’s funeral would never bring along selfie sticks and reporters.
"Oh right," Chen Guanchao said, "I heard a rumor recently."
"A rumor?" Ning Ning asked.
"I heard that you are going to auction your mother’s remnant," He stared hawk-eyed at her, "including her trophies and underwear."
Ning Ning looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief, "Why would I do something like that?"
"You better not do so." Chen Guanchao paused momentarily as if he was contemplating something, before continuing finally, "You can come for an audition next week. Although the female lead has already been decided, the supporting role is still undecided."
If he had told Ning Ning this news in the beginning, she would have been happy beyond words. However, hearing it now only made her feel humiliated and upset because it felt too much like charity.
"This is not charity." He answered as if he could see her thoughts, a scornful smile on his face. "This is a transaction, to put it simply, you keep your mother’s dignity and I give you a chance."
Ning Ning stared at him appearing as if she wanted to speak but was interrupted by her phone ringing. She furrowed her eyebrows at the incalling number, before hurriedly rushing off to the lounge after saying a word of "apologies" to Chen Guanchao.
"What are you saying?" In the lounge, Ning Ning was simmering in anger, "Mom only just left and you already want to auction her remnants?"
In a luxury store in Hong Kong, an old granny in leopard leather coat was currently trying on diamond rings, while a shop attendant held up a phone to her ear. She replied unhurriedly as she admired the shining glimmer on her fingers, "I don’t have enough allowance."
Ning Ning took few deep breaths, "How much do you want?"
"Give me 1 million first." Old granny said.
"I just gave you 1 hundred thousand last month and you are asking me for 1 million now?" Ning Ning.
"In her younger days, your mom would give me whatever amount I want when I asked." The old granny replied coldly, "She’s great in all ways except for giving birth to an ungrateful brat like you. I’m only asking you for some allowance and you are giving me this poor attitude. Are you out to piss off your grandmother?" (maternal grandmother)
Ha! To think someone like her exists in this world!
Who in the industry doesn’t know that everything about Ning Yuren is great except for having a blood sucking vampire-like mom Cui Hongmei. As a movie empress of a generation, why would she not have any money left for her medical expenses? Where did it all go? They all went into Cui Hongmei’s luxury leather coats, diamond rings and villas.
"I have no money!" Ning Ning isn’t as good-tempered like her mom "They are all to buy mom’s burial ground in the cemetery!"
"Well that’s fine." Cui Hongmei couldn’t care less, "see you at the auction place."
Then, she hung up while snorting at her phone, "hmph, you’re years too early to argue with me."
When the phone rang again, an attendant looked at Cui Hongmei who waved her hands. "Don't bother with her, let her continue calling. What other designs do you still have, bring them all for me to try."
On the other side, Ning Ning raged after her tenth consecutive call when her patience ran thin, "Old thief!"
As Cui Hongmei might really stay true to her threat, Ning Ning had to contact the funeral celebrant to end the ceremony quickly, and meanwhile, readied an airplane ticket to stop her.
Thus, the funeral started out of good-intention had ended hastily.
Guests slowly shuffled out of the venue with soft murmurs of complaints. Inside a Bentley, a tall handsome man suddenly spoke, "Dad, don't you think you were too harsh?"
"What are you trying to imply?" When Chen Guanchao sat down beside him, the driver shut the car door.
The handsome man - Chen Guanchao's son Chen Shuanghe said bluntly, "You have not even the littlest intention on letting her act in your production. By telling her to come for an audition, you only want her to know the gap she has with me and other people, then use scene after scene of 'cut' to crush her."
"You think this is harsh?" Chen Guanchao laughed, "It will be an irresponsibility towards the audience, as well as an insult to actors if I am to allow her to continue in this industry."
"Really?" Chen Shuanghe gave him a long side glance, saying, without holding back, "All I see is a fanboy being irrational."
Chen Guanchao was stunned for a moment, before rebutting uncomfortably, "Who are you calling a fanboy!"
"There's so many people that lacks acting skills, yet you are only picking on her." Chen Shuanghe said bluntly again, "Isn't it only because, in your eyes, she is a stain on Ning Yuren?"
He stared at him coldly once he finished speaking. This man cried a whole three days at home upon receiving the news of Ning Yuren's death, as if his wife died. No, when his true wife died, he didn’t even shed a single tear, nor even attended her funeral. When I called him crying, he only replied indifferently , "Wait till I'm done filming." In the end, when he finally came back, mom had long turned into an earthen jar of bone ash.
Chen Shuanghe ceased his thoughts, turning to look out the car window. Not too far away, a gloomy expresioned Ning Ning, in a hurried manner, walked past while carrying the earthen jar filled with bone ash. That lone back view beared an uncanny resemblance to him then. Chen Shuanghe looked at her with complicated emotions, finding her appearance resentful in one moment, and pitiful the next.
At this time, the car started moving.
The grey Bentley drove past Ning Ning. Unknowing why, she stopped in her footsteps and turned to glance at him. The two lines of sight met rapidly and left each other just as quickly. Now that his surging emotions were gradually settling down, he could clearly feel more resent. Chen Shuanghe turned his head back around, thinking, The next time we meet, crush her
Ning Ning didn't put that momentary glance to heart. After the funeral ended, she was originally supposed to be busy settling issues regarding the cemetery but Granny Cui made her do a complete one-eighty on her plans. Without a choice, she had to temporarily leave her mom's bone ashes at home and rush to Hong Kong on her fastest speed…
Welcoming her was a contract.
The contract was placed on the coffee table between Ning Ning and Cui Hongmei who sat opposite one another. The atmosphere tense.
"Do you know what you are doing?" Ning Ning stated coldly, "You are selling cheaply your granddaughter."
"No, I think the price is very fair." Cui Hongmei sat on the european-styled sofa with legs crossed, compared to last month, there is now a new huge diamond ring on her finger, "Besides investing in you filming movies and advertising, Mr. Yang is willing to give me 5 hundred thousand monthly allowance. This is beneficial to you and me."
Ning Ning slightly leaned forward to stare at her, "In your heart, I'm only worth this 5 hundred thousand monthly allowance?"
"If you have talent like your mom's, of course I wouldn't have to do this." Cui Hongmei took a drag of her cigarette, a puff of smoke shrouded her face momentarily, " But do you? Just how long did you think your fresh little pretty face would remain fresh for?"
Ning Ning slowly curled up the fingers placed on her knee. There had always been people negating her, but this is the first time she had been hurt this deeply, because this was her relative that had entirely disregarded everything about her except her physical appearance.
"Right now… I'm indeed no match for mommy." Ning Ning pressed her lips together, "but I've always been working hard…"
"Forget it." Cui Hongmei cut her off, "Yuren only took two years to be widely famous, you? You've already been acting on tv for years."
Ning Ning felt indignant and ashamed, she wanted to rebut that times have changed, there are too many actors, audiences prefer looks over acting skills… But all these are mere excuses, in the end, it's all because she's not good enough. If she had her mom's good looks and acting skills, she would not have to be standing here now.
At least Cui Hongmei would not give her such a humiliating contract.
This is just like a knife carving on her heart, you're useless, you have shit acting skills, you're only good enough to be a chairman's mistress after all you've put in.
"What if I say no?" Ning Ning asked coldly.
Cui Hongmei leaned back on the sofa, her red lips blood-like and a cigarette held between her fingers, "I already know you have no conscience, but that's fine, I've already contacted an action house. My initial estimation, those trophies, dancing clothes, underwear, small items etc. added up together will at least bring me 7 to 8 hundred thousand. Barely enough for an old woman like me to live my remaining years."
… People might call me unfilial, but if heaven had an event right now, a grandmother to exchange for a mom, I will burn this old woman to death right away!
"I won't be signing this contract." From Cui Hongmei's vision, Ning Ning picked up the contract and tore it to pieces, "you should spend lesser time on trying to scare me. There's a part of the inheritance for you and as for me, just your part alone isn't enough to sell for 8 hundred thousand."
"You are deliberately trying to anger me to death! cough, cough" Cui Hongmei beat her chest in fits of coughs.
Ning Ning did not believe she would die when she was still having a date with a muscular man yesterday, in which she posted a picture kissing the man on her wechat status.
"Let me give you another option." Ning Ning took out a pen and a notebook from her bag, then threw them on the table, "list out all the remnants, we split half/half. You mark your half with a reasonable price, and I'll buy them back one by one in future after I've earned enough money."
Cui Hongmei immediately stopped her cough fit, snatched up the pen and wrote with fleeting speed on the notebook.
Once the list was done, Ning Ning looked through it. An astronomical amount, especially personal items like underwear, was priced at a high price of hundred thousand.
Ning Ning was clear that the most advantageous way to obtain these remnants is to let her auction it, for Ning Yuren was afterall not a currently popular celebrity as these underwear would not auction for a high price. However, she did not want to do so. Mummy can't lose her honor.
She could only clench her teeth and say, "Fine."
At this moment, Cui Hongmei was finally satisfied, facing Ning Ning's leaving back view, she urged, "You better be quick, I've plans for a vacation to Hawaii next month. Can't be empty-handed then."
I know! You said it in your status, you'll be going on a honeymoon with your muscular man!
Ning Ning's footsteps faltered for a moment, before leaving quickly.
Ning Ning boarded the plane hurriedly, then got off the plane hurriedly. On the taxi, Ning Ning continuously called and messaged people, begging for jobs - any job is fine, any role is fine, she needed to earn money.
However, influenced by her previous horribly-bashed movie, everyone took her as poison of the box office, avoiding her like the plague. Her manager called when he got the news, warning her, "If you want to continue in this industry, don’t say things like ‘any job is fine, any role is fine' just lay low for now."
Although her manager’s words are very strict, truthfully speaking, they are all for the well-being of Ning Ning and she herself is aware of this fact. But right now, what she needed was not a well-meaning warning but comforting, even a short "are you okay" is fine. However, as a golden manager*, Li Boyue is extremely busy. He has numerous stars under him, Ning Ning was one of them but not the most important one.
After hanging up, Ning Ning attempted to search for a friend she could open up to among her contacts, but in the end, discovered she only had contacts of work partners. There was none to even lend her a shoulder to cry on.
In order to become a qualified actor, she had practically sacrificed everything.
She had no friends, no entertainment, no hobby. Only years after years, days after days, of practice and more practice.
So much sacrificed, yet there was no benefits reaped at all.
The tears Ning Ning held back for a few days finally came gushing down her cheeks. She looked at her image reflected on her phone screen, and could not resist choking up, "Why must you be born into this world when you have no merits…"
She covered her mouth crying uncontrollably, outside, rain pelted down. Suddenly, in the midst of rainwater, an old outdated signboard flashed past.
"Stop here!"
The car pulled on its brakes on the side of the road, Ning Ning opened the car doors and alighted. Without an umbrella, she stood in the unrelenting downpour and looked at the movie theater opposite.
Life Movie Theater.
Terms that are uncommon:
golden manager – 金牌经纪人(jīn pái jīng jì rén) the highest grade of managers, a title given to managers with high capability. (Resources, connections, etc.) Basically ability to bring their celebrity to stardom.
Hey guys, so I couldn’t wait to share chapter 2 with everyone so here it is, meanwhile I’ll still have to go and build a small stockpile in case of emergencies (＾＾)ｂ
P.s. I apologize for any vocab mistakes as I am generally bad at vocabulary （ ´∀｀）
Oh btw, there is also a radio drama of this novel in Chinese I’ll it if anyone’s interested.
Thank you for reading! – Ruisi