Chapter 50: I bought a cat for Mumu today.

In the evening, after returning home.

Little Bean Sprout brought out his prepared birthday gift like a treasure, “Mom, happy birthday! This is a family portrait I drew myself.”

Jiang Xiao happily received it, “And you even framed it.”

“Grandpa helped me frame it. He even praised my drawing, but I still need to be humble. Mom, I want to hang this painting in the bedroom.”

Jiang Xiao looked at the painting seriously. There were several people in the picture, but she couldn’t recognize any of them. “Who are all these people?”

“These are my grandparents, my parents, this is me, and this is my little sister.”

Jiang Xiao’s eye twitched, “You’ve thought quite far. What about this one?”

“This is the Maomao, the kitty dad takes care of.” Little Bean Sprout leaned against her softly and said, “I really want to have a cat. It’s my birthday wish for next year.”

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Jiang Xiao opened it and saw the top line, surprisingly a film and television copyright contract. She looked pleasantly surprised, “Secrets of Winter! When did the company acquire this?” She quickly scanned a few key terms in the contract, “The price isn’t low! It turns out it was signed in March, and I didn’t hear a single whisper about it.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled, “Do you like it?”

Jiang Xiao raised her hand around his neck and kissed his cheek several times, unable to hide her excitement. “Thank you! I really like it.” She had been following this book for a long time, and she had mentioned to Qin Yilu and others privately that if this book could be adapted into a film, it would surely be a hit.

At that time, Qin Yilu even said, “Sis Jiang, then you have to help me get the role of the female lead.”

Unexpectedly, her prediction had come true.

Zhou Xiulin said, “The script has already been handed over to Gao Lin for writing. The company is planning to start contacting actors soon.” He had given her so many gifts, but this one made her happy like a child. Sigh, no matter how it turned around, she was still working for him.

Jiang Xiao nodded, “Yilu will start filming next week. “Eternal Sword and Dragon Slayer” will be filming for four months. She’ll have a break in mid-to-late September, let her rest for a week.”

“Starting in October shouldn’t be a problem. But a week, is that enough?”

“Why wouldn’t it be enough? Many artists work year-round! Especially during the rising period, they have to film and rush through schedules tirelessly! They’ll all be like this in the future. When the time comes, they’ll miss the one-week vacation they have now.” Jiang Xiao suddenly smiled and joked, “I completely rely on you to make a living as a talent agent. I don’t even need to fight for resources. Whatever I ask for, you can provide.”

Zhou Xiulin looked at her firmly and kissed the corner of her lips. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Zhou Simu pushed his dad away with his hand.

Zhou Xiulin frowned, “Mumu, it’s getting late, and you have school tomorrow. Go to bed.”

Zhou Simu hugged Jiang Xiao’s neck, “Today is Mom’s birthday, and I want to sleep with Mom.”

Zhou Xiulin remarked, “Your mom wants to sleep with me.”

Jiang Xiao gave him a sideways glance and lowered her voice, “Let’s be more careful about what we say in front of him in the future. He’s picking up words too quickly.”

Zhou Xiulin bent down and picked him up, patting his little bottom, sounding helpless, “Tonight, we’ll make an exception and sleep together.”

Not long after Jiang Xiao’s birthday, Zhou Xiulin had a serious conversation with Jiang Yi. He advised him to go to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up.

Jiang Yi looked calm, “I had a check-up in the northwest. There’s a tumor on my stomach.”

Zhou Xiulin’s face stiffened, “What did the doctor say?”

Jiang Yi took a drag of his cigarette, half of his face engulfed in the smoke. “The county hospital doctor didn’t specify. He asked me to go to another hospital for another check-up.”

“Dad, let’s go for the check-up tomorrow.” Zhou Xiulin felt like his heart was being squeezed by something. If something happened to Jiang Yi, Jiang Xiao would surely break down.

Jiang Yi stared directly at Zhou Xiulin, “Xiulin, did Xiaoxiao mention her mother’s situation to you?”

Zhou Xiulin was taken aback but then nodded. “She told me on her birthday this year.”

Jiang Yi wasn’t particularly surprised. He extinguished the cigarette. “I saw her and Liang Yue in entertainment news together. During this visit, I talked to her, and she told me that the reports were all false.”

“Dad, that’s right. Xiaoxiao didn’t bribe Teacher Liang.”

“I know. I guess Liang Yue provided her with the resources.” Jiang Yi’s face remained calm, as if he was talking about an ordinary friend. “Her mother and I broke up peacefully. It’s hard to say who owes whom, or who is at fault. After Xiaoxiao found out about Liang Yue’s identity, she wanted to enter the entertainment industry. When you and she were going to get married, I was also worried. She seemed to have an ulterior motive.”

Zhou Xiulin fell silent, not saying a word.

“Xiaoxiao said she won’t acknowledge her mother. Over twenty years have passed. Whether she acknowledges it or not, there won’t be any change between them. It’s better to be strangers.”

Zhou Xiulin took a deep breath. He didn’t expect Jiang Yi to say this.

“Actually, deep down, Xiaoxiao still cares about her mother. This has been her motivation for over twenty years. However, I think Liang Yue will never publicly acknowledge Xiaoxiao’s identity. And for Xiaoxiao, she won’t admit it with her secretive nature.”

Jiang Yi curled the corner of his mouth. “It’s indeed what you said.”

Zhou Xiulin fell silent for a moment. “Dad, what kind of person is Teacher Liang?”

Jiang Yi squinted his eyes. “I haven’t seen her in twenty-six years. She was beautiful when she was young and had dreams of becoming a big star. She did have talent in that area. She used to say that she wanted to become a widely known star, but I didn’t have the ability to help her.”

Zhou Xiulin could sense from his intermittent tone that Jiang Yi didn’t hold any resentment towards Liang Yue.

Because there had been love once, even if they couldn’t be together for a lifetime, that love was still deeply hidden in his heart.

Jiang Yi agreed to go for a check-up. When Jiang Xiao received the news, she stood up excitedly. “Dad, let me make an appointment first. I’ll come back after the meeting.”

“You focus on your work for now. We’ll talk when you’re back.”

At this moment, Jiang Xiao was attending a three-day event for celebrity agents in City H. She couldn’t easily break free from her commitments. The organizers invited several veteran agents from the industry and two mysterious guests.

The next day, a mysterious guest appeared, and it turned out to be Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying shared her experiences over the years and talked about her ways of interacting with her agent, Zhou Yun.

She said, “Zhou Jie is my partner, my friend, and more importantly, my family. Artists and agents must trust each other; trust is crucial… When I first debuted, I gained some fame after my first drama. Later on, I received many scripts, and at the time, I wanted to earn money, so I kept wanting to sign contracts. Zhou Jie stopped me. For that reason, I even had a temper tantrum with her. Zhou Jie was very firm in her attitude, and I had no choice but to endure. Later, I received my second drama, “When Will the Bright Moon Come”, and it was this drama that propelled me to become a first-tier actress. When artists first debut, they tend to be naive. This is when you need to plan things clearly for them.”

After the meeting that day, Jiang Xiao and Cheng Ying met.

Cheng Ying stopped her, “Jiang Xiao—”

“Impressive speech, Ying Jie.”

“Wait for me a moment, I need to talk to them.” Cheng Ying apologized to several agents who had been asking her questions, “She has an appointment tonight.”

In a moment, she returned, smiling. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“I’m actually surprised that you’re here.” She looked at Cheng Ying, who was about the same age as Zhou Xiulin—over thirty. There were plenty of actresses in the entertainment industry at this age. However, someone like Cheng Ying, who hadn’t had a boyfriend yet, was quite rare.

“The organizers are my university professors.”

Jiang Xiao understood, “I see.”

Cheng Ying then asked, “I heard that Xu Jiaren signed for ‘Changting’?”

“Yes. Jiaren has already joined the cast to learn the Changting dialect.”

“You have quite a few good artists under your wing. Xu Jiaren, Song Yiwen, and also Qin Yilu; her popularity has been rising recently.”

Jiang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. “Yilu is very versatile.”

Cheng Ying curled the corner of her mouth. “I listened to ‘Between You and Me’. Her collaboration with Zhongbei is excellent. Fans are quite fond of this couple with an age difference.”

Jiang Xiao regretted not remembering that Cheng Ying had feelings for Jin Zhongbei. After the “Northbound” fan club was formed, Cheng Ying’s fan group was the most vocal. Many of them went after Qin Yilu.

However, Qin Yilu had a background as clean as paper, making it hard to find any flaws. Of course, there were a few unflattering photos of her as well.

Jiang Xiao spoke vaguely, “Yilu is still a newcomer. This collaboration with Teacher Jin has greatly boosted her career. Ying Jie, I’m sorry for the negative comments online from Yilu’s fans about you. Neither Yilu nor I want it to be this way.”

Cheng Ying smiled faintly. “I’ve been in this industry for many years. If I still cared about these things, I would have wasted my time. I heard that Zhongbei takes good care of Yilu because of your face.”

Jiang Xiao replied, “…Teacher Jin has always been enthusiastic. Back in the days of ‘Prosperous World’, he was kind to everyone on set.”

Cheng Ying pondered for a moment. “It’s been over three years in the blink of an eye.” Everyone was changing. Lately, several of her friends had gotten married and had children one after another.

She was still waiting.

“I feel like Zhongbei has always treated you differently.”

Jiang Xiao’s expression instantly froze.

“Back during ‘Prosperous World’, I found it a bit strange. These past two years, I’ve noticed the development of the artists you’re managing. Whenever there’s a project from Zhongbei’s studio, both Song Yi Wen and Yi Han have taken part.”

“Ying Jie…”

“But I don’t understand, if he likes you, why hasn’t he confessed to you in all these years?”

Jiang Xiao swallowed, her throat dry. “Ying Jie, I don’t know what kind of person Teacher Jin is. He doesn’t date; perhaps he’s too busy. He’s been kind to me, probably out of pity. Maybe Jin Zhongbei has known about my identity all along. Otherwise, how could there be so much help without reason in this world?”

“Pity you?” Cheng Ying was puzzled.

Jiang Xiao smiled with a hint of indifference. “As a lowly assistant, it’s not easy. Ying Jie, there’s no possibility between Teacher Jin and me.”

Cheng Ying smiled lightly. “Since we’ve met here, let’s have a meal together.”

Cheng Ying took her to a quiet French restaurant.

During the meal, Jiang Xiao received several phone calls. Yilu’s assistant was in a hurry and had to call her for help. “Yilu accidentally gained five pounds these past few days.”

Jiang Xiao was both amused and frustrated. “Doesn’t she know she’s prone to gaining weight? She’s about to start filming next week. Being overweight on camera, do you want the public to see her chubby face? No matter what, control her diet. Get in touch with Coach Tony! Within a week, make sure she loses at least eight pounds.”

The assistant, who was initially worried, burst into laughter upon hearing Jiang Xiao’s teasing remarks. “Jiang Jie, I promise to convey this properly.”

Qin Yilu was indeed a true food lover. Unfortunately, she gained weight easily, and it all showed on her face. She couldn’t help it sometimes, indulging herself a bit too much whenever she was happy.

After ending the call, Jiang Xiao sighed.

Across the table, Cheng Ying wore a calm expression. “Being a manager in this industry is not easy.”

Jiang Xiao smirked. “You get used to it. Sorry, I put my phone on silent.”

During the meal, Cheng Ying suddenly asked, “I met Jin Shuyan a couple of days ago, and she told me about what happened in City B. I didn’t expect her to be so persistent.”

Jiang Xiao listened quietly.

“Zhou Xiulin has already confirmed his secret marriage and the birth of his child. The industry is very curious about his affairs. Many people are spreading rumors and trying to find out. Even I’m a subject of suspicion as the child’s mother,” Cheng Ying said with a chuckle.

Jiang Xiao’s expression tightened slightly. “As subordinates, we don’t know much about President Zhou’s affairs either.”

Cheng Ying’s gaze remained fixed on her face. “Shuyan is a genuine little princess. She cried for a long time when she talked to me about this matter that day.”

Jiang Xiao said calmly, “She’ll be fine after a while.”

Cheng Ying took a sip of water. “I think so too. She started working again yesterday; young people recover quickly.”

Jiang Xiao lowered her head and ate most of her steak. Seeing Cheng Ying not touching her food, she asked, “Aren’t you eating, Ying Jie?”

“The calories are too high. I’ll just have some water and fruit.”

Jiang Xiao felt embarrassed. Thinking about Qin Yilu, she realized she had been too lenient with her.

After dinner, Jiang Xiao sent a message to Qin Yilu.

【Lose ten pounds within a week. Don’t give us a greasy and chubby version of Zhao Min!】

Greasy and chubby…

Upon seeing these four words, Qin Yilu’s mood plummeted. Was she really so greasy?

Indignantly, she posted a picture of herself on Weibo with the caption, “Middle-aged, greasy, chubby girl? @Jiang Xiao, Manager.”

After taking a shower, Jiang Xiao saw this Weibo post and replied while forwarding it.

“There’s that tendency.”

As soon as she posted, she received a message on WeChat.

Mr. Zhou: Still awake?

Jiang Xiao: Just about to sleep.

Mr. Zhou: Bought a cat for Mumu today.

Jiang Xiao: …

Mr. Zhou: Dad bought it.

Jiang Xiao didn’t know what to say. Lately, Little Bean Sprout had been mentioning it repeatedly. “I want a cat” or “I wish we had a cat.” The elderly always wanted to fulfill their children’s wishes.

She replied: Welcome to the new member!

Mr. Zhou: Very cute, just like you.

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