Chapter Twenty-Nine: Filming on the Beach

Crown Entertainment, the largest entertainment company in the capital. Bai Yuan reclined comfortably on the soft leather sofa in the spacious and bright office, enjoying the pampering of her two personal assistants.

"Sister Yuan, let me put a face mask on you. The shoot today is at the outdoor venue at noon; we should hydrate your skin to keep it fresh and dewy."

"Yuan Yuan, here’s some honey water for you, it’s great for beauty. I had someone send it over from my hometown; the wild honey from the mountains is safe and nutritious."

Her manager scrolled through messages on her phone to confirm the upcoming schedule. "By the way, Mr. Lin from Lin Pharmaceuticals has messaged again to ask if you’re free. This is the seventh time this week. Are you going to meet him?"

Bai Yuan recalled Mr. Lin's rotund face and the disdain in her beautiful eyes was palpable. "No way, not going."

In the corridor outside the office, Luo Yuan was fully equipped, cautiously observing the crowd around her as she walked. She gently pushed the door open and embraced Bai Yuan enthusiastically. "Yuan'er, long time no see."

Having grown accustomed to being adored as a big star, Bai Yuan was proud and often looked down on others, but she shared a mutual understanding with Luo Yuan.

This bond was forged after Luo Yuan once saved her from an encounter with male stalkers, who nearly harassed and assaulted her, by crashing her car into them, scaring them off.

Her delicate and captivating face lost its arrogance and was now filled with concern. "Luo Yuan, aren’t you busy with work? How do you have time to come find me?"

Luo Yuan had previously held a position as the deputy general manager at Fu Enterprises, earning over a million a year, so she had always looked down on Bai Yuan's fame and fortune gained through her looks and body, often declining her invitations with excuses of being too busy.

Now, however, she found herself dependent on others, forced to act as a ghostwriter for Chu Qingzhu, with no other means but to seek Bai Yuan's help.

With a bright smile, Luo Yuan showcased a limited edition necklace from a luxury brand. "I bought you a necklace from K brand; didn’t you say you liked it last time? Come, let me put it on you."

The slender silver chain was adorned with scattered diamonds, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight.

Bai Yuan joyfully straightened her slender waist, allowing Luo Yuan to fasten the necklace around her neck. Once it was in place, she eagerly picked up a makeup mirror to adjust the angle and admire the necklace.

"Thank you, darling, for such a generous gift right away."

"You still haven’t told me why you suddenly came to the company today. Usually, I invite you out multiple times, and you hardly ever come." She pouted playfully.

Luo Yuan's bright smile faded slightly. "I resigned from Fu Enterprises. I haven’t had much to do lately, so I thought I’d come see you. I’ve always been too busy to spend time with you and often pushed off your invitations."

Bai Yuan regarded Luo Yuan as one of the few lights in her life, momentarily oblivious to her poor acting. "You were doing so well at Fu Enterprises; why quit all of a sudden?"

A flicker of light flashed in Luo Yuan's eyes, and her previously strong demeanor cracked as a tear fell. She hurriedly turned away to hide her face from Bai Yuan.

"Pei Susu just became the new general manager of Fu Enterprises. We had disagreements on opinions and argued over project collaborations. After several incidents, the company deemed we couldn’t reconcile."

Bai Yuan, alarmed, swatted away her assistant's hand that was massaging her face, interrupting Luo Yuan. Her pure and beautiful face flushed with anger. "They fired you for this?!"

Luo Yuan sensed that Bai Yuan had walked into the trap she had set. Hidden from the eyes of others, her sorrowful face was filled with resentment.

"Pei Susu, if I can’t have a good time, you won’t either."

She quickly held Bai Yuan back from acting impulsively, feigning concern. "Yuan'er, calm down. I’m fine; I left Fu Enterprises, and I won’t have to see Pei Susu again, so there won’t be any more arguments."

"I can finally have some free time and go shopping and drinking coffee with you."

Bai Yuan didn't understand why the usually assertive Luo Yuan seemed so afraid of Pei Susu. Her heart surged with passion, filled with thoughts of how to stand up for Luo Yuan.

"You’ve worked at Fu Enterprises for over ten years, pouring countless efforts into it. What is Pei Susu? Just a newcomer who dares to bully you!"

"Watch me give her a hard time at the afternoon shoot."

—

On the sun-drenched beach outskirts of the capital, the temperature soared to forty degrees Celsius. The fans offered no relief as the heatwave made those waiting under the outdoor pavilion restless.

Pei Susu's professional outfit clung to her damp skin as she patiently asked the employees of Crown Entertainment once more.

"The agreed-upon shooting time has passed by forty minutes. Has Miss Bai not arrived yet?"

The employee, growing impatient, replied, "Manager Pei, you’ve asked me the same question more than ten times. Haven’t I told you? Miss Bai is unwell and needs to delay the shoot."

Pei Susu furrowed her brow at his condescending tone. She glanced at her phone to check the time, then looked back at the group of Fu Enterprises employees waiting in the studio.

"Please contact Miss Bai to inquire about her health and provide us with a specific and accurate time. We have other schedules to keep and cannot wait indefinitely for her."

"Or could you give me Miss Bai's contact information? I can communicate with her directly."

As a top star in the entertainment industry, Bai Yuan had taken over brand promotions for Fu Enterprises three years ago, and their collaboration had typically been smooth. She was always punctual, and it didn't seem like she would intentionally delay the shoot today.

The employee ignored Pei Susu, turning to adjust the camera. "I’m in charge of photography and don’t have Miss Bai’s personal number. Manager Pei, if you need something, wait for her to arrive and ask her yourself."

Pei Susu’s grip on her phone tightened, her usually gentle eyes narrowing as her voice turned warning.

"We’ve waited long enough; can you tell me where Miss Bai is hospitalized? We’d like to pay her a visit."

"If we still don’t hear from Miss Bai, I will assume she is deliberately avoiding the shoot and trying to breach her contract with Fu Enterprises."

The employee had been following Bai Yuan for quite some time and was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. Hearing Pei Susu's tone shift, he quickly forced a smile, putting down the camera to face her.

"Manager Pei, let me ask the manager about Miss Bai's situation."

People in the entertainment industry competed fiercely to be brand ambassadors for Fu Enterprises. Bai Yuan had never caused trouble in their previous three collaborations, so why was she suddenly clashing with Pei Susu now?

Crown Entertainment, Bai Yuan leisurely sat in her chair, holding a milk tea in one hand while watching a video sent by an employee, which she forwarded to Luo Yuan.

In the video, Pei Susu stood in the studio, drenched in sweat, her pale face flushed, and her damp hair clinging to her face.