Batter My Heart,Mr Xi (Book 2)

Chapter XXIV

The bustling energy in the conference center was palpable as the final week of promotional activities for the film 'Forbidden Alliance' with it's headline actors Best Actor Quan Fumin and rising star Nana.

Posters of the movie adorned the walls, and the air buzzed with excitement.

Yang Zhilan, who had volunteered to be included in the conference mostly for merit, darted between desks, coordinating last-minute details for the upcoming interviews with the film's stars.

Wu Shanshan was part of the team as well but they had barely spoken at all. It seemed after the incident in the CEO's office, she looked almost scared of her.

Yang Zhilan wanted to explain herself to her friend but Wu Shanshan wasn't giving her the opportunity to.

"Zhilan, can you grab some tea for Nana? She'll need it before the interview," called Lisa, one of her new supervisors from SR company, frantically typing away at her computer.

' I thought she had assistants.' Yang Zhilan dared not say her thoughts aloud.

"Sure thing!" Zhilan who was filling up some queries on her device replied ,as she hurried to the break room.

She filled a cup with steaming green tea, knowing how much the rising star appreciated the calming effect it had.

"Hello Nana!" she called, stepping inside a room with the tea in hand. " Here is some calming tea you might need."

Nana barely looked up, as a lot of styling work was being done in her hair. "Thank you." She took the cup from her, their fingers brushing briefly.

"Just doing my job," she said. After all, with the amount of assistants this rising actress had for some reason, Lisa made her bring the tea.

After leaving the room to get back to the work a familiar voice called out to her.

"Yang Zhilan?"

She paused, turning to see Quan Fumin's silhouette in the doorway of the conference room she saw him at. It was one of the smaller ones, typically used for private meetings rather than large gatherings.

"You called, Mr. Quan?" she asked, stepping into the room.

"You!" The sharp exclamation came from the corner where Quan Fumin's assistant, sat with an expression that could curdle milk.

"Hi," she greeted politely, though confused by his assistant's hostile tone.

The older man let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "You never really die, do you?"

The cryptic comment hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Yang Zhilan shifted uncomfortably, but maintained her professional smile. "Not really."

Quan Fumin's assistant heaved a dramatic sigh, settling deeper into his leather chair. "I'll be in the corner, so you don't try anything." His words dripped with suspicion.

"I apologize for him," Quan Fumin said.

" Um, it okay Mr Quan ", she answered awkwardly.

The Best Actor's expression shifted slightly, a hint of seriousness entering his eyes.

"So, I normally wouldn't ask this, but... could you help me with my scripts? This interview is particularly important and since you're part of the Marketing team you can shed more insight."

Yang Zhilan couldn't help but feel surprised. This was Quan Fumin, who had just won Best Actor at the Golden Dragon Awards. His performance in "The Assassin's Streak" had critics calling him the defining actor of his generation.