The man nodded and said, “Alright, Wang Ying will submit your information. She will also relay the competition time to you.”
Chi Yan turned her gaze to Wang Ying, who nodded at her.
With that, the man left.
The spacious office was now left with only Chi Yan and Wang Ying.
Wang Ying looked at her apologetically. “We originally planned to sign the contract with you directly, but…”
“It’s okay.” Chi Yan wasn’t too bothered. Having an opportunity was already a good thing—it was far better than her previous life, where she had to start as a background actor. “Sister Ying, I saw on the flyer just now that the top three in this competition will get an A-level contract. Is that true?”
“Yes. The company executives are placing great importance on this competition. They have already reached agreements with Startrack and Qianmeng—each company will offer its highest-level contracts to the top three winners.”
Chi Yan was thoughtful. “Alright, thank you, Sister Ying. You seem quite busy, so I’ll go prepare first.”
“Go ahead. I hope the next time we meet, it will be at the finals.”
Chi Yan smiled at her, then pushed the door open and left.
Neither of them expected that their next meeting would happen just before the finals—after a video of Chi Yan hosting a graduation ceremony went viral online.
Due to habits from her past life, Chi Yan didn’t use Weibo much, though she did check it every few days.
This time, when she opened the app, she was a little shocked.
Why had her follower count increased so quickly? And why had she received so many private messages?
Chi Yan was confused. She hadn’t even released any work yet!
After scrolling through Weibo for a while, she finally understood what had happened.
On the day of the graduation ceremony, the lead organizer had told Chi Yan that the event would be livestreamed, but after finishing her hosting duties, she had completely forgotten about it.
She never expected that it would bring her such a pleasant surprise.
On the day of the livestream, Shen Chen had also attended. Because he had some work-related matters to handle, the academy had moved his appearance to an earlier time slot. Many people knew about this.
Shen Chen had a lot of devoted fans. As soon as they heard there was footage of their idol, they eagerly clipped a short segment and shared it.
Interestingly, those who edited the clip also included the part where Chi Yan took the stage.
At first, the short video was only circulated among alumni, but later, a senior who had since become a famous director noticed it. Not only did he like it, but he also shared it, causing the video to gain significant traction.
Many netizens were discussing Shen Chen’s looks, but a large number also took notice of Chi Yan.
Countless comments flooded in:
“AWSL! I need to see more of that lady in the back! Where’s the full video?!”
“She’s killing me! The way she lifts her dress when stepping on stage is so elegant!”
“She smiled before speaking! That was a direct hit to my heart! A true heartthief!”
Helpful alumni pointed them toward the replay on X-App.
One of the people who got captivated by Chi Yan’s beauty was a fangirl named Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen had many celebrity crushes. Initially, she had only wanted to admire the pretty host, but she didn’t expect to become a fan!
Chi Yan’s voice was clear and articulate, pleasant to listen to, and she even handled unexpected situations with quick wit. It was a total win for Xiao Chen!
After watching the full video, Xiao Chen was determined to let more people know about this stunning host named “Chi Yan.” So, she edited a compilation of Chi Yan’s best moments, highlighting her smooth crisis management.
Using Premiere Pro, she carefully polished the video and uploaded it to Weibo. Most of her followers were fellow fan girls, and once they saw it, they all joined in the hype, flooding the comment section with:
“She’s killing me!!”
Thanks to this, Chi Yan gained another wave of popularity. The hashtag #HowBeautifulIsTheHostess? even trended at the bottom of the hot search list.
Later, the same senior who had previously shared the school’s video noticed this new edit. He reposted it again, commenting:
“Why didn’t I meet such a beautiful girl when I was in school?”
The comment section burst into laughter, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
With her rising fame, more people started looking for Chi Yan’s Weibo account. Enthusiastic alumni were quick to tag her.
So, when Chi Yan finally logged in, she was met with a flood of notifications.
Her sudden rise in popularity came at an interesting time—right when she had just been rejected by Bo Le’s senior talent agent. Wang Ying even started to wonder if Chi Yan had done it on purpose.
“Chi Yan, the agent from last time wants to discuss signing a contract with you.”
Wang Ying sent the message and sighed. The world was indeed unpredictable.
When Chi Yan received the message, she raised an eyebrow. She had expected Bo Le to change their stance, but she didn’t think they would act so quickly.
“Sorry, Sister Ying, I still want to participate in the competition first. Let’s talk about the contract after the competition ends.”
Wang Ying took a long time to reply:
“Alright, but you absolutely have to sign with our company. Of course, if you agree, the company will open all doors for you.”
Seeing this, Chi Yan simply replied:
“Okay.”
Chi Yan’s sudden rise to fame didn’t go unnoticed by her aunt, uncle, and mother.
During lunch, her aunt was the first to speak up. “Yan Yan, how did your hosting video end up online? What’s going on?”
“Online?” Chi Yan’s mother asked. Seeing the serious expression on her sister-in-law’s face, she grew uneasy. “Are people criticizing Yan Yan?”
She quickly reassured Chi Yan, “Don’t worry, online trends are temporary. This will pass soon.”
“No,” her aunt said. “The comments are all praising her looks. But still, isn’t this inappropriate? A proper young lady getting on trending topics like some entertainer, letting people judge her appearance…”
Chi Yan glanced at her aunt. In her past life, when she started out as a background actor, her aunt would always make sarcastic remarks. It was only after she became famous that she finally shut up.
Before Chi Yan could respond, her uncle spoke up. “Praising Yan Yan’s beauty just means they have good taste. How is that a bad thing?”
Her aunt looked around and turned to Chi Yan’s mother. “Xiao Ru, don’t you think getting on trending searches like this is bad?”
“As long as they’re not insulting her, it’s fine,” Chi Yan’s mother replied. “I’ve heard that many celebrities get scolded terribly online. Compared to them, Yan Yan is actually doing well.”
Taking this opportunity, Chi Yan shared her decision. “Mom, Uncle, Aunt, I have something to tell you. I’ve decided to participate in the actor recruitment competition hosted by Bo Le Entertainment.”
Her words stirred up a storm.
Her aunt was the first to object. “You didn’t even study acting in university! You can’t just dive in headfirst for a little attention. How is that acceptable? Besides, the entertainment industry is too chaotic. How can we feel at ease with you in it? If your father finds out, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
It was clear that her aunt’s main concern was her father’s reaction, which Chi Yan didn’t care about.
However, her mother also disapproved.
“Yan Yan, your aunt is right. Our family isn’t struggling financially. Why put yourself through the hardships of being an actor? It’s too tough, and I can’t bear to see you go through that.”
Chi Yan put down her chopsticks and spoke earnestly. “Mom, Aunt, I’ve thought this through carefully. Don’t worry, I truly love acting. Bo Le Entertainment is interested in signing me, and I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
Her uncle asked, “Do you know what participating in this competition entails? Do you understand the complexities of the entertainment industry? It’s not as glamorous as you might think.”
“Uncle, I know exactly what it takes to be an actor. I also understand that the entertainment industry isn’t just about glitz and glamour—it has its share of filth and darkness… But I still want to act.”
Her uncle studied her for a long moment before relenting. “If you truly love it, then go for it. I support you! But you have to work hard. If you don’t make it to the end of the competition, you should consider finding a regular job. You can always work at my company.”
“Brother, isn’t this decision too rash?” Chi Yan’s mother was still worried.
She used the internet regularly and knew how vicious online comments could be. She feared that Chi Yan might face hateful remarks in the future and that it would affect her emotionally.
Seeing that she couldn’t change her brother’s mind, she turned to her daughter. “Yan Yan, you can try, but after that, you should get a normal job like everyone else.”
Her aunt chimed in, “Exactly! Don’t think entering the entertainment industry means you’ll automatically become famous. There are plenty of people who never make it big. You really need to think this through.”
Chi Yan hadn’t expected so much opposition just from announcing her decision to compete.
In her past life, she had kept her acting career a secret from her mother. She didn’t care what the rest of the family thought. By the time her mother found out, Chi Yan was already well-known, so her mother didn’t try to stop her.
She was starting to regret telling her mother so soon. If she had waited until everything was settled, no one would be able to interfere.
Just then, her phone rang.
She picked it up and saw that it was her father calling.
“Who’s calling? Why aren’t you answering?” her mother asked with concern.
“It’s Dad. I’ll answer it now.”
She picked up the call. “Hello? What is it?”
“Chi Yan, do you know you’re trending on Weibo? You’re really something! The executives I work with are all asking me if you’re my daughter. You’ve completely embarrassed me!”
Her father was furious. People kept asking him if he had spent all his money on his daughter’s career, leaving nothing for the family. Otherwise, why would his daughter be making entertainment news? Was she planning to become a celebrity next?
Thinking about this, he emphasized, “Even if you’re gaining popularity, you better not do anything disgraceful! You cannot become a celebrity, do you hear me?!”
“I just want to do what I love,” Chi Yan replied calmly. “Besides, Mom is the only one who has the right to control me. You don’t.”
With that, she hung up.
On the other end, her father was fuming, but there was nothing he could do.
Chi Yan was about to pick up her chopsticks again when she suddenly heard her mother say she would support her.
“If this is what you love, then I support you.” Her mother placed a piece of sweet and sour pork onto her plate. “But if you ever get hurt out there, you have to come home and tell me.”
“Xiao Ru, how can you allow this? This is completely inappropriate…” her aunt protested, but her uncle shot her a warning look, making her voice trail off. Still, her muttered complaints were heard by both Chi Yan and her mother.
After dinner, Chi Yan’s mother made an announcement—she and Chi Yan would be moving out.
“Brother, Yan Yan is going to compete, and I can’t help worrying about her. If she really becomes famous, she’ll need a safer place to live. I’ve saved up some money over the years, and I want to buy a house.”
“Brother, don’t try to persuade me. If Yan Yan and I continue living here, sister-in-law will eventually have complaints.”
Her uncle hesitated before asking, “Do you have enough money?”
“If I don’t, I’ll ask to borrow from you.”
“Alright, but don’t rush it. Finding a place and renovating it will take time.”
Her mother smiled. “I’ve already got a plan, Brother. Don’t worry.”
