Ji Ling spoke honestly, “I can only say that my work is related to the entertainment industry, but I’m not actually part of that circle.”
“Ah, what a shame,” Yan Yueshi said, though she was clearly pleased, “Mr. Ji, you’re so handsome, you’d definitely be a huge star if you were famous.”
“With your personality, though, being an idol and dancing around might not be your thing,” she added, half-joking. “I bet you know a lot about the entertainment industry, right?”
Ji Ling smiled gently, “It’s alright, I know a little bit about it since it’s related to my work. Miss Yan, are you interested in the entertainment industry?”
Yan Yueshi tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her well-defined jawline, and shyly admitted, “I once wanted to join the entertainment industry.”
Ji Ling was surprised. “Miss Yan, you’re so beautiful, you’d definitely fit in. Why didn’t you go for it?”
A trace of melancholy flashed across Yan Yueshi’s face. “My brother opposed it… I didn’t insist.”
Ji Ling’s surprise was only half genuine earlier, but now he was truly surprised.
Yan Yixuan didn’t seem like the type to interfere with such things.
“So your brother’s a bit of a bad guy, huh?” Ji Ling teased.
To his surprise, Yan Yueshi puffed out her cheeks, looking furious as she began to complain about Yan Yixuan. “He’s more than just a bad guy. He’s always saying ‘no’ to everything, controlling me like I’m a three-year-old. The moment I disappear from his sight for an hour, he starts calling non-stop until I pick up.”
Ji Ling laughed. “That sounds a little exaggerated?”
Yan Yueshi shrugged and giggled, looking adorable. “Well, it was a bit exaggerated, but when I was in college, there was this one time I didn’t bring my phone, and he called all the way to our dean’s office. Then, the head of the department came to find me, and before I knew it, the whole year knew about it. It was so embarrassing!”
Ji Ling couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Who would’ve thought? Yan Yixuan was a total protective big brother.
Ji Ling’s expression was too obvious, and Yan Yueshi felt a little awkward, quickly trying to fix the situation. “You’re a friend of my brother’s, and he rarely brings people home, so that’s why I told you all this. Please don’t tell him.”
Ji Ling smiled genuinely and reassured her, “I won’t.” Then he asked, “Miss Yan, where are you headed? How about we find a place to sit for a while?” He was curious about more stories about Yan Yixuan.
Yan Yueshi shook her head with a smile. “No thanks, I have to go back.”
It was clear that Yan Yixuan had taught his sister well, knowing she shouldn’t be alone with unfamiliar men.
Ji Ling didn’t press the issue and said, “Then let me take you. Did you drive here?”
Yan Yueshi shook her head again. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just call a cab myself.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, the guy she was with earlier is really letting her go home alone?
It seemed like Yan Yueshi didn’t want anyone she knew to see her with that man, probably because she was trying to hide things from Yan Yixuan.
Kids who are overly controlled tend to develop rebellious tendencies. Ji Ling silently hoped Yan Yueshi wouldn’t do anything that would make Yan Yixuan angry.
Ji Ling said, “Let me walk you to the entrance to catch a cab.”
Yan Yueshi didn’t refuse again, and the two of them walked side by side towards the exit. A cool, handsome guy and a sweet, charming girl, they stood out even in a high-end shopping mall. Anyone who didn’t know them might think they were a cute couple.
What they didn’t know was that Ji Ling was trying to fish for information from Yan Yueshi.
Since he still had questions, Ji Ling walked slowly. Yan Yueshi didn’t seem in a hurry either. She kept up with him, chatting casually while walking in her high heels.
“You must have a good relationship with your brother,” Yan Yueshi said.
“He really doesn’t bring friends home often, although he…” She paused, considering her words, then just decided to speak her mind. “Although he’s a bit of a playboy, he really values his home. He’d never bring just anyone over.”
Ji Ling listened, smiling without saying much.
Despite his apparent annoyance, Yan Yixuan still made it a point to be home for dinner on time. He would even waver in company decisions for family matters and was borderline obsessive about taking care of his sister.
Ji Ling remembered Yan Yixuan’s relaxed attitude at Jinyuan, showing just how much he loved his family.
Who would have thought that the charming Yan Yixuan was so devoted to his home?
“Ugh, he just controls me too much. He always thinks I’m not grown up enough. It’s really annoying,” Yan Yueshi started complaining again about her brother.
Speaking of not being grown up, Ji Ling suddenly realized that Yan Yueshi probably wasn’t a student anymore, so he asked, “Miss Yan, where do you work?”
Yan Yueshi froze for a moment, her eyes flickering, before she said, “Oh, just an ordinary company.”
It was still daytime, wasn’t she supposed to be at work?
Yan Yueshi knew what Ji Ling was thinking, and finally, with a hint of embarrassment, she admitted, “Well, it’s not busy, so I took some time off.”
Ji Ling finally understood.
The young miss of the Yan family wants to go shopping? Who would dare stop her?
At this point, Ji Ling felt he had a pretty good handle on Yan Yueshi’s personality. She was innocent, lively, carefree, and a bit naive.
In such a complicated family like the Yan’s, it was amazing that they could raise such a pure young lady. He wasn’t sure whether to blame Yan Yixuan for being overprotective or thank him for keeping his sister away from the messy side of things, preserving her innocence.
Ji Ling thought for a moment and then asked, “Miss Yan, don’t you have another brother?”
He asked deliberately, and as expected, Yan Yueshi picked up on it and responded, “Ah, you mean Brother Yili? He’s fine, he doesn’t control me like my brother does, and he’s really good to me. If I want something, I can definitely get it from him.”
This was a bit unexpected for Ji Ling.
Yan Yixuan and Yan Yueshi were full siblings, but Yan Yili and Yan Yixuan didn’t get along, so one would expect Yan Yili to be distant with Yan Yueshi as well.
But it seemed Yan Yili was still pretty polite with her, unlike how he treated Yan Yixuan.
Ji Ling spoke honestly, “Yan Yixuan and he don’t get along very well, always at odds. I actually saw them arguing the last time.”
By mentioning what he knew, Ji Ling gave Yan Yueshi the impression that he was really close with Yan Yixuan, which made her open up more.
“It wasn’t always like this. Brother Yili came to our house after Mom and Dad’s accident. Grandpa even made him a rose garden. We all got along well. But then, I don’t know what happened. Brother and Brother Yili stopped talking and started mocking each other.”
Yan Yueshi thought for a moment and said, “I think it started when Grandpa let Brother Yili into the company.”
As she said this, she realized she had shared too much and quickly added, “But anyway, we’re family, so arguing is normal.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, with a family like the Yan’s, can you really call that normal?
“Oh, never mind them,” Yan Yueshi waved her hand as if trying to dismiss something. “Let’s talk about you, Mr. Ji. You mentioned working here, what kind of work is it? Is it related to movies?”
Ji Ling smiled and said mysteriously, “It’s a movie that hasn’t been released yet, it’s an industry secret.”
Yan Yueshi’s curiosity peaked, and she fixed her large eyes on him, begging, “Come on, tell me, who’s starring in it?”
Ji Ling thought about how this innocent little princess still wanted to enter the entertainment industry. Luckily, Yan Yixuan had stopped her, or she’d be devoured alive by it.
He whispered to her, “I’ll tell you secretly, but don’t spread it, it’s Shen Dongqing’s movie.” Actually, the pre-sale had already started, so it wasn’t much of a secret anymore.
But to Ji Ling’s surprise, Yan Yueshi didn’t seem all that interested.
“I liked Shen Dongqing’s earlier works, but he’s getting older and playing deeper roles now. It’s just a bit boring after a while.”
Ji Ling almost burst out laughing. Most people would praise the movie emperor to prove their own taste, but only this straightforward Miss Yan would tell the brutal truth.
The upcoming movie, while it would likely get good reviews, was a bit too heavy for the general public. Even if it earned positive word-of-mouth, the box office would struggle to reach ideal levels.
Ji Ling observed Yan Yueshi. She was definitely representing the attitude of most viewers. How could they get people like her into the theaters to watch this movie?
The two of them chatted all the way to the entrance of the plaza. Ji Ling called a cab for her and watched as Yan Yueshi got into the car and drove off.
Before Yan Yueshi left, she called out to Ji Ling to visit Jinyuan again next time.
Ji Ling waited until Yan Yueshi’s car disappeared in the distance, then couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that despite having two sharp brothers, Yan Yueshi was such an innocent girl. She was completely different in personality from them.
After returning from the shopping mall, Ji Ling couldn’t stop thinking about the promotional strategy for Shen Dongqing’s movie.
The original plan was to target the high-class elite audience, using high-education platforms to encourage ticket bookings, while also promoting through physical posters in busy business districts and subway stations to attract the white-collar crowd.
But would this really be effective?
Yan Yueshi’s words made Ji Ling start to question the approach.
Yan Yueshi, as a young lady from a prestigious family, lived a life of high quality. Despite her lively and chatty demeanor, her taste was undoubtedly refined.
However, this movie, starting from the last century, was far removed from her lifestyle. If she wasn’t interested in the film, how could they possibly drive ticket sales?
Back at the office, Ji Ling stared blankly at the poster mock-up on the whiteboard.
The promotional plan needed to be revised. He had to deliver a successful result to Tiansheng Entertainment, or how would he ever hold his head up in front of Luo Tao in the future?
Ji Ling stayed at the office late into the night. When Mo Yulan passed by his office and saw him still frowning at the poster, she knocked on the door and asked, “Mr. Ji, still not leaving?”
Without turning around, Ji Ling replied, “You go ahead. I’ll stay.”
Just as Mo Yulan was about to leave for the day, Ji Ling suddenly called her back.
“Wait, I have a question.”
Mo Yulan stopped, thought for a moment, and then walked over to Ji Ling’s side to look at the poster with him.
“What kind of person would watch this movie?” Ji Ling asked her.
Mo Yulan thought about it and answered honestly, “My parents, I guess. Their age is similar to the characters in the movie.”
Ji Ling was momentarily stunned by her response. He suddenly stood up and said, “I understand now. Thank you.”
In China, the majority of moviegoers are young, with people between sixteen and thirty-five contributing almost eighty percent of the box office.
Ji Ling had been limiting his focus to the audience’s education and profession, assuming that the ticket buyers would mostly be young, but he had overlooked the factor of age.
He turned to Mo Yulan and instructed, “You can head home for now. We’ll have a meeting first thing tomorrow to revise the promotional plan.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
