I’m the First Love Who Studied Abroad in Replacement Literature My ex-boyfriend fell for a trick. He got together with my replacement. On the day I returned home, he brought his current girlfriend to my welcome party. All our friends in the circle were waiting to see me make a fool of myself. I didn’t prepare any jokes, but I did bring my new boyfriend back with me. The day we broke up, Jack told me on WhatsApp: “I’m sorry, Mia. I broke my promise. I don’t want to wait anymore.” At that time, I still had one year left to complete my studies. We had made it through the first three years, but our relationship fell apart in the last year. There were early signs of his change of heart. So I wasn’t too surprised. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I replied: “It’s okay. Let’s just be normal friends then.” “Alright.” But later, I found out he had blocked me. A qualified ex should be like they’re dead. I didn’t blame him, and I blocked him in return. On the eve of my return home, my old friends insisted on arranging a welcome party for me. They didn’t tell me that Jack and his new girlfriend would also be there. It was my best friend who couldn’t stand it and leaked the information to me. “Mia, don’t go! They’re all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself! That current girlfriend of Jack is afraid he still has lingering feelings for you, so she’s putting on this show to claim her territory in front of you.” I replied indifferently: “Besides those two, there are others I know. Forget it, I’ll just do them a favor and go.” “Forget it, they’re all Jack’s buddies. Ah! I happen to have something that day, otherwise I’d go with you and definitely not let you be taken advantage of.” “Thank you for telling me. Someone has set the stage wanting to see me perform, how can I disappoint them? Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with it.” On the day of my return, I went to the appointment as scheduled. The waiter pushed open the door of the private room. As soon as I stepped in, I saw Jack sitting in the main seat. After not seeing him for over a year, he was still as handsome and dignified as ever, with the air of an elite in a high position. Sitting beside him was a beautiful woman, who must be his girlfriend. Emma, a new artist signed by Jack’s company. She looked about 80-90% similar to me. My heart tightened. I still remember two years ago when Jack sent me a photo of Emma. He said: “A new person came for an interview today, it scared me. I thought you had secretly come back to surprise me.” At that time, Emma looked more like me than she does now. Her hairstyle, makeup, and dressing style were all identical to mine. I didn’t take it too seriously at the time, and even joked: “Could she be related to me by blood? No way, I have to go ask my dad.” Jack said: “Probably not, she’s from out of town, both her parents are alive, and she has a twin brother who doesn’t look like her.” “You even investigated her?” “Of course, we need to understand the background clearly when signing new artists.” Who would have thought that the substitute I didn’t take seriously back then would now openly replace my position. Back to the present. Jack’s buddy “Ryan” stood up. “Welcome our talented Mia, returning in glory…” He was in the middle of his opening remarks when his voice suddenly stopped. Everyone looked at the man behind me. I calmly greeted them: “Long time no see, thank you all for still remembering me.” Ryan gave a dry laugh and asked curiously: “Mia, who is this? Won’t you introduce us?” I stepped aside to let them get a good look. I introduced with poise: “This is Leo, my boyfriend.” The word “boyfriend” hit like a bomb, and everyone present looked surprised. Leo flashed a neat row of pearly whites, smiling with two sweet dimples: “Good evening everyone, it’s an honor to join your gathering.” Leo was already stunningly beautiful, and his smile was devastatingly charming. The ladies present couldn’t take their eyes off him. A beauty with long straight black hair said frankly: “Wow, Mia, your boyfriend is so handsome!” The others immediately followed up: “Too handsome! Leo, are you a celebrity or a model?” Before I could speak, Leo immediately flattered them: “Thank you for the compliment, ladies. You’re all very beautiful too. Please, everyone just call me Leo.” Not only was he good-looking, but he was also sweet-tongued. The crowd that was originally waiting to see me make a fool of myself now had their attention completely drawn by Leo. Even Emma couldn’t help but steal glances at Leo. Jack’s expression was visibly displeased. He said in a deep voice: “Let’s all sit down and chat, don’t just stand around.”
After he spoke, the others finally restrained themselves. The waiter added an extra seat, and I sat intimately side by side with Leo. After sitting down, I introduced everyone at the table to Leo one by one. Originally, I was supposed to be the main character today, but everyone gathered around Leo asking him questions. Leo had been studying abroad since middle school, so he was Westernized, outgoing, and lively. I wasn’t worried about him feeling awkward. The beauty with long black hair teased me: “Mia, you really kept it a secret, getting a new boyfriend without a sound.” These words were somewhat subtle. Some people couldn’t resist their gossipy glances, scanning back and forth between me, Jack, and Emma. I smiled gently and said: “People always have to look forward.” Over there, Emma shyly leaned towards Jack. Jack immediately put his arm around her and asked with concern: “What’s wrong?” “I was filming late last night, feeling a bit tired…” After Emma finished speaking, she forced herself to perk up and smiled shyly: “I’m fine, I’ll just take a nap in the car later.” Jack said considerately: “Eat something quickly, I’ll take you back to rest.” He urged everyone: “Let’s order quickly.” Someone teased: “Jack is really a doting boyfriend maniac.” “With such a beautiful girlfriend as Emma, who wouldn’t want to dote on her?” Emma pretended to be shy and buried her face in Jack’s shoulder. “Don’t tease me, everyone…” Some meaningful glances fell on me, seemingly waiting for my reaction. My heart was bitter and salty, but I couldn’t show it. The boyfriend I had dated for many years was snatched away by a substitute who replaced me, and now they were showing affection in front of me. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t affected. There was a feeling of frustration, like the genuine article being defeated by a counterfeit. Doting boyfriend maniac? Huh… The deep affection that was once invested in me could be so easily transferred to someone else. I don’t know if this is my tragedy or his. Ryan politely let me order, turning the lazy Susan with the menu towards me. I tried hard to keep my expression indifferent, and graciously said: “I’m not familiar with this restaurant and don’t know what everyone likes to eat. Let me treat everyone today, please order whatever you like.” Jack said coldly: “This restaurant is members-only, it can be deducted from my account.” I said “Oh” and politely replied: “Thank you, Jack. Then I’ll treat next time.” Leo honestly and unabashedly picked up the menu. He leaned close to my ear and asked: “Mia, what is this fish maw and chicken slice soup?” “It’s a dish for beauty and nourishment, do you want to try it?” “I want to taste it.” He pointed at dishes on the menu and asked me. For everything I knew about, I earnestly answered. When we were talking, our faces were almost touching. The beauty with long black hair couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Leo, are you a bit younger than Mia?” Our way of interacting was obvious. I frankly said: “Yes, Leo is half a year younger than me.” The ladies all said flattering things: “An older woman-younger man relationship, how enviable.” “A younger man is good, young and energetic.” I inadvertently heard two of Jack’s buddies whispering together: “Probably hired a pretty boy to act…” “Must be, deliberately trying to make Jack jealous…” “Thought she really had a new relationship, turns out it’s just a kept man.” “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” They were speaking in the local dialect, which Leo probably couldn’t understand. Regardless of whether what they said was true or not, discussing me like this in front of my face showed they didn’t take me seriously. Jack should have heard it too. He had a meaningful smile on his lips, and glanced at Leo with disdain. Emma asked him quietly: “Jack, do you also like older woman-younger man relationships?” Jack pointed at the mulberry but cursed the locust tree, saying: “I don’t like it. I’m more of a macho man, I can’t accept women older than me.” His words were too obviously directed at me. I held back my anger and didn’t react. Leo continued flipping through the menu, unconcerned. When he saw a sea cucumber soup, he said to one of the gossipy men: “Mr. Thompson, why don’t I order a sea cucumber soup for you?” That Mr. Thompson politely said: “Thank you, but how could I…” Leo smiled cheerfully and said: “I noticed your eye bags are quite large, and there’s a grayish-black color around your mouth. You’re probably suffering from kidney deficiency. It’s just right to eat some sea cucumber to nourish yourself.” No man likes to be told he has kidney deficiency. Mr. Thompson’s face changed immediately. He hurriedly denied: “I don’t…” Leo said with utmost sincerity: “Your complexion is dull and oily, and your nose is red. It’s probably a hormonal imbalance. You’d better see a doctor for treatment.”
Mr. Thompson looked embarrassed and didn’t know how to refute. I used a reproachful tone and said: “Leo, whether Mr. Thompson has kidney deficiency or not, his girlfriend would know better, right? Don’t worry about it.” Mr. Thompson’s girlfriend was right beside him. She didn’t know how to respond and just picked up her glass to drink water as a tactical move. Leo immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I was too direct in my speech. You’re a big person, you shouldn’t mind, right?” Could Mr. Thompson say he minded? He could only swallow his anger silently. The black-haired beauty, enjoying the show, deliberately asked Leo: “Leo, can you read faces too? Why don’t you take a look at ours?” “Not really, it’s just that my grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and I learned a bit from him when I was young…” Leo had just finished being modest when he immediately aimed at the other gossipy man from earlier: “For example, Mr. Davis, your eyebrows and beard are very sparse, but your hair is very thick. This looks like you’re wearing a wig at first glance.” That Mr. Davis had been balding since he was young and always wore a wig when going out to see people. This wasn’t a secret in our circle, but everyone just pretended not to notice. Several people couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly covered their mouths. Mr. Davis’s smile disappeared, and he said angrily: “What do you mean?” Leo continued to pretend to be surprised and said: “Ah? Did I say something wrong again? I’m sorry, I thought you were wearing a wig. I was thinking it looked so realistic, I wanted to buy one for my uncle too. Sorry, so it’s not a wig?” Mr. Davis hated it most when people mentioned his wig, and Leo had said it three times. He was bound to be furious. He was about to explode when I softly added in the local dialect: “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” These were the exact words Mr. Davis had said earlier. He immediately deflated, swallowing his anger back down. Leo asked me innocently: “Mia, what did you just say?” I smiled and said: “Nothing, let’s just order the food.” The food arrived, and Leo and I acted as if we were at home, warmly inviting everyone to eat more. Emma was being considerate over there, helping Jack peel his shrimp. Leo was also being considerate here, helping me cut my steak. They were showing off their affection, and so were we. Everything was peaceful, but some troublemakers couldn’t sit still. A man with glasses spoke in a sarcastic tone: “Oh my, times have changed. Men are now doing women’s work.” He then praised Jack admiringly: “Our Jack here has good taste. When finding a girlfriend, you should find one who’s virtuous and can serve you well.” Before Jack could respond, some of the women couldn’t stand it anymore. The black-haired beauty snorted coldly: “Listen to yourself, are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?” Another short-haired lady chimed in: “So women are just supposed to serve you guys, huh?” I smiled faintly and reminded them: “This isn’t the feudal era of male superiority anymore.” The troublemaker instantly became the public enemy of all the women present. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over: “It was just a joke, you’re all too sensitive.” Now we had become the unreasonable ones. Leo chimed in with a grin: “In my family, it’s natural for men to take care of women. My mom never has to peel her own shrimp, my dad always does it for her. Now my mom is almost fifty, and her hands are still soft and white.” As he spoke, he quickly peeled a shrimp in three moves, even removing the vein. Leo put the shrimp in my bowl, and I thanked him with a smile. The black-haired beauty once again provided support: “Leo and Leo’s dad are the true doting husband maniacs. Being doting isn’t just about saying it, it’s about actions.” Jack, who had just been praised as a doting boyfriend maniac, showed a trace of discomfort on his face. Even Emma looked embarrassed. The dinner went much more smoothly than I had expected. Even seeing my former lover being lovey-dovey with his new flame wasn’t as eye-catching anymore. On the way back, I gazed out of the car window at the night scene, feeling a bit lost. Leo asked ingratiatingly: “Sister Mia, how was my performance today?”
I smiled indulgently and said: “You performed exceptionally well, even better than I imagined.” “Of course, how could I let you be outdone?” “By the way, do you understand the local dialect?” I asked the question that had been on my mind. “Yes, I do.” Leo boasted: “I know four languages and fifteen dialects.” He proudly listed them for me: “The local dialect, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka… I know them all.” I sighed and said: “You’re really talented. It’s a waste for you to be just an artist.” “Not at all. Being an artist isn’t easy either.” That’s right, Leo is also an artist signed to my company. We were schoolmates; I studied economics, while he was from the art school. Leo is tall and handsome, with a lively and outgoing personality. He has a natural flair for performance, is good at improvisation, and has experience in stage plays. He often posts his daily life on social media and became a minor internet celebrity abroad. Several talent agencies wanted to sign Leo, and he was interested in entering the domestic entertainment industry. After asking around, Leo learned that one of my family’s businesses is a film investment company. So he actively came to seek my support. My family’s company is an old name in the circle, rarely signing new artists, with mostly trained, skilled actors under contract. Although Leo had an impressive educational background, he lacked experience and didn’t quite qualify to be hired. But I happened to need a skilled actor who was also strikingly handsome to accompany me back home to meet Jack and the others. So we hit it off and reached a cooperative relationship. Leo said ingratiatingly: “If you need me to act again in the future, just say the word.” “Thank you, but you’d better focus on your work,” I said, putting on a serious face: “I treat you the same as other employees. I hope you can stay in the company based on your abilities.” “Yes, boss!” Leo saluted me. When I got home and had just lain down after taking a shower, my best friend “Amy” sent me a voice message on WhatsApp: “I heard you brought a new boyfriend today? Wow! When did you start dating?” Even through the phone screen, I could imagine her excited, gossipy expression. I smiled wryly and told her the truth about the situation. Amy chuckled: “So he was really hired to act? Well, that’s not bad either. Handsome guy and beautiful girl, spending time together might lead to real feelings. You never know, it could turn into a real relationship.” I said helplessly: “I would never make a move on an employee. I don’t like mixing personal and professional life, it affects the work atmosphere.” “That’s true, the power dynamic would be off. But what if he has other motives?” Amy changed the subject: “I heard from Sarah that your little boyfriend was incredible, he put Jack’s bunch of old geezers in their place. What a pity, I had something come up today, otherwise I would have gone to see your little boyfriend’s performance!” Sarah was the cool girl with long black hair. “He does have a sharp tongue and quick reactions…” I was just saying this when a friend request notification popped up on my phone screen: “Emma baby, requests to add you as a friend” I clicked to check, and it was actually Emma. My ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend wants to add me as a friend? I was a bit stunned. She had added me through Ryan’s shared contact card. I thought for a few seconds and finally accepted the verification. While I was busy with this, Amy asked me: “Girl, are you still there?” Me: “Still here, Emma added me as a friend.” Amy: “【Shocked emoji】 What does this woman want?” Me: “I don’t know, maybe she has something to ask me?” Amy: “So dramatic.” Not long after I accepted Emma’s request, she sent me a greeting message. I also politely replied with a 【Hello emoji】. Then she sent me a video clip. Although the lighting in the video was very dim, I could still make out that it was Jack with his shirt off. He was lying on a pillow snoring, and half of the filmer’s snow-white arm was visible. It looked like this person was also naked. I realized what this was and immediately felt sick to my stomach, as if I had swallowed a fly. Emma: “Jack’s snoring is so loud, was he like this before? He hugs me in his sleep, it’s so hot. He’s really clingy, sigh…”
Amy wasn’t wrong, she really was being overly dramatic. I didn’t know how to play along with her performance, so I simply exited the conversation, out of sight, out of mind. Amy was still asking me: “What did she add you for? Did she say anything to you?” I was very exasperated and sent Amy a screen recording of the video and conversation Emma had sent me. After Amy saw it, she sent a bunch of emojis: 【No way, is she sick?】, 【I’ve never seen someone so shameless】, 【Bitches are everywhere】, etc. Me: “I want to delete her.” Amy: “Don’t! Otherwise, she’ll think you’re afraid of her! Keep her, let’s see what other tricks she’ll pull!” Me: “Alright, I’m going to sleep now. You should get some rest too.” Amy: “You can still sleep? I’m so angry at that little bitch! Jack is such an idiot! To cheat on you for someone like her!” Me: “Originally, when I saw them together today, I was quite upset. But now I feel like I’ve let it go. Once unfaithful, always unfaithful. Thanks to Emma for letting me see Jack clearly.” Amy: “You’re right, I really envy you for being so emotionally stable. If it were me, I would have cursed that cheating couple to death by now!” I sent a 【I’m scary calm now】 capybara emoji. Me: “Alright, alright, don’t get angry over people who aren’t worth it.” I never replied to Emma, and she didn’t provoke me again. Only occasionally could I see her showing off her relationship in her Moments, posting photos of her and Jack’s faces pressed together or kissing. At first, I didn’t pay attention, but later I found out that she only made these posts visible to me, blocking everyone else. Wow, is she that concerned about my opinion? I simply blocked her Moments. Back to Leo, he officially became a signed artist of my company. The company was preparing to film a Republican-era spy drama called “Misty Shadows”. I helped Leo secure the role of the third male lead. He wasn’t overly ambitious and was quite satisfied with this. “Sister Mia, I’ve read the script. This role doesn’t have many scenes, but it’s very exciting.” I encouraged him: “You just need to act well. If you take the film route in the future, your status will rise quickly.” The male and female leads of the film were both well-respected, skilled actors who could elevate each other and the film. However, a month before filming was set to begin, the female lead was replaced. And she was replaced by Emma. As the producer, I was actually the last to know. The investor’s representative apologetically told me: “Jack personally came to find me, saying Emma really likes this script and must participate. We hope Miss Pei can be understanding…” If Emma was to participate, she would certainly be bringing investment. I said reluctantly: “Emma’s image doesn’t quite support this role. We could arrange for her to be the second or third female lead.” The investor’s representative said awkwardly: “Jack said it has to be the female lead… The investment platform and distributors have agreed.” This meant he had already arranged everything, and whether I was willing or not, I had to comply. I felt angry, feeling I had let down the original female lead. She had already signed the contract and was now forcibly pushed out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the final decision on this matter. I had just taken over the company, and my foundation wasn’t stable. This film was my first big project, and I needed strong financial backing. I couldn’t afford to offend the investors at this point. It felt like being forced to eat something unpleasant. It was extremely uncomfortable. I swallowed my displeasure and said with a stern face: “Since Jack is so wealthy, please inform him that he should also pay the breach of contract fee for the actress.” The representative hurriedly promised: “Of course… Jack said he would cover all losses.” And so, the matter was settled. 11 Before filming began, there was to be a closed training session. Together with the filming schedule, Leo would have to stay with the crew for nearly half a year. As a newcomer in my position, I was usually so busy that I had almost no time to communicate with him. Two months after the film started shooting, Leo messaged me on WhatsApp, acting cute: “Sister Mia, can you come visit me on set?”
I readily agreed: “I was just thinking about that. I’ll come see you all in a few days.” Leo was so happy he squeezed out a cutesy voice: “Wow! Really? I’m so happy!” I knew why he brought this up. I had heard that Jack had visited Emma on set a few days ago. I smiled indulgently and said: “Yes, what other kids have, you’ll have too.” “Thank you, Sister Mia!” As the weather was getting colder, on the day of my visit, I specially prepared plenty of hot drinks for the crew members. Leo had just finished a scene and was still in his costume. He was wearing a well-tailored Republican-era military uniform, which made him look handsome and dignified. When Leo saw me arrive, he was as happy as a puppy seeing its long-lost owner, wagging his tail and bounding towards me. I patted his head and then his shoulder. Even though Leo was only half a year younger than me, I always felt like our interaction was like… Um, mother and son? Or owner and pet? As it happened, there were media here for interviews today. After Leo had some hot coffee, the director pulled him over for an interview. He and Emma happened to be free, and the two of them sat properly in front of the camera holding microphones. After asking some standard questions, the reporter intentionally asked Leo: “Leo and Emma are both newcomers. What do you think of each other’s performances?” Emma went into full green tea mode, acting coy and affected: “Leo, he gets along really well with everyone, he’s sweet-tongued and knows how to please people. Everyone likes him, even our producer came specially to see him today. I heard Leo was personally recommended by the producer to join the crew, and they’re schoolmates too. I believe he must have many outstanding qualities to be so favored by the producer.” Emma might as well have said directly: Leo is just a pretty boy who got his position by cozying up to the boss! I did intend to promote Leo, and he had the ability and talent for it. But Emma herself got in by Jack throwing money around. The pot calling the kettle black, how does she have the face? The reporter gave a dry laugh, then turned to ask Leo: “What about you, Leo? What’s your view on Emma?” Leo smiled brilliantly and said smoothly: “Of course, I have the utmost respect for Miss Emma. Miss Emma has invented a brilliant trick for memorizing lines. She has her assistant write the lines on large poster boards, and during filming, they hold them up for her to read from. Isn’t that just ingenious? No more worrying about forgetting lines, and it saves time on memorizing too! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh my! I’m so silly!” After he finished this exaggeratedly polite speech, Emma’s lips twitched with anger, though she forced herself to maintain a smile. The people around were both embarrassed and trying not to laugh, creating a strange atmosphere on set. Emma smiled with gritted teeth: “It’s not like that… I never actually look at the boards when filming…” Leo cut in again: “Oh! I’m just so forgetful, I can only use meal times and breaks to memorize my lines. Not like Miss Emma, who’s both beautiful and smart. She video chats with her boyfriend during breaks! So sweet, so blissful, I’m so envious of her…” After saying this, Leo pretended to be shocked and covered his mouth: “Oh? Was I not supposed to say that? Can we cut this part?” Emma’s face turned green, her eyes rolling skyward, unable to even maintain her expression management. The reporter quickly changed the subject, finally turning the page on this awkward moment. The media are quite savvy; they wouldn’t easily leak this kind of juicy scandal that could damage both parties’ images. Indeed, the only one who can defeat a green tea b*tch is someone even more bitchy. In my heart, I silently evaluated Emma: Drink some horse piss and you’re high and mighty, mess with Leo and you’re courting death. In the entertainment circle, artists privately tearing each other apart isn’t uncommon. As long as it doesn’t blow up, the company generally doesn’t interfere. But some people can’t stand feeling like they’ve lost out and insist on getting even. Not long after, I accompanied my brother to a business community event and ran into Jack, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. He said he had something to ask me and called me to a corner. Jack bluntly opened his mouth: “You should consider sending your little boyfriend to some etiquette classes, teach him how to behave properly.”
Hearing his sarcastic tone, it seemed Emma had complained to him, and he was here to stand up for his precious. I calmly crossed my arms and said: “Mr. Jack, if you have something to say, just say it openly. Where did you learn these passive-aggressive remarks?” Jack’s eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure and said: “Emma really likes this drama, that’s why I helped her get the female lead role. Since you agreed to let her participate, don’t secretly make things difficult for her. You’ve always been a reasonable woman in my eyes, don’t ruin my good impression of you.” I found this both laughable and irritating. Heaven and earth be my witness, who’s making things difficult for her? Do I really have nothing better to do? Moreover, she was the one who started it, and Leo just retaliated. Of course, I couldn’t expect Jack to view this matter objectively and fairly. It’s human nature to be protective of one’s own. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Jack continued on his own: “I know that Emma and I being together has hurt you… I was wrong about this, and I’ll make it up to you in other ways in the future. But please don’t target Emma, she doesn’t know anything. It was my insistence on being with her. If you want to hate someone, hate me.” This dialogue sounded so familiar. Did he think he was some tragic hero? I couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted with rapid-fire: “Mr. Jack, we ended long ago, and I have no lingering attachment to you. Also, I have never targeted your girlfriend. She was the one who actively added me as a friend and sent me a video of you sleeping. I’m not a part of your roleplay, I’m not interested in what positions you two sleep in. I only care about my company.” “Emma… how could she?” Jack couldn’t believe his delicate flower girlfriend would behave in such a green tea b*tch manner. I immediately pulled up my chat history with Emma to show him. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Jack was dumbfounded. I continued my counterattack: “If you have time, help your girlfriend enroll in more acting classes. As an actress, if she doesn’t properly memorize her lines and improve her acting skills, there will come a day when she falls flat on her face. The audience’s eyes are sharp; they can easily tell whether an actor has put in effort or not. If you’re really afraid of her suffering, just marry her and keep her well-fed at home. Don’t let her out to snatch roles that others have worked hard to get.” After I finished speaking, I ignored Jack’s ashen face and turned to leave. A month later, filming for “Misty Shadows” was completed. The distributor watched the sample and was very satisfied, planning to release it during the New Year season. I also received news that Jack had already found the right connections to secure Emma a Best Actress award. Since this film was invested in by my family, I didn’t mind him adding this extra boost. Leo’s manager asked me: “Should we let Leo compete for the Best Newcomer award?” “We can,” I emphasized, “But don’t spend money to find people. Let him win based on his own merit.” “Alright, he’s just debuted, even being nominated would be great.” I firmly believe in the principle that “undeserved position will lead to great disaster”. We had a clear plan for Leo’s career path. What he shouldn’t get, we wouldn’t go out of our way to fight for. Not long after Leo finished filming “Misty Shadows”, the director recommended him to a well-known international director in the industry, “Director Zhang”. Director Zhang was famous for his unconventional style and never being swayed by capital. After Leo went for an audition, he successfully got a small role. Even if it’s just a bit part, getting to appear in a famous director’s film is an honor. Compared to Leo’s step-by-step progress, Emma was quite different. Her team boldly declared that she would only play lead roles and only accept major productions. After this film, her next resource was an S+ level historical costume TV drama. Jack spared no expense, finding a bunch of popular stars to boost her. On the day the cast list was officially announced, Weibo exploded, with netizens directly calling Emma a resource-grabbing star. Fortunately, Jack had already arranged for water armies to control the situation and promptly deleted comments. This prevented too much controversy from arising. When Amy learned about this, she joked with me: “Emma gets to be the female lead, while your little Leo can only cameo as an extra. Raise girls rich, raise boys poor. You and Jack are quite in sync in this aspect.” I said helplessly: “This role is very suitable for Leo. Even if it’s only a few seconds of effective screen time, it can make him stand out. I don’t like artists who are forcefully promoted. I need him to walk steadily, not quickly.” Amy wholeheartedly agreed: “You’re right, forced promotion invites divine punishment. Don’t take on porcelain work without a diamond drill.” Who would have thought Amy’s words would turn out to be prophetic—
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