The CEO's Substitute Ex-Wife-Chapter 172: The Allure of a Signed Record

"Do you know how difficult it is to get a signed record from Leslie Cheung? Do you know how much a personally signed vinyl like this fetches online? This is a record I squeezed in to get signed when I was a tiny girl, and I’m giving it to you as a favor, you brat!" Cai Xiaojing clutched the record protectively, almost kissing Leslie Cheung’s face.

Wen Nuan was envious, extremely envious... She whined, wanting one. Cai Xiaojing gave her several exasperated looks. "Sister Xiaojing, you definitely have more at home, right? Right?"

"Nonsense! No... I don’t have any left," Cai Xiaojing immediately changed her tune. Wen Nuan’s eyes widened. She knew immediately from that remark that Cai Xiaojing had a large collection at home, and Wen Nuan grew even more envious...

"Sister Xiaojing..."

"Be good. Go ask Young Master Ye Er for one. He definitely has a lot."

"Why?"

"Mrs. Ye loves them! She has a huge collection at home."

"Wuwu..."

"Stop whining. Go trick Young Master Ye Er out of one and bring it back to me, remember?"

Wen Nuan: "..."

The banquet was held at Aunt Mei’s villa. Cai Xiaojing and Wen Nuan arrived relatively early. Cai Xiaojing and Aunt Mei were distant relatives and quite familiar with each other. The record was presented to Aunt Mei in Wen Nuan’s name. Aunt Mei, of course, knew the reason Cai Xiaojing brought Wen Nuan there: simply to ask her to look after Wen Nuan. Aunt Mei now had her own studio, producing and directing films of decent quality. Combined with her high standing in the industry, making connections with her would certainly benefit Wen Nuan.

The banquet took place in the villa’s small garden, where a small stage had been set up for performances of singing and dancing. Ten tables were arranged below, with guests seated according to their social status.

Not all guests had arrived yet, and people were mingling in the garden, greeting the host and conversing.

Wen Nuan followed Cai Xiaojing, politely greeting the elder. Aunt Mei, in her fifties, showed no signs of aging. Her makeup was exquisite, and she carried herself with immense grace. Apart from Mrs. Ye, she was the most elegant middle-aged woman Wen Nuan had ever met.

"I’ve heard Lin Ning mention her. I’ve also been invited to tomorrow’s preview screening. We’ll see what kind of talent she is tomorrow," Aunt Mei said with a smile. Cai Xiaojing nodded and smiled back.

In truth, with Ye Feimo’s protection, Wen Nuan didn’t need to curry favor with anyone in the entertainment industry. She could be as uninhibited as she liked, doing whatever she pleased, even disregarding people.

However, Cai Xiaojing genuinely cared for Wen Nuan and was paving the way for her, building relationships, precisely to prevent a deterioration in Wen Nuan and Ye Feimo’s relationship later on. Once Ye Feimo’s protection was gone, Wen Nuan would become a target. At such a time, she would need people to help her; she couldn’t rely solely on Ye Feimo.

*What if Ye Feimo proved unreliable?*

Of course, Cai Xiaojing would never tell Wen Nuan these thoughts.

In this industry, one must always prepare for the unexpected.

Expanding Wen Nuan’s social circle was necessary, even if Ye Feimo didn’t like it.

Wen Nuan chatted with Aunt Mei for a few minutes and left a very good impression. There were many guests that evening, and the host couldn’t attend to everyone individually. Cai Xiaojing took Wen Nuan around to greet those she knew.

Zhou Chenggo also arrived. Wen Nuan had worked with him, and since their movie was about to be released, they naturally talked a lot.

Zhou Chenggo was also a senior who was very willing to mentor newcomers. With him guiding Wen Nuan through the social interactions, Cai Xiaojing felt much more at ease.

Han Bi arrived rather late, accompanied by Gu Rui.

Wen Nuan saw them and frowned, thinking of Chen Xueru. She chuckled coldly to herself. This was a private banquet; although everyone was from the industry, security was tight tonight, and no reporters had slipped in.

Wen Nuan preferred this atmosphere. It felt very uncomfortable to have every move scrutinized by reporters.

Han Bi and Gu Rui went to greet the host. Han Bi also saw Wen Nuan and, seeing her with Zhou Chenggo, assumed she had come with him. Based on Anning’s usual tactics, before a movie’s release, the male and female leads would often pretend to be a couple at the company’s request to increase exposure and popularity, thereby boosting interest in the film. This time, the movie’s promotion didn’t use this simplest and cheapest method, opting instead for a substantial, genuine publicity campaign, which was quite unexpected. However, with Wen Nuan and Zhou Chenggo together, it was likely that the company would still require some element of staged romance.

Cai Xiaojing had far more experience than Wen Nuan. Wen Nuan was completely clueless about promotion. This time, it was indeed surprising that she hadn’t been asked to create hype with Zhou Chenggo. Their meeting today was coincidental, and Cai Xiaojing could tell what Han Bi was thinking from her expression.

*Seriously, did she think everyone else was like her?*

International superstars like Peng Shuyao, Yang Yang, and Li Yuanyuan, along with heavenly kings of music like Pei Jun and Zhang Yongjie, and the Four Heavenly Kings, also arrived to offer their congratulations, making the atmosphere very lively.

Cai Xiaojing had managed Yang Yang and Li Yuanyuan for a year. Given their acquaintance, Wen Nuan naturally had the opportunity to chat with them. Although these four frequently engaged in covert rivalries and internal power struggles, in public, they were all very friendly and appeared extremely close, with no sign of animosity.

Wen Nuan was fortunate to meet them and felt happy. After being in the entertainment industry for a while, Wen Nuan was no longer the naive young girl who would gush over famous artists.

Thanks to Cai Xiaojing’s guidance, Wen Nuan’s social graces had greatly improved. She was neither servile nor arrogant, but gentle and polite, which made her very popular with veterans. Cai Xiaojing would bet that even if Wen Nuan met Ye Yan now, she would only show a smile on her face, no matter how much her heart exploded internally.

Yang Yang said, "We’ll all be at the premiere. We’re really looking forward to your **’Beauty’s Allure.’**"

Peng Shuyao said, "Li Yuanyuan also said she’s really looking forward to this film. If Bai Xiuwen had starred, we wouldn’t have bothered; she’d ruin Director Lin’s good movie. Director Lin always said you were good, so I hope this movie is as great as he claims."

Wen Nuan smiled faintly, offering a few brief replies. Suddenly, a stir came from the entrance, and many guests exclaimed in surprise. Wen Nuan followed their gazes and saw that it was Ye Feimo and Cheng Anya who had arrived.

She paused slightly. She had heard Ye Feimo say at noon that he would bring a female companion, having rejected Han Bi, and she wondered who it would be. She never expected him to come with Cheng Anya.

Aunt Mei also seemed surprised. She had invited Ye Feimo, but Cheng Anya rarely attended such events these past few years, showing no deference to anyone’s prestige. She and Young Master Ye San lived a comfortable life and disliked such occasions.

Her presence today created a small sensation.

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