Chapter 50

Chori took two deep breaths, suppressing the frustration in her heart, and asked slowly, "What do you think of the scene we just performed together? Pretty good, right?"

"Hmm, it was actually quite good. Your reaction was quick, and your expressions were spot on," Xia Hou Zhong Ying nodded. Having taken a director training course for over a month and often watching the girls from S.M teach others acting, he had learned a lot and had a good eye for talent.

Chori wore a look of "See, I told you I can act," feeling a bit smug. However, Xia Hou Zhong Ying's next words made her want to strangle the boy.

"But you have one flaw: your laugh point is too low. If you keep laughing during filming, it will waste a lot of film. We are on a tight budget and can't afford to waste money," Xia Hou Zhong Ying shook his head and said, "We need to use every penny wisely."

Chori was already on the verge of a breakdown, wanting to scream to the sky to release the pressure inside her.

"If you let me participate, I'll be responsible for the remaining sponsorship. How about that?" Chori challenged Xia Hou Zhong Ying. At first, talking about participating was just a joke to tease the boy. But when he rejected her, she felt humiliated and decided she had to participate. The more she thought about his script, the more interesting it seemed. She glared at Xia Hou Zhong Ying,赌气地问道.

"That's not bad," Xia Hou Zhong Ying's eyes lit up, but after two seconds, he looked suspicious and asked, "Can you really get the sponsorship?"

"If I can't, you can revoke my participation. Is that okay?" Chori didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment. Many famous directors couldn't get her to act, but now she was offering to act without pay, and this inexperienced boy was pushing her away, making her feel helpless.

"Alright, you're in," Xia Hou Zhong Ying clapped his hands excitedly and confirmed, "Remember, you're responsible for the remaining sponsorship."

Chori took several deep breaths and then looked at Xia Hou Zhong Ying seriously, "I really want to hit someone right now."

"Hey, Hyori, why are you hiding here? Who do you want to hit? Who has upset our sexy goddess?" A female voice asked, puzzled, as Xia Hou Zhong Ying wondered why this woman suddenly wanted to go crazy.

"Minjeong, I want to hit this clueless little guy," Chori looked up at the newcomer and said angrily.

"Who is this little guy, and why did he upset you?" The woman named Minjeong asked, amused.

"Minjeong, you tell me, I want to join his production and act in his movie, but he doubts my acting skills," Chori said, annoyed.

"Ha ha, who is so blind?" Minjeong laughed, looking at Xia Hou Zhong Ying with surprise, "Hyori, you said this little guy wants to make a movie? And you want a role?"

"Yes," Chori said.

"Are you kidding?" Minjeong said.

"Not kidding," Chori replied.

Minjeong stared at Chori, thinking she was hallucinating, and asked, "Are you kidding?"

"I'm not kidding," Chori said seriously.

Minjeong felt like the world was collapsing and touched Chori's forehead, "You're not feverish."

Chori, feeling frustrated, swatted Minjeong's hand away. She knew she wasn't feverish, but this news was more shocking to outsiders than if she were feverish. It might even make all of Korea feverish.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying was also confused. This woman was called Chori, but the newcomer called her Hyori. He asked, "Sister, are you called Chori or Hyori?"

"My nickname is Chori, and my real name is Lee Hyori. Got it?" Chori, or Lee Hyori, lifted her head slightly and looked at Xia Hou Zhong Ying with a playful expression.

"Lee Hyori?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying raised his voice.

"Yep," Lee Hyori nodded.

"A celebrity?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked again.

"Yep," Lee Hyori nodded with a smile, waiting for Xia Hou Zhong Ying's reaction.

"Oh," Xia Hou Zhong Ying nodded calmly, "No wonder you look familiar. I've seen your ads."

Lee Hyori fell onto the sofa.

Minjeong's legs went weak, and she sat down on the sofa, stunned for two seconds before bursting into laughter.

"You don't know who I am?" Lee Hyori asked, exasperated.

"Of course, you're a celebrity named Lee Hyori," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said, puzzled. "Why are you acting so strange? Didn't you just say that?"

"Then why do you look so calm?" Lee Hyori asked, gritting her teeth.

"What expression should I have?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying thought, "Is this woman crazy?" and asked, puzzled.

"Ha ha..." Minjeong, who had just stopped laughing, burst into laughter again at Xia Hou Zhong Ying's words, slapping the sofa.

Lee Hyori wanted to shout at Xia Hou Zhong Ying, "I am the top star in Korea, the queen of Asia." But she couldn't bring herself to say it, feeling it would sound like boasting, and felt deflated.

For Xia Hou Zhong Ying, he had never deliberately followed the entertainment industry and didn't have a favorite singer. He liked any song that sounded good, regardless of who sang it. Whether they were top-tier or third-tier stars, they were all just celebrities to him.

He was like an outsider, not understanding the industry's dynamics. For example, if someone introduced themselves as the head chef of a famous hotel, an insider would be amazed, "The best chef in the world, incredible!" But an outsider would just think, "Oh, a chef."

Now, Xia Hou Zhong Ying felt the same way. "Oh, a celebrity," he wouldn't care if she was the queen of Asia or the world. He had seen many celebrities in China, so he didn't find them particularly special.

In 2003, when Lee Hyori was at the height of her fame in Korea, Xia Hou Zhong Ying was still in China. He had only been in Korea for three months, and those months were busy. Especially in the past month, his mind was filled with movies and sponsorship, leaving no room for other things. He wouldn't have paid attention to whether Lee Hyori was a top star.

Unless someone told him that Lee Hyori was the most famous star in Korea, he wouldn't have known. He only knew she was a celebrity because he saw her song "Ten Minutes" performed by others during a field trip and thought it was good, so he remembered her name.

As for her appearance, he had seen her in large advertisements outside buildings in Seoul. But there were many beautiful women in those ads, and he hadn't paid much attention, so he only found her familiar but didn't recognize her.

After laughing, Minjeong looked at Xia Hou Zhong Ying and said, "No wonder Hyori wants to hit you. You really have no concept of celebrities. You're so naive, it's like you have no brain."

"By the way, are you Xia Hou Zhong Ying?" Minjeong asked suddenly.

"Do you know me?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked, puzzled.

"No, but I've heard of you. A young boy running around Seoul to get sponsorship for his own movie. Ha ha... You're the most famous person in the Seoul fashion industry now."

"Really? That's so funny. Tell me more, Minjeong," Lee Hyori, eager to get revenge on Xia Hou Zhong Ying, asked with a smile.

Minjeong, seeing that Lee Hyori and Xia Hou Zhong Ying seemed to have a good relationship, didn't care about Xia Hou Zhong Ying's feelings and enthusiastically told Lee Hyori about his sponsorship struggles, making Xia Hou Zhong Ying even more frustrated.

After learning that Lee Hyori was a celebrity, Xia Hou Zhong Ying thought for a moment and said, "Sister, since you're a celebrity, I can't give you a role in my movie."

"Why?" Lee Hyori, who was listening to Minjeong with a smile, was taken aback and asked, "Since you know I'm a celebrity, are you afraid I can't get the sponsorship?"

"Let me tell you, my friend here is the daughter of the chairman of E-Land Group, Park Minjeong. With her, you won't have to worry about getting the sponsorship," Lee Hyori said proudly.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying, hearing that the woman was the daughter of the chairman of E-Land Group, was surprised and looked at her more closely before shaking his head, "That's not the reason. It's because we are all amateurs. Aren't you afraid that participating in my movie will damage your reputation?"

The two women were taken aback, not expecting this reason, and became even more curious about Xia Hou Zhong Ying.

"Are you not confident in your ability to make a good movie?" Lee Hyori asked.

"Not at all," Xia Hou Zhong Ying smiled, "We're not making a commercial movie. It's more like a public service or entertainment film, to be shared online. I think it would be a bit beneath you for you to participate."

"What's the problem with that? And you said it's a public service film. Even your school supports it. What do I have to fear?" Lee Hyori waved her hand and said, "Doing public service won't damage my image."

"Are you sure you won't regret it?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked, doubtful.

"I won't regret it," Lee Hyori said seriously.

"Hyori, are you serious?" Park Minjeong looked at her old friend, surprised.

"Yes, I'm serious. I read part of his script, and it's very interesting, a great script," Lee Hyori said with a smile. "Why don't you read it too? And maybe sponsor us with some funds for costumes and props?"

Park Minjeong, covering her forehead, thought her old friend had gone crazy to do such a thing.

"Can you not look at me like that? Don't you trust my judgment?" Lee Hyori said, frustrated.

Park Minjeong looked at Lee Hyori's expression and realized she wasn't joking but really wanted to participate. She became interested in the script Lee Hyori handed her. No matter what, she knew Lee Hyori wouldn't joke about her reputation. If the script didn't attract her, she wouldn't be so serious about it.

"It's not convenient to read here. Let's go to a private room," Park Minjeong took the script from Lee Hyori, stood up, and led the way to a private room.