Chapter 031: Suspicion

The phone calls from film and television agencies came one after another, but the companies Song Wan truly wished to join remained silent. The feeling was uncannily similar to the one she got from Jin Youqian—disheartening and dispiriting.

Yet she wasn't anxious. After all, "Immortal Among the Clouds" had only just begun airing. Despite the initial sensation it caused, she herself hadn’t even appeared yet. According to industry insiders, the current success had little to do with her. Many well-established companies were still observing, uncertain whether she could become truly popular, or just how far her fame might reach.

The celebration banquet was held the following evening around seven. Zhou Qi had specially booked several large private dining rooms at the Capital Grand Hotel, gathering nearly the entire production crew. Zhao Meng alone was absent, likely well aware of her unpopularity and making excuses to decline.

Two round tables were set up in the room, and by seven o'clock, the tables were laden with dishes. Yet no one touched the food, each person riveted on the room’s sole LCD television. Some, finding the view from the back unsatisfactory, even carried their chairs closer to the screen.

On screen, the young protagonist matured with time, but lost his beloved sister along the way. If not for the comfort of a certain girl, he might have never recovered. The years slipped by. At a frontier outpost, a girl in purple clothes appeared, sinister and ghostly, killing a Qin family servant with a single whip. Her numerous cruel killings drew the attention of the Qin family’s young master in the capital. With the family so far removed from the border, they knew nothing of how their estate there had been hollowed out by corrupt servants. They simply believed the girl had murdered a loyal retainer, and by the time rumors reached the capital, she had been painted as a demonic villain deserving death at any hand.

Thus, the misunderstanding began.

Later, the girl disguised herself to visit the Qin household, learned the truth, and grew to hate them all. Naturally, she made no effort to explain her previous actions. After several clashes, she finally used her deadly poison, killing the Qin family’s adopted daughter...

As the dishes cooled, the crew remained oblivious. Only when the two episodes ended did everyone finally relax, turning with anticipation to Director Zhou Qi.

"Director, how were tonight’s ratings?" Chen Yi licked his lips. Yesterday’s ratings explosion had brought him unimaginable benefits—script offers for TV series, ad endorsements he’d never dreamed of, and even some film scripts. His career had just taken a major leap forward.

Zhou Qi pulled out his phone, gesturing for silence. Instantly, all eyes fixed on his phone.

"Hello, Director Zhao? Have tonight’s ratings come out yet?" Zhou Qi covered his mouth to stifle laughter. "No, no, it’s just that we’re having our celebration banquet tonight, so I wanted to ask about the ratings for a bit of good fortune."

"Haha, Director Zhao, you’re always so busy. I’d love for you to join us—wasn’t it you who said you were too busy to come out before?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Director Zhao, don’t keep us in suspense," Zhou Qi said with a helpless smile. "How about I treat you to drinks tomorrow?"

After a moment, the other end spoke again.

Zhou Qi grew visibly tense, holding his breath, as if afraid to exhale. A few moments later, his face broke into a wide grin, his excitement evident in the way he paced and his facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.

At length, Zhou Qi hung up, turning to face the room with a grave expression.

Song Wan’s heart dropped. Had the ratings gone down?

The rest felt their hearts leap into their throats. Were the ratings good or bad?

Then Zhou Qi burst out laughing, "Don’t worry, everyone, the ratings didn’t drop!" The others all sighed in relief, though Song Wan continued to study him. Zhou Qi didn’t hide it, laughing as he said, "Not only did they not drop—they went up!"

"They went up?" Song Wan was startled. "How much?"

With a mysterious air, Zhou Qi held up three fingers. Song Wan narrowed her eyes, "Broke three?"

He waggled his fingers.

Her eyes widened. "Three point three?"

He nodded, confirming her guess, but Song Wan could hardly believe it. "It’s only the second day, and the ratings are already at 3.3?"

At that moment, the producer received the news as well, grinning as he waved his phone. "That’s just the average rating. Tonight’s peak rating hit 3.9—almost broke four!"

Though they’d already been shocked by the ratings the previous night, this new figure left everyone gaping all over again.

What followed was a lively round of toasts and celebration. Even Song Wan drank a few glasses.

But even after she returned home, the call she had been hoping for still hadn’t come.

With a clang, Song Wan tossed her phone aside and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. This body had never drunk alcohol before, and since her reincarnation she’d been busy filming, with no time to build up a tolerance, so now her head was spinning.

Suddenly, her ringtone blared through the room, startling as an alarm clock. Song Wan squinted for a moment before recalling that it was her current ringtone. With so few contacts, it had been ages since she’d gotten a call.

She got up, searched for a bit, and finally found her phone by the pillow. Grabbing it, she sobered up a little. "Hello, this is Song Wan. Who is this?"

There was silence.

She frowned, checked the screen, and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" she asked again.

Still no response.

Just as she was about to hang up, a man’s voice finally came through: "Good evening, Miss Song. I’m He Feng, Artistic Director at Capital Entertainment, mainly responsible for artist contracts..."

He continued talking, but Song Wan’s mind went blank.

She interrupted hesitantly, "You’re saying... you’re the Artistic Director at Capital Entertainment?"

He chuckled. "I really am—if you don’t believe me, you can ask Director Qian Fu. He gave me your number himself."

He paused, then added, "To be honest, we didn’t think we had much chance of signing you, so we delayed calling. Luckily, Director Qian helped us out."

"You mean Director Qian recommended me to you?" Song Wan asked, blinking.

If that were the case, wouldn’t it be better to join a larger agency, rather than one she’d have to chase after?

He quickly denied it. "That’s not it at all."

Song Wan waited quietly for his explanation. After a moment, he said, "Our company sees tremendous potential in you and we’re very confident we can elevate your career to unparalleled heights. However, we’re aware of our disadvantages, so at first, we didn’t have high hopes. But you’re simply too talented, and we couldn’t bear to let you go. Through Mr. Jin’s connections, we got your number from Director Qian."

Song Wan’s misgivings vanished, but her thoughts drifted uncontrollably to the man she hadn’t heard from in so long.

She quickly reined herself in and didn’t ask about him.

"I’m very optimistic about your company’s future. If the terms are suitable, I’d be happy to sign with you," she replied, signaling her willingness to negotiate.

He wasn’t surprised, and asked with a smile, "Shall we meet tomorrow at noon at the Capital Grand Hotel, near your set?"

Song Wan agreed without hesitation.

After ending the call, a wave of impulse surged in her chest—she was dying to call Jin Youqian. But as soon as she dialed, she hung up immediately.

"Better get some sleep," she muttered, raking her fingers through her hair before heading to the bathroom. She still had filming tomorrow and couldn’t afford a late night.

Jin Youqian, who was preparing for an all-nighter at the office, had just finished signing a contract when his phone rang once and stopped. Probably just a spam call, he thought, but he hesitated, unable to focus on work afterward. He glanced at the stack of contracts, then at his phone, deliberated for a long time, and finally picked it up.

One missed call. He tapped it open—Song Wan’s name leapt out at him.

He realized it had been a long time since he’d even thought of her, but the unfamiliar flutter she’d left him with still lingered. Just seeing her name sent a rush of heat through his body.

Jin Youqian paused, an awkward expression flickering across his face.

But in this vast office, there was no one to witness his embarrassment.

Why would Song Wan call him this late? And why hang up immediately? Was something wrong, or had she simply misdialed...?

The unexpected call left him distracted. After a moment’s hesitation, he opened his browser and typed "Song Wan" into the search bar.

He was about to hit enter when a dozen trending search suggestions appeared.

"Newcomer Song Wan’s stunning performance draws praise from veteran actors"

"Enchanting Miao Language, Era of Song Wan"

"Top film critic Spicy Pot reviews Song Wan’s acting: Far surpasses her peers"

...and so on.

As he scrolled through the headlines, Jin Youqian couldn’t help but wonder—when did Song Wan become so popular?

He hadn’t known she was in "Immortal Among the Clouds." So when Capital Entertainment’s executive mentioned the show and their desire to sign one of its actors, he hadn’t paid attention.

Curious, he clicked into the first trending topic.

XX News: Recently, our reporter visited the set of "Dream of Splendor," where Song Wan is currently filming, and happened to meet the much-admired veteran actor Sun You. In conversation, Sun expressed his great fondness for Song Wan, calling her ‘born with a gift for acting’...

Next, he searched for critics’ reviews of Song Wan. The top result was a verified post by Spicy Pot.

Spicy Pot V: My social media feed has been flooded with talk of "Immortal Among the Clouds" these past two days. The glowing reviews piqued my curiosity, so I watched it. The costumes, effects, and production all show the crew’s dedication—truly well-made. The plot hasn’t fully unfolded, so I can’t comment much yet. As for the acting: Chen Yi is still a bit stiff, Zhao Meng is as reliable as ever, Zhou Fan is unfamiliar but decent, but only Song Wan, who plays the villainess Miao Yu, left me genuinely amazed...

Jin Youqian frowned as he finished reading. Aside from a brief mention of the crew and other actors, the post was full of lavish praise for Song Wan.

Knowing the industry’s tricks, Jin Youqian couldn’t help but wonder—was this a paid promotion?