Actresses

Chapter 65 The Round Table

He Yuran laughed incredulously: "We even have fans who ship us as a couple?"

The girl in the baseball cap smiled shyly, but her eyes were incredibly bright, practically sparkling. "So cute! Ah! Hi Ran-jie, let me introduce myself. My name is Song Lin, and I'm the host of the 'Good Show Begins' podcast on Little Universe. I tried to schedule an interview with your studio a few days ago but couldn't get one, so I didn't expect to meet you here!"

"An interview?" He Yuran suddenly remembered Ding Yi's words. "A podcast interview?"

"Yes. Actually, I really want to ask why you rejected us? Even though you're not in your promotional period, we could still chat, and you could release it during your next promotional period. I really, really like you!"

He Yuran was basically immune to these kinds of platitudes, because usually, unfamiliar media reporters would say a few words like "I really like you" before they started speaking.

"Oh, actually I don't know much about this." He Yuran paused for a moment, thinking that she couldn't put all the blame on her colleague. "I wasn't feeling well a few days ago, so my colleague probably just turned it down for me. Don't overthink it."

"Oh, I see! I understand now." Song Lin suddenly realized.

"But why would you want to interview me? My work these past few years hasn't been that great." He Yuran said, plopping down on the side of the sofa that everyone had specially cleared out.

Song Lin blinked. "Teacher He, I don't think any actor can guarantee consistently high box office or ratings. Ups and downs are normal in the entertainment industry."

Upon hearing these words, He Yuran finally began to seriously examine the reporter in front of her.

Despite being a reporter, Song Lin's demeanor felt completely unfamiliar to her. In her youth, He Yuran had even grown accustomed to reporters pressing their faces against her with pointed questions. Although the media had gradually declined in recent years, the way a reporter spoke to her still felt foreign.

Because she always subconsciously felt that celebrities and reporters were on opposite sides, but this podcast host gave her a completely different feeling, as if he was on her side.

"Thank you." After holding it in for a long time, He Yuran could only say these few words.

"Teacher He, I want to interview you because—" Song Lin glanced at Li Luoan beside him, "I think the time when you and Sister Luoan were signed to the same company was actually very interesting. There was a sense of destiny between the two of you. I've been following you for a long time, but I've never had the chance to ask you this question in person."

Li Luoan shrugged. "Xiao Song insists there's tension between us, which I find utterly baffling. She's brought it up again recently, so I thought I'd just invite you over for my birthday. You should tell her directly that we're not even close. That'll put her at ease."

He Yuran didn't like hearing that. She turned around and said, "How are we not familiar with each other?"

Li Luoan looked at her, puzzled. Her expression clearly said, "Are you kidding me?"

He Yuran ignored Li Luoan and looked at Song Lin with a smile. "Since you want to hear it, I'll tell you. Some things are more appropriate for me to say, after all, I'm the older sister."

Song Lin rubbed his hands together excitedly and said, "Thank you, Teacher He! I'm so happy!"

"Actually, I've known Luo'an since she first debuted."

These words surprised even Li Luo'an, a hint of doubt appearing on her cold face. "How come I didn't know about this? Don't make this up. You know, saying things like this can drive Song Lin crazy."

He Yuran deliberately curled the corners of her lips into a smile, mimicking Li Luoan's, and continued looking at Song Lin: "Can I ask you first, when did you start shipping us as a couple?"

Song Lin thought for a moment. "When I was interning at the magazine, it was the year Luo'an won Best Supporting Actress that I first learned her name. Then I started researching, but I found out that you, Teacher He, also had a Best Actress nomination that year. On the day of the awards ceremony, you were in the same venue, but all the attention was on the winner. I searched further and found out that you were from the same company. My colleague said at the time, 'These two actresses must not get along. The company only protected one supporting role, and the other must be unhappy.' It sounded like it made sense, and that's when I started noticing the two of you."

He Yuran nodded. "It's true that we were nominated on the same night. But it's not that we're at odds; we're not even close. Besides, I don't believe the company would protect her award and let me off the hook. Cheng Xiaotang doesn't have the ability to do that."

Li Luoan, standing to the side, gave a half-smile, but said nothing.

Song Lin continued, "The more I studied it, the more I was struck by its brilliance. You two are completely different types, both in appearance and personality. One is a sharp-tongued older sister, and the other is a maverick younger sister. Moreover, I've noticed that although you don't seem to interact much on the surface, you actually care a lot about each other. This kind of concern is quite amazing. I've noticed that whenever your company holds events, or when you two attend red carpet events or award ceremonies, even when you're standing together, you intentionally don't talk much. But from the camera's perspective, it actually creates a lot of tension."

Because Song Lin's account was so detailed and convincing, He Yuran couldn't simply deny it. However, these memories were from so long ago that she couldn't help but rub her head and think for a while.

Oh, back in the heyday of the entertainment industry, large entertainment agencies really loved to hold several events and annual parties every year. Their artists would naturally go to support them, and it was also commonplace for artists from the same company to brush past each other at award ceremonies.

Speaking of which, He Yuran did recall some fragments of her search for Li Luoan in the crowd. These memories, which she had long forgotten, had been preserved on the internet through other people's cameras, and some people were even repeatedly watching and analyzing them.

She wondered to herself, was this just because she was bored, or... was there really some kind of tension involved?

He Yuran thought for a moment, then nodded. "I admit it. From the moment Luo'an joined the company, I felt she was the junior actress who would rise the fastest, but I didn't expect her to be uninterested in big-budget films. I only started doing smaller productions after I gradually stopped getting roles in big commercials, but Luo'an took a different path from all of us from the very beginning. I particularly admire that. In an era where everyone seemed to be going crazy, she had a unique clarity of mind. At least she's more refined and unconventional than me." She then turned to look at Li Luo'an, "You should be happier saying this, right?"

Li Luoan frowned, his face showing little joy. He Yuran shook his head slightly, his expression also troubled.

"Actually... my memory of it is very faint. If Song Lin hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have remembered. To be honest, it's not because I have a strong personality; I just really hate those kinds of situations where you have to be mindful of other people's feelings. As a newcomer, I have absolutely no standing in a large production, and I don't learn anything there. The boss probably thinks that sending his artists to large productions gives him prestige, but for me, it's incredibly difficult. After filming one or two of those kinds of dramas, the more luxurious the production and cast, the more I resisted it. I still wanted to film some dramas that I actually liked. And you guys interpreted that as having a strong personality?"

He Yuran shrugged, thinking to himself, "Don't pretend with me." But he certainly couldn't say it out loud.

"Oh, Song Lin, look, that's the truth. Luo'an and I haven't even talked. All I see is that she doesn't like to talk to me. She's an impolite junior. Is that a fair assessment?" Then she turned to Li Luo'an and smiled sweetly. "Even now, you still won't call me 'sister,' even though I'm several years older than you."

Li Luoan cleared his throat and lowered his head.

He Yuran ignored her and asked Song Lin, "So how did you two become friends? After all, Luo An hasn't acted for several years."

Li Luoan snorted and raised her voice, saying, "It's precisely because I don't act that I have time to hang out with these big V's. Unlike you, who are so busy."

Song Lin remained serious: "Sister Luo'an is a listener of our podcast. On the day we reached 300,000 followers, I received a private message from her on Weibo, saying she wanted to get to know me. I was overjoyed and immediately added her on WeChat. Moreover, Sister Luo'an is the least actress-like older sister among the actresses I know."

He Yuran listened with her arms crossed, thinking to herself, "300,000 subscribers on a podcast, what kind of concept is that?" But she also found Song Lin's comment about Li Luoan quite funny, saying he didn't seem like an actor. Was that a compliment or a sarcastic remark?

However, after observing Song Lin for a while, He Yuran felt more and more that this person seemed genuinely very naive. This naivety was even unfamiliar to her. It seemed like she hadn't seen anyone in her life whose personality could be so easily understood in a long time.

"Song Lin, I have to say, although we just met today, you're quite special. Luo An and I haven't acted in years, and one of our movies has been flops. What's the fun in shipping us? I suggest you ship some popular, active celebrities; that's much more interesting."

"What's the point of being popular?" Song Lin said seriously. "I don't like those pre-made pairings that are forced upon me; I prefer to find my own shippers!"

He Yuran almost couldn't catch her breath.

She thought to herself, "Little sister, I'm letting you be naive. If anyone else had said that, I would have lost my temper. I may not be as famous as I used to be, but saying it to my face shows how successful you are!" But then she thought about it again, and realized it was quite rare to find such a straightforward young reporter, and besides, there was no malice in it. Although her emotional intelligence was a bit low... it was still quite interesting to chat with her.

"Alright, so what do you want to ask? Now that I'm here, feel free to ask."

Song Lin's eyes widened instantly, as if viewed in a close-up. "Well... let me think!" He sat up straighter, but his expression became much more serious. "When you two grew distant, were external factors more significant, or internal factors?"

He Yuran looked around and laughed it off, saying, "It really feels like we're recording an interview program."

Li Luoan remained calm, stretched out his hand, indicating that Teacher He would go first.

He Yuran had no choice but to continue, but her expression became serious. "I used to think that external factors interfered with us, but looking back now, I have to admit that we were more influenced by internal factors."

Song Lin nodded. "Could you elaborate?"

He Yuran took a deep breath. "Can I have a drink first? If I'm a little tipsy, I can tell you more truthfully."

"sure!"

Li Luoan stood up. "I'll drink with you."

At this moment, a friend next to me stood up and said, "Luo'an, I'll go, you sit down."

After saying that, the friend got up and went to the kitchen, got the wine, opened it, and poured it for both of them.

Li Luoan raised his glass to He Yuran and said, "Let's toast to our years of friendship in the same company. We may not remember it ourselves, but others do."

He Yuran readily clinked glasses: "I'll drink it all."

Li Luoan had just taken a sip when He Yuran had already finished his drink.

Li Luoan laughed: "Why are you drinking so fast? Are you in a hurry to get back?"

"Hmph!" He Yuran laughed as well. "It's a habit. It's an automatic reaction when drinking with others; if I don't finish the first glass, it's like I'm not sincere enough."

"Forget it, I won't compare myself to you in this kind of thing. Anyway, I've never been tempered on a big film set," Li Luoan said.

"So what if we've been tempered? We're all ending up in the same place anyway. I'm taking a break too." He Yuran put down his cup and poured himself another. "It proves that none of our choices were better than the other; in the end, we're all pretty much the same."

"Teacher He, you don't need to say these things to make me happy. After all, you are a popular actor, that's a fact."

"You could say she was famous once. It's hard to become famous again. Actresses at this age, you just have to accept it," He Yuran said casually.

"I don't like hearing that, Sister Ran," Song Lin said. "Actors should never say things like that."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details." He Yuran looked over, feigning confusion.

"I think both Luo'an and Ran are very good actresses from the previous wave of famous actors. However, the industry is declining, the market is shrinking, and there are fewer roles available, resulting in fewer opportunities for actresses. This is a structural reality of the industry. On the other hand, every actress I've met has been anxious about her appearance, which is what I don't understand the most—you are already so much more beautiful than the average person, yet you are so concerned about your appearance and figure. And because there are fewer opportunities for actresses, this makes you even more anxious. I think this is a situation that needs to be changed, but it has nothing to do with appearance. So please stop denying yourselves, don't say such things, and don't think like that."

He Yuran listened with a frown for a while, and the first thought that popped into her mind was: Who exactly helped me refuse this interview with Song Lin? I'm going to hold them accountable when I get back to the company!