Chapter 244 - 205: You Can Earn Less Money, But You Can’t Actually Eat Shit

Chapter 244: Chapter 205: You Can Earn Less Money, But You Can’t Actually Eat Shit

Late at night, at the Beichun Junlan Hotel.

The film crew returned from shooting, and everyone took the elevator back to their rooms.

"Tiantian, the makeup artist will be in your room at eight o’clock tomorrow morning."

"We need to be on set by nine o’clock sharp."

"Remember the times and set your alarm in advance."

Inside the elevator, Lu Ya repeated the next day’s schedule to Tian Xiqwei.

"Roger that!"

Tian Xiqwei gave Lu Ya a playful cat-paw salute.

"Remember to put on some eye masks before you go to bed tonight."

Lu Ya said, her voice tinged with concern, "Your eyes are already a little red and swollen."

"I know~"

Tian Xiqwei’s tone was light and cheerful.

"Sigh..."

"It’s all that Xin Yunlai’s fault!"

"What kind of skill is that!"

"If it weren’t for him, that crying scene would’ve been done ages ago!"

"He made you cry over and over for more than ten takes. I just saw his agent, and I almost couldn’t stop myself from making a few sarcastic remarks!"

Since it was just the two of them in the elevator, Lu Ya didn’t hold back and started venting to Tian Xiqwei.

"Oh, come on..."

"Everyone has off days."

"I think a good cry every now and then is actually pretty satisfying."

Tian Xiqwei wrapped her arms around Lu Ya and comforted her, "Don’t be mad, Sister Ya."

"We’ll see how satisfying you find it tomorrow when your eyes are all puffy!"

Lu Ya shot Tian Xiqwei an annoyed glare.

The elevator quickly reached the 27th floor. After they stepped out, they didn’t say much more, as there were other crew members in the hallway.

"Remember the eye masks before bed!"

"Get some rest. Don’t stay up late!"

Before swiping her keycard to enter her room, Lu Ya reminded Tian Xiqwei one last time.

"Roger that~"

From down the hall, a cheerful Tian Xiqwei gave Lu Ya another cat-paw salute before quickly returning to her own room.

"Phew..."

Back in her room, Tian Xiqwei pulled off her mask and baseball cap.

She let out a long breath and took off her thick, bulky down jacket, revealing a cotton hoodie and casual pants underneath.

After tidying up a bit, she changed into workout clothes, put on a black, breathable ice-silk mask, grabbed a gym bag, and walked out of her room again with a spring in her step.

She took the elevator straight to the floor with the hotel gym.

By now, it was already close to midnight.

The night was deep, and all was quiet.

Tian Xiqwei had a long-standing habit of working out. Barring any exceptional circumstances, she would come to the gym for an hour almost every day.

Either late at night or at the crack of dawn.

This was because the gym was least crowded during these two times; in fact, most of the time, it was completely empty.

She didn’t like to be disturbed. She liked the feeling of being completely immersed.

’Hm?’

’Someone’s here?’

As Tian Xiqwei entered the hotel gym, she heard a sound from within and instinctively looked in its direction.

’Is that him?’

When Tian Xiqwei got a clear look at the person, her expression faltered for a moment.

The man doing strength training at the cable machine was none other than Gu Heng, whom she had met in the hotel lobby that afternoon.

He had shed the expensive suit he’d worn during the day and was now bare-chested, revealing a chiseled, leanly muscled torso. He wore only a pair of athletic shorts.

From Tian Xiqwei’s angle, she could see the clear definition of Gu Heng’s muscle groups. His back was broad, his lats fanning out from his waist, and every exertion of force highlighted a dynamic, aesthetic beauty.

It was aesthetically pleasing but not exaggerated—exactly the kind of lean muscle that all girls liked.

’So he has such a great body...’

Tian Xiqwei watched Gu Heng from a distance, a glint of fascination in her beautiful eyes.

As someone who worked out regularly, she knew full well that achieving a physique like Gu Heng’s required countless hours of sweat and effort.

To be so distinguished and yet so self-disciplined.

Thinking of this, Tian Xiqwei’s favorable impression of Gu Heng couldn’t help but grow stronger.

"THUD!"

A heavy sound echoed through the gym as the weight plates landed.

"Hah..."

Gu Heng finished a set of strength training and let out a long breath.

Today, he had an enthusiastic discussion with Dong Qiming about the hotel’s future development. Once they got started, they couldn’t seem to stop, talking their way from the conference room to the restaurant and then back to the conference room again.

It wasn’t until after ten o’clock that Dong Qiming finally finished, and even then, he seemed like he still had more to say.

Since it was already very late, Gu Heng decided to just stay at the hotel for the night.

As long as the hotel wasn’t fully booked, an empty room was just an empty room.

With the [Eternal Day Engine] buff, Gu Heng was still full of energy and in peak condition when he returned to his room. So, he changed into workout clothes and decided to come to the gym to break a sweat and maintain his physique.

Picking up the towel hanging nearby, Gu Heng wiped the sweat from his cheeks.

Just then, he heard footsteps behind him.

Although Tian Xiqwei was still wearing a mask, Gu Heng recognized her instantly by her eyes.

"Sorry." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"I didn’t think anyone would be here at this hour."

Gu Heng gave her an apologetic smile, picked up the athletic tank top he had casually draped over the equipment, and put it back on.

"I didn’t realize Chairman Gu had a habit of working out, too."

Tian Xiqwei’s voice was clear and pleasant. After walking up to Gu Heng, out of politeness toward a powerful tycoon—and since there was no one else in the gym—she reached up and took off her breathable ice-silk mask.

As Tian Xiqwei revealed her face, Gu Heng truly felt his eyes light up.

Now, seeing Tian Xiqwei in person, Gu Heng understood just how vast the gap was between celebrities and internet influencers. The former were far more stunning in person than on screen, while the latter were far less impressive in person than on screen.

Tian Xiqwei had a classic oval-shaped face with soft, smooth lines, devoid of any sharp angles from any viewpoint. This facial structure naturally gave her a gentle and approachable aura, like the girl next door, making people feel at ease around her. She was, in short, a natural-born Sweet Sister.

Her eyebrows were natural and slender, like crescent moons. Her most distinctive feature was her eyes; not only were they large and round, but their gaze was exceptionally clear. Paired with thick, long lashes, the slightest hint of a smile in them would create a uniquely playful and lively impression.

Her nose was small and delicate, with a straight yet soft bridge, and her lips were full and rosy.

Her skin was fair and fine, smooth as milk, with a natural glow.

Furthermore, now that she had shed her heavy down jacket for workout clothes, her well-proportioned and excellent physique, honed by years of training, was on full display. Her shoulders and arms, in particular, had noticeable muscle definition, a stark contrast to the pale, waifish, and thin "sweet" image she projected on screen.

"Breaking a sweat is a great way to de-stress."

Gu Heng sized up Tian Xiqwei with an appreciative gaze, then said with a smile, "Miss Tian, you’re so disciplined, coming to the gym to work out this late after a long day of filming."

"I’m an actress. Managing my figure and maintaining my posture is part of my job."

"Compared to you, Chairman Gu, you’re the one who’s truly disciplined."

Tian Xiqwei beamed. "To have already achieved financial freedom and still maintain such a great physique... it’s truly admirable."

"Let’s not trade compliments."

"Since we ran into each other, shall we work out together?"

Gu Heng had originally planned to do two more sets and leave, but he hadn’t expected to run into Tian Xiqwei here. Now, he couldn’t help but change his mind.

"Okay."

Tian Xiqwei agreed readily.

Over the years, Lu Ya had nagged her tirelessly, at least ten times.

The meaning behind all her words was singular: find a backer.

In the past, Tian Xiqwei had been unmoved, believing that as long as she worked hard, she would eventually get her chance to shine. But the harsh beatings from reality over the years had gradually stripped away her naivete.

’Without a backer, people really will walk all over you!’

’They snatch scripts, snatch endorsements, snatch commercial appearances, snatch media gigs.’

’Of all the resources, she could only ever pick from what others left behind.’

’Hard work?’

’It’s worthless in the face of capital.’

For producers and directors, the opinions and attitudes of the investors were always their primary consideration.

Nowadays, the "post-90s starlets," "post-95s starlets," and "post-00s starlets" were all contemporaries. The overlap in resources was incredibly high, and many actresses had the acting skills, the looks, the popularity, and the backing.

’In this situation, what did she have to compete with?’

She had debuted in 2018, and right from the start, she was acting in youth romance idol dramas.

Five years had passed, and the vast majority of scripts she had access to were still youth romance idol dramas.

And what about the other actresses who debuted at the same time as her?

They were either starring in major historical costume drama IPs or making a name for themselves in the film industry.

The comparison, naturally, made her feel terrible.

In Lu Ya’s eyes, she had always maintained an uncompromising attitude toward the olive branches extended by those powerful tycoons.

In reality, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to compromise; she simply couldn’t.

It was no longer just a physical aversion; it was a full-blown physical revulsion.

Every time she was beaten down by reality and was about to give in, the moment she saw those men, she would immediately feel like she could hold on just a little longer.

Lu Ya was always trying to persuade her, saying that money is hard to earn and shit is hard to eat—just endure it, and it’ll pass.

To this, Tian Xiqwei’s response was: You can earn less money, but you can’t actually eat shit.

By now, Tian Xiqwei was on the verge of giving up, but she never expected that just when things seemed hopeless, a silver lining would appear. She had actually met Gu Heng at a time like this.

This afternoon, the moment she learned Gu Heng’s identity, her eyes had lit up again and again.

’Gu Heng... she genuinely liked him!’

’He had the looks, the body, and the status. Plus, he was young and charismatic. He was a perfect match for all her fantasies.’

If anyone else had invited Tian Xiqwei to work out with them, no matter who it was, she would have politely declined. After all, working out is a rather private activity. Especially when a man and a woman are together and hormones are surging, it’s easy for some kind of chemical reaction to occur.

But since the person was Gu Heng, all Tian Xiqwei could say was:

’It’s exactly what I wanted!’