Chapter 183 - 167: Wishing Everyone a Fortunate and Prosperous Year of the Rabbit

She had already made up her mind: she couldn’t sell her paintings anymore.

With her fame as a boost, her paintings would surely become extremely valuable, worth many, many times their intrinsic artistic merit.

But she had no desire to earn that kind of money.

In this life, one’s soul needs a sanctuary.

She hoped that until she was old and gray, this little hobby would continue to bring her nothing but pure, unadulterated joy.

Instead of being sacrificed on the altar of fame and fortune.

’This kid is a hard worker and a decent person, but she can be so infuriatingly stubborn!’

Wei Shuojie was beside herself with frustration.

"Don’t you get it? If we manage this properly, you’ll be on the fast track! Look at all the other celebrities in the industry—which one of them doesn’t have a special talent or two? After the recent ban was issued, the competition has become even more cutthroat. All the rookies the company just debuted this year are holed up taking talent classes as we speak!"

It wasn’t as if Ni Bingyan didn’t understand what she was saying.

But...

"I know. But Sister Wei, if I were just debuting now with no path forward, I would definitely bet everything on my career. But I’m already on the right track. As long as I just stick to acting and don’t go looking for trouble, all of this... it’s not really that necessary."

"Fine, you’re above it all! You have your artistic integrity! Letting a golden opportunity slip through your fingers just like that! I just hope you don’t end up regretting this!"

’It’s one thing to not want to manufacture hype, but to have a ready-made topic fall into your lap and still refuse to capitalize on it... she must have a hole in her head!’

Wei Shuojie’s temper flared again!

If it were just about the painting going viral, that would be one thing. But with the art exhibition right in front of them, how could she possibly pass it up?

She was tempted to storm off, but she reined in her temper and stayed, determined to try and talk some sense into her again.

"You’re still young. You don’t understand how important opportunities are."

"Some people have mediocre talent, but they catch the right wave and just soar, leaving everyone else in the dust. Then you have people who are fantastic in every respect, but their timing is just off, and they can’t get famous no matter how hard you push them."

"A good opportunity is incredibly important for a female celebrity. Your prime only lasts for about a decade. Once you’re past forty, it’s hard to find roles, no matter how well you maintain your looks. Are you really going to be content with that?"

Ni Bingyan had to admit she had a point, but—

"Even if people find out I’m a good painter and I get recognition from the art world, what then? Will it land me better roles? Will it improve my acting? Or will it increase my salary? As for fame, I think I’m already famous enough..."

At least, her current level of fame wasn’t holding her back from landing endorsements or roles.

"Instead of wasting energy on all this, I’d rather focus on landing a few good projects, pour all my effort into making them great, and try to win more awards. For an actor, trophies are the most solid proof of success there is!"

Ni Bingyan was a firm believer in the adage "it takes a strong smith to forge good steel." She was always focused on strengthening her own abilities, so it was inevitable she’d look down on these kinds of ploys. Having known her for so long, Wei Shuojie understood her well enough.

’What she was saying made sense, but it was clear she hadn’t yet suffered the harsh realities of a world run on connections. There was still so much she didn’t understand.’

"What’s the use? You tell me, what’s the use of our giant pandas? Our country engages in ’panda diplomacy,’ so why can’t you engage in a little ’traditional painting diplomacy’ of your own?"

Wei Shuojie was truly laying her heart bare.

Considering Bingyan had grown up without a mother and was naive about many social intricacies, Wei Shuojie summoned every ounce of her patience and began to break it down for her in detail.

"Why do we have panda diplomacy? It’s not just because pandas are cute. It’s because they’re special, they’re rare, and you can’t find them anywhere else!"

"I’m sure you’re well aware of how much our industry relies on personal connections."

"Where do good scripts come from? When you’re competing for a lead role and everyone’s awards, image, acting ability, and fan base are more or less equal, who do you think they’ll choose? It all comes down to who you know, doesn’t it?"

"If you’re a renowned painter and you gift someone one of your works, they’ll likely hang it right in their living room. Every time a guest comes over, they’ll show it off. Over time, everyone in your social circle will know you’re their dear friend. But if you’re just an actress who likes to paint, and you give someone a painting, they’ll probably just shove it in a storage room. By the time they even think of it again, it might have already rotted away from improper care."

Hearing this, Ni Bingyan fell silent.

It seemed building this kind of momentum for herself was actually quite useful.

She’d never even thought of playing that kind of game.

Seeing her lost in thought, Wei Shuojie thought to herself, ’If I can’t convince you after all this, then I’ve wasted my forty-odd years on this earth!’

But before she could even sigh in relief, Ni Bingyan started clapping her hands with a mischievous grin. "Thank you, President Zhang, for the leading role!" she declared in an exaggerated voice. "Here’s a ’Wishes Come True’ painting, just for you! Please accept it! Thank you, Mr. Liu, for bestowing upon me that airline endorsement! For you, a ’Wealth and Fortune’ special! Thank you..."