Chapter 109: There’s Someone in The Dark
“Were the cakes good?” Ma Linlin asked her with a grin when they met at school the next day.
“I just so happen to have some here for you girls to taste,” Yun Xiangxiang placed the breakfast she brought on the table.
She went out of her way to wrap these cakes up yesterday. Everyone had a slice. “These sat in the fridge overnight though. The texture may or may not be affected.”
“It’s delicious…” Tao Manni, who was dozing off, instantly became energetic after having a bite. She turned her gaze swiftly to Feng Xiaolu’s piece. “Oh Lulu, I remember that you don’t like sweet stuff!”
“Mmmph mmph…” Feng Xiaolu who was was.h.i.+ng herself up came over with a toothbrush in her mouth and s.n.a.t.c.hed her cake away.
Yun Xiangxiang took the other four slices to the room next door. Zhu Yuan and Chu Ting were cla.s.smates; naturally, she couldn’t forget about them. Their room also had two students from other courses. She also needed to give some to them.
“It’s great being Xiangxiang’s cla.s.smate,” Zhu Yuan who was fond of sweet stuff looked at her cake happily with her cheeks in her hands.
“It’s really good. No wonder it got sold out that fast yesterday,” Feng Xiaolu who took a couple of bites nodded approvingly. “And I thought it happened because of the celebrity effect.”
“En?” Yun Xiangxiang was perplexed, “You went to buy it yesterday too?”
“I knew she won’t read any news about her,” Tao Manni, who had a fork in her mouth, searched for yesterday’s news and tossed her phone to Yun Xiangxiang before continuing with her breakfast.
The headline shockingly read: There is a Kind of Beauty, that is Eating Beautifully!
Yun Xiangxiang’s photo was in the news. It was taken by a pedestrian from afar. The angle was a bit off, but it still captured the sprinkle of the rays of suns.h.i.+ne obliquely. That added a hint of natural beauty. The photo was the one where Yun Xiangxiang closed her eyes in satisfaction.
The news reported that the shop closed its business for the day barely two hours after Yun Xiangxiang left. The shop’s ingredients were of limited supply every day to ensure quality. Especially for ingredients that absolutely couldn’t be left overnight like milk, fruits, and cream.
“Their cakes are really delicious,” Yun Xiangxiang returned the phone to Tao Manni.
“Do you know how many people who don’t even like sweet stuff fell in love with this shop’s cake?” Feng Xiaolu jived. “For example, me. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but I can still splurge on it once in a while if I save.”
“Eat it fast. I’ll go to the library,” Tthe first lecture slot was free on Monday. They still had more than forty minutes before their cla.s.ses started.
“You have to be joking. You’re going to the library even when there’s not much time left?” Ma Linlin moaned.
Having a great roommate wasn’t really anything to write home about. The really terrifying part was that this roommate was better than you in everything, and was constantly putting in more hard work than you did. They were the ones who could really pile the heat on you.
“Take my books to cla.s.s later. Help me reserve a spot too. I’m not going to the library for revision. I’m there to skim through some materials,” Yun Xiangxiang handed her stuff over to Ma Linlin.
She searched for the historical records for King Wen of Chu and Madam Xi online yesterday. But there weren’t a lot of them. It was little wonder why there were no films or dramas surrounding their story until now. Qingdao University had a plethora of books. She was hoping she could find some there.
If even they didn’t have it, she would find a way to borrow some from the Beijing University’s library.
The meal with Wu Zhao would be in two days. Yun Xiangxiang still wanted to be able to make as much preparation as she could. Success or failure would be set aside first. She at least had to leave a good impression on them. It would make it easier for future negotiations even if she failed this time.
The records of their story were really scarce. She couldn’t find a lot of it even in Qingdao University’s library. But she still planned to borrow a few cultural records about the Warring States period.
Just when she was about to go and register the books she borrowed, she felt someone observing her. However, she couldn’t find anyone suspicious when she tried to look for them.
Yun Xiangxiang stayed calm and went to find other genres of books.
She never came into contact with Wu Zhao’s personality. But given how tight-lipped he was, she wouldn’t have any chance of entering the filming crew if someone told him about her search for Warring States period content and leaked the theme of his film out.
Yun Xiangxiang was still as concentrated as ever during cla.s.s. She paid full attention to the lectures and didn’t have any hint of being distracted.
The cla.s.ses for the day only ended at eight. The first lecture slot was also free tomorrow. She went back to her home.
It was still the same routine of shower, training, and pre revision for tomorrow’s cla.s.ses when she was home. It was already eleven when she slept.
Yun Xiangxiang spent most of her time these three days looking up information and attending lectures seriously. She could only talk to Song Mian over the phone for a few minutes a day.
She decided to be the spokesperson for the chips after verifying and picking the brands in between her free time. Only the chips were down to earth. Everything else was too impractical.
Yun Xiangxiang gave up on both of the home electronics companies as she didn’t have time to investigate them. Compared to actresses her age, getting someone who was married to endorse home electronics would be more appropriate. If they still wanted her, then there must be something in the details that He Wei didn’t mind, but she would.
Details like the product’s performance…
“I was just going to tell you something. That cake shop is willing to increase the endors.e.m.e.nt fees that they are paying,” He Wei drove Yun Xiangxiang to their appointment. She told him about her plan to endorse the chips.
“I’m not choosing the products based on the endors.e.m.e.nt fees,” Yun Xiangxiang shook her head. “I had this cake of theirs before. It’s not fluffy enough. The texture was just meh.”
“You really had it?” even He Wei was stunned.
“Of course I did. I have to be responsible for the items I endorse,” Yun Xiangxiang nodded earnestly. “I can’t dupe my fans.”
“I know you’re serious in everything you do. But I didn’t expect you to be this serious,” He Wei was half amused, half annoyed. “This is already nitpicking.”
“Brother Wei, I know that you guys don’t think that this is necessary. The products we endorse won’t affect us actors as long as they don’t have any serious flaws. As a spokesperson, we just have to take the money and do our work.”
Yun Xiangxiang wanted to take this opportunity to explain her thoughts clearly to He Wei, “I don’t want it to be like this. I would rather go without the money if I’m going to endorse subpar products or appear in ads that don’t reflect the actual situation of the product.”
Something had to be made clear here. Even if two products were exactly the same, a lot of fans now would tend to buy the product that was endorsed by their idols.
She wouldn’t say that her fans would absolutely support the items that she endorsed. However, even if there were just a few who bought misrepresented products out of their bias for her instead of their own free will, she would also feel that she failed them.
She had declared that she wanted the fans who supported her to never regret being her fans for their life.
She would do her best to achieve that.
“Will you endorse any skincare products in the future?” He Wei suddenly asked.
“I can do that. I can also not use it myself either, but it must be under the condition that the skincare product is superb; also my script for the ad must represent the product’s skincare function accurately,” Yun Xiangxiang’s wouldn’t budge on this.
She couldn’t say that the product could hydrate, whiten, and reduce wrinkles of the skin when it could only hydrate the skin.
She didn’t ask for the product to be the best. But it must have little to no deviation from the advertis.e.m.e.nts.
No exaggeration, no false marketing.
He Wei raised his eyebrows, “I understand.”
“Thank you, Brother Wei,” Yun Xiangxiang smiled sweetly.
Only He Wei was able to not reprimand her and plan according to her wishes. Had it been another agent, not getting severely rebuked would be out of the norm.