Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

When Duanmu Li brought the woman to the film set, Ni Bingyan was completely stunned!

”Sister-in-law?! What are you doing here?”

Wu Huijuan, the wife of her father’s eldest disciple, was the woman Bingyan had always called Sister-in-law. With her curly, ear-length hair and slender figure, she exuded an air of sharp competence.

Ni Bingyan had only asked her father to recommend a good cook. The job was just to cook for a few people, including herself, and the pay would increase for each additional person she cooked for.

She’d never imagined it would be her sister-in-law!

This made her absolutely overjoyed!

”I turned fifty a little while back, so I just retired and had nothing to do. Zhou Jin also went off to college recently. When I heard your father mention this, I gave it a little thought and decided to come.”

Ni Bingyan’s mother had died in childbirth, and her grandmother had also passed away young. Her grandfather and father obviously weren’t equipped to care for a little girl properly.

Her sister-in-law and eldest senior had both grown up in an orphanage, so they’d known how to care for younger children from a young age. Since their son, Zhou Jin, hadn’t been born yet, her sister-in-law had taken Bingyan under her wing. She was like a real mother to her.

Wu Huijuan was a very decisive person. In her youth, she realized she didn’t have a true passion for cooking, so halfway through her training, she begged her master to get her a job as a clerk at the local supply and marketing co-op.

Later, as policies changed, jobs at the co-op were no longer desirable. She pulled some strings again to get transferred to the neighborhood committee, where she became the director of the women’s association.

She stayed in that position for years, right up until her retirement. She had truly come to love the work.

It wasn’t that she needed the salary; she loved the job purely because she enjoyed the gossip... oh, I mean, she enjoyed helping men and women resolve their romantic disputes.

Ni Guangli and her eldest senior had thought it all through. Their girl had finally crawled out of the toxic mire that was Jiang Sheng, so they needed to keep a close watch on her.

After more than twenty years as director of the women’s association, Wu Huijuan could spot a scumbag with her left eye and a bitch with her right. One look was all it took; she was never mistaken.

With her keeping an eye on things, surely nothing would go wrong.

Most importantly, Ni Bingyan was very close to her. Wu Huijuan didn’t have a domineering personality; even the most rebellious children of the other disciples adored her.

In this large, matriarch-less group, this senior sister-in-law held an unusual amount of authority.

”I can’t let you work so hard!”

Ni Bingyan furrowed her brow, rubbing her cold hands together. ”The schedule for this movie is incredibly tight. We have to live on set, meal times are irregular, and the pressure is immense. If filming doesn’t go well, I might even throw a fit...”

Wu Huijuan simply took out a pair of gloves and put them on her.

”You look frozen. Here, wear mine for now; I’ll go buy you a couple of pairs later. And don’t even think about saying no. With me here, you can just focus on your work. Don’t worry about food. My cooking might not be on par with your dad’s or your seniors’, but I can handle home-style meals just fine. What’s so hard about cooking for a few people? And in my spare time, I can hang around the set and watch you all act. How’s that for an exciting retirement?”

When Ni Bingyan still looked like she was about to refuse, Wu Huijuan said no more. She simply hauled her suitcase into the RV, settled her things in briefly, and then headed out with a grocery tote.

”I’m off to buy groceries, or we’ll miss lunch. What do you want to eat? Or should I just whip something up?”

Ni Bingyan was practically drooling. After her sister-in-law had gone to such lengths, refusing would be crazy!

’This is what family love is all about!’

’The only right thing to do is enjoy it!’

”Mapo Tofu, Sister-in-law! You have to make Mapo Tofu! I could eat three bowls of rice with that!”

Wu Huijuan was already far in the distance, but Bingyan was still muttering to herself, ”Make extra rice, or there won’t be enough.” Duanmu Li was left speechless.

There was no need for false modesty among family. Wu Huijuan efficiently got herself settled, cooked a meal for them, and the three of them enjoyed a happy lunch together.

To keep the meals warm, she even made a special trip to the supermarket to buy a four-tiered, electric, temperature-controlled food cover.

She’d put the finished dishes inside, and it would maintain a constant temperature of 50°C, ensuring the food was hot no matter when they ate.

And if they were worried about getting hungry during late-night shoots, her baking skills were also outstanding. She just had to plug in the small oven, and she could whip up some pastries in no time.

Ni Bingyan was already someone who could endure hardship, but this was another level of comfort. The RV had three beds, perfect for the three of them. Whenever her sister-in-law had a spare moment, she’d either bake snacks or make a slow-cooked soup. Coming back after a long day of filming to a hot bowl of soup was absolute bliss!

Seeing how pampered Ni Bingyan’s life had become, Luo Susu and Zhou Dawei decided to follow her lead.

Zhou Dawei didn’t hire help, though. His girlfriend came to take care of him instead.

Ni Bingyan had met the girl before. She was sweet and gentle, with a fresh, simple style reminiscent of a Japanese indie film, and seemed exceptionally caring and domestic.

As for Zhou Dawei, he wasn’t really like Sister Wei had described—some guy who loved to flirt with all the young starlets in the industry. He was just a bit of a free spirit who often spoke without a filter. The moment his girlfriend was around, however, he became incredibly tame.

Luo Susu often teased him that he was like tempered steel turned to putty in her hands. He never argued, just said that when they got married, he’d be sure to invite her and Bingyan to the wedding.

The film itself wasn’t difficult. It was a popcorn movie, after all. She was acting alongside an acclaimed actor, with the experienced Luo Susu in the lead role. Ni Bingyan was already a skilled actress and had come fully prepared. Even though the director was a nitpicker who would constantly order endless retakes for the tiniest issues, once she adapted to his rhythm, it was manageable.

She had thought things would continue on this smooth track right to the end, with a good chance of wrapping up in a month and a half. But on the fifth day, trouble arrived.

For some inexplicable reason, Luo Susu suddenly announced she was quitting.

She was very deferential about it, even offering to pay the penalty for breaking her contract, plus all the production’s expenses for the first five days of filming.

As a stickler for details, Director Chen was about to lose his mind.

”Do you have any idea what you’re doing? You’re the female lead! The lead! I built so many character details around you, and now you’re telling me something’s come up and you can’t act? Huh?! What is it? Did some big-shot director start a major production? Found a better offer? The entire shoot is two months, max, and we’re already five days in! Where are we supposed to find the time for reshoots? You want the whole crew to just stop sleeping? The nerve! Huh? Luo Susu? I’m asking you, what gives you the nerve to even suggest this? Don’t forget, you’ve still got three years on your agency contract! Are you planning on getting blacklisted?!”

Chen Zhiwen was a man of culture and refined taste; on any other day, he would never utter such scathing words.

But right now, he was absolutely livid, slamming his hand on the lounge table so hard it thundered. He’d completely lost his composure.

”I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Luo Susu wiped away her tears. ”I have no other choice. I’m willing to cover all of the production’s losses. We’ve worked together so many times, Director Chen. Can’t you please just let this go, just this once? I’m truly at my wit’s end.”

”What is it, exactly? Tell me clearly! Everyone has emergencies, and it’s natural to panic when one comes up. But if it can be solved, then let’s just solve it, right? Why does it have to come to quitting? Never mind the hassle of finding a replacement—I’ll have to rework the entire shooting schedule for the new actor! I’m going to lose all my hair! You cold-hearted young people just have no sympathy!”

’His sense of humor really is bone-deep.’

Honestly, if the atmosphere hadn’t been so tense, and if she wasn’t absolutely certain that laughing would be a fatal mistake, Ni Bingyan feared she might have lost control.

Of course, there was no way they could continue filming that day.

The extras were dismissed, and the main cast all returned to their hotels.

That afternoon, not only did Luo Susu’s agent arrive, but Zhou Dawei’s agent also came along with Wei Shuojie.

The producer and director went into the conference room with the three top agents. Ni Bingyan, of course, stayed away to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

’Besides, whatever she wanted to know, Sister Wei would fill her in later anyway.’

After a series of negotiations—and who knows what price Luo Susu had to pay—she successfully withdrew from the project. At the same time, An Xin, her replacement, joined the cast overnight to save the day.

”Didn’t Sister An land the role of the second female lead in *Great Grandmaster*? Why would she take on a popcorn flick like this?”

’This kind of movie isn’t even on her radar, is it?’

Seeing Wei Shuojie walk in, clutch in hand, Ni Bingyan quickly handed her a freshly brewed cup of osmanthus tea.

”No rush, no rush. Take your time and drink. The winter air is so dry. Have some osmanthus tea to relax, and then we can talk.”