Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

After her appearance on the BBC show, she went to a concert by the Jingxing Band, invited by the husband of Jenny’s son, David Smith.

Ni Bingyan never would have guessed that someone as gentle as David would be married to the drummer of a rock band.

Putting everything else aside, the performance was absolutely electric. In terms of sheer energy, the concert by the female singer she had wanted to see before couldn’t even compare to the Jingxing Band.

After Jenny regained consciousness and her condition stabilized a bit, she called Ni Bingyan to thank her, saying that if it hadn’t been for Ni Bingyan’s help at the time, there was no telling what might have happened.

Ni Bingyan refused to take credit, simply saying it was what friends do. But Jenny, at eighty-three years old, wasn’t about to believe such a modest reply so easily.

Recalling that Ni Bingyan had told her this trip to London was to make up for past regrets—a ”journey of passion” where she wanted to see a concert after watching a soccer match—Jenny had arranged this thank-you gift for her.

”You didn’t get to finish the match because of me, so please, you must accept my goodwill and go see a perfect concert! Trust me, they’re really amazing!

”Everyone gets old. The elderly can have wisdom and grace, but they shouldn’t have regrets, especially when you have the chance to make up for them.”

Jenny’s words made a lot of sense. Considering Jenny’s poor health at the moment, Ni Bingyan didn’t want to keep her from resting, and seeing that she had the time, she simply accepted the kind offer.

The Jingxing Band wasn’t world-famous, but they were extremely well-known in their home country, the United Kingdom.

The concert wasn’t massive in scale, but the lead singer’s clear, piercing high notes truly struck a chord in her soul. The lyrics of several songs were also deeply thought-provoking. When Ni Bingyan left the concert, she felt like she was floating on air.

It was this very concert that made her trip to London feel complete.

For the third episode of Ni Bingyan’s World Travel, Ni Bingyan accepted a friend’s invitation and came to the romantic city of Paris.

Unlike the solo travel of the previous two episodes, this one would feature a friend of hers, promising more interesting highlights.

”This is the first friend to appear on camera. He’s Alan Casso from France, a jewelry designer. We sat together at a show during the last fashion week, so you all should know him.”

Having gotten Alan’s permission in advance, Ni Bingyan had the camera rolling before she even got off the plane.

The flight from London to Paris was just over an hour, even easier than traveling between provinces back home in China.

Knowing her flight details, Alan was already waiting to pick her up. As soon as Ni Bingyan spotted him, she offered that introduction to the camera.

One of the enduring stereotypes about France is romance.

Ni Bingyan had once heard a joke: a Frenchman was on the verge of starvation, and with his last remaining franc, he bought a rose instead of bread.

While the joke shouldn’t be taken literally, it holds a grain of truth.

So, what is French romance really like?

”Hey! Long time no see!”

Upon meeting, Alan first greeted Ni Bingyan, casually handed her a small bouquet of white calla lilies, and then extended his hand for a handshake.

Alan was as exquisitely dressed as ever. As she drew closer, the faint scent of cedar wafted past her nose, and that romanticism, seemingly ingrained in the very bones of the French, suddenly felt incredibly real.

”Yes, it’s been a while since we last saw each other. How have you been lately, my friend?”

Ni Bingyan grasped Alan’s hand with a beaming smile, beginning the pleasantries of a long-overdue reunion.

”I’m very well, and you?”

After they separated, Alan took half a step back to maintain a proper social distance before looking her intently in the eyes and answering her question.

Ni Bingyan smiled. ”I’m doing well too, aside from getting a little scare in London a couple of days ago.”

”Haha! I saw that online! The news about Pete was everywhere, and Jenny’s crisis almost fell on your shoulders. But bad luck always passes. It’s the genuine joys that are worth remembering.

”Speaking of which, you actually went to the Jingxing Band concert yesterday? I’m so jealous! That’s my favorite band!”

”Oh, heavens! Was that posted online too? Does the whole world know I’m tone-deaf now?”

David and his husband were incredibly sincere. Not only did they arrange front-row tickets for her, but they also invited her on stage to interact with the band midway through the concert.

The lead singer didn’t know who she was and assumed she was a fan. He stopped mid-song and passed the mic to her, but she couldn’t continue the line, so she could only blush and wave her hands in refusal.

Later, they invited her to dance with them. She had some foundation in that, at least, and for the few simple moves, she did quite well.

”Hahaha! Everyone said you were adorable! You know, the good singers are all on stage. There aren’t many great singers in the audience. People like you are the norm.”

Alan was always considerate of others’ feelings when he spoke. Aside from being a bit proud and unwilling to engage with people he didn’t know or look down upon, he was generally quite easy to get along with.

The two chatted as they left the airport, got into a car, and headed for Alan’s studio.

Since Alan was willing to appear on her show for free, she naturally returned the favor by giving his studio some free advertising.

For any businessperson, you can never have too many customers. With a population of over a billion, China’s rapidly developing economy represented enormous potential for luxury goods consumption—a market every boss coveted.

Between friends, talking about certain things explicitly would ruin the sentiment. The fact that they were both willing to proactively consider the other’s needs was a sign of a truly sincere friendship.

After touring the studio, Alan gave Ni Bingyan a butterfly-shaped pearl brooch.

The materials of the brooch weren’t particularly expensive, but the design was incredibly thoughtful. Most importantly, it was one of a kind.

The gift was exquisite without being extravagant, allowing the recipient to appreciate the sentiment without feeling overly burdened.

’Honestly, Alan is a person worth knowing. The way he treats the people he values is simply impeccable.’

Ni Bingyan unwrapped the gift, held it in her palm, and praised it effusively for the camera before gently pinning it to her black turtleneck sweater.

”So, where’s your script? What’s the story about? I’ll be honest, it wasn’t Paris that drew me all the way out here.”

At the mention of this, Alan seemed a little embarrassed, but he still took out his laptop and pushed it in front of her.

The large, solid wood workbench in the studio was quite spacious. Alan pulled out a chair for her, and only after she was seated did he sit down himself, about two steps away, watching her with eyes full of anticipation.

”I mean, if... from your professional point of view, if it were to get investment, is this movie worth making? It’s on the shorter side. I don’t think it really counts as a feature film; maybe it could be made into a short film?”

When people first embark on something they’ve poured endless passion into, they are always like this: filled with limitless dreams, eager for an honest evaluation, yet also incredibly sensitive, terrified of hearing anything negative.

Ni Bingyan opened the document and began to read it slowly, pondering as she went.

’I can’t let the ship of our friendship capsize over this,’ she mused. ’How should I phrase my feedback?’