Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 662: Chapter 485: Four Assassins

Yuk Chu didn’t really blame her agency for her lukewarm career progress since her debut.

Before her parents’ incident, she hadn’t cared too much about what level she should reach. The decision to enter the entertainment industry and become an actress wasn’t driven by a clear goal of making money like Zhou Yun, nor was it because of exceptional talent that made everyone think she suited this career. It was just one of many choices, and by some fluke, she chose this path.

Being an actress didn’t require the nine-to-five workdays, which suited her personality; she was easygoing, her family was somewhat wealthy, living comfortably without needing to compete or scramble, resulting in a pleasant life devoid of many troubles.

In fact, if she had continued living like that, at the right time, upon meeting the right person, she might have settled down, gotten married, had a child, and perhaps gradually faded out of the industry, occasionally acting in a drama to make some extra cash, but no longer considering it as her career.

Yuk Chu had always been a person without much ambition.

Her upbringing and environment fostered her personality.

But fate seemed unwilling to let her serene life continue undisturbed, disrupting it with the tumult of her parents’ gambling debts. She could no longer lead her easygoing life; all her money had gone to pay off the gambling debts, and her family was no longer the safety net that allowed her to be nonchalant about her career. Only after experiencing these hardships did Yuk Chu truly empathize with the desperation and urgency Zhou Yun had felt when entering the entertainment sector.

Yuk Chu had never worked as hard as she was now.

But effort doesn’t necessarily mean there would be a lot of work opportunities available for her.

She also refused to be like Xu Siyao, who would collaborate with anyone for money, regardless of her reputation or the quality of the product.

In the current film and television market, her pay wasn’t very high—acting as the lead in an online series might just earn her a million, and after splitting with the agency and paying taxes, she would be lucky to take home two to three hundred thousand. Of course, compared to the average person, this income was already quite substantial. However, acting is a volatile career; performers like Yuk Chu can still seize many opportunities while they’re young, but if they don’t make a name for themselves during this time, they will soon be eliminated by the market.

And at this stage in her career, brands were usually unwilling to sponsor her—for red carpet dresses, for outfits for social engagements, for the styles and makeup needed for various commercial activities, the company would provide some basic support, but if she wished to stand out and not be mocked as rustic, ugly, or provincial, she had to spend her own money to hire better stylists who charged six-figure fees to start. Regular skin maintenance is vital when you’re always in front of the camera; frequent beauty salon visits plus routine skincare and upkeep can amount to a terrifying sum.

It may appear a glamorous profession, but if you’re just middle-tier, you often risk spending more than you earn.

Nevertheless, if you wish to climb higher, you must grit your teeth and persist. Yuk Chu knew that her situation was much better than most; she wasn’t a completely unknown actress, and she had both the company and friends providing her with decent opportunities, so she wouldn’t be without work. She took on as much work as possible recently, not just acting but also live streaming and commercial performances—pretty much anything she could schedule. Yet, her appearance fees were just a fraction of Zhou Yun’s, which was normal—the income structure in showbiz was inherently irrational, not pyramid-shaped with barely any middle ground; you were either on top or at the bottom. But she took these jobs anyway; every little bit helped, as long as the cooperation was sound and risk-free.

Each appearance was another chance for the public to notice her.

Holding onto this belief, Yuk Chu frequently appeared on screen.

However, these past few months, her appearances hardly caused any ripples. No one paid attention to her activities, nor did they care about what she was doing. When she appeared on shows, the producers only wanted to discuss Zhou Yun or the matter of her parents’ debts; they were disinterested in any other topic, even preferring she didn’t mention them, as it would be a waste of time. When meeting with production teams, she was asked if she was willing to take supporting roles for newcomers at potentially low pay, as she wasn’t a particularly ’safe’ actress, and the production needed to manage risks. When discussing live streaming, the platform was willing to give her a slot but demanded she conduct the stream their way, create gimmicks, generate topics, and even bluntly asked if she could invite Zhou Yun to her stream.