Chen Xingwei and Li Youhu both noticed Simon giving them a slightly more focused look.
Chen Xingwei held her cup in front of her, sipping delicately while occasionally casting glances his way, subtly playing hard to get.
Li Youhu, however, was much bolder. She took the initiative to speak to Simon. "Mr. Westeros, your Mandarin is excellent."
They had been standing nearby earlier when Simon spoke with Wei Uneven, and his flawless Mandarin had left them amazed.
With a smile, Simon responded in Mandarin, "Your Mandarin is quite good too."
Li Youhu was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly caught the joke and laughed softly. "Haha, Mr. Westeros, you're so funny."
The other girls, who had already been paying attention to their conversation, laughed along as well.
Realizing she had missed her chance to speak first, Chen Xingwei joined in the laughter and then asked, "Mr. Westeros, may I ask, once we're in the USA, what will we be doing?"
Simon replied, "Dancing for me, just like you did earlier."
The girls were momentarily stunned, each with different thoughts flashing through their minds.
The man in front of them had gone to great lengths to select them, and, more importantly, was offering each of them an astonishing $100,000 annual salary. To simply dance for him? It seemed almost too easy.
Still uncertain, Chen Xingwei asked, "Just dancing?" Then realizing her mistake, she quickly added, "I mean, just dancing for you?"
"Of course. I'm paying you, so you won't be dancing for anyone else."
Chen Xingwei hesitated, then ventured, "But... you're offering us... such a high salary?"
Simon glanced at the group, noticing their puzzled and awkward expressions. When his gaze fell on them, they looked like startled rabbits, clearly thinking something inappropriate, and quickly avoided his eyes.
Do I really look like such a bad guy?
After considering for a moment, Simon said, "Since you think the salary is too high, how about this: train hard for now, and when the time comes, I'll arrange for you to tour and perform across Europe and the USA. This way, you'll help me earn back some of what I've invested. But I should warn you, performances in the West are very commercialized. If the audience doesn't find your show entertaining, they won't buy tickets. If your program isn't up to par and no one comes, it'll be very embarrassing. If that happens, I'll have to fire you."
"Ah…"
The girls were taken aback, some even gasping softly, and all of them looked at the one who had started the conversation.
Chen Xingwei hadn't expected her few simple words to suddenly make their jobs so precarious. If the tour failed, she'd be the one to blame. She quickly tried to remedy the situation. "I didn't mean... Mr. Westeros, what I meant was…"
But she faltered, unable to find the right words.
Her meaning had been clear enough.
There was no way to suggest lowering everyone's salary without offending them.
Luckily, Li Youhu came to her rescue. "We'll perform! Mr. Westeros, didn't you enjoy Picking Vetch just now?"
"Yes."
"Then if you liked it, I'm sure people over there will like it too."
Chen Qing apparently hadn't explained the origins of Picking Vetch to the girls, and Simon didn't elaborate either, simply nodding and smiling. "Of course."
After chatting for a bit longer, Simon had already sized up the personalities of the two girls based on their behavior and his memories from his past life. He found that he preferred Li Youhu's straightforwardness and confidence. Her almost identical features to what he remembered sparked an idea in him. "Li, would you like to act?"
As soon as the words were out, the girls all looked over at her.
Simon Westeros, a Hollywood mogul, asking if you want to act—it was like the Jade Emperor himself asking if you'd like to become an immortal.
From her days at the dance academy, Li Youhu had always stood out, surrounded by admiration.
Out of their entire class, only four girls had been selected to join the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe. While their abilities had been fairly equal, Chen Xingwei had been overshadowed by Li Youhu all the way from the dance academy to the troupe. Li Youhu had become a lead dancer, while Chen Xingwei remained a background figure.
Now, hearing Simon Westeros offer such an opportunity to Li Youhu specifically, Chen Xingwei's eyes briefly flashed with negative emotions. She lowered her head to hide her feelings, while her hand, concealed in her sleeve, clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm.
Li Youhu, proud by nature, felt the stares of the other girls. Even though she had always been confident, the vanity of the moment made her hold her chin a little higher as she met Simon's gaze. "Of course I want to."
Seeing her answer, Simon reached under the low table and pulled out a copy of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that he had been carrying with him recently. Handing it to her, he said, "Here, take a day to read this novel. Tomorrow evening, you can tell me your thoughts on it. Oh, and make sure to come in through the back door at midnight—knock three times."
The other girls caught onto Simon's playful reference, laughing once again, though this time their laughter carried a different undertone as they watched Li Youhu accept the book.
Across from them, Janet had been quietly watching everything unfold. While she understood the joke Simon made earlier about the jade pendant, she wasn't sure why the girls were laughing this time. She rolled her eyes at him and teased, "Do you think I don't exist? Back door, three knocks, huh?"
Simon grabbed Janet's hand resting on the low table and, still holding it, said to Li Youhu, "I want you to play Yu Jiaolong from this book. However, it's not set in stone yet, because you'll need to pass the director's audition. If you don't meet the requirements, you'll have to come back to dance for me. But don't worry, you've got six months to prepare. I think your first step should be to find an acting coach."
In the original Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Ziyi's portrayal of Yu Jiaolong was outstanding, and Simon would have been happy to cast her again if possible.
But it wasn't an option this time.
The famous 1996 class at the Central Academy of Drama might not even come together now, and even if he found Zhang Ziyi at this stage, she was still too young and inexperienced for the role.
He had to find a replacement.
Li Youhu, now 19, had both the personality and looks that matched Yu Jiaolong's character well, as Simon remembered from his previous life. Moreover, with her background in dance, action scenes wouldn't be a problem.
As for acting, she wasn't a complete novice. Dancers often performed on stage, so she had some experience. With six months of intensive training, it should be enough. Besides, Ang Lee was known for his ability to bring out the best in his actors.
Surrounded by envious gazes, Li Youhu's sense of vanity soared. She boldly maintained eye contact with Simon and said, "Mr. Westeros, isn't this your decision to make?"
"Of course, but if your performance doesn't meet the standards and ruins the movie, the loss will be mine. The project's budget is $15 million, which isn't a small amount."
$15 million was considered a low-budget film in Hollywood, but the girls quickly converted that into RMB in their heads. 120 million RMB—an astronomical sum.
Some of the girls couldn't help thinking, with that much money, who would still want to make movies?
You could live comfortably for the rest of your life.
After chatting a bit more and finishing their tea, the girls were dismissed from the terrace.
They made their way back to their living quarters in the third courtyard of the villa, chatting as they went. The National Style Art Troupe had about 160 members, including the musicians, dance teachers, and costume and makeup staff, all women, yet the place didn't feel crowded at all.
The villa was massive.
The original estate, built two years ago, spanned 1 hectare. After expansions, Simon's private property now occupied almost the entire mountain, covering 2.5 hectares, or more than 38 acres.
The third courtyard, where the National Style Art Troupe lived, was arranged in a classical four-sided courtyard style. Each side was 60 meters long, with the architecture more reminiscent of the refined elegance of southern Chinese gardens than the stark simplicity of northern courtyards. The two-story main building covered 3,300 square meters, with 50 two-bedroom suites, as well as a dining hall, kitchen, library, and recreation room.
The girls lived four to a suite, and there was still plenty of space left over.
Back in their rooms, the girls changed out of their costumes and freshened up. By the time they finished, it was almost noon.
With a little time left before the 12 o'clock lunch, the girls busied themselves with their own activities. Those closest to Li Youhu flocked to her room on the second floor of the east wing, eager to discuss the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon novel she had received.
"You know, I think what Mr. Westeros said at the end was the real key," remarked Yun Zijin, one of the girls.
Li Youhu smiled and
let the others pass the book around as she teasingly asked, "Oh? Why is that? Do you think I have to sneak off in the middle of the night to learn secret techniques like Sun Wukong?"
"No, silly! It's obvious—you're supposed to, you know, serve him," said Ouyang Shuli bluntly.
People adapt quickly, and after their names were finalized, Chen Qing had insisted that the girls start using each other's new names right away. Everyone quickly got used to it.
At Ouyang Shuli's blunt words, the group immediately erupted into playful banter.
Another girl chimed in, "Exactly! Mr. Westeros didn't spell it out because his wife was there. If you don't pick up on this, you'll never get the role."
"Come on, Xiao Ming, your mind is way too dirty."
"Don't call me Xiao Ming! Besides, Yuxuanniao, do you really think your name is any better than mine?"
"You already admitted it—it's better than yours. That's all that matters."
"Ugh, that's it, I'm going to get you!"
"Hahaha… Jing Xiaoming, stop tickling me! Yaotiao, come help me!"
"You can fight your own battles. Such rough behavior doesn't suit someone as elegant as me, with a name like Yaotiao."
"Is this a flex? Unbelievable! Yuxuanniao, let's get her together!"
"Alright!"
As the girls playfully wrestled and fell onto the living room couch, laughing, Li Youhu, worried that the novel might get damaged, snatched it up and retreated to the bedroom next door.
The room had only one large bed, meant for two people.
Of course, no one knew the mischievous reason behind this arrangement, and none of the girls complained. The suites were far better than any of their previous accommodations, and some had even whispered about the luxurious redwood furniture, saying that while it was modern in design, it was undoubtedly very expensive.
Chen Xingwei, who had skipped the group fun to take a shower, sat at the vanity in a bathrobe, applying skincare products when Li Youhu entered. She glanced at her briefly before turning her attention back to the mirror.
Sensing something off, Li Youhu opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.
Though they had both been selected for the troupe, their personalities and differences meant they had never been particularly close.
After placing the novel in her cabinet, Li Youhu thought for a moment and then went to take a shower herself.
When she came out, Chen Xingwei was no longer in the room. She paused, opened the cabinet to check that the book was still there, and then sat down at the vanity to begin her skincare routine.
The girls had received extensive training on skincare since joining the troupe. Expensive products were provided for them.
Since their profession required heavy makeup, which could damage the skin, proper care was crucial.
This level of attention was a luxury they hadn't had before.
But now that they were part of the Westeros system, they enjoyed the same benefits as the Westeros maids, who were required to maintain their appearance and figure at all times.
Once she finished her skincare routine and changed clothes, it was time for lunch.
Although Li Youhu was proud and straightforward, she wasn't naive. She hesitated about going downstairs to eat with the others.
After the morning's events, even though the girls had laughed and joked on the surface, she knew there was still some underlying jealousy. She finally decided to wait a bit before going down. Lunch would be served until 1 p.m., and with no performances scheduled for the day, she figured going down after 1 p.m. would be fine.
However, just as she started watching TV to pass the time, Wei Uneven came knocking at her door. "Youhu, why aren't you coming down for lunch?"
"I'm not very hungry. I thought I'd…"
Before she could finish, Wei Uneven said, "Come on, Chen Miss brought us something delicious. It's a reward from Mr. Westeros. Plus, they're looking for you about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
Chen Miss was, of course, Chen Qing.
With that, she had no choice but to follow.
When they reached the dining hall, the place was lively. Several of the maids were distributing food, and a roasted pig caught everyone's eye, looking absolutely mouthwatering.
The troupe's meals were already of a very high standard. Though they were rarely served meat to help maintain their figures, the variety of fruit salads they had access to was beyond what they could have imagined, with many items being imported.
When Chen Qing saw her, she approached and led her to a corner of the dining hall. "You'll be returning to Beijing this afternoon. We've arranged acting lessons for you there, and I've already contacted Central Academy of Drama. From now on, just focus on preparing for the film."
Li Youhu instinctively nodded in agreement, but then hesitated and asked, "But, Miss Chen, didn't Mr. Westeros say... tomorrow?"
Chen Qing cut her off. "The boss was joking. Don't take it seriously."
"Then... next month, America?"
That was her biggest concern.
Right now, people back home were fighting tooth and nail for a chance to go abroad. Who knew if she'd get another opportunity if she missed this one? And more importantly, they had been promised that once they arrived in the USA, they'd be granted citizenship, making the chance even more precious.
Chen Qing replied, "That plan hasn't changed. Once you're there, I'll continue to arrange acting lessons for you. You should also work on improving your English. In short, this is a great opportunity, but remember, it's just that—an opportunity. The boss hasn't promised you anything. Whether you can make the most of it depends on your own efforts."
After chatting for a bit longer, Chen Qing sent her off to eat. As she was about to leave, a woman, noticeably older than the other girls, approached. She looked to be in her 30s but was no less attractive. In fact, she was more so, and she had a small, doll-like girl with her.
The woman stopped Chen Qing, her expression anxious. "Miss Chen, I heard Mr. Westeros didn't watch my choreography of Echoes of Chu this morning?"
"Yes, but he'll probably see it in the next few days," Chen Qing said as she glanced at the child the woman was holding. "Ms. Liu, you've danced for many years and won numerous awards. With your status as a National Class One Performer, there's no issue with you being a choreographer. As for taking your daughter to the USA, I'll discuss it with the boss in the next few days. I'm sure it won't be a problem, as it's a small matter for him."
As she said this, Chen Qing's eyes briefly lingered on the woman, her gaze carrying a hint of something else.
"Thank you, Miss Chen," the woman replied, not noticing Chen Qing's change in tone. She quickly urged her daughter, "Feng'er, thank Miss Chen."
The little girl, as delicate as a porcelain doll, was instinctively shy around Chen Qing but obediently said, "Thank you, Miss."
Chen Qing pinched the girl's cheek and gently reminded her, "Be good and don't run around. You don't want to cause trouble for your mom."
The girl nodded softly and huddled closer to her mother.
Children's instincts are often sharper than adults'. Feng'er could sense that the kind-looking Miss Chen wasn't as friendly as she appeared.
The woman hurriedly assured Chen Qing, "Don't worry, Miss Chen, I'll make sure Feng'er stays close to me and doesn't run off."
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