Chapter 40: A Star-Studded Gala

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Huo Zheng’s heart tightened upon hearing those words. However, before he could probe Lin Xiaowan’s thoughts, she had already changed the topic. With that, he decided not to mention the matter for now.

…

Huo Cheng and Qiao You’an returned on the 14th day of the lunar new year. On the morning of the 15th, they packed up and brought their children away for a holiday.

Huo Zheng had to work that day so Lin Xiaowan was home alone. She was working on the charm that she wanted to hang in Huo Zheng’s car. She had not touched it since she was discharged from the hospital. She turned on the tutorial and concentrated on making the charm.

After a while, Lin Xiaowan grew bored. Coincidentally, when it was almost noon, Gu Yuwu suddenly called her to ask what she was doing and enthusiastically invited her out.

“What do you want to do?” Lin Xiaowan asked.

In fact, Gu Yuwu had an event to attend today. However, in her eyes, the event was very casual.

“The Starlight Gala is tonight. Do you want to come with me?”

Lin Xiaowan was not familiar with the Starlight Gala so she asked, “Huh? What?”

Gu Yuwu explained, “It’s an event that’ll be attended by many celebrities. There’ll also be an award ceremony. Just treat it as a big party.”

Apart from the lunar new year, Shangxia did not celebrate the Lantern Festival. In fact, Shangxia did not celebrate many festivals. The biggest event in the entertainment industry was the Starlight Gala, which was held during the Lantern Festival.

Previously, Lin Xiaowan had heard a lot of gossip about the entertainment industry from Gu Yuwu. However, when she received Gu Yuwu’s invitation this time, she was not as resistant as before. Instead, she was a little curious. She asked, “What do you do there?”

Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before she replied, “Nothing much. The celebrities will walk the red carpet. After that, we can watch the performance and the award ceremony. That’s all.”

Then, Gu Yuwu added, sounding a little proud, “Do you want to walk the red carpet? If you want, I’ll bring you with me. I still have a little status in the entertainment industry.”

Lin Xiaowan exclaimed in shock, “Are you a celebrity as well?!”

The last time they met, Gu Yuwu did not mention this at all.

Gu Yuwu replied, sounding even more proud, “Not exactly. I’m a big boss behind the scenes. Many people’s fates are in my hands!”

Lin Xiaowan’s mouth was agape as she listened to Gu Yuwu.

‘How impressive!’

“What do you think? Do you want to join me? Today’s event is considered the most popular event in the industry. Almost half of the celebrities in the industry will be present,” Gu Yuwu said before listing a few famous names.

In fact, Gu Yuwu had a small ulterior motive.

She had just received a script for a drama and was in the process of casting actors and actresses. There was a small role in the drama with a very short appearance in the drama, but the role’s name was mentioned throughout the drama. It was the role of a goddess.

The goddess was described as having skin as smooth as cream and a pair of slender eyebrows and clear eyes. She was said to look young despite her age. She wore a loose pink robe with incantations embroidered with dazzling golden spiritual threads that tortured her day and night, making her look pale and frail.

She sat on the high throne of a god expressionlessly, looking calm and aloof, but her eyes were dark gems. They were pure and compassionate. When one looked into her eyes, they would make one’s heart soften involuntarily. To put it bluntly, such a role needed someone unique. Someone who looked cold but possessed a pair of bright and expressive eyes.

Gu Yuwu had a few candidates in mind, but in the end, she thought none of them was suitable. One day, she suddenly thought of Lin Xiaowan.

Lin Xiaowan’s eyes were not particularly big, but they were bright and pure. One sometimes felt as though they were staring into the eyes of a puppy when they stared into her eyes, making people feel like getting closer to her.

With this thought in mind, Gu Yuwu began to compare all the actresses she met to Lin Xiaowan. As a result, she grew even more dissatisfied with the actresses she met.

There was a young actress who became popular recently. Her appearance just met the requirements, but her eyes were wrong. Her eyes betrayed her cunning and shrewdness.

The character of the goddess was complex. If Gu Yuwu cast someone so scheming, no one would like the character. If the character was turned into a villain, the entire storyline would collapse.

After that, Gu Yuwu kept thinking about Lin Xiaowan. She thought about Lin Xiaowan’s expressions when they were in the hospital. She really regretted scaring Lin Xiaowan with the stories from the entertainment industry.

Gu Yuwu even called Qiao You’an to test the water. Qiao You’an did not seem to have any objection and told her to speak to Lin Xiaowan directly. If Lin Xiaowan agreed, the family would not object.

For this reason, Gu Yuwu finally called Lin Xiaowan.

The Starlight Gala was a good chance to observe the people in the entertainment industry up close. She hoped that she could show Lin Xiaowan that the industry was not as chaotic as it seemed. Moreover, she had also been trying to reform the industry for a while now. It was indeed much better than before.

“Won’t it be too conspicuous if I follow you?” Lin Xiaowan asked.

It’s just like how Huo Zheng was at the center of attention wherever he went. He was too eye-catching. As a result, Lin Xiaowan would also be pulled into the limelight. This made her nervous and afraid to speak.

Gu Yuwu thought that Lin Xiaowan did not like the media so she said, “We vetted members of the press that are allowed into the venue. They’ll only take photos of the celebrities, not us.”

Lin Xiaowan was a little moved. The Starlight Gala did not sound very different from Huo Zheng’s annual banquet. She had watched a lot of variety shows, a few movies, and dramas, and she liked a few shows that Gu Yuwu mentioned.

Seeing the chance, Gu Yuwu said a few more words to persuade Lin Xiaowan. In the end, Lin Xiaowan agreed hesitantly.

The dress code for the gala was naturally different from that of the company’s annual banquet.

After Lin Xiaowan agreed, Gu Yuwu took the initiative to invite Lin Xiaowan to her house to pick a dress. She had entire floor dedicated to storing her clothes, which varied from casual wear to evening gowns.

Lin Xiaowan tilted her head slightly and said, “I have clothes I can wear to the gala at home…”

Although Lin Xiaowan had never attended such a formal and grand event, the Huo family worked with many designers. Although she did not wear them, many people would still send their custom designs to the house.

Gu Yuwu nodded. The Huo family was not short of money so this was not surprising.

“Alright. Are you at the Huo family’s old residence? I’ll pick you up. If not, I can give you my address, and you can pick me up. The red carpet will start at 5 PM. It’s going to be about -4 to -5 degrees; it’ll be freezing cold. We can go a little later so I can bring you in directly where it’s warm.”