Chapter 359: I Don’t Dare

Chapter 359: Chapter 359: I Don’t Dare

"Isn’t that the same thing?" Wang Chenning was stunned. "Either way, you’re the one who comes out on top. I might as well just give up now."

"What do you mean, *I* come out on top!" Yang Xiaofei was furious. "A woman is willing to do something like that for you, and you think you’re getting the short end of the stick?"

Wang Chenning gave a wry smile. "Isn’t this making a mountain out of a molehill? Placing such a huge bet over something so trivial?"

Yang Xiaofei snapped, "Just tell me if you dare or not!"

"I don’t!"

"Useless!" Yang Xiaofei rolled her eyes. "You’re all talk, making yourself sound so impressive."

Wang Chenning replied with a smug look, "Of course I’m good with my mouth. Otherwise..."

Yang Xiaofei immediately blushed and couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Wang Chenning. "You pervert! I still haven’t gotten even with you for what happened that night!"

"I’m driving! Don’t get handsy, you’re endangering public safety, you know?" Wang Chenning slapped her hand away. "Fine, you can just get me back the same way next time."

"In your dreams!" Yang Xiaofei turned her head away and started ignoring him.

Wang Chenning drove the car straight into the parking lot of the Li Garden Hall.

Zhao Xiao’an had already arrived before them. When she saw the two of them get out of the car, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I went with my grandpa to have dinner at Xiaofei’s grandpa’s place. During dinner, she overheard me saying I was preparing to sign a group of actors. She’s also interested in investing in the entertainment industry, so she came along to take a look," Wang Chenning explained calmly, then told Zhao Xiao’an that his grandfather was returning to Chang’an the day after tomorrow.

He was planning to accompany his grandfather sightseeing tomorrow and asked if Zhao Xiao’an would be willing to be their guide, since he wasn’t familiar with Yandu.

This earned him an eye-roll from Yang Xiaofei.

Zhao Xiao’an glanced at Yang Xiaofei before replying to Wang Chenning, "I have half a day free tomorrow. How about I take you to the Summer Palace or the Forbidden City tomorrow morning?"

Wang Chenning nodded. "Let’s do the Summer Palace, then. My grandpa is quite interested in landscape gardens. We’re planning to renovate a manor back home, so we can take some inspiration from the style of the imperial gardens."

"I’m free tomorrow afternoon. I can take you to Yuanming Garden!" Yang Xiaofei offered. "You can also take inspiration from its garden style."

"Thank you for your enthusiasm, my two beautiful ladies." Wang Chenning grinned, looking first at Yang Xiaofei, then at Zhao Xiao’an, who was giving him an eye-roll. ’I’m feeling a little on cloud nine!’

Just then, Zheng Qiuhang came over to greet them. Her smile was brilliant, but she was very respectful as she greeted Zhao Xiao’an and Yang Xiaofei. She repeatedly complimented them on how beautiful they looked today, saying it made her feel inadequate.

She then told Wang Chenning that Yang Xiaomi and a few of her friends were already waiting for him in a private room, asking when he wanted to see them.

"My two beauties, how about you act as my consultants and see which artists are worth signing?" Wang Chenning made an inviting gesture toward Zhao Xiao’an and Yang Xiaofei.

Zheng Qiuhang also made an inviting gesture and led the way.

Yang Xiaofei and Zhao Xiao’an didn’t throw a fit, instead accompanying Wang Chenning to the private room he often used.

In the private room, a beautifully dressed Yang Xiaomi sat drinking tea and chatting with four equally beautiful young women and three handsome young men. When they saw the group enter, all seven candidates quickly stood up and greeted them respectfully.

Yang Xiaofei and Zhao Xiao’an nodded in greeting, then asked Zheng Qiuhang to prepare some tea for them. They found a spot a little further away to sit down, ready to watch the show.

Yang Xiaomi hadn’t expected Wang Chenning to bring two beautiful companions. She had, of course, heard of Yang Xiaofei and Zhao Xiao’an.

’The status and position of these two beautiful women are on a completely different level from mine. Their aura and beauty make me feel inadequate in comparison.’

’Yang Xiaomi knew perfectly well that if Yang Xiaofei and Zhao Xiao’an were willing to act in movies or television, with their beauty and the resources at their disposal, it would be difficult for them *not* to become famous.’

’It’s just that they look down on being mere performers.’

’Even though she was a big star in the eyes of others, to these true aristocrats, she was just a lowly entertainer.’

A few of the candidates didn’t know the identities of Yang Xiaofei and Zhao Xiao’an, but the powerful auras and stunning looks of the two women still made them feel immense pressure.

A few sharp-eyed individuals had already recognized Zhao Xiao’an and knew she was the star host of the state television network.

The caliber of a state television host was undoubtedly high, not to mention that Zhao Xiao’an was their star host, a pillar of the network.

One of the young men immediately stood up, introduced himself, and expressed his admiration for Zhao Xiao’an.

"Miss Zhao, I love watching your show. I never thought I’d get to meet you in person today! I was wondering if I could get a picture with you?"

Zhao Xiao’an smiled. "If you can get signed with Cyan Bird Film and Television, then of course!"

The man was taken aback for a moment, then immediately thanked her. "Thank you, Miss Zhao!"

Wang Chenning ignored them, pulling up a stool and sitting down next to Yang Xiaomi.

Zheng Qiuhang also sat down next to Wang Chenning, taking out a notebook to take notes.

"Tell me about them," Wang Chenning said, gesturing to the four women and three men sitting across from them, looking a bit nervous.

"Of course, Young Master Wang!" Yang Xiaomi cleared her throat and began to introduce them to Wang Chenning one by one.

The actors Yang Xiaomi had found weren’t famous, high-traffic stars. Three of them were recent graduates she had scouted from the film academy. The others hadn’t been in the business for long either, with only two having had any significant public exposure.

These two actresses with higher exposure had been in some decent productions before. However, after they refused to play by the industry’s "unspoken rules," they were more or less blacklisted and had barely filmed anything since.

After listening to Yang Xiaomi’s introductions, Wang Chenning had a general idea of the situation.

These four women and three men all had strong personalities and were unwilling to compromise their principles. Furthermore, they all had good potential.

With each introduction, Yang Xiaomi had the person perform a scene on the spot, and then she would play a clip from their proudest work.

After everyone had been introduced, Yang Xiaomi asked them to go rest in the next room for a bit.

After the seven of them bowed politely and went to the next room, she spoke again. "Young Master Wang, these seven people have one thing in common: they have basically no scandals. Their résumés are clean. Also, their talent is quite good. If they’re given a chance, they should be able to make it big!"

"What do you all think?" Wang Chenning asked Yang Xiaofei, Zhao Xiao’an, and Zheng Qiuhang.

Yang Xiaofei was the first to state her opinion. "From a business perspective, these people are all pretty good!"

Zhao Xiao’an held a similar view.

Zheng Qiuhang also felt that the seven of them were all decent and that they could sign all of them.

Yang Xiaomi was overjoyed to hear this, but she didn’t know what Wang Chenning’s stance was.

"Alright then, let’s keep them all!" Wang Chenning said with a chuckle. "I know you all share a common concern. You’re afraid I’ll go after the women, or that they’ll try to seduce me, right?"

This made Yang Xiaomi freeze.

Wang Chenning continued, "If I’d brought in some unscrupulous artists, you wouldn’t be worried, would you?"

And with that, Yang Xiaomi understood what Wang Chenning meant, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.