End of January 2021. The air in the northwest courtyard of the Forbidden City felt cold but clear.
The pine trees shivered in the wind, and the warm steam from the jade cups on the dark red wooden table in the pavilion curled upwards.
Yang Mi, Reba, Liu Shishi, Zhao Liying, and Bai Lu sat in a circle. They were wearing casual winter clothes, but each of their auras still exuded authority.
Liu Shishi opened the conversation in a calm but serious tone.
"I received a report from Miss Cai," she said, placing the tablet on her lap.
"She said Chen Yuan held a meeting last night. Those in attendance included Chen Kaige, several directors from Beijing and Shanghai, as well as leaders from other agencies and investors. They discussed our Huayi Brothers, Jiaxing, and Tangren. It seems they're starting to target us.
Reba snorted softly, crossing her legs while swirling her teacup.
"They're just jealous because they can't produce quality projects like we do," she said with an indifferent tone, but her eyes were sharp.
Zhao Liying nodded, her chin raised slightly. "That's why they want to invest in every one of our projects. But we've been rejecting it all this time. They think we don't have our own funds? I'm not willing for them to profit from our hard work."
Bai Lu, sitting upright, played with the end of her scarf before speaking. "For every project I star in as the female lead, they contact Wang Zhongjun and Cai Yinong. They want to recommend the male lead from their actors. It's like we don't know their intention for spreading cheap CP gossip."
Zhao Liying raised an eyebrow.
"And now that Sister Bai Lu is semi-retired, Zhao Lusi has replaced her as the pillar of Huayi Brothers. They're directly targeting our drama starring Lusi."
Reba leaned back and took a deep breath. "I also received a report from Zhao Ruoxiao. They tried to recruit our actor. Even using dirty tactics—promising unspoken rules through their artists. Luckily, from the beginning, we prioritized the actors' characters, not just trying to persuade them."
Liu Shishi leaned forward, her voice lower as if to limit the noisy space.
"Honestly, they're lucky we prevented our husbands from getting involved in the entertainment industry. Otherwise... they would have been half to death with panic."
Yang Mi had been silent the whole time, staring at the courtyard that was still wet from last night's rain.
Only after everything was said and done did she lift her head.
"But I have a feeling there will be a lot of problems this year," she said softly but deeply.
"Yu Tian went to attend a meeting this morning. Brother Xi hasn't invited our husbands to a meeting in recent years unless it's a serious matter. Even during the Covid pandemic last year, he only visited us, it wasn't an official meeting."
Reba spontaneously turned her head quickly. "Do you think this is related to our world of practitioners?" "
The statement hung in the air. Four pairs of eyes exchanged glances; the silence suddenly felt heavy. No one answered, but their concern was evident.
The wind blew again, shaking the lanterns hanging in the pavilion.