Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 23

23: Gu Xi’s Critical Hit

As soon as Gu Xi stepped off the plane, her groggy mind began to clear. She swore she never wanted to fly again after this. Once the initial excitement faded, she turned to Cheng Zixi and asked, “What’s Sister Xi planning to do next?”

Cheng Zixi sighed and said, “I’m heading to City B for location scouting, hoping to find some inspiration for writing.”

Gu Xi almost blurted out “me too” but caught herself, quickly changing her words. “Sister Xi, are you a writer?”

“Not quite a writer.” Cheng Zixi replied with a shake of her head. “I’m just a struggling screenwriter at the bottom of the industry.”

Lan Qingxue’s eyes carried a hint of scrutiny as she suddenly asked, “Which company do you work for?”

“AC Media,” Cheng Zixi answered with a bitter smile. “I’ve been at it for years, but I haven’t made a name for myself. I’m about to give up, but this time, I want to give it one last shot.”

Lan Qingxue lowered her head in thought, while Gu Xi was surprised to learn that Cheng Zixi worked for their rival company. AC Media had countless screenwriters, and without standing out or enduring the grind, breaking through was nearly impossible. Unlike actors, who could at least rely on good looks and decent acting to gain some recognition, screenwriters had it tough.

Seeing the once bright and cheerful older sister figure in such low spirits, Gu Xi couldn’t help but feel sympathy. “Sister Xi, why don’t you…”

Lan Qingxue frowned and quickly patted Gu Xi’s shoulder, cutting her off. She took over the conversation, asking, “How much time is left on your contract?”

Gu Xi paused, realizing they couldn’t reveal too much about their purpose here, no matter how familiar the other person was. In the business world, anyone could be a potential enemy.

“One year left,” Cheng Zixi replied, her eyes downcast. “I’ll give it one last try before it expires. If I still can’t make it, I’ll probably give up and return to my hometown. My parents want me to get married and start a family. I’m 33 already—I can’t afford to keep chasing this dream.” Her tone was heavy with resignation, clearly unwilling to accept her fate.

“Sister Xi, you’ve got this! I believe in you!” Gu Xi could only offer words of encouragement for now. She thought that once Cheng Zixi’s contract was up, she might be able to invite her to join Luo Ningshuang’s company.

Cheng Zixi managed a smile. “I’m fine, I’m used to it. By the way, which hotel are you staying at? How about we go together?”

“Tai’an Hotel,” Lan Qingxue said, her lips curling slightly as she studied Cheng Zixi. “Are you sure you want to join us? The prices there are…”

Cheng Zixi caught the look in Lan Qingxue’s eyes and frowned. “I have company reimbursement. You seem… Never mind. You guys go ahead. I’ll stay at another hotel. Sorry for the trouble.”

Seeing her reaction, Lan Qingxue began to doubt her suspicions. Could it really just be a coincidence?

“I might’ve been overthinking things.” Lan Qingxue admitted. “Send her a text and apologize for me.”

Gu Xi nodded and typed out a message: Sorry, my friend didn’t mean it. She’s actually really nice, just a bit protective of me. Let’s hang out next time?

Cheng Zixi replied instantly: Silly, I’m not upset. Let’s keep in touch!

Gu Xi smiled after reading the message. “All good, Sister Xi isn’t mad.”

Lan Qingxue nodded. She wasn’t unreasonable, and her earlier behavior had been a bit impolite, so an apology was warranted. “Let’s head back to the hotel and rest. We’ll discuss our next steps tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

After returning to the hotel, they had a simple meal and rested early.

The next day at 9 a.m., LS dropped several bombshell announcements: they had acquired a talent agency, partnered with Blue Sky Media, and would establish LS Media in half a month.

The major news instantly overshadowed the negative rumors from the past few days. As soon as the stock market opened, LS’s stock hit the daily limit.

— What the heck is going on?! I shouldn’t have sold last week… Massive loss!
— Idiot, don’t you know the strong stay strong?
— The guy above is just showing off, right?
— I bet LS planned this. We’re just leeks getting harvested left and right.
— I’m done with the stock market.
— Rumor has it, this stock won’t last long. The agency LS acquired is an empty shell—all its artists have jumped ship. If they can’t sign new talent, it’s over. Plus, AC Media won’t make it easy for them to sign anyone. Take my advice: cash out while you can!

…

Ding! Congratulations, Author Ji. Due to Luo Ningshuang’s influence, your reputation is starting to rise. (Reward: 1 Lucky Point)
Ding! Author Ji failed to sell the film rights. (Reward: 0) Please keep working hard to complete the task.

Total Lucky Points: 14/100

The system’s notification jolted Gu Xi awake. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and after a moment, bolted upright in shock. “What?! Failed?!”

“What failed?” Lan Qingxue asked, walking into Gu Xi’s room with breakfast in hand. She set it on the table, looking puzzled.

Gu Xi, feeling a bit guilty, forced a smile. “Nothing, just a bad dream. I’ll get up now, Sister Qingxue. Give me a sec!”

“Hey, you don’t have to rush…” Lan Qingxue called out, but Gu Xi had already thrown off the covers and dashed to the bathroom in her slippers.

Shaking her head in amusement, Lan Qingxue found it curious how someone as fastidious as Luo Ningshuang could get along so well with Gu Xi.

While brushing her teeth, Gu Xi stared at the system panel floating before her. She opened her phone with one hand and saw a message from her friend.

Friend: Sorry, we were supposed to sign together, but out of nowhere, AC Media swooped in and said they’d sign us. Now other companies are too scared to touch us. AC also said if you don’t sign, I can forget about selling my film rights.
Friend: Haha, do they think I’m stupid? This reeks of a scheme. Don’t stress, I’ve got money. Selling film rights doesn’t matter to me.

Gu Xi hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. In her previous life, she had been a renowned screenwriter. How could she let her friend get blacklisted because of her?

As for her friend’s claim of having money, Gu Xi didn’t buy it. A couple of years ago, her friend had complained about her savings being drained because her parents demanded money to buy a house for her younger brother. Even now, her parents frequently asked her for living expenses, which were actually funneled to her brother.

It was blatant favoritism. Thinking back, it wasn’t until her friend sold her film rights and skyrocketed to fame that Gu Xi heard rumors accusing her of being unfilial and neglecting her parents.

But netizens didn’t buy it and fiercely defended her, which finally made her parents back off a bit.

After washing up, Gu Xi asked the system, “Besides helping me earn Lucky Points, what else can you do?”

Ding! Author Ji, you’re so greedy. Luck is more valuable than anything else. Considering your questionable intelligence, the system will unlock the Analysis function for free.

Friendly Reminder: Using the Analysis function once costs 2 Lucky Points. After the next system update, more functions will be unlocked, but Author Ji won’t be able to use them yet. The system is still in testing and requires significant time. Unlocking each skill consumes a large number of Lucky Points.

Analysis function activated. Use it? Yes/No (Costs 2 Lucky Points)

“Come on, at least explain what Analysis does!” Gu Xi grumbled. There should at least be a manual, right?

Ding! This is an untested skill, so there’s no clear explanation. Would Author Ji like to activate it?

Two points… Gu Xi hesitated, reluctant to spend them. But Lucky Points could be earned again, and figuring out AC Media’s intentions was critical.

“Yes.” Gu Xi said through gritted teeth.

Analysis function activated. 2 Lucky Points deducted. Remaining: 12 Points.

Ding! The system has detected that all of AC Media’s actions are targeted at LS. Since LS can boost Author Ji’s reputation, the system issues a task: Thwart the conspiracy and sign Author PrincessWantsToHarmMe. (Reward: 10 Points)

“Haha, I didn’t expect it to detect tasks too! This isn’t a loss at all! As long as I sign Princess, everything will be fine!” Gu Xi shouted excitedly, oblivious to Lan Qingxue standing behind her, looking at her with pity in her eyes, as if she thought Luo Ningshuang had befriended a lunatic.

Gu Xi: Let’s meet and talk. Head to City J first. I’ll find you after I’m done here. Trust me, I won’t let you get blacklisted like this.
Friend: Okay.

When Gu Xi turned around, she nearly flung her phone at Lan Qingxue’s face in shock. Clutching her chest, she said, “Sister, why didn’t you make a sound? You scared me to death!”

Ding! Author Ji’s intelligence is questionable. The system already warned you—there’s no need to speak out loud; the system knows.

Gu Xi: Get lost.

“Gu Xi, eat breakfast first, then we’ll talk.” Lan Qingxue said calmly, stepping out of the bathroom.

Gu Xi wasn’t sure what she wanted to discuss and worried Lan Qingxue might have noticed something. She felt uneasy during breakfast.

“Gu Xi, no need to be nervous. Alright, alright, I was a bit too serious and scared you, didn’t I? Sorry.” Lan Qingxue said, noticing Gu Xi’s discomfort. She was used to being stern at work and hadn’t realized her tone.

Gu Xi smiled, relieved she hadn’t been found out. “It’s fine, I’m not that fragile.”

“Good. Do you remember the first time we met?” Lan Qingxue asked, softening her tone.

Gu Xi nodded. “Yeah, why?”

Lan Qingxue explained, “Back then, I felt like you wanted to tell me something but held back, probably because Luo Ningshuang was there. Can you tell me now?”

Jackpot! Gu Xi’s eyes lit up. “If I tell you, don’t tell Luo Ningshuang, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a blabbermouth.”

Gu Xi began, “So, I’m an author on Jinjiang. My writing’s pretty decent, and I wanted to ask if I could sell my work to you.”

“Oh, that’s all? I thought it was something big!” Lan Qingxue chuckled. “Tell me about your work, and I’ll take a look.”

“CEO’s Domineering Love!”

Lan Qingxue: “…” What’s with this intense CEO romance vibe?

She found Gu Xi’s work online. Its performance was decent, nothing spectacular. After reading a bit, Lan Qingxue shook her head and sighed.

Gu Xi’s heart sank. It must be terrible if even Lan Qingxue was shaking her head.

“It’s interesting and suits a wide audience. It’s relaxing to read, but if it’s adapted into a drama, it won’t make money. The plot’s too predictable, lacking unique hooks. It’s good for stressed-out workers to unwind, but that’s about it.”

Gu Xi, who had been lukewarm at best, felt utterly crushed by the critique.