After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret (GL, ABO) - Chapter 8
The next day was the scheduled time to sign the contract with Yijing Media. Chi Ye had arranged a car for Chu Jin, and as agreed, she was dropped off at the company building at 9 in the morning.
The company had someone waiting to receive her. The signing process went smoothly and quickly. Afterward, she was given a brief introduction to each department and finally met her agent.
Her agent was a woman in her forties named Liu Lu. It was said that she had managed quite a few popular celebrities and had a wide network of industry connections.
As soon as Liu Lu saw Chu Jin, she was very pleased. Chu Jin’s appearance was simply outstanding. Just from the photos and performance clips Liu Lu had seen before, she already believed Chu Jin had great potential. With proper packaging and as long as she didn’t stir up trouble, moving into second or third-tier celebrity status would be no problem at all.
Now that she had seen her in person, Liu Lu thought that Chu Jin might even have a chance at becoming a top-tier celebrity.
Chu Jin was also assigned a personal assistant. She was an intern who had just graduated, named Feng Peier, and she was a Beta. Most entertainment companies usually hired Beta assistants to avoid complications with artists during sensitive periods.
This made it easier to take care of the artists without being affected by outside pheromones.
Feng Peier wore her hair in a high ponytail and looked clever and energetic. When she saw Chu Jin, she stepped forward politely and greeted her.
“Hello Sister Jin, just call me Xiao Feng. If you need anything, just call me. I’ll be there anytime you need me.”
Chu Jin added her contact information. After finishing all the necessary procedures, she was about to get into the car to head home when Liu Lu called her.
She told her that a spot had just opened in an upcoming variety show, and the company had secured it for her. It would be a great way to increase her visibility.
However, it was a dating show.
For someone like Chu Jin, who had just signed with the company and had little experience, being given such an opportunity was already a great honor. There was no reason for her to turn it down.
Not long after she ended the call, Feng Peier sent her all the information about the show.
“Sister Jin, this show is funded by Senxi Investments. I heard they invested fifty million yuan. It’s quite a big production.”
The name of the investment company sounded familiar to Chu Jin, as if she had heard it somewhere before. She didn’t think too much about it and instead focused on the amount of money being invested.
It was common for variety shows to have budgets in the tens of millions since hiring celebrities usually came with a high price. But this particular show was said to feature only non-celebrities. In theory, it shouldn’t require that much funding. This likely meant that a large portion would be spent on post-production marketing. If she performed well, there was a good chance she could gain some public attention.
To avoid spoilers, the dating show would break away from the usual pre-recorded format and instead stream live. The show would air daily from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. This approach was intended to give viewers a stronger sense of realism and connection.
Because of the different format, the director had still assigned each participant a scripted character to prevent any unexpected issues during the broadcast.
Chu Jin was assigned the role of an elegant and intellectual woman who treated others gently and was considerate. She was not the type to draw much attention. In the end, she would not leave the show with a romantic partner, but she would develop close friendships with everyone.
Chu Jin immediately recognized the nature of the role. It was the kind of character that would not create much drama but could still safely attract some attention and quietly leave the show without problems.
For a newcomer like her, this was a safe option that left little room for mistakes.
She only needed to appear on screen and leave a good impression on the audience. That way, she would not attract any online hate, nor would she risk being linked in a scandal before transitioning to acting.
Still, she felt that spending fifty million yuan on the show was a bit of a waste.
It was likely that thirty or forty million of that amount would be spent on marketing. If her performance ended up being average, it would be a missed opportunity.
On the bright side, the lack of emotional entanglements in her storyline gave Chu Jin some peace of mind.
After all, she was technically married now. Even if it was a contract marriage, she felt it was necessary to let Chi Ye know that she would be participating in this kind of show.
As for how he would react, she had no idea.
Just as she was thinking about how to bring it up, her phone buzzed with a message.
Chi Ye asked, “Are you done for the day?”
Chu Jin replied right away.
“Yes yes”
She opened her saved sticker pack and sent a GIF of a cat nodding.
A moment later, he sent another message.
“I made a reservation at a restaurant.”
Chi Ye always gave off a cold and distant impression. His actual personality was a little proud as well. He never softened his tone when speaking. Fortunately, Chu Jin was already used to him. She understood what he meant. That simple sentence was his way of asking her to dinner, even if he did not say it directly.
Chu Jin smiled to herself and updated his contact name, then quickly typed back.
“Thank you for the treat, President Chi”
She added a sticker of a cat kneeling in gratitude.
At that moment, the driver must have received the restaurant location, as the car began heading in the other direction.
She thought the conversation had ended with the sticker, but a few minutes later, Chi Ye sent another message.
“Is that your cat?”
Chu Jin blinked in surprise, realizing that Chi Ye had mistaken the sticker for a photo of her actual pet. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s just a meme haha”
Proud President Chi: “Oh.”
After sending that one word, Chi Ye didn’t send any more messages. Chu Jin also put her phone away.
She lowered her eyes and unconsciously glanced at the ring on her finger. With her other hand, she gently rubbed the band. The diamond caught the light and sparkled with delicate brilliance. She couldn’t help but curve her lips into a soft smile.
When the car pulled up in front of a Western restaurant, Chu Jin entered and was surprised to see that Chi Ye was not alone.
Yan Sisi was also there.
What kind of awkward dinner was this supposed to be?
Chu Jin was completely confused.
As she approached the two of them, she smiled and said, “You two were going to have dinner, so why did you call me too?”
Wasn’t this just making her the third wheel?
As soon as she arrived, Chi Ye suddenly stood up and pulled out a chair for her.
“This dinner is Miss Yan’s treat,” Chi Ye explained.
Chu Jin wasn’t even paying attention to what Chi Ye said. She was too shocked by the fact that Chi Ye had pulled out a chair for her.
She was completely stunned. It wasn’t just that she felt flattered — she was downright startled.
But when she glanced at Yan Sisi, she immediately realized what was happening. They were acting again.
She remembered the promise she had made to Chi Ye in the car the last time. In front of Yan Sisi, she had agreed to play the role of a loving partner.
So when Chi Ye pulled out the chair, Chu Jin gave her a playful wink and said, “Thank you, wifey.”
Chi Ye’s eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly returned to her calm and composed expression.
“You’re welcome.”
Thankfully, it was a round table, so the three of them were seated in a circle and didn’t have to fuss over who sat closest to whom.
Despite how socially adaptable Chu Jin usually was, she genuinely didn’t know what to say in this situation.
She leaned her chin on her hand and casually looked around the restaurant’s décor, trying to appear relaxed.
“How was work today?” Chi Ye asked, unexpectedly breaking the silence.
Chu Jin saw that the question was directed at her and put down the glass she had just picked up. “It was alright. The company assigned me an experienced agent, and I also got a personal assistant.”
“An assistant?”
“She’s an intern. Seems like a decent girl.”
Chi Ye didn’t say anything more.
At that moment, Yan Sisi rested her chin on her hand and asked with amusement in her eyes, “Is she pretty?”
Chu Jin hadn’t expected Yan Sisi to jump into the conversation, especially with a question like that.
It was obvious she was trying to provoke jealousy from Chi Ye.
Of course, Chu Jin couldn’t answer directly, so instead of choosing yes or no, she cleverly gave an “or” response.
“She’s pretty sharp.”
Fortunately, the waiter began serving appetizers at that moment.
That brought a timely end to Yan Sisi’s line of questioning.
Chu Jin glanced sideways at Chi Ye and noticed that she didn’t seem the least bit upset by what Yan Sisi had just asked. Seeing that, Chu Jin decided she might as well bring up the dating show directly.
“By the way, the company has already lined up a variety show for me.”
“A dating show, right?” Yan Sisi said as she cut a small piece of foie gras and placed it into her mouth.
“Yes,” Chu Jin nodded. She saw that Chi Ye also showed no sign of surprise, so she looked between the two of them and asked, “You both already knew?”
This time, Chi Ye was the one who answered.
“Not only do we know,” she said, “we’ll be participating too.”