The Movie Queen's Mouth is Blessed - Chapter 36

“Now everyone knows Li Biying is throwing her weight around on the set, yet you still defend her. Is it because you’re afraid of offending her?” the reporter asked sharply.

Jiang Xiaobai, however, smiled. “If we both have powerful backing, why should I be afraid of her? Besides, has her throwing her weight around truly harmed anyone?” she raised an eyebrow and continued, “Perhaps it’s harder for those working with her. Still, from what I know, she pays her assistants more than the industry average. If the assistants are willing to stay, they accept these working conditions.”

“So, you’re saying that her throwing her weight around is justified?” The reporter was taken aback for a moment but quickly pressed on.

“That’s not what I’m saying, it’s what you’re implying. I don’t know if she has mistreated others, and most people don’t know the full story. We see and hear that she has high standards for material things and enjoys luxury. I don’t know if being luxurious is wrong. Still, if everyone had enough money, they wouldn’t refuse such enjoyment.”

The reporters fell silent momentarily before asking, “What do you think about what Jiang Bingqian and other whistleblowers have said?”

“I fully agree with what Senior Jiang said. As actors, we must be dedicated and focus on doing our best. In this aspect, Senior Li has done well, as Director Niu has praised her for her quick progress on set.” Jiang Xiaobai smiled and winked. “For an actor, delivering a good performance is the best way to meet the audience’s expectations. Of course, character is also important, especially for public figures who need to set a good example. But we are young, and as long as we put our hearts into it, we will strive to improve.”

“Xiaobai is right. Biying has performed well on set, and her acting has improved compared to her previous works. She usually passes her scenes in one or two takes. I believe those who have worked with her can attest to this,” Director Niu added, stepping forward. “As for throwing her weight around, it’s my first time working with her, and I haven’t seen it yet. But Biying has probably had a comfortable life since childhood, so she still retains some of her habits. I can’t say this is wrong, after all, it’s hard to go from luxury to frugality. We can’t expect someone to lower their living standards just because they’re making money, right?”

Director Niu ended with a rare joke.

“You said everyone who has worked with her knows her acting, but Director Hu only gave her a 6 out of 10. What do you say to that?” the reporter quickly found a counterpoint.

“What’s surprising about what Old Hu said? Have you ever seen him give anyone a high score?” Director Niu chuckled, countering the reporter.

The reporter was speechless.

Indeed, Director Hu was very picky and seemed to dislike young stars and fresh faces, often calling them “flower vases.” He preferred seasoned actors with intense acting skills.

Though perhaps not entirely satisfied with Director Niu and Jiang Xiaobai’s responses, the reporters at least received a positive reaction and could report back to their newspapers and magazines. They left without lingering.

As soon as they left, Jiang Xiaobai noticed the crew members looked at her with somewhat peculiar expressions.

Surprise, confusion, and even disdain was among them.

Director Niu, however, had a stern look as he scanned the room.

“Do you know what sharing in the glory and the loss means? Before the wrap of Legend of the Nine Heavens and its broadcast, any of your reputations will affect the reputation of the entire crew. If the crew fails, the months of effort you’ve put in will be wasted. Do you want to put in all that effort and have nothing to show?”

The crew’s expressions changed as if they were thinking about something.

“Why has Legend of the Nine Heavens attracted so much attention even before it’s fully shot? One reason is the script, but another is the cast! If the lead actress, Li Biying, is brought down, have you thought about the impact on the crew? Investors might pull out, we might face criticism, and all the scenes will have to be reshot, wasting time and money. Do you think you can afford that?”

At this point, the actors waiting for a spectacle began to panic.

Their status was not as high as Li Biying’s, and they had always looked up to her. Now that they knew Li Biying was in trouble, their first reaction was schadenfreude, even though they knew it wouldn’t benefit them.

But if they were to suffer, that was a different story!

An actor’s career is actually relatively short. Generally, a decade is considered long. After that, the types of roles available to them become much more limited. As they age, new stars and fresh faces will emerge, dramatically affecting their competitiveness in the entertainment industry.

In those ten years, how many works can they produce?

In a year, they might take on one or two TV dramas, a couple of movies, a few commercials, and a few variety shows. The sky is the limit.

How many of those works will genuinely succeed? Even if they do, as supporting actors, they might not gain much from it.

When you think about it, the number of opportunities for an actor to become famous is pitifully small.

Think about the stars who have become famous. The catalyst for their sudden rise to fame is usually just one or two successful works!

The success of a single drama can benefit all the actors involved!

For them, this big-budget production, Legend of the Nine Heavens, could be their chance to become famous overnight. Missing it because of Li Biying would be a huge loss!

Suppose they had said something negative about Li Biying in front of the reporters. Li Biying might have difficulty recovering in that case, but what about them? What would they gain?

Thinking about this, they were almost sweating with fear.

Jiang Xiaobai noticed that some were giving her grateful looks, realizing they had finally understood.

What she said to the reporters seemed to defend Li Biying, but it was to minimize the crew’s losses.

After all, for her, a “minor actress,” the success or failure of Legend of the Nine Heavens would determine her status, and she didn’t want it to fail.

“Xiaobai, what you said was great!” Director Niu patted Jiang Xiaobai’s shoulder, praising her quick thinking.

Jiang Xiaobai’s words were very skillful. She didn’t deny that Li Biying had been challenging to work with. Still, she pointed out that Li Biying’s assistants were paid well above the industry average. She also used “material enjoyment” to explain the situation in the photos.

When asked about Jiang Bingqian’s comments, she immediately agreed, saying that actors should focus on their roles. In this aspect, Li Biying had done well. This clarified the situation without offending Jiang Bingqian.