Female celebrities never promote products. Besides worrying about a mishap that could ruin their public image and career, the main reason is the fear of it affecting their endorsement deals.
Just think, if you're online all day selling some obscure skincare brand, would a major skincare brand ever ask you to be their spokesperson?
Without endorsements, your commercial value plummets. Why would the company allocate its best resources to you then?
Bosses open companies to make money, not to do charity!
Ni Bingyan's willingness to promote products for the local impoverished residents free of charge deeply moved everyone in Wutong County. Even the county magistrate met with her personally, offering half an hour of heartfelt praise.
The film crew was also happy to see it happen. After all, everything was being faithfully recorded. When the movie was released, they could edit it into a behind-the-scenes feature to use as a post-credits scene. It would also be useful for promotions.
Whether she had a successful career in the future was her own business. For now, what she was doing benefited the crew, and that made it a good thing for the crew.
It wasn't that no one wanted to give her a bit of advice, but in front of so many people, what she was doing was so politically correct. Who could possibly stop her?
The group finally arrived at the inn. The moment they set down their suitcases, Peng Huan squeezed into the room and shut the door behind her.
It had to be said, there was a reason she was so well-liked in the industry.
She treated people with genuine sincerity. And even though ungrateful people were a common sight, there were ultimately more good-hearted people in the world.
Before Ni Bingyan could even say hello, she sighed and sat down, looking like she was settling in for a long talk.
"Do you have any idea what the consequences of this will be? Don't ruin your own future just because you got caught up in the moment!"
"From now on, when people mention you, they'll just see 'the girl who sells potatoes.' With such a down-to-earth image, how can you ever be associated with Fashion?"
"Luxury clothing, jewelry, watches, cosmetics, handbags... all those amazing resources that other actresses scramble for will be completely out of your reach."
"Relying on just your acting salary, how much can you really make?"
"Forget everything else. Your take-home pay from staying in this backwater mountain for so long probably won't even match what you'd get for endorsing a budget-friendly, domestic brand of facial cleanser."
"You're nearly 1.7 meters tall and have a great image. If you just focus on your career, you'll be drowning in endorsement deals. You shouldn't get involved in this kind of thing! If you really can't stand seeing the poverty here, you can donate money or supplies! You could even fund a school! Anything would be better than this!"
Peng Huan pleaded earnestly.
She admitted that the people here had hard lives, but there were so many suffering people in the world!
If you tried to help every single one you saw, how could you possibly manage?
Seeing that Peng Huan was starting to treat her like some kind of bleeding-heart saint, Ni Bingyan chuckled. "Sister Huanhuan, I know you're worried about me, and I understand all of this. But some things just need to be done, and I won't regret my choice."
'She couldn't just tell her that, based on her experience from another world, the entertainment industry was currently a chaotic mess, completely driven by money. The government would inevitably tighten its regulations sooner or later. Doing more things like this would only help, not hurt, right?'
'From a personal development standpoint, it wasn't wrong for celebrities to focus on their commercial value. But if they ignored their social value and became completely obsessed with money, they were bound to suffer a huge loss sooner or later.'
'If Peng Huan were an actress, given how she was trying to advise me, I would have given her a heads-up in return. But she was a behind-the-scenes crew member, so there was no need to get into all that with her.'
'Otherwise, if she asked, "How do you know? Did you hear some inside information from your father?" what could I possibly say? That I just guessed?'
'Besides, I genuinely want to do something for this place. I'm not just putting on a show. Actions are enough. Why say so much?'
"Sigh. You're young now, you don't understand these things. You will when you're older!"
Seeing that it wasn't a matter of ignorance, but rather that Ni Bingyan had high moral standards and genuinely wanted to sacrifice herself to help others, Peng Huan sighed and prepared to leave.
'If I kept trying to persuade her, I'd start to feel like a despicable person myself.'
"Sister Huanhuan, don't go! I know you're just looking out for me. If you weren't such a good person, you wouldn't be telling me all this. You've had a long day. Come on, take a break. Let me treat you to some lemon tea. My dad made it himself—it's fragrant and sweet, not bitter at all!"
Seeing her appreciation, Peng Huan let out a quiet sigh of relief and sat back down. She still couldn't bear to watch the girl knowingly walk into a trap, so she added a few more words.
"Just don't think I'm being selfish. But that's just how society is. 'Every man for himself,' as they say. What's wrong with looking out for your own interests? You have to protect yourself before you can help others, don't you agree?"
Ni Bingyan smiled and nodded. "You're right! That's why, Sister Huanhuan, you have to make sure you film me beautifully. That way, some discerning Sugar Daddies will come looking for me with endorsement deals!"
'Those brands who announce a new spokesperson only for them to be hit with a career-ending scandal must be miserable. One day, they'll realize that a spokesperson like me is the most reliable choice.'
'Besides, I'm still young. Even if the world doesn't develop the way I predict, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the people I've helped will have truly benefited.'
'Sometimes, a person just needs to do something meaningful with their life.'
"You don't have to tell me that! Honestly, being friends with someone who has such high moral standards is really reassuring. There's so much backstabbing and deceit in this industry. You're constantly on guard against everyone, and it's exhausting."
Peng Huan would never have spoken to her like this before. Ni Bingyan chuckled. "I'm just a bit naive. Seeing people in such poverty for the first time... it just didn't sit right with me. I'm not as great as you make me out to be. On the other hand, someone like you who can be so genuine with me—now that's what I call a rare and valuable friend."
As she spoke, she opened her suitcase and pulled out a pineapple-sized glass jar. She gave the bottom of the jar a firm tap and then twisted off the lid.
The room instantly filled with a sweet, lemony fragrance.
Being praised so sincerely, even Peng Huan, who had developed a thick skin from her years in the industry, felt a little embarrassed. She quickly changed the subject.
"Your family's restaurant is impossible to get a reservation for! I finally managed to book a table once, but then I had to go on a business trip. In all these years, the timing has never worked out. Tell me, is your dad's cooking really as amazing as they say?"
The nouveau riche love to treat guests to lavish seafood feasts paired with Western cuisine and red wine. But the big shots in the entertainment industry, who fancy themselves more cultured, prefer places with a certain class when they host. That, combined with their need for privacy, is why they've always favored private kitchens.
Peng Huan had a real talent for capturing a star's best features. Whenever she was behind the camera, celebrities always looked more photogenic. That's why she was so sought-after in the industry, with many directors inviting her to work with them. Her willingness to take on this low-budget arthouse film was due to her good relationship with Liu Zhicheng, who had connected her with the project.
After a decade in the business, Peng Huan had one foot in that circle of industry bigwigs. She had long been hearing about this particular private kitchen in Rongcheng City—a highly-regarded establishment that had been open for decades—and had always wanted to go.
She had only learned about Ni Bingyan's family background a few days ago from the trending topics online. They had been so focused on work since meeting that there hadn't been a chance to discuss personal matters. Now that this incident had brought them closer, it was the perfect opportunity to chat.
"Of course! Let me tell you, I never have to diet to maintain my weight, because I'm so used to my dad's cooking that I'm never tempted to overeat anything else. Haha!"
"Look at you, all smug! If it hadn't blown up on the trending topics, I would've never known! And here I thought we were friends! I've known you for years, and you never once offered to take me home for a free meal!"
'It's hard for outsiders to get a reservation, but his own daughter can surely eat whatever she wants when she goes home!'
'The thought alone was enough to make her slap her thigh in regret!'
"You're so thin, I thought you were some fairy who lives on morning dew. I never would've guessed you were such a foodie! Besides, you're so busy—the moment one job ends, the next one is already waiting. You're nothing like a lazy bum like me, who works for six months and then rests for six. Even if I wanted to ask you out, you'd have to have the time!"
After her playful remark, Ni Bingyan served the lemon tea and explained, "My dad knows a lot of senior figures in the industry. If I went around using his name to get ahead and then did a poor job, wouldn't that just embarrass him? It's much more reliable to depend on myself and build my career one steady step at a time."
Peng Huan winked, her expression screaming, 'I get it, I get it.' But inwardly, she was thinking, 'This kid really is an adorable simpleton. I'll have to keep an eye on her. If she stays this naive, she's going to get taken advantage of so many times.'
'Nowadays, not even knowing how to use your connections... what a silly child!'
While Peng Huan was here worrying her heart out, the 'silly child's' mind was full of delicious food, and she was still bragging smugly.
"You really missed out on the golden age. Back when my grandpa was still alive, if you'd come home with me for a meal, I guarantee you would've forgotten what meat tastes like for three months! Ah, my dad still has a long way to go!"
Her grandfather had been a formidable man, still cooking in the kitchen at eighty years old. A lifetime of experience combined with continuous research had made his skills extraordinary. Ni Bingyan felt not a shred of guilt as she boasted.
"Your grandfather?"
Peng Huan was curious.
"My grandpa? He used to be a state banquet chef. Not only was he a master of Sichuan cuisine, but he was proficient in other regional styles as well. When I was little, my dad was always busy with work, so Grandpa cooked for me. I could go a whole month without eating the same dish twice."
Those wonderful memories all seemed to have a flavor of their own, making her smack her lips unconsciously.
"Stop, stop! It's a deal, then. As soon as we have a holiday, I'm going home with you for a feast! In return, I guarantee I'll make you look like a one-of-a-kind, out-of-this-world, drop-dead gorgeous super-beauty! My camera skills, your dad's cooking... we'll call it a 'shutter-for-supper' deal!"
This woman was hilarious!
Ni Bingyan laughed so hard she pounded on the table!