1628 You're Still Young

Shi Xiaoya's eyes widened momentarily.

"You don't seem surprised." Han Zhuoling glanced at her while driving.

He smirked slightly at Shi Xiaoya's indifference.

"It's not like I haven't experienced this before. Competition's rife ever since I started in the industry. Clients used to be the ones doing the picking, not me. Even doing makeup for a C-list celebrity was a rare opportunity for me, what more an award-winning actress." Shi Xiaoya was rather cool when speaking of the past.

Since these things were over and done with.

"There was this time when we were competing to be part of a movie production crew a couple of years back. It was 'Son of Heaven' directed by Li Mingguan, and his movies were hard to come by. Moreover, Gao Zishan, Dong Qinrong, and two other award-winning actors were in the cast too. Another makeup artist and I were fighting for the chance, and we were both recommended by two different senior celebrities. But the most the veteran actors did was put in a couple of good words for me, and I worked hard for the rest of it."

Shi Xiaoya smiled wryly. "So I was dragged through the mud plenty back then. That was the first time I knew that one could employ paid commenters to fight your opponents and increase your chances of winning."

"I remember you entered the team eventually?" Han Zhuoling asked.

He didn't know who her opponent then was, but if he recalled correctly, Shi Xiaoya had made a name for herself because of that movie.

She got nominated for the Best Makeup Award in the Huayi Awards, but because she was new, she lost to another veteran in the industry.

Many awards within the country were like this. They focused on your status, connections, power, and experience. Capability was ranked last.

He didn't pay much attention then, only knowing that Shi Xiaoya got nominated but never won.

"Yep." Shi Xiaoya nodded. "People were criticizing me every day, and I didn't have a good mentality like I do now. Plus, I didn't know that they were paid commenters, so I was pretty miserable. Especially stressed too, and I'd hide at home when I'm not working and cut contact with the outside world. Rather than unwilling, I'd say that I was afraid."

At that time, the paid commenters were saying the worst things one could think of.

That she sold her body for the position, that she was having an ambiguous relationship with her mentor Liu Jingping, or that she had a messy private life, making use of male stars to get makeup opportunities, or that she was mediocre at doing makeup but excellent in bed, etc., etc.

And many believed these slanders back then.

"Qin Zigou pressured Weibo and got these topics deleted. My brother went to investigate who the culprit was, and my mentor personally went to talk to the production crew before I finally succeeded in getting in," Shi Xiaoya said sadly. "But I never felt like I won.

"I was rather depressed back then, thinking that I was useless. I didn't have the ability and ended up depending on my friend, my brother, and my mentor for me to succeed. If I'd depended on my own abilities, I would've failed miserably."

"You wouldn't have." Han Zhuoling tapped lightly on the steering wheel. "If you didn't have the skill, you wouldn't have made a name for yourself even if you were forced onto the production team. You're still young back then."

Han Zhuoling paused and realized that that was so.