Chapter 116: Miao Xiaomiao

After Jiang Sui handled Xuanxuan’s school arrangements, she too returned to interviews and audition work. During the earlier wave of public controversy, she had gone invisible on the hot-search lists and pulled down every trending topic about her, so online chatter had recently become relatively calm. The dirt about Bai Xixue and Ji Sicheng that had been exposed was suppressed, but it was still a favorite topic of conversation for many people over tea.

Because of that scandal, Qiangsheng Group was trying hard to restore its image. It was said that Ji Sicheng stayed in meetings until very late every day. After he recovered from that incident, he would probably start investigating who had been working against him from behind the scenes. Jiang Sui, too, wanted to take that calm window—before anyone could interfere again—to push her career forward.

“Hello, Sui-sis. I’m your new assistant.”
The girl before her had glossy black eyes and a sweet chin-length bob haircut. She looked adorable, like a small kitten. Yet right after she greeted her, she instinctively stepped back, and her eyes on Jiang Sui carried a trace of fear.

“This is Miao Xiaomiao. She’ll be your assistant from now on,” Shi Heng said. “You should have gone through her file. Xiaomiao, from now on, follow Sui-sis properly, okay?” He looked at Xiaomiao again.

Jiang Sui sized the girl up. The file said she was twenty-two, but she looked no older than a teenager. She had looked over the file, found the name interesting, and because she looked so cute, had decided to keep her. She never expected—

Jiang Sui’s lips lifted faintly at seeing that fear in her. Quite interesting.
“Are you Xiaomiao?” Jiang Sui studied her face.

Xiaomiao stepped back at once. “Sui-sis, I don’t think this job is suitable for me. Maybe… you could choose someone else?”
She had only moved back one step when Jiang Sui caught her wrist. Xiaomiao looked from Jiang Sui’s slender, pale wrist up to the face beneath that naturally filtered beauty. That pair of eyes held hers deeply.

A shiver ran through her. She was both frightened and shy.

“Don’t worry. I think you’re very suitable. From today, you stay with me.” Jiang Sui said.

Xiaomiao frowned at the hand still holding her wrist. A fear seemed to strike her soul.
“Y-yes,” she whispered.

Shi Heng hesitated for a moment. Strange—had he misheard? Why did that girl’s voice tremble? Of course, he decided, he must have imagined it.

A girl like Xiaomiao shouldn’t be afraid of Jiang Sui. Jiang Sui wasn’t frightening at all.

“I’m going to audition now, so you come with me.” Jiang Sui let go of her wrist.
Xiaomiao’s hand trembled faintly. “Yes, Sui-sis.”

In her thoughts she sighed: I only wanted to get a job and buy a can of food, and somehow I ended up meeting someone so huge. The kind of aura this person has is terrifying.

Shi Heng checked the time. “It’s almost time. Let’s go.” As Jiang Sui’s manager—and this was her first audition since signing—Shi Heng took it seriously, and he spent the way there talking through the script with her.

“This is a period drama. I secured you an audition for the female lead. You already read the script: it’s a palace romance and power struggle about a woman who enters the palace as a concubine and eventually becomes the emperor’s only cherished one. She is his White Moonlight, and he would rather abandon three thousand beauties for her, which draws in all the ladies of the inner court.

When there are that many women, rivalry is inevitable. If you don’t play the lead, it’s hard to leave a deep impression. Try for the lead first; if it doesn’t work, then at least try for the second or third female role.”

In Shi Heng’s view, Jiang Sui was beautiful; in a palace drama, even as a decorative role, a director would still want her. His heart was set on the main heroine, but he had no certainty Jiang Sui could actually win it.