The next day, in the Star Entertainment Corporation building, Su Li asked where the coffee she had ordered was. She was sitting with a heavy-set man, and a moment later a woman handed her the coffee, looking embarrassed.
Su Li told Director Wan that she would be waiting for good news.
He took her by the waist and told her not to worry, because he knew perfectly well that the leading actress had to be her, and nobody else could compare with her, Su Li.
She replied that she hoped to receive the notification soon, because once the film was finished she would certainly reward the director well.
Somebody knocked at the door. The director shouted for them to come in, and a young woman with pink hair told him that the child actress Lulu had entered the company building and would be up in a moment.
The director told her to hurry and invite his little actress in, because the entire box office of this film depended on her. To get Lulu, he said, he had spent an enormous amount of money, and he was even capable of signing that talented child star for his movie; only Lulu's fans could make the ticket sales skyrocket.
Su Li asked whether Lulu was really so important, and whether she wasn't just a little girl — what was so great about her?
The director said that of course she was: a talented child star returned from abroad, absolutely first class. Lulu had many important scenes with the female lead, and he believed the two of them would get along well and develop a good relationship, which would be a great help to Su Li's own acting career.
Su Li said that in a little while she would send her assistant to buy the most delicious snacks and comfort the little sweetheart, because she only had one girl to coax, and that wouldn't be a very difficult task.
Downstairs in the Star Entertainment building the little genius Lulu walked in with all her fans around her, saying lovely things to her as she passed.
Somebody was holding a phone and could see and hear everything they were saying to the little genius. In the underground parking there was a vehicle, and inside it sat Su Fu, Manman and the little doctor. Su Fu said that this was exactly what she expected from her Lulu, and that the camera was picking it all up very clearly.
And then they saw the ridiculous Su Li. She was saying how adorable the child was while trying to get close to her, and the little genius told her aunt that the makeup on her face was bothering her.
Su Li stepped aside. How dare that stinking girl embarrass her in front of so many people, she thought. If it weren't for this film she would never have stooped to any of this. It was the first time she was going to work on a big-budget movie, and she had spent enormous sums pleasing the director, so she could not lose the opportunity because of a brat.
Then Su Li told little Lulu that she was sorry and that it was all her fault, and showed her what her big sister had bought for her. Children could not resist the temptation of snacks, she thought; however hard it might be, she was still just a little girl; wouldn't this whole matter be settled in a few minutes?
Little Lulu looked delighted. "Wow, how many delicious strawberries!" And she asked the girl behind her to pack them all up and take them out to the car.
In the car, they said that that was well done.
Then the little genius told Su Li that she seemed like a very temperamental person.
Su Li was surprised, and said that the little baby really knew how to talk sweetly to her big sister, and that her big sister really liked that.
Then Lulu told her that with a temper like her sister's, she normally had to play secondary roles as evil women.
Su Li's assistant said that she had never expected Su Li to lose a round to a six-year-old girl, and was very happy about it.
But Su Li told the little girl no, because her sister usually played a great many positive roles.
The little genius told Sister Su Li that she had to have a clear positioning of herself — and with that she won the conversation.
Then Su Li said that she would take her to the conference room.
One door further on, the director welcomed little Lulu. He was sitting with his arms crossed. Su Li told Lulu that her big sister would pour her some juice and give her some snacks.
The director welcomed Su Li in as well, and told the little genius that this was Aunt Su Li, and that Aunt Su Li really liked her.
But Su Li said that the director shouldn't say that — never mind, it was all right to be called Aunt, as long as you could climb up using that little step, and as long as the resources kept flowing in the future.
The director said that the ticket sales of this film depended entirely on her, little Lulu, and that he hoped she could cooperate happily.
Su Li asked little Lulu whether she had liked the snacks her aunt had prepared for her.
Lulu said yes, she liked them, they were usually her favourite snacks.
Su Li laughed and asked the little girl whether she didn't want her aunt to play her mother in this movie.
"No," the little girl said. "I don't."
Su Li said that in that case it seemed she had paid for all those snacks for nothing, and wondered what on earth that girl was doing, and why she wasn't acting according to common sense.
Down in the car Su Fu was watching, and while they ate the snacks everybody laughed. Manman said it was the first time she had ever seen Su Li so completely at a loss, and that the little genius was amazing.
Su Fu said that it was perfect, and that it was almost time to go up. She asked her little one to stay in the car until they came back.
Then they left, walking it like a scene out of a film, and she said that it was time for the big show.
Upstairs, Su Li told the little genius that they shared the same surname, and that as it turned out she would be playing her mother in this film — wasn't that wonderful? Already a little angry, she said that for the female lead in a big production like this, she had to smile.
The director told Lulu yes, and that she had better be obedient.
But little Lulu told the director that her mother was also a great actress, and that she wanted her to play the female lead — otherwise she wouldn't act at all.
This irritated Su Li even further. She said the girl was a shameless little thing, and wondered how a third-rate actress could possibly try to act in a large production.
Su Li told the little genius that this film was a big production, so she shouldn't joke about it. But Lulu said that her mother's acting had been recognised by many great directors and that she was absolutely professional.
Su Li asked her who her mother was — did anybody in the entertainment industry even know her?
That brat really had no shame, she thought. She had seen plenty of people use that kind of relationship to get in through the back door, and it was a good method, using children to build a future for a career. But it was a shame: she had already bought more from the director than anyone else, so there was no way any cat or dog could simply walk in.
At that moment somebody opened the door and said that she was her mother.
It was Su Fu.