Chinese Showbiz: From Conning the Celestial Beauty into Playing Qiu Xiang

“Director Chen, I heard that back in the day you coaxed and tricked Liu Tianxian into paying out of her own pocket to play the maid Qiuxiang?”

“Defamation! She did it to push herself as an actress, and because she recognized my talent.”

“What about those rising stars of the 1985 generation who were in their prime back then, yet willingly played your wives?”

“They weren’t playing my wives, they were playing Tang Bohu’s wives. And I... just happened to play Tang Bohu.”

Back to 2007, in a parallel world with no irreverent comedies.

When Chen Xing makes Flirting Scholar, he only means to earn enough for rent. Who knew that, by sheer chance, he would usher in an era as the godfather of Chinese entertainment for the 1985-born actresses?

…

Many years later, when a reporter asks the famed actresses why they turned down the resources of major companies back then and insisted on joining Xingfei Pictures, Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Tang Yuan, and the others all smile in unison.

“Couldn’t be helped. Director Chen offered us far too much.”