Chapter 22.1 – Hostel
‘Hmph…It really is an evil capitalist!’
Su Yan didn’t reply to Bai Xingfan’s message, and Bai Xingfan also didn’t message her again.
Two weeks passed in a hurry, and in the blink of an eye, it was mid-May, and it was time for Su Yan to join the crew.
The new drama was a costume drama called “West Tower Watching the Moon,” which was going to film in the film and television city of Yuantang City for a full three months. So Su Yan had to leave her home for three months. As Su Yan couldn’t drive, she had to take the high-speed rail to Yuantang City and then take a taxi to the film and television city.
She had already made an appointment with the director’s assistant to meet at the east gate of the film and television city at 5:00 p.m. on May 15th, and then the assistant would lead her to the hotel where the crew lived.
Su Yan arrived at 4.30 PM at the agreed place and sent a WeChat message to the director’s assistant to inform him that she had arrived, but the assistant didn’t reply to her. So she had to stand under the scorching sun because there was no shelter around her. After standing there for a while, Su Yan couldn’t bear the heat anymore, so she dragged her suitcase and found a milk tea shop nearby.
One hour later, the milk tea was almost finished, but the assistant still hadn’t replied to her. Su Yan had no choice but to send him another message. [Mr. Yang, I have arrived at the east gate. Where are you now?]
This time, the assistant, surnamed Yang, finally replied. [I’m busy, what’s the fuss?]
Seeing the message, Su Yan felt very frustrated, but she couldn’t do anything at all. She was away from her home, and her family was not here for her. What was more, she was just a small screenwriter without any background. So she had to bear the trouble for now.
Gritting her teeth, she swallowed her anger and replied. [Sorry, I didn’t know you were busy.]
The director’s assistant played the “I won’t reply to you” game with her again, and kept her waiting in the milk tea shop for a while. At 6:30 in the afternoon, he sent her a WeChat message. [I’m coming to find you now.]
Su Yan’s temper had been worn down. After receiving the message, she sighed helplessly and then pulled her suitcase and left the milk tea shop.
Afterwards, she had to wait outside the east gate for another ten minutes because the assistant surnamed Yang came later.
The first thing Surnamed Yang did was express his dissatisfaction, saying, “Why did you bring so many things?”
Su Yan already rolled her eyes to the sky in her heart, but she didn’t show that, and she just replied politely, “I’m a screenwriter and I want to live with the crew, so I have a lot of personal belongings.”
The assistant Yang, became more and more arrogant, as if his position were not that of a small assistant but that of a big director. “Are you here to work or enjoy? Do you think you are a great screenwriter?” he scolded Su Yan.
‘What’s your problem? You are scolding me as you have to keep my luggage on your head.’ Su Yan scolded him in her heart. “Yes, you are right, I will pay attention next time,” she said timidly.
Assistant Yang was satisfied with Su Yan’s reply. “Come with me.”
“Oh.” Su Yan immediately followed him with the suitcase.
Nowadays, this film and television city could be regarded as one of the popular tourist attractions in Yuantang City, so there were many places to stay in the city, from high-end five-star hotels to small and inconspicuous B&Bs. Su Yan originally thought that the lodging place assigned to her by the crew must be in the film and television city, but who knew that the assistant Yang didn’t lead her towards the city, but walked southward along the street outside the east gate.
Su Yan pulled the suitcase and walked a few steps quickly, barely keeping up with the assistant’s fast pace. “Well, Mr. Yang, don’t the staff of our crew live in the film and television city?”
Assistant Yang stopped immediately and stared at Su Yan speechlessly. “What are you thinking? The room inside is so expensive. Why should we arrange a place for you there? Who do you think you are?”
Su Yan: ” … …”
Su Yan felt uneasy after listening to such harsh words. Although it was said that all people were born equal and had to be treated equally, in the entertainment industry, it was very different. No matter whether that person was an actor, a screenwriter, a director, or a person of any position, as long as he or she was an unknown newcomer, he or she was an inferior person, and others could easily trample on him or her.
