Chapter 570
"The Night Banquet Turmoil" vs. "Wandering in the Painting"
……
……
"Sister Honey, wake up..."
Gu Qing's voice was muffled, as if it were through a thick layer of cotton.
It's not that he wants to talk like this, it's that he really has no choice.
His nose was blocked by something, and his mouth was also pressed down, so he could only make a sound at most.
"Lying on the floor at night is really tiring..."
The touch on my face was very comfortable—soft, warm, and with a faint fragrance—like sinking into a freshly baked marshmallow.
Gu Qing, wearing heavy armor, lay on the cold ground, his skin sticky with sweat. This sensation of being both hot and cold still made him very uncomfortable.
The armor was made of iron, the ground was made of cement, the sweat was cold, but the body pressing down on him was warm.
It was so hot it was burning up, like a small furnace; you could feel the heat even through the armor.
He turned his head with difficulty and finally breathed in a breath of fresh air.
Despite the soreness in her arm, Gu Qing reached out her fingertip and gently touched Da Mimi's forehead.
My fingertips touched her skin; it was cool and moist with tears.
"Waaaaah... Don't die, don't die."
Da Mimi was deeply immersed in the role, crying so hard that her whole body trembled and she couldn't breathe. She hugged his head, but instead of holding it tightly, she held it even tighter.
Gu Qing: "..."
If this continues, how can I possibly survive?
His nose was blocked again. This time it was even more tightly sealed, leaving not a single gap.
He could feel his eyelashes brush against something soft, he could feel his breath being dispersed into warm air and then bounce back, and he could feel his face turning red at a visible speed.
It wasn't because of shyness,
Perhaps there's a slight...lack of oxygen?
After filming for almost a month, Gu Qing gradually became immersed in the character's emotions. Seeing Yang Mi crying so bitterly, Gu Qing also felt quite bad.
"Sister Honey, don't cry, I'm not dead, I'm still here."
Gu Qing's fingertips slowly moved up from her forehead, gently stroking her hair.
His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles. In the dim light of the candlelight, they slid from her hair bun to her ear, gently gathering her stray hairs and softly comforting her.
Many of the extras in the distance were stunned.
The scene is beautiful.
It's not the kind of intense, striking beauty, but rather a quiet beauty, like the blank space in a traditional Chinese ink painting.
The young man in silver armor, stained with blood, lay on the ground, while the woman with her hair disheveled lay on his chest. The candlelight enveloped them like a thin veil.
Da Mimi lowered her head, tears still flowing, her breath spraying onto Gu Qing's forehead, warm and moist.
Perhaps it was because they were hugging too tightly,
Her lips, without her noticing, were pressed against his forehead.
The moisture from her lips, lingering on her skin, was gently touched and imprinted on Gu Qing's forehead.
The touch was like a feather landing on the skin, so light that it was almost imperceptible, and it seemed that even Da Mimi herself didn't notice it.
But Gu Qing sensed it.
Hearing the crying above him, his fingertips paused slightly before relaxing.
Off-camera,
"Director Lin, Director Lin, could you film this scene as a behind-the-scenes clip?"
Lin Yufen watched this scene with a smile, feeling the beauty of youth.
A slight smile played on her lips as she occasionally directed the crew to put away their equipment, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the two of them.
Suddenly, a girl jogged up to me and respectfully whispered her request.
Lin Yufen turned her head and saw that it was Da Mimi's assistant. She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked with a questioning look in her eyes, "Are you going to use this for publicity?"
Her gaze lingered on the assistant's face for a few seconds.
"Did Mimi ask you to do this?"
She couldn't help but feel uneasy. She glanced at Da Mi Mi, who was crying as if she were about to die, and at Gu Qing, who was being held in her arms and not moving.
Suddenly it feels... not so sweet anymore.
She remembered something.
Remembering what Da Mimi had said to her before—
"Director, could you add more interaction between my brother and me in our scenes?"
"Director, could I hold him a little longer in this scene?"
"Director, I think adding a hug here would make it more touching."
At the time, she thought that Yang Mi was trying to take advantage of Gu Qing. He's a handsome guy, who wouldn't like him? It's not like only male actors like to NG when filming kissing scenes.
But now...
She shook her head, trying to clear those chaotic thoughts from her mind.
Perhaps she's overthinking it.
But Lin Yufen still kept a watchful eye.
"No, no, no, Director Lin, that's not how it is. Sister Mi didn't arrange it at all; it was my own suggestion."
The assistant explained in a panic, gesturing frantically, "I just thought Sister Mi's performance in this scene was fantastic. Our company can use it for marketing after the show airs."
After all... marketing acting skills is always better than marketing anything else.
"That's true, it's not easy for Mimi to get into character even once."
Lin Yufen was half-believing and half-doubting, but she still subtly gave a look, signaling the cameraman to follow her.
After doing this,
She smiled at the assistant, her tone gentle yet carrying a hint of reminder: "But I have to remind you, Xiao Gu is also in the picture."
If your company wants to do marketing, you need to communicate well with their team to avoid disputes later.
"Yes, Director Lin, we will definitely communicate well with Teacher Gu, we understand!"
The assistant nodded quickly, letting out a sigh of relief.
After crying for almost half an hour, Da Mimi's emotions finally stabilized.
She was sobbing, her legs were numb, and her body was weak.
Looking down, I saw that Gu Qing was breathing steadily, her eyes were slightly closed, and she looked like she had fallen asleep.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself. I was crying my eyes out for you, and you're sleeping peacefully here."
Da Mimi was both crying and laughing, and really wanted to throw her head off her lap.
She placed her delicate hands on either side of Gu Qing's cheeks, her fingertips touching his slightly cool skin, moistened by tears, and feeling the suppleness of his skin.
But one could see Gu Qing's furrowed brows, his handsome face stained with hair and blood.
"Tsk, the modeling is too good, I can't bring myself to do it..."
Yang Mi gently stroked Gu Qing's cheek with her fingertips, tucking away the hairs and stubble stuck to his face.
The movements were very gentle, as if afraid of waking him.
But after doing all that, she pinched Gu Qing's nose as if to vent her frustration, with a force that was neither too light nor too heavy.
Then, she gave her assistant a meaningful look.
"Slow down, slow down, hiss..."
With her hands gently supporting the back of Gu Qing's head, and with the help of her assistant, Yang Mi prepared to carefully move Gu Qing's legs apart.
But her legs were so numb that every movement felt like being pricked by a thousand needles, making her face turn red and causing her to gasp for breath.
The movements were a bit too exaggerated.
Da Mimi felt annoyed.
as predicted,
She saw Gu Qing open his eyes groggily.
Those eyes were still sleepy, and their eyelashes fluttered.
Yang Mi's maternal love was overflowing; she was just about to use her soft, sheep-like voice to lull someone to sleep—
"Honey, are you finally done crying?"
Gu Qing yawned, rubbed his eyes, and said casually.
In an instant, maternal love vanished.
Enraged, Da Mimi was about to make a move.
Gu Qing rolled to the side, his armor rattling loudly. He used the staff's hands to get up, dusted off his armor, and looked completely innocent.
"Honey, try to control your temper, or you might go through menopause. Goodnight."
Gu Qing smiled and gave a word of advice, then waved without turning her head, preparing to catch up on some sleep as she had to get up early to report to the capital the next day.
"I'm only in my early thirties, what menopause am I talking about?!"
Yang Mi stared at the gleaming silver figure, her teeth practically grinding to powder. She staggered to her feet, leaning on her assistant's shoulder, her voice filled with grievance and anger.
"You heartless brat! You slept on my lap for half an hour, and you didn't even say thank you, and you just kept making me angry!"
Do I really have wrinkles on my face?
Once Gu Qing had completely disappeared, Yang Mi felt much better in her numb and sore legs, and then hurriedly asked her assistant.
Her fingers unconsciously touched her cheek, and there was a hint of unease in her eyes.
"Sister Mi, no, no, you're so beautiful. Teacher Gu is obviously joking with you."
The assistant spoke with unwavering determination, his tone like a vow.
"That means he's blind."
Yang Mi breathed a sigh of relief, letting her assistant help her remove her makeup and hair, and staggered back to the car to go back to the hotel to rest.
……
Meanwhile, Gu Qing also took a car back to the hotel.
"Sister Xiaoya, please try to prepare two days' worth of plane tickets."
He slept for half an hour on Da Mimi's lap, and his spirits were still pretty good. His voice wasn't as tired as before. "If I don't make it tomorrow night, I'll take the flight the next day."
tomorrow,
Not only do they have to be interviewed by CCTV, but their Spring Festival Gala programs also need to be officially submitted for approval, and rehearsals are inevitable in the process.
A day might not be enough for a round trip.
Gu Qingcai had just finished filming the final scenes of his first life, and he was inevitably tired, both mentally and physically, so he didn't want to push himself too hard.
"Good boss."
As Zhao Ya agreed, she handed over her phone, hoping Gu Qing could pass the time.
"You can have this first, I'm going to sleep a little longer."
Gu Qing wrapped herself in a blanket, tilted her head, closed her eyes, and leaned against the car window.
The car window was cold, and when it touched my forehead, it stung slightly.
Zhao Ya was in the passenger seat, focused on taking notes and scheduling.
Filming "Three Lives Three Worlds" doesn't mean Gu Qing can relax.
If things go smoothly, it will end in November; if things go slowly, it might even take until December.
As the year draws to a close, Gu Qing is expected to attend all the major award ceremonies, if not explicitly stated otherwise.
However, some mainstream events, such as Blog Night, National Drama Awards, Feitian Awards, and Huading Awards, require attendance as a sign of respect.
and,
The dramas "Nirvana in Fire" at the beginning of the year and "Love O2O" in the middle of the year were both blockbuster hits of the year, with a very high probability of winning awards.
As for the music charts: Just the song "A Smile That Could Topple a City" was the instrumental version of 7 out of 10 short videos Zhao Ya watched throughout the summer.
Especially given the popularity of the hit drama, it would be unreasonable not to win an award.
Secondly,
Another rap song, "Heart Like Still Water," also became a sensation in the short video arena.
The popularity of the national variety show "The Rap of China" has ironically benefited its own boss.
Especially compared to Kris Wu's "electric eel rap", this song can be said to have truly brought Gu Qing a lot of attention.
Although the popularity of Gu Qing has made traditional Chinese style songs and music tracks more than niche, they have always been popular.
However, many young viewers are not interested in the exaggerated, melodramatic singing style of traditional Chinese opera. Otherwise, "The Rap of China" wouldn't have become a nationwide hit.
This song,
This serves as a slap in the face to those lawless underground rappers, preventing them from constantly courting disaster by releasing diss tracks to gain attention.
This attracted a group of enthusiastic and crazy young girls to Gu Qing.
The only thing that gave Zhao Ya a headache was that these hot and sexy young girls and the elegant and aloof beauties in the group always clashed and constantly insulted and cursed each other. Managing them was a huge challenge.
"Sister Xiaoya, please give me the phone..."
"what?"
Zhao Ya was lost in thought when she was suddenly startled by a murmur behind her.
"I can't sleep, the window is too hard..."
Gu Qing rubbed his temples in distress.
His hair was pressed into an odd arc by the car window, making him look slightly frizzy.
With these eyes closed
He couldn't help but let his mind wander, recalling the feeling of being hugged by Yang Mi during filming.
Soft, warm, and with a subtle fragrance.
"Am I also feeling repressed?"
"Why would you connect this to Sister Honey?"
Gu Qing felt a sense of despair.
Young people often have excessive internal heat, and the hormones their bodies secrete are not easily controlled.
He was forced to pull off the blanket, let the cool breeze blow on him, and then scroll through his phone to distract himself.
"Are all the trending topics... about Wolf Warrior 2?"
"Lu Han has gone into hiding?"
Gu Qing hadn't forgotten how the other person insisted on using her as a stepping stone when announcing their relationship.
He didn't forget a single one of those press releases, those comparisons, those sarcastic remarks about "a certain top celebrity."
He found a comment congratulating Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong on their happy marriage.
Gu Qing accidentally swiped her finger and gave it a thumbs up.
After waiting for about five seconds, I canceled the like at lightning speed.
You're a green tea bitch, aren't you? Playing the victim, huh?
Everyone here studied in South Korea; who doesn't know how to make tea?
Then,
Gu Qing went surfing for a while longer.
"Has Senior Sister Liu and Yang Yang finished filming 'Eternal Love'? I hope it doesn't clash with ours."
"Otherwise... Senior Sister, I'll just have to keep beating you up."
Gu Qing didn't even dare to imagine what would happen if the two "Three Lives Three Worlds" series were to collide.
The outcome is obvious, but I'll have to sever ties with Yang Mi then, lest she get involved in my marketing and accidentally hurt me.
"Has Sister Ma and Chu Ran's 'Oh My General' also successfully concluded?"
"The viewership is pretty good. It ranked second on the platform during the same period, with over 8 billion views, only behind 'Day and Night'. There are also quite a few video clips featuring couples. Sister Ma has really made something of herself."
Looking at the poster celebrating the 8 billion views released by the production team of "Oh My General", Gu Qing forwarded it and edited it: "@Ma Sichun: You've made something of yourself and grown up. It wasn't for nothing that I did my best to promote you. Remember to share some of your salary with me when the time comes."
"Hahaha, got him!!"
"Young Master, you finally remembered your account! Where's my nine-grid diagram?!"
"Waaaaah, the amazing friendship in 'The Left Ear'! I was totally shipping Ba La and Xu Yi back then, the delinquent underachiever girl and the shy, academically gifted school heartthrob, their characters were so adorable!!"
The tweet had barely been posted when the number of comments surged by hundreds and thousands. Fans celebrated like it was New Year's Day, setting off firecrackers, showering flowers, and screaming in the comments section.
"You're the best at shipping, @littlebrother, but you need to focus on your studies and stop shipping couples."
Gu Qing also replied to a comment, which made the fans even more excited and scream.
That very evening, a happy young girl covered her flushed cheeks, looking at her phone and giggling to herself while simultaneously studying with great enthusiasm.
……
"I'll listen to my brother! I'll study hard!!"
I'm getting a little tired after scrolling for a while.
Gu Qing originally wanted to quit the blog, but then suddenly thought of something and searched for "Zhang Shaohan".
Not surprisingly,
The first thing that catches the eye is a repost of a statement from the Bazaar Charity Gala: "Love comes from the heart. If you have time to do charity, then stop rambling on!"
This was a response to public accusations that he maliciously stole the center position. Unfortunately, it didn't generate much buzz, as recent trending topics have all been dominated by Lu Han and Gu Qing.
Among the few comments, besides fans who supported him, there were also many bystanders who made malicious speculations.
Gu Qing didn't hesitate to repost it without adding any text, and then exited the blog.
……
Gu Qing opened WeChat and just glanced at it, and her head started throbbing uncontrollably.
Another massive flood of messages appeared. Red, green, with icons, without icons—it was a chaotic mess, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
"Xiaoya, could you please get me a phone card when you have some free time? I've added too many people and can't keep up with all the messages."
"One celebrity account, one business account."
Gu Qing didn't want to belittle others or flatter others, but she still couldn't stand the barrage of messages from a bunch of people she'd only met once, every time she opened her phone.
The most bizarre thing is that people will call him late at night.
When Gu Qing encounters this kind of person, she immediately deletes, blocks, and ignores them.
He completely ignores any apologies that come afterward, such as saying he was "drunk" or "it was an accident" and asking for forgiveness.
"Sister Zhao, Sister Shi, Big Sweetie, Sister Tao, and Sister Jiang Xin have made up? That's great..."
"Brother Chao has gone crazy again... Brother Baoqiang... Brother Sicheng... Sister Yaya... Are you out of your mind? What do you mean by saying I'm 70% yours and 30% Sister Yaya's?"
"Are older men this greasy too?"
Gu Qing quickly filtered the messages and spent more than half an hour replying to them.
The last person, however, made him hesitate a bit.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I didn't expect Yixin to do this. I apologize if it has caused you any unnecessary trouble. Mr. Gu Qing..."
Li Xinfa's apology statement was very formal, and the wording was as precise as if it were an official document.
No emojis, no interjections, no unnecessary words; every word is perfectly proper.
Gu Qing felt a little lost for the first time.
"So serious and formal?"
He was both amused and exasperated.
He thought of Zhang Ruoyun and Tang Yixin, that lively pair, and how they laughed and joked at the dinner party.
I recall Tang Yixin's enthusiasm when she patted her chest and said, "My best friend is your biggest fan."
Looking at this message again, the contrast is huge.
Does this look a bit like a die-hard fan?
Gu Qing hesitated for a moment before replying, "No problem, Ms. Li Xin."
It was a playful response to the other person's "seriousness."
After a busy day, Gu Qing stretched and felt sleepy.
After returning to the hotel and washing up, I went straight to sleep.
The following day, they took a plane and flew directly to the capital.
When the plane landed, it was already past nine in the morning. Sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall of the terminal building, casting a golden glow on the ground.
Wearing a mask and hat, and dressed in a simple sweatshirt and casual pants, Gu Qing looked like an ordinary college student, choosing to conceal her travel plans and travel discreetly.
A small group of people had already gathered in front of the CCTV headquarters building.
They are not fans.
Instead, it was a group of waiting young masters and princesses.
It's been months, and I can only see Gu Qing once a year. It's so rare for me.
He couldn't meet up with her by sending her private messages, so he thought Gu Qing was aloof and was annoyed.
But every time I open the other person's profile picture, there's always a parenthesis after their name—"Filming in progress~".
Occasionally it's "business mode".
You'll only see the words "resting" on very rare occasions.
But,
Whenever Gu Qing posted the message "Resting", they would still receive a reply.
The probability of this happening is basically once every one or two months. When I want to get angry, I feel like I'm being impolite and inconsiderate.
We can only feast our eyes on it for now.
What time will he arrive?
"The flight is at 9:30, it should be here soon."
"I didn't sleep well last night, I was just thinking about seeing him today."
"Are you serious?"
"As for it! You don't know that I've kept screenshots of the last message he sent me for three months!"
A group of "princesses and princes" chattered away, like a flock of little birds waiting to be fed.
"What are you doing? Don't you have to work in the middle of the day?!"
Director Lü stormed out, looking sullen and hostile. He was wearing a dark jacket, his hair was messy, and he had dark circles under his eyes, clearly having stayed up all night again.
Why are so many people crammed here?
His voice was like a bucket of cold water, sending chills down the spines of those "princesses and princes".
He had been waiting anxiously for Gu Qing to arrive, thinking about it day and night. No matter what, he had to get her to report on the Spring Festival Gala first!
Interviews, recordings, and events all have to be postponed.
His show is the most important!
Facing the stern-faced Director Lü,
The "princesses and princes" could only leave with reluctant expressions.
Some people pouted, some rolled their eyes, and some kept looking back as they walked away, like a group of chicks being chased away.
After Gu Qing got out of the car, she was slightly taken aback when she saw the deserted front desk.
Where are they? There were quite a few people just now.
He spotted Director Lü standing silently with his hands behind his back, and was about to smile and wave—
"Good morning, Brother Lü."
"What do you mean 'good'?! Where's the song? Where's the song?!"
Director Lü strode forward, grabbed Gu Qing's wrist, and pulled her away with the force of someone catching a fugitive. "Forget about the interview, get the song out first!"
"Brother Lü, you've written two poems, you've written two!"
Gu Qing was dragged to the office, feeling both amused and exasperated, enduring strange looks along the way.
Fortunately, Zhao Ya was with him, which prevented a huge misunderstanding.
"Quick, quick, which two songs!"
Director Lü snatched the printed lyrics from Zhao Ya's hands, and first glanced down at them—
"The Banquet"?
Director Lü skimmed the lyrics, his brow furrowing slightly. His brow was tightly furrowed, like a knot that had formed itself.
His fingers tapped lightly on the paper, once, twice, three times.
Then, he pulled out the next lyric sheet—
"A Journey Through a Painting?!"
The air in the office suddenly became very quiet.
The only sound was the soft rustling of Director Lü turning the pages, like autumn leaves falling to the ground.
……
...(End of this chapter)