Chapter 571
Dudu, can you dance?
……
……
"This word..."
Director Lü scrutinized the lyrics of both songs meticulously. His gaze swept across the paper line by line like a scanner, pausing occasionally and looking back at the previous lines.
It took him more than ten minutes to finally raise his head with a furrowed brow and look at Gu Qing.
"Brother Lü, is it because the lyrics are bad?"
Gu Qing sighed inwardly, mentally preparing herself for being rejected.
Ultimately, he's just a plagiarist; he's only fortunate to have started out as a cover artist in his past life, to love music, and to have listened to all sorts of songs.
It is because I have a photographic memory that I have gone so far in the field of music.
Without a fixed theme, and by skirting the line, Gu Qing was able to pull out quite a few songs that had been played well in his previous life.
But Director Lü set the theme as "The Night Banquet of Han Xizai", and he racked his brains and could only find a suitable piece of music.
If he fails the test, Gu Qing will be completely lost.
It is precisely because of this hidden anxiety that Gu Qing has remained clear-headed and strived to do everything well.
I enrich myself by reading books, singing operas, and honing my acting skills, developing each skill.
The fear is that one day the astronomical database will be "gone," and there will be no more copying, leading to the joke that "his talent has run dry."
They can still have a skill, so they won't be completely reduced to their original state.
"The lyrics... are quite good. Do you have a demo?"
Seeing Gu Qing suddenly become a little nervous, Director Lü suppressed his impatience and softened his tone.
"Listen to the finished product first."
"Director Lü, yes, yes."
Zhao Ya, who was behind her, was already prepared, holding a phone with the sample photos saved and a Bluetooth speaker.
Her finger hovered above the play button, waiting for Director Lü's signal.
"Wait a minute, I'll call a few more people over."
As the chief director, Director Lü still had a group of veterans overseeing the review of the program.
Although he could have easily appointed Gu Qing.
Given Gu Qing's current popularity and reputation, no one in the station dares to say anything when he promotes a program, but there's no need for him to be autocratic and domineering.
He shouted something, signaling to the employees outside, and called in several veteran staff members who were responsible for reviewing the program.
A short while later, four employees arrived.
The group consisted of three men and one woman, all around forty years old, with kind faces, clearly veterans who had worked tirelessly at the station for over a decade.
They were all very enthusiastic when they saw Gu Qing.
Some people were talking about the box office of his new movie, their tone filled with genuine admiration, as well as a touch of the subtle, upper-class "prestige."
"Alright, alright, we brought you here to listen to songs and review the program, not to shake hands."
Director Lü jokingly urged them on, distributing the printed lyrics to the four of them, and then gave Zhao Ya a look.
Zhao Ya took a deep breath to suppress her nervousness.
She, as an agent, was still a little intimidated in front of these big shots.
"This is 'The Banquet'."
As soon as the pipa music began, Gu Qingxian spoke first.
Director Lü and the others switched papers, as it concerned the Spring Festival Gala's review process. They suppressed their smiles and listened attentively to the song.
The song's prelude features the crisp, powerful sound of the pipa, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
The guzheng, flute, and heavy drum followed closely behind, layer upon layer, weaving together an atmosphere of undercurrents and confrontation.
"The sound of the pipa is turbulent, the mystery is hidden, who is singing?"
You and I are locked in a fierce battle; will there be a next round?
Red candles are lit, screens cover the windows, the night is too long...
"Enjoying the finery and revelry, I dare not decline the performance."
Gu Qing's singing voice is clear and restrained, without showing off her skills or high notes, and seems to be telling a story that draws people into this painting.
The "Night Banquet of Han Xizai" is not a painting depicting a life of pleasure and entertainment.
Essentially, Han Xizai was facing a political crisis and was forced to hold an "eagle party" to indulge in pleasure in order to dispel the suspicions of his political enemies and the emperor.
Those present, such as Director Lü, knew these kinds of stories better than anyone else, so they felt a strong sense of identification with the events.
The opening lines of the lyrics both mark the start of a night banquet and signal a court intrigue.
"Can you praise me? This man is elegant and refined."
You dare mock me? This open conspiracy should be brought to court.
Can you advise me? Even if I'm disappointed, I shouldn't act recklessly.
Ah...life is a journey, don't try to discern the truth.
Then, the climax of the song reveals Han Xizai's wisdom in surviving in the officialdom by keeping a low profile.
He responded to the court's impeachment with the phrase "elegant and unrestrained."
He used the phrase "openly plotting a scheme" to calmly confront Li Yu's surveillance.
Using the excuse of "not bothering to distinguish the truth" to cover up the pain of national subjugation in one's heart.
In order to answer questions about his songwriting experience when appearing on TV shows, Gu Qing went through the entire five thousand years of Chinese history, having mastered the classics and historical texts.
From his perspective,
The lyrics of this song are excellent, capturing Han Xizai's hardships and sorrow.
But Gu Qing didn't think she could be selected for the Spring Festival Gala.
It was too heavy, too oppressive, and too unsuitable for New Year's Eve. Otherwise, he wouldn't have prepared a second song.
The song is over.
"Excellent! Excellent! The lyrics are truly wonderful! They vividly depict Han Xizai's later years... It's just that the melody doesn't quite match the lyrics."
A bespectacled, somewhat refined-looking middle-aged man exclaimed in admiration.
"Why can't we use a more upbeat tune? The Spring Festival Gala is all about family fun, and I think it's perfect!"
Immediately, another man interrupted, then smiled kindly at Gu Qing and added, "Comrade Gu Qing is truly exceptionally talented, with a natural flair for literature. I hope you will bring more and better works to audiences across the country in the future."
"I also think it's great, it fits the theme perfectly."
"I think this is the one."
The other two echoed each other, nodding faster than the other.
Is this correct?
Gu Qing was a bit stunned; this wasn't what he had imagined.
Shouldn't we say he's unconventional, staging a palace intrigue drama on such a joyful stage as the Spring Festival Gala?
Why are all these people looking so impressed?
"Am I really that charming?"
Gu Qing couldn't help but mutter to himself.
I really want to touch my cheek, as if to confirm whether I really have that much face.
But the next second,
Gu Qingcai finally understood whose "charm" was greater.
"Old Xu, what are you guys doing? I asked you to come and review this, not to suck up to me!!"
Director Lü slammed his fist on the table with a dark expression, the sound so loud it made the water glass on the table jump.
"A song should be what it is meant to be; if it passes, it passes; if it doesn't, it doesn't!"
We're performing for a national audience, not just for me!
Gu Qing understood.
He looked at the four embarrassed people in front of him and realized that the reason they praised his singing was because of Director Lü, a big shot in the industry.
"Director Lü, we weren't flattering you... The song is really good, I quite like it."
With a pained expression, Lao Xu spoke, patting his chest earnestly as if he wanted to rip his heart out for Director Lü to see.
But inside, he was groaning in despair:
From the very beginning of planning the program, you spent half of your time every day thinking about the program "Han Xizai's Night Banquet", and you kept mentioning Gu Qing.
Even if you put a knife to our throats, we wouldn't dare say "no"!
"Yes, Director Lü, Comrade Gu writes really well. My daughter is a fan of his."
"Now the Spring Festival Gala is mainly aimed at young audiences. It doesn't matter if we like it or not, as long as the young audience likes it."
"I think it's definitely possible to pass."
The other three also chimed in, each offering their own opinion.
"Stop, let's listen to the next song first!"
Director Lü pinched the bridge of his nose and waved his hand impatiently.
With a stern face, he reopened the lyrics to "Wandering in the Painting".
The words are full of interest.
Springtime scenery, misty rain and light boats, talented scholars and beautiful women, and the water towns of Jiangnan.
Every sentence is like a painting, and every painting is like a poem. But Director Lü flipped through it and couldn't find any connection to "The Night Banquet of Han Xizai" at all.
The previous poem made too many connections, describing the essence and darkness of "The Night Banquet" but missing the beautiful spring scenery of Jiangnan.
"Little Gu, Little Gu, it would be so great if you could combine these two songs!"
"Why not take the best parts of each and write a new one?"
Director Lü was quite conflicted.
He was too embarrassed to say it aloud.
Mainly, seeing Gu Qing's youthful and inexperienced appearance in his early twenties made him wonder if his expectations were too high.
It's already difficult enough for someone to write one poem that fits the theme, yet you want to combine two poems into one?
Isn't that too greedy?
As the melody began, Director Lü's troubled mood was somewhat dispelled.
The melody of "Wandering in the Painting" is light, bright, and as relaxing as a spring breeze.
There are no conspiracies, no repression, no heavy historical burdens. It's just simple, clean, and pleasantly melodious, making you want to hum along.
The song is short, only 3 minutes and 20 seconds long.
As soon as the song ended—
"Hey, this one's great! This one's great!"
"It has the feel of last year's song 'Small Town Ballad'."
"Beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, warm spring sunshine, talented men and beautiful women... wonderful, wonderful."
"The previous song was very good, but I think this song is more in line with the general public!"
The four people, including Lao Xu, who had originally strongly supported appreciating Gu Qing's previous song, all changed their minds.
The speed at which they change their expressions is even faster than Peking Opera.
Obviously,
They still have the ability to discern. They're not just tools for flattery.
"The instrumental version of this song..."
Director Lü was so angry he laughed, and twitched the corner of his mouth.
He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Gu Qing, "Gu, those instruments that appeared in your song just now... why do they seem a little unfamiliar to me?"
"Brother Lü, these are the musical instruments that appeared in the original artwork."
Gu Qing perked up, her eyes lit up, and her voice rose a few decibels.
"This is a special adaptation I made. The original painting by Han Xizai contains five musical instruments: pipa, clappers, flute, jiegu (a type of drum), shugu (a type of drum), and bili (a type of reed pipe)!"
"I will watch them from the couch and let them play in turn. The whole scene will naturally be more vivid and interesting, and everyone will no longer be just simple puppets."
Gu Qing didn't just copy; those professional courses weren't for nothing.
In order to study these musical instruments, he specially started online courses in advance and spent money to learn from masters who pass on intangible cultural heritage skills.
The accompaniment for "Wandering in the Painting" is all original recordings. Gu Qing had those masters perform it well and then sent it to him to arrange into a piece.
"Hmm? That's exactly what I was thinking. I was even planning to ask you to keep that in mind when you're creating."
Director Lü looked slightly surprised, a smile spreading across his serious face.
But looking at the lyrics and the name, he had a real headache.
"However, Xiao Gu, what is the connection between your title 'Wandering in the Painting' and 'The Night Banquet'?"
We can't just remove "The Night Banquet" and create a new program, can we?
Although it's feasible, Director Lü is unwilling to give up!
He put so much effort and emotion into it, how can he just give up like that?
If that's the case, what's the point of him bringing Gu Qing here?
"Brother Lü, how could you forget about 'National Treasure'?"
Gu Qing, however, offered a surprised reminder.
"I specifically watched all your shows before coming up with this idea." "National Treasure? A Journey Through Paintings?"
Director Lü paused for a moment, thought carefully, and then looked at Gu Qing in astonishment.
"Are you trying to time travel on the Spring Festival Gala stage?"
His "National Treasure" is a stage play in which actors dress up as ancient people and perform for the audience face-to-face.
It's not a documentary, not a narration, but a way to bring historical figures to life and let them speak in front of the audience.
This novel format was well received as soon as it was shown.
His appointment as the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala owes much to the program "National Treasure".
Upon Gu Qing's reminder, Director Lü immediately realized what was going on.
It was like someone flipped a switch, and all the lights in my head went off.
"Brother Lü, is this... not going to work?"
Gu Qing asked tentatively.
"Hiss...it's not entirely impossible."
Director Lü stroked his stubble-covered chin, his fingers rubbing back and forth on his jaw, making a soft, rustling sound.
"The opening narration introduces the ancient painting, then special effects render the entrance into the painting... The curtain is drawn back... Introducing your entrance... Then the accompaniment begins..."
"No, no..."
He paced back and forth in the room as if possessed. His leather shoes clattered on the floor.
He gestured with his fingers in the air and muttered something to himself, but those around him were already used to it.
“Singing in an ancient painting is too jarring. Since it's about time travel…”
He turned his head to look at a replica of the "Night Banquet" scroll hanging in the room, his gaze moving until it finally landed on a screen.
"You pass through the screen... and the perspective shifts from the banquet of high-ranking officials to the streets and alleys of the common people in the Southern Tang Dynasty."
This perfectly matches your lyrics... and also echoes the Spring Festival Gala's essence of sharing joy with the people.
"Yes, yes, yes, they're all strung together, just like that!!"
Director Lü clenched his right fist and slammed it into his left palm, making a crisp sound.
He was in high spirits, and his previous gloomy mood was completely swept away.
"Director Lü... if you arrange it like this... is this still a song performance?"
Old Xu, standing to the side, seemed to want to say something but hesitated, his lips opening and closing repeatedly.
But he still gritted his teeth and splashed some cold water on it, saying in a low voice:
"If this kind of performance goes on, it'll last at least seven or eight minutes, right? What's the difference between it and a skit?"
"If there's no difference, then just perform it like a skit, right?"
Director Lü looked at him like he was an idiot.
"But this song is seven or eight minutes long, so what about the length of the rest of the program..."
"Why not just cut their program length? Their sketches have been criticized by the public year after year, and the station has wanted to cut them for a long time. I'll take this opportunity to strike first!"
Director Lü said casually.
"..."
Old Xu fell silent.
Given a song-based program, how long should it be, the length of a skit?
Director Lü, are you crazy, or am I?
Although it's not uncommon for singers to perform two songs in a row on the Spring Festival Gala.
Back then, quite a few singers performed that song.
But there's no precedent for performing a song as a skit!
Old Xu couldn't help but glance at Gu Qing, then back at Director Lü, trying to find some similarities between the two.
But after looking around, it was like comparing a beautiful woman to a chimpanzee—the contrast was shockingly stark.
"Could it be a genetic mutation?"
Old Xu was thinking to himself, but he didn't dare say a word.
but,
Seeing Director Lü's excited expression, everyone wisely kept quiet.
The director has the authority to decide on a program, and people won't be so ungrateful.
If you perform well, you'll receive praise, and everyone will get a bonus;
If your performance is bad, you're fired.
These long-term employees won't be affected much anyway.
"Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy. I'll discuss the details with Xiao Gu a bit more."
Director Lü had a sudden inspiration and waved people away as if shooing away flies.
Everyone was happy to leave in peace.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to take a few photos with Gu Qing.
Zhao Ya shrewdly took out several autographed photos she carried with her and handed them to these people, just to make it easier to deal with this kind of situation.
"Xiao Gu, Lao Xu is right. We can just perform it as a skit."
"I had already selected the men like Han Xizai beforehand; their appearances bear a striking resemblance to those in the paintings."
After discussing the details of the stage performance for a while, Director Lü casually gave Gu Qing a perk.
"We're still missing one maid."
He pointed to the painting, where a woman was gracefully dancing to the sound of a pipa.
The woman depicted in the painting has a graceful figure, but her face is blurred, with only a section of her fair neck and a slender hand visible.
"Do you know any female celebrities who are pure and beautiful? Preferably with a gentle, refined, and scholarly air, like those from the Jiangnan region, not someone who's vulgar. Introduce them to come for an audition."
"Pure and beautiful, well-educated and reasonable..."
In an instant, a pretty figure appeared in Gu Qing's mind.
"There really is."
"Then you can contact them first. By the way, when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night at the latest."
"Okay, it would be best if she came tomorrow. You can act in a scene with her. I have a new idea."
After saying this, Director Lü told Gu Qing to go ahead and finish her interview.
His mind had already flown to that "time-travel" stage.
Zhao Ya gently closed the office door and caught up with Gu Qing in a few steps. She tilted her head up and asked curiously from behind him, "Boss, who are you looking for?"
"Who else could it be? Of course, it's Senior Sister."
Gu Qinggang took out his phone, but his finger paused on the screen.
"no!"
"Teacher Shishi doesn't have time?" Zhao Ya tilted her head in confusion.
"No, that's not it. I feel that having Senior Sister play this role is a bit... not quite right."
Gu Qing hesitated.
If he speaks,
He believed that no matter how busy Liu Shishi was, she would still be willing to come and perform.
But the way Director Lü casually pointed just now made it seem like she was playing an insignificant "maid" role.
For most artists, appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, no matter what they do, is a huge boost to their popularity.
However, actresses like Liu Shishi, born in 85, are already among the top female celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry in terms of popularity.
Especially given the poor reputation of the Spring Festival Gala in recent years, many famous artists are actually unwilling to do such a thankless task and would rather not come.
Just like Gu Qing, who painstakingly wrote several songs for the Spring Festival Gala and had to come over to rehearse from time to time.
Instead of using this time, film more movies, study your characters, and get some rest.
Unfortunately, since the director had spoken, Gu Qing had no choice but to accept her fate.
"Never mind, I can't call her Senior Sister."
Gu Qing thought about it and decided to give up.
He was afraid that if the program were to actually air, it would cause Liu Shishi a lot of trouble.
Since her debut, Sister Zhao has been known by nicknames such as "country girl" and "young girl".
If I really let my senior sister come and act out this whole thing with me, I'm afraid that female celebrities in the industry would go crazy with criticism and fabrications, and all sorts of weird and wonderful marketing accounts would also make up all sorts of stories.
"If we can't turn to Senior Sister, then who else can we turn to?"
Gu Qing slowed her pace and frowned in thought.
First of all, this is definitely a great opportunity.
At least she could appear on the Spring Festival Gala, and it would be an appearance right next to her. Gu Qing didn't want to give it up; it was better to leave it to her friends.
Top-tier artists may not care about the Spring Festival Gala, but that doesn't mean second- or third-tier artists don't want it.
Furthermore,
If he doesn't want it, what if Director Lü tries to force him to take on a dancer he doesn't recognize?
Just like the female dancer who collaborated with him on last year's Spring Festival Gala, she was directly signed by his own company and made her debut smoothly. She frequently uses his fame to promote herself and gain popularity in interviews.
If the company hadn't gone bankrupt and the contract hadn't been terminated smoothly, who knows what kind of trouble it would have caused.
Gu Qing didn't want to encounter that again.
"She should be pretty and gentle, and have a scholarly air... How many female celebrities with a scholarly air are there in the hopelessly illiterate Chinese entertainment industry?"
Gu Qing quickly recalled a series of faces flashing through her mind.
He crossed out those vibrant, delicate, doll-like faces one by one.
Until a single frame is captured—
A pretty girl with a delicate face and a narrow, oval shape.
Her individual features weren't the most striking, but together they created an indescribable, comforting charm.
"Little Ears?! You're the one!"
Gu Qing's eyes lit up.
Chen Duling.
The girl who played "Little Ear" in "The Left Ear".
She has a pure, beautiful, and scholarly appearance, with a naturally innocent and delicate look.
A graduate of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics with a science and engineering background, he would be considered a top student by most standards.
It perfectly matched all of Director Lü's requirements.
The only thing that seems to be lacking is dancing?
"Can the little ears dance?"
Gu Qing was a little confused.
"Forget it, if you can't do it, you can't. Just try your best to learn. With me teaching you, how could you not know how to jump?"
"There are still at least four months until the Spring Festival Gala starts."
Gu Qing was confident in this much.
and,
Little Ear is clearly a top student. Aren't top students supposed to learn things really fast?
"By the way, shouldn't the scenes with Little Ears be finished filming by now?"
Gu Qing opened her contacts and looked for Xiao Erduo's name.
After completing the business collaboration with League of Legends,
Xiao Erduo has indeed found a new job. In yesterday's reply, Gu Qing saw a series of messages left by the other party.
Some photos documented the film crew, while others expressed frustration at being scolded by the director or were simply going crazy: "I really want to play League of Legends, I really want to play League of Legends!"
Somehow,
Sister Zhao's "confessional tree hole" model seems to have spread, and everyone is starting to imitate it.
"du~du~"
……
...(End of this chapter)