Chapter 84 The Actress Trapped in the Watermelon
The place Xu Qingye found was good. It was quite comfortable to lie down on a blanket. Cao Muan brought a lot of snacks. She suddenly felt like she was out camping, but her companion was the boss, which reduced her happiness by 80%.
"This one is nice and looks like a grandma, but it doesn't seem to have any special features."
"This looks familiar. It seems like it's been on a lot of talent shows. It's twice-cooked pork."
"This guy looks like a scumbag, with a bad appearance."
"I like this pink-haired girl, but I can't quite put my finger on the name. These official photos all look pretty much the same, so who is who?"
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Cao Muan kept muttering while taking pictures, and Xu Qingye's ears were almost covered with calluses beside her.
"Can you please stop talking? It's so noisy."
Xu Qingye glanced at Cao Muan. He had never worked with her before and suddenly found her so noisy.
"No, it's so boring if we don't talk. Besides, if I can't comment on so many men, the fun of the talent show will be reduced by half." Cao Muan shook her head. If she came alone, she could indeed keep quiet, but if two people worked together without talking, it would feel like they had a bad relationship.
"Then could you please try to give me some positive comments? I really feel that being with you is a bit dangerous."
Xu Qingye sighed.
"Don't be afraid. I almost got the gold belt. Have you forgotten what happened to Zhang Mu and the others? I can beat them with one punch each and I'm not afraid."
Xu Qingye felt a little tired. He should have asked Yi He to come with him. At least Yi He would have been able to be quieter.
"Damn, he's so tall and has a very cool expression. I think this is pretty good."
Cao Muan started mumbling again. Xu Qingye glanced at the camera and saw that the person who came in with the luggage was Song Nanxi whom he had met before.
Song Nanxi dyed his hair blue and looked a little different from last time. He was dressed casually, and while others were carrying a lot of things, he only had a simple suitcase. There was no expression on his face, but based on the brief contact before, Xu Qingye felt that Song Nanxi was probably a little unhappy.
“This is something we can focus on.”
Xu Qingye spoke, and Cao Muan immediately turned to look at him.
"Huh, you said you didn't study it? You must have read all the official photos to pieces. So, besides this one, which ones do you pay attention to? Just give me the list."
"I really haven't paid attention to it. This is from Su Ziyu's company, so I saw it once and felt it was pretty good. The stage presence is very stable. You'll know when it airs later."
Xu Qingye said this casually to perfunctorily answer Cao Muan. Of course he had the list, but his memory was not very clear, so he only remembered the general idea.
"Has a company contacted you so early? I thought there would be some marketing after the performance. Is it popular to promote from the beginning now? Will promoting it too early cause dissatisfaction among the audience? After all, if too much marketing turns out to be really poor during the performance, it will definitely become a laughing stock."
"The audience doesn't just care about talent; even the most extreme performances are also interesting. Any bright spots can be a reason to stay on stage. Talent shows are actually about creating dreams for the audience, giving them the right to choose. As long as you pay enough, you can push your favorite person into the debut position. Sounds great, doesn't it? Let an ordinary fan decide whether an idol stays or leaves the stage."
Xu Qingye glanced at the people coming in and out of the door. Without the blessing of the stage and makeup, they were actually just a group of ordinary people, but soon, they would become the focus of the spotlight.
"It sounds pretty cool, but it should cost more than just a little. Overseas talent shows have millions of votes, and people like me can only watch the videos and be a spiritual shareholder."
Cao Muan shook his head. What Xu Qingye said was just a light-hearted scam of capital. If he really wanted to influence the members' stay or departure, it would not be achieved at a small cost.
Creating dreams for fans is simply an act of reaching into their pockets.
"You only say that now. Once you get too excited, you'll give everything to your brother. You've been chasing idols for so long, but you still get fooled every time."
What Cao Muan said was not convincing at all. She was the person who was most easily fooled. She was fooled every time, but it was different every time.
"Don't say that. I will definitely restrain myself this time."
Cao Muan didn't want to talk about his dark history and continued to focus on his work. Then, he saw someone and became excited again. He took out a printed booklet and circled the official photo, which seemed to indicate that he was interested.
Cao Muan was taking pictures enthusiastically, and Xu Qingye squatted down to play with his mobile phone. Just after playing for a while, Shen Qing called.
"I'm going to take a call, you continue."
"Go, go."
Cao Muan waved his hand without even looking at Xu Qingye. There were so many handsome guys below that he was really dazzled.
There are only two episodes left in Chen Qing's variety show. Because the villagers need to repair their houses, they are given a few days of vacation. As soon as Chen Qing has free time, she wants to come and see Xu Qingye.
"Teacher Xu, are you in City C? I just arrived here. Let's have dinner together."
Shen Qing was full of energy when she spoke. Xu Qingye could almost imagine what she looked like. It seemed that she had been doing really well recently and she became much more cheerful.
Xu Qingye looked at the time and decided he could still squat for a while longer.
"Sure, let's meet around six. Send me the address."
"Okay, see you later then."
After making an appointment with Xu Qingye, Shen Qing hung up the phone.
Xu Qingye returned to the place where he was hiding and saw a few more people gathered with Cao Muan. He took out a mask from his pocket and put it on before walking over again.
"Brother, why did you take so long? These two are new friends I just met."
Cao Muan saw Xu Qingye and greeted him. The two girls who had just arrived turned around and looked at Xu Qingye. Although he was wearing a mask, he had a good figure and his eyes were pretty. He must be a handsome guy.
"Your brother even accompanies you to chase stars. You're so lucky. And your brother looks like a student. Could he be a student who stays with you for a while and then goes back to the dormitory?"
A girl whispered something into Cao Muan's ear, but she couldn't help but look at Xu Qingye. Xu Qingye had the temperament of an idol.
"Hahahaha, stop kidding. He'll just blow up the stage. And don't be fooled by his serious appearance. He has a bad temper and can't handle this job."
As the legitimate cricket boss, Cao Muan felt that he had made a profit today.
"Stop talking nonsense and go away. Otherwise, you can stay alone."
Xu Qingye rolled his eyes. If there wasn't someone who respected him, he would have kicked Cao Muan and randomly gave him a weird personality.
"You see, he's just that bad. I'll come again tomorrow. If you come, wait for me here tomorrow."
Cao Muan quickly packed up his things and greeted the two girls. The two girls nodded. Cao Muan was a nice person. They came late and couldn't find a good seat. Cao Muan took the initiative to invite them to join him and even adjusted the equipment for them. They had just started chasing stars and were not familiar with everything. They bought a camera, but they didn't quite understand the various parameters. Fortunately, they met Cao Muan, otherwise their trip would have been in vain.
After walking a little further, Cao Muan pulled Xu Qingye's arm.
"Rich lady fans, very rich."
"You know it again."
"They're young, so they're easy to tease. Look at their friends' circle, they smell like money. They said it was their first time chasing stars, and asked me to guide them."
Cao Muan opened their Moments and showed it to Xu Qingye. Xu Qingye glanced at it, but the Moments might not be true.
"Just be careful not to get cheated. I'm a little afraid to leave you alone now."
Xu Qingye shook his head and reminded her that there are many scammers in the fan circle, and there are many cases where they cheat you out of everything under the guise of being good sisters.
"I can't be so unlucky." Cao Muan looked at the two people's circle of friends again. She felt that it was quite real. It shouldn't be possible for her to encounter a scammer on the first day of work.
Cao Muan pondered for a long time, and when she came to her senses, Xu Qingye had already taken her to a high-end restaurant.
"Boss, are you so generous today? Treat me to a nice meal."
Cao Muan looked around and thought that the average cost per person in this restaurant was at least over 2,000 yuan.
"Others treat me to a meal, but I can only treat you to fried rice."
Xu Qingye called the waiter and told him the box number. The waiter took the two of them there. When the box door opened, Shen Qing and her friend were already there.
Cao Muan looked at the two people in the box with some surprise. She knew that Chen Qing had business dealings with the company, but the appearance of another person surprised her.
Sitting next to Shen Qing was Li Wei.
A few years ago, Qingcheng Film and Television wanted to snatch resources from Su Shiyi by spreading rumors about Li Wei. Cao Muan also contacted her agent, which was considered an indirect contact.
But Li Wei and Shen Qing were actually friends, which surprised Cao Muan.
It is said that people in the entertainment industry are very realistic. Those with high status only play with those with high status. There is at least a fifteen or sixteen-level gap between Li Wei and Shen Qing. Logically, they should not be able to play together.
"Hello, Li Wei. I'm the 'bastard in the melon patch.' Do you still remember me?"
Cao Muan greeted him and gave out her online name somewhat shyly. The moment she said it, she decided to register a proper account for communication when she got home.
Li Wei's attention was originally on Xu Qingye. When Cao Muan called out her name, she looked at her in surprise.
"It's you? You helped me last time, so what about you and Teacher Xu?"
Li Wei stood up excitedly. She was almost tricked last time, but a kind marketing account contacted her agent and helped her escape. The other party didn't ask for anything and just wanted to help. She didn't expect to encounter the same thing this time.
"Oh, this is my boss. He was the one who asked me to contact you last time. He said that a girl's love for love shouldn't be a stain, so he asked me to contact you quickly."
Cao Muan rarely praised Xu Qingye. She is now an employee who knows how to read people's expressions.
"What's going on? Did you know each other before?"
Shen Qing was confused. She was planning to introduce Li Wei to Xu Qingye today, but it looked like they already knew each other.
"Just now I told you that a kind-hearted person helped me. I didn't expect it to be Teacher Xu. Teacher Xu, let me toast to you."
Li Wei was a little excited. She poured herself a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp as soon as she finished speaking, which caught Xu Qingye off guard.
"No, no, it's just convenient."
"Is that scary? That's just her personality. Very straightforward. Let's sit down and talk."
Shen Qing hurried out to smooth things over. Li Wei's personality could be quite scary sometimes.
"Yes, yes, please sit down. I'm sorry for being so abrupt."
Li Wei felt a little embarrassed. She was obviously used to the scenes of toasting and chatting in the world of fame and fortune, but she was so rude at this moment. Perhaps it had been too long since she met someone who helped her sincerely and without asking for anything in return. She unconsciously took off her perfect mask and revealed her abrupt and reckless side.
Shen Qing asked the waiter to serve the dishes. She wanted to pour wine for Xu Qingye, but Xu Qingye declined.
"Teacher Xu, Li Wei is my good friend. I came to you this time because I had some troubles and wanted to consult you. I didn't expect that you two had already met before. It's really a coincidence."
"Well, I didn't expect you two to be such good friends."
"A lot of people think so, after all, our status is quite different. But we have actually been good friends for many years. To be more precise, we were college classmates and lived in the same dormitory since our freshman year, so we have a very good relationship. We have kept in touch over the years, and Li Wei has also been pushing resources for me, but unfortunately I have never seized the opportunity."
Chen Qing felt a little embarrassed. They were classmates but she was doing so badly. Fortunately, things are getting better now. At least she doesn't have to continue on the path of being a vicious female supporting role.
"Ms. Li Wei, have you run into any trouble? Your resources have been pretty good recently, so it shouldn't be any big trouble."
Xu Qingye didn't pay much attention to Li Wei. After the last photo incident, she established a strong female protagonist image and had a good reputation and popularity.
"On the surface, the resources are indeed good. All the scripts handed to me are S+, but in fact, the quality of the scripts is very poor. They are all money-laundering scripts. The male leads are worse than the other. Some internet celebrities who have never acted in a play can match the male lead of my drama. Apart from anything else, I have won many major awards. I don't require the male lead to be super-powerful, but he can't be this lame. I'm almost a blood bag, being sucked dry by all kinds of resource-rich people. If this continues, my reputation will be exhausted."
Li Wei sighed. This had happened to several of her dramas. Her fans were already very dissatisfied, but her current situation was a bit awkward. Her more successful peers were pursuing their dreams in the film industry or changing careers, and young newcomers were also beginning to emerge, but she seemed to be trapped.
"Why don't you just not take on dramas you don't like? Does your company force you to take on roles?"
Cao Muan raised his hand silently. With Li Wei's status, she should have the freedom to accept any role she wants. She can just not take a role if she doesn't like it.
"It's not a question of whether I accept it or not, but that better projects simply won't come to me. Just like Shen Qing's various female supporting role scripts, I'm also trapped in this position."
Li Wei sighed. She had already filmed many ancient costume dramas. The characters and appearances were all similar. If she continued to film, it would be completely over.
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