Chapter 382 is good, very beautiful.
The third season of "The Days of Youth" has come to an end.
The level of interest and discussion remains high.
This variety show, which has run for three seasons, started with almost all unknown artists except for Li Zhibai in the first season. By the third season, many of these artists have become famous and are now popular young actors and actresses in the entertainment industry.
Many people online say that "The Days of Youth" has good feng shui and brings good fortune to its creators.
Moreover, this is a very rare show that has kept the cast the entire way through its third season.
After the show concluded, the production team held a Q&A session with the media to answer everyone's questions.
The question reporters were most interested in was: "Will there be a fourth season of our show? Will it be the original cast?"
The show's director, Li Zhenzhen, smiled and said, "Yes, we will. We and the artists all have a deep affection for this show and hope to continue making it."
Sitting on the stage, Li Zhenzhen appeared calm and composed, showing little sign of the distraught and devastated state she had displayed in front of Lu Yanhe just two days prior.
The reporter asked, "Many of the regular cast members on this show are now top-tier celebrities. Will their salaries put a lot of pressure on the show?"
"No, regarding the artists' salaries on this show, I can share something with everyone. Many artists on this show have never proactively mentioned asking for higher salaries. As I've said before, everyone has a strong emotional connection to our show, and most importantly, we all want it to continue," Li Zhenzhen said. "If we were to pay each artist according to market rates, then I'm afraid no show in China could afford this lineup. I'm very fortunate to have known everyone since we were young, and we trust and support each other."
"So their pay hasn't increased at all?"
"Of course it has increased, but not as dramatically as you all think," Li Zhenzhen said. "For example, Lu Yanhe's fee for recording one episode of a show is basically 30% or even 20% of the market price. Other artist friends are the same, and I am very grateful to them."
"This show must be very profitable, right? Why are you guys so stingy?" a reporter followed up with another question.
Li Zhenzhen was speechless.
She said, "The artists shared a lot of their original pay with our directing team and other staff members, but of course, not me."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
It's unprecedented for an artist on a show to share part of their pay with the production team and other staff.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Everyone could predict the huge uproar this news would cause online.
Li Zhenzhen said, "This show has been produced for three seasons. It's really not easy for a show to last this long. There are so many people we want to thank. Without their support and help, this show wouldn't be where it is today. We will continue to work hard to make this show even better and more exciting."
-
After the press conference ended, Li Zhenzhen stepped down from the stage and left from backstage.
She paused for a moment as she opened the car door.
Because she saw her dad sitting inside, waiting for her.
"Dad?" Li Zhenzhen looked at the figure sitting in the back seat with some surprise, then sat down. Her expression was complicated, and she subconsciously avoided his gaze.
After meeting with Lu Yanhe that day, she had an argument with his father, questioning him about whether such a thing had happened and why he did it.
She herself did not expect to be so angry.
However, after she vented her anger, her father did not react at all, only saying that this matter had nothing to do with her and that she should not interfere.
Li Zhenzhen was even angrier.
She was so angry that she spoke without thinking, saying, "If you think it has nothing to do with me, then don't interfere in my affairs anymore! Didn't you consider my position and feelings when you did this? Did you ever think that you were betraying me? I'm working with Lu Yanhe on a program and being friends with him, but you're stabbing him in the back. If others find out, what will they think of me? What will they think of my family?"
At the time, her father only said, "No one will know about this."
"How did you know?" Li Zhenzhen asked.
Her father said, "I suppressed him because I was asked to do so. I promised to keep someone's secret, so no matter what you say, I can't tell you who it is. I have no personal issues with Lu Yanhe, but I have no choice. I owed that person once, and I have to repay it. I won't lay a hand on Lu Yanhe again. This matter has already ruined me."
That was the end of that conversation.
Li Zhenzhen really wanted to know who had asked her father to do that kind of thing to Lu Yanhe.
But her father made it clear he wouldn't tell her, so she had no choice but to give up.
She never expected that her father would suddenly appear in her car again today.
-
Li Jiang said, "You shouldn't have mentioned the remuneration at the media conference today. No matter what, this is always a sensitive topic, and it's easy for people online to become cynical."
Li Zhenzhen replied, "Dad, I know what I'm doing. I've thought about how to say this for a long time. This way of saying it will minimize the negative impact, and it will also establish the impression that the program 'Young Days' is a loving family, which is beneficial to the development of our program's brand."
Li Jiang seemed surprised that Li Zhenzhen would refute him in this way.
He subconsciously wanted to use his life experience to teach Li Zhenzhen, but then he thought that his daughter was already a mature director who could stand on her own and had directed a popular show for three seasons. She didn't need him to say anything on this matter. She would naturally find out later whether such a topic would cause any sensitive reactions.
People always learn from their mistakes.
"Dad, what brings you here today?" Li Zhenzhen asked.
Li Jiang said, "Beijing TV plans to produce an acting competition program. This program will be our top program next year. If you make time for it, I will reserve the director position for you."
Li Zhenzhen looked at her father in surprise.
"Dad, are you giving me preferential treatment?"
“Now that you have a popular show like ‘The Days of Youth’ in your hands, even if I give you special treatment, who can say anything?” Li Jiang said calmly. “It’s time for you to participate in some programs on Beijing TV. In addition, this program will also invite dozens of actors, artists and producers. You can meet a lot of people, which will help your future career.”
Li Zhenzhen asked, "Dad, when is this show being recorded?"
"We expect to record it during next summer's filming season," Li Jiang said. "The first half of the year will be used for preparation."
Li Zhenzhen said, "But the recording of 'The Days of Youth' also started in August, so the schedule clashed."
“Youthful Days can be moved up a bit,” Li Jiang said. “Your Youthful Days is already a successful program; you need a second program, not just one representative work.”
Li Zhenzhen did not refuse immediately.
She knew the value of a top-tier program on Beijing-Taiwan.
Li Jiang said, "Chen Pinhe will be a judge on this show."
The name startled Li Zhenzhen.
"Chen Pinhe?" Li Zhenzhen looked at Li Jiang in shock.
This male actor, who stands at the top of the Chinese film industry, rarely appears in public except for filming and promotion, let alone recording programs.
It's unheard of for him to appear as a mentor on a variety show.
Li Zhenzhen could imagine the huge uproar that would occur online after this news was exposed.
-
After explaining the matter to Li Zhenzhen, Li Jiang asked her to take him to Beijing and Taiwan first.
When he entered the office, his secretary told him that Chen Pinhe was waiting for him in his office.
Pushing open the office door, I saw, sure enough, Chen Pinhe sitting on the guest sofa in his office, flipping through a magazine that had been placed on the coffee table.
"Li Tai, we've finally waited for you to come back." Chen Pinhe put down his magazine, stood up, and smiled at Li Jiang when he saw him return.
Li Jiang: Why didn't you tell me you were coming?
“I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d come up and say hello, but I didn’t expect you to be here,” Chen Pinhe said. “Besides, I just promised you that I would record a program with you. You want me to support Zhenzhen as the director of this program, so I need to know more about it.”
Li Jiang: "Sit down."
The two sat down again.
Li Jiang said, "To put it bluntly, this program invites established actors to the show and they compete by performing a segment on stage, just like those competitive music variety shows. The difference is that they compete by singing, while we compete by acting."
"Heh, that sounds pretty novel, but can you even get so many actors to participate in this show? Who would want to go on stage and compete with others after they've already become famous?"
“Even established singers are willing to compete in music variety shows, so why can’t actors?” Li Jiang smiled. “Especially with an actor like you as a judge, who could disagree?”
Chen Pinhe asked, "Who are the other judges?"
"We plan to invite people from among those who have won major awards in recent years, such as Chen Bige, Luo Yuzhong, Chen Lingling, Liu Teli, Jiang Mingzheng, Xu Yiren, and Wang Zhong," Li Jiang said. "It's an absolutely golden lineup."
Chen Pinhe raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard Li Jiang's name on the list.
"If you can really get all the judges to come from this list, then this show would be quite interesting." Chen Pinhe suddenly thought of something and asked, "Will Lu Yanhe appear on this show?"
Li Jiang's face darkened. "Do you think he'll show up?"
Chen Pinhe smiled.
"Who knows? He's so famous now, and a highly acclaimed acting prodigy."
Li Jiang, still with a dark expression, said, "What genius? It's all just media hype and nonsense. If he were really a genius, why didn't he win Best Actor for his film 'Late Spring,' which was nominated for Venice?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Pinhe's face darkened.
His film "White Pearl" was nominated for the main competition at this year's Venice International Film Festival.
Despite being a strong contender for Best Actor, he ultimately did not win the award.
Isn't Li Jiang's statement also a veiled reference to him?
Li Jiang quickly realized that his words had been too broad, even affecting the person in front of him.
Neither of them brought it up, and they ignored it.
Li Jiang asked, "Pinhe, does Lu Yanhe really have that much potential? Why are you so wary of this young man?"
Chen Pinhe gave him a cryptic look.
"Yes, the first time I saw him, I had a feeling that he might ruin my acting career one day," he said softly. "However, no matter how I tried to guard against him, he still became a force to be reckoned with. I couldn't stop him anymore, so this is all I can do."
"Sigh." Li Jiang sighed.
-
After talking with Li Jiang, Chen Pinhe drove home by himself. Zhang Yuezhen, wearing a white silk dress, walked down the stairs with an elegant posture and a smile on her face.
"Pinhe, where did you go? I thought you would be waiting for me at home." Zhang Yuezhen walked up to Chen Pinhe, opened her arms, hugged Chen Pinhe's neck, and gently nestled in his arms.
Chen Pinhe said, "I went to see Li Jiang. He has a program that wants me to be a judge and we're discussing some major details of the program."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuezhen raised her head curiously and looked at him.
"What show is it that could get you all to come?"
“It’s a show about acting skills competition,” Chen Pinhe said. “Li Jiang has helped me a lot in the past. This time, he wants to pave the way for his daughter, Li Zhenzhen, so that she can become a director. Therefore, he needs me to support his daughter, so I agreed.”
Zhang Yuezhen: "So that's how it is. Li Zhenzhen, it's really strange. Li Jiang and Lu Yanhe have such a big conflict, but his daughter was able to film so many seasons with Lu Yanhe."
Chen Pinhe asked with a smile, "When did you start caring about Li Jiang's daughter?"
Zhang Yuezhen: "You have no idea, when I went to Hong Kong this time, Lily and the others were watching the last episode of 'The Days of Youth'. I had no idea what was so good about that show."
Chen Pinhe smiled and said, "I haven't looked at it much either, so I don't know."
“You always only focus on acting and movies; you should also look at the world around you,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “How about we go to the Arctic together sometime next time? I want to see the aurora borealis; will you come with me?”
She hugged Chen Pinhe's arm.
Chen Pinhe looked at her with affection and nodded, "Okay."
Zhang Yuezhen laughed happily, her face, though forty years old, still showing a carefree expression.
"I wonder if Lulu is doing well in England. That annoying little girl never knows that her parents miss her, and she never calls us on her own initiative." Zhang Yuezhen frowned.
Chen Pinhe said, "How about we go to England to see her next week? We haven't seen her for a while."
Zhang Yue looked at Chen Pinhe with surprise and asked, "Really?"
"Um."
“Then I’ll have someone arrange it right away,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “This time, besides accompanying me to see the deer, you also have to accompany me to Rome. You’ve promised me for a long time that you’d take me sightseeing in Rome.”
Chen Pinhe nodded with a helpless smile.
"Okay, go if you want. I don't feel like reading scripts lately, I want to relax."
Zhang Yuezhen: "I'll definitely arrange everything perfectly for you!"
Her excitement was palpable, like that of a young girl.
Chen Pinhe watched as Zhang Yuezhen happily ran up the stairs to get her phone; her back view was as joyful and carefree as it had been back then.
Suddenly, her figure overlapped with someone else's in my line of sight.
It was a rainy night, and she looked at him with her wet eyes.
She was filled with anger and sadness.
"Chen Pinhe, I hate you, I will never forgive you in this lifetime."
The past is like smoke, it should have faded away, but it lingers in his heart, becoming a nightmare he can't shake off.
At that time, he never imagined that she was already pregnant.
If she were to tell him, he definitely wouldn't break up with her.
Why didn't she tell him then?
A wave of pain spread throughout his body, from his limbs to his bones.
"Pinhe—" Zhang Yuezhen's cheerful voice rang out from upstairs again. She suddenly changed into a long, fitted dress embroidered with crystals and ran to the second-floor railing. Looking at him, she asked, "Tomorrow is the TV Directors Guild Awards ceremony. Shall I wear this dress to go with you? Does it look good?"
Chen Pinhe looked up with a calm smile, nodded, and said, "Beautiful, very pretty."
(End of this chapter)
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