Chapter 54
Y City Film Studio.
After finishing the dance performance in the morning, we had already missed lunchtime.
At this moment, Shen Li was eating snacks in the RV to fill her stomach. She took a moment to check her phone and saw a message from Director Jiang.
Jiang Mingyi: I'm watching your new drama.
Jiang Mingyi: I think Luo Mingxiu's image and acting skills are pretty good. I feel he's suitable for a role here. After submitting my application to his email, I saw that his profile mentioned Qingli.
Shen Li was somewhat surprised. She hadn't been in contact with Jiang Mingyi for many years, and she hadn't expected that Jiang Mingyi would still be paying attention to her drama.
When she filmed "The Madman," she was a newcomer, and Director Jiang was also a newly appointed director.
This work can be considered their joint breakthrough role. Shen Li clearly remembers that when they were filming, they admired each other. Their relationship was also good when the movie was released and promoted. She thought she could become friends with her.
Unfortunately, after the promotional period, she clearly felt that Jiang Mingyi was becoming distant from her, and they gradually drifted apart.
Shen Li later tried to find the reason and accidentally saw her interview. She said that she was naturally indifferent, enjoyed being alone, and could not get too close to anyone.
Everyone has a different personality, and friendship is something that can't be forced. Shen Li understood this and let it go.
Shen Li replied to her: On behalf of my artist, thank Director Jiang for his appreciation. It is his honor to work with you.
Actually, she and Jiang Mingyi are just exchanging greetings when they bump into each other. It would be better to talk to Luo Mingxiu's agent about this. Jiang Mingyi specifically sent her a message.
She probably meant that she genuinely watched Luo Mingxiu's performance and thought it was good, rather than contacting him because of Qingli's fame.
She seemed rather awkward. Did she feel embarrassed to run into an artist from Shen Li's group?
Just as she expected, Jiang Mingyi emphasized again the next second: I didn't expect him to be your artist.
Jiang Mingyi: There are two other people from the capital side who are also going to try out for the same role as Luo Mingxiu. I hope he can prepare well. I have high hopes for him.
Hmm, did they also leak information about competitors to her?
Shen Li sat up straight. Jiang Mingyi's words undoubtedly reflected his high hopes for Luo Mingxiu.
Because for a director of her caliber, the people provided by the investors will definitely be cast, but as for which role they play, she has the right to adjust that.
Shen Li: Then I will definitely pass on your words to him and tell him to prepare carefully so that he won't disappoint you.
After the conversation ended, Shen Li touched Luo Mingxiu's contact in her list. He had sent her a picture that day, but she hadn't seen it because she was looking for something in the prop room. She was busy afterwards and forgot to reply.
It was Xiaowen in the photo. He was wearing Luo Mingxiu's bag, which he used to carry his everyday items while filming. The bag's chain had a loop design, which was just right to hang that pear-shaped keychain.
The all-black bag, which is quite cool, suddenly has a small yellow pear added, making it particularly eye-catching, but it doesn't look out of place because the charm is cute.
Chen Li typed back: Looks good, suits you.
Then I asked him: "Are you preparing for Director Jiang's film lately? You didn't even tell me about such a good thing. You're quite reserved."
After a while, the other end replied: You finally replied to my message.
Luo Mingxiu: I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out, but you're too busy with filming and I didn't want to bother you.
Luo Mingxiu: How did you know? I didn't let Brother Liang or President Cheng tell you. I was planning to tell you after I passed the audition.
Shen Li: Director Jiang told me that, and she also told me to prepare carefully, as there are two other people competing for your role.
Luo Mingxiu: I'm quite confident about this role.
Shen Li smiled and said: "It's good that you have confidence. What I'm afraid of is getting scared before you even step onto the stage."
The other party sent a voice message, and Shen Li opened it and put it to her ear: "It's been a long time since I heard you speak. Can you say 'keep going' to me via voice message?"
Shen Li's ears tingled. She hadn't heard him speak in a long time and had almost forgotten that whenever this boy spoke to her, especially in his voice, his tone was always softer than usual, which was quite alluring.
At this moment, Luo Mingxiu was in Qingli's rehearsal room. In the morning, he consulted some questions with the acting teacher, and in the afternoon, he prepared to correct the problems and reenact the scene.
Xiao Wen stayed by his side, filming each practice session for review. After fiddling with the camera for a while, he turned around and saw Luo Mingxiu suddenly chatting with a beaming smile.
"Brother Luo, is your throat parched? Should I go buy you a bottle of water?" Xiao Wen shouted loudly.
"Get lost." Luo Mingxiu glared at him, and Xiao Wen quickly ran away.
Luo Mingxiu turned his gaze back to the screen, looking on with a happy anticipation until the message notification sounded.
He quickly tapped the app, held it to his ear, and heard a soft, gentle voice, just like the one Shen Li had used to confess to him that day.
"Go for it, boyfriend!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Mingxiu felt a sudden surge of heat rise in his body. He saved the voice message and listened to it repeatedly. After listening to it enough, he saw that Shen Li had sent him a pat-on-the-head emoji.
The sweetness in my heart is almost overflowing.
The excitement lingered for a long time. Luo Mingxiu touched his chest and saw Chen Li's nickname. After thinking for a moment, he changed the nickname to "Puppy's Pear".
After making the changes, he logged onto his Weibo side account, edited the text, and posted: "The pear finally belongs to the puppy."
Two minutes later, a user with the ID "四点水" commented under the Weibo post: "Catch the dog! Have you watched the goddess's new drama? Why aren't you updating your videos? You still have time to make comments about 'dream girl'? Shen Li is my wife."
Upon seeing this comment, Luo Mingxiu frowned instantly. What's wrong with fans these days? They call everyone "wife."
It wasn't a problem before, but now when I see others say those two words, I feel really uncomfortable.
He replied to the person: Mine.
After replying, I felt it was childish and deleted it. I then replied to the person seriously: I watched the new drama and have a lot to say, but due to work, I don't have time to edit it, so I won't be making videos in the future.
After this reply, several more people who followed him expressed their regret and some wild speculations.
He edited the comment and pinned it: It's not that I'm unfollowing, it's just that I'm too busy with work and really don't have time to edit. The account will not be deleted, and the videos I made before will not be deleted.
Four Drops of Water commented below: I hope you're doing well in real life. It's okay, don't feel pressured. I'm just glad to know you're still a fan of Shen Li's drama.
The puppy eating a pear: Thank you for understanding.
On the other side, Xiaoyu liked the comment about the puppy eating pears, sighed, and then opened a certain website, scrolling through DaDa's videos from beginning to end.
"What's wrong? Why are you sighing like that?" Shen Li asked her.
Xiaoyu perked up: "Sister Chenli, do you still remember that 'puppy eating pear' scissor hand? I'm following her on my alternate account too."
Shen Li nodded: "I remember, isn't she my fan?"
Xiaoyu opened the Weibo post she had just seen and handed her phone to Chenli to look at.
"Oh, I see. That's a pity. He's very talented. I wonder what he's doing now?"
Shen Li glanced at the IP address and handed the phone back to Xiao Yu. "She's also in City B. If she has time, her team can contact her to come to the company. As a thank you, we can take photos, give her some merchandise, autographs, etc. We'll try our best to meet her needs."
I've taken on many controversial roles before, and her editing helped me salvage a lot of my reputation. I remember my team even wanted to recruit her, but when we finally got in touch, we found out she was still a freshman in college. She's truly young and promising.
“That’s true. There’s more time in college, so there’s less freedom at work.” Xiaoyu said, patting her chest. “Then leave this to me, Sister Li. I often watch her videos. I’ll contact her and Sister Chun Chun to coordinate.”
"Whatever you want, it's up to you. Time to do your hair and makeup."
Outside the car, the makeup artist's assistant had already come to call her. Shen Li saw the figure, finished the last bite of her snack, and got up to go out.
Three days later, Luo Mingxiu sent a message: I passed the audition.
Shen Li was happy for him and sent him a red envelope.
Luo Mingxiu didn't accept the reward; instead, he shamelessly asked for another one.
Chen Li typed: Just for good luck, please accept!
Luo Mingxiu accepted the red envelope: What about the other rewards?
Chen Lizhuang couldn't understand: What?
Luo Mingxiu sent emojis: a shy one, and a kiss.
That's pathetic.
Shen Li pressed the voice button, first making a "mua" sound, then said, "Keep the digital version safe, I'll cash it in when I get back."
.
On the day "Breaking the Cocoon" wrapped up filming, there were still two episodes left in the finale of "Detective". The official team invited the main actors to hold a live broadcast together. Shen Li finished all the filming on set in the morning and rested in the hotel in the afternoon.
When it was time for the live stream, she entered the live stream room ahead of time.
All four main actors were present, and there were many comments on the screen mentioning Li Nan's name.
Since everyone online knows that Shen Li is filming Li Nan's drama, and it just so happens that Li Nan's character Mu Yuan in the detective drama has recently appeared, the Nan Li CP has become popular again, and fans may want Li Nan to make an appearance as well.
The host looked embarrassed; this was outside her usual routine.
Shen Li stepped in to defuse the situation: "Teacher Li can't make it because of a flight, let's begin."
This isn't a lie to the fans. They finished filming in the morning, and Li Nan said goodbye to her.
This was a true farewell. Li Nan told Shen Li that he had secured a project collaboration opportunity with a renowned director from Country F and was preparing to develop the overseas market in the long term.
After he left, he even sent someone to deliver his best wishes to her.
A note was tucked inside a bouquet of flowers: Thank you to my leading lady. I'm going to continue pursuing another dream in my life. I hope the movie is a huge success, and I hope you will always do what you love and shine brightly.
P.S.: The flowers were given out of concern from a friend, wishing you a happy wrap-up of filming, and there was no other meaning behind them; as a friend, I sincerely wish you a happy love life and hope you will be happy for the rest of your life.
But I still have to say, I hate that guy. This is purely malicious, stemming from my jealousy of my former rival.
After a brief blessing, three lines of words expressing a strong desire to survive followed: Three months ago, they promised each other not to bring their personal emotions into the filming, and he did it, and so did she.
Now that he's joking about his pain again, Shen Li knows he's telling her that he's truly let go.
"The finale is almost here, and everyone is reluctant to say goodbye to the days of following the series. They're all wondering if there will be a second season. As the lead actress and producer, Ms. Shen, do you have any information to share?" The host's voice brought her back to reality.
Shen Li smiled calmly: "This drama fully respects the original work. The final two episodes will definitely satisfy all the questions. There will be no second season, but there may be spin-off episodes or a modern version of the same type of work. It depends on the ideas of the creators."
"Everyone seems very curious about the modern version. Will it be the original cast?" the host asked, voicing her own curiosity.
"Let's look forward to it, when the script comes out." Shen Li made a gesture of zipping up her mouth. She was certain that the editor and the original author would be writing a modern detective drama, with a similar format to Detective Xie Huaixi, where a team of four would still be involved in the case.
But she can't guarantee what the final result will be, or whether the original team will all be available.
"Okay, thank you everyone, teachers and fans. This live stream is now over. Remember to watch the finale of Detective Xie Huaixi tomorrow!"
After the live stream ended, Shen Li's name, along with topics related to her character in the drama, trended on several hot searches. The modern version of Detective Xie Huaixi, which Shen Li mentioned, also remained on the hot search for an entire day, showing how much netizens care.
In her fan community, fans are also discussing the modern version. Chen Li didn't pay attention to how many fans the fan community gained during the show's airing, but it seems to be much more lively than before the show aired.
She would occasionally log on to check the plot, see how everyone guessed what was going on, and post their own deductions and analyses. The comments were full of creative ideas, which was quite interesting.
It provided a source of joy for her during her arduous and tiring filming days.
Shen Li thought for a moment, then switched to the Weibo message page, joined the fan group, chatted with everyone for a while, reminded the fans that she would be sending out red envelopes, and then opened the Weibo red envelope page, entered the amount, and sent it.
Immediately, someone left a comment asking how much money they received. The puppy eating pears was the first to like and comment, but instead of commenting on the amount, it simply said, as usual: "First comment."
Shen Li replied with a heart emoji, then, as if remembering something, logged out of Weibo and sent a message to Xiao Yu: How's it going with thanking that fan?
Xiaoyu sent a screenshot and explained: I sent her private messages on various public platforms using my assistant's main account, but she hasn't replied yet. She probably doesn't log on often.
Shen Li: Didn't she reply on Weibo? She was just commenting and liking my post.
Xiaoyu: Maybe it's one of those apps that's specifically for grabbing the first comment? Or maybe you didn't see it. I'll post it again.
"Such a convenient gadget?" Shen Li was astonished. "Is it really that human-machine?" She switched to her Weibo side account, scrolled through the comments about the puppy eating pears on her own Weibo, and curiously clicked into the puppy's profile to take a look.
Aside from the pinned post that doesn't feature any new videos, there are endless reposts about her below. She doesn't share any of her life, making her seem even colder and more like a machine.
After such a long hiatus, this popular account with over 100,000 followers has been turned into a dedicated account for generating data for her. It's possible that, as Xiaoyu said, this account is no longer frequently logged in.
Xiaoyu: I replied to Sister Li.
Xiaoyu: She said she had a job opportunity in Qingli before, and she didn't need to clock in anymore.
Shen Li: What about the gifts and related items? You don't want them either?
Xiaoyu: She didn't want it. She said thank you for your concern, and she appreciated the gesture.
"Huh?" Shen Li stopped typing in front of the screen and couldn't help but ask in confusion. How could there be such strange fans, and some who don't want autographed merchandise?
Shen Li: If she doesn't want it, then forget it.
It's so mysterious. After putting down her phone, Shen Li was still pondering it.
Someone from the same city who worked in Qingli was probably also in the entertainment industry. Could they be a gossip reporter or working for a rival company?
So you've shattered the filter and don't want her autograph?
Shen Li was startled by her own association and quickly sent Xiao Yu another message: Remember to save a screenshot of your chat history with that fan, just in case.
Xiaoyu: Okay.
A voice call popped up at the top of my phone.
Upon seeing the name, Shen Li smiled and said, "Hey, what's up?"
"Are you coming back tomorrow?" Luo Mingxiu's voice came through the phone. "I wanted to hide in Qingqing's car and go to the airport to pick you up together, but she didn't agree."
“I disagree too,” Shen Li said. “Have you joined the crew yet? Give me your address and I’ll come see you.”
Luo Mingxiu: "I finished filming a cameo role last week, and I'll be starting Director Jiang's film in mid-next month. I specially applied for a short vacation to wait for you to come back, and we..."
“A date,” Shen Li laughed, “but where can we go? We’ll get photographed even if we wear masks out.”
Luo Mingxiu paused for a moment: "I'm not going anywhere. I've been too busy lately and just want to rest. It's enough to be with you."
Shen Li: "Will you be home tomorrow?"
Luo Mingxiu: "Yes."
"Then you go ahead and cook something delicious. I'll have Qingqing drive another car, and we'll go straight to your place tomorrow after we land." After Shen Li finished speaking, she heard Luo Mingxiu's laughter.
"Okay, send me the dishes you want to eat."
Shen Li: "Okay, then I'll hang up."
“Wait a minute,” Luo Mingxiu said, “that reward…”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Shen Li interrupted him, “Wash your mouth and wait for me to come back.”
"Chen Li, you—" The person on the other end coughed suddenly, clearly shocked by her blunt words.
Shen Li let out a series of laughs.
After hanging up the phone, Luo Mingxiu lay down on the bed, the sound of Shen Li's laughter still echoing in his ears. After lying there for a while, he felt hot all over, got up, loosened his collar, and went into the bathroom.
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