Chapter 110
For a group that debuted just a few days ago, the fact that one of the team members was suspected of being sick and sent to the hospital after just one activity undoubtedly made other fans nervous.
Fan clubs with close ties to their respective management companies also rushed to contact their contacts to inquire about their artists' health. Amidst the panic, while Zhou Xiao was debating whether to ask someone, Zhu Jian shared in the small group chat that New Town had responded to the fan clubs' concerns about Ji Shao's health—no problem, no need to worry!
Compared to New Town’s quick response, other economic companies either couldn’t get in touch with the trainees or didn’t want to spend the effort, so all they gave to the trainees were delaying responses.
The next day, Yan Shu's fans, filled with worry, immediately blocked @NINE STAR's official Weibo account V's post. Faced with this indiscriminate attack, Huayao Xingyu+ seemed relentless, allowing Yan Shu to post a response himself.
At the same time, Blueberry Video also quietly uploaded the behind-the-scenes documentary of Star 101 - "Struggle"
The two-hour documentary chronicles the journey of nine young men, from their invitation to Star 101 to their eventual formation. The Modern Fashion logo appears in the upper right corner of the video, clearly a product of a collaboration between the magazine and the production team.
——【Forum】——[August 24, noon]
【Topic】Discuss the progress of documentary
[Main Post] Honestly, based on my years of experience as a fan, releasing a behind-the-scenes documentary at this critical juncture is clearly a co-optation of yesterday's gossip-mongering torment fans.
I just saw that the person who spread the gossip has had his account deactivated. This is really hard to explain! Besides, Yan Shu said that he is fine, so why are his fans still going crazy everywhere... I don’t understand...
1L
The front page is full of posts crying for Yan Shu. Honestly, although Yan Shu looked pale during the livestream, I didn't think it was that serious. I'm more inclined to believe they were trying to endorse McDonald's, which is why they were so anxious to end the livestream [serious face.jpg]
6L
Reply to 1L: Oh my goodness, I met a toxic fan of Tiexueshiye.
17L
I'm going crazy! Why isn't anyone on the forum discussing the documentary today? Go watch it now! It's so tear-jerking! Every trainee comes to Star 101 hoping to change their destiny, then withstands the pressure and works their way up! The editing is super inspiring!
20L
The Xingtu 101 production team has done quite a few tricks... Why couldn't Yan Shu be forced to respond?
29L
After watching the documentary, the scene that left the deepest impression on me was the first elimination. Everyone was crying so much back then... And after his teammate was eliminated, Ji Shao went back to the dorm and lay on his bed, tracing the banner he had taped to the wall with his fingers... That scene... who knows, it was so straight out of a youth pain novel! I just wanted to force Ji Shao to film with me every minute.
53L
I had to mention something too. I didn't realize the members all received acupuncture treatments during the competition. They seemed so energetic on the show, but in private, most of them were just forcing themselves to do it. And the more famous trainees like Ji Shao really don't get much rest. I saw Chu Cheng, who's always been so enthusiastic, collapse on the floor during rehearsal. I think they were constantly filming commercials, so they didn't have much time to rest...
78L
Reply to 29L: The one Ji Shao touched was the one with the heart-pounding hand sign. I also have this hand sign. So, if you round it up, Ji Shao wants to marry me [funny]
103L
Seeing Chu Cheng and Xiang Rui mention the complete disbandment of their former group was really heartbreaking. But now that they've returned to China, they should focus on developing their careers there! Don't let their hard work from the past few years go to waste!
169L
I don’t know if you have seen Liang Wendao locking himself in the fire escape on the stairs, singing the lyrics that he broke his voice over and over again.
When I saw this, I burst into tears. Although I used to feel disgusted and annoyed that the production crew kept playing this clip over and over to attract attention, I have to say that this scene can really be listed as a top-level heartbreaking scene in my mind...
234L
I'm impressed by Modern Media's ability to shoot this. I had no idea a traditional print publication could pull off this kind of imagery. I wasn't impressed by print media, thinking it was just like shooting commercials. I'm surprised they can even produce documentaries. I hope to have further discussions with Nine Star about magazines in the future!
…
The behind-the-scenes documentary about Star 101 has been a huge hit since its release. It's not just for longtime fans like Zhou Xiao, who've been with the trainees all along, but it's also attracted a large number of new fans. Among them, the documentary's guiding nature has naturally led to the creation of many NINE STAR fans.
At this time, there were already three hot searches on a certain blog, namely #Star 101 Behind-the-Scenes Documentary#, #Yanshu Hospital Clarification# and #Ji Shao Don’t Touch the Banner#.
The popularity of the third entry is rising rapidly. When Zhou Xiao was browsing the hot search square of this entry, he found that many fans like Ji Shao (?) and seem to hope that he can film a youth idol drama with the young actress they bet on.
As for the reason for this kind of public opinion, it all stems from a blogger nicknamed @剧好看V. This account is a powerful influencer in the television industry, and Ji Shao's trending topic was originally created by him.
——A certain blog——
@剧好看V: Ji Shao, stop touching the banner. When can you find some time to shoot a youth-themed film about pain? [Video]
[I still clearly remember that it was the video that Xiaoju posted that day that got me into this trap, Ji Shao [laughing and crying]]
[I checked and it's an artist from New Town... Wait, it's New Town! Then filming a movie shouldn't be a piece of cake, right? So go get filming!]
Someone touched their own face on the banner, and I immediately had a vision of Narcissus [drooling]]
Ji Shao is truly a natural at creating atmosphere. Point me to @Flipped, a fantastic website for Ji Shao. You'll come back and thank me after you see it.
[Although, I feel like the limited group still has to wait a year or so to film a drama? They're so busy with variety shows and commercials right now that they probably won't have enough time...]
【……】
Zhou Xiao, who had just come out of the system training room, also opened the system backend at this time to check the rewards for completing this mission.
[System Task: Film Ji Shaocheng's debut performance (1/1), reward system funds of 100,000 yuan]
Looking at the amount, Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly. Did the system's financial reward double? However, to confirm whether the system had really doubled the funds, he would know after completing the next task, so Zhou Xiao didn't worry too much.
Speak of the devil, and here he comes. While Zhou Xiao was thinking, the system prompt sounded -
[Ding! NINE STAR sub-unit event "Speech Under the Starry Sky" detected, automatically issuing ticket*1]
In a split second, tickets for "Speech Under the Starry Sky" appeared on the coffee table in front of Zhou Xiao. The address was in the original Huashang Times studio, and the time was 2:00 p.m. on September 1st.
Based on the system's actions, Zhou Xiao knew without a second thought that Ji Shao was definitely on the team. As for the nature of this program... Zhou Xiao simply opened his browser and began to research what kind of program it was. Of course, since the name contained "speech," it was likely a serious speech, without a stage.
After searching, Zhou Xiao discovered, as he'd expected, that this was an online lecture program launched this year by Blueberry Video. Presumably due to a requirement from higher-ups, each episode featured guests who were either academic professors and experts or talented actors.
The fact that the NINE STAR members were able to participate in this program was undoubtedly a gilded gift from Blueberry Video and Huayao Xingyu+. Guessing that Ji Shao probably didn't have any other public schedules recently, Zhou Xiao decided to take this opportunity to return home.
Two days ago, when Ms. Zheng Jinghua was on a video call with Zhou Xiao, she told him that the Star 101 competition was over and it was time to go home.
After booking his flight home in advance, Zhou Xiao called Ms. Zheng. The call had barely rang once when the person on the other end quickly picked up. But the voice was clearly a bit nervous. "Why are you calling me at noon? What's going on?"
On the other end of the line, Zheng Jinghua was leaning back on the sofa at home*, watching a recent fantasy film. She was a university librarian, and since it was summer vacation, she was also on vacation. She was a little worried when she found out her daughter had called her at noon. After all, their family usually video chatted in the evening after Zhou's father returned.
"Oh, Mom, I've booked a flight this afternoon," Zhou Xiao chuckled on the other end of the phone, imagining Ms. Zheng's smile, and then said, "I'll be home around 9 p.m."
"Which exit are you coming out from? I'll drive to pick you up!" Zheng Jinghua was so happy to hear that her daughter was coming back, but her proposal was soon rejected.
It is very convenient to take a taxi at night now. Zhou Xiao didn’t plan to bring any big things home this time. He estimated that he would just bring a few sets of clothes and toiletries.
After chatting for a few more words, Zhou Xiao was sent by her mother to pack her things. She packed her things quickly, and by the time Zhou Xiao said goodbye to Qi Sisi over the phone, the taxi she had taken had already arrived downstairs.
…
Zhou Xiao, standing at the door with his backpack on his back, was about to take out his key to open the door of his house when he heard the sound of a handle turning from inside, and soon the door was opened by someone inside.
A refreshing breeze swept over Zhou Xiao, who was standing in front of the door. It was the smell of home. Zheng Jinghua looked at Zhou Xiao with a happy expression, "I knew you'd be arriving by this time!"
After checking the flight schedule, Zheng Jinghua began estimating her daughter's arrival time. She had been frequently checking the surveillance camera outside the door for half an hour, so when Zhou Xiao stood at the door, trying to find her key, Zheng Jinghua had already arrived and opened the door before her.
The mother and daughter hugged each other for a while. Zhou Xiao saw that her mother was the only one in the living room, so she asked curiously, "Mom, where's my dad?"
When Zheng Jinghua was about to take off her daughter's backpack, she heard her and said with a smile, "Your father is on the balcony!"
Zhou Xiao looked at her mother in confusion, but before she could say anything, she heard a "meow" coming from the balcony. Seeing her mother pouting, Zhou Xiao looked towards the balcony and saw that the person squatting on the ground, shoveling the cat's poop in the litter box, was none other than her old father.
Her father was cleaning the poop of a kitten that looked about four or five months old when he heard a noise at the door. Zhou Chengdong pushed up his glasses and looked in the direction of the door. He was as overjoyed as Zheng's mother. "You're back! Have you eaten yet?"
Zhou Xiao quickly stopped her mother who was about to go to the kitchen to cook noodles for her, and changed the subject by asking why she didn't tell her that they had a kitten at home.
Hearing Zhou Xiao mention the cat, Zheng Jinghua held the sweet-looking calico kitten in her arms, rubbing its head while saying to Zhou Xiao, "Isn't this a surprise for you since you're coming back?"
After putting down his backpack and sitting on the sofa, Zhou Xiao learned from his mother that the calico kittens were raised by a mother cat in the community. The older cats were often raised by residents, and there had been a suspected incident of poisoned cat food in the neighboring community. Although it was a false alarm, cat lovers in the community, out of concern for these little lives, kidnapped the older cat and its litter of kittens.
He also asked in the community group if anyone wanted to adopt the kitten, so Zhou's father went to the big cat's house and exchanged cat strips for this kitten, who was now nestling in his mother's arms and snoring comfortably.
After rubbing the still-afraid kitten, Zhou Xiao took his backpack back to his room. The decor hadn't changed, but the soft pillows still felt a bit warm. Zhou Xiao knew his family had specially aired them when they learned he was coming back.
After washing and blowing her hair, Zhou Xiao lay down on her small bed. Although she had resigned from her job a few months ago, she suddenly felt a long-lost fatigue for this not-so-long journey. Coupled with her dependence on the old environment in her memory, Zhou Xiao's vision began to blur.
Just when she was drowsy, she seemed to feel someone gently moving her body, and then covering her with a thin blanket. Finally, the light was turned on and everything returned to darkness.
Zhou Xiao was woken up in the morning by a little three-flowered cat named Coconut. In her memory, her mother seemed to open the door and call her to get up. She guessed that Coconut took the opportunity to sneak in at that time.
He held the kitten, who was nuzzling him with its slightly moist nose, in his arms, feeling the fur in his hand. Zhou Xiao couldn't help but sigh, "What a careless kitten indeed. She was a bit shy last night, but this morning she's already clinging to me."
Feeling a bit cold, Zhou Xiao reached out from the bedside to get the remote control and turned off the air conditioner. He rubbed her little three flowers and her little three flowers were moaning coquettishly. He found his phone and found that it was already nine o'clock in the morning. Before getting up, Zhou Xiao rubbed his little three flowers vigorously and then slowly got up.
Zheng Jinghua, who had already heard the noises from her daughter's room, watched her come out of the room. She stopped scrolling through the short video clips she was watching, looked up at her and said, "Breakfast is in the steamer. Go and get it yourself."
After saying that, she acted like an old mother doting on her little girl, and called out to the little girl who was following Zhou Xiao, "Coconut, come to mommy!"
While eating breakfast, Zhou Xiao discussed the recent exciting events with his mother. So after Zhou Xiao finished his meal, he changed his clothes with Ms. Zheng and prepared to go out. Before going out, she seemed to have thought of something and brought her camera with her.
"You're carrying a camera with you," Zheng Jinghua teased as she watched Zhou Xiao come out of the room and put the camera into her bag. Then she carried the little Sanhua cat to the cat scratching post in the corner to prevent the kitten from running out when she opened the door.
"Hey, didn't you say you would take me to the lychee orchard to pick lychees?" Zhou Xiao smiled at his mother while holding up the camera in his hand. He just happened to think of taking some pictures of the beautiful scenery in his hometown.
Just now, at the dinner table, Zheng Jinghua showed Zhou Xiao a video of CCTV's local filming trip. As a university librarian, she'd already been tasked with promoting the event on her WeChat Moments last month. Thinking her daughter's return would coincide with the orchard's opening, she decided to go over today to see the beautiful scenery, water, and lychees featured on CCTV.
As they walked and talked, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but wonder, "Why is the publicity so strong this year?" It's no exaggeration to say that this is the first time her hometown has received publicity and promotion from CCTV.
"This time, we're catching up with the cooperation between CCTV and the local tourism bureau. I heard that it wasn't originally our turn this time." Zheng Jinghua was carefully examining the electric fan her daughter brought back, nodding inwardly. Not to mention, this little thing looks pretty good. It's quiet, powerful, and cute.
Zhou Xiao looked at the taxi not far away from the two of them and was heading in their direction. Then she turned her head and asked her mother curiously, "How did you catch up?"
"Remember when I said I'd send you horse cakes?" Zheng Jinghua stopped a taxi and motioned for Zhou Xiao to get in first. "It was really popular. A lot of livestreamers came to our area during that time."
"Hmm?" Zhou Xiao blinked. The popularity of this horse cake came from Qi Sisi's "accident" giving it to Ji Shao and the meet-and-greet clip she had posted. Although Douyin and Xiaohongshu frequently made similar recommendations during that time, Zhou Xiao had always assumed it was a big data recommendation.
What was unexpected was that this popularity actually affected the local economic development. It has to be said that this was quite a surprise to Zhou Xiao.
After driving for over an hour, Zhou Xiao noticed his mother resting her eyes and casually looked up content related to the show. Although it was about lychees, many of the comments below, even the most upvoted ones, repeatedly mentioned "horse cake," seemingly contributing to its becoming a local specialty.
By the time they reached their destination, the area was already bustling with activity, with many cars jammed on the country road. The driver, who had been silent all the way, couldn't help but frown at the gridlock. Zhou Xiao opened the map and checked the distance to the destination: less than a kilometer.
The distance seemed short, but Zhou Xiao saw that the private cars parked on both sides of the country road occupied half of the road. The road, which was not wide to begin with, had become a "one-way" street. It would be a bit difficult to drive to the end.
"Axiao, why don't we get off the car?" Zheng Jinghua said to her daughter as she looked at the taxi that had been stuck in place for two or three minutes.
"Okay." Zhou Xiao picked up his bag and got off the bus like many other passersby and walked towards his destination.
The weather in August was very hot. Zheng Jinghua pointed the electric fan in her hand at herself and her daughter, and couldn't help feeling that she had foresightedly taken this little thing with her when she set out earlier.
Zhou Xiao surveyed the surroundings. The red-walled, ancient houses held a unique charm. Although he hadn't yet entered the lychee picking area, he was already surrounded by the orchard. The old-fashioned rural architecture might seem tacky to young locals, but to outsiders, it was a uniquely local architectural style.
From the stagnant thoroughfare, Zhang Jinghua led her daughter through narrow paths. These were private paths reserved by rural villagers for their own convenience, providing a convenient way for them and their neighbors to travel. In rural areas, if a road were simply cut off to maximize the area of new housing, it would inevitably lead to dissatisfaction among the neighbors who relied on it for access.
Zhou Xiao and her mother walked and talked, and occasionally when they passed the village temple, she couldn't help but want to go in and take a look. The small temple was always burning incense, and the walls were painted with scenes from the Eighteen Levels of Hell and other scenes such as Bigan's heart being torn out.
After a quick glance, the mother and daughter arrived at the entrance to the picking garden. It was then that Zhou Xiao understood why the traffic was so congested today. The reason was simple: the local TV station was clearly taking advantage of CCTV's success to gather information about the show's aftermath.
After waiting in line and paying the 50 yuan entrance fee, Zhou Xiao and his mother each carried a plastic basket and walked in. The picking garden, with its village-like scale, was clearly larger than an ordinary park, living up to its name of "Liyuan Water Village."
A large stream runs through the litchi garden. The lake green water makes people feel very comfortable. When the litchi branches bent by the heavy fruits hang down to the lake, the dots of "red flowers" dotted on them look particularly pleasing.
"Oh, there are boats!" Zheng Jinghua said in surprise as she looked at the two antique pleasure boats docked on the shore. She had seen the host on the show picking lychees directly on the water by boat, but she didn't expect that the locals would have so many boats.
Seeing his mother's interested expression, Zhou Xiao had an idea and pushed her towards the pleasure boat. After inquiring about the price, 200 yuan an hour was not too expensive.
Zheng Jinghua, persuading her daughter and feeling somewhat interested herself, boarded the boat. Just as she rose slightly to help Zhou Xiao onto the boat, Zhou Xiao gestured to the boatman to leave first, then took out his camera.
"Mom, I'll take some pictures of you. Just make sure you look beautiful," Zheng Jinghua said as she watched her daughter board another boat, holding up her camera. A brief moment of surprise was followed by a deep sense of joy and satisfaction. How can I describe this feeling? It's like a gentle breeze caressing my heart.
The morning sun was bright, and the stream was sparkling. The lush greenery on both sides of the river made it a truly enjoyable experience for both of us.
…
"So beautiful!" Zhou Chengdong, sitting on the sofa at home after work, couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the photos and videos his daughter sent to the family group.
"Pop!" A bowl of incredibly fresh lychees was placed on the table, and Zheng Jinghua's mouth nearly swelled with satisfaction. She'd let her daughter pick lychees all day to relax, but except for lunch, her daughter had been taking photos of her. Zheng Jinghua glanced at each freshly-picked photo, saving them with satisfaction and then posting them to her WeChat Moments.
——Friends Circle——
@追梦: Visiting Liyuan Water Village, my daughter took my photo [smile]
[Image] ×9
【Good fruit, good fruit [thumbs-up]】
【Axiao loves mom so much】
[Sister Jinghua looks a lot younger [grin]]
【……】
Looking at the comments on WeChat Moments with satisfaction, Zheng Jinghua saved the video her daughter had just sent to the group and uploaded it to WeChat Moments.
"Ah Xiao, stop it and come out to eat!" After the couple brought the prepared dishes to the dining table, Zhou Chengdong shouted to Zhou Xiao inside.
"Okay~" Zhou Xiao responded in the room, closed her computer and went to the restaurant, not knowing that the videos and photos she took of her mother were being viewed by the staff of the local propaganda department overnight.
With the rise of short videos in recent years, many places have tightened their grip on external publicity, placing increasing emphasis on it. Leveraging the popularity of horse cakes, a local area even secured a spot on CCTV for provincial publicity, but unfortunately, the publicity hasn't improved much.
Chen Yutong, a junior reporter at Xingshi TV, had gathered enough footage from Liyuan this morning and was about to return. However, her superiors called her back, and she still hadn't made any progress by the time she got to capture the night scene.
When her mother knew her daughter was going to Liyuan to take photos today, she said happily, "The scenery over there is beautiful. I'm going to find a group of sisters to go with me tomorrow. Can you tell me which is the shortest way?"
"Don't go these days," Chen Yutong opened the refrigerator, opened a bottle of Coke, and gulped down a large gulp. Only the carbonated beverage could temporarily soothe her bad mood. "Our TV station is still filming, so there will definitely be traffic!"
"Then I see your Aunt Zheng is filming it very well." Mother Chen felt a little regretful. School would start soon, and she was thinking of taking advantage of this time to see where the film was being broadcast on TV.
"Oh, we have different perspectives." Chen Yutong took out her mobile phone and prepared to start the daily likes mode, when she suddenly saw the picture her mother had taken in the family group, and her eyes lit up.
Although the screenshot is very primitive and still has the status bar, it is obvious that this is the scenery of Liyuan. Lychee trees with red fruits hanging on both sides of the stream are only found in Liyuan. This moment alone makes people want to take a look.
"Mom, where did you get this photo?" Chen Yutong turned around and asked her mother.
"What photos?" Chen's mother skillfully scrolled through the short videos and gave her some attention.
"The one sent to the family group." Chen Yutong raised the phone and handed it to her mother.
"Oh, isn't this taken by your Aunt Zheng's daughter?" Mother Chen suddenly became interested and deleted the short video without mercy. "Ah Xiao works in Shanghai, and I didn't expect him to be good at taking photos..."
Quickly interrupting her mother's long speech, Chen Yutong asked her mother to show her the videos and photos taken by Aunt Zheng's daughter. This was shocking. It was not until her mother, who was impatiently waiting to watch a short video, snatched the phone from her hand that Chen Yutong came back to her senses, "Oh my god!"
Chen Yutong, who didn't care about being patted on the arm by her mother, hurriedly asked her mother to give her Aunt Zheng's phone number. She was really attracted by the video and photos.
Whether it is photos or videos, Zheng Jinghua's beauty and her own shining qualities are perfectly presented in the photos and videos without reservation.
When Chen Yutong looks at the photos, she's drawn to Zheng Jinghua's tranquility and warmth, while the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes tell a story. The video contrasts the figures with the blue sky and green waters behind them, vividly showcasing the beauty of both the landscape and the people.
Chen Yutong, who had gotten the phone number from her mother, checked the time. It was 9 p.m. She carefully dialed the number, silently praying that she wouldn't go to bed so early.
The call was connected, and the person who finally communicated with Chen Yutong was Zhou Xiao. When Zheng Jinghua said that her daughter was right next to her, both sides turned on the hands-free mode.
Zheng Jinghua watched her daughter go back to the house to make a video, petted the cute kitten in her arms, and exchanged a glance with Old Zhou, each of them looking at her with pride. They had just filmed a video, and the local TV station had already called them!
Zhou Xiao returned to her room and sorted out the videos she had sorted out for the day before for a second edit. Besides filming for her mother, she'd also captured quite a few empty shots. As for any follow-up, that would depend on whether she could see their TV station's evening broadcast tomorrow.
On the other side, Chen Yutong, after consulting Zhou Xiao, simply edited out the clips in which Zheng Jinghua appeared. Although this made the final film less coherent, she didn't have time to dwell on it and excitedly sent the edited video to her editor.
There was no doubt that the video was good, and if it was more refined, it could even be used as a promotional video. Just as Chen Yutong and her teacher were discussing when to ask Zhou Xiao for the video tomorrow, Zhou Xiao had already sent the edited video over.
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