Chapter 166
In the early morning, as a ray of sunlight filtered through the treetops in front of the courtyard gate and shone onto the blue brick floor, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but raise his camera to capture the scene. Looking back at the blue-tiled, white walls behind him, the scene was even more captivating.
This was the location Xiao Yi's agent had given her for the shoot. Zhou Xiao took in the panoramic views of the ancient town from her taxi. When she arrived at her destination, she could still hear laughter emanating from the courtyard after getting out of the car.
After sending his agent a message about his arrival, Zhou Xiao took the opportunity to survey the surrounding scenery. The ancient towns in this area date back hundreds of years and have now developed a comprehensive tourism network. The courtyard house before Zhou Xiao is also available for rent, making it a comfortable destination for retirement tourism.
Just as Zhou Xiao was thinking about adding this place to his family's travel itinerary, the courtyard door creaked open from the inside. A short-haired, bespectacled woman poked her head out. Seeing Zhou Xiao, she asked in a resounding voice, "Excuse me, is this Teacher Zhou?"
Zhou Xiao nodded, gesturing to the man with the camera in his hand. The man then opened the wooden door, which had been a crack, a little wider and motioned Zhou Xiao to come in.
Inside the doorway, a whole new world unfolds. A large, sunken area in the center serves as drainage, and the entire space is paved primarily with blue bricks. In each of the four corners stands a tall, leafy potted plant, adding a touch of life.
Zhou Xiao was currently following the assistant in front of her, who was leading her through a small door further in. The courtyard was a series of interlocking rings. Entering through the small door, Zhou Xiao's eyes were greeted by a burst of blue snowflakes in the corner. Perhaps because the autumn was still warm this year, the blue flowers seemed even more vibrant against the rustic brickwork.
Just as Zhou Xiao was setting up the props for the live photography, Xiao Yi, who had just changed her clothes, arrived in the courtyard. Seeing Zhou Xiao's appearance, she was also a little surprised, and then she lamented Zhou Xiao's age with her agent.
Before the studio invited Zhou Xiao to shoot, the staff also informed Xiao Yi that Zhou Xiao was Ji Shao's fan club member. As Ji Shao's mentor during his time on Star 101, Xiao Yi was naturally impressed by Ji Shao. After viewing some of Zhou Xiao's filmed photos online, Xiao Yi also began to look forward to this shoot.
Xiao Yi, wearing a shawl and a silver-white dress, stepped forward and extended her hand to Zhou Xiao. "Zhou Xiao, right? I'm Xiao Yi. You can just call me Sister Yi."
"Hello, Sister Yi, you can also call me Xiaoxiao." Zhou Xiao put the camera on the stone table beside him and held the hands stretched out in front of him.
"Okay, Xiaoxiao! How do we shoot this time?" Xiao Yi handed the shawl on her body to the agent beside her, rubbed her exposed arms casually, and began to urge the process.
Zhou Xiao was a little surprised by her straightforwardness and generosity. He recalled the times he had seen Xiao Yi during his time on Star Path 101. She always seemed gentle. Of course, by the end of the filming, Zhou Xiao understood why Xiao Yi always ranked near the top when the Star Path 101 trainees were interviewed and asked about their favorite and most feared mentors.
Zhou Xiao's filming was quick, and since the courtyard and Xiao Yi's outfit and personality were perfectly matched, the desired effect was quickly achieved. However, Xiao Yi was eager to "keep it one more take," and his agent, who was accompanying him during the shoot, quickly said, "Mr. Zhou, please take another set! I forgot to tell you in advance, but our previous shoots were always done this way!"
Zhou Xiao only discovered later that Xiao Yi wasn't always like this. When she debuted and went to record, she was nicknamed "Xiao Yitiao," meaning "one take, one pass." Later, due to some internal issues, her vocal cords and recording files were damaged, and she lost a crucial opportunity.
Xiao Yi is a singer who is always blessed by fate. Although she lost an opportunity, it also made her focus more on polishing her work. After that, the artists and behind-the-scenes staff who have worked with Xiao Yi have all experienced her seriousness and caution in her work.
Hearing that this was the other party's usual request, Zhou Xiao nodded. Looking up at the sun hanging high in the sky, he gestured for Xiao Yi to stand in the shade and wait for his photo shoot.
The agent at the side walked carefully to the computer, waved to his assistant to move a seat for him, and then began to appreciate the original film shot by Zhou Xiao on the computer.
In the image, Xiao Yi stands at the foot of a low wall, her head tilted to one side, sunlight brushing against the tips of her hair. The rustic brick and tile roofs are layered, and behind her is a low, green wall of trimmed shrubs and a tall, blooming osmanthus tree. Her hair, tied back, falls to the side, a strand cascading down over her shoulders, creating a picture of exquisite beauty.
As Zhou Xiao leaned over to discuss the desired effect of the film with his agent, Xiao Yi, already wearing a shawl, glanced at the assistant beside him. Not long after, Zhou Xiao, who was looking at the finished product on the computer with Xiao Yi's agent, was gently patted on the arm.
When she turned around, Xiao Yi handed her two items. "This is NINE STAR's physical album 'Wind' and tickets for the Double 11 Gala," Xiao Yi said with a smile.
The beautifully packaged album cover was densely covered with the signatures of the nine members, and the ticket pressed underneath the album was the same one Zhou Xiao received from the system.
This was really unexpected for Zhou Xiao. After seeing the other party's eye contact many times, Zhou Xiao stood up and accepted this heavy kindness from Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi pulled the shawl that had fallen off her shoulders back up and said with a smile, "Is this a good gift? I heard you're a fan of Xiao Shao, so we should have met before, right?"
Zhou Xiao nodded, "Teacher Xiao, thank you for your gift! I still remember the OST you sang at the Star 101 press conference~" This answer surprised Xiao Yi, but her curved eyebrows revealed that she was in a good mood at the moment.
…
After politely declining Xiao Yi and her agent's invitation to lunch, Zhou Xiao left after confirming the direction of the original film's retouching with the agent. Sitting in the taxi, Zhou Xiao looked at the signed album in his hand and wondered if the album he had previously bought in seconds at the auction should be shipping soon.
Zhou Xiao was not surprised that Xiao Yi had a physical album from NINE STAR. On the one hand, she was the producer of the album, and on the other hand, she was also the members' mentor on Star 101. It was reasonable for them to receive the new physical album in advance.
However, Zhou Xiao weighed the album box in his hand. He must be the first person in the fan circle to get it, right? Resisting the urge to unpack the album in the car, Zhou Xiao shifted his gaze to the ticket.
Ever since Nine Star officially announced their participation in Taobao's Singles' Day (Singles' Day) event, Huayao has consistently responded with "transferred" to any fan inquiries about tickets. For about two days now, the plaza at Huayao has been completely overrun by fans (as usual, of course), accusing the official of withholding tickets.
According to rumors spread by Li Mo, some angry fans have gone to Taobao's customer service and accused Huayao staff of taking kickbacks. After all, Taobao's Double 11 spokesperson this year is NINE STAR, so it makes no sense that they wouldn't be able to get a single ticket.
In Zhou Xiao's opinion, Hua Yao deserved a scolding. Initially, Zhou Xiao had no intention of accepting the ticket, as it had already been sold for several thousand yuan by scalpers.
But the other party simply told Zhou Xiao to accept it without any worries. Xiao Yi, the guest performer, had already received a dozen tickets. Besides the ten tickets given as a bonus to fans, he still had a few extra tickets on hand for last-minute needs. Today was already the 10th, so if Zhou Xiao didn't accept this ticket, it would be a waste.
From this, we can see that the number of tickets sold is directly proportional to the star's status. Although NINE STAR is a new group, with such high popularity and the "halo" of a spokesperson, it's not impossible that there are no tickets. Of course, this is just one of the reasons why Huayao staff have been accused of taking kickbacks by fans.
Zhou Xiao glanced at the group chat. Li Mo and Qi Sisi were updating the fans on the progress of their condemnation of Huayao. After all, the Double Eleven Gala was tomorrow night. For fans outside Zhejiang Province, if the agency didn't respond to questions about ticket availability, it would be very difficult for them to attend even if they wanted to.
【Happy and auspicious】
Zhou Xiao (A smile makes you ten years younger):_(:зゝ∠)_ I have two tickets to the Double Eleven Gala, who wants to come?
Qi Sisi (Sisi): I can't go out [crying.jpg]
Li Mo (Little Tail): Me, me, me! I want to go!
Zhu Jian (Using Softness to Overcome Hardness): Tails, it's time for a duel!
…
After sending the message, they arrived downstairs at the hotel. Zhou Xiao, carrying her album, hurried to her room. Although she'd previously worked with NINE STAR, she was also curious about Huayao's project. Besides, a good-looking physical album would also attract fans!
Inside the room, Zhou Xiao sat on the carpet in front of the French window. On the small white table before her lay the album she was about to open. She removed the plastic bag wrapped around the cardboard and pulled out the contents.
Setting the fully signed cover aside, Zhou Xiao found the album's signature collection inside. He flipped open the album and immediately spotted Ji Shao, a striking bright spot against the desolate landscape. The album also included a small raffle card and poster. After evaluating them, Zhou Xiao began to think about who he could give them to offline.
After neatly putting all the items away, Zhou Xiao had no intention of revealing the physical album at this point. Before learning more about Huayao's promotional plans for the NINE STAR physical album, it would be best to save it for later.
As for now, Zhou Xiao has rolled up his sleeves and started post-processing the photos of Xiao Yi that he took today.
While she was concentrating on editing the photos, Huayao finally relented. Each fan club was allocated three tickets! The fan clubs that had received the exact number of tickets began distributing the tickets. However, this ticket distribution later caused quite a bit of controversy.
The next morning, Zhou Xiao sent the edited photos to Xiao Yi's agent's email, and only then did he have some free time to watch "A Meal" which Ji Shaoyou participated in last night.
Zhou Xiao also saw a repost of "A Meal for You" on the official Weibo account of Shanghai TV. His joy was evident even to an outsider*—congratulations to "A Meal for You" for once again breaking the station's annual variety show ratings record!!!
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