Chapter 209
The stone walls of the ancient building are even more hazy with mist and rain.
Zhou Xiao followed the assistant holding an umbrella, looking around and listening carefully to the other party's instructions.
The assistant leading the way stopped in her tracks when she mentioned the work badge, turned around, looked at Zhou Xiao, and said, "Mr. Zhou, remember to take this temporary photographer's pass I just gave you with you when you leave!"
Because the film studio is bustling with production crews, everyone entering and leaving must register and wear a badge, lest they be questioned by patrolling staff. The assistant Zhou Xiao was talking to also had a badge draped across his chest.
"I'm so sorry about this shoot!" the assistant said apologetically. "The shoot was originally scheduled for tomorrow morning. Sister Qin, oh, Sister Si's agent should have told you. The director has sent Sister Si to re-record some footage, so we won't be able to start shooting for a few more days."
As the assistant spoke, he led Zhou Xiao around several corners. When they stepped onto the cobblestone path again, they were greeted by an antique inn. At the entrance, there were props for a food stall. Zhou Xiao approached and took a closer look, only to discover that the bottoms of the props were covered in a layer of white glue, clearly securing them to the "stall."
"This is the scenic hotel developed by the film and television city." Seeing Zhou Xiao lower her head to fold her umbrella, the assistant instinctively reached out to help. Seeing Zhou Xiao looking at her with some surprise, she realized her "occupational ailment" had struck, and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"This hotel looks massive! You wouldn't be able to tell it's a modern hotel from the outside," Zhou Xiao chimed in. While the hotel's exterior looked identical to those in movies and TV series, upon entering, one could tell it was decorated in a modern Chinese style.
"Yes, this hotel has appeared in many film and television dramas. Some fans even come here specifically to stay in the same room. Plus, it has a good reputation, so it's considered a good hotel." The assistant escorted Zhou Xiao to the hotel, accompanied her to get her room card, and then left. Before leaving, he mustered up the courage to exchange contact information with Zhou Xiao.
In the hotel lobby, Zhou Xiao looked at the other person's back, which suddenly became much more cheerful after he left, and couldn't help but find it a little funny.
Entering the room, Zhou Xiao quickly took in the surroundings and was struck by the sheer grandeur of Chinese style. The carved, openwork screens were quaint and elegant, the framed landscape paintings hung on the walls... The reddish-brown wooden furniture, paired with the delicate, period-inspired furnishings, instantly enveloped him in a rich, classical atmosphere.
After unloading her incredibly spacious backpack and finishing her packing, Zhou Xiao took out her tightly wrapped camera and placed it on a nearby wooden table. Only after everything was in place did she finally have time to browse the messages in the group chat.
NINE STAR's official blog has released its Fashion Week report!
In the battle report, the most prominent figure was Ji Shao. Thanks to his international popularity, he immediately gained adoration from foreign entertainment reporters. While Huayao was still figuring out how to promote the event and hire foreign photographers to help film it, they already had ready-made footage that evening.
On the day of Fashion Week, Ji Shao, who was watching the WP newcomers from the audience, sat to Dai Linfei's right. When photos of this position were released in the media and circulated in China, they sparked considerable discussion. Later, when photos and videos of Ji Shao communicating with William, the brand's head designer, at a private WP gathering were released in China, they became a major trending topic.
The soul of a brand is its designer, and William is well-known for his unconventional approach as an internationally renowned couture designer for luxury brands. To earn his favor, whether on the runway or offstage, is to find yourself wearing luxury couture pieces with ease.
NINE STAR made a name for themselves at Huadu Fashion Week. Besides Ji Shao, who dominated the show, the other members also achieved significant success. This performance report reveals the brands the members received invitations from during this period.
——[Entertainment Forum]——[Morning of March 10th]
[Topic] Li Tao, why was Ji Shao only invited by one brand during the Fashion Week?
[Main] Other members like Zheng Shulin and Yan Shu have attended at least three shows, right? Does this mean Ji Shao is a bit inferior?
1L
Ji Shao was personally invited by WP's chief designer. When domestic artists went to see WP's shows, only Dai Linfei and Ji Shao's invitations were signed by Uncle Wei's handwriting, while the others were printed.
43L
For your information, the suit Ji Shao wore during his show was specially made. It had his initials "JS" embroidered on it, and he was the only member of Nine Star to receive this treatment.
88L
From the perspective of treatment, participating more doesn't necessarily mean better. I remember watching a video released by foreign media before, where some members were ignored by foreigners during offline interaction. That attitude was quite unpleasant to watch.
134L
The only regret I had on this trip was that a certain teacher wasn't there, otherwise I'd really like to see a photo of Dai Linfei and Ji Shao taken by her!!!
197L
Reply to 134L: Now that the OP mentioned this, I'm really interested! And since both of them have worked with Zhou Xiao before, wouldn't they feel even more special when they're on camera? !WP, be smart and quickly ask Zhou Xiao to shoot a magazine cover for both of them!
…
After Zhou Xiao quickly read the station report posted on the official blog, he shifted his attention to the topic being discussed in the small group.
Fashion Week was only the first stop for NINE STAR's group variety show, and based on the information currently revealed, it might even be the easiest stop on their entire journey. The next stop, or the second stop, was climbing a snowy mountain, but a number of problems were discovered during the recording process.
One of the most serious issues was a discussion in the group about a fan secretly following the team as they prepared to climb a snowy mountain. This was captured by the production team using a drone to film the snowy mountain scenery.
【Happy and auspicious】
Zhu Jian (Using Softness to Overcome Hardness): Honestly, these fans are some serious geeks. I heard they didn't even hire a guide; they were just planning to follow the footprints all the way there...
Qi Sisi (Sisi): Oh my god, this is too dangerous! I remember Huayao's tone was quite serious when he contacted the members, saying that this group variety show has an adventure element and fans are strictly prohibited from following!
Zhou Xiao (A smile makes you ten years younger): What should we do next?
Zhu Jian (Yirou Kegang): I didn't follow it anymore. The contact person emphasized that if this situation is discovered again, the other party will be permanently banned from participating in online and offline activities!
…
Zhou Xiao breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Zhu Jian's reply. This was one of the reasons why she had not thought of going with him in the first place. The official attitude was so tough that it explained the problem.
Just imagine that without a guide, simply relying on the trails ahead is terrifying enough. This is only considering the route issue. As for more, I believe the production team must have been sweating when they discovered the fans' tracks through the drone.
"Ding-ling-ling" the cell phone in his hand rang. Zhou Xiao looked at the words "Qin Wan" displayed on the screen and picked up the phone.
"Teacher Zhou, are you still in the hotel? Sister Si's recording is about to end. How about we have a meal together? It will be our way of expressing our apologies." Qin Wan said a little embarrassedly on the other end of the phone.
"It's no wonder you guys had to make up the recording so suddenly," Zhou Xiao said with a slight smile. "The meal's off the table! It's just perfect, I can gather some materials at the film and television city these next two days!"
After a few more brief conversations, Zhou Xiao, who had just hung up the phone, was already standing by the window. The rain had stopped outside, and the sky wasn't too dark, but the lanterns lining the street were already lit.
A closer look revealed that the flickering candlelight inside the lantern was actually just a light bulb. Zhou Xiao glanced at the camera placed nearby, and with a sudden thought, he took it with him and went out.
The film and television city was still bustling in the evening. Zhou Xiao could still hear the director's voice on a nearby set as she walked along the smooth pavement. As she walked further, she saw several extras in ancient costumes sitting on the stone steps in front of a mansion.
Next to it, there were some people who obviously looked like tourists, standing at the door looking at the scene inside with curiosity.
The innate ability to join in the fun, etched in her DNA, was aroused. Zhou Xiao thought for a moment and quickly walked towards the entrance of the mansion. Before she could even see the scene inside, she heard a powerful voice, "I won't marry! I traveled from the 21st century! I'm not your daughter!"
"Ahem!" Zhou Xiao, nearly choking on his saliva, glanced up at the line. In the courtyard, illuminated by the lights as bright as day, two actors were rehearsing a scene. Judging by the director's inconspicuous presence and the now-rather-unclear lines, it was clear they were filming a skit.
"I'm dying of laughter. Is this some kind of cheesy drama?" A tourist who was peeking in from the side couldn't help but speak up when he heard this line.
"Brother, do you think it's funny? Do you know how much money the people filming inside can make?" An extra sitting on the steps heard the tourist's somewhat sarcastic words and looked at the "performance" inside with envy.
"How much?"
"The two actors acting opposite each other can earn this much money just by shooting a few dozen episodes of a short drama lasting more than ten minutes!" After saying that, he stretched out a palm and turned it.
"Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand? One hundred and fifty thousand? Huh?" The previous answers were all rejected by the other party, which made the tourists feel confused.
Zhou Xiao, who was watching nearby, noticed the extra's disdainful look. He then saw the man extend his hand again, seemingly enjoying the attention focused on him. He snorted, "At least fifty thousand!"
The shock of the crowd was palpable as the number came out. Many people turned their heads toward the courtyard again. By this time, the situation had progressed to the point where the woman was about to slap the middle-aged man.
But even the onlookers standing at the door could see that this slap was a very clumsy fake. It was completely different from what they saw on those acting variety shows!
However, after the dubbing of the applause, the director on the scene cheered, "Good! Pass!"
For a moment, everyone present, including Zhou Xiao, was stunned. Looking back at the filming location, they were completely speechless. Even though their audience wasn't themselves, seeing such poor acting and the director's indiscriminate applause left them speechless.
However, the extra sitting on the steps chatting with tourists, his eyes scanning the crowd, caught sight of Zhou Xiao's badge and the camera in his hand, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly spoke up, walked up to Zhou Xiao and promoted himself, "Director, are you looking for extras? I can act in anything!"
Zhou Xiao's gaze shifted to her work badge, and she seemed to understand why the other party had made a mistake. But just as she was about to explain that she was just a photographer, a car behind her suddenly honked.
The voice was so loud that Zhou Xiao swallowed what he was about to say. Just as he was wondering who had such low moral character, a bright face appeared in front of everyone through the rolled-down car window. She smiled and said, "Zhou Xiao, get in the car!"
This moment of appearance came too quickly. Qin Wan, who was sitting next to Chen Si, immediately jumped up to the car window and said, "Teacher Zhou, hurry up!"
Hearing people around her exclaim "Chen Si" and preparing to crowd over, Zhou Xiao looked at the unlocked car door and swiftly got in. But then she heard the extra who had spoken to her yelling in the crowd, "I told you she was a big director, but it was Chen Si who gave her a ride! It's all your fault. She wanted me to film with her!"
Inside the car, Zhou Xiao, who had heard those words clearly... was silent for a moment. Then, looking at the two people in the rearview mirror, he said calmly, "You can laugh. There's no need to be so restrained."
The next moment, the air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
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