Chapter 68
Chapter 68
During the promotion of a new film, if the main actors' scandals are unrelated to the film or television series, and they give a direct answer, it can easily be interpreted as the actors using the promotion to increase their personal popularity, which will make them disliked by the entire crew and later humiliated by haters with unpleasant titles such as "scheming bitch".
Jiang Mingyue was only the third female lead in "Seven Stars in a Row," so she could not possibly answer that question.
Unfortunately, Yin Manman felt that Jiang Mingyue had stolen her agent's thunder and her limelight. Not only did she continue the previous interview rhythm and keep looking for interesting things during the filming, she also handed the microphone directly to Jiang Mingyue, smiling and ready to see how Jiang Mingyue would answer.
Jiang Mingyue took the microphone and casually continued the anecdote from before: "Speaking of funny things that happened during filming, I actually have one. On the day I joined the crew, in order to help me get into character smoothly, Director Liu, upon hearing that I had a good dance background, hired a teacher to specially guide me in choreography. Because several versions were choreographed, in order to pursue the best effect, we adjusted the angles of all versions and danced them several times to try out the filming effect. As a result, we filmed for more than six hours straight. Teacher Li had barely slept the night before and flew over. After landing, she sat there as a backdrop to help me try out the dance effects. We filmed until very late that night. When I finally confirmed the choreography with the dance instructor, we found that Teacher Li had fallen asleep in the chair with her back straight."
The "Teacher Li" she mentioned is the actor who plays the clan chief. Although he is not very popular, he has been playing supporting roles as the "clan chief" in various TV dramas for many years.
Jiang Mingyue laughed as she spoke, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
She quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, but her voice still leaked through her fingers into the microphone: "Since we couldn't get a shot of his face, Director Liu signaled us to continue. Teacher Li didn't wake up until the filming was successful. After we finished filming those scenes, Director Liu went over, leaned close to Teacher Li's ear, and suddenly shouted, 'Old Li, lunch is served!' Teacher Li jumped up from his seat and shouted without even opening his eyes, 'Save me two boxes, one isn't enough for me!' Hahahaha."
Jiang Mingyue's description was so vivid that viewers who were initially annoyed by her not answering their gossip questions were suddenly drawn into the scene, became interested as Jiang Mingyue spoke, and eventually laughed along with her.
After Jiang Mingyue finished speaking, she handed the microphone to Wang Xuan next to her and ended the questioning as if nothing had happened.
Whoever gets the microphone gets more speaking time, making it a great opportunity to grab headlines.
Wang Xuan glanced at Jiang Mingyue, then returned the favor by pointing to the audience below the stage and saying, "Don't think I don't know that you were just bullying Mingyue because she's new to acting. She's a shy girl. On set, she's either studying the script or calling her mom to report on her progress. She's such a good girl."
After Wang Xuan finished speaking, she clapped her hands and said, "Let's ask about the crew. Didn't you see how hard we put into filming? We didn't cut corners or use real sets. All the fight scenes in the wild were achieved by real wire work. They left huge bruises on my shoulders and waist. My assistant was so scared that she cried when she applied safflower oil to my shoulders."
Wang Xuan steered the focus back to herself in just a few words, perfectly highlighting her dedication.
The interview continued, and the microphone passed around several times between Sang Zhuo, Yin Manman, and Wang Xuan, before finally returning to Jiang Mingyue's hands a few times.
During the Q&A session, the same "audience member" was surprisingly given the opportunity to ask a question again.
He reiterated, "I have a question for Jiang Mingyue. Please talk about your relationship issues directly."
Jiang Mingyue gripped the microphone, a slightly troubled expression on her face. Then she sighed softly, brought the microphone back to her lips, and said hesitantly, "I feel that the feelings I harbor cannot be discussed in terms of common sense, because I am not a human being."
The moment the description "not human" was uttered, the audience's brains were instantly short-circuited from the excitement of the first part of the sentence.
What is that?
How did it suddenly become someone who isn't human?
Didn't we agree that no beings were allowed to become spirits before the founding of the People's Republic of China?
Jiang Mingyue's face still showed that slightly troubled expression, but her speech became faster and faster: "I'm just an unambitious fox spirit. The tribe has my favorite roasted lamb and roasted chicken. So I used all my demonic power to bewitch the entire tribe and create a false identity for myself, just to stay here. But at the same time, I haven't actually established an emotional connection with the entire tribe yet, so I didn't care about them being attacked by demons and monsters—as long as the cook doesn't die and affect my meat eating, that's fine."
"Later, I went to curry favor with Sang Zhuo for the same reason. Sang Zhuo was very powerful, and the chieftain required us to curry favor with him in order to get more delicious food, so I did. Later, I held a grudge when Sang Zhuo beat me up, and after I joined Yin Manman's side, I tried every means to cause trouble for Sang Zhuo. There was nothing I could do; foxes are canines too, and they hold grudges."
Jiang Mingyue said calmly, "But Yin Manman is different to me. She not only saved me, but also protected me all along, teaching me how to distinguish between true and false feelings and the skills to live in the human world. So I like Yin Manman, and I regard her as my big fox, or, to go further, a more subtle and complicated feeling. Compared to my own death, I cannot accept Yin Manman's death—I want to leave my mark on her heart. So, I went to impersonate Yin Manman and forge the sword."
Jiang Mingyue nodded after speaking, satisfied with her own description: "That's roughly the psychological and emotional change."
The interview area has become completely quiet.
The next moment, a burst of intense screams erupted from the audience.
*
Gu Yifan pressed the pause button on the remote control, pointed to the interview content on the screen and nodded: "You handled it very smoothly, your methods were very sophisticated, and you had both sensational and marketable points. Mingyue, where did you learn this from, or did you come up with it yourself? If you came up with it yourself, then I'll give you a set of taboo words later, so don't bring up those topics in your jokes; if you learned it, keep this up."
If it's something you're born with, then you still need to learn what you need to learn to avoid making mistakes; but if you've already learned it on your own, it doesn't mean you don't need to learn it again. You still need to read through the materials used for interviews within the company and think about them.
Jiang Mingyue had taken a serious course on dealing with the media in her previous life, and she didn't want to learn it again, so she immediately said, "I had Ruojun get the materials for me."
Gu Yifan finally stopped mentioning studying and reminded Jiang Mingyue: "This group's appearance on the talk show was a great success. The online discussion has been soaring, and combined with the news that Lan Xu helped promote before, we've already made a basic impression on the audience. Coincidentally, a manufacturer took a liking to your beautiful appearance, so I took the opportunity to secure a collaboration with an established domestic clothing brand for you. It's a reputable old brand; the styles aren't trendy, but the materials are high-quality and the cuts are excellent. However, they have all the drawbacks of old brands, such as failing to keep up with trends in recent years and gradually being rejected by young people."
"The manufacturer is very generous with the contract, one million for two years. This kind of cooperation is like sending charcoal in snowy weather and betting on your future success, so it is very precious. Therefore, I have already made the decision to sign the contract for you."
As Gu Yifan explained, Jiang Mingyue nodded repeatedly, showing no objection whatsoever.
After Gu Yifan finished speaking, he glanced at her and emphasized, "By the way, I have some good news. The other company has offered to remove the advertisements you shoot, believing that the effect of advertising is not as good as the effect of 'unintentional'. So for the next two years, 30% of your everyday outfits will need to be selected from their brand."
Before she could smile, Gu Yifan added, "Of course, you'll need to come out with me tonight for a proper business dinner with the manufacturers—a non-alcoholic one, where you can personally select products and bring back the clothes for the next season. Think about whether you need to be photographed; if so, I'll contact the paparazzi."
Jiang Mingyue thought for a moment. None of her recent news had anything to do with her job, so she confidently said, "Stop filming. When the episode with me airs, arrange for someone to secretly film me accompanying my mother to treatment at the hospital. I can wear casual clothes then, which will perfectly match the realism required by the manufacturer."
After discussing the evening's plans, Gu Yifan left some scripts and advertisements: "These are the ones I've screened. Take a look and pick the ones you like. You can consider waiting until 'Seven Stars Align' finishes airing to see how your popularity changes before deciding how to proceed."
He glanced at his watch; there was still a long time before the dinner party. He left Jiang Mingyue to look at the notebook and went to handle other miscellaneous matters within the company.
After the dinner party that evening, Jiang Mingyue was taken to the product display area provided by the manufacturer.
Since the goal is to create a realistic image, Jiang Mingyue's outfit must be a mass-produced item already in circulation on the market, essentially an "old model."
Jiang Mingyue walked back and forth in the large room that covered several hundred square meters. Soon, Li Ruojun, who was following behind her, had her arms covered with elegant and common clothes such as shirts, trousers, and cardigans. The colors of these clothes were all low in saturation and were not limited to a certain color range.
What pleased the manufacturers even more was that Jiang Mingyue chose almost exclusively basic models, which were very consistent with their factory's design style.
Jiang Mingyue not only chose more than twenty outfits for herself, but also picked out a few in more subdued colors to wear with her mother.
This made the manufacturers even happier; the dinner party was a success, with everyone enjoying themselves.
Jiang Mingyue returned to her dormitory with ten large bags. She then continued to follow Gu Yifan's arrangements to shoot for print magazines, participate in offline events, and audition for her new film.
Four days later, the segment in which she starred was finally released.
That night, Xingchen Film and Television was on high alert. Jiang Mingyue was forced to sit with Gu Yifan and two assistants in the office building's playback room and listen to the opening theme song.
Jiang Mingyue casually braided her hair into a plait and placed it on her body. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, grabbed the strawberries that had been specially prepared for her, and focused her attention on the TV series.
*
Jiang Li walked among the tribe's people when a pretty figure idly waved a bunch of foxtail grass in her hand and passed by him...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
