Chapter 46 Chapter 46 The Show Begins
Tan Du was so comfortable that Qiao Zhuoyi wondered if he was just being overly sentimental. But now that he had successfully opened a gap, he had to polish it carefully.
This time the production crew didn't keep him up all night, and the recording was divided into two days. On the second day, he brought his suitcase directly to the recording site. After the recording, he didn't go back to the hotel, but took a taxi at the door to go back to town.
When he got on the highway, he took out his cell phone and took a picture of the road sign.
After a while, the WeChat notification sound rang.
TZ: [Back?]
Not Xiao Qiao: [Yeah.]
"The other party is typing..."
After a long while, Qiao Zhuoyi finally received the next message:
TZ: I'll go over and make dinner.
[Should I buy food for two or three people? ]
Qiao Zhuo laughed and replied with a "2".
This was the only time the two had dinner together recently.
The first episode of the program received a good response, and Guiyi ushered in the first wave of popularity and fell into a busy vortex.
Afraid that Xiao Luo could not keep up with the learning progress, Qiao Zhuoyi asked Xiang Yuan to borrow a young assistant to provide support.
The young assistant's family runs a restaurant, so Qiao Zhuoyi simply ordered food from him and had it delivered to his door.
A few people set up a small dining table on the third floor and took turns eating there every day. Sometimes people from TD would also come up to get some food.
Except for Tan Du.
After Qiao Zhuoyi stopped going back for dinner, Tan Du never entered the villa kitchen again, but he would still bring afternoon tea upstairs every day and meet him in the gaps of time.
On the first day that Boss Joe put on the jacket, he drank a hot latte with the latte art in the shape of a heart.
Tan Du sent a message asking how it tasted. He took a photo and sent it over, and the heart at the bottom of the cup was still intact.
Not Xiao Qiao: [I will drink this from now on]
The other party is typing...
Not Xiao Qiao: [Tastes good]
TZ: [I see.]
During the week when they drank different kinds of love drinks, Boss Qiao and his assistant did not get off work until after 10 o'clock every day.
After the assistant left on his bike, Tan Du would push the door out of TD at the right time, and "take the opportunity" to send Qiao Zhuoyi home. He would then arrive at the villa early the next morning, walk the carpet, water the plants, and "take the opportunity" to take Boss Qiao to the store.
Although the two rode in the same car every day, they rarely spoke to each other.
Qiao Zhuoyi was severely sleep-deprived and slept in the passenger seat all the way to record the last show.
TD's online business has been put on track, and the birthday celebration has been arranged. With the previous experience as a lesson, Tan Du waited for him to finish recording at the hotel.
The city fell into a deep sleep late at night. There were few cars on the road, and leaves were swirling around.
Qiao Zhuoyi walked out of the recording studio rubbing his wrist, stretched, and leaned against a tree waiting.
"Qiao Zhuoyi." A voice called him from behind.
"Director Dian." He turned around. "Anything else?"
"It's been hard recording," Dian Heng said as he walked up to him. "It's the last show, and I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet."
"You've worked hard." Qiao Zhuo said.
Dian Heng offered him a cigarette, but he waved it away. Dian Heng took it back and whispered to his ear, "How does it feel to be warm?"
"That's it." Qiao Zhuo was too exhausted to bother chatting with him.
"You really are," Dian Heng shook his head, "I'm the chief director after all. Aren't you going to praise me a few times and give you more scenes?"
"No need." Qiao Zhuo replied.
"Are all your tattoo artists so cool?" Dian Heng asked.
"I don't know," Qiao Zhuo replied, "You've been exposed to more than I have."
The tone of voice was so devastating that if a director with a smaller heart had replaced the director, not only would he have cut out the footage, he would have been considered kind-hearted if he had not created any negative material in the program.
"The totem pattern from before," Dian Heng changed the subject, "do you have a better version?"
Qiao Zhuo responded.
"Any chance to see it?"
Qiao Zhuo's mind flashed with the image of a back with well-defined muscles, and he smiled: "I can't see it."
"Strange, it turns out Master Qiao can laugh?" Dian Heng said jokingly.
"Yes, I can." Qiao Zhuo answered seriously, "Director Dian can't?"
"Fuck." Dian Heng cursed softly, "Your mouth!"
"Director Dian, just say it." With so many things going on in the studio, Qiao Zhuoyi didn't think the chief director would follow him here and blow the cold wind for no reason.
"Can't it just be a casual chat?" The big director is used to dealing with shrewd people and always likes to speak in a roundabout way.
"Yes," Qiao Zhuo mumbled, his head resting against the tree trunk, eyes closed. "The weather is nice today. It will be nice tomorrow too. The lunch boxes for the show don't taste good. Any more?"
Dian Heng laughed: "I can't argue with you. Are you familiar with the owner of the coffee shop downstairs?"
Qiao Zhuo looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Looks like we're familiar," Dian Heng said. "Old Wei, the man who came with me last time to sign the contract with you has a wife who wants to take photos for a magazine and needs a location. He asked the coffee shop owner last time but was rejected. He wanted to ask if you could..."
"No." Qiao Zhuo refused before he could finish.
"Hey! Did I give you a cut?" Dian Heng glared at him. "There are still several issues to come."
"You cut it." Qiao Zhuo said indifferently.
"You're so stubborn, kid."
"I have a light taste." Qiao Zhuo responded.
"...Forget it, could you please help me find out the reason for the rejection?" Dian Heng sighed, "I really am, taking on such a crappy job."
"When the person comes, ask him yourself."
Qiao Zhuo raised his chin towards the opposite side. The off-road vehicle was turning around and soon stopped in a roadside parking space.
The person who got off the car was carrying a bag. He had broad shoulders and long legs, and wore an over-the-knee windbreaker very stylishly. Dian Heng looked at him and admired him secretly. This face would definitely look good on camera.
"What?" Qiao Zhuo asked as he took the bag handed over by Tan Du.
"Wine-fermented rice and eggs," Tan Du inserted a straw into his mouth, "warm it up."
As soon as Qiao Zhuo bit the straw, Tan Du moved sideways to block the wind for him.
Dian Heng looked at the two of them and coughed lightly.
Qiao Zhuo raised his eyelids and said, "Sorry, Director Dian, there's only one cup."
“…Who asked you to drink it! I can buy it myself!” Dian Heng gritted his teeth.
"Oh, then go buy it." Qiao Zhuo replied.
“…” Dian Heng.
"Director Dian?" Tan Du extended his hand. "Hello, Tan Du."
"Boss Tan," Dian Heng shook hands back. "We've met before."
Tan Du narrowed his eyes, and Dian Heng reminded him, "Coffee shop."
He suddenly realized: "I'm sorry for not treating you well last time."
"If Boss Tan sincerely apologizes," Dian Heng folded his arms, "or..."
Tan Du smiled as if he had expected this. He said, "Besides renting the venue, you can tell me anything else."
"..." Dian Heng nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing at Qiao Zhuoyi, who seemed unconcerned, he suddenly thought, "The production team wants to shoot a concept poster for the tattooed contestants. TD is a great venue. If the boss can be flexible, Qiao Zhuoyi won't have to make these trips all the way."
Qiao Zhuo was so happy that before he could say anything, Tan Du nodded first: "Okay."
"No!" Qiao Zhuo interrupted, "What poster? I didn't mention it before."
"It's written in the contract," Dian Heng said, "the seventh clause of the second major clause."
Qiao Zhuoyi took out his phone and was about to look through it, but Tan Du held him back. "Don't worry, Director Dian is such a big name, he wouldn't be so ridiculous about a contract. Is Director Dian planning to do a magazine shoot while he's at it?"
"Boss Tan is a smart man." Dian Heng replied.
"Since there are two production teams, there must be two fees," Tan Du smiled, "and the fees will definitely not be low, right, Director Dian?"
Dian Heng was choked and gritted his teeth: "Yes!"
"Just pay enough money." Tan Du said.
Qiao Zhuo glared at him.
"Then we'll leave first," Tan Du said, "and wait for you to arrange for someone to come and sign the contract. Two contracts, each with a 50% deposit, is that okay?"
"...No problem." Dian Heng took the cigarette off angrily and bit it in his mouth.
"At worst, we can just come again. Why did you agree to him?" Qiao Zhuo asked as he got into the car.
"There's no need to refuse something that makes money." Besides, the man surnamed Liang is still in City A, and the look in his eyes is not innocent.
"Then why did you refuse before?" Qiao Zhuo asked.
"I didn't know it was him before," Tan Du smiled, "I was mainly worried that people would think I was handsome and want to take a picture of me."
"Really?" Qiao Zhuo looked at him for a moment, "He's quite handsome."
The car skidded, he turned his head away and curled his lower lip, it felt really good to turn the tide at home.
It was already past seven when they returned to the villa. They had a quick breakfast and then went to sleep separately to prepare for the evening.
The little things in the town always bring people together, such as the Lantern Festival during the Spring Festival, the summer market, the basketball games among young people, and the opera troupes that come to celebrate birthdays.
After school, the children would rush to the old street, flying over the western alley like little magpies, and flocking to the flat land behind the basketball court, chasing each other in the audience.
The stall next to it was half filled with retro snacks and the other half with imported gadgets, from Afeng and Xiaofan's shops respectively.
The two hired a fourth-grader to run the stall. Their commission was one piece of each snack, plus a small toy sponsored by the stationery store owner. The young employee thrived, and the two older children watched from the sidelines.
After the sun went down, adults started to come and watch the show with their stools.
Grandma Xu guessed that Grandpa Guan would invite someone to perform, but she didn't expect that he would invite all his old friends. After having dinner at the hotel, she cried for a long time at home before finally arriving.
The first row of the audience was filled with old friends. Someone started to make a noise: "Old Guantou, you did such a great job. Why don't you say a few nice words? Old Xu is waiting!"
Old man Guan's face turned red, but he couldn't utter a word, which caused everyone to make fun of him.
Grandma Xu protected them and sneered, "What a bunch of old naughty boys!"
TD and Guiyi were sitting in the third row. Guan Chengmu would glance back from time to time. Guan Chengyu asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Have you seen the tattoo parlor owner?"
"Are you really interested in her?"
Guan Chengmu hit him on the back of the head, then stood up and went to the back to ask, "Excuse me...Is Boss Qiao not coming yet?"
"Brother Zhuo has a friend here," Xiao Luo replied, "I guess we'll have to wait a while."
"Friend?" Tan Du originally thought that Qiao Zhuoyi was still asleep and was planning to go to the villa to check on him.
"It was Brother Liang from last time. He hugged Brother Zhuo as soon as he came in and brought a big bouquet of flowers... Hey? Brother Tan, where are you going?" Xiao Luo shouted.
"Never mind," Zhou Jue tugged at his clothes, "Sit down, the show is about to begin."
Deep in the alley, there were loud sounds of gongs and drums and resounding singing.
The old street was silent. A figure passed by like the wind, rolling up a few ginkgo leaves.
"Why are you back?"
Tan Du raised his head and saw Qiao Zhuo coming down from upstairs with a bunch of flowers.
"Zhuo Yi?" Liang Yizi's voice came from upstairs.
"Downstairs, hurry up." Qiao Zhuo replied.
"I came here to tell you something." Tan Du stopped him.
"We'll talk about it later," Qiao Zhuoyi said, "Let's go give it to Grandma Xu first..."
"Right now."
Tan Du dragged the man into the small room behind the stairs and slammed the door.
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