Chapter 109: Mao Zong's Victory Celebration Banquet
After Yan Qian finished warming up, he went to the corner to get his racket. "If you're not afraid that Mingyue will chase him back, then let him go."
He Qi smiled helplessly. He was just teasing Yan Qian. He wouldn't really let He Yan go. He didn't want to keep cleaning up He Yan's mess. He Yan should just stay in the team and train.
"Anyway, don't ignore what I'm saying. You're not getting any younger, you should settle down on important life events as soon as possible."
He Qi wasn't ashamed to say that; he himself didn't have a marriage partner yet, and was only going on blind dates recently.
Yan Qian didn't respond. A major life event doesn't necessarily have to be marriage. His second uncle got married and then divorced, and is still single.
With his second uncle leading the way, he wasn't afraid of being nagged by the old man.
Renato stayed in Huai County for two days. Jiang Mingyue took him back to the Sun family compound and personally cooked a meal on a traditional earthen stove.
Renato ate with gusto, praising her cooking skills repeatedly.
"Mingyue, you have truly impressed me. Whoever is lucky enough to marry you in the future will be incredibly fortunate."
Jiang Mingyue chuckled, "That's true."
During this time, Cao Hualan also secretly asked Renato if he was pursuing Jiang Mingyue, otherwise why would he give her a gold bracelet?
After all, in Dahuai Village, gold is usually only bought by unmarried men and women when they are about to get engaged.
Jiang Mingyue explained simply, "Aunt, I helped him a lot in Italy, and this bracelet is a thank-you gift. You don't need to take it seriously."
Cao Hualan believed Jiang Mingyue's explanation; her daughter had never taken advantage of others since she was a child.
"Then I'll prepare some return gifts. Is it convenient for him to take the food back with him?"
"No need, I gave him a painting and a double-sided embroidery."
Cao Hualan immediately nodded approvingly, adding that food spoils easily, "We always think things through more thoroughly each month."
Renato was still somewhat reluctant to leave on the day he departed, and he took hundreds of photos on his phone.
“Mingyue, your hometown is wonderful. The air is fresh, there are few cars, and it’s a great place to retire. I’ll try to come here once a year.”
Jiang Mingyue smiled and welcomed him to come often, saying, "You can come anytime. Whenever I have time, I will definitely treat you."
"It's a deal." Renato even learned to pinky swear with Jiang Mingyue, making her laugh out loud.
Three days after Renato left, Qin Xue returned from Lingcheng, bringing back a bunch of Lingcheng specialties.
Qin Xue also brought back a message, requesting that Jiang Mingyue participate in the 30th Huaxia Chinese Painting Competition to be held in Beijing this May.
Qin Xue said that Jiang Mingyue has a certain foundation in traditional Chinese painting and her skill level is no worse than that of students from art academies, and she hopes that she will try to participate in the competition.
"This competition is for adults aged 20 and above. The theme of the competition will be announced on the day of the competition. The painting time is usually three hours, and the organizer will provide the painting paper and paint."
"Whether you win an award or not is secondary. Don't feel pressured. Just go and have fun, and meet Chinese painting scholars from all over the country."
Jiang Mingyue didn't learn to paint from Qin Xue to participate in competitions; it was purely to find a respectable reason to learn to paint.
Furthermore, competitions are partly about proving oneself and partly about gaining fame. Jiang Mingyue doesn't need to prove herself through competitions, and she certainly doesn't need to gain fame.
She is already very famous and doesn't need industry recognition.
Just as she was about to ask Qin Xue why she was allowed to participate in the competition, she received a subtle hint from Shao Quan.
So the words that were about to come out turned into something else: "Master, you used to be a judge, aren't you participating this year?"
Qin Xue laughed and said, "I'm retired now, and my energy isn't what it used to be, so I can't do the work of a judge anymore."
While Qin Xue was taking a shower, Shao Quan quietly revealed Qin Xue's inner turmoil to Jiang Mingyue.
“Your Master Xue has had a talent for painting since she was a child. She has participated in many competitions, big and small, but she has always been unlucky. Sometimes she was deliberately suppressed, and sometimes there were other reasons. Although she made it into the top ten in the competition, she is strong-willed and very dissatisfied with the results.”
"After she became famous, she served as a judge a few times, but as you know, art is sometimes hard to judge. Everyone's aesthetic sense is different. Later, Academician Meng's health deteriorated and she needed someone to take care of her, so she gradually withdrew from the Chinese painting circle."
Shao Quan's words made Jiang Mingyue think. It turned out that Qin Xue had such an experience when she was young.
No wonder Qin Xue was willing to test her when they first met, and when she saw that she had real talent, she was willing to take her as her apprentice immediately.
Presumably, Qin Xue was reminded of her younger self at that time and felt a sense of appreciation for her talent.
Shao Quan continued, "Mingyue, I know you are very talented. You may not care about these competition rankings, but sometimes people are a little vain. There's nothing wrong with you giving it a try."
Jiang Mingyue readily agreed, "Master, I will participate in the competition."
After registering online, Jiang Mingyue began to focus on preparing for the competition. She spent six hours a day in the Shao family compound learning to paint and two hours learning double-sided embroidery.
Back in Dahuai Village at night, I still have to paint murals for the village walls, and I don't get to sleep until 11 p.m. every day.
For nearly half a month, she hasn't had time to touch her phone.
When Meng Huai couldn't reach her, he called Qin Xue. He learned that she was preparing for exams and decided not to bother her. Anyway, he would be going to Beijing in May, so they could talk about it when they met.
The exam was on May 10th. On May 6th, Jiang Mingyue went to Beijing alone. Qin Xue told her to go back to Mao'er Hutong to stay, and had already told Aunt Wang to air out the quilts and sheets in advance.
Jiang Mingyue set off for Beijing discreetly, arriving back at No. 63 Mao'er Hutong just before dark.
Everything is fine in the courtyard. Aunt Wang comes to clean it every morning, air out the quilts, and water the flowers.
On the first night, Aunt Wang cooked four dishes for her, a mix of meat and vegetables.
Jiang Mingyue ate two bowls of rice, and then went for a walk at the entrance of the alley.
She had only been walking for a few minutes when she received a call from Xu Daolai, the chief director of the variety show.
Xu Daolai said that the second season of the variety show had finished airing and the ratings had broken records. The station was preparing to hold a celebration banquet and asked her if she was free to come to Beijing on the evening of the 10th to attend.
"There will be a red carpet event, followed by a live interview. Eight guests have already agreed to attend. Professor Tang is currently abroad and we haven't been able to contact him yet."
Speaking of Don Juan, Jiang Mingyue hadn't contacted him for quite some time. Recently, she had been busy preparing for her exams and hadn't been active in the group chat, so she really didn't know where Don Juan had gone.
She opened the group chat. Wei Lai and the others had been busy lately, and the chat messages were still from the night Renato came, when they asked her when she had learned Italian.
She replied that her second foreign language in college was Italian.
Switching back to the call screen, Jiang Mingyue gave a clear answer, "Director Xu, I will attend. Do I need to wear a formal dress for the red carpet?"
Xu Daolai hurriedly and excitedly replied, "Yes, we need it. Teacher Jiang, please give us the hotel address, and the station will send a makeup artist and stylist over."
Jiang Mingyue gave the address of No. 63 Mao'er Hutong, which Xu Daolai carefully wrote down and then passed on the message.
Xiao Ma, the executive director in charge of liaising with the guests, ran over to confirm, "Director, are you sure the address is correct?"
Xu Daolai is not a native of Beijing. "What happened? Teacher Jiang told me personally."
Executive director Xiao Ma hurriedly explained, "No. 63 Mao'er Hutong is the home of the late Academician Meng. Academician Meng's wife is Ms. Qin Xue, a master of traditional Chinese painting. There are guards on duty at the door."
Xu Daolai was dumbfounded. Had he missed something?
Five minutes later, Xu Daolai called Jiang Mingyue again to verify.
Jiang Mingyue was very easy to talk to. "This is the correct address. Ms. Qin Xue is my mentor."
The directing team members who were observing: "!"
Wow, Jiang Mingyue even has a master of traditional Chinese painting as her teacher! Just as netizens said, Sister Jiang is indeed very well-rounded.
A little later, Wei Lai and the others popped up in the group chat, informing them that they would be flying to Beijing on the 9th, and even tagged Jiang Mingyue, asking her when she would be coming.
Jiang Mingyue replied, "I'm already in Beijing. I need to prepare for the exam these next two days. I'll be participating in a traditional Chinese painting competition on the morning of the 10th."
Wei Lai and others replied with a string of 666s, and in order not to disturb her exam, they arranged to meet her after the exam on the 10th.
Don Juan's reply came late, saying he was still in the United States and would try to return on the morning of the 10th.
Early on the morning of the 7th, Jiang Mingyue got up and went for a run along Mao'er Hutong. When she returned an hour later, she met Meng Huai, who had come to find her, at the entrance of the hutong.
"Hey! Brother Huai, did you arrive so early this morning?"
The weather warms up in May, but it's still a bit chilly in the mornings.
Meng Huai, unfazed by the cold, wore a white short-sleeved shirt and held two cups of soy milk in his hands, handing one of them to Jiang Mingyue.
"I arrived yesterday evening and had a meeting all night. It was too late to come back."
"Xiao Li said you went out for a run, and since I had nothing to do, I came to find you."
Xiao Li was a guard. Jiang Mingyue smiled as she took the soy milk, punctured the plastic film with a straw, and drank the slightly sweet soy milk, which was just right to quench her thirst.
How many days will you be staying in Beijing?
Meng Huai walked home with her. "Four days. I'll leave after you finish your exam. Grandma told me to take you to the exam venue on the 10th."
Jiang Mingyue smiled and nodded, "Okay."
Back in the courtyard house, Aunt Wang had just arrived and was making breakfast in the kitchen.
Jiang Mingyue was covered in sweat and went to take a shower first, while Meng Huai went to the kitchen to help Aunt Wang.
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Mingyue came out dressed and with her hair dried, and heard Yan Qian's voice coming from the restaurant.
She walked across the courtyard and saw Yan Qian and Meng Huai drinking tea. There was a steaming steamer on the table, and neither of them had moved, waiting for her.
Jiang Mingyue greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, Yanqian."
"Good morning. I know you've been busy these past few days, so I came over this morning while Meng Huai was here."
Yan Qian's eyes lit up when he saw her wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt with black wide-leg pants.
Her style of dress is simple and casual, usually consisting of black and white sweatshirts, making this formal attire stand out from the crowd.
Jiang Mingyue sat down next to Meng Huai and tied her hair up. "Okay, let's have breakfast first, and then we can talk."
With Aunt Wang present, the three of them refrained from discussing the Shark Organization too much, lest Aunt Wang worry.
After breakfast, the three of them went to the study.
Meng Huai and Yan Qian projected the information they had separately investigated onto the wall.
The list contains thirty people, but based on the information they found, they can only confirm that ten of them are members of the Shark organization.
Meng Huai had already submitted the list to his superiors, and a week ago, one of the men, named Kudi, was arrested at the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
“We arrested him under a false pretense. He claimed to be a tourist visiting the port city. We released him first, hoping to catch a bigger fish later.”
Jiang Mingyue carefully examined Kudi's face, then looked at the information of the other nine people, and pointed out three others to Meng Huai for focused investigation.
“Kudi is a nobody; he doesn’t have any murder cases on his hands, but we can’t rule out the possibility that the Shark organization sent him as a scout.”
Meng Huai trusted Jiang Mingyue's judgment. Just as an outsider sees more clearly than someone involved, they tend to approach cases with preconceived notions. Sometimes, a casual remark from a bystander can help them see through the fog.
After finishing their business, Jiang Mingyue casually mentioned that she would be attending the celebration banquet for the TV series on the evening of the 10th, and that she did not have a dress for walking the red carpet.
"I've retired from the entertainment industry, so I probably don't need to wear a formal dress, right? Can I wear casual clothes on the red carpet?"
The director may make demands, but she can choose not to listen.
Undoubtedly, her proposal was rejected by both Meng Huai and Yan Qian.
Meng Huai didn't know much about the entertainment industry, but suggested she dress more formally, just a shirt and trousers would be fine.
"You need to let your fans know that you're doing well after retiring from the entertainment industry, and you should dress formally to look more presentable."
Yan Qian reminded her, "There's no time to make a dress in three days, so we can only buy a ready-made one. Did you bring the shopping card that Du Manlin gave you? If you did, I'll bring it to you later."
If Yan Qian hadn't reminded her, Jiang Mingyue would have almost forgotten about the VIP card with a limit of one million.
"It should be in my bag, let me go look for it."
Jiang Mingyue acted swiftly, getting up and leaving the restaurant to find her crossbody bag. Five minutes later, she returned with the card.
"Is one million enough to buy a formal dress?"
Jiang Mingyue's memory was not enough. When she was a member of a girl group, the most expensive dress she wore was a 10,000 yuan alternative. Tan Li and Liu Mo'er's dresses were more expensive than hers. They borrowed them from the brand and they were said to cost over 100,000 yuan.
"That's enough." Yan Qian interrupted Meng Huai, smiling leisurely. "I have shares in this shopping mall. Give me your card, and you can pick whatever you like. It'll be on my tab."
Meng Huai: "..."
Five minutes later, Meng Huai left, annoyed by the wealthy and arrogant Yan Qian. He took the list and went to continue his meeting, while Yan Qian accompanied Jiang Mingyue to choose a dress.
Hang Lung Plaza opens at 10:30 a.m., and Yan Qian makes a phone call, and all the SAs from the haute couture dress stores arrive promptly at 9:00 a.m.
The elevator went straight up from the underground parking garage to the first floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the plaza's duty manager for the day was already waiting by the door.
The duty manager was very perceptive. When he saw that Jiang Mingyue was following behind Yan Qian, he suppressed his gossip and immediately went up to greet her with a smile.
"Mr. Yan, Ms. Jiang, good morning."
Yan Qian exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party, "Don't worry, Manager Xu, we won't delay your 10:30 opening time."
On the way to Henglong, Jiang Mingyue had already picked out several dresses that caught her eye in the car.
The eight male guests on the variety show will definitely wear black suits, but Sister Xia won't wear a dress; she said in the group chat that she will also wear a suit.
Wei Lai and others strongly urged Jiang Mingyue to wear a formal dress, and a bright one at that, because she was the face of the variety show, and they didn't want to be ridiculed by netizens that night for being a sales syndicate.
Rejecting off-the-shoulder and sexy dresses, Jiang Mingyue prefers styles that combine elegance and ladylike grace. She has her eye on two international designer dresses and three dresses from emerging Chinese designer brands.
While Jiang Mingyue was trying on the dress, Yan Qian was handling work on his phone. When she came out, Yan Qian put down his phone and gave her a fair evaluation.
"This skirt is too long; the male guest might step on it."
"This style is fitted, but the color is too light, so it may not look good in photos."
The store's sales associate was originally a fan of ginger and ginger candy, but at this moment she couldn't help but switch allegiances and wanted to ship Sister Jiang and President Yan.
Ahhh, President Yan is so patient and gentlemanly with Sister Jiang. She really wants to take photos and videos to share with netizens, but she just can't.
Jiang Mingyue tried on eight outfits in one go, and she was overwhelmed with choices. In the end, Yan Qian made the final decision and chose two outfits for her: one for the red carpet and one for the live broadcast.
The two dresses weren't cheap, as could be judged from the sales associate's expression. Jiang Mingyue didn't press for the exact price, figuring she could return them sometime.
Yan Qian personally escorted Jiang Mingyue back to Mao'er Hutong. To thank him for his help, Jiang Mingyue invited him to dinner that evening.
Yan Qian said there's plenty of time, and they'll talk about it after her competition.
At 8 p.m. that evening, the official announcement for the second season of "The Adventure Journey" was made that a celebration banquet would be held on Friday the 10th, with all ten guests returning. A red carpet live broadcast would be held at 3 p.m. on Shiliu TV, followed by an indoor group variety show from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
As soon as the official Weibo account posted the message, the fans of the ten guests were overjoyed, as if it were Chinese New Year, and it immediately went viral, soaring to the top of the trending searches.
[Aaaaaah! In my lifetime! The group variety show is finally here!]
Although there was only one episode of their variety show, it's better than nothing!
[All members returned – what a powerful and impactful statement!]
[Haha, the production team really had a tough time convincing Sister Jiang to come to Beijing!]
[Taking the day off Friday afternoon! Going home to wait for the live stream]
If you're talking about holding a red carpet event in front of Shiliu TV station, then I'll be downstairs on Friday afternoon!
I wonder who Sister Jiang will walk the red carpet with; I'm so excited!
[Sister Jiang can go with whomever she wants, but CP fans shouldn't interfere.]
Where are the ginger candy couple's main force? Let me see your hands!
[Hey, insider information: Someone spotted Sister Jiang trying on a dress at Hang Lung Plaza today, and she wasn't accompanied by any guest from the variety show.]
Wow, Hang Lung Plaza is full of haute couture gowns; a single set isn't cheap.
Coincidentally, one of Tan Li's TV dramas was scheduled to air on Friday noon. Tan Li had been forced to take a break for almost half a year and wanted to take this opportunity to make a smooth comeback.
Unexpectedly, it coincided with the celebration party for the second season of the variety show "Magic". At that time, the popularity of "Magic" will be squeezed dry again.
It's Jiang Mingyue again!
Why would she come back for a celebration party after retiring from the entertainment industry?
Tan Li was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but she couldn't find a hater to take the opportunity to smear Jiang Mingyue with a smear campaign, because Jiang Mingyue's number of fans was undeniable.
As expected, the online buzz surged, and many trolls jumped in, claiming that Jiang Mingyue had announced her retirement from the entertainment industry, so why was she attending the celebration party? Wasn't that contradicting herself?
The official Weibo account of the variety show retorted, "Dear, so there's only one episode of the group variety show."
The implication is that if Jiang Mingyue hadn't retired from the entertainment industry, there would definitely be a twelve-episode variety show for the group!
[Haha, the official Weibo account did a great job! Those haters are meddling in everything.]
[Sister Jiang was attending a celebration party, not returning to the entertainment industry. Some female celebrities in the Chinese entertainment circle were upset, but I won't name names.]
[My sister is right, let's not give the haters any attention, let's focus on the materials from the celebration party day.]
Author's Note: [Winking emoji][Winking emoji] Is it good?
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