Chapter 165: Stirring up trouble from across the river, following someone else's path, letting...
Don't be fooled by the fact that dogs are generally the most gentle and obedient animals; when it comes to fighting prowess, a cat and a rabbit bundled together might not stand a chance...
Of course, Li Sishi hadn't yet realized that Ling Chen would use such a treacherous tactic, secretly contacting and reporting others, and then having Shang Hanyou deal with their common enemy—otherwise, following the earth-shattering "Four Heavenly Kings uniting to fight the Heavenly King Killer," there might have been another spectacular "Two Heavenly Kings joining forces to fight the Fifth Heavenly King"...
Seeing the disappointment in his eldest apprentice's eyes as Li Sishi was led to the stage by Shang Hanyou, the contrast between the cheers behind them and the disappointment was all the more striking. Le Yun couldn't help but sigh: he had really hoped that his two apprentices would get together, but now it seemed that it was a bit of a "loss for the gain".
However, this is unavoidable. Since ancient times, it has been said that a beautiful and virtuous lady is sought after by a gentleman, especially since this "virtuous lady" is also a beautiful and wealthy "lady of a prestigious family." Those who want to win the beauty's heart in the fierce pursuit will inevitably go through a series of head-to-head battles...
Sigh, on one side is a junior I admire, and on the other is my own protégé...
Le Yun thought about it very seriously and with some hesitation, but in the end she didn't say anything. She even seemed to be a bystander, waiting to see what would happen.
After all, thinking too much only adds to the trouble. He's not Li Sishi; at most, he can only offer her some advice from an elder, unlike those stubborn elders who used to interfere in the lives of their juniors—he's very open-minded and understanding!
After calming herself down for a while, Le Yun naturally accepted her idea of watching from the sidelines.
Compared to Le Yun's predicament, Wan Jia Mei was more annoyed: although she had met Shang Han You when she participated in the Miss Hong Kong pageant and knew that he was a well-known gentleman in the industry, and that he was also very charming at tonight's concert... but when a well-liked gentleman and her idol from her teenage years were compared, her heart inevitably became a little biased.
Taking advantage of his "home field advantage," Shang Hanyou has some ulterior motives! Humph!
Ignoring the undercurrents around her seat, Li Sishi tidied her disheveled hair and glanced sideways at Shang Hanyou, who was holding her hat but still putting on an innocent look. Her reproach was obvious.
So he slightly moved the microphone away from his other hand, and like a dog that had made a mistake and was looking at its owner with pleading eyes for cajoling a way out, he whispered to Li Si...
Shi whispered "sorry" in her ear.
Li Sishi took the microphone from the staff member who ran over to hand her, and gave him another look, both amused and annoyed, signaling with her eyes that this matter should be put aside for now.
Shang Hanyou received a response with his eyes, and his smile widened even more. When the music started again and he began to sing, the song, which had a slightly melancholic melody, was sung by him in a way that was more soothing and cheerful than the studio version.
If the studio version feels like a young couple going through a difficult love journey, then this live version, which was listened to by 50,000 people, is like a young couple who have finally come together after going through hardships, and then look back on the past and look forward to the future in the face of wind and rain.
The "flavor" of a song is easily influenced by the singer. Seeing that Shang Hanyou had changed his singing style from the studio version, Li Sishi had no choice but to change it as well, adding a touch of joy and happiness to the melodious and poignant lyrics, and matching the singing style of the chorus next to her.
With this performance that transformed a bittersweet ballad into a sweet one, even the live band adjusted their style slightly, following the rhythm of the two singers to create a different yet harmonious atmosphere.
For talented singers whose live versions often have a unique flavor compared to their studio versions, listeners and fans tend to prefer the more emotionally charged live versions. This particular live version of "Longing in the Wind and Rain" became a popular choice for karaoke, sometimes even surpassing the original studio version. The reason is simple: most people go to karaoke to have fun. The original studio version tends to be melancholic and poignant, while this version is light and sweet, naturally making it the top choice for duet love songs.
After watching Li Sishi finish her song and return to her seat, Shang Hanyou continued to pamper his fans by singing four more songs. Only then, amidst the enthusiastic cheers and reluctant farewells of the audience, did the concert come to an end.
As friends, or even friends who were "caught red-handed," Li Sishi and the others no longer tried to hide their presence. They simply went backstage to congratulate Shang Hanyou in person on the successful conclusion of his Malaysian concert tour.
"Thank you... thank you!"
Shang Hanyou, who had just changed his clothes, was sitting in a chair having his hair done by a hairstylist when he saw Li Sishi and the others arrive. He wanted to get up to greet them, but Le Yun stopped him, so he could only sit and express his gratitude and apologize for the poor hospitality.
"Oh, we're all in the same line of work, you don't need to stand on ceremony. We just happened to be passing by and stopped by to drop by."
Alright. "Anyway, everyone knows each other and is basically aware of the connections in their line of work, so Le Yun certainly won't hold any grudges about any shortcomings in hospitality. "And let these three young people have a good look and learn something..."
"So, have you learned anything?" Since Le Yun said that, Shang Hanyou followed suit and looked at the three of them.
Like an honest primary school student answering a question, Cheng Erjian praised Shang Hanyou's concert, saying it was both pleasant to listen to and entertaining; while Wan Jiamei launched into a long speech expressing her envy of the enthusiastic response from the audience and the scale of the concert.
As for Li Sishi, after a moment of thought, she answered with unusual seriousness and determination: "I also want to hold a concert, and I want everyone in the audience to be moved by all their emotions because of me."
"Isn't the feeling of being in the spotlight and being anticipated by everyone what artists enjoy?" Yue Yun smiled. "In that case, you'd better prepare and practice well, since the Hong Kong Coliseum's schedule is already booked until the end of the year."
"If we work hard, we might even break the record for the oldest singer to hold a solo concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum." Shang Hanyou laughed along. "Remember to invite me to be your guest then, I want to break the record too."
“You’ve already broken so many records…” Looking at this superstar who could win the annual sales champion title for both original and pirated albums, Li Sishi was a little speechless at his teasing. “You don’t need me to do one more, do you?”
"How can that be the same!" Shang Hanyou glared.
"Then what's the difference?" Li Sishi retorted.
Le Yun spoke up at the right moment with a smile: "Ah May is so domineering. She told me before that she didn't want to invite many guests to her concert, or even any guests at all. She wanted to sing the whole show by herself, not even giving me, her mentor, any face!"
"Wow, you're even more domineering than me!" Shang Hanyou considered himself the undisputed karaoke queen in the industry, but he never expected that Li Sishi, who usually seemed quite "unassuming," was actually even more of a karaoke queen than him...
"What domineering attitude? This is my home turf! Who's watching, me or the guest?" Li Sishi retorted stubbornly, then added, "Of course I know the advantages of being a guest. If I can hold a concert, I'll naturally make the arrangements..."
If arranged properly, the guests will not overshadow the host, but rather complement each other.
Just like filming a movie, a reasonable and appropriate allocation of roles will allow the main characters and supporting characters to work together to create a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Knowing that I am definitely not as good as that...
Given the presence of several senior artists and the fact that Li Sishi is still in a stable position, Cheng Erjian and Wan Jiamei wisely refrained from mentioning anything to remind Li Sishi of their request to be guests at her concert. They simply stood quietly to the side, watching the three of them chatting happily with a touch of envy and satisfaction.
People who care about her always hope that she will have a better and better life.
This is also one of the motivations that spurs me on to continue working hard to catch up.
After Shang Hanyou finished getting his hair and makeup done and gave his assistant some instructions, the group got into a low-key van and headed to the private room at the restaurant that Shang Hanyou had asked his assistant to reserve in advance.
Le Yun and Shang Hanyou had performed many concerts in Southeast Asian markets in their early years, so they knew the local food spots like the back of their hand and could still find places to hold parties late at night.
"Order whatever you like, this meal is on me," Shang Hanyou said warmly.
Seeing his host-like demeanor, Li Sishi didn't stand on ceremony and picked up the menu, scribbling away as if she planned to order breakfast for tomorrow as well.
"Hey, hey, hey, be a little more reserved!" Seeing that Li Sishi was really getting impolite, Le Yun laughed and patted her.
Although he said he was trying to dissuade her, his tone didn't actually mean it.
"It's alright, it's rare for you to come all this way, order whatever you like and eat generously, don't try to save me money," Shang Hanyou said with a smile.
Seeing him increasingly acting like a doting boyfriend helping Li Sishi navigate the menu, Wan Jiamei thought for a moment and then secretly nudged Cheng Erjian with her elbow: Are you stupid? They've practically "killed" you right in front of you!
So what?
Cheng Erjian turned around and gave her a rather calm look.
Although Cheng Erjian enjoys playing his favorite games without a care in the world, he's not entirely oblivious to social niceties. Now that everyone is eating in the same private room, Shang Hanyou might just make some small gestures to try and get closer to them.
He would truly be a failure if he got angry over such a trivial matter—besides, Wan Jiamei's fondness for midnight and shipping couples isn't new; even he, an outsider, knows it.
Therefore, Wan Jiamei's reminder to him this time might not only be out of friendship, but also because she was trying to stir up trouble for her idol...
He doesn't want to be the knife used to kill someone else!
While the two friends on one side were still secretly at odds, Shang Hanyou, who didn't mind making the knife at all, helped Li Sishi get the menu and order the food. After that, he said to Li Sishi, "Although..."
"I do have some free time now, but I don't really want to film anything else for the time being..."
Moreover, it's not just a commercially viable film that makes money; it's a drama film with the aim of winning awards.
His previous award bids coincided with the fierce competition among filmmakers, and after working so hard on his films for so long, he only received a nomination, which made him somewhat resistant to the idea of winning awards again.
“But this role is really suitable for you, and the director also thinks you are the first choice for this role…” Li Sishi quickly added, “It’s a story about a down-on-his-luck singer who gains insights and pursues his dreams again while mentoring newcomers…”
It was as if it was tailor-made for him—Shang Hanyou was inevitably a bit arrogant and indulgent in his early years because of his good grades, which led to him offending people everywhere and falling from his peak. Later, he realized his mistakes, reflected on them, and repented, which is why he is the top star he is today.
However, although Shang Hanyou didn't mind talking about his past, Li Sishi politely refrained from going into details and only brought up the main storyline.
“This really does suit me quite well…” Shang Hanyou nodded, understanding Li Sishi’s meaning.
Then, his gaze turned to a scrutinizing question, as if he already knew the answer: "You've gone to such lengths to help the director invite me to join the project, surely it's not just because you think this role is suitable for me?"
Upon hearing this, Li Sishi chuckled a little shyly, "Well... because I was the first choice for the female lead in this movie."
"Then this meal is on you." Shang Hanyou, with a "I knew it" smile, handed the menu back.
"Okay, I'll take your money and you'll be obligated to pay. I'll take that as a yes?" Li Sishi took the menu and continued smoothly.
"With you as the leading lady and this director... it's hard for me to refuse." Working together on a film is bound to foster feelings over a long period of time. And that handsome guy sitting diagonally across from him, couldn't help but get attached to him as filming progressed?
If he doesn't keep watch over her, she'll attract unwanted attention. So why doesn't he take this opportunity to come back and "guard the gate" properly?
Follow other people's paths, leaving them with no path to follow!
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