Chapter 213: A New Rendition of an Ancient Melody – I am famous for my beauty…
After entering December, the entire port city was once again immersed in the lively atmosphere unique to the end of the year.
At this time of year, celebrities in the entertainment industry are typically at their busiest, as they all want to make the most of this last month of the year to try and secure various opportunities to appear during the New Year's Day celebrations and the Spring Festival.
As for those who are eager to "improve" themselves, they are running around to various events, hoping to gain more leverage in the major award ceremonies starting at the beginning of next year and improve their ranking this year.
Li Sishi was no exception this year. The previous week she was busy promoting the movie "The Voice of Dreams" with several of the main actors in the film crew. The following week was the annual year-end charity event: the first week of December is the time for TBL's annual special charity fundraising program "Joyful Kwong Wah" in cooperation with Kwong Wah Group of Hospitals.
As a former Miss Hong Kong and a contracted artist with TBL, Lee Sze-sze is obligated to attend both the daytime promotional events and the evening gala of "Joyful Kwong Wah" even if she can't attend other large-scale charity events. Of course, with the mindset that doing good deeds brings blessings, most Hong Kong artists will give their full support to such large-scale public welfare fundraising programs, and those who can attend the charity performances will do so as much as possible.
For example, Shang Hanyou, who flew to Hong Kong for his next tour just two days after the release of "The Voice of Dreams", is now an "astronaut" who flies around every now and then. He eats airplane food more often than regular meals, but he still replied to the message saying that he would still make time to return to Hong Kong this year and had already prepared performances for the "Joyful Kwong Wah" concert.
Although this year's charity performance lineup is impressive, it's touching that he still cares about it despite his busy schedule. However, what's even more "frightening" is that, according to the messages he sent back and the revelations from his godfather, Mr. Fu Xiu, it seems that his hasty return this year isn't just about singing a song; he's prepared a unique and elaborate performance...
Of course, Shang Hanyou wasn't the only one involved in this year's charity performance; all four Heavenly Kings were involved: Hou Beihua took on the arduous task of a charity marathon with the location shooting team and the Hong Kong track and field team; and Huo Gucheng, although he stayed at Studio One and was arranged to perform at the gala, didn't perform singing and dancing but rather aerial acrobatics, and it's rumored that he suffered quite a few bumps and falls during rehearsals at Studio One...
This time, I was with the second location shooting team and the Hong Kong basketball team in the early hours of the morning. We're currently undergoing grueling training at the basketball court because, supposedly, a big shot is specially...
On the basketball team's side, a nine-square grid basketball hoop was arranged for the performer in the early morning. For every basket in the nine squares that was hit, 100,000 yuan would be donated, and for every basket that was hit in the large hoop above the nine squares, 1 million yuan would be donated. As a result, the performer in the early morning has been so busy practicing that his assistant, Quan, has to carry his phone for him. So there's no way he can sneak back to take a look at him.
Li Sishi was both amused and exasperated by the fact that he had been drafted into basketball training. However, there was nothing she could do about it: most artists in this era came from poor backgrounds in their childhood. In addition, the average level in the south has always been lower than that in the north. Therefore, with the double whammy of insufficient innate talent and inadequate nutrition, it is already considered good for male artists to grow to be over 175 cm. Someone like Ling Chen, who is approaching 180 cm, is extremely rare. In addition, he is young, popular, and tall. Who else could they draft if not him?
Although among her friends, Huang Qianyan is the one with both height and talent—Li Sishi definitely has the right to speak on this matter. She is a beauty pageant contestant with 43-inch long legs and a height of 171 cm. Even during concert rehearsals, she was still a little shorter than Huang Qianyan.
She was the one teaching Huang Qianyan to sing, and she was the one who "took the lead," but the moment she stood there, her presence instantly seemed much weaker...
If Huang Qianyan hadn't been so stunning in both looks and acting skills, her career in the film industry would never have been so smooth.
As mentioned earlier, there aren't many male celebrities with a height of 175cm or more at this time. Therefore, when Huang Qianyan worked with big-name male celebrities who had good box office results in the past, she basically had to make up for the height difference between them and the aesthetics required by the other party and the scene by using various methods off-camera.
When Huang Qianyan talked about these gossip stories during rehearsals, she seemed very nonchalant, but Li Sishi could still see some of her helplessness.
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However, Huang Qianyan doesn't have to worry about these things too much now. After experiencing the ups and downs of the past few years, she intends to gradually fade out of the entertainment industry after finishing the film contracts she has signed. Therefore, she takes exposure, appearing on camera, and making public appearances much less important. Moreover, since she plays women's basketball, it is naturally inconvenient for her to join the segment that mainly involves the Hong Kong City basketball team.
Of course, it's not just charity events like these. Huang Qianyan has even turned down many movie offers, and then her junior sister Li Sishi took her place, getting an audition opportunity for Zhou Shengyi's Lunar New Year film "The New Three Smiles Romance".
Li Sishi had previously worked with Zhou Shengyi; although the process was somewhat unpleasant, the ending was pleasant for everyone.
Given that Li Sishi's previous portrayal of the Fairy of Yunya was truly exceptional, Zhou Shengyi had no concerns about Li Sishi's acting skills, period costume appearance, or attitude towards filming. After receiving Huang Qianyan's recommendation, he readily agreed to the role.
The film version of "The New Version of the Three Smiles Marriage" is currently in the final stages of preparation. After signing a contract with the Shang family, the partner behind Zhou Shengyi, and Rong Sheng Film Company under the Shang family, for the female lead in next year's Lunar New Year film, Zhuang Menghua also knows how to reciprocate. This time, she arranged for Li Sishi to be in the "Ancient Songs Sung in New Style" segment of Happy Kwong Wah, to perform the most classic and popular selection of the Cantonese opera "The Three Smiles Marriage" - "The Three Smiles Marriage: Seeking God" - for a charity price of 1 million.
Seeing how hard others were working and how much effort they put in, Li Sishi couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted as she was once again "dismissed" by a Cantonese opera excerpt this year.
Although singing Cantonese opera excerpts well is no less difficult than performing other high-difficulty acrobatic feats, seeing the slender and tall Xiao Xie, who is as thin as a bamboo pole, take on the task of walking a tightrope this year, she inexplicably felt a sense of guilt, as if she had been slacking off and the organizers were taking advantage of a "child laborer"...
"Sister May!" Just as Li Sishi was reciting her lyrics with a guilty conscience, Xiao Xie, who had slid down from the steel cable, came running towards her with a small blue and white shoulder bag on her back and asked with great concern, "Have you been very busy lately? I've been rehearsing here for two days and I'm finally able to see you today."
"Uh... I am a bit busy." Because she was in charge of Cantonese opera excerpts, Li Sishi did not need to rehearse on-site like acrobats who had to learn and practice many times. Instead, she could practice Cantonese opera duets directly in her apartment or at Rong Juezhang's house.
"How dare you act in 'The Three Smiles' with me? Is this very rude of you?" Rong Juezhang happened to be there at that moment and, seeing Li Sishi's stammering appearance, immediately teased her.
Li Sishi waved her hand, telling him to go ahead and fiddle with it, then quickly changed the subject, pointing to Xiao Xie's small crossbody bag and saying, "Hey, isn't this the doll bag you like so much?"
I heard you always carry it with you to rehearsals and won't let anyone else touch it..."
"Because this is a New Year's gift I specially brought back from Japan for you—"
Xiao Xie put down the small crossbody bag on his back so Li Sishi could see that it was shaped like a cute blue and white cartoon dog. He then added, "You said that the print on my letter paper looked like your favorite cartoon character called 'Cinnamon Dog'..."
…Although I still can't find the 'Cinnamon Dog', at least I found the cartoon character corresponding to this print before the New Year.
"So I immediately ordered one of these plush toy bags and brought it back for you!" He held up the small crossbody bag, his smile as bright as the winter sun. "Do you like it?"
"Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness." Li Sishi gratefully accepted the plush toy bag that Xiao Xie had specially found for her, then became even more embarrassed. "But I haven't started preparing a New Year's gift for you yet..."
"It's okay, there's plenty of time, don't rush!" Xiao Xie's smile widened, and then he hesitated a bit before whispering to Li Sishi his little wish to watch the entire series of a TV drama called "Long Holiday".
"Original Japanese versions are hard to find in Japan, but I've heard..."
TBL plans to dub and broadcast it later, so if you have the chance, Sister May, could you please get me the complete series on videotape?
"I've tried my best, there shouldn't be any major problems." Li Sishi nodded.
"Thank you so much, Sister May! By the way, this drama is really good, and the original Japanese version is perfect for learners like us with our Japanese level. If you have time, I hope you'll watch it too and we can discuss the plot!" With the next practice session fast approaching, Xiao Xie walked towards the steel cable, reminding her again, "It's really good, you absolutely have to watch it!"
"I see... I'll try to find time to watch it." Li Sishi could understand the young man's desire to recommend good things to his friends. After recalling her recent schedule, she nodded gently as she watched Xiao Xie leave.
"Tch—" Rong Juezhang, who was sitting in the back drinking tea to moisten his throat, chuckled strangely. "This kid is quite precocious for his age. Are you really planning to take the time to watch the TV series he recommended to you?"
"Have you watched this TV series?" Judging from his expression, he seemed to have already watched the whole series. Li Sishi, who hadn't watched it yet, asked curiously, "What's the plot about?"
However, recalling Rong Juezhang's strange expression just now, Li Sishi added, "Is there... a problem with this TV series?"
"To be honest, there's nothing wrong with this TV series—it's well-produced, the plot is tight, and both the male and female leads are good-looking and talented. You could even call it a classic of a niche genre..." Rong Juezhang slowly put down his teacup, picked up the men's folding fan they used during rehearsals, and the amusement in his voice grew even more pronounced.
"The problem is that this is a TV series depicting a relationship between an older woman and a younger man."
Sensing his unspoken meaning, Li Sishi gave him a gentle push: "Don't overthink it. I only see him as my younger brother, just like my cousin Guangzai."
“Sigh, you treat her like a younger brother, but she doesn’t really treat you like an older sister…” Rong Juezhang himself is a particularly precocious person, so he is well aware of the romantic feelings of teenagers at this age. “Look, look, she’s about to take advantage of this opportunity.”
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Li Sishi pretended to be annoyed and punched him, then found another opportunity to change the subject. "Actually, it's not that I don't want to sing 'The Three Smiles' marriage. It's just that I've been practicing 'The Sword and the Hairpin' for two years and still haven't had the chance to perform it on stage this year. It's like you've put a lot of effort into memorizing a difficult and hard-to-learn article, but every time you're waiting for the exam, it never happens. Do you understand that feeling?"
It's like punching cotton – it doesn't hurt or itch, but it's still incredibly frustrating.
“I can understand a little bit…” Rong Juezhang was no ordinary person. Unlike a young man like Xiao Xie, he wouldn’t let Li Sishi easily change the subject and then steer the conversation back to the beginning. Instead, he started arguing, “Although I think you are more suited to someone your own age who is a little older than you, people’s preferences are always complicated. There are people in this world who just like that slightly ripe, sweet and sour, crisp and astringent taste… I can understand that too.”
"You're really going to talk nonsense!" The closer you are to someone, the less polite you become in your words and actions. Li Sishi was already rubbing her hands together, but on the surface she still looked innocent and naive. "You'll corrupt my cousin!"
“Wouldn’t it be better if young girls were a little mischievous? That way, they wouldn’t be so easily fooled by those ‘pretty boys.’” Rong Juezhang nonchalantly launched into a long-winded explanation of his past failed attempts to woo girls, adopting a roguish air of “I was caught in the rain back then, so now I’m going to tear everyone else’s umbrellas apart.” “For teenage boys like this, you have to let them experience a deeply unforgettable, hopeless crush so they’ll never forget it…”
"So, are you 'deceiving' me now?" Speechless at his half-serious, half-joking remark, Li Sishi paused for a while before remembering to ask back.
“What difference does it make if you pay attention to me? I’m a ‘pretty boy’ now, cousin!” Rong Juezhang gave her a particularly affected wink. “Although your cousin is getting on in years, I’m still ‘still charming’.”
“…You?!” Even Li Sishi, who had experienced the ups and downs of the internet age, couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander to his classic color-blocked outfit of a dark red coat and a green plaid scarf. “Come on, how old are you this year? Do you think you’re a fruit? — At most, you’re just a tomato.”
"Tomatoes are great! They can be eaten raw or cooked, they're versatile enough for both formal and casual occasions, perfectly suited to my current situation of being universally loved and pampered." Rong Juezhang completely disregarded the sarcasm in Li Sishi's words and simply went along with his own ideas. "No wonder he's a top student."
The adjectives used are top-notch!
Feeling like she'd been tricked again, Li Sishi listened blankly to his nonsense and could only wave her hand speechlessly: "Thanks, but please praise me in other ways."
"I see..." Seeing the power still lurking in Li Sishi's waving gesture, he deftly twirled the folding fan in his hand, and the still-warm handle touched the tip of the person's chin.
Then he took a line from a Cantonese opera excerpt and sang it softly: "I am famous for my beauty—a perfect match for a girl."
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