Chapter 230: Friends and Neighbors, You Can't Afford to Lose at Mahjong...
Having been caught up in this topic by this little rascal, Li Sishi was truly at a loss for what to do.
Saying that the two hadn't seen each other for a while and that their last meeting was simply because they happened to be attending the same awards ceremony—that's definitely not a valid reason.
Zhou Huichang had already watched the entire Jade Solid Gold Awards ceremony live on her TV at home, and she had even recorded it and rewatched it repeatedly to relive the experience. She had even watched a lot of the after-party footage through her fan club...
As for the claim that the two are quite close—that's even more unacceptable!
After all, this little rascal in front of us is a fan of Chen Shi and a fervent and loyal CP fan of Chen Shi. If she accidentally lets slip or says something wrong, Zhou Huichang, this little rascal, will probably, like those love-struck CP fans who know how to use their imaginations to create a complete story, turn around and add another "sweet new love story revealed by the real person" to the "Chen Shi" CP fan club...
There was already a case where a CP fan spread rumors and promoted the CP to foreign friends. With that as a precedent, Li Sishi didn't want to see or hear any more strange things like sweet details about the CP or love stories that she herself didn't know...
She's so young, and she wants to focus on her career as much as possible. She doesn't want to step into the grave of marriage so soon.
Seeing Li Sishi's serious expression as she pondered the question, Zhou Huichang felt a mix of nervousness and excitement: nervousness at what Li Sishi would say next, and excitement because Li Sishi seemed to be seriously considering her answer.
what to do?
If my cousin says she has no connection with Leo, how should I refute her?
If my cousin openly admits that she's been in frequent contact with Leo lately, should I prepare myself mentally and try my best to control my emotions and share the good news with all the other CP fans?
Just as Zhou Huichang had begun to calculate rapidly in her mind, Li Sishi finally spoke up: "Actually, we are friends, and it's normal for us to keep in touch occasionally."
"Ahhh, you can't do this! I'm your own cousin! Is this the kind of answer you give me?" Zhou Huichang was full of anticipation and hope, but all she got in return was a reply that was even more official than the official one, which was completely devoid of any substance. She immediately started yelling and threatening to make a scene.
"Alright, alright, you're trying to go for bright red with only a sliver of color, understand?"
"Show some respect for your elders!" When necessary, she had no choice but to put on airs as an elder. Li Sishi put on a stern face, and her whole demeanor instantly went from warm spring to the dead of winter.
Zhou Huichang instinctively shrank her neck: "I... I'm just a little bit dissatisfied with this answer..."
Li Sishi quietly looked at her for a moment, then exhaled softly and slowly: "Actually, I also wanted to give you a less-than-ideal answer, but the problem is, I can't even see the answer to this question myself right now."
"It's not that I don't want to answer you, but I don't even have the 'courage' and 'determination' to answer others, let alone you."
Zhou Huichang was initially delighted to hear Li Sishi's words, but then, thinking about the Jade Solid Gold Awards ceremony she had watched a few days ago, she made a face and said, "Cousin, for the part where you answer other people's questions—can you tell me there's only one?"
"Would you believe me if I said there was only one?" Li Sishi glanced at her with a half-smile.
Zhou Huichang recalled how Li Sishi became the undisputed beauty of Liu Street and the recognized school beauty of Zeng Dingbaosu as soon as she returned to Hong Kong, as well as the series of beauty pageant awards that followed; she also thought about the group of boys from other schools who would rather go out of their way to see her at the Lucky Tea Restaurant in the early years, and the rich young men who followed her from the beauty pageant to her entry into the entertainment industry...
“Cousin, I think I understand your troubles a little better now…” Zhou Huichang finally sighed and patted Li Sishi on the shoulder, “It’s like suddenly having so many materials placed in front of me, and I don’t know what to do with them at all…”
“That’s good that you understand.” Li Sishi thought for a moment and decided to give him a piece of her mind after the initial harsh criticism. “But how should I put it—Leo was the first and also the one who, among all those ‘troubles,’ seriously expressed respect for my ideas…”
Before she could finish speaking, Li Sishi saw the person in front of her wash away her gloom and reveal a "okay, I'm shipping this" expression.
Sigh, kids are so easy to please.
Li Sishi sighed inwardly, glanced at the schedule, and instructed the driver to take her and Zhou Huichang to their uncle and aunt's house in Liaojie for dinner first, and then go to the recording studio to record songs after dinner.
Although she didn't win the lead role in "The New Three Smiles Romance", the end credits song for the film was another new version of "Seeking God". Previously, she and Rong Juezhang had set up a banquet to help Zhou Shengyi and Kong Wei resolve their misunderstandings. In return, Zhou Shengyi gave the two of them an invitation to sing this adapted song for which he had purchased the copyright.
Back to good
Just as her aunt and uncle were about to close at the Yun Tea Restaurant, Li Sishi gave them a big smile and then went up to hug the two elders she hadn't seen in a long time.
It was rare for Li Sishi to have time to come back to Liaojie. Her uncle Zhou Jiayun and aunt Liang Shao'e were overjoyed and kept asking her what she wanted to eat, promising to cook it for her right away. Their affectionate manner made Zhou Huichang a little "jealous".
"Alright, alright, you know your cousin is busy with work and rarely comes back. It's definitely her decision." Liang Shao'e gave Zhou Huichang a playful pat.
Considering that Li Sishi would be recording later, Liang Shao'e and Zhou Jiayun took Li Sishi's advice and made a few light home-style dishes. However, they also brewed a pot of voice-nourishing tea in the kitchen, clearly preparing it for Li Sishi to take to the recording studio later.
After a warm dinner, and having confirmed with her uncle's family that they would be supporting her cousin Zhou Huiguang's qualifying round the next day, Li Sishi picked up a large cup of voice-nourishing tea, reluctantly bid farewell to her uncle's family, and got into the car to head to the recording studio that night.
It was already past seven o'clock when Li Sishi arrived at the recording studio. She didn't bring her assistant today, so she quickly arranged everything herself, then sat down on the sofa and began to practice singing softly to the lyrics.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. There was a small problem with filming today. I just finished work and rushed over immediately. I didn't have to wait long, did I?" When Rong Juezhang rushed over, his face was covered in dust and grime, which made Li Sishi worry about him immediately.
"You won't have to wait long, and you don't need to rush. Be careful."
What I really wanted to say was to tell him to take care of his health, but seeing how tired he looked but his eyes were exceptionally bright, Li Sishi could probably guess why he had become like this.
It's just that he's found a job he really loves, so he's working overtime and burning himself out – and it's not just Rong Juezhang who's like this now. She was even more excited and energetic when she was cramming for the exam a few days ago.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Rong Juezhang waved his hand, taking out lyrics from his casual bag while rambling on about his recent work as an assistant director, which, although he was busy and flustered, was very fulfilling. "I've found that being able to control everything and ultimately mold it into a movie is a kind of exhilaration that's different from being an actor!"
“You might have a chance if you achieve something in the future.” Li Sishi smiled. “There’s a saying: ‘If you’re good at acting, you can become a director.’”
"If so, then it's best not to."
"That's enough." Rong Juezhang chuckled and took out the lyrics, singing a couple of lines softly. He then beckoned Li Sishi to follow.
Faced with this "provocation," Li Sishi was naturally unwilling to back down. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and sang a song as melodious as a nightingale emerging from a valley, which filled the dimly lit room.
Then came the deep, mellow singing voice, playfully and mischievously singing flirtatious lyrics. The interplay between the two created a uniquely poetic and picturesque charm.
Perhaps because of his profound achievements in the film industry, Rong Juezhang is one of the singers in the industry who understands the subtlety of "using emotion to convey the song" the most. In addition, he has a natural charm and elegance. When he sings a new version of "Seeking God" with lyrics that are closer to modern words, it is as if he is taking people into a temple with smoke, allowing them to see the back-and-forth duet in the ancient music.
Li Sishi is the kind of person who knows how to learn from competition. Seeing that Rong Juezhang seemed to have more experience than before after returning to the music scene, she immediately put all her effort into keeping up with him, showing a fighting spirit that was not to be outdone.
"Wow, I thought it was someone else. So you guys booked this recording studio tonight too..." A head suddenly popped out from outside the corridor. It was Lun Yongnan, who had a handsome mixed-race appearance with an Eastern look, but always liked to make exaggerated facial expressions without caring about his image.
"Did you book this place tonight too?" Rong Juezhang waved to his old rival and friend from the previous decade.
"Yes, we recently got a few new songs, and Devon and I are singing them together." Lun Yongnan pointed to a figure coming this way at the end of the corridor, then looked back, "You guys are recording new songs too?"
"It's not exactly a new song." Rong Juezhang showed the lyrics and music, then turned to Li Sishi and said, "By the way, how long can you record tonight?"
“I probably can’t record until very late, because I’m going to watch my cousin’s game tomorrow. His team is playing their last qualifying match tomorrow…” Before Li Sishi could finish speaking, she saw the instant light up in Lun Yongnan and Li Dewen’s eyes.
"Is that the 'Qizhi' team that played against our All-Star team before? Wow, those young guys are really something. I think they'll not only be able to return to the top division, but they might even replicate the success of the 'Elite' football team back in the day, winning the league championship in their second year after promotion!" As two well-known football fans in the industry, Lun Yongnan and Li Dewen exclaimed to each other.
After exclaiming with great enthusiasm, the two suddenly turned around and looked at Li Sishi.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Li Sishi was puzzled by the two pairs of eyes staring at her.
Before Lun Yongnan could speak, Rong Juezhang took two tickets from Li Sishi's bag and handed them to her: "Here, take them—you won't come to play mahjong with me, but you're incredibly enthusiastic about watching the game!"
"If you can't afford to lose at mahjong, who would want to play with you?" The person you know best is often your opponent. Lun Yongnan took the ticket and casually dropped a bombshell on Li Sishi that everyone who had ever played mahjong with Rong Juezhang knew without saying.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
