Chapter 257: A Meeting of Immortals and Demons - This is My First Time with...
“He Qimei…and ‘Beauty on the High Platform’?” Li Sishi pondered for a moment, then quickly understood Rong Juezhang’s meaning. “Indeed, both of these Chinese names are quite suitable.”
No normal person dislikes being praised, and now, being praised for her beauty by Rong Juezhang, who is known as having unparalleled beauty, Li Sishi felt a little flattered.
As for the title "Beauty on the High Platform," it cleverly incorporates her popular nickname "Beauty" while also implying the saying "the higher you climb, the colder it gets"—the proverb says that people strive for higher positions, but what happens when you reach the top and whether you will be happy is something only you can truly know.
The protagonist "Kitty" goes from being a beauty pageant contestant to marrying into a wealthy family, which is equivalent to gradually moving from the "high platform" of the stage to the "high platform" of a rich family.
Before she awakens to this reality, these seemingly enviable and awe-inspiring "high platforms" are actually nothing more than display stands for absorbing the youth and beauty of her "pets".
The "pets" above thought they had risen to a high position overnight, but in reality, the ones who truly gained envy and benefits were the players behind the scenes.
However, even if some people understand this principle, they have become accustomed to such a "high and mighty" life and find it difficult to survive on their own efforts. There is also a scene in the script where the female protagonist wants to step down from the high platform, but finds that she doesn't dare to step down and change anything.
It wasn't until the male protagonist went from occasionally remembering to pay attention to her to disappearing altogether that the desperate female protagonist finally gave up and jumped off the "high platform," battered and bruised, to start learning to live alone anew.
Li Sishi was once one of these "enlightened people," and in today's society, there are even more "enlightened people" like her.
She wanted to change things in her past life but didn't have the chance. Now that she's been given a second chance, she has learned through hard work that one must rely on oneself and make decisive decisions. Naturally, she hopes to use thought-provoking films and television shows to give a wake-up call to those who have discovered that the "high platform" is not as wonderful as they imagined but are too afraid to come down, as well as to those who have not yet been completely seduced and trapped by the "high platform".
Even if only one person is inspired by this film, it can be considered a redemption of the "self" that was once lost.
Rong Juezhang didn't know Li Sishi's true thoughts, but he had long been disgusted by the superficial and restless atmosphere of society, especially since many people used entering the entertainment industry as a stepping stone to get close to wealthy families—this was detrimental to Hong Kong's film and television industry and to the opening up of Hong Kong women's minds.
The blows were quite powerful.
Women's rise to prominence is relatively recent, so they are often seen as "lagging behind" men in many industries. Once traditional ideas once again overwhelm modern ideas, women who have finally gained a certain voice and status will inevitably gradually regress to their former situation.
Especially now, the Hong Kong entertainment industry, which is currently experiencing a "male-dominated" situation, is dominated by male artists.
As for the top female artists, let's count them: Pei Yansang, who is both a singer and actress, can't carry the whole ship alone; Shao Fenfen's age and health don't allow her to push herself too hard; Shang Lanyu has strong talent for awards but needs opportunities; Huang Qianyan has high commercial value but lacks luck in winning awards, so her position is awkward...
As for Xia Yingyun, Dong Kehong, and others, their works gradually decreased after marriage, indicating a resignation. Now, another one has gotten married: Kong Wei. At her wedding banquet, he sincerely told Kong Wei not to reduce her acting after getting married.
"Is that why you took this role?" Li Sishi asked.
“Yes, at least it shows everyone that ‘marrying into a wealthy family’ isn’t necessarily a good path…” Rong Juezhang closed the script and sighed, “Although I agree with you that everyone has their own ambitions, some people are really just temporarily misled by that kind of extravagance, or they don’t know much and therefore place their hopes on others.”
"Just like 'Kitty,' relying on others will eventually lead to people getting tired of you. Only by relying on yourself can you weather the storms and wait for tomorrow." Rong Juezhang smiled and then looked at Li Sishi.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" This gaze was so familiar it sent chills down Li Sishi's spine, and she immediately became as alert as a cat with its fur standing on end.
"Since she's going to marry into a wealthy family and become a rich wife, her makeup and styling can't be sloppy. So we need to hurry up and start taking her measurements and making her clothes..." Rong Juezhang's clothing store had taken many measurements for Li Sishi before, so his look clearly meant "business is in the air again"...
Zhuang Menghua had no objection to Rong Juezhang's "business-soliciting" behavior: TBL didn't have a particularly close relationship with major clothing companies.
Li Sishi's fame has not yet reached the level of international renown, so it will not be easy for her to negotiate clothing sponsorships with those big brands.
Although Li Sishi is young, beautiful, and has a great figure, making her look as good as many models and perhaps even having the added boost of her movie popularity—big brands have always been selective, and in their eyes, popular young actresses are not on par with movie queens and divas. Even if they manage to secure a contract, the additional conditions they'll likely impose will be substantial.
They are much more demanding.
Moreover, this is essentially "free" advertising for others, so if you really think about it, they're actually at a slight disadvantage.
Instead, we could design a batch of costumes for Li Sishi. If she looks good in them and the movie does well, we might be able to make a profit by producing movie-themed items. Li Sishi's three-dimensional rose dress sparked a trend for dresses in Hong Kong for a while.
Li Sishi said she had no problem with Zhuang Menghua's idea: by handing over part of the costume production to Rong Juezhang's clothing store and TBL's design department, she would have the opportunity to bring her cousin Zhou Huichang in under the guise of "studying".
Moreover, Rong Juezhang had previously expressed his appreciation for Zhou Huichang, so having these two design costumes for her gave Li Sishi a safety net—although the design departments of big brands and TBL should not be underestimated, no matter how great the design concepts and designers are, they are prone to an unavoidable limitation of the times.
What she wanted was a classic work that could transcend the limitations of its time as much as possible.
After finalizing the details of the male and female leads and the script, and confirming the film's makeup and costume arrangements, Li Sishi was finally able to temporarily put aside her award-winning ambitions and join the production team to film the second sequel to "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
After a simple opening ceremony, Li Sishi greeted the actor playing the new villain: "Hi..."
Long time no see.
Zheng Shuqiu, whose personality is as quirky as her appearance, saw Li Sishi approaching and immediately put her arm around her. Then, she swaggered over to Cheng Erjian, who looked both amused and exasperated: "Truly, fortunes change! Last time we were playing lovers, this time we're playing rivals—"
Indeed, in this sequel, Cheng Shu-Chiu plays the role of "Qiao Qing," a ruthless and cunning beauty.
But ironically, this character, while ruthless and ambitious, also harbors a secret love for the female lead played by Li Sishi.
With Wu Jinru's neurotic villain "Heng Ge" as a shining example, the final villain of the second part certainly couldn't be too weak. So, after discussing it thoroughly with screenwriter Wang Yunjun, the original author, and director Liu, the chubby producer Huang Zheng, who knows how to stir up trouble, created a villainous character, Zheng Shuqiu, who is well-developed and unique, by combining the plot of the original comic with the characters.
Hong Kong's fondness for same-sex romance, especially the mutual attraction between beautiful women, has remained undiminished since the early Zhao family's romantic martial arts films—a fondness rooted in this very tradition and tradition.
Many directors of that era were influenced by this.
For example, producer Huang Zheng, who is known for his chubby appearance, has previously filmed many scenes of beautiful women being close together. Zheng Shuqiu, who has a pure and charming appearance but also a uniquely alluring and seductive charm, is his capable assistant in filming these kinds of lesbian-themed movies...
"The producer told me that my character in this film is set up to be a very aloof and unapproachable 'fairy'..." Zheng Shuqiu explained with a grin, "So, I'm the 'demon' who tempts the 'fairy' to fall—"
If you really think about it, there might actually be more than just her as a "fairy" in this film series.
Because the male protagonist "He Nan" also contributed a lot to the female protagonist "Sisi's" transformation from a simple student to the leader of the club.
The fact that these two characters grow together through trials and tribulations, sharing joys and sorrows, and weathering storms together, undoubtedly gives this story, which is inherently dark and cruel, a layer of sweetness that combines affection and righteousness.
Seeing Li Sishi looking a little dazed as Zheng Shuqiu hugged her and whispered secrets, Chen Shaozhen, She Xuanhua, and the others, who were always eager for a good show, immediately started "interviewing" the male lead actor, Cheng Erjian, with exaggerated expressions: "Hehe, how does it feel to be cheated on by a woman for the first time?"
That was a really nasty remark. Cheng Erjian, both amused and annoyed, teased his friends for a while before replying with an indescribable expression, "I'm not really sure either, but 'He Nan' in the play would probably be quite angry..."
Moreover, in this scene, the male protagonist He Nan and his best friend were tricked by Qiao Qing and almost lost their lives in Macau. After finally escaping back, they were trying to deduce Qiao Qing's true purpose by combining all the known information when they suddenly discovered that their girlfriend Sisi had disappeared.
When the male protagonist finally found Sisi's whereabouts through the clues and rushed over with his men, filled with anxiety for her safety, he just happened to witness Qiao Qing trying to seduce his girlfriend...
While the male actors were brainstorming ideas for their upcoming "caught in the act" scene, Li Sishi, who was about to film a "bed scene," was a little nervous: "This is my first time acting in a bed scene with a girl..."
"It's okay, I'm not. I'll take you with me." Zheng Shuqiu winked at her playfully, then added with a double meaning, "Don't be afraid, May, May—"
In the previous drama "The Fake Son-in-Law", Zheng Shuqiu played Li Sishi's older sister, so it's impossible to know whether this similar-sounding name is "MayMay" or "younger sister".
After confirming that both of them were almost ready, Director Liu excitedly shouted, "World, get ready—A!"
Upon hearing this, the lighting technician, wearing an equally excited smile, quickly illuminated the hotel room with an ambiguous yet cool, dark blue light, just like the two female protagonists' current situation and state of mind.
Seeing that "Sisi" had already passed out on the table, "Qiao Qing" slowly helped her up from the table with a strange yet alluring smile, and then lifted her chin so that their figures were reflected in the full-length mirror in front of them.
Her bright red nail polish covered her fair, jade-like face, slowly moving across it. The strong contrast between the light and dark shades instantly created an atmosphere of infinite ambiguity.
"What's so great about those stinky men? Why do you like him but not me?"
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