Chapter 65: Double Champion
After several rounds of competition, the 1993 anniversary banner finally fell into the hands of the white team composed of male artists. Regardless of the rumored unspoken rule of "taking turns to host" or the fact that the Four Heavenly Kings were in unparalleled popularity after their ascension to godhood, in short, they performed as they were supposed to, made their appearances as they were supposed to, and raised all the funds they were supposed to.
Although the female artists' red team was a little unwilling, they also expressed their great anticipation for another battle next year. As the team leader, Pei Yansang even made a "tough talk": "You can keep the flag for a year for now. Next year, our female artists will definitely take it back!"
The male celebrities were also very excited and said that they would definitely keep this flag safe and work even harder next year.
After everyone finished their "tough talk," this year's anniversary gala ultimately upheld the principle of "friendship first, competition second," and after the exciting competition, it returned to a harmonious celebration.
The final activity was cutting the cake and drinking champagne to celebrate TBL TV's "birthday." As a minor, Li Sishi continued her principle of never drinking alcohol at various parties and events. She held a small piece of cake and ate it, calmly accepting the good-natured teasing from others.
The reason she chose to enter the industry as soon as she reached the appropriate age was not only to seize the tail end of Hong Kong entertainment's golden age, but also for the potential protection of the "minor" label. This allowed her to openly use the excuse that minors cannot drink alcohol to thwart those with ill intentions during the year she had to fulfill her Miss Hong Kong obligations by attending various galas.
Good and normal people generally don't make things too difficult for others, and they're not afraid that the other person will hold a grudge. The main people to guard against are bad and petty people. With this excuse and Sir Zhao's protection, everyone has a way to back down and can maintain a semblance of harmony.
Standing in the corner, watching the various people in front of her, holding champagne and smiling as they accepted the flashes of cameras, listening to them speak of a better future with expectant tones... just watching quietly, Li Sishi felt a faint sadness because she knew the future but was powerless to change it.
Everyone thought that after this night at the Hong Kong Coliseum, it would be a new beginning and that the future would be even more glorious—little did they know that this was actually just a final burst of light before the end of an era.
What Li Sishi didn't know was that sometimes, those who admire the scenery will eventually become part of someone else's scenery.
Both were introverted, but Cheng Erjian had at least worked in television for a few years and got along well with many second- and third-tier male artists in the White Team. So, seeing the commotion, Cheng Erjian joined the others and politely declined to join in.
The invited Wu Shanluan stood alone to the side, enjoying his glass of champagne and a plate full of cake slices.
This child was thrifty. Seeing that the group of playful kids had left behind a huge pile of uneaten cakes to play, he couldn't bear to waste the food, so he cut all the cake pieces and poured them into his own plate. He ate a piece of cake and drank champagne, busy and having a great time.
After finally finishing two-thirds of his meal, he looked up to catch his breath and suddenly saw Li Sishi not far ahead.
Unlike his usual self who couldn't get along with others and thus had to stay on the sidelines, this Miss Hong Kong winner, who stole the show tonight, seemed to be in a state of extreme contradiction.
On one hand, there is the innocence and longing that is appropriate for the age, like a little princess who is unaware of the ways of the world looking at the dazzling world, longing to get close yet afraid to get close; on the other hand, there is also the wisdom of an old man who has experienced the vicissitudes of life, looking at the prosperity of this world and vaguely thinking of the collapse of a great building, feeling regret and sadness in addition to sighing.
The practice and inspiration I had been having during this period came to mind along with this contradictory feeling, and touched upon that elusive yet lingering melody.
Taking out paper and pen, Wu Shanluan wrote down the melody of this fleeting inspiration and breathed a long sigh of relief: finally, he could hand in this composition assignment that he had been putting off for so long...
She looked up with a cheerful expression, only to meet Li Sishi's gaze—she seemed to have noticed someone was spying on her.
But she didn't say anything, nor did she come over to ask anything. She just smiled faintly at us and then walked towards the backstage area.
I don't know why, but while I felt relieved that I wasn't being held accountable, I also felt a strange sense of loss.
"Hey!" Cheng Erjian came back carrying a big piece of cake, intending to feed his neglected new friend. "You like cake, don't you? I brought you a big piece!"
Looking at the cake, which was even larger than Cheng Erjian's outstretched hand, Wu Shanluan, who had only been feeling a little disappointed, felt her eyes welling up with tears.
Through the blurry door, I vaguely recalled his time filming: other actors barely ate any of their meals to maintain their figures, but he always finished his to avoid waste. The auntie responsible for serving the food assumed he had a large appetite and wasn't eating enough, so she kept increasing his portion sizes until he reluctantly agreed—
"I...I really can't eat anymore..."
To be honest, Cheng Erjian's medium-length hair does resemble that particularly kind auntie's hairstyle a bit.
...
Meanwhile, Li Sishi, unaware of the little misunderstanding caused by a communication error outside, was taking off her three-dimensional rose dress and changing back into her usual T-shirt and jeans with Zuo Lili's help.
Although tomorrow is the weekend, her "classes" are still just as many as usual, so she has to make the most of every minute to get home early and rest, ensuring she gets enough sleep.
The following days were uneventful, but the clothing brand "Theme" capitalized on Li Sishi's stunning look at the TVB Anniversary Gala and the subsequent hot media coverage to launch a new evening gown line amidst great anticipation. The line focused on mid-range priced, youthful dresses, which quickly became extremely popular among young people.
After receiving the payment for the design, Li Sishi handed over all the savings she had accumulated from attending events and working during this period to her mother, Zhou Jiaxian, so that Zhou Jiaxian and Liang Shao'e could take advantage of the relatively free time at the end of the year to buy land and houses in the Hudong New Area.
She had already identified several promising locations in Shanghai, and now she was just waiting for Zhou Jiaxian and Liang Shao'e to conduct on-site inspections before contacting relevant personnel to sign purchase contracts.
Zhou Jiaxian and Liang Shao'e probably really didn't expect that the housing prices in the newly rebuilt China would be so low. After taking a look at the place, they were almost reluctant to leave. This place looked so appealing, and that place looked really good. In the end, they didn't even need Li Sishi to "encourage" them that the development prospects here were bound to be great. They were just acting on their female instinct to buy as much as possible while the prices were cheap, and they returned to Hong Kong with a large stack of documents.
Li Sishi took a look when she had some free time. She saw that they had bought two three-story villas of more than 200 square meters each, as well as five small apartments of about 50 square meters each. They said that the villas would be for their own family to live in, while the small apartments would be for rent. According to Liang Shao'e, the development there looked like the old development of new towns in Gangcheng. Buying more small apartments to rent out would definitely not be a loss.
After all, when the older generation had money, their only thought was to buy houses and land. If it weren't for Grandpa and Grandma Zhou seizing the opportunity and gritting their teeth to buy property in Liaojie back then, with prices soaring to this day, their family probably wouldn't be able to afford such shops and houses now.
Li Sishi herself wasn't very good at investing. The only thing she could rely on was her memories from her future life. As long as she found a good location in real estate, it was a sure-fire way to make money. So she naturally agreed with her family's idea and said that she would work hard to earn more money in the future and then buy properties in the capital, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong... In short, having real estate in hand meant she wouldn't have to worry.
In any case, there are ready-made reference cases: Kuang Meixing, who was busy with her real estate business and was allowed to fill the gaps, will become a real estate speculation queen with a net worth of hundreds of millions; while Shang Hanyou, who likes to invest but has no luck or vision, is an unlucky guy who keeps failing and keeps trying, and in the end he can only work hard to make up for his losses...
"By the way, Changchang, I asked Miss Li to reserve an internship position for you in Theme's design department. You can go there to learn during your holidays." After dealing with the property issue, Li Sishi started talking to Zhou Huichang about the arrangements she had made for her.
"Really? Thank you, cousin!" Zhou Huichang's eyes lit up.
Even if a student like her is very talented, it's difficult to find a suitable internship opportunity. Large companies are unwilling to teach, and small companies don't have much to teach. Either way, she'll basically be destined to do odd jobs and run errands.
Now that Li Wanzhen, the Crown Princess, is protecting us, we don't need to worry about anything anymore.
"Miss Li really likes your design. I'll study it carefully and look forward to wearing the beautiful clothes you designed for me again," Li Sishi said with a smile.
Zhou Huichang immediately clenched her fist to show her determination: "Don't worry, I definitely will!"
It's a pity I can't make clothes for my cousin to wear in the Miss Chinese International Pageant—the Miss Chinese International Pageant is held every year after New Year's Day and before the Lunar New Year, and the organizer, TBL TV, provides the contestants with all the competition outfits.
"Won't your older cousin still need you when she's filming or attending events? By then, you should have become a great new designer. There's plenty of time!" Li Sishi patted her little cousin's head with a smile.
During the New Year's Day holiday, Lu Yiting gave Li Sishi two days off to go home and celebrate. After successfully completing her final exams at school, Li Sishi began packing her bags to enter the Miss Chinese International Pageant training camp.
Because all the contestants in the Miss Chinese International Pageant are champions of the Miss Chinese International Pageant in their respective regions, meaning they have already gone through the previous rounds of competition, this year's contestants are all experienced contestants. The training camp did not take as long as the Miss Hong Kong training camp, which lasted about ten days. After sufficient pre-competition preparation, the final night arrived immediately.
Strictly speaking, although both Miss Chinese International and Miss Hong Kong are beauty pageants organized by TBL, according to the competition requirements, Miss Chinese International is actually "a step above" Miss Hong Kong and is closer to the rules of international beauty pageants. However,
Although winning the Miss Chinese International Pageant is more difficult than winning the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, the "local" nature of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant gives it a home-field advantage in Hong Kong.
This makes Hong Kong people subconsciously prefer their local events.
However, no matter how openly or covertly they compare, these two beauty pageants are essentially one family, diligently supplying countless beauties of various styles to the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1990s.
This year's Miss Chinese International Pageant finals were also held at the Hong Kong Coliseum, which has many more seats than the Miss Hong Kong Pageant finals held at TVB City Studio 1 in Clear Water Beach. So this year, Li Sishi got a few family tickets from Lu Yiting so that her family could come and watch the event. Last year's Miss Hong Kong Pageant finals were so hyped up that the venue couldn't hold many people, and Li Sishi was just an ordinary contestant at the time, so she definitely didn't get any family tickets.
The Zhou family couldn't get tickets at the time, so they could only watch the show on the wall-mounted TV in the tea restaurant with their neighbors to show their support. Although the atmosphere was quite lively, they still felt a little regretful that they couldn't be there to support them.
Although Li Sishi is still a candidate this time, she also has another identity as a representative of the Hong Kong competition area. "With the home advantage and the halo of support, Li Sishi not only got family tickets for the entire Zhou family, but also got one for her future stepfather Li Jinhao."
That said, Li Jinhao acted swiftly, contacting Li Sishi immediately upon returning to Hong Kong. He feigned concern as an elder, and then, with Li Sishi's cooperation, "tricked" her into...
When Zhou Jiaxian got to her current situation, she went to the night school to be a temporary visiting professor, which almost made the night school principal laugh his head off: such a famous overseas-returned lawyer had come to their school, no matter what the reason was, they had made a huge profit this year!
Having a past relationship and going back and forth, Li Jinhao gradually became acquainted with Zhou Jiaxian and Liang Shao'e, and began to "advance into the inner sanctum" of Zhou Jiayun at the Lucky Tea Restaurant. Zhou Jiayun still held onto the past and never gave Li Jinhao a friendly look until Li Sishi heard that Li Jinhao had specially arranged to meet Zhou Jiayun for a private talk, and only then did Zhou Jiayun reluctantly relent.
Although Zhou Jiayun's attitude towards Li Jinhao was definitely not as warm as it used to be, at least he no longer had a black face whenever he saw Li Jinhao.
When Li Sishi went home for vacation, she tentatively asked her uncle why he finally agreed. Zhou Jiayun then took her out alone and whispered to Li Sishi what Li Jinhao had done when he took her out: After Li Jinhao called him out, he gave him two things.
One is a medical record, and the other is... a will.
The medical records documented Li Jinhao's entire journey from a private psychological treatment and sanatorium to the intensive care unit; while his will clearly stated that Li...
After Jinhao leaves, all his assets will be left to Zhou Jiaxian and her daughter...
“Uncle, it’s not that I’m after his wealth, but I feel he’s also a victim in this story. Although I hate him for betraying my sister, he did pay a heavy price for it.” Zhou Jiayun sighed and looked at Li Sishi. “Of course, the most important thing is that he persevered, and my sister and your mother still have feelings for him…”
"At this age, to put it bluntly, you've lived almost half your life. Dwelling too much on the past will only trap yourself and others. It's better to open your mind and look at this issue from a different perspective." As Zhou Jiayun spoke, he tried to comfort Li Sishi.
Ultimately, if their biological mother were to remarry, the person most affected would not be his younger brother, but rather Li Sishi, their daughter who appears mature but is actually still a minor.
Moreover, Li Jinhao is Sishi's cousin, and Sishi has been calling him "Uncle" all this time. After not coming home for a while, the kind and amiable "Uncle" suddenly turned into her future stepfather "Uncle Lee" when she returned. I wonder if Sishi can handle it...
"It's fine. If Mommy is happy with him, I won't mind." Li Sishi sighed as well. "After all, even if he's not the best, he can't be worse than the one who gave birth to me..."
Li Sishi's comparison of these people hurt Zhou Jiayun, who choked for a moment before sighing inwardly: "Yes, even if she's worse, she can't be as bad as Li Jinhuai, that scoundrel who first stole his brother's girlfriend and then abandoned his wife and children. Besides, Li Jinhao didn't intentionally betray his sister back then; he was framed. If they rekindle their relationship now, Sishi might be able to receive the missing fatherly love she needs at the tail end of her childhood..."
Since Li Jinhao dared to leave his entire fortune to the mother and daughter, can't that be considered true love?
Their family was poor but ambitious. They didn't covet the wealth of the Li family, but at least Li Jinhao had to show his determination and attitude this time. Otherwise, if the wicked old lady broke up the couple again... Regardless of what his sister and niece were thinking, he would be the first to fight Li Jinhao to the death!
After gaining Zhou Jiayun's "approval" and Li Sishi's "understanding," Li Jinhao finally overcame the two seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the Zhou family, and his relationship with Zhou Jiaxian grew stronger day by day.
Li Jinhao accompanied Zhou Jiayun on this trip to Shanghai. Zhou Jiayun was busy managing her tea restaurant and couldn't leave, while Li Jinhao, being a lawyer, was more familiar with contract signing than the two women, so he took the time to accompany them.
Her popularity within the Zhou family soared once again.
So, although they haven't signed any marriage certificate yet, the Zhou family treats Li Jinhao as one of their own and brought him to the Miss Chinese International Pageant finals to watch the competition.
However, seeing Li Jinhao habitually dressed in a suit and tie, sitting in his seat looking like a successful social bigwig, the Zhou family felt embarrassed to let him raise a small pink flag to show his support for Li Sishi...
The contrast between the black suit and the little pink flag is too stark; it's hard to accept for those with a 90s mindset...
With his hands empty, Li Jinhao first looked at the small pink flags around him, then at the large pink flag held high in Zhou Huiguang's hand. He felt a little unhappy, but on the surface he still managed to maintain a smile: It's okay, he can wait, sooner or later he will be able to wait until the Zhou family fully accepts him.
The Miss Chinese International Pageant offers more time and opportunities for contestants to showcase their talents compared to the Miss Hong Kong Pageant. It also features more traditional elements, ranging from ethereal period drama costumes to elegant Qing Dynasty costumes. Li Sishi lived up to expectations and pulled off every look perfectly. The judges and audiences praised contestant number 13, Li Sishi, as a promising talent for period dramas, capable of portraying both ancient and modern characters, and expressing both joy and sorrow. Given time, she is sure to become another beautiful legend on the silver screen.
The stage where the bikini swimsuits showcased her figure was the most crucial Q&A segment for scoring points. Li Sishi had previously answered the questions in ancient costume very well, vividly demonstrating the literary knowledge of a top-ranking scholar.
In contrast, many of the Chinese contestants, who still spoke with heavy foreign accents, were even less able to answer questions about traditional Chinese culture. Simply understanding the question and giving a clear answer was enough to earn them a lot of encouraging applause…
As for the period costumes, Miss Chinese International doesn't require a certain percentage of mixed race like Miss Hong Kong, so many contestants do have the appearance of foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes. They look alright in those frontier-style ethnic costumes, but unfortunately, once they change into period costumes of various dynasties, it's like a series of train wrecks.
Such a comparison not only prompts judgment, but also makes the audience sigh.
Beauty pageants are known for their overly elaborate styling, and the top three winners of Miss Chinese International, like Miss Hong Kong, receive substantial support from TVB. If their styling restricts their roles in period dramas, their acting opportunities are reduced by almost half.
While sighing, they also marveled at Li Sishi's formidable strength as their district representative. Aside from being slightly underage, she was superior in every other aspect, outperforming her opponent.
As the first Miss Chinese International winner and also the Miss Hong Kong winner in 1988, Yin Jiali was even more outstanding. Yin Jiali also had a mixed-race appearance, so she was almost unbeatable in modern fashion, but unfortunately lost some of the ancient charm in period costumes, which led to her subsequent film and television career not being very smooth.
Later, Yin Jiali simply gave up her career in the entertainment industry and focused all her energy on marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a socialite. While people felt sorry for her, they were also glad that she made a decisive choice and didn't just occupy a position without doing any work.
Tonight, will Lee Sze-sze, who has also broken the unspoken rules of the Miss Hong Kong pageant, follow in the footsteps of her predecessor, who was hailed as stunningly beautiful, and become another double champion of Miss Hong Kong and Miss Chinese International?
Many people had already figured out the answers to their doubts and speculations when Li Sishi finally appeared in a stunning velvet cheongsam: her performance in the Q&A session and on stage was outstanding. If she couldn't be crowned, they would really think there was something fishy going on with this year's Miss Chinese International Pageant!
Clearly, in the face of absolute power, those rules, whether meaningful or meaningless, can be trampled upon once again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the 1994 Miss Chinese International Pageant is—"
“Ladiesalemen, Webringyou, MisseseIional1994thewinner——
"This one has already won two awards—that's right, it's Ms. Li Sishi, the representative from Gangcheng, number 13!"
Last year's champion, Gong Likui, was already prepared on the side. Upon hearing the announcement of the champion's name, she immediately smiled and added another sash, marked with the title of Miss Chinese International, to Li Sishi's two award sashes for "Miss Photogenic" and "Most Classical Beauty".
Then came the Miss Chinese International crown and cape, followed by a large bouquet of flowers and a warm hug full of blessings.
Thus, the handover between the previous champion and the new champion was successfully completed at this moment.
After six years, the Hong Kong contestant has finally won the Miss Chinese International Pageant title once again!
The audience cheered, and another camera turned to film the situation of Li Sishi's family. They were all crying tears of joy.
As for the rumored stepfather of Li Sishi, he completely lacked the image of a high-level lawyer that he usually projected in candid photos. Instead, he acted like a silly father whose daughter had won an award, snatching the pink flag from Zhou Huiguang's hand and waving it around quite flamboyantly...
Even the sharp eyes of the gossip media couldn't spot any trace of Li Jinhao's acting, so he must have genuinely been moved to tears by Li Sishi's award—he didn't even seem as excited as her own father!
Li Sishi and her daughter, along with the Zhou family, have really hit the jackpot this time. They've managed to get involved with another member of the Li family, and their social standing has risen once again!
I wonder what those gossip media outlets were thinking at that moment. As they walked around the field as is customary for champions, Li Sishi also looked past a lot of different gazes and focused her attention on where her family members were.
That splash of pink, waved so wildly, and those little pink flags swaying gently, will eventually become the most vibrant color in her memory.
Because she was standing on the stage of her career, receiving blessings from her family.
How fortunate, how touching.
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