Chapter 77: The Beauty Pageant Legend
The crowning of the new Miss Hong Kong has undoubtedly brought joy to some and sorrow to others.
However, not many people are worried. After all, in the past year, anyone who wanted to use the current Miss Hong Kong title to climb the social ladder has done all the necessary efforts. People like Yu Xiaobao, who wanted to enter the circle of socialites and wealthy wives, or who intended to use it to expand their business connections, have already laid the foundation. Now, they don't need that one more title.
As for those who simply couldn't climb the ladder, once a new generation came out, their obligations and preferential treatment had ended. After losing the opportunity to sign with a film and television company and enter the entertainment industry, whether they honestly gave up or were unwilling to accept it, they eventually returned to their previous work and life.
This kind of example, where a year of dazzling glamour eventually leads to a return to ordinariness, is actually a true reflection of many Miss Hong Kong contestants.
Relatively speaking, the group that fared best after the Miss Hong Kong pageant, aside from those who successfully entered the socialite and wealthy wives' circle, included up-and-coming film and television actresses like Li Sishi, Wan Jiamei, and Huo Chuying, who were able to sign contracts and enter the entertainment industry.
The night after the final, before going to sleep, Li Sishi looked at the photo of her championship record and silently breathed a long sigh of relief: she could finally put aside her year-long charity work obligations and begin to devote herself wholeheartedly to her career as an artist, filming and recording songs.
Although an artist's career is busier and more tiring than doing charity work, the sense of accomplishment from seeing one's hard-earned work praised and loved is an extremely joyful and delightful experience.
Even those relatively down-to-earth charity events can give her a sense of satisfaction in helping people; but most of the time, she still dresses up to attend charity banquets. In such occasions, it's not a matter of whether you want to compete or not, but rather that those socialites and wealthy women who like to compete will always drag you into a contest of dresses and jewelry.
In her past life, Li Sishi was a typical shallow and short-sighted socialite, used to openly and secretly competing with other socialites and wealthy women of the same social class. In this life, she is given a second chance and calmly wears gold and silver jewelry sponsored by Happiness Jewelry and the Miss Hong Kong crown, becoming a suitable vase to be used as a topic of conversation amidst the glittering jewels.
Since she doesn't plan to re-enter this circle, she won't get angry about those people's open criticisms and veiled praises anymore: those socialites and wealthy women saying a few words behind her back won't hurt her, and after they finish, they'll immediately have new topics to discuss and continue their open and covert struggles. So why waste her time and energy on irrelevant people?
This mindset actually saved her a lot of time, which she could use to study and improve herself.
certainly
Such peaceful days were quickly shattered after Madam Li's family reunion—because after discovering that her granddaughter was being talked about by those socialites and wealthy women, Madam Li immediately went all out and gave her a whole set of diamond jewelry for her 18th birthday coming-of-age ceremony. She even secretly told Li Sishi that she could take any jewelry from her collection cabinet and wear it...
It's not that I don't want to give it to her directly, but that would be too much of a "praise" and would be detrimental to Li Sishi at her age.
But "borrowing"
It's different: young people in this circle definitely don't collect as much as their elders. If their maternal family isn't supportive or they're Cinderellas who married into a wealthy family, they can only rely on their elders' "sponsorship".
Therefore, it is quite reasonable for younger people to wear jewelry worn by their elders. Even the Queen's descendants have records of borrowing the Queen's jewelry. Socialites and wealthy women naturally appreciate this kind of "favor from elders".
Because of this relationship, Li Sishi didn't need to run around seeking jewelry sponsorships or rent jewelry like previous Miss Hong Kong winners when she was in the finals. Instead, the well-prepared Mrs. Li sent her several sets of jewelry in different colors, so that each look could be matched with a complete set of jewelry, and there were even extras to spare.
Such extravagant displays of wealth could not escape the notice of the sharp-eyed and outspoken Hong Kong media. Sure enough, the next day's newspapers and magazines had some keen-eyed readers who noticed that the jewelry Li Sishi wore with her outfits was not just for show, but genuine and valuable collectibles.
Knowing that this must be the work of Madam Li, who dotes on her "cheap granddaughter," these newspapers and magazines, which are very good at snobbish, praised Li Sishi for becoming more and more beautiful and elegant, and gave her a lot of coverage. This was a world of difference from the treatment she received in the past, when the new top three were announced and the old top three were ignored.
While practicing her singing, Li Sishi looked at the newspaper clippings that Zuo Lili had collected for her. She couldn't help but sigh: Hong Kong people's enthusiasm for gossip about the wealthy is no less than that for entertainment news. Now that she has been dubbed a "princess of a wealthy family" and a rising star, her exposure in the future is expected to be quite interesting.
Perfect timing! This will generate a lot of buzz for the upcoming TV series, heighten audience anticipation, and make it a hit even before it airs.
She was also able to take advantage of this period of increased exposure to keep a low profile and stay in the small apartment provided by Zhuang Menghua, continuing to work hard to enhance her understanding and fit of the role.
This is her first leading role, so she absolutely cannot afford to fail!
After thinking this way, Li Sishi stayed at home for several days, and then suddenly...
She received a notification from Lu Yiting, asking her to go to the TV station.
"What exactly happened, Sister Ting?" Li Sishi asked, somewhat puzzled, as she sat in the van.
“Logically speaking, you should be joining a film crew soon, so we shouldn’t have pulled you here… But this opportunity is rare. If you can seize it and are lucky enough to win a prize, then no one will ever surpass you in the title of ‘Miss Hong Kong’.” Lu Yiting explained, “Zhang Chu’er has probably been experiencing emotional ups and downs these past few days, and the sudden end of the training camp has put her under a lot of stress, so she suddenly fell ill.”
"As a result, this year's Miss Universe pageant will need to find another representative from the port city region."
According to the rules, either the next lower-ranked contestant is chosen, or a contestant from a previous competition who did not participate is selected to fill the vacancy.
This year's runner-up, Lin Limin, is of mixed race and has a beautiful appearance, but her performance in the finals was the worst among the top five. However, TBL intends to let her, with her good English and mixed-race features, participate in the Miss World pageant. She is basically guaranteed to advance and become the runner-up. For a while, the club will definitely not be able to send her to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
As for the third-place winner, Lü Yutong, she only managed to secure third place by going all out and using her quick wit in the finals. However, such a sweet and youthful face would be a death sentence for an international beauty pageant, so she definitely cannot be chosen as a substitute.
And then... the Miss Universe pageant, which requires the strongest overall contestants from each region to participate, uses contestants who didn't even make the top three as replacements, which is really frustrating: although this arrangement has been made in the past when the champion couldn't participate in subsequent competitions.
But this time is different. This time they also have a former champion who has just come of age – she is considered one of the most outstanding champions among all the Miss Hong Kong winners!
The most coincident thing is that Lee Sze-sze's nominee is Chang Po-ning, who had the best record in international beauty pageants in the Miss Hong Kong pageant. Chang Po-ning was able to participate in Miss World and then Miss Universe because the time of the two Miss Hong Kong pageants was changed at the last minute, which meant that Chang Po-ning could only participate in Miss World the year she was elected, and then she was able to participate in Miss Universe the following year.
The reason Li Sishi didn't participate in Miss Universe last year wasn't due to scheduling issues, but rather because she was underage and didn't meet the Miss Universe's participation requirements. As a result, the champion and runner-up switched places in subsequent events. The champion became the Miss World runner-up, while the runner-up had her past controversies exposed and was subsequently asked to withdraw by the Miss Universe organizers.
Ever since news broke that Cheung Cho was likely unable to participate in the Miss Universe pageant due to illness, many Hong Kong residents who were furious last year have suggested that Lee Sze-sze fill in for this year's Miss Universe Hong Kong division.
He longed to redeem himself at the table's location, hoping to avenge his previous humiliation.
The TV station also took this into consideration, so after consulting Zhuang Menghua, they contacted Lu Yiting and asked her to bring Li Sishi over to inquire whether she was interested in representing the Gangcheng region in this year's Miss Universe pageant.
“If Miss Zhuang has no problem, then of course I have no problem either. It is our responsibility as young people to bring glory to Hong Kong,” Li Sishi replied earnestly.
Having received Li Sishi's confirmation and coordinated the schedule for "Mr. Morning" with Zhuang Menghua, Li Sishi hurriedly boarded a plane to the Philippines with her suitcase one morning two days later.
This year's Miss Universe pageant was held in Luzon City, the capital of the Philippines, a country that loves beauty pageants. As the world's largest beauty pageant, Miss Universe Li Sisi and the other contestants received an extremely warm welcome.
Although the treatment here is good, Li Sishi is not relaxed at all: because this year marks the beginning of India's move towards becoming a "beauty pageant specialist".
That year, India achieved a double victory in the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants, the two largest beauty pageants, winning its first Miss Universe title and its second Miss World title. From then on, it made a full-fledged breakthrough, catching up with the former "beauty pageant specialist" Orchid Country, and becoming one of the two "beauty pageant specialists" in the future, on par with Orchid Country.
Compared to the Indian beauty queen who was sent to compete in the Miss World pageant, this Miss India winner, Suslik, who was sent to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, was considered a dark horse in her country. However, in Li Sishi's memory, this Miss India winner, Suslik, was an excellent beauty pageant candidate in terms of both appearance and inner qualities, and her performance on the spot was superb.
The most terrifying thing is that Suslik is not like those mass-produced beauties from the Orchid Country who are specially trained from a young age to participate in beauty pageants. Instead, she is an Indian girl who is not loved by her parents because of her gender and has had a difficult childhood. To give you an example, as the child of a wealthy family in India, she did not have the opportunity to learn English until she was 16 years old.
Then, in just two years, she was able to speak fluent English and, with flawless answers in the Q&A session, defeated Ashia, India's number one beauty, who had been working in the modeling industry for more than three years.
It's worth noting that when the most beautiful woman in India decided to participate in the Miss India pageant, she directly "dissuaded" more than a dozen girls who thought they couldn't compare to her and had to sadly put down their application forms.
This terrifying talent, coupled with Susilica's voluptuous and striking appearance that perfectly embodies "international aesthetics," made Li Sishi, who already had little hope of winning the championship, decisively set her sights on the spot.
They've taken a step forward and are now determined to secure third place and strive for second.
Her stable performance under pressure was only possible because she benefited from her rebirth. Facing such a gifted opponent was like a diligent student encountering a born genius. Add to that the unspoken rule that Chinese faces are less likely to gain Western acceptance, and her ability to advance further than during her Miss World appearance was largely due to the "maturity" gained from being a year older.
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Of course, her previous experience as the third runner-up in the Miss World pageant also laid the groundwork for her success: it's impossible for two beauty pageants with similar positioning not to have some kind of behind-the-scenes competition. Miss World acknowledged 17-year-old MayLee as the third runner-up, while Miss Universe did not acknowledge the beauty of 18-year-old MayLee... So after the results are announced, there will probably be articles soon hinting at something to the world.
The East is rising, and its power should not be underestimated.
If those prejudices and stubbornness persist, it will be uncertain who will be the "fairest, most just, and most transparent world's premier beauty pageant" in the future.
Nevertheless, Li Sishi knew that those pointless unspoken rules would be difficult to break in the short term, so she set her sights on the top three besides the champion: firstly, to give Hong Kong an explanation, and secondly, these international beauty pageants, like the Miss Hong Kong pageant, have very heavy follow-up tasks for the champion in the coming year.
She has already been "delayed for a year. If she is delayed for another year, even if she is still quite young, in the golden age of Hong Kong films and TV dramas, she will lose another year of opportunity."
It would be better to do what Ah Liang Yan Yingyi said on a variety show: she would rather be the runner-up or third place than the champion. That way, there would be fewer follow-up obligations, and she could enter the entertainment industry to film movies as quickly as possible.
Once you've set a goal, the next step is to work hard towards it.
After the swimsuit and evening gown segments, which are part of the overall competition, we arrived at the ethnic costume segment, which best showcases individual characteristics and strengths.
Knowing that even a year older wouldn't allow her to compare with the voluptuous and glamorous Western beauties, Li Sishi decided to take a different approach this time, focusing on her "ethereal" qualities to stand out from the crowd.
Therefore, her ethnic costume this time was inspired by the moon goddess in ancient Chinese legends and the fairies in Western mythology. She used a pure white long shirt and skirt as the base, and paired it with light-colored, dreamlike tulle. The blue, purple, yellow and green colors reflected like light were spread on the pure white background, and the feeling of being ethereal arose spontaneously.
Modern aesthetics haven't strayed into the bizarre direction of later generations; people can appreciate both the alluring beauty of a voluptuous and mature woman, and the ethereal and refined elegance of a woman.
Elf.
"Hello, do you have any spare earrings... could I borrow them for a moment?" A voice suddenly came from the side while I was tidying up my ethnic costume.
Li Sishi subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the person who asked her to borrow the earring was none other than Suslica, her most formidable rival in this year's class.
Seeing Li Sishi turn to look at Susilika, she added somewhat apologetically, "Everyone else said they didn't have any extra earrings to lend me, but I saw you were wearing a lot of jewelry, so I thought..."
It's a bit ridiculous that her biological mother is a jewelry designer, yet she, as her daughter, has to borrow someone else's earrings.
Suslinka lowered her head even further: on stage she was an absolute queen, but in life she was a pitiful person who dared not trouble others.
It was only after seeing that Li Sishi, the representative from the port city division, was the same age as her, and that she usually acted generously and could even handle her own competition attire, that she mustered up the courage to ask her for earrings after running into walls everywhere.
Seeing the dress made from curtains and the gloves made from socks, Li Sishi felt even more understanding for the Indian girl's miserable treatment. She took a pair of gold earrings with a Dunhuang-style design from her own suitcase and handed them to her: "Take these. I wish you the results you want."
Since she has no desire or hope of winning the championship anyway, we might as well do a good deed and help this girl who has broken free from the shackles of cruel national conditions.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Susrina gratefully accepted the earring and carefully put it on her ears.
I wish you the best of luck in achieving the results you desire!
After the two finished preparing their ethnic costumes, it was soon time for the ethnic costume competition.
The two girls had similar numbers and appeared one after the other. So, after Susilika, who was wearing a gorgeous and colorful ethnic costume, came Li Sishi, who was wearing a seemingly fresh and elegant costume but actually had many thoughtful design details.
After countless displays of highly saturated and extremely vibrant ethnic costumes, the sudden appearance of such a refreshing image, like a clear spring in the mountains or the play of light and shadow in a dense forest, immediately caught the eye of many.
Together with the aforementioned Indian beauty who embodied captivating allure to the extreme, this Hong Kong beauty, who possesses both refined elegance and understated charm, inevitably evokes comparisons to those legendary beauties—
One is a voluptuous and alluring earth goddess, the other is a dreamlike forest fairy.
This performance featured two women with completely different temperaments, yet both were beautiful.
The sight of these stunning beauties, each with their own unique charm, on the same stage has become an unforgettable and classic image in the hearts of beauty pageant enthusiasts ever since.
These two 18-year-old Miss Universe contestants delivered outstanding responses to contemporary women's issues during the Q&A session, particularly their statements: "Being a woman is a gift from heaven, and we should all cherish it," "Women show humanity what care, sharing, and love are, and lead by example," and "I am proud to be a woman and to be a woman."
These golden quotes praising women's qualities and acknowledging their beauty have become favorite sayings and mottos for many women who left their mark on the times.
With their beauty and intelligence shining through, these two distinct kinds of beauty intertwine to create the dazzling brilliance of this beauty pageant, making it impossible for anyone to treat them unfairly based on their background, age, race, or other factors.
Finally, at the moment after the top three finalists were announced, Susilika turned around and hugged and kissed Li Sishi, the Miss Universe runner-up who was smiling and congratulating her on her victory, after she was crowned with the laurel wreath by the previous Miss Universe winner. This beautiful scene moved countless people to tears.
It is a pursuit and yearning for beauty, and also the ultimate interpretation of the saying "friendship first, competition second". When later generations look back on the friendship story between the legendary actress Li Sishi and the legendary beauty Sushilika, they can always sigh with such emotion.
Beautiful legends will not be forgotten by time, and those beauties who once amazed and moved the world will live on forever in the memory of time.
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