Chapter 85: The Extension of Love
Li Sishi spent most of this summer filming the TV series "Mr. Morning".
Although Hong Kong has always been known for its incredibly fast filming speed since the movie era, this time they were filming a TV series with dozens of episodes, making the task relatively heavy. It can be considered a success that they were able to finish filming in just over a month, even with their best efforts.
As filming neared its end, during the shooting of the final "big scenes" of the main storyline, a group of main and supporting actors, along with student extras from Zeng Dingbao Su's original school and a large number of crew members, transformed the somewhat dated school into a lively atmosphere rarely seen during holidays.
"It really does feel like a graduation ceremony," Li Sishi murmured, looking at the vibrant and lively scene.
As she spoke, she waved to Principal Jia and the school's faculty and staff standing on the other side, and immediately received a response from Principal Jia and the faculty and staff: "It's no trouble at all. After the series airs, maybe more students will come to study at Zeng Dingbaosu. It's a win-win situation!"
Li Sishi, a super high-achieving student who went to a prestigious secondary school and then got into a good university, still remembers her Band 3 secondary school after leaving and tries to help it out whenever she has the chance. She is definitely a good kid who doesn't forget her roots even after becoming successful.
Li Sishi smiled and said a few modest words to them, then took the prop bouquet from the crew members and hurriedly returned to her position to prepare for filming.
The summer heat in Hong Kong is usually about enjoying iced watermelon, iced lemon tea, and watching all sorts of gossip in the entertainment industry. However, if you happen to come across some even more sensational gossip about the wealthy and powerful, then Hong Kong people don't mind shifting their attention slightly and focusing on this kind of gossip that seems unrelated to them but is actually closely related to them.
Zhou Jiaxian has no connection with either the entertainment industry or wealthy families, but she happens to have a daughter known as the "most outspoken Miss Hong Kong" and a future husband who is a hidden super-rich man. Coupled with previous gossip such as "the battle between a wealthy old lady and a second-hand Cinderella", Zhou Jiaxian's second marriage to a wealthy family is going to be more luxurious, grand and attention-grabbing than many wealthy scions who are not valued in their families.
Li Sishi, the only daughter, naturally couldn't stand idly by when it came to her biological mother's major life event. Therefore, she had asked Zhuang Menghua and Lu Yiting for at least three days off long before the wedding date was set. Zhuang Menghua would definitely have to give face to the Li family.
Although Li Sishi has already started taking on acting roles and filming, her few days off...
It's not impossible to squeeze out a filming period if you really want to; and, to be fair, the filming of "Mr. Morning" has been going smoothly thanks to the outstanding performances of the lead actors.
As Zhou Jiaxian and Li Jinhao's wedding date approached, the large-scale outdoor scenes were all filmed, leaving only some smaller indoor scenes. At this point, Lu Yiting came over and discussed adjusting the filming schedule with Producer Xu. Not only did the news of Li Sishi acting like a diva and asking for a vacation not appear, but the entire crew was quite supportive of her vacation. Of course, Li Sishi sending wedding invitations to everyone in the crew was also one of the reasons for gaining the crew's support.
It's a lavish wedding banquet!
Although, based on personal connections, the members of their film crew might not be able to sit at the same table with those celebrities and tycoons they could only see in newspapers and magazines, being able to have a meal at the most famous and luxurious hotel in Hong Kong without having to pay a gift is a good thing that they might not even dream of.
They all originally thought that Li Sishi might only invite the main actors, producers, and directors, and wouldn't invite the staff like them!
Unexpectedly, Li Sishi handed out a stack of wedding invitations, from the producer and director to the main and supporting actors, leaving no one out. She even gave the tea lady a bright red invitation with gold lettering. Moreover, her attitude was exceptionally gentle and generous, without any of the haughty or disdainful manner often associated with big stars or rich heiresses...
Some even felt uncomfortable in such "high-end places"
So Li Sishi gave special advice to those who wanted to decline, saying that the wedding banquet also invited many old neighbors from Liaojie—so that everyone's social class was similar, communication would be easier, and they wouldn't feel uncomfortable because of a lack of familiarity.
Of course, Li Sishi also made a very serious guarantee that the reason for holding the banquet in several separate banquet halls was not in principle to distinguish between different levels or tiers. It was purely because of the differences in interpersonal relationships and values that the seating arrangements were made separately. The dishes and hospitality were all the same and would not vary from person to person.
"We all understand! Don't worry, we understand!" Everyone expressed their understanding: Apart from some people who want to climb the social ladder by currying favor with the powerful, ordinary people go to banquets for the joy and happiness. They wouldn't really want to sit at the same table as those arrogant rich people!
When reporters arrived to interview, they overheard the entire crew praising Li Sishi. They couldn't help but admire how favored Li Sishi was – both the television station and the Li family were clearly very fond of her. The fact that Li Sishi and Zhou Jiaxian invited these old neighbors and crew members to their wedding banquet showed how much they liked them, extending that affection to their families.
They were guests from the lower middle class.
After these reporters also received the bright red and gold-embossed wedding invitations from Li Sishi, their already somewhat biased hearts completely swayed towards Li Sishi. They were now planning to go back and write a lengthy article about a real-life fairy tale, a wedding of the century...
When articles like these come out, Hong Kong people who are just watching the drama unfold can't help but sigh: it's easy for one person to achieve success and for their entire family to benefit, but it's rare to see someone like Li Sishi and the Zhou family who, despite their wealth, don't forget their roots and treat everyone equally. Being their neighbor and friend is truly a stroke of luck.
In this city-wide frenzy of gossip, there have been some trivial disputes and jokes—no matter how popular someone is, there will always be a few haters or gossip tabloids that deliberately go against the public opinion to grab attention.
The Li family and others don't even need to lift a finger to deal with these trolls and tabloids that try to grab attention; they've already been driven back by the public's disdain and contempt.
On the contrary, the jokes unintentionally made by people whose information is outdated due to excessive delays are more popular: for example, a reporter who went to interview the film crew wrote a picture for the article, in which Li Sishi was handing out a large stack of wedding invitations, and next to her was a temporary laborer who was helping to carry the invitations in the early morning...
Whether it was intentional on the part of the reporter or just a coincidence, all three male leads in the drama had helped Li Sishi and worked as temporary laborers carrying wedding invitations. Yet, they were only given one photo – the one of them helping out in the early morning. So, some people who skim through the news thought they had read it all and exclaimed in surprise: "What?! Ah May and Leo are getting married?! When did this happen?! Wow, they're having hundreds of tables?!"
In the Cantonese-speaking region, a banquet table is colloquially referred to as "one table". Generally speaking, ordinary people would only have a dozen or so tables, while those who are wealthy and value their weddings would have dozens or even a hundred tables. Therefore, seeing the words "hundreds of tables" at first glance is quite astonishing.
When the people around explained, half-laughing and half-crying, that it wasn't Li Sishi getting married, but rather Li Sishi's biological mother, Zhou Jiaxian, remarrying, this person, probably a CP (couple pairing) fan, still refused to believe it: "What? If it's not their wedding, then why are they sending out wedding invitations?! I don't believe it!"
"While it's true that in reality, it's more common for parents to help their children deliver wedding invitations, this report says it's like a fairy tale in real life—so what if Ah May helps her mother deliver wedding invitations?" Although many people agree that the two have the makings of a new generation's golden couple.
But when faced with the facts, it's impossible to force the narrative that "Leo was simply helping to move things."
"Just doing temporary manual labor."
"It doesn't matter, maybe they'll send it themselves next time." Although the facts are right in front of them, CP fans have always been good at using their imaginations to create sweet moments.
Such a funny little episode passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for another "wedding of the century" to be featured in the media.
Since it was called the wedding of the century, the quality and number of guests were naturally astonishing. According to the arrangement, Li Sishi was mainly responsible for entertaining guests from the film and television industry in the banquet hall, while Madam Li, along with Zhou Jiaxian and Li Jinhao, were mainly responsible for the banquet hall for the wealthy circle. The four members of the Zhou family were mainly responsible for the banquet hall for the old neighbors.
However, although it is said to be the main reception, everyone actually has to run back and forth between different halls, only the length of time spent there varies.
The busiest person was undoubtedly Li Sishi, who was both young and of low seniority. In the main hall of the mansion, she thanked a group of celebrities and dignitaries for their presence and was introduced to their circle of friends by the old lady. Then, she went with Zhou Jiaxian and Li Jinhao to thank the various celebrities for their glamorous attendance. Finally, she had to go with her uncle and aunt to thank the old neighbors for their kind presence...
Wearing a gown and high heels, she ran through several banquet halls. Fortunately, she had been tested by these banquet occasions countless times when she was fulfilling her duties as Miss Hong Kong last year, so she was experienced and walked swiftly without any panic.
I was so exhausted after just one night.
But no matter what, seeing everyone's happy smiles in the group photo, Li Sishi was exhausted.
And you can still drift off to sweet dreams with a contented smile.
On the eve of the end of this busy and fulfilling holiday, Li Sishi sat on the balcony, enjoying the night breeze and looking at the scenery surrounding the Li family mansion located on the mountaintop. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.
Under the cover of night, the dark green woods nearby and the lights in the distance, which seemed to never stop, merged to create a hazy night for a city and an era.
She was fortunate to witness this fleeting yet eternally beautiful scene once again.
"Why are you still up so late? Aren't you supposed to be working tomorrow?" Li Jinhao's gentle voice came from behind.
Li Sishi turned to look at him and suddenly said, "I was just... thinking about some things."
"What are you thinking about? Can you tell Dad?" Li Jinhao pulled up a chair and sat down. In the dim moonlight, he looked like a father looking at a child who was going through a period of confusion in life—gentle and loving.
She couldn't help but burst into tears.
“I feel so happy these past few days. I have a new family, and they all love me so much… That self-address as ‘father’ reminded her of the other half of the blood flowing through her body.”
With deception, cruelty, selfishness, and malice—perhaps it was this deep-seated genetic inheritance that made her so shallow and foolish in her past life?
She was proud to have Li Jinhao as her father, but she also felt sorry for her parents, who were as wonderful as the protagonists of a fairy tale, because of the other half of her blood.
Because... she is the part of "reality" in this "realistic fairy tale".
Having probably understood what Li Sishi meant, Li Jinhao held her hand, gently shook his head, and then looked seriously into her eyes and said, "You don't need to worry about these things."
"In this world, children are the continuation of their parents' love, but not all children can receive this continuation of love."
Even blood relatives don't necessarily share the same love that truly belongs to "family." My love for you doesn't come from blood ties, but rather from an extension of my love for your mother...
"From the initial love, it has evolved into the feeling that you are 'my child' now. This is a profound feeling that has changed and settled over time."
"Although I really wish you were truly 'my child,' when things don't go as planned but happen in a roundabout way, my love for you is absolutely no less than that of so-called blood relatives—because I love you as my 'family,' not as my 'relative.'"
Seeing Li Sishi nod and respond with tears welling up in her eyes, Li Jinhao felt much less tense and worried, and a smile appeared on his face.
He gently stroked Li Sishi's head, looking at the child who carried the bloodline of his loved ones. The overflowing warmth and love in his heart made his voice tremble slightly as he spoke: "So, no matter what happens in the future, you don't need to be afraid anymore, because Daddy and Mommy will always be behind you, watching over you and supporting you..."
"It's getting late, go to bed early, my sweet girl."
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