9 Interviews
Gu Tingshen woke up very early, and Ye Zhenzhen in his arms had a lovely blush on her face from sleeping. He carefully moved back, pulled his arm away, and Ye Zhenzhen snuggled towards him. He stiffened for a moment, then moved his waist and abdomen back, carefully got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up. Soon, the sound of water came from the bathroom, and it took a long time to stop.
When Ye Zhenzhen woke up, she first squinted at the other side of the bed, where she saw signs of someone having slept, but Gu Tingshen was nowhere to be seen. She then checked her pajamas; they were fine, a little wrinkled, but still fit her perfectly. She breathed a sigh of relief and mentally stamped Gu Tingshen's reputation as a true gentleman.
She thought she wouldn't be used to the new bed, but surprisingly, she slept quite well. She vaguely remembered having a dream where she was in a desolate wasteland, shivering in the howling north wind. Then a big dog came to her side, and she nestled into its warm, fluffy belly and fell asleep happily.
She got out of bed, walked to the French windows, drew back the curtains, and stretched. Outside, the sky was bright, and the trees and flowers in the garden were bathed in the morning sunlight, which lifted her spirits.
She worked out in the gym downstairs for a while, and then the father and son came back from their run outside.
After the three of them had finished washing up and changing their clothes, they went downstairs to have breakfast.
"Mom, do I not have to go to school today?" Gu Sinan asked, taking a sip of milk.
"Yes, I already asked for leave for you yesterday. Someone will be coming to record an interview for us this morning, and you're leaving for your trip tomorrow!" Ye Zhenzhen pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth and answered with a smile.
"Are we going to the beach?" Gu Sinan asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Yes, we're going to the beach in H City. It'll be a few days, so after we finish eating, we need to pack our suitcases and get everything we need." Ye Zhenzhen gave him a definite answer. "Shall we eat first? We still have a mission after we eat."
"Yes!" the child nodded emphatically. "I can fold clothes, and I'll help Mom pack her luggage!"
"Where's Uncle Li? I haven't seen him." Ye Zhenzhen asked Gu Tingshen as he began to concentrate on eating.
Uncle Li usually gets up very early to prepare breakfast for the whole family, and sometimes he eats with them. But this morning he didn't show up, and Ye Zhenzhen was a little worried.
"He finished eating and went back to his room first." Gu Tingshen saw Uncle Li as soon as he got up in the morning.
The old man smiled kindly at him as he came out of his room, teasing him for not spending more time with Ye Zhenzhen. Without waiting for a reply, he leisurely returned to his own room.
Once Ye Zhenzhen learned that the old man was alright, she continued eating with peace of mind.
Jiang Wei has recently been riding high. As soon as the news spread that Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Tingshen were participating in "Travel", investors rushed to become the title sponsors.
Not to mention Ye Zhenzhen, who is constantly trending on social media, there's also Gu Tingshen, the heir to one of China's top wealthy families. Both of them are good-looking and generate buzz. With just the two of them, it would be unscientific if the show's ratings didn't explode!
Apple Media also increased its budget, and many of his ideas were put into practice, making him extremely successful.
Today, he personally brought a film crew to Mantingfang to record an interview with the family of three and to take additional photos.
As soon as they entered the villa area, the young people in the car were all amazed.
"Boss, is this the center of City A? This land is practically free."
"Wow, this is practically a manor! We've been walking for so long and we still haven't seen the main villa."
"I thought that Ms. Wang Liqing's courtyard house and Mr. Zhou Haitao's downtown apartment were already luxurious enough, but compared to this, they are nothing!"
Jiang Wei ignored their fuss and only reminded them, "When we get to the villa, be careful, gather as much footage as possible, and scout out the camera positions beforehand..."
Upon arriving at the villa, the group was immediately taken aback by the butler standing at the entrance, wearing white gloves and a sharp tuxedo. A black butler indeed! So impressive!
"Welcome to the Gu residence. Young Master and Madam are on the second floor. Please follow me." Uncle Li bowed slightly and led them upstairs. His white hair was perfectly styled, and his demeanor was just like that of a noble butler in a movie.
They carefully carried the camera and followed them up the stairs.
Ye Zhenzhen looked up and saw Uncle Li, and said with a wry smile, "Why are you wearing these clothes?"
Uncle Li winked at her, indicating that there were guests present.
Ye Zhenzhen shook her head with a chuckle, "Why don't you go check on Nannan? He's packing his own luggage."
The production crew, carrying cameras, followed Ye Zhenzhen into the master bedroom. There, on the floor of the walk-in closet, were two large, open suitcases. Gu Tingshen was taking clothes off the shelf, folding them, and putting them into the suitcases.
Several cameramen started filming from multiple angles, and Jiang Wei, with his sharp eyes, noticed that he was also folding women's clothes. The cameramen moved closer to film him tidying up, and saw that he skillfully and neatly categorized and arranged the items in the suitcase. They couldn't help but be surprised that the CEO would do these things by hand.
Another camera crew was following Ye Zhenzhen. She wasn't quite used to the camera yet and said somewhat awkwardly, "Um, I wanted to help, but I stuffed the boxes too messily."
Gu Tingshen glanced at her with a smile, then continued tidying up. The cameraman keenly captured his expression and took a close-up shot.
The man with a powerful aura has sharp facial features, appearing serious and aloof, but when he looks at his little wife, his eyes hold a hint of teasing, and upon closer inspection, a touch of doting affection.
Ye Zhenzhen caught his gaze, blushed slightly, lowered her eyes, and, feeling guilty, went to help him, occasionally handing him clothes or something.
She had little experience with long-distance travel, and when she started packing, she just stuffed whatever came to mind into the suitcase. After filling half the suitcase, she couldn't remember what she had packed. Gu Tingshen naturally took over the task of packing, placing her things on the shelves and starting to organize and arrange them by category.
The cameraman got even more excited to film the interaction between the two.
Jiang Wei skillfully steered the conversation, while Ye Zhenzhen assisted Gu Tingshen. The two chatted with Jiang Wei as they unpacked their luggage.
Afterwards, we went to Gu Sinan's room. The little boy had almost finished packing. Just like his father, his suitcase with a little dinosaur print was neatly organized, with everything arranged in a clear and easy-to-understand manner.
The production crew was pleasantly surprised to see a miniature version of the CEO. One female cameraman was almost melted by the boy's serious expression. The father and son not only looked alike, but their expressions and movements were also so similar. He was practically a miniature version of a domineering CEO. Despite his young age, he wasn't shy at all in front of the camera, and he was very confident and adorable.
"Nannan, you're so great! You packed so quickly!" Ye Zhenzhen looked at the child's suitcase with great surprise.
Gu Sinan glanced at the cameras pointed at her, and calmly and clearly answered, "Yes, Mom, have you and Dad finished packing your luggage? Do you need any help?"
"We've packed up. If there's anything we're missing, we'll go out and buy it this afternoon."
After packing their luggage, the three changed their clothes and took their official photos.
The other groups of guests had already finished filming, and they were the last to join, so they decided to film right there.
The cameraman went to get reflectors, fill lights, and other equipment, found a suitable room in the villa, and started filming.
Gu Tingshen and Gu Sinan were wearing the same style of white shirt and black trousers. The two, one tall and one short, were almost identical, even their hairstyles were similar, as if they had been copied and pasted together. He was 190 cm tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. His shirt hugged his smooth and firm muscles, exuding a sense of power. He was practically walking hormones, yet he also radiated an aura of asceticism, contradictory and captivating.
Ye Zhenzhen wore a white, pearlescent, body-hugging long dress. The smooth cut hugged her perfect body curves. Her thick black hair was simply styled up, revealing her beautiful shoulder and neck lines. Her fair skin seemed to glow, making her incredibly beautiful.
The photographer's eyes lit up, and the shutter kept clicking as he took a bunch of pictures of the three of them. Afterwards, he looked at his camera and was having trouble choosing which ones to take. Every single one of them was so beautiful; they were not only good-looking but also had a great presence.
The interview that followed took place in the living room, and the recording went smoothly. The group chatted as they left.
"The happiness of the rich is that their walk-in closets are bigger than our living room."
"Sigh, I saw several new G brand items in my closet that aren't even available in domestic stores yet."
"A few pieces of clothing are nothing; any painting in the living room is worth more than our lifetime salary."
The girls had different focuses. "President Gu is so tall, he's so imposing. I didn't even dare to look at him at first."
"Miss Ye is so beautiful in person, even without makeup she looks amazing, her skin is so fair that you can hardly see any pores."
Inside the Apple Building, the first episode of "I Am an Actor" is being recorded.
After Bai Xue's group finished their performance, they stood in a row, listening to the mentors' comments. As she stepped off the stage, she pinched her palms tightly with her fingers to barely maintain a proper expression.
Her performance just now wasn't good; she was not only inferior to Zhan Yan from the previous group, but was also completely overshadowed by the guest performer in her group. During the critique session, although the mentors were lenient and didn't say anything too harsh, they still pointed out that her expressions weren't vivid enough and her delivery of lines was weak. She was annoyed, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhan Yan's beautiful face next to her, and found the smile on it irritating.
She barely made it to the end of the recording, and her face fell as soon as she got back to the car. Her assistant huddled in the back seat of the van, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. Bai Xue maintained a cool and gentle persona in public, but in private, she had a bad temper and was quite demanding of her staff.
Agent Liu Wei sat in the passenger seat, his face also very serious. "The format of 'The Actor' is very unfavorable to you. The post-production editing can only play a limited role. We have to think of a solution."
"What can we do? Ye Zhenzhen isn't coming, so all those articles you wrote to smear her are useless!" Bai Xue got angrier and angrier, slamming her phone on the seat. "Didn't you agree with the production team?! How come the supporting actress you found dares to overshadow me!"
Liu Wei frowned, also finding the matter difficult, but he still tried to reassure her, "It was agreed that we would promote you. Inviting these veteran actors to help out is also to ensure the show's effect. They don't have much popularity and won't steal your thunder. Don't worry, they will be careful from now on."
The two remained silent for a while. Bai Xue thought of the embarrassment she had experienced on stage that day and felt resentful.
She has never been a skilled actress. Most of her roles since her debut have been similar to her own image, resulting in a high degree of homogeneity. It is only because her team is good at creating drama that she has achieved her current status by riding on the coattails of popular trends and building a persona. In particular, the previous hype about her "red and white rose" rivalry with Ye Zhenzhen has helped her reach her current level of fame.
When she appeared on a show like "I Am an Actor," which completely recreated the filming process with judges and audience members watching and critiquing her performance, her true colors were immediately revealed, and her acting flaws were laid bare. Even relatively unknown actresses like Zhan Yan, and those supporting actors who had long since faded into obscurity, could outshine her with their acting skills, making it impossible for her not to feel resentment.
Bai Xue has some connections in high society and heard that Ye Zhenzhen doesn't want to get married and insists on making a name for herself in the entertainment industry, which has already caused a falling out with Ye's father. That's why she dared to subtly incite her fans to criticize Ye Zhenzhen.
Liu Wei previously hired online trolls to manipulate public opinion, hoping to provoke Ye Zhenzhen into participating in "I Am an Actor," just to ride on her popularity.
A pampered young lady like Ye Zhenzhen, proud and aloof yet eager to prove herself, would definitely be susceptible to being provoked. If she participates in "The Actors," they can easily generate buzz and attention by associating themselves with the show.
As a result, Ye Zhenzhen first secured the title sponsorship of "I Am an Actor," and now it has been revealed that she has already married the heir of the Gu Group, who is even willing to accompany her to participate in a travel variety show.
Bai Xue no longer dared to resort to underhanded tactics as before; the Gu family's size was far beyond what her backer could match. Her jealousy and resentment deepened.
"I heard her marriage to Gu Tingshen was just an arranged one; she'll be a stepmother as soon as she enters the family, and Ye Zhenzhen was very unwilling at first. Keep an eye on things over there, and find evidence of their discord. Also, isn't Zhan Yan also the glamorous type? Her boss doesn't come, but he still gives her those press releases." A cold female voice rang out in the dark car. If she couldn't deal with Ye Zhenzhen, surely she could deal with Zhan Yan?
Zhan Yan was unaware that she was being targeted. After recording the show, she and Zhou Jin returned to their company dormitory in a van.
She's been either teaching or recording shows lately, and the high-intensity physical activity every day has made her lose weight quickly and significantly improve her basic skills. She's tired but happy.
"Hey, Brother Jin, do you think I did alright today?" She enjoyed the massage in the chair, lounging around in a completely unladylike manner. "The boss is so generous, even the vans he provided for us are so high-end."
"Very good. You're the best!" Zhou Jin was gentle by nature and didn't talk much. Hearing this, she raised her aching arm and gave her a thumbs up.
"Hehe, I think so too. It was really great acting with these teachers today. I think I'm much better than that Bai Xue. The goals the boss set for us aren't too difficult. I'm already imagining what kind of play they'll reward us with." She was physically exhausted, but her mind was very excited.
"Be careful, her fans are not to be trifled with," Zhou Jin kindly reminded her. Bai Xue's fans, or Xue fans for short, are known for their strong fighting spirit and love of tearing each other apart.
"Hmph, don't worry, with her acting skills, there are plenty of people who can outshine her. Once the show airs, her fans won't be able to keep up with the criticism." She said nonchalantly, "What a waste of Sister Ling's jewelry design. That phoenix hairpin is so beautiful. I'm starting to understand the ladies in ancient palace intrigues. It's hard not to love shiny gold and silver jewelry."
The Ling Jie she mentioned is Liu Ling, a newly recruited designer in Fengming's design department. She was responsible for many of the jewelry pieces worn by the actors in the first season. Tao Yao and Fengming live in the same building, and when Zhan Yan was tired from training, she would go to look at their designs and fall in love with each piece.
"I'll be perfectly content if my boss rewards me with a piece of jewelry after I win the competition."
"One piece of jewelry is enough? Do you still want the show?" Zhou Jin also relaxed and leaned back in her chair, asking her with a smile.
"Hehe, I'll still go with the drama. I'll buy the pretty jewelry myself when I have the money." After saying that, Zhan Yan continued to slump down and fell asleep a little while later.
Seeing her carefree attitude, Zhou Jin shook his head helplessly, covered her with his coat, and closed his eyes to rest, his heart filled with hope and anticipation.
In the afternoon, Ye Zhenzhen went shopping with her father and son. After returning home, she quickly ate dinner, packed her suitcase, and prepared to wash up and go to bed. After all, they were leaving for their trip early the next morning.
She went to check on Gu Sinan and found the little boy was a bit excited and couldn't sleep. She told him several stories to lull him to sleep before returning to her room.
After last night, she was completely reassured about Gu Tingshen's character. With such a large bed, the two of them sleeping separately didn't cause any problems; in fact, she slept better in each of them.
She likes to sleep with the air conditioner on and a blanket in the summer. Sometimes the air conditioner is set too low and it gets cold at night, but last night she felt very warm in bed, and with the cool breeze from the air conditioner, she slept very comfortably. It's probably because Gu Tingshen has a lot of energy, like a big furnace, so she won't have to worry about the cold in winter.
She lay down and went to sleep contentedly.
Gu Tingshen had only been lying down for a short while when Ye Zhenzhen clung to him, using both hands and feet. His body stiffened for a moment, then slowly softened, and he embraced her fragrant, soft body, burying his face in her hair and taking a deep breath. The faint scents of flowers and fruits intertwined with the aroma of wood, a cool fragrance mixed with sweetness, and a touch of tenderness.
He was in good health, with plenty of energy and blood. Holding such a warm and soft woman in his arms, his body reacted exceptionally strongly. He held her quietly for a while before reluctantly pulling his arms away. He went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the cold water hit his burning skin, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in his heart.
He wasn't a lustful person; he had encountered deliberate seductions in the business world. In their circle, beauty was cheap and readily available, but his busy work and fastidious nature had led him to live a life of asceticism for many years.
Lately, however, he's been breaking down, acting like a restless young boy, and taking cold showers more and more often. He leaned against the wall with one hand, shaking the water droplets from his hair with a wry smile, realizing he'd overestimated his self-control.
When he returned to the bed, radiating cold air, Ye Zhenzhen shivered from the sudden chill and curled up into a ball. Gu Tingshen chuckled and tapped her delicate nose, then pulled her into his arms through the blanket, closing his eyes with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
