Chapter 97 How did it get filmed? ...
As the leaves of the ginkgo tree in front of the film set gradually turned from green to yellow, Sheng Yi, carrying her luggage, entrusted herself to a new story.
This is the third production she's joined this year, and it's currently kept secret. People online are curious why, after only recently finishing filming, she disappeared again after participating in a few public events, while Sheng Yi is already experiencing a new round of rigorous training on set.
Unlike her previous sporadic cameo appearances, this year's three dramas are all told from her perspective, requiring more time to process and digest the challenges and roles involved.
Fans complained yet enjoyed it, even indulging in their own fantasies, wishing they could split her in two, one half filming and the other out there entertaining them. Unfortunately, the reality is, she hasn't mastered the art of being in two places at once.
Sheng Yi only had one movie released that year, the third female lead filmed in a remote corner, a completely subversive character from "Star River Dream". During the promotion period, fans were still very reserved, saying that it was just a new actress's first attempt, and most of them were encouraging. Unexpectedly, when the finished product came out, she handled it quite well.
The positive response from the film market has translated into new business contracts for Sheng Yi himself. Fans even jokingly remarked that if their own taste doesn't keep up, they might fall behind their idol.
Those who gritted their teeth and said, "She'll be washed up someday," could only grit their teeth and accept the fact that her popularity hadn't faded in the new year. What's even more disheartening is that she's steadily making progress.
After joining the production team, Sheng Yi's schedule was completely empty. All sorts of event invitations were blocked by her studio and never reached her. As the year-end events unfolded one after another, fans still didn't see Sheng Yi appear. It was only then that everyone seemed to realize something was wrong.
"I just went back and looked at a few of those confidential projects that were rumored before. Do you think any of them involve my sister?"
"That's too much of a workaholic! He hasn't taken a break all year. But it's better to film more stock. If one doesn't perform well, there's always another one to rely on. Otherwise, he might end up like... cough cough, you all know what I mean."
Of course, there are also dissenting voices:
"What a great opportunity to make your face known! So what if you take a break from filming? Which popular young actress would spend the whole year on set without any exposure? Aren't you afraid of being forgotten?"
"I don't know what's with all the arrogance. You don't think you've got this easy money, do you? If you flop, you'll be crying."
It's not that complicated. It's just a matter of finding the right actor and a script that suits their taste. It's a two-way selection process. If they find the right script, they'll film more of them. If they don't, they're happy to enjoy their time.
During this time, Wen Shili came to visit the set once, of course avoiding everyone's gaze, coming and going quietly. There were a few invitations she couldn't refuse, and Sheng Yi took advantage of her time off to attend some events. Whenever she passed through S City, she would subconsciously stop by her home to visit.
No matter what time she got home, there was always a light waiting for her in the room. The soft light shone down from above, and Sheng Yi always had a dreamlike feeling, as if in a distant time and space, they had been together like this for a very, very long time.
Even New Year's Eve, she spent it on set. The crew gathered together to watch the song and dance performances. Several new artists who rose to fame this year have been brought along by artists from the same company to appear on various TV galas. Fans are grateful for the opportunities they've been given and are doing their best to support them.
The alternation of old and new, the cycle of time, are nothing more than the unshakeable laws of nature.
Near the end of the year, Wang Ying suddenly contacted her. Sheng Yi thought she wanted to discuss her holiday plans, but when she clicked on the link, she found it was a link with the title: "Submit the best photo you took this year."
Wang Ying left her a message filled with longing: "Why didn't we have such a good time back then?"
"Look at this picture, it's amazing, I want to ship them too."
Wang Ying's timing was perfect; Sheng Yi had just finished her work when she asked, "Where's the drawing?"
Wang Ying: "Wait, the signal is not very good, it's still transmitting."
I don't know what kind of internet she's using. I clicked on the link and browsed around. The topic started off off-topic right from the top comment. All I could see were couple photos being shared. Under every popular comment, someone was screaming, "Ahhh, they're such a perfect match! Are there any more? Are there any more?"
The young men and women, in the prime of their youth, exuded love and tenderness in every gesture. Sheng Yi scrolled through two screens, then exited, finally seeing the picture of Wang Ying, who had arrived late.
I must say, it actually has a pretty good atmosphere. But why does it look so familiar?
Sheng Yi clicked on the larger image, and the more she looked at the background, the more she frowned. Although there was only a blurry back view, she still remembered the result of her careful dressing up.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked Wang Ying, "Where was this saved?" She hadn't seen this picture before, even though she was in the front row.
Wang Ying sent her another screenshot, saying she had just seen someone else post it, and that more and more people were as discerning as she was. After praising her own judgment, she pulled Sheng Yi aside to discuss, "Don't you have anything to say about this environment?"
Sheng Yi didn't want to talk right now, but clicked on the link, and sure enough, the picture had been pushed to the top of the comments: "I declare this one to be absolutely stunning! The model, the atmosphere, the composition—it's all incredible!"
"How can you only show me your back? Please, show me your front!"
These days, with the network push mechanism, posts from strangers can be seen by all sorts of acquaintances in an instant. Sure enough, before Sheng Yi could even make a move, a familiar IP address quickly appeared. "Don't even think about a face photo. At the time, only a few classes were in class at the whole school, and it was taken right after class."
"Yes, yes, they were walking towards the track and field at that time. Judging from their attire, they should be alumni who have already graduated and are coming back to take a look."
The people, time, and setting all matched, but Sheng Yi had only one question in her mind: How could she have been photographed? Back in her school days, we weren't allowed to bring cell phones to class!
Although they were only a few meters away, with just a blurry silhouette and no indication of their usual style in terms of clothing, the number of people discussing them was increasing, which was really scary.
She sent the link to Lao Qian, who was still completely clueless. It was only after Sheng Yi kindly pointed it out that he suddenly realized what she meant. Actually, if she hadn't done her own makeup, she wouldn't have recognized herself either.
However, it was handled in a relatively safe manner.
The related discussions then disappeared.
This incident didn't cause a ripple in Wen Shili's life, and life on the Sheng Yi film crew continued peacefully. The next time she stirred up trouble in the industry was at a jewelry brand event on Valentine's Day.
Besides her, the brand also signed another male spokesperson. Since it was Valentine's Day, the brand's planning and setup were a bit ambiguous. Although she and the other person only took a group photo together at the end, and there were several brand representatives in between, the photo spread rapidly online.
The other person is also a big name in the entertainment industry, and their looks and reputation are both good. If it were a few years ago, being paired up with someone like that would have been a huge laugh for Lao Qian, and not just Lao Qian, but probably even she herself. But now it's a completely different story.
Whether it was because Lao Qian had figured things out himself or out of respect for her decision, Lao Qian would never again take it upon himself to guide the discussion on this topic, and he would handle any unfounded rumors very cleanly.
This picture spread so quickly that before the studio even intervened, fans from both sides were already arguing in the comments section. Sheng Yi's side had more traffic and seemed to have a slight advantage, but the backlash from the male celebrity's female fans shouldn't be underestimated.
By the time the group photo was taken down, the fans of both sides were already in a frenzy, and the brand's Weibo account was in such a mess that the comments section was shut down for several days.
What's outrageous is that while fans were fighting, they also bought up all the products endorsed by the spokesperson. Even after several rounds of restocking, they were still sold out. Even casual observers who had been watching the drama for a while started buying them.
The brand also had mixed feelings. Logically speaking, Sheng Yi became famous earlier than this male celebrity, but her purchasing power was just as strong, and after a year or two, it seemed like she wasn't going to fade away. However, after working together for so long, everyone had a vague idea about Sheng Yi's relationship status, and if it were exposed, there would be too much instability.
They originally planned to elevate the male star's title to be on par with Sheng Yi, but in the end, they could only discuss raising Sheng Yi's status even higher before the official announcement. With a good image, national recognition, and purchasing power all in place, as long as the market accepts it, they'll continue to support him for now.
After this incident, Sheng Yi learned her lesson. She would make her stance clear in advance about anything romantic that might trigger fans' imaginations. For example, on holidays that were prone to romantic associations, while other celebrities were subtly or overtly hinting at their loneliness, practically screaming "I'm single and asking for compliments," she wouldn't post a single update, leaving no room for self-consolation.
Over time, the rumor that "Sheng Yi is not single" has become increasingly believable, despite the studio never denying it. After a couple more times, the fans finally understood.
Since visiting her mother last time, everyone initially pretended nothing had happened. However, almost a year has passed, and instead of being in a hurry, Yu Ying has started to subtly inquire about their next plans.
Sheng Yi felt that this wasn't just her mother's idea, since her father had also subtly hinted that she should bring the person back for him to review. Sheng Yi wasn't intentionally trying to prevent them from meeting; she was genuinely too busy to deal with the matter. To save trouble, she simply didn't even tell Wen Shili.
She completely understands her mother. When a relationship lasts a long time, the passion fades, and many things begin to decay. But if it's destined to decay, holding on tightly won't slow down the process, so it's better to take a calm approach and observe.
Perhaps Wen Shili himself could empathize with her mother more; Sheng Yi had lost count of how many times he had hinted and then explicitly asked her to come back for the New Year. For example, when they were talking about their year-end plans, he directly asked, "Do you want to come back with me for the New Year?"
Saying it was too sudden would be a bit pretentious, so Sheng Yi simply shook her head and refused.
Wen Shili said, "Let's just have a meal together." That doesn't mean anything.
Sheng Yi wanted to say, "Do you think I'm stupid?" "I'm not ready yet." Meeting Wen Shili's insightful gaze, she lowered her voice, "I don't know a single one of them. Can you imagine how awkward that is?"
A few days later, Wen Shili brought back several photo albums, which were incredibly well-organized. There was something for every friend and family member.
Since the other person had done such thorough preparation, Sheng Yi couldn't refuse. From his childhood photos to his graduation and the outstanding young man he is now, his features showed his future brilliance even from a young age. Anyone who had seen him knew that his parents' genes were excellent. However, Sheng Yi was still taken aback when he first saw the photos.
The beautiful woman in the photo didn't pale in comparison even standing next to Wen Shili. More importantly, Sheng Yi recognized her immediately; she and Xiao You had met him once before in the parking lot. Back then, she was young and naive and had thought about all sorts of things, but thankfully she never said a word to him.
"Your mom looks so young."
Wen Shili readily accepted her praise, saying, "She would be very happy to hear that."
His friends also appeared frequently. Lin Hao and Yan Shen were actually childhood playmates. As for the little girl who always followed behind the boys, Sheng Yi had a guess. As soon as she put her finger over, Wen Shili nodded in affirmation, "Yes, it's her."
It was rare to see Xiao You looking so silly, so Sheng Yi took out her phone and snapped a few pictures to send to her. Then, after only a few seconds of silence, Wen Shili's phone started ringing.
Wen Shili glanced at her helplessly, then was bombarded with WeChat messages again: "You just wait!"
"Everyone has a few unflattering photos!"
Sheng Yi laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, and finally collapsed into his arms, looking at him, "How about next year?"
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