Chapter 41 "Where haven't I seen this before?"...
The captain never expected that he would be urgently recalled to duty less than 24 hours after stepping off the plane in the early morning.
The plane was the same one, and the captain was the same one, but all the original flight attendants were replaced, and three male flight attendants boarded the cabin.
This time, Xu Shaoting took Wen Jia to the airport with him. The Maybach was parked next to the plane. Inside the car, she had no makeup on and her face was bare. Xu Shaoting held the back of her head and kissed her passionately.
Until Lin Youzhe walked over and knocked on the car window.
Wen Jia pulled away from his lips, slightly out of breath, and looked up at him, "How many days are you going to be gone this time?"
She had no idea how much manpower and resources it would take to temporarily mobilize aircraft twice, nor how many approvals she needed to obtain from the airport to do so.
All she knew was that all his troubles stemmed from a single sentence: she missed him.
All she knew was that she really didn't want him to leave.
Xu Shaoting gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips, his gaze calm and tender. "Not sure yet."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the car window was knocked on again, seemingly oblivious to the situation. "Chairman Xu, it's time to go."
Xu Shaoting patiently straightened his coat, and just as he was about to turn around and get out of the car, Wen Jia hooked his neck around it.
"We didn't kiss enough."
He gazed at her for a moment, struggling to suppress the urge to kiss her lips again, and simply kissed her forehead. "Wait for me to come back."
He then got out of the car without looking back and walked towards the private jet.
The car's heater was on, and the cold air seeped in through the door cracks. The combination of hot and cold caused a layer of fog to gradually form on the windows, making it difficult for Wen Jia to see him clearly. She wiped it away with her fingertips and saw his back as he stepped onto the gangway.
She turned her head and looked until she saw the cabin door completely closed before turning her gaze away and instructing Lin Youzhe to return to the villa.
The script reading and the opening ceremony were over. Yu Jianshan gave the entire crew a break, which wasn't too long or too short. It seemed like a break, but in reality, it was to allow everyone to coordinate their schedules. After all, Yu Jianshan hated it most when his crew's actors participated in other commercial activities during filming, not to mention filming multiple projects at the same time.
Wen Jia took advantage of the holiday to finish all the signed contract announcements and year-end events.
Before New Year's Day, major organizers also need to meet their KPIs, and red carpet events follow one after another.
In all these events, at least hundreds or even thousands of awards were given out. However, since it was not a formal film festival, the red carpet events and award ceremonies of these entertainment-oriented events were like child's play. In today's era where the Chinese entertainment industry is all about traffic, no one cares who actually wins these awards. Capital, celebrities, and the public all know the unspoken truth: what appears to be an acting award is actually a traffic award.
Leading the charge is the Weibo Awards Night.
However, as the core public opinion arena and traffic hub of the Chinese entertainment industry, the Weibo Awards Night naturally holds a higher status than other events, gradually evolving into a situation where the event chooses the people, rather than the people choosing the event.
Those who can appear in this event are mostly second-tier or above actresses and actors, while the remaining 20% have all pulled strings.
Among these celebrities, Wen Jia and Lin Xi, these two best friends in the industry, were the first to receive an invitation.
When Wen Jia returned to the villa from the airport, she saw a bunch of green vegetables and frozen chicken breast on the island table as soon as she entered. She exclaimed in disdain, "Why such a big display again?"
Wearing an apron and holding a spatula, Yu Kaiqing turned around from the stove and smiled maliciously: "Starting today, you can't eat oil, salt, or sugar. In a few days, you'll have to wear a dress. I went to the company today to check it out for you. It's very tight. I feel like I'll have to remove four ribs, have liposuction, and then have circumferential liposuction on my waist and abdomen before I can fit into it."
Wen Jia said nonchalantly, "Is it that exaggerated? Besides, I'm not planning to wear the outfits chosen by the company. With Lao An's taste, it would be a miracle if even one of his outfits became a hit."
The sight of that pile of food made her feel nauseous. She walked to the coffee table and opened a drawer—
It was completely empty.
Yu Kaiqing's voice came through the sizzling sound of fried chicken breast, "Stop looking. While you were away, I had my aunt take all the snacks to her house."
"..."
Wen Jia closed the drawer sullenly and walked to the refrigerator.
The landscape has changed dramatically.
Yu Kaiqing had silently floated up behind her without her noticing, and chuckled softly, "The drinks were given to the guard post property management."
"..."
"Also, starting tomorrow, increase the intensity of your exercise. Do one set each in the morning, noon, and evening, with each set lasting at least an hour and a half," Yu Kaiqing solemnly instructed her. "This isn't my suggestion; it's what Sister Zhang requires."
Wen Jia slammed the refrigerator door shut, indignant. "Is it really necessary?"
"Just bear with it. Wearing a formal dress is a small matter, but overeating, getting pimples, and swelling is a big deal. So many people are watching. If you don't want to be ridiculed, just stay calm for a few days."
"Besides, Chairman Xu will also be watching you on the red carpet, right?"
Wen Jia casually waved her hand, "Forget it, he probably doesn't even know where to watch the red carpet."
Wen Jia spent five days in this way, returning to a simpler, more natural state of being, under Yu Kaiqing's supervision.
Five days later, the Weibo Awards Ceremony Night was held as scheduled. This time, the organizers came up with a unique idea: abandoning the traditional red carpet, they chose to build a 100-meter-long catwalk in front of the castle at the photography base, allowing guests to appear in the form of a fashion show.
To this end, StarSpark specially hired one-on-one model teachers for all the artists invited to correct their posture and train their catwalk skills. Wen Jia, as the famous StarSpark's top female artist, was naturally not exempt from this.
After three days of training, she was exhausted and felt like she was falling apart. Her body was even more sore and weak than when she got off Xu Shaoting's bed. Every night when she called him, she had to force herself to hold back her tears.
The event theme was already included in the invitation and sent to the guests—unique and in harmony with the castle.
A masked ball.
There was a lot of room for her to improvise, which made making a decision difficult. Wen Jia had a headache thinking about what to style, and none of the styles Xing Shuo provided were to her liking. In the end, she got the inspiration one night while watching a movie with Yu Kaiqing in the living room.
The two hit it off immediately, and the major problem of styling was finally solved.
Replicating the look of Nicole, the female lead in "London Battlefield".
To pay sincere tribute to the character, Wen Jia also professionally transformed her hair. Initially, Yu Kaiqing suggested that she use a wig, otherwise she would have to dye it back before joining the crew, which would be too damaging to her hair. Wen Jia felt that a wig would not look good, so she simply dyed her hair a similar ash blonde to Nicole's.
However, the original black lace long-sleeved dress was obviously not suitable for the atmosphere of the runway, and she couldn't find a suitable dress among the luxury brands she was currently collaborating with. So, she had a sudden inspiration and improvised. She went to the manor and picked out the closest one from the VELRA dresses that Xu Shaoting had bought for her in half of the dressing room that day. She contacted Ding Qianru overnight to discuss revising the plan and finally finished the dress the day before the event.
The modified dress retains the essence of the original fitted cut, but the velvet material on the upper body has been replaced with a black and gold iridescent material, and the skirt has been changed to a pleated fishtail skirt in the same color scheme.
The overall style has shifted from retro elegance to glamorous drama, retaining the black main tone while injecting a red carpet aura.
The veil was also made by Ding Qianru in her studio after a whole day of hard work, and it was almost identical to the original.
At this moment, Wen Jia was sitting in front of the makeup mirror. Dong Yiwen finished drawing the last stroke of lip liner for her in one go, looked in the mirror, and shook her head in amazement, "Baby, you're going to go viral again."
Ding Qianru stood beside her with her arms crossed, praising generously: "I completely agree."
Wen Jia's bone structure is perfectly suited to this glamorous and beautiful makeup. When she first debuted, it was precisely this grand style that helped her stand out among a group of young actresses.
It is bright yet exudes a touch of arrogance and sharpness, making it easy to look away, yet one dares not stare at it for too long.
Paired with a retro updo and understated green "pupils," the exotic charm is natural and breathtakingly beautiful.
Wen Jia was clearly very satisfied with the look, her eyes darting between Dong Yiwen and Ding Qianru. Pointing at the former, she said, "You've already renewed your contract with me for five years." Then she turned to the latter, beckoning with her finger, "Darling, how about I poach you from my studio? We need someone like you."
Ding Qianru shrugged. "I'd like to, but I still have a contract with VELRA, right? I can't try to please both sides. It's like that drama you guys were talking about, what was it again? Not a very nice word."
Wen Jia: "Taking on multiple projects at once? But filming only lasts a few months, one or two years at most. How many years did you sign a contract for?"
Ding Qianru made a "fifteen" gesture.
Dong Yiwen clicked her tongue twice, feeling empathetic, "What's the difference between this and a contract of servitude?" Then she changed the subject, "But for a big brand like V, it's fine if they sell it."
"Who says otherwise? Otherwise, I could whisper in our boss's ear and get you a business collaboration or something, so that it would be more legitimate for me to work for you."
Wen Jia's eyes lit up. "Is there any possibility of success?"
"If I bring it up myself, there's a 70% chance; if I say it's you, there's a 95% chance or higher."
Wen Jia sighed, "We're counting on you. You have such a powerful voice."
Dong Yiwen closed her makeup case and smiled knowingly, "After all, she's VELRA's only Asian designer."
Half an hour later, Wen Jia led the entire team to the event venue.
In the nanny van, Wen Jia sent Xu Shaoting a message:
Will you come to my event tonight?
Less than five minutes later, she received a reply, a brief and ruthless two words:
"No time"
Wen Jia snorted twice, didn't reply, and turned to Kai Qing, saying abruptly, "You really still don't understand men."
Yu Kaiqing: ?
At 7:00 PM sharp, the annual Weibo Awards Ceremony officially kicked off. The organizers had given Wen Jia and Lin Xi the two most important performance slots, second to last and last respectively. The two had personally negotiated with the organizers, stating that they didn't care about the order or being the final act, they just wanted to finish quickly and get home, pleading with the organizers to move them to the first five slots.
Mr. Wu, the organizer, was an old acquaintance of theirs. Upon hearing this, he feigned regret, saying, "You two have already left, and the audience has almost all left as well. How can we guarantee the viewership? You'll embarrass me then."
“You guys are really pushing your KPIs…” Wen Jia was speechless. “And how can it be that exaggerated? Aren’t there so many other people around who can support 60-70% of your traffic?”
Old Wu sighed, appearing quite composed, "I don't know if you underestimated your own traffic or overestimated theirs."
Lin Xi wanted to try again and ask if there was any room for maneuver, even if it was just to be in the top ten.
Old Wu flatly refused, saying, "If you're still not satisfied, I'll arrange for both of you to perform last."
Lin Xi was quite pleased to hear this. She was the last one, and had already fallen to the bottom, with nowhere left to fall. This way, she could have someone to keep her company, so why not?
Wen Jia was startled, fearing that the two had conspired against each other, and quickly pulled Lin Xi away to escape.
Because their performance order was so late, the two of them could only sit backstage, bored out of their minds.
The space wasn't large, but it was packed with guests. Greetings, some genuine and some not, rose and fell. The air was filled with the scents of perfume and cosmetics, but it didn't feel cheap. Instead, it was exquisitely crafted to the point of being deliberate. Everyone was putting in their best effort to wear the finest clothes, from visible haute couture gowns to invisible limited-edition fragrances, all in an attempt to make a splash at the end of the year. For those with existing work, making a splash became a supplement, enhancing their star power; for those without, it was a lifeline, a desperate gamble.
All sorts of tutu skirts and silk skirts were everywhere; a real masquerade ball was nothing more than this.
The mask isn't on their faces, but rather in their expressions and words.
Old Wu was absolutely right. Wen Jia and Lin Xi still have a lot of fans. Not only do the audience think so, but people in the industry also think so. So, the focus backstage naturally shifted to the two of them.
However, Lin Xi has been free of any scandals in the past two years, so people around her have been able to take advantage of her.
"Sister Wen, I heard from Sister Zhang that you're really in a relationship?"
Jin Yan is a newly signed actress at Xing Shuo Entertainment. The CEO is very supportive of her and has secured her a place on the show.
When she first entered the industry, she didn't know what to say in different situations, nor did she know how to read people's expressions; she only knew how to satisfy her own curiosity.
"Anyway, you wouldn't believe me even if I said it was fake," the person in question replied casually as she touched up her makeup with a cushion compact.
Wen Jia wanted to firmly admit it, but she wasn't fully prepared to face the next wave of public opinion. In addition, having been in the industry for several years, she didn't dare to speak too definitively in front of these old foxes, lest she become the subject of gossip one day. So she could only respond indirectly.
Jin Yan hummed mischievously twice, "I also heard from Sister Zhang that he has quite a background."
Sister Wen deliberately didn't answer, and instead asked, "Did Sister Zhang say anything else?"
"That's all, except that he has a powerful background."
Wen Jia closed the cushion compact, remaining restrained and silent, offering no response.
Jin Yan kept nagging, "When are you going to make it official? Give me a formal title."
"It's not even close to happening yet," she joked. "What's with all this talk of titles and status? Would you believe me if I said I was the one pursuing him?"
If there were any such things, Jin Yan, a newcomer to the industry, wouldn't dare to say them in front of Wen Jia, but Lin Xi would.
"Would you lie? You're pursuing someone, and they're willing to go and make headlines with you," Lin Xi deliberately lowered her voice. "If it were really just you, outsiders probably wouldn't even see it trending. Would people like to appear under the media's nose?"
“It was intentional,” Wen Jia shrugged, adding, “Zhang Linzhi taught me.”
At this very moment, the kind of people Lin Xi was talking about were sitting at the forum.
The bright, gleaming first row.
Xu Shaoting had a small, exquisite, dark-colored Bluetooth earphone clipped to his left ear, perfectly fitting his features, and was listening to real-time simultaneous interpretation of German and Chinese.
He was a special guest at the summit, so all eyes were on him.
However, he absorbed these gazes well. He simply sat there calmly, his attention not on the person speaking on stage, nor on the interpreter's translation channel in his earpiece, but on the chat box with Lin Youzhe on his phone.
Lin Youzhe could never have imagined that his boss in Switzerland, who was busy with work, would have the leisure to pay attention to such entertainment activities.
He looked at the message on the screen with a half-smile:
"Ask Wenjia's assistant what activities she has tonight."
...
The summit ended early, and as the crowd gradually dispersed, the organizers immediately went to the audience to ask Xu Shaoting to stay.
"Evan, would you like to have lunch together?"
Xu Shaoting stopped and turned to the young white man who had warmly invited him.
Daniel was his classmate when he studied in the UK. They had known each other for nearly ten years. After graduation, one of them returned to China and the other returned to Switzerland. However, they never lost contact during those ten years. When Xu Shaoting decided to make Switzerland the starting point for his expansion in Europe, it was partly because of his old classmate Daniel.
Daniel naturally valued this friendship as well. In the early days of Tianxu's Swiss company, as a Swiss national, he made many arrangements for Xu Shaoting. Therefore, every year around Christmas when Xu Shaoting came to Switzerland, the two would have a private meal together.
However, today, the situation is slightly different.
Xu Shaoting's smile in front of Daniel wasn't very polite; it was more like a teasing reunion with an old friend. He shook his head and said, "Daniel, it's probably not a very good coincidence today."
Daniel has a typical Germanic appearance, with deep-set features and expressive face. Coupled with his slightly exaggerated tone, what he says conveys a sense of profound regret.
"What could be more worthwhile for you than having dinner with me?"
Xu Shaoting's smile deepened, "You probably won't believe it if I told you."
Daniel knew Hsu Shao-ting's personality well, and in the end, he only expressed his regret in a dramatic way before saying goodbye to Hsu Shao-ting at the entrance of the venue.
Xu Shaoting is absolutely right.
Daniel would never believe that the reason he wasn't having meals with him wasn't for work, but to watch Chinese celebrities' entertainment activities.
When Yang Ruiming pushed open the door to the board's office, he saw Xu Shaoting sitting in his office chair, with a large, wide computer screen covering most of his face, only his eyes fixed on the screen.
Yang Ruiming glanced at him for a few seconds, seeing his serious expression, and not daring to disturb him, hurriedly turned around to leave the office. Just as the heavy solid wood door was about to close, she heard a noise that shouldn't have been in the office:
Amidst a grand and fast-paced background music, a male voice rang out: "Distinguished media friends present here, and viewers watching the live broadcast right now, welcome to the Weibo Night red carpet. I am your host, Xiao Qi."
...
Just then, a Chinese employee passed by the board's office. Yang Ruiming quickly strode into the office, closed the door tightly, and prevented the absurd noise from reaching his subordinates' ears.
Yang Ruiming didn't need to be on guard; Xu Shaoting ignored his arrival, his attention remaining focused on the live stream.
On the screen, the host had already finished his brief opening remarks, and the first female celebrity slowly walked out from behind the 80-meter-long catwalk.
It wasn't a formal fashion show, and the guests frequently interacted with the audience sitting on both sides. However, this young actress seemed a bit reserved and at a loss, perhaps because it was her first time on the Weibo Awards stage.
Compared to those on stage, the two finalists backstage, watching the live feed on the monitor, appeared much calmer.
Wen Jia crossed her arms and glanced at the girl. "This girl looks a bit like Jiang Zhao. She was so nervous on the red carpet last time that she held onto me as we walked." She looked around the backstage area. "Why isn't she here today? I heard she even pulled some strings to get an opening number from the organizers for the last event. How could she bear to miss today?"
Lin Xi leaned close to her ear and said, "I heard that Jiang Zhao and Zhou Jingcheng are dating."
How did you know?
“I was recording a variety show a couple of days ago, and everyone was talking about it. I also heard that Zhou Jingcheng is going to completely replace her team and put his own people in their place. Everyone else has signed contracts, so who would agree to that? Now there's a commotion at her management company.”
Wen Jia simply raised an eyebrow and said casually, "That's typical of him."
"But actually, you could have guessed that."
"You found out again?"
“There were already some hints of something when Xu Shaoting took me to the banquet last time.”
"How so?"
"It's hard to say," Wen Jia shook her head thoughtfully, "They don't seem like a proper boyfriend and girlfriend."
"lover?"
"It's hard to say. It's fine for the two of us to talk about it, but don't go around saying it outside." Wen Jia squeezed her arm.
"I know, I'm not stupid."
The two chatted backstage for a long time, discussing who had secretly fallen in love with whom, who had suddenly broken up with whom, who had sneaked into whose room in the middle of the night, and who was being taken care of lavishly by whom. These scandalous, melodramatic, and seemingly true rumors were always fodder for gossip among outsiders, but to those of them in the know, they were more like a script with a set formula.
They can see through anything, truth or falsehood, without even needing to finish a sentence. But being in this industry, their mouths are sealed shut. The more they know, the less they can say.
Wen Jia was tired of hearing these stories. She shook her hand, sat back in the velvet chair, and seemed to have something on her mind. After a moment of consideration, she took out her phone and called Xu Shaoting.
It was received very quickly.
"Chairman Xu, are you really not going to watch me on the red carpet?" She got straight to the point, eager to know the answer.
"Not interested."
She originally thought he would answer that he didn't have time, but she didn't expect him to have no interest at all, which completely shut her down.
However, she was unaware that the footage being broadcast on the screen in front of him was exactly the same as the footage playing on her backstage monitor, down to the second.
Wen Jia deflated instantly, looking listless, but she was too dazzling tonight. Even when she was deflated, she was still a proud, bright balloon. She deliberately spoke arrogantly, "You'll regret it if you don't come to see me."
"reason?"
Wen Jia couldn't bring herself to boast, but simply muttered, "The evening gown... I picked one from the pile you bought me and modified it..."
"So?" Xu Shaoting asked with a half-smile, "Very revealing?"
"Not really."
"Very daring?"
"…no."
"Very sexy?"
Wen Jia glanced down at the dress she was wearing.
Is she sexy? Yes, she is quite sexy, but not in a revealing way. It's just that the fabric clings tightly to her body, outlining her beautiful and superior figure in a way that is completely visible. And because you can only see the outline and not the actual flesh, it's a kind of sexy that makes people's imaginations run wild.
Wen Jia nodded emphatically and hummed in agreement, "Sexy."
"Nothing new," Xu Shaoting said, a slight smirk playing on his lips where she couldn't see, his words light and flippant.
"What part of you haven't I seen?"
Wen Jia glanced around guiltily, silently cursing him, "You scoundrel..."
Xu Shaoting never got angry at her playful scolding; on the contrary, he quite enjoyed it. "Is this being a rogue?" he said slowly. "Well, I've already kissed you, so what does it matter?"
Her cheeks, hidden behind the black veil, suddenly burned as she recalled what had happened that night in his bed.
I can't think about it anymore.
She mentally stopped him in time, and solemnly cursed him: "You're a big scoundrel..."
"A big scoundrel?" Xu Shaoting chuckled, then asked meaningfully, "There's an even bigger one, do you want it?"
Wen Jia squeezed herself into a corner, afraid that the conversation would be overheard.
I don't know which level of "big" he's referring to.
I don't know if the redness on my cheeks right now is physiological redness or blush.
She said urgently, "I don't want it!"
"Don't want it? I saw that night..."
The conversation was abruptly cut off by Wen Jia hanging up. She put away her phone, turned around, and was extremely grateful to Director Xiu for coming to find her so promptly.
The show director glanced at the big star, hesitated, and asked, "Teacher Wen... what happened to your face?"
"how?"
"red."
Wen Jia didn't dare touch her face, afraid of ruining her makeup, and just smiled generously, "...There are too many people in the lounge, I'm short of breath." Afraid of being noticed, she quickly changed the subject, "What did you want to see me about?"
"Oh, get ready a little, it'll be your turn soon."
Wen Jia nodded, took off her shawl, lifted her skirt, and followed the show director's steps.
She walked to her designated spot, where a makeup artist came to fix her hair and makeup; a stylist tugged at her skirt; and the show director, his voice hoarse, pressed his blue earpiece to announce, "Teacher Wen is about to go on stage."
After saying that, he turned to Wen Jia and asked, "Teacher Wen, are you ready?"
"OK, three, two, one—"
"superior."
Amidst a loud round of applause, Wen Jia walked onto the catwalk, stood in front of the backdrop for a few seconds, and then slowly stepped forward to the front of the catwalk.
The training and posture correction over the past few days have created short-term muscle memory. Although she is not a professional model, she is still better than the guests who have already appeared.
The runway was long, and just walking around would be a bit boring, so Wen Jia blew kisses to the audience on both sides of the runway. These audience members were specially invited to the event, and they were all influential internet celebrities and fashion bloggers with millions of followers on Weibo. Naturally, they were happy to see celebrities walk the runway. When they saw her blowing kisses, they all took out their phones to record it, and the audience cheered.
Wen Jia walked to the designated spot and casually lifted the hem of her skirt.
A black veil covered her face, adorned with a dark red dried rose, obscuring most of her features. The curve of her lips and the upturn of her eyes intertwined, creating a captivating blend of danger and allure.
Amid the host's lines and cheers calling her name, Wen Jia turned around, then back, resting her hazy face on her bare shoulder.
With a flicker of her eyelashes, she slowly winked at the camera.
The image freezes at that moment.
Xu Shaoting had already turned off the computer screen, but he seemed to still be savoring the moment, resting his chin on his hand and squinting his eyes.
It is indeed very different.
It was a side of her he had never seen before, different from her usual self, different from her in her sleep, and different from her in bed.
Since there was no image in front of him, the impression in his mind was even more profound.
Her face was very charming, yet the dress clung tightly to her body, as if intentionally attracting attention. However, once someone was actually drawn to her, she could nonchalantly kick them away or tease them.
There aren't many things Xu Shaoting doesn't understand, but the screen full of "wife" comments is one of them.
There aren't many things Xu Shaoting wouldn't dare to do, and she was one of them who didn't have the courage to look at him in this state.
He suddenly felt a surge of heat rising within him. He stood up, having already forgotten Yang Ruiming's presence, and paced around the office a couple of times as if no one else was there. Feeling that the heat wouldn't dissipate, he casually picked up an important document from the table and fanned himself with it.
Yang Ruiming glanced at his fanning motion, then at the fine snow outside the window.
He didn't know what was wrong with his boss today. He had only watched a celebrity's entertainment event and made a phone call outside. It was snowing lightly outside, so why was he so hot when he came back?
He only gets to see Xu Shaoting for about half a month a year, unlike Lin Youzhe who knows so much about his life. Although he's a smart man and has a vague idea in mind, he's not entirely sure yet, so he quietly takes out his phone and sends a message:
"Secretary Lin, when did Chairman Xu start paying attention to domestic entertainment activities?"
He had ideas, but his ideas, coming from a workaholic with a stubborn mind, were completely off-track:
"Does Chairman Xu have any intention of developing the cultural and entertainment industry?"
Lin Youzhe replied almost instantly:
"You saw it with your own eyes?"
"Yes, I'm in his office right now, but he hasn't told me what to do yet."
Yang Ruiming was unaware of the situation, but Lin Youzhe was. He gave the instructions on behalf of Xu Shaoting, keeping them concise and to the point:
"You should get out."
-
Wen Jia's look went viral effortlessly. As soon as she stepped into the awards ceremony venue, several media outlets posted her makeup and styling on Weibo. With the support of her popularity, her fame skyrocketed.
The comments section was full of discussion about the source of her dress. Fashion bloggers with millions of followers searched the official websites of major luxury brands but couldn't find the exact same style. So, the studio's employees posted a Weibo post with great insight, tagging both the official VELRA Weibo account and Ding Qianru's personal account.
Although the focus was on the dress, Dong Yiwen was not forgotten to be included.
A clear and concise blog post simultaneously propelled three Weibo accounts to a peak in traffic. Before the grand event even ended, the official VELRA Weibo account gained 20,000 followers, and Ding Qianru and Dong Yiwen's personal email inboxes were flooded with various collaboration invitations.
When Ding Qianru sent the message to Wen Jia, the latter was still sitting in the venue. The entire awards ceremony was more than halfway through, and it was the most breathtaking moment.
The female host opened the envelope in her hand and spoke into the microphone, "The winner of this year's Weibo Awards Night, Outstanding Actor of the Year, is—"
"Wen Jia, Shu Man, Yang Yuan."
Amidst applause and cheers, Wen Jia stood up, bowed to the audience behind her, then took Shu Man's hand and walked together onto the stage.
Shu Man is considered her junior colleague; they've worked together on two dramas. Both are regulars at the Weibo Awards Ceremony, so neither of them seemed awkward.
The acceptance speech was prepared in advance; it was very traditional and flowed smoothly.
After the awards ceremony, as usual, staff went backstage to invite the artists to the interview area for interviews.
Wen Jia is a top celebrity and a big star, so she couldn't escape it. The staff would come to arrest her first.
The interview area had three cameras positioned on the left, center, and right, with bright lights shining directly in front, glaring at the eyes.
As soon as Wen Jia sat down on the sofa, tens of thousands of viewers flooded into the live stream.
At this moment, Xu Shaoting looked at the various titles and nicknames filling the screen with comments, and slowly lowered his brows.
"Welcome, Ms. Wen, welcome, welcome!" The host, with her excellent professional skills, couldn't hide her delight at being so close to Wen Jia for the first time. "Ms. Wen's look today is truly stunning and perfectly matches tonight's theme. We also saw that you mentioned that the dress and veil were modified by yourself. Ms. Wen, could you share with our viewers the inspiration behind this look?"
Wen Jia candidly admitted, "Actually, I had a headache when I was choosing a look. I was inspired by the image of the female lead in London Battlefield. It was a bit of a tribute, so I also dyed my hair." She smoothed her hair. "I would also like to thank my stylist and makeup artist for making me look perfect in front of everyone tonight."
The host nodded, looking at her with admiration. "Ms. Wen's red carpet looks have always been thoughtful and bold. We look forward to seeing her bring us more surprises next time."
These trivial topics were just appetizers; the focus of the Weibo Awards Ceremony Night was the ceremony itself. The host naturally moved on to the next topic, "We saw many outstanding professionals at the ceremony. Are there any directors or actors you would particularly like to collaborate with?"
After a moment's consideration, Wen Jia said, "I would like to work with two very excellent actresses, Yang Yuan and Shu Man. I have always admired Mr. Yang and Ms. Shu Man. We have worked together twice before and both times were very successful. So I am very honored to be able to share the stage with you two and receive the same award tonight."
The host smiled and nodded, looking at the camera, and joked, "Are there any directors in our live stream? Could you grant Teacher Wen this small request?" After the joke, he quickly steered the conversation back on track, "OK, next, I will randomly select a question from the live stream chat."
Inside the live stream, hundreds upon hundreds of comments burst forth, appearing on the public screen one second and being pushed back down by others the next. The fans' efforts to control the comments were no match for the gossip and entertainment of the casual viewers. Several identical comments flashed across the screen:
[Responding to the relationship rumors]
[Responding to the relationship rumors]
...
The female host, being an industry insider, had heard rumors about Wen Jia's relationship before. However, since Wen Jia hadn't officially announced it, she was naturally curious. Heaven knows how much she struggled to hold back her curiosity while watching the barrage of comments. After scrolling through the screen for a long time, she finally found a suitable question to ask in the live stream:
"A fan asked, looking back on this year, if you had to summarize it with three keywords, what would they be? And why?"
After a moment's consideration, Wen Jia offered three simple words: "Reassuring, Surprising, Sweet".
The host raised an eyebrow, precisely catching the last word, and could finally ask openly in the live broadcast room:
"Oh? Sweet?" she teased. "Is Teacher Wen's good news coming soon?"
It was Wen Jia herself who said it, so it's not her fault.
At this moment, not a single one of the 100,000 viewers in the live stream left; they all waited quietly for her answer.
There was also a host.
And there's He Lingyi in front of the screen.
And there's Yu Kaiqing in the nanny van.
And someone on the other side of the Eurasian continent.
“No,” Wen Jia answered ambiguously. “Sweetness isn’t necessarily about relationships. It’s just that some things have happened in recent years that have made me understand better how to love myself and the people around me. Many small details make me feel sweet.”
"As for good things," Wen Jia chuckled, "being able to keep coming up with good scripts and getting jobs I like is the best thing for me."
With a 'snap' and a cold laugh, the screen of a certain computer was turned off for the second time.
The black screen faintly reflected the man's slightly dissatisfied expression.
Wen Jia seemed to hear the noise and shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.
The interview lasted for half an hour. After it ended, Wen Jia and Lin Xi were invited to the after-party of the gala night.
The party ended at 10 p.m. Wen Jia, wearing a shawl, got into her van. She had drunk some alcohol, but not enough to make her drunk.
Clicking on Xu Shaoting's chat box, I saw that he was indeed very busy, with no new messages as usual.
Wen Jia typed a few words, then deleted them, and didn't send anything.
With business being the priority right now, she turned to Weibo, organized the group photos from the after-party—a total of eighteen photos—added a simple caption and hashtag, and posted them all at once.
After doing all that, she went to the studio's official Weibo account, where the staff had already edited together a personal clip of her interview.
Wen Jia dragged the progress bar directly to the last part, which was the last question.
On the screen, the host smiled as he looked at her, "I also noticed a few days ago that Teacher Wen's promotional post for her new movie topped our Weibo entertainment chart. Could you tell us a little about what kind of movie it is? I'm sure the audience in front of the screen is very curious."
"It's a romance film, but it's not just about love; it also explores courage, growth, and choices."
The host, familiar with industry norms, only asked vague questions: "How do you think this role needs to be developed? Are there any similarities between your own personality and the character's persona?"
After pondering for a while, Wen Jia answered very seriously: "There are similarities and differences, but overall there are more differences. In the play, I play a female painter suffering from ALS. This character expresses her feelings very subtly, which I think is where I differ from her."
"Could you elaborate on how the female lead expressed her emotions? Or, are there any scenes that left a particularly deep impression on you?"
Wen Jia couldn't reveal too much, only saying the general idea: "As for the most memorable scenes... I remember a very dramatic expression where the female lead expressed her longing by thinking about the male lead's face in her mind."
"You think this is where you and the female protagonist are quite different, right?"
Wen Jia nodded without hesitation, affirming her, "Yes, I think I'll be more straightforward than the character."
The female host pressed further, "So, if it were you, how would you express your feelings or longing?"
Wen Jia lowered her eyes and saw herself slowly facing the camera on her phone screen, speaking calmly and deliberately:
"If it were me, I would take the initiative to see him."
She exited the replay, opened Lin Youzhe's chat window, and sent him a message:
"Secretary Lin, could you do me a favor?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The next chapter will end the long-distance relationship! We'll meet! And have a scene together!
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