Chapter 205 The Person I Shouldn't Have Seen
For the next two days, Xia Mian spent all her free time in shopping malls, picking out pearls and crystals in Nangang, and buying specially supplied cigarettes and alcohol in Beijing as New Year's gifts for the main cast and crew of the film.
Besides the main cast and crew, the other staff and supporting actors were also included. He packed nearly a hundred portions of Beijing specialty snacks, filling the entire cabin.
So much so that when they landed in Yunshan, the nanny van couldn't carry them all, and Li Zi had to call a Lalamove to transport them into the city.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Chestnut and Big Yellow were in charge of delivering snacks, while Xia Mian personally delivered gifts to the main cast members, knocking on each room door. The girls gave jewelry, and the boys gave cigarettes and alcohol.
By the time everything was done, it was almost dark. Chestnut and Big Yellow came back to Xia Mian to report. Seeing how tired and sweaty they were, Xia Mian pulled out two large red envelopes: "I was supposed to give them to you on New Year's Eve, but WeChat has a limit, so I can only give them to you when we meet. I hope we can continue to work hard and make progress together in the new year."
"Wow, this is thick!" Da Huang took the red envelope, opened it, and inside were 18,888 brand-new banknotes. "Thank you, boss! It's never too late to pay!"
Da Huang's statement is a bit of an exaggeration. As a rising stylist, his salary is almost double the amount of the red envelopes he receives. However, the definition of a salary is that the artist pays for his work, and both sides get what they need. Besides, if the artist gives him a red envelope, it's because they acknowledge his talent; if they don't, it's perfectly reasonable for them to.
Of all the artists Da Huang has worked with, Xia Mian is the first to receive such a high salary.
Chestnut's salary is relatively low. The assistant job is a stepping stone for newcomers to enter the industry and is used to gain experience. The monthly income is less than 10,000.
So Xia Mian added, "If you want to go to a new platform or have better options, don't be shy, just tell me and I'll talk to Wei Ge on your behalf. Like I said before, we need to make progress together."
Chestnut understood his implied meaning and felt a warmth in her heart: "Thank you, boss. Whether there's a red envelope or not, I'll take good care of you."
"Go for it!" The three-person team gave each other a high five, and the new year's work officially began.
The crew is still working long hours every day, leaving early and returning late, with dark circles under their eyes. The only good thing is that as spring approaches, the temperature is rising, so they don't have to stick heat packs all over their legs anymore.
During this time, the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala was officially announced as scheduled. The fans originally thought it would be a local TV station or an online gala, but they didn't expect it to be on CCTV! Although it can't compare to the Spring Festival Gala in terms of prestige, it's enough to make them happy!
After all, the last time they saw their brother sing and dance was in a small stadium in Tongshan. They wanted Xia Mian to stand on a more dazzling and higher stage more than anyone else.
The schedule for the gala was arranged with the production team. Xia Mian departed on the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and arrived at the station at noon. Fans were already waiting outside, holding up light boards with his name on them.
When Xia Mian appeared under the protection of bodyguards, the fans screamed excitedly, but dared not scream too loudly for fear of offending fans and staff from other groups, so they stopped screaming halfway through.
Xia Mian stopped and burst out laughing: "What's that sound? It's like a balloon deflating."
He wasn't wearing makeup, hat, glasses, or any other accessories; his bare face was still amazing. Fans admired his looks while simultaneously expressing their dissatisfaction: "It's all because of you!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong," Xia Mian quickly admitted her mistake. "Li Zi, get them some chocolate or something to warm them up."
"Thank you, Mianmian! Hehe! What's your performance number? What style of stage are you preparing for this time? Could you tell us in advance?"
"It's a collaboration piece, but there's no dancing. I'm going in now, and I won't be able to come out until the end. Don't wait outside, hurry up and go inside, or find somewhere to shelter from the wind."
Perhaps because Xia Mian is married, there aren't many radical fans. So whenever she sees fans waiting for her schedule at a public event, Xia Mian will stop and chat with them. Sometimes she'll even secretly accept the letters they hand her or the photo albums and journals they make.
"Then we'll be waiting for you to come on stage. Good luck with your performance!"
Xia Mian gave them a thumbs-up and walked away happily.
Two rehearsals, one dress rehearsal, and an interview in between—Xia Mian was incredibly busy. At the end of the interview, the reporter asked Xia Mian to say a few words to the national audience. He smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Wishing all CCTV viewers a happy holiday, and may your lives be as sweet and fulfilling as the Lantern Festival."
Videos of the performers being interviewed were quickly compiled into trailers and played on a loop before the gala began. Among them was a young man in a long red trench coat whose face, even under CCTV's high-definition cameras, was flawless; his bone structure and skin were excellent, and his smile was natural and poised.
Viewers who don't watch variety shows much or pay much attention to entertainment gossip can't help but wonder—who is this young man? He looks so pleasing to the eye and is really likable!
They did a quick online search based on the name shown in the subtitles and found out it was an actor.
Oh, he's such a handsome young man! No wonder he's so refined!
At the start of the gala, Xia Mian was assigned to a medley of songs and paired with a famous singer to perform revolutionary songs together.
After listening, the audience was even more surprised. Wasn't this young man an actor? How could he sing so well!
The entire performance was broadcast live without any backing tracks, and she was in no way inferior to professional singers—of course, professional singers can't fully utilize their strengths in popular songs, but Xia Mian was already quite impressive.
This young heartthrob is definitely worth paying attention to!
Every generation produces new talents, and every year's gala features several unknown boys and girls who remain unknown even after the show ends. But this time, Xia Mian's performance was effective; with her stunning looks and solid singing skills, she gained national recognition for the first time.
The song medley segment was performed later in the order of appearance, and by the time the performance was over, it was already past 10 p.m.
Xia Mian originally wanted to return to the set overnight so as not to affect tomorrow's filming. Gao Yifeng disagreed, telling him to get some rest and return tomorrow afternoon, as he wouldn't be in good condition and the footage might not be satisfactory.
Because they planned to return to their film crew, Li Zi hadn't booked a hotel for Xia Mian. Due to the party, there definitely wouldn't be any good rooms available now. Xia Mian ultimately decided to take them back to Longxi; after all, nothing outside is as comfortable as home.
I can also ask Zhou Pingchuan if anything unpleasant has happened recently.
I've been too busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to find the time, but today is the perfect day.
Chestnut's big eyes lit up when she heard they were going to stay at Longxi. They had been to Longxi before when helping Xia Mian with her hair and makeup and packing, but they hadn't stayed overnight. They had heard that the guest bedroom mattresses at Longxi were all custom-made, and they were finally going to get to experience it!
The three of them, carrying large and small bags, happily entered the gate. Little did they know, they would once again see someone they shouldn't have in the park.
This time, Zhou Ting wasn't there; it was only Xia Mingzhao herself.
There are three paths in the front garden of Building 13 of Longxi. Xia Mian took the middle one, while Xia Mingzhao took the far left one. Due to poor night vision, Xia Mingzhao kept his head down and did not see Xia Mian.
Surprise, doubt, panic... a mix of emotions overwhelmed Xia Mian, and she didn't have time to greet him. By the time she realized what was happening, he was already gone.
What is Xia Mingzhao doing here in the middle of the night?
The plot he feared and tried so hard to avoid, will it still happen...?
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