Chapter 10 At the entertainment gala, being unscrupulous is the key to success and glory. ...
After the director team for "The Knot" was officially announced online, this project was upgraded to become the second big project after "The Beauty".
The production team received a flood of investment and sponsorships, and the entire entertainment industry eagerly awaited the subsequent casting process, hoping to get a piece of the pie.
At this point, more than a month had passed since Zhu Qingzhi last appeared in the public eye, and a large number of fans flooded the studio's Weibo account with inquiries.
The studio's last update was the announcement that Zhu Qingzhi had joined Chaoxing, so the comments section exploded.
[I knew this studio was shameless! How could a top-tier actress sign with such an unknown little company!]
[It's better for my wife to start her own business than to jump from a hellish place like Shangya to a place with practically no resources!]
[We should have been wary when the actress was replaced; why are we still courting disaster?!]
[It's almost the end of the year and she still hasn't started filming, and she's only 25! Is she just going to stay home and do nothing?!]
Such comments are all expressions of the fans' deep love and care.
Zhu Qingzhi and her team discussed it and she posted eighteen pictures of her daily life. Three of them were snippets of her work, and the other was a silhouette of her curled up on the sofa by the bed reading a script.
The attempt to appease the fans had a decent but not significant effect; the fans weren't very receptive. Meanwhile, the number of comments under Chaoxing's Weibo post exploded to over 60,000, and her name appeared on the trending topics list for the second time.
The morning star has turned red; who says black and red isn't red?
Director Zheng also sent a letter saying that due to some problems with scene construction and actor selection, the start date would be postponed to February next year.
Judging from the fact that he only officially announced the cast list close to the start of filming, it can be inferred that Zhu Qingzhi had a nearly four-month hiatus from the public eye.
A period of inactivity usually means being ignored or fading into obscurity, but for someone like Zhu Qingzhi, who has endorsements from top luxury brands and is in the prime of her career, it means her career is about to collapse.
In addition, although she was able to participate in several grand events at the end of the year, the order of appearance and seating arrangements were much worse than in the past.
This is definitely a sign that he's going to go into hiding, so it's understandable that his fans are worried.
Actually, after the official announcement of her endorsement, Zhu Qingzhi received a number of good scripts, and after some picking and choosing, she found two or three that were suitable.
However, after signing with Chaoxing, the attitude of those in charge was not so enthusiastic. After all, there was no indication of her backing or anyone protecting her. The LR endorsement seemed like hush money that had been abandoned by her sugar daddy.
Therefore, Dani, who was initially excited because Zhu Qingzhi won the award for "Yunshuiyao", could no longer smile.
"It's good for me to work on my scripts during this time; I don't need to take on any more roles." Zhu Qingzhi genuinely didn't care.
The original novel of "The Ballad of Yunshui" has been enriched into a script with many new plot points, character relationships, and emotional entanglements, all of which require careful consideration.
But she also understands Dani and her fans' feelings, "When will the dramas I filmed before be broadcast? And when will the dating reality show that Director Yang mentioned be put on the agenda?"
"There's a drama where the production company and investors have fallen out, so it's unlikely to air for now. There's no news about the others either. I've also inquired about variety shows, and they still won't be available until the end of December."
Dani calmed down and analyzed the situation carefully. "Moreover, if you only participate in variety shows invested in by Chaoxing, it will only have the opposite effect."
She even came up with the trending topic: "[Zhu Qingzhi's resources have been downgraded, and the company she's signed with can only create these kinds of resources for her]".
“I’ll go to auditions.” Zhu Qingzhi thought for a moment. “I’ll go to any open casting call I can get. As long as I can give my fans an explanation.”
It's no big deal. If you don't have resources, then go and get them yourself. Since her debut, she's always been the kind of person who's been blessed with good fortune.
In a compilation of graduates circulating online, she caught the eye of a talent scout who chased after her, invited her to participate in a variety show, and was appreciated by director Xu, becoming the female lead in his short film set in the Republican era.
Since then, she has entered the public eye and received numerous acting offers. In just three years, she has become a highly sought-after female star in the industry.
She has always had excellent fashion resources. Many brands that she had previously contacted have invited her to attend their new product launches, sponsor red carpet events, and feature her on magazine covers, all to show their sincerity.
Her career has been too smooth sailing, which has aroused the envy of many people and threatened their interests. However, she is capable enough and her interpersonal skills are impeccable.
Paparazzi staked out her for years but couldn't find any connection between her and any big shots, or even a single picture to spread rumors. But sooner or later, something was bound to happen. For example, the recent casting change for "Jiaren" became the fuse that brought her down from her pedestal.
When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; otherwise, just because of the casting controversy, her resources wouldn't have deteriorated to this extent. However, it's true that only when she falls will her resources flow elsewhere, allowing others to get a share.
Zhu Qingzhi has never denied how famous she is. She is indeed very famous, very proud, and very glamorous.
That's why she accepted the offer so readily when LR approached her to be their global ambassador; she deserved it and was worthy of it.
“I know you don’t care about these things, but you’re still a top-tier brand and you’re an LR brand ambassador.”
Dani wasn't trying to discourage her; she told the truth, "We'll be recording an entertainment awards ceremony in a few days. I'll run into the director and producer then and try to get it done."
*
In December, Beijing is a desolate city, covered in a blanket of white snow.
On the eve of the entertainment awards ceremony, Director Xu suddenly posted a two-minute video on Weibo. It was a clip from a rejected film shot three years ago, featuring a close-up of Zhu Qingzhi's monologue, captioned: "[Stubborn, temperamental]".
At this point, filming of "The Beauty" was already halfway through, and several behind-the-scenes clips of the female lead's filming circulated online. The action scenes were quite clear, and the show even bought several trending topics, but it didn't generate much buzz.
Director Xu's Weibo post directly evoked memories of the deceased, and the names of Xiao Tang and Zhu Qingzhi both became trending topics.
The organizers of the entertainment awards ceremony were also on the front lines of the gossip, and immediately adjusted the order of the red carpet, arranging for the two of them to walk the red carpet one after the other.
"Our show is doing alright, we might even win an award." Shen Yaozhi, the male lead of [Fengya], couldn't help but joke around with Zhu Qingzhi as he looked at Xiao Tang walking ahead.
Zhu Qingzhi remained expressionless and casually took his arm, saying, "If it weren't for my incident, it wouldn't just be a matter of 'I'm sure I'd get it,' but definitely I would."
Their relationship has always been good. They collaborated on "Fengya" three times. When the controversy over the replacement of the actress occurred, "Fengya" was nearing its end. The investors were unwilling to let Zhu Qingzhi attend the closing ceremony, but Shen Yaozhi was fearless and called on her several times on stage.
She was caught in a media storm, and when he was interviewed, he didn't avoid suspicion. He even spoke up for her and confronted the reporter. Originally, the production team intended for them to walk separately on the red carpet, but it was only through Shen Yaozhi's efforts that they were able to walk together.
"How arrogant. You can leave the tricky questions to me later." Shen Yaozhi looked at the person in charge and waved to them, then led her forward.
Zhu Qingzhi smiled and replied in a soft voice, "Take it easy."
As expected, the host asked Xiao Tang to stay. The moment the three of them reunited, the flashbulbs were so frequent they were almost blinding.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the host asked a rather tricky question.
"The recent signing between Kiyoe and Asahi is quite big news. Everyone is curious about what you saw in Asahi that led to this collaboration?"
Of course, it's true that you're beholden to someone who gives you a gift, but you can't say that out loud.
Zhu Qingzhi could see Dani frantically winking at her from not far away: "He invited me, and I accepted. That's probably the attraction of a two-way street."
Her answer was appropriate but informal, and even a little playful. She clearly didn't want to respond, but had no choice but to.
The host glanced at the cue cards and didn't dwell on the question: "Tangtang and Qingzhi have worked together before, and it must have been a long time since they last saw each other. Is there anything they want to say to each other?"
Cooperation? Their cooperation was limited to the three-month training camp with [Jiaren]. It's true that the two of them didn't get along, but to make it public is a bit of an exaggeration.
The host handed the microphone to Xiao Tang first.
Xiao Tang was very polite. He nodded to Zhu Qingzhi before saying, "Qingzhi is an excellent actress. I still have many shortcomings and need to learn more from her and ask her for advice."
Because she has many shortcomings, she became the female lead in "The Beauty"? That doesn't make sense. So, to Zhu Qingzhi, it wasn't humility, but rather sarcasm and ridicule.
In fact, that was exactly what Xiao Tang meant. But since she said it first, Zhu Qingzhi could only agree. After all, people in the industry see each other all the time, and no one can really break off relations unless they want to be completely marginalized.
The host had just handed the microphone to Zhu Qingzhi's lips.
With his hands in his pockets, Shen Yaozhi lazily blocked the view in front of him, tilted his head, and asked the host, "I've also worked with Zhu Qingzhi before. Why don't you ask me what I want to say to her?"
The suddenness of the question tested the host's on-the-spot reaction. He paused for a moment, put down his cue cards, and then asked Shen Yao a question.
"A slow-witted, mute workaholic." Shen Yaozhi took the host's microphone and held it in his hand without giving it back. "She's exactly the same as the female lead in [Fengya]."
He glanced at Xiao Tang, even looking to her side to make sure she was walking the red carpet alone. He raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Xiao Tang, which film crew are you with today?"
[Beauty] It hasn't even aired yet, what are you putting on airs for? And what are you all doing here, fawning over each other?
Zhu Qingzhi understood the implication in his words.
...No, brother, can't you value your own life?!
Zhu Qingzhi closed her eyes, snatched the microphone from his hand, and asked cautiously, "Mr. Zhai, are you in a bad mood today? Did you get shot?"
"No way, Shuangcheng. I'm just a bit sharp-tongued, it's really not a reason for me to get shot." Shen Yaozhi softened his tone, shrugged, and smiled as he stepped back.
"Little Zhai" and "Little Shuangcheng" are nicknames for their characters in the drama, and these two lines are also faithful recreations of lines from the show.
It has to be said that Shen Yaozhi admires Zhu Qingzhi's intelligence. This conversation not only turned the tide but also promoted the drama "Wind Cliff." It's a pity she didn't have a mouth.
The host didn't dare keep them any longer and quickly moved on to the next film crew to go through the process.
Coincidentally, Zhu Qingzhi and Xiao Tang were seated in the center of the first row, surrounded by several cameras.
Clearly, their seats were next to each other again.
A note from the author:
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Kiyoshi [Sunglasses]: Watch me win this game for myself.
Yaozhi [Sunglasses]: Oh.
Wen Qi [helplessly]: Hmm?
Author [doge emoji]: Light up a little star [rainbow fart emoji]! Congratulations to Xiao Zhu on her journey to success!
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