Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 299 Black Magic
On September 4, 2007, the Beijing Film Academy started its semester.

Today is the day Liu Jing has had the most free time in the past month or so.

After visiting Xixi on set in Hengdian, he spent ten days in the editing room and completed the editing of "Yin Yang Sacred Fire Order".

This feat amazed everyone; this guy has incredible energy.

Sleeping only three or four hours a day for so many days in a row would exhaust most people.

Next came the voice-over and music composition work. After Liu Jing and Zhang Min finished the voice-over, they flew directly to the United States.

Sissi celebrated her twentieth birthday in the United States, while some scenes for "The Forbidden Kingdom" were filmed in Los Angeles.

On August 29, filming for "The Forbidden Kingdom" wrapped up, and Liu Jing returned to China with Jing Tian and Xi Xi.

All told, he stayed in the United States for more than a month.

He was busy conducting surveys, promoting "Rush Hour 3," and spending time with Zhang Min, Xixi, and Jing Tian.

He was busy abroad, but his work in China was not neglected.

The TV series "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber: The Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Order" has passed review and is scheduled to premiere on September 28.

This drama doesn't need much promotion; the ongoing casting for "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" has generated the most buzz.

The film "Under the City Wall" could not be released as scheduled. Editing was a problem, censorship was a problem, and the school wanted the film to participate in international film festivals.

The three major international exhibitions have a requirement that the works submitted must not have been publicly screened.

"Old Liu, the Beijing Film Academy produces beauties every year, but each graduating class is worse than the last."

"This year's freshmen are indeed not as good as our class."

"Of course, Sister Honey can easily beat several sessions by herself."

"I'm not the class beauty, Shanshan is."

"But Honey, you're the school beauty."

The Beijing Film Academy was bustling with activity today, with luxury cars constantly passing by the main gate. Some were dropping off their own daughters, some were dropping off their goddaughters, and some were dropping off other people's daughters.

On campus, under the shade of trees, along the path, this is the only way for freshmen to go to their dormitories.

A small table was set up, and four young people sat on the ground.

Two decks of cards, four people playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game). They watch beautiful women and chat; the card game itself is the least important thing.

The student council received a report, and they were furious. It was the start of the new semester, and people were gathering to play cards. This was seriously damaging to the school's image.

Led by an official, they arrived in a flurry to enforce the law. Upon closer inspection, they greeted the officers and then left.

This scene is familiar; it happened here and at this time last year as well.

"Honey, it's been a year, where's my boyfriend?" Shen Ao asked with a resentful look.

"Haven't I introduced you to enough girls from my dorm—Yuan Shanshan, Zhang Xiaofei, and Zhang Xuan—and from my class—Jiao Junyan, Tang Wan, and Duanmu? I even introduced you to two junior girls from the class of 06. You idiot, you can't even handle one, and you're blaming me?" Yang Mi was furious at his lack of ambition. A top student from the directing department couldn't even handle a girl from the acting department.

"Old Shen, you're on the wrong track. Never date someone from a performing arts program. Recording, composition, art design, animation, digital media—any of those are easier to find than acting. Performing arts students have the highest standards and the best looks. You're not Liu Jing, how could anyone possibly be interested in you?" Old Lu said smugly, because his girlfriends were all from those programs.

"Beauty is justice." Shen Ao was very stubborn.

"It's not that there's no way, you have to look among the freshmen, they're relatively easier to hook up with. There are plenty of old hooligans eyeing the junior and senior girls off campus, you don't stand a chance." Old Lu chuckled, and finally pointed at Liu Jing, "Old Liu, I wasn't talking about you, you're a little hooligan."

"Get lost," Liu Jing said irritably.

Today was also the day he returned to school. He had just settled in when these two guys dragged him here.

He really had no idea whether there were any high-quality girls among the freshmen.

So what if the quality is high? Few can surpass Jing Tian. This year's juniors already have enough with her.

Sisi from the class of 02, Yang Mi from the class of 05, and Jing Tian from the class of 07—I really have a connection with the Beijing Film Academy.

He was playing cards here, waiting for Jing Tian to appear.

"I also want to be a hooligan, but they won't give me the chance," Shen Ao sighed, envying his roommates for another day.

Leaving aside things outside of school, just looking at the present, Yang Mi, this popular young actress, is truly devoted to her roommates—no, she has a deep brotherly bond with them.

"Old Shen, you should get to know Shanshan better. She seems to like you a lot." Yang Mi's eyes darted around. Finding a boyfriend for her roommate seemed like a good idea.

"10JQKA." Liu Jing threw down a few cards, somewhat annoyed.

Yuan Shanshan had a good impression of every male student in the directing department. This woman was trying to pimp him out, seeing him as dangerous.

He wasn't angry about the act itself, but rather that Yang Mi thought too little of him.

Yuan Shanshan is indeed beautiful, but he's not the type to be unable to resist every beautiful woman he sees.

Having experienced countless battles and been through many trials, he can remain calm and composed when faced with ordinary beautiful women.

"Take it back." Yang Mi quickly picked up the cards and stuffed them into Liu Jing's hand. "You idiot, we're on the same team, why are you betting on my straight? Old Lu is the landlord."

"Who says you can't play your partner's cards? I have so many straights, what can't I do?" Liu Jing said irritably. "I'm playing you, trying to get you to act as a pimp."

"Fine, you said it yourself, four Js." Yang Mi sneered.

Today is also the day Yuan Shanshan returned to school, and she specially brought Liu Jing some local specialties from her hometown.

Yuan Shanshan is from Xiangfan, Hubei Province, and she and Liu Jing are from the same hometown.

It's fine for her to send local specialties, but the fact that she did it behind Yang Mi's back without telling her is concerning.

Yang Mi was furious. "Liu Jing is someone I know. I introduced you to him. Without my introduction, how would he know who you, Yuan Shanshan, are? As my roommate, how could you do this without even asking? What are you trying to do?"
If Yuan Shanshan had simply informed her, Yang Mi wouldn't have stopped her, much less gotten so angry.

Even if she and Liu Jing were not in a romantic relationship, this kind of behavior is still a major taboo in social situations.

Yang Mi knew all too well where her roommate had been for the past month.

In order to participate in the casting for The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Yuan Shanshan did not go back to her hometown at all, but stayed at Yang Mi's house instead.

Yang Mi knew so much about the local specialties from her hometown, which were bought in Yandu. Why did she know that? Because she drove Yuan Shanshan to buy them.

As for how she knew her roommate had given her a gift, it wasn't through Liu Jing; she had her own sources.

"Five nines."

"Five nines."

Old Lu and Shen Ao exchanged bewildered glances. "Brothers, this is really getting heated. It seems like this has nothing to do with us. This doesn't look like playing cards; it looks more like a game of 'Run Fast'."

"Old Lu, do you want five 9s?" Yang Mi asked.

"Ah! Should I take it or not?" Old Lu hesitated, thinking, "I can afford it, but I don't dare to take it."

"You're the landlord, who are you asking?" Yang Mi retorted.

"I can't afford it." Old Lu quickly shook his head. "You're the landlord, I'm the tenant."

"Airplane, sorry, we're out of licenses." Yang Mi laughed heartily.

"Sister Mi is amazing, no wonder she can play Lin Daiyu. She's proficient in calligraphy and painting, and her chess and card skills are exceptional. She's the perfect Lin Daiyu!" Old Lu flattered.

"Come on, Lin Daiyu is a role no one wants." Yang Mi couldn't hide her joy.

When Rong Xinda first took over the adaptation of "Dream of the Red Chamber", Yang Mi didn't think of Lin Daiyu, feeling that she wasn't very suitable.

She had told her boss that she wanted to play Xue Baochai, and he did not object.

The production team of "Dream of the Red Chamber" started casting nationwide in October. Recently, the director stated on several occasions that Yang Mi is more suitable to play Lin Daiyu.

Yang Mi was naturally delighted; Lin Daiyu was even more popular than Xue Baochai. She had never dared to imagine such a thing before, never expecting her mentor to treat her so kindly.

In the 87 TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber," it's easy to know who played Lin Daiyu. But who played Xue Baochai? That's something to think about.

She didn't film any movies during the summer vacation; instead, she spent her time reading "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

In her opinion, the role of Lin Daiyu in "Dream of the Red Chamber" was a sure thing, after all, it was a production by her own company. Her sights were set on the "Three Kingdoms" production team, hoping to land an important female role, preferably Diao Chan, with Xiao Qiao and Sun Shangxiang as her second choices.

She couldn't do it herself, but she had her older brother.

All she had to do was coordinate her schedule with the company.

The production team of "Dream of the Red Chamber" has stated that no other roles are allowed during filming.

Yang Mi felt that now that she was Rong Xinda's top female star, she would definitely receive some special treatment.

"The eldest sister has acted in too many period dramas and wants to change her image. If she were to play Lin Daiyu, she would definitely be even more outstanding," Shen Ao said regretfully.

The "big sister" he was referring to was Xixi, which was also how Liu Jing's classmates called her.

Yang Mi really wanted to throw the cards in his face. No wonder he couldn't find a girlfriend; it would be a miracle if he could.

"The boss is no human being," Old Lu sighed.

Yang Mi was secretly pleased. You are really brave to curse Liu Yifei as inhuman in front of Liu Jing.

Old Lu continued, "Rush Hour 3 has already grossed over $100 million in North America, and over $10 million in France in just half a month. At this rate, it will definitely gross over $200 million worldwide, and $300 million is not impossible. The action scene with the eldest sister was crisp and clean, it was just too cool. Our eldest sister is an international superstar now, she wouldn't even look at a role like Lin Daiyu."

Yang Mi groaned softly; that really stung. She regretted her earlier self-deprecating remark; it was definitely asking for trouble.

On August 10th, "Rush Hour 3" was released in North America, grossing over $50 million in its opening weekend. Sissi's role wasn't large, but every scene she appeared in was outstanding, especially her fight scene.

The main reason people went to see this movie was to see Jackie Chan, but many others went to the theater because of Sissi.

With her Grammy Award win, Sissi is no unknown figure on the international stage.

With the release of the movie, people abroad got to know Sissi better, discovering that she was not only a singer but also a kung fu heroine.

Many international brands are seeking collaborations, elevating the level of brand ambassadors to a new level.

Unfortunately, due to censorship issues, the film was not released in China, but that didn't stop the powerful netizens. Piracy and bootleg copies were readily available online.

Her achievements in Southeast Asia are particularly outstanding, and Sissi has become the most popular female star there.

Her unwavering popularity score has finally started to rise recently, reaching 89 points.

"Many viewers are really looking forward to 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' and I heard that the director added a lot of scenes featuring female gang leaders at the last minute," Shen Ao added.

The two were engrossed in their banter, completely oblivious to Yang Mi's expression.

"Three o'clock, a stunning beauty." Liu Jing quickly changed the subject; if he continued, Yang Mi would shuffle the deck of cards to pieces.

My brother's relative is here, and she's already in a bad mood, so don't upset her.

The beautiful woman was still the most attractive, and everyone's eyes turned to her, including Yang Mi, who was sulking.

"Holy crap, he must be old."

"Your breasts are quite big too." "Big breasts and an older woman, of course she's a great beauty." Yang Mi's anger turned to joy; her older brother was concerned about her and was changing the subject.

"I meant 3 a.m.," Liu Jing said with a smile.

"I despise you." Shen Ao raised his middle finger. A well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man. Three o'clock in the afternoon and three o'clock in the morning are the same place.

"Ten o'clock, a real beauty!" Old Lu exclaimed excitedly. This wasn't the boy who cried wolf; a real beauty had arrived.

"Come on, you two are ganging up on single guys. Holy crap, she really is a beauty. Old Lu, five minutes, I need her information." Shen Ao was even more excited; she was clearly a freshman, his target.

"Ten meals, I'll tell you now," Old Lu said with a smile.

"Okay," Shen Ao readily agreed.

"Kan Qingzi, from Northeast China, born in 88." Old Lu laughed, "Ten meals a day is really easy."

Kan Qingzi is from Harbin, and so is he. The two didn't know each other, but he had the freshman information in advance, so he naturally paid more attention to his fellow Harbin native.

Shen Ao felt the ten meals were well worth it and sighed, "Jing Tian is in danger. A new variable has appeared in this year's competition for the school beauty."

"This girl is perfect for the role of Xiao Zhao." Yang Mi stared intently at her. Men like to look at beautiful women, and women do too.

“No! I think she’s more suitable to play Yin Li,” Shen Ao objected.

"What kind of look is that? Yang Buhui is the most suitable." Old Lu disagreed.

"Are you still going to play cards? If not, then let's leave." Liu Jing didn't want to hear about the casting process; he was thoroughly annoyed by it lately.

The casting for "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" began in early August, when Liu Jing was not in China.

A rumor suddenly spread in the entertainment industry that casting was just a formality, a publicity stunt, and that Liu Jing had decided on the casting with a single sentence.

From then on, relatives and friends greeted her in all sorts of ways: younger sister, niece, nephew, the neighbor's daughter, a friend's granddaughter, the great-granddaughter of her great-aunt's second uncle next door...

No matter how Liu Jing explained it, no one believed him, because it was true.

"Playing cards is secondary; looking at beautiful women is the main thing." Shen Ao was still watching Kan Qingzi's back.

"I'm different from you. I'm looking for promising new students." Old Lu chuckled. Who says you can't look at other beautiful girls if you have a girlfriend?

"By the way, Lao Liu, when are the third round of auditions? Take me to see them." Shen Ao snapped out of his reverie, the beautiful woman already gone. He suddenly remembered that there were far more beautiful women at the casting call.

“Me too,” Old Lu said.

"Heh, you're not different from me," Shen Ao sneered.

"It's definitely different. I went there to learn about casting techniques." Old Lu smiled, thinking, "How could you, a homebody, possibly win an argument with me?"

"On September 8th, at the Chunqiu Studio, you will be the audience."

These are all minor issues. Auditions require a live audience, and not only to watch, but also to participate in the work.

The judges' and observers' scores have a weight of 0.6, the live audience's scores have a weight of 0.2, and the off-site audience's votes have a weight of 0.2. The contestant with the highest final score wins the role.

The audience wasn't randomly selected; most of them were students from various universities.

"Sister Mi, are you going?" Shen Ao regarded Yang Mi as his matchmaker, and his happiness for the rest of his life depended on Yang Mi's introduction.

Throughout the entire school, from teachers to students, no one knew as many classmates as Yang Mi.

"Sorry, I'm an observer, I'm not joining you in the audience." Yang Mi said smugly.

The third round of auditions was conducted in the format of a variety show.

Behind the three judges' seats, ten observer seats were added, including company managers, celebrities, media reporters, and film critics, who also had the right to score.

The ten seats were either invited or purchased.

Being able to attend as an observer is a form of publicity for the company and also enhances the artist's status.

Yang Mi wouldn't miss out. She didn't need to pay; she had connections. She just needed to tell her brother and she could take her seat directly.

"Amazing, Sister Mi truly deserves to be one of the leading figures of the post-85 generation." Old Lu quickly praised her.

Yang Mi was overjoyed; she would be even happier if the word "one of" could be removed.

However, she is confident that one will soon become two. With the broadcast of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Three Kingdoms", she and Liu Yifei are the only two leading actresses among the post-85 generation, and Shu Chang can only look up to them.

"A road leads to the ends of the earth, two hearts are bound together. The wind cannot blow away our vows..."

Yang Mi was no longer happy; it wasn't Liu Jing's ringtone, but the school's loudspeaker.

Playing this song at this time made her realize she was quite ill.

"This song is really good, and the music video is really well made. The eldest sister looks absolutely stunning in that cotton and linen cheongsam. If this were a Qing Dynasty drama, none of the other concubines would stand a chance," Old Lu exclaimed.

"Beauty is everything. I doubt any director would cast her in a Qing Dynasty drama. Even if she doesn't play the Empress, the audience won't be happy. And if she suffers even a little, the audience will be even less willing," Shen Ao chimed in.

"Haha, if the boss were to act in a Qing Dynasty drama, she probably wouldn't survive an episode. All those bitches of concubines and trashy palace maids would gang up on her and kill her."

"That depends on whether the emperor loves the empress or not. If the emperor is very pleased, there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"You don't know anything. The infighting in the harem is full of open and covert battles, and even the emperor can't win."

"Ideally, they should resemble Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, the big sister..."

Yang Mi took a deep breath. "What are you guys discussing? The topic has completely gone off track."

These words were even more offensive than what she had said about Lin Daiyu. She wanted to retort. "Can't we play cards without mentioning Liu Yifei?"

But after glancing at his smiling older brother, he stubbornly held back his words.

Last time, she used Liu Yifei to test him, and her older brother ignored her for two months before finally paying attention to her after returning from the United States.

She used to fantasize that with her gentle and considerate nature, and her stunning figure, she could provide emotional support and relieve stress, making it impossible for men to live without her. Now, she's faced with reality: she can't live without this man.

Liu Jing was indeed smiling; "Kangmei's Love" had opened a new path for acquiring entertainment value.

When Sisi levels up, the system unlocks a new feature: the bond with maxed-out affection creates a certain amount of entertainment effects, generating an atmosphere of entertainment.

Now that Liu Jing has figured it out, the music video not only promotes the pharmaceutical company but also promotes local culture and tourism.

"Kangmei's Love" was broadcast on CCTV in early July. Many people went to Guilin for tourism during the summer vacation because of this music video, which generated certain economic and cultural benefits.

On the morning of August 3rd, Yandu time, Liu Jing was having dinner in Los Angeles.

Zhang Min is a very wealthy woman; she bought a villa in Los Angeles. Liu Jing personally cooked several dishes to entertain their guest, Jing Tian.

While Liu Jing was having dinner, a piece of news came out of nowhere, leaving him stunned for a long time.

[The game "Kangmei's Love" has boosted local cultural and tourism development, generating 162328 points of cultural and entertainment activity.]

Yesterday morning, Liu Jing was in bed with his older sister when another message came in.

[The game "Kangmei's Love" has boosted local cultural and tourism development, generating 146581 points of cultural and entertainment activity.]

Liu Jing didn't know the calculation method. But he understood one thing: the settlement of cultural and entertainment energy occurred every month, and it was always on time on the 3rd.

There will definitely be less and less of it in the future, but the advantage is that it is continuous.

Liu Jing was thrilled. This wasn't a golden hen laying eggs; it was clearly a phoenix laying eggs.

Unfortunately, the only one he had a 100-point favorability rating with was his older sister. To repay his sister's kindness, he put in a lot of effort, to the point that his spring mattress was almost worn out.

"Hey! Three fives with a pair of threes, do you want one?" Yang Mi didn't dare to say anything, but she made some small moves and took the opportunity to kick her older brother.

"No, I'll be right back." Liu Jing squinted and saw a familiar figure.

"Where are we going?" Yang Mi's heart skipped a beat. Was she angry again?

"I'll go to the five o'clock position to settle the accounts." Liu Jing threw the cards on the table and rubbed his hands together, eager to start.

"Jing Tian..." Old Lu was surprised. What are you talking about? Isn't she your little lover?

"I'll go too, you guys pack up." Yang Mi couldn't sit still any longer; this was going to be interesting.

Jing Tian also saw Liu Jing and instinctively turned to run away.

"Stop!" Liu Jing shouted, grabbing Jing Tian's shoulder.

"Liu Jing, what are you doing? Let go of Jing Tian, ​​my junior. On the first day of school, you want to hit someone?" The student who was showing Jing Tian around the campus mustered up his courage and tried to push Liu Jing away.

"Don't move, this is my brother. Thank you. He often goes to the girls' dormitory. Let him take me back to my room," Jing Tian quickly explained.

Liu Jing's face darkened. "When did I go to the girls' dormitory? I don't even know which way the door opens."

"Jing Tian..." The two students still didn't believe it and wanted to provide more services for their junior.

"It's alright, you can go back now. Thank you for your help." Jing Tian waved her hand in thanks, and the two students reluctantly left.

"Hehe, bro, you've gotten even more handsome." Jing Tian turned around with a fawning expression. There was no way around it; she had offended Brother Jing too badly this time.

"Heh, you're not answering the phone or replying to texts, so keep hiding." Liu Jing checked the time; it was already 5 PM, and this girl was only now showing up.

Clearly, she's still avoiding him.

Today is freshman registration day, and she can't hide anymore.

"You can run away, but you can't hide," Liu Jing had already thought it through. Since the girls' dormitory was open to all today, he planned to take a stroll there tonight.

"It's just a pomegranate tree, why are you being so stingy? I'll give you a hundred trees, is that alright? Besides, you agreed to trade the pomegranate tree for cherries. You've eaten plenty of my cherries, you can't go back on your word." Jing Tian argued vehemently.

"Jing Tian, ​​is that related to the pomegranate tree? You're really something, casting a curse on me." Liu Jing pinched her little face, feeling angry, affectionate, and amused all at the same time.

“It was wrong of me to cast a spell on you. I won’t tell Sister Qian your secret, so we can call it even. What do you think?” Jing Tian said with a pained expression. The spell hadn’t worked; Jing Ge showed no signs of being controlled by her.

"What secrets could I possibly have?" Liu Jing said dismissively. Having finally caught Jing Tian red-handed, he was determined to make good use of it.

This girl may seem easygoing, but she's actually very principled. Liu Jing wants to soften her principles a bit.

That night, his attempt to combine the two flowers, the 'Wealthy Flower' and the 'Heavenly Fairy,' failed.

He went back and forth between the two bedrooms, but neither of them had any intention of going into the other room.

"Min-jie is pregnant, I won't tell... mmm..."

Liu Jing quickly covered Jing Tian's mouth. Qianqian already knew, so it didn't matter if she told her.

But Yang Mi didn't know about this. If this troublemaker knew, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause.

Unfortunately, walls have ears, and Yang Mi was watching the show right behind Jing Tian.

Fortunately, she only said she was pregnant, without mentioning whose child it was.

"Zhang Min is pregnant? Holy crap, could it be your child?" Yang Mi exclaimed in shock, then overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)