Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 355 Sisi's Complete Freedom

Boom, boom, boom...

The gongs blared urgently, the drums beat rapidly, and the smoke billowed, filling people with unease.

Sisi, dressed in flowing white, appeared on stage like a phantom, exuding an eerie charm.

The audience gasped in surprise, and viewers watching on television felt their hearts tremble.

Liu Shishi twitched the corners of her mouth and silently complained, "Another white dress, do you have nothing else to wear?"

Fan Xiaopang, dressed in a blue robe, appeared dignified and elegant with a resolute expression as he walked out from the other side of the stage.

She walks with her eyes forward, hands naturally resting on her sleeves, toes slightly turned out, and feet lightly pressed down. This is the Qingyi step from traditional Chinese opera, a style that is restrained and subtle. Xiao Fan practiced it privately for over a month.

Liu Jing, clad in soft armor and wielding a long spear, made his entrance with a series of three steps. Each step landed precisely on the beat of the gongs and drums.

"Pfft, hahaha, Wood, are you and Fatty Bing going to put on a show? The kind where you can sing anytime, I already have a stage." Tang Yan's laughter broke the silence in the room.

"This is a bit awkward," Liu Shishi muttered to herself. If she were on stage like this, with a group of audience members watching, she would definitely be extremely embarrassed.

As soon as "Happy Camp" started, everyone stopped debating and focused on watching the show.

Some people are just watching the show, like Yang Mi and Tang Yan, who are even envious of when they'll get to appear on "Happy Camp." Variety shows are gradually changing; before, whoever appeared on them became famous, now it's whoever is famous who gets on.

Some people are looking into the details, such as Cai Yinong, Li Guoli, and Liang Shengquan; they are figuring out publicity and distribution techniques.

Some people don't want to watch at all, like Liu Shishi, who thinks it's better to go back to the hotel and sleep.

"Tangtang, you really know how to ruin the mood," Yang Mi said irritably.

"Tch!" Tang Yan pouted. Did I ruin the mood? Too talkative.

"That's how variety shows are. As long as you're not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed," Yang Mi said softly, trying to comfort her older brother who looked uncomfortable.

The others seemed not to hear, their experience telling them it was best not to get involved in the drama crew's female lead feuds. What was originally none of your business, if you dare to say a word, will definitely get you involved.

Liu Jing smiled. It was quite interesting on TV. It took a lot of effort to record this segment.

Recording is nothing; we're all actors, we can just record a few more times.

The Happy Camp production team was racking their brains over who should appear first. All three actors are big names, and if they weren't arranged properly, they would offend at least two parties.

Their original order was Liu Jing, Fan Xiaopang, and Liu Yifei, but they felt that Liu Yifei seemed to have more publicity potential, so they changed it to Liu Jing, Liu Yifei, and Fan Xiaopang.

In the end, it still felt inappropriate. There was a show where Fan Xiaopang almost quit because of the order in which he and Li Bingbing were filmed.

Some suggested that they should all appear on screen at the same time, but others objected. Who should the camera focus on? Who should the camera not focus on?

The planning team was at their wits' end and cautiously consulted with three industry experts.

This was no problem for Liu Jing; he didn't care much about status or billing order. Besides, these two weren't outsiders, so it didn't bother him if they overshadowed him. He immediately said, "I'll go last, so the ladies go first."

Fan Xiaopang also said, "Let Xixi appear first, she is the biggest selling point of 'Painted Skin'."

Sisi really wanted to suggest that Fan Xiaopang go first, since she was older. But she swallowed her words, not wanting it to affect her image or make her seem petty.

The stage was temporarily set up as an ancient-style courtyard, and the three main characters stood in a triangle, frozen in place.

Wang Sheng's eyes were deep and full of heroic spirit, but his brows were furrowed with worry.

Xiao Wei's eyes were filled with affection, but also with a hint of probing.

Pei Rong's gaze was firm as she looked at Wang Sheng, her eyes seeing nothing else.

At this moment, He Jiong stepped onto the stage, dressed in a simple long gown and holding a folding fan. Today, he was a storyteller.

"As the saying goes, in times of chaos and war, generals return from a hundred battles. A beautiful woman should be bathed in the glow of red candles, but alas… the allure of a painted skin appears, and the torment of love entangles the heart! Alas…"

With a snap, He Jiong closed his folding fan and pointed at Liu Jing. "Look! General Wang Sheng, returning in triumph, is exceptionally handsome, yet his brows are furrowed with worry. Why? Why? Why is this?"

Sisi suppressed a laugh, her figure swaying. She had a follow-up sentence to give. Why? Your surname is He, so what's there to ask?

He Jiong shook his head, then suddenly turned his fan and pointed at Fan Xiaopang, "It's because in front of me is my virtuous wife Pei Rong, who is as dignified as the moon and as affectionate as the sea."

He Jiong opened his folding fan, turned around to face Qianqian, and said, "Behind me is the enchanting fox spirit Xiaowei, so charming and alluring."

He fanned himself with his folding fan, clutching his chest. "This heart, is it human or demon? Is it love or delusion? Is it calamity or destiny? Is it him, her, or her?"

"Pfft..." Sisi, who had been standing still, couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

He Jiong laughed twice, "Welcome everyone to 'Happy Camp'! Today, our Happy Family will take you into the mystery of 'Painted Skin' and see how they paint hearts!"

Wow…

The audience erupted in applause.

Liu Jing straightened up and wiped away non-existent sweat. "Teacher He, it's confirmed. You have indeed acted in plays. My back is about to break."

Xie Na suddenly jumped out, clutching her heart in an exaggerated manner, even mimicking Liu Jing's actions, and shrieked, "Oh my god! Teacher He was so right! Liu Jing, your heart..."

She suddenly rushed towards Liu Jing, but just as she was about to reach him, she slammed on the brakes, turned around, and rushed towards Qianqian, "She's taken me away."

Then she turned around again and came to Fan Xiaopang's side, "and she pulled him back again."

She spun around twice, looking left and right, then suddenly froze, her eyes wide. "Oh no, oh no, isn't this the legendary hell on earth?"

Vega, Haitao, and Wu Xin burst into laughter, and the audience laughed along with them.

Yang Mi chuckled twice, but Tang Yan couldn't laugh. Among the twenty-odd people in front of the TV, several showed knowing smiles.

Liu Jing on TV wiped away another bead of sweat. Xie Na's startled reaction had really frightened him.

He and Sisi exchanged a glance, and he understood the meaning behind Sisi's eyes. "I have such a low threshold for laughter, how come I don't find it funny?"

Liu Jing responded with his eyes, "Me, too."

Xie Na was dressed as a demon slayer, while Li Weijia was dressed in a very modern style and wore a pair of refined glasses.

He pushed up his glasses and complained, "Nana, this isn't some kind of chaotic scene, it's a Nana-style spinning top frenzy! But then again..."

Li Weijia looked at Liu Jing, his tone playful, "General Wang Sheng, how many men dream of such treatment? A fairy-like beauty on your left, a domineering queen on your right! How can your heart not be in turmoil? I would be too."

Variety shows all have scripts, and "Happy Camp" is a variety show, so naturally it also has a script. It's not as detailed as filming a TV drama, with a general flow and a rehearsal beforehand. What topics can be discussed, what topics can't be discussed, who can be mentioned, and who can't be mentioned—all of this is explained in advance.

This episode is for promoting "Painted Skin," and the theme is "Painted Skin: A Heart-wrenching Tribulation - Inescapable Love Tribulation! Human Heart? Demon Heart? Who is the True Love?"

The core highlight is the intense love triangle, recreating the emotional vortex from the movie.

This is the opening segment. Later, there will be interviews, interactive games, and talent shows.

Hai Tao scratched his head sheepishly, looking both envious and confused. "Director Jing, I... I just want to ask, how exactly does this heart... how is it divided? Is it cut in half? Or is it like an electric fan, with love taking turns? This... this business, I'm not familiar with it."

He talked while gesturing, cutting the cake and spinning his hands around.

Xie Na was very cooperative, imitating the "whooshing" sound of an electric fan spinning nearby.

Fan Xiaopang raised an eyebrow, glanced at Qianqian, and Qianqian covered her mouth and laughed. Liu Jing is very skilled at this business.

Liu Jing still didn't find it funny; it was nowhere near as good as Guo Degang's crosstalk. Seeing the audience laughing so loudly, he forced a few laughs in response, as if not laughing would make him seem out of place.

"Hahahaha..." Tang Yan laughed. General Wang Sheng was indeed very familiar with this business.

While others might see it as a joke, she felt that every sentence could be used to describe someone.

Liu Jing sighed. Yang Mi's attention was all on her older brother, so she quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Those who perform crosstalk and sketch comedy definitely hope to have more audiences like Tangtang," Liu Jing muttered.

"Like a big, clumsy guy." Yang Mi said disdainfully, nudging her older brother with her elbow. "Hey! You seem a bit reserved, even more aloof than Shishi. You can't be like this on variety shows."

Liu Shishi glared at her and said, "You talk, stop dragging me into this."

"You talk like you have a lot of experience," Liu Jing muttered.

"Of course, I've been on more variety shows than you."

It's true that Liu Jing doesn't want to talk. Yang Mi is keen on variety shows, and Qianqian likes talk shows. He and Shu Chang are more or less the same; they don't like these kinds of shows.

The show was still going on when Wu Xin chimed in, "It's so cool, look!"

“If you speak too clearly, you’ll get your pay docked,” He Jiong joked.

"No! If you keep withholding it, I'll owe the station my salary," Wu Xin said quickly.

"What are you looking at? Do you think I'm prettier, or Liu Yifei and Fan Bingbing?" Xie Na touched her face.

The other hosts looked like they were about to vomit, but He Jiong opened his fan and said, "Nana, come and look in the mirror."

"Sunglasses, sunglasses, who is the ugliest woman on stage?" Xie Na asked seriously, looking at her fan, and then answered in a strange way, "Sun Goddess Xie Na, the ugliest woman in the world."

The hosts chuckled and laughed, and the audience roared with laughter, leaving the three guests no chance to speak.

He Jiong noticed and quickly steered the conversation back on track, "Xin Xin, what are you showing us? There's a handsome guy and two beautiful girls, we can't keep up!"

The hosts suddenly realized that the topic had gone off track and they were about to lose control.

Wu Xin quickly chimed in, "Look, look! Isn't this the aura of a top-tier love triangle? With Sister Bingbing standing there, it's as if 'If I don't die, you'll all become concubines.' And with just one look from Yifei, it's like, 'Brother, do I look like a human or a deity?'" "Little brother," Qianqian reflexively replied.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. The audience was especially in stitches; the fairy sister's serious expression was truly adorable.

Tang Yan laughed even harder, while Cai Yinong was both amused and exasperated, as she deeply understood the situation. She had mistaken the siblings for each other several times, only to be corrected on the spot by Qianqian. Unexpectedly, this time she was even bolder, emphasizing this point to so many audience members on the show.

"Hahaha, and then Liu Jing stood in the middle, perfect, I'm so embarrassed." He Jiong saw that Wu Xin couldn't keep up, so he quickly put his hand to his forehead and imitated Liu Jing.

"Sigh! This is so hard for me." Liu Jing imitated He Jiong and actually said those words, which made the room burst into laughter again.

"Haha, this love triangle is both a tribulation and a play! It's a play, but also real! What kind of treacherous hearts and demons lie hidden beneath this painted skin? How should we choose in this world of love? Let's peel back the fog and see the truth through the games and dialogues that follow! Let's welcome our three main characters: Liu Jing, Liu Yifei, and Fan Bingbing, and their highly anticipated fantasy epic—'Painted Skin'..."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, welcoming the guests. The three guests smiled and greeted the guests, and under He Jiong's guidance, the opening segment transitioned naturally.

"You're not doing well, you've been overshadowed by Qianqian." Yang Mi muttered softly, but Liu Yifei's presence, though only two words, overshadowed the entire room.

"If you're so capable, then you do it." Liu Jing glared at him, trying to sow discord, huh?

"I'll go, you said it yourself." Yang Mi pouted. Only by being on top can one take the initiative; if one is on the bottom, one can only be tormented.

Liu Jing didn't want to pay attention to her. This girl was getting more and more lewd. Sure enough, there's a difference between a young girl and a young woman.

After the opening show, the first interview segment began, guided by He Jiong and several hosts.

Several hosts and three guests sat around a curved sofa, while movie clips played on the background screen, including "Painted Skin" and "Three People in Confrontation".

"The next segment is called 'Peeling Back the Mask to See the Heart.'" As He Jiong's voice fell, the lights in the interview area softened, and soothing music began to play.

There was a table in front of the sofa with water and drinks, and the sponsors' products were particularly eye-catching.

"Yifei, everyone says that Xiaowei uses her seductive arts to bewitch people. Was the moment Wang Sheng fell in love something you deliberately planned?" He Jiong asked.

Sisi smiled faintly, resting her chin on her hand, then suddenly tapped her temple with her fingertip. "Teacher He, when Xiaowei knelt down to pick up the hairpin, she calculated the exact angle at which Wang Sheng leaned down. When we were filming this scene, the director had specific requirements. He was very strict about how much her eyelashes should tremble and how many inches of her neck should be exposed. At the time, I didn't understand, but the director told me that high-level hunters often appear as prey, and Xiaowei is such a demon. Demons don't understand love, but she understands the heart."

"Xiao Wei schemed and plotted, but in the end she still got herself into trouble. It shows that the methods of demons are still not as clever as those of humans," Xie Na laughed.

"Because she overlooked one thing: the scorching heat of a human general's palm is harder to resist than a thousand years of cultivation." Sisi smiled, glanced at Liu Jing, and then changed the subject, "But scripts are written by humans. No matter how clever a demon is, it's still under the pen of humans."

"Haha, people's hearts are like demons." Xie Na laughed loudly.

"So what you see when you peel back the layers is the human heart," Sisi said with a smile.

"Wow! That hits the point!" He Jiong exclaimed.

Liu Jing chuckled. From childhood to adulthood, Qianqian had never lost a verbal argument, unless she was too lazy to pay attention to you and didn't want to debate with you.

If you can't win a direct argument, you can try a counter-argument; if you can't win a counter-argument, you can try sophistry; if you can't win a sophistry, you can try cunning arguments; if you can't win a cunning argument, you can flip the table.

"Yifei, you said demons don't understand love, but in the end, Xiaowei was willing to give up all her cultivation for Wang Sheng. Isn't that love?" Wu Xin asked, puzzled.

“In biology, this is called genetic-level imitation error, and it certainly isn’t love. Demons see humans committing suicide for love and mistakenly take self-destruction as proof of being a romantic, so I plotted to make Pei Rong drink poison. Perhaps in the eyes of demons, destruction is always closer to their romance than construction.” Qianqian looked at Xiao Fan with eyes as clear as water, and Xiao Fan couldn’t help but shiver.

Xie Na made a fainting gesture. "Wait a minute, let me digest this. Do we need to know biology to chat now?"

"Haha, Sister Na, what if there suddenly came a strange old woman who's lived for thousands of years? Do you think she'd study 'On the Origin of Species' first, or 'The Complete Guide to Flirting'?" Xixi asked.

"Haha, of course it's 'The Complete Guide to Flirting,' that way I can win Liu Jing over." Xie Na laughed.

"Yifei, did Xiaowei use 'The Complete Guide to Flirting' to seduce Wang Sheng?" He Jiong joked.

Sisi pulled a book out from behind her back, flipped through a few pages at random, "Page 38, Article 6, let me see what the book says. Pretend to slip and drop the hairpin, calculate the timing and direction, and smash it onto Wang Sheng's instep with a thud."

"Haha, why is your 'Complete Guide to Flirting' called 'Happy Camp Program Schedule'?" Fan Xiaopang laughed.

"Oh my god! Quickly hide today's script, we've been exposed!" Xie Na hurriedly blocked Qianqian.

The audience burst into laughter. This was neither a script nor a program; the camera zoomed in, and it was clearly a story from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio."

“What Yifei said just now was very interesting. How about we let her play one?” He Jiong suggested.

As soon as he finished speaking, the host started to jeer, and the audience jeered even more.

Sisi was a little embarrassed. "If I take this hairpin off, my hair will have to be loose."

"Sister, do you think this hairpin is usable?" Hai Tao picked up the bottled water on the table, knelt on one knee, and handed it to her.

"Oh my god, I thought you were going to propose. If you propose with this, your wife will definitely think you're stingy." Sisi was startled.

"Then will you marry me?" Hai Tao quickly asked.

"What do you want me to marry you for?" Sisi countered.

Hai Tao looked dejected, and He Jiong said with disdain, "Move aside, you're delaying my performance."

The hosts made way for her, and Sisi, holding a bottle of water, asked Liu Jing speechlessly, "You really think this is a hairpin?"

"It won't kill anyone," Sisi said with a smile.

"Action..." He Jiong makes a cameo appearance as director.

Sisi linked arms with Liu Jing and took a few steps, exclaiming, "Oh! Brother Wang Sheng..."

"Yes!" Liu Jing agreed quickly.

Sisi took a deep breath and smashed the bottled water on Liu Jing's instep. "Look at my hairpin..."

Liu Jing sat on the ground, writhing in pain, clutching his foot and wailing, "Ouch, my leg is broken! Ouch, my toe is broken! Oh my god, my brand new shoes..."

Sisi was speechless; the acting had gone a bit too far.

She rolled her eyes; this scene was so familiar. It was just like that when she fought with students' parents back then. Thinking back, reminiscing, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.

She squatted down in front of Liu Jing, smiling warmly, "Hey, can you still use your medical insurance card?"

"What do you want to do?" Liu Jing asked warily.

"I want to use a spiked club as a hairpin," Sisi said irritably.

Liu Jing jumped up. "Director, shouldn't we call 'cut'?"

"Cut!" He Jiong shouted from the TV, and Li Guoli shouted back from the TV, then remarked, "Variety shows are quite interesting."

"Director, you haven't seen this before?" Tang Yan asked curiously.

“I used to think it was boring,” Li Guoli replied, deciding to take some time to catch up on what he had learned before.

"Good, you're in character. That's how variety shows should be—don't have an idol image to maintain, and don't force laughs. Be natural, let things flow, and adapt to the situation..." Yang Mi whispered her advice, feeling excited to see her older brother listening so attentively. So, even you have areas where you're not as good as me.

Liu Jing sighed with emotion, saying that in order to change everyone's preconceived notions about the "Fairy Sister," Xixi completely let loose on this appearance on "Happy Camp."

There's nothing wrong with being a fairy goddess, so why be so resistant? She's quite nice, and quite charming...

The television broadcast continued, and Xie Na was asking Liu Jing a question, "Liu Jing, if you were a thousand-year-old demon, what would you learn first?"

"I'll start by studying 'The Friend of Dual-Use Military and Civilian Talents,' 'The Militia Training Manual,' 'The Barefoot Doctor's Manual,' and 'One Hundred Ways to Cook Braised Pork.'" Liu Jing said in a serious tone, as serious as could be.

"Braised pork? What the heck? Are you trying to time travel?" Fan Xiaopang couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, you're not a monster, you're a mischievous demon!" Sisi laughed.

As they chatted and laughed, Liu Jing gradually relaxed.

Variety shows are completely different from filming dramas. Variety show performances take place in a relaxed and enjoyable live atmosphere. The audience's real-time feedback, such as laughter, applause, boos, and shouts, directly affects the performance rhythm. Actors also need to take into account the audience's interaction to achieve better variety show effects.

Film and television acting means facing the camera, in a serious environment, with no audience around. You just need to focus on creating the character. You don't need to think about anything else, only how to meet the director's requirements.

Liu Jing had almost never participated in variety shows before, and he rarely even watched them. He carefully pondered and pondered, and gradually understood what was going on.

As for Sissi, she was always very relaxed. She treated the sofa on the stage like her own home, without feeling uncomfortable at all.

The hosts each had their own distinct style, and they could all chime in no matter what topic the guests brought up. With He Jiong keeping things grounded, the conversation never really went anywhere, which made Liu Jing feel more relaxed.

"Yifei, Liu Jing, Bingbing said that Pei Rong's tears can burn away the demon's power. Do you two agree?" He Jiong saw that Xiao Fan was watching with a smile, so he turned the tables on her.

"Bingbing's tears are like sulfuric acid, but I, this monster, am more resistant to acid. Experimental data shows that human tears have a pH of 5.2, which is only enough to dissolve love-struck brains," Qianqian responded.

Liu Jing grumbled, "Biology again, lab data again. Qianqian, are you planning to take the postgraduate entrance exam?"

"I've already passed the exam," Sisi replied. Everyone laughed, but none of them laughed as hard as Fan Xiaopang.

"Hahaha, congratulations! Next step is to take the doctoral entrance exam." Fan Xiaopang slapped his thigh and laughed wildly. She knew very well how Liu Jing had made Qianqian take the postgraduate entrance exam.

She and Sissi went to the United States for training years ago, and Sissi told her about this.

The hosts were completely baffled. It's just a postgraduate entrance exam, why are they laughing so hard?

Sisi silently thought to herself, "This woman doesn't have a high threshold for laughter either."

She suddenly sighed, "Bingbing's tears can't hurt Xiaowei. The one who really hurts her is Wang Sheng, and only Wang Sheng can hurt her. When someone saw Bingbing crying, his Adam's apple bobbed noticeably faster, 0.3 seconds faster than when he saw Xiaowei taking off her clothes."

"Cough cough, this is supposed to be a postgraduate entrance exam? Can you even measure the frequency in seconds?"

(End of this chapter)