Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 416 Far ahead
"I'm back."

Liu Jing got out of the van; his legs were numb.

I shouted twice in the yard, but no one responded.

"Wood, you don't want the suitcase anymore, right?" Shu Chang parked the car and took the suitcase off. "It's so heavy, I don't have the strength to carry this thing. What's in this suitcase? It's not gold and jewelry, is it?"

Liu Jing didn't want to pay any attention to Shu Chang. She even shook the suitcase she was carrying, trying to hear the sound inside. Was this what they called being unable to carry it?

"Book!"

"Tch! I don't even have the strength to carry it anymore. I thought it was jewelry, and I could get a couple of pieces for free," Shu Chang muttered.

Liu Jing stood in the courtyard and looked around. On the stone table under the pavilion, there was paper, pen, and a pot of tea.

I went over and took a look. The handwriting on the notebook was neat, not particularly beautiful, but not ugly either.

When it comes to handwriting, Yang Mi is the best; she's practiced diligently. Especially her calligraphy; she took Xu Jinglei as her role model and practiced a lot back then.

"A qualified producer should distinguish between emotion and reality. First and foremost, you are a producer; only secondly are you a living, breathing human being. Even if you dislike someone but they are perfectly suited for the role, you must proceed realistically. Don't let personal likes or dislikes influence the production, and don't let the opinions of others sway your choices..."

This is Sisi's thesis. She doesn't like typing on a computer; she always writes it by hand and then has someone type it up for her.

Moreover, this person types very slowly, even slower than sending a text message on a mobile phone, and will never become a qualified writer.

The tea was still warm, and the person hadn't gone far.

"This master's thesis isn't very good either." Shu Chang also peeked over to look at the thesis and threw her suitcase directly on the ground.

"Changchang, where's Xixi?"

"I picked you up from the airport. She's at home. We came back from the airport together, how would I know where she went? Hey! What's with that look? She's a perfectly healthy person, you don't suspect I hid her, do you?" Shu Chang shouted.

Liu Jing's eyes were full of disdain. You came to pick me up from the airport, but I might as well have taken a taxi back.

The assistant and the others went home early, and he waited for half an hour until Shu Chang, who arrived late, came in a van.

As for why I was late, well, I patched up my tire on the way.

That's right! Shu Chang came all the way from the film crew in Zhuozhou and insisted on picking him up at the airport.

Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious; Liu Jing understood what was going on. In the competition for the Four Little Actresses, Shu Chang's votes were far behind Yang Mi's.

The selection process is divided into three phases, starting in late March and ending in early May, lasting for one and a half months.

The first phase involves soliciting names of qualified actors who have existing works and whose roles have a certain level of influence.

In the second stage, the organizing committee selected fifty male actors and fifty female actors born in the 1980s from the list to start two tracks.

Ten candidates will be selected through online voting, with each ID, IP address, and track limited to two votes.

The selection process is fair, just, and transparent, choosing only the top ten actors with the most votes.

The third stage involves selecting the final winners of the four leading actresses and four leading actors from among the ten candidates. This stage is no longer simply a matter of online voting. Instead, the organizing committee scores the candidates based on factors such as popularity, media exposure, fan base, development potential, and future commercial value. The four candidates with the highest scores will be the latest batch of four leading actresses and four leading actors.

The organizing committee members are from hundreds of media outlets and film and television organizations, making them quite authoritative.

Liu Yifei, Yang Mi, Shu Chang, Liu Shishi, Tang Yan, and Jing Tian are among the fifty candidates. Zhang Tianai is also among the candidates because of her role as Zhao Min, and Gulnazar is among the candidates because of her role as Xiao Zhao.

Unfortunately, Zhao Xiaodao failed to make the list; according to Pang Bing, he should have ranked 51st.

Yang Mi called for Liu Yifei to be removed from the list of candidates, but many of her colleagues were unwilling to do so, and she is still on the list of candidates, leading by a wide margin with 180 million votes.

Different people in the same industry have different interests, and this includes all companies in the same industry except for those in the Chunqiu Group. Even the sugar figurines in the Chunqiu Group, Lao Cai is willing to agree with.

Liu Yifei alone has put immense pressure on actors born in the 80s, especially those born in the mid-85s.

This fall from grace is in everyone's best interest.

Yang Mi's opposition had just begun to have some effect, and before the organizing committee could even release any information, a group of people came out to appeal, saying that Liu Yifei is a role model for post-80s actresses and should not be removed from the list.

Huang Shengyi ranked second with 112 million votes. Just the title of "Star Girl" is enough to make her shine brightly.

Yang Mi came in third place with 106 million votes.

Fourth place went to Shu Chang with 830,000 votes, more than 200,000 fewer than Yang Mi, and she was being closely chased by others.

Then came Li Xiaolu with 81 votes, followed by Huo Siyan, Sun Li, Zhang Jingchu, Tang Yan, and Jing Tian in tenth place with 59 votes.

After the top ten, Xiong Naijin, Zhang Yuqi, Song Jia, and others had similar vote counts to the tenth-place winner. There was also a dark horse: Gulnazar received 51 votes, ranking sixteenth.

When the voting first started, Nazha was at the bottom of the list and was just there to make up the numbers.

A few days ago, someone posted stills of Gulnazar from a drama, as well as some ordinary photos of her daily life, and then her ranking climbed steadily.

Beauty is justice, and many netizens who love to watch the drama are piling votes on Nazha, making her seem like she could surpass her boss Jing Tian and enter the top ten.

Liu Shishi and Zhang Tianai are outside the top ten, and likely even further out. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they're out of the top ten; their foundation is simply too weak.

"I'm home."

Liu Jing looked at Shu Chang with disdain, but Shu Chang didn't back down and glared back.

The two childish people were staring at each other, not even blinking, trying to see who could outlast the other, when Sisi came out of the house.

Liu Jing blinked rapidly, not because his eyes were dry, but because he suspected he was seeing things.

Liu Jing didn't care what Tianxian was wearing. She dressed very casually in private, wearing the same clothes for years, and never cared about her appearance. At home, she always wore slippers, pajamas, and no makeup, so there was really nothing to worry about.

But the apron she was wearing at that moment was even more dazzling than the sun today.

"You..." Liu Jing glanced at the sun, which was high in the sky. Could it be rising from the west? This is not like Qianqian.

This was the first time in history that he had ever seen Qianqian voluntarily go into the kitchen. Every time, she was always passive, unwilling, and extremely perfunctory.

"I'm making vegetable pancakes," Sisi said proudly, looking like she was about to praise me.

"Amazing, it must taste delicious." Liu Jing exclaimed with admiration. It probably wouldn't taste good, but it's always good to say nice things first.

"Hurry up and come inside, what are you doing standing outside?" Xixi pulled Liu Jing's arm and helped him take off his coat and hang it on the hanger. Then she took out slippers and placed them at the door.

Shu Chang stood in the courtyard, looking at her suitcase. "Do you two think I don't exist? Such a big person, and you didn't even ask me anything."

"The closer I get to home, the more timid I become; I dare not ask the passersby." Liu Jing joked, feeling uneasy despite the attentive service.

"Tch! You think you know a lot about Tang poetry?"

Looking at Qianqian's smile, Liu Jing was filled with doubts, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.

Yesterday he chatted with Chen Jiashang for an afternoon, and in the evening he had a drink with some people from "The Founding of a Republic," and then went back to the hotel to interrogate his assistant.

He has been waiting since yesterday, but he has not received a call, nor have Xixi and Yang Mi sent him a single text message.

Liu Jing couldn't contain his curiosity. What was wrong with these two? Had they really started fighting?
He sent a text message to Yang Mi when he boarded the plane, but didn't reply even after the plane took off.

When his phone was turned on again, there was a reply waiting: "It's been taken care of, don't worry, be careful on the road."

Liu Jing was speechless. "I'm worried about you, sister. I want to know the process and the result, not just a simple 'handled it well' statement."

On the way, he asked the person who picked him up, Shu Chang, but Shu Chang didn't know anything, only that Yang Mi had come to Baiyujing yesterday afternoon.

Shu Chang left, and Yang Mi entered. They passed each other, exchanging a snort and a dismissive scoff, without further conversation. Liu Jing then questioned Shu Chang, "Don't you think it's strange that Yang Mi came to Baiyujing?"

Shu Chang sang with conviction, but when has Yang Mi ever been normal?

Yang Mi is normal, it's Shu Chang who is often abnormal.

Liu Jing now understands that there's a reason why Shu Chang's acting is so good; she has a great understanding of liberating one's true nature.

She is elegant and quiet in public, but at home she is a wild child, doing whatever she wants, freely expressing her true nature, and never hiding her likes and dislikes.

In her words, "I have to pretend in the play, I have to pretend outside, and I still have to pretend at home. That's so tiring. You two are both my wives, so there's no need for you to pretend."

“We’re fine, we didn’t fight. When she called me, I didn’t even know what had happened. I’m already relieved that she came to apologize, I won’t make things difficult for her.” Sisi was so smart, she understood a lot from the man’s expression.

"She's absolutely brain-dead..."

Sisi interrupted, "What nonsense about being brainless. She's had it tough too. I have you and our parents backing me up in society, and Sister Min and my aunt protecting me in the entertainment industry. Her path is different from mine. To many people, your relationship is just so-so. Not many people care, and not many people take her seriously. Those who know the inside story see her as your little lover and naturally look down on her. Those who don't know the inside story really think she's your brother. You two aren't blood brothers, and you're a man and a woman, so nobody gives her a second glance."

Liu Jing doubted he had heard correctly. Qianqian spoke up for the function, saying that the sun must have risen in the west today.

"Don't worry about those two women's business, I'll handle it." Qianqian smiled gently, a smile that sent shivers down Liu Jing's spine.

Shu Chang carried her suitcase into the house, changed her shoes, and changed the subject.

"You two are really going too far, you don't respect me at all."

"Who are you? Do we know each other?" Sisi asked with a smile.

"How dare you! You dare to kneel before me, the Old Woman?" Shu Chang's face tightened as she suddenly shouted, her voice carrying a real air of authority.

"Silly girl, go to the kitchen and bring out the vegetable pancakes I made." Sisi was unaffected. You may be the Heavenly Child Granny, but I am the Yue Maiden, from a much earlier era than you.

"Hi! Boss, is there anything else you need?" Shu Chang bowed and scraped. He had no choice; he was counting on Qianqian to acquire Zhou Yi. He figured he might as well borrow from one person until he was completely broke.

Sisi waved her hand, and Shu Chang quickly went into the kitchen. "Sis, just call me if you need anything, it'll do! If you want me to beat up Mu Tou, I won't hesitate."

"How's your thesis coming along? It looks like it's not finished yet."

"It's finished. I had some thoughts on it, so I made some revisions," Sisi explained.

Liu Jing wanted to take the opportunity to bring up Yang Mi again, but Shu Chang came out with a plate. "Oh my god, Qianqian, what kind of vegetable pancake is this?"

"Coriander."

"You can eat the coriander you planted?" Liu Jing asked in surprise, as it seemed like he had only planted it yesterday.

"I bought it from the supermarket. It's my first time making this, cough cough, it was a little... a little messed up." Sisi looked at the dining table, feeling a little uneasy.

Liu Jing swallowed hard, not because the food looked and smelled delicious, but because he saw something culinary disaster.

This isn't a vegetable pancake; it's clearly a flatbread, and it's really black.

"After eating all this, I'm sure I'll find some money," Liu Jing muttered.

"I've made up my mind. Let's go to Quanjude to welcome my brother Liu Jing back." Shu Chang said seriously. Seeing that Qianqian seemed to be refusing, she quickly added, "It's settled then, I'll pay. Neither of you can try to take it from me."

"Okay." Sisi readily agreed. Ever since the two finished filming "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," Shu Chang hadn't treated anyone to a meal. In the past few years, she had always paid when the two went out, so today she was going to treat them to a good meal.

"What should we do with these vegetable pancakes?" Liu Jing asked with some regret. It was Xixi's first time making them, and he was still very curious about the taste.

As he spoke, he tore off a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Don't waste it, feed it to Wangcai." Qianqian coughed twice, trying to save face. She hadn't thought about it before, but now she realized that this vegetable pancake had no color, aroma, or taste; it was really inedible.

"Forget it, I don't want to eat dog meat." Liu Jing put down half a vegetable pancake. Curiosity almost killed him, though. Not only did he nearly kill the salt seller, but he also tasted baking soda. Could Xixi have mistaken baking soda for salt, or sugar?

"What is he saying?" Sisi asked Shuchang with a stern face.

"He said your vegetable pancake could poison a dog." Shu Chang picked up the half-pancake, took a small bite, and her little face turned ugly orange.

I need your translation?
Sisi rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Change your clothes, let's get ready to go."

Before long, the two sisters, each dressed more beautifully than the other, came out of the house.

Those who knew them went to eat, but those who didn't might have thought they were attending some kind of event.

While Shu Chang was driving, Liu Jing voiced his doubts, "It's just a meal, right? Are there any activities afterwards?"

"Changchang was in a hurry and didn't dare to speak up, but I can't just stand by and do nothing," Sisi sighed.

"Selection of the Four Little Actresses?"

"Absolutely. Li Xiaolu has been frequently appearing on live streams lately, releasing press releases to hype up her Best Actress awards at the Paris Film Festival and the Golden Horse Awards. Huo Siyan has Huayi Brothers backing her, so she's very popular with the audience. These two are gaining votes quickly, and it looks like Changchang is about to be overtaken by them and fall out of the top four. This meal won't be a waste of her time; we'll all appear together and help generate some buzz for her," Qianqian explained.

"You seem to care more about her affairs than your own," Liu Jing said sourly.

Since the start of the selection event, Sisi has been offline and has disappeared from the entertainment industry.

Every day, I'm either writing papers, studying the script for "Inception," or busy with "Empresses in the Palace," and occasionally I even grow some vegetables, as if nothing else matters.

No! For her, that's not a thing. She never campaigns for votes, doesn't care who her competitors are, and doesn't care how many votes she gets.

“Changchang doesn’t cultivate a fanbase, has no behind-the-scenes supporters, and no capable assistants. If I don’t help her, she’ll probably lose. She’s been competing with Yang Mi for so many years, and losing would be too humiliating. How will she survive in the future?” Qianqian said in a childish voice.

“You’re far ahead right now. Have Sister Li talk to Penguin and ask them to waive the nomination spot. Shu Chang will be in third place now,” Liu Jing reminded him.

"Forget it, it's too much trouble. I'd have to talk to Mom. She's such a nag, I don't want to waste my breath on her." Sisi was tempted for a moment, then dismissed the idea. Her mom would definitely use the opportunity to nag about the wedding.

Yang Mi values ​​it highly, but she truly doesn't.

She didn't care about having her candidacy cancelled; it would save her the trouble.

Being selected as one of the "Four Little Actresses" didn't bother her at all; it was just a title.

You can drag me into whichever track you want, it's up to you, it won't affect me anyway.

So what if she's one of the Four Little Actresses? So what if she isn't? I don't care.

"You two..." Liu Jing sighed, not knowing what to say.

"She's gone too far! The Hong Kong Film Awards nominations were just announced, and she said my chances of winning Best Actress this time are slim. If I listened to her, she would have helped me win Best Actress. Humph! I don't only have her, don't you think? Honey..." Sisi even used a high-pitched voice, making Liu Jing feel weak all over.

"You seem quite eager to win the Best Actress award." Liu Jing understood what Qianqian meant; she wanted his help.

"This is different." Sisi smiled and said, "You guys can compete for the leading lady role, but I'll compete for the Best Actress role."

"What's in it for me if I help you win Best Actress?" Liu Jing grinned mischievously. Needless to say, he would definitely try to win her over.

"I cooked today, you don't want my efforts to go to waste, do you?" Sisi blinked her eyes, looking extremely innocent.

"I..." Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. The sun hadn't risen in the west, but Qianqian had.

"Whether you eat it or not is your business, but I've already made the vegetable pancakes."

Liu Jing turned and went back into the house. Qianqian asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"I framed the vegetable pancake."

(End of this chapter)