Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 554 Each Gets What They Need, Pure Behavior

The Tmall Double Eleven Carnival Night will be held on the evening of the 10th.

Therefore, we need to arrive at the venue early on the 9th for rehearsal.

On the way to the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the assistant was watching Alex or Taylor's New York street interview videos, while Yangyang Jin talked to Shen Juan about the upcoming work arrangements.

“We don’t have many outings this month. After attending the Double Eleven shopping festival tomorrow, we only have the Beijing premiere of ‘One Second’ and the Golden Rooster Awards nomination and awards ceremony to attend on the 27th of this month. It’s worth mentioning that the XM City government wants you to shoot a promotional video for the city.”

Attending the premiere of "One Second" was something Shen Juan had agreed to a long time ago. After all, everyone's debut is a special occasion. The release of the film, which had been shelved for two years, was definitely an important starting point for Liu Haocun's career. So, both out of courtesy and reason, Shen Juan had to be there to support her.

As for the city promotional video that follows.
"Of course I can take pictures, but that would mean I'd go from owning it privately to owning it publicly. I don't think the people in Shanghai would have any objections, right?"

"What objections could there be? You have the right to film promotional videos for all places. Just because your hometown is Shanghai doesn't mean you can only serve Shanghai. For example, you're also a tourism ambassador for Abu Dhabi right now. If you can take care of both countries at the same time, there's even less reason to worry about the differences between cities within China."

"And even if we take a step back, Xiamen has the confidence to ask for this award. They not only hosted the Golden Rooster Awards, but judging from their stance, they'll most likely hand over the Best Actor award to you. Otherwise, do you really think we'd accept any invitation from any city unconditionally? That would be far too cheap."

"Alright." Shen Juan nodded slightly. "By the way, when does Glory wrap up filming? What are your work arrangements for next month?"

"Based on the current filming schedule, we should be able to wrap up filming smoothly in Wenchang, Hainan around the 1st of next month, and then we can make work arrangements."

Yangyang Jin took out her tablet from her bag, quickly swiped her finger across the screen, glanced at the upcoming schedule, and then read aloud:

"First, we have to attend the GQ China Annual Ceremony in Shanghai on the 4th, then go to Beijing on the 6th to attend the iQiyi Scream Night, and on the 8th and 9th we will complete the previously agreed-upon cameo role filming of 'Chinese Doctors' in Wuhan. The complete script will be sent to you in a couple of days. Then we will return to Shanghai on the 10th to attend the Esquire China Annual Ceremony."

"There are many award ceremonies and fashion events at the end of the year. We have filtered out the vast majority of them. The ones that remain are events that we believe are valuable and worth participating in for your current development after repeatedly considering multiple factors such as industry influence, brand fit, and future cooperation value."

"The rest of the time without specific work arrangements is yours to allocate as you see fit; you can simply rest or work on an album."

"Where's the little red flower?" Shen Juan asked.

"We tentatively plan to release 'Little Red Flower' on December 31st, so the official trailer will be released next month to start the full-scale pre-release promotion."

(Amateur)

“Okay, then we only have AS4 left to discuss now.” When talking about the topic he was most concerned about, Shen Juan sat up a little straighter, and his originally relaxed posture became more focused.

"What are your plans now?" Yangyang Jin asked.

"My current plan is this: AS4, like AS3, will be a regular album with a charity EP released in advance to generate buzz. However, unlike AS3, this charity EP will not only include songs that were dropped from the regular album, but also many songs that have the potential to climb the charts."

Why aren't those qualified to compete for rankings included in the official category?
Of course, this is for the sake of the album's unity and consistency.

Hitsong's mixed bag of commercial success is undeniably impressive.

But once or twice you've built up a solid fan base, that's enough.

Doing too much of this can negatively impact your entire career.

"Furthermore, I've already contacted several singers, and after hearing my plan, they're all willing to participate and donate all the proceeds from our collaborative single. Plus, there's the American Music Awards at the end of this month, so I think we can officially announce it then and build momentum. What do you think?"

Yangyang Jin was well aware of the cooperation Shen Juan had just mentioned. To put it bluntly, it was a transaction where they were bound together and each got what they needed.

Shen Juan took away the good reputation of being enthusiastic about public welfare.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic at the beginning of this year, he has significantly increased his investment in the global philanthropic field.

They either launch global benefit concerts with their peers or provide undisclosed private assistance to fans in difficult circumstances.

In fact, he enjoys the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes from using his own strength to help others get out of their slump and start anew.

He doesn't really care whether others are grateful to him or not.

It might sound a bit condescending.

But it is true.

He focuses more on the feelings he experiences.

He helps people not in the hope of receiving gratitude.

Rather, it's for personal satisfaction.

He is trying to make his charitable acts pure.

then
Shen Juan's collaborators, on the other hand, get a share of his popularity and traffic.

Not only are the newcomers and unknowns in Starlink eagerly anticipating the day Shen Juan will favor them, but even top-tier and near-top-tier singers like DuaLipa, after seeing how much fun Li Na, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande had, all want to collaborate with Shen Juan and experience being carried by a big shot.

The value of the famous music industry quote, "No one but Drake can refuse to work with Alex," continues to rise.

In short, apart from not being able to generate direct revenue, both parties basically got what they wanted, making it a win-win situation!
So of course she wouldn't have any objections.

Then we talked for a while about the release date.

The charity EP is still scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day, February 214th.

Shen Juan needs to make releasing a song on Valentine's Day his signature move.

Many people have forgotten that in his early days in the US, he was portrayed as an Asian version of a heartthrob, and now it's time to remind them of that.

As for AS4's prelude?

If AS4 is scheduled for release in May, then songs can be released in January, March, and April, excluding February.

I'll post a few songs, and then we'll see how things go based on the actual situation.

His goal is to use his popularity to achieve more number one singles without affecting his public image.

He aims to break the Beatles' record of 20 number-one singles as soon as possible, further solidifying his exceptional status in the music industry.

Finally, we come to the matter of the music video.

“Every song will have a music video. I don’t care about increasing production costs and reducing profit margins. I just want AS4 to be a masterpiece.”

"Understood. Is there anything I need to coordinate and handle in advance?" Yangyang Jin made notes on the tablet.

“I do need to trouble you with something. The overall workload this time is much larger than expected, so I plan to finish filming a few music videos in China before going to the United States. Therefore, I need you to follow up on the selection and communication of the female lead for the music videos.”

"Why don't you just find them at the company? Don't you know how much they want to film your music video?" Yangyang Jin asked with a smile.

"You keep casting your sister-in-law in your music videos. Putting aside the possibility of audiences getting tired of it, don't you think it'll be jarring to watch too much of it?"

Yangyang Jin rolled her eyes, thinking that Shen Juan, this scumbag, was actually quite thoughtful. "So, do you have someone suitable in mind?"

"How is Zhang Ruonan? My previous collaborations with her were quite pleasant, and she seems to be a very sensible girl."

Shen Juan's rehearsal time is from 9 pm to 10 pm.

A woman wearing a gray knitted hat was standing below the stage, using a megaphone to constantly direct and control Shen Juan's positioning.

She is Hou Jie, the chief director of this year's Tmall Double 11 Gala.

National Class A Director.

Having previously worked on five years of experience producing and directing the Tomato TV Spring Festival Gala and several other large-scale galas, he still felt a great deal of respect for this year's event, as it was his first time directing an e-commerce platform gala that would blend artistry and business. He spent eight months preparing for the Tmall Gala, aiming to surpass the scale of previous years.

"Mr. Shen Juan, please move half a step to the right of the stage. Yes, this position is perfect! When the camera cuts from the front, it will fit perfectly into the background lighting behind you, creating a fuller visual effect. Then, provide fill light for Mr. Shen Juan in the close-up shots, and remember to slightly dim the brightness of the side views."

“But I feel that if I move a little more over here, the transition between my movements and those of the backup dancers will be smoother, and the composition will be more balanced and harmonious when the camera cuts to a wide shot. Maybe we can try this angle.” With his vision, status, and professional skills rising in tandem, Shen Juan has reached the stage of being a domineering actor.

"Teacher Shen's idea is indeed quite good! Let's follow Teacher Shen's idea and see how it goes!"

Despite the fact that the investment cost for this year's Double Eleven Gala was exceptionally high compared to previous years, the lineup of guests was also exceptionally large.

Not only did they invite a host of top Chinese singers such as Li Ronghao, Mao Buyi, Zhang Yixing, Yi Yangqianxi, and Chen Yixun, but through Shen Juan's connections, they also successfully invited top Western celebrities like Ma Long, Li Nacha and Ariana Grande. It is definitely the most prestigious and star-studded event in history!
However, Shen Juan, who had already been officially announced as the final guest, was still the undisputed and indisputable main guest of this carnival night.

It's almost a given that Alovers around the world will be paying attention to this Chinese e-commerce platform gala.

Alibaba's top management has long regarded this year's Tmall Double 11 Gala as an important promotional project for expanding their influence globally.

So even if this director has a lot of power, he still has to humble himself and ask Shen Juan to cooperate with his work.

Just then, another group of artists, guided by the event staff, arrived early at the stage to wait.

"Wow! Why are they playing 'Go Crazy'?" Liu Xiening tried to stand on tiptoe to look towards the stage, but her vision was blurred by the distant lights, and she could only vaguely make out a familiar figure. So she couldn't help but ask the people next to her, "Is the boss rehearsing up there? Can you see him clearly?"

Jin Zihan, with better eyesight, followed Liu Xiening's gaze and looked up, recognizing the singer on stage almost instantly.

Who else could it be but Shen Juan, the man she had been longing for?
So she immediately nodded with a sweet smile, her voice brimming with barely concealed excitement: "Yes! It's the boss!"

"What a coincidence?" Jiang Zhenyu didn't expect to run into her love rival so late at night, and felt that she was having a bad day.

Then she leaned against Liu Xiening, continuing to replenish the Sally energy she desperately needed and soothe her wounded heart.

"That means we're very lucky today!"

Just half a month ago, Kong Xueer had spent the whole night in Chengdu with Shen Juan Hongru, enjoying the most wonderful investigation experience of her life so far. Right now, she was experiencing the most severe withdrawal symptoms, so when she heard Shen Juan's name, she felt an irresistible urge to evade taxes and attract tax bureau specialists to investigate her.

"When the boss came to 'Fourtry' as a guest before, he told me privately that he would be singing six songs at this year's Tmall Double 11 Gala." Liu Yuxin is one of the few artists in the company who is very focused on her career, and she usually pays more attention to work.

"so much?"

How many songs are on the program list for this year's Tmall Double 11 Gala?

"A total of 36 songs."

"Does that mean one person makes up one-sixth of the total?"

“What’s so difficult about that? He’s Shen Juan!”

"Xue'er, when did you become the boss's lapdog?"

"I've always been! When have I ever not been?" Ever since Kong Xueer joined the fishpond, she has become much more confident, just like Xiao Chunan. When chatting with her sisters about Shen Juan, she is much more active than before, as if she is secretly showing off how well she knows Shen Juan.

You weren't like this before.

"That's just because I didn't show it at the time."

"So why are you suddenly thinking about showing it off?"

"Because I've figured it out now, is that not allowed?"

Liu Xiening chuckled inwardly, clearly not believing it.

But he didn’t say much.

After all, they are just small shrimps at the bottom of the food chain.

What they need is unity, not infighting. She realized this deeply after becoming good friends with Cheng Xiao, one of the "Three Kings of the Fishpond."

The lower the Ren Ming is, the more he needs to unite!
Unfortunately, just as the rumors have suggested...
King Xiao was a Buddhist-like person who disliked fighting.

Otherwise, she would definitely become Xiao Xiao's right and left protectors, doing her best to fight for her, herself, and her sisters to create a bright and peaceful world!

After the rehearsal ended, Shen Juan chatted briefly with the five idols who had been waiting for a long time about their recent situations and gave them what could be called a pep talk. However, he had only taken a few steps backstage when a familiar voice called out to him from behind.

"Shen Juan!"

Shen Juan turned around and saw Ju Jingyi, who had only recently officially joined Starlink, walking slowly toward him with a smile.

"You just finished rehearsing?"

"I was just about to leave when I heard you were rehearsing, so I waited a little while and thought I'd say hello." Ju Jingyi stopped about two steps away from Shen Juan and didn't get any closer.

There are many people and eyes behind the scenes, and the online accusations that she had an affair with Shen Juan have not yet died down. There are even quite a few yellow lines.

And some of the writing is really excessive.

Just looking at it makes me feel ashamed and embarrassed!
Anyway, she has already had her assistant report quite a few cases.

So she was afraid that if they got too close today, someone would take a picture and post it online, giving people something to criticize her and Shen Juan for.

But as soon as she finished speaking, a sense of unease welled up inside her.

Logically speaking, as a teenage idol who has been in the industry for many years with zero scandals and is almost a gender-swapped version of Lay, who is immune to romance, she shouldn't get too close to Shen Juan. Everyone knows that he is the root of all the problems, but it's really hard to ignore the kindness Shen Juan showed her by taking her away from the Siba Park.

More importantly, Shen Juan not only gave her a new lease on life, but also provided her with all kinds of material and spiritual assistance. It can almost be said that her current idol career was able to break free from the previous bottlenecks and difficulties and usher in a real transformation, and regain new vitality because of his appearance.

so.
Okay, she didn't want to deny it.

She didn't want to deceive herself either.

She did care about Shen Juan.

On my way to work, I would take some time to check his news. During my breaks, I would use a secondary account to sneak into his fan groups and Weibo supertopics. Before going to bed, I would occasionally watch the Dream Girl videos edited by his fans to understand the emotional bond between him and his fans. Sometimes I would even dream about their conversations and daily interactions in the Mushroom House.

But was this involuntary concern because he helped her terminate her contract with SIBOL, giving her a chance to start over?
Or is it for some other, more sensitive reason?

She didn't want to think about it, nor did she dare to.

Shen Juan probably sensed her hesitation and restraint, so he changed the subject and asked in a more relaxed tone, "How are you adapting to the new team?"

"Fortunately, everyone took good care of me."

"If you feel that the current team is not working well in the future, you can hire your own people. We don't do those disgusting things."

Because some companies like to put people into their artists' teams to increase their control over the artists, and some shady companies will even deliberately send people to sabotage the artists and prevent them from having any bad ideas and running away to go solo, any artist with a bit of talent will build their own team to eliminate any internal threats.

These words instantly softened Ju Jingyi's heart.

This care was like a warm little feather, gently landing on her heart, spreading waves of warmth.

But then she thought of the rule that idols can't date and the fans who support her, and she immediately suppressed that flutter of excitement.

She's endured so much, and finally met the biggest benefactor in her career so far, escaping the difficult situation where she was constantly hampered by the company. Now she truly has the opportunity to focus on her career development and do what she wants. If she breaks her vow and starts a relationship now, wouldn't she be ruining her future and disappointing her fans?

Thinking of this, her feelings became even more complicated, and she could only reply softly and vaguely, "No need, it's fine as it is now."

Seeing this, Shen Juan didn't continue the conversation.

He had no interest in pressing for answers to all his questions.

So after a brief farewell, I left the venue.

Ju Jingyi watched his departing figure and pursed her lips.

In this glamorous and bustling industry, everyone changes. I once dreamed of entering the entertainment industry through a talent show when I was young, but I ended up joining SNH48 and becoming a little idol.

After winning the general election twice in a row, she thought her idol career would go smoothly. However, after the hit drama "Legend of Yunxi", the company intensified its efforts to prevent her from being criticized. Many of the negative articles were bought by their own people, who claimed that being criticized is still being popular.

Fortunately, she eventually ended up at a company that fully respected her personal wishes and, at least for now, seemed pretty good.

Then she met someone who amazed her.

Even Ju Jingyi, who is known as "love-immune" by outsiders, sometimes feels sad and lonely when the night is quiet.

After about a 30-minute drive, Shen Juan returned to his luxury apartment in Shanghai, OCT Suzhou Creek Bay.

Upon hearing the door open, Cheng Xiao, who had been waiting at home for a long time, immediately ran over in her slippers and bumped straight into his arms.

"Xie Ning said they ran into you during their rehearsal."

Shen Juan nodded, "They were right behind me in line."

Cheng Xiao pulled away from his embrace a little, looked up at him, and said softly, "I thought you would be spending time with Ning tonight."

Do you really think I would stand you up?

"I know you won't."

Shen Juan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Then why are you asking?"

"Only by asking can I hear how much you care about me!" Cheng Xiao hugged Shen Juan tightly, his eyes crinkling with happiness.

Shen Juan looked down at his girlfriend, who was acting coquettishly, with amusement: "So, what's going on with you female fans right now?"

"Nothing's wrong!"

"Then why does everyone say you two don't get along?"

"Oh, you mean this? But didn't this happen last year? It's just that Xiaotian and Xin'er were too lazy to pretend this year."

"You must have had a tough time being caught in the middle."

"Actually, it's alright. I'm used to it anyway. At most, the two of them just have a cold war because they can't stand each other. It's nothing compared to the intensity of Xiaotian and Xiaoye's verbal battles at home." Cheng Xiao suddenly put on a bright smile and said happily, "But seeing how much you care about me, I really have to give you a thumbs up!"

After saying that, she tiptoed and kissed Shen Juan.

Shen Juan couldn't help but chuckle, then reached out and grabbed her wrist, which she hadn't yet pulled back, gently pulling her into his arms.

"You just gave me a like like like that?"

"Can't you?"

"Too perfunctory!"

"What else do you want?" Cheng Xiao reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. She buried her face in his chest and couldn't help but nuzzle him. Her voice was muffled but full of laughter: "Oh right, I specially made some soup for you today based on the online recipe. It's still warm in the pot! Is that okay as a reward for your care?"

"What if it doesn't taste good?"

"What kind of boyfriend are you? How can you ask such a question? Even if it doesn't taste good, you have to say it does! Don't you understand that?"

"No, I can't do it."

Cheng Xiao frowned instantly, pouted slightly with a hint of grievance, and said softly, "Is it that difficult? It's just a matter of saying one sentence."

Shen Juan looked intently into her eyes and slowly nodded: "It's difficult because I can only tell you the truth in front of you."

Cheng Xiao was stunned for two seconds by his direct question. Her previous little complaint vanished instantly, and even her tightly furrowed brows quietly relaxed. She then lowered her head, pursed her lips, and softened her voice, which was full of coquettishness: "Can't you tell a couple of white lies to take care of my feelings?"

“I used to think that was okay, but then I realized that if I told too many white lies, what if you started to make wild guesses later? I don’t want you to start overthinking if I suddenly tell you that I miss you or I love you, and you start to wonder if I did something wrong and am asking for your forgiveness.”

"Because of some reasons and some things, the time we can actually spend together is very short, so I don't want you to waste this time on suspicion and speculation. Although I know you are very smart and sensible and won't make trouble, I don't want even the slightest possibility to exist."

Cheng Xiao was stunned.

She never imagined that her casual, coquettish question would make Shen Juan think so deeply and so far ahead. He even considered things like whether she would doubt his sincerity in the future, something a normal person would never even think about, as if he had been thinking about their future all along.

just like.
When I'm thinking about him, he's thinking about me too.

When I loved him, he loved me too.

The hands around his waist tightened unconsciously, and she couldn't help but snuggle closer to him, pressing her cheek against his warm chest, quietly listening to his steady and clear heartbeat. After a while, the girl, who had already been completely melted into a soft and gentle girl, finally spoke, breaking the sweet and happy silence.

"I won't make wild guesses."

"I know."

"I know you won't lie to me."

"I know too."

I miss you so much every day!

Do you think I don't miss you?

I don't like rainy days.

"I don't really like it either."

"But if I can share an umbrella with you and take a walk outside, even if it rains every day, it will be good weather for me."

"Oh no, you've got me all charmed."

"Huh huh huh~"

"You look so silly with that smile."