Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 450 Teddy Sisters Group, YiFei's WeChat Moments

Located at No. 300 Dongsi North Street, Dongcheng District, this is a private clubhouse converted from a former residence of a Qing Dynasty prince, named Yinshanfang.

Designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong, the clubhouse blends traditional courtyard house structure with modern minimalism. At the entrance, a 12-meter-long ink-wash gauze projection screen continuously plays dynamic images of the "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" scroll.

Both its scope and style are very high.

The person who developed and managed this club was none other than Jia Yueting, who was later jokingly referred to as "returning to China next week".

In the past two years, observant people in Beijing have noticed an increasing number of people buying these secluded courtyard houses and converting them into clubhouses, and many of them are big bosses who speak with a Shanxi accent.

In 2002, the state abolished the guidance price for thermal coal, and coal prices were completely marketized. With China's rapid economic growth and soaring energy demand, coal mine owners in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and other places ushered in a "golden decade" and accumulated wealth rapidly.

As we entered 2008, the coal industry was extremely profitable, but policy risks intensified, such as frequent mine accidents and environmental pressures. In addition, after the Property Law was passed in 2007, awareness of private property protection increased, and coal bosses began to seek transformation and relocation.

Where else in the world can we run to?
Beijing.

The nature of these "hidden mountain houses" that have sprung up everywhere in the last two years is obvious.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Shanxi Guild Hall in Damochang outside Qianmen was a hub for Shanxi merchants to "connect the world." It served as a meeting place for fellow townsmen, a money exchange point, and a cultural sanctuary.

Two hundred years later, the "Hidden Mountain Houses" on Dongsi North Street continued this genetic mutation, serving as a bridgehead and private venue for coal merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces with substantial funds to entertain guests and conduct business in the capital.

Following the acquisition of internet companies like Ali and Baidu, this is a key clue to the transformation of the entertainment and film industries that Mr. Lu envisioned—

With the entry of coal mine owners, they gradually stepped onto the historical stage.

The future of China's entertainment industry is clearly going to be even more exciting.

While Xiao Liu was accompanying Jing Tian to the mobilization meeting for "Meteor Shower," Yang Mi was having a gathering with several other friends from the entertainment industry.

Hidden Mountain House, Begonia Hall.

The waitress pushed open the carved wooden door, and a luxurious scent wafted out, a blend of Jo Malone red roses and Diptyque berry fragrance.

Yang Mi leaned back on the camel-colored leather sofa, sipping red wine, and discreetly observed the several female celebrities in front of her whom she had known for less than a year. These women were the prototypes of the Teddy Sisters group in later generations.

Huo Siyan, a social butterfly at Huayi, has been a capable subordinate of the two CEOs Wang for several years. Although she has not been able to climb to the top at Huayi due to her own limitations, she has accumulated a lot of resources through her interactions with people.

Gan Wei, the girlfriend of LeEco boss Jia Yueting, met Jia Yueting in 2004 through a classmate from the PLA Academy of Arts.

At that time, LeEco had just received investment from Huijin Lifang. However, Jia Yueting's luck was taken away by Wenjie Video. Although LeEco is now ranked among the top in the video industry, it no longer has the copyright barrier of its former life, and its advantages are not obvious.

Li Xiaolu, the youngest Golden Horse Award-winning actress, comes from a family with a mother, Zhang Weixin, who was a popular movie star in the 80s, and a father, Li Danning, who was a director at the August First Film Studio. She is a typical "second-generation film star".

Besides that, there's Jiang Yiyan, whose life has been filled with misfortune due to the interference of the transmigrator in this life, and who was brought along by Huo Siyan today.

However, this actress with a literary and artistic temperament, who is considered a replacement for Xu Jinglei, is now the favorite of Wu Kebo, the boss of Chengtian, and her development in this life is not too bad compared to her previous life.

As for the few who are temporarily absent, Qin Lan entered this small group in her previous life because of her boyfriend Taro's status. Now Taro has been working as a sewing machine in the group for more than a year.

The remaining individuals, including Xiao Yuyu, Zheng Jun's wife Liu Yun, and Xiong Naijin, have not yet been able to contact the organization.

This small group was officially established in 2009, named after a photo of everyone holding a teddy bear dog.

"Honey, where's your boyfriend, Xiao Xu? Is he coming over tonight?"

As the newlywed wife of Jia Yueting, one of the owners of Yinshanfang, Gan Wei acted like the lady of the house, carrying a wine glass as she walked over to chat with Yang Mi.

Yang Mi was able to enter this circle because Jia shrewdly noticed the Xu family's coal capital background and, through his connections, they became acquainted.

Upon hearing this, the others also moved closer together, trying their best to get used to and integrate into this gathering of girlfriends organized by Gan Wei.

“His father is in Beijing, and he’ll probably have to go out for a social event tonight. We’ll leave him alone.” Da Mimi, with her high EQ, quickly found the right spot for Gan Wei.

"Weiwei, I heard that Mr. Jia has already started preparing for the IPO process? On the ChiNext board?"

"Oh dear! It's still very early on. I just flew to the US yesterday to negotiate with investors. Who knows?"

Gan Wei looked disgusted and unwilling to talk about it, but her cherry-like mouth kept chattering: "Old Jia also told me that I should become Director Liu of Wenjie, just like Liu Yifei, and become the director of LeTV Film and Television Culture."

Upon hearing this, everyone present except Li Xiaolu and Huo Siyan had their own thoughts.

Jiang Yiyan needs no further explanation; Xiao Liu is her lifelong nightmare.

She will never forget the embarrassment of being kicked out of school after her first film, and the miserable state of being ridiculed and isolated in the class's QQ group;

Yang Mi was somewhat apprehensive, because she had been tempted by her boyfriend's money and had not yet told her best friend about a very important matter.
But regardless of what others thought, looking at Gan Wei, who was as happy as a flower, and then thinking of a certain "celebrity" who had already won the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actress award and had never stepped down from her position as a top star in the Chinese entertainment industry since her debut...

They can only be described as two winners in life.

Female celebrities still need to marry rich men!
In 2008, Gan Wei married Jia Yueting. Later, she used her status as the boss's wife to bring in celebrity shareholders such as Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Yimou, and Sun Li to support LeEco. She can be considered a capable and shrewd wife.

Jiang Yiyan pouted and said, "Sister Wei is married now, so she'll be working hand in hand with President Jia from now on, which goes without saying. As for Liu Yifei, well—"

She turned to Yang Mi with a bright smile: "Mi Mi, I know you two are close, but I'm not talking about the person. Everyone in the entertainment industry knows about Boss Lu's character. Whether Liu Yifei can make it work is still uncertain."

The female celebrities present were all shrewd; they simply smiled and remained silent after hearing these sarcastic remarks.

Yang Mi chuckled inwardly, but feigned some embarrassment on the surface: "Yi Fei... seems to have a pretty good relationship with Director Lu, right?"

Huo Siyan took a sip of red wine and casually remarked, as if gossiping, "Lu Kuan has only officially announced one girlfriend so far, right? To be honest, Liu Yifei is quite impressive."

Hua Yi, a socialite, still vividly recalls the horrific scene of Wang Xiaolei's broken leg that day.

In stark contrast, the twenty-year-old actress had a blank expression.

This composure is not something everyone possesses; at least Huo Siyan, who has been working in the entertainment industry for so many years, has never seen another like it.

"She's really something, she brought back all the ways she grew up in America." Jiang Yiyan said with a smile, seemingly unintentionally, "Aren't foreign girls all like this, expressing their love so directly? She dared to force her way in front of the whole world at the age of eighteen, tsk tsk."

Li Xiaolu's face was flushed from drinking. She wasn't interested in Liu Yifei, but in front of her close friends, she didn't hesitate to express her affection for Boss Lu.

"Hey ladies, don't you think Lu Kuan is really handsome?"

“Last month, my mom and I went to a symposium organized by the Film Association. Watching him from the audience, so confident and authoritative, was just so manly!”

"To be honest, I'm not envious of Liu Yifei winning Best Actress or anything like that. Who hasn't won one before? What I envy is that she has such a charismatic boyfriend!"

Li Xiaolu smiled, revealing two dimples, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of her wine glass: "Don't laugh at me, I downloaded some photos of him from a charity football match in Hong Kong a few years ago." (Chapter 269)
"Those long legs are covered in thick hair, so incredibly sexy, when they run..." Li Xiaolu lowered her voice, but the blush on her face intensified.

"When he runs, you can clearly see the marks left by the straps; he's got quite the figure, haha!"

Huo Siyan, the eldest sister in this small entertainment circle, laughed and scolded, "You little slut, haven't you been satisfied with Nai Liang yet? Aren't you dating someone now? Why do you still look so unsatisfied?"

"Sister Yan, what are you saying? Can all men be the same?" Li Xiaolu said confidently, counting on her fingers as she explained her experience with men to her friend.

"Whether you're talented, rich, or at least have decent looks and figure, if you have just one of these qualities, your sex appeal will be incredibly high, and women will be head over heels in love with you."

"Even if the road is wide, you can't say you're on the same level. As for Pan, Lu, Deng, Xiao, and Xian, he doesn't really have any leisure time. That's right!"

Li Xiaolu shamelessly took out her phone, unlocked it, and showed everyone a photo: "This is a photo taken by a reporter during the public interview at the Olympic rehearsal last week. You're all married or have boyfriends, so you don't feel anything after seeing this?"

Everyone looked over curiously. Li Xiaolu's phone album contained photos of Lu Kuan directing training under the scorching sun.

In mid-July, when Beiping was in the midst of sweltering heat, the ground temperature of the Bird's Nest was nearly 40 degrees Celsius. In the photo, Lu Kuan's white shirt, soaked with sweat, clung tightly to his waist and back, and the inverted triangle silhouette shone with a beeswax-like luster in the sunlight.

The two indented muscle lines on his lower back are embedded in his belt. It's not exaggerated, but his muscular back and wasp waist are the most striking feature, like the finger marks that God himself made.

This is all thanks to Xiao Liu's efforts over the past year to seduce and force the washing machine to "work" (i.e., put herself on the tiger's back).

Gan Wei is a married woman, so she's naturally not shy about talking about this kind of man with her girlfriends: "Xiao Lu, how come you even study other people's waists?"

Li Xiaolu nonchalantly licked away the wine stains from her lips: "You guys don't understand, this kind of broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted man, when he moves..."

She suddenly rubbed the coffee table leg with the tip of her high heel, and the muscles in her calves under her silk skirt were clearly tense.

Whether it was from drinking too much red wine today, or from the thrill of sharing her sexual fetish with her best friend, Li Xiaolu suddenly felt an itch rising within her body, making her extremely uncomfortable.

"Stop, stop!" Jiang Yiyan covered her mouth and laughed, then glanced at Yang Mi, who had a playful expression and remained silent, before uttering a probing question:

"What's the point of you guys talking so much about someone else's boyfriend's sex appeal? You don't get to enjoy it anyway!"

"Mimi is still here, don't make her feel awkward, after all, Lu Kuan's girlfriend Liu Yifei is his good friend."

Yang Mi smiled and waved her hand: "Men are allowed to fantasize about women together, but we can't even comment on them? It's not like we're belittling anything."

"It's alright, it's alright, just don't worry about me telling on you, haha."

Huo Siyan teasingly pinched Li Xiaolu's smooth chin with her finger: "You brat, stop talking, or I think you'll have to go change your underwear."

"Get lost! I'm not at that level yet!" Li Xiaolu slapped away her mischievous hand and said regretfully, "Back in 03 when we were filming 'Shoplifters,' my mom took me to audition, but unfortunately they didn't like me." (Chapter 133)
"Now he's the richest man in mainland China and a famous director. Even Fan Bingbing, who was rumored to be dating him before, seems to be unable to climb up to his level, let alone us."

Li Xiaolu's face grew even more flushed with desire, and she boldly uttered lewd words: "I'm just hoping that one of you can hook up with him, and then invite me along when you're doing good deeds..."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Gan smiled and stood up. "You're getting more and more outrageous. It's fine to make a joke, but if Lao Jia hears it, he'll make me cut ties with you!"

Li Xiaolu raised an eyebrow, unconvinced: "Sister Wei, don't worry about your Lao Jia. He's rich, but he's a bit shabby. There aren't that many women rushing to him, haha!"

Gan Wei pretended to hit her, and Li Xiaolu then clung to her smooth, delicate thighs and begged for mercy.

The women all giggled upon hearing this; when women talk about sex, men are basically not involved.

Female celebrities, with their extensive knowledge and rich experiences, are particularly fond of discussing this topic.

This was the second time Da Mimi had met with this small group today. She chuckled to herself while also sighing inwardly.

When I was on the set of "Curse of the Golden Flower," didn't I also yearn for my romantic desires to be nurtured? ... (Chapter 328)
The girls, in their private circle of close friends, talked unrestrainedly about their sexual fantasies about washing machines, which, according to Freudian theory, brought them a kind of pleasure from breaking taboos.

The suppression of female sexual expression by social norms makes openly discussing sexual topics a rebellious pleasure, and the actress Xiao Lu, whose existence has been proven by later generations, clearly belongs to this category.

From another perspective, whether it's Yang Mi, Jiang Yiyan, Huo Siyan who has seen Xiao Liu's dashing presence at Huayi, or Li Xiaolu herself, everyone present today is a force to be reckoned with.

Even if I don't want to admit it, I have to:
The powerful, talented, and handsome man that Liu Yifei has taken over is someone they cannot currently reach.

Through this collective excitement, and through language descriptions to achieve a psychological "symbolic conquest," they can realize the fantasy of possessing high-value men that are unattainable, which brings them pleasure.

In other words, when everyone was chatting excitedly just now, apart from the relatively reserved Gan Wei, was Xiao Lu the only one who wanted to get her hair done?
This is like male college students fantasizing about the prettiest girl in their class or school after lights out; it's an attempt to demystify "unavailable sexual resources" and a means to maintain psychological balance.

It will be great.

The group of girlfriends were chatting and laughing about other topics when Yang Mi's phone suddenly rang.

The girls glanced at it and didn't think much of it, but Da Mimi's gesture of putting her finger to her lips alerted everyone, and then they saw the caller ID she was showing.

Sisi.

The laughter and shouts of the women abruptly ceased, revealing a guilty conscience that the first wife or empress had discovered their treacherous thoughts.

"Hello? Sissi?"

"Ah... okay, I'll be there a little later, alright? Okay, bye~"

Li Xiaolu teased with a smile, "Liu Yifei invited you to dinner? Seize the opportunity, Mimi! Come back and tell me how you feel!"

"Then you'll be disappointed." Yang Mi smiled brightly: "The Olympics will start in two weeks, and she said Coach Lu won't be back tonight."

"Today is the premiere of Wenjie's 'Meteor Shower'. She invited a few people to help Jing Tian make a good impression, which can also be considered a gathering of her best friends."

Huo Siyan asked doubtfully, "I know that girl. She spent 1500 million to buy a painting by Lu Kuan right after she debuted. She seems to be a celestial being descended to earth."

The word "also" was used well. Everyone present knew who the first one was, but this little-known beauty from the Beijing Film Academy seemed to have an even more impressive background than Liu Yifei.

Jiang Yiyan smiled and said, "Mimi has a lot of influence, she can get along well anywhere. Just don't reveal what we were chatting about."

Gan Wei said unhappily, "Don't say that. We didn't say anything bad about Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan. It was just a joke in private."

As the host, she patted Yang Mi's forearm understandingly: "Go on, we've almost finished our gathering. Look, Xiao Lu is drunk to the point of madness, there's just no way to deal with her."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Wei. I'll head over now. I'll treat everyone to dinner next week."

"let's go."

Yang Mi stood up, carrying her Hermès Birkin bag. The hem of her silk skirt swept across the champagne glasses on the edge of the coffee table. Her hurried steps and the calm and casual expression on her face created a natural logical conflict.

Shuang Feiyan and the other girls watched her leave, seemingly without any dissatisfaction with the eagerness of this rising star of Huayi.

Yes, who wouldn't do everything in their power to flatter and support a best friend with such incredible connections?
Who knows, maybe someone could whisper sweet nothings in the ear of a tycoon and turn you into the next Su Chang, Tong Liya, or Tang Yan—actresses who have risen to fame incredibly quickly in the last two years?
In a spectrum analysis of the fame and fortune world, Yang Mi's current rush reflects the cruelest survival rules of the entertainment industry:
Resource position difference determines social weight.

In the entertainment industry, a highly monetized arena, personal value is reduced to a quantifiable resource exchange rate, and emotional connections are merely contingent liabilities on a balance sheet.

Under the most realistic and blatant rules, everyone tacitly plays a dual role: both a victim and an accomplice in the resource game.

French philosopher and sociologist Michel Foucault proposed the theory of "disciplined society" in his book "Discipline and Punish," pointing out that modern society uses disciplinary mechanisms to exercise sophisticated control over individuals.

This control no longer relies on traditional violent punishment, but rather on standardization, supervision, and standardized training to permeate power into every movement, habit, and way of thinking.

The Teddy Sisters present today are almost all subjects of the entertainment industry's rules and regulations, and when necessary, they can even perform self-hypnotic-like "self-discipline."

Some people have taken this approach to an extreme, choosing to accept and become familiar with this disciplinary game, and striving to become the disciplinarians, such as a certain soldier;

Some people are able to escape this constraint relatively because of their family background, such as a certain Tian;
In some lives, a washing machine, from the age of 15, is constantly trying to discipline her.

However, she ultimately reversed the situation with her resilience and kindness, plunging a fatal blow into the latter's heart with a gentle yet deadly touch, becoming the anchor point for the lonely time traveler's life.

For example, the organizer of the girls' gathering that Yang Mi was rushing to attend.

A certain immortal.
-
The entertainment industry is always a group that sticks together. Besides the now-growing "Teddy Sisters" group, the "Class 6-1" group organized by the former leader Wang Fei is the most famous.

The sixth grade class was mostly composed of natives of Beiping.

Naying, Liu Jialing, Zhao Yanzi, director Zhang Yibai, Aunt Zhao who later turned against Zhang Ziyi, and singers Jinggangshan and Zheng Jun.

Wang Fei has a generous and outgoing personality. He often organizes gatherings for everyone to eat, drink, play mahjong, and have themed parties. He also frequently shows his support for each other's careers. For example, at the premiere of Zhang Yibai's film "Love Will Carry On," Wang Fei organized Na Ying and others to wear red scarves and attend the event.

Among the members is Fei Qi, the vice president who has been deeply involved with Huayi for many years. He is in charge of the celebrity management sector within Huayi and holds a position equivalent to Li Xue's.

In his previous life, Kuzi's wives Xu Fan, Wang Baoqiang, Zhang Hanyu, and Su Youpeng were all his artists.

Later, Huayi actress Luo Haiqiong joined Class 6, Grade 1, just because she married this Fei Gu.

It seems that a certain fairy and her circle of friends are now becoming one of the small groups in the entertainment industry.

This became a popular comment with many likes and replies under the announcement of the "One Fairy and Four Little Actresses" selected by the media at the beginning of this year.

Among the four little actresses, Huang Shengyi and Liu Yifei have almost no interaction, except for a related report when casting for "Kung Fu" in 2002 (Chapter 183).

According to rumors from Hong Kong media, Stephen Chow actually preferred Liu Yifei, who had a more ethereal and pure temperament, after the audition, but the latter later chose to be Zhang Ziyi's stunt double in "A Home Too Far".

However, this news was denied by Stephen Chow himself. He naturally wanted to support Huang Shengyi, who was signed by Star Overseas Entertainment. However, he was betrayed not long after the success of "Kung Fu Hustle".

Liu Yifei's journey from stunt double to blockbuster film star and Best Actress has now been edited into popular videos by her fans online, with titles such as "The Place Where Dreams Begin" and "The Gears of Destiny Begin to Turn."

Around 7 p.m., Da Mimi, who regarded her friendship with Xiao Liu as "the beginning of the turning of the gears of fate," arrived at the "second venue."

As everyone knows, the first round is just to appease the situation, while the second round is where things really get serious.

Yang Mi had been drinking, and her driver brought her newly purchased BMW Z4 to the carved iron gate of Wenyuhe Mansion. It was a Coupe hardtop version released last year, with a guide price of over 70 yuan for the 3.0si.

This figure isn't too high for Yang Mi, whose earning power is constantly increasing, but it's still impossible for her to spend money like her best friend Xiao Liu.

Spending money like water is the life of a wealthy future wife that Liu Yifei imagines she will lead.

In fact, since Liu Yifei started dating Lu Kuan, she has spent more money on high-end suits and leather shoes for the washing machine than on herself.

If female mourners weren't concerned about maintaining a certain image when going out, they would dress however they felt comfortable at home.

Before the hobby of collecting luxury cars has taken hold, the largest consumer expenditure is on expensive car care and maintenance.

Of course, given the gap and inequality in economic strength between the two sides, some things cannot be simply measured numerically.

For example, last year Mr. Lu bought the "Audrey Hepburn Yellow Diamond" in Manhattan as a 20th birthday gift for his girlfriend, worth more than $1300 million.

And this is precisely the kind of storyline that disciplined actresses envy the most.

Yang Mi sent a message to Liu Yifei. The imposing iron gate slowly opened, and a tall man in a suit walked out.

"Miss Yang, please come in."

"Thank you."

Da Mimi naturally recognized the bodyguard of this richest man, a man who could break Wang Xiaolei's leg in public at Huayi and then escape unscathed.

Yang Mi got out of the car and walked into the manor. This was her third visit, and it seemed that each time she came, the scenery was different.

In late autumn, withered leaves carpet the driveway, conveying a sense of desolation. In early spring, cherry blossoms transplanted in the southeast corner bloom, their pink and white petals drifting in the wind.

But in the height of summer, the manor presents a different scene altogether. The last rays of the setting sun gild the neatly trimmed lawns, and the mist from the automatic sprinkler system forms tiny rainbows in the sunlight.

Yang Mi walked with slightly tipsy steps, her high heels crunching over the water droplets that had condensed on the lawn.

The setting sun stretched her shadow long, like a ladder that could never reach the dome of the Wenyu River Mansion.

She imagined and envisioned the daily life of the manor's owners, whether they strolled, laughed, kissed, and embraced like she did.

A few laughs came from the outdoor tennis court in the distance, and Liu Yifei's shouts as she smashed the ball could be faintly heard. Several female celebrities in sportswear were sitting on the benches by the court.

"Is that Yang Mi?" Tang Yan, who was watching the game from the sidelines, was the first to spot her.

"Huh? Yang Mi's here? Let's finish then." Xiao Liu scored with a smash, and casually lifted the hem of his sweat-soaked white T-shirt to wipe his sweat, revealing his toned abs.

On the other hand, Jing Tian carefully wiped herself with a prepared towel, which somewhat confirmed Liu Yifei's self-proclaimed status as a female mourner.

Yang Mi stepped forward and laughed, "Why are you using the tennis court to play badminton?"

Zhang Liangying handed water to the two players who had just played against each other and explained, "We played tennis for a while, but neither of us is very good at it, and no one can beat Xixi, so we switched to badminton."

Xiao Liu said coquettishly, "They're cheating. Who plays badminton outdoors? They're hoping for wind to affect my performance."

As he spoke, he walked over to the bench and roughly patted Su Chang's butt, who was lying face down sunbathing: "Get up, time to take a shower, eat, and watch a show."

"Ah? It's finally over!" Su Chang stretched out her hand with a bitter face: "Give me a hand, I can't get up, I'm so tired every time I come to your house."

"Last time you dragged me swimming, this time you're dragging us to play ball with you, damn it!"

Su Chang glared at her best friend with a bitter and resentful look, even uttering profanities in her anger, which made the other girls laugh.

Liu Yifei pouted: "What kind of stamina do you guys have? Luckily, Tian Tian has been with me all this time."

Jing Tian has been practicing Grotowski for almost two years now. The latter can be seen as a full-body calisthenics performance, with some movements derived from the basic skills of Peking Opera and yoga.

After such a long period of training, one's athletic ability and physical coordination are definitely superior to those of ordinary people.

Xiao Liu called out to her best friend, "Let's take a picture together and I'll post it on Weibo to support Lu Kuan and his 'Welcome the Olympics, Fitness for All' check-in activity."

This refers to the "Check-in" activity jointly launched by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and Weibo on July 8th to welcome the Olympics:
Users who upload photos of their workouts daily and check in on the Weibo interface for 30 consecutive days will have a chance to win an Olympic commemorative badge.

Thanks to this event, Weibo gained nearly 300 million new users within 72 hours. Weibo also began to gradually build a social currency similar to the later "Ice Bucket Challenge," which had a huge effect on improving user stickiness.

On the other hand, with the approach of the Olympics, the number of overseas tourists has surged, and ordinary people are happy to show the world their healthy, energetic, youthful appearance and national character.

As a family member of the chief director of the Olympics, and a sports fanatic in this life, Xiao Liu naturally wanted to participate enthusiastically.

"Tch!" Several girlfriends teased her, and Su Chang joked, "It's only been a few days since we last saw your boyfriend, and you look so worthless!"

Joking aside, don't joke about taking photos.

They were all well-known female celebrities. After checking each other's makeup and condition, Xiao Liu completely let loose, simply wiping her sweat before picking up her phone.

"Mimi, are you coming?"

Yang Mi smiled and politely declined, saying, "I'm not wearing sportswear, you guys can take the pictures."

She would never have missed such an opportunity in the past, so how could Liu Yifei's circle of friends be without her, a celebrity?
Yang Mi had just walked in from the doorway when she saw Su Chang, Jing Tian, ​​and the others being very close to her.

Having pretended her whole life, Da Mi Mi felt quite lonely inside, always feeling somewhat out of place.

At this moment, she was torn between two conflicting thoughts: should she tell Liu Yifei about Huayi finding out about the nominee shareholding, or should she listen to her boyfriend Xiao Xu and play along?

Jing Tian, ​​being a lively person, pulled Liu Yifei and Su Chang to take a few more funny photos before everyone returned to the villa with laughter and merriment.

Liu Xiaoli, who was in high spirits because of the happy occasion, had already prepared everything: bath supplies, towels, and changes of clothes. Anyone with a similar figure could wear Xiaoli's clothes, but Da Tiantian might find them too small.

A small group of female celebrities from the entertainment industry, with a completely different atmosphere from the "Teddy Sisters," started a team-building activity. Today's team-building activity was watching dramas and posting on Weibo to support the debut drama of non-celebrity Jing Tian, ​​"Meteor Shower."

Women's dinner parties are always more sophisticated than men's drinking parties.

If men's drinking parties are power struggles and cutthroat competition, then women's dining tables are exchanges of emotions and undercurrents.

The sound of a makeup puff being used for touch-ups in the restroom may not be as crisp as the clinking of glasses, but the lipstick mark on the rim of a crystal glass is definitely more vivid than an official seal.

Liu Xiaoli kept smiling as she looked at her daughter's friends:

Su Chang buried herself in her food, occasionally raising her aching arm to complain to Liu Yifei about being mistreated by her.
Tang Yan recounts her helplessness during her first script reading with Jiang Wen, and is amazed by the unique working approach of this carefree, overspending director.

Jing Tian kept glancing at her watch with a mix of anxiety and anticipation as she waited for the Travel Channel's summer prime-time premiere to start at 8 o'clock.
Zhang Liangying was relatively quiet, but when the group talked about relationships, she clearly looked uncomfortable.

Liu Xiaoli is very happy to see her daughter have so many good friends.

There aren't many people you can truly confide in within this circle.

She understood this all back in the small Jiangcheng Song and Dance Troupe. The friendships among the actresses were like glass candy wrappers, dazzling in the sunlight but easily broken.

Su Chang is someone she's watched grow up since "The Story of Rose";
Jing Tian grew up being bullied by her daughter. She was there when Xiao Liu lost her speech, and she rushed to visit her as soon as she returned to Beijing after the earthquake. They have a very good relationship.
She didn't know much about Yang Mi, Tang Yan, and Zhang Liangying, but she knew Liu Yifei and would have her own opinions about her.

However, the veteran artist had a sharp eye; of all the actresses present, only Yang Mi gave him a slightly strange feeling.

It seems to be the girl who competed with her for the lead dance back then, who always managed to pinpoint the center position for her bow during the curtain call precisely where the troupe leader could focus the attention.

However, when Liu Xiaoli's gaze turned to her daughter, who was going to get married in just over a month, all these little thoughts in her mind were put to the back of her mind.

Even without considering a mother's biased perspective, Liu Yifei's vision, skills, and demeanor are already quite mature, so there's nothing to worry about.

Having overcome so many difficulties, these can hardly be considered hidden worries.

The professionalism of female celebrities meant that the meal was short and the content was brief. Liu Xiaoli stood up and said politely, "Kids, go watch TV. You don't need to worry about this."

Jing Tian smiled and took her arm: "Auntie, why don't you come and watch it with us later? I'm a little nervous."

"Sisi and the others are all quite sharp-tongued, I need your encouragement."

"Okay, I'll be right there. I'll have the nanny bring some fruit later." Liu Xiaoli liked this naive and sweet girl and patted her hand with a smile.

Everyone sat comfortably on the sofa in the 70-square-meter home theater. Su Chang joked, "Since you said we're all sharp-tongued, then we'll definitely give you a good critique later."

She nudged Xiao Liu next to her with her elbow: "Qianqian, as an award-winning actress and senior sister, aren't you going to write a long essay about this later?"

"Find all the mistakes in her voice, acting, and performance, and post them online!"

Jing Tian scoffed and laughed, "You guys are just being sarcastic. Some people are just jealous of my figure. My bust is bigger than yours, humph!"

"Especially Mou Chang and Mou Xian, hehe!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Tang Yan retorted, "You say we all admit it, but Mimi is here today too? Aren't you being a bit presumptuous?"

Now that Da Mimi has a better understanding of Jing Tian's background, she no longer takes it so lightly. She waved her hand coquettishly and said, "This thing can't be sold by weight, so what's the point of comparing? Tian Tian has a better figure than me."

Liu Yifei silently observed Yang Mi's expression, then suddenly joked, "I'm quite envious of you guys. Lu Kuan always teases me, calling me a country bumpkin."

The Berlin Film Festival Best Actress sighed deeply: "A thousand pounds of loyalty can't compare to four ounces of breasts!"

"Tch! You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent!" The beloved Da Tian Tian didn't hide her disdain at all, rolling her eyes at her bullying senior sister, who was always good at saying things like "you're getting a good deal and still acting innocent" to provoke people.

Su Chang and Tang Yan exchanged smiles, knowing that this young lady was always a genuine person, never hiding her likes and dislikes in front of her friends, even her admiration for Lu Kuan.

But Yang Mi, who had just chatted with another group of "Teddy Sisters" that afternoon, didn't hear it that way.

In particular, she harbored a secret even bigger than her breasts.

Yang Mi paused for a second, then covered her mouth and laughed, "Qianqian is joking. That's just the kind of playful bickering you couples have. If you're a simple girl, what are the rest of us?"

Liu Yifei didn't continue the conversation. She watched as Jing Tian switched the channel to Travel Channel, then shifted her position and sat down next to Yang Mi.

Xiao Liu put her arm around her best friend's shoulder and whispered, "Honey, how's Huayi doing lately?"

The latter's heart sank. She had avoided this topic like the plague, but it had come nonetheless.
Yang Mi quickly composed herself: "Since you left that time, President Wang and Director Feng have been keeping a low profile. They should be busy with the 'If You Are the One' project. Ali and Wendi Deng are also paying close attention."

Yang Mi made a cameo appearance in "If You Are the One" as Fan Wei's busty secretary, the same character Gong Xinliang played in the previous life.

Liu Yifei looked at her with a smile: "You originally had 3% of the shares. Last time you voluntarily accepted the terms of the share issuance, how much did they give you?"

“My original shareholding was small, and Mr. Wang and the others didn’t trust me as much as they did Fan Bingbing. After this change of registration, my shareholding will be around 5 percent.”

Yang Miyuan was not a naive girl like Jing Tian who could be manipulated by Xiao Liu. Worried that if she kept being questioned, she would reveal her secrets, so she immediately took the initiative.

"Sisi, actually I've always been quite curious, could I ask you if you want me to hold Huayi's shares on your behalf..."

"Isn't it obvious?" Liu Yifei looked at Yang Mi with innocent eyes, as if the question she raised was the biggest joke in the world.

She calmly turned the tables on him: "Hasn't Huayi been trying to go public? I'm just optimistic about their prospects."

"Don't be fooled by Wenjie's strength. Who would complain about having too much money? Even if Huayi doesn't get the first course, I think there's still room for negotiation on this price."

"But Honey, if you want those 5 points, I'll sell them to you at the original price. Don't blame me after we go public and make money, or it'll affect our relationship."

"No, no, it's all... it was all agreed upon." Yang Mi was a little embarrassed, and at that moment she remembered a phrase that her father, a police officer, often said at home.

Don't reach out, or you'll get caught.

Just as they tentatively reached out to uncover a corner of the truth, or perhaps to see Liu Yifei's expression in the face of this question, they were swiftly countered, their trump card thrown back at them.

But Yang Mi didn't dare to say anything more.

Because she was genuinely guilty and didn't have enough confidence to give Liu Yifei the cold shoulder.

Heaven knows how many fans she gained from being known as "Liu Yifei's best friend," and even the obvious envy in the eyes of her Teddy sisters when she left Yinshanfang was quite evident.

Honey, whose wings haven't fully grown yet, needs this friendship, at least for now.

Under the spotlight of fame and fortune, a few casual words can already complete an underlying psychological game.

Yang Mi's defensive exposure made Liu Yifei's heart sink, confirming her suspicions that had been running since Zhao Liying revealed the information.

Yang Mi's loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely not loyal.

She sighed inwardly, lamenting the unpredictability of human nature; even her boyfriend had made mistakes.

"We're here! I'm so nervous!" Jing Tian exclaimed softly, the orange juice tube in her mouth was bitten so badly that it was mottled and dented.

Everyone looked at the 150-inch screen in the center of the theater, each with their own thoughts as they watched this debut film by "the actress who just couldn't become famous."

(End of this chapter)