Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 133 Home-based Creation Team Assistance
"Jingyi, you're going to record 'Produce 101' today so your seniors can come and support you."

Gu Jingyi had just finished filming and was dragging his tired body out of the set when he heard Lin Ze announce his new work arrangements.

"Today? I'd like to go back and get some rest."

Gu Jingyi rubbed his temples, feeling somewhat irritated.

"There's nothing we can do. Tencent already announced that you'd be going to Produce 101. Besides, we turned down an invitation from Tencent to be a dance teacher and debuted on Produce 101 instead. Tencent has some complaints about this, and they subtly expressed their dissatisfaction at the Tencent Video All Star Awards."

"Jingyi, didn't you say before that you wanted to be good at navigating both sides? Tencent has some good projects too, so I'm sorry to trouble you to work hard for now."

Lin Ze actually felt a little sorry for Gu Jingyi, as "Ashes of Love" was confirmed to be released during the winter vacation next year.

No TV series ends the moment the actors finish filming; post-production work takes at least six months.

After returning to "Ashes of Love" from the end of his tour, Gu Jingyi was completely immersed in a high-intensity filming schedule.

In the morning, he and Team A filmed "Xu Feng's Journey to Becoming the Demon Lord" in the Demon Realm.

In the afternoon, he and Yang Zi filmed Jinmi's "chasing husband crematorium" together.

In the evening, Gu Jingyi also had to film Xu Feng's childhood memories for the night shoot.

The optimized script gave Xu Feng the episodes of "Runyu's Story" that focused on Runyu's growth.

Xu Feng is not naive or innocent; rather, he is worldly-wise but not cynical. He is not a child raised in a pampered environment either. The Heavenly Emperor is self-reliant, and the Heavenly Empress values ​​power. Although they both love Xu Feng, their love is conditional.

Xu Feng grew up in a repressive environment and had no desires. When he was the God of War, the respect he received was earned through countless wounds.

Before meeting Jinmi, he lived a life devoid of desires. After meeting Jinmi, he gave her his wholehearted heart without reservation.

Gu Jingyi has been really tired lately; he is exhausted both physically and mentally.

He's essentially working two days' worth of scenes in one, filming scenes spanning different timeframes. It requires a lot of emotional engagement, which is extremely demanding.

Today's performance is over, and Gu Jingyi just wants to go home and get a good night's sleep.

I never expected that Lin Ze would drag me into making a cameo appearance on "Produce 101 China." Today I flew there to meet my junior. After another rehearsal, I'll be on stage for the performance the next day.

"Okay, okay, stop looking like that. For the third performance of 'Produce 101 China,' fans chose songs for the trainees from the demos. The group you were in was alright; the trainees were all quite strong."

Lin Ze smiled and said, "Honestly, going there is really like a vacation for you. The workload is much lighter than on set, so just treat it as a good rest."

"The group I was assigned to shouldn't be one of those royal families, right?"

As the top active idol in the Chinese entertainment industry, Gu Jingyi is very protective of his reputation.

Speaking of "Produce 101 China", he did have some impression of it.

He had seen a few clips of it in his previous life, but only two of them went viral. One was "I'm Really in Love Again," and the other was "Support."

Both of these were songs performed during the first public performance, which was thought to be the beginning of talent shows in the Chinese entertainment industry. Unexpectedly, this turned out to be the final peak, with the song choices for the second and third public performances getting worse and worse. The stage lighting was also poor, and the camera work was almost non-existent.

Seeing that Lin Ze didn't speak, Gu Jingyi's eyelids twitched.

"No way, you're not telling me it's true? If that's the case, I'll just interact with them and send someone out."

“Look at what you’ve been thinking. You’re going to join the ‘Shine’ group. It’s a forest-themed song about growing up.”

Lin Ze smiled wryly; he had just deliberately wanted to see Gu Jingyi make a fool of himself.

"With Wu Xuanyi here, she'll be in the center position. The stage effect won't be bad at all, so just enjoy the stage."

Gu Jingyi nodded, "Then I'm relieved. I'll sing the lyrics part that I'm assigned with her."

"Of course, the group they were assigned to didn't have a vocalist. So Wu Xuanyi, the lead dancer, had to sing, but her voice is quite distinctive. It's bright and sweet."

Lin Ze also commented that in 2018, a year of nationwide talent shows, "Produce 101" saw that iQiyi had succeeded in its promotional efforts, so Tencent was willing to spend a lot of money on it.

With a wave of his hand, "Produce 101" appeared on various trending topics on Weibo.

Just as the first episode of "Produce 101" aired, Gu Jingyi's "Idol Producer" had already selected a limited-time group.

The two sides are not in competition; Taoyuan Factory is producing a male version of a talent show.

Tencent went against the grain and created a female version of talent shows.

Female talent shows generally have a larger audience, while male viewers rarely watch male versions. However, female viewers love to find their favorite contestants from Produce 101.

The female version of Produce 101 has a larger audience and better promotion, so it's understandable that it did well this time. Gu Jingyi felt that there were indeed a few outstanding contestants.

"So am I supposed to go to the 'Ferris Wheel Doesn't Believe in Tears' group? Oh no, I knew it, the high notes are finally coming my way."

"No, go to 'Shine'."

Lin Ze looked at Gu Jingyi with some surprise. "The 'Ferris Wheel Doesn't Believe in Tears' performance is Zhang Zining's group. Jingyi, where did you hear this rumor from?"

“My sister posted it on her WeChat Moments. I was scrolling through her Moments a few days ago before bed after filming. She wanted people to vote for Wu Xuanyi’s ‘Ferris Wheel Doesn’t Believe in Tears.’ I was wondering why Wu Xuanyi, who came from a girl group, would sing this song, which is more vocal.”

Gu Jingyi picked up his phone and went to his Moments, only to find that Gu Xuanxuan had already deleted the post.

She posted another message yesterday: "Tears welling up, family members, in the last 48 hours before the song selection ended, we secured 'Shine' and got the song that best suits Xuanyi's style. Every single yuan counts, we did a great job!"

The accompanying image was a screenshot of her voting for "Shine," and Liu Haojian did comment on it.

"Didn't you say a few days ago that you liked me, your older sister, the most? How come you have a new older sister so soon? Gu Xuanxuan, just how many good older sisters do you have?"

Gu Jingyi couldn't help but laugh, and he took a screenshot and sent it to Gu Xuanxuan.

"Let me show you what happens when you try to please both sides."

The other party replied quickly, with a "..."

Gu Jingyi sent a voice message directly, "Oh dear, what a pity. I'm going to 'Produce 101' today as a mentor, and I'll be in Wu Xuanyi's group to partner with her."

"Since you don't like her, then forget it. I was originally thinking of having her record a motivational video for you when we got there, and maybe even get her autograph."

The voice message had just been sent when Gu Jingyi's phone rang.

"Brother, you should have said so earlier. Hehe, I'm not pretending anymore, I'm just a one-yuan guy."

Gu Jingyi wasn't so indulgent towards her. "Really? But I remember just now someone. I asked her a question, and she sent me ellipses."

"Who is that person? It's so hard to guess."

"Forget it, I'd better not do these unnecessary things."

Gu Jingyi smiled, his tone full of teasing.

"Brother, you are my brother, my only brother, and my only connection in the entertainment industry."

"Please, get me an autograph!"

Gu Xuanxuan also adopted a fawning tone and said a whole bunch of nice things.

Gu Jingyi guessed that her patience was almost worn off before he nodded.

"However, it's fine for you to be a fan. Just don't let it affect your studies. Also, isn't your sister Haojian also in the industry? Why do you say that I'm your only connection in the entertainment circle? That sounds a bit strange."

"Hehe, you're different from Sister Haojian. I'd feel embarrassed if I kept bothering her. You're my brother, we're related by blood. I'd feel more comfortable bothering you."

Gu Jingyi's expression softened slightly, and he agreed.

"Alright, considering you've been behaving very well lately, I'll get you an autograph. Remember to do your best on your final exams."

"Okay~" After Gu Jingyi hung up the phone, Lin Ze asked with a bit of gossip.

"Jingyi, what's the progress between you and Liu Haojian? Why does your sister keep calling Haojian 'sister'? It seems like you're closer than usual."

"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend yet," Gu Jingyi said, looking at the crowds outside the car window. He opened the window a crack, and the breeze that blew in was quite pleasant.

"It seems like it was bound to happen sooner or later."

The word "temporarily" is quite intriguing; it's likely they'll change their tune soon.

Gu Jingyi ignored him and adjusted his seat back. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Seeing this, Lin Ze turned the air conditioner up a bit.

……

"Welcome, Senior Jingyi, to our Xuanyi Team!"

Gu Jingyi arrived at the recording location of "Produce 101" in Xiaoshan, where the senior students were waiting for the contestants in different rooms.

Upon seeing that it was Gu Jingyi who came out, Wu Xuanyi excitedly covered her mouth and said, "It's actually Senior Jingyi! I'm so lucky!"

This was all just acting; in reality, Gu Jingyi and she knew each other.

When in front of the camera, they always have to film some scenes that the audience likes to see.

"Hello, we will be performing together on stage from now on."

Gu Jingyi didn't expose her, and filmed the entire meeting with her in front of the camera.

They recorded another practice segment in the practice room, and Gu Jingyi's part consisted of only two lines.

He played a role that was essentially a "male decorative vase" from beginning to end, interacting with the contestants on stage from the very first line to the very last.

“Senior Jingyi, when I sing ‘Every day is shinne, the hardships along the way are warmed by the sun,’ you also come around and place your palm against mine. Then, we sing this line together.”

Wu Xuanyi was also talking about the song, and Gu Jingyi nodded.

"Then, right after that, I added the line, 'Every day is shine, and all the hardships along the way have their own puzzle pieces.' Then, using the positioning and timing, I danced a bit with you all to the middle melody."

Today, Gu Jingyi looked elegant and casual in a chic white suit, a new Dior design. It hadn't even been released in China yet, but Gu Jingyi was already wearing it.

Yes, that's right.

This song isn't difficult, and Gu Jingyi picked it up easily.

Gu Jingyi was the last of all the senior students to arrive to offer their support.

However, given his professional skills, the absence of Gu Jingyi shouldn't cause the "Shine" team to feel uneasy.

The rehearsal went smoothly, and after it was over, Gu Jingyi took the car keys and prepared to take a van back to rest.

Wu Xuanyi called out to him, "Jingyi, can you wait a moment?"

"What is it?" Gu Jingyi turned around.

"You and Xiaoxiao..."

She looked conflicted, glancing at Gu Jingyi's expression as she asked the question.

"Don't ask, I don't want to talk about it."

Gu Jingyi's expression turned cold, and Wu Xuanyi also felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Is…I see.”

"Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now. See you at the performance tomorrow."

The next day

The "Shine" group won first place in the performance group without breaking a sweat; all the performance votes were cast by the live audience.

They don't value ability that much; usually, they vote for whoever is most popular, or whoever looks the best.

Gu Jingyi, a top-tier idol, only sang two lines of "Shine." Yet, his contribution to this group far exceeded that of the other guest performers.

After the recording of the third performance, news spread that Gu Jingyi helped Wu Xuanyi win first place in the live voting.

[Nothing much to say, Emperor Jing is at his usual level.]
[It's Gu Jingyi? Then it's alright.]
[I can't wait for the show to air! I can't wait to see Jingyi.]
On Douban, everyone is expressing their expectations for Gu Jingyi.

After returning to the film set, he had just finished filming the highlight scene of Xu Feng's ascension to the throne as the Demon Lord.

After director Zhu Ruibing yelled "Cut," he stopped Gu Jingyi.

Somewhat embarrassed, she asked, "Jingyi, could you sing a song from the OST of 'Ashes of Love'?"

“Sure,” Gu Jingyi nodded.

The music production team for "Ashes of Love" is the Sa Dingding team, which has won the BBC Music Award, and the huge success of "Ashes of Love" is due to various factors.

From film and television to OSTs, he has achieved widespread success. The songs "Undyed" and "Left Finger Pointing to the Moon" are also very good.

The last OST for a hit drama to achieve such widespread popularity was "Liang Liang" from "Eternal Love" (Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms).

Gu Jingyi is going to sing this song, "Undyed," which is beautiful in both lyrics and melody.

"Unwilling to be tainted by right and wrong, the flower in my heart withers."

"..."

"A pot of clear wine, a body covered in dust."

"A single thought can make the rest of my life without regrets."

"A cycle of seasons, births and deaths, fleeting glory and strife."

"Let's get drunk again when the flowers bloom."

Even after the last line was sung, Gu Jingyi, wearing over-ear monitoring headphones, was still immersed in the song's atmosphere.

Hello, Jingyi.

Sa Dingding appeared out of nowhere and walked up to Gu Jingyi to shake his hand.

"Hello, Teacher Sa."

Gu Jingyi shook hands with her, "Jingyi, you sang very well."

"Thank you, Teacher Sa."

The two chatted for a while and then posted photos of themselves together on Weibo.

As soon as the Weibo post was published, fans rushed over to comment.

[Jingyi is strikingly handsome!]
[Did you meet with Teacher Sa? Both fans are overjoyed!]
Sa Dingding also commented on Gu Jingyi's post, saying, "Xu Feng sang really well."

"Fairy of Fate is also one."

The Fairy of Fate was a guest role played by Sa Dingding in "Ashes of Love." Although her acting was just average, her limited screen time meant that even if her performance wasn't particularly outstanding, it didn't detract from her overall impact.

At first glance, the audience doesn't feel out of place.

(End of this chapter)