Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 149: Encountering a Top-Tier Succubus Right After Leaving the Starting Village

"Jingyi, keep up."

Noticing that Gu Jingyi was somewhat distracted, Zheng Fenfen smiled and reminded him.

"it is good."

Gu Jingyi put aside his thoughts and followed behind.

Zheng Fenfen led everyone to the conference hall, where, strangely, there were only two people inside. They were sisters, and these were You Ling, the original author of "Take My Brother Away".

Their representative works include "Mantou Diary," "Take My Brother Away," and "He's All Over the Headlines," the latter two of which were adapted into animated series of the same name by Tencent. These works have enjoyed high popularity since their release and are considered rare gems.

"Jingyi, this is our screenwriter."

Zheng Fenfen smiled and pointed to the two sisters who were typing away in their notebooks, constantly refining their story.

The sudden sound startled Shen Ling. She looked up and met a pair of smiling peach blossom eyes.

"Ugh!" Shen Ling covered her mouth, staring blankly at Gu Jingyi.

"Xiao Ling, why are you still so immature..."

Shen You, who was working at her desk, frowned and turned to scold her unruly younger sister. But she saw the younger sister covering her mouth, her eyes sparkling as she looked at a figure.

She followed her sister's gaze, looking over with a slightly inquiring expression.

"What?! It really is Emperor Jing. Weren't you still filming 'Ashes of Love'? You're here so quickly! That's wonderful!!!"

The younger sister, Shen Ling, had only seen Gu Jingyi in "A Love So Beautiful," and her fondness for Gu Jingyi stemmed more from the character. She wasn't particularly excited, but the older sister, Shen You, was a different story.

She was one of the earliest fans of "Idol Producer," and participated in the ticket lottery on a whim. Surprisingly, she actually won a ticket, and was completely captivated by Gu Jingyi's stage presence during the performance, becoming a die-hard fan.

In the parlance of the fandom, Gu Jingyi's soft chanting while walking on the makeshift benches during his performance was like a "human siren." Any lost traveler who heard his voice would be bewitched and head straight for him.

Shen You was like that; from then on, she was like a man possessed.

Although she didn't have time to vote for Gu Jingyi, she was good at using the power of spending money.

Shen You never even flinched when raising funds or voting for Gu Jingyi.

As a top comic book author holding the copyrights to multiple works, Shen You earns a considerable income. She's even bought enough annual memberships to last for generations to support Gu Jingyi.

When the film "Take My Brother Away" was approved, the first person she, as the screenwriter, wanted to invite was her own brother to play the male lead.

Zheng Fenfen said at the time, "It's difficult. Gu Jingyi isn't just a pure idol with no acting skills or works. He has popularity, acting skills, and a lot of capital to buy stocks. I will extend an invitation to Huace, but don't have too high hopes."

As she had imagined, the script was submitted to Huace and then there was no further news.

Just as Zheng Fenfen was preparing to activate the backup plan "Peng Yuchang", things took an unexpected turn.

Huace contacted her, and Gu Jingyi agreed.

However, Gu Jingyi is still filming the big-budget historical romance drama "Ashes of Love," and he won't be able to join the filming of "Take My Brother Away" until July.

Things took an unexpected turn, and Zheng Fenfen was extremely excited.

Since it's a campus youth film anyway, Gu Jingyi's filming in July coincides with the students' holiday.

Even though filming was delayed by more than a month, and youth campus films are notoriously limited in their setting, the lost costs were negligible compared to the increased box office revenue after the film's release.

"Take My Brother Away" is a joint production of Wanda Pictures, BJ Genki Entertainment Culture Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Tencent Pictures Culture Communication Co., Ltd., all of which are large and well-funded companies.

Of course, they don't lack this kind of money; they can distinguish between "momentary pleasure" and "constant pleasure."

"Kuai Ge" is more than capable of competing for the Mid-Autumn Festival slot.

To this day, the Ghost Sisters find it unbelievable that Gu Jingyi participated in the film.

Shen You shook hands with Gu Jingyi excitedly, "Hello Jingyi, I am Shen You, the original author of 'Take My Brother Away'. I am currently working as an editor for the drama with my sister Shen Ling. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hello, Teacher Shen

Gu Jingyi smiled and shook hands with her, then quickly separated.

Seeing that her sister was being treated so well, Shen Ling tilted her head and mischievously stretched out her hand.

"Hello, Senior Jiang Chen, it's an honor to meet you."

The two sisters were not very old, and their initial liking for Gu Jingyi was surprisingly high.

"Teacher Gu, can we take a photo together and post it on Weibo?"

Shen You held up her phone and took a selfie stick, speaking somewhat timidly, but her eyes shone brightly as she looked at Gu Jingyi.

It's obvious they're true fans; Gu Jingyi certainly spoils his fans.

He took the selfie stick from the phone and took a verification photo with Shen You.

"3, 2, 1, eggplant."

Shen You was overjoyed and posted it on Weibo after slightly adjusting the filter.

[Wow, congratulations to You Da on successfully meeting her idol!]
[Ahhh, it's Jingyi! Fresh Jingyi! My husband hasn't posted a selfie in over a week. Finally, some fresh Jingyi! Let me take a swoon!]
[This must be the crew of "Take My Brother Away," right? I never imagined the editor would be a fan of my idol, Jingdi. This is so wonderful! I can't imagine what it would feel like to have my work brought to life by my idol.]
Shen You's smile was harder to suppress than an AK's, and she replied with a hint of smugness, "Of course it's double the emotion, hehe."

The reply was immediately flooded with even more comments.

Shen You held her phone and read through the comments one by one, laughing heartily.

Shen Ling, the younger sister, was also very excited; this was her first time seeing a top male celebrity. She stared intently at Gu Jingyi, her smile never fading.

"Jingyi, if you have any better ideas for the script, you can also communicate with us, and we will do our best to help you bring the story to a perfect conclusion."

"Teacher Gu, me too!" Shen You naturally wouldn't let her sister be the only one to shine, and she also started to pat her chest and vouch for herself.

"Okay, thank you. I'll discuss the specifics with you after I receive the script and read it carefully. I'll also communicate any new ideas I have."

Gu Jingyi didn't mince words; he genuinely enjoyed revising the script.

Most scripts are ensemble pieces, so how can one make their character more compelling and nuanced? This question, which sparked heated discussions after airing and led to new endorsements and business opportunities, is one that Gu Jingyi has been diligently exploring. Aside from her debut work, "A Love So Beautiful," which remained unchanged, Gu Jingyi has made subtle adjustments to almost all her other dramas.

An actor can add scenes if they have a thorough understanding of the character and have discussed it with their co-stars beforehand.

As long as it's not that "drama tyrant" who, when filming with Bai Lu, insists on having the director hoist him up with wires so the female lead can fall into his arms and force him to add scenes, it's fine.

Gu Jingyi naturally wouldn't force himself to do something he didn't have the time for; he would always read the original novel before filming. He was also very clear about the changes made in the adaptation, knowing which changes were good and which were bad.

More importantly, he is a reincarnated individual. In his previous life, he was also a "near-top star" in the industry, as long as his movies and TV series weren't too obscure.

Gu Jingyi clearly remembers the criticisms that were raised on Douban and by various film critics.

His optimizations are enhancements to the character based on this foundation.

If you don't understand anything and just try to steal the spotlight from your co-stars, you'll lower the quality of the work.

I don't mean to say anything bad about a particular teacher; I'm just stating the facts.

Zheng Fenfen also praised Gu Jingyi's acting skills, noting that all the directors who had worked with him lauded him. The biggest reason was that he didn't just mechanically perform the role according to the script. He had his own ideas, and every flash of inspiration continuously enriched the script's content.

By directly establishing the theme in the script, it elevates the script to another level.

It's worth noting that Gu Jingyi almost exclusively takes on roles in wildly popular dramas; hit dramas are merely the threshold for him to reach.

Every hit drama must have something special about it.

For scores above 90, every point increase represents a significant leap forward.

Gu Jingyi has this ability: he can fill in the gaps in the story while still fulfilling his role. This is one of the reasons why many directors are tolerant of Gu Jingyi adding scenes for himself.

Besides his own popularity, everything he does makes the production team better.

Zheng Fenfen was even less likely to reject Gu Jingyi's changes. On the contrary, she patted Gu Jingyi on the shoulder with appreciation: "Jingyi, if you have any good ideas, you must communicate with us. Making the story more perfect is what every creator is pursuing."

"Okay, I definitely won't stand on ceremony then."

Gu Jingyi smiled and agreed.

He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Zifeng were standing somewhat reserved in the corner and had been ignored, and realized that a meeting of the film crew had turned into a disguised fan meeting.

Gu Jingyi smiled apologetically and put his arm around Zhao Jinmai's shoulder. He pointed at Zhang Zifeng and said, "Sister You, Sister Ling. This is Zhang Zifeng, who plays my younger sister Shi Miao in the drama. Little sister, come and say hello to your two older sisters."

After being mentioned, Zhang Zifeng greeted the screenwriter somewhat shyly: "Hello, both of you sisters, I am Zhang Zifeng, who plays Shi Fen's younger sister in 'Take My Brother Away'."

This smile is her most iconic smile, often seen in "Mushroom House." It makes her look innocent and kind, putting people at ease.

Gu Jingyi patted Zhao Jinmai on the shoulder again and said in a very familiar manner, "This is Miaomiao, who plays the role of the little angel who helps the siblings in the drama and is loved by everyone."

Zhao Jinmai felt a little embarrassed after being praised by Gu Jingyi.

"Brother Jingyi, what you said makes me blush."

Zhao Jinmai said this, but the smile on her lips was sweeter than the spring breeze in March.

Girls are all like that. Subtly praising someone in front of two people always makes them feel good.

Moreover, that person is the most popular top star in the industry, and the name "Gu Jingyi" is the answer.

Sixteen-year-old Zhao Jinmai thought she was very reserved, but in reality, the little bit of joy in this girl's heart was obvious not only to Gu Jingyi and director Zheng Fenfen, who were both shrewd, but even to Zhang Zifeng, which made Zhang Zifeng's smile fade.

The two had previously worked together on the drama "A Little Reunion" and, being of similar age, were quite close. Initially, their relationship was indeed good, but as they each took on other projects in the entertainment industry, comparisons between them increased, and their relationship cooled.

Their relationship is now somewhat strained, similar to that between Guan Xiaotong and Zhang Xueying. Beneath the surface of friendship lies a hidden rivalry.

Zhang Zifeng immediately became a little unhappy. She said, seemingly jokingly, "Brother Jingyi, people who know the story will think you're playing Mai Mai's brother. When introducing Mai Mai, they piled on all sorts of nice-sounding prefixes, but when it came to me, all I got was the line 'I play Shi Fen's younger sister, Zhang Zifeng,' in the drama."

The girl with bangs looked up and smiled softly at Gu Jingyi, emphasizing in a seemingly casual tone, "Shi Fen, I'm your sister."

Gu Jingyi remained calm and collected. "Little sister, you don't think your brother can't figure out what you're up to, do you?"

If you're unhappy about that, wait until my English single "Boy with Luv" comes out, then you'll explode, won't you?

"yeah you makin' me a boy with luv"

"oh my my my oh my my my"

(You taught a boy how to love, oh my god, oh my god)
Such pure and innocent lyrics would only elicit "oh, my Mai Mai, oh, my Mai Mai" from Zhang Zifeng's ears.

Ugh, people with heart conditions see everything as dirty. A top-tier celebrity like him can't find any beautiful woman he wants, how could he possibly have feelings for a little girl?

Zhao Jinmai is only 16 years old! She's still a child!
Gu Jingyi had only worked with her in his previous life, and their relationship was quite good.

After being reborn, I was surprised to suddenly encounter the little girl in her seedling stage.

Out of his kind and gentle nature, he took care of the little girl.

He absolutely does not have any feelings for Zhao Jinmai, nor would he engage in any dirty nurturing games.

If she really wanted to, she and Zhao Jinmai would have been a couple on set when they filmed "The Beginning" in her previous life.

The song "Boy with Luv" garnered over 1140 million streams on its first day on Spotify's streaming platform and debuted at number 7 on the global Spotify weekly chart.

As of 2023, it has accumulated over 12 billion plays, ranking among the top three BTS songs in history.

It successfully entered the global Spotify Top 50 chart in 74 countries, with its highest ranking being No. 8 in the United States.

The fact that a Korean song could achieve this result is partly due to BTS's unusually high popularity on YouTube.

But the quality of the song must also be good; it wouldn't have achieved this result if the arrangement didn't suit Western tastes.

Although Gu Jingyi's popularity is mainly in China and Southeast Asia, and extends to Japan and South Korea, she is not well-known in Europe and America.

But at the end of this month, his title as Dior's Asian brand ambassador will be revoked.

This title carries significant weight; it was only then that Gu Jingyi officially entered the global public eye as a regional brand ambassador. She landed a spot in the front row at fashion weeks, and was the closing model for the Dior show. With that face, Gu Jingyi would effortlessly trend on Twitter, sparking global discussion and generating buzz.

When the hype dies down, why not release another song, "Boy with Luv," which is more in line with native English speaking habits in Europe and America? Wouldn't that easily crush Jackson Wang's achievement of debuting at number 153 on the Spotify global singles chart in 2020 with "100ways"?
US Spotify Top 200 list? No, no, no.

Leveraging its immense popularity in China, it created a massive audience draw, allowing Chinese fans to use VPNs to boost its chart rankings. On its first day, play counts skyrocketed in Southeast Asia and Chinese communities in Europe and America; Americans who clicked out of curiosity were sure to listen to it completely.

This was already a global hit single with over 100 million streams, and changing the lyrics to pure English will only make it more appealing to Americans.

The song itself is of excellent quality, and Gu Jingyi's tone, singing skills, and even English pronunciation are impeccable.

American listeners won't just listen with a frown; they'll likely leave a comment on Twitter like they would on Chris's "Deserve": "Chris? Shit!"

If we collaborate with Universal Music again, it won't be difficult for Gu Jingyi's new single to get featured on Spotify and on the Apple Music homepage.

These factors alone would be enough for Gu Jingyi to secure a spot in the top 100 of the Sopotify charts on his first day. If he were to swallow his pride and try to curry favor with his senior, Taylor Swift, who is also signed with Universal Music.

If Taylor Swift makes a remix version with him, it wouldn't be difficult for this song to enter the top 50 of the Sopotify pop chart.

If you want even higher scores, you'll have to wait for the notes to be released on the overseas version of TikTok.

In 2018, we collaborated extensively with Fuyin, writing more "viral song mini-albums" that were suitable for streaming media dissemination without compromising our reputation.

When everyone was pessimistic about Yin Fu's chances, Gu Jingyi gently gave him a helping hand.

Once the music is released on the overseas version of TikTok, will the music be allowed to promote Gu Jingyi's songs, who are touted as saviors?
This is TikTok, which will have over 1.7 million active users in the future, almost half of the US population, making Americans wary!
Because of the ban, a large number of foreigners have come to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) to seek refuge on TikTok!
Gu Jingyi supports Yin Fu's lofty ambitions, and Yin Fu, along with her family, presents Gu Jingyi with ten thousand taels of gold!
In 2018, Gu Jingyi didn't have many plans to venture into Europe and America; he was just testing the waters overseas.

Afterwards, the market remained primarily domestic, with Mandarin albums being released. During this period, Gu Jingyi would release at most one more single to solidify her market position.

The quality doesn't need to be too high; just enough to stay in the top 50 of the Spotify streaming index. Enough to make Western audiences remember that there's an Asian singer like him, and then wait until his little brother "TikTok" starts to rise in popularity by the end of 2019.

Gu Jingyi has made a triumphant return, dominating the scene with his amazing song. His follower on TikTok is also launching the #GuJingyiHand GestureDanceChallenge# and using the same background music, giving Gu Jingyi's song a huge boost in popularity and repaying "Emperor Jing's" kindness.

So… Gu Jingyi glanced at Zhang Zifeng, who was still waiting for him to coax her.

I'm not going to coax you, don't blame your brother for being heartless. You're really a bit too plain-looking, little sister, you're destined for the smoothest path on the big screen among the post-00 generation of actresses.

At 18, one should be working hard and studying acting skills and scripts.

We shouldn't indulge in beautiful women; we should strive and fight for our goals.

Gu Jingyi chuckled, then raised his hand and flicked Zhang Zifeng's forehead with his finger.

"Don't give me that. Jinmai is the same age as my sister. I just feel closer to her, so I'm taking extra care of her."

"Would you mind having a younger sister who's a year and a half younger than you?"

Seeing that Gu Jingyi wasn't so resistant, Zhang Zifeng started to climb up the pole.

"I don't mind. I only have one younger sister. Xuanxuan and Maimai are the same age, so I love them because of her."

Gu Jingyi was of course not going to give in; everyone knew that Zifeng liked handsome men.

In 2022, Zifeng and her classmate Yan Xujia from Beijing Film Academy hosted a freshman party. The love in her eyes when she looked at the man was undisguised, and their relationship was suspected to be exposed.

Soon, busybodies discovered that their selfies featured the same couple profile pictures, angles, and gestures. If these were just coincidences...

The woman once posted a portrait of a boy on her Weibo account, in which she specifically wrote "Love you" in crayon.

After comparing multiple angles and features, the portrait is confirmed to be of Yan Xujia.

The relationship quickly escalated and no one has clarified it since.

It is common knowledge that what a celebrity clarifies does not necessarily mean it is false, but what a celebrity does not clarify must necessarily be true.

Overnight, the public's perception of this "national little sister," who had practically grown up in the public eye, collapsed.

The man is just a nobody, and it's understandable that his popularity doesn't match his local background.

This young idol has also been exposed by several girlfriends as a "time management master," and on Weibo, girlfriends are vying for the title of "sister-in-law" with great enthusiasm.

At a critical moment, the screenwriter who had worked with him on a TV series also came out to smooth things over.

He posted on Weibo with Yan Xu's name in the title and made a public post.

"You don't just have four. Do you remember that '99-born acting student who cheated on her boyfriend of two years to be with you? #YanXujia#"

That's terrifying. At 18, you really can't hide your feelings at all.

Gu Jingyi had no intention of provoking Zhang Zifeng; he'd rather let the "first little flower of the 00s" and the "youngest Huabiao Award winner" shine in the entertainment industry.

He's just an ordinary person, still humming "Oh, mai mai mai" while holding a coin in his left hand and a mai mai in his right.

00 Pretty little flowers, all put into the tent.

"Haha, Jingyi got into character even before filming started. Seeing your reactions, I'm relieved."

Director Zheng Fenfen smiled broadly; Gu Jingyi's sharp tongue just now was quite in line with "Shi Fen's" personality.

In the original work, this brother and sister are always in a playful and bickering mode.

"Director Zheng, have you all eaten yet? It's rare for us all to get together, let me treat you to a meal."

As soon as Gu Jingyi said that, Zhao Jinmai's ears secretly turned red.

Her stomach just growled, and Gu Jingyi, who was standing next to her, must have heard it.

It's so strange, why is this handsome older brother so nice to her?

Just like the beginning of a letter, the end of a poem, Santa Claus gives her as a gift for a good child.

Zhao Jinmai felt as if she had been hit by a pie.

This is so unreal, it's like a comic book come to life.

"Not yet, Jingyi. We need to hold the press conference first, and then the crew will treat everyone to dinner afterward."

Director Zheng Fenfen smiled and waved her hand. How could she possibly let Gu Jingyi pay for the meal?

"That's okay"

……

The filming of "Take My Brother Away" took place in the coastal city of Xiamen during the sweltering summer. Gu Jingyi pushed open the door of the van, and a slightly salty sea breeze carrying a wave of heat rushed towards him.

Gu Jingyi, dressed in a Dior silver-gray shirt and matching trousers, entered the venue five minutes before the press conference.

The media friends have already entered the venue. Looking at the huge crowd, Zhao Jinmai lowered her head and fiddled with her skirt.

Suddenly, the watch face on her wrist reflected sunlight and dazzled her eyes.

Before she could react, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, then looked down and reminded her, "MaiMai, your buttons are buttoned up wrong."

Zhao Jinmai looked down and checked, and sure enough, she had buttoned one of her shirt buttons wrong.

Her ears instantly burned red before she could even react. Gu Jingyi had already turned and walked towards the incense table, leaving behind a sentence with a faint smile floating in the wind: "I told you not to be nervous, isn't Brother Jingyi here?"

"Brother Jingyi, can you check if my buttons are messed up?"

Zhang Zifeng seemed to have heard it, and Gu Jingyi, who was just passing by, pouted and asked him to check it too.

"The second button is messed up. Before the press conference starts, please adjust it quickly. I'll stand in front of you and block the camera for you."

Gu Jingyi only glanced at it briefly, but he actually found the problem.

I don't know what this girl is up to, she's acting so recklessly.

Hey, let's just take advantage of Gu Jingyi's kindness.

Gu Jingyi stared blankly at the offerings on the incense table, not knowing how long Zhang Zifeng had been dawdling behind him.

The earliest offering ceremony originated in Hong Kong. In the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong films would hold a launching ceremony.

I don't know when it started, but this custom has been adopted by people all over the country.

Inside the venue, a banner was displayed to celebrate the start of filming for "Take My Brother Away".

The altar was laden with various offerings, with a golden-brown roast suckling pig placed in the center. Surrounded by a variety of dishes, it looked quite grand.

Gu Jingyi stared blankly at the rising smoke from the incense burner until he saw director Zheng Fenfen, who was holding incense, appear.

He finally spoke, asking, "Hey, little sister, you've been dawdling for so long, have you buttoned your clothes up yet?"

Zhang Zifeng had already buttoned up her clothes; she was staring blankly at Gu Jingyi's tall and straight figure.

Gu Jingyi's sudden words startled her.

Her heart was pounding, fearing that Gu Jingyi would catch her spying.

Fortunately, when she hurriedly looked up, she found that Gu Jingyi had not turned around.

She probably didn't want to discover her embarrassing situation; it's unexpected that Gu Jingyi has such a gentle and considerate side.

It's hard to believe that this top male celebrity, whom fans call "the one who fell from the sky," would so gently shield himself from the media's attention.

She realized that Gu Jingyi was protecting her so carefully, preventing her from being caught on camera by the media looking down while adjusting her buttons. This would create an attention-grabbing headline and generate traffic.

Ripples spread across Zhang Zifeng's calm heart. She sniffed softly, a hint of longing in her eyes, and caught a pleasant, comforting scent mixed with the faint fragrance of laundry detergent.

She suddenly felt incredibly safe, as if no matter what happened, this person in front of her would protect her.

Gu Jingyi's tall figure, framed by Zhang Zifeng's filter, appeared as majestic as a mountain.

After a long while, she heard herself nod softly in response, "Mmm~"

After walking a few steps behind Gu Jingyi, I stood with the main creative team.

Director Zheng Fenfen, holding up incense, shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived!"

Gu Jingyi, the male lead, stood beside her, quietly waiting for her to finish offering incense before taking over.

"Jingyi, this show really depends on you."

After offering incense, Zheng Fenfen handed it to Gu Jingyi.

He patted him on the shoulder and gave him a very serious instruction.

"I won't let you down, Director Zheng."

Gu Jingyi accepted it and answered very sincerely.

After the main creative team members of the production team offered incense in turn according to their status, a small media conference was held.

After answering a few routine questions, the media focused their interviews on Gu Jingyi.

"Hello, Teacher Gu. This is your first time partnering with Zifeng and Jinmai. Do you think these two girls have anything in common with your ideal type?"

Gu Jingyi chuckled as he twirled the microphone: "My ideal type is someone who can fight better than Shi Miao, keeps secrets better than Miao Miao, and ideally has a mature personality with a touch of absentmindedness."

As he spoke, his eyes swept lightly over the two young women.

He's so professional; he started working right after just starting his job.

After pausing for about two or three seconds to confirm that all the media cameras had captured the footage,

Gu Jingyi turned his head away, satisfied, to accept interviews from other media outlets.

When his gaze shifted, Zhao Jinmai lowered her head, clenching her fingertips. Looking at the ground, her earlobes were bright red.

(End of this chapter)