Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 154 Like
July 13, Park Hyatt Beijing, banquet hall.

Wearing a pink tutu, Tian Xiwei stood in front of a giant poster for "Waiting for You in the Long Time," answering reporters' questions with an overwhelmingly sweet smile.

"Hello Weiwei, do you think the character Li Youchang's ten-year unrequited love in the drama is inconsistent with reality?"

Tian Xiwei picked up the microphone, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't think having a crush for ten years is absurd in reality. Many people in this world have probably had the experience of having a crush. It's just that they are afraid of losing it, so they keep their feelings hidden in their hearts."

"Weiwei, what do you think unrequited love is?"

“Unrequited love,” Tian Xiwei pondered for a moment, her smile fading. She said calmly, “In my opinion, unrequited love is watching yourself sink deeper into despair. Never having possessed it, yet feeling as if you’ve lost it a thousand times over.”

Before he could finish speaking, a tsunami of screams erupted from the audience.

The banquet hall doors were pushed open by a waiter, and Gu Jingyi stood backlit with one hand in his pocket.

He was dressed in a new black Dior haute couture suit, his collarbone subtly visible beneath the blazer. His amorous eyes gazed at Tian Xiwei with a half-smile, the cold light reflecting from his Chopard watch sweeping across her face, which flushed instantly.

"Is Teacher Gu here to show his support as a friend?"

"Excuse me, Gu Jingyi, what brings you here?"

When Gu Jingyi entered, microphones from all directions were practically shoved into his Adam's apple.

He frowned slightly, then quickly composed himself.

"Thank you for your questions, reporters, but I'm not the main character today. Please focus your attention on 'Waiting for You in the Long Years,' I'm just here to give a shout-out to a friend."

"Oh right, if anyone wants to know more, they can ask our crew. It's a rare occasion that all the main creators are together today."

The director understood Gu Jingyi's implied meaning and quickly shifted his attention.

Gu Jingyi also took the opportunity to find a seat in the audience; of course, his visit was not a surprise.

Before coming, Lin Ze had contacted the production team of "Waiting for You in the Long Time," and they were almost overwhelmed by this unexpected opportunity.

Even her first reaction upon receiving the call was that she thought Lin Ze was a scammer, since a production team with all newcomers couldn't possibly invite a top star to make an appearance.

Unexpectedly, after watching the video, it was confirmed that it was Gu Jingyi, the top idol who has been number one in Weibo super topic and various popularity indicators since his debut in April. It was only after a phone call that I learned that he had a close relationship with Tian Xiwei.

He had never heard Tian Xiwei mention it before when they were on set.

Knowing that the two were old friends, he took the opportunity to ask Gu Jingyi to write an OST song for him.

Damn! This is a top-tier song! Every time the video is played, more people will see the scenes from the TV series.

What a great publicity opportunity! I never expected that Tian Xiwei could be so good at hiding things!
The director felt a pang of bitterness, but quickly adjusted his mindset.

It doesn't matter, it's already a big favor that Gu Jingyi came to support us anyway.

The press conference is proceeding smoothly, and in addition to the media interviews, there are also some small games.

Perhaps out of guilt, Tian Xiwei always felt that whenever the director brought up her romantic storyline with the male lead, Gu Jingyi would watch her with interest and smile, but the smile wouldn't reach his eyes.

For some reason, her heart was burning, and she completely forgot about the proper process of creating a romantic pairing.

When the director called on him, he just smiled sheepishly and pretended to be clueless.

She turned a perfectly good press conference into something resembling a tribulation.

Agent Gong Yuhan shook his head repeatedly below, failing to notice Tian Xiwei's inner turmoil. He simply assumed she had absolutely no chemistry with the actor playing the male lead and wasn't even bothering to pretend.

This kid is too honest. There's a very well-established process for creating on-screen couples in the industry. Even if you don't like it, you have to pretend now.

The happier viewers are when they ship couples, the more painful it is when they break them up.

CP fans will be subjected to various "breakup" tactics by both parties' management companies, ultimately turning them into solo fans of one side.

It's just that Tian Xiwei seems to really not understand these social niceties.

Gong Yuhan rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. This was probably the trouble that comes with an artist being too straightforward.

The press conference felt like a trial by fire, but thankfully it ended after the last procedure.

The production team invited Gu Jingyi to dinner, as the small production team didn't have much funding.

They chose Haidilao, a popular restaurant that gained popularity in 2018 thanks to its excellent service.

"Teacher Gu, what other dishes would you like to add?"

After the director ordered the food, he handed the tablet to Gu Jingyi.

After casually flipping through the list, Gu Jingyi showed little interest in any of the dishes.

Actually, he wasn't very interested in hot pot; in Gu Jingyi's opinion, mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot) was more convenient...

However, with so many eyes watching, Gu Jingyi wasn't going to spoil the fun.

After adding some fatty beef and mutton, he handed it to Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xiwei was somewhat surprised, but she didn't disappoint his good intentions. Without further ado, she started making her selections.

Being from a mountain city, I have a lot of particularities about eating hot pot.

Tian Xiwei quickly ordered the food and handed it to the director.

Haidilao serves food very quickly, with waiters carrying plates in a neat and orderly fashion.

Soon, most of the dishes they ordered were served.

Tian Xiwei went to the condiment station to prepare the dipping sauce, and naturally prepared one for Gu Jingyi as well.

"Teacher Gu, please take a look and see if the dipping sauce I made according to the Chongqing style suits your taste."

Tian Xiwei handed over the prepared dipping sauce, her big eyes fixed on Gu Jingyi.

"Thank you"

Gu Jingyi was a little unaccustomed to being called "Teacher Gu" by her.

In private, this girl would always call him Jingyi, but this was the first time he had heard her call him so formally.

Gu Jingyi suppressed his emotions and took the oil dish, placing it on the side of the bowl.

But then he sensed something was wrong. He looked up and saw that Tian Xiwei was still looking at him.

"Teacher Gu, would you like to try a piece of meat and see if it tastes good?"

Tian Xiwei rested her chin on her hand, gazing intently at him.

The hot pot broth had been boiling for a while, and some of the vegetables had already been added and scooped out.

As the most prominent figure who came to the rescue, Gu Jingyi naturally received preferential treatment.

The director used serving chopsticks to put meat on his plate; beef tripe, fatty beef, and other cuts of meat were piled up like a small mountain in Gu Jingyi's bowl.

Meeting Tian Xiwei's expectant gaze, Gu Jingyi picked up a few slices of meat from the bowl. He rolled them in the oil sauce, then put them in his mouth to savor them carefully.

"It's really good, better than the dipping sauce I make myself."

Gu Jingyi's compliment made Tian Xiwei beam with joy.

"Of course, I'm from Chongqing. In Chongqing, eating hot pot is a big deal. From the preparation of the dipping sauce to the selection of ingredients, it's all an art."

"And Ms. Gu, did you notice that I put cilantro in the dipping sauce I made for you?"

Tian Xiwei blinked her big eyes at Gu Jingyi, "This is authentic oil-based dipping sauce. Doesn't it feel completely different from the sesame paste dipping sauce you usually eat?"

"Haha, Xiaotian, you're promoting your oil-based dipping sauce again."

The director laughed and joked.

"It really tastes good, and the texture is completely different from sesame paste."

Tian Xiwei spoke with a smile, and it was clear that she had a harmonious relationship with the director.

Gu Jingyi smiled and said, "I'm not a gourmet, but Xiaotian's dipping sauce is definitely one of the best I've ever had."

Hehe, I knew you'd like it too~

Tian Xiwei squinted her eyes, smiled adorably, and the little dimple on the left corner of her lip reappeared, captivating everyone.

She has a lively and mischievous personality.

Wherever she goes, she can always quickly break the ice and become one with those around her. This kind of personality is undoubtedly very suitable for navigating this circle.

Gu Jingyi continued eating his meat when he suddenly heard a gasp:
"what"

The voice came from Tian Xiwei's side, almost without her thinking.

Gu Jingyi immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

Looking up, I realized that she hadn't been holding the meat firmly with her chopsticks.

The meat slices, glistening with oil, landed on her clothes, looking rather out of place.

"I'm speechless. This is what I worry about most when eating hot pot. And to make matters worse, I was wearing a light-colored outfit this time... Ugh..."

Tian Xiwei complained for a moment, then said to Gu Jingyi, "Teacher Gu, could you please hand me a tissue? It's right next to you, thank you."

Gu Jingyi handed it over, their fingers touching briefly before separating.

He looked at Tian Xiwei and suddenly laughed, "Xiao Tian, ​​you should be glad you're not wearing that dress from the press conference to eat hot pot today."

Celebrities often wear luxury brands when attending formal occasions, not to show off, but to express that they value the occasion.

The price of the pink Miu Miu tutu dress that Tian Xiwei wore today could easily cover dozens of hot pot meals.

This is nothing for established artists, but for Tian Xiwei, who is still a newcomer, it is really a stretch.

High-end rentals usually have to be returned. While the brand might not go to great lengths to assess the damage, any grease or grime will be easily detected.

The compensation was also a considerable expense for Tian Xiwei.

"Tch, Teacher Gu. You never expect anything good from me..."

Tian Xiwei wrinkled her little nose, looking a little unhappy.

Gu Jingyi smiled and said, "I was just saying it's a possibility. How could I not want you to be well?"

Tian Xiwei was still wiping her mouth and collar with the tissue Gu Jingyi handed her. Although she didn't say anything, she was still a little unhappy.

"Xiao Tian is so capable! Here's a duck foot for you as a reward."

Gu Jingyi picked up a duck foot and put it into Tian Xiwei's bowl.

Tian Xiwei was a little conflicted, because she actually didn't like eating duck feet and animal offal.

Seeing that she wasn't interested, Gu Jingyi was about to put it on the plate.

Tian Xiwei stopped her again with her chopsticks, saying, "Don't waste food, it's for me."

"You didn't seem to have a cold just now."

Actually, it wasn't just duck feet; Tian Xiwei hadn't touched other animal parts like duck necks and chicken feet much either.

Gu Jingyi found it a bit strange, thinking that she wanted to eat but also wanted to save face.

It seems like a lot of girls like to eat chicken feet, right? He also remembered hearing Tian Xiwei eat them when they talked on the phone before.

"No, I've never eaten duck feet in hot pot before. It just seemed a bit strange, so..."

Tian Xiwei explained in a low voice, while secretly observing Gu Jingyi's expression.

"Why don't you give it a try? If you don't like it, you can just throw it away."

Gu Jingyi spoke gently, leaving the decision to Tian Xiwei.

Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Tian Xiwei took a bite.

"good to eat!"

Almost instantly, Gu Jingyi saw her eyes light up.

"It's soft and delicious, and the meat falls off the bone with just a touch of it in your mouth. It probably tastes better because it's been simmered in hot pot broth."

Tian Xiwei thought for a moment, then nodded her little head and began to comment.

“As long as you like it”

Seeing that she liked it, Gu Jingyi used serving chopsticks to pick up a few more from the boiling soup and passed them over.

No one noticed that Tian Xiwei's lips were subtly turned down. Why didn't she use her own chopsticks like before?
Gu Jingyi, you're so stingy!
"Teacher Gu and Xiao Tian have a very good relationship."

"That's right, Teacher Gu has only been whispering to Xiao Tian since she sat down at the table."

The director and other key members of the production team noticed the commotion and teased them with smiles.

Gu Jingyi smiled without saying anything, and the topic was quickly changed.

The director is a very talkative person, and he speaks with humor and wit.

After several rounds of conversation, everyone was chatting and laughing.

This production team is a very young group, so the atmosphere is naturally very good.

"Come on, let's all raise a glass to Professor Gu. Thank you, Professor Gu, for taking time out of your busy schedule to support us."

"Thank you, Professor Gu, cheers!"

With a crisp sound, the amber-colored liquor collided in the glass.

Tian Xiwei also became serious for once, looking at Gu Jingyi with a mix of emotions.

From student to emerging actress, she completed a stunning transformation in three months.

It took her three years to chase after Gu Jingyi's light.

Although she is still far away from Gu Jingyi, she is taking steps toward him one by one.

Although the magnitude was small, the determination was firm.

And what about you, Gu Jingyi?

Will you feel the same way I do now?

Tian Xiwei's beautiful eyes were filled with affection; she could no longer hide her feelings.

Gu Jingyi, however, did not notice her unusual behavior and continued eating his food with his head down.

Just eating like that isn't very interesting, so the director quickly changed the subject, asking them what anime characters they liked when they were kids.

The names of Crayon Shin-chan and Doraemon were mentioned repeatedly, and when it was Gu Jingyi's turn, everyone thought he would give a similar answer.

To everyone's surprise, Gu Jingyi only thought for a moment and then gave a somewhat obscure name.

"I quite liked Poppy when I was a kid."

"Poppy?"

The crowd looked at each other, wondering which anime character this was.

"Popeye the Sailor Man, didn't you guys watch it when you were kids?"

Gu Jingyi pressed his brow and said with a hint of helplessness.

"I've seen it before, but I didn't expect you to like it."

"Because I had a hero's dream when I was a kid. In Popeye, no matter where Popeye's girlfriend Olive is taken by bad guys, he can always rescue her. And Popeye's favorite food is spinach."

Gu Jingyi spoke slowly and deliberately, and continued, "So, back then, I never ate spinach. My grandma would use Popeye as an example, and then I actually started eating spinach. From disliking it at first to liking it, it seems that because of Popeye, I gradually fell in love with the taste of spinach."

No one spoke; they listened quietly to him.

Suddenly, Gu Jingyi spoke up: "Perhaps it's because of this anime, I prefer girls who like to eat spinach."

While everyone was still chatting, Tian Xiwei, a carnivore who never liked vegetables, suddenly picked up a handful of spinach from the hot pot with her chopsticks.

I put it in a bowl and chewed it slowly.

Gu Jingyi chuckled softly, and Tian Xiwei's ears subtly turned red...

(End of this chapter)