Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, starting with the strategy of 95 flowers to counterattack

Chapter 187 Zhang Ruonan, who didn't want to go home for the New Year
The stage lights went out, and the applause subsided like a receding tide.

Gu Yang and Zhou Ye quickly removed their makeup and changed out of their performance costumes backstage, wrapped themselves in thick down jackets, and left the studio through a special passage.

The winter night in Yanjing was bitterly cold. The parking lot was dimly lit, and the white breath exhaled condensed in the air.

Gu Yang opened the car door and let Zhou Ye get in first, then got in himself, closing the door to keep out the cold air.

The car was well-heated. Zhou Ye's older sister, Zhou Qisi, sat in the passenger seat, turned her head and smiled at Gu Yang: "You sang very well, Mr. Gu."

"Thank you, Sister Qisi." Gu Yang nodded politely and helped Zhou Ye straighten her scarf.

"What about me? What about me?" Zhou Ye looked up with his little face full of anticipation, like a child waiting for praise.

"Okay!"

? ? ? ? ?

What do you mean?
She felt that her sister was being somewhat perfunctory!

The black van slowly drove out of the underground parking lot of the CCTV building, with professional driver Lao Chen steadily holding the steering wheel.

Zhou Qisi turned around from the passenger seat, smiling and waving her phone: "Mom and Dad just texted, asking when we'll be home. Mom specifically told you to make sure you bring Gu Yang back with you."

Gu Yang chuckled upon hearing this: "Uncle and Aunt are too kind."

"Hmph!!!" Zhou Ye's face fell. "Ever since you came to my house last time, my mom has been nagging me all day long, 'Why isn't Xiao Gu here yet?' She's even putting me, her own daughter, aside."

As the car drove onto the airport expressway, the neon lights outside the window shimmered in the night.

Gu Yang looked at the schedule reminder on his phone: "Sister Qisi, I probably really can't go this time. Tomorrow is the premiere of 'Operation Red Sea,' and afterwards I have to go back to my hometown."

"Huh? Didn't we agree to spend the New Year together?"

“Little thing,” Zhou Qisi whispered, “President Gu hasn’t been home for years.”

Zhou Ye pouted, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "How about this, we go back to your hometown with you first, and then go back to Guangdong together? Anyway, the Spring Festival holiday is long!"

Gu Yang chuckled: "Your schedule is even fuller than your agent's."

“I’m serious!” Zhou Ye tugged at his sleeve and shook it. “You have no idea, after you came to my house last time, my mom developed a photo of you two and hung it in the living room. If I go back alone this time, I’m definitely going to get scolded.”

Zhou Qisi chimed in, "Yes, Mom and Dad really like you. The last time you taught Dad how to brew tea, he's been showing off every day."

"Well then," Gu Yang thought for a moment, "I'll definitely make time to visit your aunt and uncle after the New Year. This time it's true."

His voice lowered a few decibels, "My dad's blood pressure has been a bit high lately, and I want to spend more time with him."

The car fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Ye and Zhou Qisi exchanged a glance and didn't insist any further.

“It’s a deal then,” Zhou Ye said, holding up his little finger. “You have to come after the New Year. My mom’s salted fish is almost ready, just waiting to make you claypot rice.”

Gu Yang smiled and made a pinky promise with her: "Definitely."

The car entered the airport VIP channel, and Lao Chen skillfully parked it.

Zhou Qisi glanced at his watch: "We still have some time. Shall we go to the VIP room for a while?"

Gu Yang shook his head: "No, please be careful on your journey."

He paused, then took out two delicate little boxes from his bag. "These are New Year's gifts for your uncle and aunt. Please give them to them for me."

"Then be careful on the road!"

"See you next year!"

……

Zhou Ye sat on the sofa in the airport VIP lounge, his fingers flying across the screen of his phone.

Having just finished her performance at the Spring Festival Gala, her makeup still carried the polish of the stage, and her eyes and brows couldn't hide her pride.

"Hehe, so that'll teach you guys to always say my singing sounds like chanting scriptures."

As she muttered to herself, she created a new WeChat group and swiped to add Meng Ziyi, Zhang Jingyi, Zhang Yifan, Zhang Ruonan, Tian Xiwei, Yang Chaoyue, and Zhao Lusi.

The group name has been changed to: A Loving Family
Zhou Ye nodded in satisfaction, and without saying a word, immediately sent three of the largest red envelopes to the group chat. The envelope covers prominently displayed the message, "Love from a Spring Festival Gala Singer."

Zhou Ye: "Happy New Year, sisters! Come and get your red envelopes!"

After sending the message, she thought for a moment and changed her group nickname to "Spring Festival Gala Singer Zhou Ye," and even added a shining star emoji.

The phone immediately started vibrating wildly.

Yang Chaoyue immediately accepted the red envelope and sent a series of emojis: "Thank you, rich lady! Ahhh, you look absolutely stunning tonight! You sang so beautifully! (kneeling in worship.jpg)"

Zhang Jingyi leisurely accepted the red envelope: "Oh, you're already showing off? (doge) But you did sing quite well, much better than last time at karaoke."

Upon seeing this message, Zhou Ye immediately messaged Zhang Jingyi privately and sent her a personalized red envelope: "I'll give you another chance to rephrase your thoughts (smile)."

Zhang Ruonan sent a voice message, the background unusually quiet: "So beautiful! Sister Zhou is awesome!"

Just as Zhou Ye was about to reply, he suddenly saw Zhao Lusi wailing in the group: "??? I just finished filming! Are you guys even human? Where's the red envelope???"

Zhang Yifan: "Sister Ruth, you're late. Boss Zhou only gives out red envelopes to people who know how to compliment others (laughs)."

Meng Ziyi sent a lazy voice message: "You sang alright, but a little worse than my 'Learn to Meow' (yawn)."

Zhou Ye was so angry that he immediately sent her a 0.01 yuan red envelope: "Ms. Meng, this is your 'not bad' award (smile)"

Tian Xiwei silently accepted the red envelope without saying a word!
This is their forte; she needs to avoid their sharp edge!

Suddenly, Zhang Yifan tagged everyone in the group chat: "Major discovery! Zhou Ye's followers have surpassed 20 million! Should we send out another red envelope to celebrate?" The girls replied: "Support!"

Zhou Ye sent five more red envelopes, and she was overjoyed!
……

The black van drove smoothly through the night. Meng Ziyi leaned back in her seat, the light from her phone screen reflecting on her delicate face, but it couldn't reveal a trace of a smile.

She stared at the messages constantly popping up in the WeChat group. Zhou Ye's red envelopes kept coming in, and her friends' laughter and praise filled the screen.

"Sister Meng, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?" The assistant sitting next to her asked cautiously, handing her a hot Americano.

Meng Ziyi took the coffee and sneered, "Zhou Ye appeared on the Spring Festival Gala and is showing off in the group chat."

She swiped her finger across the screen. "Look, she even changed the group name to 'Spring Festival Gala Singer Zhou Ye,' as if she's afraid no one will know."

The assistant glanced at it and smiled, "She really did a good job tonight."

"I'm so angry!" Meng Ziyi suddenly sat up straight. "Her singing skills, although she has eight-tenths of my ability, are still..."

She angrily poked at her phone, "Are the Spring Festival Gala production team blind? Why did they invite her but not me? I sing way better than her, okay?"

The assistant shrank back, not daring to reply.

She suddenly turned to her assistant and asked, "Tell me, who sings better, me or her?"

"They both sound good... but of course, yours sounds a little better!"

The assistant's worldview has been severely shaken. She follows Sister Meng around every day, so of course she knows the singing abilities of these two.

But one song, "Learn to Meow," dominated the entire internet, and another appeared on the Spring Festival Gala. Could it be that she really doesn't know how to appreciate it?

"Forget it, it's useless to ask you."

Meng Ziyi slumped back into her chair, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the rim of her cup. "Looks like releasing an album is now an urgent matter..."

Meng Ziyi was getting anxious; she couldn't even hold onto her only advantage now!

How to do this?
If this continues, we won't even be sisters anymore!
……

On New Year's Eve, the city of Yanjing was brightly lit, just like daytime.

The lanterns on both sides of Chang'an Avenue were dazzlingly red, and the glass curtain walls of the CBD refracted the fireworks into a flowing galaxy.

The aroma of stewed meat wafted through the alley, and the windows of every household reflected the flickering lights of the Spring Festival Gala. Laughter and cheerful voices, mixed with the melody of "Unforgettable Tonight," overflowed from the well-heated rooms.

Galaxy Media Company, on the other hand, remained as quiet as if it had been forgotten by time.

All employees have been given leave, and the green light in the emergency exit is dimly lit, illuminating the piles of waste cardboard boxes in the stairwell.

The workstations in the office area were empty, except for the office in the innermost room, where the light was still on.

Zhang Ruonan was wrapped in a camel-colored cashmere coat. She wasn't wearing makeup, and her eyelashes cast two tired shadows under the desk lamp.

The blue light from the computer screen shone on her face, making the dark circles under her eyes particularly noticeable.

The bowl of braised beef noodles on the table had long been soaked, the noodles limp and drooping in the soup, with a layer of solidified oil floating on top.

She mechanically picked up a chopstick, when suddenly she heard a "bang" outside the window, and the New Year's Eve fireworks in the CBD in the distance began.

The phone screen lights up.

The family group chat is filled with photos of the New Year's Eve dinner.

The mother hugged her younger brother, her face crinkling with laughter. The table was laden with delicious fish and meat, making the deliberately empty seat stand out starkly.

Her younger sister secretly messaged her: "Sis, when are you coming back? I specially saved some dumplings for you!"

Just as she was about to reply to the message, her phone vibrated, and the screen displayed "Mom".

Zhang Ruonan took a deep breath and answered the phone.

“Hello, Mom.” Her voice was deliberately light and cheerful.

"Nan Nan, why aren't you home yet? It's already New Year's Eve!" The mother's voice came through the microphone, with the lively sounds of the Spring Festival Gala and her younger brother's laughter in the background.

"Something came up at the company, and I'm working overtime." Zhang Ruonan stirred her instant noodles. "I just transferred 500,000 yuan to you. Did you receive it?"

"I received it, I received it." The mother paused, "But your younger brother wants to buy a house soon, and he's still a little short of the down payment."

"50 isn't enough? Are houses that expensive where we are now?"

"I want to buy him a villa!"

Zhang Ruonan's fingers tightened slightly: "Mom, the payment for the movie I recently took on hasn't arrived yet. This is all I can afford."

"Oh my, you're a big star, what's 500,000? Your brother's getting married."

Suddenly, her younger sister's small voice came from the other end of the phone: "Sister, don't listen to Mom, take care of yourself."

The mother immediately interrupted, "Go away, go away! What are you doing, kid? Nan Nan, when are you coming back?"

Zhang Ruonan looked at the dark night sky outside the window: "I probably can't go back. I'm too busy with work."

After hanging up the phone, the office fell silent again.

Zhang Ruonan looked down at the instant noodles and suddenly lost her appetite.

"Dong dong dong..."

(End of this chapter)