Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 159 Eyes
Liu Shishi made a startling statement, openly revealing her relationship to everyone without any attempt to conceal it.

The atmosphere suddenly became slightly awkward, yet also carried a strange tension.

Liu Shishi took a deep breath, her eyes firm and calm, deciding to make things clear once and for all, so that Jia Nailiang would stop bothering her.

She repeated what she had just said: "Teacher Jia, I'm really not lying to you, I have a boyfriend!" Although her speech was slow, it was firm and resolute, revealing an undeniable determination.

Upon hearing this, Jia Nailiang's face showed a hint of surprise, initially half-believing and half-doubting, but it was quickly replaced by a confident smile.

"Shishi, are you lying to me? Or do you not have feelings for me right now and are using this as an excuse to reject me? Or are you testing me?"

Liu Shishi shook her head and sighed helplessly. She hadn't expected Jia Nailiang to be so stubborn. She was exhausted and could only let him be. After this drama was finished, the two of them probably wouldn't have any contact. During this time, she would just keep her distance.

Liu Shishi's silence seemed to strengthen Jia Nailiang's resolve. He smiled slightly, a hint of defiance and determination flashing in his eyes.

"Shishi, I will prove my sincerity to you with my actions. I believe that sincerity can move even the most obstructing heart, and you will surely be moved by my sincerity."

Since he had decided to pursue the girl, he naturally wouldn't back down just because of her few words. That would be underestimating his patience. He had already made up his mind to dedicate himself to pursuing Liu Shishi during his time on set.

However, he wasn't stupid. If Liu Shishi remained indifferent to him for two or three months, he would have no choice but to give up. Although the beauty before him was wonderful, he, Young Master Jia, was not the kind of person who would hang himself on one tree.

Liu Shishi rolled her eyes, wondering where Jia Nailiang got his mysterious confidence from. "Test you? Test you my ass!"
She secretly scorned him, thinking, "In terms of looks, wealth, and character, how can you compare to my Mr. Song? Even if I were blind, Mr. Song would find a way to cure me. There's no way I'll be with you in the next life!"

"I'm done eating, Yuanyuan, could you please tidy up for me?" Not wanting to say another word to Jia Nailiang, Liu Shishi picked up a script and walked towards another rest area without looking back.

Seeing the main character leave, Jia Nailiang pursed his lips. The road to winning a girl was long and arduous, so he could only helplessly return to his resting shed. Before leaving, he smiled at Yang Yi and the other two:
"You should try my dishes, they taste really good. It's a loss for Shishi if she doesn't eat them."

To be fair, although Young Master Jia was directly rejected, he was not angry or discouraged. He remained calm and composed, and indeed had a tenacious spirit that refused to admit defeat.

Seeing the male lead walk away, Jia Lin stared at the steaming food in the lunchbox, stretched his neck to sniff, and couldn't help but say, "It smells so good! Can we eat this?"

Yang Yi didn't know what to do either, and hesitated, "This was given to Shishi by Teacher Jia. It's not really appropriate for us to eat it. Linzi, you shouldn't eat it. You're already so fat. Just hold back."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lin didn't dare to touch her chopsticks. She was always very cautious on set, and she had already been a bit presumptuous just now.

Seeing Jia Lin's amusing expression of worry, regret, and barely resisting the temptation of the food, Jiang Yuanyuan chuckled, "Eat it! What's wrong with eating it? Since Shishi isn't eating it, it would be such a waste to just throw it away. Wasting food is shameful!"

After saying that, he took the lead and picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth. He tasted it carefully and couldn't help but nod: "Not bad, it tastes delicious! You guys eat too. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."

Jia Lin and Yang Yi exchanged a glance, and seeing Jiang Yuanyuan take the lead, they hesitantly picked up their chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

As Yang Yi chewed, she asked curiously, "Assistant Jiang, I didn't realize you were so brave. Aren't you afraid of offending the male lead?"

Jiang Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow, her round face, somewhat resembling Jia Lin's, looking extremely cute. She muttered nonchalantly, "Me, afraid of Jia Nailiang? What a joke! Even though he's the male lead, what does he have to do with me!"

As the saying goes, "He who has no desires is invincible." Assistant Jiang comes from a wealthy family and doesn't understand the value of being a demolition compensation recipient in old Beijing. She's someone who doesn't lack money and only works for the sake of having fun.

She was willing to work as an assistant for two reasons: first, her curiosity and fascination with the entertainment industry; and second, because Liu Shishi was her friend and treated her very well. She wasn't just an ordinary employee, so no one could give her a hard time. Besides, she had powerful backers!

While enjoying the free food she had received, Jiang Yuanyuan took out her phone, found a contact named "Big Boss," and sent a text message.

"Reporting to the boss, Jia Nailiang came over again at noon today to deliver food to Shishi, but was sternly refused by her and left in a sorry state. Please rest assured, boss, I will definitely take good care of my mistress."

Although Song Ci never asked her to monitor the crew, Jiang Yuanyuan, as a loyal fan of Song Ci and a staunch supporter of the Tang Shi Song Ci couple, still reported the actions of those in the crew who had designs on Liu Shishi.

After sending the text message, a smug smile appeared on Jiang Yuanyuan's chubby little face. As Jiang Da Assistant, she received three salaries simultaneously from Tangren Media, Liu Shishi, and Boss Song. In the world of celebrity assistants, she had already won big.

Jia Lin glanced around and, seeing that no one else was around, couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "Yi, was what Senior Sister said just now true? Does she really have a boyfriend?"

Yang Yi wolfed down her food, but a mouthful got stuck in her throat. She forced it down with difficulty, patted her chest, and took a deep breath.

"I'm choking! Yes, Shishi's boyfriend is my crush."

"So it's Hu Ge! I understand now, no wonder there are fans promoting the poetry couple online." Jia Lin knew his friend was a fan of Hu Ge and thought he had guessed correctly.

"Don't talk nonsense. Although I like Hu Ge's portrayal of Li Xiaoyao, he's not my idol. Also, never mention the 'Poetry Couple' thing in front of Shishi. She absolutely hates it." Yang Yi hurriedly reminded Jia Lin, making sure she didn't say anything out of line in front of her best friend.

Liu Shishi starred in "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan" with Hu Ge, and some fans were attracted to their good looks. Since the two were the top male and female stars of Tangren Media, they promoted the "Shi-Shi CP" (a romantic pairing) on ​​Baidu Tieba (a Chinese online forum). However, Liu Shishi herself was extremely disgusted by this.

Yang Yi knew that her best friend's heart was entirely with Song Ci and she was particularly averse to being paired with other men. If anyone were to mention a poetry pairing to her face, it would be a taboo for Ms. Liu. Her best friend only recognized the pairing of Tang poetry and Song Ci.

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely pay attention from now on!" Jia Lin immediately promised, but he still secretly wondered if Yang Yi admired other male celebrities besides Hu Ge.

Suddenly remembering that Yang Yi had been saying the male lead was super handsome after filming "Unrequited Love" last year, Jia Lin muttered to himself the whole way: "Could it be Chen Xiao?"

Hearing Jia Lin talking to himself, and increasingly outrageous, Jiang Yuanyuan couldn't help but warn him:

"Teacher Jia Lin, stop making wild guesses. Shi Shi's boyfriend isn't in the entertainment industry. Since you've heard about this today, just keep it to yourself and keep your mouth shut."

Seeing Jiang Yuanyuan's expressionless face and her friend Yang Yi staring intently at him, Jia Lin was filled with regret. What had gotten into him today? Why was he being so gossipy? Didn't he know that curiosity killed the cat? He quickly and solemnly promised, "I will definitely keep my mouth shut and won't utter a single word to anyone."

The temporary rest area set up by the film crew was where most of the crew were having lunch, bringing a touch of laziness and tranquility to this busy little space.

Liu Shishi tiptoed through the crowd, a gentle smile on her face, nodding to the crew members from time to time. Her destination was the resting place of several important supporting actors.

With light steps, they quickly arrived at a rest tent, where four middle-aged actors—three men and one woman—had just finished lunch and were packing up their lunchboxes.

"Hello, teachers! Teacher Zhang, I'm bothering you again." Liu Shishi greeted three of them first, then spoke to one of them alone.

The person she was looking for was Zhang Songwen, a veteran supporting actor in the production team who played Pan Yuansheng, the director of studies at Zhenhua Middle School, in the Zhenhua Trilogy series.

Ever since some online trolls said that she acted like a blind person, Liu Shishi, though outwardly indifferent and angrily rebuking the trolls, has actually kept this matter in mind.

By chance, I learned that Zhang Songwen, a supporting actor in the drama, was a performance teacher at the Beijing Film Academy and also served as an acting coach for Tengda Culture.

So Liu Shishi used her free time in the afternoons every day to ask him for acting advice, hoping that with Zhang Songwen's help, she could improve her acting with her eyes.

"Shishi, you've arrived!" Zhang Songwen's face was gentle, and his voice was deep and magnetic, giving the impression that he had experienced many hardships.

"Teacher Zhang, I'm sorry to disturb your rest again," Liu Shishi said modestly, handing over the movie script "A Little Thing Called First Love."

This movie was specially prepared by Song Ci for Liu Shishi, so he gave the script to Miss Liu early on so that she could prepare in advance.

"I would like to ask you to take another look and give me some pointers on how to portray this eye contact. I always feel like I'm not quite getting the hang of it."

Unlike television dramas, the big screen magnifies even the smallest flaws, so Liu Shishi paid great attention to several scenes in the drama where she needed to express emotions through her eyes.

"Shishi, you're too kind. Just call me Lao Zhang," Zhang Songwen said with a smile, adopting an extremely humble attitude.

His attitude was very kind, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards this middle-aged man.

Facing the female lead of the production team, especially someone who had been specially greeted by the producer and Tengda Culture's deputy general manager Zhuang Liqi, Zhang Songwen carefully tried to please her, not daring to put on airs at all just because she needed his help.

For the first thirty years of his life, he lived a life of constant wandering, working as a tour guide, a printing factory worker, a beverage salesman, and a hotel waiter. He endured a great deal of hardship and encountered all sorts of people, and life had long since worn down his rough edges.

Until two years ago, I stayed at the Beijing Film Academy as a performance teacher and also worked part-time at Tengda Culture, where I was responsible for guiding actors' acting skills.

Thanks to Tengda's connections, he was able to land a few supporting roles in the company's film crews, which provided him with a stable income, and his life gradually improved.

He cherishes his hard-won stable life and dares not offend Liu Shishi, who was personally contacted by the senior management of Tengda Culture. He is afraid that if he does not serve her well, she will use her connections to fire him from the film crew.

Fortunately, after spending a few days with her, I found the girl to be humble, polite, and of high character, making her easy to get along with. This put my mind at ease. I even felt that this brief mentor-student relationship might bring me a future opportunity.

"Shishi is so eager to learn. Old Zhang, you must teach her well and not waste such a good talent."

The other three supporting actors exchanged a few jokes, then tactfully went to rest on the side, leaving the space to the two leading ladies. The director and producer treated the female lead with great respect, and they couldn't afford to offend her.

Like a delicate lily, Liu Shishi, with her passion for acting, humbly sought guidance from her teacher.

Zhang Songwen is a practical acting coach who patiently and attentively guided Ms. Liu.

The two of them, one learning diligently and the other teaching meticulously, made remarkable progress. Liu Shishi's control over eye contact improved rapidly.

"Shishi, eye acting is the most direct bridge between actors and audiences." Zhang Songwen spoke slowly, his voice gentle, carefully instructing Miss Liu, "Especially the eyes of unrequited love, they must be delicate and subtle, yet able to convey that sincere emotion."

Looking at the script of "A Little Thing Called First Love" in her hand, Liu Shishi tried a few more times to portray the female lead looking at the male lead with the eyes of someone who secretly loves him.

However, she never quite grasped the situation. She and her childhood sweetheart were mutually attracted to each other, and their relationship progressed smoothly and happily. She was completely unable to understand the feelings of unrequited love.

Zhang Songwen wasn't in a hurry. Acting skills aren't something that can be improved overnight. He gazed at Liu Shishi, giving a vivid explanation and patiently analyzing the techniques:
"Shishi, the gaze of someone who secretly loves another should be like a gentle breeze across a lake, seemingly without a trace but with ripples spreading. The gaze should be restrained yet passionate, not too direct, but revealing the deep affection unintentionally."

After saying that, he gently patted Liu Shishi's shoulder, signaling her to relax, and then continued:
"You can try this: first, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and immerse yourself completely in the character's emotional world."

When you open your eyes again, imagine your gaze is passing through the crowd and landing on the person you secretly love. Your eyes should hold expectation, tenderness, and a touch of barely perceptible sadness.

As Zhang Songwen spoke and demonstrated, his gaze seemed to transcend time and space, landing on a distant yet familiar person. The deep affection he conveyed moved everyone present.

Liu Shishi listened attentively, carefully observing Zhang Songwen's every subtle movement, and tried to imitate his gaze.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and completely immersed herself in the role, imagining the male lead as Mr. Song. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze held an unprecedented depth and tenderness.

"Very good, Shishi, you've made great progress this time!" Zhang Songwen nodded in satisfaction, his eyes shining with admiration.

"Remember, the key to eye acting is authenticity and subtlety. You need to feel the character's emotions with your heart, and then use your eyes to convey them to the audience."

(End of this chapter)