Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 323 Immersive Interview

In the brightly lit studio of the "Headline Entertainment" column program, host Wang Hong stood gracefully, speaking clearly and articulately to the camera.

"Dear viewers, in this episode, we are honored to have the main cast of the hit drama 'Scarlet Heart' with us."

Inside the hall, the fans immediately erupted in cheers, raising their support signs and glow sticks and waving them excitedly.

Ms. Liu Shishi and Ms. Liu Xinyou took the lead, walking hand in hand into the studio, followed by the six actors who played the princes: Nie Yuan, Yu Bo, Lin Gengxin, Yuan Hong, Sun Yizhou, and Ye Zuxin.

"Shishi, Nie Yuan, Yuan Hong, and Yizhou are old friends of our program, but this is the first time the others have come to our 'Headline Entertainment'. Welcome everyone!"

Wang Hong actively enlivened the atmosphere, inviting the eight guests (two women and six men) to sit on the sofa in the center of the stage.

The program officially began, and Wang Hong's hosting style remained the same as always. She first chatted with the guests about some interesting things that happened on set to warm up the atmosphere.

When the time was right, she cleverly transitioned into the interview segment: "Shishi, the plot of 'Scarlet Heart' has already aired more than halfway, and the love-hate entanglements between the female lead Ruoxi and several princes have been a great source of excitement for the audience."

Everyone was very curious: which prince did Ruoxi ultimately choose?

The eldest sister, dressed in a black dress with her long hair flowing over her shoulders, exuded elegance and intellect: "I won't spoil this part. Everyone will naturally know Ruoxi's choice when the finale airs."

Seeing that Liu Shishi was keeping her in suspense, Wang Hong wasn't in a hurry and changed the subject: "Then let me ask you a different question. Let's ignore all the obstacles in the plot. If you were in Ruoxi's position, which prince would you choose?"

The top woman shook her head and chuckled softly, "I won't choose any of them."

Yuan Hong chimed in from the side, "Shishi is already taken, she won't choose us!"

"Let's put reality aside. Shishi, which prince would you choose among them? Let's just say you're choosing for Ruoxi, to satisfy the audience's curiosity."

Since it was a TV program, Liu Shishi couldn't take it too seriously. After a moment's thought, remembering Ruoxi's final fate in the drama, she smiled and replied, "Then I'll choose the Fourteenth Prince for Ruoxi."

Lin Gengxin was flattered, and the others also looked at the top sister in surprise.

Holding the microphone, Wang Hong asked curiously, "Why?"

Liu Shishi blinked and replied playfully, "Fourteenth is the most innocent. He was still a newcomer when filming, unlike the others who are cunning and shrewd."

As an experienced host, Wang Hong is meticulous and knows that no guest should be neglected. After interviewing everyone, she turned her attention to Liu Shishi.

After all, she was the leading lady in "Scarlet Heart," and was incredibly popular, making her the focus of audience attention.

"Shishi, when I watched this drama, I thought Ruoxi was very smart and particularly quick-witted. In real life, what is your true personality like? Are you an intellectual girl?"

Liu Shishi wore a polite smile on her small face, her eyes bright and sincere: "I am actually quite easygoing and I see things very comprehensively."

But she doesn't get overly fixated on things. This is completely different from Ruoxi, who is too persistent and pushes herself too hard, sometimes making her life very difficult.

Recalling the female lead's personality in the drama, Wang Hong nodded slightly and echoed, "Ruoxi is indeed too persistent."

"During filming, did you need to desperately try to immerse yourself in Ruoxi's perspective and experience her joys and sorrows?"

Liu Shishi recalled the past with a hint of reminiscence and reverie in her eyes: "I was under a lot of pressure in the early stages of filming. At that time, I was fully immersed in the role of Ruoxi, and my mood was inevitably affected."

"Yes, at that time, Shishi was depressed and gloomy all day long, and we were all very worried that she wouldn't be able to get over it," Liu Xinyou added, still feeling a bit scared when she thought about it now.

"I can imagine your state at that time from just a few words, but I see that you are in excellent spirits now. How did you get over the aftereffects of the role of Ruoxi so quickly?"

The leading lady's eyebrows curved into crescent moons as she revealed a charming smile: "Later, when my husband found out about my situation, he came to visit me on set and offered some words of comfort, which made me feel much better."

After filming wrapped on "Scarlet Heart," I took two months to recuperate. He took me abroad to relax and even accompanied me to the South Africa World Cup, which helped me transition smoothly out of character.

These words caused an instant uproar at the scene. Not only did the audience below the stage erupt in commotion, but even the host and the main actors on stage were quite surprised.

Although there had been various signs that Tangren's top female star had a boyfriend, this was the first time Liu Shishi had publicly and explicitly responded to her relationship.

Wang Hong's face lit up with keen interest. No one could resist the gossip about a top female star's relationship: "I can tell that your boyfriend cares about you a lot."

Liu Shishi nodded slightly, her face beaming with happiness: "Yes! He's not in the entertainment industry; he works in the internet industry. Although he's usually very busy, he still rushed to Hengdian to be with me as soon as he learned that I wasn't feeling well. He's so kind."

At this moment, everyone on the stage could feel the sweetness emanating from the leading lady, a sweet longing and yearning for a beautiful love.

Wang Hong stared blankly at Liu Shishi, who was smiling radiantly and looked like a young girl experiencing her first love.

It's hard to imagine that in the cutthroat entertainment industry, the most pragmatic arena of fame and fortune, a popular and sought-after actress would be so innocent and naive when talking about her partner; it's truly unacceptable.

"Shishi, you've never talked about your love life in public before. Why are you so open about it today?"

"Actually, I had discussed it with him before. We would gradually go public with our relationship once our careers were more stable. However, since he is not in the entertainment industry, I don't want to disturb his life too much and I won't deliberately create hype."

Wang Hong really wanted Liu Shishi to reveal more about their relationship, but the top star only touched on the surface and then smiled without saying anything more. Helpless, Wang Hong could only get back to the main topic.

The hit drama "Scarlet Heart" made Liu Shishi shine brightly, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

Despite Wang Hong's attempts to control the situation and her efforts to cater to everyone during the interview, the atmosphere and the public's attention seemed to be drawn together by an invisible force, and the focus of the conversation inevitably fell on Liu Shishi.

Wang Hong smiled warmly and asked a lighthearted question: "Shishi, what kind of books do you like to read?"

"Actually, I like reading novels."

What kind of novels do you like to read?

The eldest sister tilted her head and thought for a moment: "I probably won't read anything too obscure or philosophical. I'll read romance, suspense, and even historical novels."

Wang Hong spoke gently, like a caring older sister, exchanging pleasantries about life with Liu Shishi on an equal footing. The other lead actors remained silent, quietly listening.

"Besides novels, do you read any other books?"

"I've been reading 'Tang and Song Poetry' lately." Liu Shishi noticed the host's expression and chuckled softly, "Are you surprised?"

“Indeed. It’s hard to imagine a female celebrity studying classical Chinese poetry.” “I can’t help it. My husband is very knowledgeable and well-versed in ancient and modern times. He can quote all kinds of poems and allusions with ease. If I don’t read more of Tang and Song poetry, I sometimes can’t understand the deeper meaning of what he says.”

"This..." Wang Hong was speechless for a moment. She felt that Liu Shishi was showing off their affection, but she had no evidence, so she could only quickly change the subject.

"Everyone online says you're a homebody. What do you do at home most of the time?"

“When I’m not filming, I stay home and read novels, and occasionally play games,” Liu Shishi said, her smile growing brighter. “Of course, the main reason is to spend time with my husband.”

He's a complete homebody; he doesn't like going out much. When he's not working, he stays home reading and coding. I just sit quietly beside him, savoring the beauty of our companionship.

Wang Hong was speechless. She wasn't even going to investigate Liu Shishi's relationship anymore, but the top star kept talking about her boyfriend, yet she was also trying to cover it up and keep everyone in suspense.

So, you're the kind of girl who's very clingy?

Liu Shishi shook her head: "No, once I join a film crew, I won't see him for a long time, so I try to spend more time with him whenever I have free time to make up for the lost time."

"Having been separated for a long time and living in different places, have you ever worried about your relationship?"

"Actually, it's alright. He comes to visit the set whenever he has free time, and as long as the filming schedule doesn't fall behind, I'll take leave to go back to Beiping. True love can't be affected by time and distance," Liu Shishi murmured, telling her about her love.

Wang Hong couldn't help but roll her eyes, deciding to avoid mentioning Liu Shishi's love life in subsequent interviews and instead focus on the drama itself: "Shishi, have you heard of another currently popular drama, 'Palace'?"

"I've seen it."

"Both 'Scarlet Heart' and 'Palace' are time-travel dramas set in the Qing Dynasty, and their plots revolve around the love-hate entanglement between the female lead and the prince. What do you think are the differences between these two dramas, as well as between Qingchuan and Ruoxi?"

After thinking carefully for a while, Liu Shishi explained her point of view: "Qingchuan and Ruoxi are both time travelers, but their experiences are very different."

Qingchuan was undoubtedly lucky; she was never assimilated by the feudal era. Faced with all kinds of injustice, she was only disappointed, or even desperate.

Ruoxi, on the other hand, is the most realistic portrayal of a time traveler in the feudal era, who is assimilated without realizing it.

Qingchuan is a transmigrator; in that era, she had no parents, no background, and no ties. Ruoxi, on the other hand, is a transmigrator's soul; she must constantly face the risk of having her entire family implicated, and every action she takes must be for the sake of her sister and parents.

Qingchuan encountered another time traveler and learned how to return to the modern world, which gave her hope in her predicament.

In the complex palace intrigues, Ruoxi needs to be cautious and proceed with caution at every step. Perhaps only by dying and returning home can she go back to her family.

They both tried to change history, but one faced reality and chose to return to the modern era; the other couldn't accept it and died of depression.

Therefore, Qingchuan was much luckier than Ruoxi; she always stayed true to herself and never changed. Zhang Xiao, on the other hand, had lived in the feudal era for too long and was mercilessly whipped by reality, ultimately becoming completely like Ma'ertai Ruoxi.

After all, history can't be changed by a time traveler. Therefore, *Scarlet Heart* is more realistic, while *Palace* is more of a feel-good drama!

When she got emotional, Liu Shishi recalled the days when she was filming the movie. She felt a strong resonance with Ruoxi's emotions and empathized with her. Her eyes reddened slightly and her voice choked with emotion.

“Zhang Xiao herself was assimilated by the feudal era, and even the audience, who had an omniscient perspective, forgot that she was a woman of the new era. But I always remember that in her time, there were people waiting for her to wake up and for her to return.”

Liu Shishi wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, tried hard to compose herself, and slowly said:

"I'd like to share a little Easter egg with you all. The ending theme of each episode of 'Scarlet Heart' features Ruoxi's Diary, which records Zhang Xiao's mental journey after time travel and also explains the timeline of many stories."

The writing style of Zhang Xiao's diary gradually changed from modern vernacular to classical Chinese, as Ruoxi used in ancient times.

Holding the microphone, the eldest sister's hazy gaze swept over the familiar faces of the "brothers" beside her, and she murmured in a dreamlike tone: "She came from the modern world, entered history, and gradually merged into history."

On February 26th, the phenomenal hit drama "Scarlet Heart" came to its finale, ending with Liu Shishi dressed in red, carrying a bunch of red plum blossoms, amidst falling snow, and performing a captivating dance.

The premiere episode achieved an average viewership rating of 4.2%. The ratings peaked during the finale, when Liu Shishi danced with red plum blossoms on a snowy night, successfully breaking 5% and topping the national prime-time viewership charts for fourteen consecutive days.

With over 500 million views on TT Video, ranking first among Weibo's most-watched TV dramas, and setting a new record for the highest-rated TV drama on Baidu Index, "Scarlet Heart" and its leading lady have achieved remarkable success for audiences nationwide.

1. Liu Shishi's Red Plum Blossom Dance on a Snowy Night

2. Which prince did Ruoxi ultimately fall in love with?

3. A poignant sense of fate

. . .

That night, Liu Shishi and "Scarlet Heart" dominated the top ten trending topics on Weibo, with netizens leaving comments almost every second.

"It's a bit mind-bending. I didn't quite understand it in the end. Ruoxi left the palace and went to the Fourteenth Prince's residence, but who does she actually like?"

"Later, every snowfall under the Forbidden City would remind me of Ma'ertai Ruoxi."

"Her hands were like tender shoots, her skin like solidified cream, her neck like a cicada's, her teeth like melon seeds, her forehead broad and her eyebrows arched, her smile charming, her eyes bright and beautiful."

"Shi Shi's dance was breathtaking, the red plum blossoms in the snow were absolutely stunning."

At this moment, in their home in Jingyuan, Liu Shishi was nestled in her husband's arms, sobbing uncontrollably: "Yiyi, should I post a Weibo to say goodbye to Ruoxi?"

Song Ci gently patted his wife's back, trying his best to comfort her: "It's okay. By the way, thank your viewers and fans for their support."

At 11 p.m., Liu Shishi published a long blog post bidding farewell to "Scarlet Heart" and Ruoxi:

"Tonight, beside my teacher, I write this article. As the last scene of 'Scarlet Heart' ends, my heart is filled with so much reluctance and gratitude."

Ruoxi, I'm finally saying goodbye to you. From the fragile glass of the Tenth Prince to the magnolia hairpin in the Fourth Prince's palm, we've stumbled along the way. You taught me that love can transcend time and space, but life must eventually return to dust.

Thank you for letting me become Ruoxi, and for teaching me courage, regret, and perseverance through the story.

Ruoxi's time has come to an end, but our story will forever remain vivid. May everyone who is devoted to love be treated gently by time.

Thank you to all my viewers and fans for your continued support and companionship. Thank you everyone!

(End of this chapter)