Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

The reason Xu Xu didn't recommend "Stewed Squid with Honey" to Jiang Bai wasn't because the project was unsuitable.

Jiang Bai has already filmed two modern idol dramas, and there is another one, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," waiting to be filmed.

She should take on a few period dramas to broaden her acting range and give fans and audiences a change of pace.

That's why he recommended "The Legendary Twins" and "Sword Dynasty".

One is a CCTV period drama adapted from a classic IP, and the other is a period drama produced by a streaming platform; both are highly anticipated.

But I didn't watch either of Jiang Bai's works.

"You should have no problem taking on this 'Honey Stewed Squid' role."

Xu Xu hesitated before saying, "This is a drama produced by Juku Media, the parent company of our studio. It's definitely an inside production, so it's easy to discuss."

"Juku Media is also happy to use artists from its own company."

"However, this drama, 'The Thunder'..."

Xu Xu said with some mixed feelings, "It's a good project."

"It is a key production guided by official departments."

"But because this drama is a key focus of the authorities, the script for 'The Thunder' needs to be submitted to the relevant departments for review. Currently, the production team is revising the script based on the opinions of the Ministry of Public Security."

If the project itself is not good, it naturally won't pass Xu Xu's screening and be sent to Jiang Bai.

Perhaps Xu Xu can't tell which dramas will be popular and which won't.

Or rather, most agents don't actually have this ability, and neither do platforms or investors.

Whether a drama series becomes a hit ultimately depends on the market and the audience's opinion.

But as a qualified agent, he can tell which projects are good and well-prepared, and which are poorly made or just empty promises.

"The Thunder" was indeed a good project in terms of preparation, but it has been plagued with too many setbacks.

According to the original plan, filming for "The Thunder" should have started on July 1st, and the contracts of the lead actors had already been signed.

The original male lead was Yan Kuan, one of the "Four Beauties of Tianya" (a popular Chinese online forum), with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and three-dimensional features, hailed as the most handsome man in China.

The contracts were all signed, and filming was about to begin, when the higher-ups stopped it.

The higher-ups claimed that the script for "The Thunder" had to be revised because some plot points did not align with the official propaganda direction, making it impossible to start filming on the original date.

The production company is still arguing with Yan Kuan's agency. He definitely doesn't have time to act, but the production company doesn't want to pay the penalty for breach of contract. It's estimated that it will end up in court.

Now that the role is available, a new actor needs to be found, and the production team needs to reschedule the start of filming.

The current tentative start date is January 2018.

This is what Xu Xu is afraid of.

"What if filming can't start smoothly and is postponed again?" Xu Xu asked with great doubt.

"It's not that bad." Jiang Bai analyzed slowly, "This project was originally led by the official department. Since they have given guidance on script revisions, as long as the production company makes the revisions according to the requirements, there is no reason to block it again."

"The start date set this time will definitely not be postponed again."

It turned on smoothly in my past life.

Wang Jinsong's portrayal of Uncle Dong left a deep impression on him.

"This..." Xu Xu was still somewhat dissatisfied. Jiang Bai's schedule was very important. Rather than participating in such a risky project, it would be better to film the more secure "The Legendary Twins" or "Sword Dynasty".

Jiang Bai was too lazy to argue with Xu Xu anymore. He seemed easy to talk to and had a gentle temper, but he was actually quite domineering at heart.

Or rather, people who work in finance tend to have a decisive and efficient personality.

He pointed directly at the script of "Go Go Squid!" on the table. "When we signed the contract, it was agreed that in addition to acting in one company drama every year, I would have the right to choose my own projects."

"This drama, 'The Thunder,' is a good fit for me, so I took the role."

Faced with Jiang Bai's persistence, Xu Xu had no choice but to back down.

Acting in accordance with the contract is indeed the right thing to do.

But he still tried to persuade them, saying, "How about we consider 'Sword Dynasty' as an alternative?"

"I heard that Xu Yiruo is in talks for the female lead role in this drama, and she has a very good chance of getting it."

"Xu Yiruo and Dai Ying, the executive producer of 'Sword Dynasty,' have a good relationship."

"Moreover, Dai Ying is also one of the executive producers of 'The Thunder,' so communication is easy."

"If 'The Thunder' is delayed again, we can directly join the cast of 'Sword Dynasty'."

The filming of these two dramas started around the same time, at the end of December or the beginning of January.

"No way," Jiang Bai said speechlessly, "Brother Xu, isn't Li Yitong the actress Xu Yinuo is really promoting?"

"After filming wrapped on 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' with Li Yitong, did you immediately team up for another project?"

"Are you afraid our pairing won't be strong enough?"

"Even if we have to choose one, let's go with 'The Biography of Sun Ruowei'."

"At least it's a film in which our own company invested."

"The Legend of Sun Ruowei", which later became "Ming Dynasty", was also invested and produced by Huace Croton Group and co-produced with Ku.

If there really is some butterfly effect that prevents "The Thunder" from starting filming as scheduled, then using "Ming Dynasty" to fill the time slot would be better than filming "Sword Dynasty".

At least if Ming Baozong in "Ming Dynasty" is played well, he can become famous for his acting skills and personal charm.

Thanks to this role, the public's perception of his acting skills has changed slightly, and they feel that he is not incapable of acting.

"Okay, it's settled then." Xu Xu could also see that Jiang Bai really didn't like the script for "Sword Dynasty".

"Then I'll contact the production company and discuss cooperation with them."

After tidying up all the documents on the table, Xu Xu prepared to return to Shanghai to arrange Jiang Bai's next tasks.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind him, "Oh, and don't forget to ask for leave again next week."

"Your proposal to visit buildings has been finalized with Tencent and scheduled for next week."

"As for the online public opinion, don't worry. Calming this wave is just our first step. The other side won't benefit from this either."

Xu Xu snorted coldly: "His 'Three Lives Three Worlds' movie is about to be released, isn't it? It's only polite to return the favor!"

After saying that, Xu Xu turned around and prepared to leave.

"Roger that!" Jiang Bai gave Xu Xu's back a thumbs-up, finished his last sip of coffee, and prepared to head to the film set for work.

We can't let the popularity of "A Love So Beautiful" and some negative online comments stop us from working hard.

"Legend of Yunxi" is also a good opportunity; this drama is his trump card for maintaining his popularity next year.

However, before filming began, Jiang Bai left a few words for Xiao Tian on WeChat before handing his phone over to his assistant for safekeeping.

Xiaotian fought with anti-fans until 3 a.m. last night, no, I should say early this morning, and was still sleeping this morning.

......

Around 11 a.m., Tian Xiwei woke up groggily in the girls' dormitory of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

She rubbed her eyes, yawned widely, and showed no sign of panic about skipping her morning class.

Anyway, it's okay to skip class once in a while.

She stretched, slowly reached for her phone on the bedside table, and turned on the screen.

A barrage of messages popped up, the most eye-catching of which was a WeChat message from Jiang Bai, with the nickname she had secretly changed to "Jiang Chen himself".

Jiang Bai's message was posted around 8 a.m.

[Are you awake? I saw on your alternate account that you were battling trolls until after 3 AM last night. You must be exhausted. Get some more sleep and don't rush to your early class.]

Tian Xiwei's lips instantly curled into a smile as she read the message, her drowsiness vanishing completely. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she replied: 【Just woke up! Hehe, how did you know I was playing until after 3 AM? Were you secretly checking my alternate account?】

Jiang Bai replied instantly as soon as the message was sent, just as the crew was taking their lunch break.

[Do I even need to peek? This morning my topic feed was full of screenshots of comments from your alternate accounts.]

[Fans are all saying you're protecting me; a hashtag for our real-life couple has already been created.]

Then came another message: "Thank you, Xiaotian, for helping me fight off the haters so late last night."

Tian Xiwei's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at the words "Thank you," but she stubbornly replied, "What are you thanking me for!"

[I just can't stand them spreading rumors about you. They're a bunch of despicable bastards. I can't stand it if I don't curse them out!]

Besides, if you get slammed and it affects the ratings of our drama "A Love So Beautiful," how am I supposed to make it soar to new heights?

Jiang Bai looked at the message on the screen, his eyes full of smiles.

I know you're protecting me.

[But don't be so impulsive next time. You're a celebrity. No matter how well you try to hide it with a secondary account, anyone with eyes can see it. If haters use this against you in the future, I'll feel guilty.]

When Tian Xiwei saw the line "I'll feel guilty," her heart skipped a beat, but she still retorted, "I know, I know, you're not a child!"

I'll be more careful next time!

[But I was really furious last night. They even dragged me into it, calling me a mistress. Of course I yelled at them!]

Upon seeing this sentence, Jiang Bai paused in his typing, a multitude of thoughts flashing through his mind, before slowly replying:

This has truly caused you undeserved misfortune.

[By the way, we're going to visit Tencent Video's headquarters next week, and I'll take you to Shenzhen for some good food.]

This attack by Jiang Bai's rivals to smear him backfired, implicating Tian Xiwei and making her a fake mistress, which indeed made Jiang Bai very resentful.

If you were to say that he and Tian Xiwei were really a couple, then it's one thing for Tian to be dragged into this mess, but he's already accepted it.

However, his relationship with Oda remained uncertain.

As a result, Xiaotian still suffered an undeserved misfortune.

This caused a string that Jiang Bai had been holding onto to snap.

I opened Weibo and saw my number of followers skyrocketing, as well as the steadily increasing number of views for "A Love So Beautiful".

His career finally achieved a stage of success, which gave him a lot of courage and confidence.

There are some things I've been suppressing and haven't dared to do for the sake of my career, but now it's time to do them.

"Some things really need to be resolved," Jiang Bai murmured, then stood up and walked towards his RV.