Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Chapter 84 When will you become 951?

Qingdao, on the set of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

As the script supervisor's clapperboard fell crisply, the filming of a scene between the male and female leads was completed.

The cameras were shut down, the director reviewed the footage behind the monitor, and the other staff tidied up the props on set.

Jiang Bai gently tugged at the collar of his school uniform. The weather in early September was still a bit hot, especially in the afternoon.

The assistant quickly brought him an electric fan to cool him down.

Instead of finding a place to sit down and rest, Li Yitong, holding her script, slowly walked to the shade of a tree by the roadside and stopped.

Seeing this, Jiang Bai paused slightly, then walked over and stood with her under the shade of a tree, taking a short rest during the break between scenes.

The intense filming of campus scenes over the past few days has made the two partners more and more skilled, and their off-screen interactions are also very familiar and natural.

I quietly enjoyed the moment of silence.

Li Yitong looked up at the student extras laughing and playing not far away. Looking at their fresh, innocent, and unrestrained young faces, she couldn't help but sigh softly.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've filmed a campus-themed drama. I've always acted in period dramas and modern urban dramas before, and I've never had such a direct experience before."

She tilted her head slightly to look at Jiang Bai, a hint of envy in her eyes: "After filming these few days of campus scenes, I truly realized that high school students and us adults who have entered society are two completely different states."

Li Yitong slowly recounted her feelings, "They are impulsive, passionate, and pure; they dare to love and hate, and they dare to fight and take risks."

"If you have feelings for someone, you'll quietly pursue them; if you have resentment, you'll strive to catch up."

Even if clumsy or timid, they possess the purest and most fearless courage.

As she spoke, she sighed softly, her tone carrying a hint of adult helplessness: "On the other hand, as we get older, we experience more things, our minds become more complicated, and we have more and more concerns."

"Everyone says I look young and have a youthful appearance, making me suitable for playing teenage girls, but only I know that I've long lost that youthful spirit."

"Sometimes when I'm filming and I get so into character, watching you guys portray the young people, I can't help but sigh that an old aunt like me can never go back to that age."

Li Yitong is 27 years old this year.

In the fast-paced entertainment industry, actresses of this age face the greatest pressure.

Below, there are young and beautiful young flowers competing, while above, established flowers dominate the top ecological niche.

She wasn't envious of young people, but rather regretful that she missed the best opportunity for development when she was young and full of energy; she entered the industry too late.

Jiang Bai, who was standing quietly listening to the words, felt a strong resonance with them.

Others only see his youthful appearance at the age of twenty-two and envy his early fame and meteoric rise to the top.

But only he himself knew that he had the soul of a man in his thirties inside him.

In his past life, he had seen too many young people whose youthful spirit was worn down by time, and too many young people who were full of ambition when they first entered the industry, only to be shattered by reality.

He himself was one of them, and he no longer had that same spirit.

Jiang Bai looked up at the clear sky in the distance and said in a calm but insightful tone, "To put it bluntly, youthful spirit is the most precious and irreplaceable thing in the world."

Li Yitong was slightly taken aback, turned to look at him, and quietly waited for him to continue.

"The ancients understood this kind of regret best."

Jiang Bai shrugged: "Li He achieved fame at the young age of seventeen, full of youthful vigor and patriotism. He could write poems brimming with youthful spirit, such as 'I will repay your kindness on the golden platform, and die for you with my jade dragon sword.'"

"But when he turned twenty-seven, after experiencing hardships and seeing through the ways of the world, after being worn down by life for ten years, he picked up his pen and wrote: 'I know not the height of the blue sky, nor the thickness of the yellow earth; I only see the cold moon and the warm sun, which come to torment human life.'"

He paused slightly, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes, "Ten years is enough to smooth out all the rough edges."

"The person is still the same, but the boy in his heart has already quietly died."

"Therefore, the four words 'youthful spirit' are probably the most precious and unsolvable thing in the world, something that will never come again."

He appeared to be chatting with Li Yitong, but his words were actually a reflection of his past self.

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Yitong was completely stunned.

She stared blankly at Jiang Bai beside her, her eyes filled with surprise and emotion, and the way she looked at him had quietly undergone a dramatic change.

If Li Yitong's initial impression of Jiang Bai was only superficial, based on his popularity and good looks...

But now her opinion of Jiang Bai has changed somewhat.

Good looks can captivate at first glance, while popularity can inspire awe.

But what truly changes people's perceptions, earns them goodwill, and makes them want to learn more about him is always his inner qualities.

Men with depth are always more attractive and make people want to get to know them better.

At this moment, Jiang Bai exuded a more mature and composed demeanor, instantly doubling his charm.

Li Yitong looked at Jiang Bai with admiration and curiosity in her eyes, and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on her lips: "I didn't expect that you would have such insightful and profound thoughts at such a young age."

"No wonder you can always capture the details and emotions that others can't in your acting. It turns out you see things more clearly than anyone else."

Jiang Bai chuckled upon hearing this, offering no further explanation, only replying casually, "It was just a casual chat, don't take it to heart."

The two stood under the shade of the tree, enjoying the cool sea breeze, chatting about everything under the sun.

This was the first time Li Yitong had such a deep conversation with a man, discussing their values ​​and views on life.

The two hit it off as they talked.

The man in front of her, who was five years younger than her, seemed to be right in Li Yitong's ideal area.

He's handsome, mature, and shares the same values.

She's just a bit too young.

Li Yitong mentally tapped herself.

What are you thinking about? Is this the time to be thinking about these things?

Filming!

Time flies, and the days pass in the blink of an eye.

The two days of filming passed in the blink of an eye.

The filming process is progressing steadily and everything is going smoothly.

On the morning of September 6th, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the first rays of dawn were faint.

Jiang Bai has officially requested leave from the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" production team.

Li Yitong, Li Xian, and others even got up early to see him off, repeatedly reminding him to have a smooth overseas trip and to remember to bring back local specialties.

Li Yitong smiled and waved, telling him to make the most of this opportunity to go to sea and that she looked forward to his successful return.

After bidding farewell to director Li Qingrong, the main cast, and the staff, he and his team traveled to Qingdao Airport.

Without much delay, the group smoothly went through security and boarded the plane, flying directly to Shanghai.

After a smooth two-hour flight, we landed in Shanghai under clear skies and with comfortable temperatures.

.

Stepping out of the plane and avoiding the constant flow of people at the airport, Jiang Bai and his group went straight into the airport VIP lounge to quietly wait for their connecting flight, preparing to head to their next destination, Bangkok.

Not long after, the door to the lounge was gently pushed open, and a petite figure full of energy walked in quickly.

It's Tian Xiwei.

The young girl had clearly rushed back from the film crew in Turpan overnight. Her journey was hurried, and her eyes showed a hint of fatigue from the trip, but she was still full of energy and vitality.

Perhaps due to the strong sunlight and frequent sandstorms in Turpan, her skin became slightly tanned.

Compared to the soft, fair-skinned girlishness in "A Love So Beautiful," she now exudes a more capable and resilient spirit, reminiscent of filming outdoors.

As she entered, her eyes lit up the moment she saw Jiang Bai on the sofa. She quickly ran over and greeted him familiarly, "Bai Bai! Long time no see!"

Since the two confirmed their relationship, Tian Xiwei has been keen on giving him nicknames.

They used nicknames like "Big White," "Whitey," and "Jiangjiang" interchangeably.

Jiang Bai let him call her whatever he wanted; little girls are just that cute.

Jiang Bai looked up at her, smiled, and nodded: "Just finished work and rushed over?"

"Filming in Turpan must have been tough, right?"

"It's incredibly tough!" Tian Xiwei slumped onto the sofa without a care in the world, complaining nonchalantly, "Turpan is so sunny and windy! Every day while filming, my face was covered in sand and dust. But thankfully, the atmosphere on set was fantastic!"

With the start of filming for "Ever Night," Tian Xiwei, being the female lead, has a significant amount of screen time.

Fortunately, "Ever Night" is a true male-centric drama, with the entire plot revolving around the male lead.

The female lead was a supporting character who added icing on the cake. The production team coordinated with her to barely manage to avoid scheduling conflicts with the filming schedule before allowing her to leave smoothly.

After resting for a while, Tian Xiwei immediately moved closer to Jiang Bai.

She leaned half her body against Jiang Bai, wrapped her arms around his, and started talking non-stop, enthusiastically sharing her interesting experiences of joining the new production team with him.

Her little mouth chattered incessantly, lively and adorable.

"Let me tell you, I've only been on set for a few days, but I've already become friends with a lot of the actresses!"

With her eyes crinkling and her face beaming with joy, Tian Xiwei shared: "Yuan Bingyan, who plays Mo Shanshan, is super gentle, with a soft personality, and is very polite. She is also incredibly hardworking, constantly studying the script in private, and has a very dedicated and serious attitude."

"And then there's Meng Ziyi, who plays Ye Hongyu. She has a super cool and straightforward personality. She looks aloof, but she's not aloof at all when you get to know her. She even seems a bit silly and naive. I don't know why there are so many negative articles about her online."

"We actresses are all around the same age and have compatible personalities. If we finish work early each day, we'll go out together."

"The scenery in Turpan is absolutely stunning! We visit the attractions, take photos, and go shopping whenever we have free time. It's like a paid vacation—we've had so much fun!"

Listening to Tian Xiwei's enthusiastic sharing, Jiang Bai had a faint smile on his lips as he listened patiently, occasionally nodding in agreement.

But deep down, he started to mutter to himself.

Yuan Bingyan.

This name was all too familiar to Jiang Bai, who was well aware of the future developments in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Jiang Bai clearly remembers that soon, a fantasy drama called "Love and Redemption" will be released, completely igniting the entire internet and becoming a phenomenal hit of the year.

This drama's explosive power and long-term vitality far surpass the vast majority of dramas of the same period, making it one of the top fantasy dramas after 2020, with its solid achievements being impeccable.

After its premiere, it led the online popularity by a wide margin, with its viewership on the platform skyrocketing, ultimately winning the annual viewership champion on Youku, with an average of nearly 100 million views per episode.

The number of episodes available for early access set an industry record, and related topics across the internet garnered over 10 billion views.

Thanks to this drama, Cheng Yi, who was previously unknown, rose to fame and became one of the top male actors.

In a short period of time, his popularity, business opportunities, and resources skyrocketed, and he gained six million followers on Weibo. His portrayal of a broken male lead has been imitated by many actors.

The female lead, Yuan Bingyan, also became a sensation for her role as Chu Xuanji, gaining nearly three million followers on Weibo during the broadcast, her popularity soared, and her status skyrocketed.

An actress who was originally unknown and could only play minor supporting roles suddenly rose to become a leading actress in the post-90s generation of actresses.

The sheer volume of popularity, its widespread appeal, its long-lasting impact, and its ability to promote its stars are all comparable to the later, even more popular "The Legend of Canglan".

Unfortunately, life is unpredictable, and fate can be cruel.

Such an excellent opportunity for advancement, such top-tier resources, were ultimately ruined by Yuan Bingyan's own tax issues, which completely destroyed her promising future.

He failed to capitalize on the popularity of the TV series, and his personal career collapsed precipitously, quickly disappearing from the industry.

It's such a waste to give this drama to Yuan Bingyan!

"Love and Redemption" is a major production mainly invested and controlled by H&R Century Pictures. The male lead, Cheng Yi, is a core artist heavily promoted by the company, with resources firmly locked in, making it impossible for others to shake his position.

However, the role of the female lead, Chu Xuanji, actually went through multiple auditions and selections back then, and it was not a predetermined fate, so there was a great deal of competition.

If he could, he would definitely do his best to give Tian Xiwei a push.

If we can help Tian Xiwei land the role of Chu Xuanji, with the immense popularity and long-lasting appeal of "Love and Redemption," she will definitely rise to the top and become the undisputed number one actress among the post-95 generation.

At that time, Zhao Lusi, Yu Shuxin, and other actresses of the same generation will all have to take a backseat.

No one can shake her position; she firmly holds the top spot among the new generation of actresses!

We have to fight for this drama!

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