Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

"Jayson, you still have the mood to play video games?"

Zhou Jielun was completely bewildered. How did he end up getting a scolding from Jiajia just for playing video games...?

"What happened? Why are you in such a hurry? I'm just playing for a little while."

Jiajia shoved the newspaper in front of Zhou Jielun: "Look! Look! In the first week in mainland China, the record shipments were 420,000 and sales were 270,000. In Taiwan, the shipments were 120,000 and sales were 70,000."

"This data is from a few days ago; who knows what it is now! I think Xie Jin is going crazy."

Zhou Jielun put down the controller and picked up the newspaper, glancing at it a few times.

Xie Jin, a new-era singer from mainland China, has sold out her albums in Taipei.

[A 21-year-old aiming for super platinum status, who will win the Song of the Year award?]

[Southern Weekly and Northern Xie: Who is the leader of the new generation?]

[Hsieh Chin Discusses Her Creative Philosophy]

[Promotional tour for "When a Man Loves" in multiple locations; set to challenge Hollywood's two leading actors on July 25]

...........

Jiajia's annoyance is understandable, as the standards for defining platinum records varied in different regions in 03.

In the Taiwan region, 50,000 sales qualify as Platinum. For example, "Ye Huimei" achieved 333,000 sales in Taiwan alone, making it a sixth Platinum in Taiwan. Xie Jin had already reached 70,000 sales a week ago, so Taiwan Island definitely has double Platinum status.

The IFPI for Hong Kong Island has been lowered by 30,000 tickets, which would be considered a single platinum ticket.

Statistics in mainland China differ from those in Hong Kong and Taiwan; there has never been a unified standard.

The established rule is that it's 100,000; anything over 100,000 is considered platinum.

Two hundred thousand pairs of Platinum, five hundred thousand pairs of Super Platinum, starting from five hundred thousand, even one million five hundred thousand are all called Super Platinum.

........

........

Jay Chou thought it was something serious.

I only glanced at the last newspaper article about the movie; the rest I just casually put down.

"What's the big deal? The media is like flies buzzing around me today and around him tomorrow. Don't be so anxious."

"I've listened to his album, it's pretty good. It's quadruple platinum in Taiwan, and super platinum in mainland China is no problem."

Jiajia looked at him lazily, and her breasts ached with anger: "Am I talking about whether he's good or bad? I'm saying if you don't work harder, someone else will surpass you sooner or later."

Jiajia pointed to the poster of Xie Jin's wool abstinence suit from that day.

"You have to understand, she's an actress; her looks and physical attributes are what they are!"

Jiajia, heartbroken, placed her hand on Xie Jin's poster chest. "Look at this! Look at this! Is this a proper singer? What kind of proper singer looks like this? Those legs are longer than I've lived, and those pecs..."

Seeing Jay Chou playing video games, Jiajia angrily blocked his eyes with a newspaper.

"Didn't you see how the print media have changed their tune? Before, they were practically calling him rotten, but now they're showering him with compliments like they're free."

  

.........

Unlike Jiajia's frustration, Jielun took out two cans of iced cola: "Have one, to cool down."

"Jiajia, I don't need to compare myself to anyone. My only competitor is myself. Besides, he got 27 in the first week, and I only got 60. What's the rush?"

Jelun picked up the newspaper advertising the movie and looked at it carefully. "I think he's right. If people are listening, it means there's an audience. What's with this 'highbrow and unpopular' nonsense?"

"Hey Jiajia, what do you think about me acting in a movie?"

Jiajia was furious. "You're still doing this? Didn't we already give you a role in 'Looking for Jay Chou'?"

Jelun loudly protested, "You call that acting? He just appeared briefly at the end!"

"I don't care, I'm going to act. Do you think I'm not as good as him? Or do you think he's more handsome than me?"

Jiajia didn't say anything, but her eyes said it all.

If you say that Jay Chou can't sing, he'll just laugh and not explain.

But if you say his acting is bad, he'll immediately get angry with you!

A man surnamed Z, who had already lost his guard, took a measuring tape and started measuring himself.

"Come on! Get the ruler! Measure me! How come I'm not 1.8 meters tall? Aren't my legs long? I have pectoral muscles too, okay? Feel them, feel them!!"

..............

..............

The day after the record was released, the program aired on Tianjin TV.

Sales then picked up.

That day, Miss Liu's playful demeanor and Xie Jin's abstinent appearance became a new topic of conversation among young men and women, and pirated posters were already available in various stationery stores.

The sudden surge in popularity made Xie Jin's life inconvenient.

If he was only somewhat famous before, he is now the next rising star.

Interestingly, aside from events arranged by Bona Film Group and Warner Music, Hsieh Chin has basically not appeared in the public eye recently.

..............

Meanwhile, this rising star in the music scene is desperately pleading with his creditor in the examination hall.

The exam should have started ten days ago, but this year, due to the situation in the Philippines, all the holidays have been postponed.

Wang Jinsong gave a firm order: Xie Jin, as the most outstanding student in the class of 02, was exempt from returning to school, except for Xie Jin.

Actually, exam results aren't that serious.

The main reason is that film academies have long been caught in the vortex of public opinion.

Rumors that students are filming instead of attending classes or taking exams have already terrified school leaders.

If Xie Jin doesn't come back, she will definitely become the focus of attention again.

..............

The two of them were taking an English exam today and were ten minutes late.

Unfortunately, the two had no choice but to sit in the first row, where no one else wanted to sit.

Xie Jin, with a pained expression, pitifully approached her deskmate, Liu, and pleaded, "Qianbao...please, let me take a look, it'll be so embarrassing if I fail..."

Liu Yifei pouted, secretly pleased. "Finally, the time for you to beg me..."

I've been lingering outside for ages, what do you think I'm doing this for?

Thank you, Gouzi, for begging me... Hehehe...

Xiao Liu feigned surprise, while his little feet under the table curled up happily...

"Hey Xie, are you trying to copy my answers?"

Xie Jin blushed, then, abandoning all pretense of shame, pleaded, "What do you mean by 'copying'? We're all scholars, this is called 'learning from others.' You know my English isn't good... Please, let me copy."

Liu Yifei, resting her chin on her hand, asked, "Who's the big catfish?"

"I, Xie Jin, am a genetically modified, monstrous catfish. After I finish copying this, I'll show you a catfish triple tail wag..."

"Who's the brat?"

Xie Jin answered without hesitation, "I am. I'm still wearing a diaper when I came here for the exam."

Miss Liu's lips curled slightly, revealing a sinister smile.

"Hmph, what does it matter to me if you wear diapers? I'd rather die than let you copy it."

.......

.......

Xie Jin never expected that this beautiful girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes would also go astray.

"Damn you, Liu! You have no sense of martial ethics!"

The proctor in the distance couldn't stand it anymore and coughed... "Look at your own papers!"

The two immediately became obedient.

Xie Jin lowered her voice and whispered provocation, "Actually, you want me to cheat, but you don't know how anyway, right? It's okay, we'll both fail."

"Nonsense, I speak English, I won't fail."

"I'm not showing it to you, just so you can be angry!"

Xie Jin gritted her teeth and said, "Five packs of instant noodles, how about that? Pretty generous, right? Your auntie wouldn't buy that for you."

"Pah! I have my own too, who wants your instant noodles? They stink."

"Plus, I'll secretly take you out for some skewers."

Little Liu's eyes lit up. What girl wouldn't love to eat this? Her mother usually forbade her from eating it, saying it was unhealthy...

Now that Xie Gouzi has been caught, he can really commit crimes properly.

Three meals?

Three meals!

........

For the next three days, Xie Jin didn't want to go out for media interviews and intentionally hid at school to rest.

The four professional courses—dialogue exam, physical performance exam, vocal performance exam, and a two-person scenario-based assignment without props—took two days to complete.

Both Xiao Liu and Xie Jin passed smoothly.

For the theoretical courses, Xie Jin shamelessly paid for three extra barbecues in addition to the three meals of skewers.

In the end, they got to keep all of Xiao Liu's hard work for free.

On a sweltering summer night, July 25th, "When a Man Falls in Love" will be released simultaneously in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan...