Chapter 87: The Only ‘Pure First Love White Moonlight' In My Heart, Is You

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Shen Qingzhi rarely took the initiative to tease Gu Jinrong recently, and the price was a bit heavy.

Specifically, these days, whenever she hears Gu Jinrong's voice, she will subconsciously hold her waist. Actually, after so many days, the slight tugging has long been fine, and it is mostly just a psychological effect.

When she thinks of that night...forget it, it's better not to think about it.

After the variety show recording ended, their lives in H City became busier than before.

Especially for Shen Qingzhi, these days she leaves early and returns late, with all 24 hours of the day filled with various work tasks.

As the year-end approaches, "Divine Beings" is about to be released, although due to the previous variety show leak incident, Shen Qingzhi has recently been scolded a lot online.

However, this didn't hinder various major forums and apps from voting her as the top breakout star of the year in the "20XX Awaited Explosion" selection.

The Spring Festival big production heroine + good looks + bloody constitution*, full of buffs.

*腥风血雨体质 (Xīngfēngxuèyǔ tǐzhí) or xfxy or bloody chaos/storm - used to describe a celebrity who is not only talented and popular, but also gets a lot of criticism and online noise for the wrong reasons.

Those people who often pay attention to the entertainment industry scold everyone, but in fact, they are quite clear-minded.

Naturally, Shen Qingzhi's agency and manager also feel the same way.

Currently, the company is extremely cautious about all her work arrangements, reminding her three times a day on average to be careful with her words and actions.

They fear that if she doesn't pay attention, and once again criticizes the sky and the earth like before, she won't be able to catch this "wealth pouring from the sky".

When Shen Qingzhi was filming movies before, she didn't feel much pressure. But now, facing the hopeful gazes of those around her, she inexplicably feels a bit nervous.

It's as if the gears of her destiny have entered a countdown with the release date of “Divine Beings".

However, that's life; beyond plans, everything is unexpected.

With just ten days left until the release of "Divine Beings," Shen Qingzhi unexpectedly gained online popularity, at lightning speed.

It's quite a coincidence that not long ago, Shen Qingzhi filmed a music video called "Confession Balloons" near the Seine River. With Wen Qi as the lyricist and composer.

Originally, this was just one of Shen Qingzhi's many inconspicuous works, taking only about two days.

But as the saying goes, fire is mysterious. Despite this music video being just three and a half minutes long, both the lyrics and music production were excellent.

In just three short days, the views on several platforms surpassed 100 million views, and even many fan creations reached nearly tens of millions of views.

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

However, among these, the most discussed wasn't the Song King, Song Yu, who has been a singing sensation in the music industry for a decade, or the renowned Asian lyricist and composer, Wen Qi. Instead, it was the female lead, Shen Qingzhi, with only a few lines of dialogue.

Shen Qingzhi's good looks isn't something rare in the entertainment industry 

Although she has either acted in bad movies, or played villainess, or played villainess in bad movies before, even people who hate her will say "She just relies on her face."

And her role in the MV this time is actually the all-too-common first love White Moonlight.

But it was just those few simple movements and smiles that made countless netizens say, "It feels like first love is right in front of you," "I'm so in love," and "I can completely understand the deep feeling of the lyrics."

The immaculate and pure white moonlight image in that music video starkly contrasts with Shen Qingzhi's previous image of being a little firecracker* in the eyes of netizens. People couldn't attribute her portrayal to her true self, so they began praising her acting skills, saying she displayed extraordinary talent.

*Bad/short-tempered 

For a time, various praises like "scheduled to be the next Golden Bear Award for Best Actress," "talented actress" and "clearly could rely on looks but insists on talent," were overwhelming.

Shen Qingzhi herself found it outrageous and tactfully expressed to Song Ling, "Isn't our marketing a bit too much?"

After getting the reply that "the company does not have this marketing budget," she felt relieved a little, but she still felt that it was not real enough.

She is usually quite narcissistic, but now she feels that she is a bit "morally unworthy".

In fact, the role in this MV doesn't require a high level of acting skills, far less complex than her previous role as the "new and emerging actress," which had a richer layer of character. It's just leveraging the convenience of a likable character setting.

Gu Jinrong has been keeping an eye on her little girl's news online these days, quietly saving quite a few screenshots.

She also felt honored to see her beloved being praised by so many people.

The only headache for her is that recently, there have been more people online trying to steal her wife from her.

She originally wanted to pretend to feel a bit down, hoping to get some attention, but unexpectedly, someone beside her, who was clearly surrounded by glory, appeared even more despondent than her.

What's going on? Feeling unhappy after becoming famous?

Gu Jinrong sat on the sofa, her slender and delicate fingers skillfully weaving through Shen Qingzhi's light golden hair, petting like a bunny, while Shen Qingzhi's mind was elsewhere.

Normally, Shen Qingzhi would have been furious at such wanton disruption of her hair, but at this moment, she continued to stare absentmindedly as if unaware.

"What's wrong? Feeling unhappy?" 

Mischievously, Gu Jinrong stroked Shen Qingzhi's head for a while, messing up the neatly arranged hair into a fluffy state. Seeing no reaction, she obediently took out a comb to fix it.

Shen Qingzhi heard the voice and then lifted her head, her face bearing a depth that didn't quite match her age, letting out a faint sigh.

"I've been feeling particularly guilty lately. I always feel that if virtue doesn't match, there will be a disaster.”

Since her debut, Shen Qingzhi has heard almost every kind of criticism imaginable. She thought she had already become impervious to it all.

Yet now, suddenly receiving so much praise, she feels quite unaccustomed to it.

Looking at her beloved nearby, Gu Jinrong, who also rose to fame at a young age, starting where many others aim to reach, might understand Shen Qingzhi's emotions. Thus, Shen Qingzhi was eager to seek resonance.

"By the way, have you ever been afraid of being praised too much?"

Seeing Shen Qingzhi's inquisitive expression, Gu Jinrong thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"It seems not. I've never lacked praise from childhood to now, but they were just stating facts. Why should I feel afraid?"

Shen Qingzhi:...

She stared at Gu Jinrong's serious and beautiful face, feeling a little confused in her heart, "I always thought, I was the most narcissistic one.”

Gu Jinrong naturally heard the implication of these words, smiled, and picked up a strand of blonde hair to play with, "I am not a narcissist. This is called clear self-awareness.”

Seeing Shen Qingzhi's 'too many questions, no answers' expression, Gu Jinrong continued, "Actually, Qingqing, the reason you're feeling concerned about gains and losses right now is that your self-awareness isn't clear enough."

It was the first time Shen Qingzhi had heard such an assertion, feeling both curious and reluctant. Her eyes urged Gu Jinrong to continue.

"Do you think the excessive praise online makes you uncomfortable because it focuses too much on your appearance or your acting skills?"

"Acting." Shen Qingzhi answered without hesitation, not because she lacked confidence in her acting skills, but because she felt she hadn't showcased much acting in that particular MV.

"Well, that's good then. At least your self-awareness regarding your appearance is clear." Gu Jinrong teased, causing Shen Qingzhi to blush before speaking seriously again.

"So, Qingqing, what do you think constitutes good acting?"

“Mm..." Shen Qingzhi tilted her head and thought, "At least it should be... rich in layers, good in skills, and with natural connections between various emotions, and able to perfectly integrate into a character that is completely different from oneself.”

Shen Qingzhi wasn't trained formally in acting. These were just sporadic insights she had gained over the past year or so, expressed somewhat disjointedly.

Gu Jinrong waited patiently for Shen Qingzhi to finish speaking, with a gentle smile on her face.

"What you said makes sense, but it's not that complicated.”

"An actor's job is to portray characters, so as long as the acting can interpret the essence of the role correctly and evoke empathy from the audience, then it's considered good acting."

As Gu Jinrong spoke, she observed Shen Qingzhi's expression. Seeing her lost in thought, Gu Jinrong couldn't resist pinching her cheek, continuing before Shen Qingzhi could react.

"Qingqing, do you feel that your performance in that MV was too simple?"

Shen Qingzhi nodded hurriedly.

Could this person have installed a monitor in my heart?

As expected, while Shen Qingzhi was absorbed in seeking knowledge, Gu Jinrong extended her hand and pinched the other side of Shen Qingzhi's cheek.

“However, your character is the archetype of 'pure first love White Moonlight,' inherently a simple and beautiful existence that people admire. If you're too stubborn on showcasing skills, it might actually lose the original charm of the role."

"It's not like you haven't played emotionally complex roles before, but at that time, you chose this kind of subtractive acting method. Actually, you should understand this principle in your own heart, right?"

"In recent years, there have been many roles of this type, but you're the only one who has become explosively popular. Doesn't that indicate that you acted well and resonated with the audience?"

Shen Qingzhi was stunned for a moment by what Gu Jinrong said, completely unaware that there were now light red marks on both sides of her face.

"Am I that powerful?" Shen Qingzhi reminisced about the scenes during filming, murmuring softly, "But this character wasn't the one I prepared for with the most effort."

Gu Jinrong took out a lollipop from nowhere and peeled off the candy wrapper calmly.

"The effort you put into preparing for each previous role doesn't solely apply to that specific role."

"They serve as accumulation, as a part of your understanding of acting, subtly entering your consciousness, accompanying you.”

"Perhaps you haven't even realized it yourself. Feeling that portraying this character is easy is because you've previously had plenty of contemplation and preparation."

"I've watched your MV many times. The female lead's performance seems simple, but if someone else did it, it wouldn't have the same effect.”

Shen Qingzhi was somewhat cheered up by Gu Jinrong's coaxing. She naturally took the lollipop that Gu Jinrong had unwrapped, but her words were still somewhat proud.

"You must have turned on your lover filter too much. If you were to play the role, you would definitely be better than me.”

"That's really not possible." Gu Jinrong held one of Shen Qingzhi's hands, and there seemed to be stars twinkling in her eyes.

“The only ‘pure first love white moonlight,' in my heart, is you.”

Gu Jinrong's gaze was so sincere that Shen Qingzhi was stunned for a moment.

Even though they've been together for quite some time, just a simple eye contact could still make their hearts beat irregularly. It's really pathetic.

Shen Qingzhi scolded herself in her heart while getting up from the sofa stiffly. "I-I'll go wash up.”

Then she turned around feeling a bit flustered.

Gu Jinrong stayed cross-legged on the sofa, watching the little rabbit-like figure walking away, her eyes flickering.

The air seemed to still carry a hint of ambiguity or warmth, but it was swiftly disrupted by the angry shouts coming from the bathroom.

"Who allowed you to leave marks on my face, you black heart!"

Author's Note:

I don't know if it's just me who thinks this way. Whenever my luck is good, I feel very uneasy, afraid that this will cycle, surely rebounding from the bottom, experiencing a reversal of fortune.