Chapter 61: She Was Just So, So Good, While She Was Not Good In Any Way
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
2023 Ver.
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Afternoon.
The sun gradually shines brighter, and the damp ground in the morning becomes dry. The autumn breeze blows slightly, and the red leaves on the ground flutter with the wind.
After finishing lunch, Liang Ying contented herself with rolling on the tatami and playing with the dog. Gu Xizhi finished cleaning up and returned to the room to dig out the computer that had been dusty for a long time. She wiped it clean beside her, then connected the power and turned it on.
The sun shone through the rattan window, bringing a lazy warmth. After the computer turned on, Gu Xizhi placed the steaming tea on her right side and tapped the keyboard quickly with her fingertips.
After typing Scarlett Li's name in the search bar, a series of news soon followed. Gu Xizhi browsed the content on the computer screen carefully, her dark pupils shining with concentration.
A few years ago, when people talked about Scarlett Li, they might only call her a famous female director and one of the most eccentric directors. But since she won a very prestigious international award a year and a half ago, she has enjoyed great popularity in China. The honor and status she enjoyed in the country made other directors pale in comparison.
She has not filmed any new movies since she won the award, so as soon as the news about her filming this time was released, the media became very excited.
There were many headlines, and Gu Xizhi scrolled through the pages and read them one by one, her eyes gradually settled on one of them.
Liang Ying was happily teasing the dog. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Gu Xizhi thinking seriously. Then she came to her with the dog in her arms, leaned close to her and tapped her temple, "What are you thinking about?"
Gu Xizhi brushed her hand away. "Don't be nosy, kid."
"What kid?" Liang Ying said unhappily, "My IQ and EQ are higher than many adults."
"Go play." Gu Xizhi still ignored her and clicked on the news headline on the computer.
The news was presented in the form of an interview dialogue. Reading through it gave a better understanding of Scarlett Li's thoughts. Gu Xizhi read it from start to finish, then glanced at Liang Ying, who was also deeply engrossed.
Seeing Gu Xizhi looking at her, Liang Ying raised her head and propped her chin up to look at her, "You want to act in a movie?"
"I don't want to."
“Then you don't.
"That is a same-sex love theme."
"But the film will have an open audition across the country."
Gu Xizhi looked at her deeply, as if she was too lazy to pay attention to her, then pinched her face to make Liang Ying look at her, "I told you," She said in an angry voice, "I don't want to."
"If you don't want to, then you don't want to, why are you pinching my face." Liang Ying pulled her hand away unhappily, "I'm still growing up, you're pinching me ugly."
"Don't worry, no one will want you even if you're ugly or good-looking." Gu Xizhi stood up and picked up her phone on the rattan shelf, "I'll give your sister Bo a call, just stay here and play."
"Hmph." Liang Ying turned ninety degrees, looking like she never wanted to see her again.
Gu Xizhi took the phone and went to the courtyard.
In these past two years, Bo Yiqing has hardly been seen in the entertainment industry. Her health worsened two years ago, and after her three-year contract with Meijia ended, she didn't renew it. Instead, she started dating a wealthy Malaysian businessman. Due to her coronary heart disease, Gu Xizhi called her every few days to remind her not to overwork herself. She always seemed obedient, agreeing to whatever Gu Xizhi said. In her presence, everything seemed possible, except for meeting up in person, which was particularly difficult.
After making the call, Gu Xizhi took out another phone and called up a number from her business card holder. After she dialed, Gu Xizhi looked at the blooming daisies on the flower stand and said quietly, "Three hundred thousand to buy all of Scarlett Li's information, if you are willing to make a deal, the bill will be settled the day after tomorrow."
"I won't give you a cent more, and I won't change it for someone else."
"Well, I want to see something before ten o'clock the day after tomorrow morning."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Xizhi turned around and looked at Liang Ying, who was sitting in front of the computer playing with the dog. She stood there thoughtfully and did not move for a long time.
The next day.
In the early morning, the dense fog that didn't dissipate shrouds the city, and there were few motor vehicles on the road, making the air fresh.
Liang Ying, who had been woken up early in the morning, sat in the back seat of the car and continued to sleep. Gu Xizhi sat in the passenger seat, holding a ticket and phone in her hands.
After a while, the phone rang, and after answering the call, Gu Xizhi said, "I'm on my way to the airport now, returning to China soon. You don't need to pick me up, I'll be with Mr. Anda."
"I was not free at night, so Mr. Anda and Sister Liang helped me make an appointment with the festival party director."
"I'll stay in the hotel first, then I'll go check out the real estate near Zhongsen in two days."
"There is one more thing I want to ask you." Gu Xizhi said while flipping through the calendar on another phone, "I want to meet Miss Tian Youlan."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
After getting out of the car, Liang Ying finally seemed to be no longer sleepy and kept eating and drinking along the way. This situation continued until Gu Xizhi handed her back to Anda. Liang Ying, who had finally behaved for a while, boarded the plane and went on to tease the flight attendants one after another, while also managing to get some snacks.
The time on the plane passed quickly. After getting off the plane, Gu Xizhi and the other two took a taxi together. The taxi driver was a young man. Not long after he got in the car, he kept staring at Gu Xizhi in the rearview mirror.
Because she rarely appeared in the country in the past two years, wore sunglasses, and had a major change in her hairstyle, Gu Xizhi did not believe that the other party could recognize her at all, so she was very calm no matter how the other party looked at her.
Upon reaching their destination, Anda paid, and the driver took the money, then said to Gu Xizhi who was in the back seat of the car, "Beauty, can you leave your number? I have a very handsome buddy who I think would be a good match for you and I think you two would be a perfect match, you know? You're the type he likes. By the way, he has seven houses, as long as you…"
"I'm sorry." Gu Xizhi raised her head and smiled, "Thank you, but I have a boyfriend.
"Yes, she has a boyfriend." Liang Ying grabbed her arm and grinned at the driver, "It's my elder brother."
The driver's expression twitched for a moment. "Well, that's even more regrettable than Liang Shanbo not being with Zhu Yingtai."
*characters from the legend "Butterfly Lovers" or "The Legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai." Zhu Yingtai, a young woman who disguised herself as a man to be a scholar, fell in love with her fellow scholar Liang Shanbo then stuff happens and the story ends in a heart-wrenching tragedy.
The three of them got out of the car and went straight to Anda's studio. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a breathtaking scenery on the top floor of the high-rise building can be seen.
Because employees were working in the studio, Gu Xizhi deliberately slowed down when she walked in. However, after pushing the door open, the female voice inside still startled her.
"You guys really know how to pick people, huh? Couldn't hit High C, even 'pa' exploded, unstable breath, and insufficient lung capacity. What are you doing here if you can't sing? My place isn't a shelter for flower vases!"
*in the entertainment circle, it usually refers to celebrities who are good-looking but not talented, like a vase that only serves as a display
The person speaking was Liang Huan's former manager Xia Qiao. Because Liang Huan no longer sings, her work focus has also shifted. Although she is famous in the entertainment industry for her strictness, being able to single-handedly turn Liang Huan into a queen, set her apart from others in the entertainment industry.
Most of the young girls waiting to record songs in the studio broke out in cold sweat when they heard Xia Qiao's voice. Even the sound engineer didn't know whether to continue. Seeing this, Anda walked up to Xia Qiao and said, "Let me see, take a break first."
Xia Qiao probably just noticed someone at the door, but she didn't say much. She walked to the rest area on the side and had coffee, wearing a cold expression.
After such a commotion, Gu Xizhi didn't want to stay in the recording studio anymore but led Liang Ying to the next room.
Most of the girls who had finished recording songs and were waiting for the results were chatting and laughing in this room. Apparently, they didn't pay much attention to who walked in. Gu Xizhi sat down on the sofa with Liang Ying, signaling her to wait quietly and not speak randomly.
Inside the room, a few young girls were discussing the fashionable colors of the current season's clothing. At this moment, a song that had been recently circulating in the streets and alleys played on the digital TV in the lounge. One of the girls said, "Oh, this is my favorite."
The female host said: "Starting last week, the film directed by the famous director Jiang Tu, the film "Lady" has been released in major theaters. As we all know, this movie with the best actors and actresses has excellent box office results and reputation. In addition to the grand and exquisite dance scenes in the film, which made newcomer Lu Yao famous, the ending song of the film "Chang'an Chaos" has also become popular in the streets and alleys. The lyricist, composer, and singer of this song, Tong Yu, can be said to have achieved overnight fame and has received unanimous praise from senior colleagues..."
At this time, the scene cuts to the music queen Liang Huan. The host took the microphone and asked her whether she had heard the song "Chang'an Chaos". Liang Huan said that she had heard it and praised the song's melody as having a distinctive flavor and its lyrics as grand.
The screen flickered, and the image cut to another person, making the girls in the lounge suddenly very interested.
The host on the screen was still interviewing the stars about their opinions on "Chang'an Chaos", but the person who appeared on the screen was a very special person in the film industry.
This person has won awards for Best Actress, but it is difficult to invite her to act in movies. She does not sing, does not appear in variety shows, does not have a Weibo account, only participates in charity commercials, and occasionally accepts some interviews, and those are solely for the promotion of charity and philanthropic causes. Although her recent exposure isn't very high, her popularity is so strong that it makes people feel that she has just become more famous.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
If someone has to find a reason for her popularity, maybe it can be attributed to the fact that everyone loves to appreciate beautiful people and things. To go a little deeper, one can talk about her strength and appearance, personal cultivation, and reputation. After all, not everyone with good looks has real talents and good moral character.
Qu Xizhi has been popular for many years, but after the concept of the facial golden ratio was proposed, people gradually became familiar with what the "three courts", "five eyes", "four highs" and "three lows"* are, and can be regarded as this concept Apart from her, the only other woman in the circle is Jessica Ara, the most beautiful woman in the fashion industry.
*The standard of face beauty, where you divide your face into portions and if they are proportional, you are considered beautiful. Ex. Five Eyes - if you divide your face into five portions horizontally, each division should be equal to the size of your eyes
Plutarch famously said that it is not the most distinguished achievements that men's virtues or vices may be best discovered; but very often an action of small note, a casual remark or joke shall distinguish a person's real character.
In an era of powerful media packaging operations, the nature of stars who appear to be outstanding is more debatable, not to mention that there are countless movie kings and queens in the entertainment industry. What you see may be exactly what they want to show you.
But there are few stars with such a good reputation as Qu Xizhi. Apart from the newcomers who have received her guidance and the male stars who naturally appreciate praising beautiful women, Qu Xizhi is a female star whom other female stars are willing to compliment, even if they are her competitors.
The TV screen in the lounge showed Qu Xizhi attending a charity party for disaster relief. She was wearing a well-tailored black dress in front of the camera. In fact, it was just a simple style and color. Her slender figure and unique temperament made her look great in it. It gives her a sense of elegance and easily reminds people of well-educated nobles in the upper class.
Because the host's microphone was a little off, she slowly turned her face sideways when she was being interviewed. Her delicate face and long-established calm temperament were still very consistent. Although the filming angle changed significantly, her cheek contours looked beautiful from any perspective.
The host asked her if she had listened to "Chang'an Chaos". She said she hadn't had time to listen to it yet but she would listen to it once she had the time.
The host asked her again if she had ever heard of the name "Tong Yu", and she said of course she had.
Throughout her responses, she maintained a light and subtle smile on her face. However, her eyes had a somewhat pale color, as if there was a faint mist behind them, giving the impression of politeness yet some distance.
The strangest thing is that she exuded a sense of gentleness with a touch of coolness, but because her entire face was so beautiful, occasional glances made her seem almost eerie.
The camera cuts away and the scene changes to the next scene. The girls in the lounge have already started talking.
A tall girl said: "I heard that Qu Xizhi doesn't like physical contact with people, regardless of men or women. Her obsession with cleanliness is very serious. "
"Really? This is my first time hearing that."
"It's not a big deal to have an obsession with cleanliness. What's really annoying is when some people, even without any obsession, don't want to bother with us newcomers. They always act all high and mighty, thinking they're different just because they've won an Oscar."
"Good people are always rewarded. I heard from my friend in the circle, that Mr. Shen Ya, is also pursuing her."
"Wow, really? Shen Ya is so handsome."
"Who is Shen Ya?"
"Are you studying music? Shen Ya is a famous violinist in China!"
"Tch, I sing and I don't listen to the violin."
….
The girls continued chattering, but Liang Ying looked at them with disdain and whispered to Gu Xizhi, "They are so clueless. Xiao A'Qu is obviously Xiao A'Zhong's lover; Shen Ya is not even ranked at all."
Gu Xizhi looked away from the multi-function TV screen, saw her mischievous expression, and tugged on her ear, saying, "You know about this too."
Liang Ying impatiently swatted away the hand tugging at her ear and said, "Who am I? My mom told me that Zhong Linyu severed her sisterly relationship with Zhong Linshan because of a love rivalry, so that's how she knows about this. But Xiao A'Qu is still decent, and the people in the circle who know about this matter have not spread rumors."
"Oh." Gu Xizhi just nodded.
Liang Ying observed her expression for a while, then touched her chin and looked thoughtful, "Others are quite surprised when they learn about this, aren't you surprised too?"
Gu Xi Zhi shrugged, "I've also heard that your Xiao A'Qu has been faithfully devoted to Jessica Ara for ten years."
"Oh," Liang Ying nodded and then squinted her eyes as she stared at Gu Xizhi, asking, "When Xiao A'Qu appeared on TV just now, you seemed quite focused. Do you think she's pretty?"
"No."
"That's jealousy."
"Also no."
"So you must hate her," Liang Ying looked cunning, "I've heard that you two haven't been on good terms since your debut."
"Even that's not true."
Gu Xizhi sighed longingly.
Qu Xizhi, just thinking about that name, brought with it countless accolades and glory. She was so gentle, elegant, and intelligent. To put it sentimentally, as a celebrity, she was a goddess to many.
How could she hate her?
She was just so, so good…
While she was not good in any way.