Chapter 63: She Has An Old Ankle Injury And It Hurts When It Rains
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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"Lights and sound in place."
"Host ready. Countdown starts..."
"....Three, two, one!"
….
The spacious studio is in the midst of the second-last rehearsal for the show. Dazzling lights and stage projections make the whole studio look radiant. Backstage actors are busy, and the audience seats are completely full. The host, after the countdown, professionally starts reading the standard script.
Even though it's the fifth rehearsal, facing the possibility of being replaced at any moment in any show, no group of actors will slack off.
The total length of the party is only four hours. No one wants to have their show scheduled after midnight, and there are really very few stars who can have solo time in the first four hours.
Gu Xizhi's song was scheduled for 11 p.m. After the rehearsal, although she was quite satisfied with her performance, compared to other solo singers in the music industry, her hopes of leaving a mark have diminished.
The songs and dances in the program will certainly be cut down, and she is very likely the one to be cut.
Sure enough, the next day, the production team notified her that her performance was removed from the program.
In the middle of winter, noon becomes the warmest time of the day, with gentle sunlight pouring down, illuminating withering branches, and the gloomy atmosphere. Gu Xizhi sits on the balcony tending to flowers, while in the kitchen, there are sounds of cooking and chopping. Liang Ying, on the other hand, sits on the sofa making porridge over the phone*.
*talking for a long time
The phone call lasted for half an hour. As soon as she hung up the phone, Liang Ying walked to the balcony angrily and yelled at Gu Xizhi, "Why didn't you tell me that the director canceled your performance?
Gu Xizhi frowned, "Aren't you talking to Bo Yiqing?"
"Sister Yiqing knows and I don't!" Liang Ying became even more angry.
"She is in Malaysia." Gu Xizhi said lightly, "I didn't tell her, and I didn't know she would find out."
"Anyway, you disappointed me!" Liang Ying huffed heavily, turned around, picked up the phone, and went to the bedroom.
Gu Xizhi looked at her back, put down the green radish in her hand, and walked down the balcony. "
The stove was blazing in the kitchen. Gu Xizhi washed her hands and helped to take care of the dishes. Tang Yu remained focused on cooking, and the two of them remained quiet.
After a long time, Gu Xizhi fished out the washed vegetables, looked up at Tang Yu, and said belatedly, "Did you tell Bo Yiqing about the performance being removed?"
"She called me and asked me, and I told the truth."
Gu Xizhi said no more.
At noon, Liang Huan and Anda came to Gu Xizhi's new home as guests. They were full of praise for the sumptuous dishes. After lunch, Gu Xizhi went to the kitchen to clear the dishes. Anda took Liang Ying to the balcony to learn about potted plant varieties. After a while, they started to eat. After finishing the call, Liang Huan entered the kitchen with her mobile phone. When Gu Xizhi saw the guest entering the kitchen, she quickly said, "It's too messy here. Go sit in the living room and I'll make tea for you."
Liang Huan did not move, but stood leaning against the door and looked at her, "Why didn't you say anything about the performance being removed?"
Gu Xizhi was stunned for a moment and quickly explained, "The results just came out yesterday, I didn't have the chance to."
Liang Huan nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "I've thought about it. Going to the party will be beneficial to me without any harm. This industry won't let me go just because I want to leave the media. So, instead of that, I'll accompany you."
Gu Xizhi was obviously surprised, "That is not good, you obviously don't want to participate..."
"Liang Ying and I have been arguing all afternoon. If I don't agree with her, I'm afraid I won't be able to live in peace this New Year." Liang Huan smiled, "Besides, I hope more people can hear your beautiful voice; it's all out of a love for music."
Gu Xizhi was probably grateful, and her expression became somewhat complex for a moment.
Liang Huan added, "I heard Liang Ying say that you are a little interested in Scarlett Li's movies. I don't know about movies, but she and I often play mahjong together. I'll ask you to join us next time.
"Sister Liang..." Gu Xizhi looked like she didn't know what to say.
"Okay, it's not easy to get ahead in this industry. I have encountered many seniors who helped me along the way. You don't have to thank me. If you can, just help new people when you have the ability in the future." After thinking about it, she added, By the way, you've just returned to work with no one to manage things for you. I'll have Xia Qiao temporarily help you with your work."
Gu Xizhi fell silent for a moment and sighed, "You all are too kind to me."
"You deserve it," Liang Huan smiled.
The last rehearsal of the party went particularly smoothly. The news that Liang Huan would appear at the New Year's Eve party became the headlines of major news media on the night of the rehearsal. The audience's expectations for Liang Huan became the number one focus of the party.
January 7, New Year's Eve*.
*original text said, 一月七,除夕。, which could be a typo, even Lunar New Year would fall on Jan. 21 to early Feb.
Centenarians seem to be full of vitality as the New Year approaches. The city that has been bustling for a few days is even more colorful with lights and fireworks at night. The mid-winter weather can never dampen people's enthusiasm. It seems that they have endured the cold for a whole season just to welcome the new year.
Countless families can only be reunited at this time, and countless people are still busy at this time.
Backstage of the evening show, as the guests for the 9:30 PM time slot, Liang Huan and Gu Xizhi have already changed into their performance costumes and put on makeup. This busy backstage makes any celebrity in the studio just a regular person.
For some reason, even though Liang Huan has countless singing experiences, she seems slightly nervous in this situation. But even though the atmosphere is really nerve-wracking, Gu Xizhi's mood remains relatively calm.
"She is nervous because she loves music. She doesn't want her performance to have any flaws. People will always be more nervous about things they care about. Just like how you like movies, maybe keeping a calm mindset would be better," Tang Yu replied to Gu Xizhi's question.
Meanwhile, in front of the studio, the comedians are chattering away, and the laughter of the audience keeps reaching backstage, but it doesn't reduce the tension backstage at all.
Across the lights of thousands of houses, most families are watching the same channel at this moment. Some families gather together to have a New Year's Eve dinner. Although the banquet is not over, the party program is also broadcast, as if this is already one of the ways to celebrate the Spring Festival.
In the large villa on Hyunfen Road, after dinner, Yin Jun invited the family to drink tea and watch TV. Qu Xizhi, wearing a novel stitched Burberry white jointed cashmere coat, leaned on the sofa and watched TV with her father. On the TV, there was A skit was played, and the quality of the skit was pretty good. Relatives who just finished dinner were drawn to the TV program, forgetting to chat.
After the skit, the host appeared, and everyone in the room was still delighted by the previous skit, discussing it with enthusiasm. The TV stage scene had already changed. At this moment, a little girl walked out from the kitchen and said to everyone impatiently, "You can't talk, I want to watch Liang Huan sing."
The little ancestor* of the family spoke, and the family quickly reconciled with each other, saying, "Did you hear that? No talking, we're going to listen to the singing."
*a troublesome/bratty younger generation that the older generation indulges and treats like an ancestor to avoid further trouble
The little girl glared at those still talking, and soon, there was indeed no one speaking in the living room.
Brilliant lights and rear projections created a Chinese-style atmosphere when the prelude of the song was played. Hundreds of LED lifts presented various elements of classical culture with three-dimensional images. When the song started, the TV erupted to a warm applause.
Then subtitles appeared on the screen:
"Jade Pear"*
*this is also a title of a novel that was believed to have been written during the Ming Dynasty with an English title 'Romance of Two Beauties' not sure if it's a reference
Singer: Liang Huan Gu Xizhi
Lyricist: Hua Jiu (Taiwan, China)
Composer: Anda (Japan)
Because the subtitles flashed by quickly, many middle-aged people neither recognized the names nor read them clearly. They said, "We know Liang Huan, but who is the one after her?"
"It's Gu Xizhi, a TV actress," the little ancestor quickly answered.
"Hey, her name is similar to our Xiao Qu," everyone exclaimed as if they had discovered a new world.
Yin Jun, who was sitting on the sofa and sipping tea, cleared her throat, put down her tea cup, and looked at Qu Xizhi. However, no matter where the program progressed in the evening show, Qu Xizhi's expression remained so subtle that it was barely noticeable whether she was happy or sad.
Without making the audience wait too long, as the song started, a close-up shot showed Liang Huan, dressed in a golden costume, emerging from the rising platform. When another voice started singing, the audience burst into applause once again. And as this person appeared in the close-up, she stole the spotlight from many online hot topics.
In her last Weibo post, more than two years ago, where she shared a photo, it was rapidly shared and commented on dozens of times per second. Initially, the comments were either about why she cut her hair or why she hadn't updated her Weibo for two years. But when the song entered the chorus, the discussions had two more points: one, her singing had improved, and two, this song was really good.
One song lasted less than four minutes, but it left many viewers shocked.
Because there were really not many young artists at the party, Gu Xizhi's appearance became an absolute bright spot, and her appearance with Liang Huan seemed to break the rules, in the already hyped "Liang Huan's comeback" topic. Moreover, the voice singing this song was the same as the one that used to sing "Premonition" with Liang Huan, and many viewers were not unfamiliar with this voice. "Jade Pear," this Chinese-style song, was exceptionally pleasing, and thus, the applause in the audience continued.
For many common people who don't understand music, the judgment of whether someone sings well often comes down to "Are their high notes high enough?" Because Gu Xizhi's vocal range was indeed wide, and "Jade Pear" allowed room for her to showcase it, even middle-aged and elderly people remembered the young girl who sang with Liang Huan.
At the moment, the Qu family has been making voices of approval:
"This girl with a name similar to our Xiao Qu is a good singer."
"I haven't heard this name before, I only know Liang Huan."
"She looks very sweet. What's the name of this song? It's very nice."
….
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Even Qu Xizhi's father, Qu Tingxiang, expressed his opinions, but Qu Xizhi and Yin Jun did not say a word from beginning to end.
The song performance was a success. After coming off the stage, Tang Yu, waiting backstage, was the first to show Gu Xizhi the Weibo comments. "It's already reached thirty thousand comments."
It was two years later that Gu Xizhi looked back at her Weibo. When she saw the number of comments, he curved her lips into a smile.
The tense atmosphere backstage did not allow for celebration. Gu Xizhi quickly sat down and continued watching the show, forgetting the previous performance.
What she didn't expect was that the top Weibo topic after the party was "Spring Festival Gala", the third place was "Jade Pear", and the top Weibo topic on the third day of the New Year was "Long Hair Gu Xizhi VS Short Hair Gu Xizhi".
A star who hadn't appeared in front of an audience for two years suddenly reemerged in a way that covered a wide range. It seemed that the audience's desire for novelty and their tendency to tire of the old made them remember her absence over the past two years. Consequently, various gossip about her began to surface on different forums, including speculations about her being shelved after failing to win the Best Actress, and some talented individuals even composed catchy poems about her career. So, her name, at its peak of attention, suddenly became a representation of inspiration.
People are always used to sympathizing with the weak. When gossip all over the world pointed out that Gu Xizhi had been put in cold storage by Huayu International, it stirred up a wave of emotions. On one hand, her fans criticized and condemned the management company. On the other hand, she gained a substantial number of devoted fans and little fans.
The direct consequences of this phenomenon, combined with the New Year's Eve Gala effect, were: 1. The solo version of the song "Jade Pear" became so popular that it was impossible to ignore. This meant that everyone, from the elderly to children, could sing it, and it could be heard in every street and alley. 2. Gu Xixhi's short hairstyle led to many hairstylists meticulously studying the technique. The reason was that many women with long hair wanted to imitate her hairstyle. However, because the style required special care, most people didn't achieve the desired effect.
The second day of the Lantern Festival.
Gu Xizhi had just flown home from a local TV show the night before. Early in the morning, Gu Xizhi received a call from Liang Huan about playing mahjong in the afternoon. Xia Qiao had to push five schedules in a row to free up her time.
In the morning, Gu Xizhi chose a more lively style from a pile of new clothes. The new stylist and makeup artist gave her exquisite hair and makeup. Even her nail design was refreshed. Xia Qiao commented on her appearance, "Time Media really invested heavily in her."
When Gu Xizhi's "Calamus" was nominated for Best Actress, Times Media's EST project director Tian Youlan offered her an olive branch. At that time, Gu Xizhi never thought of leaving Huayu International, however, after her Best Actress nomination loss, she had no intention of wading into those troubled waters. After returning to China, Gu Xizhi contacted Tian Youlan immediately. She had the same attitude as two years ago. The resources she provided to Gu Xizhi also demonstrated her sincerity. Even after this gala, she arranged a personal makeup artist and stylist for her and provided a multi-million-dollar RV.
She said that a star needs support to become famous, and she could provide her with many opportunities. The only thing she couldn't guarantee was Scarlett Li's approval.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Liang Huan's private residence.
The heating was turned on in the large multi-functional entertainment hall. Gu Xizhi, who arrived early, was pestered by Liang Ying to play games together. The doorbell rang, and Gu Xizhi patted Liang Ying's shoulder and said, "I'll go answer the door, I'm done playing with you." She abandoned the game and walked away.
Liang Ying glanced at the dead villain in the game, then rolled her eyes at her back, "Prioritize profits over friends!"
Liang Huan was preparing tea for her guests, and when she saw Gu Xizhi heading to the door without stopping her activities, Gu Xizhi opened the door and saw Scarlett Li. She didn't show surprise upon seeing her. The initial greeting was on the tip of her tongue, but when she saw the person accompanying Scarlett Li, her words were delayed by two seconds before she said, "Sister Jia*, please come in."
*Scarlett Li's Chinese name is Li Sijiali
Although their previous collaboration hadn't materialized due to Xiao Ji's* circumstances, they had some prior acquaintances, and people familiar with her would address her as "Sister Jia."
*the male lead to Scarlett Li's movie, to cater to his superstitious belief that it's not good for him to act alongside any actress that was born in April, the production had Gu Xizhi replaced by Qu Xizhi. Just a reminder in case you forget because I did.
Scarlett Li had already been introduced to the people playing mahjong by Liang Huan, so her appearance wasn't surprising. However, despite many years of not seeing each other, she still appeared relatively warm upon seeing her in person. "Xiao Gu, it's been quite a while, and you've gotten so slim."
"I can't do without losing weight. Sister Liang says if you can't lose ten pounds, your lung capacity doesn't meet the standards," Gu Xizhi said jokingly as she welcomed the two into the house. She glanced at the woman accompanying Scarlett Li and asked, "Sister Jia, could you introduce her?"
Scarlett Li, who had probably just realized that the two of them didn't know each other, said, "This is Jessica Ara, and her Chinese name is Zhong Linshan. She's quite famous in the fashion industry, and many top fashion designers know her. She also has her own clothing brand." Then she turned to Zhong Linshan and continued, "Ara, this is Gu Xizhi, she's been really popular lately. I hear her name quite often; you should recognize her."
Zhong Linshan was a tall woman, standing at 1.77 meters, and wearing high heels only added to her imposing presence. However, with her golden face and professional smile, she appeared incredibly friendly.
"Of course I know, Xizhi."
Scarlett Li seemed to be reminded by the word "Xizhi" and immediately said, "I almost forgot about these two people."
After preparing the tea, the host Liang Huan saw that the people had arrived and greeted, "Mahjong is ready, come on in."
Originally, today's theme was mahjong, and everything else became superfluous.
Knowing from her profile that Scarlett Li had a fondness for mahjong, Gu Xizhi had also learned to play it, but her skills were at the level of not being able to win money and always losing.
When playing mahjong, the hands inevitably become the focus. Scarlett Li was sitting at the next table and saw Gu Xizhi when she was playing the first tile, she pointed out her fingers and said, "Your fingers are more beautiful than many hand models, and your nails are also very beautifully done."
Gu Xizhi smiled, "I usually don't have anything to do, so I just leave some nails to paint on."
"I envy you, little girls." Liang Huan took the words and played a tile, then said, "I used to play musical instruments."I have been unable to grow long nails since I was a child, and now Liang Ying pesters me all day long to cook for her. I haven't had long nails in decades, much more beautiful nails.
"You are pretty enough without long nails." Scarlett Li smiled as she played her tile.
Just as it was time for Zhong Linshan to play her tile, Liang Huan glanced at her fingers, as if she had suddenly discovered a new continent, and asked, "Ara, you don't play musical instruments or cook, why don't you grow your nails long like other girls?"
All eyes at the table immediately focused on Zhong Linshan's well-trimmed nails. Zhong Linshan appeared taken aback by the question. Scarlett Li intervened, "Huanhuan, you're a bit clueless. The reason for not growing nails may not just be about not playing musical instruments or cooking."
"What else?" Liang Huan still didn't know what was going on.
Gu Xizhi glanced at Zhong Linshan's nails, then lowered her head to cover the emotions in her eyes.
"Ahem!" Liang Ying, who was playing a game at the side, couldn't help but raise her head and said, "Mom, you are a fool, I will do it on behalf of Xiao A'Qu despising you. "
Liang Huan initially seemed a bit bewildered but later realized the situation. She must have noticed the uncomfortable atmosphere, coupled with Liang Ying's words. Her face turned crimson, and she didn't speak any further.
The entire mahjong game seemed to be off from the start, and Gu Xizhi frequently played the wrong tiles.
When the mahjong game finally concluded, everyone noticed that even first-time mahjong players might not have reached this feat: Gu Xizhi lost from start to finish.
By the time the game ended, it was already 6:30 in the evening, and light rain had begun outside. Gu Xizhi was about to call her assistant to come pick her up, but Zhong Linshan, who had just hung up her phone and spoke to Scarlett Li and said, "Xiao Qu is waiting downstairs. No need to trouble the driver. Let's go together."
Scarlett Li nodded and said to Gu Xizhi out of politeness, "Xiao Gu, let's go together, this weather is bound to cause traffic, and waiting for your driver will take a while."
Gu Xizhi wanted to refuse, but when she caught a glimpse of Liang Huan's eyes, she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll trouble you, Ara."
"No trouble." She smiled politely.
The winter rain mixed with the north wind makes it extremely cold in the dark night.
Gu Xizhi walked downstairs wearing a tweed coat, and in the darkness she saw Qu Xizhi getting out of the car with an umbrella.
She was still wearing high heels, a black windbreaker and an umbrella, which made it difficult to notice in such darkness. But when she took off the umbrella and revealed her face, the contrast between her bright red lips and fair skin was still quite surprising.
As she approached the three of them, she clearly noticed Gu Xizhi but only gave her a one-second glance out of politeness. She then said to Scarlett Li, "Sister Jia, please get in the car first."
Scarlett Li seemed to be very used to this kind of priority, so she just got into the car with her after being polite.
A minute later, the car was already on the road. Raindrops splattered on the car windows, quickly wiped away by the wipers. Gu Xizhi and Zhong Linshan remained silent after getting into the car, while Scarlett Li and Qu Xizhi continued to chat.
"Xiao Qu, have you ever wanted to act in a movie recently?"
Qu Xizhi had been driving all along and responded, "I've been receiving scripts, but none of them seem quite suitable." Pausing for a moment, she added, "I heard Sister Jia is planning a new project."
"Yeah, I haven't chosen the script yet. I plan to finalize it in March and then select the lead role." Scarlett Li jokes, "If you want to invest, you can come on board as a producer."
Qu Xizhi also said in a joking tone, "If Sister Jia is not afraid of the movie messing up, of course I can."
As they chatted, a truck approached from the front. Although limited visibility made it hard to avoid, it wasn't particularly dangerous. However, whether due to being engrossed in their conversation, Qu Xizhi almost failed to hit the brakes in time to avoid a collision.
After the car stopped, the people in the car were all frightened. It wasn't until the truck on the opposite side adjusted its direction and left. Zhong Linshan then asked Qu Xizhi, "What happened just now?"
"It's okay, it's hard to drive in high heels." She turned to the back seat and said, "I'm sorry, I've frightened you."
Scarlett Li obviously didn't mind, "It's okay, be more careful next time and don't wear high heels when driving."
"Sister Jia, you really believe her." Zhong Linshan said, "She has an old ankle injury, and it hurts on rainy days." She then complained to Qu Xizhi, "I told you not to wear high heels on rainy days, why didn't you listen to me?"
"I left in a hurry and forgot to change." Qu Xizhi showed no expression, tucked her long hair behind her ears and restarted the engine.
Upon hearing this, Scarlett Li offered, "Xiao Qu, when did you get the injury on your foot? I know an orthopedic doctor, I can inquire about your condition and see if it can be treated."
Qu Xizhi said casually, "Two years ago, I accidentally fell down the stairs while wearing high heels."
"You are so careless when you are young." Scarlett expressed her sympathy.
Gu Xizhi, who had been silent all this while, lifted her head to look at Qu Xizhi's profile, then glanced at her hands gripping the steering wheel, noting her clean and neat nails. After a moment, she silently turned her gaze out the window.
Because the distance was relatively close, Gu Xizhi got off the car first. There was lightning and thunder outside the car. Probably out of etiquette, Qu Xizhi said before she got out of the car, "Should I take you up?"
Gu Xizhi raised her head to look at her, smiled, and said, "No need, someone is coming to pick me up." After a pause, she added, "Thank you." She opened the car window, bid farewell to the three of them, and walked into the building in the rain.
After she left, the car quickly turned around, and its taillights emitted a dim glow as Qu Xizhi maneuvered the car into position. She then glanced at the man standing under an umbrella in the shadows below the high-rise building through the rearview mirror and accelerated away from the complex.
Wife-chasing commence (?)