"Let's Talk Together" is a highly popular talk show in China, known for its witty host and selection of trending topics that resonate with the current audience. It has captured the attention of many viewers.
Shen Qingzhi was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to appear on the show this time.
Variety show recording scene
Shen Qingzhi sat on the far left of the guest seats, completely changing her previous explosive demeanor, and smiled innocently.
Today, she wore a gradient blue and purple T-shirt, paired with a bright blue short jacket and a waist-cinching denim skirt, revealing her slim and long arms and legs.
Her snow-white skin seemed to reflect light, giving her a youthful and beautiful appearance.
Although Shen Qingzhi's popularity within the entertainment industry has never been particularly good, it didn't stop the guests and staff on the set from stealing glances at her.
She has ¼ Country Y mixed blood, and her long ponytail, naturally styled in a slight curl, boasts a light golden color that resembles a natural shine. Her round and bright eyes appear as if they are enveloped in a layer of vibrant aqua blue light.
With a combination of the graceful curves of a Chinese person and the refined facial features of a Country Y person, she possesses a distinct appearance that is easily recognizable even in the entertainment industry, where beautiful individuals abound.
It perfectly aligns with what her manager once said, "As long as my Qingzhi doesn't speak, she can attract fans just by standing there. But once she opens her mouth, she can also attract black fans*."
* "black fans" refers to haters or anti-fans in Chinese internet slang
This variety show has two regular hosts and five special guest speakers in each episode, and they are seated in a curved arrangement.
Having entered the industry only a year ago, Shen Qingzhi naturally found herself placed on the outermost edge of the seating arrangement.
In this type of variety show, the guests are usually given a rough script in advance, while the details are left to their own improvisation.
This time, Shen Qingzhi received a simple script, often referred to as a "flower vase" script.
Her role was to sit there looking beautiful, smiling sweetly, occasionally delivering a punchline, and attracting viewers' attention, especially those who are attracted to her appearance. This would be considered completing her task.
This arrangement was reached as a consensus between her manager and the program team.
After all, she has been involved in numerous negative news recently, so she urgently needed to appear on a popular variety show to improve her public image.
The program team naturally welcomed her as a visually appealing guest with high topicality.
The indoor spotlights were quite bright, and Shen Qingzhi's seat was close to the light source, causing her eyes to feel sore and swollen from the intense illumination.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7497990
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
She raised her delicate hand and gently rubbed around her eye sockets, maintaining a perfectly calibrated smile on her face. She appeared attentive and engaged, but inside her head, a throbbing headache had already begun.
Recently, she's been having a bit of a tough time, with all kinds of black manuscripts* being thrown at her as if they were free. It's like people are intentionally spreading negative rumors about her without any regard. This has further worsened her already meager popularity among the general public, making matters even worse.
*negative news/pr
If it's just this, it doesn't matter. Isn't it because she offended a petty-minded big shot before? She's been blacklisted for ten months after entering the industry for a year, and she's already used to it
The point is that her two mothers, who have been traveling abroad all this time, happen to be back in the country now.
Shen Qiong saw the overwhelming black articles about her daughter all over the internet and was almost furious. She immediately yelled at her to quit the entertainment industry.
Shen Qingzhi had a heated argument with her own mother last night, and her mind is still filled with exhaustion.
She silently counts the time in her mind, knowing that there is only one more hour left of the recording. Just a little longer, and she will be able to finish her work and be liberated.
The other guests beside her are still engrossed in their lively conversations, especially a middle-aged male actor sitting in the center, who has an overwhelming desire to express himself.
The male actor's name is Chen Qiang, who recently gained fame from a successful movie. He wants to attract all the attention in the world to himself.
From the beginning of the program recording until now, it feels like he hasn't stopped talking.
Sitting next to the host, he speaks with enthusiasm, spitting while gesturing non-stop.
"You know, I just feel that many young girls these days lack proper parental guidance since childhood. They drink, they stay out late, tsk tsk..."
Shen Qingzhi found him noisy and silently turned her body halfway, intending to ignore him and be less bothered. The professional smile on her face gradually became perfunctory.
However, it seemed like the person was deliberately targeting her, intentionally steering the conversation towards her.
"I came across some news online before, and it seems like our Xiao* Shen here loves to have fun."
*little (小) When attached before a surname, it is a way to refer to someone in a familiar or affectionate manner, often used to indicate a close relationship or familiarity.
Being cued in, Shen Qingzhi was forced to turn back and gave the person a deathly stare, expecting him to understand on his own.
Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the message. Seeing Shen Qingzhi's reaction, he couldn't keep his chatterbox shut.
"Xiao Shen, this won't do. You're still young, let me give you a word of advice, settle down a bit.
"You girls will eventually marry a good man, and most of us men prefer obedient girls. If you're too playful, be careful you won't find a husband in the future."
Shen Qingzhi: keke*
*laugh
Chen Qiang, seeing that Shen Qingzhi didn't respond, thought that his words had touched her and felt a surge of lecturing in his heart.
"In fact, it's normal for girls to have some minor flaws, like being materialistic or gossiping. We men can tolerate those. But there are certain fundamental issues that should still be paid attention to."
Nonsense! Fundamental issues, my foot!
Feeling even worse, Shen Qingzhi was irritated by his paternalistic lecture, and her anger flared up inside her.
Chen Qiang was about to continue his toxic remarks when suddenly a scraping sound of a chair and the clicking of high heels approaching could be heard.
He looked up and met her eyes, which shimmered with a greenish glow.
She was clearly a delicate and beautiful young girl, but her eyes seemed to hide knives within them.
The sudden sense of oppression made him feel unpleasant, so he turned to complain to a nearby guest.
"You see, these young girls nowadays are so impatient. I haven't even said a few words, and she's already getting anxious. Such rudeness."
"Heh~," Shen Qingzhi chuckled in annoyance. "Uncle Chen, with your great insights, you must have thought your kids well."
With that remark, the expressions of the people around turned strange.
Just last month, Chen Qiang's only beloved son ended up in detention for getting into a fight. This incident was not a secret within the industry.
"You!" Chen Qiang was taken aback by her words, his eyes bulging and his face turning red.
"What about me?" Shen Qingzhi's mouth seemed to have turned into a machine gun.
"You say us girls have many flaws and love gossip, but I see that even as a grown man, you're not much better."
"You're holding onto unfounded rumors from the internet and treating them as facts, thinking you're so self-righteous, lecturing people here. How old are you?"
"Can you be matched with keys that cost three yuan for one or ten yuan for three?*"
*The rhetorical question asks whether the person is even deserving of being matched with or associated with something as cheap as keys. Overall, the phrase is used to mock or ridicule someone, implying that they are insignificant, unworthy, or of low value.
As soon as the words were spoken, many people around couldn't hold back their laughter.
Chen Qiang has long been accustomed to playing the role of a mentor, and those with less seniority than him have received their fair share of "teaching" from him. People usually tolerate it and get over it.
Now it's rare to see him being beaten to pieces, and they couldn't help but applaud in their hearts.
Shen Qingzhi is so engaged in her comebacks that she pays no attention to the reactions of those around her.
"It's not that I, a junior, want to blame you. It's not terrible to be old, but backward thinking, that's beyond redemption."
"Same-sex marriage has been legalized for so many years. Girls don't necessarily have to marry a man in the future."
"Instead of worrying about whether other girls can get married, it's better to pay more attention to your own family.
"I heard your ex-wife just forced you to divorce, and your son...ai~"
Shen Qingzhi sighed with a pretended pity, then returned to her seat and continued being a flower vase.
But before she could settle down, a group of people behind her suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
Chen Qiang unexpectedly fainted all of a sudden.
It's unclear whether to say his psychological resilience was too weak or to praise him for finding a way out for himself.
A chaotic scene ensued with people rushing to offer water and press acupoints.
In the end, Chen Qiang was assisted by the staff and taken away. The variety show had to hastily wrap up, and the final broadcast would have to rely on editing to make it presentable.
Shen Qingzhi looked at the chaotic recording scene, let out a long sigh, and took out a strawberry-flavored lollipop from the pocket of her coat. She unwrapped it and put it in her mouth.
Finally, her manager, Song Ling, came to fetch her.
Shen Qingzhi waited alone in the dressing room for a long time until Song Ling, who had finished negotiating with the production team, arrived. With a stern face, Song Ling entered the room.
"Ling-jie*, eat a lollipop to calm down."
*short for "姐姐" (jie jie) is commonly used to refer to an older sister or a female friend who is older than oneself. It can also be used as a term of respect for an older woman or someone with a higher position or seniority. I decided to use the Chinese terms for these
At the moment Song Ling appeared, Shen Qingzhi promptly handed the unwrapped lollipop to her mouth, blocking the lengthy questioning that was about to come out.
A cannibal with soft mouth and short hands*. Song Ling's expression softened slightly, but she still had some lingering complaints. "Why is it strawberry flavor again?"
*It means that if you take advantage of others, you will deliberately give in to three points, even if they have shortcomings or mistakes, you will not dare to speak out or care about them. Since Shen Qingzhi already bribed her with a lollipop, she will no longer scold her.
Song Ling had been a manager for over ten years and had worked with countless artists. Shen Qingzhi could be said to be the one she had the highest hopes for, but also the most troublesome one.
This child was raised in luxury since childhood. On one hand, it could be said that she is not scheming, but on the other hand, it meant she had no tact.
She wouldn't engage in vicious competition with her peers, but she would bluntly offend the big shots in the industry by speaking out.
She had natural beauty and was intelligent and ambitious. Her passion for acting and talent exceeded that of most people. She had all the potential to become a huge star, if only she didn't have such a sharp tongue.
Since becoming Shen Qingzhi's manager, Song Ling had experienced heart attacks on a regular basis. This incident was just an upgraded version of previous events.
It's okay, she's strong.
Shen Qingzhi may infuriate people, but she was talented and knew how to cheer people up.
So, Song Ling willingly endured this trial until now.
Song Ling finished the entire lollipop before finally softening her tone.
"Do you realize your mistake this time?"
"Yes." Shen Qingzhi nodded like pounding garlic.
"Will you dare to do it again next time?"
"Still dare." She replied without hesitation.
Good… um, no!
Song Ling took a deep breath, her face expressing "you have the guts to say that again."
Shen Qingzhi approached and gently massaged Song Ling's shoulders while speaking in a pitiful tone.
"Ling-jie, did you just watch the recording? Listen, did Chen Qiang's words sound like something a human would say? Wouldn't you be angry if you were in my shoes?"
Song Ling recalled the recorded segment she had just watched.
Indeed, it didn't sound like something a human would say, and it was certainly infuriating.
"But you shouldn't have directly scolded him during the ongoing show. After all, you are a public figure, and so many pairs of eyes are watching."
"You little rascal, you've been in the industry for a whole year, not just one day or one week!"
Shen Qingzhi looked at Song Ling's pained expression and reflected on whether she had indeed gone too far.
With a serious expression, she tentatively proposed, "How about next time, I will try to endure until the end of the show? But the longer I endure, the angrier I'll become. If it's in private where no one can see, can I beat him up?"
Song Ling looked at the pair of emerald-green eyes before her, full of clear stupidity. She decided to quickly change the subject.
"There won't be a next time. I just had a discussion with the production team, and your segment won't be aired in the final episode. They will reduce your screen time in the upcoming 'Let's Talk Together' episode as a way to protect you."
"But this Chen Qiang, he isn't very magnanimous. Look at what you've done this time, causing him to faint from anger. And because of this, you might attract even more black fans online."
"Now, what do you think about your future public image?"
As soon as Song Ling finished speaking, she heard Shen Qingzhi muttering softly beside her.
"He looks so big and strong, how could he faint just from a few words? I've heard him say so much nonsense before, and he never fainted..."
Shen Qingzhi was about to say more, but she received a stern glance from Song Ling, causing her to quickly change her tone and earnestly console her.
"Ling-jie, in fact, we can try to see things in a more positive light, like our public image. I didn't have much to begin with, so there's really no room for it to decline now."
Song Ling: ...
"Never mind, I'll handle the aftermath of this. You might have some free time in the coming days, so reflect on your actions at home."
Shen Qingzhi felt relieved as if she had been granted amnesty. She picked up her package and enthusiastically waved at Song Ling.
Only then did Song Ling notice the package in Shen Qingzhi's hands, which was about half her height. She wondered, "What's with all this stuff? Where are you going?"
"Going on a blind date."
Song Ling couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, waving her hand as if shooing away a fly.
"Go on, go on! You're always spouting nonsense."
Author's Note:
I'm back, starting the journey of daily updates~ o( =∩ω∩= )m
Congratulations on the new chapter, with red envelopes dropping for the first three chapters.
Loving Baihe