Chapter 66
Bullet screen: "???"
[Do my ears have problems? What did Song Shiqing say? ]
[He bet on Gu Qi to win... No, he is backing Gu Qi]
[My eyes are popping out. Is there something going on between these two? ]
[I began to have suspicion. Song Shiqing returned to this variety show after many years. Could it be that he is here for Gu Qi? ]
...
Hang Ze thought Song Shiqing was trying to smooth things over, but he didn't expect that he pushed the atmosphere to another extreme of awkwardness.
Hang Ze chose to remain silent this time.
No need to waste saliva.
Song Shiqing's target was Shen Wei. He didn't want to get involved!
Shen Wei didn't expect Song Shiqing to stand up at this time. With one sentence, he couldn’t get off the tiger he rode.
Song Shiqing lowered his attitude enough. If Gu Qi lost, he was even willing to go to Jinyue to work. Shen Wei knew that if he didn't accept it, he would appear guilty, like he felt that Gu Qi's victory was a deliberate slander.
Shen Wei sneered in his heart, "Okay."
Bet then. What was there for him to be afraid of?
Today, even if the king of heaven came, Gu Qi couldn't lead this mismatched team to win against Shen Anran and Wenren Jing.
Song Shiqing slightly curled his lips, took in Shen Wei's angry-but-dared-not-speak reaction, and returned with the most polite smile. He replied politely: "Let’s wait and see."
＊
Six thirty in the evening.
After a whole day of preparation, a scene was rehearsed over and over again and both teams' state was in position.
Even though Jiang Lechuan ‘lingered’ as much as he could, he still returned to his team.
The live broadcast was suspended for half an hour to give each group of actors time to adjust and rest.
The next step was makeup. After everything was ready, the official performance tonight would start at 8 o'clock.
The two groups decided the order of appearance by drawing lots. Gu Qi's group was last, while Shen Anran's group was first. The dressing rooms were separate.
While styling, the makeup artist kept praising her skin and put on old-age makeup despite couldn’t bear to.
Gu Qi looked at herself in the mirror with a serious expression.
The makeup artist was a little nervous and asked, "Teacher Gu, are you dissatisfied with anything?"
She was scared to death.
One must know female stars care most about their image. She met a female star who loved beauty in a variety show before. After putting on old-age makeup, she was so angry that she cried that she wouldn’t become so old and ugly.
Gu Qi shook her head and sighed, with a little melancholy, "It seems that I will not be a kind-looking old lady when I am old."
She once thought about it. When she gets old, she will move to a more crowded community and become the kind of old lady who waves a fan in the sunset and gives candies to children after school.
In Gu Qi's memory, there was such an old lady downstairs in the community where she used to live. She always gave her and Younger Brother candies. Now it was a warm memory.
Now it looked like it wasn’t going to happen.
Children may not dare to approach her when they see her.
Ow worrisome.
Gu Qi's words made the makeup artist laugh, and she said, "Teacher Gu, you are so funny."
Cooperatively, Gu Qi curved her eyes, "Thank you, few people say that. I thought I was a boring person."
[No... Elder Sister, you have no idea about yourself]
[There are many interesting and funny souls, but not many who are serious and funny like Gu Qi]
[Since I saw Gu Qi digging sand with that group of people in the middle of the night, I unilaterally declared that this elder sis is a comedian in my heart]
Suddenly, there was a quarrel outside the door.
Everyone's eyes were attracted.
A half-open door could not stop the quarrel. It was Ning Xiwei who was throwing a tantrum.
Zhizi immediately stood up and looked at Gu Qi anxiously.
She was worried about her younger sister, but was a little at a loss.
Gu Qi patted Zhizi's hand, gently comforted her with a ‘It's okay’, and then pulled her out together.
Shen Jinyi was very curious and followed immediately.
Although Mu Yuan didn't care why Ning Xiwei was angry, he followed after hesitating for two seconds in order to appear more sociable.
It was very simple.
Ning Xiwei wasn't satisfied with her old-age makeup and felt that it was too much.
She was obviously a middle-aged woman in her forties, why did she have an old granny make up?
Ning Xiwei had glimpsed Shen Anran talking to the makeup artist in the bathroom and immediately realized that Shen Anran must have been behind this.
Ning Xiwei didn't want to play the role of a mother, but she knew that she was an idol and had no say. If she really couldn't beat Shen Anran in an acting competition, she could only reluctantly obey the arrangement.
Shen Anran wanted her to serve as a foil.
It just happened that Ning Xiwei couldn't clarify it too clearly.
Shen Anran acted innocent, as if it was all arranged by the makeup artist and had nothing to do with her.
Until Gu Qi appeared.
The two people were to play the same role, and Ning Xiwei looked at least ten years older than Gu Qi.
The netizens who originally supported the makeup artist and thought Ning Xiwei was making trouble were silent.
Without comparison, they wouldn’t know, but it was indeed a bit too much.
Seeing that Shen Anran’s group was about to perform, the makeup artist apologized repeatedly and expressed that there was no time to modify it. What’s more, she, an employee, could not afford the responsibility of delaying the recording of the program.
Gu Qi hesitated for a while and asked Ning Xiwei: "Do you believe me?"
Ning Xiwei was stunned. In fact, she didn’t understand what Gu Qi meant, but nodded instinctively.
Gu Qi pulled Ning Xiwei into the dressing room, asked her to sit down, and quickly picked up the brush to fix this face.
She had never applied old-age makeup, but she saw the makeup artist transforming her face and understood the basic principles.
Gu Qi didn't dare to make too obvious changes, but reduced the bags under the eyes and nasal folds and focused on trimming the eyebrows that were originally too ferocious.
With a few strokes, Ning Xiwei's face became more beautiful by more than one level.
[Damn, Gu Qi has some skills]
[Above sister, don't forget that the makeup artist for the rural idol drama was Gu Qi! ]
Ning Xiwei opened her mouth in disbelief and gazed at Gu Qi with extremely admiring eyes.
Gu Qi patted her shoulder, "Go, you guys are about to perform. Don't be nervous."
Ning Xiwei nodded fiercely, reluctantly let go of Gu Qi's hand, and hurried to the door.
Gu Qi's group entered an observation room.
The performance of Shen Anran's group was broadcast live on TV.
Jiang Lechuan's acting skills were indeed not good. Gu Qi had tried her best and had deepened her knowledge that her younger brother had no talent for acting.
Fortunately, after a few hours of training, he didn't make those strange little movements when he stood on the stage. His presence was at least not abrupt and not too awkward.
Wenren Jing's superb performance as always. Through the details, he made the image of a feudal and nagging father three-dimensional. But every time he called Jiang Lechuan his son, the barrage was a wave of ‘hahaha’.
Ning Xiwei's performance was at the passing level. She had some acting talent and was qualified to switch careers to become an actor among the current idols.
As for Shen Anran.
Gu Qi couldn't help but frown slightly.
Shen Anran's performance was quite good. It could be said to be far beyond her imagination.
However, it was too excellent.
There were many details that even Wenren Jing couldn't find a good way to handle in such a short time, but Shen Anran accomplished it.
Because it was too ‘perfect’, it didn't feel real.
Gu Qi’s lips twitched, internally satirizing.
She thought it was a fair competition. How boring.
Once Shen Anran's performance ended, Shen Wei couldn't hide his pride.
Although Xie Yun was dissatisfied with Shen Wei's approach, judging from the performance, it was indeed a relatively excellent level overall. She went along and said a few words of praise.
Next, it was Gu Qi's turn.
Shen Jinyi was in the middle of clapping hard for Younger Sister and his palms were red. Suddenly, he realized that it was his turn soon and his face turned from red to white.
Ner, nervous!
Gu Qi nodded at them, "Let's go."
＊
Offstage
Shen Anran felt refreshed after finishing her performance.
Just now, she had performed at her best level after so many rehearsals. Her uncle's satisfied look proved it all.
She knew she had won.
What surprised Shen Anran was that Gu Qi was so stupid as to give up the role of daughter and chose the completely unreasonable mother role.
She didn't know that it was Gu Qi who arranged the role distribution of their group and thought she was being humble and let Zhizi have her way or that she knew she couldn't win, so she simply didn't play the protagonist and didn't have to bear the blame if she lost.
Thinking she saw through Gu Qi, Shen Anran lowered her head and a hint of mockery in her eyes,
Soon, after seeing Gu Qi's performance, she realized that she was wrong.
Chapter 67
Gu Qi took a deep breath and adjusted herself. After the director announced the start, the stage lights came on and the performance officially began.
Gu Qi held a broom in her hand and hunched over to clean the room, while Shen Jinyi, who played the husband, drank and ate snacks at the table. They were waiting for the children to come back for dinner, quite leisurely and laidback.
The door was pushed open.
Zhizi, who played the daughter, came on stage.
Being on the stage for the first time, she was nervous. Even her limbs woodenly moved. Before she opened her mouth, her brain went blank and she forgot what lines she was going to say.
The directors looked at each other and realized the problem.
Who forgets the lines as soon as they go on stage? How do the show go on now?
Gu Qi put the broom on the ground and snatched the lines with a cold face to recover the scene for Zhizi: "Busy man still knows to go home!"
She didn't hold the broom firmly and it directly hit Shen Jinyi's foot, making him grimace in pain.
Gu Qi's face instinctively showed a trace of embarrassment and quickly changed to an impatient expression: "What are you looking at? You don't even know how to help prepare. The whole family depends on me. I really owe you guys for my sins in my previous life!"
Before going on stage, Gu Qi specifically reminded Shen Jinyi.
If other actors forgot their lines or some unexpected situations occurred, she would use this kind of scolding and complaining performance to smooth things over.
Shen Jinyi followed Gu Qi's teachings and immediately harrumphed in irk: "What are you talking about? I worked hard outside all day, and what's wrong with coming back to eat a hot meal?"
The two of them naturally quarreled. The focus was no longer on Zhizi who had come on stage.
Seeing Gu Qi hitting Shen Jinyi's feet with a broom in revenge and Shen Jinyi's appearance of being angry but not saying anything, Zhizi couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips. Her nervousness was relieved.
Even Hang Ze couldn't help but curl his lips. He praised with one hand on his cheek: "Her performance is very natural."
[Hahahaha, what is Gu Qi doing! So cute]
[A bit like my mom, she didn't talk to my dad during the cold war and deliberately used this method to attract his attention while doing housework]
[My boyfriend is the same! He doesn't talk but shows his presence in various ways]
Zhizi started to say her lines. After greeting her parents, she helped to bring all the dishes in the kitchen to the table and then went to knock on Younger Brother's door.
Mu Yuan opened the door and walked out, drooping his eyelids and playing games, looking like he wasn't interested in anything and was completely immersed in his own world.
Then they chatted.
Wanting to show his authority as a father, Shen Jinyi nit-picked his wife and nagged his children.
Shen Jinyi was initially very nervous. Really.
When he forgot the words for the third time, Gu Qi still reacted as quickly as possible to smooth things over, so he didn't feel that much pressure and finally got into the state.
Gu Qi's presence made him feel at ease.
It made Shen Jinyi know clearly that even if he made a mistake, there would be someone to help him cover it up and he wasn't facing it alone.
[Oh my God, Gu Qi must have memorized everyone's words. That’s why, she can pick up the conversation so quickly and bring the topic back to the original script]
[Elder Sister, you've worked so hard! ]
Mu Yuan mostly lowered his head to play games, occasionally eating a few mouthfuls of food, or making a few complaints when Shen Jinyi, the father, pointed fingers at him.
Just as Gu Qi taught him.
An indifferent bystander, facing everything with a cold eye.
Have to say that Mu Yuan had a talent for acting. The boredom and indifference on his face were perfect.
Gu Qi, as a mother, kept putting meat into her son's bowl. While eating, she parroted her husband's words and occasionally let out a berate. She portrayed a bad tempered and difficult to get along with middle-aged woman very vividly.
[They actually look like a family]
[Maybe it's because their auras are a bit similar? ]
[Gu Qi gave me a little surprise. I didn't expect that she could play such a role with such a noble and cold face]
[Now that you mentioned it... it's like my mother scolding me]
[Gu Qi's acting range is much wider than I thought. There was no sense of disharmony]
[These people are in the play and all have a strong sense of faith? ]
It soon reached the point of conflict.
The father brought up wanting his daughter to take out all the betrothal gifts and use them together with the remaining savings to buy a new house for Younger Brother as a down payment.
Zhizi, as a daughter, was naturally unwilling. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, "Dad, didn't we agree not to do these things and let them buy a house in our names?"
"It’s because your dad drank too much that night and was fooled by them! Not giving a penny? Then our daughter, who we have raised for so many years, will be given to them for nothing? How could such a good thing happen!"
Gu Qi, as a mother, chimed in, looking at Zhizi with a look of disappointment and continuing to blame her: "You marry and move into a big house. Have you ever thought about us? If you dare to get married without asking for anything, I will go to their doorstep every day to make a scene. Let people from all over the country come to watch the fun!"
Zhizi sneered: "So in your eyes, as your daughter, I should unconditionally sacrifice everything for this family? Even my marriage is a bargaining chip, right? Mom wants to make a scene, right? Okay, let everyone know!"
After Zhizi finished speaking, she turned to Shen Jinyi.
In the script, the father was very concerned about his reputation. Although he heavily favored sons over daughters and had a conservative and feudal ideology, he was unwilling to be criticized by outsiders. He immediately slammed the table, "Enough! Look at what you are saying? Mother and daughter are quarreling like this."
Gu Qi put down her bowl heavily, sat on the ground like a rural woman, and wailed out, "What a sin!"
Next, she described her efforts for this family in the past few years in tears. When she was emotional, she stood up and wanted to hit the wall, as if she couldn't live anymore.
Gu Qi not only cried and made a fuss, but whenever Shen Jinyi came to persuade them to stop fighting, she would hit him, throwing a tantrum like a child.
Hang Ze was amused and laughed out loud. He approached Xie Yun, "She really has no idol burden at all. She really dares to act."
Generally, female stars were reluctant to play villains. Even when a rogue restrained their performance if they got such a script, they. Unexpectedly, Gu Qi was so unihibited.
Xie Yun smiled, raised her mobile phone to take a few photos of Gu Qi, and then edited them into emoticons.
[Crying-and-making-a-fuss.jpg.]
The director noticed it and immediately cut to a close-up.
[Hahahaha Director Xie Yun what are you doing? ]
[Some directors seem to be watching the performance seriously, but they were actually creating a gif for the actors behind the scenes]
[And sent directly to Gu Qi herself? ]
[Xie Yun you really love me]
Some people couldn’t accept it.
[Is this competition fair? Xie Yun and Gu Qi are so familiar with each other]
Someone immediately retorted.
[Shen Anran's uncle is sitting here. If anyone wants to shout unfairness, let Gu Qi shout it! ]
…
The performance on the stage was still going on.
Gu Qi's performance was vivid and full of life, which naturally pulled people in.
The cooperation of the others was very good. Although the acting skills weren’t outstanding, it wasn't out of character at all. It could be said that it exceeded everyone's expectations.
After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see how difficult it was for Gu Qi to drag three people alone.
Hang Ze rubbed his chin with one hand. A trace of difficulty appeared on his face.
Although Gu Qi performed well, the performance of the whole group was much better than he expected.
Their advantage was that their performance was natural, relaxed and could be related to. In the end, they were three amateurs and there were still some details that were not handled well.
If one had to say it...
Shen Anran's performance was still better overall.
Hang Ze glanced at Song Shiqing and started pondering in his mind: When Song Shiqing comes to Jinyue to clean up, he would sell this information to the paparazzi in advance. Maybe he could make a fortune.
Just when Hang Ze was already thinking about which media to sell this exclusive information to, a loud slap suddenly sounded on the stage, interrupting his thoughts.
He came back to his senses again.
Gu Qi's slap had already landed on Zhizi's face.
Hang Ze: "???"
There was no such part in the script, right?
Just now, the quarrel was clearly over. According to the script, Zhizi, the daughter, should slam the door and leave. Why was she still here?
Zhizi covered her face and fell to the ground, looking up at Gu Qi with tears half falling in her eyes. Within her eyes were full of sadness.
Barrage: "?!"
[Damn, wait a minute, does Zhizi have this acting ability? ]
[This gaze seems so broken? Elder Sis Zhizi, you must have some acting talent that is getting stimulated.]
[Wait, but the ones Zhizi acted in now were so-so.]
[Above + 1, how come she suddenly become a different person?]
…
Zhizi raised her head. What came to her mind was what Gu Qi asked her.
"During the years you lived alone in the countryside, have you ever felt aggrieved?"
Aggrieved?
Of course.
Zhizi didn't understand why she had to live a poor life in the countryside alone, while her younger sister lived like a princess in the city with Father and Mother.
Why was she the one who was abandoned and sacrificed?
Gu Qi's second sentence was.
"You can cry, but you know that tears are useless."
So she have to cry.
And not let the tears fall.
Despite knowing tears were useless, it was an instinct that one couldn't control
At that time, Zhizi's eyes instantly turned red and she whispered, "I, I understand."
Gu Qi asked her back, "Aren't you curious? Is the win or loss of this game so important to me?"
Zhizi shook her head instinctively, but nodded after hesitation.
Indeed. She didn't understand.
For someone as soft-hearted as Gu Qi, was this game so important that she would hurt others to win?
Gu Qi said, "This is an opportunity for you to speak your mind to Ning Xiwei."
Zhizi was stunned.
Gu Qi smiled at her, "I don't think any of you are bad people, so I want to see you sisters get along. I know you want to get close to her, otherwise you wouldn't accompany her on this variety show."
"Yes." Zhizi directly admitted. There was hesitation on her face, "She doesn't think so. Our relationship has been very stiff for so many years and she won't forgive me for that matter."
If she hadn't smashed her sister's phone that year, her sister wouldn't have missed her friend's last call for help.
This was Younger Sister's knot and her nightmare.
"You are not Ning Xiwei, how do you know what she thinks?" Gu Qi looked at Zhizi helplessly and asked her: "With your younger sister's personality, if she really resists you as much as she shows, do you think she will really take you to record together?
She doesn't hate you, but herself for not being careful enough and not being able to notice her friend's abnormality earlier. The dead are gone and the perpetrators have paid the price. It can't be that only the victims will always remain in resentment.
Zhizi, you, us... these things should turn over to a new page."
Chapter 68
At this moment.
Zhizi's ‘extraordinary performance’ shocked everyone.
This gaze was enough to make many young professional little flowers to study for a few years.
Zhizi looked toward Mu Yuan who was about to go to the room to rest,: "You grow up in an environment that I have envied since young. You enjoy more parental love than me. I am more jealous that they always put you first, as if you were their only child even though we are both children of our parents. I am not the good elder sister who loves you and dotes you in the eyes of everyone, because I hated you from the moment I knew you existed.
But...but when you first pulled my clothes and called me elder sister and stuffed the candy that you usually couldn't bear to eat into my palm, I actually didn't hate you.
You obviously have received so much favoritism, but even I, the victim, could easily forgive you and like you. So I pushed you away and stubbornly say something against my will.
I know it's not your fault, nor is it my fault. I just... I'm unwilling to live for you all my life."
Ning Xiwei, who was originally watching the performance calmly, realized that Zhizi's words were meant for her at this moment and her whole body stiffened.
Zhizi stopped looking at Mu Yuan and looked at the audience. The presentation was more like an inner monologue than a dialogue. She continued: "Verbally, I say I hate you, but I self-consciously thought about how to be a good elder sister many times, like how Dad and Mom taught me to be sensible and tolerant and leave the best things in the world to you like them.
You are more sensible and attentive than I thought. After hearing me say I hate you a few times, you know how to hold a grudge. You always say I am stupid and hope I am not your elder sister. However, I know you are like me, say one thing and think another. But neither of us was willing to give in. Afterward, we both grew up.
We all try to be the better child in our parents' eyes. You want to prove that they were right to choose to love you more, I want to prove them wrong. My understanding and obedience were forced. I thought that this way, they would love me more.
You have almost all their love. You will not understand the shame of being the only one in the class who didn't pay the tuition and being punished by the teacher. You will not understand the loneliness of waiting for gifts with joy but no one remembers your birthday. You will not understand the jealousy of them accompanying you on a trip while I alone am sick and undergoing surgery in the hospital. "
Zhizi's voice was filled with tears that could not be concealed, but because she cared too much about this opportunity, every word and every sound was pronounced very clearly.
At least.
It was so clear that it was deafening to Ning Xiwei's heart.
Zhizi had finished what she wanted to say. She closed her eyes and looked at Mu Yuan again, forcing herself to get rid of her emotions and return to this scene.
Since Zhizi opened her mouth, the current plot development had not been specifically rehearsed.
Mu Yuan followed Gu Qi's instructions, showing a trace of disdain on his face: "Did I ask you to do these things? What are you telling me this for?"
Arrogant.
Indifferent.
Take Elder Sister's sacrifice for the family for granted.
Jiang Lechuan was a little fidgety in the audience.
He was originally a person with strong empathy. Zhizi's words made him almost cry even though he knew it was acting.
Because Jiang Lechuan knew.
Elder Sister had suffered more than Zhizi said. He was like the favored child in the script.
The only difference was that his parents might not love him that much. It was because he had an elder sister.
Elder Sister loved him, so she took the grievances and pain for him, allowing him to grow up without worries.
Jiang Lechuan raised his head and blinked as fast as he could, trying his best to hold back his tears.
He glanced at the back of Song Shiqing's head reluctantly.
Forget it!
If Elder Sister likes, he will endure it!
Shen Jinyi couldn't hide the astonishment on his face. Although Gu Qi had told him in advance, it was the first time he saw Zhizi, a gentle person, lose her temper. It was hard not to be shocked.
Mu Yuan left at this moment while expressing annoyance.
As Shen Jinyi wished, he left the stage early. He muttered: "I don't know what's wrong with you. Can't even eat a good meal."
The lights on the stage went out and it was pitch black.
The lights came on again. Two lights shone on Gu Qi and Zhizi. There were only two of them left on the stage.
[The men in the family ignored and could not understand her pain. As the beneficiaries, they were high and mighty]
[So did they change the script? ]
[Didn't the director say before that this was a scene from a movie, the relationship between the characters wasn't complete, and it could be changed freely]
Zhizi staggered toward Gu Qi and called, "Mom...Mom."
Gu Qi lowered her eyes and looked over with an even more incomprehensible look, "What are you talking about? What’s the point of pulling out what happened so many years ago now? Are you complaining that Dad and Mom are wrong?
Your Younger Brother is younger than you, it's normal for Dad and Mom to focus more on him. You are the elder sister, how can you be petty about such a small matter? How have we taught you since you were little? I didn't expect you to be so insensible."
Zhizi fell to the ground.
Gu Qi bent at her waist slightly to look at her from top to bottom. There was anger in her eyes.
A series of suffocating questions. She was unable to understand his daughter's pain, only knowing to blame and not thinking that she was wrong at all.
The air seemed to be quiet for a few seconds.
Zhizi came to her senses and remembered the next line: "Mom, why can't you understand me?"
"I don't know what is there to understand you. You have to cry about such a small thing." Gu Qi walked to the table impatiently. While cleaning up the dishes on the table, she uttered: "Okay, okay, that's enough. Treat it as Dad and Mom are at fault. What? Are you going to hate Dad and Mom for this matter forever?"
Speaking, Gu Qi looked back at Zhizi who was sitting on the ground. Then she turned back to the dirty table in front of her. Her eyes were full of impatience: "What tantrum are you throwing? Now these things are left for me to clean up."
[My God...Gu Qi's eyes]
[She is also mad, but she is angry about her daughter's unreasonable troubles and is angry that she have to do these housework that her daughter should have done for her on her rare return]
[Though the emotions are exposed, Gu Qi Qi standing there gives me a numb feeling.]
Zhizi stood up by herself, rushed over, pushed the dishes on the table, slammed the door, and left.
Only one beam of light was left on the table.
Gu Qi stood there, staring down at the ground in a daze.
She squatted down, berated at the door that her daughter left through, and shouted at her husband to come and help.
Two beams of light came on again.
The son in the room put on headphones and continued to play games, while her husband stood in front of the window smoking and calling friends to drink and eat out. No one paid attention to her, leaving her alone to clean up the mess.
Gu Qi squatted on the ground, picked up all the leftovers with her bare hands and threw them into the trash can. Then her head raised and a tear rolled down.
Xie Yun let out a ‘tsk’. She glanced in the direction of Shen Wei with some pride and took in the other party's frowning brows. For once she showed a rare good smile.
Gu Qi knew from the beginning that she had a bad hand.
Still, she wanted to try to see if she could break the situation in a different way.
The role of the mother was the most extreme evil in the family and the most hated.
Younger Brother was the beneficiary, the father was the rule maker, and she was the implementer.
Two men hid behind her, while she said all the unpleasant words and did all the evil things.
This led to the daughter hating her mother the most. So this conflict scene broke out with the two of them as the protagonists.
There must be something hateful about pitiful people, and there were pitiful things about hateful people.
It was because the injustice and harm suffered by the mother have been ignored too many times, so she had been brainwashed to think that this was reasonable and women's unconditional dedication to the family was their mission.
She was a victim.
Gu Qi raised her hand and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. Though she was berating, she could only pick up the residue on the ground bit by bit.
After a quarrel, everyone could have emotions.
A daughter could leave home when she was angry, a husband could call friends to get drunk to relieve his worries, and a son could vent his dissatisfaction by playing games, but as a mother, no matter how dissatisfied she was, she could only keep it in her heart and do housework with tears in her eyes. [Note 1]
Suddenly, all the lights on the stage were turned off.
Shen Wei sat up straight, thinking that the performance was over. As he was about to say something, the lights came on again.
The other actors left the stage, and only Gu Qi was left on the stage.
One beam of light shone on her, and another beam of light shone on the diagonal of the stage, the farthest away from her.
Gu Qi looked over.
That was the past of ‘mother who was once a daughter’.
The recording prepared in advance was played. A tender voice of the child sang nursery rhymes and told her mother about interesting things at school.
However, the child's desire to share didn't receive a response, because the mother reprimanded ‘what’s the point of studying for a girl?’.
Gu Qi ran toward the light source, but the light went out before she arrived.
Gu Qi stood there. She stretched out her hand to touch, wanting to grab, but there was nothing.
Another beam of light lit up at the position where she came from.
This time, the background of the sound playback changed.
A girl who was already in high school was harassed by boys at school. Her mother slapped her in the principal's office and insisted that she was a lowly bones who learned to seduce men at this age. She wanted to take her home and not allow her to study anymore.
Gu Qi ran over again. She looked flustered, wanting to stop it, but was powerless.
She was still a step late, the lights went out again, and she was left standing alone on the stage.
And this time, the light was lit in the center of the stage.
After the parents' quarrel, they finally decided to sell their daughter, who had grown up and stopped studying, in exchange for a few cows as a betrothal gift to build a house for their son.
The woman choked helplessly, but could not change her parents' decision.
This time, Gu Qi stopped running, but moved her steps numbly and walked over heavily.
Because she knew that these were all pasts that could not be changed.
This time, the two beams of light overlapped.
Behind her, a baby cried, accompanied by the voice of a medical staff member, "Congratulations! It's a daughter!"
The husband blamed: "Your belly is too disappointing! How come you gave birth to a daughter? Hurry up, my family is waiting for a son to carry on the family line!"
Gu Qi lowered her head, stroked her abdomen, and murmured: "Daughter... How can it be a disappointing daughter."
The next second.
The light sources that had been extinguished before lit up again and again.
Gu Qi walked over. Her voice overlapped with the one in the recording device.
Only this time, she changed from a daughter to a mother, from a victim to an exploiter.
"What's the point of studying for a girl?"
"Why did I give birth to a shameless daughter like you? If this gets out, how will people look at your father and I? Don't study anymore!"
"You are already this big now. It's time to get married. Let me make it clear to you first. The betrothal gift must be at least this amount, otherwise what will happen to your Younger Brother's house?"
"Why are you so insensible? You are the elder sister. You are born to take care of the Younger Brother."
...
Her words were clear and sincere, but her eyes were filled with tears.
She accepted such an arrangement and fate, but also felt sorry for her former self.
She had clearly been aggrieved and could accept, but under the brainwashing education day after day, she became an accomplice and let her descendants experience her tragedy and repeat her life.
Later.
No one remembered that she had fought, including herself.
She forgot that she was a daughter before becoming a mother.
Chapter 69
Curtain call.
The performance was over.
After a few seconds of silence, Xie Yun was the first to applaud.
Then, even more enthusiastic applause broke out.
[Damn... it’s over? I haven't seen enough]
[Gu Qi's acting is really something. So spirited, the few steps she ran really seemed to be desperately pursuing but contain the ethereal feeling of flowers in the mirror and moon in the water]
[Wow, I cried at the end. Truly full of despair and helpless]
[I suddenly look forward to Gu Qi and Xie Yun 's new movie. I must go to the cinema to support it]
Both groups of actors stood on the stage waiting for comments.
Hang Ze didn't want to keep anyone in suspense and was the first to speak. He looked at Gu Qi and praised her without hesitation: "It's better than I thought. Or should I say, Gu Qi, you always bring me some surprises."
Gu Qi curled her lips and asked back: "What is Director Hang's choice this time?"
[! ? Gu Qi's words seem to have a deeper meaning behind them.
[Sure enough, there is something fishy going on inside Jinyue!]
[Putting aside what happened before, Director Hang was staring at her today. It would be unreasonable not to give it to Gu Qi!]
Hang Ze laughed.
He naturally knew that Gu Qi was holding a grudge for not voting for her last time, so he directly pinned the gold badge representing his vote on Gu Qi's collar, "Of course."
Each director had a gold badge. According to the rules, they must pin it on the person they think had the best performance in the winning group.
Fang Zhian pushed his glasses and looked at Shen Wei with some embarrassment, not knowing how to decide.
The second person to stand up was Wei Yan, who walked up to Gu Qi and put the gold badge on her other collar.
There were five directors in total, two of whom had already made their decision. As long as one more vote was given, the outcome would be determined.
Shen Anran panicked.
She turned to her uncle, her eyes showing helplessness.
Shen Anran never thought that she would lose to Gu Qi in such a deathmatch today.
Fang Zhian felt a headache, but he could only stand up with a smile. After hesitating for a few seconds, he walked to Wenren Jing, "My vote is still for Wenren Jing. As expected of an award-winning actor. His strength is obvious."
Fang Zhian was a smart man.
He took Shen Anran and Shen Wei's face into consideration. He certainly couldn't give the vote to Gu Qi's group. He could only find a reasonable reason to give the vote to Wenren Jing.
Wenren Jing showed an exaggerated expression of astonishment, "Me? What a surprise. Thank you so much."
Only Shen Wei and Xie Yun hadn't made a decision yet.
Xie Yun looked at Shen Wei, "You first?"
Shen Wei stood up with a slightly heavy face. After a few seconds of hesitation, he stood up, ignoring his niece's expectant eyes, and put the gold badge on Gu Qi as well, praising her with reluctance, "Not bad."
Shen Anran clenched her hands behind her back as the smile on her face became more and more forced.
Even her uncle voted for Gu Qi.
She knew that she lost.
Shen Wei didn't look at his niece's expression. There was nothing to see or say.
The most important thing was that even if he voted for Shen Anran, it would be useless. There was Xie Yun who absolutely favored Gu Qi, so this vote would not affect the result.
Although he favored his niece, he could only cast a fair and vote in public.
Xie Yun was the last to stand up. To everyone's surprise, she put the gold badge on Zhizi's shoulder and praised: "You have some talent for acting. Gu Qi taught you very well and you learned very quickly."
Zhizi's eyes widened. She never thought that she would be praised by a famous director like Xie Yun .
She instinctively waved her hands and denied: "No, no, no, it was all thanks to Gu Qi’s teaching..."
Before she finished her words, her hand was held by Gu Qi.
Gu Qi blinked at her, suggesting that she should accept the compliment. Anyway, they won. It didn't matter who got the badge.
Zhizi slightly froze before returning Gu Qi a bright smile.
Xie Yun knew what Zhizi wanted to say, looked at Gu Qi, and asked: "Don't you want to ask why I didn't vote for you?"
Gu Qi pursed her lips and shook her head.
"I have expectations for your ability. I think you can do better. Can you do it in the next filming?"
Saying this, Xie Yun glanced at the audience with some hinting: "Like this time, use your strength to make all those who don't think highly of you apologize and slap their faces."
[Yo! Who is Director Xie Yun calling? ]
[@Shen Wei, Director Shen, say something, Director Shen! ]
[Gu Qi's comeback and face slap is really cool. She-really-won-and-acted-it.jpg.]
[I’m asking when the groups were divided, who would think that Gu Qi won at the sight of the disparity between the two sides,! ]
[To be honest with you, this fan was sweating. I didn't expect it at all]
[No... Have you forgotten? Someone bet that Gu Qi would win]
[@Song Shiqing, so much love]
At this moment
Song Shiqing's voice sounded slowly: "Director Shen, have you forgotten something?"
Xie Yun curled her lips and patted Gu Qi's shoulder directly: "Director Shen has something to tell you."
Netizens got excited.
[Song Shiqing and Director Shen Wei's bet! Gu Qi won!!!]
[Shen Wei wants to apologize? Good gosh! Catch up with the live broadcast!]
Shen Wei fumed.
He already voted for Gu Qi. Couldn’t these two people stop? Must he apologize to Gu Qi?
With his identity and status, how could he do such a thing?
Shen Wei was naturally unwilling.
The atmosphere reached a stalemate in an instant.
Hang Ze was enjoying the fun and explained to Gu Qi the bet between Shen Wei and Song Shiqing that happened when she wasn't around.
Xie Yun frowned, "Director Shen, it can’t be that you can’t put down your face to apologize?"
The comments were all mocking Shen Wei.
[Director Shen, if you can't afford to lose, don't bet. The way he looked down on Gu Qi at that time was recorded]
[It’s not a big deal to apologize and let it be over. Who would care? Stubbornly not apologizing is an ugly sight to see]
[Hahaha, his niece lost and he was slapped in the face. It's reasonable for Director Shen to dislike Gu Qi! ]
Gu Qi pulled Xie Yun's sleeve and pointed to the gold badge on his body.
This was the best answer. Everyone could make a judgment.
It was just...
Gu Qi raised her head.
There were a few rows of seats between them. Song Shiqing leaned back in his chair, holding a candy in his mouth, and raised his hand to her in a childish way.
It was a victory sign.
Gu Qi slightly froze, feeling this scene was somewhat familiar.
Before she could think about it, Ning Xiwei and Jiang Lechuan rushed over from the other side of the stage to congratulate her on her victory. The hug directly interrupted her memories.
Wenren Jing followed behind.
The smile on Shen Anran's face was quite forced.
She lost.
What was more terrible was...
Everyone was cheering for Gu Qi's victory. The other party seemed to be the female lead that everyone held expectation for and loved.
The recording ended.
On the way back.
Shen Anran's emotions could not hide her loss.
What worried her more was... Uncle was angry.
In this family, usually only Uncle Shen Wei loved her a little, but now because of her incompetence, Uncle lost face.
Shen Anran tried to smile, "Uncle, why don't we have dinner together tonight? Auntie Liu taught me a few dishes a few days ago..."
"No, I have something to do tonight." Shen Wei responded with a frigid face, "Learn from Gu Qi in the future and don't do things you are not sure of. Because of you, the crew's progress has been delayed for half a day. I have to go back early."
＊
Gu Qi didn't expect to see Song Cheng again.
He stood at the door of her house.
He was wearing a wrinkled hoodie, and his beard looked like he hadn't shaved for a long time. There were large black spots under his eyes, looking haggard.
The moment he saw Gu Qi, he squeezed out a flattering smile on his face, "Qi Qi, long time no see."
There was an indescribable ache in Gu Qi’s heart.
The last time she saw Song Cheng in such disgraceful state and smiling flatteringly was when he was at a dinner party and smilingly drank with the producer in order to win a role for her.
Mu Yuan was dragged by Jiang Lechuan to the supermarket to buy hot pot ingredients, and they were going to cook hot pot together at home in the evening.
At this moment, only Wenren Jing was with Gu Qi. He asked politely: "Do you need help driving him away?"
Hearing Wenren Jing say this, Song Cheng immediately said: "Don't! Don't!"
"Okay." Gu Qi said directly: "I heard that you were fired by Chenyang Entertainment. They did call me and wanted to use teaching you a lesson as a condition to renew my contract, but I didn't agree. So it's useless for you to beg me."
Gu Qi said directly.
Song Cheng's current situation had nothing to do with her.
"How is it possible?" Song Cheng showed an expression of disbelief: "If you aren’t instigating from behind, what reason would they have to fire me..."
Gu Qi gazed at Song Cheng with some sarcasm and took a deep breath to adjust her mood: "Song Cheng, you have watched me grow up. If I did it, I did it. If I didn't, I didn't. I don't need to lie to you."
Song Cheng was slightly stunned. He knew her well enough and naturally believed that what Gu Qi disdained most was lying.
If Gu Qi didn't do something behind the scenes, why did Chenyang Entertainment fire him, an old employee for so many years?
Song Cheng licked his dry lips, his eyes fell on Wenren Jing, and asked: "Is it you? Or Jiang Lechuan? You want to stand up for her, so..."
"Song Cheng, you still want to blame others at this time?" Gu Qi was amused by Song Cheng's reaction. She looked at him: "The executives of Chenyang Entertainment are not that stupid. They know better than anyone that keeping you in Chenyang is a time bomb since you can betray me..
The benefits you can bring to them are not enough for them to take such a big risk."
Gu Qi didn't want to say anything to Song Cheng and glanced at Wenren Jing: "Come in."
The next second.
Song Cheng knelt on the ground with a plop. He even reached out and hugged Gu Qi's legs to stop her from leaving.
With tears in his eyes, he kept saying, "I was muddled. I thought that if the Jiāng Family wanted you dead, you would never have a chance to turn over. I was afraid of being implicated by you. I was blinded by my own interests and I was a beast.
I treated you very well before. Do you remember? We were like family at that time. Your parents didn't care about you. No matter what happened, it was Ah Yue and I who ran around for you... Yes, for Ah Yue's sake, give me another chance..."
"Shut up!"
Gu Qi couldn't stand it anymore. She turned back to look at Song Cheng and sneered, "You don't deserve to mention her name."
Ah Yue was Song Cheng's girlfriend.
Unfortunately, she had a congenital heart disease and passed away two years ago.
A year and a half ago, Song Cheng had officially announced a new relationship.
At that time, his and Gu Qi’s relationship subtly changed.
It went without saying Gu Qi hated him for being cold-blooded. In less than a half a year since Elder Sister Ah Yue’s death, he got a new girlfriend.
When Elder Sister Ah Yue was critically ill, she was still worried that Song Cheng would be lonely after she left.
She held Gu Qi's hand, "Maybe there's not enough fate. I hope he can meet a better girl than me sooner. If there is that day, I will be happy for him. You shouldn't blame him."
So Gu Qi didn't blame Song Cheng, just refused to meet his new girlfriend and stubbornly stood on Elder Sister Ah Yue's side in her own way, even though she was no longer there.
Looking at Song Cheng's current disgraced state, the new girlfriend might have abandoned him long ago because she couldn't stand the current suffering.
Gu Qi broke free from Song Cheng's hand and walked quickly into the house.
Wenren Jing tsked twice and threw a hundred-yuan bill at Song Cheng, "Take a taxi back."
At this moment in the dark, everything that happened had been quietly recorded by a camera.
Chapter 70
Hot search that night
＃Gu Qi’S Manager Song Cheng＃
＃Song Cheng kneeled down and begged Gu Qi but was ignored＃
＃Gu Qi is cold-blooded＃
…
Just after finishing the hot pot and before they had time to wash the dishes, a few hot searches about Gu Qi and Song Cheng have already exploded.
Everything that happened outside the house now was recorded by the camera, and the video was uploaded to Weibo, causing a lot of discussion.
At first, many netizens stood on Gu Qi's side.
After all, Song Cheng had live-streamed when Gu Qi was caught up in negative rumors of school bullying. That left a bad taste.
However, as Song Cheng's Weibo was constantly updated, he posted a bunch of videos recording his life in recent years, all of which were warm scenes of getting along with Gu Qi. Public opinion began to change.
In the video, a good few years of Gu Qi's birthdays were celebrated together. There was a beautiful and gentle woman, who was his girlfriend.
They always prepare special surprises for her together and compete to see whose gift will satisfy her more.
There were videos of him and his girlfriend shopping for groceries together. The two of them always discuss what dishes to cook, putting Gu Qi's favorite food first, and remembering her dietary taboos clearly.
There were videos of them going to the amusement park together, and telling outsiders that they were a family of three and Gu Qi was their daughter. After seeing other people's surprised expressions, the three of them hid in the corner and laughed.
In every frame of the trio, happiness almost overflowed the screen.
And now Song Cheng knelt on the ground to beg Gu Qi and she left indifferently. It formed a sharp contrast.
[My God, how can this be a manager and an artist? This is clearly a family]
[Whose manager pays half of his salary to buy clothes for his girlfriend and half to buy gifts for the artist! ]
[I suddenly feel that Song Cheng may have had his own reasons before...]
[Even if he didn't have any reasons, facing the manager who used to be so good to her, Gu Qi is a little cold-blooded and not like a human being]
[I can't imagine how sad the manager must have been when he knelt on the ground to beg Gu Qi]
[Can be family members when they weren’t well-known, but once a big star, she becomes superior? ]
[In my opinion, Gu Qi can't whitewash this wave]
Some people couldn't understand it.
[Wait a minute. From start to finish, Gu Qi didn't tell him to kneel? Is this Gu Qi's fault? ]
[Reading this comment, my three views have been overturned. No matter how good they were before, they have been stabbed in the back. The best way to get along is to pretend not to know each other when meeting]
[If you want a saint, then you go be one. Don't force Gu Qi, okay? ]
Someone even pulled Wenren Jing off the stage.
[Wenren Jing was watching the whole thing. The last action of giving money wasn't very hurtful but extremely insulting]
[As expected, people from the same family enter the same family door]
Wenren Jing's fans couldn’t sit still.
[My Elder Brother’s heart is beautiful and kind. He gave money to him out of pity and this raises questions? ]
…
The two groups of people on the Internet had different opinions and quarreled.
Jiang Lechuan was the first to see the hot search and instantly got anxious, asking Wenren Jing, who was next to him at the time, what was going on.
No wonder Elder Sister didn't talk much during dinner tonight. He thought Elder Sister was too tired from rehearsing during the day. Unforeseen such matter happened.
Wenren Jing ignored Jiang Lechuan and asked Gu Qi directly: "Do you need the company to respond for you?"
Gu Qi shook her head: "I want to personally respond to the matter between us. I'm a little tired and will go back to the room first. You should rest early."
Mu Yuan silently took the three Samoyeds out for a walk.
Jiang Lechuan wanted to follow Gu Qi, but was stopped by Wenren Jing.
Wenren Jing rolled his eyes at him: "Can't you see? In the early years, she was closer to that manager than to us young brothers. Don't disturb her now, let her calm down and think about how to face this matter."
＊
For Gu Qi.
She never thought that one day she and Song Cheng would have to ‘go to court’ like this.
As a public figure, this was a fight to the death with the person who was once the closest to her.
When he used and forced her online, he didn't even want to keep the last bit of friendship for the sake of profit.
No need to think.
Now many media have contacted Song Cheng, he wanted to take advantage of this wave of popularity to get the ‘exclusive disclosure’ fee.
Gu Qi opened her Weibo.
So what she had to do was to make it public before he negotiates the price with the media and makes a profit.
[Hi everyone, I am Gu Qi. All the videos circulating on the Internet are true.
At work, my former manager Song Cheng had been kind to me. It was the opportunities and resources he had fought for for me that allowed me to appear in front of the public. In life, he and his girlfriend Elder Sister Yue played a role similar to that of parents, taking care of my daily life and teaching me how to behave and handle things. It isn't an exaggeration to say that they were family members. For so many years, I have been grateful to him and have never forgotten him.
If possible, I hope that our relationship will always be like this more than anyone else, but people's hearts are fickle. We have had conflicts for a long time because of our different values. In the end, we can only be strangers. I have tried my best to repay his kindness and have a clear conscience. ]
Along with this Weibo post, there were more than a dozen pictures.
A large number of chat records and payment notifications issued by Gu Qi.
Every picture was Song Cheng's arrangement for her.
Telling her to accompany the director to drink, telling her to star in bad movies, telling her to endorsements from those less than three generations, and the increasing anger after being rejected by Gu Qi.
Because his girlfriend was sick and hospitalized, he kept asking Gu Qi for money. Even though Gu Qi said she had a serious fever, he still arranged a cameo that required entering water for her. He used her as a tool and made her work around the clock without giving her any rest time.
Netizens were shocked as they took in the pictures one by one.
[Damn, I feel like I'm blind. Is Gu Qi such a weak character? Seeing the tone of the other party talking, I want to slap him in the face. How can she speak so nicely?]
[Gu Qi paid for all the expenses of his girlfriend's hospitalization? Huh? Whose girlfriend was this?]
[How dare Song Cheng make such insinuations toward Gu Qi? This is his breadwinner and butter, his father]
[Wait a minute, I noticed a critical point. The year when Gu Qi frequently took on bad movies coincided with the timeline of Song Cheng's girlfriend's illness? ! ]
[Gu Qi clearly said "As long as there is money to pay for Elder Sister Yue's medical treatment, she can take any movie no matter how much scolding she gets". So she took bad movies to make money and she made money to pay for Song Cheng's girlfriend's medical treatment...]
[I’m truly sobbing. How can Elder Sister be so good? Truly a kind and beautiful heart. She had never explained the reason for so many years]
[Because she really treats the manager and his girlfriend as her family. She was willing to do these for them]
[@Song Cheng, what else do you want? Didn't she treat you well enough? Are you worthy of her sincerity? ]
[Sincerity can never be exchanged for sincerity. I feel so sad when I think about her bearing the infamy and ignoring her future to make more cash to find the best medical team to treat her manager's girlfriend, but she was let down in the end]
[You said Gu Qi is a school bully, but in fact she was protecting her classmate who was bullied in school. You said Gu Qi is a cold-blooded ungrateful wolf, but she is loyal and righteous. Every time you want to dig up some negative information, we see the better side of her]
[Gu Qi is a good person.
@Song Cheng, and you, my friend, are a real ungrateful beast. ]
…
Online public opinion came and went quickly.
Seeing this, Shen Anran was so vexed that her hands were shaking.
She looked at the man smoking in the other corner of the sofa and appeared like it had nothing to do with it, "Why didn't you tell me this?"
Before the recording of this variety show, she found Song Cheng to join forces.
She knew that the exposure from someone who was once close to her would not be enough to ruin Gu Qi's career, it would at least have a certain impact on her reputation.
And now?
The whole network was praising Gu Qi for her gratitude and loyalty. Her beautiful, strong and tragic character had garnered her a lot of passers-by fans.
Song Cheng smiled with a cigarette butt in his mouth,: "You didn't ask me, I cooperated with the acting. Aren't I following everything according to your plan and arrangement? It's none of my business whether it works or not, pay me the balance."
"Dream on!" Shen Anran stood up directly. Furious with Song Cheng's shameless behaviour, her breathing became a little faster.
It was good enough that she didn't ask Song Cheng to return the money she had paid. After doing this, he still wanted money? Don't even think about it!
Song Cheng had been in the entertainment industry for so many years and wasn't a pushover. He laid down on the sofa calmly, took out his mobile phone with a helpless expression, and shook it in front of Shen Anran. The recording interface on the screen was particularly dazzling.
Song Cheng said with a dead-pig-that-wasn’t-afraid-of-boiling-water expression: "If Miss Shen doesn't keep your word, I will send this recording to Gu Qi. She might be surprised that you are the one who has been targeting her."
Shen Anran was furious. She knew that Song Cheng was threatening her, but there was nothing she could do at the moment.
She could only take a deep breath, "I will pay you the balance as agreed. From now on, the farther you get out of here, the better. This matter has nothing to do with me anymore."
"Of course, I keep my word." Song Cheng lit another cigarette, stood up, "Then I'll take my leave first."
"Wait!"
When Song Cheng walked to the door, Shen Anran couldn't help but call him and asked, "What's so good about Gu Qi? What kind of [***] did she put on you all to make you protect her like this? Obviously, she had shown no mercy to you. As long as you join hands with me to destroy her reputation, I can give you more money!"
"Heh."
Song Cheng's weathered face revealed a bitter smile: "I am a heartless person. I never thought of protecting her. If there is profit, I will be the first to sell her. Otherwise, how could I agree to do this business deal with you at the beginning when she was involved in the rumor of school bullying?
I wasn't nice before. It was her stupidity that misunderstood me. What family... how laughable. That's because I have good eyesight. I know at a glance that her face will sooner or later make a name for herself in the entertainment industry, so I treat her well, wait for her to become famous in the future, and use her as a cash cow to buy a car and a house as soon as possible.
If I had known that the focus of my life would be completely on her and that I would neglect to take care of my girlfriend, I would not have picked her out of the group performances at the beginning and end up hurting others and myself.
By the way... Speaking of my girlfriend, she was a very good person, Gu Qi and she didn't learn bad habits. That’s why she really didn't do anything against her conscience in these years. It's not that I don't want to trade with you, but I really can't do anything. "