IPCFS: Chapter 101 Part 2

Netizens came to eat melons and couldn’t stay idle at all.

-Hahahaha, the villain is being punished. So cool!

-Shen Yanda, are you happy? This is what you deserve.

-Actors should be careful when choosing scripts, and movie and television companies when choosing screenwriters. This is a living example.

-Hey, I didn’t know about the plagiarism matter before and thought ‘The Long Song of the Southern Dynasty’ was very good.

-Sister upstairs, go watch ‘Newly Born Master Detective.’ It is really beautiful! The main actor Ji Yunqi’s acting skills are very good!

-You can follow the ‘Newly Born Master Detective’ drama! The previous melons about it were all fake. This drama is very conscientious throughout!

Yes.

While ‘The Long Song of the Southern Dynasty’ was making a big splash, ‘Newly Born Master Detective’ had been making low-key progress during the same period of time.

The water army manipulating the scores had been cleaned up. There was enough evidence to prove that the book fans who gave low scores and the passersby who gave high scores were all from the same marketing company, and the crew dealt with them toughly.

In addition, the original author of ‘Newly Born Master Detective’ posted on Weibo:

When Ji Mingyue’s team adapted the script, they asked for his opinion every three to five days. The original book plots that were deleted were for the sake of passing the review, and the original plots added were also approved by him.

The script was revised very well, the cast was chosen well, and the drama was performed excellently.

A drama that could be praised by the original author? How bad could it be?

As a result, the audiences of the ancient drama left ‘The Long Song of the Southern Dynasty’ and ran over to watch ‘Newly Born Master Detective’ one after another.

In the new week, ‘Newly Born Master Detective’ received 1.65% of the national ratings, and its overall score on the ratings website increased to 8.5 points.

It could be said that its development momentum was very good.

***

One week later.

Qin Yue was arranging the suitcases in the room while Ji Li leaned against the door, a rare look of reluctance in his eyes.

Qin Yue noticed his unusual silence and stopped working on the trivial things in his hands. “What’s wrong?”

Ji Li took the initiative to stick to him and asked in a low voice, “How long will it take you to film this movie?”

“A bit over two months. It is a modern commercial movie, so it will be  faster than a costume movie.” Qin Yue circled his lover in his arms and rubbed against the tip of his nose. “You can’t bear to part with me now?”

“A little bit,” Ji Li responded honestly.

In the past, he only needed to spend more than a month resting at home before he would feel uncomfortable and want to quickly return to work.

Unexpectedly, he was spoiled by Qin Yue during this Spring Festival. Now he was overflowing with laziness and wanted to cling on to his lover for a longer time in this two person world.

The corners of Qin Yue’s mouth rose. He could obviously feel his feelings.

As compared to when they first got together, Ji Li relied on him a lot more after their period of cohabitation.

“Some time ago, you urged me to take on a new project for my fans.”

Qin Yue enjoyed Ji Li’s stickiness. “Then should I not take this movie? Shall I stay at home with you?”

“Nonsense.” Ji Li quickly recovered his career brain. “After resting for so long, it is time for us to work hard.”

Next, Qin Yue was busy with filming, and he would also be busy with work.

Ji Li hadn’t returned to Shanghai, but Yu Fuya had arranged a lot of work for him under his instructions.

There was a public welfare short video, two sets of magazine photoshoots, and the filming of two advertising endorsements…

The most important thing was that Ji Li had received several variety show invitations as he wished. He was waiting for Chaoying to select a good one.

“I’m just joking.” Qin Yue was an actor with professional ethics, and he naturally wouldn’t resign on such short notice.

He habitually stroked his lover’s earlobe. “The crew will be filming in Shanghai during the second half of the month. I’ll take the time to find you, okay?”

Ji Li smiled and nodded.

The moment these words fell, Qin Yue’s phone rang. It was the driver who had already driven the RV to the gate of the villa area.

There were the two pets, Major General and Snow Cake, so Qin Yue planned to drive all the way to the crew in the RV. This way, he wouldn’t cause damage to the two little ones from the plane check-in.

“Go and don’t waste time.” Ji Li took the initiative to enter the room and put away Qin Yue’s personal belongings.

In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had booked a ticket back to Shanghai tomorrow afternoon.

“Will you be okay being at home alone?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“There is pasta in the refrigerator. Warm it up when you want to eat it. The fruit has been cut up, and it is also in the refrigerator. There is…”’

Ji Li pinched Qin Yue’s Adam’s apple and his eyes shone. “I know. Don’t be verbose.”

If this continued, he really would become a ‘useless’ person who couldn’t rely on himself.

Qin Yue grabbed Ji Li’s hand and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Remember to miss me.”

“Yes.”

***

Ji Li returned to Chaoying Culture three days later.

Yu Fuya walked in with a bunch of printed variety show planning invitations. “Have you rested enough?”

“Yes, Sister Yu. Long time no see.” Ji Li’s lips curved up.

After the holiday break, Ji Li was full of vitality and was looking forward to the accumulation and harvest in the new year.

Yu Fuya examined him up and down. Suddenly, she took out her phone and clicked on video mode.

Ji Li was stunned for a few seconds. “Sister Yu, what’s wrong?”

“Has Qin Yue been feeding you delicious food in different ways every day?” Yu Fuya asked.

She reversed the perspective of the video and raised an eyebrow. “You have such an ‘it isn’t easy to get fat’ physique, but he actually put a bit of meat on you.”

“I think Brother Ji is just right like this. He was too skinny before,” Baozi said while handing the milk tea he brought to Ji Li.

Unexpectedly, he was stopped by Yu Fuya halfway.

Ji Li looked at himself in the mirror and then at the video camera on the phone. Then he sighed. “I got it. I’ll quit sugar for a few days.”

In fact, his current weight was still within the standard weight range, but it would appear a bit fat on camera.

No matter how standard his body was in reality, it would become ‘swollen’ in front of the demon that was the camera.

As an actor, he had to strive to maintain a good body shape and screen image while ensuring his good health.

It was his responsibility for his career and for the fans who supported him.

“It is good to be obedient.” Yu Fuya smiled in satisfaction. “Just restrain yourself for a few days.”

Based on Ji Li’s physical fitness, it probably wouldn’t take even half a month to restore his previous photogenic image.

Yu Fuya sat on the main seat in the meeting room and pushed the variety show scripts on the table toward Ji Li. “Let’s take advantage of everyone’s presence today to show Ji Li the variety show invitations you think are appropriate.”

“Okay, Sister Yu.” The members of the management team had listened to Ji Li’s intentions and looked for variety show plans for the first and second quarters of the year.

At present, what was on the table were the variety shows for the next two quarters.

Ji Li casually picked up the one on the top. “Do you have any recommendations?”

“Brother Ji, the ‘Get Ready, Actors!’ invitation that you are currently holding in your hand is for a competitive variety show in the performance category. It is the main variety show of Shanghai TV in the second quarter, and it has an S+ level investment.”

“The program has invited three famous directors as judges and will gather and invite 20 young actors. The final winner will have the opportunity to star in the top-level production of one of the famous directors…”

Ji Li listened to the staff’s introduction while flipping through the invitation sent by the program team.

Last year’s ‘New Generation of Actors’ became popular, and this re-stimulated the popularity of this type of actor selection program. The other TV stations and online platforms saw this and launched similar programs.

Ji Li’s ‘Get Ready, Actors!’ was one of them.

Yu Fuya nodded. She obviously thought that this variety show was good.

A lot of investment meant that the follow-up publicity would be strong. It also featured a group of actors competing on the same stage. Based on Ji Li’s excellent acting skills, it would be easy for him to shine in this show.

“Ji Li, are you interested?”

“Sister Yu, I don’t want to participate in this type of acting show.” Ji Li shook his head.

It was old wine in a new bottle, so it wasn’t easy for the show itself to shine.

Moreover, it was a variety show in the form of a competition. This meant the tension and oppression was indispensable.

Ji Li wanted to join a variety show to let himself relax and adjust the emotional residue brought about from all his previous roles. If he was to enter such an ‘actor filming environment’, it would be better to directly enter a crew to film instead.

Yu Fuya saw he wasn’t interested and had to look around again. “Then do you want to take a look yourself? If you are interested in any of them, then we will introduce it to you.”

Ji Li nodded slightly and spread out a lot of variety show plans.

In fact, he already had a favorite direction for selecting the variety show invitation.

Wanting to relax by recording a show?

Then he should definitely choose a slow-paced variety show.

Ji Li glanced around before his eyes fixed on the last of the variety show invitations. “Poor Travel Notes? What variety show is this?”

The staff members looked at each other and showed embarrassed looks.

“Brother Ji, why don’t you look at something else?”

The positioning of this variety show was a webcast, and the audience base was much lower than the star variety shows. It could be seen from the name of the program that the production team didn’t have a lot of funds.

This show had frantically sent invitations to many stars, but they were turned away by everyone.

Chaoying had always given their artists the right to choose their own shows, so they didn’t immediately refuse the invitatiom for Ji Li.

However, the team members put this offer at the end because they didn’t want Ji Li to consider it.

Ji Li flipped through the contents of the program planning, and his eyes brightened slightly. “Isn’t this quite interesting?”

On the first page of the variety show’s planning book, there was a line of bold words written:

Apart from the necessary show settings, the entire show has no script. The celebrity guests are allowed to freely film.

Ji Li was quite willing to join based on this alone.

If he had to regulate his words and deeds according to a script on a variety show, he didn’t know if it would be enjoyment or torture.

The show consisted of a total of four trips, and each destination was purely random and selected by the guests by throwing darts.

The program team would start to restrict the planning of food, accommodation, and transportation according to the destination chosen by the celebrities, and even the choice of food, accommodation, and transportation basically depended on luck.

It was the so-called poor travel planning, poor depended on ‘luck’ and there was a ‘tour’ mentality.

The most interesting line said: If the guest’s first trip exhausts the funds of the program team, then we apologize in advance, there may only be one episode of the show.

It was ridicule in the form of a joke, but the blind selection of travel destinations by the celebrities was much more flexible than the usual scripted variety shows.

“Ji Li, if you want to go on a travel variety show, then shall I find one for you?” Yu Fuya also disagreed.

This online variety show that no one cared about was just a poor budget show. It didn’t seem very formal.

“That’s right, Brother Ji. If there are no splashes after the show is aired, then won’t the exposure we want be gone?” Baozi wondered.

“Brother Ji, the production team is a group of fresh graduates with little experience. They aren’t reliable!” Another person said.

The production team was too young and had few contacts in the circle, so they never found suitable celebrity guests.

Ji Li looked around and didn’t see any approving gazes.

He glanced at the complete and meticulous program planning with as many as 30 pages in his hand and then the few pages of the other program teams.

For some reason, Ji Li felt that this show wouldn’t be bad.

“Didn’t you say that all the shows that suit me are here? It seems that this is the only travel variety show, right?” Ji Li looked at everyone and asked.

The surroundings fell silent.

If he wanted to accept a travel variety show in the first half of the year, this was indeed the only option that could be chosen.

Ji Li sighed lightly and squeezed the planning invitation in his hand. “Sister Yu, I trust my own instincts.”

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Proofreader: Azure