Hearing about the offer Tang Xiaoxiao received, Yang Shan’s pupils constricted drastically as she glanced at the smiling Tang Xiaoxiao in shock.
“Wow… Director Cao, aren’t you being too biased?” Wu Xibing cried out loud, “You actually favored Miss Tang this much?”
“If your acting skills can hit the level where even Wen Ruoyi nodded and acknowledged her, I won’t mind leaving the position of the female lead in my next movie for you.” Cao Hao smiled thoughtfully at the cold and distant Wen Ruoyi at the side.
Wu Xibing fell silent as she glanced at Tang Xiaoxiao with a complicated gaze. Wen Ruoyi was an experienced actress, a famed top actress and her acting skills had been praised by many famous and top directors as top-notch. What kind of acting skills would a girl that was able to make Wen Ruoyi nod in acknowledgment have? Was she really that young and talented?
Tang Xiaoxiao smiled shyly, her cheeks looking a little flushed. “You all are just using me as a joke. Why would I be a celebrity?”
Cheng Mu was a little confused, and it seemed to show in his eyes when he glanced at Tang Xiaoxiao. This girl… why would she be like this? With her appearance and talent, she would become the most radiant celebrity. Why was she able to resist such a great temptation? Why was she more willing to be a manager than a celebrity?”
“Alright, let’s all stop for a while. We’ll continue filming.” The show’s director clapped his hands and pulled everyone’s attention to him. “Audiences, please cooperate with us and make the atmosphere more lively. Shanshan, you have to act more open and generous. Don’t be too upright and stuff, try to let go a little. Cheng Mu… can you please be a little closer to Yang Shan? It’s for the show after all. You don’t have a girlfriend currently anyway, so even if you have a scandal, you don’t have to be scared of kneeling on the washing board when you go home right? Director Cao, Sister Wen, although both of you are seniors, please be a little more lively too and don’t be too down and depressed.”
Following the director’s voice, filming for the show started again. The four famed emcees huddled around the cast and got on stage. Ouyang Wen first shouted to the audience with his extremely high-pitched voice. “Hello everyone! The latest episode of ‘Meeting with the King Cards’ has started once again! The king cards we have invited today… I’m sure everyone had already seen them. Yes, they are the cast of the newly premiered, extremely aesthetic 1920s romance movie, ‘On the Bank of Qing River’!”
“Wow… I really love this movie!” Wu Xibing waved her small fists as a glow unique to perverted girls appeared to shine in her eyes. “Cheng Mu’s character inside is my favorite! I pulled Wang Lu to go watch this movie three times a few days ago, and still haven’t gotten tired of watching it. The romance inside is too beautiful!”
“I feel that the prettiest in the movie is the Su family’s stepmother that Wen Ruoyi, Sister Wen acted as! She’s so cold, elegant ーjust very cool. That kind of dispirited maturity is really charming, especially her misty eyes when she smoked… Every time I watched this movie, I felt that she really was a goddess!” Jiang Shang cried out excitedly.
“The one with the most prominent image is the Su family Eldest Young Miss that Yang Shan acted as! She’s innocent, beautiful, awake, clear and stubborn. Every time I see her appear wearing a white cheongsam, I would feel as if she was as innocent as a goddess.”
The emcees discussed the movie excitedly as if they had chosen to forget the people around them…
Seeing that it was about enough, Ouyang Wen coughed, acting as if he felt awkward. “Guys, did you forget that we’re still hosting a show? The actors are standing right beside us…”
The show had also officially started. Although no one was willing to admit it, they had no choice but to admit that China’s variety shows were extremely limited and lacked creativity. The creative aspects were basically copied from other shows overseas and the State Administration of Radio’s blanket restriction over entertainment made the already sluggish entertainment industry even worse. This ‘Meeting with the King Cards’ show also had no choice but to abide in accordance with the entertainment restrictions and had to cut its broadcast time by a lot, having to ax away many of its segments.
Although the ratings of this ‘Meeting with the King Cards’ show was not bad, it was an old show that had been broadcasted for many years already. The show was just being supported by the fame of the emcees. It had continued as a talk-show with games for several years already. Perhaps, the only thing the viewers loved to watch was the gossip segment at the end of the show.
Amongst the four emcees, Ouyang Wen and Wu Xibing joined the industry as entertainment reporters, so they naturally knew how to dig deep into the celebrity guests’ gossip. Basically, they were able to dig out some small or big rumors, or even weird hobbies some celebrities had. In fact, many of the surprising secrets that shocked the entertainment industry had been exposed from this segment.
After the game and the interview segment, a sinister smile appeared on Ouyang Wen’s face. “Alright, everyone, let’s adjust our breathing rates. Next, we’ll begin our final segment, so prepare all of your gossip and embarrassing materials! Us four emcees will let you know what actual entertainment emcees are!”
Everyone sat on their movable chairs before they blindfolded themselves and blocked their ears with in-ear earphones, only leaving Director Cao Hao to listen to what was happening around them. Ouyang Wen glanced at Wu Xibing beside him, before he finally said, “Today, our first gossip target is Director Cao Hao. Everyone knows that as China’s newly-acclaimed top movie director, Cao Hao is still unmarried as of today. Then… can we ask, Director Cao, have you had any feelings for any of the many female celebrities you’ve worked with?”
Cao Hao, whose eyes had been covered and was thrown into a world of darkness, hesitated. “My attention and energy now are all on movies. I’ve never really thought about any of my personal matters.”
“Then… Are there any female celebrities that you like more? Surely there has to be at least one?” Wu Xibing pushed further, dissatisfied with his vague answer.
“I only have eyes for movies, as for the rest… we’re all just friends.” Cao Hao started to push the topic around.
“Ah… Director Cao, since you’re being so uncooperative, don’t blame us for not holding back! If not, how will us, the four professionals in the world of gossip, keep our dignities? Xiao Bing, let’s go!”
Wu Xibing chuckled. “Director Cao, we’ll follow with a multiple-choice question. Please pick a woman you’re most likely to marry from the four options: First, the female lead of our movie, Miss Yang Shan. Second, Miss Wen Ruoyi. Third, a certain manager lady. Fourth, Cheng Mu.”
Pft! The audience almost burst out in laughter. They could still understand why the first three options were included, but for the fourth… what kind of joke were they playing?
Tang Xiaoxiao, who was sitting backstage, couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Hey! Who was the “certain manager lady” they were talking about?
Cao Hao didn’t know to laugh or cry either. “Ouyang ah, can I have a fifth option? I want to go and be a monk…”
“Ok,” Ouyang Wen said as he giggled, “Director, please repeat the footage of this sentence several times. The top newspaper companies will have news for the cover page of their gossip section now! Well-known director, Mr Cao Hao, has no intentions for love life and has desires to become a monk.”
Cao Hao’s ears were muffled with earphones and the next one to have their earphones taken off was Yang Shan.
Faced with the soft newbie, Yang Shan, the four emcees laughed with identical smiles of wicked glee. Jiang Shang rubbed his hands together. “Shanshan ah, don’t be afraid, alright? Then… let Brother Jiang ask you… Who amongst the cast treated you the best?”