China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 1013 The Support of a Celestial Being [Two Chapters Combined]

Outside the banquet hall on the third floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the heart of Paris, Liu Yifei stood at the entrance, wearing a light apricot-colored silk dress from the brand's early spring collection, adorned with lace tassels. The simple cut made her skin appear exceptionally fair.

"Ms. Liu, thank you very much for attending tonight. We hope this brand event has left you with pleasant memories."

A senior director from Chanel's European headquarters personally saw Liu Yifei off at the entrance of the banquet hall.

"Of course, it is my honor to participate in Chanel's brand event, and I had a very enjoyable trip."

"That's good."

The two exchanged a polite cheek kiss, said their goodbyes, and left.

Assistant Zhang Xin quickly jogged over from the side to catch up with her older sister.

The hotel clock showed 10 p.m., more than half an hour later than the event was scheduled to end.

At this time, she definitely couldn't fly back to China overnight. Although she missed someone a little, she had just arrived in Paris yesterday. She had been busy changing clothes, rehearsing, and participating in activities all day, and she was indeed tired.

Even if she can handle it, Xiaobai's crew cannot fly continuously; driving while fatigued is not an option.

Fortunately, Zhang Xin had booked a hotel for her before she arrived, right at the event venue, so she didn't need to do anything special; she just needed to take the elevator upstairs.

"Sis, you should get some rest. I've arranged with the flight crew. Our flight is tomorrow at noon, and we should be able to return home by evening."

"Okay, you should go back and rest too."

"Okay." Zhang Xin turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "By the way, sis, what about breakfast?"

Liu Yifei thought for a moment and replied, "Let's talk about it when I wake up. Since we've already chosen to stay in a hotel for one night, let's try to get a good night's sleep."

"Okay, I understand."

Zhang Xin gave a knowing smile, then turned and closed the door.

After locking the door, Liu Yifei changed her clothes, removed her makeup, took a bath, and put on a face mask.

I was trying to go to sleep, but I tossed and turned in bed for ages and couldn't fall asleep.

Although my body was extremely tired, my brain was still buzzing with excitement. It had only been a day, and I couldn't adjust to the time difference at all.

Liu Yifei felt helpless. She thought of sending a video to someone, but then she remembered that it was early morning in China and that the person had drunk so much alcohol last night that they definitely wouldn't be able to get up. So she gave up on that idea and left a message instead.

"Honey, drink some water after you get up. My flight is tomorrow noon, a direct flight to Shengjing. I should arrive around tonight. Wait for me~ Missing you! (blushing)"

As soon as the message was sent, I couldn't help but smile to myself.

I put down my phone, prepared to sleep, and tried for a long time, but still couldn't fall asleep.

Liu Yifei angrily picked up her phone again, intending to browse Weibo to kill time, hoping to get a feeling for it soon.

I had just logged onto Weibo for a short while when I saw an update – a close friend had posted a status update.

Hey! It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?
I promptly initiated a video call.

It rang several times before being answered.

The screen showed Su Chang's face with a cucumber mask on and a headband tied around her neck, only revealing her bright eyes. The background was her bedroom.

"Oh, Miss Liu, shouldn't you be in France enjoying a lavish banquet at this hour? Why did you think of me? I am truly honored."

Su Chang's voice came through a layer of cucumber slices, which was quite funny.

She knew Liu Yifei was going to Paris today for a brand event, so she was puzzled as to why she was sending her a video at this time.

Liu Yifei smiled so hard she showed her teeth.

"I intend to choose Consort Su tonight, and hereby inform her of this."

He acted in a pretentious manner, and his performance was quite convincing.

Su Chang immediately feigned shock, the cucumber slices on her face falling off, "Your Majesty, I've finally waited for you~"

"Ugh~ Changchang, your acting is disgusting, so...so slutty."

Liu Yifei hesitated to utter the last word.

"Hey, stop pretending. I was just playing along with you." Su Chang regained her seriousness and put the cucumber slices that had fallen off back on her face. As best friends who had been together since their teenage years, the two often joked around with each other in private, and the jokes were usually quite risqué.

"So, what brings you here, beautiful Liu?"

"I was bored and couldn't sleep, so I saw your Weibo post and thought I'd chat with you for a bit."

"Hey, you're a married man, why are you looking for me instead of your strong and capable wife to relieve your loneliness?"

Su Chang said, her voice brimming with jealousy.

"He's sleeping at this hour, he hasn't gotten up yet."

Liu Yifei replied casually.

"Ha, fine, you're worried about waking up your partner, but not me, huh? Liu Yifei, you've changed."

"Get out of here, what am I supposed to transform into?" Liu Yifei laughed in exasperation. She hadn't expected her best friend to be so "full of energy" even after staying up all night.

"I just saw you weren't asleep."

"Who said I wasn't asleep? I just got up to pee and couldn't fall back asleep. My face looks a little puffy, so I'm taking care of it. Unlike some people who are naturally beautiful and smitten, I have to work hard!"

Su Chang drew out a long note, which made Liu Yifei giggle.

"When I get back, I'll get you two sets of skincare products. I used them last time and they worked well."

Hearing this, Su Chang's eyes lit up. "That's great! It's certified by a big star, absolutely authentic!"

"There's also a beauty device that works well with their serum. If you like it, I'll have my assistant bring an extra set back for you."

Liu Yifei adjusted the angle of her phone and lay down in a more comfortable position.

"Beauty device? It must be quite expensive. I'd rather not. It's a luxury product. I'm not interested in using it." Su Chang waved her hand.

"Don't worry, I won't make you poor."

Liu Yifei smiled.

"Then I'll gladly accept your offer." Su Chang smiled and quickly wiped the melon slices off her face. "By the way, where's your Director Sun? Why didn't he come to Paris with you this time?"

"He's busy. He's the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala, so he has to keep an eye on everything. He's been trying to get Teacher Zhao to come out of retirement these past few days, so he doesn't have time."

"Teacher Zhao, that Teacher Zhao? Zhao Benshan?"

Su Chang's eyes widened.

"Yes, that's right." Liu Yifei nodded.

"He withdrew from the Spring Festival Gala, didn't he? He hasn't participated for two years."

"That's why Sun Yi had to pay a visit. Without sincerity, how could he possibly persuade them to come?"

"That's true." Su Chang nodded. "Has the process been initiated yet?"

"Yes, agreed."

"Okay, it has to be your man, he's got a lot of face."

Su Chang removed the cucumber slices from her face one by one and then applied a layer of essence lotion.

"It's not about saving face, it's mainly about the Spring Festival Gala stage," Liu Yifei explained.

"Hey, by the way, speaking of the Spring Festival Gala stage, didn't your partner assign you any special tasks?"

Su Chang suddenly asked.

"Special mission?" Liu Yifei was taken aback; she didn't understand what her best friend meant by "special mission."

"The Spring Festival Gala."

Su Chang was defeated by Liu Yifei and pursed her lips.

Her best friend was perfect in every way—looks, figure, personality—she was one in a million. The only downside was her intelligence; it wasn't that she was completely off-track, but sometimes she was just adorably clueless. She winked knowingly.

"He's the chief director now, can't he arrange a good show for his wife so she can get some exposure in front of the whole country?"

Oh, so that's what it is.

Liu Yifei then realized what was happening. Looking at Su Chang's curious face in the video, she hesitated for a few seconds before finally speaking up: "He did mention it, but I haven't decided yet."

"Haven't thought of anything? What did you mention?" Su Chang immediately perked up, put away her lotion and serum, and brought her whole face close to the screen.

"I was originally scheduled to sing at the Spring Festival Gala, which I agreed to, but later he wanted me to dance instead."

After he finished speaking, there was a three-second silence on the other end of the video.

Then, Su Chang's lips slowly curled up.

"Hahaha—dance? Sun Yi wants you to dance? What kind of dance? Is it... you know... a little romantic dance between husband and wife? Like, wearing a lace nightgown, playing some sexy jazz music, and swaying in front of him?"

"Su Chang!"

Liu Yifei's face flushed instantly. She grabbed the pillow next to her and pretended to smash it against the screen, forgetting that the two of them were currently video chatting.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"What nonsense am I talking about?"

Su Chang laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Look how busy your Director Sun is. He's an internationally renowned director, and now he's the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala. With two titles on his shoulders, he must be under a lot of pressure. Isn't it normal for him to come home, watch his wife, and put on a 'good show' to relax?"

After saying that, Su Chang narrowed her eyes, leaned closer, and asked mischievously, "Hey, seriously, you've been married for so long, you haven't tried anything like this before, have you?"

Liu Yifei's pretty face flushed red, both ashamed and angry, but the words of rebuttal stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

She's not the type of person who can just lie without thinking.

Su Chang's words unexpectedly stirred up fragments of her memory.
Believe it or not, it actually happened.

It wasn't dancing, but there were indeed similar intimate, flirtatious moments between couples.

For example, last year on Sun Yi's birthday, as a reward for someone, she secretly learned a popular "boyfriend's perspective" video online. Wearing Sun Yi's white shirt, she appeared in front of Sun Yi with bare legs and bare feet, making some flirtatious yet embarrassing little gestures.

Although her movements were clumsy, she still remembers the light in someone's eyes when they saw her.

For example, once when Sun Yi was editing a video late at night, she called him several times but he wouldn't go back to his room to sleep. Annoyed, she deliberately didn't tie her robe properly and took the opportunity to deliver fruit to the study. When she bent over, her private parts were faintly visible.

Someone looked up from behind the computer screen and stared blankly for a full five seconds. Then, they said she had gone astray.

Another time, we got together one night and drank some alcohol, and then...
Many past memories were stirred up by Su Chang's teasing, flooding back like a tide.

Liu Yifei felt her cheeks burning, and even her earlobes turned red. She instinctively clutched her earlobes.

"Look, look, she's blushing!" Su Chang discovered something amazing on the other side of the screen. "I knew it! I told you there would be! Liu Yifei, Liu Yifei, I never thought you, who look so innocent on the outside, would be so playful in private. Oh my, I'm so envious of your Sun Yi now."

"No! It's not the kind of dance you're imagining!"

Liu Yifei finally found her voice, both anxious and embarrassed, "It's a proper Spring Festival Gala dance program! The kind with a traditional Chinese style!"

The laughter on the screen stopped abruptly.

Su Chang's expression changed from playful to bewildered, and then from bewildered to shocked.

"The Spring Festival Gala?" She stammered. "Ah! You mean, your Sun Yi wants you to dance on the Spring Festival Gala? In front of over a billion viewers across the country?"

"Of course it's the Spring Festival Gala! What are you thinking!"

Liu Yifei nodded angrily, then her voice lowered again, "He said he thought I looked beautiful when he saw me dancing with the children at the Hope Primary School."

In the video, Su Chang remained silent for a full ten seconds.

Then she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Liu Yifei! You really don't know how lucky you are!"

"what?"

"What the heck!" Su Chang exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of bed, her phone camera shaking. "Do you know how big of an opportunity this is? The Spring Festival Gala! A stage that so many actors would kill for! Your Sun Yi is putting this opportunity right in front of you, and you're still hesitating?"

"Even if you're popular and well-known now, you're not at the point where you can't stand the Spring Festival Gala, are you?"

"Of course not!" Liu Yifei retorted casually. Although she was a top female star in China at every level, she never looked down on the Spring Festival Gala.

"I'm not hesitant about opportunities, I just lack confidence in myself."

"What do you lack confidence in?"

“Dancing,” Liu Yifei said, lowering her eyes. “I did learn to dance, but that was when I was a child. Later, when I was filming, I only danced a few times in ‘The Return of the Condor Heroes,’ and I had to do many takes. In recent years, I’ve mostly done Pilates and yoga to maintain my figure. If you really asked me to dance on the Spring Festival Gala, I’m afraid I wouldn’t do it well and would embarrass myself.”

She paused, her voice even softer: "And you don't know, when I don't have any acting gigs, I even skip my daily workouts. My fitness coach said my core strength has deteriorated last time."

"I know!"

Liu Yifei: “.”

"So what?" Su Chang spoke again. "Among actors, your foundation is high, right? Others haven't studied professionally, they just practiced physical movements, but you studied professionally with Auntie. Just pick it up and practice it again, isn't that enough?"

In front of the screen, Su Chang counted on her fingers, "It's November now, then December, then January. Three months! Practicing dance is a piece of cake. Besides..."

She leaned closer to the screen, her expression turning serious. "Liu Qianqian, let me remind you, your husband is now the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala. The whole nation is watching him, waiting to see what kind of performance he'll deliver. At a time like this, as his wife, shouldn't you stand up and support him?"

These words struck Liu Yifei like a wake-up call.

She was stunned.

“I’m not saying you should use connections,” Su Chang continued. “I’m saying you have the ability, you just need a little push. Now this opportunity is in front of you, a win-win situation where you can showcase yourself and support your partner’s career. Why are you afraid?”

Right, why did I take the picture?

Liu Yifei opened her mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out.

Su Chang looked at her and softened her tone: "Qianqian, we've known each other for so many years. I know you're not the kind of person who likes to show off, but this time is different. This is the Spring Festival Gala, and it's the first Spring Festival Gala that your son Sun Yi has taken over. Didn't you just say that he personally went to Zhao Benshan's house to visit him for the program?"

"At this point, if you, as the daughter-in-law, don't step up, are you going to let someone else do it while you sit in the audience and applaud?"

That sentence became the final straw.

Liu Yifei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, most of the hesitation in her eyes had disappeared.

"Changchang, you're right," she said softly. "I should support him."

"That's more like it!" Su Chang laughed. "And think about it, dancing on the Spring Festival Gala, how romantic! The whole country will say, 'Look, that was a performance Sun Yi designed for his wife.' That's a really high-class way to show off their love!"

"What?!"

Liu Yifei was amused by her, and her nervousness eased a bit.

"Alright, alright, we've been chatting for over half an hour, I need to rest now, you can leave!"

"Hey, Liu Qianqian, you're really killing me after I've served my purpose."

Su Chang looked shocked.

"That's exactly what I wanted to do, you donkey!" Liu Yifei chuckled, then added, "When I get back, I'll treat you to dinner, order whatever you like!"

"That's more like it. I feel a bit better now."

"Okay, I'm hanging up."

"Wait a minute, remember to call me when you rehearse later, I'll come visit you on set."

"Got it, housekeeper."

Liu Yifei hung up with a smile.

She stared blankly at the darkened screen for a while. At this moment, her face was still flushed, but her eyes had become resolute.

Si Changchang is right. If she doesn't stand up for Sun Yi at this time, who else will?
(End of this chapter)