Hear this life

Four months later.

Before daybreak, the phone in the Wen family's small living room started ringing non-stop.

The first call was from Gao Xiaowen.

"I heard that your play is about to be completed?"

Wen Tingli looked as if she had seen a ghost: "Why did you get up so early today?
Gao Xiaowen yawned, "It's because I won't be able to find you if I'm any later. Hey, I've heard a lot of rumors about your play recently. People in the industry say that you performed perfectly in every scene and that this movie will be a big hit after it's released. Did the "Xiao Tianxi" company contact you in advance yesterday? Wen Tingli, I'm warning you, you agreed to advertise my Ao Shuang powder cream for free."

Wen Tingli didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "This company asked me to shoot a powder commercial, which doesn't match your Ao Shuang powder cream. Don't worry, there are at least two scenes in the film where I used your Ao Shuang powder cream on camera. When the film is finished, I will help you shoot a formal commercial for free. How about that?"

"That's more like it. By the way, Sister Qinfang's birthday is next week, and Xinxin Department Store will definitely hold a dinner party at that time. Remember to arrange time in advance to attend the birthday party. Sister Qinfang's friends have long wanted to meet you."

Wen Tingli agreed immediately. She and Dong Qinfang had always been on good terms. When her father passed away, Dong Qinfang helped her a lot, and she always kept this favor in her heart.

Just after hanging up the phone, Huang Yuanshan's assistant and deputy director of the crew, Tan Guiwang, called again.

"Xiao Wen, Sister Huang asked me to tell you that there is a problem with the set in the studio, and we are busy looking for a technician to repair it. Your scene will probably start shooting at 11 o'clock, so you don't have to come as early as usual."

"understood."

After answering the two phone calls, Wen Tingli blew some warm air on her frozen hands. She had already gotten up, and it would be a pity to go back to bed, so she simply picked up her schoolbag and went out.

The final exam is coming soon, so she decided to use these few hours to review her lessons at school. The school library is much quieter than her home.

As soon as I went out, a cold north wind blew towards me. It was already December, and the weather was getting colder and colder. The branches of the sycamore trees on the road were covered with icicles.

Standing on the steps, she was a little dazed as usual. That feeling of melancholy was still in her heart, but it was no longer strong. It just came up for a few seconds and then disappeared on its own. She took a deep breath on the spot, wrapped her clothes tightly and went down the steps.

In late September, Hujiang University officially opened its doors. As a new student, Wen Tingli's life officially began a new chapter. At that time, "Beauty of the South" had only been filming for more than 20 days and was still a long way from completion. Considering the school's views, she took the initiative to report the matter to the Academic Affairs Office on the first day of reporting.

At first, the Academic Affairs Office disagreed, even though Wen Tingli repeatedly emphasized that Golden Pictures was a formal company. The school also found out through investigation that Wen Tingli was an orphan, her family was burdened, and she was only filming to raise tuition.

But after all, filming takes a long time and it interferes with schoolwork, and as a school they also have to consider some social impacts.

Upon hearing this, Huang Yuanshan took Chairman Weng of the Shanghai Film Association to the school to lobby. At first, he encountered a lot of resistance, but eventually he found the vice-president in charge of discipline and found a way forward. The vice-president and Chairman Weng have been classmates for many years. He also likes to watch movies very much and has always been supportive of the local film industry. After confirming that Wen Tingli was shooting an art film with social significance, he finally loosened his attitude.

After several efforts, the school finally approved Wen Tingli's request to film, but the prerequisite was that Wen Tingli could not fail the final exam.

In order to achieve this, Wen Tingli found time to study every day, and in order to take care of her homework, Huang Yuanshan also gave her many conveniences despite the pressure. All of Wen Tingli's big dramas were arranged to start shooting on the days when she had no classes, and the usual dramas were all arranged to start shooting after she got out of school, starting at five o'clock and finishing at eleven or twelve at night.

Fortunately, there was not much homework in the first semester, so Wen Tingli managed to handle the heavy workload.

But even so, there were times when I almost couldn't cope with it.

For example, last week, Wen Tingli forgot to hand in her math homework because she went to Wuxi with the crew to shoot an outdoor scene. Another time, the philosophy teacher, who usually did not call the roll, suddenly called the roll in class on a whim. She was shooting a scene on the crew that day and unfortunately could not make it. The teacher said on the spot that if she missed classes twice in total, she would fail. This scared Wen Tingli so much that she dared not miss philosophy class anymore.

In addition, she had to find time every month to practice shooting and fighting techniques with Li Chengying.

With the three of them juggling this, the filming that was originally scheduled to be completed in three months was delayed for four months and was still not completed.

Fortunately, even the longest road has an end. Two more scenes and the film will be finished. When she thought of this, she felt indescribably excited.

At half past ten, Wen Tingli rushed to the set in the company car. As soon as she entered the door, she saw her colleagues in the crew discussing something excitedly.

"Miss Wen, you've come at the perfect time. We are discussing which restaurant to book for the wrap-up banquet."

It was obvious that everyone was very happy. Wen Tingli joined in the fun and said, "Why don't we go to Changxing Restaurant to eat Takahashi local cuisine? The braised catfish there is very famous!"

Someone immediately agreed: "Miss Wen and I are thinking the same thing. I've eaten here before and it's delicious!"

After chatting for a while, Wen Tingli went to the back alone to put the bag away.

When she first came to the company, she had to share a large dressing room with others, which was inconvenient in every way. But now, she has her own independent dressing room, which is small but fully equipped. As usual, she put her bag in the cabinet, locked it, closed the door and went to another dressing room to chat with senior actors.

"Sister Wen, why don't you try this powder cream? It's made by my friend Miss Gao's company. The powder is even finer than the one sold by Yanzhilin."

"You're here again. Okay, okay, I'll listen to you and try it right away." Wen Guanhua handed the powder cream to his makeup artist with a helpless smile.

At this time, several young actors came in and asked curiously, "Wen Tingli, what good stuff are you giving out?"

Compared to the time when she first joined the group, everyone's attitude towards Wen Tingli is much more enthusiastic.

On the one hand, it is because Wen Tingli has shown an extraordinary level of hard work in recent months. She always arrives on time for every scene she has, and she usually performs it in one take. She rarely makes mistakes in her lines or fails to show her emotions properly.

There is no one in this world who will not appreciate someone who is both smart and hardworking.

On the other hand, even the most inconsiderate person can now see that Wen Tingli will become a rising star. As the filming of "Southern Beauty" progresses, the company's top management appreciates and pays more and more attention to Wen Tingli.

At the beginning, he didn't care about her life outside the set, but later he took the initiative to send her a special car and driver.

After that, although Wen Tingli still traveled back and forth between Hujiang University and the crew every day, at least it was not as hard as before because her driver was basically on call at any time.

All these changes were seen by everyone. In their attitude towards Wen Tingli, besides sincerity, they also considered some social etiquette. Some private gatherings that never considered newcomers would also invite Wen Tingli to go. On weekdays, several seniors in the crew also took good care of Wen Tingli.

Wen Tingli put her face in front of them and said, "It's a powder cream. My friend's company makes it. I put it on my face today. Look, isn't it thin and transparent? Every senior has it."

Everyone gathered around her and chattered, looking at the makeup on her face.

Wen Tingli chatted and laughed as she finished applying powder and went back to her dressing room. At that moment, the crew members were either putting on makeup or discussing the dinner in the front. She didn't even run into a single colleague on her way back.

As soon as I turned the corner, I saw a person running towards me in a panic from the end of the corridor. When he looked up and saw Wen Tingli, his expression was as if he had seen a ghost.

"Ms. Luo?!" Wen Tingli glared at her.
It’s Luo Shuhong.

Deng Tianxing hired someone to plot against her in order to help Luo Shuhong win the role of "Nan Qi", but in the end, not only did Deng Tianxing fail to please Luo Shuhong, he was also banned by the entire film industry.

After that, Deng Tianxing was in a state of having nothing to do for a long time. In the first few months, someone saw Deng Tianxing gambling in the No. 181 club (note), but no one saw him after that.

Luo Shuhong was still filming in the company, but she looked a little uncomfortable every time she saw Wen Tingli, and Wen Tingli was too lazy to pay attention to her.

After a brief panic, Luo Shuhong quickly stood firm.

She didn't explain why she was here, but asked naturally.

"Have you decided where to eat?"

Wen Tingli brushed past her with a calm face and said, "I heard that we are going to eat at Changxing Pavilion."

As soon as Luo Shuhong left, Wen Tingli checked her dressing room with a sullen face. The drawer was still locked, and everything in her bag was there, including her pistol. Everything was there, and even her clothes showed no signs of having been touched.

But she still hadn't dispelled her doubts. She frowned and thought for a moment. Someone came to find her: "Miss Wen, Boss Liu wants to see you."

Wen Tingli quickly put on a smiling face and said "OK". As soon as she came out, she saw Huang Yuanshan and the big boss Liu Menglin and his group.

Boss Liu held a cigar in one hand and waved at her, "Come here. Yuanmeng Company heard that our company's new play is about to be completed, and they want to find a female star to shoot a set of advertisements for their new product, a bicycle. The remuneration is quite good. I asked the advertising department to recommend you. If the other party can decide tomorrow, we will sign the contract immediately. What do you think?"

Wen Tingli was overjoyed in her heart, but she tried her best to appear calm on the surface: "Let the company arrange everything."

Boss Liu turned around and smiled at the people around him, "Look at this, he's quite a sly guy, born to be a star."

Everyone present laughed, including Huang Yuanshan. Since the film had come to an end, she was in a better mood day by day. She smiled and continued, "Come to the company early tomorrow morning. Zhensheng Evening News will do an exclusive interview with you. I'll be by your side to help you review it."

"Do an interview for me?" "You are the leading actress of this film. Is it strange to ask you to do an interview?"

Wen Tingli's heart was pounding.

She underestimated the influence of Golden Pictures in the industry. Before the film was released, it seemed that all the flash lights in the world were aimed at her, including commercials and interviews... This made her feel overwhelmed, but also gave rise to a strong and fresh sense of excitement.

No wonder so many people in the world are obsessed with fame and fortune. These things seem to be really addictive.

You know, before officially entering the set, her greatest interest was to get paid.

But now she vaguely realized that finishing the film was not the end for her, but a new starting point.

Huang Yuanshan waved his hand in front of Wen Tingli and said with a smile: "Why are you in a daze? Remember to come to the company early tomorrow."

***
The next day at noon, Wen Tingli and Huang Yuanshan took a car to Dengtuomo Hotel to be interviewed by Zhensheng Evening News.

This place was designated by Huang Yuanshan in advance. She likes to eat and chat with journalists in the hotel restaurant. She said that this state makes it most relaxing to be interviewed.

At the dinner table, Wen Tingli did not talk much. She only answered a few words humorously when the other party asked her to answer a question.

Huang Yuanshan was quite satisfied with Wen Tingli's alertness.

It was already dusk when the interview ended. The group came out of the hotel. The photographer saw the sunset was just right and on a whim, he asked to take a few photos of Wen Tingli and Huang Yuanshan's backs on the sidewalk in front of the door.

This is one of the most popular filming techniques in Hollywood today. Wen Tingli and Huang Yuanshan were not shy people, so they agreed on the spot.

This move naturally attracted the curiosity of passers-by. Many people stopped to watch, and some quietly asked: "Who is the celebrity taking the photo over there?"

"He looks familiar, but I can't remember his name. I heard he's a newcomer at Golden Pictures and has a movie coming out soon."

"Eh! Could it be the "Beauty of the South" that made so much noise a while ago?"

There was a car parked quietly in an inconspicuous corner across the street. Seeing this, someone snorted.

"Look at how proud she is. Is she going to be a big star? I never thought that the Wen family would have a day when their ancestors would become famous!"

Another person in the car smiled and said to Qiu Dapeng: "Master Qiu, I have found out what you asked me to investigate for you. Look at that gambling debt..."

Qiu Dapeng put out the cigarette in his hand and said slowly, "Xiao Deng, your gambling debt is not a small amount. You owe 181 yuan to the st General Association, and you owe another yuan to Mr. Chen of Tongxingfang. Do you think that this little bit of information is enough to pay off the gambling debt of yuan?"

Deng Tianxing pleaded, "Master Qiu, you are a well-known figure in the White Dragon Gang. With just one word from you, not to mention 15,000 yuan, even 500,000 yuan can be written off. You know, I was once glorious. If it weren't for the ruthless behavior of Mr. Lu, I wouldn't have ended up like this."

Qiu Dapeng patted Deng Tianxing's shoulder with a friendly look and said, "Mr. Deng, you may have misunderstood. I, Qiu, don't care about your past at all. I only care about whether you can get more useful information from Wen Tingli."

Deng Tianxing looked embarrassed: "Wen Tingli is very cautious. My friend has spent a lot of effort but has not been able to find any useful clues. She is a rich lady after all. It is not appropriate to let her take the risk to steal other people's things."

Qiu Dapeng's eyes flashed with a fierce look: "What do you think of the White Dragon Gang? How dare you talk nonsense in front of me! I only care about who shot my son in the first place. I will give you three days to bring back something really useful, otherwise-"

Deng Tianxing shuddered, gritted his teeth and said, "I'll think of another way!"

After Deng Tianxing left, Qiu Dapeng once again shot his bayonet-like eyes at Wen Tingli across the street.

Unexpectedly, the investigation ultimately led to Wen Tingli being the one responsible.

Originally, he had never doubted Wen Tingli. After all, he had watched her grow up, and he had never heard that she could use a gun. So even after learning that she was with Lu Shicheng, he never thought that his son's assassination had anything to do with Wen Tingli.

Fortunately, God had a vision, and that day he heard this kid named Deng talk about something in the 181 General Hall...

During that period, the kid named Deng had just been kicked out of the film industry by the Lu family. He took advantage of the fact that he still had some spare money and spent all day hanging out in casinos.

On the day he went to the 181 Club, he happened to see Deng Tianxing fighting with another guest. The other guest seemed to know a little about why Deng Tianxing was kicked out of Golden Film Company. He mocked Deng Tianxing to his face, saying that he was a fool. Not only did a grown man plot against a little girl, but he was also banned by the entire film industry because his plan failed. How dare he follow others to try their luck in the casino? He should get out as soon as possible.

Deng Tianxing was furious and cursed, "You mean Wen Tingli? If I hadn't shown mercy to her, she wouldn't have gotten to be the heroine."

When Qiu Dapeng heard the three words "Wen Tingli", he hurriedly asked his men to pull them apart. He bought a few sets of chips and gave them to Deng Tianxing, and asked Deng Tianxing hypocritically what happened.

Although Deng Tianxing was brave, he did not dare to fool the people from the White Dragon Gang, so he had to stammer and tell them what happened that day.

"My brother is so tall and strong, and he pushed her down such a high staircase. Even if she didn't break any bones, her face would have been disfigured. But she went to the company for the audition the next day as if nothing had happened. Do you think there's something fishy going on with this Wen guy?"

Qiu Dapeng's mind moved: "Do you suspect that she has any skills?"

Deng Tianxing shook his head and said, "I don't know, but my brother said that this little girl had an incredibly quick reaction and knew how to protect herself. She rolled down more than 20 steps without losing even a single tooth. Who would believe this if she hadn't learned any martial arts?"

Qiu Dapeng's head was buzzing. Could it be that this child was stimulated by his father's affairs and secretly found a way to become a disciple?
He knew early on that Wen Tingli's newly rented apartment was not far from the scene of the incident, but at that time he did not connect this incident with his son's injury at all.

Moreover, he was busy taking care of his seriously injured son at that time, and had no time to spare for investigation. Now thinking about it, maybe Wen Tingli is not as simple as she seems. If she secretly learned some skills, or even got to know some people in the underworld, then she would have a chance to quietly transfer Lu Shicheng out after shooting Ling Yun. If she had an accomplice, it would be easier to do all this.

No wonder not long after that, Wen Tingli and Lu Shicheng were openly together.

The timing is just too coincidental!

The more Qiu Dapeng thought about it, the more he felt that his speculation was reasonable. The more he thought about it, the more hatred he felt. Thanks to the two hidden gunshots that night, his son has now become a useless person who can only lie paralyzed in bed.

She, Wen Tingli, was doing very well! He was so angry that his lungs were about to explode!

He grinned at the other end with a mouthful of yellow teeth. There was no hurry. The day he found out everything clearly would be the day that this little bitch died!

We’ll see!
***
That evening, Wen Tingli came back from school. Without even having time to drink a sip of water, she hurried into the bedroom to get something.

"Are you going to the crew? Take the lunch box on the table." Mrs. Zhou said after him.

"No, it's Miss Dong from Xinxin Department Store's birthday and I have to go to wish her a happy birthday." Wen Tingli found the birthday present she had prepared for Dong Qinfang and hurriedly sat in front of the mirror to comb her hair.

As she combed her hair, she turned her eyes to the phone in the living room. Luo Shuhong's behavior during the day was really suspicious. In her opinion, there was probably someone behind it. But this time she didn't want to wait for the other party to reveal himself. She wanted to take the initiative.

Just after finishing the call to Li Chengying, Mrs. Zhou came over and handed a stack of newspapers to Wen Tingli.

"Look at this. I asked the neighbors these days, and they all said there was no decent kindergarten nearby. But I ran into Mrs. Liu from across the street yesterday evening, and she told me that she accidentally saw a few nursery school recruitment advertisements while reading the newspaper yesterday. There was a Yangzhen kindergarten opened by the Commercial Press, which is very formal and not too far from here. She asked me to show you the newspaper."

Wen Tingli happily took the newspaper. After the Chinese New Year, Xiao Taozi would be four years old. Mrs. Zhou was illiterate, and it was not a long-term solution for her to stay at home all the time. She had to find a kindergarten for Xiao Taozi as soon as possible.

There was indeed an enrollment notice for Yangzhen Kindergarten on the advertisement board. She hurriedly wrote down the contact information on it and said to Mrs. Zhou, "Mrs. Liu is probably not back from get off work yet. There are a few boxes of chocolate and black tea bought from a foreign company in the cabinet. You can take them to the other side later. Mrs. Liu is very Western-styled and she will definitely like this gift. Just tell her that it was my idea and thank her for helping to provide the information."

Mrs. Zhou agreed, and Wen Tingli was about to put away the newspaper when she suddenly found a notice on the right page.

[The Shanghai Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting on January 1st of the Gregorian calendar year. President Lu will personally preside over the meeting. The venue is set at xx Hotel on xx Road. People from all walks of life are welcome to attend. ]

Wen Tingli's heart suddenly sank.

She was probably allergic to the word "Lu" and felt dizzy just by seeing the news.

But she quickly calmed down. Perhaps, it was only Mr. Lu who came back. After all, no matter how influential the Lu family was in Shanghai, Lu Shicheng was not yet qualified to be the president of the Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce given his age and qualifications.

Besides, even if Lu Shicheng really came back, what does it have to do with her?

She tossed the newspaper back onto the coffee table nonchalantly.

(End of this chapter)