Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 553 Extra Chapter 1: Sister Meng's Ideal Type
Shilihe Residential Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

In a two-story house with a front yard, a young man and woman were looking around at the brand-new furniture.

"This guy did a great job, it's much bigger than the old house in Xingcheng."

Inside the room, Li Xueqin looked around and exclaimed in admiration.

“The lease on the previous house expired, so we moved to this new one.” Mao Buyi, standing to the side, added, “If you count it that way, our ‘Mao Xue Wang’ has been around for a year now.”

"You know what, it's been a year already."

As they talked, they remarked that "Mao Xue Wang" was a talk show they co-produced with Tencent Video. It had a gentle and refreshing style with almost no exciting moments, so the viewership was average, and it had always been difficult to attract sponsors. The guests were basically invited through their personal connections.

I originally thought this show would end after one season, but unexpectedly, it has been filmed for a year with many ups and downs, and it looks like it can continue.

The two toured the house, marveling at the sights, until the doorbell rang. Stepping outside, they saw a strikingly beautiful woman standing at the gate of the front yard. She wore a light, elegant coat, exuding a mature and sophisticated air.

The large picture frame he was carrying was a bit of a mood killer.

Upon seeing the woman at the door, Li Xueqin and Mao Buyi immediately went to greet her, cheerfully welcoming her as if they knew her well: "Welcome our first guest for the 'Mao Xue Wang' Autumn Special, Sister Meng Ziyi!"

"Hi~~"

Meng Ziyi greeted him sweetly, her previous quiet and elegant demeanor vanishing instantly.

"You can come in by simply pushing the door open."

"Huh? That's so unprofessional."

Meng Ziyi muttered something, but still obediently pushed open the gate, handed the picture frame to Mao Buyi, and then excitedly hugged Li Xueqin: "Baby~~"

"Oh my god!"

Li Xueqin was suddenly embraced by Meng Ziyi's enthusiasm, but as a friend of more than two years, she was used to Meng Ziyi's style and calmly accepted her.

"What are you carrying?"

"A mural is a gift I brought."

"Then why is there a chili sauce bottle depicted on it?"

"I think 'Mao Xue Wang' is a great show to watch while eating, which is perfect for you guys... See how much effort I put into it?"

"Wow, that's so thoughtful, thank you so much, Sister Meng."

The three men from Northeast China stood at the doorway exchanging pleasantries for a while before finally going inside.

As a talk show with no particular theme, "Mao Xue Wang" relies almost entirely on the performance of the two MCs and the "chemistry" between them and the guests of the episode.

This kind of show can be simple or complex, depending mainly on the personality of the guests.

Fortunately, this episode featured Meng Ziyi, who had worked with Li Xueqin on two seasons of "Peach Blossom Village" and was quite close to her. She was also good friends with Mao Buyi. Coupled with her naturally gifted personality for variety shows, even casual conversations never lacked awkwardness.

"Which side should Sister Meng sit on?" Li Xueqin asked, pointing to the sofa.

"Then I'll sit on the left." Meng Ziyi sat down on the left side of the sofa. "My left side looks better."

"Haha, I knew you'd do it this way."

"Well, Sister Meng loves to look pretty..." Meng Ziyi said coquettishly.

Li Xueqin laughed: "I was just thinking that you look like you're here to buy our 'Mao Xue Wang' magazine."

"Is this outfit okay?" Meng Ziyi's eyes lit up, and she proudly raised her head: "I've been going for this mature and elegant style lately."

After saying that, she straightened her back as if to appear dignified.

"Saying that out loud already makes it sound less mature and elegant," Mao Buyi added quietly.

When Meng Ziyi was exposed, she covered her mouth in embarrassment, and the three of them burst out laughing.

"Sister Meng is amazing now, a leading lady at a 4 billion yuan box office!"

Li Xueqin said enviously, "When we were recording this season of 'Peach Blossom Village' last month, we were saying that it was a good thing Yezi wasn't here, otherwise, with her, you, and Brother Jun, our Peach Blossom Village would look like a telecom fraud park."

She was referring, of course, to the movie "All for the Winner," which was released two months prior.

When the film was first conceived and produced, Arc Light Entertainment anticipated that its box office performance would be similar to that of "Detective Chinatown 1" and "Sheep Without a Shepherd," which would be between 10 billion and 20 billion yuan.

Unexpectedly, news about industrial parks and telecom fraud in northern Myanmar has repeatedly topped the trending searches over the past year, becoming a hot topic of national concern. As the first big-screen film to directly address this issue, "All or Nothing" has naturally seen its popularity rise accordingly.

The pre-sale box office of up to 5 million yuan had already demonstrated the market's anticipation. However, after the actual release, the audience's enthusiasm for the film still exceeded the expectations of all the creators and producers.

By the end of its regular theatrical run, the film had grossed over 39 billion yuan. A two-month extension was then secured, and the total box office undeniably surpassed the 40 billion yuan mark.

Meanwhile, as the leading lady of the film, Meng Ziyi's personal box office performance also soared, making her the second highest-grossing actress among the post-95 generation of actresses.

Lin Yun, a "Stephen Chow Girl," ranks first, but her box office success is mainly attributed to her roles in "The Mermaid" and "Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back." Audiences primarily watch Stephen Chow's films, so her ranking is somewhat inflated.

In comparison, Meng Ziyi's "All or Nothing" certainly benefited from its subject matter, but it is indeed a work without a big IP or a big cast, so it is still quite solid.

During this period, not only Li Xueqin's friends, but also a group of "90s flowers" and "95s flowers" in the industry were filled with envy and jealousy towards her.

Even Li Qin, after seeing the film's success, felt a little envious and told Meng Bai that if she had known the box office would reach 40 billion, she would have taken the role even if it wasn't suitable for her.

Of course, there were bound to be some rumors, since everyone knows who's behind this girl.

Some haters even left comments online, saying that Meng Ziyi's 40 billion yuan box office was purely a fluke. They claimed that without Meng Bai's backing, she would never have gotten the lead role in such a big-budget film.

Meng Ziyi naturally saw these comments, but she didn't take them to heart at all. Firstly, she had gotten used to them over the years, and secondly, she didn't think there was anything wrong with what was said.

I'm happy to rely on my uncle, so what?
The three friends chatted casually. After listening to "Sister Meng's special version" of "Undyed", Mao Buyi finally couldn't bear to ruin his own song any longer and suggested that everyone go eat.

"How's your love life going, Sister Meng?"

As a variety show, even during meals, there needs to be topics to discuss. Li Xueqin, as a veteran of variety shows, naturally knew this and asked this popular question.

Sure enough, Mao Buyi, sitting opposite him, also had his eyes light up.

No one can escape the craving for gossip.

Meng Ziyi didn't hide anything from this question, took a sip of her cola and shook her head: "No, actually it's been quite many years since I've been in a relationship."

"No way!?" Li Xueqin looked over in surprise.

"It's been so many years since I've dated anyone. One reason is that I don't have much time, and another is that I haven't met anyone I know who I feel is suitable," Meng Ziyi said while eating.

"So, Sister Meng, what's your ideal type?" "What, are you planning to introduce me to someone?"

"Well, who knows, there might be one that's suitable."

Meng Ziyi put down her rice bowl and pondered, "My ideal type..."

"Brilliant!" Mao Buyi, standing nearby, blurted out.

"how do you know?"

"Isn't that what you said when we were watching your show together earlier?"

They had just watched a compilation of Meng Ziyi's past variety show "famous moments," and this topic was mentioned in one episode of "Happy Camp."

Li Xueqin pressed further, "Then how high is considered high?"

Without thinking, Meng Ziyi blurted out: "Above 83, 184."

"How do I return these coins, some in small change and some in large bills?"

"Usually, people who can speak this specifically are told to speak by a designated person."

Li Xueqin and Mao Buyi transformed into "gossipy besties," whispering among themselves.

Upon hearing this, a familiar figure flashed through Meng Ziyi's mind, and a faint blush instantly rose to her cheeks. She quickly coughed lightly, "No, not really..."

"Besides being tall, what other characteristics does he have?"

The show aimed for this ambiguous effect, so Li Xueqin and the other person didn't give her a chance to explain and continued to ask questions.

Interrupted for a moment, Meng Ziyi forgot what she had just been thinking of refuting and said blankly, "Also... he has to be a bit humorous, the kind that makes us happy when we're together; he also has to be more mature than me, because sometimes I don't think things through, and he can help me think of things; we'll often joke around, but he'll be very reliable when it matters, and he can give me a sense of security..."

After saying all that in one breath, she suddenly realized that she might have said a bit too much, and quickly gave an awkward laugh, looking at the two people beside her: "Did I describe things in too much detail?"

"That's quite specific. If you say a little more, I feel like I'll be able to guess who it is."

As a friend, Li Xueqin offered to clarify: "But sometimes the conditions described are very detailed, which may not necessarily be based on any particular person. It is more likely that they are a combination of the characteristics that one hopes the other person would have."

Meng Ziyi quickly nodded in agreement, and the two MCs also skipped this part and changed to a new topic.

The recording of the show officially ended only after the three of them finished their meal and estimated that they had enough material for this episode.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Meng."

Li Xueqin, who had removed her microphone, walked over and said, "When the production team told me about the cast for the first episode a couple of days ago, I said that it's really hard for you to invite people these days."

"No way, I'm here to support you right away."

"Yes, I support you! Thank you, Sister Meng!"

Meng Ziyi chuckled, then said regretfully, "It's a pity I'm going back to the Northeast tomorrow, otherwise Xiao Ye would be back in Beijing, and we could have gone out together."

Are you leaving tomorrow?

"Yes, I was nominated for Best Actress at the Changchun Film Festival."

"That's impressive." As an i person, Li Xueqin wasn't too concerned about the gathering. "It's good too, now I can go home."

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't go. Anyway, I won't get the nomination in the end."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Meng Ziyi suddenly asked hesitantly, "Will all the questions from today's program be broadcast?"

"You mean the part where they asked about your ideal type? Don't worry, the show will definitely air it." Li Xueqin said with a smile, "What, are you afraid the person you described will see it?"

She had only said it casually, but to her surprise, Meng Ziyi nodded seriously.

"No, there really is such a person?" Li Xueqin couldn't contain her excitement. "Is it someone we know?"

"It's hard to say, you probably don't know him."

"Oh, that's hard to guess then," Li Xueqin clicked her tongue. "So, you didn't tell them what you were thinking?"

Meng Ziyi pursed her lips: "I can't say..."

After saying that, she grinned, revealing a wistful smile.

Seeing this, Li Xueqin felt it wasn't appropriate to continue asking, so she joked, "It's okay, our show's viewership is just average, he might not even see it."

“He will see it,” Meng Ziyi said confidently. “He will watch all my shows.”

Li Xueqin: ? ? ?

Are you trying to pull a romantic drama on me, even though we're not sisters?
Faced with her friend's seemingly complicated situation, Li Xueqin ultimately decided to let it go and stop asking around.

……

After saying goodbye to "Mao Xue" and the other person, Meng Ziyi asked her assistant to take her home.

As is her usual practice, she would have her assistants stay to play mahjong until midnight. But today she wasn't in the mood, so she told them to go home as well after she got home.

After washing up and getting ready, Meng Ziyi lay on the bed and picked up her tablet. The desktop background was a photo of Meng Bai. His expression still retained a hint of youthfulness; it was clearly taken several years ago.

She grinned and gently tapped the forehead area on the screen.

"It used to be so much better. Now you always look so serious, it's not cute at all."

She muttered something to herself, then opened WeChat and sent a message.

Uncle, I'm going back to Changchun tomorrow for a film festival, will you go?

After waiting a while and not receiving a reply, she pouted, but didn't care.

With so many aunts, my uncle has been getting busier and busier these past two years.

But it doesn't matter, since my niece only has me.

She hugged the tablet to her chest and snuggled into the cozy blankets.

In her half-awake state, a thought suddenly occurred to her—

What would have happened if I hadn't recognized my uncle back then?

(End of this chapter)