Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 595 The leading lady cheats on the leading man?

French time, January 23rd, morning.

Shen Juan concluded his trip to France and, amidst cheers from his fans, departed Paris for London, England.

Considering that he has been working non-stop these past few days, his only task today is the online recording of the Spring Festival Gala stage.

That's right. In order to ensure that the ratings of this year's Spring Festival Gala do not decline significantly compared to previous years, the director invited Shen Juan back, who had previously said he did not have time to participate in the rehearsals. He said that all he needed to do was record the stage in advance, and he didn't need to worry about anything else. They would take care of everything.

Since the director has said so, and since they've pleaded so earnestly and acted so emotionally, what else is there to say?
Just find a location and record it!

As for the song selection?

Just use "I'm Alive" directly.

The lyrics are also very positive and encouraging, aligning perfectly with the theme of loyalty and righteousness in the present moment.

In fact, some of the obscure singles in Shen Juan's music library are simply lacking an opportunity for exposure.

If he ever selects a song to perform on stage, with the marketing and promotion provided by Starlink, it could become a new hitsong, widely used by netizens and thus dominate TikTok.

This is the ultimate form of the legendary human singing!
The first meal after landing was treated by the ambassador to the UK.

The conversation was similar to the lunch arranged by the Chinese ambassador to France, mainly encouraging Shen Juan to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries and maintain friendship between young people. The older generation of people in society have fixed mindsets that are difficult to correct, but teenagers can still be reformed.

Although, with the combined propaganda and hype from government media, achieving this goal is almost an impossible task.

It is very difficult for an individual to truly change the mindset of a group.

Even if he is MJ and AS.

But if this can be accomplished, even if it only advances a tiny part, it will be a significant contribution and achievement.

Moreover, this period was clearly not yet the time when Guo Jia would exert his full strength, nor was it the peak stage when Shen Juan would not collapse later on.

In fact, it was precisely because of the sudden outbreak of a global patriotic movement last year that hindered the development of various industries that the honors and influence of Shen Juan after releasing Leviathan in 2019 and launching a global tour, and nearly sweeping the Grammys in 2020, were significantly delayed.

Take, for example, the knight's medal I just received.

If I could have gone abroad last year, I would have gotten it then.

Then the second half of the Leviathan Era tour can continue, visiting all the countries and regions that were not yet visited, such as Russia, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and West Asian countries, further increasing the total box office of the tour and letting the world witness his omnipotent pop art.

In addition, many offline events, music festival stages and exposure opportunities were also forced to be put on hold, forcing Shen Juan to stay in the domestic entertainment industry for a long time and only contact the outside world through the Internet. He lost the opportunity to hold a championship parade, announce to the world and celebrate with fans as is customary after winning the championship.

Simply put, Shen Juan had just been crowned the world's number one last year when the crisis hit, and many offline activities could not be carried out. All the traffic and popularity were concentrated online, which led to many ordinary people knowing that Shen Juan was very powerful and awesome, but lacking a direct and accurate sense of his real influence.

Thanks to his leadership in organizing a star-studded global charity concert last year, which solidified his transcendent status in the entertainment industry, including the subsequent release of AS3 "Sisyphus," which also held up well. Compared to AS2, it not only achieved a new breakthrough in commercial performance and broke many long-standing records, but also showcased the musicality that had previously been criticized for "Leviathan being too commercial." Otherwise, he might have fallen from grace so quickly after his coronation, becoming the shortest-lived world number one in history, under the combined attack of Drake and other powerful groups and Western media.

Therefore, in order to extend the height and length of this golden path as much as possible, we should proceed slowly and steadily.

There's no need to rush into chasing legends.

4 p.m. London time.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, blew across the grassy slopes of the white cliffs, brushing against the hems of the clothes of the three people who had just finished their work and rushed here from London.

Shen Juan sat on the picnic mat that Xiao Shen had brought, biting into the sandwich that Wang Chuan had handed him, quietly indulging in this rare peace and tranquility. Even though it was a cold winter, he felt that even the wind carried a gentle warmth, as if spring had never left.

This made him marvel at the beauty and wonder of the world; perhaps this is the meaning of traveling in a foreign land.

Encountering different people and things is indeed very interesting.

Wang Churan sat to Shen Juan's left, oblivious to the sea breeze ruffling her hair. Her attention was entirely focused on her husband, Shen Juan, finding his chewing posture incredibly cute, comforting, and adorable. His cheeks were bulging, and his eyes were vacant, making him look like a giant, goofy hamster.

Thinking this, the smile on her face became even more pronounced.

I really want to pounce on him, hug him, and kiss him passionately!

Shen Yujie squatted to Shen Juan's right, happily holding up her camera and constantly looking for the right angle to take pictures. She never thought that one day she would be able to come to Baiya with the person she liked. Although it was winter and the grass and trees were withered, it was far from the Baiya in her memory, but the smile on her face never stopped.

Because often the scenery itself isn't important; what's truly important is the person who accompanies her to see the scenery.

And that's exactly the kind of person the senior is!

Have you seen "Atonement"?

Shen Juan looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Shen Yujie's eyes looked a little sad. He broke the silence softly: "The male and female protagonists of this movie did not end up together. Because of a misunderstanding and a lie, they missed each other for a lifetime. The ending scene of the movie seems to have been filmed at Baiya."

Wang Churan nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he also expressed his thoughts: "What made me most angry and upset about this movie was the female lead's sister. She is the one who really needs to atone for her sins, but the male and female leads' experiences seem to be atoning for her sins, which is ridiculous, you know? Juanjuan, have you seen this movie too?"

"I've seen it. I watched it while jogging in the hotel gym during our London tour two years ago." Shen Juan gazed at the distant blue sky, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he chuckled softly and said, "Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. That's the line, right?"

"Yes! Senior, do you remember that clearly?"

"Because this sentence really left a deep impression."

Shen Juan withdrew his gaze from the sky and turned to look at the vast grassland in the distance, his expression somewhat complicated and wistful.

I remember Xiao Ye recommended this movie to him back then, but I never expected that I would be talking about it with someone else in Baiya now.

Moreover, perhaps it was the relaxed feeling of being in an unfamiliar environment that amplified his inner emotions. For a moment, a faint sense of guilt welled up in his heart, as if he had mistreated Xiao Ye, as if he had become more and more reckless after receiving favoritism. He couldn't help but sigh softly, feeling ashamed of his immaturity.

Indeed, there is no end to learning. He still has a very long way to go to achieve true inner harmony.

For the rest of the time, the three chatted aimlessly, switching topics freely around things that interested them.

Shen Juan first talked about what he saw and heard when he toured London two years ago. He said that some of the British people he met, especially the middle-aged and elderly, had a strange self-confidence, as if they were immersed in the glory of the British Empire and could not extricate themselves. Even he, a Shanghai native who was domineering in China and looked down on everyone as a country bumpkin, felt suppressed in front of them, which made him, a son of Shanghai, very unhappy (just joking to make his sister laugh).

He then added that British cuisine, which is said to be associated with stargazing, is not as bad as he had imagined.

Of course, it's not exactly delicious. If he wants to eat foreign food here, he usually goes to French restaurants or Japanese restaurants.

It's true that Japan has done a great job in cultural export in recent years. Not only has Japanese cuisine become a fashionable item that reflects personal taste in many countries, but even some third-world countries in South America are almost dominated by Japan and South Korea. Japan relies on anime and games to make up the majority of its revenue, while South Korea relies on K-pop to make up a smaller portion.

The Chinese still need to work harder.

Stop messing around with traditional culture all the time. It's not that we should abandon these things passed down from our ancestors, but we can't treat them as the only means of exporting them to the outside world. After all, there is bound to be a visible difference in appeal between traditional content and modern products born from the characteristics of the times.

In short, only by first establishing a solid foundation for exporting popular culture can we then create fertile ground for exporting traditional culture.

If you get the order wrong, you won't get anything done.

Xiao Shen talked about her experience of coming to London alone to find Shen Juan on her 18th birthday two years ago. She shared some things that Shen Juan hadn't seen from his perspective. It was only at this moment that Wang Churan realized why this younger sister loved Shen Juan so much. Her story was no less impressive than hers!

She is not the only female protagonist in this story!

Although she had already prepared herself mentally, she knew that most of the rumors about Shen Juan's love life online were true.

But after actually hearing Shen Juan's love stories with other girls, it was hard not to feel a little heartbroken and sad.

However, she quickly composed herself and then shared her feelings about meeting Shen Juan for the first time in Paris, allowing Shen Yujie, who had unknowingly stabbed her in the back, to hear her story with Shen Juan and understand her feelings at that moment.

Time slipped by quietly in a relaxed chat atmosphere.

As the sun gradually sets, it paints the sky a warm orange-red, and the afterglow spreads across the grass, casting a soft halo over it.

"Has the afternoon already passed like that?" Wang Churan gazed at the afterglow in the sky and sighed softly, "Time really flies."

"I think what's faster than time is how quickly you two have grown closer." Shen Juan looked at the two of them leaning together, choosing photos to post on Weibo, and said with a smile that was both happy and gratified: "You were so awkward when you met on the plane a few days ago, but today you can hug each other and film a Douyin video."

"It's as if Yu Jie and I are the kind of people who are hard to get along with or deal with," Wang Churan rolled her eyes at Shen Juan.

Of course, there are reasons for this.

In Wang Chuan's view at the beginning, Xiao Shen either teamed up with Dilraba, who had acted with him before, or was under Hu Lianxin's command. He didn't seem like someone worth getting to know well.

She was worried about being betrayed by Xiao Shen, the mole.

But she later discovered that she had misunderstood the other person; the younger sister actually had no intention of forming a clique at all.

So innocent and kind! A complete good girl!
He focused all his attention on Shen Juan!
She is a lone wolf, just like him.

Thinking about it this way, it's actually quite normal.

After all, having a good relationship doesn't mean they should team up to win the championship.

Xiao Shen is still very old-school.

In an era where everyone is looking for opportunities to team up and compete for the championship, one person, one city, is absolutely worthy of respect!

So Wang Chuan, who thought he had figured out Xiao Shen's psychology, began to show kindness. Because her first opponent was Sister Tian, ​​everyone she met afterward seemed kind and gentle. Xiao Shen happened to be harmless and loved making friends, so the two of them started playing together.

Shen Juan smiled and didn't dwell on the topic.

After all, a harmonious and stable fishpond is a good thing for him.

Since they are all so proactive, he naturally won't interfere, lest he make things worse.

After a while, the sea breeze blew for a bit longer, and the sun went down a little further.

"It's getting dark, let's go back."

"Okay!" the two girls replied sweetly in unison. "Did you have fun today?"

“I’m happy every moment you’re with me!” Wang Chuan said with a smile, and Xiao Shen nodded in agreement.

Shen Juan took in their reactions and laughed as well: "Even if you say that, I won't give you any extra points."

"Wow~ Ah Juan is really strict!"

"Because it's already a perfect score."

"Haha, I knew you had a backup plan!"

"I actually anticipated that there would be more to the story with my senior."

"Looks like Xiao Shen still understands me!"

"Hey! Why are you only praising her and not me?"

"Because she also has the surname Shen, is that a valid reason?"

Wang Churan rolled her eyes: "You're awesome."

"Actually, you can change your surname to Shen. After all, wasn't your original surname Song? Just like Americans take their husband's surname after marriage!"

Hearing that Shen Juan wanted to marry her, even if it was just a hypothetical scenario, Wang Churan was very happy, so she smiled and replied, "It's possible, but Juanjuan, have you considered one thing?"

Shen Juan raised an eyebrow: "What's the problem?"

"If I change it from Song to Wang and then to Shen, wouldn't I become a traitor who serves three masters? Netizens would laugh at me to the heavens!"

"The real and fake Lü Bu?"

"What do you mean?" Wang Churan didn't understand at all.

"They say Sister Tian is like Lu Bu, and you've just earned the title of 'a slave to three masters,' so aren't you just running into her again?"

Don't mention this person's name in front of me!

"What? You can breathe on a name?"

"Can't you?"

"Of course you can, after all, you're an old man!"

After a moment of silence, Wang Chuan spoke softly, "Shen Juan."

"what?"

"I really want to hit you!"

The sea breeze is still blowing, and the white cliffs stand silently.

The three of them walked back the way they came.

They were filled with laughter and joy all the way, enjoying themselves immensely.

After returning to London by car and dropping Xiao Shen and Wang Chuan off at the restaurant they had booked, Shen Juan said goodbye to them and went to another restaurant. He followed the waiter into a private room reserved for distinguished guests, and when he pushed open the heavy oak door, he saw that the friend who had invited him to dinner was already waiting for a long time.

Shen Juan took off his mask and smiled at her.

"Let me think. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

Taylor quickly stood up from her seat and warmly opened her arms to welcome her long-lost friend, her smile particularly radiant. She had been living in London with her boyfriend, Ai Wen, so when she heard that Shen Juan had come to London from Paris, she immediately contacted him and arranged a dinner to deepen their friendship.

“I don’t know, but I feel it will be a very, very long time, so long that when I see your face again today, all the adjectives I racked my brains to come up with will pale in comparison to your true appearance. You absolutely deserve all the praise and compliments.”

"Are you writing poetry?" Shen Juan smiled.

"Perhaps it's because you always inspire creativity in people?" Taylor hugged Shen Juan, who had come over.

So, will there be a new album this year?

"We'll see. I released too many songs last year, so this year I'll probably focus on re-recording my old albums."

"Call me anytime if you need help."

"Alex, you're always so sweet!"

After being seated, the two began ordering from the menu.

Since Shen Juan was new to the place, he didn't know which of the restaurant's specialties and signature dishes were good, so he handed over the responsibility to Taylor, the "host" who had been staying there for several months, while he took out his phone to browse current events.

The French are still debating whether the Knight's Medal should be awarded to Shen Juan, and whether he deserves such a prestigious honor.

Of course, it is mainly a confrontation between young people and middle-aged and elderly people.

The vast majority of young people sided with Shen Juan.

Only elderly people would think it inappropriate to allow a Chinese singer to receive an award so ostentatiously at the Élysée Palace.

The British are having a blast.

They were so eager to see Shen Juan!

In fact, Alovers in the UK organized pick-up events at Heathrow and several other airports that serve private jets this morning, but unfortunately they didn't manage to run into Shen Juan. After learning about this from his assistant, Shen Juan updated his Instagram to thank these enthusiastic fans.

The Japanese are reflecting.

They were pondering why, after chanting the slogan of "leaving Asia and joining Europe" for so many years, a Chinese person had become a sensation in North America and enjoyed the highest level of preferential treatment in Europe. So they began to reflect, to be angry, to vent, and to urge young people to work hard!

South Koreans are envious and jealous.

At this moment, Shen Juan is exactly the perfect superstar they envisioned, with no flaws whatsoever!
Unfortunately, Shen Juan is not a South Korean.

Therefore, they can only use Shen Juan's early trainee background to embellish their own image and urge the young people to improve.

The buzz surrounding the monk's alleged childbirth continues domestically, but discussions about his alleged relationship with Dai Yun overseas have subsided considerably.

This is also normal.

After all, the group that started the trouble has been sued.

Furthermore, the authorities specifically arrested a group of online trolls whose IP addresses were located overseas, and directly labeled them as foreign forces invading the internet.

In this situation, anyone who still dares to stir up trouble for Shen Juan probably doesn't want their own citizenship anymore; they're practically a walking warning of 50!
A short while later, the waiter knocked on the door and began serving the dishes.

The two chatted and ate until a little after eight o'clock.

Considering that Taylor is not single at the moment, it is not convenient for her to spend too much time alone with men. Even if they did nothing wrong, if the matter is exposed, it will cause great damage to their image. After all, there is a big difference between a single playboy and a habitual homewrecker who specializes in interfering in other people's relationships.

In the eyes of people in Europe and America, who have relatively open views on sex, Shen Juan can play with those "ownerless things" because they are all adults with normal sexual orientations. There is nothing wrong with it being a matter of mutual consent. However, he cannot plunder other people's things, as that would be breaking the rules and challenging the bottom line of social morality.

Therefore, after settling the bill and paying the waiter's tip, in order to reduce the space for unscrupulous media to exploit, highlight their pure friendship without any impurities, and create new hot topics to drive traffic for the release of their respective subsequent works, the two decided to openly walk out of the restaurant and wait for their car to land on the roadside.

However, this was precisely the time when people went out to enjoy the nightlife, and the street was already crowded with people, so many passersby recognized the two people whose facial features were still very obvious even though they were wearing masks, and took out their phones to take pictures or send them to friends or upload them to social media platforms.

Fans and netizens who rushed to the scene also joined in, offering their comments on the long-awaited reunion of the world's leading male and female stars.

[Holyshxt! The person who happens to be strolling down that street will probably be happy for life! I'm so envious!]

Is Taylor also trying out Ariana Grande's certified 8inches? I knew she'd be looking for a new boyfriend! Poor Joe Alwyn is about to become a thing of the past!

Even your most handsome boyfriend needs to swipe his card to board the bus!

[This will surely cause all the bus tires to blow out!]

[It's probably just a friendly match. After all, Taylor Swift is playing the strong female lead, so she probably wouldn't date someone who builds a harem.]

I'm really curious whether Ariana will turn against her because of this, although their relationship wasn't exactly great to begin with.

Alex has been incredibly busy these past few days. He's been having dinner with the ambassadors to France and the UK, and then with the LVMH heir and a girl. He even attended a private dinner with Mark Leigh the other night. Sigh, the life of a superstar is so busy! But personally, I think their relationship is just friendship. If they were really dating, they wouldn't be so blatant. After all, Alex hasn't broken up with her ex and is still single. Although she's changed boyfriends like water over the years, she doesn't seem to have cheated like Dong Jie or Li Xiaolu.

[Can pure friendship really have this kind of atmosphere? I apologize to Joe, but I still think Alex and Tay look better together. And I remember that before the full phone recording was released, Alex had publicly supported Tay more than once. One was born in '89, the other in '98—isn't this a kind of alternative redemption story?]

Celebrity gossip is always a hot topic with huge online traffic, and people from all countries are keen to talk about these interesting stories.

What's more, the protagonists of this incident are Shen Juan and Taylor Swift, two world-renowned top pop stars.

Therefore, this dinner not only brought massive exposure and attention to Taylor, who had been silent for a long time, and Shen Juan, who made a high-profile comeback, but also greatly diverted the attention of some North American people, making them shift from the love triangle between Ya Ya, Jiang Mei, and Joshua to the top-tier love triangle between Shen Juan, A Mei, and Taylor.

Although it failed to fulfill the wishes of solo fans for "the idol to be beautiful alone", for Shen Juan, this move was definitely more beneficial than harmful.

After all, today is different from the past.

There are so many forms of entertainment nowadays.

People have too many choices now, and they are no longer as obsessed with a single idol or a single form of entertainment as they used to be.

Therefore, if you want to keep going viral, solidify and enhance your position, you need to constantly enrich your ways of attracting attention, exert efforts from multiple angles, and achieve comprehensive dominance from your works to your star power to your popularity.

(End of this chapter)