Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 374 I Want You to Give Birth
On the evening of August 8, the one-year countdown celebration for the Beijing Olympic Games took place.

As the dusk spread like thick ink on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square was suddenly lit up by 70,000 palace lanterns.

Lu Kuan stood beside the white marble column on the east side of the viewing platform, watching his shadow being stretched out by the light, as if it was about to merge with the 20.08-meter-high countdown device in the center of the square.

The Jinshui River reflects the neon lights, and the sound of iron hooves of the Eight-Nation Alliance a hundred years ago has long been drowned out by the cheers of children.

Thirty thousand electronic Kongming lanterns soared from the base of the Monument to the People's Heroes, each carrying the blessings of the citizens.

Some of them said "Beijing welcomes you", some were painted with Fuwa, and there was a crooked "China will win" lantern, which was made by a migrant worker who was standing on tiptoe to place the lantern.

Lu Kuan noticed that when the lights rose, they spelled out the oracle bone characters for the word "和" in the night sky. This was a cultural Easter egg that he asked the lighting team to embed in the program.

"Hello everyone, this is CCTV's 'Olympic Special Report' program. I'm Zhang Quanling."

"We are now in Tiananmen Square, and the official celebration of the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympics will begin promptly at 20: PM."

"At that time, IOC President Jacques Rogge will send invitations to representatives of national and regional Olympic committees around the world."

"The International Olympic Committee's choice of the host city for this ceremony for the first time shows that the preparations for the Beijing Olympics have been fully recognized by the International Olympic Committee."

The camera turned to the main leaders and guests present at the scene.

"Coming towards us now are the leaders of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and IOC President Jacques Rogge. Behind Leader Liu are the two chief directors, Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou. I believe everyone is familiar with them."

At this moment, the whole of China is filled with joy. In addition to the audiences waiting in front of their TVs to watch the celebration, Wenjie Video is also broadcasting it live simultaneously.

The server is running normally and has been tested by several major live events and Mike Solomon's continuous adjustments to the architecture, making it top-notch.

Today, more and more young people like the new surfing mode represented by blogs, Weibo, and Q&A videos.

The shallow, long-interval interactions of previous forums and BBSs are gradually being replaced.

More college students and young white-collar workers are keen on wandering into new Internet games such as barrage, Weibo topics, and Douban groups.

For example, now, when Boss Lu appeared on the screen in a neat suit, he began to speak after Rogge and other leaders.

The lapel of the suit fits the chest at a perfect sharp angle, and the fabric has a hazy sheen like pouring moonlight.

The shoulder line is as smooth as the spine of an ancient book that has been carefully ironed, and the tailoring of the waist at the back creates a subtle flow with every step.

In an instant, whether it was blogs, Weibo or the backend of Wenjie Video, the interaction data suddenly surged!
We don’t know the leader, have no interest in him, and dare not criticize him.

Your washing machine has finally returned home!
What's wrong with handsome guys? I want to criticize handsome guys too!

The Weibo topic “#Kill the road dog, grab Xixi#” instantly became a big hit, but the official has not yet launched the hot search mode.

The barrage of comments on the question-asking video almost filled up the screen, with anger pouring out from Liu Yifei's fans across the internet;

The blog network for long-form social networking was also very lively. In an instant, many emotional bloggers and fashion bloggers began to write articles about the emotional entanglement between Lu and Liu, and the appearance of Boss Lu's outfit tonight to attract attention.

On the Fairy Sister's tendency to be obsessed with appearance;
"Learn 10 things from Liu Yifei, and you too can win over Lu Laowu!"
"A study of the eight characters of Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan's numerology: can they stay together forever?"
On the Sexual Tension of Men Wearing Suits: Taking Lu Kuan as an Example. . .

In the newly decorated love nest, Liu Yifei did not go to the scene to watch the ceremony, but chose to stay at home and watch the live broadcast.

Her long hair is draped over her shoulders like a waterfall, and the yellow cat-ear headband is eye-catching, highlighting the girl's sweet and lively temperament.

She also wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses with golden butterfly decorations on the frames, which made her look fashionable and exquisite.

Although she is wearing no makeup, for lazy Xiao Liu, this is considered as "full makeup" when taking selfies. She wants to take selfies and post them on Weibo——

After moving to North America two years ago, this can be considered a serious return to the domestic entertainment industry, even though he still needs to complete three more months of credits.

Now that we have returned, we have to resume daily operations according to Yang Siwei's requirements.

What female celebrity doesn’t post on Weibo for a month, and the first post she makes is an official announcement of her relationship?

You, an atypical female star, want to tear down the studio, right?

After Liu Yifei posted her blog, she started surfing the Internet.

While listening to the live broadcast of the one-year countdown celebration, I logged into my second account and browsed through various blog posts, giggling non-stop.

There are quite a lot of fortune-telling bloggers on the blogosphere. Perhaps influenced by Lu Kuan’s identity as a Taoist priest, Xiao Liu read them with great interest.

For example, this one:
Liu Yifei's day master is Gui water, and her pillar is Yin wood. Water and wood are mutually beneficial, just like a spring stream moistening peaches and plums.

There are two Tianyi nobles in the horoscopes of the two people, and the Hongluan star moves in the spouse palace of the current year. They will bless each other and all the difficulties they encounter will turn into peach blossoms.

Verdict: Liuhe resolves the conflict, the evil turns the lock of love, and a happy future together can be expected.

[Zhaluji]: You are truly a master! I think so too. If anyone opens a store in Wenjie Mall, I would support them!
Xiao Liu is surrounded by all kinds of flattery, and he likes and supports all the good words.

I don’t care how you calculate it, as long as the one who can grow old together is a master, the metaphysics of the Book of Changes is truly a cultural treasure!

The innocent girl giggled all the way and looked over, then suddenly became furious!

It's a title party——

"Purple Star Fortune Telling: The Fate of the Fairy Sister and the Genius Director!"

Concubine Liu Yi's monthly order is Wu Fire, which overcomes Lu Kuan's annual order is Geng Metal. Although the real gold can be refined by fire, it secretly damages the foundation of the spirit.

In addition, the two people's horoscopes have Xianchi and Peach Blossom, so although their love is passionate, it is easy to cause a bad relationship.

Verdict: Within three years, you will encounter a catastrophe of separation, with the mirror broken and the hairpins separated.

Concubine Liu Yi: ???

【Zhaluji】: Report! What a bullshit fortune telling, feudal superstition is unacceptable!
She took out her cell phone and wanted to call Zhuang Xu to ban this weird guy forever.

After thinking about it, I felt that it was a bit too much to make a big fuss, so I gave up.

The little girl angrily closed the interface and focused on Lu Kuan's speech, and casually liked the comment [Kill the road dog, grab Xixi] that passed by.

I also reported several female fans who posted comments like "Boss Lu is so handsome, I want to have a baby with you" and "Oppa is so handsome".

Then she posted a message: [My husband is so handsome].

After working non-stop for a year, the life of a homegirl is so colorful.

"Dong dong!"

Liu Xiaoli knocked on the door and came in, holding a fruit plate in her hand.

However, according to my daughter's request, they are all low-sugar vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, and cucumbers.

"Xixi, why don't you watch TV? Staring at the computer so closely is bad for your eyes."

Liu Yifei smiled and pulled her mother to sit down beside her: "There are barrages on the computer. You can chat and watch the live broadcast at the same time. It's interesting."

Liu Xiaoli stared at the screen for a long time, ignoring the dazzling barrage of comments, and her eyes were all on the Olympic director who was speaking impromptu.

It really feels like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law.

"Look at me, all the leaders and staff around here are in their 40s or 50s, and they all have thick gray hair."

"Xiaolu is so young, she's really unique! With this figure, this appearance, this temperament?"

Concubine Liu Yi glanced at her mother's aunt's smile and said teasingly, "Well, it's true. A wide road is like a scorpion shitting."

"Go! Stop talking nonsense!"

The spilled water was talking nonsense and was gently hit by the outward-turned elbow.

It wasn't until Lu Kuan finished speaking that Liu Xiaoli noticed the comments: "Xixi, why are there so many people calling themselves Kua Xiaolu? What the hell is this?"

"This is called Danmu, and it was invented by their company, Wenjie Video. That's why I just said that you can chat while watching."

Liu Xiaoli was surprised: "Is each one speaking in person?"

"Basically, there are also official sidekicks and people who try to guide the conversation."

Liu Xiaoli watched with gusto for a while, then suddenly sighed, "These girls nowadays are really open-minded. They're so shameless when it comes to saying things like 'My husband is so handsome'..."

Liu Yifei's face turned red, then black, as she was hit in the center of her eyebrows by the bullet that my mother accidentally shot.

As a VIP user, she received quite a few likes, and her comment was played repeatedly on the screen. "Oh my! They're all Lu Kuan's female fans. That's normal. The atmosphere has changed now. Everyone should have a sense of entertainment."

"Look at him. He didn't care at all when he was teased before."

The live broadcast of Wenjie Video has entered the next stage, and the host is introducing the domestic entertainment guests on the scene.

"Next up is Ms. Fan Bingbing, a frequent guest at European fashion brand launches and one of our celebrity Olympic ambassadors..."

The room felt a bit chilly. Liu Xiaoli glanced at her daughter's expressionless face, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but say:
"The conditions on the trail are really great, and the people there are more relaxed. Xixi, you..."

Halfway through her words, the old mother hesitated again.

My daughter has just started a relationship, and it doesn't seem appropriate for me to start talking about nonsense.

But Fan Bingbing is a thorn...

The clever Concubine Liu Yi knew what she meant. She picked up a piece of apple with a toothpick and put it into Liu Xiaoli's mouth, smiling gently.

"Mom, you were about to praise me to bits just now, why are you hesitant now?"

Liu Xiaoli smiled bitterly, not knowing if this was her daughter's Achilles' heel, so she had to point it out vaguely:
"Xiaolu was a little naughty in the past, but he was really good to you. I have nothing to worry about."

"It's just that when you young people get along with each other, friction and omissions are inevitable, especially in the circle you work in, which is full of temptations of sensual pleasures."

She clicked on the barrage of comments filling the screen: "Ordinary girls are like this, what about the female celebrities in this circle? There are many people with ulterior motives."

"When encountering problems, don't be impulsive like you were before at Fangfei Garden. Respect and understand each other."

"Especially with his wealth and social status, it's inevitable that one day a female celebrity will deliberately approach him to create some scandal. Would you explode?"

Concubine Liu Yi thought of her heroic charge and said with an embarrassed look, "Am I that stupid?"

"You? When you're calm, you're like a cat, and when you're angry, you're like a donkey!" Liu Xiaoli laughed and said, "Xiaolu's nickname for you is right. Liu Xiaolu is you."

The old mother who had experienced an unhappy marriage shared some of her experiences with her daughter. She knew very well how difficult it was to maintain a relationship.

They used to just have an intimate relationship, but now they are serious boyfriend and girlfriend, and they may plan to get married and have children in the future.

For two people in their twenties, the road was not only long but also complicated.

There are countless wealth, fame, beauty and temptations along the way, and both parties need to maintain trust and respect and face and resolve them together.

Liu Yifei suddenly took Liu Xiaoli's hand and smiled: "I actually know what you and my aunt mean. I thought you were going to say something that should not be said without warning, but I didn't expect that you were advising me to understand him."

The old mother sighed deeply and said, "To be honest, I'd rather you not like this kind of person. He's too powerful and too complicated. You're no different from a little white rabbit in front of him."

"But in this world, love is the only thing that can't be explained. Now that it's done, it's all up to you to manage and maintain it."

Concubine Liu Yi pouted: "You guys are really underestimating me, aren't you? How can I be a little white rabbit? What don't I know?"

She immediately recalled the story of her past and present lives that Boss Lu told her when he was drunk that night in Milan.

The little girl felt a pang in her heart and lowered her eyelids slightly: "Actually, you all don't understand him. His personality is complex and multifaceted, and the reasons behind it are also complex."

"Don't be fooled by his impressive appearance and high position. He is actually very insecure."

"If you lack a sense of security, you will treat everyone as a tool and not want or dare to invest any emotions. In psychology, this is called a Machiavellian personality."

Xiao Liu smiled gently: "Mom, don't you like surfing the Internet now?"

"There are 10,000 posts online right now about how to capture the heart of mainland China's richest man like Liu Yifei, and some are even trying to get plastic surgery to look like me..."

Liu Xiaoli smiled.

"That's not the case at all."

"The reason we can be together is because I always treat him as you, as myself, and as a family member."

"I never thought about what I could get from him or what I could exchange for. I thought about what I could give him, or how I could improve myself and not hold him back."

"When he's dealing with his enemies in the business world, he can always trust me with his back, just like asking you to be the controlling shareholder of Twitter."

"No matter how beautiful a face is, wrinkles will appear one day. No matter how rich you are, you can never be richer than him, not to mention talent or art."

"In fact, all I can give him is a sense of spiritual security, nothing more."

That was all she said lightly, but for others who coveted and wanted to interfere in this relationship, it was an unsolvable problem.

Because Concubine Liu Yi actually risked everything, her own honor and reputation, to protect him.

True love in times of adversity is always more unforgettable than spring flowers and autumn moons - like the tempered and forged spine of a sword, it produces a sound of metal and stone in the desperate situation of broken strings and torn silk.

And those fleeting joys are nothing but embroidery on brocade that fades in an instant.

This is a fairy tale that began when I was 15 years old and can no longer be reproduced or written.

Concubine Liu Yi patted her mother's hand, full of the determination and confidence of a heroine: "So don't worry, no one in this world can give him what I give him."

Then she revealed a proud and spoiled expression: "Besides, even if you ignore all this, I'm not any worse looking than anyone else, I can make a lot of money, and I can even cook his favorite dishes. He cherishes me so much, hehe!"

Listening to Concubine Liu Yi's story, the old mother was filled with emotion.

These words are both emotional and reasonable, and they reflect self-love and self-confidence. They are not humble flattery, nor are they snobbish complicity.

It was under the tearing of fate and the torrent of the times that this young man and woman met, got to know each other, and fell in love.

After the star in the video finished his performance on stage, it seemed that both mother and daughter no longer cared about Bingbing's fleeting appearance.

Looking at my 20-year-old daughter in front of me, she has grown like a green bamboo suddenly after a night of rain in the past few years.

When she stretched, the hem of her clothes lifted up half an inch, and her waistline was like a silk wrap that had not been tied tightly, and the sharp edges of her butterfly bones were faintly visible, as if they were about to flutter in flight.

When I brought her to the United States ten years ago, she was still a child who was a little timid in a foreign country because of the long journey across the ocean;
Ten years later, she has grown into a beautiful and independent woman who can look at her career and love with such confidence and composure.

Liu Xiaoli suddenly felt old.

She seemed to have thought of something, and it was unclear whether she was referring to something or just mumbling to herself: "Hey, now the studio is also going to be disbanded. You don't need me to take care of anything anymore. I don't know what to do."

"It's a pity that you are still young. It would be great if you could get married someday and have a child sooner while I am more flexible."

"Xiaolu's parents are gone, so I have to take care of this child. It can be considered as giving your mother something to do."

Liu Xiaoli was born in 1959. Because she was a dancer, she gave birth to Liu Yifei relatively late.

In fact, if you think about it, in a few years she will indeed be old enough for ordinary people to have grandchildren.

Xiao Liu became independent too early, and his old mother seemed not to have had enough of taking care of the child.

Concubine Liu Yi was horrified when she heard this! Her eyes widened. She had never expected her mother's thoughts to jump to this point. "Mom, are you okay? I'm only twenty years old!"

The little girl gestured to her mother at the bedroom she had decorated herself. "I just spent so much time and effort decorating this house, and I haven't even had a chance to enjoy it for a few days!"

The four-poster bed is made of black walnut, and the headboard is carved into a wavy curve from a single piece of wood, with a hand-painted oil painting of a starry night embedded in the grooves;
Pakistani handmade wool blankets, with milky white clouds floating on the indigo background, feel like sinking into a pile of freshly dried cotton when you step on them barefoot.
The curtains are made of three layers of composite linen material. The outer layer is beige and translucent, the middle layer is light gray and blackout, and the inner layer is indigo with dark gold bamboo leaf patterns. There is a Hetian jade peace buckle at the end of the drawstring.

From the high-back chair wrapped in dark brown calfskin, to the suspended side table with oak and brass stitching, to even the spotlights in the cloakroom of more than 100 square meters...

These are all items she carefully selected during her return to China.

Xiao Liu pouted and said, "We've only been dating for less than a month. How long have we been in our own world together?"

"We've only been to Italy together so far, and there are so many places in the world we haven't visited yet!"

"You can give birth if you want, but I won't!"

Liu Xiaoli was so angry that she laughed. She slapped her daughter on the butt, neither too hard nor too light, and her daughter staggered and trembled.

"You little donkey Liu! You're so outspoken! You deserve a beating!"

Suddenly, the sound of a car engine was heard in the yard, and two beams of headlights flashed fleetingly on the outer wall of the villa.

Liu Yifei didn't care about being punished by her mother. She looked down from the terrace and saw Boss Lu getting out of the car while talking on the phone.

“Yeah, Lu Kuan is back!”

(End of this chapter)