Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 390 Bazaar Charity Night, the Ultimate Vanity Fair

Since its inception by Harper's Bazaar in 2003, the BAZAAR Charity Night has rapidly risen to prominence with its fusion of fashion and charity.

By 2007, it had been the fifth edition, and the event had gradually established itself as a top-tier charitable brand in China.

This year marked the golden age of mainland print media, and could also be seen as a final burst of glory for print media like Harper's Bazaar before the full arrival of the internet age.

Since this year's Bazaar Charity Night had already won the highest national charity award, "Best Charity Project of the Year," the enthusiasm of fashion brands and companies for sponsorship has increased to an unprecedented level.

The participation of top celebrities, business tycoons, and fashion figures in the Chinese entertainment industry enabled the gala to achieve its first leap from a "niche event" to "national attention."

The tires of the Maybach 62S rolled over the thin ice, crushing the remaining snow on Jianguomenwai Street. After turning another corner, the brightly lit sign of the "China World Hotel" came into view.

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm almost there."

"Are you alone? Where are Su Chang and Tong Liya?"

Liu Yifei pouted, "I asked them to come to my house to walk together, but they refused."

“Su Chang said she would come with me, and that the reporters wouldn’t interview her; she wanted to come alone.”

"That's a smart move, but I think she's lying to you."

"what?"

Boss Lu laughed and said, "I just called Zhuang Xu and heard Su Chang's voice. Your best friend must have forgotten her friendship for the sake of a pretty girl."

Liu Yifei was furious: "What? How dare she! I'm going to torture her severely later and make her send me something!"

The celestial beauty is now showing signs of softening her domineering nature, and she enjoys bullying her close friends like Da Tian Tian and Da Chang Chang, whom she can "play with" at will.

Lu Kuan had just finished dinner at the military base in Daxing and took a break to chat with his bored girlfriend on the way: "Where did you take care of it tonight?"

"China World Hotel, here on Jianguomenwai Street."

"Oh, I also have a suite inside. You can sleep there if it gets too late."

Liu Yifei feigned annoyance: "You washing machine! You're even hiding your mistress in a five-star hotel, huh? I'll go upstairs to check it out in a bit!"

"Go ahead and check. Just give me my name and you'll be able to get in. They recognize you anyway."

"How come you have a room here?"

"It's a perk from the Organizing Committee," Mr. Lu laughed. "This is the hotel that will host 25 foreign heads of state and 13 members of royal families for next year's Olympics. We held an event here last month, and the organization reserved a room for me as a long-term backup."

Just as Liu Yifei was about to mock him for being pretentious, a Mercedes S600 that was driving alongside her honked its horn wildly and rolled down its window.

"what sound?"

"There's an awful woman honking at me." Xiao Liu looked at her best friend's embarrassed expression in the car window next to hers.

"what?"

"Su Chang was showing off to me. I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to teach her a lesson!"

The two luxury cars stopped under the guidance of on-site staff.

In front of the main entrance of the China World Hotel, a 100-meter-long red carpet extends from Jianguomenwai Street to the revolving door, with three-meter-high bronze-colored carved lamp posts on both sides, and the top of which is hung with an ice sculpture of the Harper's Bazaar logo, with built-in LED light strips emitting a cool blue light.

The red carpet was laid with non-slip black tape in the center, with the words "BAZAAR Charity" embedded every five meters.

This is the outer red carpet, allowing fans to get up close and personal with their idols. The inner red carpet, like at a film festival, is filled with reporters and live streaming teams.

"XiXi, what a coincidence!" Su Chang got out of the car. Zhuang Xu, who was driving, was in the driver's seat and looked indifferent.

Liu Yifei feigned anger: "Don't call me Qianqian, you're not worthy!"

"I'm worthy!"

The celestial beauty was furious: "Are you insulting me with a pun?"

Su Chang was a little delicate and afraid of being humiliated and bullied by her best friend, so she immediately begged for mercy: "No, no, I just happened to be near Zhongguancun, so I came with Zhuang Xu. Otherwise, it would have been a long way to get to your house."

Zhuang Xu also walked over from the front door. Having gotten used to running projects at CICC when he first graduated, he always drove himself.

"Consort Yi, it's been a long time."

"Brother Zhuang Xu, you've won the heart of your beauty, you must be very proud of yourself!"

Zhuang Xu smiled broadly: "I am a little proud, but I will try not to get carried away."

Xiao Liu's attitude when chatting with him was quite casual and friendly, which was different from her usual behavior of keeping other men at arm's length.

This is because she knows that this apparent president of Blogcn and Weibo is essentially her boyfriend's brother, even though they are not related by blood.

Even when Zhou Jun had someone trick him into going to the detention center, he didn't reveal a single piece of information that was detrimental to him.

Liu Yifei and her best friend Su Chang got out of the car and walked towards the main venue, chatting and laughing. Both of them were wearing evening gowns with coats over them.

While the glamorous lives of female celebrities are the envy of ordinary people, they also endure a great deal of hardship.

In Beijing, where the temperature is now seven or eight degrees below zero, two young actresses from the Chinese entertainment industry walked side by side on the red carpet, handing their coats to their assistants and wearing evening gowns that exposed their shoulders and backs.

However, for a gala event of this caliber as the Bazaar Charity Night, an indoor waiting area is usually prepared for them.

After deliberately shortening the red carpet time, the female stars would quickly go backstage and use a heater to blow directly on their backs to maintain their body temperature.

"Consort Yi, look this way!"

"Sissi, I love you!"

"Su Chang, Yi Fei, shall we take a group photo?"

Undeterred by the cold, fans had already gathered at the scene, as there were so many celebrities present that the area outside the cordon was completely packed.

Aside from their loud cheers and screams, there was the machine-gun-like clicking of camera shutters from the reporters in the interview area.

Liu Yifei, who has recently been, or has always been, a figure of great interest in the Chinese entertainment industry, is undoubtedly the culprit behind the murder of everyone's film and batteries.

Xiao Liu looks beautiful as always today.

With unparalleled beauty, it's no wonder your best friend Changchang avoids you.

This is a young girl who is currently enjoying the bliss of love after falling in love with her boyfriend.

The physical and mental pleasure she experienced after establishing a relationship made her exude an even more captivating gentle beauty.

Just like a twenty-year-old girl with a particular taste, who is most favored by a well-known washing machine brand.

Standing at the dividing line of time, like a jasmine kissed by the night dew, she exudes a touch of moonlight in her purity.

Liu Yifei and Su Chang are both top actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry.

There's no need to elaborate on Liu, but Su Chang has also been a dazzling presence on both the small and big screens in recent years.

In addition to the dominant position of the "girl-next-door" route nurtured by the films directly under the Wenjie Group, there have also been hit dramas such as "Lotus Lantern" and "Zhu Xian" that have long occupied the top of the trending charts.

Once "Secret" airs during Valentine's Day and "Magic Phone" airs on CCTV next April, they will almost certainly leave Yang Mi and others who were originally competing in the second tier far behind.

As for those who follow, Huang Shengyi of Chengtian, Tang Yan of Yinghuang, and others are still tirelessly pursuing their goals.

Walking down the red carpet against the chilly northwest wind, today's host, Su Mang, was already waiting to greet me at the door, with Zhang Yu (female), the editor-in-chief of the fashion group and the editor-in-chief of the mainland's "Vogue," standing beside me.

At a fashion-themed gala, one of the main focuses is the competition among female celebrities and their outfits.

Today, Liu Yifei wore a long dress in the style of Chinese ink painting, with black and white colors cascading down from her shoulders.

The ink-black color spreads from the collarbone to the hem of the skirt, gradually turning into moon white, like a section of the "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" painting coming to life.

The Suzhou kesi fabric rippled with a matte finish under the spotlight, and the white-line drawing of wings by Li Gonglin, subtly visible on the skirt, swayed with each step.

Her flowing robes accentuated the delicate bamboo pattern at her waist, highlighting her slender figure and the subtle white space around her waist, creating an extremely graceful and elegant look.

Amidst the barrage of cameras, Su Mang offered a hug: "Sissi, welcome to the Bazaar Charity Gala! Thank you for attending!"

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "Supporting charity is the right thing to do."

"Changchang, did you come here with CEO Zhuang from Weibo? I saw you."

The shrewd Su Mang certainly didn't forget Su Chang beside Xiao Liu, and his enthusiasm grew even more when he saw her get out of Zhuang Xu's car.

But secretly looking at these two female celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry, I can't help but sigh at how lucky they are!

Su Chang replied calmly, "I just attended an event at the Blogcn headquarters and came here on the way. Editor-in-Chief Su, your dress looks great today!"

"Sister Zhang Yu is also worthy of being two fashion editors."

Carried by people in a decorated sedan chair, the group exchanged pleasantries and hugs before entering the waiting area, where several female celebrities from the Chinese entertainment industry were already standing in front of the heaters.

The large-scale event was conducted in an orderly manner, and the so-called waiting area was simply a temporary area before walking the red carpet.

Male celebrities smoke, drink tea, chat, and build relationships here.

The actresses took a short break here to touch up their makeup, warmed up their bodies and moisturized their complexions with a heater, and then walked the red carpet in order, guided by the hostesses, before taking their seats.

Chinese people value face the most, and in such a top-tier arena of fame and fortune, every specific and minute detail of the event process reflects the star's status in the industry.

What kind of vehicle did you take after you got off at the China World Hotel?

When you enter the waiting area, do any big names take the initiative to greet you, or do any lesser-known figures fawn over you with smiles?

Do you go around greeting and chatting with others, or do you stand still and have a constant stream of people coming to say hello?

It's not until the red carpet event begins that the organizers will arrange your position on the red carpet and your final seating arrangement.

Especially in such a grand occasion as today, with so many reporters present, it's fair to say that every step taken by male and female celebrities in the entertainment industry is fiercely contested.

"Celebrity status" refers to one's industry standing and the level of endorsements.

Therefore, Yanzi seized this opportunity to try and win over Liu Yifei to tear Bingbing apart.

Upon entering the inner area, Xiao Liu glanced around and noticed that many people's eyes lit up, and they were thinking of using some pretext to make contact.

Before anyone could make a move, Yanzi called out, "Xixi, over here!"

They called each other very affectionately, but in reality, the two had very little interaction. The first time they met was when Boss Lu took her to the premiere of "Green Tea," and that's how she got to know Dong Shuangqiang.

Liu Yifei was fully aware of the "chain of actions" that Big-Eyed Princess was taking today, but she didn't want to embarrass her in public.

This Yanzi is quite shrewd; she arrived at the waiting area early today and stayed close to Zhou Xun, knowing that they are acquainted.

After exchanging greetings, Liu Yifei smiled and said, "Sister Xun, Sister Yanzi, you've arrived so early."

Zhou Xun affectionately hugged her, and Yanzi quickly led Xiao Liu and Su Chang to the heater: "You two, come and warm yourselves up, you must be freezing!" Liu Yifei's nose was slightly red from the cold: "Beijing is quite cold this year."

"Sisi, isn't Director Lu coming?" Yanzi asked knowingly, having already checked the seating arrangement with Su Mang.

Liu Yifei smiled at her and said, "Lu Kuan went to Daxing for closed-door rehearsals for the program. He probably won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

"Sigh, that's what they say, with great power comes great responsibility. I don't think there's a film director in all of China as busy as him."

Zhao Wei, with his silver tongue, said, "But President Lu is indeed very capable, and his judgment is remarkably accurate."

"Back in 2002, I was in a lot of trouble. Mr. Lu suggested that I go back to school, but unfortunately, it wasn't until this year that I sorted out all the things I was doing and started learning directing from Teacher Tian."

Xiao Liu and Zhou Xun exchanged a glance and smiled without saying anything. The latter then chimed in, "Zhao Wei, you've really gotten a good deal. Director Lu has given up that little hobby of his in recent years."

The conversation inevitably turned to Lu Kuan, and Big-Eyed Princess tried her best to mention Lao Tian, ​​Beijing Film Academy, and her past interactions with Lu Kuan, attempting to gradually gravitate towards the couple's circle.

As for the story of the young Taoist priest telling fortunes back then, Yanzi said it was a "suggestion," while Zhou Xun said it was a "minor hobby," which is already a very tacit "subtle writing style."

Who would dare mention it now?

In a few years, some past events, such as how I made my first fortune by fortune telling to make movies, or how I first met my girlfriend through a fortune-telling business, will be recorded in the annals of history.

Only one great, righteous, and successful person remains, bearing the reputation of a romantic and talented scholar.

People in later generations may only be able to glean some clues from gossip public accounts that are frequently shut down, or from entertainment novels on Qidian.com, and catch a glimpse of how he rose to prominence.

Xiao Liu is now considered a woman with a lot of inner strength, although her inner strength hasn't been developed as deeply as the washing machine has.

But he was perfectly comfortable chatting and engaging in pleasantries with Yanzi and the other female celebrities from the Chinese entertainment industry who came over with him.

How do they compare to Jiang Beichun?
He was completely stumped by Director Liu's sharp retort.

After chatting for a while, Huang Xiaoming, who had just arrived, walked over with a keen sense of smell.

Huang Xiaoming's purpose was obvious; he clearly wanted to catch up with his long-lost partner, "Auntie."

However, he was a man of good manners and never neglected anyone in his demeanor or words.

For example, he affectionately called Yanzi "old classmate," and he also praised Xun Ge'er, a colleague from the same company, saying that she looked elegant and beautiful today.

Su Chang wasn't very familiar with him, but they could still manage to strike up a conversation in a roundabout way.

When he turned to Liu Yifei, his opening line was very natural: "Yifei, I ate at your restaurant yesterday, Haidilao."

"The store manager recognized me and said, 'I worked with you on a TV series. You have a lot of influence.' He insisted on not charging me."

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "How come it's just my shop? I don't own a hot pot restaurant, I just hold some shares."

"They just want you to help them advertise. Compared to a big star like you, this advertising fee is insignificant."

Huang Xiaoming's business empire continues to expand this year.

After the huge success of "New Shanghai Bund" with Sun Li, he released his first solo album "It's Ming". The title track "Secret Love" won the "Metro Mandarin Music Award" at the Hong Kong Metro Radio Mandarin Music Awards, and he also won the China Mainland Idol Singer Award and other awards.

He has been invited to make his debut at this year's Spring Festival Gala, making him one of the young actors who have truly risen to the forefront.

Yanzi chimed in, "Xiaoming, listen to what she means. You should understand what she's saying. She doesn't want you to freeload. You should be more aware of that in the future!"

"Haha, I have the highest level of awareness. Back in the day, which class didn't have me go to give ideological reports?"

Huang Xiaoming is truly a very worldly-wise person. He casually pulled out a card from his pocket and said, "Yi Fei, I've put 10 on this card. The shop manager said that's the maximum I can put in."

"Once filming for 'The Deer and the Cauldron' wraps up, I'll take them out to spend money and support their work."

Zhou Xun laughed and said, "Boss Huang, you're really going all out! You have seven wives, this must bring Haidilao a million in revenue, right?"

"No, no, no, Brother Ming, please don't be so polite. If you like it, go ahead and eat. Just put it on my tab." Liu Yifei patted her best friend beside her: "Su Chang and the others have been eating here for years and have never mentioned money."

"Hey, how many times have I eaten from you? You practically write it all on my forehead!" Su Chang complained. "Your boyfriend is so rich and yet so stingy, no wonder your family is so wealthy!"

The celebrities gathered around the heater all burst into laughter.

It has to be a strong best friend. But when she said that, it sounded like she had poison in her mouth, but it was actually sweet talk.

Su Chang understands her best friend's thoughts best; she's been devoted to her since she was 15.

What do you mean by "your house has a wide road"?
What do you mean by "your home"?

Although she was jokingly called Scrooge, Liu Yifei found the words sweeter than honey.

The group was laughing and joking together, clearly forming a small group centered around Xiao Liu.

Even this top actress in the Chinese entertainment industry herself has no such leisure or intention.

She'd rather chat with Su Chang about gossip for a bit, finish her work easily, go home and sleep soundly, and even have a long phone call with the washing machine while in bed.

It's better than engaging in empty pleasantries with someone as cunning as Yanzi, and chatting about mundane matters of fame and fortune.

But the world doesn't revolve around one person after all.

In the Chinese entertainment industry, where hot money is increasingly pouring in, various forces are intertwined, and it's not to say that everyone has to flatter Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan.

Especially old acquaintances with whom there has been past discord, or old acquaintances who are openly or covertly competitors, and new friends.

A woman over 1.8 meters tall, wearing high heels, appeared in everyone's sight.

He was accompanied by Zhang Ziyi, a glamorous international film star.

This tall, sharp-looking woman is none other than Wendy Deng, wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and current Asia president of Myspace, the world's largest social networking software.

Today's reporters, guests, and organizers are focused on and hyping up the overt and covert rivalry between Yanzi, Bingbing, and Xiao Liu.

Unexpectedly, it was this pair of old rivals who started the show.

However, it was still quite exciting.

A beautiful and gentle actress girlfriend of an Eastern entertainment tycoon, versus a tough and ruthless CEO wife of a Western media mogul.

In the last confrontation, Wendy Deng took advantage of the popularity of the Japanese right-wing Kasai Yu to gather Taro and his son and launch the "Operation Reverse Road" in North America, hoping to use Liu Yifei as a breakthrough point, but ultimately failed.

She even had to publicly bow and apologize at Hong Kong Disneyland, which made her look foolish and gave her a taste of the torment she endured at Fox TV.

Ms. Deng was naturally prepared for this meeting, and as soon as she entered the waiting area, she went straight to Liu Yifei.

Zhou Xun, Su Chang, and the others next to Xiao Liu were all taken aback. Unexpectedly, Deng Wendi smiled and said, "Crystal, you've become even more radiant thanks to Mr. Lu's love."

Liu Yifei remained calm and composed, nodding slightly: "Thank you, Ms. Deng. You look great too."

"It seems like the collaboration with Huayi and Ali is going very well?"

Wendy Deng pursed her lips; her slightly masculine features seemed somewhat out of place with the fringed evening gown she was wearing.

"No wonder I heard gossip online that Crystal might retire from acting to become a CEO's wife. Why is she so interested in business matters?"

Liu Yifei said, half-jokingly, "I've heard Lu Kuan mention you all the time, so I've kept it in my mind."

Deng Wendi raised a thin eyebrow: "If you're not afraid of revealing trade secrets, I'm willing to listen attentively to what this business genius, Mr. Lu, has to say."

Opponents are opponents, but the huntress was still very curious to hear such an opinion about her own side from an opponent of this caliber, whether true or false.

A woman with this kind of personality is born with a gene that admires strength. It is true that she wants to defeat Wenjie through an alliance with Ali and Huayi, but she also has a mixture of admiration and resentment towards Boss Lu himself.

If possible, she might very well enjoy a beating from a strongman.

Xiao Liu casually made up a story: "Of course, he was highly praised. The pressure from the three of you is quite great. He can't even sleep well at night."

They definitely won't sleep well. Every night, the young couples are all whispering and making love, how can they get any sleep?

Having received no useful information, Wendy Deng smiled without speaking, greeted the others, and left to exchange pleasantries.

Zhang Ziyi also maintained a high profile, exchanging only a few pleasantries with Liu Yifei among the group before following Wendy Deng.

Yanzi was not happy and couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Now they're marketing themselves internationally, and they do look quite international. They've even started doing tanned hair."

Whether they understood or not, the others just laughed and watched from the sidelines as these leading ladies bickered and argued.

In 2007, Zhang Ziyi was in a passionate relationship with Israeli Jewish businessman Aveniwoff, introduced by Wendy Deng.

According to a recent interview, the Chinese actress, who gained considerable fame in Hollywood for her role in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," has accepted her fiancé's marriage proposal and they are set to marry in the next year or two.

However, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that this is Zhang Ziyi's own publicity stunt.

Perhaps it was to use her wealthy background to boost her own status, or perhaps it was to put pressure on her boyfriend.

The flashy but ineffective moves of these slutty women are always dazzling.

Harper's Bazaar's official hostesses, upon receiving the notification, orderly guided the celebrities and dignitaries in the waiting room to walk the red carpet, pass the autograph wall, and enter the evening's banquet venue.

Yanzi, Zhou Xun, Huang Xiaoming, and others who arrived earlier left one after another, while those who arrived later entered the waiting area one after another.

"Sissi!" "Ivy!"

Several clear female voices rang out. Xiao Liu turned around and saw that Da Mi Mi and Tong Li Ya had arrived together.

A group of familiar figures followed behind.

Wang Baoqiang, who worked with Liu Yifei in "Bad Genius", Hu Ge, who was once dragged by Liu Yifei to play Candy Crush with Yang Mi, and Huang Bowen's direct artists.

Now we can truly be considered colleagues.

Before, we were all in China and could get together for hot pot or karaoke from time to time. But in the last two years, we've lost touch for various reasons.

"Candy!"

"Mimi!"

"Yaya!"

The group embraced and exchanged pleasantries with great excitement. Whether it was genuine or not, Liu Yifei treated everyone equally on the surface.

Including Zhang Liangying, who was already preparing to perform on stage as usual, and Su Chang next to her, Xiao Liu's group of female friends in the Chinese entertainment industry were all gathered today.

The girlfriends exchanged sweet nothings, praising each other's beautiful makeup and smooth skin.

The quick-witted Da Mimi quietly put her arm around Liu Yifei's shoulder and walked to a corner, whispering, "Qianqian, there's something I don't want to say, but I feel it wouldn't be right not to."

Xiao Liu winked at her nonchalantly, signaling her to continue.

“I came from the company with Fan Bingbing. Just now in the parking garage, I think I heard her talking on the phone with Director Lu.”

(End of this chapter)