Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 182 Taking Photos and Sending Red Envelopes

On February 6th, Lunar New Year's Eve, as dawn broke, a gentle, pale white appeared on the horizon.

After Song Ci got up and washed up early in the morning, he returned to his bedroom to find Liu Shishi still sound asleep, curled up in her soft blankets, breathing evenly and peacefully, like a lazy kitten.

He gently sat on the edge of the bed, reached out his hand, and softly ran his fingertips through Liu's smooth hair, whispering, "Shibao, it's time to get up."

Liu Shishi seemed to feel the warmth of Song Dynasty poetry. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and she slowly opened them. Her bright eyes sparkled with a lazy yet happy light in the morning light.

Looking at her boyfriend sitting beside her, a sweet smile appeared on her lips, her voice still a little sleepy: "Yiyi, what time is it?"

“It’s almost eight o’clock, baby,” Song Ci replied softly, her tone full of affection. “It’s New Year’s Eve this year. We’ll be giving out red envelopes to our family members later. After that, we’ll have to pack up and go back to our old house for the New Year.”

Upon hearing this, Miss Liu's eyes lit up immediately, and she became very interested in receiving red envelopes.

She slowly sat up, reached out and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, and said coquettishly, "Okay, I'll send the red envelope later."

Song Ci smiled and agreed, then gently kissed his girlfriend's forehead: "I'll wait for you in the study. We'll go down together after you've finished washing up."

"Okay." Liu Shishi stretched and replied casually, thinking to herself which clothes to wear today.

An hour later, Song Ci and Liu Shishi walked hand in hand into the spacious and bright living room.

The living room was already decorated with a strong festive atmosphere, with bright red lanterns hanging high, lifelike paper-cut window decorations, and a faint sandalwood scent in the air, creating a rich holiday ambiance.

Liu Shishi wore a winter cheongsam with gold trim and red plum blossoms, the beautiful lines of which outlined her graceful figure.

Her long hair was tied up, and she was dignified, elegant, and beautiful, dressed like a wealthy lady, like a plum blossom braving the snow.

Song Ci wore a well-fitting Tang suit, its fiery red color highlighting her gentle and refined temperament, perfectly complementing Liu Shishi's elegant cheongsam.

As soon as the master of the house came downstairs, the housekeeper, Sister Li, quickly went to greet him, praising him repeatedly: "Madam, you look so beautiful in that dress. You and the master look like a pair of celestial beings descended from heaven."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi was so pleased that she smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling with a sweet and charming expression.

Besides Sister Li, the other four maids, two drivers, and three bodyguards also gathered around, all saying auspicious and celebratory words.

"Wishing you a happy and harmonious New Year, sir and madam!" Sister Li said in a friendly tone, leading everyone in a New Year's greeting to Liu Shishi and Song Ci, her voice full of sincerity and enthusiasm.

She sincerely wished the young couple in the family all the best. The husband and wife were both good-tempered and generous, and she was very happy working there.

In daily life, because his wife is an actress and sometimes goes out to film, her husband doesn't come home for dinner every day either.

All she has to do is take care of the villa. It's an easy job, and the pay is pretty good. She really cherishes this job now.

"My husband and I wish everyone a peaceful and happy new year. You'll all have the afternoon off to go home and celebrate the New Year with your families. See you on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."

Liu Shishi smiled gently and serenely, a smile that was as warm as a spring breeze. After speaking, she picked up a stack of red envelopes that had been prepared beforehand from the coffee table beside her.

The red envelopes are embroidered with the character "福" (fortune) in gold thread, and each one is heavy, making people feel hopeful.

Ms. Liu stood up and walked to each person one by one, handing over the red envelopes with both hands, her attitude gentle: "This is a small token of my appreciation for the New Year. Thank you all for your hard work this year!"

"Thank you, ma'am!" "Happy New Year, sir and madam!"

As everyone received the red envelopes, they noticed their thickness and their faces beamed with happy smiles.

After handing out the red envelopes, the quick-thinking Sister Li had a sudden inspiration and boldly suggested, "Sir, Madam, the atmosphere is especially nice today, how about I take a picture of you two?"

No wonder Sister Li is so good at housekeeping; she really has exceptional skills. Her quick wit is something the other servants can't match.

The suggestion to take photos was exactly what Liu Shishi wanted to do. She was dressed beautifully today and wanted to take photos to commemorate her first year with Mr. Song at Jingyuan.

Miss Liu cheered excitedly, her voice unconsciously rising a few decibels: "Yes, yes, darling, shall we take a picture?"

Seeing Liu Shishi's expectant look, Song Ci readily agreed with a smile, "Then let's take a few pictures!"

Upon hearing this, Sister Li immediately ran to get the camera, and the servants also sprang into action, quickly tidying up the background.

Soon, everything was ready.

Overjoyed, Liu Shishi took Song Ci's arm, and the two leaned on each other, sitting intimately on the sofa.

Behind them was a meticulously arranged interior scene, with various Chinese knots and "Fu" (good fortune) decorations hanging on the walls, arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner, exuding a strong festive atmosphere.

Sister Li squatted down on the floor and picked up the camera in a serious manner: "Madam, please don't keep staring at the gentleman, look at the lens. Okay, three, two, one, cheese! A few more pictures."

As the shutter clicked, one loving and sweet photo after another was captured in the camera.

"Let me see how it looks!" As soon as the photos were taken, Liu Shishi couldn't wait to grab the camera and check the pictures.

In the photo, Ms. Liu is wearing an exquisite and festive cheongsam, with a happy smile on her face. She is gentle, elegant, and has an exceptional temperament.

Together with Song Dynasty poetry, against the backdrop of the festive New Year, they appear exceptionally warm and romantic. Their good looks and temperament make people sigh that they are a match made in heaven.

Liu Shishi was very satisfied with the photos, her eyes sparkling with joy as she exclaimed, "They're really well taken! What do you think, darling?"

After reading it, Song Ci nodded, a hint of admiration in her eyes: "It's really good. I didn't expect you to have this skill, Sister Li."

Sister Li smiled modestly and said, "I'm just doing a small thing, as long as you like it, that's all that matters."

After taking the group photo, Song Ci wanted to take a few more photos of Miss Liu alone. She picked up the camera, skillfully adjusted the parameters, and looked for the best angle and lighting.

Liu Shishi understood immediately and happily moved around the sofa, stairs, and garden, striking various elegant and charming poses to fully display her charm.

After the photoshoot, Liu Shishi eagerly took the camera, wanting to see Mr. Song's masterpiece. Upon seeing the photos, she exclaimed in delight, "Wow, they're so well taken!"

Her eyes sparkled in the photo, exuding charm and allure. Mr. Song's photography skills are quite impressive, easily on par with professional photographers.

Song Ci raised an eyebrow smugly and teased, "I'm also good at Teacher Chen's style. If you like it, we can try it next time."

Having a big star in the family means taking photos is an essential skill. Just because he doesn't like taking photos doesn't mean he can't. If we're really comparing, even Teacher Chen's skills can't beat his.

"You're going to die! You're talking nonsense again!" Liu Shishi's cheeks flushed slightly. She lightly punched her boyfriend and glared at him shyly.

However, a sense of anticipation and excitement arose in my heart, and I even had a strange longing for the next attempt that Song Ci mentioned.

After taking the photos, Song Ci instructed Wang Shan to drive the Maybach to Nanluoguxiang to pick up her grandparents.

After arranging the other matters, he and Liu Shishi went upstairs to pack their things.

After dragging their feet, the couple returned to their apartment complex around 11 a.m. They then parted ways and went home separately.

When Liu Shishi returned home with her bag, her mother was busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen, just like every year.

The elderly father sat on the sofa, typing away furiously on a calculator. "Dad, why aren't you taking a break during the New Year holiday? What are you so busy with?"

Liu Shishi put her things back in her room, then curiously approached her father and secretly glanced at the bill on the coffee table. The densely packed accounts made her feel dizzy instantly.

When his beloved daughter returned, Mr. Liu patted her arm affectionately and said happily, "Let's calculate how much the online store has saved this year!"

Liu Shishi exclaimed with delight, "It seems Dad, your e-commerce business for maternal and infant products is doing quite well!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu's face lit up with excitement: "That's right, the initial investment has been fully recouped. Next, I plan to open a physical store and combine it with the online store to expand the business."

"Business is so good?" Liu Shishi was very surprised. She knew that opening a maternity and baby store in Beiping was not cheap, which showed that her father's online maternity and baby products store was doing very well.

"Where's my son-in-law? Didn't he come back with you?" Mrs. Liu asked as she walked out of the kitchen, a spatula in her hand.

"You're back. You went back to your own home," Liu Shishi replied casually.

Mrs. Liu then asked, "Will he come for dinner tomorrow?"

Liu Shishi pouted. She had completely lost favor with her mother. Her mother's constant nagging was about "how my son-in-law is."

"Yi Yi will definitely not have time tomorrow. He has to go to the company to visit the employees who were on duty during the Spring Festival and those who did not go back to their hometowns because of the snow disaster."

Still unwilling to give up, Liu's mother pressed on, "And what about the day after tomorrow?"

"I do not know!"

Mrs. Liu said irritably, "You brat, are you doing this on purpose? Don't you know why you didn't ask?"
"Your grandfather wants to visit Song Ci during the Chinese New Year so our family can have a reunion. We can also invite Xiao Song over for a meal together."

"Oh, then I'll ask Yi-yi later." Liu Shishi's mind conjured up her grandfather's aged face, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. The last time she saw her grandfather, the old man had become even more frail.

Grandpa Liu suffered a lot when he was young, so his health was poor and has deteriorated significantly in the past two years. He is much weaker than Grandpa Song Ci.

Having been so focused on talking, Liu's mother finally took a closer look at her daughter: "Is this cheongsam a new outfit that Xiao Song bought for you for the New Year?"

Liu Shishi stood up, slowly turned around, and showed her mother her graceful figure:
"Look, isn't it great, Mom? This was custom-made by a master craftsman from Jiangnan. The patterns on it were all carefully embroidered stitch by stitch."

Mrs. Liu nodded: "That's good."

I took another closer look at my daughter's fair and tender face and found that the baby fat on her face had faded and her features had fully developed, making her even more attractive than she had been two years ago.

Liu Shishi felt a little uncomfortable under her mother's gaze: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

During the Chinese New Year, Liu's mother smiled and praised, "It's nothing, I just think you're getting prettier and prettier."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi immediately beamed with joy: "Mom, you think so too? My husband thinks so too."

Upon hearing this, Liu's mother couldn't help but roll her eyes: "My husband! Did you even get your marriage certificate? Did you even have a wedding? Aren't you ashamed!"

Liu Shishi was speechless for a moment, and stammered, "It's just that Yiyi hasn't reached the legal marriage age yet. I'll marry him next year when he reaches that age."

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu's mother's eyes: "Xiao Song and you have decided on this?"

Liu's father also stopped using his calculator and looked at Miss Liu with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. His little darling was getting married, and he felt a pang of loss in his heart.

Liu Shishi stammered, "Um..."

Upon seeing her daughter's reaction, Liu's mother immediately understood that her daughter had just made things up casually. She said irritably, "Xiao Song didn't even agree to that, and you're just spouting nonsense at home."

Liu Shishi retorted defiantly, "Who said he didn't agree to my proposal? He swore that he would marry no one but me."

"Okay, okay, as long as you two are happy and harmonious, it doesn't matter whether you get married a year earlier or a year later."

With a smile full of anticipation and acceptance for her children's happiness, Liu's mother returned to the kitchen to continue her work.

However, Liu Shishi took it to heart. Without the marriage certificate, and as long as she remained a legitimate Mrs. Song, she always felt insecure.

The 08 Spring Festival Gala was full of wonderful performances, and the production team certainly put a lot of effort into it.

Joyful songs and humorous crosstalk dialogues came from the TV. Liu Shishi watched the Spring Festival Gala with her parents while constantly sending New Year's greetings via her mobile phone.

I didn't go back to my room until after 11 pm, but I was still full of energy and not sleepy at all.

Excited about the New Year and unable to sleep, Liu Shishi decided to post the photos she took today on Weibo to send New Year's greetings to her fans.

Powering on, logging in, editing, and sending—all done in one smooth motion.

Liu Shishi v: Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year! A simple and peaceful blessing, along with four solo photos taken at Jingyuan during the day.

Then, out of habit, I started browsing Weibo's trending topics. These days, checking trending topics has become a must-do for every Weibo user.

1. SHE Chinese

2. Torchbearers

3. Jay Chou's Blue and White Porcelain

. . .

10. A peaceful and prosperous nation (face)

The top ten trending topics on Weibo were all related to the Spring Festival Gala. S.H.E. shone brightly on the Spring Festival Gala stage with their highly infectious song "Chinese," surpassing Uncle Zhao and Jay Chou to take the top spot on the trending list.

During the Lunar New Year, Liu Shishi was clearly not the only night owl; many netizens were also browsing Weibo online.

When Liu Shishi returned to her Weibo homepage after seeing the trending topics, she found that many netizens had left comments on her recent post.

"Sister, you look absolutely stunning in that cheongsam."

"A gentle and beautiful woman."

The numerous exaggerated remarks made her feel quite pleased.

However, some observant fans noticed the background of the photo and asked curiously, "Is Shishi's family so rich that they live in a big villa?"

"It was probably filmed using borrowed scenery."

"I'm curious, where am I?"

Liu Shishi simply looked at the comments quietly without responding, and continued happily scrolling through Weibo.

Suddenly, a comment caught her attention, and she exclaimed in disbelief, "No way!"

(End of this chapter)