A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 111 Vinegar

I brought the photos with me when I went back.

The back has the girl's phone number—wow, she's definitely beautiful, and she'll retain her value and appreciate in value. She'll be even more beautiful in ten years, still at her peak in twenty years, and still considered a top-tier beauty in thirty years.

On the other hand, in terms of personal aesthetics, Lin Jianlu believes that this girl has been at her peak for at least fifteen years. Add to that her youthful innocence before, then another ten years, gradually aging, and another ten years, reaching her peak beauty for over thirty years. To be honest, even Brigitte Lin didn't have such a long blooming period.

Gao Yuanyuan and Fan Bingbing might be able to put up a fight.

Ugh……

I took out my notebook, opened it and closed it repeatedly, but in the end I decided to just forget about it.

I was originally going to call Xu Qing.

Looking at the photo again, the girl in the photo has delicate features. Compared to her peak when she was full of femininity, she has obviously not fully blossomed yet, but she already has a bright and beautiful appearance.

Pick up your phone, flip through the photos, and dial the number.

However, after dialing all the numbers, I deleted them again. Oh well, I'll deal with it later!
This girl has a shrewd look to her eyes; she's definitely not someone who can be easily fooled. She says she's willing to go on blind dates, and she probably really is, but if she really wants to head straight for marriage after the blind date, Lin Jianlu is very worried that this girl will write long essays about it! With her looks, she's definitely capable of doing it!

It's definitely not the kind of person who compromises or yields!

I should call my girlfriend—it's been so long since I've seen her, I really miss her slender waist, her fair skin, and those two little dimples. "Hello, it's me! My beloved concubine, come and serve me at once!"

On the other end of the phone, Xu Qing laughed heartily, "Your Majesty, wait for me! Coming right away!"

Three minutes later, the phone rang again. "Your Majesty, they won't let me leave. They insist you come over. Wenli, Xiaoyi, Jiang Shan, Lao Gu, Jiang Wu, Xie Yuan, Ge You, Liang Tian, ​​Xu Fan, Xiaogang, Baogang, Liu Bei, oh, and Lao Ma and Haiyan... Hahahaha, go to hell! It's our Your Majesty, so what?"

Oh dear, there's a trap... I really don't want to go to one of these!
But thinking about it again, it's really just a matter of sooner or later.

In my past life, I was an ordinary person, struggling to survive, with no concept of life. Now that I'm making it big in this life, I'm gradually realizing that it's not that the upper class has to indulge in debauchery; it's just that no matter what circle you're in, connections are extremely important. That's why the arts and culture world loves to hold parties, the business world loves to go to business school and get an MBA, and even those in the internet industry love to hold internet conferences all the time, where a bunch of big shots gather at a small shop on the street for a drink.

To get closer to each other, enhance friendship, exchange views, share information, share resources, and even connect each other—this kind of arrangement is unavoidable.

Go on!

After finding out the location, I went downstairs and took a taxi there.

When the car arrived downstairs, Xu Qing and Jiang Wenli were already waiting at the restaurant entrance. When they saw Lin Jianlu get out of the car and come over, Xu Qing immediately jumped down the steps, ran over at full speed, and pounced into his arms, kissing him. After the kiss, he didn't get down, so Lin Jianlu carried him over.

Jiang Wenli, who remained on the steps, laughed heartily. Caught off guard, she suddenly bent her knees and made a gesture of flicking a handkerchief over her shoulder with her right hand, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The three of them burst into laughter.

Xu Qing finally jumped down and went upstairs with him, arms crossed.

Indeed, he has many close friends.

I know almost everyone, and I'm quite familiar with most of them.

There were only two people meeting for the first time. One was Liang Tian, ​​who was adorably shifty-eyed, and the other was Zhao Baogang—whom they had mentioned on the phone before that Haiyan was interested in having him direct "A Romantic Affair".

We shook hands; the other person was quite polite.

There was a group of older women here, but they were all too familiar with each other. Lin Jianlu was no longer the same person who would blush when teased by a group of older women half a year ago. Now he was very resistant to teasing and didn't care. Moreover, he was particularly bold and good at teasing the older women in return—let's make a scene, who's afraid of who!

He downed three glasses of wine in one gulp. By then, Xu Qing had already scooped out a plate of lamb rolls to cool. He dipped them in the sauce, ate them in a few bites, and then finally sat down to talk.

"You guys are really something! With so many people, you'd rather have two hot pots than cook a few dishes around the table!"

"Hey, you don't know, when it's cold, the food gets colder and colder, which is bad for your stomach. Hot pot is the opposite; it gets hotter and hotter as you eat it, and everyone can sit around it, which makes it lively and creates a great atmosphere!"

That makes sense.

They were talking about the Golden Horse Awards nominations this year.

The main one is Jiang Wen's directorial debut, "In the Heat of the Sun," which received a bunch of nominations—this year is the 33rd Golden Horse Awards, and it's the first time that it's open to mainland Chinese films. It seems that mainland filmmakers are quite interested in this.

This policy was strongly promoted by Ge Fuhong's confidante, Qiu Fusheng, when he was the chairman of the judging panel last year, and it has been fully implemented this year—a big shot is a big shot!
After chatting for a while, Lin Jianlu suddenly remembered, "Wu, is your brother home lately?"

Jiang Wu immediately replied, "Yes, he's here! You can come anytime, he'll definitely be there, working on the script!"

"Alright! Go back and tell your brother that I brought him a bottle of aged vinegar from Taiwan. It's supposedly a centuries-old brand, dating back to 49. I'll send it to him later!"

"Okay! I'll thank you on his behalf!"

"Wow, Jianlu, you're really something, bringing back a bottle of vinegar from all that way?"

"Hey, don't you get it? What are you eating when you eat dumplings? You're eating vinegar!"

"Wow! Jianlu, that's a brilliant line!"

"That's right, the real skill lies outside the poem, that's the idea!"

"Haha, I heard it from my brother. He said that you said just that the other day, and that one sentence from you really surprised him! You even went out of your way to buy vinegar from Taiwan. Well then, I'll toast you!"

"Hey, sit down and have a drink, I'll keep you company!"

"The other day I was chatting with a friend, a writer, you may or may not have heard of him, Liu Zhenyun. He told me that among the celebrities and filmmakers in China, the toughest face used to be Jiang Wen, but now there's another one, Jian Lu! He said Jian Lu's only flaw is that he's too good-looking, too handsome! Otherwise, he could have taken down Jiang Wen!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Haihai chatted aimlessly.

They had already drunk halfway through when Lin Jianlu arrived, and the conversation suddenly became much more lively. Before they knew it, it was almost eleven o'clock. Lin Jianlu gradually felt sleepy and took the initiative to call a break.

As everyone came downstairs one after another, Jiang Wenli joked with Xu Qing, "Consort Xu, take it easy when you're serving her, don't drain her dry!" Xu Qing laughed and retorted, "What, you can't squeeze your old Gu dry anymore? Want me to teach you a couple of tricks? I'll make your old Gu skin and bones in ten days or half a month!"

"Then I think you should spare Brother Gu. He's already skinny enough! He's been squeezed dry!"

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jiang Wenli burst into laughter, defeated, "Go to hell! Get lost!" ...

When they got home, Xu Qing was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, but she wouldn't let go. "You go to sleep! I'll do my own thing! I've been craving it for over a month, you have to let me have my fill today!"

There was nothing I could do but let her do as she pleased.

This girl has always been as wild as a horse once she gets into bed, and now that they've been apart for so long, she's even more unruly. She actually sat on him and started rocking him—but with her limited strength, she could only rock for a few minutes before she ran out of energy, mainly because her legs were weak. "Brother, please, move! Move!" But as soon as she moved a little, she collapsed completely.

In the end, it was Lin Jianlu who, with his eyelids open, carried her to take a shower.

It's already quite cold outside, so I quickly got into bed after showering.

She nestled against Lin Jianlu's chest, muttering about how she'd been busy preparing for the company's establishment, looking at big houses, and had so many other ideas...

As they were talking, they unknowingly fell asleep.

Lin Jianlu fell asleep within half a minute.

When he woke up in the morning, still half asleep, he instinctively pulled her soft, fragrant body closer to his chest. She let out a soft moan and hugged Lin Jianlu even tighter in return. When he touched her, her large breasts were just the right size to hold in his hand, her back was smooth and delicate, her waist was incredibly slender, and her buttocks suddenly became plump and round.

He pulled his arm away and arranged her face down on the bed. Lin Jianlu then lay down on the covers—the bed soon began to creak softly. She woke up groggily, humming softly and chuckling gently. Her voice, slightly husky and sexy in the morning, carried a unique charm as she spoke coquettishly, "Jianlu, I love you!"

"I love you too!... Don't move, stay in this position!"

She continued humming, but couldn't help but chuckle softly again, with an indescribable languor and a strange sense of pride—as if she were proud that Lin Jianlu was so infatuated with her body.

…………

After breakfast, Xu Qing brewed the so-called black tea from the nature reserve that he had given to Lin Jianlu before—well, to be honest, it smelled quite fragrant, the first time he had ever tasted it.

Then, with one person on a recliner and the other on a sofa, they could finally have a proper conversation about their feelings after being apart for so long.

She had only said a few words when she couldn't sit still on the sofa anymore. She got up and squeezed and twisted her way over, finally managing to squeeze into the recliner and lie sideways in Lin Jianlu's arms. Luckily, it was a new item, and the material was thick. If it were that old guy from her grandfather's house, it would probably have fallen apart by now.

As the conversation progressed, the topic inevitably turned to the preparations for "A Romantic Affair".

A new development that wasn't mentioned in the previous phone call: Zhao Baogang owns his own film and television company called Xinbaoyuan. Because of Zhao Baogang's achievements over the years, coupled with the fact that TV stations have started spending money to buy dramas in recent years, he has made money and is already considered a small but influential figure in the film and television industry in the capital.

He and Haiyan were old acquaintances. When he learned that Haiyan's new drama had found Lin Jianlu to invest and had even jointly started a new company, he didn't say anything. He just probed whether Xinbaoyuan could also participate if he were to be the director, with the director's fee as an investment, becoming one of the producers.

He also had another request: he hoped that Xu Jinglei could play the female lead. Everyone understood this; his older brother was Wang Shuo, and his brother probably gave instructions before he passed away. Even if he didn't say anything, it was only right for someone who still had food to eat at home to take care of his brother's girlfriend.

"Didn't you say before that you really wanted to act in it yourself?"

"Yeah, I want to! But Haiyan and Lao Ma don't really agree. They say that in the context of the whole story, it would be more suitable to find someone younger than me for the female lead, saying that I don't have a youthful vibe! Tch! They're just saying I'm too old, huh? Seriously! I'm so angry!"

"Haha...Xu Jinglei...sigh!"

After careful consideration, the casting choice seemed suitable, but after hesitating for a few seconds, Lin Jianlu shook her head. "No, I won't let Xu Jinglei act. Why should I spend money to promote someone else's woman?"

Xu Qing immediately perked up, "Then who do you want to find? Your two girlfriends?"

Lin Jianlu thought for a moment and shook her head. She hadn't read the novel or the script, but they had discussed the general story. The female lead in the drama was indeed required to have a bit of the naivety of a fresh college student, so Xu Qing was indeed unsuitable. Even though she was only 27 years old, her overall temperament was already glamorous and full, and she couldn't possibly go down the naive route.

What about acting skills? Of course, acting skills are necessary, but Lin Jianlu has seen many discussions like this online in her past life—the first element of casting for the old "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was that the characters had to "look like" the actors!
The first impression a character makes when they first appear in a play, the feeling they give to the audience at first glance—their temperament, image, tone of voice, and so on—this is the key to truly establishing the character!
Guan Yu must appear exactly as everyone imagines him to be!
Otherwise you can't play Guan Yu!

Therefore, Jiang Qinqin is not suitable.

Jiang Qinqin is a bit quirky and cute in real life, but if she doesn't speak and just stands there, the first impression she gives is that of a delicate and gentle young lady, or at the very least, a girl from a modest family.

She was born beautiful, no doubt, but her presence wasn't strong enough.

Of course, that's not important. What's important is that Lin Jianlu's cooperation with Qiong Yao is progressing steadily. Unless there's an unexpected disaster, this cooperation should be successful—and then Ziwei will be hers!
As the person who made the connection, and as the largest single shareholder of Forbidden City Film Industry, the mainland partner, if Lin Jianlu doesn't even have this much face, then there's no need to play with them anymore.

Having this role is enough for her. Once she becomes famous, she can take on whatever roles she wants!

Zuo Xiaoqian would be somewhat suitable...

Don't be fooled by this girl's sweet smile and soft, sweet, and clear voice; when she puts on a serious face, she can be quite dashing—but never mind.

When I talked to Mr. Guo Baochang before, we had already hinted at the point. We all had a tacit understanding. The old man needed a pretty girl who was somewhat beautiful, but not so beautiful that she could overshadow the beauty of the imperial concubines in the palace, to play his leading lady, that is, the little palace maid. He never said it to the public, but in his heart, the Empress Dowager Cixi was Siqin Gaowa, and the favored concubine of Emperor Guangxu, Consort Zhen, was Jiang Wenli.

The older sister-in-law's looks are at their peak; she could easily play an imperial concubine. But if you were to say that everyone is wearing period costumes, Lin Jianlu has some doubts about whether she could completely outshine Jiang Qinqin in terms of looks.

But suppressing Zuo Xiaoqian is not a big problem - the older generation is very particular about this. Even if you are the female lead and the main perspective of the story, you are still a palace maid and cannot be more beautiful than the imperial concubine!
That's settled then. Zuo Xiaoqian will most likely play the role of the little palace maid named Yin'er.

By gifting each person the leading lady of a major drama, Lin Jianlu felt that she had already been generous enough to her own friends!

So... well, suddenly another face popped into my mind.

"I'll talk to Lao Ma later and have him mediate with them. All he talks about is investment and the female lead, ugh... really... let's talk it over first! It's not up to him to decide what he says, we're not short of directors!"

"also!"

After chatting for a while, Lin Jianlu patted her bottom to get her up, then got off the recliner herself, stretched, and said, "Let's go! We can't spend all our time indulging in wine and women! Alright, let's go!"

Xu Qing asked, "Where are you going? Will you be back at noon?"

"We're not coming back! We're going to buy two pounds of mutton and take that bottle of vinegar to Old Jiang! We'll make dumplings ourselves!"

"Ha... I'll go too!"

"If you want to go, then let's go together, but there definitely won't be anything you like to do, and you'll have to do chores if you go! We can't have two grown men making dumplings for you!"

"Well... never mind. I'll just keep going to the company! There are only a few steps left. Lao Ma and I are splitting up and almost done! Once we're done, the company will be established, and I want to be the boss's wife!"

"Alright, goodbye, boss lady!"

"Goodbye, Your Majesty!"

***
Third update! Today's word count has exceeded 10,000 again!
You know what I mean!
(End of this chapter)