The Common Man's Return in Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 139 Whose Cultivation is Higher?

Yesterday, a reporter learned from producer Zhang Jizong that Ji Qingxu will play the role of Yang Guo in Jin Yong's martial arts epic, *The Return of the Condor Heroes*. Ji Qingxu is...

'

The next morning, Zhang Jingchu picked up a newspaper from the restaurant's newspaper rack and stared wide-eyed when he saw the news.

After scanning the restaurant and not seeing Ji Qingxu, Zhang Jingchu carefully read through the newspaper article from beginning to end, and then let out a soft sigh.

This guy is amazing, he actually got the male lead role in "The Return of the Condor Heroes". Zhang Jingchu also auditioned when "The Return of the Condor Heroes" first announced the auditions, but unfortunately he was not selected.

He plays both the villain in a movie with an investment of over 100 million yuan and the male lead in the most popular TV series this year. Thinking back to the information he had inquired about through the company, a strange look appeared on Zhang Jingchu's face.

After glancing at the crew members who were entering the restaurant in twos and threes to prepare for breakfast, Zhang Jingchu composed herself and quietly ate her breakfast.

"Damn, Mule, I'm so envious I could explode! Shall we go find Brother Chicken? I want to beat him to death."

"Let's go buy the tickets right away."

"Damn it, this leaves no way for anyone to survive."

.

"This is outrageous, Old Pig! I have a feeling we didn't go to the same university as Chicken Bro!"

"Damn, who says otherwise? He's got important roles in movies and leading roles in TV series. I haven't even played a third male lead yet."

"Me too. No, I can't keep going like this. I need to find a film crew and I need to submit my resume."

"Let's go together, I can't stand it anymore, I'm so jealous I'm crying."

1

As the production team of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" officially confirmed that Ji Qingxu would be playing the male lead Yang Guo, many entertainment media, newspapers and magazines rushed to reprint and report the news of Ji Qingxu's appearance in "Seven Swords" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

This was the first time that Ji Qingxu's name had appeared in front of the public on such a large scale. The effect of this news publicity was much better than the marketing effect launched by Ciwen Media itself after participating in the Spring Festival Gala at the beginning of the year.

At the same time, Ji Qingxu's name also became widely known in the industry for the first time, with many artists who did not know him before...

The director and the film company owner both took notice of him.

In the following days, many reporters from other places came to interview Ji Qingxu. After greeting Xu Ke, Ji Qingxu selectively chose a few media reporters to be interviewed.

As these interviews and reports were published, Ji Qingxu's name became even more widely known.

不过当时间来到了八月底，8月28日，华夏运动员刘详以12秒88的成绩打破了男子110

He set a world record in the 100-meter hurdles and won China's first Olympic gold medal in track and field.

All news media reports shifted to the Olympics. Liu Xiang became famous overnight and became a household name, his fame rivaling that of Yao Ming, the "Moving Great Wall" basketball player who won the NBA first overall pick in 02.

But before everyone could get excited for long, at the closing ceremony the next day, Beijing, as the host country of the next Olympic Games, [was mentioned].

The "Minutes" segment, themed "From the Olympics to the Great Wall," used eight minutes to showcase the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation and its fervent anticipation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the world.

After the performance, the domestic media were in an uproar.

All the criticism was directed at Zhang Yimou, the director of the closing ceremony performance. There wasn't a single positive comment. Coupled with the poor reception of his July film "House of Flying Daggers," Zhang Yimou suddenly became the target of public criticism.

It seemed as if the entire nation was condemning Zhang Yimou, blaming him for ruining the performance.

Even the cast and crew of "Seven Swords" were discussing this news.

"Director Zhang is in real trouble this time. Apparently, the higher-ups originally wanted him to direct the opening ceremony performance for the 08 Olympics, but now it seems they're planning to replace him. Sigh, Qingxu, if they really do replace him, who do you think is most likely to be chosen?"

Ji Qingxu smiled and shook his head. "I don't know."

"Guess! Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped, I definitely won't tell anyone."

Looking at Zhang Jingchu's slightly parted red lips, Ji Qingxu chuckled softly, "How tight?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu playfully slapped Ji Qingxu, "You naughty boy, you're teasing your sister Jingchu again."

Ji Qingxu looked completely innocent and said, "What did I say about flirting?"

Zhang Jingchu rolled her eyes at Ji Qingxu, annoyed. "Don't tease your sister. If you want to tease someone, go tease your girlfriend."

"Hehe, I don't have a girlfriend."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingchu curled her lip, "Do you think I'm blind? I saw those newspapers a while ago."

At this point, Zhang Jingchu asked with a gossipy look, "Hey, who's your girlfriend, Gao Yuanyuan or Fan Xiaopang?"

Ji Qingxu said with a smile, "Sister Jingchu, don't talk nonsense. I'm friends with them."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu gave Ji Qingxu a disdainful look and chuckled.

Ji Qingxu smiled but didn't say anything.

Zhang Jingchu is a very interesting woman. She took the initiative to approach Ji Qingxu on the second day after he joined the crew. After that, she would ask Ji Qingxu to have meals with her every day, and even went to Ji Qingxu's room to chat with him a few times.

But the woman made no other move, as if she just wanted to be friends with Ji Qingxu, without even a hint of words or actions.

However, the relationship between the two became more and more familiar. Compared to the initial polite words, their conversations became more and more open, and sometimes there was even some physical contact. But the physical contact looked normal and did not give people a very "intimate" feeling.

Glancing at Zhang Jingchu in front of him, Ji Qingxu smiled and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks. This woman was indeed very skilled.

A strange light flashed in Zhang Jingchu's eyes as he watched Ji Qingxu devour his food.

This kid is really something else. No wonder he's doing so much better than me despite being a college student, and he's also won the favor of Fan Xiaopang and Gao Yuanyuan.

Thinking back on their interactions over the past few days, Zhang Jingchu felt somewhat disappointed. Was it because she wasn't pretty enough?

Although he couldn't compare to Gao Yuanyuan and Fan Xiaopang, Zhang Jingchu felt he wasn't too far off. He had only been in contact with Ji Qingxu for half a month, and despite his initiative, Ji Qingxu hadn't responded at all.

Zhang Jingchu had visited Ji Qingxu's room several times in the past few nights. Each time she finished talking and was about to leave, Ji Qingxu never tried to stop her, not even with a hint of reluctance. This made Zhang Jingchu wonder if she was just not Ji Qingxu's type. Or was he waiting for her to make the first move?

Zhang Jingchu glanced at Ji Qingxu, who was eating heartily, for a while, then slowly picked up a piece of food and took a bite.

"Ding-dong!"

Upon hearing the doorbell ring, Ji Qingxu, who was taking a shower, immediately turned off the valve, grabbed a towel from the shelf, wrapped it around himself, and went outside.

Seeing the figure outside through the peephole, Ji Qingxu raised an eyebrow and then opened the door.

"Oh, you're taking a shower."

"Yes, is Sister Jingchu planning to ask me to have a drink?"

Noticing where Ji Qingxu was looking, Zhang Jingchu smiled and raised the glass of red wine in his hand. "Yes, I wanted to have a drink with you. We're about to start filming, and I'm a little nervous."

Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "Come in, come in first."

After closing the door, Ji Qingxu said with a smile, "Wait a moment, I'll take a shower first."

"No rush, take your time washing. The red wine needs to breathe too. Oh, and could you open the red wine for me?"

"it is good."

Watching Ji Qingxu take the wine bottle, walk to the side, pick up a chopstick, insert it into the cork, and then pull it out with a little force, Zhang Jingchu exclaimed in surprise, "Amazing, it's so simple."

Ji Qingxu smiled and handed over the red wine. "Has Sister Jingchu forgotten that I know kung fu?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingchu retorted, "Keep showing off, go take a shower."

"it is good."

Watching Ji Qingxu walk into the bathroom and close the door, and hearing the sound of running water, Zhang Jingchu subconsciously pursed her lips as she looked at the wine bottle in her hand.

What a perfect figure! The well-defined chest and abdominal muscles, and even the leg muscles look incredibly sexy.

Thinking of the beautiful "post-bath" scene he had just seen, Zhang Jingchu felt his cheeks burning.

After looking around, Zhang Jingchu walked to the side, took out two cups, and headed towards the sink.

Glancing at the bathroom door beside him, Zhang Jingchu turned on the tap.

"Sister Jingchu?"

"I'm washing the cups."

"Jingchu, please use the landline to order some snacks to be brought up."

"it is good."

Cheers!

Cheers!

'

Seeing Ji Qingxu take a sip, Zhang Jingchu smiled and said, "I bought this red wine at a nearby store. I don't know if it suits your taste."

Ji Qingxu smiled and glanced at the Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon on the coffee table. "As long as it's drinkable, I don't have high requirements for wine."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingchu smiled and glanced at Ji Qingxu. "Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Wearing only a bath towel, Ji Qingxu replied with a smile, "It's alright, the air conditioning isn't set too low. Do you think it's a bit cold, Jingchu?"

Zhang Jingchu smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm worried about you."

"Hehe, I'm healthy, I'm fine."

After glancing once more at Ji Qingxu's naked upper body, Zhang Jingchu smiled and said, "We're about to start filming, are you nervous?"

Ji Qingxu nodded seriously, "I'm nervous. This is my first time making a movie. I don't know how different it is from a TV series?"

Zhang Jingchu smiled and swirled his wine glass. "The difference is quite significant. In TV dramas, the directors are more demanding, and a single shot might be filmed several times. If the demands aren't high, it might be done in one take. But in movies, there's basically no chance of getting it right in one take."

Ji Qingxu asked curiously, "I've heard that in filmmaking, sometimes a single shot can take several days to film?"

Zhang Jingchu nodded with a smile, "Yes, but this situation is rare, unless the actor is stuck there, or there are very high requirements for the environment. Of course, compared to shooting TV series, shooting a movie may only involve shooting a few scenes a day. Sometimes you may feel very bored if it is not your turn to have a scene."

After taking a sip of wine, Zhang Jingchu remarked, "Actually, I prefer making movies to TV series. It's not that movies are more sophisticated than TV series, but how should I put it? It's a very comfortable feeling. When you're performing, you can fully immerse yourself in the role. When you're not filming, you're very relaxed, unlike when you're rushing around filming TV series."

Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "One is like a job, and the other is like a hobby."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingchu nodded repeatedly in agreement, saying, "That's absolutely right, that's exactly the feeling. Besides, we all know that movies have a higher status than television dramas, but..."

'

He gave a wry smile. "These things aren't something we can decide. We're lucky to have any roles to play. We don't have the right to be picky."

"That's right. As long as there are roles to play, that's fine. What's frightening is having no roles to play at all."

Zhang Jingchu asked curiously, "Are you planning to enter the film industry in the future?"

Ji Qingxu smiled and took a sip of red wine. "It depends. I'll say it again: as long as there's a role to play, it doesn't matter whether it's a movie or a TV series."

Zhang Jingchu asked in surprise, "The truth?"

Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "Of course it's the truth."

After carefully examining Ji Qingxu, Zhang Jingchu asked curiously, "Don't you think movies are more sophisticated than TV series?"

Ji Qingxu chuckled, "Jingchu, have you forgotten what you just said? Do you think we even have a chance to choose these things?"

Zhang Jingchu chuckled self-deprecatingly upon hearing this, "That's true, but compared to me, you're a bit better off."

9

"I don't think so."