Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 110: 60% Screening! Estée Lauder's Top-Tier Banquet Treatment: Promoting Xiao Tian to Power, a Match-Up in Revenge!

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's renegotiate the cooperation agreement."

After Jeff Robinoff finished his discussion with Lu Yunzhou, he began a low-key conversation with the managers of the three major North American cinema chains.

Meanwhile, Jeff Robinoff's tall, blonde secretary was grinding coffee for the bigwigs in a corner.

"Mr. Lu, please enjoy this Geisha coffee from Panama. It's from the president's private collection and is only served to distinguished guests."

The blonde secretary was quite adept at handling things; she made a point of introducing Lu Yunzhou, stating that he was Jeff Robinoff's most distinguished guest.

To entertain Lu Yunzhou, they even brought a bag of coffee beans when they came to the meeting.

"Another one, please."

Lu Yunzhou turned his gaze to Tian Xiwei, who was standing guard at the door.

"Please wait a moment."

The blonde secretary nodded slightly and went to make another cup of coffee.

Lu Yunzhou waved to Tian Xiwei, inviting her to come and enjoy coffee with him.

"They're here."

Tian Xiwei skipped over, and from afar she smelled a unique aroma. Seeing it was coffee, her eyes widened in surprise: "It's coffee? How come it smells like jasmine?"

"Try it."

Lu Yunzhou didn't explain, letting Tian Xiwei try it herself.

Tian Xiwei took a small sip, smacked her lips, and her eyes widened again: "It has a slightly citrusy sweetness. Is this coffee? Or is it mixed with fruit tea?"

"Isn't it delicious?"

Lu Yunzhou smiled slightly, indicating that Tian Xiwei could have a few more drinks if she liked.

"No, no. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Although the coffee was quite delicious, Tian Xiwei didn't sleep well last night, and if she couldn't sleep tonight, dark circles would appear under her eyes.

However, she secretly took a picture and posted it to the "Porridge and Rice Family Shanghai No. 1 Fan Group," boasting, "Sisters, I'm in for a treat today! Panama Geisha coffee, it smells like jasmine and has a sweet, citrusy aftertaste."

These words immediately caused another uproar in the group.

"Xiaotian, have you ever heard the saying: 'Everyone's blessings are finite.' You've enjoyed too much happiness this year; be careful not to shorten your lifespan."

"Xiaotian, you're already enjoying a life of luxury even though you haven't become empress and are just a maid who has just passed the imperial selection. I can't even imagine what kind of life you'll lead after you become empress."

"Xiaotian, I just checked, this coffee bean costs $3 per kilogram, and each gram of coffee bean is equivalent to $30..."

"A cup of coffee uses about 10 grams of coffee beans, and you just drank $300 in one gulp. That's equivalent to a gold ring. You're living a very extravagant life."

"Xiaotian, save some money for Zhouzhou! Otherwise, when the real Empress ascends the throne and finds the national treasury empty—you've spent it all—she'll definitely hunt you down all over the world!"

After praising Tian Xiwei for a while, these fans suddenly started frantically calling out to Wang Churan: "Boat Girl, have you ever enjoyed this kind of blessing?"

""

In the eyes of fans, Wang Ran is Lu Yunzhou's most beloved little cutie, because Lu Yunzhou personally took Wang Ran to take the college entrance examination and to register for university on her first day.

Tian Xiwei didn't receive this treatment.

But the current situation seems a bit off—Lu Yunzhou is practically doting on Tian Xiwei, showering her with endless affection.

This aroused envy in everyone.

After a while, Wang Ran chimed in, saying sourly, "I'm not a real empress. Where would I get to enjoy such blessings?"

After clarifying in the group chat, Wang Churan contacted Tian Xiwei privately and frantically asked, "What did you guys do today?"

Why did your brother take you out for coffee? Just the two of you? It's around 9 PM New York time now. You two went out for coffee privately, are you going shopping afterwards? What do you want to do after shopping?

Tian Xiwei chuckled, deliberately teasing Wang Cheran: "After shopping, of course we go back to our rooms to sleep. What else can we do?"

You die!

Just as Wang was about to smash her phone in anger, Tian Xiwei added, "I share a room with Cunzi. Cunzi snores like a little tiger at night. I couldn't sleep a wink last night."

That's more or less.

Wang Churan's anger subsided slightly, and she secretly warned Tian Xiwei: "My brother said that his favorite outdoor activity when he was a child was rowing a boat on the river."

There's a hidden meaning in those words.

Tian Xiwei chuckled, glanced at Lu Yunzhou, and replied to Wang Churan, "Big brother said he's in a particularly good mood tonight, having closed another big deal, and wants to try what it's like to farm."

What is farming?

You think I don't know what you're talking about?

At this moment, Wang Churan was so angry that she almost exploded: "I think you're dreaming! Do you understand him, or do I understand him?"

He would never say such a thing!

"Xiaotian, who are you chatting with? You're laughing so happily."

After finishing his coffee, Lu Yunzhou saw Tian Xiwei chatting with someone on her phone, and a smile he couldn't help but smirk appeared on his lips.

He asked out of curiosity.

"Chatting with the boat girl."

Tian Xiwei looked up at Lu Yunzhou, thought for a moment, and added, "Chuanmei said she's having a great time at home all by herself. I think she's just being stubborn. Actually, Chuanmei must miss you a lot, she's just too shy to say it."

A gentle smile crossed Lu Yunzhou's face as he nodded softly, "I have no choice but to go on business trips to earn money."

-

After making a comment, Lu Yunzhou looked at Tian Xiwei: "I'm relieved that you two have such a good relationship. You should know about Xiaomeng's family situation, right?"

Tian Xiwei nodded gently.

Wang Ran's parents are divorced.

Her parents each remarried and had another child.

Wang Churan has a younger brother on one side and a younger brother on the other side.

So, whenever she had a holiday, she didn't want to go back to either of her homes; she wanted to stay with Lu Yunzhou every day.

"Xiaotian, do me a favor. Xiaomeng can be a bit stubborn sometimes. If she has a conflict with you, please don't take it to heart."

Lu Yunzhou felt that Tian Xiwei and Wang Cheran had a good relationship. They went to the same university, and Tian Xiwei was introduced to him by Wang Cheran.

It is said that Wang Churan was originally the group leader of his fan group, but after Wang Churan secretly started dating him, she handed over the group leader position to Tian Xiwei.

No matter how you look at it, these two are definitely best friends.

"Big brother, I promise you, no matter how much Chuanmei hits or scolds me, in my heart, she will always be my best sister. After all, I've always considered her my own sister. I will be her best sister for life."

Tian Xiwei also has a younger sister.

Therefore, she knows very well how to deal with this naughty younger sister.

"Xiao Tian, ​​the first time I met you, I felt you were a very good person. You're very loyal, and you even treated Ah Kun to Tianfu Cola."

Lu Yunzhou smiled at Tian Xiwei: "Tomorrow, I'll take you two shopping. I think your beautiful wrist is missing a watch—a Cartier, what do you think?"

Tian Xiwei was willing to take care of Wang Churan behind his back; this was a sisterly friendship fee that Lu Yunzhou had given Tian Xiwei in advance.

Wang Churan is a jealous person.

Lu Yunzhou didn't have the energy to coax her every day, so sometimes he needed his best friend's help.

"Brother, I don't like wearing watches."

Tian Xiwei slowly shook her head. A Cartier watch, according to Lu Yunzhou's spending habits, must cost at least several hundred thousand.

For a normal person to get married, this is about all the dowry they would need.

How could she possibly accept it?

Lu Yunzhou paid the farming fee before he had even plowed the field.

That's definitely not acceptable; it goes against the rules of the martial arts world.

We should at least test the fertility of the field before discussing the cost of tilling.

"You're such a sensible girl."

Lu Yunzhou knew Tian Xiwei wanted to save him money, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He gently patted Tian Xiwei's back: "Then let's go to the LDC store and pick out a few gold bracelets. Don't refuse. Just consider it giving the brand a shout-out. Before long, you'll be a big star and can help me promote my products."

77

"Thank you, brother."

Lu Yunzhou's gift was one that Tian Xiwei couldn't refuse.

Their hotel is located right on Fifth Avenue in New York, one of the world's most famous shopping paradises.

Dior, Cartier, Versace, Tiffany—flagship stores of all kinds of luxury brands line the streets.

There is also a boutique in Borsalino and LDC.

In addition, Kou Rui's haute couture fashion house has also opened for business.

Lu Yunzhou had finally come all the way to New York, so of course he had to check on things and see how his business was doing.

"The deal is done."

Lu Yunzhou and Tian Xiwei chatted for a while, while Jeff Robinoff had already finalized cooperation agreements with the three major cinema chains.

"We only gave them 5% of the box office revenue in the first week. From the second week onwards, we followed the regular revenue sharing ratio."

"Overall, we estimate that we will offer a discount of approximately 2%."

Jeff Robinoff gave Lu Yunzhou an analysis.

If the box office picks up in the first week, it will immediately top the charts, and for the rest of the month, this movie will basically have no decent competitors.

Their next opponent will appear on November 13th, which is Thor: Ragnarok.

For a full 40 days, theaters will allocate as many screenings as possible to this film to maximize its profitability.

In this process, they don't need to make any concessions at all.

Only during its initial release week, when the blockbuster "Blade Runner 2049" was already showing in theaters, did it need to compete with this film for screen time.

Cinemas wouldn't do a losing business.

"Jeff, that's a brilliant game theory strategy."

Lu Yunzhou shook hands with Jeff Robinov, expressing great satisfaction with his performance in the negotiations.

"It's been a pleasure working with you, Lu."

Lu Yunzhou demonstrated his immense value in film production, and Jeff Robinoff naturally needed to demonstrate his value in business negotiations.

Otherwise, Lu Yunzhou could skip him and find someone else to cooperate with.

As of September 2017, Warner Bros. held a 20.3% market share, ranking first among the six major Hollywood distributors.

Disney followed closely behind, holding an 18.1% market share!

Film distribution is similar to product agency sales, involving tasks such as setting release dates, promotion, and liaising with theaters and ticketing platforms.

The most important part here is publicity and promotion.

Lu Yunzhou has a built-in fanbase; his movies are comparable to Disney's super IPs, attracting people to the cinema without much promotion.

In this situation, everyone wanted to be the one to distribute Lu Yunzhou's films.

Because this is easy money.

It's simply because Jeff Robinoff's Studio 8 and Lu Yunzhou's director's studio have both been invested in by Fosun Pictures.

As the middleman, President Qiao deserves Lu Yunzhou's respect.

"It's a pleasure working with you all."

After Jeff Robinoff finished his negotiations, Lu Yunzhou went up and shook hands with the managers of the three major cinema chains one by one.

A verbal agreement was reached on this matter.

The work that follows will now be Jeff Robinov's responsibility; Lu Yunzhou will no longer be involved.

He also has his own work to do.

After seeing Jeff Robinoff and his group off, Lu Yunzhou and Tian Xiwei took the private elevator back to the top floor.

Given that Lu Yunzhou was shot during his last trip to New York, he will no longer go out casually this time, and will stay in the hotel every day when he has no plans to go out.

At most, he only moves around on this street downstairs.

When going out, bring at least eight bodyguards with you so they can take the bullets for you.

"Brother, thank you for showing me the world."

Tian Xiwei didn't actually do anything with Lu Yunzhou; she just met with the managers of the three major North American theater chains and overheard Lu Yunzhou and Jeff Robinoff discussing how to increase the film's screening rate to over 60%.

Even so, Tian Xiwei still felt that she had seen a new and vast world.

If Lu Yunzhou hadn't taken her, she would never have seen such scenery in her entire life.

"There's no need to thank me."

Lu Yunzhou patted Tian Xiwei on the shoulder: "The future is long. You should spend more time working on your acting. Compared to Xiao Cun, your acting is still lacking. The layers aren't distinct enough, and the emotional tension is also a bit weak."

Seeing Tian Xiwei pouting and looking down in disappointment, Lu Yunzhou felt he had been too harsh on the girl, so he added a few words to make amends: "Of course, you have a sweet and youthful appearance, but with makeup, you can also be a mature and sophisticated woman. You are very versatile. Just like Tom Ford said, you are like a night-blooming cereus."

When Tian Xiwei heard Lu Yunzhou praise her, she was delighted, but also a little uncertain: "Am I really that pretty?"

""

Lu Yunzhou nodded firmly: "Of course. You should have seen how beautiful you are in 'Fairy Castle,' right?"

Of the three female characters, Zhang Tianai's willow fairy is the most beautiful, the gentlest, and the most alluring.

Secondly, there's Tian Xiwei, a cool and aloof older sister type, who has a very strong personality.

Smoky makeup, an Italian little black dress, thick, straight bangs, and a red rose in her hair.

It is full of Gothic style.

However, Tian Xiwei has the typical features of an Eastern beauty, with a round face, big eyes, and a head that frames her face very well, making her very photogenic.

Most importantly, despite her sweet appearance, Tian Xiwei possesses a wild strength—perhaps a unique resilience characteristic of Chongqing girls.

Like a wild Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Of the three, the one who is most like an ordinary person is actually the female lead, Liu Haocun.

However, Liu Haocun's acting skills are the best.

You can't have your cake and eat it too, so Lu Yunzhou could only make them into a platter. At least these girls were top-notch ingredients, much better than the post-85 generation.

"hey-hey."

Tian Xiwei was a little embarrassed by Lu Yunzhou's praise, so she lowered her head and chuckled foolishly.

But after thinking it over, Tian Xiwei concluded that Lu Yunzhou definitely didn't praise her for that reason, and that he had been showering her with special attention ever since they arrived in New York.

What are the differences between her and Liu Haocun?

After thinking about it carefully, Tian Xiwei realized that it might be because when the German girl Susanna pounced on her at the movie screening a while ago, Liu Haocun stood there like a fool, not moving at all.

Like a valiant general, she stepped forward, grabbed Susanna, and protected Lu Yunzhou's chastity.

From then on, Tian Xiwei discovered that Lu Yunzhou liked to take her with him wherever he went, treating her like a bodyguard.

"really!"

"I still need to keep practicing squats and building core strength."

"Who says there are no advantages to girls being strong?"

After the logical chain was established, back in the room, while Liu Haocun was still doing high knee exercises, Tian Xiwei was doing planks on the bed.

After finishing the plank, she did a few straight-arm push-ups and one-arm push-ups—unfortunately, the conditions here are limited, so we can't give her a pull-up bar or anything like that.

"Oda, what's going on with you?"

Liu Haocun felt that Tian Xiwei's muscle definition was already very obvious, and three or five people could not get close to her.

Why does she still need to practice?

Who is this person preparing to commit domestic violence against?

"You can stretch your legs now."

Liu Hao has his own advantage, which is his long legs.

Tian Xiwei had always envied her because she had a 50/50 body proportion, but now she realizes that everyone has their own talents.

That evening.

Even when Liu Haocun was sleeping, he would keep one eye open, watching Tian Xiwei constantly, just to see when she would sneak out.

But to Liu Haocun's surprise, Tian Xiwei actually stayed still, curled up in the quilt, and slept until dawn.

"mock up."

-

"You stay up all night just to watch me?"

When Tian Xiwei saw Liu Haocun rubbing his eyes and yawning constantly when he got up in the morning, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well the night before, she twitched her lips and revealed a disdainful smile.

She got up early and put on a very exquisite makeup.

It's the kind of look where it's as if you're not wearing any makeup, but your skin becomes incredibly smooth, your eyes become bright and sparkling, and your eyelashes become long and thick.

In addition, she wore nude lipstick, making it look like she wasn't wearing any makeup, but upon closer inspection, you could see that her lips were especially moisturized and glossy today.

Just like jelly.

After looking at it for a while, you can't help but want to take a bite.

This kind of "no-makeup" makeup look is absolutely killer for straight men.

Because many straight men don't like women wearing heavy makeup, which looks like they have oil paint on their faces; they prefer natural, unpretentious looks.

Ideally, it should contain no additives.

"Xiao Tian, ​​you look very special today. You seem to have become much prettier overnight." Lu Yunzhou nodded gently when he saw Tian Xiwei's fresh and elegant appearance.

He couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.

Seeing this, Liu Haocun couldn't help but stab Tian Xiwei in the back: "Big brother, she got up early this morning and spent over an hour doing her makeup. How could she not look beautiful?"

"It's not an hour, it's at most 50 minutes."

Tian Xiwei snorted, turned her head, and bared her teeth and claws at Liu Haocun, muttering some Chongqing rap under her breath.

"Xiao Cun, did you not sleep well last night? You have some dark circles under your eyes."

Compared to Tian Xiwei's exquisite makeup, Liu Haocun's was slightly plain, and he spoke softly, sounding weak and listless.

Liu Haocun let out a long, weary sigh and complained to Lu Yunzhou, "Brother, you have no idea, Xiao Tian snored and ground his teeth last night, keeping me awake all night."

She's lying!

She's wrongly accusing me again!

They all can't stand to see me doing well!

Tian Xiwei glared at Liu Haocun—but she couldn't explain this herself. After all, she didn't know what she would do after she fell asleep.

"Shhh."

Lu Yunzhou gestured for Liu Haocun to be quiet, shook his head, and said, "You're not allowed to talk about Xiaotian snoring and grinding his teeth in his sleep outside anymore. It's affecting Xiaotian's image."

Lu Yunzhou was implicitly acknowledging that Tian Xiwei snores and grinds her teeth while sleeping.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with him.

Tian Xiwei immediately wanted to jump in and explain, but Liu Haocun beat her to it: "Big brother, don't worry, this is a secret between us. I won't tell anyone after we leave this room."

After saying that, Liu Haocun winked at Tian Xiwei: "Xiao Tian, ​​we're best friends. I definitely won't tell anyone your secret."

Tian Xiwei gritted her teeth and said, "I only believe that the dead don't speak!"

You're the one who said all the bad things, and now you're pretending to be a good person in front of me? Do you think I'll believe you?

"Xiaotian, go and call Xiaodai to come out for breakfast. After breakfast, we'll go shopping on Fifth Avenue."

This morning, they can play to their hearts' content.

In the afternoon, various fashion magazines would come over to take photos of them and conduct individual interviews.

In the evening, Estée Lauder will host a private party and invite Lu Yunzhou to attend.

Last year, Lu Yunzhou met Jing Tian at this banquet.

Who knows who I'll run into this year?

"Cunzi, these tattered clothes are so expensive! I don't think they're worth the price at all."

"Oda, I think so too. Asking me to spend money on this is no different from asking me to cut off a piece of my own flesh."

Lu Yunzhou took Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun shopping on Fifth Avenue, where there was a dazzling array of luxury goods.

Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun both received a portion of their pay for filming "The Fairy Castle," but the movie has not yet been released, and their commercial value has not yet fully materialized.

Therefore, the two of them didn't have much money in their pockets.

Even if these two people had tens of millions in their pockets, given their upbringing and spending habits, they probably wouldn't be willing to buy anything too expensive.

Because it is not necessary.

"Sister Dai Si, aren't you going to buy one?"

Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun didn't dare to make a purchase, so they encouraged Dai Si to buy one.

After all, Dai Si is much older than them and has been an actress for many more years. After the release of "Wolf Warrior 2", Dai Si became famous all over the country and is probably much richer.

Dai Si shook his head slightly and whispered in their ears, "Let me tell you a secret: I spent all my savings to terminate my contract with Jiaxing."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun were taken aback and asked in a low voice, "Didn't the internet say that Sister Mi returned all the termination fees to you?"

That's one way of putting it.

Dai Si chuckled coldly, "But I paid the termination fee in cash. After Sister Mi announced online that she would refund the fee, I contacted the company. They verbally said that it would be returned to me in a few months and told me to wait. But I've been waiting for two months now, where is the money?"

The one who owes money is the boss.

Yang Mi said she wouldn't charge her a termination fee, but what's the reality? Who knows how long that money will stay in Jiaxing's account?

All three girls are honest people.

Lu Yunzhou did not make a grand promise to pay for the entire event.

"These clothes are all out of season and not very nice. Come on, I'll take you to our shop."

Lu Yunzhou doesn't need to buy clothes at all.

Because Tom Ford would provide all his clothes for any formal occasion he attended.

Every quarter, all of Tom Ford's latest models would be delivered to Lu Yunzhou by a dedicated person so he could choose from them.

Having access to top-tier luxury clothing and earning endorsement fees—that's what being a celebrity is all about.

"Choose whatever you like, I'll pay."

Once inside his shop, Lu Yunzhou stopped hesitating and announced that anyone could choose anything from the entire store.

"Thank you, brother."

"Big brother is the most handsome in the world."

This time, the three girls didn't stand on ceremony with Lu Yunzhou either. They started browsing freely in the shop and even helped each other choose accessories.

"Lu, can I take a picture with you?"

'

The sales assistants in the store might not have dared to voice this opinion if they encountered other celebrities, but Lu Yunzhou is the young master behind their brand.

They mustered their courage and asked a few questions.

"Of course, no problem."

Lu Yunzhou called over all the staff in the store and took photos with each of them one by one.

But after taking the photo, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

The uniforms worn by these sales assistants are too ordinary, lacking any distinctive features, and completely fail to highlight their beauty and figures.

Thinking of this, Lu Yunzhou made a phone call to Zhang Ruonan.

"Brother, why did you suddenly call me today?"

Milan is 6 hours ahead of New York. It's about 9 a.m. in New York right now, while it's about 3 p.m. in Milan.

Zhang Ruonan is on this side of the fashion show, checking the final sample garments.

The sample garments looked different when worn by different models, and the designer is considering how to better present the overall theme.

Zhang Ruonan was overjoyed to receive Lu Yunzhou's call and immediately put down her work to answer it.

Lu Yunzhou asked, "Xiao Nan, do you remember the designer I told you about last time?"

Which designer?

Zhang Ruonan has met so many designers lately that she has no idea what Lu Yunzhou is talking about.

Lu Yunzhou whispered a clue: "French flight attendant uniform."

Zhang Ruonan's face immediately flushed red, and she said coquettishly, "I'm still at work. Why bring this up?"

After muttering a few words of criticism, Zhang Ruonan asked softly, with a hint of anticipation, "When are you coming to Milan? I'll wear it when I get home so you can see."

You've got the wrong idea again.

Lu Yunzhou asked seriously, "What's the current situation with Christine Lacroix, the French flight attendant uniform designer? Is she still negotiating with the Spanish company?"

"Christine?"

Zhang Ruonan heard a name, then put down the microphone and shouted into the distance, "Christine, can you come over here for a second?"

After calling the person over, Zhang Ruonan grinned at Lu Yunzhou: "I was originally planning to give you a surprise next week."

"I have already agreed on the framework for the collaboration with Christine. She will become the fashion director of our LB Group and will be responsible for restarting the ready-to-wear and haute couture model for Lacroix."

For individual designers, ready-to-wear and haute couture businesses are extremely expensive.

Because most designers are only good at designing clothes, but not good at marketing and sales, they can easily bankrupt their companies.

For a designer, the best way is to find a big company that appreciates him, become their fashion director, and be sponsored.

This model is similar to that of medieval artists who needed to find a nobleman to support them so that they could focus on their artistic creations without distractions.

"Sir, thank you for your appreciation."

Christian Lacroix is ​​a genius designer, but clearly not good at business. He created a brand under his own name, only to be ousted from it himself.

The brand was also sold to an American company.

Before Zhang Ruonan found him, Christine Lacroix was designing a limited-edition commemorative bottle for Evian mineral water.

He has completely become a lackey of capital.

The LB Group's invitation to become his fashion director presented Christian Lacroix with a significant opportunity to return to the mainstream fashion scene.

He had no reason to refuse.

"Christine, welcome to our company. Feel free to share any ideas you have with me."

I won't disturb your work any longer. See you next week.

Lu Yunzhou originally wanted Christine Lacroix to redesign a uniform for all the staff of their LB Group, based on the design style of French flight attendant uniforms.

This uniform will be even more beautiful than the work uniforms of Chanel and Hermès.

However, Christine Lacroix has more important work to do right now.

Let's leave the small things like changing employee uniforms for after Christmas.

Although Lu Yunzhou paid the bill, the three girls didn't go overboard. They each picked out a piece of clothing, went to Borsalino to get a hat, and then returned to the hotel.

-

"Why didn't you choose a few more items?"

While having lunch in the room, Lu Yunzhou looked at Liu Haocun and Tian Xiwei with some confusion.

As for Dai Si, she has always been a very shy girl, and even if Lu Yunzhou were to pay, she wouldn't choose any more options.

Tian Xiwei put down her chopsticks and laughed, "Big brother, do you think we're stupid? It's already September, the season is almost over. Why are you bringing so many old styles? I'll wait until after Milan Fashion Week and then go directly to Sister Nan to get the new styles."

Hearing this, Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but smile: "You're such a clever one. But you're right. As the spokesperson for Kourei, how could you possibly lack clothes?"

After finishing his food, Lu Yunzhou left the table.

He sat on the sofa for a while, and when he saw that the food had been mostly digested, he prepared to go back to his room to rest.

"I'm going to take a nap. Tonight—Xiaotian, I'm taking you to the Estée Lauder party. Make sure you're ready."

Tonight, Lu Yunzhou plans to bring Tian Xiwei along to Estée Lauder's banquet.

"It's you again!"

After Lu Yunzhou returned to his room, Liu Haocun could no longer hide his jealousy. He frowned and stared at Tian Xiwei, looking her up and down, left and right, his face full of confusion.

She chased after Tian Xiwei, repeatedly asking, "Did you cast a spell on my brother? I'm the leading lady in his story."

Don't overthink it.

Tian Xiwei sighed deeply and said with a helpless expression, "Do you think it's a good thing that my brother asked me to go?"

He asked me to be his bodyguard.

"As a bodyguard?"

Liu Haocun never expected this to be the reason.

The jealousy in her voice vanished instantly. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Tian Xiwei with some concern, and asked, "Is tonight dangerous?"

"Of course it's dangerous."

Tian Xiwei nodded repeatedly, adopting a posture of "the wind is howling, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs and never returns," standing with her back to Liu Haocun in front of the glass window.

She said in a deep voice, "Yang Mi will also be attending the banquet tonight. She is the Asia-Pacific spokesperson for Estée Lauder."

"Tonight will surely be a bloodbath."

"If possible, under the cover of darkness, I'll find an opportunity to punch Yang Mi to death and end it all."

Liu Haocun immediately stepped forward and took Tian Xiwei's hand.

Tian Xiwei initially thought Liu Haocun was advising her against acting so impulsively. Murder would land her in jail.

Unexpectedly, Liu Haocun whispered, "Don't use your fists, they're too inefficient. Use a knife, that's much more lethal!"

"This is to ensure Yang Mi never returns."

You are truly my best friend.

This is forcibly leading me down the path of crime.

Tian Xiwei was just joking, but Liu Haocun gave her a bad idea.

These fake friendships are better off ended!

In the evening, the group had a simple dinner.

Lu Yunzhou then took Tian Xiwei and prepared to go out.

Before leaving, Lu Yunzhou instructed Liu Haocun and Dai Si: "Get a good rest tonight and don't wander around. Tomorrow, Fashion Week officially begins. It will be very tiring."

Liu Haocun immediately swore an oath: "Brother, we promise we won't run away and won't give you the chance to take the bullets for us."

-

Lu Yunzhou flicked Liu Haocun's forehead with his finger: "You brat. Are you teasing me about this?"

Lu Yunzhou nodded gently to Dai Si: "Get some rest, don't wait for us."

"Um.

""

Dai Si didn't say much, and saw Lu Yunzhou and Tian Xiwei out.

Outside, staff from Estée Lauder were already waiting for the two, respectfully inviting them to the hotel's banquet hall.

On this day last year, Tang Yan took Lu Yunzhou to attend the banquet hosted by these fashion groups, while this year, Lu Yunzhou took the newcomer Tian Xiwei to attend the banquet.

This time last year, Lu Yunzhou was only somewhat famous.

At this very moment, Lu Yunzhou is already a globally renowned internet celebrity, a top artist in the eyes of Europeans, and the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci.

In the eyes of Americans, he is a saint who survived being shot and awakened superpowers.

In short, he has been shrouded in an aura of mystery.

-

"Lu, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Tom Ford, as the brand's founder, was also Lu Yunzhou's host at the dinner party, introducing Lu Yunzhou to the Estée Lauder family.

In addition, he introduced Lu Yunzhou to Estée Lauder's current CEO and other management personnel.

"Julianne Moore, nice to meet you."

The famous actor Julianne Moore came over to greet Lu Yunzhou and even extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Julian."

Following Western etiquette, Lu Yunzhou took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Julianne Moore is the first actress in history to achieve a grand slam of Best Actress awards at all three major European film festivals (Cannes, Venice, and Berlin) and the Academy Awards.

As an actress, she is extremely talented!

Julianne Moore starred in Tom Ford's film "A Single Man".

The two became acquainted because of this.

Of course, there's no need to worry about any special relationship between the two.

Because Tom Ford is gay.

Unless there are special circumstances, most big names and top designers in the fashion industry can be assumed to be gay.

"At this year's Venice Film Festival, Guillermo del Toro's 'The Shape of Water' unexpectedly won the Golden Lion."

"This is the first monster movie to win the Golden Lion. The Venice Film Festival seems to have loosened its judging criteria."

"Lu, you never seem to attend film festivals?"

The three of them chatted casually.

Tom Ford and Julian Moore were both quite curious about Lu Yunzhou, because he was a superstar who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Last year at New York Fashion Week, Lu Yunzhou caused a global sensation by shielding Jing from a bullet.

Following that, his starring film "The Speeding Racer" swept the globe. Although the box office wasn't particularly outrageous, it was still among the top-grossing racing films.

Immediately afterwards, the number of views for this movie on streaming platforms became incredibly high.

The real turning point came last Christmas.

Lu Yunzhou acquired Borsalino and even recreated Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" for Borsalino's flagship store in Milan, leaving countless people around the world speechless!

Since then, Lu Yunzhou has become a top figure in the global fashion and art circles, and everyone is talking about him.

However, Lu Yunzhou was not swept up by the noise of popularity. Instead, he was able to calm down and spend 10 months making another visual blockbuster, "The Fairy Castle of Dresden," which is highly anticipated by fantasy movie fans all over the world.

That's truly admirable.

"Film festivals are too uncertain for me. I don't want to waste too much energy doing things that are uncertain."

As a businessman, Lu Yunzhou considers whether the effort and reward are proportional.

For him, film festivals require a lot of effort, but the rewards are likely minimal.

Even if he wins a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, so what?

Many directors in China have already won this award.

The foreign judges might even feel that the award was a special favor bestowed upon Lu Yunzhou.

Lu Yunzhou would never eat such leftovers.

"Lu, the lighting and shadow style of the movie The Shape of Water is somewhat similar to your movie The Fairy Castle, and it looks sophisticated."

"The lighting is very soft."

"The entire film is filled with amber gold and deep blue, giving it a melancholic feel, as well as a sense of sacredness."

"The textures of your two items are very similar."

Tom Ford spoke somewhat uncertainly, glancing at Lu Yunzhou's expression from time to time.

Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but smile, and finally uttered a name: "Caravaggio—I know that's what you want to say. A single point of light. A beam of light piercing through fate."

You're right.

"The art style of our two films is somewhat similar."

"Our vibes are also very similar, both filled with a sense of destiny."

"However, I am different from director Guillermo del Toro—he is not cheerful enough, not humorous enough, he is a profound director."

"Mexican directors are all so profound. They have a weighty temperament and always like to explore pain, redemption, and the limits of survival."

"In addition, during filming, director Guillermo del Toro prefers to open the aperture to between T2.8 and T4, which is the sweet spot for most directors. With this wide-angle lens, the audience feels very close to the actors, the sense of action is stronger, and the depth of field is better."

"But I prefer to use ultra-wide-angle and deep-field techniques to make the audience feel that they are far away from the actors, like God, watching the characters struggle in their fate from a distance as a detached observer—my films are more about that lonely, sublime German romanticism style."

After listening to Lu Yunzhou's words, Tom Ford clapped lightly.

Julian Moore, standing beside him, gently bit her red lips, picked up her champagne glass, and clinked it against Lu Yunzhou's: "Lu, you are truly a unique director. If I were 20, I would definitely be madly in love with you."

Tian Xiwei's English wasn't particularly good; she could barely understand the conversation between Lu Yunzhou and the two Hollywood bigwigs.

Even two Hollywood moguls highly praised Lu Yunzhou.

At this moment, she did not speak, nor was she entitled to speak. Like a quiet luxury item, she quietly displayed her sweet appearance.

Subconsciously, she took Lu Yunzhou's arm and leaned closer to him.

The champagne tonight was so sweet and fragrant; she'll probably never forget it.

"Lu, let me introduce you to some supermodels. Perhaps in the future, when your family's brand needs a big show, you won't need to search around for people. Because right now, you can easily get their contact information."

Tom Ford introduced Lu Yunzhou to the various supermodel lineup under Estée Lauder.

"Gabriella Wilde".

Kendall Jenner.

"How about it? Estée Lauder has good taste, right?"

Estée Lauder's supermodels are mostly world-class.

If it weren't world-class, it wouldn't even be able to join Estée Lauder's ranks.

Lu Yunzhou gently shook his head: "Not as good as Paulina. When I was very young, I was immediately captivated by Paulina."

When Lu Yunzhou mentioned Paulina, Tom Ford didn't know what to say.

Because Paulina looks remarkably like Audrey Hepburn.

However, Paulina was love-struck—she gave up her career for love, helped her divorced rock singer husband raise his two children, and was left with nothing after giving birth to two of them.

Currently, Estée Lauder is calling for Pauline's return.

It is estimated that Pauline will be present at Estée Lauder's fashion gala next year.

"Lu, I think I understand something."

Tom Ford introduced Lu Yunzhou to many of Estée Lauder's supermodels and management.

After talking with Lu Yunzhou, these people couldn't directly praise him, so they indirectly praised Tian Xiwei, who was next to Lu Yunzhou, saying that she had a great temperament and was like a sweet little princess.

"Tom, what do you understand?"

Lu Yunzhou had a slight smile on his lips as he gently put his left arm around Tian Xiwei's shoulder.

Tom Ford gently tapped Tian Xiwei, then turned to look at Yang Mi not far away and whispered, "You want your little cutie to steal Yang Mi's position as Estée Lauder's Asia-Pacific spokesperson."

"Is that not allowed?"

Lu Yunzhou did not deny any of this. He brought Tian Xiwei here to poach Yang Mi's fashion resources.

With limited fashion resources, Yang Mi became a huge star thanks to "Eternal Love," and it's indeed very difficult to poach her Estée Lauder Asia Pacific ambassadorship in the past two years.

According to the normal timeline, Yang Mi will also become a brand ambassador for Estée Lauder.

However, Yang Mi's peak period has passed.

Tian Xiwei has only just debuted, and she will become even more beautiful and famous in the future.

Actually, it won't take long.

If "The Fairy Castle of Dresden" grosses over $10 billion, Tian Xiwei, as the second female lead in the film, will gain international fame that surpasses that of Yang Mi.

As for its reputation in the Asia-Pacific region?

Lu Yunzhou firmly believes in one thing: movie stars are of a higher caliber than TV drama stars!

Because film is an art of light and shadow, a high-end cultural product, and the aesthetics of this kind of cultural product are very similar all over the world.

"sure."

Tom Ford and Yang Mi don't know each other, but Lu Yunzhou is the full-line spokesperson for his independent brand.

It spans the fashion, film, and high-end automotive sectors, achieving multi-faceted collaboration.

Although Yang Mi is very famous, she only belongs to the Estée Lauder beauty category. She does not participate in fashion shows and has no collaborations with top luxury clothing brands.

As for the cross-industry collaboration between high-end automobiles and global film and television, even looking at the whole world, only a very few superstars can pull off such a thing.

"Tom, you can convey my message to Mr. [Fu Yide]."

Fabrizio Freda is the CEO of Estée Lauder. He is Italian, but he has a Chinese name: Fu Yide.

Lu Yunzhou was subtly indicating that Yang Mi was not the only option for the Asia-Pacific region's beauty brand ambassador.

Liu Haocun and Tian Xiwei are clearly also qualified to compete.

Especially Tian Xiwei.

In terms of appearance, she is not much inferior to Yang Mi.

A representative film is coming soon.

"I will find my way."

This has little to do with Tom Ford, but he can give Lu Yunzhou some face.

"Thanks, Tom."

Lu Yunzhou toasted Tom Ford, then turned and took Tian Xiwei to chat with the others for a few minutes.

Tian Xiwei seemed to understand something and whispered in Lu Yunzhou's ear, "Big brother, are you helping me poach Sister Mi's fashion resources?"

She felt excited, moved, and a little bit of indescribable joy at revenge.

"It's just fair competition."

Lu Yunzhou told Tian Xiwei not to worry: "There's always a price to pay for doing wrong. On Qixi Festival, Dilraba announced she was single, which stirred up trouble for me. Yang Mi should have realized that I would retaliate in kind."

Just then, Yang Mi seemed to notice Lu Yunzhou and came over to chat with him for a few minutes.

"Honey, your makeup looks amazing today. The foreigners are all stunned."

Lu Yunzhou, contrary to his usual behavior, was extremely affectionate towards Yang Mi, praising her as being so beautiful today that she was like a vixen, capable of bringing ruin to the country.

"Your mouth is so sweet today?"

Yang Mi was flattered. If she hadn't seen Tian Xiwei sticking to Lu Yunzhou's side like a guardian general, she would have already gone up and clung to him.

Even so, she was still very happy.

"Happy birthday in advance, Honey."

Yang Mi's birthday is September 12th, which is in two days. However, Fashion Week is coming up next, and each brand will have its own show, so there won't be many opportunities for everyone to meet.

"Thanks."

Yang Mi took a step forward, and a fragrant breeze immediately wafted over, entering Lu Yunzhou's nose.

She deliberately lowered her head, gently tossed her hair, exuding allure, before raising her head and softly saying, "Yunzhou, there was some misunderstanding about the Qixi Festival. I've already spoken to Reba about it. She doesn't know her place, so please don't take it to heart."

1

"It's okay, it's all over now."

Lu Yunzhou has done what he needed to do, which can be considered a retaliatory act against what happened on Qixi Festival.

At that moment, Lu Yunzhou gently clinked glasses with Yang Mi and said kindly, "Sister Mi, I wish you a pleasant evening."

Yang Mi looked puzzled, feeling that Lu Yunzhou was acting a bit strange today. His words were unusually kind and polite.

But she didn't think too much about it.

He thought that his repeated flattery of Tang Yan and Lu Yunzhou had finally paid off.

On the other side, Tom Ford found Estée Lauder CEO Yi-De Fu and pointed him to Tian Xiwei, Lu Yunzhou's female companion for the evening.

"The Fairy Castle is indeed making a lot of noise lately."

"Is she the second female lead?"

Fu Yide frowned slightly at the thought that Tian Xiwei was the second female lead.

If it's the female lead, he can almost immediately make the decision.

As a director, Tom Ford said, "Whether it's the lead actress or the second lead, it doesn't matter. What matters is a director's intention."

"It's obvious that Lu Yunzhou likes this girl very much."

"From the moment he arrived in New York, this girl was inseparable from him; she was clearly his muse."

"In addition, I have selected her as the spokesperson for my brand's 'Orchid of the Night' perfume line."

Now, Fu Yide understood.

Tom Ford has made his choice and has been persuaded by Lu Yunzhou.

Fu Yide thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "Now that she has perfume, she needs at least a skincare line to match it."

I recall that our skincare line seems to be missing a spokesperson around 20 years old.

Clearly, Lu Yunzhou's words on behalf of Tian Xiwei brought her into the consideration of Estée Lauder's senior management.

Only by entering this industry can one be qualified to obtain endorsements.

"The president is wise."

Tom Ford certainly prefers Tian Xiwei.

Because Tian Xiwei is younger, more lively, and has a brighter future.

Yang Mi has aged, and the wrinkles on her face, after being retouched, might be enough to fool her online fans.

As a prominent figure in the world of fame and fortune, he could see up close the wrinkles on Yang Mi's face, as well as the various muscle disharmony and plastic-like appearance left by plastic surgery.

After the dinner.

Tian Xiwei kept pressing Lu Yunzhou, asking, "Big brother, can I really steal Yang Mi's fashion resources?"

If she succeeds, she can brag a little louder when she goes out.

It's like she climbed to the top by stepping on Yang Mi.

-

Just like Yang Mi, who rose to fame two months ago by stepping on Liu Yifei's "Three Lives Three Worlds" movie and became the only Bai Qian on the entire internet.

She could also step over Yang Mi to rise to the top and become Estée Lauder's new muse.

"A 30% probability."

Yang Mi is still a tough opponent, and Estée Lauder is unlikely to give up on her and instead invest heavily in Tian Xiwei.

Lu Yunzhou guessed that Estée Lauder would symbolically give Tian Xiwei the treatment of a brand ambassador, with a two-year probationary period.

If Tian Xiwei successfully becomes the Asia-Pacific brand ambassador after the trial period, she can naturally replace Yang Mi.

If Tian Xiwei fails to advance her career, then Yang Mi can remain in her position.

Female celebrities are naturally rivals.

Because fashion resources are exclusive, Tian Xiwei and Yang Mi cannot share the position of Estée Lauder's Asia-Pacific brand ambassador.

There can only be one winner among them.

"Brother, I alone have a 30% chance? That's way too high."

When Tian Xiwei heard about the 30% probability, she screamed with excitement.

Is 30% a high percentage?

Lu Yunzhou turned his head away with some confusion.

Tian Xiwei said seriously, "Big brother, if you help me, I have a 130% chance! I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't help me and would help Yang Mi instead. Therefore, I will definitely win!"

Lu Yunzhou chuckled softly and offered Tian Xiwei a few words of advice: "As long as you act well, I'll help you with everything else. Fame and fortune will be yours."

Tian Xiwei couldn't help but stare at Lu Yunzhou for a long time.

When Lu Yunzhou looked at her, Tian Xiwei raised her head to meet his gaze and said earnestly, "Big brother, you looked incredibly handsome when you said that."

Lu Yunzhou lightly tapped Tian Xiwei's forehead and said irritably, "How can I not be handsome when I'm making money for you? Stop flattering me and focus on improving your acting skills. If you satisfy me, I'll let you be the leading lady once."

"understood."

A silly grin immediately appeared on Tian Xiwei's face.

Is this the kind of treatment one gets as a lowly maid?

I wonder just how happy Consort Wang Ran will be?

And what kind of blissful life does Zhang Ruonan, the real empress, lead every day?

"Get some rest."

""

Back in the hotel room, Lu Yunzhou gently patted Tian Xiwei's shoulder and warned her, "Don't go around talking about what happened earlier."

"Know,"

Tian Xiwei immediately lowered her head in embarrassment and ran away.

If Lu Yunzhou hadn't said that, Tian Xiwei would have definitely bragged about it to Liu Haocun no matter what.

She was filled with jealousy when Liu Haocun played the female lead.

But now, she wasn't jealous at all—Lu Yunzhou chose Liu Haocun as the female lead not because he favored Liu Haocun, but mainly because she was useless.

His acting is terrible.

If she had better acting skills, Lu Yunzhou would definitely have chosen her as the female lead, and Liu Haocun wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

After all, she arrived first.

"It's all my fault for being useless and unable to help my older brother."

Tian Xiwei returned to her room, glanced at Liu Haocun who was already pretending to be asleep on the bed, and while removing her makeup, she encouraged herself with great enthusiasm: "I must improve my acting skills. If my acting skills are better, someone like Liu Haocun with his looks can only play a maid for me."

""

Inside the living room.

Dai Si poured Lu Yunzhou a glass of hot milk: "Brother Chuan, have some milk."

"Thanks."

Lu Yunzhou took the milk, took a sip, then lay down on the sofa and exhaled a deep breath.

Dai Si glanced at Liu Haocun and Tian Xiwei's room, then quietly sat down next to Lu Yunzhou and whispered, "Brother Chuan, after you took Xiaotian away today, Cunzi was sulking all night. She even started to doubt herself, thinking she wasn't pretty enough, which is why you didn't take her with you."

"I can guess."

Lu Yunzhou nodded slightly.

Dai Si glanced at Lu Yunzhou silently, thought for a moment, and finally couldn't help but say, "Brother Chuan, you're making those two females..."

"Won't there be problems with the competition?"

"I'll be careful. Could you keep an eye on things for me too?"

Lu Yunzhou took a sip of milk and said earnestly, "The world of fame and fortune is too corrupting. Young girls like them simply can't resist it."

"Once the movie is released, they will quickly lose themselves amidst all the hype."

At this point, Lu Yunzhou turned to look at Dai Si: "Unlike you, they haven't experienced setbacks or company suppression. Their mindset can easily change."

"Judging from the reactions from all sides, the movie 'The Fairy Castle' will make the two of them famous overnight."

"In the short term, the two of them cannot find any peers to compete with."

"Since there are no external enemies, I will let them compete with each other, so that they will always maintain their fighting spirit. Warriors with fighting spirit will not easily lose their way."

"Hunger is the best driving force!"

Dai Si really wanted to say, "You haven't experienced setbacks either, so how come you haven't lost your way in the world of fame and fortune?"

However, she recalled that when she first met Lu Yunzhou, he was as composed as an older man, which made her feel very strange.

"Cunzi, I know you're pretending to be asleep!"

"I have something to tell you. I'm about to become a sister-in-law. From now on, the leading lady in my brother's movies will always be yours."

"Stop overthinking."

"Your acting is so good, your brother will definitely make you a big star."

"I won't fight you for this."

"However, don't even think about becoming my sister-in-law. I'm already ready."

Tian Xiwei had no idea of ​​Lu Yunzhou's good intentions; she only felt that Lu Yunzhou was taking special care of her that night.

Even when dealing with Wang Ran, Lu Yunzhou's attitude was no more than this, right?

Therefore, she had a feeling that she would soon become a sister-in-law.

If it were any other female celebrity, who was about to become famous, would she still become Lu Yunzhou's concubine? Wouldn't that be crazy?

If it gets out, my career will collapse, I won't make any money, and I'll lose my man.

That's such a bad deal!

However, Tian Xiwei didn't care about all that—she had been thinking about drinking porridge for almost a year.

The order in which people appear in your life is really important!

Tian Xiwei originally thought that a small Tyrannosaurus Rex like her, a "specialty" of Sichuan and Chongqing, was strong, robust, and extremely wild, and only top hunters could tame her.

She never expected that she would now choose to walk right into a trap.

This is no way.

Last summer, Tian Xiwei replaced her good friend Xiao Lu at Lu Yunzhou's movie screening.

When Tian Xiwei saw Lu Yunzhou's confident smile peeking out from under his helmet after overtaking another car in the movie "The Speeding Racer," she felt as if her brain had been electrocuted, and her IQ plummeted.

After watching the movie, she didn't even know how she got home.

In her mind, only one thing kept replaying over and over—no matter what price she had to pay, she wanted to drink porridge at least once in her life!

She wouldn't rest in peace until she drank this porridge!

I really crave this.

What's more, Lu Yunzhou is really good to her. Tonight, in order to promote her, he's even planning to poach Yang Mi's Estée Lauder endorsement.

Hmm, how about we take a gamble?