First female rascal: "You talk as if you could find a wife as beautiful as your aunt..."
Female Radish Head #2: "Exactly, such a young age and already a sexist!"
Male Radish Head #1: "You call yourself a rural feminist?!"
Female Radish Head #2: "Cen Bigeng, can you please stop using words you've just learned? You're so stupid!"
When children argue, they don't think about the consequences. Before long, these kids went from whispering to shouting, and they even veered off the original topic and started making personal attacks.
Just then, Cen Sen suddenly put down his bowl, glanced at the table, and said in a deep voice, "If you're not going to eat, go do your winter vacation homework."
With just that one simple sentence, the children suddenly stood up straight and became as quiet as chickens, even their breathing was careful.
Ji Mingshu glanced at the few little kids with tense faces, and an idea suddenly popped into her mind—
After she and Cen Sen have a child, she probably won't have to worry about it much. With Cen Sen's cold and aloof demeanor as the tower's boss, he could probably tame any child. She, the loving mother, only needs to occasionally show her tenderness and care, taking the child shopping and taking photos.
Thinking of this, Ji Mingshu looked at Cen Sen with a smile, completely satisfied with his performance.
However, this satisfaction did not last long, because his persistent ex-girlfriend was determined to make things difficult for him and started causing trouble on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Following the announcement of the film's production, Li Wen-yin has surprisingly started selling books! These are the novels of the same name as the film, and she's even invited several well-known authors to write forewords and recommendations!
It's unclear how long Li Wenying had been holding back this big move. There was no prior publicity, but then she suddenly posted a long Weibo post on the first day of the Lunar New Year, going on and on about everything from the concept of the cover design to the gifts included with the book. Every word she wrote expressed her dedication and how much she cherished the book. It can be said that she took the phrase "selling nostalgia" to the extreme.
Li Wenyin gained a lot of Weibo followers with her article "My Ex Got Married" back then. In the past few years, while studying abroad, she still occasionally posts a few sentences in foreign languages that she can't understand or read on Weibo, takes pictures of artworks at art exhibitions, writes film and book reviews for some highly rated art films and books, and very occasionally posts selfies, sharing her daily life of tea tasting, illustration, and attending high-end events. Her Weibo followers have slowly grown to nearly a million.
She's a blogger with a sophisticated, artsy vibe and a large following. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, she suddenly came up with the big surprise of publishing a book based on the same film and television series, which naturally drew enthusiastic responses from her fans.
In addition, she was well-prepared, and soon her long Weibo post received over 10,000 reposts, likes, and comments. The hashtag #LiWenYinNewBook# and the title of her movie also quietly became trending topics.
Even more outrageous, within an hour or two, her new book pre-sales had already topped the charts on major online bookstores. She even posted a thank-you message on Weibo, saying that she didn't expect so many people to buy it, and that her editor had just informed her that the first printing would be reprinted, blah blah blah.
When Ji Mingshu saw this Weibo post, she was nearly driven mad with anger. Without any hesitation, she shoved her phone into Cen Sen's face, "Is this what you mean by 'no rush, no rush'! The movie won't be released! I don't know if the movie will be released, but the book is about to hit the market! Does your ex-girlfriend think she's some kind of modern-day Li Qingzhao?! She wants to publish a book, reprint it, and make your earth-shattering love story immortal!!!"
Ji Mingshu was furious. "And why does she have so many more Weibo followers than me! More than double the number of reposts, likes, and comments! I have absolutely no prestige!!!"
Cen Sen: "..."
He closed his eyes, took the phone off his face, and for a moment didn't know which problem he should solve for Ji Mingshu first.
Author's Note: Little Canary Baby pulls out a forty-meter-long cleaver: If she dares to publish a book, I dare to visit your grave!
Chapter 69
In fact, Li Wenying had been preparing for the book's publication simultaneously with filming the movie, and as she mentioned on Weibo, she put a lot of effort into its release. However, since the book's profitability is limited, she didn't put in the same amount of effort to promote it beforehand as she did with the movie.
The last time she met Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu was at the Zero Degree thank-you salon. After the salon, Ji Mingshu and her group of friends spared no effort to smear her everywhere, saying that she tried to interfere in other people's marriages and shamelessly wanted to make a movie to disgust them. They said that her ex-girlfriend, who was so shameless and manipulative, was someone who would be unlucky to get involved with.
These remarks have had some negative impact on her, but since she and Ji Mingshu were never in the same circle, the influence is ultimately limited. Besides, in this world of fame and fortune, who is truly innocent and beyond reproach?
She didn't care much about these comments; what she cared about was Cen Sen's intervention for Ji Mingshu, and that Ji Mingshu had done nothing yet gotten what she wanted in terms of men.
In fact, she is usually very clear-headed. She knows that everything she has today is hard-won and that she should weigh things carefully before doing them. Some people around her also remind her of this... But it seems that she can't do that when it comes to things involving Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen.
When I got home in the evening, the house was brightly lit, and Li Wenying's mother, Feng Shuxiu, was pruning the flowers on the balcony.
Over the years, Feng Shuxiu has lived a life of luxury and has spent her free time cultivating flowers and plants like the wealthy ladies in the city. Her refinement and temperament are far beyond what the driver's widow and the Ji family's nanny could ever achieve.
"Mom, I'm home."
Li Wenying glanced at her phone while changing her shoes, and greeted everyone absentmindedly.
She didn't get a moment's rest during the Chinese New Year because of the book and the movie. On her way back, she was still discussing with the editor about the gifts for different channels during the book's pre-sale period.
Feng Shuxiu didn't turn around or answer, but as if she had eyes in the back of her head, she suddenly called out, "Stop!" just as Li Wenying was about to return to her room.
Li Wenying paused for a moment, looked up at the balcony, and then turned back to walk into the living room.
The two sat facing each other in the living room. Li Wenying asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"
"What do you think?" Feng Shuxiu's expression was indifferent, and her voice was calm.
Li Wenying remained silent for a moment.
Seeing that she understood but remained silent, Feng Shuxiu asked again, "I told you not to make the movie, but you didn't listen. Now you've come up with this book without saying a word. Do you want to offend the Ji and Cen families completely before you're done?"
Li Wenying casually lowered her eyes and explained lightly, "Mom, you're overthinking it. Ji Mingshu and I will never get along. Whether I offend her or not, she will never give me a kind look."
"Besides, I only publish books and make movies to make money, to increase my fame, and to climb to a higher position. I'm not breaking the law or committing any crimes, so what can they do to me? We live in a society governed by law, and I'm not a lump of dough that they can mold or knead."
"Still being stubborn! Is this money easy to earn?" Feng Shuxiu stared at her for a few seconds in silence, then warned her sternly, "How many times have I told you, do only what you are capable of, and don't covet things that don't belong to you!"
Upon hearing this, Li Wenying twitched her lips and raised her previously lowered eyes, meeting Feng Shuxiu's suddenly sharp gaze.
"Mom, didn't you refuse the compensation and insist on staying with the Ji family as a nanny, hoping to climb the social ladder? That's why you married into the Zou family. I learned all of that from you." Li Wenying said sarcastically.
"You want to learn from me? How much have you learned?" Feng Shuxiu was not angered by her sarcasm. She first asked a question in return, then took a deep breath and gave her examples. Her voice was even more gentle than when she had scolded her before. "The Zou family is the best choice within my capabilities, just like the Yuan family is your best choice. You can't climb up to the Cen family, so don't even think about it, and don't go against the Ji family."
Li Wenying stared at Feng Shuxiu, gave a cold laugh, as if she had heard a particularly funny joke, and the laugh continued for several minutes.
To be honest, Li Wenying found it quite amusing. Over the years, people had been gossiping that her mother was cunning and capable, managing to rise from a nanny in the Ji family to marry into the Zou family as a wife, despite being a driver's widow with an adult child.
The Zou family cultivated an image of refined elegance in Beijing's social circles. To put it nicely, they were poor but put on airs.
In particular, the domineering old lady Zou had the biggest attitude. She looked down on Feng Shuxiu, the nanny with a child in tow. If it weren't for Li Wenying's stepfather's ridiculous threat of suicide, the marriage would never have happened.
Although they eventually got married, for many years Feng Shuxiu and Li Wenying still lived in this small villa in the Fourth Ring Road like mistresses in ancient times. They were not allowed to go back to the old house for New Year's Eve dinner, and the whole family thought they were in the way.
Despite this treatment, Feng Shuxiu was neither angry nor resentful. She was gentle and considerate towards her husband, often appearing content, her face saying, "It is my greatest fortune to have married you in this life."
What Li Wenying disliked most was her mother's behavior. She also disliked her mother's short-sightedness and her insistence on preventing her from climbing higher and higher.
Aside from her background, what makes Li Wenying inferior to Ji Mingshu? Why should Feng Shuxiu brainwash her from the very first day she moved into the Ji family, telling her that their identities are different and that she can never have everything that Ji Mingshu has?
fed up.
I've had enough!
Li Wenying suddenly picked up her bag, stood up, and walked towards the door without saying a word.
Feng Shuxiu called out again from behind, "Stop!"
Li Wenying remained motionless in the open-door position, without turning around.
"Xiaoyin, this is the last time I'm advising you. To be fair, I've done a lot for you over the years within my means: a good reputation, a good education, a house in a good location, and a good partner like the Yuan family. But if you don't cherish it and insist on going against Ji Mingshu out of spite, then when you fall, I will definitely not help you anymore."
Li Wenyin made a sarcastic lip-twitch.
This is her mother: a crude egoist when she has no money, and a sophisticated egoist when she has money.
Fearing that she would offend the Cen and Ji families and affect her quality of life as Mrs. Zou, she was so eager to sever ties with her only biological daughter.
After hearing this, she left without looking back, slamming the door shut with a deafening roar.
Feng Shuxiu leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. She really couldn't understand why, after living such a clear-headed, cautious life, she had raised such a sensitive, strong-willed, and ambitious daughter as Li Wenying.
Having high aspirations isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if your abilities don't match your aspirations, you'll inevitably run into trouble sooner or later.
Feng Shuxiu's prediction that Li Wenying would suffer a severe fall soon came true.
Simply put, Ji Mingshu resolutely implemented the policy of "if this book is in front of me for a day, you can forget about getting a good look from me," and subjected Cen Sen to a three-pronged form of cold violence: no talking, no eye contact, and no sleeping in the same bed.
Ignoring Cen Sen, Ji Mingshu had no choice but to deal with her plastic and non-plastic sisters.
Gu Kaiyang: [???]
Gu Kaiyang: [Your husband is also innocent in this matter, so don't go too far.]
When Ji Mingshu brought up the matter in the group chat, Gu Kaiyang didn't quite agree.
However, Jiang Chun surprisingly stood on the same side as Ji Mingshu.
Jiang Chun: [???]
Jiang Chun: [No, no, no!]
Jiang Chun: [Gu Bian, it's time you seriously started dating. Wait, have you ever even been in a relationship...? Think about it: you're always so considerate, coming home to do laundry, cook, and mop the floor. If you see a lipstick stain on your boyfriend's clothes, you're always the one who assumes it's some kind of slut who framed him. How long do you think that relationship will last? Women don't love bad men, and men don't love women who aren't demanding. Kick Temi to the curb!!!]
Ji Mingshu: [I declare the above remarks to be the highlight of Goose Talk!]
Gu Kaiyang: [...]?
Gu Kaiyang: [I've fallen for your nonsense :)]
What's really strange is that Cen Sen seems to be the kind of man that "men don't love women who don't act up."
When Ji Mingshu got angry, he immediately started working on the book published by Li Wenying without saying a word.
This is easy to resolve. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Li Wenying's book is still in the pre-sale stage and hasn't actually been released. If it were released and then issues were found to trigger a recall, it would indeed be quite troublesome.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Wenying's book, which had been on pre-sale for less than a week, was suddenly removed from all platforms.
The reason given by the editor was that the manuscripts were being randomly inspected by higher authorities, and Li Wenying's book contained a lot of content that was strictly prohibited from publication, such as early romantic relationships among high school students.
In fact, this was because the publisher she found had a strong background. In order to boost sales, the publisher turned a blind eye to some borderline and prohibited content, which allowed her to successfully obtain the ISBN and CIP.
If you were to randomly inspect her books, they would be very difficult to verify.
The news came as a shock, and Li Wenying received a lot of criticism from fans, almost instinctively shifting the blame to the publisher.
The publisher certainly had its own selfish motives and undeniable responsibility in content censorship, but they treated Li Wenying's book as a top priority.
First, the initial print run was very high, and with the good pre-sales results, they paid extra to have multiple printing plants in two cities start production simultaneously. At this point, they have already completed the printing of nearly 50,000 copies.
The paper chosen for her book was all high-quality and expensive, with many color illustrations inside and a special cover. Suddenly, she was notified that the book was taken off the shelves and that the content had problems and needed to be rectified. The publisher was practically losing money!
At this unlucky time, Li Wenying, without any consultation or communication, directly pushed all the blame onto them and asked the fans to gang up on them, which they naturally refused to do!
The publisher's official Weibo account directly attacked them on Weibo—you wrote the content, you personally reviewed the final draft, and you were the one who said the sensitive content could be kept. Now you're pretending to be innocent and pure? After criticizing them, they directly released the chat history.
But Li Wenying isn't stupid. Does she think I have to accept the blame just because you're pushing it back onto her?
After calming down, she posted another Weibo post, ostensibly an apology but actually a sophisticated attempt to distance herself from the situation. She claimed that the whole thing was her fault, that she had no publishing experience, and that she mistakenly thought that if a manuscript could be approved by the publisher, it must be fine. She also posted the original publishing contract, highlighting the part about who was responsible.
In a publishing contract, if the book number has already been issued but the book cannot be published, the publisher will definitely bear the responsibility.
Li Wenying has many fans, and the publisher's official Weibo account has been flooded with comments once again.
In that short time, Li Wenying had calmed down. It didn't matter that the book couldn't be published; her loss wasn't significant—she simply wouldn't receive her royalties. She could even use this incident of the book's unexpected removal from pre-sales to promote her film.
The publishers, sensing this trend, became even more unwilling to continue!
This woman is absolutely outrageous! She shifts the blame and then tries to smear them to promote her movie and climb the ladder? Whoever lets you climb the ladder is a coward! They don't have as many fans as Li Wenying, no problem, they'll just buy marketing accounts and hold giveaways!