Although she had been empress and the firecrackers had been lit, the crimson remnants were swept away with a bamboo broom at night, revealing the whitish mud. The game was over, but the title remained.
She was also wrapped in colorful ribbons.
That night, Dandan, clutching the ribbon, couldn't sleep well. The vitality of youth made a fire burn through her veins. Step by step, she was determined to win against them. In an instant, she discovered a radiant, inexplicable power of self-preservation within her—a power both precious and pitiful.
She touched her swollen breasts with pity, a touch of shyness in her eyes. She couldn't escape the control of fate; she had "given birth" again. Like holding a fledgling bird in her hands, her body... Perhaps it was truly as the legends said—a woman whose many admirers are destined for a short life.
“That’s alright,” she said to herself, and to Mr. Kim, the same words. “I only need a few years. I don’t want to live to be a hundred.”
One thought kept swirling in his mind: "I want revenge!" Suddenly, he felt a warmth on his back and remembered Mr. Jin's gentle pat.
The Stydrac sedan took Jin Xiaofeng and Dandan to the racecourse on Jing'an Temple Road. Before they even got out of the car, reporters were already taking pictures.
Mr. Jin naturally put his arm around her.
Dandan did not resist. Everything proceeded gradually. He patted her on the back and put his arm around her shoulder. Like slowly frying a fish, she was eventually cooked up in his hands.
Perhaps this is a man's cunning—he's creating the illusion that she's his, that everyone thinks she's not, but who knows? They all casually let people take pictures; this time, Dandan is determined to appear before everyone as the "Queen of Homespun Cloth." The horse races are held in the afternoon, especially on Saturday afternoons. In the middle of the track, ditches are dug and earthen mounds are erected; horses must overtake these, a process called "jumping." Many banks and foreign firms routinely close for half a day to let people watch the races, making it incredibly crowded. Dandan got out of the car and saw that the racecourse was surrounded by short fences, not walls. Some people had prepared benches for ordinary citizens to stand on and watch from afar, charging a few copper coins per person as a rental fee. There were also young women of similar age, craning their necks with curiosity as they peered inside.
Dandan followed Mr. Jin to become a guest of honor with an air of superiority. The exorbitant ticket prices and strict regulations were of no concern to her. —If she weren't Song Mudan, she would have been turned away.
To be honest, her success today is entirely due to being chosen. She surely understands this. It was her first time watching a horse race, so she was extremely focused. The track was divided into outer and inner sections, with jockeys wearing various colored uniforms as markers. They circled the track several times until they reached the stone archway in the southeast corner to determine the winner. The race hadn't started yet, so the outcome was still uncertain.
As she looked around, she suddenly noticed reporters gathered not far away. Looking closer, who else could it be but him? He was a bit taller and more handsome—having not seen him for a while, she felt a touch of indulgence and anticipation, thinking he was truly wonderful. Only, he was wearing a suit instead, and she, instead of a cheongsam, wore a ruffled-sleeve dress with layers of sheer fabric fluttering at the neckline, a bow tied at the waist, and white gloves. This fashion was truly modern; no wonder they say, "Everyone tries to imitate Shanghai style, but it's hard to imitate it perfectly. By the time you've copied even a fraction of it, Shanghai has already completely transformed."
Dandan felt embarrassed and outdated.
At the same time, Mr. Jin also met with them.
He held Dandan's little hand and patted the back of her hand.
Don't worry, Dandan. Even if the sky falls, someone will hold it up.
He understood her inferiority complex and smiled:
"Huh? What kind of person lacks perseverance?"
She bit her lip and smiled, feeling a little ashamed.
Shi Zhongming handed her a stack of incense stick tickets to play with. She looked at them; there were "A" incense sticks, "B" incense sticks, big incense sticks, small incense sticks… After jumping the flood and horse racing, there was even a lottery. Mr. Jin asked:
"What kind of idle accounts are over there?"
Shi Zhongming replied:
"The sound movie 'The Peach Blossom and the Human Face' is almost finished filming and will be released soon. Let's take this opportunity to enjoy it."
Which cinemas are showing it?
"The film is not finished yet, and the schedule has not been finalized."
"Old Huang always deals with the central bank."
Dandan, unaware of the situation, didn't understand their conversation at all and just listened with a puzzled expression.
Mr. Jin was very considerate and comforted her, saying, "Let them have some fun. Okay?"
"not good!"
"What can I do then? I can't stop people from taking pictures," he teased her.
Dandan had just made a splash, but then things calmed down again. She suffered a second setback. It's really tough for her; in the end, it's still up to her.
"Xiao Dan," he called to her. She didn't respond. He laughed again, "Miss Song Mudan, look how petty you are. I'm going to do something big, like 'silent until the moment of truth'."
Dandan's Ruthless Journey:
"I want to be more famous than her!"
Mr. Jin casually asked, "The man next to her is the male lead, named Tang Huaiyu—"
Dandan immediately chimed in;
"I don't know him!"
"Okay, let's go eat."
As they were talking, Dandan suddenly heard a commotion all around her, shouting, "Number Six! Number Six!"
Number six was also the number they had bought, and it came out on the winning number. Lost in her excitement, Dandan grabbed Mr. Jin's arms, overjoyed, "We won! We won!"—"We?" Dandan shrank back, pulling her hands away.
Despite numerous difficulties, "The Peach Blossom and the Human Face" was completed, exceeding the budget. Originally, Mr. Huang planned to invest 120,000, but by the time the bill was settled, it had cost more than 185,000.
After filming a typical movie, the director would treat the theater owner to a few drinks, his face flushed, and then request a screening, hoping his old friend would help him get a release date. If the other party wasn't enthusiastic, he'd have to rush to send the copy over for approval. Shanghai was the largest film market in the country; a good release date could mean profit or loss, while a bad one meant frequent dinners, coffee breaks, and dances with the theater owner… However, "The Peach Blossom and the Human Face" was too novel; there was no need for much networking. Major theaters like the Central Theater and the Jincheng Theater had already made contact. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the film's release. It was highly sought after. Duan Bishen and Tang Huaiyu, after some promotion, also became popular. This new pairing in the film industry, even before the movie premiered, Mr. Huang had already arranged a lavish meal at the Red House.
The Red House serves French cuisine, which is quite expensive. They ordered clams, boneless chicken with cheese, and pork chops... and finally, a plate of Russian pastries and cream puffs.
Huaiyu had become quite accustomed to the steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He was even starting to put on airs.
Mr. Huang got straight to the point, pulling out a document:
"I would like to sign a contract with you two."
He wanted to support her, but he also wanted to keep her; signing a contract was the best option. Moreover, due to the mutually beneficial arrangement, the terms were set high. Consort Duan was quite experienced and never liked to be bound by constraints. Seeing that the situation was very good, and with sound films out, who would bother making silent films anymore?
The boss across from me, Mr. Huang, is fat and chubby, but after getting to know him, he's not exactly a formidable character.
She was a celebrity, and the entertainment industry was precarious. One wrong step, and she'd be forgotten, and that was the end of her career. She didn't know when her career would decline. She couldn't wait until the day she started to decline to realize the danger. Therefore, after hearing the price, she offered to double it, going back and forth, until finally, she was offered an extra fifty percent, and she signed on the spot. Huaiyu also signed.