Cen Sen probably blacked out from drinking, forgetting everything he said. After sobering up, he became the capitalist dictator that Ji Mingshu described as only talking about work and not feelings.
As for Ji Mingshu, she wished that no one would mention anything that happened that day, because only in this way could the ultimate embarrassment caused by the group chat being exposed be completely put to rest.
Soon it was time for the recording of the "Designer" program to begin.
Three days before the recording, Ji Mingshu received a detailed explanation of the recording process and the design challenges that each group would have to accept from the production team.
For a variety show of this scale, the design subjects are mostly home decoration, and mostly new and old renovation projects, and "Designer" is no exception.
In fact, home decoration is only a very small category in spatial design. The entry threshold for home decoration designers is very low, and there is no upper or lower limit to the quality of the finished designs.
The renovation of a 300 million yuan mansion is called home decoration design, but if a renovation team in a small, third-tier city offers a 50,000 yuan all-inclusive package including home appliances, that can also be considered home decoration design.
Ji Mingshu has formal training in the field. Although she hasn't handled many serious projects, she has always paid attention to the expression of art and emotion, as well as the embodiment of creative concepts.
Gu Kaiyang's initial perception of her inhuman extravagance came from the fact that when she was in school, in order to achieve the best visual effect for her design, she directly bought a large flat to showcase the design. Moreover, it was said that the renovation cost of that flat was twice as much as the house itself.
Fortunately, Ji Mingshu later went out of her way to clarify the rumors: her cousin had bought that apartment a long time ago, but hadn't moved in yet. Hearing that she was going to do a practical project, he just gave her a chance to practice.
The reason why the renovation cost twice as much as the house itself is because after the house was renovated, her cousin hung a painting by Tang Yin, which he had collected, inside.
Overall, however, because she lacked the concept of controlling later renovation costs, her design style was indeed very highbrow and impractical.
The first day of filming took place at the Xingcheng Convention and Exhibition Center. The production team set up an American-style home-style studio in the convention and exhibition center as the main venue for the narration and interviews.
Unlike other more serious home renovation programs, "Designer" focuses on the gimmick of "celebrity designers". Each group consists of two celebrities paired with one amateur designer, and each group also has a mystery guest.
The first season of "The Designer" is planned to air twelve episodes, with each group's design challenge airing for two episodes. Then, the two best groups will be selected from the five groups to work together to complete the final challenge.
The official explanation given by the program team is that the design challenges are mainly carried out by amateur designers, but Ji Mingshu feels that the role of amateur designers should be to prevent these celebrities from messing around and creating a mediocre work.
The groups have already been determined.
Ji Mingshu's partners are a man and a woman. The man is Feng Yan, an unpopular but handsome actor, and the woman is Yan Yuexing, the ace of a certain idol girl group. Ji Mingshu has only heard of these two people but cannot match them up.
Although the group assignments have already been decided privately, in order to create the atmosphere of a variety show, the director said that the first episode will show a segment of the group assignment process by drawing lots.
This is the highlight of their recording today—"Although I already know who I'm paired with, I still have to pretend I don't know and act surprised and honored."
Celebrities are naturally adept at putting on a little show, and it's no problem for socialites like Ji Mingshu. After all, it's a must-learn course for beginners in their circle when it comes to superficial friendships, and every fashionista is a perfect example, having already honed their skills to perfection.
Ji Mingshu glanced at the show and realized that the biggest star on the show was Li Che, while the others were second- or third-tier actors, singers, or familiar faces from variety shows.
Feng Yan, who was in the same group as her, seemed to have a very good personality and temperament. She was very polite when she greeted people and did not ignore her just because she was not a celebrity. She even praised her for being beautiful and having a good temperament and asked her to give her more guidance in the future.
Yes, the key point is to praise her for being beautiful and having a good temperament, and ask her for guidance. She appreciates this kind of person—not one for idle chatter, but every word she says hits the nail on the head.
However, his lack of social skills is probably not very popular in the entertainment industry. Compared to the other girl idol in the same group who was active throughout the show and frequently brought up the focus of the program, Li Che, Ji Mingshu conservatively estimated that Feng Yan's screen time would be at least half that of Yan Yuexing after the show aired.
Before Ji Mingshu came to participate in the recording, she specifically went online to learn about Yan Yuexing, the ace of the girl group, and her impression of her was not very good.
There have been many negative news stories about him lip-syncing, plastic surgery, and implying that he is raising funds for his fans. Some time ago, his self-proclaimed original single was also exposed as being plagiarized from the song to the music video.
At first, Ji Mingshu thought that online news was only half true, and that real people might not be so capable.
After meeting her in person today, she realized that online news can only be believed to a maximum of half its value.
Given this young lady's tendency to constantly refer to herself as "Brother Li Che" as if she's afraid of not being able to get close to the popular guest, and the fact that she's only made headlines with so little negative news, it's either a testament to her excellent public relations skills or that she's deliberately trying to gain attention.
After the grouping by drawing lots, there is a step where each group sends a representative to draw a design challenge—of course, this is just a formality.
The representative sent by Ji Mingshu's group was Yan Yuexing.
She deliberately added three minutes to what could have been a ten-second performance. Ji Mingshu stood off-camera, arms crossed, quietly watching her act.
No, the thought of having to film a show with this drama queen for another month made Ji Mingshu realize that she would inevitably have a falling out with her sooner or later.
Ji Mingshu had a vague premonition, but she never expected the conflict to come so quickly.
After Yan Yuexing received the design challenge set in the script, the team members had to discuss it as required by the director.
In the other groups, the designers would look at the floor plans and photos of the actual houses, and then explain their general ideas based on the homeowner's requirements. The celebrities only needed to nod and agree, and wait to be assigned specific tasks. After all, they didn't have much professional knowledge, and forcibly interrupting would only expose their lack of culture.
But Yan Yuexing wasn't afraid of exposing her true level at all. She kept chattering away, rambling on about her Mary Sue rural socialite aesthetic.
"...I think we could tear down this wall, combine the small bedroom and study, and wallpaper the whole place with pink wallpaper. We could also hang a dreamcatcher and a beaded curtain at the entrance; that would be more dreamy..."
Ji Mingshu interrupted without even looking up, saying, "This is a load-bearing wall and cannot be demolished."
Is she blind to use such thick, dark solid lines on the floor plan?
Yan Yuexing froze for a moment, then immediately covered her face in embarrassment and said, "Oh, I didn't know that."
If you don't know, then shut up.
However, Yan Yuexing clearly did not understand Ji Mingshu's inner thoughts. After pausing for less than ten seconds and giving Ji Mingshu and Feng Yan three lines of dialogue, she began to offer her own opinions again.
Pointing to a spot on the drawing, she analyzed, "I think the lighting in the restaurant here is poor. If the restaurant were moved to a well-lit area, I think the dining experience would be more pleasant, and also..."
"..." Ji Mingshu was not a professional actor after all, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but look at Yan Yuexing with a "Are you an idiot?" look. "This is not a restaurant, it's a music room."
It turns out this woman had been giving advice and pointing fingers for ages, but she even got the order of the blueprints wrong. I'm speechless.
When Ji Mingshu corrected her a second time, Yan Yuexing's face immediately fell.
She gestured for the cameraman to stop recording.
As soon as the camera turned off, she immediately put down the drawings, and the sweet smile on her face was instantly replaced by a sour face. A third-tier actress inexplicably put on the airs of a top-tier celebrity. "Designer Ji, could you please stop interrupting me?"
Then she vented her anger on the editor, saying, "What kind of rude and ill-mannered people have you invited to your show? How are we supposed to film this show in the future?"
Ji Mingshu crossed his arms, leaned back in the sofa chair, and glanced at her lazily.
Before Feng Yan and the editor could mediate, Ji Mingshu casually scoffed, "Oh, I won't interrupt you, let you continue to pretend to know everything and spout nonsense, and while you're at it, go on and on about your country socialite style?"
"you!"
"I advise you to shut up if you don't understand, and not to record if you don't want to. Do you really think you're someone special? Did you even consider the place and the people you're dealing with?"
The chief director quickly learned of their argument. The staff, inexperienced in such matters, panicked and even asked if they should switch the two to another group. The chief director, however, found it amusing and whispered, "Switch them? I was just worried that their group didn't have any selling points. Go and mediate, don't let it get too ugly."
Yan Yuexing had never seen such an arrogant ordinary person!
She was the ace of the group. Although the group was relatively unknown and didn't gain much popularity, it had a lot of die-hard fans. She was used to being fawned over and treated the other unknown members like servants, always mocking and ridiculing them.
The company doesn't care; the whole group relies on her to carry the team. She also has the most and most enthusiastic fans. Of course, whoever can make money is the boss.
She was furious, but Li Che, whom she wanted to get close to, was nearby, so she couldn't afford to make a scene.
After much persuasion from the production assistants, she was still very upset, but she reluctantly finished recording a follow-up interview.
Ji Mingshu was also quite angry.
She was mindful of the fact that she was recording a show today, so she couldn't be too arrogant. She had already tried to control her tone when she was reminded earlier, and even when the argument started, she left herself some room to maneuver.
As Ji Mingshu was leaving, Li Che came up to talk to her. Ji Mingshu was annoyed and felt that everyone else was displeasing to her. She gave a cold and indifferent reply and, just like last time, walked out of the elevator and got into the car first, making Li Che's entourage feel the unruliness and coolness of this amateur designer once again.
Today's recording was far from enjoyable. When Cen Sen was leaning against the headboard looking at documents, he casually asked how the recording went. Ji Mingshu, with a face mask on, was playing on her phone and said in a muffled voice, "Not good."
Just as Cen Sen was about to say something, Ji Mingshu suddenly received an apology WeChat message from the director, who also informed her in advance that their group's mystery guest was Pei Xiyan, a second-generation star whose popularity was exploding and was approaching that of a top star.
Ji Mingshu stared at the three characters "Pei Xiyan" for two seconds, then suddenly sat up on the bed and screamed "Ahhh!"
"Pei Xiyan!"
"My partner is Pei Xiyan!"
"Waaaaah, Yanzai, Mommy loves you! What a wonderful destiny!"
Cen Sen: "..."
Pei Xiyan is the son of Director Pei and Su Cheng, so he naturally knows that. But he doesn't know that his wife, besides buying bags and diamonds, also has a side job as a fan of celebrities, and those celebrities are underage and seven or eight years younger than him.
Ji Mingshu sprang out of bed with a canary-like leap, tearing off her thousand-yuan face mask and bombarding Jiang Chun, a fellow mom fan, with a barrage of calls. Then, she remained kneeling on the bed, babbling incessantly for twenty minutes.
"Ahhh, what an amazing production team! They've cured my bad mood all day! I was so angry today that I forgot to check the sponsors! What kind of generous sponsor is this who invited my cutest and coolest kid!"
"No way, that jerk with even worse taste than you will definitely cling to my baby and try to ride on his coattails! I must protect my baby!"
As Ji Mingshu spoke, he gestured wildly, and with a "smack," he slapped the document in Cen Sen's hand directly onto his face.
The sponsor: "..."
Chapter 30
Pei Xiyan is a true second-generation star. His mother is Su Cheng, a well-known and highly respected actress in the industry, and his father's identity is mysterious and has always been the subject of speculation.
Some speculate that it is Su Cheng's second husband, a jewelry tycoon, while others have revealed that it is her first husband, a prominent figure in Beijing's political circles. Furthermore, the sources claim that Su Cheng will soon remarry this prominent figure.
Pei Xiyan became known to the public because when he was six years old, Su Cheng took him to a parent-child outdoor interactive program. He had an outstanding appearance and a strong personality at a young age, and the program gained him a large number of older female fans and mothers.
Unfortunately, he rarely appeared in public for many years afterward, only occasionally being photographed with Su Cheng, or making cameo appearances in some films, living on the very fringes of the entertainment industry.
Last year, the movie "The Last Time," in which he played the male lead's teenage years, unexpectedly became a box office and critical hit. Overnight, the rebellious and aloof boy from back then returned to the public eye. Not only did he not grow up to be ugly, but he was also so handsome that he was almost unbearably handsome. Naturally, he easily captured the hearts of a large number of young girls, and his popularity skyrocketed.
Although Ji Mingshu is no longer a young girl, she is one of those who have been taken advantage of.
She didn't know much about fan culture, such as voting and snagging, but last year, in order to see Pei Xiyan, she shamelessly followed her cousin to Pei's house for a free meal.
Pei Xiyan happened to be home at the time. He gave them a curt greeting, then took a bag of iced milk upstairs and didn't come down for lunch.
If it were Cen Sen, Ji Mingshu would probably have already labeled him with a series of negative tags in her mind, such as "impolite," "low emotional intelligence," and "cold and arrogant." But with Pei Xiyan, Ji Mingshu just felt that the boy was really unique! So unruly! So edgy! So youthful! Love it!
"Do you think I would look better in this? It would make me appear more dignified and professional?"
Ji Mingshu changed into her suit, twirled in front of the full-length mirror, and then turned back to ask Cen Sen.
Cen Sen glanced up and said in a very calm voice, "Like a real estate consultant."
"...?"
Are there really such beautiful sales consultants?
After Cen Sen said that, Ji Mingshu looked at the dress more closely and also felt that it seemed a bit too professional.
She changed into four or five more outfits, but whenever she asked Cen Sen, he would find fault with them.
"Too tight."
"The colors are too bright."
"You're going to participate in a talent show?"
Ji Mingshu was criticized several times in a row, and his patience finally ran out.