Gu Yueyue's brow furrowed. Suppressing her panic, she said helplessly to Xiao Ye, "I'll talk to her about the contract tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"
"Really?!" Xiao Ye thought Gu Yueyue would still refuse her, but she was surprised that Gu Yueyue suddenly agreed today. She was as happy as a child who had finally waited for the New Year.
They ran around the house excitedly, eager to go outside and set off firecrackers and fireworks.
A note from the author:
Waaaaah, my darling, did you see the extra chapter? I got up early this morning to write it.
Adding an extra chapter resulted in half fewer comments, I'm devastated! I'm making this crystal clear to you!
Chapter Forty-Eight
Xu Yi finally had a moment to spend alone with Xu Shang.
Xu Yi asked her curiously, "Did you already know?"
"It's not early. We've only gotten a preliminary understanding of the situation and made some initial responses." Xu Shang seemed very confident about this.
Xu Yi knew this junior sister well; you couldn't praise her too much, or she would get carried away. So he steered the conversation back to the main topic and asked her, "Why do you keep asking me to practice dual cultivation?"
"Because you're too shy to say it out loud, and you end up getting all hot and bothered. It's your fault for just reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, when you're full of youthful vigor. A little teasing is like a volcano about to erupt, making it impossible for anyone to resist."
Xu Yi hadn't thought of these things, and even if she had, she wouldn't have known how to use them; instead, Xu Shang had fully exploited them.
"What do we do next?" Xu Yi had no clue what to do about this, and became increasingly silent.
The confident vows he made when he came down the mountain were a complete joke.
"Don't be discouraged. If I'm not mistaken, she'll be coming to see you soon. Just handle it normally." Xu Shang, who has been in the dating scene for many years, has also come to the conclusion that "two souls who truly love each other can never be obtained through some kind of calculation."
After Xu Shang finished speaking, she opened the window and looked down at the brightly lit city in the dark night. At this moment, she looked particularly lonely and desolate.
Soon the doorbell rang.
Xu Yi opened the door, and the person who came in was Gu Yueyue, just as Xu Shang had predicted.
"Teacher Gu, is there something you need?" Xu Yi glanced back at the room; Xu Shang had already climbed out the window and left.
She invited Gu Yueyue into the house, but Gu Yueyue smiled and declined, handing her the late-night snack in her hand. "Have something to eat. I specially ordered it for you; it's all light food."
"Thank you, Teacher Gu. Please come in and have a seat."
"I won't go in. You should eat and get a good night's sleep. Rest tomorrow. You have a good foundation, and if you perform normally, you can definitely advance. Don't worry too much. If you don't understand anything, just come and ask me. I'm right next door."
Xu Yi thanked him repeatedly, then suddenly remembered something, "Teacher Gu, wait for me a moment."
Xu Yi turned around and went back to her room, taking a thermos from her suitcase.
This is a thermos cup that I saw when I accompanied Xiaoxiao to buy clothes. I wanted to buy it as a gift for Miss Gu. There happened to be two of this style, so I bought them both.
She had intended to give it to Miss Gu at a later opportunity, but Xu Shang's words just now had a wake-up call.
Love is different from spiritual cultivation; you don't always have to wait for the right opportunity. Sometimes it's better to act according to your heart. What you calculate is never the real thing.
Xu Yi handed the thermos to Gu Yueyue.
Gu Yueyue was a little surprised. She was still wearing the handmade pendant that Xu Yi had given her before. She went back and checked online, but couldn't find the same style. However, her fans had sold a lot of "Gu Yueyue's necklaces", and some merchants had asked her where the necklace came from and if she could sell the design.
"I saw it while shopping and wanted to buy it as a gift for Teacher Gu."
Xu Yi spoke frankly, not giving Gu Yueyue a chance to refuse, and stuffed the things into her hands, "Thank you for taking care of me, Teacher Gu. Teacher Gu gave me flower tea, so I gave Teacher Gu a cup. It's just a matter of reciprocity."
"Okay, it's only fair to return a gift, so I'll accept it." Gu Yueyue glanced at the thermos. It wasn't a well-known brand, so it shouldn't be expensive; it was something the little girl could afford.
She accepted Xu Yi's kind gesture.
After Gu Yueyue left, Xu Yi went back to her room to have a late-night snack. Xu Shang did not appear during this period.
At this moment, Xu Yi opened her divine sense and instantly received over a hundred messages, all from her second junior sister, Xu Liang.
"Senior Sister! San'er has gone to seek revenge on you with a sword."
"Senior Sister! Please go easy on me for Master's sake."
"Senior Sister! Something terrible has happened! Cangshan Mountain has been bought by a ruthless real estate developer. I won't be able to get back after I go down the mountain."
"Senior Sister! Cangshan is about to become a tourist attraction; we'll have to buy tickets to go home from now on."
"Senior Sister! Where are you? Senior Sister, why aren't you talking to me? Senior Sister, I have no money for food, I'm so hungry!"
"Senior Sister! I was tricked into marriage by a heartless real estate developer, and now I'm 400 million yuan in debt. Senior Sister, do you have any money? I want a divorce, I want to go home, I miss Master so much, waaaaah!"
Xu Yi covered her head with both hands, her expression complicated: "..."
She tried to contact her second junior sister, but the other's divine sense blocked out external information. Xu Yi sighed and left her two words.
"The path of cultivation is unique to each individual, governed by their own destiny and laws. Following the natural order is in accordance with the Way of Heaven." (Translation: Senior sister is in dire straits herself; you should let things take their course and decide for yourself.)
"I am also penniless; you must seek your own fortune."
Xu Yi tidied up the boxes and bags containing the late-night snacks, put them in the trash can, and then sat down on the sofa to continue her cultivation.
When Gu Yueyue returned from Xu Yi's place, the two of them lived next door and were not far apart, so when Gu Yueyue returned with her thermos, she still had an undisguised smile on her face.
Ono noticed and looked at what she was holding, then seriously slapped her smile, finally teasing, "Sis, you're just delivering a late-night snack, why are you so happy? Delivery guys deliver food and drinks every day, but I've never seen them smile as happily as you."
"Stop joking with me." Gu Yueyue opened the thermos; the design was quite nice, and the color was one she liked.
Gu Yueyue took the thermos to wash it, put some flower tea in it and brewed it. The delicate fragrance of the flower tea quickly wafted out.
Ono was working on the sofa with his laptop, when he opened an email, glanced at it, and finally let out a gasp of surprise.
"Hey sis, 'Walking Towards the Sun' sent us an invitation. Did Sister Yin Yu tell you?"
Yin Yu was Gu Yueyue's teammate in the girl group back then. They were the only two Chinese people in the group, and they had a good relationship. After the group disbanded, everyone went their separate ways, but she and Yin Yu kept in touch.
Yin Yu is highly capable, but he's not a very proper person and often teases her.
After leaving the group, Yin Yu began to focus on Chinese variety shows. They performed in various Asian countries for many years and had a good understanding of variety shows in other countries. After returning to China, Yin Yu began to learn from their strengths and create many unique Chinese variety shows.
She was the first to propose the Star Idol Project, a variety show that combines talent competitions with a lighthearted approach.
"Walking Towards the Sun" is a heavyweight variety show that requires a certain level of fame to participate in and enhance one's image. Yin Yu sent the invitation to Fan Weiwei because she wanted to promote him. However, this gave Fan Weiwei the illusion that he had become so famous that even a major variety show like "Walking Towards the Sun" was extending an olive branch to him.
"She didn't tell me." Gu Yueyue called Yin Yu, and this time the call was answered quickly. Yin Yu was still very busy and urged her to just say what she needed to say, and that they could talk about pleasantries in bed when they got back.
"..." Gu Yueyue was shocked by her sudden flirtatiousness again. After a moment of bewilderment, she asked her, "You sent me an invitation to 'Walking Towards the Sun'?"
"That's right. Aren't you leaving Hongsheng? This is to give you some publicity in advance, and also to let Hongsheng know that the people I protect aren't so easy to bully."
Gu Yueyue was touched. They rarely saw each other, and for her friend to think of her like this, no amount of thanks seemed enough.
"Are you touched? Tears welling up in your eyes? How about you consider hooking up with me?"
"..." Gu Yueyue suppressed her emotions and asked her, "Can I bring two people?"
"Bring two?" Yin Yu hesitated. "The spots are all set. I only have three recommendation slots. I invited Fan Weiwei before, and now I'll give you one. I'm planning to give the other one to Yuan Beidu. I have high hopes for him, and I've already asked his agent to make contact, but we haven't finalized the deal yet."
Yin Yu: "Bringing one is fine, but I've told the manager to stop contacting Yuan Beidu. You're trying to bring two right away, it's really difficult for the older sister."
Gu Yueyue didn't speak again, and Yin Yu asked her again, "Who are you bringing? You told me last time that you had your eye on Zheng Wan, right? Have you found another promising talent?"
"Yes. Xu Yi is the contestant who will participate in the revival competition the day after tomorrow."
"Xu Yi," Yin Yu exclaimed with sudden realization, then laughed, "Ma Youcai said in the group last time that you're not just nice to that young lady. Are you really trying to flatter her?"
Gu Yueyue's brow furrowed when she heard the name Ma Youcai, but judging from Yin Yu's tone, it seemed there were other solutions.
"I wanted to lend a hand," Gu Yueyue told her honestly.
Yin Yu laughed uncontrollably, "Easy. I've created more than just one variety show. I'm currently planning a new one, a dating show called 'Fated to Choose You.' Do you want to come and support your older sister?"
"Dating reality shows? Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go?" Gu Yueyue had many concerns. She planned to focus on acting after leaving Hongsheng, and she was afraid that spending too much time on variety shows would cause the audience to feel disgusted.
Moreover, dating reality shows are a mix of truth and fiction, and fans and viewers get so into shipping couples that they don't care whether the on-screen couples are just doing it for work.
"Our show is different from other dating reality shows. We don't mess around with celebrity guests pairing up to create hype and generate viewership. We don't set up one-on-one relationships. We play NP (multiple partners). As long as you're creative, you can be paired with anyone!"
"..."
It seems less serious than other variety shows.
Yin Yu then dropped another bombshell to entice her, "Zhao Yuan recently won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor, a true young movie star! You two even worked together before, such great partners! Audiences are eagerly anticipating your romance. My dear sister, come hang out with us!"
"Zhao Yuan? Doesn't he never participate in variety shows?"
"Since you're here, he'll naturally come. So please help me out. Bring your little darling along, and I'll help you make her famous, and you help me seduce Zhao Yuan."
Gu Yueyue understood. So her real purpose was Zhao Yuan. Gu Yueyue was both amused and annoyed. "What does it have to do with me whether Zhao Yuan can go or not? He has helped me a few times, but we are not that close."
"You don't need to worry about that, just come." Yin Yu didn't explain much. When it comes to feelings, there's no point in talking to a straight-laced woman.
"Trust me, every single one of the pioneers I've worked with on variety shows over the years has become incredibly famous. If you want to pave the way for this young lady, just bring her over directly. Don't worry, with me keeping an eye on things behind the scenes, nothing will go wrong. You'll both gain fame and fortune; it's a win-win situation for everyone."
Every time Yin Yu innovates and creates a new program, she needs a certain amount of basic traffic to ensure it, after all, there is a group of people waiting for her to pay their salaries.
"Let me think about it some more." Gu Yueyue did not refuse directly, which gave Yin Yu hope. "Don't worry, this time I have invited top stars, so it will be no problem to promote your little artist."
Gu Yueyue was still hesitating when Yin Yu teased her, making her blush. "I haven't even talked to her about the contract yet. Saying 'your artist' would be easy for people to misunderstand."
"Then you should sign them as soon as possible. You're usually very decisive, so why are you being so hesitant and indecisive at a time like this?"
The two chatted for a while until Gu Yueyue was persuaded into agreeing in a daze, which finally allowed Yin Yu to hang up the phone comfortably.
Ono watched the whole thing from the sidelines. At first, she tried to interrupt Gu Yueyue to calm down and not to agree to go on any variety shows so easily.
Upon hearing Yin Yu persuading Gu Yueyue to bring Xu Yi along, and that Zhao Yuan, who was currently enjoying great popularity, was also going to join, Xiao Ye immediately perked up, wishing she could personally go and persuade him.
Gu Yueyue had just hung up the phone and was still in a daze when Xiao Ye excitedly squeezed in and sat down next to her.
"Sis, did it work out?"
Seeing Gu Yueyue nod, Xiao Ye clapped her hands together and laughed, "Great! Don't wait until tomorrow, go talk to Xu Yi now."
"Isn't there a need to rush?" Gu Yueyue felt that everyone around her was urging her to sign Xu Yi as soon as possible. Was it her problem or Xu Yi's problem?
A note from the author:
I recommend some pre-order novels.
Second Senior Sister Gets Deceived into Marriage After Going Down the Mountain
Tens of thousands of years ago, as spiritual energy gradually thinned, all disciples of the Cangyun Sect entered a secret realm to cultivate in seclusion.