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Chapter 69: Countdown to The East Palace!
Bai Qingquan had just finished reading the script to his new drama again. After acting in a big drama like <The East Palace is Coming> and comparing it to the sweet and silly idol drama in his hand… he just couldn’t bear it.
This drama should be able to catapult him closer to the stars. Even the actress who’s paired with him was a xiao huadan that had been flourishing in recent years. The ratings should also be good… but it just couldn’t compare to The East Palace.
He felt that taking this play was a step backwards in every aspect.
“Why are you dissatisfied with this drama?” Wei Ge asked.
Bai Qingquan said: “Shen Jintai’s next project is a movie.”
Wei Ge snorted and said: “We rejected <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>.”
Bai Qingquan: “But he said that the current version is not the one we originally saw. Seeing him so concerned, the new script must be very good. Shen Jintai has good taste in scripts.”
Wei Ge: “You have a high evaluation of Shen Jintai.”
Bai Qingquan: “He really… at the very least he’s discerning.” He felt Shen Jintai was really knowledgeable and qualified when it comes to this.
Wei Ge: “There’s also a new movie upcoming. It’s a spy movie that’ll be released in the second half of the year. The company will give you priority. This is a modern drama that have been greenlighted and will start filming in three months. Do you want it?”
Bai Qingquan: “I heard Sister Yang say that our company is going to start filming a new movie in March and that it’s already in preparation.”
Wei Ge: “You’re talking about <When You’re Old>?”
Bai Qingquan nodded.
“That’s not suitable for you.” Wei Ge said: “It’s a gay romance movie and the subject matter is yellow*.”
*Yellow = basically vulgar.
The unprecedented success of <The East Palace is Coming> had given Sunshine Media a lot of excitement. The audience’s madness was fixated on Li Xu that it pushed the company’s editorial and review department to focus more on same-sex films and TV series. They had set their sights on an online novel called <When My Lover Gets Old, I Will Still Be as Beautiful as a Flower>.
It tells the story of a man who will never grow old and keeps going back into the past and falling in love with his lover using time travel. After this novel was adapted into a script, it took a more literary name, called <When You’re Old>.
The girls in the editorial board all liked this novel deeply. They cried heavily after reading it, but after contacting the author, they found that the copyright of this drama had already been bought.
Bai Qingquan said quietly: “Honestly, it’s okay for me to act in a gay drama, as long as I don’t come out of the closet.”
Wei Ge: “After this kind of drama, there will definitely be many people who’ll associate you with being gay. Even if you are pretending to be a straight guy now, you really do like men! If it’s exposed one day, it will have a serious impact on your career. I know you want to use Shen Jintai as an example, but he’s already affected. He can’t play the role you’re playing now in this idol drama. His follow-up resources are also very poor, and he’s been insulated from all straight love dramas. He may not know this yet, but he will have very hard time securing the lead male role in the future.”
This was truth. In today’s current climate, most TV series and movies have the male lead falling in love or getting married. There were too few that rarely didn’t have love between men and women. This world was a world of love dramas.
“Then I’ll focus on this idol drama…” Bai Qingquan said: “Hearing your words make me sympathize with him. When there’s a good project, I will keep in touch with him. It’s not easy to become popular, and I don’t want him to stop filming.”
Wei Ge laughed: “You scolded him every day last year.”
“I don’t hate him anymore. I strangely miss him.” Bai Qingquan sighed as he held his cheeks making a girly look: “I still want to act with him.”
“You don’t like him, do you?” Wei Ge asked.
“Huh?” Bai Qingquan said: “Sister Moby*, the sky is thundering*.”
*Translations help: Sister Moby (姐妹莫比) no idea what this is referencing.
*The sky is thundering/thunder strike (天打雷劈) = metaphor for not being able to die. It’s often used a curse. Basically, he’s swearing.
Wei Ge laughed: “I think he is quite aggressive, not necessarily a 0.”
Bai Qingquan: “He likes President Yan, but he still attacks? I, Bai Qingquan, only want a pure 1. All those who resemble even slightly a 0 is a PASS. I only want pure masters!”
—
Shen Jintai sat on the set and looked at his phone. Bai Qingquan was no longer here, and he missed him inexplicably. His little 0 beauty wasn’t under his watch now and he feared he might like another man, or worst get together with Yan Qiuchi.
He pulled out Bai Qingquan’s WeChat account, took a photo of the set and posted it: [I’m really not used to it without you on set.]
After sending it, he waited for a while, but Bai Qingquan never replied.
“Brother Jin, we are ready to start shooting.”
Shen Jintai stood up from the chair. Originally, they were going to continue filming Zhou Jing’s death. It would be the scenes of his funeral that was held with grandeur and splendor. It was also a big intersection point of drama between He Lanbi and Li Xu. He Lanbi also took this opportunity to bring down the last restless concubine.
However, the crew was superstitious and felt that it was a bit unlucky to shoot a funeral on the first day after the Spring Festival, so they decided to shoot the later scenes first. They were all original scenes that were completely different from the novel.
Shen Jintai took off his down jacket and handed it to the assistant next to him. There was only a thin robe underneath that was worn loosely on his body. His almost all-white hair was scattered. Under the lights, his makeup gave him a flirtatious look.
Yang Lizhi, who had a rival scene against him, with only a glance, heart was pounding. She was afraid of these types of dynamic scenes these days. The last time was when she acted against Song Wei. Those dynamic scenes caused her to have a creepy feeling and made her feel terrible. The explosive power of these people was too scary.
Today Shen Jintai’s explosive power contained in his young body was even more terrifying. Seeing him standing quietly under the light, eyes closed as he was simmering his emotions, made Yang Lizhi so nervous she had stage fright.
“All departments are ready!”
With the director’s order, all the lights on the set went out after a few pops, leaving only a headlight behind the curtain.
“Three, two, one, action!”
Li Xu hugged the pipa, his white hair scattered, as he fell on the couch with a smile.
He Lanbi, who had become Empress Dowager, had heavy black makeup on that contrasted with her white funeral dress, made her looked majestic and hostile. She walked quickly to the hall with her attendants and opened the curtain.
Li Xu continued to hold the pipa as he played on it. He reached out to grab the wine jar next to him. He Lanbi picked up the jar and splashed it on his face.
He Lanbi: “Before the late emperor’s bone is even cold, you’re already singing in the palace in the middle of the night. The entire palace must think you are tired of living!”
Li Xu stretched out his hand to wipe the alcohol stains from his face. He let out a chuckle when he saw it was her and said: “I was wondering who would dare. It turns out to be the Empress… No, I should address you as Empress Dowager now. Did the Empress Dowager came here late at night to kill me?”
The inflection of “kill me” was raised. Li Xu’s eyes were flushed red as they filled with tears, making him look even more rampant and peculiar in the dark night.
He Lanbi: “Don’t think that you can do whatever you want in this palace just because you have the emperor’s edict and the Red Book Iron Voucher. The emperor may tolerate you, but this palace won’t! Come! Tie him to the late emperor’s spirit and let Wufu Chitose show him what kind of heart he really has that he’s trying to protect.”
“I have the emperor’s decree. Whoever kills me will be punish by the nine tribes. Who dares to touch me!” Li Xu stood up holding the decree. His attitude arrogant and frantic.
The palace attendants stepped forward one after another: “My lord, you have drunk too much. Come down quickly.”
Li Xu jumped on the table and kicked the pipa to the ground. He Lanbi was furious: “It seems that he can’t be left alone. Quickly come and take him down immediately!”
Several guards rushed to the front and directly dragged Li Xu off the table. After struggling a few times, Li Xu was pressed to the ground, but he still shouted: “I have the Red Book Iron Voucher. Just try to kill me. The emperor said, whoever kills me will be punish by the nine tribes. Oh, but your family is almost eradicated. How can there still be nine tribes?”
He Lanbi slapped him with a pah, then turned around with a wave of her long sleeve: “Block his mouth!”
Deep in the night, in the dark huge palace, there was only a bright light shining in the corridor. The palace attendants walked hurriedly with lanterns as the guards dragged a sack behind them. The person inside wailed so loudly that it frightened a nearby little eunuch who quickly looked away. The music was rapid and heavy drumbeats sounded, heralding the end.
—
“Oh my god! Damn He Lanbi, what is she going to do!? Can’t she see that our Li Xu deliberately angered her!”
“This heroine has issues with her brain, right? She won’t really kill Li Xu, will she?”
“Ah ah ah, that slap was so hard. He Lanbi, I am at odds with you!”
As spring arrived in March, <The East Palace is Coming> was reaching the end of its broadcast. Zhou Jing’s death completely whitewashed the male lead while the female lead had been severely abusing Li Xu for over a month, causing a national scolding war. Yang Lizhi was scolded so badly that she didn’t dare fight back.
Since New Year’s, the ratings for <The East Palace is Coming> have not dropped but continued to rise. There was a great possibility of breaking 6 between the two stations. This kind of ratings success had not been seen for many years, and the crew were in high spirits.
Everyone knew where the peak of the show’s rating would be. It would be the episode Li Xu goes offline!
Li Xu’s personal ending was in the hearts of audiences across the country, especially after it was revealed that the last ten episodes were completely original. Whether Li Xu will die or not, and whether Prince Ying is dead or not, the final ending will be soon be announced!
Everyone was very excited, and heart wrenched with the exception of one person who was particularly depressed. It was Yang Lizhi, the actress who plays the heroine.
Shouldn’t her role be easy as the heroine? She was doing justice and preventing Li Xu from doing evil, but because she’s been abusing him, the audience had been scolding her to death!
Even her grandmother called yesterday and asked her: “Why did you play such a bad woman?!”
Wuwuwu! Although she may be a ruthless heroine, her three views were just! Li Xu was drunk with power have gone crazy, and with the emperor dead, her hands were really tied as empress!
He Lanbi had been scolded consecutively for three hot searches that even her brokerage company had started to pay careful attention to the script. The boss of their company calls her everyday and ask if she gotten the script yet.
Yang Lizhi: “The whole crew is on high alert and have prevented the ending from leaking. Except for Meng Xiaosheng, even Director Guo doesn’t know the specific plot let alone me. It’s all flying pages now.”
“If you pick up a TV series in the future, don’t pick one without them giving you the entire script.” The assistant said.
“It’s because The East Palace is too hot right now and the audience have too much influence. Your role…” The agent continued: “We can only hope that there’s a reversal later. Meng Xiaosheng’s ability must be exceptional for this ending to be hidden and covered. It must be big.”
“It’s only been two days.” Yang Lizhi said: “Whether Li Xu is alive or dead, we must know.”
Before Li Xu’s ending arrived, Yang Lizhi received a flying page that made her breathe a sigh of relief. She saw that Zhou Ying was in the latest script.
“Hello, Sister Yang.” Zheng Siqi from the set greeted her politely.
After not seeing him for a few months, Zheng Siqi looked even more handsome and upright. The moment Yang Lizhi saw him, she burst into tears.
Thank you, brother! Wuwuwu! She wanted to cry tears of happiness for Li Xu… and also herself!
The author has something to say:
Countdown to The East Palace
The novel is linked. The movie <When You’re Older> is another drama in <Don’t Be Coquettish>*. “A lifetime is not enough; I want to love you for a few more lifetimes.” Interested relatives can go to the novel to read it.
*Refers to the author’s other work. Raws here. I’ll provide the summary in my Kinky Thoughts.
The East Palace belongs to the home court of Jintai Qiongying. It’s time to build a fiercer platinum* cake. Feelings are advancing and the battle escalates!
*I think this is referring the BaiJin (Platinum) CP.
Kinky Thoughts: Well Bai Qingquan certainly know what kind of man he wants… a 100% pure gong.
Lol poor Yang Lizhi. She’s just doing her job.
ZHOU YING!!!! Please be alive!! Li Xu needs a happy ending!!!!
I really like the tagline of <When You’re Older>: “A lifetime is not enough; I want to love you for a few more lifetimes.” Beautiful.
—
The author also plugged another one of her works that also seems to be related to this world. The title is <Don’t Be Coquettish>. Raws. There’s no Novels Update page for it yet.
Summary: As a young man who longs for love, Song Chenchen transmigrated to a danmei novel he wrote. He has a husband who’s tall, strong, and rich and could be considered the best in the world earning him the title of “a man who satisfies all your fantasies about men”. This was originally a great joy but the book he entered was called <Divorce>.
The male protagonist, Song Chen was raised by the Zhao family with fiery flower* and notoriety. His brothers all fought for his affection. Seeing this, the Zhao parents felt that their second child, Zhao Dongdong was the most indifferent towards Song Chen and decided to marry him off thinking since his fire won’t burn and the flowers couldn’t be fascinated, he would be able to resist.
*Fire cooked with oil, flowers with brocade (烈火鲜花) = is the full saying. It a metaphor referring to better plus better. It also described as more lively or more pompous.
Therefore, the alias of <Divorce> was also called <Zhao Dongdong and His Wicked Wife>.
After Song Chenchen transmigrated into the book, in order to maintain his personality, though he liked Zhao Dongdong, he was forced to pretend he didn’t.
Zhao Dongdong, the cold-hearted male god, often would harshly say: “I can accept anything, except touching you.”
Pretending to be like this was like making dumplings, eventually the layers would be revealed when there were too many. Zhao Dongdong discovered that Song Chen, who looked very perverted on the outside, had a delicious stuffing on the inside. But he thought about the pile of flags he had set up and felt that he had to hold back.
Warning: this novel contains many large-scale incest scenes.
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For the connection, Song Chenchen is the author who also wrote <When You’re Older>. He himself transmigrated to another book he wrote called <Divorce> that has some kind of weird incest (I guess they’re brother but not by blood) romance thing going on. IDK. I haven’t read the book. This is like some next level transmigration inception shit…
Shen Jintai from the real world transmigrate to -> <Everyone Loves Bai Yueguang> || Song Chenchen who lives in this world transmigrate into -> <Divorce> a book he wrote.
TBH I rather read <When You’re Older>… that tagline had me hooked.