Chapter 100: Extra – Five Short Stories
- Reporters Can’t Afford to Offend
Xiao Luo had just started working as an entertainment reporter. He was a trainee reporter for one of the best-selling entertainment weeklies, and his predecessor, Old Wu, was a famous skin-flaying[1] king in the entertainment circle. Whichever artist had buzz, Old Wu could take advantage of that buzz to pick up a bunch of big material.
Being able to follow Lao Wu to cover the news made several other trainee reporters who came in with Xiao Luo a bit jealous and envious in their hearts, but they just couldn’t hold that thigh.
In Xiao Luo’s heart, his own master was someone who dared to fight against the powers that be, dared to report anything, and dared to say anything. Until one day, he couldn’t help but to take a picture of the head of the Xi clan having dinner with superstar Gongxi Qiao.
In fact, it was a coincidence. It just so happened that his family’s rich relatives invited everyone to Bai Wei Xuan for dinner that day. He was only intending to eat until he was stuffed, but he overheard Master Xi and Qiao Shao as they were walking out side by side. His instincts as an entertainment reporter made him feel that the two were in an intimate posture, not like ordinary friends and relatives, but more like lovers.
He secretly took out his cell phone and filmed the two walking side by side to the limousine. He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but before Qiao Shao got into the car, he seemed to have glanced back in the direction he was sitting.
After dinner that day, he sent the video to his master. He expected that with his master’s ability, he would be able to create big news. The international superstar had a close relationship with the head of a prestigious family, and seemed to be in love. This kind of news was so explosive that it was sure to attract people’s attention.
As a result, the next day, he waited but no news broke out.
Still nothing on the third day.
The fourth day, the fifth day ……
Xiao Luo finally couldn’t help himself. A week later, when he was squatting with his master on a street corner preparing to secretly shoot a certain actress with her rumored boyfriend, he asked the doubts in his heart. “Master, why didn’t you use my last video?”
“Use it for what?” Old Wu took a hard drag on his cigarette, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it twice, then bent down and picked up the butt and threw it into the trash, unhappy. “As soon as you sent the video over, the editor-in-chief called, telling us not to put the news out indiscriminately. Do you have the guts to go ahead and put it out?”
“So magical?” Xiao Luo clicked his tongue in surprise. He suddenly remembered that Qiao Shao turned back and glanced that day. It turned out that Qiao Shao really found out that he was secretly filming. But there were so many people present, how could he be so sure that it was him who was secretly filming?
More importantly, if the other person found out that he was surreptitiously filming, why didn’t he ask him to delete the video, and instead left without taking it seriously?
“Magical?” Old Wu patted the cigarette ash on the sleeves of his clothes, and pulled the scarf around his neck a little tighter. “Even if other people aren’t magical, and didn’t know you had secretly filmed the video, you would dare to put the news out?”
Xiao Luo was dumbfounded. Half a month ago, his master even broke the news that a new film emperor was obviously gay but was still deceiving his wife. At that time, the film emperor threatened him so many times, and also made someone block and beat his master, but his master gritted his teeth and sent out the news. Why was he afraid this time?
Apparently seeing his disciple’s lack of understanding, Old Wu exhaled a breath, and the white mist almost condensed into frost in the air. “We entertainment journalists should also have a moral bottom line. It’s not that no one in the circle has photographed the two going in and out together, but have you seen anyone really expose it publicly? Even if someone with no brain exposed it, by the next day there would be no trace, and no one would believe it.”
“Why?” Xiao Luo was puzzled. “Even if Master Xi is very powerful, his power can’t encompass the whole country, right?”
“You’re young and don’t understand the degree of severity. Qiao Shao and Master Xi have a good relationship and often eat and live with each other. Everyone in the country who cares about the entertainment industry knows about it. Those videos and photos you took have been taken before, but who would believe them? Unless you could get a picture of their bed, but how many ghostly bodyguards are around Master Xi and Qiao Shao? If you have the ability, you can do it.”
“Moreover, Qiao Shao’s popularity is still quite high in our entertainment circle. Usually in interviews, his attitude towards us is also quite good. We do our best to cooperate with him. He’s an international superstar, but has never acted self-important around us. He didn’t deceive a woman into marriage, didn’t have an affair, didn’t take drugs, didn’t break the law, and didn’t bully newcomers. Usually he’s very newsworthy. He has a great status in the art world, and he’s won glory for his country. If we vilify him, aren’t we hitting our own side in the face?” Lao Wu said with some pride. Entertainment journalists were also patriotic, okay?
Originally, Flower Country’s entertainment industry was in a slump. It wasn’t easy to produce one Gongxi Qiao, who was able to have success both at home and abroad. He even just won the Little Golden Man film emperor award last year. It was Flower Country’s first Flower-only Little Golden Man film award. He wasn’t a Flower person born in a different country, or of half-Flower ancestry, but a genuine native Flower Country person.
Even the foreign media praised Qiao Shao. Did they have to deliberately discredit their own domestic entertainers? If it wasn’t brainless, it was shameless.
Xiao Luo had some doubts. Was Gongxi Qiao really as good as his master said? As a pure loser, he still had a subtle feeling of jealousy towards Gongxi Qiao, a Mr. Perfect.
It wasn’t until later, when he became a senior reporter in the circle and finally qualified to interview Master Qiao up close, that he experienced what personal charisma meant.
When Gongxi Qiao first started out, he was called “Young Master Qiao” by his fans and the media because of his superb acting skills, elegant demeanor, good family conditions, and extensive knowledge of poetry. However, as he won more and more international awards and became known as a top-tier international actor, his title in the circle became “Master Qiao”.
“Mr. Luo, sorry, I’m late.” Master Qiao, who had reached his thirties, looked like he was only twenty-six or twenty-seven, and his smile could easily warm one’s heart.
Xiao Luo subconsciously stretched out his hand and shook hands with Master Qiao. “I’m the one who came early, Master Qiao, please have a seat.”
After the two let go of their hands, Xiao Luo unobtrusively looked at his watch. It was still five minutes before the appointed time, and it was only because he came early that Master Qiao arrived later.
“You’re too polite, just call me Xiao Qiao.” Master Qiao took off his jacket and handed it to the assistant behind him, then sat down on the sofa opposite Xiao Luo, “Should we start now?”
“Yes.” Xiao Luo nodded, and the interview officially began.
It was a pleasure to chat with Master Qiao. He was knowledgeable but not nerdy, and his words were witty but not vulgar. When the interview ended, Xiao Luo wished they could continue.
When he escorted Master Qiao downstairs to leave, he saw a car parked in front of the door. Master Xi was standing next to the door.
He watched the two silently and watched the image of the two smiling at each other before turning around and getting into the car. He suddenly remembered the video that he secretly took when he first started out and felt that he was a bit ridiculous at that time.
Hopefully, those two could be together for a hundred years and be happy for a lifetime.
There were some people who deserved to be happy.
- Ours
“Qiao Shao, is this the correct object to use when visiting?”
“Qiao Shao, palace maids wear this color dress, correct?”
“Qiao Shao, this etiquette ……”
Gongxi Qiao had been in the entertainment industry for more than five years, and the directors, scriptwriters and producers in the circle knew that he knew a lot about ancient history, so he was often asked questions about ancient etiquette or wares and costumes. This also led to the words “Gongxi Qiao, Cultural Consultant” appearing in the credits of many costume dramas.
Because of this, Gongxi Qiao was nicknamed “Decathlon Qiao” by his fans.
However, Gongxi Qiao hadn’t taken many costume dramas in the past few years, except for the two years after his debut. He used his strength to show everyone what acting was all about. He acted in all kinds of roles, avoiding being stereotyped by the audience and the director.
So when everyone learned that Gongxi Qiao had taken on a Tianjin[2] Dynasty costume drama called “Golden Wall”, everyone was excited that Qiao Shao was finally taking on another costume drama, for no other reason than the fact that Gongxi Qiao’s ancient costume look was so classic that it had been number one on the list of beautiful men in ancient costumes for the past five years.
When the news came out that the investor was Master Xi, everyone instantly understood in seconds that he did it to help his friend. No wonder Qiao Shao was the one who took this movie.
The main focus of this movie was the dual male leads, Emperor Jin Yuan and Minister Gong. There was no female lead, only supporting female roles.
The centuries-old history of the Tianjin Dynasty was one of the most splendid pages in Flower Country’s history, so there were many shows about the Tianjin Dynasty. There were many dramas about Emperor Jin Yuan and Minister Gong, about the two of them scheming against each other, grabbing women from each other, their brotherly love, Emperor Jin Yuan’s ruthlessness, Minister Gong’s deviousness, and so on. There was everything except what was impossible to do and what nobody could think of.
However, this movie was different. There was no romance, only the kingdom and schemes, no brotherly love, only power and regret.
The plot began with Emperor Jin Yuan ascending to the throne, and then competing with all the meritorious ministers, and finally collecting the military power and authority, becoming the emperor of the ages, who no one could hold in check.
Emperor Jin Yuan gathered power for the sake of the kingdom’s stability and the suspicion in his heart.
History had long recorded that among all the meritorious ministers, only Minister Gong was successful to the end. In the past film and television works, Minister Gong was often the image of a shrewd and wise person who never miscalculated.
Gongxi Qiao’s Minister Gong character setting was different from the past, because the most powerful point of this Minister Gong wasn’t in his strategizing, but in his ability to read people’s minds and speak eloquently.
To put it simply, he had complete face-changing skills and complete mouth cannon skills.
Because everyone knew that Gongxi Qiao knew the history of the Tianjin dynasty very well, he also took on the role of a cultural advisor, avoiding the absurd scene where the palace of the Tianjin dynasty from a millennium ago was using the wares of the Jin dynasty a couple hundred years ago.
After the movie was released, audiences had mixed reactions. Although the persona of Minister Gong was different from what they remembered, after Gongxi Qiao performed it, it seemed to be true.
It was only after a historian of extraordinarily high status came forward to speak that everyone knelt to the “Golden Wall” crew’s rigorous approach to history.
This historian’s status was too high, so high that big political figures had to be polite in front of him. As a result, this awesome person came out to personally praise the “Golden Wall” crew’s scenes and props for being on point, which showed how meticulously the movie was made.
Then everyone realized that everything, from the major wares and costumes, to the minor plate of dishes on the table, were rigorously researched.
Some netizens even cut out all the pictures of the dishes in the movie, and everyone found that inside those dishes, there wasn’t a single dish that shouldn’t exist in the Tianjin Dynasty.
In addition, the dishes in the founding palace banquet were all in line with the historical records. The crew had to be extremely powerful and rich in order to imitate everything exactly with no embellishments.
There was also all the etiquette in the production, those couplets and calligraphy and paintings and what not. They were all works from before the early days of the Tianjin dynasty, unlike some productions which were clearly set millennia ago, but had centuries-old calligraphy and paintings and fonts hanging inside.
“Although the production team was so rigorous to such a point, I feel less strange and surprised once I think that the cultural advisor is Qiao Shao and the investor is Master Xi.”
Once this netizen’s comment came out, it made countless people reply starting with “plus one” to “plus ID number”.
Yes, with Qiao Shao in the film, any miracle couldn’t be considered a miracle.
After all, that’s our favorite Qiao Shao ah.
- In the Past
“Why did you bring me here to eat kebabs?” Gongxi Qiao stuffed lamb kebabs into his mouth while expressing curiosity about Xi Qing’s behavior. This place wasn’t far from his high school.
“This place ……” Xi Qing looked around, his eyes fell on the word “demolition” in the corner, “before it disappears, I wanted to bring you here again to see.”
Gongxi Qiao smiled a few times, and then whispered in Xi Qing’s ear, “When I was studying, I would sometimes come here.”
“I know.” Xi Qing smiled. “You also especially liked that person’s kebabs, but it’s a pity that the owner of that place doesn’t do it anymore. The location of the stall is the same, but the people are different.”
“It’s okay, this one tastes good too.” Gongxi Qiao smiled and ate a few more skewers, then wiped his mouth clean and said, “Shall I take you to my alma mater for a stroll?”
“Okay.” Xi Qing asked the bodyguard to pay the bill, and he and Gongxi Qiao walked towards the school.
It happened that it was the weekend and school wasn’t in session. After Gongxi Qiao talked to his former teacher on the phone, the school gatekeeper enthusiastically let him through and even took a photo with Gongxi Qiao.
You know, Gongxi Qiao was the number one person on their school’s student honor roll, and now when the school did enrollment promotions, they would all still use Gongxi Qiao for promotion.
“This was my classroom.” Gongxi Qiao led Xi Qing to the second floor of one of the school buildings and pointed to the third row. “That’s where I sat, and every time I tried to slack off, I couldn’t because it was the easiest place to be found by the teachers.”
“That’s also the place for honors students.” Xi Qing laughed and looked seriously at everything in this classroom.
“In fact, high school was pretty boring. It was better having more free time in college.” Gongxi Qiao pulled Xi Qing’s hand. “Let’s go back.”
Xi Qing took a look around and nodded.
When the two of them went downstairs, they ran into the principal and the head teacher who rushed over. Gongxi Qiao very respectfully took a picture with them and exchanged pleasantries for a while before leaving.
So, soon Gongxi Qiao got another title of “honoring teachers and respecting their teachings”.
When getting into the car, Gongxi Qiao suddenly said, “The first time we met wasn’t the time you had a car accident, was it?”
Xi Qing reached out and touched the top of his hair. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have each other from now on.”
Gongxi Qiao smiled and didn’t say anything until the car stopped at the entrance of Xi family. Then, he laughed. “When I was eating kebabs, I thought, “This young man looks handsome and young, why does he look so listless?”
Xi Qing turned his head sharply to look at Gongxi Qiao.
“But you’re right, the most important thing is that we have each other.” Gongxi Qiao patted Xi Qing’s head and smiled as he got out of the car.
Xi Qing looked at his back, touched the top of his head and let out a low laugh.
- Love
Zhou Xiaowei was a veteran Qiao fan. She started to be a Gongxi Qiao fan when Gongxi Qiao first debuted, when she was just a senior high school student.
Now that she started working, she remained a hardcore Qiao fan after being transferred to Xi Group headquarters because of her excellent working ability.
The first time she found Qiao Shao in the headquarters, she was very stunned. However, looking at Sister Tang and several other colleagues in the secretarial department, she felt that she was making a big deal out of nothing.
Later, she often saw Qiao Shao appear in the Xi Group. Although she was still excited, she was careful to hide it, just like her other colleagues. She just cautiously watched, but never came forward to disturb him.
Later, she turned from an ordinary secretary to the head of the publicity department, and then from the head to the manager. Time gradually passed, and her favorite Qiao Shao became the “Master Qiao” in the media.
She never bragged in the fan group when she saw Qiao Shao, and never took photos of Qiao Shao, she just defended Qiao Shao online and tried to prevent others from slinging mud at Qiao Shao.
When Qiao Shao got an award, when Qiao Shao got a big production, when Qiao Shao became friends with an internationally famous director, she would be happy for a long time.
It wasn’t until she was thirty-two years old that she accidentally saw the image of a man kissing another man on the cheek in the parking lot, and as the other man’s car window slowly rolled up and closed, she realized that it was Qiao Shao and the president.
In that instant, her mind went blank.
After that, she deliberately stopped paying attention to Qiao Shao’s news, and stopped being secretly excited by Qiao Shao’s appearance in the Xi Group. She even jumped ship to work for another company the following year.
It wasn’t until a long, long time later that she suddenly saw the interview footage of Qiao Shao on TV. Qiao Shao, who was in his forties, looked elegant and handsome, just as he did when she was eighteen years old and liked him.
“Master Qiao, everyone is very concerned about your relationship. Do you mind talking to us about your views on choosing a spouse?”
“Thank you all for your concern, I already have a lover.”
“Ah?!” The host’s expression was very shocked, not expecting Gongxi Qiao to answer like that at all.
“I love that person very much, that person loves me too, and we’ve been together for more than ten years. I hope everyone blesses us.”
Zhou Xiaowei turned off the TV and heard her daughter, who was on her first day of high school, calling her.
“Mom, I saw Master Qiao’s picture on the school bulletin board today, and it turns out that he and I are alumni.” Her daughter’s voice sounded very proud.
Zhou Xiaowei stared blankly at the TV show that had been turned off for a moment before nodding. “He has always been a …… very good person.”
“Yeah!” Her daughter nodded heavily. “I will strive to also go to Imperial Capital University in the future and become a college alumnus of Master Qiao.”
“Good.” Zhou Xiaowei smiled gently and openly, as if she was relieved about something. Turning back to the house, she found a neatly stacked pile of posters, all of which were of one person, Gongxi Qiao.
As a fan, if you really love an idol, don’t you just want him to be happy?
She carefully picked out a poster and put it on the wall, smiling like an 18-year-old girl.
“May you be happy.”
- Happiness
Gongxi Qiao was forty-two years old when he announced his love affair, which made countless fans sigh with sorrow, but more than that, they wished him well and were curious about who he was in love with.
However, no one knew, and no one could find out.
Later, Gongxi Qiao gradually stopped filming and began to write and paint, becoming a big player in the world of calligraphy and painting. But he still had many fans.
One day later, he gave an interview to a reporter.
“The one I love has always been by my side.” He glanced toward the door, where Xi Qing was returning from outside.
“Take a picture of us.” Gongxi Qiao walked over to Xi Qing, smiling gently, and said to the young female reporter, “Make us look handsome, otherwise it won’t look good in print.”
Xi Qing looked at him sideways, “Why bother with this?”
“I’m happy.” Gongxi Qiao raised his eyebrows, “You don’t want to take pictures?”
Xi Qing grabbed his hand tightly, “Okay, I’m happy too.”
The female reporter looked at the two smiling men and suddenly understood what was going on.
A long, long time later, when the female journalist was gray at the temples and old, she published a biography. The name of the biography was “Two Gentlemen”.
The book said, “I have never seen such a loving pair of lovers. The way they looked at each other was like a flame, enough to warm everyone around them.”
“I adore them and bless them, and I wish the two gentlemen eternal happiness and peace, and an undying love.”
(The End)
T/N
- Skin-flaying: slang for brutal entertainment reporters who dig up scandals
- For some reason, in this final chapter the author changed from writing “Tianjin” (天晋) to just “Jin” (晋) in the raws. Since the name of the dynasty GXQ came from has been Tianjin the whole time until now, I’m keeping it as Tianjin. FYI There was a real “Jin” dynasty in history, but Tianjin is made up.
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Here’s the very long last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this story!
I would like to encourage you to support the original author, Yue Xia Die Ying (月下蝶影) by purchasing this novel on JJWXC. You can find a guide on how to purchase novels on JJWXC here: https://shokotranslates.wordpress.com/jjwxc/
You can find the novel on JJWXC by searching “娱乐圈演技帝” or going here: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2527119
Next, I will be translating a BL novel called “Your Majesty, Be at Ease” by Jué Jué, the author of Beloved Husband, A Guide to Raising Your Natural Enemy, and others. I think if you like her other novels you will like this one. Here is the synopsis:
“In the throne room, Jian Jin was named the Tanhua. When he looked up, he found that the man on the dragon throne was his own wife who he had been looking for for a long time and who had “abandoned his husband and son”.
The wife who he had managed to fatten up had lost weight again.
A certain emperor coveted his own Tanhua everyday, thinking about him like crazy, but this Tanhua had a beloved lost wife.
He especially wanted to get rid of that woman!
One day, the emperor bumped into the child being raised by his Tanhua.
Jian Jin: This is your son! Come on, give him a hug!
Emperor: This child looks like me. The child’s mother must also look like me. Does he take me as a stand-in for his wife?!!!
Reading guide.
- A short story about freeing yourself. Jian Jin is the gong, the emperor is the shou. It is written from both perspectives.
- Unorthodox ancient BL, the gong came from a future world and transmigrated to ancient times with a big golden finger. There is an abnormal birth plot.”
Night Owl Translations 