CSGM - Chapter 132
Chapter 132: Bustling About
Chu Xi: 【No.】
Chu Xi's reply was concise. Ren Zhi glanced at her phone and saw that Zhang Yuxue was quite excited, which made Chu Xi's response seem a bit cold and discouraging.
Ren Zhi said, "You should explain that you're out of town filming and can't make it."
So Chu Xi added:
【I'm currently filming with a crew, so I don't have time to come.】
【Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!】
【Even though I can't be there in person, I'll be watching the episode you're on.】
However, the last two sentences, though sent from Chu Xi's account, were typed by Ren Zhi after she took the phone.
Ren Zhi wrapped an arm around Chu Xi's neck and said gently, "She's your student, after all. Can't you be a little warmer to her?"
Chu Xi nodded and said, "Okay," as she lifted her up.
"Baby, I'll carry you to the shower."
Ren Zhi was almost used to this kind of action. She naturally nestled against Chu Xi's shoulder, letting her be carried into the bathroom.
Chu Xi very enthusiastically helped put her changed clothes into the washing machine.
But when Chu Xi picked up the underwear, she couldn't help but stare at it-
This absolutely wasn't her being a pervert! It was because her eyesight was too good, and an accidental glance just now had revealed something unusual on it.
Taking a closer look, it was true.
Chu Xi swallowed hard.
From inside the shower, Ren Zhi saw what she was doing and froze instantly.
"…"
A moment ago she had been soaked through; now she wanted to die of shame and anger.
"Chu Xi, put that in the washing machine right now!"
Chu Xi nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, placed the underwear where it belonged, and quickly left.
After scurrying out of the bathroom, Chu Xi touched her own face. It was burning hot.
Her heart was beating even faster.
She regulated her breathing, taking a few deep breaths.
But her mind was buzzing chaotically. Chu Xi wanted to distract herself from this nervous tension, so she picked up her phone and casually scrolled through other information.
On Weibo, there were indeed many more promotional posts about the movie 《Three Kingdoms》.
The official account had released costume photos and a teaser trailer, and all the main actors had reposted it.
Chu Xi's account, managed by her agent, had also reposted the message: "On XX date of XX month, the movie 《Three Kingdoms》 will officially be released. See you in theaters nationwide!"
Unfortunately, aside from Chu Xi, the other main actors were all complete newcomers with no fame to speak of. Basically, only Chu Xi's repost of the movie promotion received some reshares from her fans.
The real buzz was on marketing accounts and among major film critics, who were reviewing the movie 《Three Kingdoms》.
Someone said: 【Industry insiders have seen it. This movie is decent. Compared to the terrible films made with the Three Kingdoms IP in the past, you can tell Director Yang Huiming put his heart into this one.】
Someone else said: 【A friend who saw an advance screening revealed that the protagonist's acting is quite competent. The director's choice to have a female actress reverse-cast as the male lead was also bold.】
Of course, there were also naysayers, who stated: 【Watching the teaser, it doesn't feel any different from the bad movies of the past. It's all just false, big, and empty, built on special effects.】
Another point of criticism was: 【The cast is almost entirely new actors. I'm worried their acting skills won't be able to support the film's quality.】
However, the fact that the male lead of 《Three Kingdoms Prequel: Yellow Turban Rebellion》 was actually played by Chu Xi in a reverse role did generate a small wave of discussion during the movie's promotional period.
At least from the costume photos released by the official account, Chu Xi's portrayal of the male lead looked surprisingly fitting, without a hint of awkwardness.
On the contrary, she looked a bit A-list!
The movie's promotion deliberately played coy, not releasing the costume photos for Chu Xi's other role, the "Dancer."
The teaser trailer also intentionally cut out the Dancer's scenes.
The promotional Weibo post simply said: 【More surprises await the audience to unlock in the official film!】
The latest post from the official account was: The release date for 《Three Kingdoms》 is set for the sixth of next month. Tickets can be pre-ordered starting seven days in advance, and pre-orders come with a chance to win extra merchandise!
This was more or less all the information about 《Three Kingdoms》 online.
Even without massive traffic, the atmosphere of an impending movie release had been successfully created.
Glancing at the 《Three Kingdoms》 crew group chat, which she had set to "receive messages but no notifications," Chu Xi opened it and was immediately hit by the director's palpable tension and anxiety.
The most conspicuous thing in the entire chat history was the director posting a screenshot every few hours-
Director: 【The 'Want to See' count has broken 5,000! Great work, promotion department. /[Fist][Image]】
Director: 【The count has broken 8,000. Sigh, promotion is a bit difficult, but I have faith in us! [Image]】
Director: 【The 'Want to See' count has broken five digits! That's a good sign. /[Thumbs Up][Image]】
…
The last message was the director reminding all the main actors where to gather on the day of the premiere and to wear the unified outfits, asking them to plan their work schedules in advance.
It had just been sent. Since Chu Xi happened to be in the group, she replied with an "Okay."
Then she turned off her phone and tossed it aside.
Because she found that no matter what she looked at, her mind would involuntarily drift back to what had just happened in the bathroom…
For the first time ever, Chu Xi felt a trace of bashfulness.
That kind of reaction… did Baby want it?
Was it her kiss that made Ren Zhi react that way…?
To be honest, Chu Xi was a little bewildered.
She didn't know who to ask, and she certainly didn't dare to ask Ren Zhi. Ren Zhi was in the bathroom urging her to hurry back to her own room.
Chu Xi lingered in the room, dawdling. Pursing her lips, she picked up her phone and asked Baidu.
She asked why someone would get wet after kissing.
She asked, can women also have a physical reaction to other women?
-And then she discovered that the reason her own mouth was always dry, and it only got better after kissing Ren Zhi, was also a kind of "reaction."
Finally, after asking around, she ended up searching for lesbian s-e-x p-o-s-i-t-i-o-n-s.
After reading the results, Chu Xi briefly and swiftly uninstalled the Baidu app.
Her throat bobbed. She undid the top button of her shirt and sat on the bed, blushing and dazed.
So being a lesbian was such a complicated thing.
Her knowledge had expanded once again.
And her photographic memory made her feel endlessly ashamed of the content she had just read.
She paced back and forth in the room, drank two glasses of water to quench her thirst, and then started rummaging through her things.
That is to say, hotel rooms usually have that kind of thing prepared.
The little umbrellas played hide-and-seek with Chu Xi for a while, but she eventually found them.
A short while later.
Chu Xi hovered by the bathroom door.
"Baby, are you not done showering yet?"
"Baby, are you coming out soon?"
"Baby, did you wash your hair?"
Ren Zhi, who had been mortified to death just moments ago, had no desire to be around her right now.
"Chu Xi, why haven't you gone back? It's so late. Hurry back to your own room, take a shower, and go to sleep."
Chu Xi hid behind the door, the tip of her slipper scraping the floor.
"Baby, I'll wait for you to come out."
Chu Xi felt it wouldn't be right to just leave like this.
Why didn't Ren Zhi tell her?
Sighing, she shook her head. It was probably her own fault. She should have noticed sooner. Every time she kissed Ren Zhi, her face would get so red.
Chu Xi recalled the unfocused, hazy look in her eyes, licked her lips, and quickly went back to drink a few more sips of water.
As the cool water washed over her dry, burning throat, Chu Xi recalled the information Baidu had provided her.
It was as if she had walked into a deeper alley.
Lesbians should do this, and this, and this…
So she had been doing it wrong all this time. No wonder she sometimes heard Ren Zhi let out a soft sigh after they kissed.
If Baby had such a strong reaction to her this time, then in the past, she must have… felt something too, right?
Actually, Chu Xi had felt it too, she just didn't know there was a next step.
Time seemed to flow invisibly in the darkness.
After an amount of time that Chu Xi herself couldn't measure, Ren Zhi came out, fully dressed.
She had stubbornly refused to leave, and Ren Zhi couldn't drag it out in the bathroom any longer.
She could only come out, ignore her, and start blow-drying her own hair.
"Baby, Baby, let me help you."
Chu Xi, who couldn't read people's minds, just had to get closer.
Ren Zhi laughed in exasperation, letting go of the hairdryer and letting her hand fall to pinch Chu Xi's thigh.
As she dried her hair, Chu Xi asked:
"Baby, were you really uncomfortable just now?"
There seemed to be a hint of self-blame in her tone.
Even so, Ren Zhi was still amused and annoyed, wanting to kick her out.
To not notice someone else's embarrassment was one thing, but to keep asking about it… in the entertainment industry, the only artist she'd ever seen who was still alive with this level of emotional intelligence was Chu Xi.
"I'm fine now," Ren Zhi said.
"I'm sorry, Baby." Amidst the warm air of the hairdryer, Chu Xi turned her head and kissed her ear.
Ren Zhi thought she was talking about walking in on her when she was soaked, which had nearly made her want to crawl into a hole.
Ren Zhi thought for a moment, sighed, and smiled helplessly. "Forget it, it's not your fault."
What could be done about a natural bodily reaction?
Besides, it wasn't something to feel guilty about. It was just that being seen so blatantly was inevitably mortifying.
Ren Zhi decided that next time, she would quietly clean up by herself after they kissed.
Just as she finished this thought, Chu Xi turned off the hairdryer and set it aside.
Her hair was almost dry now, looking soft and fluffy, and felt incredibly smooth to the touch.
Chu Xi couldn't stop stroking her hair.
Ren Zhi said, "Alright, you should go back and get some sleep too."
But Chu Xi shook her head. "No."
She looked at Ren Zhi with sincere eyes. "Baby, can we kiss one more time? I promise I'll perform well this time."
Ren Zhi smiled helplessly at her energy.
"A peck is okay, but not a whole session. It's time to rest."
The moment she relented slightly, Chu Xi pounced on her.
She had said just one peck, but once Chu Xi's lips covered hers, those words instantly became a passing cloud, dissipating into thin air.
Ren Zhi whimpered twice. At first, she didn't push her away, but soon she no longer had the strength.
Her entire body went soft, and she squeezed her legs together emptily during the kiss.
Chu Xi's kisses were like a masterful switch; always, beyond her control, the nerves in her body would become highly sensitive.
After Chu Xi was satisfied, she propped herself up and looked down at her with a smile.
Ren Zhi caught her breath. "Idiot, no more kissing."
Chu Xi stopped. Ren Zhi was waiting for her to leave, but to her surprise, the next second she heard something unbelievable whispered in her ear-
"Okay, Baby, no more kissing. Let me serve you."
Ren Zhi: "?!"
She tilted her head up to look at Chu Xi.
Only then did she realize that Chu Xi had actually prepared a transparent film, which was already in a paper box on the bedside table.
Ren Zhi paused for a moment. "…" She watched as Chu Xi fished it out from inside, where it had been hidden quite deeply.
So when Chu Xi said "serve," she really meant the kind of serving she was thinking of.
"I'm sorry, Baby, I just learned how…"
A soft murmur whispered by her ear.
Two hours later, Ren Zhi and Chu Xi were still up late, monitoring the promotional developments for the movie 《Three Kingdoms》.
In terms of online popularity, a serious historical drama like this, starring an almost entirely new cast and lacking a major star to draw traffic, was indeed at a natural disadvantage in its promotion.
It was like a newcomer fumbling with the themes of love and action for the first time, unsure of their direction and not knowing where to start.
Rather unluckily, the release date for 《Three Kingdoms》 also clashed with a new film from another company that specialized in comedies.
Other people's films were handled with the ease of a veteran, as it was far from their first or second time in the business. But this was Chu Xi's first time!
The comedy film 《Super Family of Five》, produced by Happy Popcorn and starring the company's signature comedians Shen Xiao and Ma Piaoliang, happened to be released at the same time as 《Three Kingdoms》.
Ren Zhi truly wished Chu Xi could go and learn properly.
Compared to a lighthearted comedy starring comedians with an established fan base, the grand but heavy 《Three Kingdoms》 seemed much less appealing.
Ren Zhi occasionally felt herself about to drift off to sleep, but she didn't want to discourage Chu Xi, so she could only hug her adorable head and encourage her.
On the movie platform, the "Want to See" count for 《Three Kingdoms》 was 18,000, while for 《Super Family of Five》 it was 78,000, an almost crushing victory.
But Ren Zhi would gently encourage Chu Xi not to lose heart, telling her there were parts she did well.
However, this meant that the box office of 《Three Kingdoms》 would be affected by the competition during its release.
Ren Zhi was also somewhat affected. She couldn't help but frown, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
As for promotion, 《Three Kingdoms》 couldn't compete with the publicity generated by the inherent traffic of Shen Xiao and Ma Piaoliang.
But after Ren Zhi stepped in to help Chu Xi, teaching her how to attract traffic, her traffic also increased, flowing steadily like a small river.
A movie's release is also heavily dependent on timing and contemporary competition.
Even though Chu Xi had been very sincere and hardworking, she still had to accept reality; she was indeed lacking in practical experience compared to others.
Looking at it this way, the film from Happy Popcorn would be a formidable rival for 《Three Kingdoms》.
Because of this, Chu Xi was busy and sweating, and sometimes a trace of panic would appear in her eyes due to Ren Zhi's dissatisfied reactions.
After reviewing the news about the competition, a hint of worry appeared on Ren Zhi's face. She traced the faint marks on Chu Xi's collarbone and explained:
"If the comedy 《Super Family》 is too good, a film like 《Three Kingdoms》 will naturally lose a portion of its box office, because most people going to the cinema on a weekend will only choose one of the two."
"Baby, do you think I performed well?"
Chu Xi lowered her head, for the first time feeling a bit unconfident and doubtful about her acting.
Why did it feel like the feedback Ren Zhi was giving was a little different from what others were saying online?
Thinking of this, Ren Zhi was both amused and annoyed, but seeing how hard she had tried, she couldn't bear to crush her completely.
So she said tactfully, "You still have a lot of room for improvement, but… well, okay, I'm satisfied this time."
"Baby, I…" Chu Xi said three words, then lowered her head again.
Ren Zhi thought about how long she had been bustling about, but just like the life netizens complained about-
She didn't know what all the bustling was for.
Ren Zhi wanted to laugh.
"It's okay. Even if you're terrible, I'll teach you step-by-step. Besides, you're not that terrible."
After all, Ren Zhi had won a Best Actress award and was highly skilled in acting techniques. As long as Chu Xi was willing to learn, she would slowly teach her to do better.
Chu Xi sat quietly with a frown for a while, like a student reflecting on a mistake.
Ren Zhi laughingly smoothed her brow and kissed her cheek to comfort her.
"It's okay if your acting isn't good. You're still a new-generation actress. Everyone goes through this. Don't be discouraged."
After a moment, Chu Xi sighed.
Ren Zhi said, "Alright, stop thinking about this. The movie is about to be released. The focus now should be on promotion."
Speaking of which, it was quite unfortunate to clash with the new film from Happy Popcorn. The current traffic for 《Three Kingdoms》 was completely incomparable to the established public appeal and national recognition of the comedy company.
When discussing the May movie lineup, the film most netizens were looking forward to was 《Super Family of Five》.
In comparison, the discussion and attention for 《Three Kingdoms》 were as bleak as a background prop.
This not only discouraged the main actors, but the director also lamented their bad luck repeatedly!
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