novelraw Chapter 680 Sister Yan, come help me!
Chapter 680 Sister Yan, come help me!
[“You sucked out my blood clots from the hickeys you gave me back then, and it’s in its late stages now. Get ready to give me a wedding gift.”] Jiang Yang sent a message.
Tian Xiwei wasn't in the mood for jokes with Jiang Yang: ["Be serious, are you out of your mind?"]
[“I have your twisted disease. Whoever spreads rumors about me, I’ll make them give a gift first.”] Jiang Yang replied.
I saw this message.
Tian Xiwei felt relieved.
If Zhao Lushi had asked that question, it would have been a veiled insult to Jiang Yang. But Qiao Renliang was different; he was a respectable person and wouldn't make such pointless jokes.
She knew that Qiao Renliang and Jiang Yang had a good relationship.
We met last year. We often see each other chatting and even go to the recording studio to create songs.
For the song "The Cloud That Blooms," which I wrote for Haochun, I consulted Qiao Renliang for the arrangement.
Tian Xiwei sent Jiang Yang screenshots of her chat with Qiao Renliang.
[“Old Qiao, it’s normal for him to ask that. Xiwei, don’t tell anyone else about this…”]
Jiang Yang sent a long message.
Detailed explanation.
Tian Xiwei understood the situation.
Qiao Renliang suffered from severe depression. Last year, it was not Jiang Yang who attempted suicide on the rooftop in Beiping, but Qiao Renliang.
Jiang Yang's act of pretending to want to commit suicide was intentional. His purpose was to get Qiao Renliang to save him, so that Qiao Renliang could find meaning in life during the process of saving him, which would make it easier for him to help Qiao Renliang recover from depression later.
The thought of Jiang Yang attempting suicide made Tian Xiwei want to laugh.
Even if he's a dog, she'll still beat him awake.
If Jiang Yang really dares to die, he can only die under her butcher's knife. No one else has the right to interfere, and he certainly doesn't have the right to ruin his own life.
Before she could think any further, Qiao Renliang sent another message: "[Don't you guys know?]"
[“Teacher Qiao, Jiang Yang is doing well.”] Tian Xiwei typed back: [“Thank you for your concern for Jiang Yang. If he were dead, I’d have Ruth curse him back to life.”]
["That's good."]
After chatting for a while, Qiao Renliang felt much more at ease.
The reason I contacted Tian Xiwei was because I often saw Jiang Yang and Tian Xiwei interacting on Weibo.
The two were from the same hometown.
He asked Jiang Yang directly, but Jiang Yang wouldn't tell the truth; anyone who has had this disease understands.
I thought Jiang Yang would tell Tian Xiwei about his depression, but it seems that Jiang Yang didn't do that.
That makes sense.
After all, most people are reluctant to talk about depression.
Only his parents and agent knew about his illness, and among his friends, only Jiang Yang knew.
If he hadn't bumped into Jiang Yang, who was contemplating suicide, on a rooftop in Beiping last year and saved him, Jiang Yang would never have known that he had the same illness as him.
He didn't want to see someone as talented as Jiang Yang fall into the same quagmire of depression as himself.
Therefore, he often takes the initiative to contact Jiang Yang and inquire about his recent situation.
I was just chatting with Tian Xiwei, and she told me that Jiang Yang is living a very positive life. Not only has she never seen him take his medication, but his career is also getting better and better, and his company is even preparing to expand its workforce.
Qiao Renliang knew what was going on.
Jiang Yang's condition should have almost fully recovered.
He had originally wanted to see Jiang Yang serve as the acting coach for the role of Qiu Shan Jun in "Fighter of the Destiny".
There's simply no time right now.
He is currently recording the variety show "Who is the King of Laughter" in Shanghai, which aims to relieve stress and bring laughter to everyone.
As one of the five judges, I had to focus on the recording of the show the whole time.
The rules of this show are very simple.
Contestants take turns performing comedy acts on stage, and must make the audience laugh within one minute, or they will be eliminated by the conveyor belt on stage.
At this point, halftime had ended.
The staff signaled for the recording to continue. Qiao Renliang put away his phone, composed himself, and focused on the stage, waiting for the next contestant to appear.
She is a female contestant named Chen Shi.
She is eighteen years old this year and dresses in a youthful and beautiful way.
She previously participated in the talent show "Super Girl", but unfortunately she was eliminated in the top 15.
Invited by the "Who is the King of Laughter" program, I specially took the train alone from my hometown to Shanghai.
Before going on stage, Chen Shi was so nervous that her back was sweating.
Backstage, I kept an eye on the stage, repeatedly memorizing the director's instructions.
Once on stage, she had to wield nunchucks while introducing herself with a series of chuckles, telling a joke, and actively interacting with the judges.
This is a rare opportunity for her to perform on stage after being eliminated from "Super Girl".
Take a deep breath and rehearse it in your mind over and over again.
As directed by the director, Chen Shi walked confidently onto the stage.
The background music started right on time. She gripped the nunchucks tightly, began to twirl them, and was about to introduce herself.
Qiao Renliang suddenly heard a crisp snapping sound.
The nunchucks hit the microphone cable, knocking the microphone away and landing in the center of the stage.
The scene fell into dead silence.
All eyes were on Chen Shi.
The heat was so intense that she could barely lift her head, and her mind went completely blank.
Qiao Renliang could see it clearly. Normally, the microphone wire should pass through the inside of the clothes, but Chen Shi's microphone wire was casually tucked outside the clothes, making it easy to be swept away with the slightest movement.
Ultimately, it was due to the negligence of the staff.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Chen Shi panicked, her hands and feet wouldn't obey her commands, she stopped what she was doing and hurriedly ran over to pick up the microphone.
His face was ashen, yet he maintained a smile.
He frantically fiddled with the microphone cable, trying to reconnect it so he could continue the performance.
After fiddling with it for a long time, I realized it was impossible.
To properly connect the microphone, she had to take off her outer performance costume, which she couldn't do in front of the entire audience and the cameras.
He definitely wants to be famous.
But not in this way.
Even knowing that her actions would not be edited out and would be included in the final cut, I was still surprised.
Embarrassment and panic overwhelmed her like a tide, and she could feel the gazes of the audience below the stage.
There was mockery, impatience, and sympathy.
I heard the impatient curses from the audience:
"What's going on? Why are you taking so long? You must be doing this on purpose!"
"It's not funny at all. Get down here and don't waste everyone's time!"
"What kind of talent do you have to go on stage? You're utterly pathetic, get out of here!"
The sounds grew clearer, and her shoulders trembled.
Upon seeing this, the on-site director immediately rushed to the edge of the stage, grabbed a megaphone, and yelled at Chen Shi, "If you can't play, then don't play! If you can't play well, get off the stage and go back to where you came from. Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Chen Shi bowed his head, tugging at the tangled microphone cable, and apologized.
Her eyes reddened slightly, tears welled up, and she gritted her teeth to hold them back.
She knew very well that the audience was full of strangers. She had already given her all by having the courage to stand on this stage, to learn to let go of her inhibitions and be a funny girl to make everyone happy.
They were unwilling to leave in such a sorry state.
But the director showed no mercy, continuing to berate her: "Are you out of your mind? I've made you practice so many times, and you still can't even handle nunchucks properly. You even knocked the microphone away. Are you deliberately here to cause trouble? Wasting the production team's time, wasting the audience's time. Let me tell you, if you don't perform well today, don't even think about leaving this studio. You're not funny at all, and you still dare to come on stage. Look who's laughing. This is a comedy stage, do you know that? What joy have you brought to everyone? You're a disgrace!"
It was clearly the production team that invited her in the first place… Chen Shi dared not refute it.
The director's shouts grew increasingly harsh.
The audience, who had been complaining, fell silent.
The scene was deathly silent, save for the director's furious shouts.
And Chen Shi's suppressed, faint breathing made every second feel like an eternity.
Chen Shi wanted to argue, to say that it wasn't her fault, to say that she had tried her best, but when the words reached her lips, all that remained was a sob.
He can't even utter a complete sentence.
She held back her tears, enduring the director's harsh words that repeatedly wounded her self-esteem.
Her eyes were completely red.
Tears blurred my vision.
Just as she was about to break down in tears, she suddenly saw Qiao Renliang stand up from the judges' panel.
With a smile on his face, Qiao Renliang said to her, "Little sister, it's okay. Stage accidents are normal. I often have accidents on stage too. Don't be nervous, take it slow."
Chen Shi felt a warmth in her heart.
She nodded vigorously, then quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to remove the tears that were about to fall.
Then Qiao Renliang continued, "If you don't want to record this show, just throw your things and leave. Don't worry about the director. There's no need to make yourself suffer. It's not worth it."
Upon hearing this...
Chen Shi felt a surge of gratitude.
The director's face froze instantly, his arrogance vanished, and he looked at Qiao Renliang, opening his mouth as if to say something, but due to Qiao Renliang's status and fame, he didn't dare to continue cursing. He could only glare fiercely at Chen Shi.
Chen Shi shook her head and pleaded, "I want to record. I'm sorry, I can finish right away. Please give me another chance, okay? I really want to perform well."
"Get it done now! Everyone's waiting for you, stop dawdling and stop pretending to be pitiful!"
The on-site director was ruthless.
Qiao Renliang frowned and turned to the director on set: "What do you want her to do? Her microphone cable was sticking out, which is why she was hit by the nunchucks. It wasn't her fault in the first place. She's a girl, with so many cameras pointed at her and so many viewers watching. Do you think it's appropriate to make her take off her clothes on the spot to fix the microphone cable? Let her go backstage to fix it. Can't you give her some privacy?"
Yang Di, who was on the judges' panel next to him, quickly chimed in.
While trying to smooth things over, he complained, "That's right, you staff members went too far. You deliberately embarrassed the young girl. You can't be funny without any limits. She was already very nervous and had a hard time."
The director was speechless after being talked to by the two. He waved his hand reluctantly and impatiently signaled Chen Shi to go backstage to deal with the microphone cable.
A short while later, Chen Shi returned to the stage.
Connect the wheat wire.
Her nervousness hadn't lessened at all; her hands were still trembling as she gripped the nunchucks tightly. Following the director's instructions, she stiffly moved while stammering and chuckling as she recited the prepared jokes.
I was both nervous and apprehensive.
I hope to make the audience laugh, but I'm also afraid of making another mistake.
The scene remained silent; not a single audience member laughed.
The accident had completely ruined the atmosphere. Chen Shi was so nervous that her voice trembled, and her jokes were broken and disjointed, making even herself feel embarrassed.
She knew in her heart that this scene would most likely be cut, and all her efforts would be in vain.
Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out.
It's Qiao Renliang.
He laughed loudly, and deliberately turned on the light for Chen Shi.
In the most straightforward way, we silently support and encourage this distressed and helpless little girl.
Even so, the conveyor belt started operating on time, and Chen Shi was eliminated.
The final step, as instructed by the director, was for her to express her wish and ask Chen Jianzhou, who was on the judging panel, for a photo just before the conveyor belt was about to send her off.
Upon reaching the designated spot, Chen Shi quickly stopped what she was doing, looked up, forced a smile, and looked at Chen Jianzhou on the judges' panel. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Mr. Blackie, my wish is, could I take a picture with you?"
But Chen Jianzhou crossed his arms and looked at her coldly, without responding.
His lips didn't even twitch.
His indifferent gaze was like a bucket of cold water, poured over her heart once again.
It was even more awkward and embarrassing.
"It's not working at all! Look how few people in the audience are laughing! Re-record!" The director yelled at Chen Shi again, "Don't waste time, start over!"
Chen Shi's shoulders slumped; she was exhausted and trembling with nervousness. She obediently turned around.
They came out from backstage again.
She gripped the nunchucks tightly again and swung them around with a "hehe" laugh.
I was more nervous than last time, I didn't dare to lift my head, and my speech became increasingly stuttering.
This time, the result was worse and more embarrassing than the last.
Even so, she still heard that familiar, warm, encouraging laughter.
It was Qiao Renliang again, laughing loudly, who turned on the light for her.
Her nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
I held back.
After a final, dignified bow, as Chen Shi was being carried off the conveyor belt again, following the program's schedule, she mustered her courage once more and asked Chen Jianzhou for a photo.
But Chen Jianzhou still looked at her coldly and did not agree.
"Re-record! Chen Shi, look at how badly you acted! It's awful!"
The director on set pointed at her and yelled, "Keep recording until Mr. Chen Jianzhou agrees to take a photo with you, you shameless piece of trash!"
again and again.
The third time.
The fourth time... Chen Shi's voice was hoarse from shouting, and her cheeks were hit several times by the nunchucks, hurting with every touch.
But her performance still lacked humor.
At the scene, only Qiao Renliang was still there, laughing and cheering, and the lights were on.
Yang Di saw it all.
He's a comedian himself, so he understands the situation. How could the audience possibly laugh if he kept performing the same routine? Actually, the production team deliberately wanted to embarrass Chen Shi to create a good show effect.
This situation is very common.
It was truly heartbreaking.
If he were treated like that, he would be furious.
Unfortunately, he was just a judge, someone who was paid to do his job. Even though he knew Chen Shi was being harassed, he couldn't step in to interrupt.
I advised Qiao Renliang not to go against the production team.
Qiao Renliang ignored him and said, "Why are you bullying a newcomer?"
"You'll be hated by the production team to death, Teacher Qiao."
"So what if I die? I'm not afraid. Brother Di, you don't need to worry about me. If Jiang Yang were here, he would definitely make the same choice as me."
With a snap.
Qiao Renliang turned on the light again.
When Chen Shi was sent away by the conveyor belt for the eighth time, she made the same request again, but Chen Jianzhou still ignored her.
But this time, the conveyor belt suddenly stopped working.
Chen Shi stood on the stage, caught in a dilemma, unsure of what to do.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, I understood what was going on.
The production team didn't want her to complete the performance at all; they wanted to deliberately embarrass her.
She uses her embarrassment and awkwardness to make the audience laugh and increase the show's ratings.
In other words, she was nothing more than a tool for the show's producers to grab attention.
The more they lost, the more satisfied the production team was.
She bit her lip, holding back her tears, standing there stiffly, not daring to look at the audience below the stage.
Sure enough, scattered laughter came from the audience.
The sound wasn't loud.
It was very jarring and made her feel uncomfortable.
Before going on stage, she had thought about the performance flow the director had arranged for her, which would make the audience laugh.
The audience did laugh.
I just didn't expect it to be this way.
Qiao Renliang stood up again and waved to her: "Chen Shi, come here. Is it only if you take a photo with Teacher Chen Jianzhou that they will let you go? It's okay, I'll help you."
Upon hearing this...
Chen Shi could no longer hold back, pouting, and quickly ran towards Qiao Renliang.
Tears streamed down my face.
After taking a photo with Qiao Renliang, she didn't dare linger and hurriedly returned backstage. She found a corner, couldn't contain her emotions, and broke down in tears.
At the same time, I feel that the entertainment industry is not all coldness and scheming.
There are also good people like Qiao Renliang.
She remembered what Qiao Renliang said to her when they took the photo: "If you still want to enter this industry in the future, if you have the chance, try to participate in the variety show produced by my friend, Jiang Yang. He probably won't be on it this year because he's busy producing a web drama. Maybe in a couple of years, the variety show is called 'Produce 101.' He mentioned it to me. Jiang Yang won't bully artists or deliberately embarrass them to boost ratings. If you're willing, you can go directly to his company and start from behind the scenes. Give it a try; his company is currently hiring."
Chen Shi nodded vigorously while crying, and said in a choked voice, "I know, Teacher Qiao, I remember, thank you."
"I hope this didn't discourage you. Don't take it too hard. Keep living. Things will get better and better. Your efforts will eventually be recognized."
……
That evening, after finishing his work, Jiang Yang turned on his phone and received a message from Qiao Renliang containing Chen Shi's personal information.
They also received information from Zhang Xuefeng's students, Liu Wei's friends, and even Yang Di joined in, sending a message to Jiang Yang asking if they should sign him as well.
Jiang Yang's lips twitched, but he didn't reply to a single message.
He thought to himself, "Why are there so many people with connections? I should have kept the company's hiring a secret from Bai Lu! This person can't keep things to herself and actually posted a job ad on Weibo. I'm speechless."
My phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a voice message from Huang Lei: ["Xiao Jiang, your company is hiring, right? My daughter, Duo Duo, knows we're going to work together on our next project and really wants to visit your company. It's summer vacation now, and we don't have much to do, so why don't you leave her with you and you can teach her..."]
Jiang Yang typed back: [“No punishment!”]
Yang Chaoyue lay in bed, thinking about hiring someone for her. As for a personal assistant, she had a candidate in mind.
She took out her phone and sent a message to Sister Yan: "Sister Yan, are you asleep?"
I received a reply from Sister Yan: [“Not asleep yet, Chaoyue.”]
"How have you been lately? It's been so long since we last met."
[“I see you often. You acted in ‘A Little Reunion,’ and that variety show called ‘Mars.’ All my colleagues at the factory have seen it, haha. Now, everyone at the factory says you used to be the factory beauty. The owner of that Shaxian snack shop near the gate always ate there with the customers, saying you frequented that place.”]
We started talking about things at the factory again, which felt like a long time ago.
It feels like it just happened recently.
The drifting cotton wool, the smell of machine oil in the factory—just thinking about that cramped dormitory brings back those memories.
[“I haven’t been to Shanghai in a long time. Have the motion-activated lights in the hallway been fixed yet?”] Yang Chaoyue typed.
Sister Yan replied: [“It was always bad before I left.”]
"Sister Yan, aren't you at the factory?"
"I got injured at the factory. While operating a textile machine, my right hand was accidentally caught in the conveyor belt, my fingertips were pinched, and I needed stitches."
Yan Jie sent another message: ["I asked my boss for compensation, but that bastard refused, saying it was my fault for not handling things properly. I made a scene, and finally got some compensation, but of course, he fired me. Luckily, the police station back home had news about my sister. My sister was abducted by human traffickers back then, so I rushed back. The police station said they caught a cross-province human trafficking gang, but unfortunately, they didn't have any news about my sister. So I've decided to stay here in my hometown, farm, run a stall, and not go anywhere else. I'm too lazy to bother. It's all fate, haha. Chaoyue, I've been following your Weibo. I'm watching your performance in 'Fighter of the Destiny' tonight."]
"How was my performance?"
[“It’s really great. I’ve told all my relatives that you’re my friend, but they don’t believe me, hahaha.”]
Yang Chaoyue turned on the light, got out of bed, and opened the wardrobe.
There was a clean, but very tattered chiffon dress inside.
If I hadn't borrowed Sister Yan's chiffon dress, I probably wouldn't have passed Brother Yang's interview.
In that textile factory in Shanghai, Sister Yan took good care of her, and she always remembered that.
Later, when she played a beggar on a variety show, she tore her skirt during rehearsals and has kept it ever since.
"Sister Yan, come be my assistant. From now on, I'll bring you with me when I join film crews or go on variety shows, and they'll believe me."
Yang Chaoyue sent the message.
Yan Jie didn't reply for quite a while.
When Yan called, she said, "Really, Chaoyue? You're not kidding me, are you?"
"Seriously, I'm hiring for my team. I have a lot of resumes, but a personal assistant would be convenient. I don't trust anyone else."
Yang Chaoyue laughed and said, "Let me tell you, my boss's assistant is also an artist now, named Bai Lu. She loves gossip. If I'm unlucky enough to hire someone like her as my assistant, all my private affairs will be exposed. Sister Yan, I know you and trust you. Eight thousand a month, room and board included. Just do some odd jobs for me and take care of my life. How about it?"
Eight thousand, including room and board.
This is what Sister Yan has her eye on.
She asked, "So, from now on, my boss will be...?"
“It’s me. I’ll pay you a salary. Once our company’s artists become famous, they all have to leave their own studios. I’ll be the first one. We won’t be living in the factory dorms anymore. I’ll take you to stay in a hotel. You won’t have to pay a single penny for living expenses. I still have the chiffon dress you lent me back then.”
Yang Chaoyue replied, "Sister Yan, come help me."
-
PS:
Thank you to Dongli for the 17 monthly tickets.
Thank you to Zonn for the 14 monthly passes.
Thank you to CatCatLovesPlay and the big shot for the 16 monthly tickets.
Li Bai knelt in gratitude.
It's almost the end of the month, and my monthly votes are about to expire! I'm begging for more monthly votes! (End of Chapter)