Chapter 703: Chapter 703

At the moment the director called "It’s a wrap," a touch of joyous smiles appeared on the faces of all the actors, and the crew was no exception.

Desperate to keep up with the schedule, for the past two-plus months, they’d been living a life that was hardly human.

The crew had hoped that the cheerful and reasonable schedule set at the beginning of filming would hold until the end, but that wish was not fulfilled.

Director Liu was still the devilish Director Liu, having gone through night shifts and overtime for the whole cast with two consecutive films, and the third film followed in the same footsteps, a nightmare even for the hardest-working actors.

Having a capable cast was a prerequisite, but the other condition was having ample shooting time; without enough time, the whole crew had to work overtime.

He Jinxia also faced challenges during this film, catching a cold right when shooting started, leading to a sore throat and barely daring to speak loudly for nearly half a month.

Just as she finally got over the cold and stabilized for a while, she faced a wave of commercial shoots. To free up her schedule for the production, she had to outlast all the other actors.

After the commercial shoots ended, she was greeted with the release of a new movie.

To coordinate with the promotion of "High School Musical" in Huaxia this June, as the host, He Jinxia had to accompany Wilson and the others to several events, behind each of which lay her relentless efforts on set.

Brother Luo said that the more famous a star gets, the less rest they have. Last year, when He Jinxia had far fewer engagements, he told her to cherish the leisure time she had then.

Back then, He Jinxia didn’t feel much, but now, when she falls asleep the moment she hits the bed from busyness, she deeply understands the difficulty of being a superstar.

The higher the popularity, the more engagements one has, and the greater the responsibility; this is no lie.

"High School Musical" was released in Huaxia, and Wilson’s side also contacted some of the country’s renowned PR firms to start the promotion, mainly feeding off her popularity.

When "Eighteen Years Old Sky" was released, it was boosted by Emperor Sheng, bringing He Jinxia’s popularity to its peak.

The promotion of "High School Musical" then pushed her further, making her a regular on the trending search list, appearing every few days.

Sometimes He Jinxia wondered how the PR firms came up with good topics to keep her on the trending searches.

Later, when she saw that even the cup she used to drink water could make it to the top ten of the trending searches, she completely understood that money can make the devil work the mill; as long as the money is right, nothing is a problem.

Many in the industry were paying attention to He Jinxia’s moves, wondering if her next break could be her ascent to the A-list.

Luo You was a bit nervous about her constantly keeping in the limelight and repeatedly urged her to pick a good next role, and to do it quickly.

Her current level of popularity had reached the threshold of an A-list celebrity; what she needed now was a fire!

This fire would push her fame up another level, stepping into the A-list!

And this fire is not the seeming prestige of popularity, but a solid, substantial work!

Originally, Luo You had hoped that "High School Musical" would be that work, but unfortunately, the film received lukewarm reviews, and the plot was criticized by netizens as cliché and lacking originality.

Under He Jinxia’s influence, the film had been showing in Huaxia for a month and still couldn’t break the 30 billion mark, showing lackluster staying power.

So, Luo You could only helplessly give up the idea of making a comeback with "High School Musical" and started mobilizing all his contacts to find her a good script.

Time turned back to the wrap party of "Xiao Xiangyu’s Many Sorrows."

The wrap party featured Japanese cuisine, and He Jinxia kept her gaze fixed on the tiny pieces of sushi, selectively going for the good ones and quickly racking up thousands of Huaxia Coins.

For the past two-plus months, she had endured subhuman treatment, so now that Director Liu was hosting a wrap party, she was determined to thoroughly enjoy herself, unburdened by any concerns for Director Liu’s wallet.

She was not the only one with this idea.

At the revolving table, a glance revealed all the actors from the film set, including Ren Xiao, Yu Yanyu, Qiu Zhenze, and others who were conspicuously present.

All of them stared intently at the carousel in front of them, their hands moving with rapid speed. Plates piled up one after another, and in less than half an hour, everyone had substantial spoils of war.

Yu Yanyu was the first to finish a round, putting the last seaweed salmon and crab roll into his mouth before sprawling out in his chair like a salted fish, patting his belly as if it would help him digest faster.

He let out a long sigh, "Ah, that was comfortable, I haven’t had such a relaxing day in a long time."

Hearing this, Ren Xiao and Qiu Zhenze didn’t hesitate to roll their eyes at him.

Of all the actors in the production, Yu Yanyu’s role had the most leisure time—he was needed for less than three days a week!

Although his role as the Peacock Spirit had few scenes, his presence ran from the beginning to the end of the series and he was one of the female protagonist’s helpers, securing a solid presence.

With so much free time, he didn’t accept outside offers to make more money but chose to stay devoted to the set instead, claiming he wanted to learn acting techniques from his seniors; as a result...

Almost all the actors in the crew had lost weight, except for him—he was the only one who gained 4 pounds!

Four pounds, such a frenzied 4 pounds!

And yet there he was, shouting about how he’d put on weight.

Such a person really deserved to be dragged out and taught a good lesson.

The only reason they could bear his constant presence on the set was the good food, nothing else.

Yu Yanyu sipped his juice leisurely, ignoring their resentful glances completely, and smilingly watched He Jinxia still battling with her food he asked:

"Sister Jinxia, what’s your plan after finishing this movie?"

He Jinxia answered vaguely, "Running promotions for ’High School Musical’, then joining a few reality shows to boost my popularity."

Qiu Zhenze frowned, "Your popularity has been quite high recently, isn’t it unnecessary to join more reality shows? I’m afraid too much exposure could backfire with the audience’s antipathy."

He Jinxia nodded, swallowing her food before speaking, "That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, so I need to be selective about reality shows. I should pick something novel and interesting to shift the audience’s attention to the show itself." Read complete versıon only at noⅴelfire.net

This was a typical case where the celebrity’s fame paved the way for the reality show, not the other way around.

Yu Yanyu, having appeared a few times in reality shows, understood the inner workings and asked curiously, "If you want something novel, it can’t just be a game show then.

Game shows might seem exciting, but after a while, the repetitive games lose their appeal to the audience. A reality show with novelty... what kind are you thinking of?"

He Jinxia responded without hesitation, "Naturally, I would pick a theme that has never been done before."

Yu Yanyu, "Do you already have such resources?"

He Jinxia didn’t hide it from him; there was no harm in sharing just a little bit.

"I have several options, and my agent is still deciding which one to choose. It’s uncertain if they’ll come to fruition."

Yu Yanyu suggested, "Your popularity is soaring right now, and undoubtedly your worth has increased a lot. But before a reality show airs, it’s hard to estimate its potential.

Many shows unexpectedly become hits after they start filming, leading to increased investments, while the initial funding is meager in comparison.

If the reality show you choose truly has a unique edge, consider lowering your asking price a bit. If possible, negotiate to contribute funds to the production, essentially becoming an investor. If the show becomes a hit, you’ll also get a share of the profits."