After Liu Yifei finished removing her makeup, Liu Xiaoli cupped her face in her hands, looked at it carefully, and said, "It seems you slept well last night. You don't even have dark circles under your eyes anymore, and your skin looks much more radiant!"
The warmth of her mother's hands made Liu Yifei feel even more at ease, and she couldn't help but flatter her, saying, "Hehe...it's because of the face mask you put on me!"
"Stop arguing!" Liu Xiaoli took two steps back and said sternly, "Hurry up and do a split for me!"
"Huh? What are you doing?" Liu Yifei asked, but she already understood what she meant. She couldn't help but feel a little happy. Although she didn't know why she could recover so quickly, she was sure she could fool her.
A dangerous glint flashed in Liu Xiaoli's eyes. "What? You can't?"
"Of course not! This is a required course! It's very simple!"
As Liu Yifei spoke, she took two steps back, lifted her right leg high against the wall, and deftly performed a split.
Liu Xiaoli breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from the situation, although Niu Yichen had abducted her daughter, at least he hadn't caused anything more serious, so there was still room for maneuver. However… this trend absolutely could not be allowed to continue!
After a moment's thought, Liu Xiaoli said, "You wait in the bathroom, I'll go outside and talk to him!"
"Mom!" Liu Yifei couldn't help but say, "You won't make things difficult for him, will you?"
"Won't make things difficult for him?" Liu Xiaoli sneered, "How could I not make things difficult for him? He easily tricked me out of the child I raised with so much effort, how could I not make things difficult for him?!"
"But..." Liu Yifei hesitated, unsure of what to say. Being caught between one's mother and lover is always the hardest thing to do.
"Xixi! Listen to me!" Liu Xiaoli lowered her voice and said earnestly, "I understand men better than you do. They are all creatures who get bored easily. If you let him have you too easily, he will never cherish you. Even if you love him, you have to give him a little test. You can't just run off with him so easily, understand?"
After listening, Liu Yifei also felt that there was some truth to it, and couldn't help but ask tentatively in a similarly soft voice, "So how do you plan to test him?"
"Just listen to me later!" Liu Xiaoli patted her shoulder and whispered something in her ear.
"No!" Liu Yifei objected firmly. "We can't test him like that. This...this is too dangerous. What if he doesn't pass the test?"
After listening, Liu Xiaoli said, "If this still doesn't work, it proves that your relationship can't last. You should end it now! You're still young, and he's young too! Breaking it off will be good for everyone!"
Although the voice was still soft, the tone became more forceful.
"Alright then!" Liu Yifei's eyes flickered, and she finally agreed.
Having managed to calm Liu Yifei down, Liu Xiaoli walked out, glared at Niu Yichen, and said, "You're lucky you're behaving yourself!"
Niu Yichen smiled without saying a word!
After a long silence, Liu Xiaoli said, "Actually, you should know my attitude very well. I don't like you being with my Qianqian at all!"
Niu Yichen did not answer, waiting for her to continue.
Seeing his unyielding attitude, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but ask, "What are your plans for the future?"
"Planning? Of course we do!"
Niu Yichen didn't mince words, saying directly, "I like acting (pfft!), so I decided to make a living in the entertainment industry! I've inquired about the dramas that are starting to film this year, and there are three pretty good ones. One is the 'Chinese Paladin' we're currently filming, another is 'Lotus Lantern' on CCTV, and the third is 'Happy Seven Fairies.' 'Chinese Paladin' is almost finished, so I'm planning to compete for the role of Chen Xiang, and then there's 'Happy Seven Fairies.' Although it's a female lead drama, it'd be good to just show my face..."
"Alright!" Liu Xiaoli interrupted him, saying, "So, you're planning to become an actress from now on, is that right?"
"I'm an actor, but I'm more than just an actor!" Niu Yichen said. "I'm still in the accumulation stage. I can't be too ambitious. So next year I should film two more TV series, learn more knowledge, and find some manpower. When the funds from the Legend of Sword and Fairy project come back, I will personally direct a movie."
"Alright! Stop talking!" Liu Xiaoli interrupted him again with an impatient look, and said irritably, "I don't want to listen to your nonsense. You're not even 18 years old, and you're saying you'll make a movie in two years. Yichen, you've got quite the ambition."
Niu Yichen laughed and said, "You still need to have ideas!"
There's no way around it. If he weren't a reborn individual with a cheat code, he probably wouldn't have dared to set such a goal for himself so quickly. But although this goal seems far-fetched, it should have a certain success rate if actually implemented.
If everything goes smoothly, both "Chinese Paladin" and "Lotus Lantern" will definitely be broadcast, and he may reach another small peak in his life, that is, be at the height of his popularity. If he starts making movies at that time, he can definitely take advantage of his popularity, and the box office will not be bad.
"The idea is good!" Liu Xiaoli said bluntly, "But have you really thought about how to implement it? Have you thought about what will happen if you fail? The world can't always go according to your own wishes. What if you fail at any step? Will you be plunged into an abyss of no return? Hmm?"
Niu Yichen knew that anything he said now would be like empty promises and would not be accepted by others, so he could only say, "To say that it will be completely successful, I cannot guarantee it, but I can only say that the possibility of success is very high!"
"So! It's still possible!" Liu Xiaoli said, "Forgive me for being just a woman, short-sighted and cautious by nature. I can only see the present and not the future. I can only calculate defeat before victory. So in my opinion, what you just said is worthless!"
"Let's wait and see!"
"Okay!" Liu Xiaoli nodded again and said, "Okay! Let me ask you a question first. What are you going to do about the ban from Huayi Brothers? You're not planning to go and apply for roles despite the ban, are you?"
"The problem with Huayi Brothers has actually been resolved!" Niu Yichen said. "Huayi Brothers never said anything about blacklisting me. It's just that we couldn't reach an agreement on the contract, so they didn't find me any roles. If I could find roles myself, they wouldn't say anything. After all, I didn't sign a contract to sell myself! The so-called 'blacklisting' by Huayi Brothers' in the industry is just the result of small companies making wild guesses about Huayi Brothers' intentions and spreading rumors."
While this isn't entirely accurate, Niu Yichen wasn't completely lying.
Huayi Brothers certainly wouldn't issue a denial; they'd rather Niu Yichen couldn't take it anymore and went back to sign with them. However, after Niu Yichen successfully starred in "Chinese Paladin," those rumors of a ban will gradually diminish until they disappear completely. Even as a child star, he accumulated considerable popularity over the years!
Liu Xiaoli said, "Did you guess that again?"
That's the truth!
"Hmph! Of course! What a pipe dream!" Liu Xiaoli said bluntly, "That's my assessment of you!"
Before Niu Yichen could refute, Liu Xiaoli continued, "However, what you said is quite logical, so I can promise you I'll give you some time!"
"When!" Liu Xiaoli laughed. "I won't go into the specifics, but as long as you're confident that you can do even better than my Qianqian in the future, I can reluctantly agree to let you two date for now."
"I... am doing better than Xixi?" Niu Yichen couldn't help but laugh and nodded, saying, "Of course!"
Liu Yifei's acting career can be summarized as 'ups and downs,' but in the short term, there is really no sign of a downfall.
The characters Zhao Ling'er and Xiaolongnu are so captivating. If it weren't for her relationship with a Korean man, even if her box office had flopped, she would still have a considerable number of die-hard fans who consider her their ideal woman!
However, Niu Yichen believed that with his cheat code and memories of his past life, he could definitely outshine Liu Yifei.
Liu Xiaoli smiled confidently. She really didn't believe that anyone could have better resources than her daughter! Her daughter debuted as Bai Xiuzhu, then became the Fairy Sister, then got roles in several movies, and next she'll be Zhao Ling'er, and in the future, she'll be Little Dragon Girl!
Yes! The role of Little Dragon Girl is almost finalized now, only the audition is left to be formalized.
However, if Niu Yichen knew what she was thinking, he would definitely tell her a name: Jing Tian!
With a movie star as a foil and having won an award in Hollywood (the kind that was canceled after one win), Jing Tian's resources are absolutely unmatched by anyone else!
However, her vision and luck are far inferior to Liu Yifei's. Of course, her talent is also somewhat lacking.
Putting aside the unrelated matter, after Niu Yichen agreed, a look of relief flashed across Liu Xiaoli's face, and she smiled and said, "Since you've agreed, then don't come looking for her until your fame surpasses that of Qianqian, because it might affect your state of mind!"
"No way!" Niu Yichen rejected the idea outright, saying confidently, "What I was discussing with you just now was going public with our relationship. Before my fame surpasses Qianqian's, I can promise you that we will never go public. But no matter whether I can surpass her in the future, I will definitely not break up with her. There's no room for negotiation. I absolutely cannot gamble with this!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei, who was peering through the crack in the bathroom door to listen intently, immediately broke into a smile.
But Liu Xiaoli's heart jumped again, and she couldn't help but say, "Didn't you just agree? Why are you saying such things!"
"I still stand by what I said: I only agreed to go public with our relationship! I will never change anything else. Even if Xixi tells me herself that she wants to break up with me, I will definitely stick to her and never leave. I'll be glued to her for life, even a dog skin plaster can't stick to me as much as I do!"
"You..." Liu Xiaoli was so angry that she couldn't speak. After a pause, she suddenly lowered her voice and said in a barely audible tone, "Actually, there are other reasons why I don't agree to you two being together!"
What's the reason?
Liu Xiaoli sighed and continued in a low voice, "I don't believe you haven't heard those rumors. Let me tell you, they're all true!"
"What?"
Liu Xiaoli said sadly, "When it comes to dating, Qianqian didn't have any autonomy at all. She had a godfather, Chen Jinfei. It was because Chen Jinfei took a liking to her that she kept getting acting roles, but at a price..."
Liu Xiaoli didn't finish speaking, but looked at Niu Yichen and said, "You know what I mean!"
It's time to put your acting skills to the test!
Niu Yichen looked serious and asked in a low voice, "You mean... Qianqian has actually already..."
Liu Xiaoli nodded and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Those businessmen are the type who won't act until they see a clear benefit. If they weren't like that, how could Qianqian have developed so well!"
'Every woman is a master of acting!' Niu Yichen thought to himself, a thought forming in his mind. He couldn't help but say, 'But... I heard that Chen Jinfei did it all because of you...'
"Shut up!" A flash of anger crossed Liu Xiaoli's eyes, but she quickly took a deep breath and said, "I don't have that kind of charm. I'm old and faded."
"That doesn't count!" Niu Yichen's eyes flickered as he took a deep look at Liu Xiaoli's mature and charming face and figure. He suddenly raised his voice and said in a tone that was not so deliberate, but Liu Yifei could definitely hear him clearly, "But even so, I will never give up on Qianqian! Moreover! I will work even harder so that Qianqian can get out of this misery as soon as possible!"
"You..." Liu Xiaoli was completely taken aback by these words and couldn't help but ask, "Don't you mind?"
"I don't mind!" Niu Yichen put on a simply fawning look, staring intently at Liu Xiaoli, and said, "Don't forget, Qianqian is only 17 years old. I believe this is definitely not her own wish. Since she said she loves me, I will never let her down!"
In reality, Liu Xiaoli was treating Niu Yichen like a fool by saying those things. There were some things that others might not know, but Niu Yichen knew everything through his family connections.
Chen Jinfei becoming Liu Yifei's godfather was all arranged by An Shaokang. The rumors about him being a sugar daddy or godfather are just an attempt to distance An Shaokang from the situation!
Don't forget An Shaokang's status; how could he lack connections? Where does Miss Tianxian's occasional arrogance come from? Can a godfather provide that?
Don't forget, China has always been a society where officialdom reigns supreme! Let alone one Chen Jinfei, even ten Chen Jinfeis wouldn't dare to act recklessly in front of those in power. And this isn't just in 2004; even ten years from now in 2014, they still wouldn't dare!
And most importantly, Niu Yichen just got first blood, and you're saying she's already been kept by a sugar daddy? Ha!
With a clear understanding of himself and his enemy, Niu Yichen is naturally invincible.
Liu Xiaoli looked at Niu Yichen and suddenly couldn't say a word.
Regardless, she is a woman, and a strong woman with deep-seated traditional Chinese values. When a man is willing to go to such lengths for a woman, it is truly enough.
But after only a brief struggle, Liu Xiaoli quickly forgot her last bit of compassion and angrily said, "So! You brat, you just want to stick to my Qianqian like a piece of leech and never get off, is that it?"
Niu Yichen raised an eyebrow smugly, "That's right!"
"You scoundrel!" Liu Xiaoli cursed, "You good-for-nothing scoundrel who only knows how to deceive women!"
"I'm not a thug! I'm truly confident I can meet your requirements!"
"Pah! Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, even if you try your whole life, you'll never reach that level!"
Before Niu Yichen could retort, Liu Xiaoli continued, "And another thing! Do you really think Xixi is like you, obediently developing in a backwater like China? Xixi is going international! She's going to America. She even has American citizenship. Why? It's preparation for breaking into Hollywood. She'll be on par with Jackie Chan and Jet Li! Can you do that?"
"The United States…" Niu Yichen couldn't help but click his tongue.
Liu Xiaoli's state reminded him of his childhood. Back then, some people slightly older than Niu Yichen would yearn for life in America, saying naive and nonsensical things.
The most memorable thing I heard was: In America, even beggars drive around begging! They just don't want to lose face. They can easily earn tens of thousands of dollars just by lying on the ground!
It turned out later that the person driving the BMW to beg for food was a Chinese 'beggar,' while the American one... well...
The pandemic has torn away America's fig leaf, completely exposing its ugly capitalist face to the Chinese people.
At this point, it seems there's nothing left to discuss! Because it's destined that no agreement can be reached!
This has escalated to an ideological issue. How can two people with a generation gap, especially one that clashes with each other, possibly reach an agreement?
Liu Xiaoli said Niu Yichen was being unrealistic and that's perfectly reasonable; in reality, she was the one who was truly being unrealistic and that's perfectly reasonable...
In the simple conversation, Niu Yichen saw Liu Xiaoli's opportunism and foolishness. She was too shrewd; even when talking to Niu Yichen, she only thought about taking advantage and was unwilling to suffer any loss. She must be the same with everyone else! But where in the world is there such a good thing? If you don't suffer a loss now, you will definitely suffer a loss in the future!
Furthermore, judging from her tone, she seems to take all the credit for Liu Yifei's success in China as her own achievement!
The more Niu Yichen talked to Liu Xiaoli, the more uncomfortable he felt. This woman couldn't be judged by normal standards at all. However, this conversation also made a certain thought in Niu Yichen grow stronger: given Liu Xiaoli's mental state, falling in love with him within a year? What a joke!
"I see!" Niu Yichen, glancing at his watch and feeling a bit overwhelmed, said, "I don't think we can reach a consensus anytime soon. Let's not talk about this anymore. Qianqian has been shopping all day and is tired; she should rest!"
Liu Xiaoli took a sip of water and said unwillingly, "Let me tell you! This isn't over!"
"Of course! This won't end until you hand Sisi over to me!"
Carefully placing a 'candle' in the shadows, Niu Yichen went to the bathroom, knocked on the door, and leaned in to say, "Qianqian! I'm leaving now, see you on set tomorrow!"
"Okay!" Liu Yifei suddenly opened the door, gave Niu Yichen a light kiss on the lips, and cutely made a fist gesture to him.
Niu Yichen smiled slightly, pushed open the door, and walked out.
"Sissi, Sissi! I'm really sorry to have to make you suffer tonight!"
...