Upon seeing the message in the group chat, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou immediately turned on their computers and searched online for the opening ceremony of the TV series " Twin Flowers ".
In an effort to generate buzz, the production company hired media reporters to broadcast the opening ceremony live.
This drama is adapted from a best-selling romance novel, which already has a large fan base. In addition, the lead actors are Qiao Xuening and Cheng Yu, two high-profile celebrities. The number of online viewers for the opening ceremony quickly exceeded one million, and the hashtag # TwinFlowersOpeningCutoff # was also pushed to the top of the trending searches by fans and online trolls.
As Lao Mo said, the two lead actors, Cheng Yu and Qiao Xuening, did indeed behave normally at the opening ceremony, and both of them had bright smiles when facing the media.
Qiao Xuening said, " I really love the original novel of Twin Flowers, and I am honored to play the female lead in this adaptation. I will do my best to portray this role well."
The reporter asked, "Ms. Qiao, I heard that you fell off a horse while filming a movie and injured your leg? How is your injury now? I think your fans are very concerned about your health."
Qiao Xuening frankly stated, "I did fall off a horse during a scene where I was riding a horse, fracturing my left shinbone. However, it wasn't serious. After treatment and a period of rehabilitation, I have fully recovered now, so there's no need to worry."
In the live stream, fans flooded the chat with messages like "I feel so sorry for our goddess" and "Sister Qiao is so dedicated to filming right after her leg injury healed!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lou couldn't help but ask, "Do we need to verify that she was injured?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Let CEO Shao check it out." After saying that, he tagged Shao Qingge in the group.
Shao Qingge quickly replied with the results: "I checked, Qiao Xuening's injury is true. Three months ago, she was in a rehabilitation hospital treating her leg injury. Because of this, the female lead of Twin Flowers was almost replaced, but Qiao Xuening said she was fine."
Xiao Lou said thoughtfully, "She went to the film set not long after being discharged from the hospital. If she had injured her leg, would it be a problem for her to film dance scenes?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "It's possible that the exposure of her private photos back then was too much of a blow to her, and she doesn't dare to rest for too long. It depends on how the dance scene is filmed. The director doesn't necessarily have to film her feet. He can focus on her upper body and doesn't need to film too many leg movements."
Xiao Lou agreed: "That's true, you can use camera angles to create the illusion. Qiao Xuening does seem to be a very dedicated actor."
On the live stream screen, the reporter continued, "We all know that the female lead in the drama ' Twin Flowers ' is a ballet dancer. Ms. Qiao does not have a professional dance background. Are you confident in handling dance-related scenes?"
Qiao Xuening smiled slightly and answered seriously, "Although I am not a professional dancer, I studied dance for a few years when I was a child, so I have some basic knowledge. Last month, I specifically enrolled in ballet classes. The manager also invited the famous teacher Qu Wanyue to guide my dance movements. I will definitely study diligently with Teacher Qu to ensure that my movements are correct."
Qu Wanyue, standing below the stage, heard this and said in the WeChat group: "She does have a dance background, her splits are very standard, and her leg injury doesn't seem to be a big problem."
Yu Hanjiang said, " Teacher Qu, please continue to observe Qiao Xuening. If anything seems amiss, please let us know."
Qu Wanyue gave an OK sign.
The reporters then turned their questions to Cheng Yu: " Cheng Yu, we've heard that you're a rather cheerful and lively person in real life. This is your first time playing the male lead in an idol drama with such a cool and aloof character. What were your thoughts when you accepted the role?"
Cheng Yu smiled brightly, "I want to challenge myself and try more different types of roles."
The reporter asked, "You and Qiao Xuening will be playing a couple in this drama. I wonder what your relationship is like off-screen? There's an age difference between you two. Will that affect your on-screen chemistry?"
The two exchanged a glance, and Cheng Yu smiled and said, "Sister Xue Ning is an actress I greatly respect. We don't actually know each other in private; we only became acquainted through this drama."
Qiao Xuening nodded and said, "That's right, we only met yesterday when we joined the crew. In the original novel of Twin Flowers, the female lead is a few years older than the male lead, so it's a romance between an older woman and a younger man. I think our images fit the character setting quite well, right?"
Cheng Yu said, "I agree!"
The two smiled at each other, and Cheng Yu then looked at the reporter and said, "Sister Xue Ning is very hardworking. I hope she can give me more guidance during the filming process. I also want to learn a lot from her."
Qiao Xuening said, "You're too kind. I don't deserve your guidance. Let's work together and I hope this collaboration will go smoothly."
...
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou watched the entire live stream and were very impressed with the two actors' performances.
Yesterday they were under police investigation for Lin Yiyan's death, but today they're chatting and laughing as if nothing happened—of course, they wouldn't shed tears for Lin Yiyan's death at the opening ceremony; after all, they are public figures and need to be mindful of the occasion when they speak.
Are the two truly indifferent to Lin Yiyan's death, or are they trying to control their emotions and pretend to be relaxed?
No one knows what they are thinking.
Xiao Lou looked at the screen on the computer and frowned in confusion: "Don't they really know each other in private? Why do I feel like they're in such good sync when answering reporters' questions?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "When they were answering the reporter's questions just now, the two of them made eye contact three times."
Xiao Lou paused, then asked, "You mean?"
Yu Han
Jiang said, "When two stars who have never worked together sing on stage together, there's often an awkward situation where you look at me while I'm looking at the audience. But these two, every time Cheng Yu looks at Qiao Xuening, Qiao Xuening also looks at Cheng Yu. They have a very high level of chemistry. I don't believe they just met when they joined the crew yesterday."
Xiao Lou carefully recalled the details of the interview and his eyes suddenly lit up: "They did smile at each other several times. Could they be having an affair?"
Yu Hanjiang pressed his temples, his head aching, and said, "Even if the two really had an affair, Cheng Yu, a rich second-generation heir worth billions, killing another woman for one woman... unless he's out of his mind. As for Qiao Xuening, she has a very solid alibi; the entire crew of the variety show can vouch for her."
Xiao Lou said helplessly, "This is indeed difficult to explain. Let's wait and see; the murderer will eventually leave a trace."
Yu Hanjiang gave a soft "hmm," stood up, and said, "Let's first investigate Qiao Xuening's injury and see if the hospital has any clues."
Xiao Lou immediately got up and followed Captain Yu, driving to the rehabilitation hospital that CEO Shao had mentioned.
...
The opening ceremony concluded successfully, and the entire crew got busy. The director began filming the first scene. Today's shoot consisted almost entirely of solo scenes featuring the male lead, Cheng Yu, and the studio set was personally designed and built by Lao Mo.
Cheng Yu will be playing a successful, aloof male god, the company founder.
He changed into a suit and quickly got into character. Lao Mo and Liu Qiao watched him act. He was clearly not in the right state of mind today, and he mispronounced his lines many times. The director called for a pause several times and personally went to give him some pointers with a frown.
Cheng Yu listened with an embarrassed expression. The scene had to be filmed five times before it was approved. His manager immediately tried to smooth things over, saying, "Thank you all for your hard work. Cheng is new here, so he might not be used to it yet..."
Director Zhang said coldly, "Adapt as soon as possible. I don't want to waste time on such simple scenes!"
The manager hurriedly took Cheng Yu and ran away.
While Cheng Yu was busy filming his solo scenes, Qiao Xuening took some time to confirm the dance moves with Qu Wanyue. She changed into a white dance costume with fiery red patterns. This costume was specially designed for her by the costume designer, symbolizing rebirth from the ashes. In an important scene, she would wear this costume to perform a solo dance and conquer the judges and the audience.
When Qu Wanyue saw the outfit, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "The design of the clothes is quite good."
Qiao Xuening smiled, walked up to Qu Wanyue, and said politely, " Teacher Qu, let's double-check the movements for this scene."
The manager asked worriedly from the side, "Xue Ning, are you sure your leg is okay?"
Qiao Xuening gave her a reassuring look: "It's okay, I know what I'm doing."
When Qu Wanyue heard her say that, he deliberately added two slightly more difficult movements and paid special attention to her legs during practice.
Qiao Xuening's leg movements showed no signs of stiffness.
Qu Wanyue is a graduate of a professional dance academy, so she would definitely have noticed if Qiao Xuening's injury hadn't fully healed. However, judging from Qiao Xuening's performance while dancing, her legs are no different from an ordinary person's; her spins and steps are agile and elegant.
After teaching the moves, Qu Wanyue posted her doubts in the group: " Qiao Xuening's leg has fully recovered, and she wasn't affected at all when dancing. I can tell that she wasn't just gritting her teeth and persevering; she really wasn't in pain."
Yu Hanjiang said, " Xiao Lou and I are checking her hospital records."
Xiao Lou then posted an X-ray in the group chat, saying, "According to the X-ray provided by the hospital, Qiao Xuening has a fracture of the left tibial plateau, and no bone fragments were found around it. Fractures near the tibial plateau heal faster than fractures of the tibial shaft; adults can usually recover in about 3 months."
Ye Qi popped up with a puzzled look and asked, "What is the tibial plateau?"
Xiao Lou thoughtfully circled the picture and said, "It's here. The fracture marks aren't very obvious, so her injury isn't very serious."
The teammates all said that having a doctor around made things much easier to understand!
Xiao Lou added, " Qiao Xuening stayed in the hospital for a full 100 days. Theoretically, her fracture should have fully healed, and she shouldn't have any problems walking. But she moved around freely when she danced, which is a bit suspicious, isn't it?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "That's right. After an athlete gets injured, it takes a period of adjustment before they can return to the competition. Some people may even develop a fear of injury. Her leg has just healed, how can she dance as if nothing happened?"
Long Sen immediately chimed in, "I once strained my ligaments while running. Even after recovering, I couldn't help but sweat and my calves would tremble when I stood on the track. This Qiao Xuening moves so freely while dancing, and her complexion is perfectly normal. Does she have such a strong mentality?"
Everyone was puzzled, but no one could explain why.
Xiao Lou speculated, "Perhaps her recovery speed is faster than average, or perhaps her mental fortitude is truly exceptional. In any case, this Qiao Xuening is not as simple as she appears. Teacher Qu, please keep a close eye on her movements."
Qu Wanyue replied, "Okay, don't worry."
Yu Hanjiang tagged Ye Qi in the group chat and asked, "Xiao Ye, you still have time to send WeChat messages? How's the concert going?"
Ye Qi said, "It's not supposed to start until 8 pm, but the venue was already packed at 7 pm. The fans brought so many posters, it's really spectacular. I'll take a picture to show you!"
He sent me a candid photo of the scene.
The stadium, which can hold tens of thousands of people, was packed to capacity, with fans carrying bags printed with images of all the girl group members.
The scene was incredibly lively, with posters, glow sticks, and cheering balloons everywhere.
Ye Qi peeked through the crack in the backstage door at the scene, his face filled with envy. His dream was to hold a concert like this; he wondered if it would ever come true. Performing as a guest today was, in a way, a way of indirectly achieving his dream, wasn't it?
Thinking about this, Ye Qi couldn't help but get excited. No matter what, he had to sing his best when he went on stage later.
Just then, a staff member whispered, " CEO Shao is here."
Ye Qi immediately sat up straight, and Tony the stylist had already styled his hair.
At Ye Qi's insistence, Tony finally gave up on the idea of using hairspray to make his hair stand up and gave him a simple and refreshing hairstyle, making him look like a handsome young man.
Shao Qingge narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Ye Qi who had finished his makeup and hair, and praised, "Not bad, quite handsome."
Ye Qi glanced at him in the mirror and feigned surprise, saying, " CEO Shao, what brings you here?"
Shao Qingge: "..."
Didn't he already say he was coming to the concert? This guy is really into his performance.
Shao Qingge suppressed a laugh and said, "Oh, I've come to see how the concert preparations are going. The company has invested so much money this time, I hope the 505 Girl Group concert will be a success."
Manager Yun Lan hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, " CEO Shao, rest assured, we have hired the most professional planners for the concert, and we will definitely give the audience an ultimate audio-visual experience."
Shao Qingge nodded and said, "Then I'll go to the VIP seats and wait to watch. You guys get ready as soon as possible."
After he left, Ye Qi hugged the guitar and tested its feel, then asked, "Sister Yun, when do I go on stage?"
Yun Lan said, "You practice your guitar here first. I'll go next door to see how the others are preparing. Don't wander off, okay? I'll call you in advance when it's your turn to perform."
Ye Qi joked, "Okay, Sister Yun, go ahead and rest assured. I'll wait here for your summons."
Yun Lan patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave.
There was no one in the dressing room. Ye Qi was a little nervous, after all, it was his first time attending such a large-scale concert. Bored, Ye Qi took out his phone and sent a message in the group: " CEO Shao is already in the audience. I'm waiting backstage."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Have you been in contact with 505 Girl Group these past few days? Have you discovered anything?"
Ye Qi said, "I asked the manager, and although Lin Yiyan is a signed star of our company, she works in the film industry and has never had any connection with 505 Girl Group, who debuted through a talent show and works in the music industry." He paused, then added, "Today I even shamelessly chatted with Zhao Yuxin, the leader of 505 Girl Group, pretending to be a fan of Lin Yiyan. But Zhao Yuxin said that she had never met Lin Yiyan, and none of the girls in the group had met her either. The music industry and the film industry are not the same circle."
Xiao Lou cautioned, "Xiao Ye, there might be some connection between this girl group and Lin Yiyan's murder case. Don't rush, look around backstage, and tell us immediately if you see anyone suspicious. Also, be careful."
Ye Qi sent an OK sign, put down the guitar, and sneaked out of the dressing room.
******