Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 78 Her Birthday
March 10th, a time when spring is in full bloom and all things are teeming with life.

Song Ci went to the dance academy early in the morning to pick up Liu Shishi and celebrate her eighteenth birthday with her.

The two drove to the Oriental Commercial Plaza in Beiping. The surrounding area was filled with tall buildings and vehicles flowing endlessly on the wide roads.

Oriental Commercial Plaza is a famous luxury shopping mall in the capital. Song Ci brought Liu Shishi here to shop, browsing through each store.

Moschino, Givenchy, Sandro and all kinds of world-renowned luxury brands are available here.

The two lingered in various luxury stores, browsing all kinds of tops, skirts, high heels, bags, accessories and other seasonal new products. As long as Liu Shishi tried them on and they fit well, and Song Ci thought they looked beautiful and liked them, she would only say one thing: "Wrap them up and swipe your card."

Liu Shishi's lavish and capricious spending made her look at her boyfriend with admiration and infatuation.

Song Ci couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Money gives men courage. I've rarely seen Master Shi admire me like this since I was a child."

As lunchtime approached, the two were already covered in bags and packages, making it difficult for them to move around. They had no choice but to ask the shopping mall to deliver the items back to Liu Shishi's home.

Maxim's Paris Restaurant in Beijing is located at No. 2 Chongwenmen West Street and is a famous Western restaurant in Beijing.

Inside the restaurant, maple leaf-shaped chandeliers and wall lamps emit a dim glow, reflecting the gilded vine patterns on the walls, as well as decorative murals from the Louvre and the Forbidden City. Countless crystal mirrors and colorful stained glass windows surround you, making you feel as if you are in a luxurious palace in 18th-century Paris, France.

The two had lunch here. They each ordered several of the restaurant's specialties: Bordeaux foie gras pâté, Burgundy escargot, cream of mushroom soup, steak, foie gras pâté, and lobster.

Soon, the waiter placed exquisite plates filled with delicious dishes on the table, and Song Ci and Liu Shishi happily enjoyed the restaurant's food.

Looking at the magnificent decorations, Liu Shishi couldn't help but exclaim, "This place is so beautiful! This is my first time in a Western restaurant like this!"

"We can come here often in the future, and I will always be with you." There were no flowery words, only simple sincerity.

"Yes, Yi Yi, I will always be with you." Liu Shishi murmured softly, a bright smile blooming on her delicate and fair face.

"Yiyi, I just spent so much of your money. I was too indulgent today. How about we return those clothes?"

The restaurant was peaceful and serene. Liu Shishi, having calmed down, recalled her frantic shopping spree that morning and couldn't help but feel a little regretful. She had spent over 100,000 yuan on Song Ci poetry in just half a day.

Song Ci, however, didn't care at all. "I can't buy my happiness with a thousand pieces of gold, and I can't buy your happiness with a thousand pieces of gold. I earn money to spend, right? Besides, today is your eighteenth birthday. What's wrong with buying some clothes? If you go to return them, I'll give you back your Montblanc pen."

Liu Shishi quickly shook her head: "No, that pen was a birthday gift I carefully selected for you."

Song Ci comforted her at the right moment, saying, "Right? You don't want me to return the gifts to you either. Consider those clothes as my birthday presents to you. Don't worry about it so much, just enjoy your meal!"

Liu Shishi pouted and muttered, "Alright!"

Seeing that Shi Ye was no longer dwelling on the matter, Song Ci waved to a restaurant waiter and said, "Do you have a guitar? I need it; I'd like to sing a song for the lady in front of me."

"Yes, sir! I'll get it for you."

Looking at the surprised and delighted Shi Shi, Song Ci, holding a guitar, said with a gentle smile, "Shi Shi, I'll dedicate a song to you called 'When Love Comes.'"

A fitting little love song begins, the guitar starts playing, and accompanied by soothing and melodious music, the lyrics of a Song Dynasty poem are sung softly.

My heart is secretly bewitched, and you occupy my mind.
What should we do? Continue to remain silent?
Be brave and stop being cowardly.
When love comes, hold on tight and never let go.

I want to say: I can't stop loving you
I'm so lucky to have met you. Fall in love with me.
Sweet together every minute, every second, every moment

Love resides in each other's hearts; every day with you is precious.

All are worth commemorating
This was Song Ci's first time singing in public. As soon as he opened his mouth, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant. His voice was not loud, but it seemed to have a magical power. His singing was like a babbling brook, captivating people's hearts.

The singing remains the same:

My heart is secretly bewitched, and you occupy my mind.
……

Every day with you is worth remembering.
As the music ended, the restaurant staff and guests couldn't help but applaud, offering their blessings to the young couple.

At this moment, Liu Shishi cupped her face in her hands, watching Song Ci strum her guitar while gazing at her affectionately as she sang. Unconsciously, her eyes welled up with tears.

Song Ci smiled brightly at Miss Liu, whose eyes were red, and said gently, "The south wind blows and flowers bloom in a thousand ways, but ten miles of spring breeze cannot compare to you. Shishi, I am so glad that I met you in the best years of my life!"

"Yi-yi, meeting you and growing up with you is my greatest fortune!"

Liu Shishi shook her head, her tone revealing a hint of excitement and emotion. To be able to know and fall in love with her childhood sweetheart, and to get married and have children in the future, is perhaps the happiest thing in life.

The lights at the entrance of the apartment building were dim and flickering. Song Ci, who had spent the whole day playing with Liu Shishi, escorted her downstairs.

The spring chill was still in the air, and the evening wind was quite biting. Song Ci helped Shi Ye tighten his collar, saying, "Are you tired? It's cold outside, come upstairs."

Liu Shishi didn't move or speak. She gently wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, tilted her head back, and gazed at him quietly.

"What's wrong?" Song Ci asked, puzzled, but took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Shi Ye's slender waist.

Their eyes met, and under the starlight was a bright and charming face. Her eyebrows were like moth wings, her eyes held a hint of spring, and the strands of hair on her cheeks fluttered in the wind, adding to Miss Liu's alluring charm.

Liu Shishi did not answer, but smiled charmingly and slowly closed her eyes, which were as clear as autumn water. However, the heaving of her chest and her obviously rapid breathing showed that she was not as calm as she appeared.

Song Ci's heart suddenly raced, and he felt a little thirsty. He understood the girl's feelings immediately. He lowered his head and leaned closer, gently covering the poet's beautiful red lips.

"The first kiss was sweet, with a refreshing minty flavor. Poetry Master had planned this all along; no wonder he kept chewing gum in the car on the way back." This was Song Ci's first reaction, followed by a hint of annoyance. She resolved to be more proactive next time. Liu Shishi, having received the response she had long awaited, felt her mind go blank. Following her instincts, her tongue deftly explored her boyfriend's mouth, passionately intertwining with his. Every touch felt like an imprint on his soul.

His eyes were anxious yet tender, her face shy yet expectant. Their first kiss was a blend of shyness and anticipation, and a wonderful feeling danced in their hearts.

After a long while, their lips parted, and Song Ci stiffly embraced the body, feeling numb and soft like a boneless poet. He was still recalling the feeling from just now, happy and sweet.

"Yiyi, thank you for celebrating my birthday with me." After saying that, Liu Shishi gave Song Ci a light kiss on the cheek, broke free from her boyfriend's embrace, and turned to go upstairs with a blush on her face.

The lingering warmth of Song Dynasty poetry remained on my lips in the night's gentle breeze. "Another beautiful day!"

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's already the last day of March.

For the past two weeks, Song Ci has focused on her work, dedicating a significant amount of time and energy to handling group affairs. The reform of Tengda Group is proceeding in an orderly manner.

However, during this time, he still managed to steal some time to record two more songs with Liu Shishi at Lao Mo's Ocean Butterflies Recording Studio. Both songs, "A Little Happiness" and "When Love Comes," which Liu Shishi sang on her birthday, became very popular online, bringing Song Ci a lot of fans.

Book fans and music lovers left messages on Zhiyi Bar, some asking him to hold autograph sessions, others asking him to release an album. Zhiyi Bar was bustling with activity every day.

Liu Shishi, the moderator of the Zhiyi Bar, would visit the bar whenever she had free time, busy replying to and deleting posts with great enthusiasm, managing the Zhiyi Bar very well.

In the girls' dormitory of Beiping Dance Academy, Liu Shishi, who had no classes in the afternoon, was packing her things. She took out a few clothes from the wardrobe, folded them neatly, and stuffed them into her suitcase. She was humming the popular song "A Little Happiness" on the internet, looking relaxed and content.

"Shishi, are you going out to film again?" Chen Xin glanced at Liu Shishi, who was squatting on the ground tidying up her clothes and looking cheerful, and asked curiously.

Liu Shishi zipped up her suitcase, stood up, and clapped her hands. "I'm going to do a cameo role in a period drama. I'll be back in about a week." She's going to the set of "My Own Swordsman" tomorrow to play the role of Zhan Hongling.

Yang Yi, still groggy from her afternoon nap, leaned against the headboard and stared at Liu Shishi. "I'm so envious of you guys being able to be actors and film movies. I heard that Lü Yi is filming in the same production as Hu Ge. I wonder if it's true or not."

After the broadcast of "Chinese Paladin", Hu Ge quickly rose to fame and became quite popular among young women. Yang Yi was a big fan of Hu Ge's character Li Xiaoyao and was captivated by his roguish charm. She is now a loyal fan of Hu Ge.

Liu Shishi nodded and revealed some inside information, "It's true, it's an ancient costume drama adapted from 'The Fairy Couple,' starring Hu Ge and Lin Yichen, with Lü Yi playing an important supporting role."

"The Little Fairy" is a drama produced by Tangren Media, so Liu Shishi naturally knew some of the details. If she had signed with Tangren a few months earlier, she might have been able to get a role.

As for why Lü Yi, a successful artist, was able to act in a Tangren TV series, she specifically asked her boyfriend. Unfortunately, Song Ci never inquired about such trivial matters, so he didn't know the specifics. Presumably, she had some connections.

Taking the opportunity, Yang Yi pleaded, "Shishi, if you have the chance, could you introduce me to a role?"

"Shishi, me too, me too!" Chen Xin hurriedly called out.

Lin Wenwen remained silent and watched coldly. Since the social gathering, her relationship with Liu Shishi had deteriorated to the extreme, and Yang Yi and Chen Xin's attitude towards her had also become much colder. She was already preparing to change dormitories to avoid getting tired of each other.

"I'm just doing a cameo role now, I can't help you guys." Liu Shishi said with a bitter face, helpless to help her roommates with their requests.

Currently, she is just a nobody at Tangren Media, barely making ends meet and not knowing where her next project will be, let alone having any extra roles to recommend to others.

"I see." Although Yang Yi hadn't had high hopes to begin with, she still couldn't help but feel disappointed.

After tidying up, Liu Shishi tiptoed to the balcony, closed the sliding door, and prepared to call Cai Yinong. She was now an artist under a company and had to inform her agent before going out to film.

"Sister K, is it convenient to talk?" Liu Shishi asked cautiously after the call connected. After all, Cai Yinong was the company boss, and she was still a little afraid.

"It's convenient. Tell me, Shishi, what's up?" Cai Yinong's voice sounded somewhat cheerful. Recently, Hu Ge, the top male star of Tangren Media, has become incredibly popular, and everything at the company is going smoothly. Liu Yifei, who broke her promise, was smeared online by Cai Yinong's online trolls, allowing Cai Yinong to vent her anger.

In fact, Liu Shishi had already acted first and informed Cai Yinong later, but judging from Cai Yinong's voice, she said truthfully, "Sister K, I've taken on a cameo role, just letting you know."

Cai Yinong, who was far away in Hengdian, immediately became interested. In the past few days, she had figured out Liu Shishi's personality. She was rather laid-back and not as hardworking as actors with formal training. In addition, she was not very eager to become famous when she first entered the industry.

For the past six months, Tangren Media hasn't had any projects for her, so Cai Yinong told Liu Shishi to submit her resume to other production teams, hoping she could get a supporting role or a leading role to hone her acting skills. However, she remained unmoved, staying in Beiping every day and not coming to the company. Today, however, the sun rose in the west.

What kind of character is he?

Liu Shishi replied excitedly, "I play a heroic female constable. The scenes for three or four episodes can be filmed in a week at most."

Her boyfriend told her that he had specially reserved the role for her, and that if she played it well, she would definitely shine. Therefore, Ms. Liu carefully studied the script, pondered the character's inner thoughts, and took the role very seriously.

"What about the production company and director?"

There's nothing to hide, Liu Shishi responded: "The costume drama produced by Tengda Culture is directed by Shang Jin, who also directed 'The Story of the Cooking Squad'."

Cai Yinong was pleasantly surprised: "You actually have connections to get a role in Tengda's drama!"

In just over a month, news of the merger and acquisition of Southern Cinema Line has spread throughout the film and television industry. Although Tengda Culture has only produced three TV series, it owns the second largest cinema chain in the country. Based on this alone, which company in the industry would dare to underestimate it?

That's how the entertainment industry is. People fight tooth and nail for even a minor role. If you want to play a supporting role in a film by a famous director like Shang Jin, you need connections and resources. Why would the production team cast you?

Cai Yinong knew that Liu Shishi's family knew director Zhou Xianglin, but he didn't expect the young girl to have such wide connections, actually being able to get in touch with Tengda Culture. Maybe she can get some film resources in the future.

Liu Shishi is now officially a newcomer to the entertainment industry and is no longer a clueless novice. She has a vague understanding of Tengda Culture's status in the industry.

Although she really wanted to shout it out loud and show off her love to Sister K, saying that the boss of Tengda was her childhood sweetheart and boyfriend, she still suppressed the impulse and said, "My family knows a director at Tengda who introduced me to this minor character."

Cai Yinong made a mental note of this, saying, "Having multiple connections is always a good thing. Be a little sweet-talking on set, act well, and also be careful. Let me know if anything happens."

(End of this chapter)