First Kiss Diary - Chapter 06
Jin Ning, completely unaware of the “difficult to handle” label she had been given, was still discussing the upcoming film festival with Nono. Her journey in the industry, up until being blacklisted online, had been relatively smooth. Just two months after starting university, at the age of eighteen, she was cast by Qiu Hong to play the female No. 4 in a play called “Winter Solstice Is Here,” which was quite a good start. She then intermittently played supporting roles for half a year, until she was chosen by the acclaimed director Feng Nan to be the female lead in “The Fourteen Sonnets of Youth.” While most movies take three months to film, this one was meticulously shot for over half a year, followed by another half a year of post-production before finally being released. The critical acclaim and box office success were expected, considering that “The Fourteen Sonnets” had taken three years to perfect the script, and it took a year to cast the female lead. Jin Ning, as a newcomer, was finally remembered by everyone for her role.
Unfortunately, just four months into her rise, she encountered the incident with Sun He, followed by the dark era of being blacklisted online, experiencing ups and downs like a dream. Such twists and turns really tested one’s psychological resilience, but Jin Ning had faced thrilling situations before. She attended a prestigious high school, where she consistently ranked first in English. Her family had high hopes for her to study English literature at a top university, but in her senior year, Jin Ning suddenly announced,
“I want to study acting.” With the acting entrance exam approaching, she had only a few months to prepare, and her family and teachers were all against it. However, despite their opposition, she persisted, and although they didn’t think she would achieve much, they told her to at least get a teaching certificate in case acting didn’t work out. At that time, nobody supported her, but she still made a name for herself, and perhaps the phrase “the greater the setback, the greater the comeback” had become ingrained in her. Not being well-regarded didn’t bother her; she wasn’t defined by others, and proving herself again was only a matter of time.
“We were invited to this film festival quite early, and the film that got you nominated is ‘The Fourteen Sonnets of Youth’,” Nono remarked nonchalantly. “Your performance as Blu in ‘The Fourteen Sonnets’ is considered your acting peak by some. Every expression carries a magical power that captivates the audience’s emotions. The fleeting glance when bidding farewell under the crabapple tree, tears hanging in your eyes without falling, is an unforgettable moonlight for many.”
Jin Ning felt that her acting at that time was too inexperienced, and if she were to receive an exciting role again, she was confident she could do better. After all, studying abroad and taking acting classes weren’t in vain.
This time, Jin Ning didn’t have much going on, so she decided to attend the festival with the idea of networking. Thinking about the team controlled by Sun He behind her, Jin Ning asked, “Should I negotiate for the dress this time?”
Female stars typically only wear dresses once, especially since designer dresses are extravagant, so there’s no need to buy each one unless they really like it. Most of the time, they borrow from stylists or well-connected brands.
“Hold on, let me ask,” Nono said, taking the phone with her. Twenty minutes later, she returned. “They said it’s not necessary. They’ve taken care of the dress, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
“Really?” Jin Ning leaned back. “Can I trust them?”
While Nono was aware of Huang Miao’s situation, she wasn’t overly pessimistic. “They’re still your team after all. They wouldn’t deceive you! Don’t worry, they can handle the dress.
” It made sense.” Jin Ning nodded, considering it settled.
The next day, Nono asked about the dress, and they said they had borrowed one but wanted to exchange it for a new style, asking her to come back the day after tomorrow. Nono was a bit worried, “The film festival opens the day after tomorrow night. Will we make it?”
“We’ll just pick it up and go. We’ll definitely make it,” that’s what they said at the time. As it turned out, they did make it. Just a few hours before the opening of the festival, Nono flew back and forth on a plane and finally got the dress. The dress was indeed beautiful, with a fluffy waist and a fairy-like appearance at first glance. However, the more Jin Ning looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. Why did this dress look so much like the one she saw on Weibo a few days ago? She found a certain Weibo post from her alternate account, which introduced this as the new design from Brand L, inspired by clouds and flowers. Brand L’s clothes were always in short supply, and even if they were available, they were only given to female celebrities with whom they had collaborations. How could she, who wasn’t valued, get one? It turned out her consideration was necessary. After some comparison, she realized that the dress was a knockoff. Some details didn’t match the authentic product, and the color blending looked too rough. Knockoffs were a sensitive topic in the entertainment industry; if any artist dared to wear one, they’d be mocked and ridiculed until they couldn’t show their face anymore. Moreover, the artist’s fashion resources would quickly diminish. She couldn’t possibly throw herself into such a pit. But it was too late to find a top brand again because the film festival was only— an hour and a half away. —
—
It’s too late to go find a big brand to talk about something because the film festival is about to open — there’s only an hour and a half left.
Ji Ning steadied her mind, opened her phone, and began searching for nearby clothing stores. Fortunately, there was a handmade qipao shop on the way to the film festival. It seemed to be an original small brand with a good reputation.
As they passed by the qipao shop, she called for a stop. “Let’s stop here for a moment. I’ll try on some clothes and come back up.”
Nuo Nuo turned to look at her in surprise. “Are you going to wear clothes from this shop to the red carpet?”
“Otherwise, what should I wear?” Ji Ning opened the car door. “I’ve already been criticized enough. Should I rush to be the top trending topic by wearing counterfeit goods?”
“But… but you’ll also be criticized for wearing clothes from this shop,” Nuo Nuo was also conflicted, almost in tears. “They’ll definitely say Ji Ning couldn’t find any brands willing to collaborate, so she had to wear clothes from a small workshop.”
Ji Ning patted her head. “But that’s better than wearing fakes. At least now I feel quite calm. Wearing original clothes openly, what’s there to mock?”
She entered the shop, and the salesgirl warmly introduced her to several options before asking quietly if she was Ji Ning.
She smiled brightly and admitted it.
Finally, Ji Ning tried on a red qipao. Surprisingly, it fit her perfectly, accentuating her graceful figure and enhancing her fair complexion, appearing both youthful and extraordinary.
Several people in the shop were stunned as she pulled back the curtain and walked out, staring at her without blinking.
Ji Ning looked at Nuo Nuo. “How does it look?”
Nuo Nuo, who had been reluctant for Ji Ning to wear a qipao, rarely relaxed and bit her finger, her cheeks turning red. “I think it looks… pretty good.”
“It’s too late to change now,” Ji Ning casually glanced at herself in the mirror. “The opening is approaching.”
The opening red carpet went smoothly. Ji Ning didn’t feel embarrassed at all; she smiled confidently at the cameras. Perhaps because no other female stars wore qipaos today, she felt the media’s enthusiasm for her had increased.
Less than an hour after walking the red carpet, Ji Ning had just finished removing her makeup in the car when she saw Nuo Nuo looking at her phone in surprise.
She glanced over and saw that the top trending topic was “Ji Ning qipao.”
“Did I really become a hot topic? Your prediction was surprisingly accurate…”
“I was wrong,” Nuo Nuo said dumbfoundedly, looking bewildered. “I was way off.”
Ji Ning found it strange, picking up her phone to see what was happening, when she heard Nuo Nuo’s excited voice: “Five hundred years later, the first high-quality trending topic has finally arrived!!”
It turned out that when Ji Ning walked the red carpet, she was followed by a well-known internet celebrity with many fans. Although this internet celebrity had many followers on Weibo, their movie works were poorly received, and in comparison to Ji Ning, the difference was clear.
The internet celebrity’s face was full of hyaluronic acid, stiff and swollen, with thick double eyelids like a rowing boat. Ji Ning, on the other hand, was naturally beautiful, enduring to look at and natural. For the first time, comments overwhelmingly praised her.
[This is the difference between a star and an internet celebrity… Ni Wan’s photos are so beautiful, but in the live stream, she was completely overshadowed by Ji Ning. As a straight woman, I can’t help but say, Ji Ning is truly beautiful.]
[Look at Ji Ning’s delicate face, her shoulder-to-head ratio, her shoulder line, her collarbones, her legs. Did God give her extra blessings after dinner? Sorry, I’m not eating tonight!]
[First-tier internet celebrities can’t even compete with 18th-tier artists. Internet celebrities will always be internet celebrities, there’s a clear distinction from stars.]
[The person above probably has some kind of brain disease. Ji Ning holds a box office of 1.2 billion and broke 2 billion in ratings. Your 18th-tier star should behave.]
[I have some insider information. A friend in my circle runs a studio that sells replicas. Before the opening, they were boasting about a certain Ji-named star wearing their clothes on the red carpet, but unexpectedly, Ji Ning threw them away hahaha.]
[I’m sure they found out it was a knockoff. Wow, who’s this girl with such a great sense of values? I pick her.]
[Isn’t this the stunning appearance of the Songstress of Shanghai Beach? I want to watch a Republican drama. Can someone cast Ji Ning?]
There were even endorsements for the clothes below, and Ji Ning didn’t expect this brand’s reputation to be so good:
[I’ve worn clothes from this qipao shop before! The quality is very good, all original designs, the designer is very creative. Chinese-made qipaos shine. I sincerely recommend it to everyone.]
[I searched for the price, and it’s also very affordable. Thank you, Ji Ning, for introducing me to it.]
[I can’t believe it’s only 899 yuan, Mom, I can afford the same clothes as the stars!!]
[A dress for less than a thousand yuan looks like haute couture when she wears it. Fashion really depends on one’s face.]
Although Jining had seen some criticism and sarcasm, but she’s not the Chinese currency, not everyone can be liked by all. However, at least once, she finally gained some popularity through high-quality hot searches. She found that not everyone was completely rejecting her, and her mood improved a lot. Even the next day when she went to shoot “First Kiss Diary,” she was still feeling joyful.
When Jining arrived at the dressing room at six o’clock the next day, Jishiyan was already sitting there, drinking tea and reading the script. She was quite curious about the script and couldn’t help but sneak a peek, only to be caught red-handed. He silently looked at her.
Initially, she didn’t greet him because she thought he was working. Jining bowed her head respectfully, “Good morning, senior.”
“Morning,” the man’s voice was calm, he glanced at the pink packaged bag on the table, “It’s for you.”
Jining was pleasantly surprised, “For me?”
He seemed amused, “There’s no one else here.”
Jining opened the bag and found low-fat cranberry cookies inside. She was amazed because she had mentioned last week that she only ate low-fat foods to maintain her figure – but as an artist, it was understandable for him to be considerate.
Jining whispered, “Thank you.”
The man flipped through the script, “No need.”
While he seemed nonchalant on the surface, he was actually observing her facial expressions as she ate the cookies. Seeing her expression was good, a hint of satisfaction appeared in the man’s eyes.
There was some noise in the dressing room, and Jining didn’t understand why he was reading the script in such an environment.
The makeup artist and stylist were chatting, and upon seeing Jining, they couldn’t help but smile, “Your cheongsam yesterday was so beautiful, I bought three after seeing it on Weibo.”
“But mainly because you’re beautiful.”
Jining sat in the chair, closing her eyes to rest while the makeup artist applied makeup. With her eyes closed, her hearing became sharper, and she overheard the stylists whispering about something.
“Why does Jishiyan have a mark under his collarbone? Does he have a girlfriend?”
“What a joke, that’s obviously from a pajama button.”
“A pajama button? That’s possible.”
“How is that possible?” Jining relaxed a bit and blurted out, “He sleeps naked.”
…
As soon as Jining finished speaking, she realized she had spoken carelessly. Subconsciously, she sat up straight, feeling shocked by the surrounding gazes as if they were asking – how do you know? Have you slept together? It hasn’t been long since filming started, when did you two get involved??
Even the man who had been calmly leaning against the wall drinking tea finally looked up, his gaze piercing as he looked at her.