Chapter 165: Going on the Spring Festival Gala, Celebrating the New Year with the Fairies

In early February 2005, just before the finale of "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxian," the series was suspended for one day.

Fans of the show were helpless but had no recourse.

It wasn't just "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxian" that was suspended; nearly all television dramas currently airing on satellite channels had been halted.

The reason was simple: it was Lunar New Year's Eve, and all satellite channels chose to broadcast the Spring Festival Gala; even the few stations that didn't switch over became "dead airtime."

Fortunately, compared to other TV dramas, viewers of "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxian" didn't have to be too disappointed.

If they followed Spring Festival Gala news, they would know that this year's Gala also featured a segment with the Seven Fairies.

CCTV, backstage of the Spring Festival Gala

Hours before live broadcast, all performers and staff were inevitably tense.

Seeing Yan Li was also backstage; he was the program planner for the Seven Fairies, effectively their temporary agent, and since he had connections at CCTV, he brought an assistant in.

At this stage, CCTV and the Spring Festival Gala were overwhelmingly powerful.

Moreover, the backstage area was cramped and packed with performers; during rehearsals it was manageable, but on live night, unless a star's act was special, they couldn't bring assistants backstage at all—most had to wait elsewhere in CCTV.

Though the Seven Fairies were currently popular, most were newcomers and couldn't afford to act entitled backstage.

If Seeing Yan Li weren't there, they'd have to run errands themselves or beg staff for help.

CCTV staff were all state-salaried; veteran artists might grant some favor, but new stars might not even acknowledge you—they were already made up and waiting, it was a hassle.

Most crucially, with Seeing Yan Li on hand, the girls had a core to rely on, keeping their composure steady.

If it were just the seven of them, apart from a few with strong nerves, others would inevitably panic or fear.

In fact, even now that Seeing Yan Li was present, some still couldn't hold it together and needed him to cheer them on.

He even, incidentally, comforted Cai Yilin, A Duo, Yang Chenguang, and Shuimu Nianhua, who shared the same dressing room.

Because there were multiple performers and Seeing Yan Li was involved, the Spring Festival Gala had assigned the Seven Fairies a dressing room.

But this dressing room wasn't exclusive to the Seven Fairies—it was shared with a medley music segment.

This medley featured five songs, primarily targeting young audiences, and included mostly singers influential among the younger generation.

A Duo was a rising new singer in mainland China in recent years; Shuimu Nianhua was a representative folk group.

Cai Yilin was a Taiwan teen queen, currently the hottest young female singer; Yang Chenguang's "Rats Love Rice" had swept the nation, making him a representative internet singer.

There was also a token presence, Fong Cho Ming, barely considered a Hong Kong singer, mostly elevated by his father.

Cheng Long had a segment this year, so he casually slipped his son in to sing a song.

Thus, this guy didn't stay in the segment's dressing room—he stayed with his father, Cheng Long.

Though these individuals weren't brand-new rookies, they were all first-timers at the Spring Festival Gala and felt some pressure.

One sheep is herded, two sheep are herded too—Seeing Yan Li, being kind-hearted, helped soothe them, building goodwill.

Seeing Yan Li was purely doing good deeds, but some people couldn't help twisting it.

For instance, several of the fairies subtly hinted to Dong Xuan to keep a close eye, not letting Seeing Yan Li be lured away.

A Duo was decent-looking, even somewhat resembling Wan Ren Mi from "Pink Lady," Chen Hao—they'd nearly mistaken her for her before.

Cai Yilin was also attractive, and her status as a teen queen added appeal; she carried a flirtatious aura, spoke in a sweet, coquettish tone, and many men found it irresistible.

Dong Xuan didn't take A Duo seriously, as the woman barely interacted with Seeing Yan Li.

But Cai Yilin chatted cheerfully with Seeing Yan Li for quite a while.

Yet…

Dong Xuan glanced at Cai Yilin, hesitated: "Isn't she dating Zhou Jielun?"

Fan Xiaopang snorted: "The more she's taken, the more you need to watch out—think about it, stealing Zhou Jielun's girlfriend, how thrilling."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Dong Xuan frowned: "He's not that kind of person."

Seeing Yan Li being lustful was still debatable in Dong Xuan's eyes; stealing someone's partner, she simply didn't believe it.

Fan Xiaopang didn't argue—she'd just spoken impulsively.

In her heart, Seeing Yan Li wasn't a good man, but he wasn't that low.

After all, Seeing Yan Li wasn't short of women, and he was sharp—he had no reason to stir up trouble.

Huo Siyan added softly: "You haven't seen the news? She and Zhou Jielun are nearly broken up; many are saying they've split."

Jiang Xin agreed: "I've seen online too—they're not getting along; fans fight every day."

Dong Xuan immediately perked up—if Seeing Yan Li wouldn't steal, maybe this Cai woman would steal hers.

She'd heard the reputation of Taiwan entertainers—they played dirty.

"Ahem."

Dong Xuan gave Yang Xue a subtle glance; the latter understood and called out to Seeing Yan Li.

"Director Yan, my mic seems to have some static—could you get someone to fix it?"

Seeing Yan Li came over, found nothing wrong, but for safety's sake, he went to find a staff assistant.

CCTV had its airs, and things were busy now—having an assistant run errands might not work or could take too long.

When he returned after the staff had repaired Yang Xue's mic, Dong Xuan and Jiang Xin had already pulled Cai Yilin and A Duo into lively conversation.

"Tsk~"

Seeing Yan Li was sharp—he gave Yang Xue and Dong Xuan a casual glance but said nothing, turning instead to chat with Yang Chenguang.

He was deeply interested in the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that propelled "Rats Love Rice" to internet fame and straight onto the Spring Festival Gala.

Combining his understanding of the current landscape with the system's "foresight," Seeing Yan Li realized that mainstream media had once sneered at "subculture," yet it was now gradually infiltrating, merging with, or even reversing the mainstream.

The explosive popularity of Yang Chenguang and "Rats Love Rice," the growing industry focus on talent shows, and De Yun She's rising fame in Jingcheng since last year.

【Grassroots Comeback】was quietly emerging as a new public trend, widely discussed and adored.

Seeing Yan Li pondered whether he could also carve out a share in this new trend.

Or produce film and TV, or profit from marketing, or cultivate artists, or make related investments… hmm, worth studying.

Seeing Yan Li chatted while thinking, his calmness making Dong Xuan and the others uneasy, especially Yang Xue, who had done the most work.

"Sister Xuan, will Boss Yan give me trouble?"

"Relax, I've got you."

Dong Xuan's courage slightly strengthened—she hadn't done anything outrageous; at worst, Seeing Yan Li would find an excuse to "torment" her a few times, and it wasn't the first time.

As time slowly passed, it finally reached eight p. m., and the Spring Festival Gala live broadcast began.

The Seven Fairies' performance was neither early nor late, placed 17th among 38 acts, following a acrobatics act and preceding the sketch by Cai Ming and Guo Da.

Seeing Yan Li put aside his distractions and silently waited with the Seven Fairies for their turn onstage.

…

Hebei Province, a certain residential community

College student Shi Hengtang listened to his mother's nagging, half-heartedly watching the acrobatics on TV during the Spring Festival Gala.

Having watched the Gala since childhood, he never understood what was so appealing about acrobatics; even the song-and-dance acts should be dropped entirely—only sketches would make the Gala interesting.

After enduring it all, the acrobatics finally ended; the host stepped on stage to introduce the next act—

Shi Hengtang spent his holiday either at internet cafes or locked in his room reading, so he hadn't seen this drama; hearing it was a song-and-dance number, he felt bored.

Just as he was about to step outside for some air, a sound arose—dry ice fog drifted across the stage, and a classical, dignified red-clad fairy descended gracefully from the clouds, dancing elegantly and singing softly.

"Flowers bloom endlessly, only for the butterfly's love of fragrance; meeting a kindred soul, I ask for nothing more in life~"

Those who had watched Huan Tian Xi Di would recognize this song—it was the ending theme, "Life Is But a Dream," performed by Tan Jing.

Regarding the Seven Fairies' Gala performance, the dance was acceptable, but the song had been repeatedly changed.

Originally, they sought a brand-new song, hoping for something lively and festive, but the result was poor—the fairies became too exuberant and lost their "fairy aura."

Later, they tried using the drama's insert song, but each version had its own flaws.

Even the ending theme "Life Is But a Dream" felt too cold and detached, ill-suited to the Gala's tone.

As a result, the program temporarily abandoned singing altogether and rehearsed only the dance—until Huan Tian Xi Di aired, and its ending theme received widespread praise; only during the fourth rehearsal was this song finally chosen.

Whether song or dance, however, these were merely performance methods for the Seven Fairies' act.

The program's greatest highlight remained the seven fairies—fair-skinned, beautiful, and with extraordinary poise.

Compared to their faces, everything else was secondary.

After one verse ended, the red-clad fairy stepped aside, and the cold, elegant orange-clad fairy stepped forward, dancing slowly and singing gently.

Then came the forthright and graceful yellow-clad fairy, the whimsical green-clad fairy, the bright and ethereal blue-clad fairy, the quiet and gentle indigo-clad fairy, and the delicate and pure violet-clad fairy—each appearing in turn, then dancing and singing together in unison.

Wisps of white mist curled, the singing floated ethereally, sleeves fluttered like water, bodies swayed gracefully, movements synchronized in perfect harmony.

One exquisite face after another appeared on screen—now pouting, now smiling, now cold, now seductive—each stirring the heart.

At least for Shi Hengtang, he finally understood why the nobles in that drama loved watching dances.

"So beautiful."

Henan Province, a certain village

Zheng Luo, still in elementary school, had been a loyal fan of Huan Tian Xi Di; now, watching the Gala performance, she leapt with joy.

She ran to her bedroom, draped a pink bedsheet over herself, twisted and turned in front of the TV, and asked her parents.

"Do I look like a fairy?"

Her mother didn't indulge her: "You look more like a harbinger of misfortune."

Zheng Luo burst into tears until her father, half-drunk from New Year's Eve dinner, promised to buy her a "Spirit Stone Bracelet" matching the one from Huan Tian Xi Di sold at the convenience store—only then did she quiet down.

Afterward, Zheng Luo fell into a dilemma: which color should she choose for the bracelet?

She loved the fourth fairy most, but thought the fifth fairy was the most beautiful, and the violet spirit stone looked the best.

So frustrating!

Jiangxi Province, a certain office

A group of employees who hadn't taken the Spring Festival holiday gathered in the cafeteria to watch TV, all commenting on the performance.

"This act is great—eye candy."

"What's so special about a few girls singing and dancing? The Thousand-Armed Guanyin was truly stunning."

"Different thing—the Thousand-Armed Guanyin was about dance; this one's about beauty. Both are good acts."

"I think the song's nice too."

"Isn't this the Seven Fairies drama? It's on the Gala?"

"What drama?"

"You haven't seen it? It's on Shanghai TV—the Seven Fairies falling in love. My wife and daughter watch it nonstop."

"Really? I'll check it out later."

Liaoning Province, Shen Yang City

Qin Lan heard her parents praising the Seven Fairies act and sniffed: "They just look good in their clothes—I'd look even better if I wore them and performed."

Qin Mu cracked sunflower seeds, glancing at her sideways: "You'd perform? Can you dance?"

"Dancing isn't hard—this routine isn't complicated."

Qin Fu defended his daughter, but before Qin Lan could rejoice, he delivered the blow.

"Even if you could dance, you still wouldn't be chosen—you're far behind them."

"What am I lacking?"

Qin Lan was indignant—she had full confidence in her looks; she was a Qiongyu Lang, handpicked by Qiong Yao—didn't they understand the prestige of that title?

"We didn't say you're ugly, but your aura doesn't match—you lack that fairy essence."

Qin Fu kept stabbing her, but this time Qin Mu wouldn't stand for it—she believed her daughter could do it.

"Zhihua is so graceful and beautiful—if our daughter dressed up like her, she'd be even better."

"Exactly."

Qin Lan hugged her mother's arm and glared fiercely at the TV screen.

She'd buy a seven fairy goddess dress just like theirs, then wear it for Seeing Yan Li and make him judge who looked better.

Yeah, she'd get the yellow one—just to scare that dog of a man!

Jingcheng, backstage at the Spring Festival Gala

Seeing Yan Li shivered; CCTV was so stingy—even the hallway had no heating or air conditioning.

He rubbed his hands together and greeted the Seven Fairy Goddesses with a broad smile as they stepped offstage.

"You did incredibly well—better than all previous rehearsals. The audience will love it; just wait for the news coverage."

Hearing this, the Seven Fairy Goddesses all beamed with joy. After so much rehearsal, the stress of revisions and approvals, wasn't this moment of recognition exactly what they'd been waiting for?

"I've arranged cars—everyone pack up. Those going home, go home; those stuck in Jingcheng alone for the New Year can join our group. I've booked a New Year's Eve dinner and suites at a hotel—eat, chat, and drink all you want."

Many of the Seven Fairy Goddesses came from outside the city; with the Spring Festival upon them, trains and planes were inconvenient, and staying alone in their Jingcheng apartments would be too lonely and bleak.

Since they'd all come together under his organization to perform on the Gala, Seeing Yan Li couldn't just use them and then abandon them.

So he'd organized a gathering: those willing could celebrate together, enjoy the warmth, then return home afterward.

"I'm in."

Fan Xiaopang raised her hand first. Though her parents had a place in Jingcheng and had planned to stay, she'd persuaded them to return home—her grandmother waited for them every year to celebrate the New Year, and she couldn't let the old lady down.

She'd expected to spend New Year's Eve alone after the Gala, then figure out how to get back to Daosh City.

Now that Seeing Yan Li had arranged a gathering, she'd be spared loneliness?

Li Bingbing raised her hand second: "I'm bringing my sister."

The two sisters had planned to spend the holiday in Jingcheng first, then return to their northeastern hometown—they had no objection to joining the festivities.

Li Lin also raised her hand, but she'd bring her husband. He'd been staying in Jingcheng to care for her during rehearsals, worried about her pregnancy and unable to leave since he was a drama teacher on winter break.

With three agreeing, Dong Xuan didn't need to say anything.

The others didn't need to come—Yang Xue and Huo Siyan were both from Jingcheng, with families here; Jiang Xin's family had settled in the city too—no need to join the crowd.

If they didn't disband tomorrow, they could come hang out with Seeing Yan Li and the others; they'd split into two groups.

Jiang, Huo, and Yang went home for the New Year; Seeing Yan Li, Dong Xuan, and the two Bings gathered friends and headed to the hotel to "huddle together for warmth"…

(End of Chapter)