Chapter 51

Completely to Qiao Bailu's surprise, Zhou Yanhua approached her not to commission an article, but for the script. Qiao Bailu couldn't help but reach out and scratch her ears: "Miss Zhou, I don't quite understand what you just said. Do you mean to buy the copyright of my novel and script of Ten Miles of Red Makeup?"

Zhou Yanhua nodded, paused, and then said, "You probably know that our Jiuhua Publishing House has just transformed not long ago. To be more precise, we have not yet found a path that suits us. Coincidentally, the future of the film and television industry looks very good recently, so we also plan to test the waters."

It was difficult for a newly transformed publishing house to poach writers, let alone big-name playwrights. Of course, money made everything possible, but the important thing was that this was just a test run by Jiuhua, and they had not made a final decision, so there was no need to spend a lot of money.

The reason why they chose Qiao Bailu was, firstly, because Qiao Bailu's novels were relatively popular, and they were reprinted three or four times, which showed that there was an audience for them. Secondly, Qiao Bailu was not famous, so they didn't need to spend too much.

In fact, there is a third point, but there is no need to tell Qiao Bailu herself. Some things are better not to be said out loud, as long as everyone knows the meaning. It will not look good if they are said out loud. If the favor becomes a transaction, it will be difficult to get along with each other in the future.

"If you get the copyright, who are you going to find to adapt it?" After the excitement, Qiao Bailu immediately thought of an important question. Zhou Yanhua smiled and said, "You've heard of Zhou He, right? He's the one who adapted Wan Jia Deng."

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly. This TV is very old. She had only heard of it when she was in junior high school. However, she was busy with the college entrance examination at that time, so she didn't watch it. As for the plot, she just listened to her mother's nagging at home. The market for that TV seemed to be middle-aged women.

If it were him, he wouldn't have to worry about his book being changed beyond recognition. Moreover, since Wanjiadeng was successful, it shows that this person has a certain grasp of the market.

However, her novels are aimed at the young female market, and Zhou He is famous for the middle-aged women market. Is it appropriate?

"Well, can I ask, have you found actors and directors?" Qiao Bailu asked again. Zhou Yanhua nodded: "Don't worry about that. Since we want to develop in this direction, we naturally need to find partners in advance."

"Well, I actually adapted this novel myself." Qiao Bailu bit her lip and said, "I'm not trying to snatch the adaptation rights from Mr. Zhou He, but I'm the original author, and I..."

She was a little embarrassed to speak up, but thinking about the future development, Qiao Bailu made up her mind and said shamelessly: "I was thinking, can you please take this script of mine to Teacher Zhou to have a look, and ask Teacher Zhou to let me learn while he is revising the script?"

Since Zhou He was invited to do this, the script would definitely be decided by him, and her script would definitely not be used. So, Qiao Bailu was willing to use this to exchange for a learning opportunity.

Zhou Yanhua was a little surprised: "You have adapted it?"

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "Yes, I plan to take this path in the future, so I have tried to adapt my own novels. The adaptation of Ten Miles of Red Makeup was just completed last week. If you want to read it, I will send it to you later."

Zhou Yanhua touched his chin and said, "You adapted it yourself? Well... let's do this. Send the script to me later and I'll have someone take a look at it. If it works, maybe..."

Qiao Bailu's eyes lit up immediately. Even if Zhou He only taught her a little bit about the market, she would benefit a lot. If Zhou He could agree to teach her, well, half of the copyright fee would be fine! The remaining half would be used as tuition.

After the discussion, Zhou Yanhua looked at the time and took out a pen and paper from her bag: "Then I'll leave you an address. When you are free, just send it to me. I'll let the front desk know."

"I'm free today, so I'll go back later and come to see you this afternoon?" Qiao Bailu said hurriedly, taking the paper Zhou Yanhua handed over and said with a smile: "I also have your phone number. If I can't find you by then, I'll call you?"

"Okay, then we can go there in the afternoon." Zhou Yanhua did not object and stood up to pay the bill: "Then goodbye for now, remember to go there in the afternoon."

After saying that, he waved his hand and left. Qiao Bailu took the cold coffee and poured it into her mouth. She immediately stuck out her tongue because it was so bitter. She quickly took a piece of sugar and stuffed it into her mouth. Alas, she still couldn't get used to it.

After leaving the cafe, he called Xie Jiayuan: "I don't know if it succeeded, but even if it didn't, I was able to sell the copyright of the script, so I have taken the first step."

Now it's a novel, but she will always have the opportunity to come up with her own script in the future.

Xie Jiayuan was also very happy for her. After a few words, someone from the lab called him, and he quickly hung up the phone. Qiao Bailu shrugged. Xie Jiayuan seemed to be much busier than before. When they were freshmen, they could go around and hang out on weekends. In their sophomore year, Xie Jiayuan spent all his time at school, except for three meals a day and even weekends.

However, this is not a bad thing. It is always good to work hard and learn more while you are still young. Besides, they all live together. If they have anything to say, they can talk at night. There is no need to be together 24 hours a day.

Even lovers need their own space. Being conjoined twins will eventually get boring.

After getting on the bus, Qiao Bailu went home excitedly and took out the script she had adapted, which had already been printed out. The outline and one-third of the content of the episode, she carefully sorted them out and put them in a file bag.

I just found something to eat for lunch. Because I was too excited, I even cancelled my nap. I excitedly typed for two hours. When I saw that the time was almost up, I hurried out with my schoolbag on my back.

Zhou Yanhua gave the name of a building, and the publishing house was on the twelfth floor. Qiao Bailu went in and told the receptionist her name, and the receptionist immediately smiled and said, "Manager Zhou on the twelfth floor has already said that you can go over there, there is an elevator, and you can go directly to the twelfth floor."

After thanking him, Qiao Bailu went over, entered the elevator, took a deep breath, and pressed the floor number. There were three or four house numbers on the first floor, but they should all be Zhou's companies because the prefixes of their names were the same.

After knocking on the door, someone immediately welcomed her in. In front of her was a large reception room. The person who led her in was a talkative girl. As she walked in, she said, "Manager Zhou has only been here for half an hour, so you're not too late. I've also read your book Ten Miles of Red Makeup. It's really well written. I like it very much. I've read it twice. By the way, you're the original author, so you must know the end. What is Lu Jiahe's ending? Is he really going to be alone for the rest of his life? Isn't that too tragic?"

The corner of Qiao Bailu's mouth twitched. Nanzhu is for the heroine, and the supporting actor is for everyone. The book Ten Miles of Red Makeup is no exception. Lu Jiahe is the supporting actor in the book. His love is as deep as the sea and he is as gentle as jade, but he can't get the heroine.

"Can you give him a better one?" the little girl asked again. Qiao Bailu smiled and shook her head, and quickly changed the subject: "Is this your office?"

After passing the large reception room, it was probably the office area, with small cubicles, all with computers, and quite a few people, roughly 40 to 50. There were also rooms on both sides, some of which had transparent glass installed, and you could see that there were water dispensers and other things inside, probably tea rooms and liaison rooms, and a few were offices.

No wonder there are three or four sects on one floor; this building looks so huge from the outside.

"Are you here? Have a seat." The girl took the person directly to Zhou Yanhua's office. Zhou Yanhua was busy. She gestured first, then continued to type with her head down. The girl went out and came in again, bringing a cup of tea and some snacks. After putting them down, she went out quietly and closed the door.

"Did you bring it?" After about three to five minutes, Zhou Yanhua finished her work, stood up and walked around to sit next to Qiao Bailu: "Have some tea. Our company has just changed the tea leaves, this year's new tea. Try it and see if you like it. If you like it, I'll give you some later."

Qiao Bailu hurriedly took the teacup and looked at it: "Maojian?"

"Well, the company has someone there, and we can buy directly and get discounts." Zhou Yanhua said with a smile, and took the script handed over by Qiao Bailu: "Let's put the bad words aside first, I can't guarantee whether Mr. Zhou will be willing to read your script. If he is willing to read it, then everything is fine. If he is not willing, don't bring emotions later. Let's talk about business as usual. What do you think?"

"That's natural. I understand. Don't worry, Sister Zhou. If Teacher Zhou doesn't want to see it, I won't force you. Anyway, I'm not too old now, and there's still room for improvement in school. I won't force you." Qiao Bailu nodded quickly and said very obediently.

Zhou Yanhua was very satisfied with her attitude and flipped through the script. "Speaking of which, your writing is really good. But this script is not just about the writing. First of all, the scene is very important. Some authors are good at writing plots, but they get stuck when it comes to describing the scene. This is a fatal flaw. I think your description is not bad. You have a future, girl."

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up and said, "Don't be anxious. Just like you said, you are only a sophomore now, take your time. If it doesn't work this time, I will definitely not treat you unfairly if there is another chance in the future, don't worry."

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly. Even if it didn’t work out, she still made a profit this time.

Because it was not certain whether Qiao Bailu's script would be used, the copyright fee was not mentioned for the time being, and Qiao Bailu did not ask. With Zhou Mengyao around, she did not have to worry about being cheated of money. She put down the script and planned to leave. Zhou Yanhua was very enthusiastic and insisted on having someone bring two bags of tea to her. Qiao Bailu had no choice but to accept it.

This tea is indeed delicious.

After leaving the building, she looked at the time. It was only three o'clock, so she went to school. The cafeteria also sold food on Saturdays. She would go to eat with Xie Jiayuan and stay in the laboratory waiting for Xie Jiayuan in the evening.

After the script was given to her, Qiao Bailu was no longer anxious. The worst case scenario was that she would just sell the copyright, and the best case scenario was that Teacher Zhou could help her revise it and give her some pointers. So, she had nothing to worry about.

After waiting for nearly a week, Zhou Yanhua finally called and asked Qiao Bailu to come to the publishing house early on Saturday morning, saying that Teacher Zhou He wanted to meet her. Qiao Bailu was surprised and happy, and hurriedly agreed, and turned around to pester Xie Jiayuan: "Tell me, should I tie my hair up or let it down? Should I dress more maturely or more cutely? How can I impress Teacher Zhou?"

"Oh, first impressions are very important. If Teacher Zhou likes me, he will be willing to give me more guidance. If he doesn't like me, he will probably just say a few words to deal with me. So, should I be smarter or more modest? Should I be more aggressive or more reserved?"

"Should I wear high heels? But it would be embarrassing if I fell. How about wedge heels? Should I wear a skirt or jeans? Wouldn't that be too unstable? Should I wear glasses?"

Xie Jiayuan was so pestered by her that he had to put down his textbook: "In fact, I think you don't need to care too much about dressing up. According to what you said, this teacher Zhou He may be quite old. If such a person likes your script, it is either because of the content of the script or the writing style. No matter which one, it can be said to be talent. So, you only need to show this. Everything else will be distracting. If you care too much, it will give Teacher Zhou a bad impression."

"That's right! And then?" Qiao Bailu clapped her hands and asked with a smile. Xie Jiayuan reached out and pinched her nose: "So, although you wrote the script, I think you'd better take a look at it again, lest you can't remember any details when Teacher Zhou asks you, which would be embarrassing. The most important thing is why you wrote this plot like this, what theme you want to highlight, what mission you want to set off, and when Teacher Zhou asks you, you have to think carefully before answering."

Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile: "Okay, Jiayuan really woke me up with a word, I know what to do, don't worry, I will definitely perform very well this time."

Xie Jiayuan nodded, not caring at all. Being in his early twenties, it was already pretty good to be able to sell film and television copyrights. There was no need to pursue too much. Even if he failed this time, it didn't matter. It wasn't the end of his life.

He lowered his head and continued to read. Qiao Bailu sat obediently on the side, flipping through her script, thinking carefully about what her purpose was when she wrote that scene, and whether there was a better way to express it.

When she stepped into the publishing house again, Qiao Bailu was so nervous that she took deep breaths as soon as she entered the door. The little girl led the way again. Qiao Bailu quietly asked, "What kind of person is Teacher Zhou? Is he easy to get along with?"

The little girl looked confused: "I don't know, this is Teacher Zhou's first time here, and I have never been with Teacher Zhou before."

The corners of Qiao Bailu's mouth twitched. It was her first time here...

When she entered the office, she saw Zhou Yanhua sitting on the sofa and talking to a man in his forties. The man was a little fat, but he looked very kind. When he saw her come in, he smiled and nodded: "Is this Bai Lu?"

Qiao Bailu got nervous, and her original bow turned into a 90-degree bow, which was too deep...

"Hello, Teacher Zhou! It's an honor to meet you." He repeated this several times, without even a pause. Teacher Zhou was stunned: "Are you nervous? Do I look scary?"

"No, no, I've admired Teacher Zhou for a long time. I was too excited to meet him in person, but also a little nervous, afraid that I wouldn't perform well." Qiao Bailu said quickly, relaxing a little.

The little girl brought in tea and Qiao Bailu nodded slightly to express her gratitude.

After a few pleasantries, Mr. Zhou He got straight to the point: "I took some time to read the script you wrote. Let me ask you first, if you could give it a score, how would you rate it?"

Qiao Bailu counted on her fingers and said, "I can score 70 points."

"Oh, tell me why, and what is the basis for the scoring." Zhou He leaned back on the sofa and asked gently. Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "I took a course on screenwriting before, and the teacher said that the best script must have several elements..."

"So I think it can get 70 points." Qiao Bailu said a lot of things, summarizing, and carefully looked at Teacher Zhou's face. Seeing that he was not impatient, she was even more grateful in her heart: "However, this is my first time to come into contact with this aspect, and I don't know if these bases are correct. I hope Teacher Zhou can give me more guidance."

"You are mostly right. A complete script does have to include those aspects. But that's not right either. Scripts are made into TV shows or movies. If you insist on following that formula, it will lose some of its spirit. Let's take your script as an example."

A few days ago, Zhou Yanhua asked for the entire script, and now Teacher Zhou He has a complete script in his hand.

Qiao Bailu hurriedly listened carefully. Perhaps out of consideration for Zhou Yanhua, Teacher Zhou He's words were very pertinent. Although a little brief, he pointed out the major problems to Qiao Bailu: "If you are more strict, your script is completely unusable, but the main plot is still fine, so if you want to fix it, it's actually not that troublesome. However, your main plot, if you ask me, is still a little biased..."

"Yes, Teacher Zhou is right. I did hesitate at first, but in order to create this image, I still added this scene. Teacher Zhou, do you think that if I change it, it will take away the protagonist's color?"

"Don't worry about that. The protagonist's role is not counted by the number of appearances..." Teacher Zhou said with a smile. Qiao Bailu was very tactful and served tea and water. Teacher Zhou was satisfied and said more.

After three hours of work, from 2:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon, Zhou He finally rolled up the script and said, "If you want to make a name for yourself in this industry, first of all, you must have a good eye for what scripts will be a big hit and what will be average. You can practice this slowly in the future. I am still very optimistic about your novel. If you leave it to me, just rest assured."

"I'm 100% confident that you can leave it to Teacher Zhou." Qiao Bailu said with a smile. When Zhou Yanhua saw that they had finished talking, she quickly stood up, flattered Zhou He a few words, and respectfully sent the person away.

Zhou Yanhua was the only one left. Qiao Bailu's tense body finally relaxed. She leaned on the sofa and smiled as she spoke to Zhou Yanhua: "Thank you, Sister Zhou. Although my own script was not used at all this time, Teacher Zhou's words have brought me great benefits."

"Since your benefit is so great, do you think you can give me a little less for the copyright?" Zhou Yanhua asked with a smile. Qiao Bailu waved her hand generously: "I'll take whatever you give me, Sister Zhou!"

Zhou Yanhua couldn't help laughing and reached out to rub her hair: "You are so generous at such a young age. If you say so, I can't treat you unfairly. With Teacher Zhou's status, an episode of the TV series is worth 30,000. You should also work hard and reach Teacher Zhou's level as soon as possible."

Qiao Bailu clenched her fist and said, "Don't worry, Sister Zhou. I also wish Sister Zhou success this time. When I adapt the script in the future, I won't have to worry about no one wanting it."

Both sides were laughing and had a preliminary agreement on future cooperation. The contract had probably been prepared long ago. After a few words, Zhou Yanhua took out the contract. After deducting the tax, the publisher gave 150,000 yuan.

To be honest, this price is not high, but it is not low either. Considering Qiao Bailu's current fame, it is still fair. Most importantly, this is a mutually beneficial thing. The TV show will, to a large extent, boost the sales of physical books.

The sales of physical books will also help television gain ratings.

Qiao Bailu thought about it and then revealed the identity of her physical book on the Internet. After all, they were all written by the same person, and the online version might also be published in physical form or on film and television in the future. It would only do good for her to reveal it now.

If you delay for too long, someone might go wrong.

As she expected, in the evening she revealed in the "Author Has Something to Say" that the film and television rights had been sold, and the comment section went wild.

——It’s actually Bailu?

——I just realized now that the master had already revealed the clues a long time ago!

——No wonder Bailu’s posts are always on the same topic as yours. I originally thought that you two were in sync with each other.

——Ahhh, really? I’m so happy! I also like Bai Lu’s book, and it’s written by the same person!

——Hey, you have a pseudonym? I must go check it out.

Qiao Bailu hid behind the screen and laughed. As expected, it was the most satisfying when the vests were exposed, especially when she saw everyone's shocked faces, which blew people out of the water. She was almost laughing.

I smiled and scrolled through the comments section for half an hour. After thinking for a while, I suddenly remembered that I didn't seem to have opened a new blog yet, so I quickly registered one. I searched for Mr. Zhou He's name, but unfortunately, I couldn't find it.

After following a few celebrities, I still felt empty, so I called Qiao Zhenting and asked him to register one as well. The two siblings followed each other. Qiao Zhenting's roommates also gave me face and followed me.

It's also on the copy, and the author has something to say, and it gives a direct link, just waiting to increase the number of fans. What should I post first? A selfie? Oh, no, no, I'm too ugly to post.

After thinking about it, I posted an update notification. Oh, I will wait until I have more fans and then slowly manage it. Now there are too few people and no one cares about what I say. It's too boring.

Chapter 52

As expected, exposing the vest was a big move. The comments were lively for several days, and the number of fans on the new blog also soared. But Qiao Bailu had no time to care about these.

According to her plan, she will start saving manuscripts from now on, and finish two books, one physical and one online, before December. The last one was about domestic intrigue, and this time both books are about rebirth, which are slightly related to domestic intrigue, but are more about the charm of the heroine herself, and the focus is magnified a lot.

From December to the end of the year, I bought a house with Xie Jiayuan and Qiao Zhenting, found a decoration company, and prepared everything. We just need to move in next year.

I didn’t go home during the summer vacation, so I must go back this winter vacation. During this time, I quickly perfected the script of the stage play and started filling in the content.

The Chinese New Year is around mid-January and the school anniversary starts in mid-April, which means she has three months.

Originally she thought the idea was a bit risky, but there really was a stage play at the welcome party, and the script was indeed written by Huang Qiwen. In an instant, Huang Qiwen became a campus celebrity. Not only did the freshmen regard her as a talented woman, but even the juniors came to inquire about her.

Yao Lingling expressed regret several times, saying that if Qiao Bailu could help, who knows who would get the title of talented woman. Qiao Bailu didn't regret it, she was holding back her anger and planned to shine at the school celebration.

She was busy, Xie Jiayuan was busy, and Qiao Zhenting was even busier. As new students entered the school, he had to study hard while getting along well with his roommates. He only came to eat on weekends.

In a blink of an eye, it was December, and Qiao Bailu finally finished all her drafts. According to the plan, the next step was to buy a house. This was even simpler. The three of them sat together and listed the conditions they wanted one by one, such as being close to the school, on the top floor, with heating, etc. After meeting up, the three of them rode their bicycles to start looking for a house.

It took a whole month, and the school was on vacation at the end of December, so they had plenty of time, so it was done quickly.

Mr. and Mrs. Qiao called several times to urge the purchase. The house purchase materials were sent by Mr. and Mrs. Qiao. As for the certificate of singleness, it was the first time for Qiao Bailu to know that a certificate of singleness was required to buy a house!

I was speechless, but I couldn't miss this thing. After signing the house purchase contract, several people immediately boarded the train. When I got out of the station, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Qiao standing there. They immediately came over and grabbed my hand: "Oh, you are finally back. I haven't seen you for a year. How come you have lost so much weight? And you are much darker. Aren't you studying literature? Do you have to run to the construction site every day for your subject?"

Father Qiao had a good memory. When he saw Xie Jiayuan, he immediately remembered: "You are Xie...Xie classmate, right? I heard from Bai Lu that you are from the same school. How come you came back so late?"

"Something happened in the school laboratory, so I was delayed." Xie Jiayuan said with a smile. Father Qiao reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "You are a promising young man. You can stay in the laboratory during the holidays. You must be valued by the teacher. I said at the beginning that you are a promising young man, and I was right."

Xie Jiayuan blushed slightly: "Uncle, you are too kind. Bai Lu is also very good. She has published several books and even bought her own house. Compared with Bai Lu, I am far behind."

"Hahaha, don't praise her. She's a little kid and can't stand praise. She's just lucky and wrote a few books that everyone likes to read. If she's unlucky, no one would read her books no matter how good they are."

Mr. Qiao was obviously so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. Even his eyes were smiling. He said a few humble words: "This child takes after me. I used to like Tiantian Chinese, but I didn't like other subjects. That's why I didn't pass the exam..."

Mother Qiao coughed hard, interrupting him and rolling her eyes at him - is your junior high school education worth showing off? She asked Xie Jiayuan with a smile: "Where are you from?"

Xie Jiayuan answered obediently. Qiao's mother asked about his home address, family members, hobbies and future plans. Qiao Bailu's mouth twitched: "Mom, why are you asking all that? What time is it? We have been on the train all night and are exhausted. Let's go home and rest first."

Mother Qiao slapped her forehead and said, "Look at my memory. I can even forget this! Let's go home and have a rest. Jiayuan, you can come with us. We just bought a house last year. Zhenting's room is big enough for the two of you to sleep in. Take a nap and have lunch. Tomorrow, your uncle and I will also go back to our hometown, and we will take you back by the way."

"No need, Auntie, I'm really not being polite. I called before and said I'd be home today. My parents are already waiting at home, so I'd better go back quickly." Xie Jiayuan waved his hands, but Mother Qiao was very enthusiastic and held him tightly, "No trouble, no trouble, just call later and say you're staying at a classmate's house. You see, usually the three of you are in City B. Zhenting is young, and Bailu is a girl, so you need to take care of them. We don't have much chance to thank you. Just listen to Auntie this time and go back with us. I'll make you delicious food at noon."

Xie Jiayuan didn't dare to forcefully pry open Qiao's mother's hands. Qiao's mother was also very strong and directly dragged him to the exit. Qiao Bailu hurriedly followed: "Mom, don't do this, let go quickly, you and my dad are anxious to see me and Zhenting, and their parents must have been waiting at home. If you really want to treat Xie Jiayuan to a meal, let's make an appointment and book a hotel or something."

As she said this, she winked at Qiao Zhenting, who also hurried to help. Qiao's mother had no choice but to let go: "Okay, I won't force you, but let your uncle take you to the station."

To get from City Z to his hometown, he had to take another bus. The train station and the bus station were on the same street, so it wasn't too far away. Xie Jiayuan quickly refused. Seeing that he really didn't agree, Mother Qiao had no choice but to call a tricycle for him and paid the money first.

After seeing Xie Jiayuan off, the family of four took a car to go home, and Qiao's mother started gossiping: "That Xie Jiayuan, is he familiar with you? Do you two keep in touch often? I heard that there are some hometown associations in college? Why did you come back with him? Is there no one else?"

"Well, we came back late, and we need to settle the issue of buying a house." Qiao Bailu yawned and leaned back on the car seat: "There is a hometown meeting, but there are not too many people. Why, are you curious about this?"

"Not really, he seems to be quite enthusiastic about you. When you two came out, he even carried your schoolbag for you and put his arm around your shoulders." Mother Qiao frowned and said, "If you are in love, you are not allowed to hide it from us."

"Well, I won't hide it from you. He is indeed pursuing me, but I haven't agreed yet." Qiao Bailu rolled her eyes and asked with a smile, "Mom, what do you think of him?"

"It's OK, but it's hard to say. You're still students. It's unclear whether you can become successful in the future." Qiao's mother frowned and said, "If you want to have a relationship, I don't object. I'm not that old-fashioned. I don't think you can have a relationship during school. There's no need for that. Anyway, you're an adult and have your own plans. I can't stop you."

Mother Qiao opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she didn't say it in the end. Qiao Bailu was too sleepy and didn't ask any more questions. She yawned and closed her eyes, slept all the way home, and was woken up in a daze, and was dragged into the elevator by Mother Qiao.

Their family bought a house last year. As housing prices have been rising year by year, Qiao Bailu also said that they should buy it as soon as possible, so Qiao's father gritted his teeth and bought a very large one, which is 180 square meters, with four bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, a living and dining room, three bathrooms, and two large balconies.

Because they didn't have that much money at the time, they had to borrow a lot of money. With such a big package on their shoulders, Qiao's father worked even harder. Qiao's mother was not to be outdone, she rented a shop and opened it immediately. After two years of hard work, things finally started to pick up this year.

Previously, because the family was really broke, Qiao Bailu paid for Qiao Zhenting's living expenses and training class tuition. Even now, Qiao's mother only paid for the tuition, and Qiao Bailu still paid for the living expenses.

She was so sleepy that she didn't even notice she was hungry. She fell into bed as soon as she got back to her room. At lunch time, Qiao's mother called her three times but she didn't wake up, so she simply stopped calling. Qiao Bailu slept until the afternoon when she finally woke up.

Qiao's father and mother were not at home. The closer it got to the end of the year, the busier they were. They were trying to attract clients, find connections, and look after the store. It was already very good to be able to stay at home for half a day. Qiao Bailu wandered around the kitchen like a ghost. It was too cold, so there was no need to put the leftovers in the pot in the refrigerator. Qiao Bailu directly turned on the fire to heat it up, and then brought it to the dining room and started to eat.

By the way, I sent a text message to Xie Jiayuan. Xie Jiayuan also arrived home safely. I was afraid that I couldn’t sleep at night, so I stayed up all afternoon.

——Then you must be extremely sleepy now, right?

——Yes, I can hardly open my eyes. I can fall asleep if I just relax for a moment.

——Hehe, my mom asked me today if you are my boyfriend.

—You said that? That's bad. I didn't behave well today.

——I told you that you were pursuing me, but I haven’t agreed yet.

——Then do you want to agree? Honey, I like you, please be my girlfriend.

Qiao Bailu smiled foolishly, and Qiao Zhenting also wandered in: "Why are you grinning foolishly? Are you texting with Xie Jiayuan? Is there any food left? I'm hungry too."

"Yes, it's in the pot, go and get it yourself." Qiao Bailu said without raising her head. Although she and Xie Jiayuan were talking about boring things back and forth, they looked happy and neither of them was willing to put down their phones first.

After eating and drinking, Qiao Bailu cleaned up the kitchen, took off her shoes, and curled up on the sofa, holding her notebook and typing. This was the slowest time she had ever typed. She had to consider each word and measure each word.

I wrote three hundred words in one hour.

Seeing that it was getting late, she hurried to the kitchen to cook. After dinner, Qiao Bailu returned to her room with her computer. Not long after, Qiao's mother followed her and said, "I haven't said anything about that today. I'll tell you again now."

Qiao Bailu blinked. What are you talking about today?

"I don't care if you want to date, but there is one thing you have to remember. Girls, you have to love yourself first before you can love others. There is a girl in the village next door. You don't know her. She is about your age. She also went to college two years ago. Did you know that she was expelled last year?"

Qiao Bailu shook her head. She definitely didn’t know because she didn’t know him.

"That girl got pregnant, so she was fired." Qiao's mother said fiercely, "So, if you don't want to be fired, you must not learn from that girl. Girls should respect themselves and should not despise themselves before getting married."

After a pause, he continued, "Does your cousin know about this? It's very close. You'll know once I tell you."

Qiao Bailu nodded. When she was a child, she visited relatives and also went to her cousin’s house. Their family was rich and ran a small store. She was happiest every time she went to their house because she could get a lot of toys.

"Your cousin had a girlfriend two years ago. When she got pregnant, he brought her home. But your aunt didn't agree. She didn't like the girl. After a month of quarreling, your cousin broke up with the girl. The girl had no choice but to get an abortion. But her reputation is known to everyone in our neighborhood. It will probably be difficult for her to find a new partner in the future."

Qiao Bailu's eyes widened: "Really? They broke up even though you were pregnant? Is my cousin such a scumbag?"

"Yes, your cousin doesn't agree, and you can't get away from her." Mother Qiao automatically ignored the words she didn't understand, and educated her daughter with a serious face: "You go to Na School, which is a key national school, and the management must be stricter, so you have to control yourself, and don't go out of line, and don't make any mistakes! Do you remember everything I said?"

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "Remember, Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I promise that I will have children after I get married..."

"You are not allowed to do that before marriage! What if you get pregnant? Should you get an abortion? It's harmful to your body. You won't get pregnant after two times!" Qiao's mother tried to scare Qiao Bailu: "Don't be fooled by the ads about painless abortions. I tell you, they are all lies! Your uncle is a doctor and knows more about this than anyone else!"

Qiao Bailu nodded repeatedly, and Qiao's mother continued, "Abortion is just like miscarriage. It will become a habit. If you do it a few times, you will automatically miscarry when you get pregnant, and you won't be able to get pregnant again!"

Fearing that her daughter would do something stupid, Qiao's mother emphasized it twice. Seeing that she nodded obediently, she turned back to her earnest tone, "Think about it, in this kind of situation, what loss does the man suffer? He feels good, and after that, you go get an abortion, you hurt your body, and you might even be expelled from school, ruining your future. Is it worth it?"

"Mom, I really understand. I promise, I will listen to you and will never do anything rash." Qiao Bailu swore with her finger, which made Qiao's mother happy, and then she pushed her out of the bedroom.

Then, he covered his forehead and fell to the bed, and he had to tell Qiao Zhenting not to tell anyone about the shared apartment. They knew nothing had happened, but they couldn't help Qiao's mother's association.

Although she slept too much during the day, Qiao Bailu didn't suffer from insomnia at night. She slept well all night. The next morning, Qiao's mother woke her up to pack her things, saying that she was going back to her hometown in the afternoon. Qiao Bailu was a little surprised: "Really? I thought you were just talking. We haven't lived in our house for a long time. Can we live there?"

"Why can't we live here? I've asked your aunt to find a few people to clean the place." Mother Qiao said with a smile, shaking a list in her hand: "The quilts and other things have been taken apart and washed. Let's go buy some things now. I've already planned what to buy. The important ones will be bought now, and the less important ones will be bought when we get back home."

Qiao Bailu smiled as she changed her clothes: "Did you pay the people who cleaned the house?"

"No, we are just fellow villagers. Just give him something later." Mother Qiao shook her head: "If you really give him something, your father will have a hard time living in the village."

Later, people in the village will say that the Qiao family is so rich that they are showing off their wealth and are going to pay for someone to clean the house.

"It's just troublesome. Do we have to do this every year when we go back?" Qiao Bailu sighed. Qiao's mother shook her head: "It's only in the next two years. Your uncle and his family will move to the city, so we won't have to go back so often."

"Uncle and his family are moving in too?" Qiao Bailu was a little surprised: "Did Uncle pick up money?"

"No, it's your dad who found the job for you. Now your dad is going to set up a company and let your uncle be a contractor or something. He can make some money and your grandma won't have anything to say about it."

Qiao Bailu nodded: "That's true. It's not good for Dad to enjoy all the good things and ignore his uncle's family. The villagers will gossip about him."

Mother Qiao poked her forehead and said, "You think clearly. Let's go, hurry up and buy it early. Come back early in the afternoon and see if there is anything that is not packed properly. We can do it ourselves."

How can you go shopping without a helper? Neither Mr. Qiao nor Qiao Zhenting can escape, and they follow behind to carry things. Because Mr. Qiao rarely goes back to his hometown in the past two years, Uncle Qiao takes care of the elderly alone, so gifts for Uncle Qiao and Aunt Qiao are also indispensable.

There were so many clothes and health products that the two of them could hardly walk. That was the end of it.

I had lunch outside, went home to rest for a while, loaded my things into the car and set off back to my hometown. There was no Internet cable in my hometown, but fortunately, Qiao Bailu had already checked most of the information she needed to check, and although the speed of the mobile phone was slow, it was still usable.

However, the New Year holidays did not give her much time to write scripts.

It was already the end of the year. They came back from city B on the 28th, and arrived at their hometown on the 29th. I went to my grandmother's house with my parents for a day, talked and chatted, and watched the Spring Festival Gala in the evening. In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of the new year.

On the first day of the new year, we have to visit relatives in the village. On the second day, we have to visit our uncles, on the third day, our aunts, and on the fourth day, our aunts. On the fifth day, the younger generations of Qiao's father and mother come to visit, and the children of the eldest and second uncles have to visit if they get married.

At a time like this, Qiao Bailu couldn't just stay in her room and not come out. She had to talk to her relatives or something.

So, in the blink of an eye, it was already the sixth day of the New Year, and there was a high school reunion. Qiao Bailu wanted to meet Xie Jiayuan, so she had to go. On the seventh day, all the relatives had been visited, and in the afternoon, they said hello to Grandma Qiao, and the family drove back to City Z.

After that, Qiao Bailu became a complete homebody. In a day of 24 hours, she spent eight hours sleeping, two hours eating, another hour drinking water, going to the toilet and stretching, and the remaining hours were like being nailed to the computer.

Qiao's mother didn't care about her. Her daughter had her own ideas. As long as she ate well, drank well and slept well, it would be fine. What, she would gain weight? That's great! She wouldn't have to worry about her daughter being cheated during school. It would be too late to lose weight after graduation. Anyway, she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter not being able to get married.

Mr. Qiao doesn't care at all. He is very busy, making money quickly, paying off debts, paying off debts for his daughter, and buying a house for his son. Alas, it is hard work, as he is born to be a hard worker.

There were four people in the family, and three of them were too busy, so the cooking task was handed over to Qiao Zhenting. Qiao Zhenting was obedient and just did it. It was only a few days anyway, so he could just practice and he wouldn't have to worry about having no food to eat when he lived on his own in the future.

As soon as the 13th passed, Xie Jiayuan called: "Have you bought the tickets? When are we leaving?"

Qiao Bailu suddenly realized that she hadn't bought the ticket, and hurried to find Qiao Zhenting. Qiao Zhenting slowly took out three tickets and said, "It's dark when you remember. I bought them for tomorrow morning. This time we leave during the day and arrive in the evening."

Xie Jiayuan heard it and agreed. After staying at home for half a month, he had to clean up the place and then take a day off. Sixteen had to go to school.

Qiao Bailu quickly started packing up. When Qiao's mother came back at night and heard that she was leaving, she stayed up all night and started working in the kitchen. The next day at five o'clock, Qiao Bailu got up and saw that the table was piled with bags filled with meatballs, bean buns, meat buns, fried dough sticks, honey peanuts, and all kinds of messy things.

Mother Qiao yawned and said, "Hurry up and pack it in the box. I'll go call your father and ask him to take you to the station. What time does the train leave?"

"Don't worry, it's eight o'clock." Qiao Bailu said hurriedly. If there is a traffic jam, it will take an hour and a half from their home to the train station, so they can leave at six in time. Qiao's mother nodded, called Qiao's father, and came to help: "The food doesn't keep well. It's not cold now. Put it in the refrigerator as soon as you get there. I remember you said before that the rented house has a refrigerator, right?"

"Have you packed up all the change you brought? Don't lose it. There are a lot of people on the train. You can have some steamed buns for lunch. I'll make you some soy milk. Put it in this bottle. It's enough for the two of you."

"Don't be frugal when you get to school. Eat when you need to, drink when you need to. Don't treat yourself badly, especially Zhenting. He is still growing. If he doesn't eat well, he won't grow taller in the future."

"And Bailu, study hard, okay? You can make money now, but you are still a student. As a student, you should study hard and not worry about other things. Your father and I are still young."

Qiao Bailu and Qiao Zhenting were just responsible for nodding. The two large suitcases were full. Fortunately, they brought two sets of clothes when they came back, otherwise, there would be no place to put them.

After washing up, Mr. Qiao came out in high spirits. He stretched out his hand and squeezed Mrs. Qiao's shoulder: "Okay, go back to your room and go to sleep. I'll take them to the station first and will be back soon."

Mother Qiao nodded, opened the door, watched her grandparents enter the elevator, then closed the door and went back to her room to sleep.

Mr. Qiao didn't nag much. When they arrived at the station, he said a few words about safety and then turned back. Qiao Bailu quickly called Xie Jiayuan. It was already 7:20.

Xie Jiayuan arrived earlier than them and had already entered the waiting hall, so the Qiao siblings just needed to go in and look for someone.

The train left on time at 8 o'clock. Qiao Bailu took a deep breath. Another year had passed. It was already February. In two months, it would be the school anniversary. Whether she could stand out would depend on the results of her efforts in the next two months.

However, she had confidence in herself. She had been preparing for nearly half a year. At least, it was much better than Huang Qiwen's. Of course, Huang Qiwen was never her comparison target.

Chapter 53

April was already here, and the student union had posted a notice early in the morning, asking each class to come up with a program, first auditioning within the grade, then auditioning the entire school. The school anniversary party was scheduled for April 25th, and the preliminary budget was for two and a half hours, with no more than 25 programs.

There are four grades for undergraduates at Q University, three grades for graduate students, and only one grade for doctoral students needs to perform a program. That means there are eight grades in total, and on average, there are three programs per grade.

There are a total of 19 colleges at each level, and each college has different departments. Departments with a large number of students are even divided into classes. For example, the College of Humanities where Qiao Bailu is located is divided into the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of History. The department where Qiao Bailu is located has two classes.

All in all, there are at least 200 classes in one grade. To select three programs from these 200 classes, the competition is extremely fierce.

The notice came on April 1st, and before April 3rd, each class decided on the program they would participate in. Before April 8th, each department decided on the program they would produce, before April 15th, each college decided on the program they would produce, and before April 20th, each grade decided on the program list. The remaining five days were for the whole school to screen.

The monitor briefly talked about the schedule and patted the table. "If you have any ideas for a program, please submit the name and main content of the program to me before tomorrow morning. There are no strict requirements for solo singing or dancing. You can just fill in the name. For larger performances, such as group dances, you just need to have a rough outline and find the performers. For stage plays, you don't need to find actors for the time being."

Huang Qiwen sat in front of Qiao Bailu this time. She turned around and asked softly, "Bailu, are you joining?"

"Of course I have to participate. Why don't you plan to participate?" Qiao Bailu asked with a smile. Huang Qiwen shook her head: "I have to participate, but the time is too short. I have to hand it in tomorrow morning. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time."

"I don't know about that either. Why don't you ask the monitor?" Qiao Bailu spread her hands helplessly. "I wrote a script before that can be used, so don't worry about the time issue."

What you hand over to the monitor is just an outline. At this time, the purpose is very important. If you write a good outline and make people want to read it, then the rest will not be a problem. If you can't even write a good outline, forget about the rest.

Huang Qiwen pursed her lips, looked at the smile on Qiao Bailu's face, and smiled as well. She turned around and discussed with her roommate next to her: "Why don't you stay awake tonight? I'll think about it carefully."

Her roommate nodded and said, "Then I'll accompany you. I can also give you some advice or something."

Bella Qiao raised her eyebrows and looked at Yao Lingling on the side: "How about you accompany me tonight?"

Before Yao Lingling could say anything, Zhou Mengyao patted her chest and said, "I'll accompany you!"

Yao Lingling pinched her cheek and said, "Don't get involved. Be careful, Xie Jiayuan might get upset and throw you out on the street. It's the dead of night, and you won't know where you can go."

Zhou Mengyao looked puzzled: "Why did Xie Jiayuan throw me out?" However, this time she reacted quickly and clapped her hands: "I understand, Xie Jiayuan wants to accompany Bai Lu alone, hahaha, then I won't disturb your world of two people, you can study it carefully~."

Qiao Bailu made a face at her, waited for the monitor to announce that they could disband, waved to Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao, and was about to rush out with her schoolbag and notebook, but suddenly thought of something and quickly turned back: "Have you contacted Sister Zhou in the past few days?"

Zhou Mengyao shook her head: "No, what's wrong?"

"Last Monday, Sister Zhou called me and said that the TV series had already started filming. I was a little confused. Aren't you selling scripts? How come you are also involved in filming a TV series?"

Qiao Bailu asked in confusion. Just after returning from the Chinese New Year, Sister Zhou called her and said that the script had been adapted. If she wanted to read it, she should go over and take a look, otherwise there would be no waiting.

Qiao Bailu went over immediately and spent half a day reading the script. I have to say, big hands are big hands. The same thing, when described from a different angle, the attraction is immediately aroused.

Reading Qiao Bailu's own script, although the plot is well handled, with twists and turns, outbursts and leads, it always gives people a very bland feeling.

But when you read what Teacher Zhou He wrote, you can see emotions everywhere between the lines, which attract the reader's feelings anytime and anywhere, sometimes making them nervous, sometimes smiling knowingly, and sometimes feeling unbearable grief. The way he handled these emotions is hundreds of times better than Qiao Bailu's!

After returning, Qiao Bailu immediately rewrote her stage play. A stage play requires more tension and explosiveness than a TV drama. Although the plot of her previous play was good, just like before, the emotional handling was not in place.

"Are you stupid? A good script can be invested in by many companies. Previously, our publishing house decided to revise the script ourselves, then seek investment and find a film and television company. Why can't we invest ourselves?" Zhou Mengyao asked in confusion. Qiao Bailu thought about it and slapped her forehead, "I was thinking wrong. I thought that scripts were sold directly to film and television companies, and then the film and television companies would come forward to find directors, actors, and investors, and then start filming."

Zhou Mengyao shook her head: "No, the script can also be published by others, not necessarily by our publishing house. Well, anyway, business is like this, there are not so many rules and regulations. If someone has a good thing and can't swallow it by himself, just find someone to cooperate with, and everyone can make money. We don't have a film and television company, otherwise, we would shoot it ourselves, and we wouldn't need others to get involved. Besides, we spent a lot of money to invite Teacher Zhou. If the script is sold directly, we won't be able to make back the money, okay? Who would do a business that loses money?"

Isn't it because I produce the script myself that I can get less money when investing? Under the same dividend situation, a script accounts for a lot of weight. The money for hiring Mr. Zhou should also be taken into account.

Qiao Bailu nodded: "I understand, no more questions, I'm leaving now, bye~"

Zhou Mengyao also waved and turned to look at Yao Lingling: "Where are you going later?"

"As for elective courses, I've chosen the one in the Journalism Department. The remaining two classes are both held there. I'm leaving now. Bye." Yao Lingling also waved her hand while holding her schoolbag. When she was a freshman, she was a little confused. She wanted to be a reporter, but was transferred to the Literature Department. Would she be further and further away from her dream in the future?

But look at the friends around me, Bai Lu is determined to become a gold medal screenwriter, Mengyao is determined to become a strong woman, both of them are fighting for their dreams. If I don’t work hard, let alone my own dreams, the distance between me and my friends will become bigger and bigger.

Just to get along better with her two best friends, she has to work harder.

Zhou Mengyao was left alone, stroking her chin, thinking, "Otherwise, when she is a junior, should she also take a few elective finance courses?"

When they got to the bottom of the laboratory building, Qiao Bailu called Xie Jiayuan, who told her to just go up. This time, she was doing the experiment for the seniors. Since the New Year, their class had more experimental classes. Xie Jiayuan was taking an experimental class this afternoon.

The lab was on the first floor, so Qiao Bailu went in directly and looked for it by looking at the house number. After finding it, she tiptoed through the glass on the door to look inside. The lab was very large, with dozens of people inside, two or three people per lab table. The teacher was probably done with the class, so he sat in the front, leaning back in his chair and looking at the computer.

Qiao Bailu searched for a while before she found Xie Jiayuan. He was paired with two other boys. One of them was holding a test tube and the other was holding a thermometer. Xie Jiayuan was dissecting a mouse.

With a twitch of her lips, Qiao Bailu decided not to go in. So, she sent a text message to Xie Jiayuan, turned around and slipped out. She found a random flower bed outside to sit down, took out a book and started reading.

Less than 20 minutes later, Xie Jiayuan came out with a white coat hanging on his arm: "You don't have any classes later?"

"Well, there are only two classes this afternoon. Why, do you have classes?" Qiao Bailu asked with her head tilted. Looking down, Xie Jiayuan also lowered his head slightly with a smile on his face: "It will be the experimental class of Class 2 later. The teacher said that he has something else to do, so he asked me and a few other students to help teach Class 2."

"Oh, Class 2." Qiao Bailu blinked. Isn't Zhang Minmin from Class 2?

"Then just find me a table. I'll wait for you in the lab, okay?" Qiao Bailu stood up, took Xie Jiayuan's arm, and said with a smile, "Or, is there any room in the next lab?"

"Just wait for me in the back." Xie Jiayuan reached out and rubbed her hair, then pulled her into the lab building. "There aren't too many people in Class 2, so there's an extra lab table. Feel free to use it, but don't make trouble later."

Qiao Bailu was dissatisfied: "When have I ever made trouble? Don't worry, I will definitely not disturb you. I will be quiet."

Xie Jiayuan nodded with a smile, entered the laboratory, helped her put the computer away, and then turned it on. There were a few other people in the laboratory, all of whom were Xie Jiayuan's classmates, and they all knew Qiao Bailu. When they saw her come in, they all greeted her with a smile.

Soon, the people from Class 2 came in. Xie Jiayuan's classmate stood on the podium and patted the table: "Let's divide into groups first. This time, we will divide into groups of three. According to the student numbers, understand?"

It is normal to divide into groups when doing experiments. Anyone who has done it knows that they will find their own partners soon. Xie Jiayuan turned on the computer downstairs. The projector was confiscated before, so it can be used now.

"Each group will have six mice. You will catch them by yourselves later. I believe you have already mastered the method of catching mice, so I will not ask you any more questions. If you don't know how to do it, ask me later, or ask other students. In addition, you will collect two kinds of medicines. There are numbers on the cabinets. Don't collect the same ones. The experiment we are doing today is..."

As he explained, Xie Jiayuan helped to call up various photos from the computer and displayed them on the projector for the students below to watch.

Qiao Bailu would occasionally look up. Sometimes, if she was lucky, she would see a cute little white mouse, and sometimes, if she was unlucky, she would see a bloody little white mouse.

After a half-hour lecture, Xie Jiayuan and his colleagues would walk around the lab, pointing out any students' incorrect postures. If there were any abnormal data, they would also help to troubleshoot.

"Xie Jiayuan, come and take a look at this..." Qiao Bailu frowned and looked over, and saw Zhang Minmin holding the little white mouse with one hand and turning her head to call Xie Jiayuan. This is the third time! The experiment has only started for less than 20 minutes!

"Zhang Mingliang, go check it out first." Xie Jiayuan frowned slightly and called another classmate. Zhang Mingliang smiled and went over to ask, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Minmin curled her lips: "Look at this little white mouse, it's a little abnormal. Will this affect the results of the experiment?"

Qiao Bailu looked at Xie Jiayuan, raised her eyebrows, and smiled. Xie Jiayuan looked over at the same time, smiled slightly, and lowered his head to continue watching the group of students operate. Then Zhang Minmin called Xie Jiayuan again, and Xie Jiayuan pushed it to Zhang Mingliang. After three consecutive times, Zhang Minmin finally changed people and directly called Zhang Mingliang over.

Qiao Bailu felt relieved immediately. She lowered her head and happily read the novels on the Internet. Online novels have begun to develop. There are already many excellent novels on the Internet. The great writers in her memory have also begun to emerge one by one. Although they are not very popular now, they are showing a trend of becoming popular.

Qiao Bailu held her chin in her hand and thought, what should the next book be? She had been preparing for the script for the past few months and had no time to start a new project. The old manuscripts would be published tomorrow, so why not publish them today?

I have written three books about ancient times in a row. Why not change this one to a modern one? Rebirth, right?

Well, I need to prepare two rebirth novels, one focusing on marriage and love, and one focusing on life dreams? The latter even has examples... well, that counts as something, right?

"Hey, why are you here?" Qiao Bailu was lost in thought when she heard someone ask beside her. When she looked up, she saw Zhang Minmin smiling. Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Wait for Jiayuan. It's rare that he is free tonight. We plan to go shopping."

"How happy." Zhang Minmin's face was free of any gloom or jealousy. She pulled a stool and sat down on the side with a smile: "Where are you planning to go? Do you want me to recommend a few places to you? I am a local, so I am familiar with this place."

"No need. It's just shopping without a purpose. If you have a purpose, it's called doing business." Qiao Bailu waved her hand and looked up at the experimental table: "Have you finished your experiment?"

"The only thing left is the measurement data. Don't worry about that." Zhang Minmin smiled and glanced at Qiao Bailu's computer: "Are you reading a novel? I heard from Xie Jiayuan that you write novels. Did you write this?"

"Of course not, everything I wrote has been published." Qiao Bailu shook her head. Anyway, except on the Internet, she had never publicized the fact that she had two pen names. Even her classmates, except Lingling and Mengyao, didn't know about it, not to mention people from other classes or departments.

"You are really capable." Zhang Minmin gave a thumbs up and asked with a smile: "There is something I don't know if Xie Jiayuan has told you about."

Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows slightly, and Zhang Minmin continued, "It was at the beginning of this year. One of our teachers said that every year our school will have exchange students with the M country. If you want to go, you can sign up. At that time, depending on the results, the school will confirm two people."

Zhang Minmin pointed at Xie Jiayuan and said, "Based on Xie Jiayuan's grades, he is almost certain to pass. Summer vacation is only two months away, so he can go there directly. He will be abroad for his third and fourth years, and then come back to make up for the two years of school classes."

In other words, you have to study for two extra years. Other undergraduates graduate in four years, but if you want to go abroad, it will take six years to graduate.

Qiao Bailu shook her head slightly: "Not yet. I guess he wants to wait until the results come out before telling me. If it's summer vacation, I can just go there with him and have a vacation or something."

"You're not worried?" Zhang Minmin was a little confused. Qiao Bailu tilted her head and was also a little confused: "What are you worried about?"

"I heard that you two were living together. Now that you are living in different places, will it be possible that..." Zhang Minmin raised her eyebrows: "I heard that long-distance relationships never have a good ending. He is alone in a foreign country, so it is easy for him to fall in love with someone else."

"Of course I believe him." Qiao Bailu waved her hand: "You don't know him well enough to say such things. Jiayuan is a man of his word. He has never failed to keep his promise to me, so I won't doubt him."

Zhang Minmin smiled and stood up: "I'm glad you don't doubt it. I've been worrying for nothing. I'll go over and continue my experiment."

Qiao Bailu waved her hand, and waited until Zhang Minmin left before she frowned slightly. Xie Jiayuan did not say anything about going abroad. Could it be that he had other plans? Zhang Minmin came here, probably just to sow seeds of doubt in her, right?

Long-distance relationships are indeed not easy. When the day comes when she can’t stand it anymore and becomes suspicious all the time, she might have really fallen into the trap dug by Zhang Minmin.

After thinking for a long time, the experimental class ended, and Xie Jiayuan came over to help her carry her schoolbag: "Let's go? I guess Zhenting is waiting. Go there early and eat early. Aren't you planning to go to the supermarket in the evening?"

"Zhang Minmin came to me just now and told me something." After leaving the laboratory building, Qiao Bailu said, "What are your plans for going abroad?"

Xie Jiayuan stopped and turned to look at her: "You know?"

Bella Qiao nodded, and Xie Jiayuan reached out and pinched her cheek: “Not angry?”

"No, you're not not coming back. You're just going abroad for two years. Anyway, during summer and winter vacations, either you come back to see me or I go to see you. It's not like we won't see each other forever for two years." Qiao Bailu pouted and pulled him forward: "But you must not do anything to let me down, otherwise, I won't want you. You can't use toothbrushes and men that have been used by others, understand?"

Xie Jiayuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You still don't believe me? I didn't tell you before because it hasn't been finalized yet. There are only two places. Although my grades are good, it's not just about grades."

Qiao Bailu nodded in understanding. Sometimes it depends on the overall strength, for example, moral character. The country cannot send a person with corrupt morals out. Who knows if you will come back after you go out? It would be a waste of quota.

"There may be definite news after the school anniversary. I originally planned to let you focus all your attention on the school anniversary." Xie Jiayuan said again. Qiao Bailu looked up at him: "Who knows what Zhang Minmin is thinking? By the way, do you think Zhang Minmin knows that I want to fight for the school anniversary program? How can it be such a coincidence?"

"That's impossible. We're so far away. Apart from telling me, Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao, you haven't told anyone else, right?" Xie Jiayuan shook his head: "It's probably just a coincidence. In fact, you don't need to pay attention to her at all. Don't force yourself to chat with her."

Qiao Bailu nodded: "I know, but there are a lot of people here, I can't just ignore them, maybe your class will spread the word that you have a girlfriend with a bad temper, and then a lot of people will sympathize with you and advise you to change your girlfriend or something..."

Xie Jiayuan couldn't help laughing: "Those people are not me. If they advise me to change, do I have to listen and change quickly? You think too much."

Qiao Bailu glanced at him and said, "That's because you haven't read the novels of later generations. There are so many ways to snatch a boyfriend, such as the affection offensive, the friendship offensive, and so on. If you don't care about it yourself, then I have to care about it for you, right?"

When I arrived at Qiao Zhenting's school, it was already six o'clock. Qiao Zhenting was leaning against the school gate and looking around. When he saw someone coming, he muttered, "You're so late. I've been waiting for an hour! I'm starving. Hurry up and go to the cafeteria to eat first. I'll let you know what I usually eat. It's really not tasty."

Normally, when Qiao Zhenting returned, he was like a starving ghost. To be honest, Qiao Bailu had been curious for a long time. The university cafeteria shouldn't be too bad, right? At the very least, there should be a few small stir-fry restaurants, right?

Qiao Zhenting curled his lips and said, "Yes, yes, small stir-fry restaurants are so expensive, how can you eat there every day? You will definitely go bankrupt, so I have to suffer a little and eat in the cafeteria every day."

After leading the two people in, Qiao Zhenting went to get the food. When it was served, Qiao Bailu burst out laughing and pointed at Qiao Zhenting: "No wonder, you eat this every day. Fortunately, you haven't become a bamboo pole. Don't you have any meat dishes?"

They are all vegetarian dishes, cabbage and tofu, and there is no oil at all.

"Yes, but there's no meat. I might as well buy this." Qiao Zhenting said weakly, "If you hadn't said you wanted to see it, I could have gone to dinner with you today!"

"Maybe the school wants you to stay in shape? After all, your school is also training art students." Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows and smiled, paused and continued: "Don't be sad, I'll take you to a big dinner on Saturday."

Qiao Zhenting then smiled widely and nodded vigorously: "But you said it, you can't go back on your word. By the way, I'm going to be a sophomore soon, can I move out? After all, we have my room in our house, it can't be left empty forever, right?"

"Yes, yes, you can move back when summer vacation starts." Qiao Bailu nodded. Basically, he could make friends in his freshman year, so there was no need to force him to come to school.

Chapter 54

Huang Qiwen had shined at the welcome party last time, so this time, there were quite a few people writing stage play scripts. In addition to Qiao Bailu and Huang Qiwen, there were three other girls in their class. Class 2 had three girls and one boy, as well as students from the history department and the philosophy department.

It is more difficult for these two departments to produce programs. You can't ask the history department to go on stage to identify antiques, right? It would be better to write a stage play and perform a historical drama. The philosophy department is even more difficult. Can you ask people to go on stage to talk about philosophy? So, these two also produced scripts. The history department's play - a short historical story, and the philosophy department's play - the famous play Thunderstorm.

Qiao Bailu submitted her script early in the morning and began to wait patiently. She waited for three days in a row, and finally the monitor replied that her and Huang Qiwen's scripts from her class had been submitted, and two from Class 2 were also selected, and then sent to the student union for a vote.

Then there was the waiting, which was even harder than playing a game. At least in a game, you could predict the ending halfway through the game. But for this, you could only wait.

In particular, although Qiao Bailu was very confident, she was not sure about the hobbies of those who could make the decision. Do they like ancient dramas or future dramas? Do they like modern dramas more or stage plays more? Do they like original works or classics more?

There is actually not much difference between drama and stage play. Many people even think that they are the same type.

Fortunately, she was lucky enough. Within half a month, her script successfully passed several levels and was finally sent to the school student union, waiting for the final selection.

At the same time, Huang Qiwen's script was selected, as well as the scripts of the History Department and the Philosophy Department. In other words, the final round, the one that can represent the School of Arts will be selected from these four scripts.

Qiao Bailu was restless and worried even while eating: "Actually, I have read a little bit of the history department's script. It's really interesting. History usually seems quite boring, but the script they wrote is so cute."

The cute ones can’t help but laugh, and there are also those from the philosophy department. The scripts are ready-made, they just need to provide the actors!

"I think the final result should be to choose one between you and the history department, and the philosophy department..." Xie Jiayuan shook his head while drinking soup: "Although this script is very famous, the school anniversary celebration mainly focuses on the students' innovative ability."

From a small perspective, the school anniversary is a good day for the school to celebrate its 100th anniversary. From a large perspective, the participants include various successful and elite people in the society. Most of them come to discover talents, and a small number of them come to build relationships.

Although the philosophy department is good, they definitely don't want to be actors in the future, so I guess this will be the first to be rejected. The history department has a big advantage, that is, it writes about history. It just so happens that the centenary celebration of the school is also celebrating time. Only by remembering history can we create a better future. Looking back on history can also help us imagine a better future.

Therefore, whether this historical drama is about prosperity or a century of national humiliation, it is equally meaningful. Coincidentally, Qiao Bailu writes about the future, which just happens to match this historical drama.

"That means there is another opponent." Qiao Bailu held her cheek and sighed. Xie Jiayuan finished his soup and took the bowl to wash. Qiao Bailu hurried over and handed him a rag. "I don't know what the script of the history department is about, and what the main theme will be."

"If you knew, it would be a big deal." Only those who participated in the selection process could see the specific content of the script. Of course, Qiao Bailu could not see it.

"Okay, it's getting late. The results will be out soon anyway. There's no point in worrying now. Can you write another script right away without any mistakes?" Xie Jiayuan reached out and touched her head. "Go to bed quickly. If you are selected, you must go to receive the award radiantly. If you are not selected, you must hold your head high and not let others see your failure."

The corners of Bella Qiao’s mouth twitched, and she reached out to press his stomach: “You’re sleeping right after drinking the soup?”

"Well, I just can't gain weight anyway." Xie Jiayuan said lightly. Qiao Bailu screamed and pinched his neck: "Don't you know that I envy this the most? You actually said it out loud to make me jealous!"

Xie Jiayuan smiled and stretched out his hand, hugged the person who threw himself into his arms and kissed him: "You should be happy, this way, our future children will have a 50% chance of being like me, and will not gain weight no matter how much they eat, and you don't have to worry about them not being able to find a partner."

Qiao Bailu was speechless: "How could I worry that they can't find a partner? It's not like they can't afford to support them... No, we haven't gotten married yet, why should I discuss this topic with you?"

Pouting, Qiao Bailu let go: "It's not good for your health to go to bed right after eating. You go read a book first. I'll go take a shower. You can take a shower after I'm done, and then go to bed, okay?"

Xie Jiayuan nodded, indicating that he understood. They took a shower and went back to their rooms to sleep. Qiao Bailu thought that she would not be able to sleep, after all, the results would be out the next day, but unexpectedly, she slept well and almost woke up late in the morning.

Urging Xie Jiayuan to go out quickly, Qiao Bailu was curious as she rushed to school: "Aren't you never late before? How come I got up late today and you didn't get up either? Did you go out to steal chickens last night?"

"It's all because of you. I was so worried about you yesterday, afraid that you would be sad if you didn't get elected. I was thinking all night about how I would comfort you if you didn't get elected. You didn't sleep well, so naturally you got up late." Xie Jiayuan was helpless. Qiao Bailu couldn't help but smile. No wonder she slept so well last night. It turned out that all the worries she should have had were caused by this person. Of course, she felt relieved.

Smiling, she leaned her head on Xie Jiayuan's back and said, "How about this, if I'm not selected, you take me on a trip! I want to go to Hejiazhai! I want to go to Jiulongmen! I want to go to YN!"

Xie Jiayuan was a little worried: "There are so many places. If I want to go around properly, a month is not enough. Otherwise, how about just picking one place?"

Qiao Bailu shook her head: "I want to go to all of them. I can't pick the one I want to go to the most."

"Okay, but let's stagger the trips. We'll go to Hejiazhai during the May Day holiday, Jiulongmen during the summer vacation, and YN during the winter vacation, okay?"

"You might have been in Country M during the winter vacation." Qiao Bailu sighed, and Xie Jiayuan couldn't help laughing: "It's not like I won't come back. I will work harder and try to come back earlier. Maybe I can finish two years of credits in one year."

"No, don't work too hard. Your health is the most important thing. The food there is not good, and I heard the public security is not very good either. You'd better stay in school and don't be lazy when it comes to eating or sleeping."

As he spoke, the car entered the campus and stopped downstairs of Qiao Bailu's class. After watching Qiao Bailu go in, Xie Jiayuan rushed to his own class.

When Qiao Bailu entered the room, the teacher was already standing there, so she quickly slipped in along the wall. She was so lucky that the teacher for this class happened to be a very gentle person, and even paused for a moment, waiting for Qiao Bailu to sit down before continuing to teach.

"Why are you here just now?" Zhou Mengyao asked in a low voice while lying on the table. Qiao Bailu took out a note and wrote her a note: "You got up late. Did the teacher call the roll?"

"No, they said it was the time for the get out of class to end." Zhou Mengyao replied with a smile. Qiao Bailu nodded and began to listen to the class seriously.

The class was over quickly, and the next class had to go to another classroom. Qiao Bailu called Zhou Mengyao and Yao Lingling, and the three of them walked together. Yao Lingling asked, "Did your script pass?"

Section

Section 2 "I don't know either. The student union said they will notify us today. Today is still a long day. It's only nine o'clock now, and there are still fifteen hours until twelve o'clock in the evening."

Yao Lingling glared at her and said, "It will definitely not be later than eight o'clock in the evening. So, there are only eleven hours left."

"I think it won't be later than six o'clock, right?" Zhou Mengyao shook her head and said, "If she is selected, the student union will definitely ask Bai Lu to go and talk about selecting actors and getting costumes, so the time should be shortened."

Yao Lingling added: "We also need to estimate whether Bai Lu will be in school after school, so we must tell her before school is over, so that Bai Lu can be prepared."

Qiao Bailu covered her chest and said, "Why didn't you tell me? You should have notified me this morning."

"Doesn't that give you hope?" Yao Lingling sighed and patted her shoulder: "I'm sorry."

Zhou Mengyao looked at her with sympathy, and made the same movements and spoke in the same tone as Yao Lingling: "My condolences."

Qiao Bailu was speechless: "Do you have friends like you? Why do you always criticize me? Can't you say a few words to encourage me?"

"The words that inspired you should have been said when you were writing the script. Now that the script has been submitted, it can no longer be revised, so there is no need to say words that inspire you."

Qiao Bailu was depressed, but she also knew that Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao meant well and were trying to give her a blow in advance so that she wouldn't hold out such high hopes. If she really wasn't chosen, she wouldn't be too disappointed. With mental preparation, she wouldn't be too sad.

As they were talking, they heard Qiao Bailu's cell phone ringing. Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao's eyes changed immediately. They looked at Qiao Bailu with shining eyes, as if she wanted to take it out and read the text message quickly. Qiao Bailu was speechless and quickly took out her cell phone. It was an unfamiliar number, so she opened it, read two lines, and couldn't help laughing.

Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao had just leaned over to look, and now they also laughed. They both reached out and patted Qiao Bailu on the shoulder at the same time: "Congratulations, you must treat us at noon!"

Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile: "Of course, of course. It would be a shame not to treat us to such a great event."

"You were actually selected." Zhou Mengyao's congratulations were purely reflexive. Now she came back to her senses: "Didn't they say that you are on par with the history department?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe the history department will be selected as well?" After all, one is a stage play and the other is a drama, so they are not of the same type. Besides, even in the Spring Festival Gala, there are overlaps in song and dance, and there are also overlaps in crosstalk and sketches. It is possible that stage plays and dramas appear at the same time, right?

"The text message said that I have to go to the student union for a meeting this afternoon. I'll ask then." Qiao Bailu said with a smile, "Hey, do we have classes this afternoon?"

"Yes, two sessions." Yao Lingling stretched out her finger and patted Qiao Bailu again: "But this show is important, just go. I will ask for leave for you and lend you my notes."

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly. The surprise came too suddenly. Qiao Bailu spent the next two classes in a silly smile. Zhou Mengyao and Yao Lingling were very considerate at first, but in the end they couldn't stand it anymore and moved aside tacitly, indicating that they were not in the same group with Qiao Bailu.

Just as she was about to leave after school, Huang Qiwen called her over and came over with a smile and asked, "The results are out today. How was it? Were you selected?"

"It's said that I was selected." Qiao Bailu shook her phone. "But you know, even the program list for the Spring Festival Gala can be changed until the last few days, let alone this one for our school. So, I can't relax until the last minute."

"Basically, the selection has been made this time. Congratulations." Huang Qiwen was very nice. She patted Qiao Bailu's arm with a little regret: "It's a pity that I didn't get selected. Alas, it seems that I still can't compare to you."

"You also studied literature, don't you know the saying that there is no best in literature?" Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows and said with a smile: "Don't say such things in the future, it's just that everyone has their own strengths."

Huang Qiwen nodded, smiled, waved to Qiao Bailu, and turned away. Qiao Bailu touched her chin, smiled and pulled Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao: "Let's go, let's go have a big meal! A small stir-fry restaurant!"

The two girls followed happily, and after leaving the teaching building, they waited for Xie Jiayuan again. The four of them took three bicycles and headed straight for the stir-fry restaurant. Yao Lingling was from the south, Zhou Mengyao was from the north, and Qiao Bailu was from the Central Plains, where she could eat anything. After considering everything, the three of them chose a hot pot restaurant.

Qiao Bailu was speechless: "At noon, eating hot pot..."

"Why can't we eat hot pot at noon?" Yao Lingling asked while ordering food. Zhou Mengyao also looked curious: "Yes, why can't we eat hot pot at noon?"

"Maybe it's because the lunch hour is short?" Xie Jiayuan answered for Qiao Bailu, "Eating hotpot is all about the atmosphere, it's lively and you can chat while eating, you can eat as long as you want. At night, there's more time, you can eat until 8 o'clock if you want, or until 10 o'clock if you want. The lunch hour is short, only two and a half hours, so it's not very suitable."

Yao Lingling frowned: "That's enough. You can even come up with such a ridiculous excuse to help Bai Lu out."

Zhou Mengyao nodded vigorously: "That's right! That's complete nonsense! Two hours is enough to eat hot pot! Otherwise, let me show you today? You can't bend down after eating for two hours!"

Qiao Bailu quickly coughed and said, "Um, do you want some juice? I have classes in the afternoon, so you don't want beer, right?"

In fact, she always thought beer was unpalatable, with that weird taste... She really didn't know why so many people liked it.

"Hmm, there is watermelon juice. How about watermelon juice?" Yao Lingling nodded. Zhou Mengyao shook her head: "Strawberries are just on the market. I want strawberry juice."

"One bottle of the same." The rich girl Qiao Bailu clapped her hands generously, took the menu handed over by Yao Lingling, checked two items that she and Xie Jiayuan liked to eat, and called the waiter over.

Even though there were only four of us, the hotpot meal was still very lively.

After dinner, Zhou Mengyao and Yao Lingling left with good sense. Qiao Bailu and Xie Jiayuan walked hand in hand towards the grove. Xie Jiayuan asked with a smile, "You were chosen, right?"

"Hmm, you guessed it?" Yao Lingling and Zhou Mengyao had just agreed not to say anything. Xie Jiayuan nodded and said, "You look so happy, I guessed it right away. The one from the history department was rejected?"

"I don't know. I have to go to the Student Union for a meeting today. I'll ask then." Qiao Bailu shook her head, found a stool to sit down, stretched her legs, and clasped her hands together: "I hope the journey will be smooth and successful."

"Definitely." Xie Jiayuan smiled and talked about the selection of actors again: "It will definitely be selected from your institute. You will probably have the right to decide when the time comes. Do you have a rule?"

"When the time comes, I'll ask all the classes to see who wants to participate, and then post the cast list. They can choose one and perform a segment each, and I'll make the decision." Qiao Bailu's eyes sparkled, and she looked very expectant. "I've been curious about the casting a long time ago. This time, I can also experience it myself?"

"Well, when the time comes, you can see how other people choose their programs and choose the same way. Don't be too outrageous." Xie Jiayuan stretched out his hand and rubbed her hair. Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Being able to perform a show at the school anniversary celebration is already a very eye-catching thing. You can't make it too eye-catching until the last moment. Otherwise, if there is a slight change at that time, you will probably be laughed at.

"It's good that you know. You probably understand these things better than me, so I won't say much." Xie Jiayuan leaned back and stretched out his legs. Qiao Bailu stretched out her hand and gestured: "Starting from here, your legs are so much longer than mine."

"He's 1.78 meters tall, and you're 1.65 meters tall. Of course, there's a big difference." Xie Jiayuan glanced at him and said. Qiao Bailu stretched out her hands: "Thirteen centimeters! It's just that long, the distance of a head!"

"Oh, that means my legs are long." Xie Jiayuan changed his words without caring. Qiao Bailu narrowed her eyes: "You mean my legs are short?"

"Of course not, you have a perfect figure, golden ratio!" Xie Jiayuan said quickly, giving a thumbs up: "I like your body proportions the most, your head is just right, your neck is neither too long nor too short, your upper body is very good, especially the distance between your waist and hips, which is just right, your legs are also very beautiful, the proportions between your thighs and calves are perfect!"

There was a chuckle from behind, Qiao Bailu and Xie Jiayuan turned their heads at the same time, and saw a boy on the chair behind them, laughing so hard that he was bent over backwards. Qiao Bailu frowned, this person looked so familiar.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” The boy waved his hands. His action made Qiao Bailu suddenly realize: “I remember now! You are the one who laughed at me that day!”

The man stopped laughing and looked puzzled: "Are you kidding me?"

"That day I bumped into a tree and you laughed for a long time." Qiao Bailu frowned: "Why do you always like to make fun of others? You will have no friends if you do this. If you want to laugh, you have to wait until the protagonist is far away before you laugh, so as not to offend others."

The boy stroked his chin and thought for a while, then clapped his hands: "I remember it too. I was saying, it's impossible for me not to have an impression of such a beautiful girl. Hello, what a coincidence. Hello, we meet again. My name is Zhao Hean, what's your name?"

Xie Jiayuan immediately felt a sense of crisis and responded first: "This is my girlfriend, Qiao Bailu, my name is Xie Jiayuan, what year are you in?"

"Oh, I should be your senior. I'm a senior this year." Zhao Hean said with a smile, and turned his gaze to Xie Jiayuan: "I just heard you talking about the school anniversary party. Bai Lu was selected because of a script?"

Qiao Bailu nodded. They were not in the same grade, so the competition was not that great. Oh, no, maybe the competition was very great. She hurriedly asked, "Which department are you from?"

"I'm from the School of Journalism and Communication, not the same school as you." Zhao Hean said with a smile, and stood up: "Okay, I won't bother you anymore, I'm leaving now, maybe we'll have a chance to meet again, bye."

Qiao Bailu stretched out her hand and shook it, then turned to look at Xie Jiayuan: "She looks pretty good."

Xie Jiayuan curled his lips: "What's so good about a romantic face? This kind of appearance is the most attractive to peach blossoms. You'd better stay away from him, be careful not to get hurt by mistake."

Qiao Bailu laughed so hard that her eyes were invisible: "Are you jealous?"

"No, I'm so outstanding, who else can you like if you don't like me?" Xie Jiayuan stretched out his hand and pinched Qiao Bailu's cheek: "Anyway, you should be more careful. Don't be foolish to be your friend just because someone looks kind."

Qiao Bailu nodded: "Don't worry, he has such a bad personality and always laughs at others, I won't like him. Okay, okay, it's almost time, it's almost time for class, you should go back quickly, I should go to the Student Union too."

"I'll take you to the Student Union first." Xie Jiayuan stood up, pulled Qiao Bailu up, and rode his bicycle to take her to the Student Union. The Student Union of Q University also has nearly a hundred people, and several offices, so it almost occupies an entire floor. In addition, there are other clubs in this building, such as the calligraphy club, the tea art club, and dozens of clubs of all sizes, which almost fill up the 16 floors.

Qiao Bailu looked at the icon below. The Student Union was on the sixteenth floor, the highest floor, so she had to take the elevator up.

I knocked on the door and a very pretty girl came to open it: "Hello, this is the Student Union, who are you looking for?"

"My name is Qiao Bailu. I received a text message saying that my script was selected for the school anniversary program, so I came here for a meeting." Qiao Bailu took out her cell phone, played the text message, and gestured.

The girl took it and looked at it: "Ah, Qiao Bailu, that's right, come in quickly, the meeting will start in ten minutes, and more than half of the people are here, come in and sit down, would you like some tea or coffee?"

"Tea, thank you." Qiao Bailu nodded quickly and followed him in. The layout was the same as in a classroom, with a podium above and rows of seats below. There were already more than thirty people sitting there. Qiao Bailu didn't know anyone, so she found a more secluded place and secretly looked at the people who were already there.

Chapter 55

"This is the list of programs selected this time. Each of you has a copy. You can introduce each other later." The head of the Propaganda Department said, and he stood up and handed out a stack of papers. Qiao Bailu took it and couldn't help turning her head to look at the person on her left: "Why are you here? You also have a program selected? Which one is it?"

Zhao Hean smiled and pointed at a name with his finger: "Look here."

Qiao Bailu lowered her head to look, and then the corners of her mouth couldn't help but twitch. No wonder she felt that Zhao Hean looked familiar when they first met. It turned out that it was not because Zhao Hean looked too common. Handsome guys all have their own characteristics.

Program hosts: Zhao Hean, Miao Huifang.

The hosts of the welcome party are Zhao Hean and Miao Huifen.

"No wonder you're still in school as a senior." Qiao Bailu understood instantly, tilted her head and lowered her voice: "Just to host this party, right?"

The evening party programs are all presented by students, the performers are also students, and the host cannot be a person from society. Although I have graduated in the second half of my senior year, I have not graduated after all, and I have not received my diploma yet.

Zhao Hean flicked the paper and said, "I am preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination, so I have been staying in school."

Qiao Bailu nodded in understanding and lowered her eyes to look at the list. Generally speaking, the first program was always singing and dancing, and this one was no exception. Qiao Bailu estimated that her drama should be in the middle, but unexpectedly, it was the second one.

This was totally unexpected, a complete surprise. I was so excited that I managed to suppress the corners of my mouth that were curled up. I quickly looked down and saw that the one from the history department was not sure if he was selected.

There were 26 programs, and the history department was not eliminated. The program was in the middle. Qiao Bailu couldn't control her smile. She pointed at the name of the stage play - Light of the Future. It took three months of hard work, and it really didn't go to waste.

"That's it." Zhao Hean also came over to take a look and nodded with a smile: "I read the script. This program is pretty good. You have good skills to be able to write such a script."

"I've been preparing for half a year." Although it has only been three months since I started writing, I began to conceive it last year, so it can be said that I have been preparing for half a year.

Zhao Hean was really surprised: "So long? You wanted to attend the school anniversary party from the beginning?"

"Yeah." Qiao Bailu nodded generously. Seeing that Zhao Hean wanted to speak, she shushed him, indicating that there was already someone on the podium. It was probably the president of the student union, but Qiao Bailu didn't know him.

"The program list is already here. You guys estimated the time for your own program. Let me make it clear that when you rehearse, you are not allowed to exceed this time. Do you understand?"

"Also, the producers of each program, please stand up and let everyone get to know each other. Let's start with the first program." After the man finished speaking, he looked around, and then a girl in the first row stood up: "Hello everyone, I'm He Ting, a junior in the journalism department. The program I prepared is singing and dancing, and a medley of songs."

Seeing that the girl sat down immediately after saying just one sentence, Qiao Bailu also stood up quickly: "Hello everyone, I am Qiao Bailu from the Department of Literature of the College of Arts, sophomore. I am very happy to meet you. The program I prepared is the stage play Light of the Future."

There was nothing else to say, so they quickly sat down. There were more than 20 people, and each of them said a few words, which took about ten minutes.

The president of the student union coughed lightly and said, "Okay, now that everyone knows each other, I will briefly talk about the theme of our meeting today. First, we will determine the actors for the performance, second, we will determine the rehearsal time and location, and third, we will determine the subsequent auditions."

"First, let's talk about the first one. If you have confirmed the actors for your own program, please raise your hands." The student union president took a look, and someone next to him clicked on the computer with a mouse: "He Ting, did you choose someone from your class or the college?"

"It's from the department. Almost everyone can participate, because it's a big medley, and the dances have to be medleyed, and the actors will be replaced in batches." He Ting stood up and said, and the president nodded: "Okay, this program will be performed by..."

After a pause, he pointed at another list and said, "Wang Jie from the Publicity Department will be in charge. Is that ok?"

Another girl immediately stood up and nodded in agreement: "Okay."

The president explained further: "We're arranging a student union member to be in charge. This doesn't mean that she will rehearse the program for you. Rather, if you have any other problems during the rehearsal, for example, you can find Wang Jie if you can't find a rehearsal room. If you can't find the costumes, you can also find Wang Jie. If you don't have a makeup artist, you can also find Wang Jie."

Everyone nodded in agreement. After asking several people, they all found out that they had already chosen the actors and the president had assigned a person in charge. Fortunately, there were enough people in the student union, so each program could have a person in charge.

"Qiao Bailu, do you have actors for your show?" It was finally Qiao Bailu's turn. Qiao Bailu quickly shook her head: "Not yet. I wonder if the student union has any suggestions."

If the student union could take full responsibility, she wouldn't have to worry about it and could just wait for the show to be rehearsed.

"There is no arrangement. We are only responsible for listening to your ideas and then giving appropriate suggestions based on your ideas." The president said with a stern face. Qiao Bailu quickly led you: "I understand. Then I will choose from the School of Arts. Please ask the president to assign me a person who is familiar with the sophomore school of arts."

The president nodded, and this time he didn't point directly, but asked again: "Who among you is familiar with the Faculty of Arts?"

A group of people below gathered together and discussed for three minutes, and then a girl raised her hand: "Me."

"Okay, you'll do it." The president nodded and started to arrange other programs. These had nothing to do with Qiao Bailu. After the meeting, Qiao Bailu took the initiative to find the girl: "Hello, I'm Qiao Bailu, a sophomore."

"Oh, you are my junior. I am a junior and my name is Liu Aiping." Then, he stretched out his hand and shook hands with Qiao Bailu: "Do you have any specific plans?"

"Yes, I would like to ask you to send a text message to the monitors of each class and ask them to choose among their classmates first, those who have dance skills, those who are not nervous on stage, those who have a nice voice, those who have performance skills, and those who want to perform."

Bella Qiao said with a smile: "Does Senior have any other suggestions?"

"No, I'm responsible for the work. If you have anything to do, just let me do it." Liu Aiping patted Qiao Bailu's shoulder generously: "Then I'll send a text message now and report to you tomorrow morning. Then what?"

"Don't report it to me. Ask those people to set a time and gather in the front lobby on the first floor of the Arts College Building. We will roughly screen them first and try to finalize the cast list within two days. Then we can rehearse directly."

Qiao Bailu said with a smile, and stretched out her hand to pull Liu Aiping: "This is the first time I do these things, and I need Senior Liu to guide me. How about this? I wonder if Senior Liu has classes tomorrow morning?"

The school also knows about the school anniversary, so since April, the schedule of each class has been relaxed a lot. But it does not mean that these classes can be taken carelessly. After April, even Saturdays are scheduled for classes all day.

Liu Aiping shook her head: "I don't have classes in the morning. How come you don't have classes too?"

Qiao Bailu nodded: "What a coincidence, then let's set it for tomorrow morning? Let's finish the casting earlier and start rehearsals earlier. What do you think, Sister Liu?"

Liu Aiping naturally had no objection, and they confirmed the time to meet tomorrow. The two said goodbye and left the building in different directions. Qiao Bailu looked at the time. It was just four o'clock, and it was still early. Since Yao Lingling had already asked for leave, she didn't want to go to the classroom anymore.

After thinking about it, he called Zhou Yanhua: "Didn't they say that the filming had already started? How much has it been filmed so far? When will it be released? I can also stay in front of the TV and watch it."

"This TV show is in the summer vacation, so it will be released in July." Zhou Yanhua said with a smile, and then asked, "I was just about to call you, but I didn't expect you to call me first. I heard that you have a show for your school's anniversary celebration?"

Qiao Bailu curled her lips. It must be Zhou Mengyao who said that. Speaking of which, Zhou Mengyao and Zhou Yanhua both have the last name Zhou. Is it a coincidence or is there really a connection?

"Yes, there are. Sister Zhou, do you want to come and see?" Qiao Bailu said with a smile. Zhou Yanhua chuckled and said, "Well, let's see if we can dig up some good seedlings by chance. However, you don't have to worry about this kind of thing. I will go and see it myself later, so that I can support you."

"Okay then. I'll wait for Sister Zhou to come." Qiao Bailu said with a smile. After a few jokes, she hung up the phone and sent a text message to Xie Jiayuan. Xie Jiayuan was still in class and had no time to pay attention to her, so after hesitating for a while, she decided to go to the library.

However, as soon as I turned a corner, I ran into Zhao Hean: "Where are you going?"

"Library, didn't you leave a long time ago?" Qiao Bailu was a little curious. Zhao Hean shook his head: "No, I discussed the host's lines with Miao Huifen. There are six hosts this time, and everyone's style and words to say need to be determined."

Then he turned around and said, "That's great. I want to go to the library too. Let's go together."

"What are you doing in the library?" Qiao Bailu was a little curious. Zhao Hean pointed to the book in his hand and said, "Didn't I tell you? I'm planning to take the postgraduate entrance examination. The exam is coming up soon, so I have to race against time."

Let's go together. Qiao Bailu just wanted to find out about other programs, so she followed him and said, "Is this the final program? Will it be changed?"

"It's hard to say. Maybe at the end of rehearsal, they suddenly find a program that is more exciting, so they extend it by one minute. Don't underestimate this one minute, it can cut off a program. The host can make a few jokes in the remaining time to deal with it."

Zhao Hean shrugged nonchalantly. "Also, for example, during the rehearsal, if something goes wrong with a program, such as an actor having a bad character, fighting, skipping classes or cheating on papers, that program will be eliminated."

Qiao Bailu frowned slightly: "But, the actors are all randomly selected, and I don't know what their character is like. How can I ensure that there is no problem?"

"Don't you have a person in charge?" Zhao He'an said with a smile, "Please the person in charge as much as possible. She will exclude these external factors. The remaining ones are non-objective factors. For example, the program has backlash... Ahem, do you understand?"

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "I understand. I promise that this kind of problem will not occur in my show. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"

"Yes, for example, costumes, backgrounds and so on. The costumes are easy to get. You describe them to the person in charge, and she will find someone to draw them, and then show them to you, and finally confirm them. The background is not easy to get, especially for a stage play like yours, which is a background for the future. Many things, from what I see in the description, can only exist in imagination. This is not easy to solve, and you need to communicate with the person in charge frequently."

"The rest are basically minor issues, so you don't need to pay too much attention to them. Generally speaking, the person in charge is also very responsible. After all, if the show is successful, they also have a share of the credit. However, the prerequisite is that you get along well with the person in charge and don't make things too awkward."

"Um, do you know Senior Liu?" Qiao Bailu asked hurriedly, "What does she like the most and what does she hate the most? Will she agree if I treat her to a meal? What is the best way to bribe her?"

Zhao Hean burst out laughing and looked at her sideways: "I've told you so much, do you want to bribe me too?"

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "No problem, I'll treat you to dinner today!"

"That's not bad. I'll be disrespectful if you don't give me that. I want to have a big dinner tonight!" Zhao Hean rubbed his hands and said, "Do you have a thick wallet? I won't be broke with just one meal, right?"

"No, no, just order whatever you want." Qiao Bailu also smiled: "I have enough money. You taught me so many things today, it would be unreasonable not to treat you to a big meal. Then let's make a deal and go for a big meal later."

As she spoke, she took out her phone to send a text message. Zhao Hean winked mischievously: "Is it to your jealous boyfriend?"

"He's not a jealous person." Qiao Bailu said helplessly, "I'm not trying to defend my boyfriend. To be honest, you did behave a little annoyingly today. We were just talking peacefully when you suddenly laughed at us. My boyfriend is relatively mild-mannered. If he were someone with a bad temper, he would have beaten you up, especially when his girlfriend was present. He had to give you a beating just to save face."

Zhao Hean waved his hands hurriedly: "I have a low sense of humor, please don't mind it, I really didn't mean it today."

"I know. If I get mad at you, I won't talk to you." Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile. After sending the text message, she put her phone in her bag: "What kind of dinner do you want to have tonight?"

"Well, let's have seafood. I've been craving for it lately." Zhao Hean was really not polite and ordered it immediately: "If you don't have money, you don't have to force yourself to eat it."

"You're really rich. I just got my royalties, tens of thousands. You can't spend 100,000 or 200,000 on a meal, right?" Qiao Bailu said with a smile, "Okay, okay, the dinner is settled. Now can you tell me about Senior Sister Liu?"

"Liu Aiping, right?" Zhao Hean touched his chin. "She has the same temper and personality. She is straightforward and doesn't get angry easily. However, she is very serious about her work. As for you, you keep your private life private and your business life business. Only by doing this will she be happy. In addition, if you want to treat her to a meal, it's best to treat her to Western food. She prefers Western food."

"Oh, you know so much about her? You even know what she likes to eat?" Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows, Zhao Hean spread his hands: "We can't help it, we have cooperated for many times, and every time there is a party in the school, Liu Aiping has to show up frequently. You are lucky to have picked up Liu Aiping. Those who are unlucky, like the person in charge of that skit, Zhang Guangxuan, he is more..."

Tilting his head, Zhao Hean raised his eyebrows: "I like to curry favor with people, understand?"

Qiao Bailu nodded: "I understand, I understand. That is to say, when selecting actors, we may look at their status instead of their talent."

"That's right. In this case, if the show wants to be outstanding, it will completely depend on the script." Zhao Hean said with a smile, paused, and added: "However, the program he is responsible for will definitely pass. Normally, the student union would not tolerate such a person, but he has his own abilities."

Qiao Bailu touched her ear. Not only was he capable, but he was probably quite capable, with his flaws outweighing his merits. In fact, this ability to curry favor with others, in other words, could also be considered an advantage, such as being tactful? Hey, is the word tactful a positive or negative word?

When they arrived at the library, Zhao Hean said he wanted to look for something on the fourth floor, and Qiao Bailu wanted to go to the study room, so they separated on the second floor.

At half past five, Xie Jiayuan arrived and first went to the second floor to find Qiao Bailu. Seeing that she was typing seriously, he did not disturb her for the time being. He looked around and did not see Zhao Hean, so he took a book and sat aside waiting.

Qiao Bailu followed a plot, raised her head and rubbed her neck, and found Xie Jiayuan: "When did you come here?"

Xie Jiayuan also lowered his voice: "It's been less than 20 minutes since we arrived. It's almost six o'clock. Are we going to eat? Where's Senior Zhao?"

"Senior is upstairs. Wait, I'll notify him." Qiao Bailu took out her cell phone. Xie Jiayuan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Did you exchange cell phone numbers?"

"Well, he is the host of this party. This is my first time to be on a show. If there are things I don't understand, I can ask him." Xie Jiayuan said with a smile, sent a text message, put away his phone, turned off the computer, and pulled Xie Jiayuan downstairs.

After a while, Zhao Hean came out with his hands in his pockets, raised his hand and greeted Xie Jiayuan with a smile: "Xie Xuedi, are you done with school?"

"Well, hello, senior." Xie Jiayuan was very polite. He extended his hand, greeted Zhao Hean, and asked, "Senior, do you have any good places to recommend? As for seafood, it seems that there are only some small places on West Street."

"Yes, there is a seafood restaurant on the North Third Ring Road. The food is really delicious. How about we go there?" Zhao Hean said with a smile. Xie Jiayuan frowned slightly: "Isn't it too far? There is a traffic jam right now. How about we go there later?"

"I'll be starving soon. I didn't eat much at noon." Zhao Hean rubbed his stomach and raised his hand, with the car keys hanging on his fingers: "I'll drive. It will probably take an hour. Let's go."

The two of them followed him to the parking lot stupidly, and saw Zhao Hean driving out a car. Qiao Bailu didn't recognize it, she could at most recognize it was a BMW. But Xie Jiayuan had some knowledge, and when he saw the car logo, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"Senior, did you buy the car yourself?" Sitting in the back with Xie Jiayuan, Qiao Bailu asked with a smile, "Jiayuan and I are also planning to buy a car. Senior, this car looks very expensive."

"How much do you plan to buy the car for?" Zhao Hean asked, Qiao Bailu pointed out: "No more than 300,000."

"Well, I recommend domestic cars, they are safer." Zhao Hean chuckled and said, "Anyway, given your personalities, you two probably won't consider the speed issue. As long as safety is guaranteed, that's enough."

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "That's what I mean. If you want speed, then consider a sports car. We don't have money, so we can only buy an ordinary car."

Xie Jiayuan frowned slightly and squeezed Qiao Bailu's palm. Qiao Bailu blinked and suddenly realized: "Hey, let's not talk about the car. I guess I won't be able to buy one in the next two years. Senior, what are some good attractions in City B? Can you recommend a few?"

Xie Jiayuan will probably go abroad, so it will be useless to buy a car then. Oh, no, Qiao Zhenting can drive. No, he is a kid, he hasn't started to make money yet, he doesn't need a good configuration, just ride a bicycle.

As for herself, she couldn't tell east from west, south from north, and when she was anxious, she would even forget left and right. It would be better for her not to drive. Besides, she didn't go out much, so buying a car would be a waste. She should wait until Xie Jiayuan came back.

We chatted and laughed and arrived at the seafood restaurant. An hour had passed.

Zhao Hean led them in with familiarity. Along the way, Qiao Bailu could see clearly that Zhao Hean's background was probably either rich or noble, and his family conditions were very good.

However, it has nothing to do with her. She can make money on her own, and as for connections, she has Sister Zhou.

"Senior, what do you recommend?" Qiao Bailu and Xie Jiayuan came here for the first time and didn't know what the signature dishes were, so they could only ask Zhao Hean. Zhao Hean didn't even look at the menu and asked first: "Do you like spicy food?"

Both of them shook their heads, and Qiao Bailu quickly added, "If it's a little spicy, you can eat it, but if it's too spicy, you can't eat it."

Zhao Hean nodded to show that he understood, took the menu and pointed at a few dishes: "These are the signature dishes, some are spicy and some are not. Take a look and order a few. These taste pretty good. I like spicy food, so I ordered a stir-fried spicy clams and a spicy shrimp. You can choose the rest yourself."

Zhao Hean was the guest, so even if he didn't order much, Qiao Bailu and Xie Jiayuan had to take his taste into consideration. So they ordered another spicy dish, two slightly spicy dishes, and three non-spicy dishes, plus seafood porridge, and the table was complete.