Recently, Xiao Yu started paying attention to the Starry Sky Kindergarten.
She was incredibly lucky and managed to snag two tickets for their pop-up store.
When she came out, many people were wailing that they couldn't get any tickets.
She was utterly shocked, thinking it was quite easy to get them.
As a result, many people offered to buy the tickets at high prices, and she felt a bit regretful.
If only she had bought a couple more tickets, she could have used two for herself and her best friend, and sold the other two, making a nice profit.
This time, she had bought the tickets for herself and her best friend!
Her best friend was a die-hard fan of the Starry Sky Kindergarten.
Upon learning that Xiao Yu had secured the tickets, she let out a piercing shriek: "I tried so many times but couldn't get any. You're truly a lucky goddess."
Then her best friend excitedly suggested, "Why don't we buy some costumes? Or get our hair and makeup done? We could act out a play!"
Ordinary people might not have much exposure to drama clubs, but everyone has a dream of acting.
If there wasn't an opportunity before, they had to seize this chance and prepare properly!
Her best friend's enthusiasm was fully ignited: "Aren't you a screenwriter? Do you know anyone in the theater troupe? Can we borrow a couple of period costumes?"
Xiao Yu said, "We don't know if it's a modern or historical play yet. How can we choose the costumes?"
"Who cares? Last time, I saw that little eunuch actor playing a zombie in a horror flick. He was hilarious. The main point is being adaptable in different roles."
"I don't know," said Xiao Yu. "I have social anxiety. If we dress up in weird costumes, I'll get nervous."
Her best friend seemed a bit deflated. "Oh, okay. Then let's just book makeup artists. I'll check online to see which studio has the best makeup artists."
"Sounds good!" Xiao Yu replied.
Her best friend added, "Quick, let's register our identities."
"I said I got the tickets for you, so they're for you. I won't sell them."
Her best friend smiled awkwardly. "It's just that these tickets are so hot right now. I'll treat you to meals and makeup appointments from now on."
On the day of the event, the two arrived at the Starry Sky Kindergarten.
Many people were incredibly enthusiastic. This ordinary pop-up store was treated like a Halloween party.
Lots of people came dressed up in costumes.
Online comments read: "These people are too extra."
"Watch out for those cosplaying as celebrities. They might get sued."
"How did so many people get tickets? I didn't get a single one!"
"Good thing there's a livestream."
Xiao Yu and her best friend headed straight to the livestream stage for their first performance.
They had reviewed past videos and knew that once they were assigned roles, the rest would depend on their own improvisation.
The main goal was to have fun and entertain themselves.
But upon arrival, they were surprised to see that even Mr. Meng Zhi, a renowned acting coach, was there.
They instantly realized this event was no ordinary occasion.
Not only did Mr. Meng Zhi provide simple acting techniques, but he also led them through exercises to unleash their natural talents.
This time, they were given a script.
As a screenwriter herself, Xiao Yu found the script to be highly professional when she opened it. Each person had their own lines.
Not just Xiao Yu and her best friend were stunned, but the online comments were equally baffled: "What's going on? This grassroots event suddenly turned into a full-blown production?"
"Shen Wei's wealth must be unfathomable."
"I've seen this acting coach on variety shows before. How did they manage to bring him to the kindergarten? Is this the kind of service 400 yuan can buy?"
"I want to go too, I want to go too, I want to go... I'll say it a million times, I want to go too."
"When we took the acting exam, we hired this coach. A single training session cost at least four figures!"
"This is probably the only chance for ordinary people to perform, right?"
The online comments were dripping with sarcasm.
No one expected Shen Wei to hire a coach of such a high caliber for them.
With a script in hand, the performance was entirely different. Each person had a chance to be in the spotlight. And because they were not professionals, their lines were delivered with local accents, making it even more hilarious.
After the performance ended, everyone felt a sense of unfulfilled longing, as if they had accomplished something extraordinary. A feeling of great achievement washed over them.
After the morning session, they rushed to the cafeteria.
Acting was truly exhausting. Upon arriving at the cafeteria, they were overwhelmed with happiness and didn't know what to eat.
Every dish seemed incredibly delicious.
Her best friend had previously mentioned dieting and focused on the vegetable dishes. But it didn't take long before she succumbed to temptation.
Mustard shrimp balls? Eat them!
Charcoal-grilled steaks? Eat them!
Garlic noodles? Eat them!
She attacked the food like she hadn't eaten for days.
Xiao Yu said, "Slow down. Overeating is bad for your stomach."
Yet, she wasn't any better than her best friend.
Every dish was immensely satisfying, a true feast for the taste buds.
It was an astonishing sight.
The others were the same. They initially intended to record a short video to share, but at most, they only took a few photos!
Everyone was too focused on eating to do anything else.
They were afraid of missing a single bite.
After lunch, there were four more classes in the afternoon.
Whether it was painting, calligraphy, dancing, or singing, the day was incredibly fulfilling.
By the end, Xiao Yu and her best friend held hands, feeling happier than they had in a long time as office workers.
Though they hadn't consumed any alcohol, they felt slightly intoxicated, their mouths curved into smiles.
"How was it? This place is great, isn't it?" her best friend remarked.
"Awesome. Let's come here every week," Xiao Yu suggested.
"We can't. This pop-up store is closing soon," her best friend said.
"Ah!" Xiao Yu felt unsatisfied.
After returning home, sitting in front of her computer, she wrote an 800-word review.
She poured out her entire journey and emotions.
As a professional screenwriter, her writing skills were exceptional.
In an instant, her previously unpopular online novel gained 2,000 new followers due to this review.
The only downside was that the script for the livestreamed performance wasn't great.
Unable to resist, she took the 40-episode TV series she had just finished writing and had a bold idea.
She wanted to submit it to Shen Wei.
Using a pseudonym, she added Shen Wei as a contact.
She explained her intentions.
Shen Wei asked her to send over the storyline and synopsis for the first three episodes.
After a while, Shen Wei agreed to buy it, offering a generous price of 20,000 yuan per episode, totaling 800,000 yuan for the 40 episodes, to be paid in full upfront.
For Xiao Yu, this was truly amazing.
Production companies would typically offer more, but the payment would be split into installments. Sometimes they would even default on the payments, making contracts useless.
Overjoyed, she sent over her other seven completed scripts as well. These were her labors of love that she wouldn't have parted with under normal circumstances.
If not for the incredible experience she had just enjoyed, she wouldn't have been willing to let them go.
Shen Wei bought six more books, leaving one for her to revise before publishing.
In the past, after signing the contract, a few million was quickly deposited into her account.
Xiao Yu rarely encountered Shen Wei. Upon seeing her, she couldn't help but ask the question that was on her mind: "Are you still running the pop-up store?"
This time receiving the scripts gave her a bit of a mental boost.
Shen Wei said, "Let's see how it goes."
She didn't outright say she wouldn't open it. Xiao Yu was a little happy.
Shen Wei was also in a difficult situation now. Her pop-up store was even more popular than the Starry Sky Kindergarten. If she said she was closing it now, the whole city wouldn't agree.
