Chapter 120
Chapter 120
It seemed that Qi Ji was an illustrator.
Shen Yin had Qi Ji's WeChat contact, and the three of them - Shu Yi, Qi Ji, and herself - were in a WeChat group.
Shu Yi was the group admin, and she had posted a message in the morning saying that she had joined a TV crew and telling the other two not to miss her.
Qi Ji, being an early riser, immediately replied: "Beautiful sister, is acting fun? Will you really kiss the male actor?"
Shu Yi: Uh...
She didn't care whether it was fun or not, as long as she could make money, she was satisfied. As for kissing, that dog man Chang Zhiyuan, instead of being a good entertainment company CEO, went to act in a TV drama. What the hell, just thinking about acting opposite Chang Zhiyuan made Shu Yi start to feel emo.
[Qi Ji, are you feeling better?] Shen Yin asked. The little girl must have been tired from getting married yesterday.
[No problem, sister. It feels like nothing has changed after getting married, except that there's one more person in the room. Other than that, it's the same as before - I just draw illustrations and sleep every day.] Qi Ji replied.
Shu Yi sent an envious emoji.
Shen Yin sent a smiling emoji.
Shu Yi...
[Yin Yin, you can't just send this emoji carelessly now.]
[Doesn't it express agreement and happiness?] Shen Yin asked, confused as to why she couldn't send such a cute emoji.
[Originally, the smiling emoji on WeChat was just used to represent a smile, a simple expression of a smiling face. But as time passed, this emoji has been given many other meanings. From a more unconventional perspective, the lower half of the 'smiling' emoji on WeChat represents a suppressed normal smile, conforming to the mouth expression of a smile. However, the upper half lacks contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, and the gaze is shifted downward, indicating that this smile is not only fake, but also reflects a negative attitude - a condescending, dismissive, and mocking expression of not wanting to pay attention or care about the other person. So this emoji doesn't have a good meaning now.] Shu Yi explained her understanding of the emoji to Shen Yin.
In her room, Shen Yin found it amazing that a simple emoji could have so many meanings. After this, she would have to study and keep up with the times - she was already a few hundred years behind, she couldn't fall further behind.
Shen Yin asked: [How did you learn all this?]
[Surfing the internet,] Shu Yi replied.
[Surfing?]
[Yin Yin, you must not go online much,] said Shu Yi. Her public persona was that of a cool, pure girl who was uninterested in and ignorant of the entertainment industry - she would act if she had a role, and travel if she didn't.
In reality, only the last two sentences were true. She was cool towards strangers, and she didn't want to get involved in gossip, but she was an avid gossip consumer.
She was online every day on her alt account, and being in the industry herself, Shu Yi felt like she was a skilled gossip specialist. However, she had managed to fool many people. Since entering university and the entertainment industry, she had emerged from her insecurity, and after meeting Shen Yin, her true nature seemed to have been exposed - she felt like she had the potential to be a funny girl.
Often, we fail to notice how encountering certain people and events can unconsciously change us - our personality, temper, and interests.
Shen Yin looked at the messages, feeling that there was a long way to go and she still had much to learn.
[Qi Ji, do you know anything about oil painting?] Shen Yin asked.
[I studied it in college,] Qi Ji replied.
Qi Ji had majored in design in college, so of course she had experience with oil painting and had spent a long time on it.
[Can you teach me?]
[Of course, beautiful sister. I'll come find you when you're free.]
[Okay, thank you Qi Ji.]
The chat ended there because Li Huanhuan had told Shen Yin that there was someone looking for her downstairs.
Shen Yin went downstairs with Zhengzheng, but didn't see anyone else - only Granny Su sitting on the couch.
"Boss, this granny is looking for you," said Zhengzheng politely, before leaning against the couch and hoisting himself up onto it like a little adult.
"Long time no see, Zhengzheng has grown taller," Granny Su said with a smile.
Shen Yin brewed some tea and handed it to Su Jin, then sat down as well.
"Miss, the granny has something to ask you about," said Su Jin.
"Yes, granny, please go ahead."
"It's like this - our district is having an embroidery competition. Whichever city ranks highest will represent the district in the national competition. Rong City has quite a few participants this year, but I think your embroidery skills could easily win the national championship. Have you considered participating?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yin pondered for a moment. Seeing her hesitation, Su Jin continued:
"Embroidery, as one of our intangible cultural heritages, has always been passed down. But embroidery is not simple - it requires technique and the patience to sit for long periods of time. In recent years, as traditional culture has been promoted, embroidery has also gained international recognition. The exquisite patterns and intricate needlework have made this art form precious. Many foreigners are eager to purchase our embroidery for collection. That's why I said last time that the value of your wedding dress is in the seven or eight figures."
Su Jin looked towards the wedding dress.
"Outstanding culture needs to be passed on, and exceptional skills should not be buried. I think you should participate - not only will you bring glory to Rong City, but you'll also achieve personal success. The national champion's work will be collected by museums, and the champion herself will gain renown. If you do participate, your future works will reach the world stage. And since you're in fashion design, the combination of embroidery and clothing will increase the value even further. Why not give it a try?"
Su Jin had said a lot. Shen Yin admitted that she was tempted - this was indeed a great opportunity for her to go beyond Rong City and reach the world. How wonderful would that be?
"Granny, why do you think I would stand out in the district competition?" Shen Yin believed her embroidery skills could crush the competition, but she was still curious as to why Su Jin had specifically sought her out.
"Miss, I've lived for over half a century, but this is the first time I've seen such a young lady with such proficient and deft embroidery skills. Anyway, the granny has high hopes for you," Su Jin said slowly.
Shen Yin knew that Su Jin truly wanted her to participate.
"Granny Su, when is the competition? And what is the format?"
"Late July, the competition will be held in Rong City. The national finals are in late August. The format is on-site embroidery with a given theme and required techniques."
"And registration?"
"Online registration, deadline is mid-July. You can just search for 'embroidery competition' and you'll find it. The granny believes in you - the national championship belongs to no one but you."
Su Jin said, taking a sip from the water cup on the table, and exclaiming, "This tea is truly remarkable, fragrant and rich in flavor. It's delicious, young lady. If you were to open a tea house, I reckon people would queue up."
"You flatter me, Granny," Shen Yin smiled.