Chapter 863: Chapter 269: Right Before My Eyes
All right, I have to admit, their average age is indeed quite low. Eva, who in the original show was already quite young, was joined by Vanessa and Melinda, who were born in ’68 and ’69, and Bridget, who was born in ’70, so the average age hasn’t even reached 35. To call them housewives might indeed be a bit of a stretch.
But the problem is, whether a TV series is popular or not doesn’t depend on the age of the actors. As long as it’s good, as long as the audience likes it, who cares how old the actresses are? Moreover, because of these four more glamorous housewives, the ratings were much higher than the data Adrian distinctly remembered, so there’s no need to care about these criticisms.
Even though these four roles were decided by him, it doesn’t mean he was randomly picking actors, just like how you can’t win an Oscar-winning actress without the foundational rock of acting ability, no matter how advanced the methods of operation are. To put it simply, whether it’s Vanessa, Melinda, or Eva, they’ve all been married and have had the experience of being housewives. Bridget, though an exception, has also had a long period of cohabitation.
Then, the premiere rating of over 22 million has already proven their charm, so there’s no need to care about these comments. Similarly, as expected, the success of “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” furthered Adrian’s aura in the industry. Altogether, just these two series have made at least five women famous, so many things have gone smoother.
“Very good, just like that, very good!” Adrian said loudly as he charged ahead aggressively, while beneath him, two naked, sweat-covered bodies intertwined, allowing him to do as he wished.
After a fierce battle, the younger girl was the first to be defeated, collapsing to the side. Then, the woman below went on the offensive, but was soon thoroughly defeated again, and Adrian had to back off.
“You’re always so incredible, Ed, even Ashley and I combined are no match for you.” After it was over, the exhausted Jessica Simpson leaned against his chest, speaking in a flattering tone, and gently rubbing her sister, Ashley Simpson, who lay spent between her and Adrian, with her toes. Another pair of sisters had been taken to bed by Adrian.
“Yeah,” Ashley, having regained her breath, propped herself up and spoke in a tone similar to her sister’s, “It didn’t seem that way before, but now there’s no comparison, Ed is indeed gentle.”
“Thank you, every woman deserves pampering, it’s a creed I’ve always held.” Adrian shamelessly said, then leaned back a bit against the headboard.
Simpson immediately gave her sister a look, and Ashley promptly understood and moved down. Once she got started, Jessica followed suit, as Adrian contentedly sighed watching the two sisters compete around the banana.
As the music industry continued to decline, Jessica Simpson’s status within her record company started to drop. She used to be ranked right after Britney and Christina, but now there’s even someone between her and Beyoncé. However, Simpson was smart enough to hold tightly to Adrian’s coattails, obliging him for quite a long time, then using his support to expand horizontally, and doing quite well with it.
Now she’s not only continuing to release singles, but also has her own reality show on ABC, which has decent ratings, about the same as the Hilton sisters’ reality show. Besides that, Simpson is also planning to establish her own fashion brand, so when her sister asked her opinion on certain matters, she gave affirmations without hesitation.
Ashley Simpson is only four years younger than her sister, and has loved dancing since she was young, practicing ballet for a long time—which Adrian loves about her, her flexible body can pull off many difficult positions. After her sister became famous, she too planned to become a singer and even performed as a backup dancer at her sister’s concerts. Eventually, due to her sister’s connections, she got a contract with a record company.
She started out just like her sister in horizontal development. Last year, after releasing her first album, she also took on an important supporting role in “The O.C.”, yes, the show starring Hayley Duff, which follows the lives of children from wealthy families in Orange County, and achieved respectable ratings.
With the album and TV series, Ashley quickly gained fame, satisfying her vanity, and then she realized it was all due to Adrian’s attention. Although Adrian usually paid only after sampling, sometimes he didn’t mind paying before sampling, in fact, the latter was more mainstream, much like government officials taking advisory roles in large corporations after stepping down.
Faced with Adrian’s teasing and hints, Ashley had to seek her sister’s help, knowing that her sister had some ambiguous ties with this powerful Hollywood man. Then, with the ratings success of “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” as examples, it was simple for Simpson to persuade her sister to undress before him, and the subsequent sisterly ménage à trois came naturally.
But Adrian was just playing around, like with the Hilton sisters or the Duff sisters. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited until now to make a move on Ashley, especially since her album release and role in “The O.C.” last year were both directed by him.
These two fall-season TV shows have taken his already high-profile and influential fame and elevated it further within the industry. What kind of woman couldn’t he get? Maybe in the eyes of some naive people, they are women with personality and pride, and they may indeed be so, but personality and pride are insignificant when faced with true power. As long as they still want to make a name in Hollywood, in this Vanity Fair, they must obediently get on all fours when Adrian needs them to.
So, various different flavors and tricks are what he desires most now. Unfortunately, it will take a little time to get all four housewives into bed, and adding two “daughters” would be quite the feat.
Camilla Belle should be easier. She’s had more experience, having played roles in various films and TV shows since she was very young. Emma Stone, on the other hand, just stepped into Hollywood. If Adrian hadn’t come across her file by chance and found her somewhat resembling Melinda, he might have had to wait for her to be cast as one of the daughters by chance to wise up.
Of course, this isn’t absolute; it also depends on their own wits, especially compared to in a past life. But it doesn’t matter too much, as they say, this is Hollywood, a place soon to be entirely his domain.
So, it’s best to start with Camilla, Adrian had a great idea, and—
“Are you Liu Sisi?” Adrian sized up the Eastern girl in front of him. She sat honestly on the sofa, with her neck hunched and eyes downcast as if a little frightened, yet her eyes occasionally darted about, seemingly distracted.
“You look much cuter than in the photos,” he continued with a smile, “You should have carefully reviewed the contract, right—hmm?”
Upon making a nasal sound, the girl opposite him hurriedly snapped back to attention, smiling somewhat embarrassedly: “Sorry… Mr. Cowell… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t expect your Chinese… to be so good… this is my… first time in the United States…”
“I understand.” Adrian smiled and raised his hand, not taking her incoherence to heart, in fact, it made her seem even more adorable.
“It’s understandable to feel timid in a foreign country, especially for Chinese who have a strong sense of homeland. Besides, you’re so young. That’s why I’ve arranged for you to live with them, hoping you’ll adapt to the environment here soon.” He continued, meanwhile pushing a cup of water towards the girl, “There’s no need to be nervous, I’m a very easygoing person, and I know a lot about China. You can just see me as an ordinary person.”
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Cowell, I’m just… a little excited,” the girl named Liu Sisi chuckled shyly, “I never expected you to choose me, it’s really surprising, I don’t even know what to say… I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.”
Saying this, she blinked with a slightly smug expression, making Adrian chuckle involuntarily: “Are you so sure about my ‘A Chinese Odyssey’?”
Hearing this, Liu Sisi was obviously stunned for a moment before she revealed an enlightened expression, followed by embarrassment. It seemed her nerves were a bit frayed.
“Okay, let’s not talk about this,” Adrian raised his hand, “You can call me Adrian, or Ed, so I can call you Sisi, is that alright? Great, now let’s talk about your matters. Back to the previous question, have you thoroughly reviewed and fully understood the contract?”
“Yes, I’ve read it, and had a lawyer go over it, they all said there were no problems.” Liu Sisi said immediately, having adjusted her mood after the earlier banter, feeling much more at ease.
“Very well, but there’s something I need to clarify. We will regularly inquire about your life and study. While fully providing your needs, we will conduct tests in phases. If you can’t meet the requirements, we will consider replacing you.” Adrian said seriously.
“I can definitely do it!” The girl suddenly got nervous again.
“Don’t worry,” Adrian waved his hand and said, “The test won’t be too hard. As long as you put in effort, it should be fine. I believe you won’t let me down. I chose you from the many profiles President Wang provided because you gave me a special feeling, just like the feeling Yufei gave me initially.”
As he spoke, he lifted his head and smiled at Liu Yufei, who was sitting quietly beside Liu Sisi without speaking.
“Don’t worry, Sisi. Ed has said you can do it, so you can definitely do it,” Liu Yufei immediately grasped Liu Sisi’s hand knowingly. “I was lacking confidence at first, but with Ed’s encouragement, I eventually got the role of Cho Chang, so as long as you continue to work hard, everything will be fine.”
Adrian, who was listening nearby, slightly furrowed his brow. She might have slightly exaggerated, but fortunately, Liu Sisi didn’t notice. It seems being somewhat oblivious isn’t always bad.
“Are you guys done discussing?” Liu Li entered from outside at this moment.
“Almost, what’s up?” Adrian asked immediately.
“I was checking the time, and I’m about to make dinner. How about staying here to eat before returning?” Liu Li smiled gracefully, carrying an air of elegance akin to a noblewoman.
“Is it already this late?” Adrian showed an expression of surprise and then stood up. “No need, I have another appointment. I’ll leave Sisi in your care.”
“No problem, Sisi is sensible and gets along well with Feifei,” Liu Li said, glancing at her daughter sitting warmly next to Liu Sisi. “You can totally relax.”
“Alright, then I’ll be heading out.” Adrian nodded and then said to Liu Sisi, “In a couple of days, I will arrange an agent for you, Sisi, and of course, for Yufei as well. By that time, based on your studies, the company will give you small roles in some TV shows or movies to hone your acting skills and get familiar with Hollywood’s filmmaking process.”
“Thank you, Ed.” Liu Sisi said gratefully.
“Let me walk you out,” Liu Li offered, removing Adrian’s jacket from the coat rack and handing it to him as they left the room, maintaining her poise. However, once outside the room, her face noticeably showed a worried expression.
“Why, aren’t they getting along well?” Adrian asked casually, noticing her expression.
“Why not,” Liu Li forced a smile, “Didn’t you instruct? Feifei is very obedient. Sisi, who just arrived today, has already become good friends with her.”
“Then what are you worried about?” Adrian chuckled lightly, “Isn’t it nice for Feifei to have a companion?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Li somewhat relaxed, though not fully, and her brow remained slightly furrowed until a hand rested on her waist.
“How about letting Liu Sisi recognize you as godmother?” Adrian asked sincerely, as if he meant nothing else.
Although Liu Li didn’t react immediately, a few seconds later, she beamed brightly: “No problem, I think Sisi is quite nice, and I’m sure she’ll get along well with us.”
Ultimately, her only concern was whether she and her daughter would lose favor, as everything they had now depended on him. Liu Li was somewhat petty, for Yufei didn’t even consider these things. Earlier, when Liu Sisi went upstairs to find something in her room, Adrian had pulled Yufei into his arms and roamed his hands over her. Her question was: Uncle, will you get her soon?
The reason Liu Yufei asked this was because Liu Sisi was boarding at their Los Angeles home, making it a bit inconvenient for her to serve Adrian. If he “get to her,” it would naturally allow her to openly get close to him. Simply put, Liu Yufei hadn’t even considered what to do if she lost favor and even hoped Liu Sisi would be sorted quickly so they could compete in bed. In this respect, Adrian’s training was quite successful.
So he told her not to worry, because there were many places in Los Angeles where she could display herself, like his office, mansion, or even changing rooms in big malls, theaters, or restroom bars.
Alright, here’s the deal: When considering Camilla’s situation, Adrian thought of a great idea that would help him further penetrate the Chinese market. Especially given current circumstances, where “Battlestar Galactica” was performing well in mainland ratings due to Gao Yuanyuan playing a significant role, along with solid quality and marketing.
Coupled with the launch of two video sites held by AC Media, Adrian hesitated with the original names but eventually changed them to Sweet Bean and Yeku after careful consideration. Both sites broadcast American TV shows, with Sweet Bean offering licensed ones, high-quality but fewer in number, while Yeku presented pirated ones, abundant but with varying quality.
It’s not a big deal to act against oneself, yet Adrian was keen to open the Chinese market. He repeated previous actions since American shows are not essential like computer programs, unlike Windows.
This strategy reaffirmed its effectiveness, with American TV shows rapidly gaining influence among mainland Internet users, especially in retaining their original flavor. Consequently, Sweet Bean, beginning to lag behind Yeku in clicks, found itself dissatisfied, yet Adrian had prepped in advance, ramping up licensed content while slashing costs, insisting they persist for four to five years.
Well, Sweet Bean and Yeku outdid YouTube, capable of profiting from ads. YouTube aimed worldwide, thus being cautious, but Sweet Bean and Yeku were solely targeting the mainland, not needing complex strategies.
Anyway, with environmental factors and a series of backup measures, this situation stayed in stalemate. Adrian planned to stoke the fire further following Gao Yuanyuan by asking the Wang Brothers to recruit a young girl with excellent dance skills; he had big plans for her.
The brothers met his requests promptly, perceiving domestic successes by representing AC Media of China. They contacted the Beijing Dance School swiftly, employing some influence to gather numerous profiles. The young girls, thrilled at the chance to travel to Hollywood as exchange students at the University of Southern California, had eager shining eyes. Smartly, the Wang Brothers knew what was appropriate.
Subsequently, Adrian selected Liu Sisi – yes, that Liu Sisi. The reason being, her facial features were somewhat similar to Liu Yufei, looking interesting and appealing together. Conveniently, Liu Yufei had graduated from high school in the United Kingdom, so Adrian arranged her collegiate studies at USC, ensuring her future Hollywood career, with British nationality essential only for the Harry Potter series.
Under these circumstances, Liu Li naturally stayed inseparably to care for her daughter, enabling Adrian to accommodate Liu Sisi in their home, leading to earlier events.
“Let’s see where things develop from here,” Adrian thought with a smile on his way back.
However, Liu Sisi at least needed a year to adapt to life in the United States and learn local performance styles. There was ample time. Therefore, pressing matters should be resolved first – yes, that particular issue was resolved by September’s end with Small Emma’s release of “Bridge to Terabithia.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit to vote recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)