Capítulo 216: The Apology (14)
"I don't quite know the history behind it but from how I see it, the word means the coming together of two individual 'happiness' [1]. Two individuals, two families coming together to create something joyful," Xiu Ling explained.
Joann imagined the chinese characters in her mind and she nodded after giving it some thought, "You have a point."
"This suggests that marriage is a partnership," Xiu Ling continued. "Each party has to contribute to the marriage to ensure that joy is maintained. One cannot exist without the other in the marriage.
"I know this might sound like a cliche but marriage needs work. If only one party is contributing, then the joy formed would be one-sided. You need two individual happiness [1] to join together to create the word, joy [2]."
Xiu Ling hoped Joann understood what she was trying to express.
She continued, "And if you notice, both happiness was written in the same way, they're a perfect reflection of each other in the word, joy. This means that both party have to work equally as hard so they can reap the same amount of joy from the marriage. If only one party is putting in the effort and both parties are consuming the joy in the marriage, it's understandable that someone will eventually feel hollowed-up. They're doing the work of two person even though they're just one. And we have to ask, when happiness gets spread too thin, is it still happiness? Marriage is not only a task but it is also an equilibrium."
Xiu Ling was done giving her advice. Joann took a sip of her drink and seemed to ruminate on what her best friend had said.
"Xiu Ling, thank you for your advice. You've given me plenty to think about. I will consider what you've said when I make my decision. You've been a wonderful help," Joann said.
"I'm glad that I'm able to help somehow. Know that no matter the decision that you made, I will support you."
Joann nodded. She remembered her mother-in-law saying something similar to her not that long ago. Even though the affair was a regrettable event, Joann could not say she regret finding out about it. For one, it helped her realize how fortunate she was to be blessed with such good and supportive friends and family; for another, she was given a whack in the head about the problem in her marriage. She was being too complacent before this much needed wake-up call. It felt like her eyes had been opened.
It was as Auntie Xiu had said, she would need to fight if this was something worthwhile. However, the problem was Joann was not quite sure whether this was something worth fighting for or not. Thankfully, she had something planned that would help her find that out.
...
The camera was rolling and both Xu Jing as well as Joann were ushered into the scene by the director. They were at the set for a reality tv show called, "The Call of Joy."
After meeting with Xiu Ling that afternoon at the cafe, Joann returned home and finally requested to talk to her husband. Xu Jing who had been waiting for this moment could not have been happier when he heard that news.
On the one hand, he worried that this meant Joann was going to break the news of the divorce to him in person but ultimately he was glad that she had forgiven himself enough to communicate with him in person. Even if it might end up in a break-up, at least he was given his chance to explain his side of the situation.
Furthermore, Xu Jing believed they would be able to overcome this hurdle and an open channel of communication was a good start. He realized he had not apologized to Joann in person for what he did so that the first thing he did when he was allowed back into their bedroom.
Before he could get down on his knees, Joann stopped him. She said she was not yet ready to forgive him so he could spare all the theatrics. This made Xu Jing's heart drop.
Then, Joann dropped a stack of document on the bed. "I'm willing to give us a chance... provided that you agree to appear on this show."
Xu Jing picked up the document with a frown. He could not understand the relationship between earning his forgiveness and appearing on a television show but to salvage his marriage, he was willing to give anything and everything a try.
He read through the document and realized it was a contract for a 13-episode mini series called "The Call of Joy". It was going to be a reality tv cum documentary, recording the everyday life of him with his wife.
The theme of the series was based on a similar concept from a series called "Happiness Trio" that was popular a while back. The series featured three pairs of celebrity couple. However for the couples, one half of them wasn't a real celebrity, instead they gained their celebrity status because they were married to one. While they were successful in their own right, the only way the audience knew about them was through their celebrity other half. This meant that there was a sense of mystery to them.
The couples were shuttled away from their everyday life to a secluded village with all the necessary amenities for a comfortable lifestyle. The point was for them to get away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life and enjoyed the time with nothing but the accompaniment of their loved ones.
The series was a runaway hit. For one, it featured not drama but sweet moments between the couples that normally hid away from the public eye. It satisfied the need for public voyeurism and as an added bonus, it made the viewers feel warm inside.
After the series ended, the station had been trying to recapture that magic but they couldn't find the perfect casting.
Capítulo 217: The Apology (15)
One of the successful formula for the series was because it featured normal people that were married to celebrities. There was a mysterious allure to that. Furthermore, the viewers would be able to see a different side to their favourite celebrities, meaning they could watch how their idols act around their family. They shed the persona they put on before the public and carry themselves like a normal person would in a family setting.
Of course, like all reality tv, there was some staging and acting involved but it was deemed more natural than having couples that were both celebrities. The whole thing would feel like a publicity stunt and that would understandably turn off some of the viewers.
The term reality tv was an oxymoron, the viewers knew they were staged but they still looked for that sense of naturalness and authenticity.
In any case, this was why the station and producers had been facing problems in terms of casting. While many stars might appear to expose themselves in front of the camera, their counterpart that had no interest of pursuing a career in entertainment was less willing. That was why there hadn't been a second season despite the public interest and promised rating... well, at least until Joann came along with the proposal.
She came up with the idea after the talk with Xiu Ling and the name of the series was actually inspired by what her best friend said.
She approached one of the directors that she trusted and offered to do such a series. The only caveat was, she was given a say in the editing and they did not tell her husband that she would be part of the production.
The production team was understandably confused by her demands but technically, they weren't that difficult to fulfill. They were curious but not unreasonable. As stars, they had a stake in their public image so her first request was understandable. Normally, the production team would not allow something like this but since they were desperate for a series to be shot, they were willing to look past it this time.
Joann's second request was just a huge befuddlement to them. However, since the work would not be affected by keeping this secret, they agreed to it readily.
Xu Jing read through the contract and as surprised as he was, he was willing to agree to everything but one. One particular clause gave him a small pause.
Since the production team was working with just one couple, they did not have the budget to ferry them to some idyllic village. Instead they were going to use Xu Jing and Joann's home as the set.
Xu Jing would have agreed easily if they were shooting at a hotel or some undisclosed location that would not affect the life of other people but since they were going to intrude not only into his life but that of his family's, he had his worries.
He voiced this concern and Joann could see things from his perspective, which was why before he even brought up that concern, she had already discussed with details with her mother-in-law and daughter. Mrs. Xu and Sylvia were willing to make some compromises for the sake of their marriage. Mrs. Lin would stay longer at the company and go for more overseas meetings and Sylvia would take up more cases during this period. Of course, if they wished to appear before the camera, that was more than welcomed as well.
Since that detail had been ironed out, there was nothing holding Xu Jing back. He signed the contract and that was how we found Xu Jing and Joann being ushered into their house's living room by the director.
Even though their house was used as the set, this did not mean that the cameras were set up everywhere, the production team was not that rude. The focus of their shoot was at the living room, main bedroom, kitchen and the guest bedroom was cordoned off as the space for confessionals.
Following the recent trend, The Call of Joy was going to be a semi-live online show. Since it was going to have a mainly online release, the show would reach the audience while the shooting was still going on. To put it simply, they might be shooting Episode 4 when Episode 2 was being aired on the internet.
This had its own pros and cons. The cons were mostly about the lack of time. Since they had to rush a release, the production and editing team would not have the leisure to edit the footage slowly. The pros was since the show was still ongoing when the episodes were released, the progression could be tailored according to the reception received from the audience.
"Thank you for the hard work today, Miss Joann and Mr. Xu Jing, we got some really good cuts," The director said as he asked his two leads to sit on the living room sofa. They were going to have a crew meeting to discuss the responses and replies from the audience.
"You're too kind, Mr. Director. You've put in great effort as well." Joann who was familiar with such setting, was great at socialization. In comparison, Xu Jing was much more wooden and awkward, it was no fault of the man of course. He was practically thrown into this arena without any time for preparation.
At least he had gotten more natural compared to the very beginning where he would stutter in front of the camera. Now that they were half way into the series, he had started to get the hang of it.
"The reception for the recent episodes has been amazing. We're consistently at the top of the popularity and viewership ranking," The director said as he pulled over some documents. The Call of Joy, as the station expected, had been a runaway success.
Joann still had her star power to pull in the audience and they found her husband who rarely appeared in public eye to be quite charming.
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