How did this star become more popular after his scandal?

Chapter 335 Red Dust Inn, the Wind Like a Knife
Lin Qianqian, along with many other audience members, watched Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's performance on the Spring Festival Gala. Jiang Yu gently plucked the strings of the guzheng, and soothing, melodious music filled the air. On stage, Su Muwan, dressed in red, danced gracefully, wielding a long sword.

Jiang Yu, dressed in white, looked like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting. He sat before the guzheng, gently playing the strings. The melodious music, accompanied by Su Muwan's graceful dance, created a feast for the eyes and ears.

Whether they were at the venue or watching online, the audience members were filled with anticipation and amazement as they watched Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's performance.

Both of them looked extremely good in their period costumes, especially Su Muwan, as this was the first time they had seen her in period attire.

With her cool and elegant demeanor, her graceful dance resembled that of a butterfly in flight, drawing considerable attention.

Jiang Yu sat to the side, gently playing the zither, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at Su Muwan. At that moment, everyone seemed to see a couple who had retired from the martial arts world.

When everyone saw Su Muwan and Jiang Yu's performance, especially the close-up shot of Jiang Yu, with his tender eyes staring straight at Su Muwan as he played the zither with both hands, everyone's minds were filled with images of the idyllic life of couples in period dramas. It seemed like this was exactly what it was like.

Even Song Yuqing and Yang Xue, sitting below, were amazed by this scene. It was the first time they had seen Su Muwan in ancient costume, and they had to admit she was incredibly beautiful. Especially her stage performance with Jiang Yu; the two of them felt a pang of envy.

As the intro music ended, Jiang Yu slowly began to sing, and his voice rang in everyone's ears once again.

"At the end of the world lies wind and sand."

The story of the mortal world is called longing.
The sword was hidden away under the eastern fence of an ordinary household.
"Idle clouds, wild cranes, ancient temples..."

As everyone listened to Jiang Yu's singing and looked at the displayed lyrics, at that moment, they seemed to see a pair of immortal lovers who had retired from the world and lived in seclusion in a paradise.

It's as if I can see them abandoning the fighting, killing, grudges, and passions of the martial world, all to escape that chaotic world and simply want to live a peaceful and beautiful life with the one they love, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

Especially now, Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's collaborative stage performance will feature a zither performance and a song. Su Muwan, dressed in red, will accompany the dance, making them seem like the celestial couple described in the lyrics, living a carefree and leisurely life.

This period was quite captivating for everyone. The song was beautiful, and the two performers were also very entertaining and pleasing to the eye.

"Fast horses fight in the martial world"
It's nothing more than being unable to let go of fame and fortune.

How can someone with a heart set on the country be carefree and unrestrained?

All I ask is to grow old with you…

As Jiang Yu sang this line of lyrics, his eyes turned to Su Muwan, and Su Muwan looked back at Jiang Yu. Their eyes met, and the camera captured this moment. The tenderness in their eyes was evident to everyone. For countless fans who shipped them, their hearts seemed to race at that moment, as if watching their performance, pink bubbles seemed to rise around Jiang Yu and Su Muwan.

At this moment, both of them were dressed in ancient costumes. Jiang Yu played the zither and sang, while Su Muwan danced with a sword. They seemed like a pair of celestial lovers living in seclusion in a peach garden. At this moment, everyone unconsciously thought of ancient dramas starring Jiang Yu and Su Muwan.

"When the sword is drawn, who will laugh at the grudges?"
All I ask for is to hold you in my arms this very day.

The wind at the Red Dust Inn is like a knife.
Sudden rain falls, fate knocks.
Who will reign supreme in the martial arts world?

But I only bow down to you.

Crossing deserted villages and wild bridges to find ancient trails
Away from the hustle and bustle of the world
Willow catkins drift, hand in hand, carefree...

As everyone listened to Jiang Yu's new song, "Red Dust Inn," and watched his stage performance with Su Muwan, Jiang Yu, dressed in white, played the zither and sang. Su Muwan, dressed in red and holding a sword, created a scene that seemed like the most beautiful painting in the world, especially when paired with Jiang Yu's song, which perfectly enhanced the atmosphere.

At that moment, it was as if the things described in Jiang Yu's song were no longer illusions. Jiang Yu and Su Muwan seemed to see the scenes depicted in the song vividly presented before everyone's eyes.

The idyllic scenery depicted in the song... It seems that the life of a reclusive swordsman is just like that of Jiang Yu and Su Muwan now.

Especially when everyone saw Jiang Yu and Su Muwan looking at each other, the camera zoomed in and saw the love and tenderness in their eyes, which excited many fans who shipped the couple.

"Oh no! What should I do! Their eye contact is so sweet!"

"I think so too. The two of them, one playing the piano and singing, and the other dancing, have such a great chemistry. They're such a perfect match."

"Yes, yes, this is the first time I've seen Mu Wan in ancient costume. She's so beautiful. The way she dances with a long sword is just like a female knight-errant in the martial arts world."

"She's really too beautiful. I feel like Mu Wan could go into the entertainment industry. With this ancient costume look, she's definitely a leading lady in ancient dramas."

"But I have to say, Jiang Yu's song 'Red Dust Inn' is really good. I feel like I'm going to retire from the martial arts world. Watching him and Su Muwan sing and play the zither, with Su Muwan dancing, it seems that the scene of retired martial arts heroes described in the lyrics is perfectly portrayed in the two of them."

"As expected of Jiang Yu, his ancient-style songs are really good. Especially this time, the performance style he and Su Muwan brought is so novel, it's the first time I've ever seen it, not bad at all."

"It's definitely the first time I've seen this before. I thought it was a duet, but it turns out one person is playing the zither and singing while the other is dancing. I guess the only person who can have the diva Su Muwan dancing with him is Jiang Yu."

"Of course! Who else would dare to have the diva Su Muwan as a backup dancer? It's only Jiang Yu who's capable. Try it with anyone else and see if Su Muwan would be willing or able to get them to dance."

……

At this moment, after listening to Jiang Yu's new song "Red Dust Inn" and watching his stage performance with Su Muwan, everyone watching the Spring Festival Gala was excited. Whether online or in person, everyone glued to their TVs watching tonight's Spring Festival Gala was cheering for Jiang Yu's performance. Jiang Yu's performance was truly captivating, leaving a lasting impression. It seemed that after watching his and Su Muwan's performance, even the most精彩 programs paled in comparison. Some later performances even felt somewhat bland. Jiang Yu's "Red Dust Inn" was simply too beautiful, and his innovative collaboration with Su Muwan further captivated countless viewers.

Even Lin Qianqian, after watching Jiang Yu and Su Wan's performance, couldn't help but recall Su Muwan's graceful dance on stage and the tender, affectionate look in their eyes as they gazed at each other.

Lin Qianqian didn't consider herself a CP fan. She simply liked Jiang Yu's work and his songs. But after seeing Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's performance in this life, she herself felt that the two of them were somewhat compatible.

Sometimes, he even thought Jiang Yu, Yang Xue, and Song Yuqing were quite a good match. But after watching Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's performance, he felt that Su Muwan and Jiang Yu were an even better match.

Meanwhile, online, Jiang Yu immediately became a trending topic after his performance on the Spring Festival Gala tonight.

"Jiang Yu on the Spring Festival Gala Stage!"

"Jiang Yu's New Song: Red Dust Inn!"

"Jiang Yu and Su Muwan collaborate on a new stage!"

"Jiang Yu and Su Muwan are such a perfect match!"

"Su Muwan in ancient costume!"

……

Similar topics are trending on social media, and many people have seen clips of Jiang Yu's performance online. Not everyone is watching the Spring Festival Gala. Those who didn't watch the Gala learned about Jiang Yu's performance through these online clips.

When everyone saw Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's collaborative performance, they were instantly excited. Especially after listening to Jiang Yu's new song "Red Dust Inn" and watching his performance with Su Muwan—one playing the zither and singing, the other wielding a sword and dancing—it seemed as if the lyrics vividly depicted the lives of reclusive heroes and idyllic couples.

"Oh my god, I went to play cards all day. I only checked Weibo when I went to the bathroom. What did I miss? I should have watched the Spring Festival Gala instead of playing cards."

"Wow, Jiang Yu's song 'Red Dust Inn' was also released at the same time. I saw this clip and then went to listen to Jiang Yu's song. It's so good."

"It's not that nobody told me Jiang Yu would be collaborating with Su Muwan on this year's Spring Festival Gala stage. If they had told me earlier, I would have watched it right away, but I missed it and now I can only watch the replay tomorrow."

"Wow, this is the first time I've seen Su Muwan in ancient costume. She looks so beautiful and cool, like a female knight-errant."

"I never expected that Jiang Yu's performance on the Spring Festival Gala stage tonight would be a collaboration with Su Muwan. It's too unexpected, I can't take it anymore. I have to watch the replay tomorrow, and I'll just watch some clips online tonight."

"Oh my god, tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Jiang Yu's new movie is going to be released. He really made a big splash tonight. Even though there's no promotion for the new movie, Jiang Yu's name is already on the table. I feel like his movie is going to be a hit tomorrow."

"I don't like what you're saying. I don't think Jiang Yu's movie is going to be released on a very obscure subject; there's no market for it at all. At most, his fans might support it, but it definitely won't be enough to boost the box office."

……

At this moment, as everyone watched Jiang Yu and Su Muwan's performance on this year's Spring Festival Gala stage, and saw Jiang Yu trending on social media again, they subconsciously thought about his upcoming movie, "Secret," which will be released tomorrow.

Now, there's only one day left until Jiang Yu's movie, "Secret That Cannot Be Told," is released. It will be available tomorrow, and everyone will be able to see Jiang Yu's directorial debut.

This movie has been generating a lot of buzz and discussion lately, but it's also been the most controversial. There are over 20 movies scheduled for the Spring Festival release, including many big-budget productions. In fact, some of these films have already surpassed the pre-sale box office of "Jiang Yu's Unspeakable Secret." Currently, in the overall pre-sale box office rankings for the Spring Festival releases, "Jiang Yu's Unspeakable Secret" is only ranked twelfth with just over 2000 million yuan in pre-sale tickets.

This ranking looks neither high nor low, which seems acceptable, but compared to those ranked higher, it appears somewhat weaker. The number one film has already surpassed 200 million in pre-sale box office.

The difference is quite significant, especially considering that many netizens weren't optimistic about Jiang Yu's film, which deals with a niche subject matter. The fact that it has already achieved 2000 million yuan in pre-sale box office revenue is largely due to support from Jiang Yu's fans.

But everyone knows that while fans might support the film in waves, it's absolutely impossible for them to push it to a position it doesn't deserve. Even if Jiang Yu is popular and influential enough, they believe that at most, fan support would only get the film to a box office of 100 or 200 million yuan; it's definitely impossible for it to go any higher.

However, as everyone knows, for a low-budget, niche film like this, if Jiang Yu's fans can really drive the box office to over 100 million yuan, then Jiang Yu will definitely make a profit. It's just that he won't make as much.

This is also the influence of top-tier celebrities, and why many directors and investors in the industry invite popular and high-profile artists to participate when filming movies and TV series.

These are the celebrities who attract a lot of attention. Their skills might not be great, but their fans are willing to support them. If the fans are supportive, even if the results aren't great, they can still make money—they make money off their fans.

Not to mention Jiang Yu, a super popular top star who is also a top star with real talent. Jiang Yu's fans have very strong purchasing power.

This is clearly a niche fantasy film with no market appeal, yet your fans have been forced to support it, pushing the pre-sale box office to 2000 million, which is quite impressive.

However, pre-sale box office figures don't mean much right now. Once the movie is released, the gap will gradually widen, and even if Jiang Yu has a large fan base, it won't make a difference. Relying solely on fan support is simply not enough to prop up a film's box office.

If there's too much fan support and too much vote-rigging, it could even affect Jiang Yu's reputation.

Everyone is now waiting to see how good Jiang Yu's film is after it's released tomorrow during the Spring Festival season. We'll then know if he can create a miracle. We'll have to wait and see how the film performs after its release.

(End of this chapter)