Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

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"Boss, who do you like when you're out of character?"

Unable to suppress her gossipy curiosity, Zhao Ya secretly asked a question.

Immediately,
She then received a dangerous look—

Gu Qing lifted her eyelids slightly, her eyes devoid of emotion, yet they sent a shiver down Zhao Ya's spine.

She quickly chuckled and waved her hand to make amends: "If you like me, the boss must like me the most. I'm your Su Peisheng, your most considerate little darling!"

"Xiaoya, watch less palace dramas. Ever since you became my assistant, you've been watching 'Empresses in the Palace' every day. Haven't you had enough yet?"

Gu Qing was speechless and choked with emotion. He raised his hand and tapped her on the head. "Did I recommend you watch 'The Ming Dynasty'? That's the real gem."

"Boss, I can't get enough of 'Empresses in the Palace'! Every time I watch it, I discover new details. It's really good."

Zhao Ya shook her head hesitantly, "As for 'The Ming Dynasty'... I don't understand it. The pace is too slow, and it makes me want to sleep. All that fighting and twisting is too much for my brain to process."

After saying that,

She saw that her boss was about to roll his eyes.

Zhao Ya wisely made a zipper-sealing gesture, tilted her head, and leaned against the car window: "Sir, you can look at your phone. Pretend I don't exist. I'm going to sleep."

Gu Qing shook her head; there was nothing she could do about it.

The cabin returned to silence, with only the low hum of the engine.

He turned his head, his eyes reflecting the twilight flowing outside the window, a hint of confusion flashing across them.

"When you're out of character...who is your favorite character?"

He pursed his lips; this question was troubling him.

The faces of the actresses I've worked with flashed through my mind like scenes from an old film reel.

Smiling, coquettish, tearful, stubborn...

Finally, a face gradually became clear and the image was captured.

"Is it...her?"

"Or...did I actually not break character?"

Gu Qing shook his head, his bangs getting a little messy from his scraggly touch.

He rarely has such uncertain moments.

Having acted in so many dramas and absorbed so many emotions into the characters, she was constantly getting into and out of character.

He...can't tell.

Gu Qing closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She took a deep breath of the cool air inside the car and forced herself to distract herself.

When she opened her eyes again, the turmoil in her eyes had been suppressed, and she had regained her usual composure while working.

Gu Qing felt that it was more prudent to focus more on her career than on romantic relationships.

Without his current status and career, he wouldn't even have the right to talk to people.

He turned the phone screen back on, and the cool white light illuminated his softly sculpted profile.

Gu Qing has generally had a comfortable time in Feizhou.

The filming schedule was packed, and the intensity of shooting was high, which was indeed tiring, but this kind of fatigue was purely physical.
Unlike in the past when filming emotionally intense scenes, there's no need to painstakingly immerse oneself in, or even tear apart a certain character's persona for an extended period of time.

The action scenes here were mostly fun for him.

Although the drills, which involve physical exertion and real combat, sometimes result in bumps and bruises, leaving one feeling sore all over.

But this was a fresh and memorable experience that allowed Gu Qing to temporarily detach herself from those complex and subtle emotional entanglements.

During this month,
What Gu Qing found most troublesome, and even somewhat helpless, was not the overseas phone call from that enthusiastic and straightforward Da Tiantian.

It was that "Director Chen"!
Director Chen seems to have gone mad or developed a literary habit; ever since we improvised a poetry game on set, he's been addicted to it.

Nothing to do,

She always liked to send him a few lines of poetry late at night, or to share some research on a little-known figure from the Tang Dynasty or a historical case, insisting on hearing Gu Qing's insights and opinions.

Gu Qing already possessed a profound knowledge of literature and history, so he handled Director Chen, an old literary youth, with ease, often quoting classics and expounding new ideas, speaking eloquently and logically.

This only gave Director Chen the illusion of finding a kindred spirit, and the more they talked, the more enthusiastic he became.

Fortunately, there is a time difference between the two places.

It was late at night, a time when Director Chen was most inspired to write poetry.

Gu Qing usually comes here during breaks in filming during the day or in the evening after work.

otherwise,

He simply didn't have the energy to keep this artistic old man company in the middle of the night, discussing romance, poetry, and literature.

I quickly typed out a commentary on the bumpy careers of the "Four Great Poets of the Early Tang Dynasty" in the chat box, which was considered as completing the "assignment" that Director Chen had given me for today.

Gu Qing finally had a moment to log onto domestic social media platforms and browse through the latest developments in the Chinese entertainment industry over the past month.

The first thing to pay attention to is naturally news related to oneself.

As the broadcast of "Nirvana in Fire" entered its later stages, its ratings remained strong, and its reputation continued to grow.

Fans are enthusiastically discussing the power struggles and the characters' fates, with numerous posts offering detailed interpretations and character analyses.

It was inevitable that this drama would become a hit of the year and even be hailed as a classic by the audience.

This is quite different from the response to Gu Qing's previous starring roles in dramas such as "The Journey of Flower", "The Mystic Nine", and "The Imperial Doctress".

Although those dramas once sparked a ratings frenzy, no one ever firmly attached labels like "acting talent" or "powerhouse actor" to him.

More realistically,
Even if a work originating from an idol drama becomes very popular, it seems unlikely to be considered a "representative work".

Recalling a variety show from a past life,
Zhang Han, the pond master, was confronted by Dan's mother, who then asked everyone present to introduce their representative works so that they could get to know each other.

Does the owner of the pond have the nerve to say that his representative work is "Meteor Shower"?

The rest of the actors and singers were also embarrassed and at a loss.

Without a representative work demonstrating true talent, one truly lacks the confidence to speak out.

The sudden emergence of "Nirvana in Fire" is quietly changing Gu Qing's confidence.

More and more neutral critics and viewers are starting to casually mention things like, "Gu Qing's acting this time is really good," when discussing the plot.

"The actor who played Mei Changsu brought the character to life."

This drama is gradually being regarded as a truly significant "representative work" in his acting career.

especially,
Recently, its competitor, "L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties," starring Chris Wu, suffered both box office and critical failure.

Other popular works also received lukewarm responses, while online praise for Gu Qing only increased, with some comments even elevating him to an excessively high position.
The praise in the words made Gu Qing herself feel somewhat uncomfortable.

This praise is excessive; it seems to be akin to "deifying" him.

"I suspect someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes, trying to elevate me to a high position first..."

Gu Qing pondered in his heart.

Under the intense scrutiny of the spotlight, even the most perfect image cannot withstand microscopic scrutiny.

This kind of excessive praise can sometimes be more dangerous than a direct attack.

but,

He wasn't overly worried.

As long as one adheres to the bottom line, does not cross legal red lines, maintains a certain standard in subsequent works, and avoids a continuous collapse in reputation, one can succeed in this position.

Despite the great storms from the outside world, they are unlikely to truly shake the foundation.

Just stay alert and keep your mind calm.

"Has 'The Rap of China' aired?"

"The ratings exploded, even surpassing 'Running Man' and 'Go Fighting!'?"

Gu Qing glanced at another trending topic and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile.

This Brother Qian is truly an "interesting" opponent, with an incredibly strong will to live, practically an unkillable cockroach.

Every time we thought he was going to die, he always managed to find a new way to cause a stir.

Putting aside the subtle antagonistic relationship between the two,
With a colleague who frequently generates buzz, the Chinese entertainment industry isn't too boring.

Aside from their heated competition, there's plenty of other amusing content on their blogs.

For example, "Running Man," which was recently dethroned by "The Rap of China," has been embroiled in considerable controversy.

This national program, which had consistently held the top spot in variety show ratings from its first season to its third season, has fallen from grace for the first time.

This was hard for many longtime Running Man fans to accept, and they directed their criticism at the two new faces who joined the new season.

One is Huang Zitao, who replaced Lu Han. As one of the "Four Sons" who returned from XO, she has a decent fan base.

The other is Dilraba, a rising star under the company of Da Mi Mi.

The production team seems eager to replicate the success of the "Saturday Couple" from years ago, deliberately arranging numerous interactions in the games to forcefully create a sense of chemistry between the two and "give the audience a sweet treat."

However, the effect was the opposite.

The audience didn't buy it:
"You call this adding sugar? Are you sure you're not forcing industrial saccharin down my throat?!"

"I just want to ask, do these two have any chemistry? One is loud and boisterous like a little blondie, and the other is trying too hard to portray himself as a 'naturally naive foodie'. It's so deliberate!"

"What does Dilraba's exotic and stunning appearance have to do with being 'naturally naive'?"

"Yang Ying also cultivated a foodie persona before, and now Dilraba is doing it too? Do all female celebrities have god-like stomachs? It's beyond the basic logic of physics, how can you eat without gaining calories?"

"He's not as good as Lu Han in the third season; at least he's more natural."

"Huang Zitao is really like a giant baby. He can't take a joke. He gets angry when he loses and has to be coaxed by Brother Chao and the others. Who is he trying to fool with his show of threatening to quit recording?"

"Fans are praising her for being genuine? That's just a lack of emotional intelligence!"

The poorly executed CP (couple pairing) hype completely failed; there was absolutely no ambiguous or sweet chemistry between Huang Zitao and Dilraba.

The two of them look out of place on screen.

Other than that,

Dilraba was attacked by Yang Ying's fans every episode, and was often implied that she was "stealing her seat".

Huang Zitao fared even worse.

There were both original Running Man fans criticizing Gu Qing and Lu Han's fans chasing after him to criticize.

They want to vent the suffering of their own little deer tenfold.

Finally, an even worse one arrived.

Isn't it a happy way to shift the blame?

What's even more interesting is that,
Among the four members of XO who returned to China, Huang Zitao already had a delicate relationship with the fans of the other members due to some of his past words and deeds.

When Wu and Lu left the group in their early years, he, who had not yet left the group, publicly accused them of "betrayal" and even released a video imitating "angina" to mock them.

But what happens next?

He became the third member to leave the group.

When she became a 'traitor', Huang Zitao fell silent, and her social media remained calm.

Because of his double standards, he has never been well-liked by the other three fans.

and,

If we're talking about who hates Huang Zitao the most, it has to be 'Kris Wu'. Just recently,
Just as Kris Wu was experiencing a resurgence in popularity with "The Rap of China," news broke online that Huang Zitao had returned to China and participated in a face-to-face interview with Jiu Zhuan Da Chang.

When the host asked, "What do you think of Kris Wu?"

Huang Zitao hesitated, then smiled with amusement and disdain, and the video resurfaced.

In an instant, a huge wave of discussion arose.

What? Kris Wu has character issues? Huang Zitao had already hinted at it.

Kris Oh is the member with the worst character in XO!

Numerous comments flooded the comments section of every popular video.

How could the Megnis not be furious?

In their view,
This is a trending topic that Huang Zitao's team bought to divert attention from the recent negative public opinion surrounding her!

The two groups of fans have reignited their battle and are still hurling insults at each other.

The NiuTao couple has started their love-hate relationship again.

"I'm afraid it's a case of two peaches killing three warriors."

Gu Qing, however, vaguely felt that something was amiss.

Even if Huang Zitao's PR team is stupid, they wouldn't use a method that hurts themselves a thousand while killing eight hundred enemies, right?
obviously,
Some people in the industry also want Brother Qian dead, not wanting to see him reborn a second time.

They wanted to kill two birds with one stone and incite a chaotic battle between Niu Tao's fans.

"It's not easy, you guys finally know how to target others."

"How difficult is it for them to drag me down?"

Gu Qing was very pleased.

Finally, he wasn't the only one being besieged.

With Brother Qian around, I feel at ease.

It can truly be said that they are the worst of friends and the best of enemies.

He gave a slightly amused hum and continued swiping down the screen.

however,
When his gaze fell upon the next trending topic, the relaxed smile on his face vanished instantly, and his eyes turned cold.

Without scrolling down to read the details, Gu Qing turned off the screen, tossed the phone aside, and didn't bother looking at it anymore.

The last trending headline that caught his eye was:

"#The Flop Couple Huang Xiaoming and Yang Ying# I suggest locking them up, so they don't ruin other dramas!"

With the collapse of the reputation of "General and I" starring Yang Ying due to issues such as green screen effects and body doubles,

The two, along with Huang Xiaoming's starring role in "Ancient Love Song," which suffered from low ratings and ridicule for their appearance and acting, have recently been dubbed the "flop couple" by netizens, despite their high popularity.

The comments section was filled with biting sarcasm and helpless banter.
Many people marveled at the exquisite aptness of this title.

This malicious label will likely follow them for a long time.

Amidst this wave of mockery,

A group of figures were unusually active.

As the largest CP (couple) fandom in the entire Chinese entertainment industry.

Even if
Having experienced Yang Ying's betrayal and Gu Qing's cutting ties.

Yet there are still many sick, wandering ghosts who refuse to let go of their past memories.

Fortunately,

This group no longer dares to act crazy under the original poster's name, but instead has changed to: 'enclosing their own little world and indulging in their own fantasies'.

just,

They'll inevitably appear wherever there's a chance to mock Huang Xiaoming.

The widespread use of the nickname "the down-and-out couple" may well have been fueled by their influence.

Faced with such a predicament, Huang Xiaoming, who is well-versed in the ways of survival in the entertainment industry, would naturally not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

Negative buzz is still buzz, and being infamous is still fame.

You guys were criticizing the "fallen couple," right? Fine, let's ride this wave of "hype," team up, and prove them wrong with our actions!
Less than two hours later, a new bombshell announcement came:
"Will the 'fallen couple' reunite? Join forces to star in director Han Han's new film 'Duckweed'?"

The news caused an uproar online.

The sounds of resistance, mockery, and spectatorship were all mixed together.

however,
Zhao Liying, who had just returned to her hotel room exhausted after a long day of intense work, was the one who learned the news earlier than most netizens and was even more furious.

She practically collapsed onto the sofa, instinctively reaching for her phone to refresh her messages.

When the keywords "Huang Xiaoming, Yang Ying, and Han Han's new movie" caught my eye.

She froze completely.

A moment later, her cheeks flushed red with extreme anger, her knuckles turned white as she gripped her phone, and her petite body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

She sat up abruptly, and her vision went black for a moment because of the sudden movement.

Stabilizing her dizziness, Zhao Liying dialed her agent's number without hesitation, her voice hoarse from exhaustion and excitement:
"Didn't you agree that this script would be left for me?!"

"Why were they given to Xiaoming and the others?!"

"You're lying to me!!!"

By the end, Sister Zhao's voice had become uncontrollable, filled with hysterical sobs.

The long-suppressed fatigue, grievances, frustration at not being valued, and immense disappointment at a broken promise all burst forth at this moment.

Tears welled up without warning, one after another, quickly sliding down her cheeks, which had become much thinner due to overwork and even revealed a clear jawline.

Her once round "baby face" is gone, replaced by an undeniable slenderness.

"Liying, Liying, calm down and control your emotions."

The agent answered the phone and was startled by her unprecedented loss of control, so she quickly softened her voice to comfort her.

"How can I stay calm?!"

Zhao Liying practically screamed, her usually soft voice turning shrill as she yelled, "You bastards are all lying to me!!"

"You promised me three months of gigs and then left the script for my brother and me to film. Why did you give the script to them when the deadline is almost here?!"

She never forgot.
When I first invited Gu Qing to film "Riding the Waves", she could only free up time three months later due to scheduling issues.

these days,

Zhao Liying has made many attempts to secure opportunities with the company.

With her current status as a top-tier actress in the company, coupled with Gu Qing's box office appeal.

Huayi reluctantly agreed, but Zhao Liying agreed at the cost of owing a favor.

Furthermore, a demanding requirement was put forward: "You can't be idle during the script's stay; you have to help the company run commercial performances to earn money."

No artist wants to do commercial performances to make money.
First, it's undignified.

Secondly, although this method brings in money quickly, it is not without its risks.

Even a top star like Gu Qing can't avoid encountering men and women who try every means to take advantage of others.

Artists must be extremely vigilant and protect themselves, refusing to eat or drink certain foods.

Since her debut, Zhao Liying has only appeared in the public eye when a new drama is released for marketing and promotion; otherwise, she prefers to stay at home most of the time.

However, faced with the company's stringent requirements,

Zhao Liying agreed anyway.

Is it the feeling of enjoying and being able to film with Gu Qing?

Or was it after leaving Gu Qing that she found that the ratings of several dramas she filmed were all flops, and she lost her sense of security?

Perhaps... both are true... she couldn't tell.

……

In the days that followed,

She began three months of non-stop work, spinning like a top. Airports, hotels, event venues, film studios... these became her primary coordinates in life.

Sister Zhao had been working tirelessly, holding on to her last breath, and with the three-month deadline fast approaching, a glimmer of hope was just around the corner.

Unexpectedly, instead of receiving a notice to join the production team, he was told that the script had been "generously" transferred to Huang Xiaoming by the company.

How could she accept this?
"Liying, listen to me,"

Hearing the suppressed sobbing and heavy breathing on the other end of the phone, the agent felt a pang of pity and sighed, his voice full of helplessness, "We...we are in a different situation than Master Huang."

We work for the company; we're employees. But Huang Xiaoming... he's a shareholder of the company, he owns real shares, and he's one of the owners.

He asked for this resource; who in higher positions would dare to refuse him? And who would be willing to refuse him for our sake?

"..."

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone, with only the sound of suppressed gasps.

This reason was so realistic that it was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing Zhao Liying's last glimmer of hope.

Yes, shares, boss.

Who do you think you are?
A "commodity" that is currently popular and can make money, but can also be replaced at any time; just a high-level employee.

What can we use to compete with the company's boss for resources?

So-called promises are as thin as cicada wings in the face of greater interests and power, easily torn apart.

Zhao Liying gritted her teeth and fiercely wiped away the tears on her face with the back of her hand, leaving her face wet and cold.

She sniffed, her previous excitement gone from her pretty face, replaced by an almost numb coldness and resolute determination.

"I understand."

Her voice was eerily calm; after speaking, she hung up the phone immediately.

In the empty hotel room,

Zhao Liying sat alone, her round, reddened eyes filled with humiliation, anger, and resentment, which eventually settled into a resolute determination to burn her bridges.

"Yeah...shares...boss, I'm just a lowly employee, what do I have to compete with him for?"

"I hope you two despicable women can swallow this stolen food!"

"Don't end up choking on your own halfway through filming!!"

Sister Zhao made no attempt to hide her low character, uttering a harsh curse.

She already disliked the company's laissez-faire attitude towards her, and now that she has been deceived, she has no lingering feelings for them whatsoever.

Considering the limited time left for contract renewal,

She scrolled through the phone directory, thinking about the consequences of leaving the company, but after a moment's hesitation, she decisively clicked on the number.

This experience taught her that artists who cannot take the initiative are nothing more than puppets to be manipulated at will!
The call rang a few times and was quickly answered.

"Sister Bingbing, I promise you..."

"But will you grant me one request?"

"Yes……"

……

...(End of chapter)