Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

After agreeing to have dinner with teacher Han Hong next week to record "I Want to Sing with You", Gu Qing decisively turned off her phone and closed her eyes to rest at nine o'clock sharp.

He has found peace and quiet.

The fans, however, couldn't sleep.

The excitement and exhilaration of watching the live stream made them incredibly energetic, frantically posting, discussing, and sharing the video on various platforms.

Blogs, Douban, Bilibili... you can see Gu Qing's birthday party everywhere.

Gu Qing completely dominated the trending topics list.

#Gu Qing's birthday banquet has surpassed 280 million paid attendees#
#Gu Qing Makeup and Styling#
#Collection of Gu Qing's Songs#
#Gu Qing's birthday banquet was so generous#
#Gu Qing calls her fans "babies"#
The last entry stands out.

That was Gu Qing's habitual phrase during his live streams in his previous life—"My darlings, what songs would you like to hear?"

As a result, fans captured the clip and it became "Gu Qing called fans: Baby".

An extremely abstract term has somehow managed to trend on social media, almost rivaling the legendary trending topic of "Brother Xiao has very long leg hair" from years ago.

"I didn't want to fall in love with my younger brother, but he calls me 'Baby'!"

"Gu Qing is too good at flirting, it feels like things are going to change! If this continues, even the feelings of his 'mommy fans' will change!"

"Hehe... my little brother's collarbone... licking the screen! I'm going to use this as my screensaver!"

"Girls, I recorded it! A two-hour concert! I'm going to replay it every day from now on!"

Thankfully, the fans' most outrageous antics are currently confined to the supertopic, with a large group of people enjoying themselves in their own little world and not running around outside in an abstract and unrestrained manner.

Otherwise, if Gu Qingzhi just glanced at it, he would dig his toes into the ground and suffer from insomnia.

"By the way, who is this 'Fragrant Mountain Hermit' that my brother mentioned?"

A fan who had missed out on the nine-year compulsory education asked in confusion.

Fortunately, this is a minority.

Gu Qing debuted with a traditional Chinese style, attracting many fans who love traditional Chinese style. Her level of education is unique in the fan circle.

Fans quickly jumped out to explain:

"Xiangshan Jushi is Bai Juyi! My brother's line, 'Who would have thought I would miss you by the river at night, just as I was gazing at you by the pond,' comes from 'Jianglou Yue' (River Tower Moon)."

The literal meaning is: I never imagined that the night you were thinking of me by the river was also the night I was standing by the pond gazing into the distance, thinking of you.

"What my brother meant in the end was that while we missed him, he also missed us."

"Mommy! My little brother is so good at this! Why flirt if you're not going to marry him?!"

Once the original meaning of the poem is explained, and then the fans add their own interpretations and become emotionally moved—

"Why flirt with Gu Qing if he won't marry her?"

It quickly became the most trending topic at tonight's birthday party.

"I remember my brother's favorite poets were Li Yu and Li He, so why is he suddenly reading Bai Juyi?"

"Sister, your brother writes so many ancient-style songs, so naturally he has to be involved in poetry and literature a lot! You should focus on your studies and stop idolizing celebrities!"

In the comments section, some anti-Tiangang fans started lecturing others:
"We can't let our younger brother down, you know?"

"We should be a group of high-quality fans, not like those brainless idiots."

"You're punished by having to read through all of the 'Three Hundred Tang and Song Poems' that your younger brother recommended!"

"I'm so sorry! I've embarrassed my brother. I'll place the order right now!"

The fan community is actually like a teenager. They are easily swayed, immature, thoughtless, and easily angered.

To guide them and set a healthy example, artists and their teams need to put in a lot of effort.

This is a losing proposition and a thankless task.

Judging from the current situation, Gu Qing's efforts have yielded some results.

……

Over the next three days, the excitement surrounding Gu Qing's birthday banquet finally cooled down a bit.

Other celebrities' names started appearing on the trending topics list, and various marketing accounts finally had a chance to catch their breath.

Among them, the most excited was Teacher Wang.

Wang Banbi plans to take this opportunity to market his 32-show national tour this year.

He simply couldn't believe that even though he had deliberately avoided Gu Qing, he could still be the one trending on social media!

On August 24th, Teacher Wang's studio released the tour poster on time, with the caption: "The 2017 'Years' Tour Concert has officially started, starting in the capital city. Looking forward to meeting you!"

It's gaining popularity; it was shared over 10,000 times within half an hour.

Teacher Wang nodded in satisfaction.

Shouldn't everything be fine now?
But who would have thought—

At 2 PM that afternoon, the official Kiwi account suddenly posted a teaser:
"Yi Lijing's 'Standpoint' First Guest: Gu Qing! Premiering tomorrow night at 6 PM! Watch the exciting clips in advance →"

In the trailer, Yi Lijing poses a series of questions with a blank expression:

Why did you leave Running Man?

Is your relationship with Yang Ying really as rumored online?

Some people say that your love turned into hatred. What do you think?

"Among the four top celebrities, who do you think is the most popular?"

Have you ever been in a relationship?

Every problem is like a bomb exploding on the calm surface of a lake.

Within half an hour of its release, the trailer had been shared over a million times.

The comment section exploded.

"Holy crap!! That Yi Demon Lord asked way too many questions!!"

"Is this something I can say?"

"Holy crap, what did Gu Qing say?! I'm so anxious!!"

"Gu Qing and Yang Ying?! My God, this is going to be a hot topic for the ages!!"

"Six o'clock tomorrow? I want to watch it now!!"

"Teacher Yi, you are my god!!"

Teacher Wang looked at his tour poster and fell silent.

Gu Qing's birthday party had just ended three days ago, and he's here again?

August 25th, 8 PM.

"Standpoint" was launched on iQiyi on time.

In an instant,
The platform was flooded with traffic, and the servers almost crashed.

Countless netizens flocked to the scene to watch the drama unfold, eager to see what the legendary "Demon Yi" had asked and what Gu Qing had replied.

As for Teacher Wang's 32 concerts?

I wish him happiness.

Wang Feng: "Fuck your mother!"

……

5:55 PM.

A female dormitory at a university.

Su Xiaomai stared intently at her phone screen, her fingers nervously twisting the corner of the blanket.

She is a remnant fan of Gu Qing and Yang Ying.

She has been a staunch supporter of this older sister-younger brother couple since the first season of "Running Man" in 2014.

Even after Yang Ying's manipulation and purification of fans, and even though Gu Qing said in an interview that they were "just friends."
Even though the entire internet is mocking these CP fans as "rats in the gutter"—

She never gave up.

Three years.

It's been three whole years.

In this dark sewer, she licked the last remaining old candies, repeatedly watching those videos that had long since become patina, and rewatching those interactions that she had memorized by heart.

She even started a small group with three or four hundred equally deluded "remnants" under her command.

The group name is: "Sibling Couple Remarriage Preparation".

On weekdays,
They huddled together for warmth and comfort, waiting for that elusive opportunity.

And now-

The opportunity is coming!

"My brother actually mentioned Baby on the show!!"

"Four years! Four years! I finally heard Baby's name from Gu Qing's mouth!!"

"The sibling couple is real!! They're really getting back together!!"

"Grandma was right, as long as you live long enough, you can see everything! I've finally waited for this day!"

The group chat has exploded.

Three or four hundred CP remnants were screaming and shouting, some were crying their eyes out, some were overjoyed, and some were frantically posting old pictures and videos, as if it were New Year's Day.

Su Xiaomai took a deep breath as she watched the jubilation in the group chat.

She must remain calm.

She is the group leader and the backbone of everyone.

She couldn't lose her composure like those little fans.

5:58 PM.

She posted a message: "Sisters, stay calm! When the show airs, we'll witness history together!"

then,

She silenced her phone, opened a video app, and switched it to full screen.

Five fifty-nine.

She took a deep breath and stared intently at the screen.

Six o'clock sharp.

The program started on time.

……

On the screen, Yi Li stared blankly at Gu Qing opposite her.

The first question goes straight to the point:
"We all know that you became famous because of 'Running Man'. But later, you left the show for some reason."

She paused, then looked directly into Gu Qing's eyes.

"I want to ask—is it that you really didn't want to continue participating, or were there some factors that forced you to leave the show?"

Su Xiaomai covered her mouth.

My heart was in my throat.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she screamed inwardly, "My brother was forced to quit Running Man because of that guy surnamed Huang!"

The group chat has exploded.

"Without someone surnamed Huang, how could our sibling couple have broken up?!"

"This old man, just die already!!"

"Boycott him! I want to boycott every show he's in!!"

On the screen, Gu Qing's expression was calm.

"Running Man is a very important program for me."

He said, "It made me known to more people and liked by more people. I am very grateful for that experience and for everyone on the production team."

He paused for a moment,

"But some things can't be continued just because you want to."

Yi Li pressed further, "Could you elaborate?"

Gu Qing looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Leaving the show was the company's decision. They felt I should focus more on film and television, and that appearing on variety shows frequently would damage my image as an actor. As an employee, I had no right to refuse."

Su Xiaomai was stunned.

"Huh? It wasn't that guy surnamed Huang who did it?"

The group chat fell silent for a moment.

But soon, someone jumped out and said:

"Are you stupid! Didn't you see your brother pause for a moment? He had his reasons, but he was too embarrassed to say them!"

"If it weren't for that guy surnamed Huang causing trouble, I would have been hit by a car and killed as soon as I stepped out today!!"

"The company is just a front! Gu Qing's younger brother clearly doesn't want to leave Baby, but how can a working-class person like him fight against capital?"

Soon, psychology experts emerged, offering various analyses of Gu Qing's subtle expressions:
"Look at the way he looks when he speaks! He looked down for half a second! That's a classic avoidance reaction!"

"And when he smiles, only the left corner of his mouth turns up! This means he's forcing a smile!"

Su Xiaomai looked at these analyses and nodded in deep agreement.

That's right.

My younger brother was suppressed by capital.

If it's not that guy surnamed Huang, then who else could it be?
On the screen, Yi Li turned a page of her notebook.

The second question is like a sword being drawn from its sheath:

"There are many rumors online about your relationship with Yang Ying. Some say you hate each other because of love, others say you never speak to each other again—is this true?"

Su Xiaomai's heart stopped.

All messages in the group have stopped.

Everyone held their breath.

Su Xiaomai curled up with her hands and feet together, biting the corner of the blanket tightly, with only one thought in her mind:
"Teacher Yi, you are my god!!"

On the screen, Gu Qing's smile faded slightly.

He looked at Yi Lijing and said two words calmly:

"fake."

Su Xiaomai's heart sank.

But then—

"We've just stopped contacting each other."

The group chat exploded instantly.

"They just stopped contacting each other! They just stopped contacting each other!! What does that mean? It means they were in contact before!!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Just because we're not in contact now doesn't mean we didn't have feelings for each other before!"

Before Su Xiaomai could even feel happy, Yi Li pressed her for more information:

"Oh? Why don't you contact her? Are you afraid to see her?"

Gu Qing smiled.

"She's the one who's afraid to see me."

Su Xiaomai's eyes widened.

What does it mean?
Is it that Baby still cares about her younger brother? Or is it that Baby is afraid to see her younger brother?
Before she could think it through, Gu Qing spoke again:

"Just kidding. The main thing is, our on-screen couple relationship was fake; it was all for the show. Besides, she already had a boyfriend before filming, and we've always kept our distance and never contacted each other privately." *Whoosh*

Su Xiaomai felt like she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

The group fell silent.

"Fake? How could it be fake?"

"Your interactions are so genuine, there's not a hint of fakery in them!"

"Heh... So it was all just an act."

Some began to waver, some began to question, and some began to despair.

Seeing the group on the verge of falling apart, Su Xiaomai took a deep breath and typed rapidly:

"Don't be fooled by Gu Qing!!"

"How could those two not keep in touch in private?"

"Didn't Yang Ying send photos of visiting the set of 'The Journey of Flower' before?!"

The group chat was silent for a moment.

Someone tentatively asked, "But if there is a connection, why did the younger brother publicly admit that it was all a publicity stunt?"

Su Xiaomai sneered and continued outputting:

"You guys are so stupid! Would Gu Qing dare to admit on the show that he had a crush on Baby during the Running Man era?"

"Just like he said, Baby has a boyfriend! This love can only be kept in her heart, and that's the greatest tenderness!!"

"Blame that guy surnamed Huang! If it weren't for him, my brother and Baby might already have a baby by now!!"

After repeated brainwashing, the self-deceiving fans all believed it.

"That's right! The younger brother is afraid of hurting Baby, that's why he doesn't want to admit it!"

"We understand him!"

"Always support this sibling-like couple!"

Su Xiaomai watched with satisfaction as the atmosphere in the group chat became lively again.

Even if they die, they will become wandering ghosts.

They'll cling to Gu Qing for the rest of their lives!

……

On the screen, the interview continued.

When Yi Li asked that tricky question—"When others compare you to three other artists, do you feel disdain? Do you feel that you are not in the same league at all?"

Su Xiaomai's heart jumped again.

As long as it doesn't involve any romantic pairing, these remaining fans mostly show affection and protection towards Gu Qing.

Yi the Demon is disgusting!

No matter how you answer this question, it's a trap.

To say "I can" is arrogance and conceit.

To say "no" is hypocritical and pretentious.

Gu Qing's answer made her applaud.

He smiled shyly and said, "Thank you for the praise, Teacher Yi, and for your recognition."

Yi Li's expressionless face stiffened.

Then, he said seriously:

"It's definitely not the most popular artist, but let's add 'young' to it—the most popular young artist, perhaps that's a fair way to put it."

"As for young artists, I am quite confident. I have brought films and songs that audiences like, and I have also taken on the responsibilities that public figures need to bear."

"At least for now, I haven't seen any young artists who are doing better than me."

Looking at the spirited young man on the screen, Su Xiaomai suddenly felt a little dazed.

As expected, Baby loves her younger brother the most.

Always so outstanding and dazzling.

The little black-clad guys remained silent.

Arrogant enough, but he certainly has the confidence to be arrogant.

This statement, ironically, became the least controversial part of today's interview.

Because no one can refute it.

……

In the latter half of the interview, Yi Li unexpectedly asked that fatal question:

"My next question is about your personal relationships. You once said on 'The Jin Xing Show' that you've never been in a relationship. I'd like to ask—is that true?"

"It's true." Gu Qing nodded.

"I don't believe it." Yi Li suddenly channeled Lu Yu's personality, "How could someone as good-looking as you not have any girls chasing after you?"

Have you ever been in a relationship?

Su Xiaomai's heart jumped into her throat again.

Gu Qing hesitated for a moment.

"I think... I've been in a relationship now."

Su Xiaomai's eyes widened.

what? !

"As an actor, I need to get into character."

"In every film, I try my best to immerse myself in the emotions of the character. I may get into character quickly or slowly, but I always feel that I am in character."

"So I think I...experienced what it's like to be in love. There's no denying that I fell in love with the character I played."

This interview effectively killed tonight's game.

The reporters' fingers were practically smoking from typing so much on their keyboards; there couldn't have been a more explosive response.

"Gu Qing has gone mad? It may be the truth, but how can she say something like that?"

"Isn't he afraid of his fanbase exploding?!"

This was the first thought that popped into the minds of the staff in the industry.

But the "explosion" they envisioned wasn't the explosion of a bomb, but the explosion of a wildfire.

Just like those lingering, persistent fans,

Gu Qing benefited from the popularity of the CP (couple pairing), becoming a top star.

Then,

No matter how much you try to refine the core of their fanbase, you can't erase their fundamental nature: "shipping couples".

It's impossible to completely eliminate all of these.

What you gain from a CP (couple pairing) will inevitably come at a price.

and so…

"I love to ship them, I love shipping them, I want to ship them..."

This is the general tone of most of Gu Qing's fans.

Not to mention, starting with the explosive popularity of "The Journey of Flower".

Amidst the fan wars between Gu Qing and Yang Ying's CP fans, Sister Zhao was directly promoted by the Gu family members at the time as the "sibling CP 2.0".

"Sister Zhao is the best sister."

However, it did become a trending topic at the time.

Even if there are die-hard fans, as long as Gu Qing doesn't personally admit, "This is my girlfriend,"...

Then,

Even when reporters presented solid video evidence to his solo fans, they still didn't believe Gu Qing was in a relationship.

This is why Chris Wu remains a force to be reckoned with.

As long as he presents himself as a pure and innocent young man and stubbornly refuses to admit to being a womanizer, his solo fans will naturally hypnotize themselves.

This is the true nature of a die-hard fan.

"My brother is so dedicated to being an actor."

"I'm so sad. I don't want my brother to fall in love with the female lead in the drama."

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm sad too, but then I think, if my brother doesn't get into character, how can he give a good performance?"

"We should be proud of him!"

While some fans were indeed saddened and jealous, very few abandoned their fandom or became enraged.

Many more fans were calculating and analyzing.

"Which seven romance dramas is your brother referring to?"

"It should be: The Journey of Flower, Nine Tails Fox, The Mystic Nine, The Imperial Doctress, The Left Ear, Nirvana in Fire, and Love O2O."

"Seven leading ladies: Sister Zhao has collaborated with her brother on two films. I think she's got the makings of an empress."

"Pah! Shishi has collaborated on two projects too, so what if she collaborates on more?"

"Exactly, can anyone be sweeter than my beloved Qingcheng couple?"

"Actually, Sister Tao is pretty good too. She's like a maternal older sister; who can resist her?"

Fans started arguing and fighting amongst themselves, each advocating for their favorite couple.

"Case solved! Case solved! My brother's favorite rumored girlfriend is Sister Mary!"

"Liying, Shishi, Jingtian... they all lost!!"

"Haha, if it's Sister Mary, then I'll admit defeat."

The arguing fans were also amused.

At the end of the interview, Gu Qing asked Yi Lijing one last question:
"Teacher Yi, are you in pain?"

At that moment, Yi Lijing's expression froze.

Su Xiaomai looked at the screen and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Throughout the interview, Yi Li kept digging traps and launching attacks.

But in the end, it was she who was left speechless when asked the question.

My younger brother... is really amazing.

She turned off the video, leaned against the headboard, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The group was still celebrating, discussing, and analyzing every detail.

"Okay, since Gu Qing said that he would try his best to immerse himself in every role as an actor, did he get into character during Running Man?!"

Some fans have dressed up as Detective Conan.

"He's definitely lying and being stubborn. He's contradicting himself. Does filming a variety show mean he's not acting?"

"Haha, so in that case, Baby was the first leading lady he got into character with."

"Ruzi can be taught."

Su Xiaomai looked at the messages and smiled with relief.

She recalled her experience today.

From anticipation to nervousness, from excitement to disappointment, from despair to ecstasy, from ecstasy to bursts of laughter.

That night, her emotions were like a rollercoaster.

Worth it.

She opened the group chat and sent a message:
"Sisters, after tonight, will the sibling-like relationship still exist?"

The group chat was silent for a second.

Then, someone replied:
"exist."

"Always."

Even if they die.

Even if I become a wandering ghost, I will haunt Gu Qing for the rest of my life!

at the same time,

Within the industry.

When Gu Qing's statement, "As an actor, I get into character," spread, the eyes of most actresses were practically glowing with envy.

If we were to cooperate with him, wouldn't that be...?

The one flashing the green light the most is naturally Yang Mi, who will be participating in the King of Glory exhibition match at the end of the month.

She nestled on the sofa, taking a short break, and watched the interview over and over again with her phone.

"As an actor, you have to get into character... and fall in love with the character you're playing..."

She murmured to herself, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"Then we'll have to discuss 'Three Lives Three Worlds' three times, right?"

She counted on her fingers.

"In their first life, Si Yin and Li Jing had a conversation."

"In their second life, Su Su and Ye Hua will have a conversation."

"In their third life, Bai Qian and Ye Hua will talk again."

"Goodness, three times!"

The green light in her eyes was almost tangible.

"Would you call this overtaking on a curve? Overtaking Zhao Liying, Liu Shishi, Jing Tian, ​​and the others all at once?"

Da Mimi became more and more excited as she thought about it, and started rolling around on the sofa in the dressing room.

"Doesn't that mean I've become the official wife?!"

"Ha ha ha ha--"

She was laughing for a while when she suddenly stopped and her expression turned serious.

"wrong."

"That kid once said that he gets into character based on 'the character at the time'."

"So, you mean you got out of character as soon as filming was over?"

Yang Mi's expression fell.

"……Depend on."

She lay back down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

but……

If you can buy it once, you can buy it a second time, right?
When it's time to film, she'll give it her all; I don't believe that guy won't get into character.

Yang Mi's eyes lit up again.

We must seize this opportunity of the Honor of Kings exhibition match at the end of the month.

As she pondered, she opened her slender white fingers, then clenched her fist, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Taking control of a little brother is a piece of cake, isn't it?"

"You'll seduce me to death, but don't cry when we break up!"

……

...(End of this chapter)