Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 57 Flowers and Applause

It was already 2 a.m. when the movie ended. It had started snowing lightly in Yanjing, and the streets were covered with a thin layer of silvery white.

The streetlights cast long shadows of the two people, overlapping each other on the snow.

Jiang Ye walked beside Chen Duling with his hands in his pockets, his boots making a soft crunching sound on the snow.

As he passed a dessert shop that was still open, he suddenly stopped and said, "Wait for me."

Chen Duling stood under the streetlight, her breath steaming in the air, watching him jog into the store. A moment later, he came out with a paper bag: "I want to eat apples on Christmas Eve."

She took it and found it was an apple shaped like Santa Claus, with a smiley face drawn on its bright red surface in chocolate.

"Childish," she muttered, clutching the paper bag to her palm.

As the light at the hotel entrance drew closer, Jiang Ye suddenly slowed his pace.

"We're here." He pointed to the revolving door. "I'll drop you off here."

Chen Duling nodded, but remained standing still.

A puff of breath, like white mist, separated the two, and neither said goodbye.

“Um…” Jiang Ye suddenly spoke, taking a small box out of his coat pocket, “Actually, I prepared a gift for you. I was originally going to send it to your school…”

A few unmelted snowflakes were on the surface of the dark blue velvet box.

Chen Duling took it, her fingertips trembling slightly as she opened it.

It is a small pearl hair clip, with small diamonds surrounding a round pearl to form half a rose, and a few delicate silver tassels adorning the edges of the petals, shimmering with a gentle and exquisite light under the warm yellow lights of the hotel.

“I noticed you always had that old hair clip when we were in Xiamen, so I thought I'd give you a new one…”

Chen Duling suddenly looked up.

"You..." Her throat tightened, "You've already been scolded like this..."

"What does being scolded have to do with receiving a gift?" Jiang Ye interrupted her with a smile. "Besides..."

He suddenly reached out and gently brushed the snowflakes off her hair. "Your presence is the best Christmas Eve gift."

A group of drunken guests emerged from the revolving door, their laughter shattering the moment's tranquility.

Chen Duling hurriedly took a half step back, clutching the gift box tightly in her hand.

"Thank you." Her voice was as soft as falling snow. "I'll go up now."

"Mm." Jiang Ye stood still. "Goodnight."

She turned and walked through the revolving door, the glass reflecting the boy still standing in the snow behind her.

When she reached the elevator, she suddenly turned back, pushed open the side door, and rushed out.

Jiang Ye was still standing there, and was clearly taken aback when he saw her return: "Luo Xia Dong..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cool hug.

Chen Duling buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled by her scarf: "Merry Christmas."

Before he could react, she had already let go of his hand and run back to the hotel.

……

December 25th, Christmas Day!
When Jiang Ye was awakened by his cell phone ringing, it was still snowing lightly outside the window.

He groggily reached for his phone, and the screen showed 17 missed calls from Bailu.

The latest WeChat message reads: "Boss, the number of views has surpassed 600 million!"

He sat up abruptly, instantly becoming fully awake.

The phone suddenly vibrated in my palm, and Meng Ziyi's name popped up.

As soon as he answered the call, an excited voice came from the other end: "Aye, my Weibo followers increased by 300,000 overnight!"

"What time did you get back yesterday? Why didn't you come to my place?" Jiang Ye opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, another call came in.

Bailu: "Boss, six media outlets have requested exclusive interviews, we've got four out of the top ten trending topics on Weibo, and our Douban rating has gone from 5.2 to 6.7!"

He stepped barefoot onto the cement floor of the dormitory, the icy touch bringing him back to his senses. The show's popularity had finally arrived!
On the homepage of Tencent Video, the poster for "Princess Promotion" is framed in gold and occupies the most prominent recommendation position.

Even with the barrage density set to the lowest level, the latest episode still completely obscures the screen when viewed on screen.

"Reporting in for my third visit!"

"Durian shell prop team, come out and get some kisses!"

"Curtains and Dragon Robes yyds"

A flood of colorful bullet comments swept across the screen.

In the Tencent Video technology department, the on-duty engineer stared at the suddenly soaring curve: "The scene at the end of episode 12 where the princess flips the table has instantly surpassed 50 bullet comments!"

On the monitoring screen, the red curve representing server load is fluctuating in the danger zone.

"Activate the backup server!" the tech lead shouted. "Distribute the live chat to the third server room!"

Mr. Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and ordered the public relations department: "Prepare a press release immediately, with a headline that's sure to be explosive: 'Low-budget web series makes a comeback, creating a viewing miracle on Christmas Eve!'"

Yesterday, the homepage of the Douban group "Gossip is Here" featured a post titled "Let's Talk About That Ridiculous Drama That Used Curtains as Costumes," but this morning it has been replaced by "In-Depth Analysis of the Narrative Revolution in Princess Promotion Diary."

The original poster, a "film school student," used 3,000 words to argue that "durian shells are a metaphor for feudal ethics," which garnered 5687 likes.

On Weibo, well-known film critic "Dan Guang" posted a long article:
From widespread ridicule to legendary status, how did "Princess Promotion Diary" defeat capital with sincerity?

The most popular comment was: "Weren't you the one who called that person brain-dead back then?"

It received 2.3 likes.

The most dramatic one is Zhihu.

Under the question "How would you rate the poorly made 'Princess Promotion'?", all the new answers were the same:

"It seems the production team spent the money wisely."

"Being poor and open about it becomes a unique characteristic."

"It turns out that a good script doesn't need a gilded toilet."

The show's explosive popularity has sparked intense discussion both within and outside the industry.

The China Film News published a commentary on its front page, stating that it "leveraged a large market with a small budget, providing a new model for online content." The article affirmed the "accurate capture of young audiences by the anti-cliché plot" but also bluntly stated that "the rough costumes, props, and controversial lines exposed the shortcomings of some online content that was eager for quick success."

Film and Television Industry Observer magazine focused on its market logic, analyzing that: "From being ridiculed as a terrible drama to having over 600 million views, 'Princess Promotion' has hit the mark in internet communication."

“Highly topical segments are suitable for secondary creation, and gender contrast tropes are easy to spread on social media platforms. This inherent ability to attract traffic has allowed it to break away from the traditional promotional path of film and television dramas from the very beginning.”

Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly: "Views Surpass 6 Million! Web Drama 'Princess Promotion' Dominates Social Media During Its Popularity"

Sina Entertainment: From "吐槽剧" (a show often criticized for its poor quality) to "全民追追" (a show that is followed by viewers online) - Viewers say: "There aren't enough episodes!"

The entertainment section of the *Yanjing Youth Daily* published an article titled, "Watching it during commutes, chatting about it during lunch breaks, and watching it three times straight—why did *Princess Promotion* become the most popular web series of the year?"

West China City Daily: Who hasn't watched "Princess Promotion" yet? From laughing at its "budget" to clamoring for more episodes, this web series has become a staple of winter binge-watching.

Everything has changed!

The doubts of the past were completely overshadowed by a deluge of flowers and applause.

Those ridiculous plots that were heavily criticized when the show first aired are now being given the academic title of deconstructivist narrative by film critics.

The "dragon robe with curtains," which was once ridiculed, has been interpreted by fashion bloggers as a pioneering attempt at "postmodern minimalism."

Even though the production team admitted that the durian prop was used to save money, some people have written articles analyzing its "dark humor metaphor for feudal ethics."

Jiang Ye wasn't blinded by these thoughts; he was more concerned about how much money he could get.

(End of this chapter)