Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the film crew had already started work.

Tian Xiwei spent another half day on set, giving small gifts to Dapeng, Qiao Shan, Nazha, and others, showing her good manners and thoughtfulness.

Around noon, the girl, dragging a small suitcase, stood beside the film crew's RV, looked up at Jiang Bai, and smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents: "Jiang Bai, I'm going back to Shanghai to study. I'll wait for you to come visit me."

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, without any makeup, and her face was filled with a pure smile, showing no sign of the disappointment she felt after being rejected the night before.

Jiang Bai felt a warmth in his heart and gently stroked her hair: "Be careful on the road, let me know when you arrive safely."

"Study hard and don't fall behind in your studies."

"Mmm!" Tian Xiwei nodded vigorously, tiptoed, and whispered in his ear, "I'll wait for you, and I mean it."

After saying that, she turned and ran towards the waiting car without looking back.

But the moment she got into the car, she quietly lifted the curtain and watched that tall figure until she could no longer see him.

Jiang Bai stood there, watching the car drive away, remained silent for a moment, then turned around and started filming.

......

A few more days passed after Tian Xiwei left.

Everything went smoothly for the production team. Apart from the fact that filming was a bit more arduous than for a TV series, there were no other difficulties.

But on the internet, Jiang Bai began to experience both extremes.

Jiang Bai is famous, really famous.

But at the same time, he also got into big trouble.

As the broadcast of "Rush to the Dead Summer" entered its later stages, the plot's pacing shifted dramatically online.

The youth story that originally revolved around Li Xia and Fu Xiaosi was gradually filled with the daily life of Lu Zhiang and Yan Mo.

Starting from episode 24, Lu Zhiang encounters Yan Mo, his former high school classmate from the next class, while studying in Japan, and the story begins to take the turn into a sweet and romantic comedy about bickering lovers.

A chance encounter on the street, playful banter, silent protection, and mutual devotion—sweet yet not cloying, brimming with tension.

Jiang Bai's portrayal of Lu Zhiang is nuanced, showcasing his transformation from a sunny and cheerful young man in the early stages to a reserved and deeply affectionate protector in the later stages, evoking strong empathy.

Zheng Hehuizi's portrayal of Yan Mo is lively and adorable, and the two sparks fly when they appear together.

The couple, known for their good looks, quickly gained popularity online.

The Weibo hashtags #LuZhiAngYanMo# and #YanYanCouple# garnered over 100 million views in a single day.

Bilibili's homepage was flooded with mashups of the two, with comments like "I only watched Lu Zhiang and Yan Mo the whole time" and "Fast forward the main plot, watch the subplot repeatedly" becoming the norm.

Jiang Bai's Weibo followers are growing even faster. This time, even Zheng Hehuizi, who didn't have any scenes in the first 24 episodes, has seen her follower count skyrocket.

She is so perfect for the role of Yan Mo; she is the perfect choice for the role.

She brought the lively and adorable Yan Mo to life.

Furthermore, Jiang Bai perfectly matches Lu Zhiang's image and character. The two of them, with their combined swordsmanship, experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, consistently trending on social media.

Because male actors have a greater advantage in attracting fans, Jiang Bai has now firmly established himself as a rising star, and his commercial value is soaring.

In stark contrast, the female protagonist, Li Xia, has completely disappeared from the public eye.

Li Xia, played by Zheng Shuang, has very few scenes in the later parts of the main film, appearing mostly in flashbacks, long shots, and narration.

In some episodes, his screen time was less than three minutes, leading viewers to jokingly call it a "guest appearance."

The production team still focused on Zheng Shuang as the main attraction in their promotional materials, but the actual episodes didn't feature her in any scenes. This huge discrepancy ignited the anger of Zheng Shuang's fans.

A media storm swept across the entire internet overnight.

The Shuangzi Sister Fan Club took the lead, with major fan sites and influential fans joining forces.

The hashtags #SummerRushDateCreationCreationUnfairlyTreatsZhuangzi# and #SummerRushDateSupportingCharactersArrived# quickly climbed into the top ten trending topics, with views exceeding one billion in a short period of time.

The barrage of criticism was overwhelming, with the target being three parties: the production crew, Jiang Bai, and Zheng Hehuizi.

The Weibo comment section was completely overrun, filled with hostility.

"The production team used my idol Zheng Shuang for promotional purposes, then discarded her after the show aired. Their behavior is disgusting! They're shamelessly pushing the second male and female leads forward!"

"Who does Jiang Bai think he is? A newcomer dares to steal the female lead's screen time? His blatant exploitation by powerful figures is disgusting; he's using Shuangzi to climb the ladder!"

"Why did Zheng Hehuizi manage to steal the lead actress's role? A minor supporting actress trying to piggyback on the fame of a top star? Get out of the entertainment industry!"

"Statistics on Chu Yuxun's episode cuts: Episode 21, 7 minutes; Episode 23, 3 minutes 20 seconds; Episode 25, only 36 seconds! Is this what you call a female lead?"

"Boycott 'Rush to the Dead Summer'! Refuse to contribute to the ratings of a maliciously edited drama! The production team must issue a public apology and restore Li Xia's scenes!"

"Just how powerful is Jiang Bai's backing? He parachuted into the production team to steal the spotlight, practically making the female lead invisible. In the Chinese entertainment industry, capital truly calls the shots!"

Fans also compiled a "timeline of Zheng Shuang's scenes being cut" and a "comparison chart of Jiang Bai's added scenes," which were then used to flood social media with hashtags, reports, and comments.

The Weibo topic square of Jiang Bai and Zheng Hehuizi was completely wiped out.

While casual viewers may prefer the good-looking couple, they dare not say much in the comments section for fear of being attacked by fans.

After all, everyone in the industry knows how powerful Zheng Shuang's fans are.

Nobody dared to even touch it.

The official Weibo account of the drama "Rush to the Dead Summer" was quickly overwhelmed, with private messages and comments filled with insults, and staff members dared not go online.

The director's and screenwriter's social media accounts were also compromised, with accusations that they "recklessly altered the plot and favored supporting characters."

The controversy escalated and even spread to the filming location of "City of Rock".

Even Jiang's parents, who don't follow the entertainment industry at all, found out about it and realized that their son had actually gone to film a TV series.

It even caused such a huge public opinion storm online!

The two elders called and gave Jiang Bai a thorough dressing-down.

In the end, Jiang Bai revealed the signed agency contract.

It was only after the six-year penalty and the breach of contract compensation, which was ten times the amount of their income, that the elderly couple calmed down and accepted the reality.

After finishing another day's work, Jiang Bai scrolled through Weibo, looking at the screen full of malice, but remained calm.

He had expected this, after all, he was mentally prepared when he accepted the role.

The battle for viewership in idol dramas has always been brutal.

With Zheng Shuang's national popularity and the fighting spirit of her fans, her sudden rise to fame as a newcomer inevitably makes her a target for criticism.

The assistant turned pale with anger: "Brother Jiang, they're being so unreasonable! It was just a natural progression of the plot, how did you end up stealing the spotlight?"

Jiang Bai shook his head slightly and tossed his phone aside: "This is normal in the industry. Fans get carried away with their emotions, and reasoning with them is useless. Once the parties involved come forward, the storm will naturally subside."

He knew that the only one who could quell this storm was Shuangzi herself.

......

On the third day of the public outcry, the hostility of Shuangzi's fans reached its peak.

The hashtag #BoycottRushToTheDeadSummer# once surged to the top three on the trending topics list. Brands that voted for GG received a large number of complaints in their back-end system, which almost affected their business cooperation.

Just then, Shuangzi suddenly posted a Weibo message using her private account, with a straightforward and frank caption, instantly turning the tide:

I enjoy the feeling of going against the current. The more others are pessimistic, the more fun I find it... I'm looking forward to it even before it starts.

And the screenwriter is innocent. Xia Zhi did not intentionally reduce Li Xia's scenes. The later scenes were to avoid exceeding the number of filming days. I'll say it again formally: it has nothing to do with the screenwriter.

I will take responsibility for my actions. I will make the most of this time and prepare for better or worse times. At worst, it's just life.

I also need to delete this alternate account.

The last time I really wanted my own Weibo account…

It's because they were wrongly accused and couldn't find a way to explain themselves...

But it was later discovered that the truth was unimportant.

The director, producer, and the entire creative team who saw this Weibo post were on the verge of tears...

Although Shuangzi is a bit willful, self-centered, and has a peculiar way of thinking, she at least has a basic sense of right and wrong!

The text is straightforward, without playing the victim or shifting blame, clearly pointing out the core issue.

The reduction in her screen time was not due to editing by the production team, adding scenes by the screenwriter, or the second male and female leads stealing her spotlight. Rather, it was because her filming days were up and she finished filming early.

The moment this Weibo post was published, the entire internet fell silent.

The trending topics quickly reversed: #ShuangziRespondsToControversyAboutFilmScreenings# and #ShuangziTakesResponsibilityForHerOwnActs# quickly topped the charts, and public opinion completely turned around.

When Shuangzi's fans saw her clarify the situation, their anger instantly died down.

Fans who had previously controlled comments and hurl insults deleted their posts and apologized, and the supertopic was filled with remorse.

"I'm sorry, Xiaoshuang, we made you suffer. We shouldn't have acted impulsively and caused trouble."

"I apologize to everyone for blaming the production team, Jiang Bai, and Zheng Hehuizi."

"From now on, I will only listen to Xiao Shuang, stop being swayed by rumors, and wholeheartedly support her work."

All I can say is that when it comes to training fans, Sister Shuang is truly a professional.

No wonder her fans are so united, even more so than Kris Wu's Meganies.

However, it must be said that in the Chinese entertainment industry, where traffic is paramount and fans fiercely defend their idols, it is truly rare to find an artist who is willing to take the initiative to assume responsibility, quell the storm, and not shirk blame or play the victim.

Judging from this incident alone, Shuangzi did a good job and handled the situation as an artist with professional ethics.

Otherwise, if it were any other actress, 90% would choose to continue placing themselves in a vulnerable position.

They will remain silent, allowing public opinion to continue to fester and forcing others to play the victim.

Anyway, I did have less screen time in the later stages. Don't worry about why I had less screen time, I'm just going to play the victim.

In comparison, Shuangzi really did a great job, daring to take responsibility and clarifying public opinion.

The content that had dominated the trending topics on Weibo for "Rush to the Dead Summer" has finally been cleared up.

"Shuangzi is so outspoken, taking responsibility for her actions—she's so endearing!"

"The truth has finally come out. Jiang Bai was wronged. He was passively scolded the whole time."

"This visually appealing couple truly gained popularity through their roles, not through capital investment. You can ship them without worry!"

Previously, fans of the drama who dared not speak out or engage in arguments with Zheng Shuang's fans, as well as casual fans who were drawn to the good-looking couple, have all boldly spoken up.

This controversy over the entire internet regarding the scenes ended with Shuangzi's frank clarification.

The criticism subsided, and public opinion returned to normal.

The couple with good looks are even more popular, and Jiang Bai's popularity has been solidified thanks to Lu Zhiang, with his public image actually improving rather than declining.

The production team has resumed normal promotional activities.

The ratings and popularity of "Rush to the Dead Summer", which started strong but declined, have actually increased against the trend after this wave of public opinion.

The good-looking couple has become the hottest on-screen couple in TV dramas this May.

This public opinion storm even made them the first TV drama couple to go viral this year.

Many people may not have watched "Rush to the Dead Summer", but they may have come across edited videos of the good-looking couple on some online platforms.

Some people get hooked on the show because of these edited videos and then become fans of Jiang Bai.

Many people may not be interested in idol dramas at all, but after seeing related videos frequently, they will recognize, become familiar with, and remember Jiang Bai's face.

At least I know that a new male actor has emerged in the entertainment industry. He's quite handsome, and his idol dramas seem to be quite popular, with many young girls liking him.

Because they don't watch dramas, they even thought Jiang Bai was playing the male lead.

And so, after the character's explosive popularity and the subsequent public opinion frenzy among fans, Jiang Bai, this newcomer actor, truly broke out of the mainstream.

The entire entertainment industry has taken notice of this newcomer who rose to fame by "stepping on" Zheng Shuang.

I want to see how far Jiang Bai, who has caused such a stir since her debut, can go in the industry and how many big stunts she will pull off.

Is Jiang Bai just a shooting star, or will he establish himself in the industry and shine brightly?

No one can say for sure right now, but countless people are watching and ready to place bets or bets at any time.

After all, the market is only so big. If more people eat the cake, then the others will get one less piece of the cake.

Are you expecting everyone to greet the newlyweds in a harmonious atmosphere?

This is not a Grimm's Fairy Tale.

Xu Xu and his entire publicity team behind Jiang Bai are ready to meet any challenge.

The studio's anti-black team has already recruited people and is ready to fight back at any time.

But what puzzled Dai Lu, who was in charge of the company, was that after the controversy over the added scenes subsided, everything went smoothly.

Jiang Bai's career is steadily improving, attracting a large number of fans.

No one is targeting Jiang Bai, no one is spreading rumors or fabricating news about him.

This puzzled Dai Lu, who was used to the fan wars and traffic-driven battles.

What about the opposing team?

Are we really just going to watch my Jiang Bai take off like a rocket from the spot?

Then I won't be polite!