Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

It was past 1 a.m., and the girls' dormitory at the Shanghai Theatre Academy was already quiet.

In one of the dorm rooms, the upper bunk was completely covered by a dark curtain, blocking out all outside light. Only the light from the phone screen shone on Tian Xiwei's face.

She lay on her side on the bed, her legs curled up, her fingers flying across the phone screen, swiping and tapping rapidly.

He kept muttering to himself, his tone full of anger and disdain: "Bullshit!"

"They don't even bother to think before they spread rumors. Do you think I don't know whether Jiang Bai has a girlfriend or not?"

"A bunch of despicable bastards, their babies are born without an anus!"

On the screen is the comment section on Weibo containing negative information about Jiang Bai.

The hashtags #JiangBaiStartsLoveAndAbandons# and #JiangBaiExGirlfriend# are still trending on social media.

In the comments section, online trolls and haters continued to stir up trouble, with some even deliberately targeting her.

They fabricated disgusting statements such as "Jiang Bai dumped his ex-girlfriend of two years for Tian Xiwei" and "Tian Xiwei interfered in other people's relationship and became the other woman."

One highly-rated comment from a hater stood out: "Stop defending him! Jiang Bai is a scumbag. He turned his back on me after becoming famous. He dumped his girlfriend of two years just to act alongside Tian Xiwei!"

"Tian Xiwei isn't any better. She knew he had a girlfriend but still clung to him. They're a perfect match!"

Upon seeing this comment, Tian Xiwei trembled with rage. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed a furious reply: "Did a donkey kick your brain? Or are you blind?"

"Tian Xiwei and Jiang Bai have been on set for so long, and all they do besides filming is discuss the script. When did they start getting intimate?"

"Give me some evidence! If you can't, shut up. Spreading rumors will bring death to your whole family! May your entire family suffer a terrible fate!"

As soon as it was posted, online trolls jumped in to criticize: "Why are you pretending to be a bystander, you CP fans?"

"The entertainment industry isn't that clean. When Jiang Bai wasn't famous, nobody paid attention to him. But as soon as he became famous, he started copying actresses' on-screen couples."

"At first it was with Zheng Hehuizi, and now it's with Tian Xiwei that they're creating a CP (couple pairing)."

"It makes perfect sense that the cheating has been exposed now!"

"Reasonable my ass!" Tian Xiwei cursed angrily, her fingers flying across the screen. "Do I need to ride on Jiang Bai's coattails?"

"I have hands and feet; I can act and film. Why would I need to rely on such disgusting rumors to gain attention?"

"You bunch of online trolls, you take the money and then bite anyone you want, have you lost your conscience?"

She kept refreshing the comment section while cursing.

I immediately refute any comments that smear Jiang Bai or implicate me.

Even though the other side had a large number of people and even though their fingers were sore from typing, they did not back down at all.

"Jiang Bai spends all his time filming and going back to the hotel. He rarely even goes out for meals. Where would he find the time to date for two years?"

"Cheating? Can't you make up a more believable lie?"

"And those marketing accounts, they've abandoned all shame for traffic!"

"Fake chat logs, spreading rumors without warning—I wish you all go bankrupt soon and get hit by a car!"

The only saving grace was that she didn't use her main account in the fight.

But judging from the tone of her reply from this alternate account, anyone with a modicum of intelligence could easily tell that it was definitely Tian Xiwei's alternate account...

Did you hide it?

Like a hidden treasure.

Now she is completely like Wu Zetian after her husband died—losing Li Zhi!

Tian Xiwei muttered to herself as she clicked on another comment from a hater.

The other party said, "Tian Xiwei definitely knew Jiang Bai had a girlfriend; she deliberately seduced him. She's very cunning!"

She retorted directly, "Screw you! Jiang Bai and I are just friends now, at most business partners with good working relationships. We haven't even held hands, you think you can seduce me!"

In the comments section, Tian Xiwei single-handedly confronted dozens or even hundreds of online trolls and haters.

Even when surrounded and insulted, they did not back down in the slightest.

The more she argued, the angrier she became, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

It's not about feeling wronged; the dictionary of Sichuan and Chongqing girls doesn't contain the word "wronged," it's all about anger!

I am furious that these people fabricated stories out of thin air and maliciously slandered me. I am furious that Jiang Bai worked so hard and was so clean, yet he has to be covered in this filth.

She knew better than anyone that Jiang Bai didn't have a girlfriend.

There was no ex-girlfriend he dated for two years.

Moreover, she and Jiang Bai hadn't even started dating; they were still in an ambiguous, almost-lovers phase. So how could she be accused of cheating?

"A bunch of idiots, utterly depraved!" Tian Xiwei wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and continued typing.

Her fingers were numb from typing for so long, but she still wouldn't stop.

Just as she was about to reply to another malicious comment, a special notification popped up on her phone screen.

It was Jiang Bai, whom she had already set to follow on special accounts, and also the Cute Drama Studio.

Two Weibo posts were published simultaneously, with eye-catching titles that instantly caught her attention.

Tian Xiwei clicked on it subconsciously; Jiang Bai's Weibo post was brief and powerful:

[Debunking Statement]

"Recent online rumors about my relationship are all malicious fabrications and baseless accusations. I have never had a so-called 'girlfriend of two years,' nor have I engaged in any behavior such as 'cheating' or 'using emotional abuse to force a breakup.'"

"Currently, I have reported the malicious rumors and defamation to the local police station in Hengdian. The police report receipt is attached."

"Please do not believe or spread rumors. I will pursue full legal action against those who maliciously spread rumors. @JuKeAiStudio"

Below the Weibo post, a photo of a police report receipt is clearly attached.

The receipt clearly displays information such as the person who made the report, the time of the report, the reason for the report, and the receiving unit.

The red official seal is particularly eye-catching, exuding unquestionable credibility.

The content posted on the Weibo account of the "Cute Drama Studio" was consistent with Jiang Bai's, with the addition of the following sentence:

"We urge all marketing accounts and online trolls to immediately cease their rumor-mongering activities and delete any false statements. We have already preserved evidence of these rumors and will pursue their legal responsibilities further, along with other relevant evidence, without any leniency."

Tian Xiwei stared at the debunking Weibo post and the clear police report receipt for a good ten seconds.

The anger from before dissipated almost entirely, replaced by a sense of relief.

She knew all too well that these days, when celebrities in the entertainment industry encounter a public relations crisis, they mostly send out lawyer's letters as warnings.

But when lawyer's letters are sent everywhere, they often end up being ignored, and sometimes the situation even takes a turn for the worse.

As a result, the public has become numb to lawyer's letters and doesn't take them seriously at all.

But Jiang Bai was different. He didn't send an empty lawyer's letter; instead, he chose to call the police directly.

The credibility of the police is far more significant and persuasive than any lawyer's letter from a law firm.

Tian Xiwei quickly forwarded Jiang Bai's refutation Weibo post, this time directly using her main account.

Her main account's caption still carried lingering anger, but with a newfound confidence: "See?"

"Jiang Bai called the police directly. Here's the receipt. If you dare to talk nonsense again, you'll be arrested!"

"And those marketing accounts, hurry up and delete your posts and apologize, or you'll be in big trouble!"

After posting the repost, she quickly switched to her alternate account and went back to the comment section of those marketing accounts, posting the link to Jiang Bai's debunking Weibo post.

He angrily retorted to the still-active online trolls and haters: "Open your dog eyes and take a look!"

"Jiang Bai called the police! Spreading rumors has legal consequences. Aren't you good at making things up? Keep making things up!"

"Let's see if the police arrest you!"

The previously arrogant online trolls and haters quieted down considerably after seeing the police report receipt.

The malicious comments that were initially flooding the screen gradually decreased.

Some timid online trolls even quietly deleted their comments, no longer daring to stir up trouble.

Occasionally, a few stubborn haters would try to argue, but they were immediately silenced by Jiang Bai's supporters.

With the police receipt, Jiang Bai's "white rice" (fans) were completely in awe.

Jiang Bai had recently gained a large influx of new fans.

These new fans are all the kind of fans who lack willpower and may switch allegiances at any time. They will quickly scatter like birds and beasts after the three-month hype of the drama has faded.

So at the beginning, when these overwhelming smear articles were spreading, new fans were somewhat wavering and hesitant, unsure whether they should step in and support Jiang Bai.

However, Jiang Bai and his management team reacted quickly. Less than three hours after the public opinion incident broke, they released a police report receipt. This speed and strength of public relations was fast enough to satisfy the fans.

This changed the attitude of the new fans.

My brother doesn't have a girlfriend, and he certainly doesn't cheat on his girlfriend.

These marketing accounts are actually smearing Jiang Bai like this!

This overwhelming and unified smear campaign is absolutely organized and premeditated.

Whose cake did my brother touch?!

This is so unfair!

Torture your fans, torture your fans ruthlessly, and solidify your fanbase!

The public opinion attack brought by the opposing side was met with a swift response from Jiang Baifang, who directly presented the police receipt. Ironically, this became a means for Jiang Baifang to manipulate and solidify their fanbase.

Tian Xiwei watched as the tide in the comments section gradually turned, and as more and more netizens began to question the authenticity of the rumors.

Her mood finally brightened.

He muttered to himself, "This should have happened a long time ago. You bunch of scoundrels spread rumors, and now you've finally gotten yourselves into this mess!"

But before she could even enjoy her happiness for two seconds, her phone rang.

It was her agent, whom she had only been working with for less than a month.

As soon as the call connected, the agent, Sister Li, could be heard venting her barely suppressed anger.

Sister Li's tone was both urgent and fierce: "Tian Xiwei! Are you crazy? Look at the mess you've made tonight!"

Tian Xiwei's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly suppressed her smile, replying softly, "Sister Li, I..."

"What do you mean, 'what the hell'?!" Sister Li interrupted her directly, "You used a fake account to argue with haters, using vulgar language and profanity!"

"Such a direct statement, anyone with eyes can see it was you!"

"And you even dared to use your main account to directly insult and spread rumors. Do you know you're a celebrity?"

"A public figure swearing in public? Do you want to lose your job in this industry?!"

Sister Li's tone softened slightly, but it was still tinged with anger: "You're gambling with your future!"

"If these comments of yours are screenshotted and amplified by anti-fans, and they accuse you of misconduct as an artist, all the goodwill you've built up before will be wasted!"

"Quickly delete that repost from your main account, and stop posting anything from your secondary account. Don't be so impulsive again!"

"Also, from now on, your verified main account will be managed by the company; you're no longer allowed to use it to post!"

With just one sentence from her agent, Tian Xiwei was stripped of her right to use Weibo.

Tian Xiwei pouted, but didn't refute anything.

After being given a long lecture by Sister Li, the agonizing phone call finally ended.

After hanging up the phone, Tian Xiwei stuck out her tongue, quickly opened Weibo, deleted the repost from her main account, and then logged out of her secondary account.

She made a silent vow to herself that next time she encountered something like this, she would stay calm and not act impulsively!

A few minutes later.

She saw another hater still being stubborn on Jiang Bai's super topic square.

After hesitating for only a second, Tian Xiwei quickly registered a new account.

"Stop talking nonsense to me. If you don't understand human language, shut up. Nobody's going to put up with you!"