Chinese Entertainment: Top-Tier Boyfriends of Young Actresses

As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Although Su Yu was heavily criticized this time, he didn't suffer much harm. On the contrary, Mei Mei gained a lot of attention and even gained a new wave of fans.

The so-called "purification" in fan circle terminology refers to turning those "March drama fans" who only became fans because of the drama's popularity and whose loyalty was not very stable into die-hard fans who believe "the entire entertainment industry is trying to harm my brother, so I must never leave him" through fan abuse incidents.

Although Su Yu didn't plan this operation himself, the effect was even more powerful than buying marketing, and he got both the benefits and the rewards.

The only slight regret is that he gained a lot of haters.

When Su Yu's fans were attacking him on Weibo, they accidentally hurt many bystanders. Some of these bystanders were just watching the drama unfold, but they were then attacked by the fans as if they were paid trolls. They were so angry that they turned against him.

However, this is not a big deal. The fact that he was able to extricate himself from this scandal and gain a lot of attention is already the best outcome. What more could he ask for?

"You really made quite a scene this time. The scene at the beginning startled me." Zhang Ruoyun leaned back in her chair in the private room, crossed her legs, and looked at Su Yu sitting opposite her.

He made a point of taking time out of his busy schedule to have dinner with this younger brother today, just to see if the whole ordeal had affected his mindset.

As a result, Su Yu is now eating with great relish, showing no signs of being affected in the slightest.

"Oh ho, didn't you used to call yourself a senior figure? You're scared by this little wave?"

Su Yu chuckled and teased.

When he first entered the industry, Zhang Ruoyun often acted like a big shot in front of him. When filming "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming", she would often say things like, "Brother, let me tell you, this industry is very complicated," acting like a senior.

"To be honest, I've never seen anything like this before."

Zhang Ruoyun shrugged. "I can only say that your PR team is really capable; you managed to get through this safely."

Su Yu smiled slightly but did not answer.

Actually, he was terrified at first too!

Others may not know, but doesn't he know it himself? The plastic surgery is fake, the failing grades are fake, the plagiarism is fake, but his love life is the only thing he really has dirt on!

If his relationship with Wang Churan and Tian Xiwei were discovered by his rivals, that would be a real bombshell.

Not only is his career ruined, but his love life will probably be ruined too.

Looking back on the days when he used to take Wang Churan and Tian Xiwei around without any coverings, Su Yu realized that he had been too reckless.

If the paparazzi had actually taken a picture of me back then, I would have been completely ruined.

Fortunately, those rivals were not uncovered.

The only connection is that long article from a marketing account that spread rumors about his entanglements with numerous female celebrities.

However, the article listed all the actresses he had worked with, including Wang Churan, Tian Xiwei, Zhou Ye, Ma Sichun, and Wang Ziwei, along with a bunch of ambiguous captions. It cast too wide a net, making it obvious to anyone that it was fake.

If that writer had narrowed down the scope and focused on just one or two girls to dig deeper, then...

Seeing that Su Yu didn't speak, Zhang Ruoyun leaned closer with a curious look and asked in a low voice, "Hey, tell me, which one is your girlfriend?"

Su Yu subconsciously rolled her eyes at him.

He rolled his eyes quite skillfully, and he himself hadn't even noticed when he developed this habit. He guessed it was probably because he had spent a lot of time with Wang Churan and had been subtly influenced by her.

"Brother, why are you so gossipy? You're like a girl."

"We're like brothers, so just tell me."

Zhang Ruoyun rested her elbows on the table, leaned forward, and her eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Su Yu leaned back in his chair, looking at his determined expression, and suddenly laughed: "Let me think... Hmm, there are too many to count."

Hearing Su Yu's tone, Zhang Ruoyun knew that the kid was talking nonsense.

He laughed and cursed, "Get lost! There are too many to count. But you can only say this between the two of us brothers. Don't say it in front of outsiders. You've just come down from the eye of the storm, and there are so many eyes watching you."

"Don't worry, I understand." Su Yu picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and his tone returned to its usual seriousness.

He knew in his heart that Zhang Ruoyun was not joking.

There are too many celebrities in the entertainment industry who have gotten into trouble because of what they said. Some people have been recorded for saying the wrong thing and then criticized on Weibo for years.

"By the way, what did you want to see me about today? You didn't just ask me out for dinner, did you?"

Zhang Ruoyun put down her teacup, her expression becoming more serious: "I really do have something to discuss with you. You know 'Joy of Life,' right?"

Su Yu nodded.

Of course he knows about "Joy of Life".

In his previous life, this drama was incredibly popular. Even his father, who usually only watched war dramas on TV, and his mother, who only loved watching mother-in-law dramas, would watch every episode without fail. You can imagine how popular it was.

Just how popular is it?

The drama "Joy of Life" premiered at the end of 2019 and quickly became a phenomenal hit.

The show once garnered over 2.29 million views in a single day, over 68 billion views on Tencent Video alone, and a total of 94.45 billion effective views across the entire network. The average number of views per episode approached 2.2 million, making it the highest-rated drama series of that year.

It trended on Weibo more than 90 times, with the main topic reaching over 120 billion views, and also trended on Douyin more than 50 times.

It was the only drama series in 2019 to break one million Baidu Index, and its Douban score remained stable at 8.0, with over 114 million people participating in the rating, resulting in explosive word-of-mouth and popularity.

What's even more impressive is that this drama, which originated as a web series, has won five prestigious nominations at the Magnolia Awards: "Best Chinese TV Series," "Best Director," "Best Screenplay (Adapted)," "Best Actor," and "Best Supporting Actor."

It ultimately won two major awards: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor, becoming one of the first online dramas to receive recognition from mainstream television awards, setting a precedent in the industry.

The series' immense popularity also significantly boosted the original novel, with online readership and revenue on the Qidian Reading app increasing 50-fold, allowing the novel, which had been completed for nearly ten years, to return to the top three of the bestseller list.

It's fair to say that landing a role in this drama is like getting on a rocket.

"I know, what's wrong?"

"Our director, Sun Hao, asked me to inquire if you have time to play a role?"

When Zhang Ruoyun got down to business, her tone became noticeably more serious, and her eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Su Yu did not answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously.

Sun Hao asked Zhang Ruoyun to ask him about it, which is not hard to understand.

Although "Joy of Life" initially claimed it would not be a "traffic-driven drama" during casting, the addition of Xiao Zhan later turned that statement into a joke.

Su Yu is much more popular than Xiao Zhan now. He's been trending on Weibo these past few days, making him a true top influencer.

The production team contacted him at this time simply to capitalize on his popularity and generate buzz for the series.

"Play the lead role?" Su Yu asked knowingly.

"...I'm the main character." Zhang Ruoyun looked at him expressionlessly.

"No, you mean I'm your supporting character? When I first entered the entertainment industry, I was your supporting character. Now that I'm famous, if I'm still your supporting character, then what's the point of my fame?"

Su Yu teased Zhang Ruoyun in a serious tone.

Zhang Ruoyun was stunned for a moment, clearly taking Su Yu's words seriously.

He paused for a moment, then spoke: "So you mean you're refusing?"

Based on his understanding of the industry, most people become quite concerned about billing order after they become famous.

Su Yu is currently a top-tier celebrity, so it's understandable that he would refuse to play a supporting role to an actor whose popularity is not as high as his.

Seeing that Zhang Ruoyun was serious, Su Yu also became a little more serious.

"I didn't really want to go, but since you've already asked me to come find you, I have to give you face, right?"

Zhang Ruoyun's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

Without a word, he grabbed the bottle of baijiu on the table, filled his glass, and raised it to Su Yu, saying, "Good brother! I knew I hadn't misjudged you. I won't say anything more, I'll drink this one!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed a full glass of baijiu.

He drank too quickly and choked, bending over and coughing violently several times until his face turned red.

"Alright, alright, if you can't drink, then don't." Su Yu looked at him with disgust. "Don't sit with me when you eat from now on, go to the kids' table."

"Get lost!"

Su Yu agreed to Zhang Ruoyun's request for two reasons. Firstly, Zhang Ruoyun was indeed one of his few true friends in the industry. The two had been working together since the set of "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming," and their friendship was not built on mutual benefit.

Secondly, he also knew how popular the drama "Joy of Life" was in his previous life.

The online discussions that followed the broadcast made even minor supporting actors famous, so there was no reason for him not to take the role.

Moreover, given his current status, even if he joins a production, he can choose a role with a good image and character, rather than playing a minor character who only appears for three minutes before disappearing from the story.

Back in the studio, Su Yu told Huo Xiaolan about it.

"Joy of Life? How did their production team come up with the idea of ​​casting you?"

Upon hearing Su Yu's words, Huo Xiaolan raised her eyebrows slightly.

"My news has been all over the internet these past few days, is it strange that people found me?"

Huo Xiaolan nodded: "That's true. With your popularity, it's normal for the production team to want to ride your coattails."

She then asked, "What role? The lead?"

"..."

"No, the main character is Zhang Ruoyun. He came to me today to talk about this."

Su Yu suddenly felt that Huo Xiaolan's words sounded familiar. It seemed that he had said the same thing a few hours ago when he was teasing Zhang Ruoyun. All he could say was that the boomerang came really fast.

"Not the main character? You agreed?"

"right."

Upon hearing Su Yu's reply, Huo Xiaolan's blood pressure immediately spiked.

She took a deep breath, as if trying to organize her thoughts, lest she blurt out, "Are you out of your mind?"

This kid usually seems so clever, how come he makes such a blunder at crucial moments?

A newly popular celebrity, at the most crucial moment of his career's rise, goes and plays a supporting role. What's going on here?

"No, you didn't even consult me ​​about such a big matter?" Huo Xiaolan's tone was noticeably more intense than before.

"For a top star like you to play a supporting role, wouldn't people laugh at you? What's your worth now? Do you know that your name was all over the trending topics in September? Now that you're playing a supporting role to Zhang Ruoyun, what will the outside world think of you? What will people in the industry think of you? What will your fans think of you?"

Huo Xiaolan was not optimistic about the prospects of this drama.

Although the investors of "Joy of Life" did indeed invest heavily, with rumors circulating online that the investment alone reached 600 million yuan, coupled with screenwriter Wang Juan and director Sun Hao, the production team was indeed top-notch.

The problem is that in recent years, almost all male-oriented IP adaptations have failed!

"Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy"? It flopped!

"Martial Universe"? It flopped too!

"Battle Through the Heavens"? It flopped!

These dramas are getting worse and worse, each one more terrible than the last, they're completely unwatchable.

In Huo Xiaolan's view, no matter how strong the cast of "Joy of Life" is, it is hard to escape the curse of "male-oriented adaptations always flop".

Most importantly, my silly child foolishly agreed to someone's request because of a little bit of social obligation.

Zhang Ruoyun is indeed his friend, but friends are friends and business is business.

Have you already forgotten the loss you suffered at Hu Yitian's hands just a few days ago?

"And another thing," Huo Xiaolan continued, "aren't you going to film your 'Someday or One Day'? The script is all written, Tian Liangliang has submitted the outline, and Noon Sunshine's funding will arrive at the end of the month. Where do you find the time to go to other film crews?"

Seeing that Huo Xiaolan was showing signs of getting a little hot, Su Yu quickly explained, "I really think highly of this drama. I heard from Lao Zhang that Chen Daoming will also be joining the cast. He has only taken on a few dramas in the past few years, and each one is carefully selected. A project that he approves of can't be a bad drama."

He paused, then added, "Also, filming for this drama will start early next year, and these few months are enough time to finish filming 'Someday or One Day.' There's no time conflict at all."

Seeing that Su Yu was determined to participate, Huo Xiaolan leaned back in her chair and stared at him for several seconds.

She knew Su Yu's temperament. He usually seemed easygoing, but once he made a decision, nothing could change his mind.

"Alright, since you've made up your mind, I won't say anything more." She spoke again, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Whatever makes you happy."

Seeing her "son grows up and no longer listens to his mother" expression, Su Yu couldn't help but laugh: "Sister Huo, don't be like that. When have I ever misjudged you?"

Huo Xiaolan glanced at him but did not refute him.

Indeed, every decision this kid has made since his debut has been correct in hindsight.

She simply disliked the feeling of being out of her control, but she also had to admit that Su Yu's judgment was often more accurate than her experience at crucial moments.

"Alright, I'll go with you later to have a proper talk with their production team."

Huo Xiaolan's tone was full of helplessness. Although she was very pessimistic about the project, Su Yu was determined to take it on, so she had no choice but to accept it.

After all, they're our own children, what else can we do but spoil them?

"But let me make this clear: if their terms aren't good enough, I won't budge just because of your relationship with Zhang Ruoyun."

Su Yu smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say, Sister Huo."