Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 17

Half an hour in advance, Ran Lin turned on the TV to XX Satellite TV and was grateful that the company, while providing wireless internet, had also kept the set-top box in this dormitory.

Ten minutes before the program aired, Wang Xi called to remind him to watch, saying she would also be watching on her end, ready to communicate by phone at any moment.

Already nervous, Ran Lin found that this call from Wang Xi only added to his restlessness, prompting him to get up for a glass of water to calm down a bit.

He had barely resettled on the sofa when the program started on time.

“…It’s said that Guilin’s landscape tops the world. In the next two days, this will be the main battlefield for <National First Love Drifting Story>. But let’s go back to the night before and see how our male gods prepared…”

Ran Lin had imagined many final versions of the program but still found himself surprised by the post-production team’s magical transformation.

For instance, the opening scene where he knocked on Lu Yiyao’s hotel room only to be told by the assistant that Lu Yiyao was already asleep, which had been awkward for him on the spot, was now amusing with playful subtitles and a cartoon image of Lu Yiyao sound asleep, lessening the embarrassment.

The leisurely river, the elegant mountains, the magnificent caves… The two days of filming were condensed into a ninety-minute episode, picking up pace suddenly. The dry segments in his memory were now much smoother.

The screen time was fairly divided among the five, with Lu Yiyao and Xia Xinran getting slightly more. The former for his popularity, and the latter for his interesting points. At first, Ran Lin was as embarrassed as his on-screen persona, but as the show progressed, he grew accustomed and found much joy in watching.

Some segments were familiar to Ran Lin, while others were challenges faced by others, new to him.

For the segments he experienced, watching his on-screen self brought back memories. However, occasionally, the mood was at odds with the post-production subtitles, which were more humorous and engaging, offering him a different perspective of fun.

Like the scene where he and Lu Yiyao were fighting for a badge, which was intense in reality, but the program used slow-motion and an English love song as background music, humorously breaking the immersion.

Through the lens, Ran Lin realized he and Lu Yiyao strangely synced in their “involvement”. They fought fiercely over a badge, and when they agreed to put it on the ground, it was like a tense standoff between police and kidnappers.

Unfortunately, Xia Xinran’s appearance completely ruined the mood.

Then, when Gu Jie sneak-attacked and won the 5+ badge and Xia Xinran roared childishly, the program cleverly inserted a children’s song BGM, creating a hilarious “comedy effect” that made viewers burst into laughter.

The solo mission segments were even more interesting, like the solo bamboo raft journey after their Guanyan adventure—the quick Q&A with a chance to win a motor.

Ran Lin knew Xia Xinran and Lu Yiyao failed this segment but didn’t know the specifics until now.

Xia Xinran, sweating profusely from rowing, was asked to do a rapid Q&A by the crew member on the boat:

“What’s your favorite color… Green!”

“Your favorite food… Baked rice!”

“Type of man you hate the most… Manipulative!”

“Type of woman you hate the most… None, all little angels!”

“Which male artist in the mainland entertainment industry do you admire the most… Pass!”

“Which female artist in the mainland entertainment industry do you admire the most… Pass!”

“Which actress do you want to work with the most, Wen Qiao, Wang Xinyu, Ai Na, Yu Bingqiu… Damn!”

Before the time was up, Xia Xinran had already given up. But the effect wasn’t the awkwardness of an angry artist but rather Xia Xinran’s suffering and childish pouting. Especially the “Damn”, clearly visible from his mouth, but the actual sound was a sharp “beep”, doubling the comedic effect.

In contrast, Lu Yiyao’s segment wasn’t as dramatic. He seemed aware of the pitfalls and controlled his speed, answering four of six questions:

“Your favorite color… Blue.”

“Your favorite food… Sandwiches.”

“Which mainland artist do you admire the most… Pass.”

“The mainland artist you… Pass.”

“What do you admire most about Ran Lin… His persistence.”

“Your biggest dream… Uh, being… recognized.”

“Your first love was…”

“Time’s up!”

When the crew called time, Ran Lin swore he saw a flicker of triumph in Lu Yiyao’s eyes. He was purposely avoiding giving the program what they wanted. But he seemed to forget that the pitfalls came with rewards, so when the bamboo pole was handed back to him, his brief daze was adorably cute. As he put the pole back into the water, his expression was resigned yet despairing.

Ran Lin couldn’t help but laugh. He had never seen Lu Yiyao so sullen, always maintaining a righteous young man’s demeanor despite the challenges and hardships, enduring through gritted teeth.

When he couldn’t bear it anymore, he’d hit back, like the loving bowl of rice noodles he poisoned late at night.

But after enjoying Lu Yiyao’s moment, Ran Lin sank back into the sofa, sighing deeply.

What do you admire most about Ran Lin?

His persistence.

Indeed, it was a trap set by the program, but Lu Yiyao’s earnest answer was merciless.

Through the screen, he could feel the full extent of the mockery, instantly pulling him back to the fatal embarrassment of the first episode. If only they could broadcast three episodes in one go, since they were now, after all, on somewhat friendly terms… Alas, the time difference was indeed a tormenting thing.

In the first episode, Lu Yiyao and Ran Lin were still awkwardly sharing the screen. Rolling around on the sofa, Ran Lin eventually buried his head in a pillow, as if doing so could make the embarrassment and time pass more quickly.

However, thinking back under the pillow, Ran Lin belatedly pondered over Lu Yiyao’s “biggest dream of being recognized”, feeling like it was missing an object. Recognized by whom? The fans? The audience? The market?

“The young man under the sun~~ Has your dream come true~~ In this cold world~~ Have you changed~”

As the program neared its end, his phone rang. Ran Lin sprang up from the sofa, hurriedly grabbed the phone from the coffee table, and answered.

“Xi Jie.” The call came just a few minutes before the program ended, which didn’t bode well for Ran Lin.

As expected, Wang Xi got straight to the point without any cushioning. “How do you manage to find a point of criticism every few minutes? Who asked you to knock on Lu Yiyao’s hotel door? Aren’t you clever? How can you be so awkward in front of the camera?”

Wang Xi’s anger was palpable. She didn’t need answers; she just wanted to vent. Just listening made Ran Lin almost unable to cope.

After her tirade, Wang Xi felt somewhat better but still sounded harsh. “I told you on the first night, you don’t need to overthink. Just be yourself. Do you realize how forced and overdone your deliberate cuteness and pandering to the audience look on camera?”

“…” Ran Lin was utterly baffled and didn’t know how to respond.

“Never mind.” Wang Xi, realizing her impulsiveness and Ran Lin’s state, said stiffly, “Come to the company tomorrow morning. We’ll talk in detail then.”

Ran Lin finally found an opportunity to speak. “Uh, what time?”

His question reignited the barely suppressed fire in Wang Xi. “The earlier, the better!”

Hearing the dial tone, Ran Lin’s mind went blank, taking a long time to recover.

He had no recollection of the last few minutes of the program, only realizing the advertisements had already started playing. He turned off the TV, hesitated for a moment, but still opened Weibo on his phone.

After returning from the filming of the third episode, except for a promotional post for the first broadcast this morning, he had controlled himself from checking Weibo, knowing the production team was still releasing snippets to stir up hype, allowing fans to argue over a few seconds of footage.

He didn’t have many fans. Usually he was the one being criticized.

But now that the program had aired, despite being scolded by Wang Xi and knowing his performance wasn’t entirely satisfactory, he still wanted to see the audience and fans’ reactions.

[681 new comments, view comments]

[3,920 new followers, view followers]

[1,754 @mentions, view @mentions]

The numbers on the homepage startled Ran Lin. He hadn’t checked Weibo in two days, but he had opened all new messages when he posted the promotional tweet that morning. Though he quickly returned to the homepage without looking closely due to constant ridicule in recent days, he was certain that all the new data had accumulated since that morning.

For a popular star, tens of thousands of comments on a single Weibo post are common, sometimes even reaching over a hundred thousand. For Ran Lin, breaking three digits without fake or zombie followers*, was rare.

*Inactive fans, often times usually fake accounts or bots to inflate the person’s follower count.

He first checked his @mentions. Most were retweets of the program’s premiere announcement by the production team, who had @mentioned him, leading fans to secondarily @mention him too.

Next were the followers; clicking in, he saw lively profiles, none resembling fake fans, which moved Ran Lin.

Finally, he checked the comments, which he now approached with trepidation.

Taking a deep breath, he lightly tapped the screen…

Angry Nani Sauce: [A bit awkward at first, but it got better later. Keep it up! ❤️]

Chasing Wind Girl007: [You and God Lu match well, hahahaha.]

Pikipiki: [Road to fan~~ I love your youthful face—yeah, just that shallow. 🐶]

Surprised, Ran Lin sat up properly and began scrolling through the comments earnestly. The top third were mostly new fans who had just watched the show and replied to his latest promotional tweet. Amidst some ridicule and haters, most comments were positive and encouraging.

Scrolling down, the middle third were messages from earlier in the day, also in response to the same tweet, but the content varied widely.

The positive trend was already lifting his spirits.

Maybe the audience wasn’t as harsh as Wang Xi thought.

Exiting the comments, Ran Lin returned to his Weibo homepage and reopened his top promotional tweet. The top comment in the hottest comments section, which he had already seen, read:

Lin’s Little Ran Mian: [From today, I’ll be a bowl of Burning Noodles*, fanning you, loving you, supporting you silently. From today, I’ll care about variety shows and your works. I have an idol; when he smiles, spring blooms.]

*Clarity: Remember, Ran Mian = Burning Noodles, which is a play on his name and what he wants his fandom to associate with him.

Ran Lin put down his phone and curled up with the pillow on the sofa.

This was his second time rolling on the sofa that night—the first out of embarrassment, the second out of happiness.

Late into the night, the program’s reputation began to ferment slowly. Pure program fans mostly flocked to the production team’s Weibo or analyzed on their homepages on why the first episode was so awkwardly bland. Fans who had finished adoring their idols on screen gradually calmed down, replaying the TV broadcast, even going for second, third, or fourth viewings, analyzing hidden messages in a seemingly harmonious episode.

Program fans only discussed the program, mostly criticizing the production team and planners.

Fans also talked about the program, but as the conversation progressed, some began to argue.

Initially, it was just a handful of fans raising questions.

Then, more and more fans, armed with “speculation + analysis + judgment + emotions”, started flooding Ran Lin’s Weibo, the production team’s Weibo, or posting on their own homepages.

The so-called fan wars require equal strength among fans to really take off. In Ran Lin’s case, as someone who just gained a few thousand followers, it was more of a one-sided diss.

The storm surged in an instant, and the hot comments changed their focus. The screen, which was once filled with warm comments, was now dominated by Lu Yiyao’s fans.

However, Ran Lin was unaware of all this. After scrolling through the comments for a while, his heart, which had been stifled by Wang Xi’s scolding, was completely healed. He went to bed with a rare sense of joy and slept deeply, without any dreams.

The next morning, when Ran Lin went to meet Wang Xi at Dream Without Limits, Lu Yiyao had already started his day.

He was invited to shoot a cover for a renowned fashion magazine. Lu Yiyao had done several covers, but only a few were prestigious. Like today’s, it was said to be an invitation, but in reality, it was an opportunity secured by his management team after long negotiations.

In the current entertainment industry, one has to compete in popularity, fans, works, and even fashion resources. Some have great works, high popularity, and numerous fans but can’t unlock the “Top Five Magazines”—the five top fashion magazines in China. If you haven’t, you’re still not considered high-status in the industry.

Among those who have been featured in these magazines, people compare who’s on the first cover, who’s inside the cover, who collected all five covers, and who’s still on the journey to gather the “five dragon balls”.

The entertainment industry is like an endless river where everyone rows against the current. If you don’t fight hard, the audience will forget you tomorrow. If you do, you can never let your guard down. Even those so-called top stars will be abandoned by the times and become legends with fame but no influence if they don’t keep pushing forward.

When Lu Yiyao entered the industry, he just wanted to see how far he could go. But now, without having achieved a brilliant career, he had already seen through this siege. Here, some seek fame, some profit, some the pursuit of art. What about him? What is he seeking?

“Call him again and tell him if he doesn’t come now, he doesn’t need to bother coming at all!” The door of the dressing room burst open, and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, dressed in a luxury brand’s new spring suit, stormed in, hanging up the phone, and said to Lu Yiyao and Yao Hong, “We’ll wait another half hour, and if he doesn’t show, we’ll switch to a solo cover.”

A solo cover is much higher in status than a duo cover. Given the choice, Yao Hong would obviously choose the former for Lu Yiyao. But the late celebrity had a major sponsor backing him, so the editor-in-chief was unlikely to actually replace him just because she was momentarily upset. So, Yao Hong just listened to her vent and then tried to pacify her.

“It must be traffic. These days, there’s no smooth driving.” Yao Hong always spoke softly, soothingly.

The editor-in-chief calmed down a bit, but her frown didn’t ease. “If he knew there was traffic, he should have left earlier. So many people are waiting for him. It’s like he’s forgotten his own name after being pampered by fans.”

Yao Hong just smiled and didn’t continue the topic.

After venting, the editor-in-chief felt better and, seeing Lu Yiyao didn’t seem upset, offered some token comfort before leaving the room.

Left in the dressing room were Lu Yiyao, already made up, his agent Yao Hong, and an assistant.

“She was scolding for your benefit,” Yao Hong remarked, looking at the closed door.

Lu Yiyao didn’t look up. “I know.”

Yao Hong was surprised. Lu Yiyao could endure and control himself, but he was definitely not someone with a good temper. Usually, in such situations, he might not speak out, but he would definitely have mentally criticized the other party. But now, Lu Yiyao truly didn’t care. In fact, when the editor came in, he only responded perfunctorily. Yao Hong could tell that his attention was mostly locked on the phone he had been playing with since makeup.

“No way to remedy the awkwardness now.” Yao Hong sighed. “Just hope the next few episodes have highlights and can reverse the negative reception.”

Lu Yiyao continued scrolling through comments nonchalantly.

Yao Hong felt uncertain and asked directly, “What about the second and third episodes?” They weren’t allowed to follow the filming, and with no spoilers allowed for spontaneous performances, what seemed like a unique feature during signing now felt like a pitfall.

Lu Yiyao finally stopped scrolling, thought for a moment, and said, “It should be better than the first episode.”

Yao Hong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That’s a pretty low bar.”

But that’s all they could hope for now. With so many variety shows featuring fresh young talent and big stars, the audience was getting tired. Unless there was truly amazing planning, powerful post-production, and exceptional performances by the stars, replicating the explosive popularity of the past few years would be difficult.

“Rest if you’re tired. Don’t keep staring at your phone.” Yao Hong leaned back on the sofa, stopping the chatter. Otherwise, she would feel annoyed even if Lu Yiyao wasn’t bothered.

Lu Yiyao nodded, seemingly obedient, but after Yao Hong closed her eyes to rest, he couldn’t help but pick up his phone again and continue reading comments.

Lu Yiyao found his own behavior strange.

First, he wasn’t someone who cared much about comments. Everyone has their own personality, logic, and way of thinking. The same thing can be viewed in a hundred different ways. If he lived by others’ opinions, he wouldn’t have a peaceful life. So he occasionally read comments just to see the cute “little angel” fans as they placed a lot of beautiful emotions on him. Fortunately, he hadn’t encountered any significant backlash since his debut. As Yao Hong said, everything was smooth sailing.

Second, he wasn’t even scrolling through his own Weibo comments.

In Lu Yiyao’s Weibo, it’s all warmth and peace, with comments like “I love you. You’re so handsome. My God Lu turns out to be directionally challenged, haha.” Just a few minutes of scrolling, and he could fully absorb all these emotions.

But another person’s Weibo was a world of ice and fire.

[Hope Ran Lin quits <National First Love Drifting Story>. Thumbs up if you agree.] (2,478 likes)

[I’m not targeting anyone, but all those anything that comes with free wheat bran* is trash.] (1,963 likes)

*It’s a saying which implies that if something is being given away for free or with an added bonus, it might be low quality or undesirable.

[Not to be harsh, but your performance really wasn’t good. Saying you’re not a nepotism hire, no one would believe. 😊] (1,705 likes)

[Take God Lu away. We don’t mix. Focused on our own. Refuse to fan wars. ❤️] (1,529 likes)

……

Ran Lin’s second-to-last Weibo post had only a few hundred replies, but the latest one was nearing ten thousand.

There were his fans, other’s fans, and the show’s fans, but no matter whose fans, they found a common goal here—asking Ran Lin to leave <National First Love Drifting Story>.

The hottest comment, with over five thousand likes, was a long Weibo screenshot, which Lu Yiyao had already seen several times but couldn’t help returning to study again.

The poster had meticulously listed Ran Lin’s seven sins:

#1: During the recording of the theme song, he released a widespread article saying he hit it off with Zhang Beichen, but in the program, their first interaction in the hotel room was polite and awkward, contradicting his statement.

#2 Before the show aired, he tried to tie himself to Lu Yiyao to hype a male-male CP. After Lu Yiyao’s initial mistaken retweet at the airport, there was no further response. Yet, in the program, he eagerly knocked on Lu Yiyao’s hotel door, only to be directly rejected by the assistant—a powerful face-slap.

#3 At 6 minutes and 35 seconds, after being rejected by Lu Yiyao, he said to the camera, “I can only see my idol tomorrow. I’m so sad” in an overdone manner.

#4 At 38 minutes and 27 seconds, during the rapid Q&A, when asked what he admired most about Lu Yiyao, he answered, “His accomplishments.” This was the most shameless Q&A I’ve ever seen. Just because Lu Yiyao has accomplishments doesn’t mean you can shamelessly ride his coattail.

#5 At 45 minutes and 17 seconds, he asked Zhang Beichen to let him be the first, which was a misleading edit by the production team. But joking with someone he’s not very familiar with, leading to misunderstandings, is Ran Lin’s fault.

#6 At 63 minutes, when Lu Yiyao brought midnight rice noodles, everyone was in their true state without defenses. Ran Lin’s bare face wasn’t flattering; apart from looking young, there was no charm or highlight. Personally, I wouldn’t choose someone like that for my first love.

#7 At 81 minutes, when Lu Yiyao accidentally drank bitter gourd juice, Ran Lin diligently offered water. But wasn’t it you who, along with others, decided to give Lu Yiyao extra spicy rice noodles and laughed happily? Hypocritical and disgusting.

In summary, please take your white shirt and go back to school and leave the show a blue sky! 👋

Lu Yiyao stared at the screenshot he had opened to full screen, feeling as though he wasn’t looking at a phone screen but rather a judgment document.

As he continued to look, he fell into an unreal trance, as if what was said in the screenshot and the show he had participated in weren’t the same at all.

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