The Bai siblings have been running their own studio for three years, and during those three years, they've made their own decisions and handled everything themselves. Because of Bai Xingchen's appearance and some negative aspects of the idol industry, they were heavily criticized online when they first became famous. So, even now, when faced with this situation, they remain calm and directly contacted people to arrange venues, reporters, and live streaming platforms. They then posted the live stream time and link for the press conference on Weibo.
At the press conference, Bai Xingchen first said, "Lin Haodong and I have broken up peacefully. I did not cheat, I did not have any extramarital affairs, and I did not argue with Lin Haodong. Our values on relationships are different, so we could not continue. As for whether he cheated, I don't know. If you are interested, you can go and find out from him. I am currently single and not considering relationships for the time being. I will announce it on Weibo when I am in a relationship."
Bai Xingchen's words were quite impolite, but since Lin Haodong stabbed her in the back first, it was understandable that she would retaliate. She wanted to let people know that she was not a pushover, and that anyone who wanted to step on her should be prepared to be stepped on in return.
The reporter asked, "Bai Yuchen, is it true that you have a girlfriend?"
Bai Yuchen nodded. "It's true. We've been dating for three years. She's my childhood sweetheart, and we've already met each other's parents and are preparing to get married. I originally planned to announce the wedding soon after the ceremony, but someone leaked the information. So, I'm announcing the wedding date here today: September 20th, six months from now."
The reporters were in an uproar, unable to believe he had just admitted it and even announced the wedding date! A female reporter stood up excitedly, "Bai Yuchen, I'm your fan! Did you even consider how your fans feel? How can you face your fans? You're clearly using us!"
Security guards immediately stopped the fan reporter from rushing onto the stage. Enraged, she threw the microphone at Bai Yuchen. Security guards managed to deflect it, preventing it from hitting Bai Yuchen. Chaos ensued, and it took three minutes to bring the situation under control. Bai Yuchen stated seriously, "First, when I debuted abroad, my goal was simply to sing and dance on stage; it's my passion. In my first year after debuting, when interviewed about my future plans, I frankly stated that I hoped to fall in love around 23, get married around 25, and have children before 30. This is also my parents' expectation. After returning to China, I've mentioned this more than once in programs and interviews. So, if you're truly my fan, are you subjectively ignoring my consistently candid attitude?"
"Secondly, I am a person, not an object belonging to my fans. Fans get married and have children, and so do I. I have never created a false persona, never used deceptive or manipulative language, and never asked anyone to boost my charts or buy my albums. I cannot understand the so-called deception and exploitation. Since my debut, every time I talk about idol-related topics, I say that I want to bring positive energy to everyone and grow together with everyone. I have never said anything that flirts with or misleads fans because I know about the abnormal phenomena in the idol industry, so I am very careful about this. I didn't expect that I still couldn't escape it. There is also something I don't understand: what is an idol? Character and behavior are not the most important thing. Whether or not someone is in a relationship is the most important thing? When I am forty years old and start to get old, will these fans who do not allow me to date still support me? I think that if you want to support an idol who will never date and will always be handsome and beautiful, you can only support a fictional character in the two-dimensional world."
"Third, singing and dancing are my hobbies and my career. The songs from my debut are still classics, and the albums I've released over the years have won many prestigious awards. To be frank, I've always been a talented artist and have always worked hard for my career. I've never needed to use my fans in any fake way. What I'm saying today may sound harsh or too strong to some people, but it's the truth. I don't want to say anything ambiguous or comforting; it's meaningless. I don't think I've done anything wrong that I need to comfort others. I'm just moving forward according to the life plan I made back then, that's all."
He had said everything, and the reporters were momentarily at a loss for what to ask. One of them then noticed Bai Xingchen and asked, "Bai Yuchen, Bai Xingchen just said that she would announce any new relationships herself. Why didn't you go public with your three-year secret relationship? Are you waiting until you get married?"
Bai Yuchen asked in surprise, "Isn't it a matter of personal freedom whether or not to go public with a relationship?" He turned to Bai Xingchen and asked, "Sister, can you tell me why you went public?"
Bai Xingchen said helplessly, "Because there are always people following me like stalkers, I think I have to go public with my relationship. Otherwise, even dating and eating out have to be like a clandestine activity, and I can't stand that kind of exhaustion. So, those haters who keep accusing me of sleeping my way to fame, please use your brains next time. If there were really that many dirty things, there would have been solid evidence already. Do you really think I can just cover up the truth and shut up the entertainment reporters?"
Bai Yuchen continued, "So the first reason I chose not to go public is that I don't have my sister's troubles. My girlfriend is studying for her PhD abroad, and no entertainment reporters will follow us. The second reason is that my girlfriend is completely outside the entertainment industry, and I don't want to disturb her life because of my profession. This is also what both of our parents want. Just like my sister and I never mention our family situation, it has nothing to do with our work. The first requirement from our families for us to enter the entertainment industry is that we are not allowed to expose our family information outside the industry."
Bai Xingchen nodded. "Yes, so if I marry someone outside the entertainment industry in the future, I will try my best to keep it a secret. If I can't keep it a secret, I will simply leave the entertainment industry. Many people may not agree with some of the views that my brother and I expressed today. That's okay. It's normal for everyone to have different opinions. Today, we just want everyone to know our truest thoughts. We hope that no one will think that my brother is her possession or that I'm promiscuous just because of my appearance. Imagination is always just imagination. We have to live in reality."
"That concludes today's press conference," Bai Yuchen said, ending the session, and then announced something, "I don't want my..."
My personal life has once again sparked a fierce controversy, so after finishing my current work, I will travel abroad to spend time with my family. I will return to work after my wedding. I appreciate any well wishes, and I accept both the backlash and the loss of fans. Thank you to all my fans for accompanying me on this journey. Whether this journey is long or short, thank you for your love and support.
The live stream ended with Bai Yuchen smiling at the camera, his smile as charming as ever. However, some of his former fans began to criticize him, not only unfollowing him but also fabricating baseless accusations to attack him. While rational fans were still processing the information in their idol's words, they were enraged by these accusations. What exactly is it about being a fan of a celebrity? Isn't it their personal charm, or is it imagining them as their boyfriend? At least rational fans couldn't understand this intense possessiveness that made them want to tear him apart. They jumped in to refute the rumors, never expecting to be forced to constantly issue denials because of the backlash from these once-united fans. The backstabbing from fans often has a greater impact.
Because Bai Yuchen hasn't revealed a single piece of information about his girlfriend, his fans, unable to find a woman to criticize, vented all their anger on Bai Yuchen. Even murderers and child abusers haven't been subjected to this level of criticism. Because Bai Yuchen is so famous, the exodus of fans and the subsequent backlash have become phenomenal events in the entertainment industry. The general public has gone from watching the spectacle to reflecting on the harsh reality of being an idol. Not only can they not do anything their fans dislike, but they can't even date, and even after turning thirty, they're abandoned by fans who once proclaimed their true love. It's as if simply dating is a greater crime than being a serial killer. If the public paid this much attention to crime, the elderly, and children, how harmonious society would be!
At this point, Bai Xingchen, as the older sister, naturally had to help her younger brother divert attention. She compiled the evidence of Lin Haodong's infidelity and anonymously sent it to the industry's top gossipmonger. This top entertainment paparazzo, surnamed Wang, always broke big and true stories, so becoming the gossip king was a must. The gossip king received the evidence and immediately released it, with a headline that read "Shocking Reversal," instantly attracting a large number of onlookers.
Cheating in a relationship is always despised by everyone. Lin Haodong even posted those kinds of Weibo posts to mislead people into thinking Bai Xingchen was cheating, but it turned out he was the one who cheated, which made his crime even more egregious. Bai Xingchen's fans were furious. Bai Xingchen posted a short video on Weibo and laughed, saying, "I'm a single noblewoman, and I'm very happy now. Cutting my losses in time is my greatest luck. Little stars, don't be angry. It's not worth getting upset over someone like that."
Originally, her fans were comforting her on Weibo, but after seeing this video, they all commented "666", "Our Xingchen is indeed a breath of fresh air", and "Fighting is giving him too much credit; Xingchen is happier after getting rid of that scumbag."
However, they still had to vent their anger. While Bai Xingchen's fans didn't engage in online arguments or try to ride on her coattails, they all went to Lin Haodong's Weibo and launched a tirade of insults. To show that Bai Xingchen didn't care about him at all, the fans were remarkably rational in their insults, using no profanity; each comment required reading comprehension to decipher its meaning. Bai Xingchen's fans quickly became a trending topic, which was quite ironic. Both siblings are incredibly famous, both have talent and awards to prove themselves, so why is there such a stark difference in the behavior of their fans?
In reality, because of Bai Yuchen's consistent attitude, two-thirds of his fan base are rational fans. The ones who impulsively unfollowed him this time were only half of that remaining third, which isn't a large number. However, because they kept leaving comments and spreading negative information, it seemed like a massive exodus of Bai Yuchen's fans.
At this opportune moment, the production team of "The Birth of an Idol" released its third episode. The ratings didn't drop at all; in fact, they rose. This reassured the production team, who decided to continue using the same mentors. It's quite remarkable that the three celebrities who had their scandals exposed were all on the same show. Many casual viewers became curious about the program, and the consecutive days of trending topics brought a surge in popularity to both the show and its contestants.
The production team noticed that among the popular contestants, only Xu Zifan didn't have a Weibo account, so they approached him and asked him to open one, at least giving him a place to gain followers. Xu Zifan thought for a moment, opened his Weibo account, posted a photo taken by the production team when they officially announced him, and wrote down how to vote, saying: "If you like me, please vote for me, thank you everyone."