As soon as Lin Yan and Liu Jie got home, their phones were bombarded with calls from their agent, who questioned how a simple meal could have caused so much trouble. When they went online, they saw the trending topic "First Love Couple, Contractual Couple, Fake Affection," and upon opening it, they saw Lin Yan coming out of the restaurant with a sour face and wet hair. After getting into the car, Liu Jie's expression immediately changed, and the two glared at each other and shouted insults at each other.
Of course, this is all just people's imagination; what's posted online are just their pictures. But looking at these pictures, anyone can see they're very dissatisfied with each other, right? The scandals involving their respective alleged mistresses had only just subsided, and while people reluctantly accepted their explanations, a certain amount of trust remained. Seeing these photos now, their image of a loving couple after five years of marriage has immediately crumbled. They're like this even before their honeymoon is over—is their relationship really that good?
Many fans who believed in love jumped out again, saying they no longer believed in love. Many of Lin Yan's die-hard fans angrily criticized Liu Jie for not being good enough for Lin Yan, while Liu Jie's fans also angrily criticized Lin Yan for not doting on his wife. The fans that the two of them had finally managed to calm down exploded again.
Upon returning home, Xu Zifan didn't even drink a sip of water before immediately monitoring online activity. He spent a large sum of money hiring three groups of online trolls to stir up trouble. One group, posing as Lin Yan's fans, reposted various scandals and controversies surrounding Liu Jie, some true and some false. Another group, posing as Liu Jie's fans, forwarded Lin Yan's scandals and controversies, regardless of evidence, focusing on relentless mockery to help genuine fans and casual observers "recognize" the true nature of their idol's partner. A third group, pretending to be fed up with both fan groups, labeled both as cults and questioned the couple's relationship, providing a detailed analysis that they had both cheated, their feelings for each other were weak, and their marriage was merely a ploy to create a devoted image for their fans.
Qiao Zixin brewed black coffee and Pu'er tea and served them to Xu Zifan together, saying, "I know you like black coffee, but it's not good to drink this all the time. How about trying Pu'er tea? It'll help cut through the greasiness after eating hot pot."
Xu Zifan's gaze fell on the two cups. He picked up the Pu'er tea and took a sip. "Mmm, thank you."
Qiao Zixin, standing behind him, was stunned when she saw the fierce online battle on the screen. "His image has collapsed?"
"Well, I originally wanted to stay quiet for a while and ignore them, but since we ran into them today and they're so ungrateful, I might as well use them as a scapegoat to divert public attention from your low-budget films."
"Will it be useful? Won't this reduce the exposure of our show? It's already hard to promote, and I thought my comeback was going to be a publicity stunt."
Xu Zifan looked up at her and smiled, "If we're going to create hype, let's find a better way."
Then Qiao Zixin overheard him making a phone call to his online trolls, instructing them to start defending her three hours later. They were to unequivocally condemn Lin Yan and Liu Jie for framing Qiao Zixin, bringing her down, and accusing Xingchen Entertainment of being opportunistic, biased towards the young Lin Yan, and only interested in cash cows. They were to say they abandoned Qiao Zixin as soon as she expressed a desire to retire from the entertainment industry, and ruthlessly trample on her. They were to express their sadness that a former Best Actress had been reduced to acting in a low-budget film directed by a newcomer, feeling it was unfair to her, and demanding that Lin Yan, Liu Jie, and Xingchen Entertainment provide an explanation, at least a public apology.
Lin Yan, Liu Jie, and Xingchen Entertainment will definitely not admit their mistakes and will even stubbornly deny everything. But that doesn't matter. A large number of online trolls will become truth-tellers, revealing all the truth that Qiao Zixin knows, with reasoned arguments, logical consistency, and in line with all the developments during this period. Furthermore, they can be corroborated by the fake affection incident between Lin Yan and Liu Jie. In this way, without concrete evidence, they can establish the fact that Qiao Zixin was brought down by them, and the impression given to the general public will be that Qiao Zixin is innocent.
Next, they dug up the original novel of Qiao Zixin's new drama, analyzed the highlights of the character's design, and touted Qiao Zixin's transformation as a gimmick. This made people question whether Qiao Zixin could play this kind of role well, while also generating anticipation. Finally, they released a few seconds of close-up shots of Qiao Zixin from the first scene they had just filmed, showing the public that Qiao Zixin is still the same Qiao Zixin with explosive acting skills, and that the visuals were not as bad as they had imagined. This perfectly promoted the new drama and silenced the public's doubts, allowing them to wait patiently.
As Qiao Zixin listened to his series of arrangements and his explanation of his intentions, her gaze towards Xu Zifan changed, revealing a hint of admiration. "How can you know so much? Human hearts are the hardest thing to grasp, yet you can always accurately predict the public's reaction. Even with online trolls, you've never messed things up. You're amazing!"
Xu Zifan smiled faintly, "My master is quite strict. I have to learn all the things in the entertainment industry, otherwise I won't be allowed to graduate. In order to avoid being tortured by my master, I had no choice but to study hard. Fortunately, I can use them all."
Qiao Zixin was amused by his helpless expression. She really wanted to ask him who his master was, but remembering that his master forbade him to mention the old man's name, she secretly guessed in her heart and didn't ask. She looked at the fan group that was constantly sending messages and said with a smile, "Everyone is still awake. Let's film a little later tomorrow so that everyone can get some rest."
"Okay." Xu Zifan suddenly remembered something, opened Lan Gui's chat window, and said, "[Could you add a role for me? The male supporting character with the most screen time, the kind who silently cares for the female lead and gives her a lot of help.]"
Lan Gui was stunned when she saw the news. Filming had already started, and now they wanted to add a supporting actor with the most screen time? Were they kidding her? Then she saw Xu Zifan say, "Isn't Lin Yan aiming for Best Supporting Actor in his new drama? I'm planning to compete with him for that."
Lan Gui replied immediately, "Absolutely no problem! This Best Supporting Actor award must be ours!"
When it comes to confronting a scumbag, you can't back down! Lan Gui brewed a pot of strong coffee, opened her document, and began designing a likable male supporting character. She aimed to create a memorable character, second only to the female lead, with significance, to overshadow Lin Yan's character. She didn't go to the set the next day, nor the third. For two whole days and nights, she slept for two hours when she was exhausted, then set an alarm to get up and continue writing. Finally, on the third night...
The male supporting character was perfectly integrated into the written script.
The original script was overly tragic from beginning to end, while the newly added male supporting character became the only touch of warmth. He saved the female lead when she was almost gang-raped, helped her escape the attackers' revenge, and took her in, becoming her landlord. Later, he gradually got to know her, but she remained wary and distant towards all men, and their relationship remained lukewarm. However, his actions, such as leaving a light on and food for her, showed his care, making her feel less desolate when she returned to her rented room after night school.
At first, this warmth seemed insignificant, but gradually, the male supporting character realized he had fallen for the female lead and began to quietly help her. Whenever she took leave to look for her child, he secretly covered her shifts and begged his boss not to mind. When she was bullied, he secretly taught the bullies a lesson. When she couldn't pay her rent, he pretended to have a problem and asked for her help, then as a thank you, allowed her to postpone her rent payment. Finally, when the male supporting character learned that the female lead had gone to a mountain village alone to look for her child, he rushed after her, protecting her from being beaten by the villagers and helping her find ways to rescue the child. The female lead was deeply moved and finally opened her heart to him, promising to live a good life as a family of three once the child was rescued.
But the male supporting character didn't live to see that day. He went to the village to see the children and discovered that the family was about to drown the female lead's child. He rushed in alone to save them, but was beaten by the villagers and accidentally fell on a sickle, dying on the spot. The female lead went mad and hired people to go in and rescue his body and the child. The villagers, having killed someone, didn't dare to stop them. The female lead knelt in front of the government building for a long time, and the incident caused a huge uproar online, finally attracting the attention of higher authorities, who sent special police to handle the matter. They traded their lives for the final victory. From then on, the female lead became serious and ignored all suitors, dedicating her life to public welfare. Only on the anniversary of the male supporting character's death each year did she visit his grave, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing, to recount the things he had done for her. She knew she regretted it; she shouldn't have retreated into her shell, shouldn't have responded to him so late, and they would never have a chance to be together again.
This is an extraordinary love story of ordinary people. From its initial inconspicuousness to its final dramatic intensity, it runs through the entire story and plays an extremely important role in the development of the story and the female lead. It also makes the originally tragic story, which seemed like a documentary, more vivid and real. The slight regret at the end makes it even more touching. This is the most painstaking work that Lan Gui has put into writing in all her years. After reading it, Xu Zifan gave it a thumbs up and immediately decided to approve it, asking the stylist to design a look for him based on the character's personality.
The crew supported his decision, but they were all a little apprehensive. They knew Xu Zifan was a very talented director, but could he act? Was his acting good? Many directors have had cameo roles in their own films or friends' films, but not everyone is good at it; some are quite confusing and awkward.
As soon as Xu Zifan got into character, they were relieved. Xu Zifan held his own against Qiao Zixin in their scenes together, even holding his own against her. Not only the crew, but Qiao Zixin herself was pleasantly surprised. Now, with a handsome and talented supporting actor, and a more complete and captivating storyline, the film's quality has been significantly elevated. The entire crew is full of passion, eagerly awaiting the film's release to turn all the skeptics into fans!
Xu Zifan's personal involvement made him even busier. He hadn't forgotten the online saga; Lin Yan and Liu Jie were busy clearing their names and appeasing fans, leaving them little time for Qiao Zixin. Meanwhile, the boss's wife at Xingchen, fearless and disdainful, declared Qiao Zixin was ruined. Xu Zifan then had people accuse Xingchen of mistreating its artists, using Qiao Zixin as a cash cow to recklessly exploit her talent, and packaging her as an innocent girl against her will. This led to the argument that no one truly knew Qiao Zixin; who knew what the real Qiao Zixin was like?
The collection of Qiao Zixin's genuine quotes, compiled by her fan group long ago, came in handy at this moment. These were snippets of conversation Qiao Zixin made during appearances on shows, in interviews, and at fan meetings—not scripted, but reflecting her true thoughts. Putting them together revealed a stark contrast between Qiao Zixin and the image cultivated by Xingchen (the production company). She herself was far more captivating; in the past, she had been completely constrained by Xingchen. This sympathized with her even more, prompting many to express their support for her new drama and their hope for her early return and more public appearances.
During Qiao Zixin's seclusion while filming, her popularity never waned. No agent has ever been as meticulous as Xu Zifan, unearthing one new meme after another to maintain the artist's exposure, always appearing at the perfect time. Far from being annoying, it only makes people more eager for the artist to appear. When this anticipation accumulates to a certain level, that's when the artist's work becomes a huge hit.