It was a familiar morning, with a familiar knock at the door, a familiar Little Li wearing a familiar look of surprise, and familiar words:
"Mr. Shen, Sister Chen asked you to call her again."
Little Li: Huh, why did I say "again"?
Shen Xuanrun...
Shen Xuanrun walked to the bedside, picked up his phone, and pressed it. The screen lit up.
Oh, so he had put it on silent yesterday and forgotten to turn the sound back on.
Shen Xuanrun picked a random call from Sister Chen's pile of missed calls and called her back.
"Have you checked Weibo this morning?" Sister Chen asked.
Shen Xuanrun... Sister Chen, even your opening line is so familiar.
"No, but I'm trending again, right?" Shen Xuanrun indicated, I know the answer to this one (눈_눈).
"...That's right, but this time the problem is a little serious," Sister Chen continued.
"What happened?"
"It's Jiang Yi. Yesterday, he posted on Weibo saying that a capitalist was jealous of his acting, had him replaced as the male lead, and stole his opportunities. Then some marketing accounts immediately released photos of you and him on set. His fans started stirring things up, and now a lot of people online are cursing you."
Shen Xuanrun fell silent for a moment. He hadn't expected Jiang Yi to keep stirring up trouble after being replaced and dump such a huge load of blame on him.
"Don't panic. Don't post anything for now, and don't log into Weibo either. We'll find an opening," Sister Chen hurriedly instructed, afraid Shen Xuanrun wouldn't be able to take it.
"Sister Chen, don't do anything for now either. Wait until this topic gets a little more attention. I have my own way of handling it." Shen Xuanrun worked out the timing. It was almost time. He could let Jiang Yi run wild a little longer. Only by standing high enough could he take a truly nasty fall.
"All right, then. Handle it as you see fit. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up." Although Sister Chen was very puzzled, her intuition made her trust Shen Xuanrun.
Shen Xuanrun opened Weibo and clearly saw Jiang Yi's emotional little essay. It could truly be called earth-shaking and enough to make ghosts and gods weep!
Jiang Yi @v #I once poured all my passion into reaching for my light, but in the end, I still couldn't escape the shackles of capital. I used to naively believe that as long as I worked hard and acted well, I would surely become an outstanding actor and carve out a place for myself in showbiz. But now, I've realized I was wrong. Here, no matter how hard you work, without connections, you're nothing. Not long ago, I landed a drama that was very important to my life. It could prove my abilities and bring me closer to my dream. But I never imagined that my own excellence would hurt me, that petty people would grow jealous and cost me this opportunity. Only two days after I arrived on set, the director told me I'd been replaced. I knew nothing, and I was simply told to pack up and leave. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head, extinguishing all my passion! I don't even know how I can stay in this industry anymore. In the adult world, a breakdown happens in an instant... (many more words omitted below)#
Then a marketing account posted a photo of him and Jiang Yi together on set. The angle was very cleverly chosen. He had been about to spit out his gum and was still chewing away, facing Jiang Yi by coincidence, making it look as though he was looking down on Jiang Yi.
Shen Xuanrun: Well, hey, what a coordinated performance. And that photo-nicely done.
He didn't need to think to know that everything below would be condemnation and curses directed at him.
I Love Yiyi: What kind of look is that on Shen Xuanrun's face? Does he think he's so great? Oh my god! I'm disgusted! He's just a pretty face himself! Who gave him that confidence? Those few lousy bucks of his?
Jiang Yi's Little Darling: Our boy is so pitiful. How can someone like Shen Xuanrun exist? He's horrible. Does he think all of showbiz belongs to him alone?!
Yiyi Is Number One: Don't be scared, our boy. He's just a pretty face with no acting skills. He can't compare to you at all. All he does all day is pull petty tricks. Ugh, disgusting.
Passersby A B C: First of all, I don't follow celebrities, but I really hate these capitalists. They can wipe out someone else's hard work so easily, holding power over other people's lives and deaths. If you're poor, that's all your life will ever amount to.
Shen Xuanrun, Leave Showbiz!: My username best expresses how I feel right now. Why is someone like this still in showbiz?
Even when there were a few rational voices among them, they were quickly shouted down.
Chief Gossip Watcher: Someone was already posting dirt on Shen Xuanrun yesterday, but it didn't really work and basically just gave him free traffic. Today, Jiang Yi posted on Weibo playing the victim, and then marketing accounts exposed dirt on Shen Xuanrun again. Why do I feel like there's something shady behind this? (Have to say, you got the truth.)
Jiang Yi's Wife: You're the shady one. Is there something xx wrong with your brain? You're probably just a little hater.
Jiang Yi's Official Girlfriend: Our boy just wrote about his current situation in showbiz. How is that playing the victim? He's so pitiful, and you're still mocking him. I think you're the shady one, deliberately stirring things up.
Hugs for Jiang Yi: You're a little hater sent by Shen Xuanrun, aren't you?! That dirt yesterday was probably something Shen Xuanrun arranged himself too, right? Stop pretending. Still playing master detective here-what kind of person are you?
Shen Xuanrun exited Weibo and turned off his phone. Apparently, the newly cast male lead would arrive tomorrow, but he didn't know who it was. He couldn't be bothered to wander around the set either, so he stayed in his room and continued reading the script.
Little Li thought, Wow, Mr. Shen is amazing. No matter what kind of Weibo trend he ends up on, he stays so calm!
Shen Xuanrun: I'm not, I didn't, don't make things up.
A day passed in quiet waiting. Weibo had already erupted into arguments, and a group of Jiang Yi's die-hard fans were waiting for Shen Xuanrun to leave showbiz, flocking to his Weibo page to curse him. Countless passersby were also drawn in to watch the drama.
Gradually, #Shen Xuanrun, Leave Showbiz# shot up the trending list, and more and more people commented.
Sitting in front of his computer, Jiang Yi watched this and began laughing viciously.
"Ha, Shen Xuanrun, can you beat me? Hahaha, look at how they're cursing you. You're like a rat crossing the street now, hated by everyone. You deserve it!"
"That's what you get for fighting me! What makes you think you can? Did you think being born into a good family would make everything smooth sailing? You're too young!"
Cheng Hao also learned about the incident online and immediately called Gu Weichen.
"President Gu, Jiang Yi has made the matter of you asking me to replace the male lead trend online, but it seems to have hurt Shen Xuanrun. Do you need me to post an announcement on Weibo?" Cheng Hao asked.
"Don't do anything yet. Give me Shen Xuanrun's contact information first. I'll speak to him myself." As Gu Weichen gave these instructions, he flipped through the dirt on Jiang Yi that his assistant had found for him, his expression dark.
"All right, President Gu. I'll send it to you immediately."
After getting Shen Xuanrun's phone number, Gu Weichen called him immediately, and the call was soon answered.
"Hello. Who is this?" The young man's gentle voice came through the receiver.
"It's me, Gu Weichen."