Bai Siyao watched as Song Shi'an held his phone with a focused expression, his face still bearing bruises. Wearing his blue and white school uniform, he squatted on a small stool, looking like a dirty cat waiting for someone to pity him.
She shook her head helplessly. "I'll go now, I'll support your new drama later using an alternate account."
Song Shi'an didn't even look up, but gave her an OK sign.
As soon as the premiere started, the barrage of comments flooded in, with the screen filled with "first" so much that you couldn't even make out the faces.
Song Shi'an squinted and searched for his own scene for a long time. Meng Zhen had a scene in the first episode, but the previous scenes were all about the male and female leads. The comments were all fans of each other claiming their own idols.
It's already getting this much viewership right from its premiere; no wonder it's an S+ rated drama.
The scene shifts to the Imperial Study, where Meng Zhen makes his appearance.
The figure dressed in a dark robe emerged from behind the pillars, a gold-threaded leather belt accentuating his lean waist, a whisk draped over his left arm.
The camera panned across his profile and paused for about three seconds.
The live chat was flooded with comments in the next second.
"????!!!!"
"No, please tell me, who is this?!"
"Behind every face is an even more handsome face, absolutely amazing!!"
"Is this a real person? There are so many AI actors these days, but this one looks incredibly lifelike. Who is this person who looks so amazing?!"
"Finally, someone can see our Shi'an!"
"I thought I'd switched to the wrong channel! I was watching a TV series, how did I end up in the anime section?!"
"How come this eunuch has more imposing presence than the emperor? The emperor standing next to him looks like a mere follower..."
"You're very brave, but I think you're right."
"Three seconds. I need all the information on this eunuch."
"You guys need to be more reserved, this is only the first episode!"
Song Shi'an couldn't take it all in, and the corners of his mouth were turned up so wide he couldn't suppress it.
He flexed his fingers, his inner chuunibyou burning brightly, and typed out the message in the comment box.
Song Shi'an: I serve the emperor above and wield immense power below; I am the undisputed ruler of the court and the countryside.
When the barrage of comments featuring the glittering gold-plated influencer floated by, the comment section exploded again.
"What! This person is so amazing! I clicked in just to browse, but now I'm going to have to take a serious look!"
"Damn it, guys, isn't this a political drama? What are you all babbling about?!"
"This eunuch? Eunuchs are great! They're so much more exciting!"
"A fake eunuch? Tell me it's fake!"
"Those who have read the original book know that this is true, but that doesn't matter!"
"A real eunuch is even more exciting, who understands!!!"
"Where are my comments? Why are all my comments full of inappropriate and offensive language?"
"By imperial decree, this eunuch is mine!"
"Wake up, he's going to die a horrible death..."
"Shut up! No spoilers! Let me enjoy myself for two more days!"
Those who have already read the original novel wore a mysterious smile in front of their screens.
"Stop laughing, it scares me."
Song Shi'an looked at the rapidly scrolling barrage of comments, most of which were expressions of approval for him.
It seems the response was quite good; it was worth it for him to wear three layers of costume and endure ten days of sauna-like conditions in the tent.
Lin Fan sat next to him and watched the show together, feeling both excited and regretful. He was excited because the show was of high quality, but regretful because his brother hadn't signed a contract when he filmed it and couldn't be by his side.
If he had been there then, he would have seen those shots immediately.
The school bell rang at noon, and students poured out of the teaching building in twos and threes. High school life was already dull and boring, and when they heard that a film crew was shooting, some of the bolder ones would sneak over here.
Several people slipped past the security guards and sneaked to the perimeter of the film crew's location, peeking out from under the shade of trees behind a flower bed.
Everyone immediately spotted Song Shi'an sitting on a small stool under the shade of a tree. He was wearing the same blue and white school uniform as them, staring intently at his phone with a focused and satisfied expression.
Because his hair was too long, Lin Fan borrowed a small hair tie from the actress and tied all his bangs up in a small, upturned bun on top of his head, making a very noticeable statement.
When Jiang Ran saw Song Shi'an's face clearly, she froze for a moment, and her face flushed red.
Is this an actor? Or a student from the school? The production crew borrowed dozens of students from the school for filming this time; they might be from some class.
Her deskmate excitedly pinched her arm, her voice barely audible but brimming with excitement. " Ranran! Who's that! I heard the whole film crew went to eat, is she from our school?!"
After saying that, he secretly took out his phone, which he had brought with him, and promptly took a picture.
Jiang Ran tried to stop her, quickly saying, "Isn't it inappropriate for you to take pictures of people like that...?"
My deskmate waved his hand dismissively. "Hey, what's the big deal? I'm not going to spread it around. I'll just keep it as my wallpaper. Looking at handsome guys every day is good for your mental and physical health."
Song Shi'an watched the first episode following the comments, and his mission was complete.
Because the filming took place on campus, the crew didn't order boxed meals; they simply provided food in the school cafeteria.
He stood up, but the small stool was too low, and his legs were completely numb after sitting for a long time. He swayed to the side and immediately grabbed Lin Fan's shoulder.
"It's numb! It's numb!"
Lin Fan helped Song Shi'an up, and only then did he truly realize how tall Song Shi'an.
He looked down at his legs and suddenly felt a pang of self-consciousness. Was it too late for him to drink milk now...?
Song Shi'an put on the frameless glasses next to him and walked towards the cafeteria following the road signs.
Along the way, he saw many students coming out of the cafeteria and walking towards the teaching building. He walked against the flow of people, and the little bun on his head stood out in the crowd.
The cafeteria is quite large, similar to those in universities, with self-service food windows.
Song Shi'an swiped the temporary meal card issued by the school, carried the tray around the windows, and when he came back, the rice on the tray was piled up into a small mountain.
Lin Fan stared at the mountain of rice, his lips twitching. "My brother, is this really right...?"
Song Shi'an found a corner seat, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat heartily.
He was really starving. Today's scene involved him being beaten up, having his hair pulled and his chest stomped on. Although it was all acting, the physical exertion was real.
Eat more to soothe your wounded heart; every bite is compensation for your emotional distress.
He was so engrossed in his meal that he didn't even look up.
The premiere of " The Emperor's Ambition " aired four episodes at once.
Those viewers who were amazed by Meng Zhen in the first episode watched four episodes in a row with the expectation that "this eunuch will definitely achieve great things later," but all they saw was him appear twice saying "If you have something to report, speak up; otherwise, the court is dismissed."
The comments section started acting strangely.
"What about Meng Zhen, who's that big???"
"Four episodes already! And he only has two lines! Director, why don't you give him more lines?!"
"They tricked me into watching this in the first episode, and then showed me this in the next three?"
"Is this the infamous 'preview scam'? I'm calling the police!"
"Sisters, don't panic. Fans of the original novel say his best moments are yet to come. Stock up now, you'll regret it later."
Song Shi'an was completely unaware of any of this; he was currently battling the mountain of rice in the corner of the cafeteria.