At nine that evening, the production team of Boundless Dreamscape announced the guests for the next episode.
Boundless Dreamscape was a variety show produced by Peach Video. Guests received different character scripts and played different people, each with their own clues and objectives. It was essentially a large-scale murder mystery game.
Its ratings had gone through the roof as soon as it launched, attracting viewers of all ages and genders. Within a year, it had become Peach Video's flagship variety show.
The Boundless Dreamscape production team's Weibo account had already reached fifty million followers, almost rivaling a popular celebrity's following.
So, in the minutes before the official announcement, viewers were already clamoring to be fed, waiting for content.
The Boundless Dreamscape production team's Weibo: [Hi! Long time no see! Little Dream has brought everyone to the entrance of our next dreamscape. Let's see who will be accompanying us this time.
Who could it be?
@Shen Xingli, guest number one, is our handsome, aloof Best Actor Shen! (cute)
@I Am Anbai, guest number two, is our adorable Anbai, who's an amazing dancer! (cute)
@Luo Hang, guest number three, is our all-round ace and long-legged idol! (cute)
@Li Li Li Li Xueying, guest number four, is our sweet-looking nation's little sister with kickass acting skills! (cute)
@Qiu Wen, guest number five, is our cool, badass queen! (cute)
@Little Immortal Nan, guest number six, is our smooth-talking, super-rebellious Nannan! (cute)]
Boundless Dreamscape had tons of horror elements, but its production team had always taken the cute approach.
The guest announcement shot straight onto the trending searches.
In particular, Shen Xingli had just finished shooting a film and was appearing before the public again after four months. His fans flooded the screen with their excitement.
The hashtag #Shen Xingli Boundless Dreamscape# went straight to number one on the entertainment chart.
Once their excitement subsided, viewers analyzed the guests one by one.
Shen Xingli was an outstanding graduate of the Imperial Capital University of the Arts, with both high EQ and high IQ.
Shen Anbai had also graduated from a top university, so naturally, there were no issues there either.
Luo Hang, Qiu Wen, and Li Xueying were all professionally trained graduates of the Imperial Capital Drama Academy, so naturally, there were no issues with them either.
The only questionable one was guest number six.
Every viewer's first reaction was-who the fuck was this?
Little Immortal Nan?
He certainly knew how to flatter himself.
Viewers clicked on the Weibo account tagged by the production team and took a look. Oh, it was a familiar face.
-Jiang Nan, an obscure, eighteenth-tier idol.
Evenings were when netizens were active, especially nine o'clock, in that stretch before bedtime.
After the Boundless Dreamscape production team's official announcement, several related hashtags made the trending searches.
#Shen Xingli Boundless Dreamscape#
#That man is finally back#
#Luoyang Chang'an CP reunited#
#Li Xueying is afraid of ghosts#
#Shameless#
On the trending list, "Shameless" looked out of place among all the detailed hashtags.
Zhu Xia also habitually scrolled through Weibo before bed.
She wasn't surprised not to see Jiang Nan's name trending. After all, everyone on the internet had a seven-second memory, and the buzz around Jiang Nan had already died down.
Just as she was about to exit, she spotted "Shameless," and her curiosity stirred.
Like most netizens who didn't know what was going on, she clicked on it.
The first thing she saw was a post from a major verified account.
Entertainment Baba: [This is hard to judge.]
A screenshot followed underneath. Zhu Xia opened it and saw that it was her artist's Weibo profile.
His profile picture had been changed to an image of Dark Balala Fairy Xiaoyue.
His bio had been changed to one simple word: "Deflect."
Display name: Little Immortal Nan.
The corner of Zhu Xia's mouth twitched, and she inwardly remarked, Shameless.
The comments under the verified account's post were all over the place, too.
[How childish is he? Deflect??? Good thing I'm kind. All I cursed him with was instant noodles without seasoning packets.]
[What kind of outrageous nonsense is he spouting???]
[Incredible. This is the first time I've seen a Weibo name like this in Chinese entertainment. He really knows how to flatter himself.]
[Hahahahahaha, Dark Balala Fairy Xiaoyue. He has taste.]
Those comments were from casual onlookers.
The haters were already howling with rage.
A handful of looks-only fans said: [Whatever. As long as he doesn't get plastic surgery, I'll turn a blind eye to anything he does.]
Zhu Xia thought, Unbelievable.
When she called him, Jiang Nan was in a team fight.
Old Yang, the driver, had joined in too.
Jiang Nan had picked a squishy mage. After charging into the enemy ranks, he was beaten to death by three opponents.
Dying had embarrassed him, so when he answered Zhu Xia's call, he couldn't help blaming her. "I just lost a team fight."
Zhu Xia paused, then followed his lead. "So?"
Jiang Nan said, "So you have to compensate me."
Zhu Xia laughed in exasperation. "Compensate you, my ass."
"What's going on with that Weibo name of yours?" Just thinking about it made Zhu Xia grind her teeth.
Jiang Nan said matter-of-factly, "Can't I describe myself accurately?"
Zhu Xia: "..."
For a long while, she couldn't get a word out.
Her lips trembled for ages before she left him with one instruction. "Go look at the comments under your Weibo posts, then repost the production team's official announcement."
"Roger."
With that, Jiang Nan declined Uncle He's and Old Yang's match invitations, opened Weibo, searched for the show's official announcement, and reposted it as Zhu Xia had instructed, adding: Looking forward to it.
The moment the post went up, his notifications began pinging and piling up.
He froze for a moment, thinking he had become popular, then opened the comments to take a look.
[Little Immortal Nan? Care to explain?]
[You there? You there? Little Immortal Nan.]
[Help, you're going on a show with Luoyang Chang'an CP. Good luck. Hope we don't see your name at the crematorium. (smile)]
[Look at this bowl, so big and round. Look at this skin, so thick and wide.]
Jiang Nan lost it when he saw that comment.
He replied directly from his main account: [Fuck off. This handsome guy's skin is clearly thin, and his face is handsome!]
Once he joined the fray, the comments grew more and more numerous.
Jiang Nan couldn't control his hands and couldn't resist replying.
[Little Immortal Nan? You really know how to gild your own face.]
Jiang Nan replied: [Correction: that's not gold on my face, it's handsomeness.]
[May I ask what mental state you were in when you came up with a name like this?]
Jiang Nan replied: [A state of dreaming about earning a hundred thousand a month.]
[Don't ruin my CP, got it? Or your whole family dies.]
Jiang Nan replied: [I won't! I won't! Hope you have a great time underground.]
Before bed, Zhu Xia had specially put on a face mask. When the production team called, she thought something had gone wrong and hurriedly peeled it off to answer.
A staff member from the production team said tactfully, "Sister Xia, could your artist rein it in a little?"
By the time Zhu Xia hung up and logged onto Weibo, things had already spiraled out of control.
The hashtag #Little Immortal Nan cleans up the comments# had already climbed from the bottom of the list to fifth place.