Chapter 218 Reversal

During the evening rehearsal, Lu Yanhe noticed that everyone was looking at him strangely.

That's the downside of getting involved in controversy. Once you become the subject of gossip, you'll be scrutinized wherever you go, like a gorilla in a zoo.

He went on stage for rehearsal. Since it was only a performance of one song, there were no dance moves, just a few simple movements.

After one take, the director said it was OK.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and asked, "Don't you need to sing it once?"

His rehearsal just now only had him walk through the stage positions once; there wasn't even a rehearsal for the performance itself.

The director said there were many people waiting for rehearsals, and he had already heard his song in the recording studio.

Lu Yanhe found it strange and instead of leaving the stage, he looked at Chen Ziyan on the side of the stage.

Chen Ziyan crossed her arms and looked at the director with a serious expression.

Lu Yanhe said, "Director, I still want to sing it live. It only takes three or four minutes to sing it once."

Upon hearing Lu Yanhe's words, the director's brows furrowed instantly.

"I already told you you don't need to sing. I know you're a professional singer, you can sing, you don't need to—"

“I need to,” Lu Yanhe interrupted the director sternly. “Any professional singer needs to rehearse, let alone someone like me who is not a professional. Director, please let me sing a bit. Tomorrow is a live broadcast, and I’m worried about problems on set.”

The other staff members on site looked at them in surprise.

Generally speaking, it's the production team that begs the celebrities to rehearse, ensuring the show goes smoothly.

What happened today?

Why is it reversed?

Especially the director... why doesn't he seem to want Lu Yanhe to rehearse?

The director glanced at Lu Yanhe with some impatience and said, "Fine, sing if you want to."

This impatient tone surprised everyone, including Lu Yanhe, who was at a loss. Was his request too much? Why was Lu Yanhe treating him so strangely?

But after much persuasion, the rehearsal finally began. Lu Yanhe sang it normally once, and the overall effect was quite good. Only then did he leave and hand the microphone to the staff.

Chen Ziyan came over and said to Lu Yanhe, "Wait for me outside for a moment."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised, but seeing Chen Ziyan's dark complexion, he didn't ask any further questions. He nodded and left, heading outside the studio.

-

Lu Yanhe sat in the corridor outside the studio waiting for Chen Ziyan.

People were constantly coming and going in the corridor, including artist teams and on-site staff.

Lu Yanhe was sitting alone in a chair. When others saw him, they all looked puzzled, as if they didn't understand why he was sitting there.

After a while, Chen Ziyan came out of the studio and said to Lu Yanhe, "Let's go."

"Sister Ziyan, did you say something to the director just now?"

“His attitude toward you was very abnormal. I asked him a few questions,” Chen Ziyan said. “However, it seems that he just has some personal issues with you, not because of any high-level instruction. The fact that Director Li suddenly paid attention to you before made me wary.”

Lu Yanhe then realized that this was what Chen Ziyan was worried about.

He nodded and asked, "What's wrong with that director?"

"It seems he didn't understand the whole story. He thought your fans attacked the production team because of the difference in the treatment of the lunch boxes, which made him very unhappy." Chen Ziyan waved her hand. "It's okay. If he's unhappy, he's unhappy. It's not important. It won't affect us. Just do your best in your performance tomorrow. Don't mess it up."

No, it won't.

“I’ve been thinking about finding a suitable film or television drama to include your song ‘Childhood’, which would be more beneficial for its promotion,” Chen Ziyan said. “I originally wanted to find a good stage for your debut performance, but there’s no opportunity now. Don’t worry, because I don’t intend for you to pursue a singing career. There’s no need to rush to prove yourself on a singing stage. To be honest, your singing voice is only slightly better than the average person. As for being a professional singer, you’re not quite there yet.”

“I know.” Lu Yanhe nodded, touched his nose, and smiled sheepishly. “Indeed, I can sing okay, but to say I can sing very well is debatable; talent determines that.”

That's how it is for singers; their natural vocal qualities are extremely important.

Without a good voice, popularity alone is not enough for a long-term career, unless you are truly determined to pursue an idol career to the end. But even idols can only last until they are thirty years old at most, and after thirty, their careers will inevitably decline. Chen Ziyan hopes that Lu Yanhe will choose a more sustainable path, but based on her observations, Lu Yanhe himself doesn't seem to have much interest in singing, and his talent is just so-so. Acting seems to be more suitable for him.

Chen Ziyan: "You always have a very clear understanding of yourself."

Lu Yanhe couldn't help but smile wryly: "I don't think you're praising me at all, Sister Ziyan."

-

When Lu Yanhe returned to the Hong residence, it was already 10 p.m.

Li Zhibai has returned.

Upon seeing Lu Yanhe, he immediately bristled and glared, asking, "Did that Chen Ziliang lay a hand on you?"

On his way back from getting off the plane, he saw a GIF of Chen Ziliang rushing into Lu Yanhe's rest room. There were all sorts of analysis posts online, some saying that Chen Ziliang and Lu Yanhe had a long-standing feud, and others saying that Lu Yanhe's fans had angered Chen Ziliang. Li Zhi was furious.

Lu Yanhe shook his head: "No one did anything, what do you mean by 'did something'?"

"What did that idiot do tonight? Look at him, barging into your place looking all menacing."

“He thinks I deliberately did a live stream tonight to show everyone that my lunchbox is different from his,” Lu Yanhe explained. “I already have some grudges with him, and some of my fans saw this and were indignant on my behalf.”

"That idiot," Li Zhibai cursed without any politeness.

"Stop scolding him. He's probably regretting it now. He acted impulsively and got criticized again, trending on social media. There are more people talking about him than about me right now." Lu Yanhe wasn't too bothered. "Weren't you supposed to be back tomorrow? Why did you rush back tonight?"

Li Zhibai: "The drama I filmed before is going to premiere tomorrow. I was just notified that there is a media conference tomorrow afternoon and I need to attend."

Lu Yanhe nodded. "Congratulations! Your first drama is finally going to air."

Li Zhibai's "Take You to the End of the World," which he filmed at the beginning of this year, was released online in August, which is quite fast.

Li Zhibai shook his head and sighed, "I'm very worried that this drama will be met with a barrage of criticism after it airs."

"Why?"

“Because… to be honest, it’s very pretentious.” Li Zhibai shook his head. “I didn’t want to take this role at all, but Zhou Ping’an insisted that I do it. If I get ridiculed by everyone, I’ll definitely screenshot all the comments that humiliate me and send them to Zhou Ping’an so he can read them out word by word.”

“Isn’t reading it aloud just humiliating you?” Lu Yanhe said speechlessly.

Li Zhibai: "To humiliate me is to humiliate him."

Lu Yanhe could tell that although Li Zhibai complained about the show, he was actually looking forward to its broadcast.

This is his first time acting, and he must be eager to know how people will react to his performance.

Seeing Li Zhibai like this, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but wonder what his feelings would be when "The Golden Era" premiered.

We don't even need to wait until then; just thinking about it now fills me with barely suppressed excitement and anticipation.

People in this line of work all have a bit of vanity, a desire to be seen and recognized. Lu Yanhe is no exception.

He said, "I'll rush back after my performance tomorrow night. When will your show be released?"

“Eight o’clock tonight,” Li Zhibai said. “I’m not there yet. I’m going to attend the premiere of the Icefield Video. I’ll be watching the premiere with Meng Li and the others.”

Lu Yanhe: "Alright then."

"I'll post some promotional material for my show tomorrow, please remember to share it for me," Li Zhibai said.

“Okay.” Lu Yanhe nodded with a bright smile.

-

The next day, Lu Yanhe woke up naturally. As soon as he opened his eyes, he received a call from Chen Ziyan. The timing of the call was so seamless that Lu Yanhe even thought that Chen Ziyan had installed surveillance cameras in his room.

"Are you awake?"

It's only 8 a.m. now.

"She's awake." Lu Yanhe sat up. "What's wrong, Sister Ziyan?"

“Chen Ziliang got drunk last night and went on a drunken rampage, posting a status update that has gone viral online overnight.” Chen Ziyan briefly explained the background before adding, “This has affected you.”

Lu Yanhe was completely dumbfounded.

He exited the call interface, opened his social media platform, and without deliberately searching, he could easily find discussions about Chen Ziliang's crazy outburst late last night on the homepage.

Then, Lu Yanhe found the content of Chen Ziliang's madness:

You have no idea how much pressure I'm under! I crave your approval, but you're always drawn to new faces. Those who once vowed to love and support me forever, you're the ones who have unknowingly left me! Lu Yanhe is young, handsome, and talented—yes, I admit it—but am I really inferior to him? Why are you all condemning me over something as trivial as a boxed lunch? I've worked so hard for so many years; don't I deserve a more lavish boxed lunch than him?

Then, a selfie was attached.

In the selfie, he was sitting on a dimly lit street corner, probably squatting. His face was completely unmade-up, showing his most bare and unbearable side. His eyes were filled with an unmistakable drunkenness, and also with resentment.

Lu Yanhe didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment.

It's like watching an arrogant swordsman suddenly turn into a comical clown; besides being speechless, there's also a sense of desolation.

The change was so sudden and unexpected.

Lu Yanhe would rather watch someone die arrogantly than watch someone despise themselves in despair.

Chen Ziyan said, "There's a meme going around online now, and a lot of people are tagging you, asking if Chen Ziliang doesn't deserve a better meal than you?"

Lu Yanhe sighed, utterly speechless, and looked at his backstage area, saying, "I saw it."

"You'd better not respond to this matter," Chen Ziyan said. "Chen Ziliang's team is probably going crazy right now. Having such an artist is a blessing or a curse."

Lu Yanhe said, "However, Sister Ziyan, this matter shouldn't have had any negative impact on Chen Ziliang, right?"

"It's more than that. His reputation has completely changed overnight. If I hadn't known that Chen Ziliang was really drunk, and if his agent hadn't gone to bang on the door this morning, I would have thought it was a PR whiz's idea," Chen Ziyan said speechlessly. "Now everyone online thinks Chen Ziliang is quite genuine and quite wronged. Suddenly he's become a seemingly arrogant but actually pitiful little star. I don't know what to say. This entertainment industry, this public opinion arena, ugh!"

Hearing Chen Ziyan's disdainful "heh," Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh.

-

Just as Chen Ziyan said, Chen Ziliang's reputation reversed overnight.

Even Chen Ziliang's team didn't expect this.

Chen Ziliang's agent, Yan Wei, was surprised, but immediately realized that this was an opportunity worth seizing.

Chen Ziliang hasn't had such a memorable moment in a long time.

As a top-tier singer, just like an actor, if you are not seen by the audience for too long and only stay in your original fan circle, you will easily be eliminated by everyone.

Chen Ziliang's sudden drunken outburst late at night unexpectedly resonated with everyone, and he suddenly became the focus of attention across the entire internet, going viral.

Moreover, public opinion on Chen Ziliang has completely reversed. Previously, he was heavily criticized for his fierce expression when he stormed into Lu Yanhe's live stream, but now it has all turned into Chen Ziliang's grievances and his jealousy of Lu Yanhe.

Yan Wei immediately contacted the public relations team and seized the opportunity to start promoting Chen Ziliang's image as a "wronged, genuine male singer".

Lu Yanhe, who was unexpectedly caught up in this controversy, inexplicably became a meme.

When Lu Yanhe checked his Weibo again at noon, he found that his comment section had been almost completely flooded with over 100,000 comments, all of which were making jokes.

—Doesn't Chen Ziliang deserve a better meal than you? Forgive him.

Looking at the people who came to his Weibo, Lu Yanhe knew that many of them were just following the trend and playing with the memes, but he still found it absurd.

Chen Ziyan repeatedly emphasized that no response should be made.

Lu Yanhe turned off his phone and decided not to look at it anymore.

Before the official performance, Chen Ziyan told Lu Yanhe on the way: "When you get in front of people, you must not express any dissatisfaction. Nowadays, netizens like to make memes. If you keep a straight face, people will think you are not generous."

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll endure it."

Chen Ziyan: "That's how the entertainment industry is, it changes in an instant. I never expected that Chen Ziliang would make such a comeback so inexplicably."

"What should I say when I see him later?" Lu Yanhe asked. "Should I greet him warmly?"

“Just give him a perfunctory greeting; there’s no need to be insincere,” Chen Ziyan said. “What I mean is, there are definitely a lot of cameras backstage today. Don’t let them capture you looking sullen. If they post it online, a lot of people will interpret it in various ways.”

“I know that, no way,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ll laugh when I get off the bus.”

Hearing Lu Yanhe say this, Chen Ziyan couldn't help but say, "Well, I didn't tell you to laugh as soon as you got out of the car. Don't laugh like a fool from a wealthy family."

Lu Yanhe: "I said I wanted to laugh, but you complained."

"Don't argue, you know what I'm talking about."

-

Backstage, tonight was even busier and more chaotic than last night's rehearsal.

When Lu Yanhe arrived at his dressing room, the corridor was crowded with people, all of whom were performers and staff dressed in various costumes.

Lu Yanhe was led there by Chen Ziyan. As soon as they entered, a makeup artist was already waiting inside.

The clothes have already been delivered, and a styling team is waiting to do his makeup and styling for the performance later.

Lu Yanhe changed his clothes first, putting on a gray-blue suit.

Chen Ziyan's only requirement for his styling and style was that it be simple, elegant, clean, and refreshing.

Chen Ziyan wants to create this kind of impression for the public.

There won't be any exaggerated styling when I appear in front of everyone. I don't need to be stunning; just being ordinary and handsome will suffice.

At that moment, Yan Wei suddenly came over.

He came specifically to find Chen Ziyan.

"Sister Ziyan, thank you so much for today." Yan Wei's face showed undisguised joy.

He came to express his gratitude because Lu Yanhe's side did not respond to Chen Ziliang's drunken misbehavior last night, which allowed Chen Ziliang to win his comeback battle so well today.

Chen Ziyan, with her eyes narrowed, said, "No need to be so polite. I'll be grateful if you Chen Ziliang stop causing trouble for Yan He in the future."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely keep him in check!" Yan Wei said with a big smile, and said to Chen Ziyan, "Thank you for your kindness."

After saying that, Chen Ziyan thought Yan Wei was about to leave, but then Yan Wei suddenly said, "Sister Ziyan, do you think we could arrange for Chen Ziliang and Yan He to take a photo together later today and post it on social media? That way we can also show everyone that what happened in the live broadcast room yesterday was a misunderstanding."

Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes upwards and asked, "Is it a misunderstanding?"

Chen Ziyan's attitude seemed to exceed Yan Wei's expectations, and he glanced at Chen Ziyan in surprise.

Chen Ziyan said, "Don't push your luck."

Yan Wei was stunned, clearly not expecting Chen Ziyan to have this attitude.

He was stunned for two seconds before reluctantly wiping the smile off his face.

"Okay, let's talk about it another time."

Chen Ziyan could tell that Yan Wei was still somewhat dissatisfied.

Yan Wei's attitude today was completely different from her listless, helpless, and frustrated demeanor last night.

It seems that Chen Ziliang's sudden rise to fame online today, bringing him back into the spotlight, has changed Yan Wei's mindset.

Chen Ziyan narrowed her eyes, watching Yan Wei turn away unwillingly without showing any emotion, and added this person to her mental notebook.

(End of this chapter)