Chapter 204 Variety Show Invitation: "Happy Breakup"
Chapter 204
For Lin Yuan, this year has been a fruitful one, and for the entire entertainment industry, the birth of an actor who has won all three major awards has also created new history.
No one ever imagined that such a young actor would set this record.
Not long ago, Lin Yuan was just an idol who failed to debut, but now he has achieved the highest honor an actor can receive, both in the television industry and in the film industry.
A Look Back at Lin Yuan's Rise to Power
"Tomorrow's Stars: Actor Trends"
Analysis of the Reasons for Lin Yuan's Rise to Power
After Lin Yuan achieved a Grand Slam, industry insiders, netizens, and marketing accounts analyzed his success.
The box office success may have had an element of luck, but it also demonstrates Lin Yuan's discerning eye for film selection. As for the awards... especially the Wall Award, it proves Lin Yuan's extraordinary acting skills.
"In the beginning, Lin Yuan stood out because of his good acting skills; otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen by director Qin Panyun."
"+1. Upon closer examination, Lin Yuan's acting career began with 'Thousand Mountains.' Even back then, his acting skills were already very strong, and he remains one of the most memorable villains to this day."
"+1+1".
To some extent, after winning three trophies in a row, Lin Yuan also lost some motivation.
After all... "The Storm" had a very high box office.
High-grossing actors usually chase awards, while actors who have won enough awards start to chase high-grossing actors.
Lin Yuan, on the other hand, has both box office success and awards; he lacks nothing.
"I'll give you a break first." Feng Zeng was quite calm about this; Lin Yuan was just saying it casually.
Given Lin Yuan's ambition, Feng Zengcai didn't believe he would give up.
Over the past few years, Lin Yuan has never even felt tired.
Recently, Lin Yuan has been participating in many official events. The "Storm" exchange meeting was held, and the "Bloody Past" exchange meeting was also held. Apart from that, Feng Zeng did not assign Lin Yuan any extra work, allowing him to rest at home.
The number of scripts handed to Lin Yuan has never decreased.
Despite the poor box office performance of "Up in the Clouds" this year, it did not stop various production teams from continuing to invite Lin Yuan. Everyone knows that no matter how well the series performs, Lin Yuan's performance is quite outstanding.
No one had any intention of blaming Lin Yuan.
"I'm so tired," Lin Yuan sighed. "I just want to lie down for the full two months."
“Not two months,” Feng Zeng said, “but I’ll allow you to take a month off.”
Feng Zeng had a mountain of cooperation offers in his hands. Although not every one of them required his attention, he would definitely review the offers that were handed to Lin Yuan carefully.
Agents are always very busy.
"By the way, are you interested in participating in a variety show?" Feng asked.
Lin Yuan looked at his agent, waiting for him to continue.
Although he debuted through a variety show, Lin Yuan generally doesn't participate in variety shows; this is an unspoken understanding between him and his manager.
His ideas are rather old-fashioned, belonging to the category of "which serious actors participate in variety shows".
That is indeed the case.
Actors like Lin Yuan, who are inundated with film and television offers, generally don't have time to film variety shows. Compared to actors in the industry who can seamlessly switch between projects, Lin Yuan's workload can even be described as minimal.
Actors who can free up their schedules are generally either far from being A-list actors or have experienced a long hiatus, so... they're short of money.
The appearance fee offered by variety shows is more substantial than the film salary of a top-tier actor like Lin Yuan.
Therefore, in recent years, audiences have seen an increasing number of big-name actors willing to participate in variety shows, which is unprecedented.
If Feng suddenly brought it up, it must be because he felt that this variety show was quite suitable for Lin Yuan to participate in.
"It's a relationship-themed variety show," Feng Zeng said. "We'd like to invite you to be a guest on one episode."
Lin Yuan: "Me?"
Feng Zeng nodded.
"Emotional/relationship-related?"
Feng Zeng nodded again.
"Are you sure you haven't picked the wrong person?" Lin Yuan was bewildered. "Do I look like the type who could participate in that kind of show?"
“The production team thinks you can do it,” Feng Zeng explained. “And it’s only one episode, two at most, so the time is very short.”
Lin Yuan: "?"
Unlike music competition variety shows, which require rehearsal, emotional variety shows only require Lin Yuan to provide commentary. The two episodes will air in two weeks, but in reality, the filming time may only be one or two days.
“The production team is very optimistic about your potential,” Feng Zeng added. “The production team also plans to invite He Xun and Yu Ying to see what kind of sparks will fly between you in your daily interactions.”
Lin Yuan: "Are they going?"
“Their agents contacted me and said they were interested.”
Otherwise, Feng Zeng wouldn't have come to ask Lin Yuan.
The production team offered a high appearance fee. To put it bluntly, the production team wanted to generate buzz, and the appearance of Lin Yuan and the others would satisfy the audience's curiosity about their daily interactions.
As viewers know, Lin Yuan became friends with He Xun and Yu Ying through their collaborations. But among all the actors Lin Yuan has worked with, his friendship with these two is the strongest. Why is that?
What are the three of them like when they get along in private?
If the production team can meet these requirements, the ratings will inevitably skyrocket.
So... even though Lin Yuan rarely participates in variety shows, the production team still extended invitations to all three of them at the same time.
Didn't He Xun successfully recruit Lin Yuan on that travel variety show he participated in before, and even facilitated a collaboration between He Mian and Lin Yuan?
Anything is possible if you dare to dream it.
The production team is currently only at the "dare to think" stage, but unexpectedly, Lin Yuan actually agreed.
Besides being able to collaborate with Yu Ying and He Xun, it's also because... Lin Yuan is essentially a very gossipy person.
The show is called "Happy Breakup," which brings together a group of couples with troubled relationships to deeply analyze the various problems that exist in their relationship.
These kinds of shows have become very popular in the last two years. On the one hand, they satisfy the audience's voyeuristic desires by putting celebrities' private lives in front of the public. On the other hand, for celebrities who have faded from the spotlight, this is also a way to reappear in front of the public.
In the entertainment industry, topics are everything; as long as you can become famous, it doesn't matter if you have to sell your private life.
After the previous episode aired, the "Happy Breakup" program announced the guest list for this episode, and a set of names that appeared at the bottom of the screen surprised the audience: "?"
"Am I seeing things?"
"Who? Who's this??? Why is Lin Yuan here? Wasn't He Xun filming Qin Panyun's new movie? And Yu Ying too???"
"...It's a magical feeling. These three people appearing on the same show is like seeing aliens on display at the zoo. It's amazing."
But that's exactly what the "Happy Breakup" program team announced, and Lin Yuan and the other two did indeed show up.
When this episode aired, the three members of the chicken family did indeed appear in the studio.
Given that Lin Yuan and He Xun both starred in "The Detective with the Magic Eye," they both wore the T-shirt that Lu Zhuo wore in the movie, and Yu Ying, as an unofficial member, also wore it.
In front of the camera, she casually said, "This way, when we're filming the next movie, the director will consider me."
To the audience's utter surprise, He Xun, who had always presented himself as tongue-tied in public, actually retorted to Yu Ying: "Then you'll probably be like me, dying halfway through your appearance."
"Who suggested wearing this T-shirt?" He Xun complained. "Don't you think this is a bad omen? Do you want them to get back together, or do you want them to break up?"
"Don't worry about the details."
"I just need to care, okay?" He Xun's frustrated expression was clearly captured on camera.
The audience: "?"
"??????"
"In my memory, He Xun wasn't like this."
"Me too... hahahaha, we've only just started talking and He Xun has already been driven crazy. Right now he's all over the place with an expression that says he doesn't care about anyone."
Viewers initially thought the humor in "Happy Breakup" would end there, but... as the show progressed, the fun only increased.
One of the couples on the show was a case of the woman being more successful than the man in their careers, but the man was particularly adept at manipulating the woman. His methods were very subtle, and he was good at guiding the woman to reveal her true feelings. From the audience's perspective, the woman who said these things was undoubtedly very annoying.
After the last episode aired, the woman's reputation plummeted, and the entire internet was almost universally condemning her.
The show had just started airing when the comments section was filled with criticisms of the woman. It wasn't until the camera cut to the studio where Lin Yuan and the others were, and the "Chicken Family" T-shirt appeared on screen, that the comments quieted down a bit.
In this episode, the woman seemed to realize her reputation was declining and was trying to salvage it. However, as the more powerful woman in her career, the fact that she was able to be controlled by the man shows that she did indeed have many weaknesses in her words.
But this episode—
After the woman expressed her thoughts, the comments section was filled with negative reviews.
Just then, Yu Ying spoke up.
As a guest, this is a suitable time to speak.
Yu Ying's expression and tone were indifferent, quite different from the public's impression of her. In the media's portrayal, Yu Ying is depicted as a violent maniac.
The audience was quite curious about what Yu Ying would say next.
"Next, Zhang Quan will probably say..."
The person who broke up with their partner can't see what the guests in the studio say, so—
Yu Ying guessed that Zhang Quan would try to seduce the woman from angle A.
Zhang Quan said that exactly the next second.
He would use psychological manipulation (PUA) from angle B, criticize her from angle C, and then offer her a sweet treat from angle D.
Whatever Yu Ying said a second ago, Zhang Quan would repeat it the next second, making people suspect that he and Yu Ying were using the same script.
The audience: "..."
However, Zhang Quan and Yu Ying were not acquainted before. Yu Ying's status was much higher than Zhang Quan's, so there was no need for her to communicate with Zhang Quan or read the same script.
“I had a boyfriend like that before,” Yu Ying said calmly, without naming names. “I know all too well.”
"See, it's Qian Chun's fault again..."
The audience: "..."
After Yu Ying said that, they gradually realized that something was off about Zhang Quan's words.
Indeed, after the show started airing, many viewers felt sorry for Zhang Quan, thinking that he was bullied by his girlfriend Qian Chun. However, at the beginning, he clearly had nothing. If it weren't for Qian Chun, very few people would have known him.
"Wow, Ms. Yu Ying is amazing!"
Lin Yuan and He Xun, like younger brothers, gave Yu Ying a thumbs up: "Awesome."
"I've seen too many scumbags, but I'm just like that."
The episode featuring the trio already garnered more views than previous episodes of "Happy Breakup".
When Yu Ying foresaw a male guest's manipulative remarks and recounted them almost verbatim, the viewership of "Happy Breakup" skyrocketed.
"The God of prophecy."
"I was like an idiot, I didn't see the trap Zhang Quan was setting at all, but Yu Ying figured it out immediately. What kind of female war goddess is this?"
"Hilarious! Zhang Quan is probably secretly pleased with himself. The worse Qian Chun's reputation gets, the happier he is. Did Yu Ying expose his true nature?"
"Yu Ying and He Xun, I can only describe them as a female war goddess and her useless men. What are the two people next to them doing? Can they even play a tiny bit of a role?"
Lin Yuan said it had no effect whatsoever.
This is the first couple.
During the commercial breaks, many viewers specifically looked up the episode before Zhang Quan and Qian Chun appeared, and gradually realized something was amiss.
It can be said that Zhang Quan's remarks in the previous episode were no different from those in this episode, but others would only think he was a gentle and kind person, without being able to detect the violence hidden beneath his gentleness.
Only someone like Yu Ying, who has experienced it firsthand, could notice it immediately.
The key is—
"Yu Ying is so outspoken! Would anyone else be so blunt as to call her out on this?"
“In front of Yu Ying, He Xun and Lin Yuan can only babble on and on. Come on, you useless men, do something useful.”
The second couple consists of two actors who haven't achieved much fame. Both believe the other could reach a higher position and that the other hasn't worked hard enough to provide them with a better life.
Lin Yuan wore a surprised expression.
One of them happened to be a former idol. He was a bit younger than Lin Yuan and belonged to an idol group launched after the huge success of "Tomorrow's Star". However, he had always been relatively unknown and could not be associated with the word "famous".
The program played clips of the other person's performance when they became "famous".
In the studio, Lin Yuan shared his thoughts: "Actually... he could still work harder, after all, he's still very young."
"You dance better than me," He Xun remarked from the side.
From the audience's perspective, Lin Yuan's expression was already quite strange when he saw the former idol's performance. After hearing He Xun's吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments), Lin Yuan practically turned his neck to face the screen.
"Hilarious! What an utter disgrace! Lin Yuan said he had never suffered such humiliation before."
"Your little fists are clenched, He Xun, are you ready to greet the sun?"
"Yu Ying was laughing wildly. If it weren't for the terrain, I feel Lin Yuan would have jumped up right there and then."
"The child is really wronged, hahaha."
Therefore, in his subsequent comments, Lin Yuan kept saying, "When talking about hard work, we can reflect on whether we have taken our efforts to the extreme."
"Actually... life can be very happy, and career is not the only measure of happiness."
"Perhaps we can try to rely on ourselves instead of others?"
The audience: "..."
"So subtle, so dignified."
"I can see that Lin Yuan is really out of options, hahaha. Actually, this pair is quite a good match. They are both the type who are absolutely right, and if they are wrong, it is someone else's fault."
"Hahaha, He Xun and Yu Ying are so funny. They both have a 'what nonsense are you talking about' look on their faces. I feel like Yu Ying really wants to punch Lin Yuan, but she held back."
"He Xun delivered several more blows, and Lin Yuan really wanted to glare at him, but he held back because of the camera."
"The blank expressions on the faces of these three are hilarious. It looks like Yu Ying needs oxygen. The production team must have paid them a lot for their appearances. If they paid less, it wouldn't be enough to cover their workers' compensation."
"Haha, He Xun said, 'Starting a new relationship isn't so bad,' and Yu Ying really kicked me. Although the show is called 'Happy Breakup,' the couples all come with the intention of trying to salvage the relationship. He Xun said that right from the start, and I just can't stand it."
For viewers of "Happy Breakup," the appearance of Lin Yuan and his friends increased the show's humor several times over.
For the fans of the three, especially Lin Yuan's fans, "Happy Breakup" is purely a private rant among the three.
They never knew that Lin Yuan could be so long-winded in front of his friends, and that he would be disliked for it.
"Our kangaroo is clearly an invincible, universally adored character, okay?"
"I never imagined that the rat was actually a pitiful rat."
What surprised netizens the most was that Lin Yuan and He Xun were also more perceptive than expected.
Yu Ying was very perceptive and had a good grasp of the guests' psychology, while Lin Yuan and He Xun were good at capturing details.
Perhaps because Lin Yuan and He Xun are both actors with good acting skills, they were able to grasp the key points in someone's words.
One of the male guests repeated a sentence twice, which was noticed by Lin Yuan and He Xun.
Lin Yuan repeated it again, without saying much, but gave He Xun a meaningful look.
He Xun nodded to him.
At first, the audience didn't know what Lin Yuan was trying to express, but they also realized that something was not quite right.
In the show "Happy Breakup", Yu Ying was the most straightforward. Although Lin Yuan and He Xun also had their own likes and dislikes, they did not express them as obviously as Yu Ying.
But their expressions and glances said it all.
Moreover, Lin Yuan deliberately repeated a certain sentence.
Some netizens followed this statement and dug deeper and deeper, uncovering a whole bunch of gossip about the other party.
"??? That's amazing."
"Is this what an actor's keen eye is all about?"
"Lin Yuan and He Xun, what are you two talking about? Is there anything the audience can't hear?! Don't cover your mouths, speak louder and let us hear it too!"
"bad!!!!"
As a result, Lin Yuan and He Xun talked and laughed, and occasionally winked at Yu Ying.
The audience: "Say it already!!!"
These two are really something, they won't say a word!
Later, Yu Ying couldn't help but complain, "You're so stupid."
"His brain is on his chin." — This is He Xun's comment on Lin Yuan.
"Personal attacks are prohibited. You've made us look ugly."
"It's not that good-looking to begin with, don't worry." — Yu Ying continued to complain.
The audience: "..."
The only thing they could tell was that Lin Yuan and Yu Yinghe Xun were getting along very well. Their eyes were always bright, and even though nothing had happened, they couldn't help but smile foolishly.
From a fan's perspective, Lin Yuan looks adorable and youthful.
"See you next time!!"
"...The gossip accounts are digging up the juicy gossip. I want to keep watching the show, but I also want to keep eating the gossip. I'm so anxious. It's all Lin Yuan's fault. Why did he have to be so meaningful?"
"My god, this guy is a real scumbag. No wonder Lin Yuan had that expression. He Xun was also very direct. I felt like he was about to say the word 'scumbag' out loud."
"Hilarious! Did anyone notice? During our discussion of the 'Powerful Minister' couple, we would often tilt our heads back, that is, with our hands on the chairs and our necks tilted upwards. That means we heard something unpleasant and wanted to roll our eyes."
"I was wondering why they would tilt their heads back and laugh so hard when I rolled my eyes. Their expressions said it all. The production team should have hired a body language expert to translate Lin Yuan's body language as well."
In short, this episode of "Happy Breakup" saw a surge in viewership and remained highly popular, with several couples taking turns trending on social media, and Lin Yuan and his two companions also occasionally popping up on the trending topics list.
The trio was described by netizens as "intolerable."
During the recording of the episode "Happy Breakup", Lin Yuan and his two friends were spotted by netizens. Some netizens noticed that after the recording, the three of them did not go home separately, but instead got into the same car.
"Either we eat together, or we find a place to continue complaining."
To some extent, netizens were right.
Lin Yuan and the other two had a lot to say, and they didn't finish complaining on the show, so they continued to complain at home.
Yu Ying saw right through the "Pua" persona.
Those who believe their careers are destined for greatness overestimate themselves. Compared to someone like Lin Yuan, whose career is truly taking off, their fantasies have no place to stand.
The last one was male chauvinism. Viewers noticed that while this guest was frantically showing off his glorious history, Yu Ying kept rolling up and down her sleeves, clearly having reached the limit of her patience.
"I'm so tired."
"So tired."
Contrary to netizens' speculations, the three did not have a meal together, but instead went to a massage parlor to relax their tired minds and limbs.
"I can't take it anymore."
"Who isn't?!"
"How can someone be so arrogant?"
The three felt that they were only occasionally arrogant, but never that arrogant. They couldn't even understand why the other was arrogant, because the other didn't have a career or assets to be proud of.
In fact, the episode of "Happy Breakup" gained more than just popularity. The remarks of Lin Yuan and his friends, as well as the remarks of the couples, were repeatedly pondered and analyzed. Countless viewers watched it repeatedly, eventually giving rise to a special discipline called "Fractional Studies".
Although none of the three—Lin Yuan, Yu Ying, and Lin Yuan—were masters of psychoanalysis, Yu Ying had the most extensive emotional experience among them. However, it was precisely because they were laymen that they were able to express their emotions so frankly, contributing their share to the establishment of "Differentiation Studies."
Lin Yuan, He Xun, and Yu Ying: "..."
Although they had some ideas while recording the show, they tried their best to speak freely. If they couldn't say something, they expressed it through their actions.
But after experiencing the "divisional learning" system, they still felt their own insignificance and ignorance.
The man who was skilled at manipulating his girlfriend had some of his past statements also surfaced. Although his words were contradictory and made people uncomfortable, no one could refute him verbally and could only accept his control.
Yu Ying was once a controlled bystander. Now that she has broken free from that control, she can calmly analyze everything. If she hadn't broken free, the result would probably be the same as his girlfriend's: she would continue to be subjected to abuse without knowing the source of the abuse.
"What a profound subject!" Lin Yuan exclaimed.
Although Lin Yuan was learning with great enthusiasm, he solemnly told his manager that if there were any more variety shows like this, they shouldn't invite him: "Money isn't easy to earn."
Yu Ying and He Xun both said they would not participate next time.
The main issue is that if it were in private, whoever spoke first would have already uttered the word "idiot." But in front of the camera, they couldn't say it and could only silently endure it, which was equally painful for them.
The former idol member's remarks also greatly impacted Lin Yuan's values.
After the episode of "Happy Breakup" aired, Tian Yi, who was on tour, even sent a message to Lin Yuan, saying that he had suffered.
The main issue is that the idol member's dance moves on camera were even inferior to Tian Yi's.
When Tian Yi participated in "The Coming One: Superstar", he was not good at dancing. He gradually improved in the later stages. Later, he participated in most music variety shows that did not require much dance. However, as his career developed, in order to give fans more surprises, Tian Yi intensified his dance practice.
Whether it's singing or dancing, you'll gradually deteriorate if you don't practice for a long time. The other person keeps saying they want to work hard, but what they show is that they don't try at all.
It wasn't the other person who held me back; it was clearly me who let myself down first.
...
In short, after this show aired, Lin Yuan contributed the most meme-worthy expressions ever.
"I'm out of ideas," "I want to die," "Let's die together," "If you say that again, I'll blow you up," "Get lost"...
His bewildered expression has gone viral.
"I understand. After winning the Grand Slam, Lin Yuan lost his motivation to strive and felt that the world was meaningless. His agent quickly got him a role in 'Happy Breakup'. Lin Yuan suddenly felt that acting was great and wonderful, at least he wouldn't have to go through these things again."
"It's hilarious. I don't know about others, but it's true that He Xun and Yu Ying did join a new project immediately after filming 'Happy Breakup.' Nobody knows if they'll participate in any more variety shows."
"Hahaha, Lin Yuan updated his Weibo, posting, 'I've only just realized how much I love music.' Looks like making money from variety shows isn't so easy after all, lol~"
Lin Yuan did have this consideration—if he didn't work, his agent might actually send him out to take on various variety shows.
But he is now very certain that he is not suited to doing variety shows at all.
In one particular couple, the man had already described the woman's career as utterly worthless, and the woman was still insisting that he loved her but didn't...
This is the part he doesn't quite understand.
Forget it, let him work. Work can make him forget everything.
However, it was probably "Happy Breakup" that made various platforms see the trio's potential in variety shows, and the three of them received far more variety show invitations than before.
"We're out of options."
"Whatever," He Xun sighed. "I want to get a good script, but there's none at all. I'm getting one variety show invitation after another, but I haven't done anything about it."
"It's all Yu Ying's fault," Lin Yuan said with emotion.
"Yes, I agree."
Yu Ying: "?"
These two are getting increasingly outrageous.
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Author's Note: Update! [doge][doge][doge]
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