Chapter 149 (Creation and Broadcast)
Chapter 149
"If I were a detective novelist, I would definitely write a book called 'The Mystery of the Mysterious Disappearance of Lin Yuan'."
"Upstairs... this sounds like a title from 'Detective Conan.' Let Lin Yuan go."
"So where are they? They finished filming, where are they now?"
Fans noticed that after filming wrapped on "Bloody Past", Lin Yuan participated in a series of commercial activities and then rarely made public appearances.
Lin Yuan's studio's Weibo updates have never been frequent, and recently, even fewer netizens from all over the country have posted photos of encountering Lin Yuan. Fans strongly suspect that Lin Yuan is staying at home.
"Luckily, I managed to buy this issue of UNO, which made me feel a little better."
"...What kind of hand speed is that? I specifically set an alarm to try and grab one, but I didn't manage to get a single copy. I'm so angry."
"That cover was amazing, even though Lin Yuan didn't look that handsome."
"It has the feel of a blockbuster movie."
The latest issue of UNO has been released, and because behind-the-scenes photos had been posted online beforehand, and it was also Lin Yuan's first fashion shoot in many days, UNO's popularity has even exceeded the magazine's expectations.
UNO was originally projected to have a considerable sales figure, but in reality, Lin Yuan's appeal went far beyond that.
On this issue's cover, a thick cloud lingers in the sky, and the view remains gray and gloomy. It seems that only Lin Yuan remains in the world, as if he has merged into the background.
This cover photo is almost unedited. Lin Yuan didn't even pose deliberately to show what he was fighting against, yet the artistic conception is already perfect.
Lin Yuan didn't own any fashionable items, only a GVM jacket.
But if you have enough presence, accessories are just icing on the cake.
Many fans bought this issue of UNO because of Lin Yuan, while others were simply attracted by the cover.
This style is quite different from previous episodes of UNO, but UNO occasionally has moments of brilliance, such as an episode that Lin Yuan appeared on before, which had a strong science fiction style.
Lin Yuan even bought a copy himself.
Because UNO interviewed Lin Yuan about the filming of "Bloody Past", they also interviewed director Ren Maoxing. Lin Yuan was curious about what the director said, but the director wouldn't tell him, only telling him to wait until this issue of the magazine came out to see.
Now that the magazine was in Lin Yuan's hands, Lin Yuan originally thought it would contain some meaningless praise, but to his surprise, the director actually gave a serious analysis of the character Wei Liang.
He did indeed praise Lin Yuan sincerely.
Lin Yuan took a picture of the magazine and showed it to the director, implying that he could praise him in person next time.
Ren Maoxing sent an ellipsis to protest UNO magazine's distortion of its original intent.
But he didn't actually protest.
It's worth mentioning that the cover of this issue of UNO actually boosted tourism to the filming location of "Bloody Memories".
When the UNO team visited the site, the grass hadn't fully turned green yet, but now it's a vibrant and lush scene. Some netizens compared the current scenery with the scenery on the cover, and even travel guides were posted online.
Lin Yuan can't claim credit for it, but searching his name now will bring up results like "Lin Yuan took this photo from the same camera position".
That's pretty bizarre.
However, from Lin Yuan's own perspective, it was a very beautiful set of photos.
Although the background is very dark, the image is not dirty at all; on the contrary, it gives people a very clean feeling.
It's probably because the view is very wide; it wasn't filmed in a small space, but rather it connects the sky and the earth together.
He has a copy of every magazine cover Lin Yuan has ever shot, which Feng Zeng collected for him.
Lin Yuan is considering moving to a bigger house—he's accumulating more and more stuff.
Trophies, scripts he'd worked on, fashion magazines, music-related items... Although someone came to clean for him every week, everything was still a mess after a week.
...
Lin Yuan spent half a month adjusting his mindset, and then focused on songwriting.
The poems he wrote before seemed pretty good at the time, but after filming "Bloody Past" and returning, whether it was a change in his mindset or an improvement in his skill level, Lin Yuan now feels that something is not quite right.
His current inspiration comes from the movies he watched intensively recently, as well as the insights he gained while filming "Bloody Memories".
Since he's going to release an album, Lin Yuan wants to make it a movie-themed one.
What I wrote before feels out of place in this topic.
The first thing that popped into Lin Yuan's mind was the chapter on revenge.
There's no way around it; he's acted in and watched too many revenge stories, so it's hard not to start from this angle.
"You really have become a pervert," He Xun sighed deeply. "Let's try something positive."
"A positive and uplifting form of revenge?"
He Xun: "..."
Lately, he hasn't really wanted to talk to Lin Yuan, feeling that Lin Yuan is becoming increasingly abnormal.
During the songwriting process, Lin Yuan only communicated regularly with He Xun and Yu Ying. As an actor, Lin Yuan's social circle was quite narrow. Although he had a good relationship with the actors he had worked with, they were all too busy and had their own lives, so Lin Yuan would not easily disturb them.
He thought he would write slowly and methodically, but in reality, there's no turning back when it comes to songwriting.
Whenever inspiration strikes, Lin Yuan jumps up and writes, no matter the time of day. Moreover, inspiration isn't something he can just summon at will; sometimes pushing himself can yield unexpected results.
Once the theme was decided, writing became a little easier.
Lin Yuan rested his chin on his hands, closed his eyes, and used whatever was at hand. Often, he would strum a melody on the guitar, hum it, and then expand on it.
Often, Lin Yuan would turn on a DVD and watch a classic scene from a movie, or he would simply do nothing all day but focus solely on the film.
The film's soundtrack always perfectly matches the protagonist's mood; the characters don't even need to speak, the melody is enough to express everything.
Lin Yuan chewed the candy in his mouth before picking up his pen and starting to write.
He bought a bunch of notebooks and pens, as well as a lot of electronic products; he had everything he could use for songwriting.
The revenge stories in "Mandala" and "Bloody Past" are much heavier, but Lin Yuan wanted to write a revenge story that was less severe.
As for the melody...
Lin Yuan pursed his lips, his expression extremely serious. Feng had caught a glimpse of him in this state a few times. In his manager's words, those close to him knew that Lin Yuan was thinking, but others who didn't know would probably think that Lin Yuan was about to take a knife and attack someone.
When writing songs, Lin Yuan is always in this state, working very hard, unlike when he is filming movies or TV shows where he is relaxed.
Lin Yuan often has this feeling—a melody is about to burst forth in his mind, but he can't find the outlet. When he finally finds it, he will probably be able to write a song that best meets his expectations.
Lin Yuan also didn't want to write something haphazardly to fool his fans.
He doesn't consider himself a singer in the public eye. As things stand, most of the songs he writes are bought by his fans. From the fans' perspective, no matter what their idol releases, they will still be there to support him.
Lin Yuan, however, did not want things to be this way.
So he'd rather spend more time writing slowly. He's set aside a whole year of free time, but even if it takes longer, it doesn't matter; he has plenty of patience.
When immersed in the experience, Lin Yuan has a completely different feeling from when filming.
An actor's identity is limited by the role, and they can only express emotions through the role. But songwriting is different; Lin Yuan can present his full thoughts through music.
It's okay to be a little flamboyant, it's okay to overflow.
Lin Yuan wrote the first song very slowly. After finishing this song, he probably watched about ten movies. Scenes from the movies kept flashing through his mind, corresponding one by one to the melody he wrote.
This is a song about revenge.
In summary, Lin Yuan could only think of one song title – "Hate".
"He's gone ruthless, he's become a monster, he's gone mad, tsk." — From He Xun.
Lin Yuan said, "He, did you learn to speak just to put people down?"
"He Xun is only a human being in front of you; at other times, he is a complete human being."
Lin Yuan once saw a description of He Xun's fans calling him the Silent Prince.
To be honest, this name left Lin Yuan stunned for a long time before he burst into a thunderous laugh: "Hahahaha, I've never seen this name before in my life."
He Xun silently took a screenshot of Lin Yuan's fans' expectations for him, which can be summarized as follows: the fans hope that Lin Yuan will become a "dumb kangaroo".
"Hahahaha." The one laughing wildly became Yu Ying. "Silent Prince, Dumb Kangaroo, how come they sound like a pretty good match?"
Lin Yuan & He Xun: "...How much better do you think you are?"
Of the three, Yu Ying clearly has the lowest self-awareness.
Regardless, Lin Yuan had at least successfully written a song, and He Xun and Yu Ying both expressed their sincere congratulations to him.
"Awesome!!"
"It wasn't easy!"
Actually, Lin Yuan has only temporarily decided on the song title; the lyrics haven't been written yet.
In fact, once the song title was decided, the lyrics were already half done.
Lin Yuan wanted to write a vampire story.
For some, immortality is a lifelong dream, but for others, it is punishment, it is cruelty.
What kind of hatred could drive him to turn his lover into a vampire?
Sunshine became a luxury, delicious food became blood, and these nightmarish days seemed to have no end.
This is also revenge.
With inspiration, Lin Yuan seemed to be divinely aided, writing at lightning speed.
He spent more than ten days completing the melody, but only one night on the lyrics.
The moment he finished, Lin Yuan let out a heavy sigh, feeling both grateful for the hard work and impressed with his own awesomeness.
"Most people aren't as talented as me, right?" Lin Yuan patted his chest. "What does it mean to be awesome? This is it."
Feng Zeng: "Most people wouldn't praise themselves like you do."
"I was just stating an objective fact."
Lin Yuan was in a great mood after finishing the first song smoothly. Everything is difficult at the beginning. Once the first song was finished, the second one was a piece of cake.
But Lin Yuan forgot the saying that everything is difficult at the beginning, difficult in the middle, and difficult in the end.
He had barely gotten the idea to write a new song when he collapsed onto the sofa and didn't move.
Three minutes later, Lin Yuan came to the study and sat there motionless as usual.
Then he changed the spot where he was lying on the bed and continued to maintain the same posture.
Lin Yuan had many ideas, but he couldn't decide on the style of the second song from his jumbled thoughts.
Having too many ideas isn't a good thing either.
"Hate" is a relatively gentle song that tells a story of lingering hatred with a calm mood.
Dance music is necessary for this album, after all, Lin Yuan was once an idol.
For dance music, Lin Yuan considered going for a musical theater style, combining musical theater with classical music, and then incorporating elements from movies... Fortunately, he set the theme of the album as a movie, so he could draw inspiration from films.
If it were a different theme, Lin Yuan really wouldn't know how to create it.
Life gradually became very monotonous and irregular.
Lin Yuan went downstairs to throw out the trash one day, and the sun was blazing hot on him, making him realize how hot it had gotten lately.
...
Breaking news! Someone spotted Lin Yuan at a bubble tea shop!
Lin Yuan ordered strawberry milk with red beans, less sugar, and didn't get the crispy boba. It seems that crispy boba is also an unacceptable food on the kangaroo's menu.
[Join the ranks of those who love bouncy boobs! Who understands the joy of bouncy boobs?]
[Crispy Boba, the dark core of the milk tea world, vows to defend everyone's right not to eat Crispy Boba! Crispy Boba, get out!!]
[...Isn't the main point the chance encounter with Lin Yuan? This is a gossip forum, isn't it? Please don't stray from the point!]
In short, Popo has an evil aura about it, and I can't like it at all.
[Lin Yuan's appearance... he really is a homebody.]
Fans generally know where Lin Yuan lives. For longtime fans, it's no secret. In any case, Lin Yuan spends very little time at home throughout the year, either on set or flying around to different places.
This milk tea shop happens to be located near Lin Yuan's home, just a few steps away, which clearly indicates that Lin Yuan is always at home.
But Lin Yuan's latest image still greatly surprised his fans.
With slightly messy hair, an overly casual style, and slippers on his feet, he was completely unrelated to the term "fashionable trendsetter."
He wasn't even wearing a hat, which shows he has absolutely no sense of being an idol.
"Does Lin Yuan think that the success of 'Mandala' is enough, or is directing Ren Maoxing's film something to be proud of? How come he has no ambition at all?"
When Lin Yuan took on the role in "Jin Ge" last time, some fans fiercely criticized him, and there was a lot of support at the time. But this time, when Lin Yuan was accused of "lacking ambition," both his own fans and the fans of his rivals fell silent.
With a string of hit TV series, including one just a few months ago, and movies that have also garnered box office and awards, how can this be considered a lack of ambition?
Is ambition simply about seamlessly transitioning from one project to another?
The key point is that even though others make one film after another, it's not as effective as Lin Yuan making just one.
If Lin Yuan has no ambition, what will those who are not as good as him think?
"This joke is not funny at all."
"Yeah, Lin Yuan doesn't have ambition, so he gets criticized... Can some people please stop projecting their own thoughts onto Lin Yuan?"
In fact, many fans had already guessed that Lin Yuan was writing songs, as Lin Yuan himself had revealed this in an interview.
He is doing very well as an actor, but that doesn't mean he will give up music.
Lin Yuan has never said anything about not wanting to be a singer.
Lin Yuan didn't get along with "The Rising Star" or Wink, but even after becoming a hugely popular actor, he never gave up his idol identity.
In today's entertainment industry, idols are indeed at the bottom.
To some extent, the image of Lin Yuan, the wandering poet, in the photos further solidified the fans' belief in him.
"Too rough."
"Kangaroos are like that, they can be ugly or beautiful, and they can be wonderful whether they are human or rat."
"Hilarious... I'm speechless. I searched for Lin Yuan's T on the GVM website, and it's sold out??? It's still available in all directions?!"
"Unbelievable! Who is it that complains about the kangaroo's image while secretly buying the same items as him?! Give me a break, I can't buy any of these! I'm so jealous!"
"I have to say, the kangaroo is definitely a qualified spokesperson. It's been so long since it's been out of the public eye, and when it finally does, it remembers to wear GVM. The brand must be overjoyed now, right?"
Lin Yuan had barely made his debut when his studio announced on its homepage that he plans to release an album next year, "wanting to meet fans on stage."
"Album!!"
"stage!!"
"Idol Mouse!"
"Can next year come sooner?! I'm looking forward to Kobayashi's new album!!"
"Does meeting on stage mean there's a performance? When will tickets go on sale? Can the studio be more efficient?"
Sangzi whistled the moment she saw the Weibo post.
Performance! Stage! Hey!
Lin Yuan is an excellent actor, but he is equally excellent on stage.
She was very willing to follow Lin Yuan's performances, but Sang Zi wasn't very interested in things like picking him up at the airport or queuing up to watch him participate in shows. After the success of dramas like "The Powerful Minister," there had been speculation in the industry that Lin Yuan would focus on his acting career from then on. After all, the music scene was fading, while actors had high salaries and countless fans.
But Sangzi was unwilling.
She has watched "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" so many times that she has worn it out. Lin Yuan has a very impressive live performance. In Sang Zi's opinion, Lin Yuan's brilliance on stage is no less than his brilliance as an actor.
She could clearly hear his voice, see his expression, and was completely immersed in his passionate singing.
That was another kind of charm that belonged to Lin Yuan, and those who haven't seen it simply won't understand.
"It's okay to release some new works occasionally."
"Videos or photos are both fine." — Sang Zi left a comment in the official Weibo comment section.
She didn't expect her comment to be seen, but shortly after she posted it, Lin Yuan's Weibo was suddenly updated.
Sang Zi: "..."
She was excited about the Weibo update itself, but speechless at what Lin Yuan posted.
Nine pictures – Lin Yuan actually posted a milk tea review.
There was a selfie, but half of his face was covered by a milk tea cup. Sang Zi could only sigh that Lin Yuan's face was indeed photogenic, and it was surprisingly small.
Is this an advertisement for milk tea?
Does this person even realize that every Weibo post they make is an advertising space that sells for a high price? Nobody would waste their time on something as trivial as milk tea reviews.
Is Lin Yuan's next wish to become a restaurant review blogger?
Sangzi was speechless.
More importantly—
"I gain weight even from just one drink, how dare Lin Yuan drink so many?"
"It's simply a moral decay and a lack of humanity."
Although Lin Yuan claimed that drinking milk tea was because his brain cells were depleted and needed to replenish sugar, Sang Zi didn't listen at all.
hehe.
When other fans saw Lin Yuan's Weibo post, they couldn't help but flood the comments section with "...".
#Human exploration of the forest is less than one-tenth complete#
The only ones who felt happy were probably the milk tea brands that had inexplicably gained popularity thanks to Lin Yuan's endorsement.
Lin Yuan's main approach is to spread his influence evenly, and he has tried various brands.
Subsequently, netizens posted photos of encountering Lin Yuan at various milk tea shops.
"You could say he's lazy, but he never orders takeout and usually goes out by himself. You could say he's diligent, but he's never left a 500-meter radius."
"Send me the money!! Send me the money now!"
Lin Yuan only posted nine pictures, but there were far more than nine milk tea brands involved. In the following days, netizens witnessed the various milk tea brands organizing their own team-building activities in Lin Yuan's comment section. Lin Yuan absolutely had to try their new products and star products.
The brand doesn't intend to take advantage of Lin Yuan for free. According to his agent, the studio has received numerous offers from milk tea brands recently.
Milk tea is an emerging product promoted by celebrities, and its target audience is young people. Celebrities only need to hold up a milk tea cup and take a photo to earn seven figures - which is much more cost-effective than winning other endorsements.
However, since going into seclusion, Lin Yuan has stopped accepting business offers.
He already had a lot of business deals. GVM and Tnz were among the earliest brands he collaborated with. After "The Powerful Minister" became a hit, he took on a batch of collaborations. Lin Yuan never dropped the ball, so these collaborations lasted a long time.
Lin Yuan's product categories for collaboration are very fixed.
Many of the brands that are now extending invitations to Lin Yuan are waiting for his previous collaboration to expire so they can quickly fill the gap.
Time flies.
Lin Yuan was completely absorbed in writing songs, oblivious to everything else around him.
Lin Yuan reads all the fans' comments. When fans ask him to show his face more often, he does so. Occasionally, Lin Yuan will also post snippets of his new songs online—pure instrumental versions with no arrangement. Whenever this happens, fans praise Lin Yuan's talent to the fullest, which makes him even more certain that he is undoubtedly a genius.
His friends didn't comment on it, which clearly showed that their jealousy was off the charts.
The first song is called "Hate," the second song is called "Prison," the third song is called "Five O'Clock in the Morning," and the fourth song is "Hero Who Saved the Earth"...
"A true genius is like me," Lin Yuan commented on himself.
His friends commented, "Don't you think the song titles are too dark?"
Lin Yuan said, "In the movies I've watched, apart from the male lead in a silly action movie, the other main characters are either in jail or on their way to jail."
After watching too many depressing movies for a while, Lin Yuan started watching superhero movies, which led to the creation of this song, "Hero Who Saved the Earth".
It is a cheerful song, similar in style to "Hibernation".
Lin Yuan even wanted to write a folk song.
Using "movies" as the theme is clever, because movies encompass everything and can be written about in any way. Lin Yuan put these songs with completely different styles into one album, and with this theme, it won't seem abrupt.
Of course, there were times when he felt frustrated, but the thought of releasing a complete album filled Lin Yuan with motivation.
Through sheer willpower, Lin Yuan persevered.
Making an album is much more complicated than writing a single. Lin Yuan doesn't yet have the ability to make an album on his own, so he chooses to work with a record company.
The record company was very willing to take his orders; everyone knew that Lin Yuan's records would never have trouble selling.
For each song he wrote, Lin Yuan would mark a symbol on the date.
Some of these songs were completed in just three days, while others took a long time.
Lin Yuange hasn't finished writing yet, but "Just Right You" is about to air.
This year, "Just Right" is still airing on Starry Night Video's summer slot.
The TV drama market has cooled down in the past two years, and the scale of investment has been much smaller. Even Xingyao Video, which has deep pockets, has become more restrained in spending money.
Netizens have summarized Xingyao Video's lineup for this summer's season as follows: "It seems like all the money was spent on 'Just Right You'."
The difference in heat is quite obvious.
"Just Right You" is clearly Xingyao Video's top promotional focus, attracting one sponsor after another. As one netizen put it, if they could, Xingyao Video would love to put a huge poster of Lin Yuan and Qi Lian on the boss's desk.
"Just Right You" has encountered very few negative comments.
The drama "Mandala" created a miracle of popularity in January. What is the point of saying "no one buys idol dramas" now?
It's better to wait until "Just Right" airs before making fun of it.
"Lin Yuan is good at acting in serious dramas, but he may not be so good at acting in idol dramas. Just look at that guy, who is over 40 years old and still acts in idol dramas. His acting is so awkward that it makes people want to dig their toes into the ground, but he doesn't even realize it."
"+1, maybe Lin Yuan's Mary Sue complex has kicked in too."
In recent years, idol dramas featuring actors who are over 30 years old have always sparked heated discussions. Awkward lines, domineering CEO-style remarks, and wickedly arrogant expressions often leave viewers exasperated.
The actors certainly enjoyed their performances and received a large sum of money in return.
But for the audience—"It's like living in XXX's armpit."
The fact that the actor accepted the role despite being overage clearly indicates that the subject matter and the awkward lines reflect his sexuality/fetish.
Coincidentally, "Just Right You" is Lin Yuan's only unfinished TV series. After filming this series, Lin Yuan did not take on any new dramas.
"Did he enjoy acting? He doesn't like other genres, this one is his favorite?"
Lin Yuan: "..."
Sometimes, these comments online make him feel like all his escape routes have been blocked.
Lin Yuan had nothing to say.
Indeed, actors are more likely to let loose in idol dramas, especially those who did not become famous through idol dramas. Their performances in idol dramas often make people feel deeply uncomfortable.
Lin Yuan was fortunate enough to have seen several of them.
He is personally quite tolerant of his peers, and he really can't bring himself to say anything complimentary.
These people gave him the feeling that they were on another layer, as if they should be cut out.
As for "Just Right You", some marketing accounts chose to guide the audience from this angle.
First of all, Lin Yuan and Qi Lian are not that old; they are both in their late twenties, and there are many actors older than them filming idol dramas.
Secondly, neither of them has had a career collapse since their debut.
The trailer for "Just Right You" already indicated that this is a campus drama, and there is no domineering CEO at all from beginning to end.
"Am I the only one looking forward to Lin Yuan playing a domineering CEO? I want to see him say, 'Woman, you started this fire, so you're responsible for putting it out.'"
The woman said she was not a firefighter.
"Gaga gaga gaga gaga".
With mixed feelings, viewers clicked on "Just Right for You"!
Then I discovered—
"So refreshing and youthful!! Who says Lin Yuan and Qi Lian aren't high school students?!"
"It's a silly puppy and a brave genius! The romance hasn't even started yet, but I can already feel how sweet it is! Ahhhhh!"
The first two episodes of "Just Right" have already reached a popularity score of 12,888!
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Author's Note: It's here!!! [doge][doge][doge]
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