Returning to China controversy
Xu Changjia stared intently at the words on her computer desktop. More and more people were cursing them below. Occasionally, one or two people would stand up to speak for them, but they were quickly drowned out by the online trolls and disappeared.
Before the call was even disconnected, the voice on the other end spoke again, "Jiajia, did you see that?"
"I saw it."
He had told me before that he wanted to return to China to develop his career. Did he really do it so quickly?
Ou Liyao was a little anxious. "Jiajia, what should we do? Should we call Zheng Ruoqian and ask him? I saw the message and sent him a WeChat message, but he hasn't replied yet."
"Absolutely not."
Xu Changjia felt that since Zheng Ruoqian hadn't asked them for help yet, he must have his own way of solving the problem. Right now, they shouldn't make decisions on their own and do more harm than good under the guise of doing what's best for him.
She analyzed the pros and cons for Ou Liyao point by point, which gradually calmed her down and made her less anxious.
Once she figured it out, she realized something. "Jiajia, did you already know that Zheng Ruoqian had returned to China to develop his career?"
She didn't deny it, but in fact, she didn't know about his decision very early on.
He only told me this a few months ago when I went to H country to see their Champion concert.
At first, I thought he was doing it for me, and I was under a lot of pressure. Fortunately, after listening to his plans for his future, I realized that his decision was very rational, so I started keeping an eye out for news about it.
Ou Liyao remarked with emotion, "You two truly are soulmates who understand each other best."
Back in high school, whenever Jiajia was being temperamental, she would instinctively think of asking Zheng Ruoqian about it.
She and Zhang Yuning witnessed every little thing that happened between them.
That tacit understanding seemed to be etched into their bones and innate.
Knowing that she had asked Assistant Wen and Sister Mei for help and was keeping a close eye on the situation, Ou Liyao was no longer so anxious. She chatted with her friend about other things before reluctantly hanging up the phone.
Sure enough, having a wealthy friend is a blessing; no matter what happens, money can solve the problem.
After finishing her previous film, she took on another modern drama.
This time, she played a rich young lady in the drama. She had only been on set for a few days when her assistant told her that the Weibo hot search had exploded again. When she clicked on it, she was surprised to find that it was her friend of many years. After thinking it over, she could only ask Xu Changjia for help.
Her agent told her that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, her drama "The Imperial Concubine" would be scheduled to air in the next two months, and that she should behave herself and not cause any trouble during this time.
She also asked Zheng Ruoqian's agent about his affairs.
The advice they gave was to stay away from this mess to avoid getting into trouble.
But that was her best friend of many years; how could she just stand by and watch it go?
Fortunately, Xu Changjia was able to help, and he was also able to use his financial resources and connections to assist.
Now, all she can do is silently support his choice from behind and strive to climb the ladder.
When her voice is heard by the public, every word she says will be enough to change people's minds.
Xu Changjia sent a WeChat message to Zheng Ruoqian, but received no response all night.
This had happened before, but he would always tell her in advance that his phone had been taken away by his agent, and that he would call her to let her know he was safe once it was returned.
The timing of this latest inability to contact them is so opportune that it's hard not to associate it with trending topics on Weibo.
She checked her phone and saw messages of concern from Jiang Shuyun, feedback from Sister Mei and Assistant Wen, and some trivial matters about studies from senior students. But there was no news from Zheng Ruoqian.
He was all alone in H country, and they had lost contact, which really panicked her.
This worry kept her awake even in her sleep, as she kept dreaming that Zheng Ruoqian had gotten into trouble, was being vilified online, and finally couldn't bear the pressure and committed suicide by jumping off a building.
Her fate was no better; because she failed to complete the rescue mission, her death in this life was even more tragic than in her previous one.
As soon as I opened my eyes, two drops of cold sweat rolled down my nose from my forehead.
I sat up in bed and checked my phone: 3:20 a.m.
There was still some time before dawn, but she was already wide awake.
Looking at the latest trending topics on Weibo, the popularity of Champion has not decreased; on the contrary, it seems to be intensifying.
The latest post, which went viral an hour ago, accused the members of internal discord, especially of gossiping about two members from non-H countries, with the comments full of insults.
She read through them one by one. Among the members with the surname Z, Zheng Ruoqian was the only one in the entire group.
It's not that he argued with his teammates, but that he acted like a big shot because he was young and needed others to help him put on his clothes.
They described every detail vividly, as if they had witnessed it themselves.
The most popular comment prompted the person in charge of the incident to respond, tagging Champion's official Weibo account and the seven members. However, their Weibo accounts remained silent, leaving room for speculation among onlookers.
She tried calling Zheng Ruoqian again, and it rang for a full forty seconds, but no one answered.
She thought this time would be the same as before, with no one answering.
Unexpectedly, the call was connected just a second before it was about to end.
A hoarse voice came through, "Hey, Jiajia."
"Ruoqian, are you alright?"
He was fine; his agent simply took him to talk to the boss, where he frankly expressed his desire to return to China.
But how could the boss let him leave so easily? This incident's inaction served as a lesson for him.
He originally thought that he could stop caring about anything now that he had come to H country and stood on the stage he wanted and fulfilled his childhood dream.
But the entertainment industry is a bottomless pit. He exchanged his sincerity for the insults of thousands of people online, as well as the lack of understanding and support from his company.
After his conversation with his boss, he was unwilling to interact with others or participate in any activities.
The captain noticed that he looked unwell and helped him get his phone back late at night so that he could contact his family.
He looked through the messages of concern from all directions, and something blurred his vision.
"I'm fine, but my trip back to China has to be put on hold. The company probably needs to deal with the trending topics online first."
As she listened to Zheng Ruoqian's slowed-down speech, it seemed as if each word was spoken with great effort, concealing a little-known, unnoticed fragility.
In just one or two days, she had no idea what had happened to him, or how much energy his casual "I'm fine" had taken from him.
He's lying; he's clearly a bad person.
Xu Changjia didn't press for details. He simply put his phone on speakerphone, switched to WeChat, and asked the leader of Champion what had happened in their group in the past two days.
Then we talked about high school, the two years he was away, especially how his absence brought a sense of fulfillment to the four-person team in another way.
It seemed to take him back to his sixteen or seventeen-year-old self, how much he loved this stage, how he could give up everything for it, and how he resolutely embarked on this path of pursuing his dream.
The captain's message came in quickly, brief and to the point.
They said that their members were called in for talks one by one by the boss and cut off from all contact with the outside world. They were also told to leave the online issues alone for now, as a lesson for them.
As expected, Zheng Ruoqian has finally witnessed the cutthroat world of entertainment. Hopefully, his sincerity will remain after experiencing so much.
In that case, he needs his fans to give him energy.
She sent Zheng Ruoqian the concert photos she had compiled some time ago; they represented the energy he received from countless fans standing behind him.
Of course, she knew all this, but that wasn't enough. The fan he cared about most in his heart would always be her.
If Zheng Ruoqian at sixteen or seventeen was running towards that unknown path to the stage, then at seventeen or eighteen, he had enough courage to boldly pursue his dreams because someone stood firmly behind him.
She helped him recall the path he had come from, word by word, hoping to give him enough courage to face the darkness before him.
But as she hung up the phone, she heard him say, "If you were here with me right now, and could give me a hug, that would be so wonderful," and her eyes welled up with tears. She longed for him to return to China soon.
Regardless of whether the moon was rising or setting, or whether the sun had risen above the horizon and pierced the sky, she shared her thoughts with Assistant Wen and Sister Mei.
Since he was bullied outside and no one cared, he should let others know that he has powerful backers.
However, before that, Zheng Ruoqian's passion for the stage cannot grow cold.
After finishing her daytime classes, she asked her senior if she could take a couple of vocal lessons to get a feel for the music.
She had a great idea: to present it as a gift for his return home, though it would take a little longer.
During the few days she spent taking vocal lessons, online public opinion underwent a major reversal.
The initial report claimed that Zheng Ruoqian bullied his teammates and wanted to return to China to develop his career, but in the end, it was team member Ruan Zhishi who returned to China first, leaving many netizens puzzled.
Assistant Wen continued to report to her on the next steps of the plan. He and Sister Mei had already contacted people in Country H to help Zheng Ruoqian coordinate.
The next step is to persuade the company to allow him to return to China and start his own studio.
Just as Zheng Ruoqian's popularity was starting to die down a bit, the other members of Champion were trending on social media again.
This time, it's because some members of the team are going to serve in the military, and they want to hold a farewell performance in H country to send them off.
What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a disaster when Ruan Zhishi returned to China to develop his career, causing his fans to riot. They stormed the Weibo post and even joined forces to report Yi An, who was going to serve in the military.
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