Chapter 342 Even AK couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth.
Since Friends ended, the six members have never appeared together on screen again.
Lu Yanhe did not attend the celebration banquet held in Beijing and Taiwan.
He has done all he could in expressing his attitude.
However, many viewers do hope that the six of them can reunite.
In fact, given the popularity of "Friends", if Lu Yanhe were willing to participate, according to the usual practice of popular dramas, there would be a lot of promotional activities.
For such a wildly popular drama, many partners would like to bring them together on stage.
Because once they appear on the same stage together, it will naturally become a topic of conversation and attract attention.
In fact, apart from Lu Yanhe, the other main actors have all teamed up in various combinations and pairings.
Only Lu Yanhe remained hidden within the promotional team for "Friends".
However, no one said anything about it.
The conflict between Lu Yanhe and Beijing and Taiwan is practically out in the open, and many people in the industry know about it, with news also circulating online.
His outstanding performance in "Three Mountains" in March, as well as the buzz generated by the film, offset the negative impact of his lack of involvement in any "after-sales" activities for "Friends".
In particular, he also has an official statement that he was filming "Late Spring" in March and April and was not able to participate in the project.
No matter what, the six members have never been together as a whole, which is a great regret for fans of the show.
It's easy to imagine that if the six of them could reunite at the graduation party, it would definitely be the most talked-about moment of the night.
-
With the performance controversy over "Idol Era" over, Lu Yanhe and the other two finally began rehearsals.
“We won’t design any particularly complicated dance moves, what do you guys think?” Lu Yanhe said. “This song isn’t really suitable for very explosive dance moves either.”
Li Zhibai said, "This song is nice, but it's a bit... unlike the songs we listen to now, it's a bit like the songs from the 1990s."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"I wrote it in that style." How presumptuous of me.
Li Zhibai said, "Let's just imitate the style of the 1990s and do a retro performance. The stage design will also be designed to look like that of the last century."
Yan Liang nodded, "Let's all get a hairstyle that was popular back then."
"That kind of hairstyle with a side parting and an upright demeanor?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
Yan Liang nodded.
Li Zhibai said, "Okay, then I estimate that the three of us will shock the whole audience as soon as we appear."
The current idol era is all about pursuing individuality, explosiveness, and the ultimate in personal style.
But for them, it becomes retro, a dream of returning to the 1990s.
Lu Yanhe thought to himself that he had simply transferred a song over, and these two people had already designed a suitable theme for him.
He had no doubt about the song's popularity—"Green Apple Paradise" was originally adapted from a Japanese song, then adapted into a Mandarin version by the Little Tigers, becoming a nationwide hit. It's a melody practically etched into the DNA of every 80s and 90s kid.
There wasn't much coordination or word division; basically, the three of them sang together from beginning to end. Simple, cheerful, youthful, and energetic—that's the keynote of this song.
When Lu Yanhe first heard this song, the Little Tigers had already disbanded.
However, this does not diminish the song's bombardment of his student days.
He has never met anyone his age who hasn't heard this song.
In comparison, "Remembering" was largely just a "last gasp" that slowly spread from a very small circle. To be considered a universally known youth song, you have to look at the songs by the Little Tigers.
This is what different eras have bestowed upon it.
Many people know that the three of them spend a lot of time in the company's rehearsal room; they often rehearse together on stage.
Upon hearing the news, Cheng Hai and Tu Song came over to take a look.
More often, however, are the new employees who have signed contracts with the company.
To them, Lu Yanhe and his friends were like mountains in their hearts, idols they worshipped. It was just that they rarely had the chance to see them. Now that they were frequently at the company, they had the opportunity to see them up close, and they didn't want to miss it. Whenever they rehearsed, there were always many people watching outside the rehearsal room.
The three of them mainly practiced their positioning and some basic movements in the rehearsal room.
Ma Zhiyuan pays close attention to their stage.
He didn't come over himself, but secretly found someone else to observe.
However, when it came to formal rehearsals, they would usually switch the glass wall to an opaque mode. No one could see any crucial information.
This makes their stage even more mysterious in the eyes of outsiders.
There are many rumors.
Some say they hired the world's top choreographers to create their choreography.
Some say they hired the world's best pop music composers to write new songs for them.
Various theories...
-
The rumors surrounding the three of them have landed them on the trending topics list three times, a level of popularity that surprised everyone.
Qin Zhikun received a message from the business department that many brands wanted to product placement in the episode featuring the three of them performing together.
Especially for the three-person stage transition positions, they are even willing to spend tens of millions of yuan just to add a short message from the host.
Qin Zhikun had actually considered the level of attention and popularity, but he never imagined it would be this exaggerated.
-
"Actually, this incident serves as a reminder to us that if we keep sticking to the existing cast of people and don't introduce anything new, the audience will eventually get tired of it."
Qin Zhikun said this during a meeting with the production team.
"Look, Lu Yanhe isn't as popular as Ma Zhiyuan and Li Zhibai normally, and he doesn't generate as much buzz as them. But when he teamed up with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, he created unprecedented hype and buzz. You should have seen the data about everyone's expectations for their performances," Qin Zhikun said. "How to create a good artist combination that interests the audience and raises their expectations is something we need to study and figure out carefully in the future."
The rest of the production crew nodded.
At this point, whatever Qin Zhikun says is right.
After all, he resolved the conflict with a vote and proved the correctness of the vote result with facts.
Of course, some people must be thinking to themselves that Qin Zhikun was just lucky this time.
But in retrospect, Qin Zhikun was also lucky.
The show "Idol Era," which had a loud slogan but was ridiculed by everyone, was turned into the most popular and commercially valuable show in China, bar none. While there are other reasons for this, as the producer of the show, if Qin Zhikun doesn't deserve the greatest credit, then who does?
At this moment, someone suddenly remarked, "Actually, if Lu Yanhe could be a regular on our show like Li Zhibai and the others, our show would never lack topics. Lu Yanhe's fans and popularity are indeed not as good as Ma Zhiyuan and Li Zhibai, but he is really a walking topic generator. Wherever he goes, he will be on the trending topics list. The media also likes him."
His words silenced the entire room.
Everyone knows that this is the absolute truth.
But who told you to speak the truth at this time?!
If they can get Lu Yanhe to stay permanently, why wouldn't they?
But how many shows can invite Lu Yanhe to be a regular cast member these days?
Apart from "The Days of Youth," which got a good deal, no other variety show has ever done that.
-
On this day, Yu Jiang attended a forum.
The forum focused on the symbiotic relationship between idol artists and the current film and television industry.
When the organizers contacted her, they made it clear that because she had explicitly expressed her desire not to let idol artists pollute the film and television industry, they asked her if she still held this view, and if so, they wanted to invite her to attend.
The travel expenses were quite generous, and she was happy to attend such events to network and expand her influence, so she accepted the offer.
During the forum, the host asked Yu Jiang how she viewed Lu Yanhe's transition from idol to actor, and whether she considered Lu Yanhe's acting career to be successful.
This question is ill-intentioned.
Now that things have come to this, no one would say that Lu Yanhe isn't a good actor.
He has already produced several iconic roles. No one has had a smoother acting career than him—each role leaves a lasting impression, and there hasn't been a single wasted performance.
Yu Jiang said, "Lu Yanhe has undoubtedly succeeded, but I don't think that affects my view that idol artists should not enter the film and television industry. Does Lu Yanhe try to be both an idol artist and an actor at the same time? He succeeded because he gave up the identity of an idol artist and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the identity of an actor. I have never discriminated against idol artists. I just want to say that anyone is more likely to do something well if they are focused on it."
"Didn't you previously think that idol artists hadn't received professional acting training?"
“Indeed, there isn’t,” Yu Jiang said. “Are we going to deny this fact?”
"However, Lu Yanhe is not from a professional acting background and has not received any acting training. But the facts have proven that he has a talent for acting. With talent, even without professional training, he can still bring a good performance to everyone."
"Does everyone have the talent of Lu Yanhe? If every idol artist had the talent of Lu Yanhe, why would I be saying these things?"
"So don't you think that your previous statement about condemning all idol artists is a bit too absolute? If idol artists can't act without receiving professional training, Lu Yanhe wouldn't have emerged, would he?"
"While Lu Yanhe emerged, how many other examples of terrible acting that are an eyesore for the audience have appeared?" Yu Jiang retorted calmly.
Yu Jiang had anticipated the situation she was facing today, and she had already considered how to respond. These seemingly aggressive questions were something she was well-prepared for.
"Teacher Yu Jiang will be collaborating with Ruyi Pictures on three films. I wonder what kind of actors you will choose?" someone asked.
Yu Jiang was taken aback.
This problem was not within her expectations.
She hadn't expected anyone to ask her that question.
“The choice of which actors to use is not something I can decide,” Yu Jiang said. “The final decision rests with the film company; I can only offer suggestions.”
Which actors would you recommend?
Yu Jiang smiled and said, "I can't say things like that. Everyone will know when our movie is officially announced. I believe we will have a cast that will satisfy everyone."
Yu Jiang originally thought that this part was over.
Unexpectedly, during the Q&A session, an audience member asked, "Mr. Yu Jiang, I would like to ask, if Lu Yanhe were to play the male lead in your movie, would you be willing?"
This question caused an uproar in the audience.
The conflict between Yu Jiang and Lu Yanhe is an open secret.
The fact that the guests at the forum were able to get Yu Jiang to acknowledge Lu Yanhe as a good actor is already quite remarkable.
Nowadays, audiences really love a good show.
Yu Jiang didn't think for too long. She smiled and said, "If it's appropriate, of course I'd be willing. Many friends may think that I have conflicts with him, but actually, the conflicts between us are only about the issues, not about the person."
-
Chen Ziyan turned off the video, a look of disbelief on her face, and said to Lu Qingzhen, "Is Yu Jiang short of money lately or what? Why is she acting like a human again all of a sudden?"
Lu Qingzhen burst into laughter, pointed at Chen Ziyan, and exclaimed incredulously, "You're really crazy, Chen Ziyan. Can you please stop being so mean? It's rare for her to say anything sensible."
After pondering for a long time, Chen Ziyan said, "I think she probably just realized that if she were to criticize Yan He for not being a worthy actor at this time, it would be going against the will of the world."
Lu Qingzhen: "She's actually a treacherous opportunist. You're right. It's because Yan He is no longer someone she can easily step on. Of course, she can only slink away and slap herself in the face."
Chen Ziyan: "I don't know how she has the nerve to say that she was only addressing the issue, not the person."
Of course, despite Chen Ziyan's harsh criticism of Yu Jiang, he was shameless enough that many people actually praised Yu Jiang for his harsh words, which wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Yu Jiang had previously expressed his views on some of the chaotic phenomena in the film and television industry, but it just so happened that Lu Yanhe was the representative figure at the time.
In particular, Yu Jiang said that she would certainly be willing for Lu Yanhe to star in her movie, which prompted many media outlets, eager for buzz and viewership, to ask: Would Lu Yanhe be willing to star in a movie adapted from Yu Jiang's novel?
-
That day, after rehearsing with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, Lu Yanhe went to a restaurant near the company for dinner.
They were caught by the media lying in wait on the road.
The media specifically asked Lu Yanhe this question.
Lu Yanhe smiled but remained silent.
"I'm busy preparing for the stage performance with the two of them right now, so I don't have the energy to think about filming next," he said. "Besides, I have too many projects lined up, so I don't have time to take on any new ones."
The media were not satisfied with Lu Yanhe's evasive answer and pressed for more details.
"Putting these issues aside, just considering the collaboration with Yu Jiang as a person, would you be willing to work with her?" The media is just stirring up trouble.
Their ill intentions were written all over their faces.
Lu Yanhe found it very funny.
He looked completely innocent and asked, "Why are you specifically targeting Yu Jiang and asking me if I'm willing to cooperate with her?"
The media said, "Because...didn't you have a conflict with Yu Jiang before? You didn't get along, right?"
Lu Yanhe laughed twice and said, "Didn't she already say that she was talking about the issue, not the person?"
So you don't mind?
Lu Yanhe shrugged, about to continue practicing Tai Chi.
Li Zhibai's temper flares up.
"Aren't you hungry? We've been rehearsing all day and we're starving. Can't we go eat first? We're so hungry! People get really irritable when they're hungry. Can't you hear how irritable I'm sounding right now?"
Li Zhibai offered a grand and plausible excuse for his dark complexion.
Under his angry gaze, the media finally stopped.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
He patted Li Zhibai on the shoulder.
Li Zhibai glared at him and said in front of so many media outlets and cameras, "You too, they're pretending to be ignorant, and you don't have any temper at all, just letting them manipulate you? You have no temper? This forest is really big, you can see all kinds of people. Why can't you learn from some people and be a little more shameless?"
When Li Zhibai opened his mouth, it was as if a venomous snake was flicking its tongue.
The venom sprayed out like a fountain.
Lu Yanhe sighed and gave Yan Liang a wink.
Without saying a word, Yan Liang reached out and covered Li Zhibai's mouth.
Lu Yanhe stood directly behind Li Zhibai and pushed Li Zhibai forward with both hands.
Li Zhibai made "uh uh uh uh" sounds for a long time, but was stopped from further "spraying" by the two people's skillful operation.
However, what I just mentioned was ironic enough to ignite the entire internet.
-
Lu Yanhe's longtime fans must have felt incredibly relieved at this moment.
Longtime fans, represented by Helan, created an entry to thank Li Zhibai.
#Thank you Li Zhibai for speaking up for Lu Yanhe#
It's trending on social media.
Different people react differently to trending topics.
Chen Ziyan sighed, feeling helpless about the constant trending topics. She lamented that if Lu Yanhe could share some of the trending topics with Tu Song and Wen Minglan, it would be much better. The former was trending far too much, while the latter was trending far too little—it was a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
Zhou Ping'an was cursing and swearing. He called Li Zhibai, scolding him for being quick-witted and not thinking things through, and for being used as a pawn by Lu Yanhe again.
Yujiang is—
She was so angry at home that she jumped up and down, cursing Li Zhibai as a dog.
-
Regarding trending topics and this particular issue, those who don't want to ride the wave of popularity are in the minority.
Programs that focus on discussing entertainment news, and the people involved, all immediately started talking about this.
"With Lu Yanhe's ability to generate trending topics and his high level of public interest, it would be a loss for our variety show industry if he didn't participate in more variety shows."
Yang San, a well-known variety show personality, said this in an entertainment news talk show.
"I haven't actually had much contact with Lu Yanhe. However, as everyone knows, I often express the view that the more popular an artist is, the harder it is for them to achieve good results in variety shows. This is because they have many concerns. If they are too down-to-earth, it will affect their image. If they are not down-to-earth, they won't achieve good results. But I have heard many of my colleagues say that Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai are typical geniuses, variety show geniuses, especially Lu Yanhe."
"Why do I say this? On one hand, it's because of Li Zhibai's personality, which everyone knows is naturally suited for variety shows and makes him popular with audiences. On the other hand, it's about Lu Yanhe's personality. He's definitely not the kind of person who's all smiles or has very distinct characteristics like Li Zhibai. He has a persona, a label. He has the halo of being a top student, the halo of being a acting genius, and he's handsome. These keywords, stacked up, basically become synonymous with 'not funny' in the variety show world. He's too serious. Even if he weren't serious, we wouldn't be able to relax when we look at him. To put it bluntly, people can accept me making myself look ugly without any burden, but if Lu Yanhe makes himself look ugly for everyone, no matter how well he does it, can you watch it without any burden? I bet the next day's news will have headlines like 'Zhenhua top student deliberately makes himself look ugly for laughs' or 'too heartbreaking.'"
When everyone put themselves in Yang San's shoes, they found his words to be very true.
Sometimes, it's not that people are unwilling to lower their stance, but that we ourselves cannot accept how they would truly lower their stance.
"However, Lu Yanhe has another skill: he is genuine, relaxed, and does not put pressure on others."
Yang San said, “You should know that he had conflicts with Chen Ziliang and often clashed with that great writer Yu Jiang, including his conflicts with Beijing and Taiwan. As you all know, he is not the kind of person who is easygoing and kind-hearted. But have you noticed that after so many incidents, no one thinks that he is a sharp-tongued, short-tempered, or difficult person to get along with?”
The audience was stunned when they heard this.
It seems... that really is?
If an artist has one or two incidents like this, that impression will be left.
But Lu Yanhe did not leave that impression on everyone.
“Everyone who has met him has told me the same thing: his authenticity lies in his knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses. He never exaggerates or hides anything. This kind of personality is like a square, perfectly upright, but it still has sharp angles,” Yang San said. “In the entertainment industry, there are many round people and many triangular people, but very few square people. So, many people may not understand why they like him, but they just like him and pay attention to his every word and action, including people in the industry. Just like many people can’t be a simple person, but almost no one dislikes a simple person.”
“Generally speaking, when someone with such a strong personality like Li Zhibai criticizes another person, I would think that he actually has the upper hand in public opinion because he is a celebrity, a public figure, and has many blind fans who support him. But this time, I think his veiled criticism was very effective.”
"Why do I say this? Because looking at Yu Jiang's numerous statements and attitudes towards Lu Yanhe over the past two years, we can clearly see Yu Jiang's targeting of Lu Yanhe, and how Lu Yanhe, being a square-shaped person, managed to retaliate with minimal effort without being harsh on others. Here I must say something truthful: I used to think Lu Yanhe was a very insidious person because he never responded to Yu Jiang's matter himself. Either Chen Ziyan stepped in, or his girlfriend Chen Siqi helped him fight back. I've been thinking about one question: where is Lu Yanhe, the person Yu Jiang is really targeting?"
"Until I saw the video of Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang being besieged by the media this time, I went back to watch the nearly thirty videos of Lu Yanhe facing reporters over the past two years. You can all watch these online. After you've watched them, you'll see what I just said—he almost never flattered the media, never gave them the runaround, and never showed any displeasure. If he was in a bad mood, he would tell the media directly that he was in a bad mood. If he was asked a question he didn't want to answer, he would say it was too sensitive and he couldn't say it. Even if he was in a bad mood, if he knew that the media had been waiting for a long time, he would still take everyone to a corner where it wouldn't disturb the surroundings and answer a few questions seriously so that everyone could leave satisfied."
“I consulted many media friends, and they all gave the same feedback: Lu Yanhe is the kind of artist they wouldn’t press or pester. Putting work aside, they actually like Lu Yanhe very much because they can see respect for him in his body language.”
"Some things, you don't even need to ask anymore; you already know Lu Yanhe's attitude. Not answering, selectively ignoring—that's just his attitude. He's simply unwilling to openly express his dislike for Yu Jiang because of his personality, principles, and character. I don't know why he made that choice. Someone on my writing team even asked me before I went on stage, 'Isn't it unethical for him to push others to the front while he hides in the back?' Before I went on stage, I wasn't even sure if I should bring up this topic because I hadn't thought it through myself. But now I suddenly understand. Think back, everyone, has there ever been a single moment when Lu Yanhe made you feel that he didn't actually reject or dislike Yu Jiang?"
No.
"Some people get those around them to vent their anger while they pretend to be good people and take advantage of others. But Lu Yanhe, even though those around him vent their anger, he never lets anyone think that those around him are bad people and that he is a good person. He doesn't say a word, but he makes everyone realize that he is very grateful to those around him for helping him vent his anger."
"Just like when Li Zhibai said these things this time, his first reaction was to shut Li Zhibai up and drag him away to prevent him from saying any more inappropriate things."
“But his expression, actions, and reactions all said one thing—you truly are my friend! You said what I didn’t know to say, what I couldn’t say! Just by looking at his back, you could feel his emotions, the way his lips were pursed so tightly that even an AK couldn’t suppress them,” Yang San said. “I envy this kind of friendship.”
After listening attentively to Yang San's words, Lu Yanhe called Chen Ziyan and asked, "Ziyan, did you have someone contact me to help with public relations when Yang San said those words?"
He had only one feeling: this Yang San... had really hit the nail on the head.
Chen Ziyan, however, said that Yang San's words on the show had nothing to do with her.
Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.
“Have you ever thought that it’s because you’ve now gained the favor of others who spontaneously speak up for you?” Chen Ziyan said.
(End of this chapter)
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