public opinion
At the end of the corridor, in the restroom, the motion-sensor light flickered on and off. Chu Yiran stood in front of the sink, slowly drying her hands. Chen Chen's sinister face was reflected in the mirror, and the deliberately heavy footsteps of the other man were particularly jarring in the empty corridor.
Chen Chen grabbed Chu Yiran, who was about to leave, his shrill voice echoing in the narrow space: "You think everything will be fine just because you hooked up with Lin Wanxing?" His fingertips dug into Chu Yiran's shoulder blades, his voice low but like a viper's hiss, "Let me tell you, the entertainment industry is full of fleeting stars."
As the male lead, Chen Chen was the center of attention for the entire crew, and he was also very close to Lin Wanxing. However, Chu Yiran, an unknown supporting character, stole all the attention that belonged to him in a short period of time. Chen Chen was indignant about this.
Chu Yiran didn't move. He didn't even frown; he simply glanced down at Chen Chen's bulging veins on the back of his hand and chuckled softly, "Teacher Chen, the assistant director was looking for you everywhere just now."
Chen Chen was taken aback and subconsciously loosened his grip.
Chu Yiran shook off his hand, slowly smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes, and looked at Chen Chen in the mirror: "You're so concerned about me... why don't you deal with your own mess first?"
He stepped forward and got close to Chen Chen, whispering something in his ear. The next second, Chen Chen's face turned pale.
——
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the hotel room door was pounded on loudly.
"Brother Ran! Brother Ran, open the door quickly! Something terrible has happened!" Sun Xiaoxiao's voice was so anxious that it changed tone, accompanied by a loud knocking on the door, making her sound like a sparrow with its feathers standing on end.
Chu Yiran struggled to open his eyes from under the covers. He had been filming a long night scene until four in the morning, and his temples were still throbbing. As soon as the door opened, Sun Xiaoxiao shoved her phone in front of his face, the screen's light making him squint—
#Lin Wanxing and Chu Yiran's Secret Meeting in a Motorhome#
#Top-tier actress meets up with 18th-tier actress at night#
Clicking on the topic page, the top of the video is a video covered with paparazzi watermarks: several video clips of Chu Yiran bending down and getting into Lin Wanxing's RV at different times and in different clothes are spliced together. One of the clips shows Lin Wanxing opening the door to greet him and is even slowed down. This one-minute video, coupled with ambiguous music, looks just like a scene of an affair.
"What is this thing?" Chu Yiran's voice was hoarse, still not fully awake from sleep.
Sun Xiaoxiao stamped her feet anxiously: "Brother Ran, this paparazzi is implying that you and Lin Wanxing are dating. The video was released late last night, and the internet is exploding right now. Lin Wanxing's agent's phone is ringing off the hook!"
Chu Yiran opened the comments section, and all sorts of speculations were emerging.
"They really are talking. All those previous scandals were just a publicity stunt!"
"Why are these two always trending on social media? Why don't they just retire from the entertainment industry and get married?"
"How come Lin Wanxing's popularity keeps declining? Wasn't she rumored to be dating Su Jing before? This time she's hooking up with a nobody. It's like a pollen hell..."
...
He scoffed and tossed the phone back to Sun Xiaoxiao: "That's it?"
Sun Xiaoxiao's eyes widened: "Ran-ge! This isn't serious? Do you know that Lin Wanxing's fans are protesting and boycotting any more photos of you and her together?!"
"Go buy me an iced Americano." Chu Yiran rubbed his neck, turned and walked towards the bathroom. "And a sandwich, tuna one."
"...Huh?" Sun Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded.
"I have filming this afternoon," he said without turning his head. "I can't possibly deny rumors on an empty stomach, can I?"
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lin Wanxing's agent, Li Kaili, called. After a long conversation, she said that they had reached an agreement with Lin Wanxing's agency and were preparing to issue another joint statement.
“Lin Wanxing’s agent said that your escape room variety show might be canceled. After all, considering the fans’ feelings, they don’t want the two of you to appear together again in the near future,” Li Kaili said with some concern. “However, Lin Wanxing is quite loyal. She has been trying to persuade the company, saying that even if she doesn’t go, she will let you go.”
Hearing this, Chu Yiran did not refute: "Sister Kelly, wait for me."
He then went directly to Lin Wanxing's hotel room, where Lin Wanxing was being reprimanded by her manager, while Zhao Lingyi was shouting and yelling beside her.
"These paparazzi are so bored, always following and secretly filming me!" Zhao Lingyi said indignantly. "Anyway, I was in the RV at the time, and we took pictures, didn't we? I just posted them, that was enough—"
Seeing Lin Wanxing listening impatiently to her manager's rambling, Chu Yiran stepped forward and took her phone: "Sister Ruoyu, Sister Kelly, I have a suggestion..."
He placed the two phones together and took the lead in the conversation: "We've issued quite a few statements lately, but the effect hasn't been good. Continuing to issue more will only provoke a backlash from the public. Why don't we try a different approach?"
"In this situation, using someone else's strength against them is the smart thing to do."
——
Chu Yiran and Lin Wanxing were trending on Weibo for a whole day, but neither of their studios responded. After wave of discussion among netizens, everyone thought they were planning to let things cool down.
At 8:30 p.m., Zhao Lingyi suddenly posted a Weibo message—
"It's supposed to be a movie for three people, but I never get a name."
The accompanying photo shows three people eating liangxia (a type of cold noodle dish) together in Lin Wanxing's RV.
After Zhao Lingyi posted it, Lin Wanxing quickly reposted it: "You're always there, kid! [doge.jpg]"
Chu Yiran followed suit: "It's too hot in Hengdian, let's eat liangxia together next time."
This interaction caused another uproar online.
"Hilarious! These paparazzi are terrible. They didn't even manage to get a picture of someone inside the RV?"
"Why does Zhao Lingyi sound so pitiful? Are these three putting on an act for the sake of 'Burning Winter'?"
"Was he dragged out to take the blame? Chu Yiran got into Lin Wanxing's RV more than once in the video."
...
Just after this post, the official Weibo account of the game "Ambiguous Game" next door also released a short video—
In the video, Lin Wanxing, Zhao Lingyi, and Chu Yiran are dancing a hand gesture dance side by side. Lin Wanxing and Zhao Lingyi are very skilled, but they always seem to be secretly fighting because they bump into each other. Chu Yiran, who is on the far side, looks a bit stiff, and there is a comical feeling that her movements can't keep up with her brain.
This is also a spliced video. The same hand gesture dance was filmed at different times by the three people, wearing different outfits, all in Lin Wanxing's RV. The short one-and-a-half-minute video was edited very smoothly, and the ending even includes a scene of Lin Wanxing and Zhao Lingyi fighting. The ending audio also foreshadows: "[For more behind-the-scenes footage, please stay tuned for 'Ambiguous Game']".
The comments below are also quite interesting—
"I'm suddenly looking forward to this show!"
"Haha, why is Chu Yiran looking so dazed? It's kind of cute!"
Zhao Lingyi: I should be under the car, not inside it!
...
The RV footage in this video happens to overlap with the video released by the paparazzi. The hand gesture dance was something Xiaoyou had mentioned wanting to film, and Lin Wanxing also often likes to post things on short video platforms, so they would film a video every time they were together. Originally, Lin Wanxing was thinking of using her own account to post it, but she didn't expect it to be used today.
Seeing that these rumors have been completely clarified, Lin Wanxing's fans were energized and immediately went to control the comments section.
"Just normal interaction between the film crew, come follow and reserve your spot for our little flirtation~"
"Your hand gesture dance is so cute! The most important thing is that the three of you live your lives well!"
Follow "Ambiguous Game" to uncover the behind-the-scenes story of Lin Wanxing's secret RV rendezvous!
...
Meanwhile, Lin Wanxing and Chu Yiran's studios were also busy, finding marketing accounts to stir up trouble while releasing behind-the-scenes footage of the stars working diligently on set.
While Lin Wanxing was doing her homework on the details of a workplace drama with a teacher, Chu Yiran was still memorizing his lines after filming a late-night scene. Interspersed throughout were scenes of the two discussing plot settings, showcasing their dedication to their craft.
Before long, the marketing accounts they hired also brought a wave of positive comments, and the trending topics list had completely changed—
#Zhao Lingyi's name has been lost#
#Lin Wanxing and Chu Yiran discuss the script#
#The production team of the ambiguous game is too good at creating fun#
Chu Yiran was scrolling through his phone in his room with a satisfied expression when Sun Xiaoxiao came over and said, "Brother Ran, look! Our 'Ambiguous Game' is already a hit before it even airs! The number of pre-orders just surpassed one million!"
Looking at the numbers on the screen, Chu Yiran curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
"You're amazing, Ran-ge! This is definitely professional PR!" Sun Xiaoxiao exclaimed with admiration. "From controlling the materials to arranging for various parties to post on Weibo, and then finding marketing accounts to stir up trouble, we've both boosted our brand awareness and promoted the drama. It's a huge win!"
At any time, emotions have a greater influence on public opinion than facts.
Chu Yiran deliberately let various rumors spread for a day, like opening a floodgate. Once the public's emotions were vented and the peak of discussion passed, the discussion naturally subsided.
At that time, there were also such overwhelming rumors—"National Preceptor Chu is plotting a rebellion" and "A calamity star has fallen from the sky, causing our army to be defeated." At the height of the rumors, even his personal guards dared not look him in the eye.
"Xiaoxiao, do you know what rumors are like?" Chu Yiran suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat cold, "Like a sandstorm on the border." His gaze drifted to the window, yet seemed to extend even further, "When they blot out the sky, they feel deadly, but once the wind stops, you realize—"
"But he got covered in dust."
Sun Xiaoxiao stared at him blankly, feeling a strange sense of desolation.
“By the way, Ran-ge,” Sun Xiaoxiao shook her head, putting aside her inexplicable feelings, “Sister Kelly just said that Star Magazine wants to invite us to shoot a digital magazine cover! Things are looking up for us! Sister Kelly has already asked the crew for leave, and we’re heading to City B tomorrow!”
"Star Magazine" is a well-known first-tier publication in the industry. Although this was a last-minute invitation to shoot an electronic magazine, it also proves that Chu Yiran has gained more traffic and popularity.
Chu Yiran smiled and said, "Okay."
Everything is going well.
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