"Although I smoke, drink, go to bars, and have tattoos, I'm a good girl."
This statement directly shot to the top of trending topics, championed by brainless fans.
Many 16 and 17-year-old rebellious girls embraced it as a life motto.
The internet was in chaos.
People's Daily directly called out and criticized this statement:
"The internet is not a lawless place. We should establish correct views on life, the world, and values. Such misguided statements have a profound impact on teenagers. We should provide proper guidance to young people and not allow such remarks to spread. They must be resolutely banned."
"Teenagers can idolize celebrities, but they should follow role models of the new era, emulating idols who embody correct views on life, the world, and values. These are the kind of idols worth pursuing."
With the official statement made, all of Su Mengxue's accounts were permanently frozen.
Even her fan forum was banned.
It was a relief to many. This woman was just a troublemaker who should have been content with her popularity.
To make such outrageous statements was clearly her mistake.
As this controversy spread, the song "Chi Ling" from Jiang Hua's first album, featuring a duet with Qing Qing, gained popularity.
"In chaotic times, I endure watching beacon fires consume mountains and rivers. Though lowly, I dare not forget to worry for my country, even if no one knows me."
Isn't this the kind of artist they should be following?
Even as just an actor, one should not forget national grievances.
"What does it matter if old phrases are sung through..."
It was so beautiful. The album was already legendary, and now with this boost, it exploded in popularity.
Songs like "Ten Thousand Borders" and "Just Happened to Meet You" were simply magnificent, showcasing confidence in the ancestral culture.
In an instant, these songs dominated the charts, officially ushering in an era of traditional Chinese style.
Qing Qing also became famous, though somewhat inexplicably.
She only had 50,000 followers, but this wave of popularity was explosive.
She became the fourth star of the Little Hundred Flowers Art Troupe, though she wasn't aware of it yet.
Every day, she happily went to work to perform, and now every show of the Little Hundred Flowers was sold out.
Her income was steadily increasing, and she felt content.
Qing Qing loved acting and enjoyed being on stage. She didn't find it tiring at all.
As for Jiang Hua's explosive popularity, she wasn't envious at all, because she was his "little wife" and the only wife of Yun Xiao.
Haha, back when they were in school, Li Yun Xiao had played male roles, and they had acted as a couple.
Then Yun Xiao switched to female roles and could no longer play male characters.
...
It was just another ordinary day, and she arrived for her regular performance.
As soon as she reached the main entrance, fans were holding up support signs.
"Wow, Qing Qing, you look so beautiful today! Your singing is so melodious!"
"Qing Qing, you're the plumpest, you deserve it!"
She was completely bewildered. Weren't these people usually Jiang Hua's fans? How did she suddenly have fans too?
Before she could react, fans were stuffing her arms with a bunch of flowers and gifts.
"Qing Qing, keep it up!"
She stood there dumbfounded, holding a pile of things. The scene was a bit comical.
Thankfully, Jiang Hua, fully disguised, came over and helped her carry the flowers into the theater.
Qing Qing followed behind Jiang Hua, also carrying a bunch of items.
The fans at the scene found it quite amusing.
This must be the little princess of the Little Hundred Flowers, following her big brother.
Oh right, Jiang Hua was actually at work.
Everyone just realized, when did he show up?
He hadn't appeared at the theater for a long time.
If his name wasn't still listed among the staff, everyone would have thought he had left.
"Ah! I got a photo of Jiang Hua!"
"Jiang Hua is at work, does that mean he'll perform again?"
The fans present eagerly shared this first-hand information.
However, everyone was soon disappointed. Little Hundred Flowers announced a work adjustment.
Jiang Hua would be moving behind the scenes, responsible for scriptwriting and some performance-related matters.
This news devastated many fans.
"I don't understand why Jiang Hua isn't performing anymore. We might never get to see him again."
Inside the theater, Jiang Hua put down the flowers and spoke earnestly like a father:
"Qing Qing has grown up, with so many fans now. That's great. I can feel at ease working behind the scenes."
Qing Qing's gaze was a bit unfocused; she hadn't adjusted to the situation yet.
"Jiang Hua, can you pinch me? Am I dreaming?"
He was happy to oblige and tapped her on the head.
She pushed Jiang Hua away, rubbing her head and complaining, "Ouch, that hurts! Why did you hit so hard?"
Haha, this feeling was just right. It felt really good.
Recently, everyone had been held hostage by their popularity, and they hadn't interacted like this for a long time.
The troupe members had unconsciously distanced themselves from the three popular stars.
It felt like old times again.
"Jiang Hua, are you really moving behind the scenes?" Qing Qing asked, her eyes a bit downcast. After all, if he moved backstage, they might not be in the same performance group anymore.
"Yes, I am. I've completed my task anyway. After working hard for a few months, it's time for me to enjoy a bit."
This was the truth. When he first arrived, the situation in the troupe was dire, with performances often half-empty.
So he decided to get involved personally. Now that the task was complete, and he had brought too much negative attention to the troupe, it was time to retreat behind the scenes. After all, he preferred working backstage.
"Alright, go get your makeup done. It's almost time to go on stage."
Jiang Hua admitted to himself that he was slacking off a bit. Apart from writing, he had lost interest in even releasing new songs.
He had almost forgotten about the boasts he made to everyone back then about setting up a luxurious recording studio to promote Yue Opera.
With a few million in hand, he didn't feel like working hard anymore.
After all, he had lived two lives and experienced too much. He was tired of the rat race.
He really felt like taking it easy.
Just then, Chen Lijun and Li Yunxiao entered the theater, surrounded by a crowd. They had grown accustomed to this situation and found it unremarkable now.
However, fame came at a price. They rarely interacted in public now.
Their fan groups also kept to themselves, with various impersonators and trolls stirring up trouble.
Jiang Hua quietly left without greeting them.
The issue with Su Mengxue was still unresolved, and Jiang Hua had only given a semi-official response.
As for Liu Yajie, he hadn't responded to her either. This woman kept asking him to fulfill his promise.
Come on, sis, that promise was made by the other Jiang Hua, what does it have to do with me?
Besides, of all the English names you could choose, why did you pick "Melody"? How am I supposed to write that song?
If I write it, won't I be in trouble? Your fan base isn't much smaller than mine.
He returned to his workstation. To be fair, he had been promoted.
He was now responsible for actors' performance-related work, which was almost at the level of a junior leader.
But it was just a pretext, essentially an idle position.
Scriptwriting was his main job now. Recently, he had some new ideas and wanted to watch some performances at the theater for inspiration.
Thinking of this, he went directly through the backstage to the back of the stage.
This was the VIP area, where you could watch the entire performance and see the actors go on stage, all for free.
The only downside was that it was standing room only.
"Oh, Teacher Mao, you're here too?"
Teacher Mao smiled, "You seem to have been slacking off lately. You rarely come to the theater anymore. What's going on?"
Jiang Hua smiled, "I have been a bit lazy. I've made a few million recently, and it feels like I've lost direction."
Listen to this, is this how a normal person talks? The actors work so hard performing, earning so little each month.
Yet this guy makes more just messing around here and there.
Teacher Mao pursed her lips and scolded, "You little rascal, getting cocky over just a few million. That won't even buy you a house outright in Hangzhou."
...