Yun Shishi was touched by her younger son’s words. “Youyou… you’re really my sweetheart!”
The boy nodded. “Mommy, don’t you worry; I’ll be with you even if you go to hell.”
The woman fell silent as her eyelids jumped. “Is it so tragic?”
“Yes, mommy. You just blew up Weibo.”
“I blew up Weibo?”
“It’s… your fans who exploded your Weibo.”
The older boy sat down in front of the table as well. Cupping his chin with his palms as he rested his elbows on the tabletop, he asked, “That sister who plays the role of Qin Changle must be very happy now, right? It seems that the audience hates your role because it’s just too unpleasant. Why didn’t you take up the lead role and, instead, chose to play this evil woman, mommy?”
“That’s because… Qin Yuyan has something touching about her, too.”
When she first started reading the script, Yun Shishi also thought that Qin Yuyan was really too terrifying.
Toward the end, though, she realized that the villain was not just a typical baddie. Compared to Qin Changle’s ruthlessness later, her character’s so-called ruthlessness was just a way to protect herself.
The writer of the original novel communicated with her and was surprised to learn that she would be playing the role of Qin Yuyan. The author told her then, “Although I’m the novel’s author, I don’t have much say in the choice of actors; I was surprised to learn that you’ll be playing her. Qin Yuyan may seem very vicious, but if you study her character carefully, you’ll find that deep inside her is human nature; she has the sincerity and kindness that Qin Changle doesn’t have. Unfortunately, this kindness will eventually be stifled. Qin Yuyan has to fight for herself. This is a selfish character, but it’s also very real. I believe that this role will be a milestone in your acting career if you’re able to depict it well. Shishi, an artist’s acting skills can conquer any audience.”
Even though the character design was hardly welcoming, if she managed to conquer the audience with her acting skills, that would be no small accomplishment, would it?
This became the motivation for her to persist in her role as Qin Yuyan.
This period drama leaped to the top as the highest grossing TV series once it was aired. The total number of online streams reached a hundred million, with an average of thirty million subscriptions. The series added millions to the streaming sites overnight.
At the same time, Lin Zhi, who played the role of Qin Changle, continued to win a high number of fans on Weibo, while the protagonist lost more than ten thousand followers overnight.
Although the number was not significant, she was consistently losing her fans.
Her rival was in glee, though. By virtue of the role of Qin Changle, Lin Zhi seemed to return to her former glory. Variety shows, commercials, endorsements, and interviews were suddenly lining up for her picking. Her asking price, too, went up because of her role. The audience seemed to have forgotten her series of despicable behavior at the previous film festival.
This was how Yun Shishi came to recognize the entertainment industry for what it was; no matter how bad one’s past might be, one could be redeemed with competent PR skills. Even a fictitious role could help an unlikeable person become a media darling.
Linzhi’s long-lost popularity was revived overnight. Her eye-catching performance in the TV series had earned her a lot of fans, with many of them getting too caught up in the drama and sending her encouragement to her Weibo.
In comparison, Yun Shishi’s popularity had experienced an all-time low. To say that nobody took notice of her was untrue, however; her character had gained much mention and elaborate discussion on Weibo.
