Chapter 72: 072 Verse’s Downfall

Chapter 72: 072 Verse's Downfall

Given that the three members of Verse had been promoting their group unity before and after their disbandment, many fans didn't immediately recognize Gu Sinian and Meng Qin when the video on the hot search was exposed.

Or rather, even though Verse had gone from popular to irrelevant, netizens couldn't have imagined that Gu Sinian and Meng Qin would reveal such an ugly side.

"Eye-opening..."

"Was it because Gu Sinian mocked Meng Qin for being obscure in his friend circle? I didn't expect Verse to fall apart like this."

"No... How can you treat your fans who have always supported you like this? Lu Xu endured so much criticism because the fans felt sorry for you, knowing how tough your debut was, knowing how difficult it was for Verse to become popular, but now..."

"Idols don't have to be beautiful, but they can't be ugly. I feel like my dream is shattered."

Gu Sinian and Meng Qin's voices weren't very loud, and it was hard to hear them clearly in the video, but their angry, hateful expressions were clearly displayed in front of the fans.

Even now, although Lu Xu's popularity has eclipsed Xie Qingyang and the other two, they still have a group of fans supporting them—those who are devoted to Verse's performances, hoping the members would return someday, and firmly believing in the existence of Verse's group spirit.

During the time when Verse was still active, fans believed that they could keep performing until they were 50.

"Have they all changed?"

"Can't they support each other and walk this path together? Even if their relationship isn't good, can't they avoid making it so public and ugly?"

The mutual insults between Gu Sinian and Meng Qin were like cutting deep into the fans' hearts, leaving them deeply hurt.

Whether popular or irrelevant, Verse had once carried the dreams of a group of fans. Before Verse disbanded, fans had shed sincere tears for them—their expectations for Lu Xu had long been shattered, but their expectations for the others remained.

But now, Gu Sinian and Meng Qin have shattered it themselves.

"Let's be honest. Maybe this is their true nature?"

"+1, before regretting for them, why not think about Lu Xu first? Ling Ge Entertainment did give them opportunities. In terms of resources, Lu Xu was much worse off than these two, right? Look at Lu Xu's development, and what about them?"

"Sigh, I used to harshly criticize Lu Xu, but now... I'm at a loss for words."

Ling Ge Entertainment wanted to manage the fallout from this video, but no matter how quickly they reacted, the fans always got the news the fastest.

Verse has no group spirit.

This means—the very foundation of Verse was obliterated.

"People say Lu Xu is the one who destroyed Verse, but now that I think about it, Lu Xu was merely present at the moment when Verse's group spirit was shattered. Maybe Verse never had group spirit from the beginning."

Fans quietly went to check Verse's official Weibo and each member's personal Weibo—those accounts were filled with pictures of the members with their arms around each other, showing their brightest smiles.

Looking at the photos now, and the statements like "Verse Forever" and "Verse Will Always Be," everything now feels hollow.

The usually active Verse fans suddenly became very silent on this day.

Many people think that fans are foolish or crazy, but they just pour their passion and dreams into their idols.

Even if they have been handpicked by the idols and their management, lost their way, they must have gained something from the dreams woven by the idols.

...

This news was put out by Fei Yang Entertainment, and Lu Xu did not rub salt in the wound.

He got apologies from Verse's fans in his comment section and private messages—although the apologies weren't meant for him, Lu Xu still felt a sense of melancholy.

It would have been better if it happened sooner.

However, Lu Xu didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for "destroying" Verse, because Verse was already beyond saving. The group was doomed without his help.

But Lu Xu still made things worse, even if he didn’t mean to.

A week before the G-brand gala, Lu Xu received an invitation from the popular girl group Let Let—Let Let is managed by Zheng Xiao's agency, and Zheng Xiao had previously collaborated very happily with Lu Xu in *The Supreme*.

Zheng Xiao and Lu Xu are both up-and-coming actors. After *The Supreme*, Zheng Xiao has been steadily climbing, taking his roles seriously, and his career has taken off since *The Supreme*.

Even though they’re competitors, they always got along just fine. Both Zheng Xiao and Lu Xu know how to keep things professional.

Let Let is like Zheng Xiao’s junior group. Recently, the group released a new album and is promoting it on various shows. To promote their album, they invited several stars to join in challenges, including Lu Xu.

Lu Xu, after all, used to be in an idol group.

When Zheng Xiao invited him, he was chill about it, no pressure. After all, he knew that Lu Xu didn’t have the best time as an idol, and back in Verse, Lu Xu wasn’t exactly a standout.

It was just a quick dance bit, and Lu Xu agreed.

He’s an actor, sure, but he learned dancing in school, and it comes up in acting too. He can handle simple dances just fine.

He danced a bit with one of the Let Let members.

Then—Let Let dropped this the same day Gu Sinian and Meng Qin had their blowup.

Let Let’s pretty big right now, and every recent challenge they’ve done has garnered attention. This one was no different.

But when the face of the person collaborating with Let Let's member became clear, the comments were flooded with '!!!!!!'

"Who did I just see?!"

"Is that Lu Xiao Gou? Xiao Gou’s dancing series."

"The girl's cool dance, Lu Xu performed it better than I imagined. He looked so natural and at ease on camera."

Tan Qi sent ten happy dog emojis to her friend: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, I’m freaking out!!"

She thought Lu Xu wouldn’t sing or dance anymore after becoming an actor!

In the video, although Lu Xu’s moves aren’t perfect, he looks extremely comfortable, more relaxed than during the Verse period, giving the impression that he’s truly enjoying the stage.

This kind of stage presence from him, Tan Qi had never seen before.

Although relaxed and carefree, Lu Xu didn’t steal the spotlight from his partner at all. The unique charm of Let Let's song was still showcased by him.

A sunny and cheerful big dog!!

"Why do I feel like Lu Xu has improved compared to the Verse period?"

"Crazy +1ing."

"Oh no, I think his challenge is better than Meng Qin and Xie Qingyang's. Is it okay to say that?"

"Me too..."

As seniors in the idol circle, Meng Qin and Xie Qingyang often collaborate with juniors and had just completed a challenge not long ago.

But whether it's because they've been neglecting practice or are too used to being in the center of the stage, their challenges always feel awkward, more like a "beauty contest," nowhere near as smooth and natural as Lu Xu’s.

"My bias for Xiao Gou is definitely getting stronger."

"Really, Meng and Xie's vibe makes me feel like they're not focused on their main gig. They're no longer the passionate idols they used to be but more mature celebrities. However, the qualities that made me admire them as idols are gone. Does anyone understand what I mean?"

"I totally get it."

The collaboration between Let let and Lu Xu shot to the top of the trending list, with views skyrocketing.

For the fans, this was Lu Xu suddenly coming to life from a static pose at the G brand event.

You rarely get to see this side of Lu Xu, right?

"Static shots make great posters, and the dynamic ones are stunning!!!"

"I can't help but wonder, if Lu Xu hadn't joined Verse back then, would things have turned out differently?"

"No what-ifs, the current Lu Xiao Gou is still great. Xiao Gou has always followed his heart and lived the life he wants."

Lu Xu did show a bright and energetic idol side—although he hardly ever markets Verse, while Gu Sinian and Meng Qin, who talk about Verse every day but their actions always let Verse down, naturally faced criticism.

If Ling Ge Entertainment were to sum it up, it's all because of the contrast with Lu Xu.

Without Lu Xu, their lives would be much easier.

Unfortunately, Lu Xu has always been there; they see Lu Xu as an obstacle, but they can't get rid of him.

Lu Xu won't live in their shadow anymore. In this entertainment industry, Lu Xu has found a path that suits him.

"It's just karma biting them back."

...

Ling Ge Entertainment is in chaos right now, putting out statements saying Gu Sinian and Meng Qin were just joking, smoothing things over for Meng Qin with the brand, and trying to cover up evidence of 'discord' among the members during the Verse era.

When Lu Xu was still at Ling Ge Entertainment, the "discord" among the members usually meant discord between Lu Xu and the other members, but now it's different. Under the guidance of marketers, the drama between Xie Qingyang, Gu Sinian, and Meng Qin was clear to netizens.

Previously, the focus was mostly on Lu Xu, like Lu Xu glaring at Xie Qingyang, Lu Xu rolling his eyes at Gu Sinian, Lu Xu deliberately taking the center spot... but from another angle, netizens found that the next second after Lu Xu glared at Xie Qingyang, he squatted down to tie his shoelaces. It turned out he was just bothered by his untied shoelaces.

But after Lu Xu squatted down, Xie Qingyang's look of disdain was totally real.

V-studies, which blew up last year, was once seen as Verse members subtly targeting Lu Xu, but now, netizens found that the scope of V-studies could be expanded because Verse members with 'team spirit' also take digs at each other.

For example, in the choreography of a certain song, Xie Qingyang had more screen time, Gu Sinian "worried that fans might not see me," "fortunately I'm a bit taller, I don't need to use height-increasing insoles."

Xie Qingyang is the shortest in Verse, although not noticeably so.

Xie Qingyang was the first to be invited by a luxury brand to an event. At that time, Verse was very popular, so no one thought that Xie Qingyang was occupying a media seat at this event—it was Meng Qin who "inadvertently" revealed it.

In the performances of these three, Lu Xu dutifully played the role of an extra and an outsider.

On stage, swords clashed, but Lu Xu... was as dumb as a pig.

"Ahhhh I won't allow you to say that about Lu Xiao Gou!"

"He just doesn't understand all the hints and implications, honest Xiao Gou."

"Ahhhh but I feel really collapsed seeing him, it's like seeing myself. Honestly, if I were in this team, my survival rate would probably be lower than Lu Xiao Gou. So the question is—how did these three, who are so capable of stirring up trouble, still manage to get to this point?"

"Because the dumb Xiao Gou only knows the dumb method of hard work."

"This is hilarious, Lu Xu is really pitiful. If it weren't for the analysis by Vologists, I wouldn't have been able to catch the underlying meanings in their words."

From that day on, V studies continued to rise in popularity.

A famous person once said that even if Verse's traces disappeared from the Earth, V studies would still endure.

Xu Wen asked Lu Xu if he was that famous person, and Lu Xu categorically denied it.

This time, Shao Yao didn't approach Lu Xu.

After buying N pieces of G brand men's clothing to show support for Lu Xu, Shao Yao stopped chatting with him as much. Lu Xu guessed that Shao Yao was probably reviewing scripts.

These days, Lu Xu himself was also going through scripts.

However, Shao Yao's manager actually approached Lu Xu.

"You’ve got to talk him out of studying. He just can’t wrap his head around it."

"The more he studies, the worse he gets!"

The manager looked resentful, with an expression that said, "Why don’t you guide him toward something more useful?"

Lu Xu: "..."

#Who exactly is being criticized?#