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The Group Disbanded, and I Skyrocketed to Fame!

Chapter 73: 073 New Drama Approaches

by 远上天山

Lu Xu observed the drama at Ling Ge Entertainment for a few days and could only sigh. Although he was once a member of Verse Studies, the current evolution of Verse Studies has reached a level he can no longer comprehend.

Verse Studies has even spawned new branches, with VX, VG, and VM series each having their own unique charm.

Lu Xu: "..."

Learning never ends, but I’m out.

After a few days of studying, Shao Yao stopped and switched to riding his bicycle for outings. In his words, he should start from the basics rather than jumping straight into the advanced evolution.

Lu Xu: "..."

#He even figured it out#

#He’s got such a clear sense of himself#

In summary, after a few days of drama at Ling Ge Entertainment, the resources in the hands of Xie Qingyang, Gu Sinian, and Meng Qin kept dropping. Some marketers specifically tallied the endorsements and business deals the trio lost this time—the losses had already exceeded eight figures.

The trio was never really able to withstand scrutiny; it was just the idol facade that supported them before.

After being dissed by Lu Xu, their facade cracked a bit, and now it’s crumbling dramatically. From their stage positions during the Verse era to the intense drama after their independent development, fans were shocked to realize that Lu Xu, who was once considered the "Gossip King" in Verse, actually had the least gossip.

"I noticed it long ago, Lu Xu is quite popular now, but his life is really... pretty low-key."

"He’s always been the one getting picked on."

The specific way Verse group fans expressed their guilt towards Lu Xu was—by spending money to support his business deals.

For a time, the sales of brands Lu Xu endorsed hit a small peak. The Z brand’s men’s shampoo completely established its reputation, while the G brand had its best quarter in years.

In fact, after transitioning into an actor, Lu Xu's reputation has gradually improved. The only black marks on his record were the deliberate fabrications by Ling Ge Entertainment during the Verse era.

Lu Xu has cleared some of these black marks through his work.

The rest was cleared by ongoing revelations from the fans of Xie Qingyang, Gu Sinian, and Meng Qin.

For example, Lu Xu's treatment when he first joined the group, or the fact that he debuted without enough training—an idol group cannot be completely free of black marks. For fans, an idol who’s too perfect is actually a flaw.

Lu Xu was the gap deliberately created by Ling Ge Entertainment for Verse.

With Lu Xu's existence, fans could admire the flawless performances of the other three while venting their frustration wildly against Ling Ge Entertainment.

"Back then, Lu Xiao Gou was wished dead by so many!"

"Now that I think about it, the ones who should have died were clearly others, hahaha. I looked into it and discovered that Lu Xu actually loved Verse quite a bit."

"But now there’s no trace of Verse left on his Weibo."

"..."

It hasn’t been long since Lu Xu cleared his Weibo. Tan Qi vaguely remembers it was a field day for the haters.

At that time, the haters laughed wildly, but now when this matter is brought up again, Tan Qi only sees silence.

Those who truly loved Verse were destroyed, only to be reborn.

Fortunately... Lu Xu is living well now.

As it turned out, it wasn't bad at all.

Seeing Verse's current state, Tan Qi even thought Lu Xu's timing in deleting his Weibo was perfect.

But for fans, admitting "it's not worth it" is pretty rough.

...

After "Voices of the Dead" wrapped up, apart from the event hosted by G brand, Lu Xu participated in several commercial activities.

"Very Night" also sent an invitation during this period, but this offer would likely have to wait until after "Voices of the Dead" is released.

Barring any surprises, "Voices of the Dead" is set to air next month.

Xu Yan said several platforms were vying for "Voices of the Dead," but Grape Pictures, with its deep pockets, won out.

The director noted that Grape Pictures was basically making money for Lu Xu and funneling it into "Voices of the Dead," using the earnings from "The Path of Bones."

But Grape Pictures was happy to spend, as Lu Xu's dramas are now considered a hot ticket in the industry.

Beating "The Empress" in terms of theme and cast was seen as nearly impossible in the industry, but "The Path of Bones" pulled it off.

Naturally, Lu Xu secured his spot.

Grape Pictures made an offer the "Voices of the Dead" team couldn't turn down.

Once "Voices of the Dead" had a release date, Shao Yao was back in action. Since he'd overdone it learning V, his agent handed him a stack of scripts to sift through, and he's likely to do a serious drama next—even though his personality doesn't fit, his face is perfect for it.

Lu Xu's also picking scripts while promoting "Voices of the Dead."

As Lu Xu's second lead role, "Voices of the Dead" isn't as high-pressure as "The Path of Bones." Since "The Path of Bones" smashed records, Lu Xu can afford a flop or two.

"We didn't hit many snags this time," Xu Yan said. "This slot's light on big shows."

"Voices of the Dead" is set for October, a decent slot in the TV drama market.

With "The Path of Bones" still leading the year's ratings and no summer drama topping it, many think quality matters more than the time slot.

Of course, everyone knows "The Path of Bones" owes its success to "The Empress."

Without "The Empress" building the buzz, "The Path of Bones" wouldn't have gotten so much attention.

Thanks to the precedents set by "The Empress," "Nine Turns Decree," "Rising Sun," and "Watchmen," when "Voices of the Dead" drops, the industry's big productions are steering clear.

Zhao Jincheng couldn't resist griping, "There are way too many precedents, right?"

Xu Yan: "...Actually, Lu Xu's only done four dramas."

Four dramas, four brutal precedents. Lu Xu's made it big, but those four shows are stuck in infamy.

All the marketing and star-studded comparisons are pointless. From this angle, Lu Xu's unstoppable.

The industry's looked at a few flops. Bottom line: if those shows hadn't gone up against Lu Xu, they wouldn't have tanked so hard.

So this time, Grape Pictures can really push "Voices of the Dead."

Lu Xu said it's unusual not to see any backlash when a new drama drops, and it's... kind of refreshing.

Though it's not completely gone—

For example, a certain blogger once posted an article titled "Why I’m Not Optimistic About 'The Son of Heaven'" when "The Son of Heaven" was released. Later, when "The Supreme" was released, he posted another article titled "Why I’m Not Optimistic About 'The Supreme'."

Now it has evolved to "Why I’m Not Optimistic About 'Voices of the Dead'."

This Mr. Reasons has some recognition in the industry, and Lu Xu summarized his behavior of pulling down and stepping on others as—jealousy of good looks.

The only reason he dislikes every drama Lu Xu stars in is jealousy.

Xu Wen: "...Aren't you being a bit too narcissistic?"

"No," Lu Xu decisively denied.

Being criticized like this doesn't make Lu Xu feel angry. In a way, sticking to one thing can be seen as admirable.

Lu Xu plans to make acting his lifelong career. He hopes that Mr. Reasons’ "Why I’m Not Optimistic About XXX" will one day be compiled into a book.

The reason "Voices of the Dead" is disliked is—unrealistic, pure fantasy, satisfying some viewers' curiosity.

Lu Xu: "..."

He earnestly suggests, "Please stop writing like this in the future."

Because Lu Xu himself hasn't said anything yet, but netizens have already hit him with "X Le Wu."

A timeless classic.

...

"Voices of the Dead" was promoted well in advance. More than a month before its release, Grape Pictures and the official blog of the crew simultaneously released two versions of the trailer.

"Two versions—what a surprise!"

"Voices of the Dead is releasing so quickly, I feel like it just finished filming a few days ago."

"Because Lu Xiao Gou’s popularity has grown significantly."

Tan Qi is still one of the earliest fans to watch the "Voices of the Dead" trailer.

During the time "The Noble Son" was broadcast, Tan Qi found it difficult to find content about Lu Xu. Now there's no need to worry, a casual search yields a pile.

Tan Qi was once addicted to watching fan edits, feeling that as Lu Xu became more and more popular, there were more and more talented fan editors.

Despite "The Path of Bones" airing a while ago, she can still occasionally come across new fan edits.

And because Lu Xu's acting is good enough, every clip flows naturally, even without adding extra BGM.

"This is the joy of being Lu Xu’s fan," Tan Qi sighed with her friends.

"Check out the 'Voices of the Dead' trailer, I love the official blog version, you can watch the Grape Pictures version first."

Tan Qi listened to her friend's opinion and watched the trailer released by Grape Pictures first.

The opening scene is intensely chilling—a body bag submerged in the dark waters of the night, the lake’s depths seemed ready to engulf anyone, the bloodied corpse lying in the center of the lake for a long time, its form beyond recognition.

Until one day it sees the light of day again.

This part of the trailer, the crew paired it with a haunting, deep melody, like a siren’s song, evoking an inexplicable melancholy.

Simultaneously appearing with the music are the fragmented cries and pleas for mercy, even more disturbing than the music.

"…Hearing corpses speak, I once thought it was a divine trial, but later I realized it was a weapon, a gift."

A male voiceover played, and Tan Qi immediately recognized it as Lu Xu's voice.

The actor's natural voice wasn't the most melodious, but his enunciation was clear, and he could accurately convey the character's emotions to the audience.

The title "Voices of the Dead" likely stems from this concept.

The scene transitioned sharply, and after a brief blackout—

"Listen, the corpses are speaking."

"It guides you to uncover the truth."

Two lines of text appeared on the screen.

In the next moment, the camera cut to the second case—

A sea of black rats, and a person lying in a pool of blood, being devoured by the rats, unable to scream, only able to express pain through heavy breathing.

This was, without a doubt, the most brutal form of punishment.

Yet, this harrowing scene merely marked the beginning.

As such scenes continued to unfold.

Perhaps because the title contains the word "voices," the "Voices of the Dead" crew utilized the element of sound to the extreme. The sound of rodents was nearly spine-chilling, and the camera angle was deliberately focused on the person being devoured.

From this perspective, the audience seemed to feel the pain of the dying person.

The visual impact was just as jarring.

Then came the third case—a shadowy ancestral hall, traditionalists, and a vengeful soul resurfacing after years.

The fourth case…

And the first case that Jiang Lin encountered firsthand.

Tan Qi: “…I was duped.”

"Didn't they promise the new drama would be less grim? Now, just from the trailer, I'm already overwhelmed by how tragic it is!!"

"Lu Xiao Gou is essentially the poster child for intense dramas!!"

"That's why I suggested you watch the official blog version of the 'Voices of the Dead' trailer—it's much lighter." Her friend laughed at Tan Qi.

"You're not lying to me, are you? Damn it!"

"It's lighthearted, I swear." Her friend sent a "nice guys finish last" meme. "Honestly, after seeing the two versions of the trailer edited by Grape Pictures and the 'Voices of the Dead' official blog, I nearly thought they were entirely different shows."

With trepidation, Tan Qi clicked on the alternate trailer, and her attention was immediately drawn to the flood of comments above the video—

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