Chapter 75: The Truth Revealed

Chapter 75: The Truth Revealed

None of the netizens expected that Shao Yao would one day become so... venomous.

The reason is probably the saying "you are the company you keep," and being close to Lu Xu has made him sharp-tongued.

Wasn’t it mainly Yan Qichen’s fault for choosing the wrong occasion? Even if he had so much dissatisfaction with Shao Yao, did he really have to say it during a brand live stream? Couldn’t he have chosen another occasion? D Brand is completely innocent.

+1, and Yan Qichen has really been pampered. In my impression, this kind of situation has happened more than once.

But Yan Qichen wasn’t entirely wrong, was he? During the filming of 'Nan Xiangzi,' he was indeed bullied by Shao Yao, wasn’t he?

Honestly, with Yan Qichen’s personality, I doubt many in the entertainment industry could bully him.

Yan Qichen actively brought up the old grievances from 'Nan Xiangzi,' and naturally, netizens took notice.

During the broadcast of 'Nan Xiangzi,' several key creators of the drama sided with Yan Qichen. Whether it was Yan Qichen’s fans or netizens who remembered this gossip, they all recalled that it was Shao Yao who "guided" Yan Qichen in acting.

Yan Qichen himself had also mentioned on various occasions that he was bullied by a senior in the industry who wasn’t much older.

However, 'Nan Xiangzi' ended a long time ago.

Yan Qichen didn’t bring it up earlier or later, but specifically when 'Voices of the Dead' was about to premiere. No one in the industry is naive, and they naturally understood his intentions.

Lu Xu, Xu Yan, and Zhao Jincheng all understood, and Grape Film and Television understood even better.

As for the main subject of the incident, Shao Yao, he was gleefully boasting to his agent and Lu Xu: "I did it!"

"I finally did it!"

Lu Xu: "..."

Wasn’t it just a Weibo post?

He had no idea what the other was so thrilled about.

This level of skill was just the basics of V-learning.

Of course, Lu Xu kept the truth to himself; he didn’t want to crush Shao Yao’s self-esteem.

...

In fact, Grape Film and Television responded swiftly to Yan Qichen’s 'accusation.'

Almost immediately after Yan Qichen’s tearful complaint in the live stream, a prominent marketer posted two lengthy articles questioning Yan Qichen.

First, Yan Qichen turned the brand live stream into his 'showcase,' blatantly violating his contract with the brand.

Second, Yan Qichen repeatedly claimed that Shao Yao’s oppression left him sleepless. However, since 'Nan Xiangzi' wrapped up, Yan Qichen has brought up this experience five times, and the fallout from his statements was—

"Shao Yao’s Weibo was bombarded by Yan Qichen’s fans, and even this summer, they still check in daily, hurling obscenities at him."

"After Yan Qichen’s complaint last night, searching for Shao Yao yielded almost nothing but insults in real-time."

"On top of that, Yan Qichen’s fans coordinated to flood the comment sections of video platforms, drama forums, and Mingniao Entertainment’s official page with insults."

"Last March, Shao Yao was forced to move due to relentless stalking by Yan Qichen’s fans. Mingniao Entertainment issued a statement about these fanatics and even lodged a complaint with Yan Qichen’s agency, Huashen, but Huashen’s agent brushed it off."

"So I have to ask, when Yan Qichen claims he couldn’t sleep, does he mean he was tossing and turning on a luxury mattress in a high-end neighborhood, or was he wide awake in the passenger seat of a beat-up van, fleeing fans in the dead of night?"

"Who is really the one who can't sleep at night?"

"Here are the screenshots of what their collaborators said about Shao Yao and Yan Qichen after their debut."

This "famous" marketer is known for his knack for summarizing gossip. In fact, the rise of V studies is partly thanks to this marketer's efforts.

As everyone knows, marketers like this don't come cheap, but Grape Film and Television is known for its deep pockets.

Right now, 'Voices of the Dead' has no competition, real or imagined, and Grape Film and Television is figuring out the best angle for their marketing campaign.

Just when they were in need, a solution appeared, and Yan Qichen ended up in Grape Film and Television's crosshairs.

Lu Xu's agency, Feiyang Performing Arts, is the kind that won't take it anymore and doesn't have to. Usually, they don't stir the pot unless Ling Ge Entertainment pokes at them. Meanwhile, Shao Yao's agency, Ming Niao, is pretty much defenseless against a giant like Hua Shen Management.

But Grape Film and Television is usually the one to stir up drama. To promote the series, Grape Film and Television pulls out all the stops.

The marketer's work pleased Grape Film and Television, practically shouting 'Shao Yao is the victim' on screen.

The marketer's choice of pictures is spot on—

He picked the nastiest screenshots of fans trashing Shao Yao, words that would get censored on any platform, but Shao Yao saw them loud and clear.

Even though the photo of Shao Yao moving in the middle of the night is blurry, it still shows Shao Yao's fragile, lost expression, staring out the window, like... a vulnerable big dog.

The soft night light makes Shao Yao's strong features seem gentler.

Meanwhile, Yan Qichen was being interviewed in his lavish mansion, and Yan Qichen smiled confidently, surrounded by expensive furniture, a stark contrast to Shao Yao's solitude.

Just as everyone was taking in these images, Lu Xu suddenly tweeted: "Clearly, Shao Yao needs D brand night cream more."

Netizens: "Seriously?"

Is this really the time to talk about night cream?

Though they agree that compared to Yan Qichen, Shao Yao definitely needs night cream more.

The next set of photos shows what the 'Nan Xiangzi' crew thought of Shao Yao and Yan Qichen, and how other co-stars compared their performances.

The evaluations of Shao Yao mostly focus on hard work, seriousness, and quick memorization of lines.

The evaluations of Yan Qichen prove that the world is a huge V study universe—

Shao Yao is indeed an anomaly. In the 'Nan Xiangzi' crew, he would point out Yan Qichen's problems face to face, while other collaborating actors said:

"With his acting talent, those lines are indeed redundant, not worthy of his imaginative performance."

"My 40-year acting career has gained many new experiences, which I have never encountered in previous performances, and it is worth learning."

"Unique performance style..."

"Developed my adaptability..."

A group of netizens: "..."

To be honest, if V studies hadn't become increasingly popular and accessible, they wouldn't have caught the sarcasm hidden in the actors' words.

It can only be said that actors are indeed actors.

"...So how does Yan Qichen have the nerve to accuse Shao Yao?"

"Speaking of which, wasn't there an internet personality exposed in the circle before? I suspect it's Yan Qichen."

"Thinking about it carefully, it's indeed possible. The timeline of his debut aligns."

"Someone from the 'Nan Xiangzi' crew anonymously submitted a post, saying that Shao Yao was too serious on set and offended Yan Qichen, who didn't bother to learn his lines. Note, he didn't bother to learn his lines at all. But since Yan Qichen had higher popularity, the crew sidelined Shao Yao."

"It's hilarious..."

"It's hilarious, the scriptwriter of 'Phoenix Rain' also came out to take a jab, saying she was pushed to her limits writing last-minute script changes on set because he thought there were too many lines and insisted she revise them at night so he could use them the next day."

"!!! And he didn't use them at all!!! If Yan Qichen's acting skills in the live stream could be used in filming, he could have been award-worthy."

"It's a classic case of kicking someone when they're down!"

The submission wasn't led by Grape Pictures. Mainly, Yan Qichen had offended many people in various crews. Shao Yao isn't an unknown actor in the circle, yet he was isolated by Yan Qichen and the female lead Lin Ling, let alone those less established writers and crew members.

In the entertainment industry, this is a common phenomenon.

The scriptwriter of 'Phoenix Rain' also experienced what Jin Mu went through in 'Rising Sun.' Unfortunately, Jin Mu had Mu Qian to speak up for him, but the scriptwriter of 'Phoenix Rain' had no one to rely on.

Seeing Yan Qichen in a tough spot is rare, the scriptwriter of 'Phoenix Rain' also took the opportunity to voice her dissatisfaction.

Netizens' attention gradually shifted to 'Nan Xiangzi' itself.

When the drama was airing, Yan Qichen had high popularity. Although some questioned why Shao Yao wasn't included in various activities, at that time, Shao Yao appeared as the one oppressing Yan Qichen, so it seemed normal not to include him.

Now, netizens are starting to see the truth.

It's one thing not to include Shao Yao in activities, but 'Nan Xiangzi' is essentially a drama with two male and one female leads. How come all the highlights belong to Yan Qichen?

It's as if Yan Qichen and Lin Ling are the default couple.

In the later stages, Shao Yao's role became less prominent. The key point is—even with fewer scenes, it's obvious to anyone paying attention that his acting skills are far superior to Yan Qichen's.

Even if he and the female lead Lin Ling didn't appear in the same shot, whether it was tea tasting or drinking, as long as the female lead was mentioned, Shao Yao's eyes would show deep affection.

In contrast, Yan Qichen had many scenes with Lin Ling, but whether it's his inability to convey emotions or his poor acting, he claimed to fall in love with the female lead at first sight, but his performance was completely different.

"Suddenly I understand why Shao Yao and Lu Xu can be friends. Both have had it rough."

"...emmm, I don't mind Shao Yao teaching Yan Qichen how to act."

The controversy escalated, and even the female lead Lin Ling was affected. In the eyes of netizens, Lin Ling might not be as extreme as Yan Qichen, but she definitely participated in the exclusion and isolation of Shao Yao.

As a last resort, Lin Ling's agency had to issue a statement, claiming that during Lin Ling's participation in 'Nan Xiangzi,' there was absolutely no oppression of anyone on set.

"Why not settle it with Yan Qichen first?"

"Yan Qichen says there was, you say there wasn't, who should we listen to?"

"It's hilarious, now you say there wasn't. Why not join the D brand's live stream and give Yan Qichen a piece of your mind?"

At the moment Lin Ling issued the statement, a netizen ran into Shao Yao riding a bike on the street.

The netizen asked Shao Yao about his thoughts on the online storm. Shao Yao replied, "What happened on the 'Nan Xiangzi' set is in the past. For me, what's more important now is 'Voices of the Dead.'"

What a class act!

Especially compared to Yan Qichen and Lin Ling's weak excuses, accusations, and pale explanations, Shao Yao is like an angel on a bike!

Since Shao Yao is more focused on "Voices of the Dead," netizens naturally shifted their attention back to "Voices of the Dead."

Lu Xu: "..."

He was blown away by Grape Film and Television's marketing skills.

When "The Noble Son" and "Watchmen" clashed in their schedules, and "The Son of Heaven" encountered "Rising Sun," he hadn’t realized just how powerful Grape Film and Television really was.

Although Lu Xu himself doesn’t quite appreciate this marketing approach, in his view, Grape Film and Television's marketing this time vindicated Shao Yao.

Shao Yao is genuinely happy now and is thoroughly enjoying filming "Voices of the Dead," which has helped him overcome the shadow of the "Nan Xiangzi" period.

But why does Yan Qichen keep blaming him?

Those days of despair and fear didn’t just vanish.

Yan Qichen was the one who messed up, so he should be the one facing the humiliation and slander. Why should Shao Yao bear everything alone?

If no one knows the truth, even if "Voices of the Dead" airs and becomes popular, in the audience's impression, Shao Yao will still have the black history of oppressing Yan Qichen, and the bad reputation will follow him, even if one day Shao Yao becomes extremely successful.

This is just unfair to Shao Yao.

It needs to be corrected.