When the conversation turned to a topic that interested her, Li Wanbai quickly walked over to Su Chengzi and plopped down beside her, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at her: “And then? How did he rise to his current status?”
“He stopped being a singer and switched to acting. You know how forgiving the internet can be towards actors, especially good-looking ones. Even if he couldn’t deliver lines properly or lacked acting skills, just standing there was enough to attract a massive fanbase. Over time, people gradually stopped criticizing him for publicly exposing you back then. In fact, compared to his peers, his direct acknowledgment of having a girlfriend actually won him a large following, with many praising him for his masculinity!” Su Chengzi said with a grin. “And to all our surprise, Yu Baichuan actually had quite a talent for acting. In his breakthrough role, ‘The Young Emperor,’ he played a prince who lost his wife—melancholy and tragic—and won over a huge wave of fans, making a stunning comeback. After that, he started preparing to establish his own company. Not long after, Hague was born. Though it was called an entertainment company, Yu Baichuan was the only artist under its management. But so what? Yu Baichuan alone was enough to keep Hague standing firm in this industry.”
At this point, Su Chengzi winked at Li Wanbai. “Speaking of which, Yu Baichuan encountered quite a few nasty incidents when he first established Hague. Want to hear about them?”
Li Wanbai shook her head, uninterested.
She had always wondered why Yu Baichuan entered the entertainment industry, and even if he did, why he became a Movie Emperor. Back in high school, his singing voice had been far more captivating.
Finally understanding Yu Baichuan’s path to fame, Li Wanbai couldn’t bring herself to feel happy. She sat on the nearby sofa, her gaze fixed on some distant point, lost in thought, and didn’t respond for a long time.
“Hague was actually established for you,” Su Chengzi suddenly said. “Back then, you defied all our objections and abruptly decided to join the entertainment industry. How could Yu Baichuan let you navigate it alone? Not long after, he followed you into the entertainment industry. He was worried you’d be mistreated or overlooked at Canyang Entertainment, so he wanted to start his own company. You would have been his company’s second artist—and the only one besides him. But you didn’t agree back then.”
Thinking of this, Su Chengzi’s eyes held that all-too-familiar look of frustration toward Li Wanbai: “You, you… if you had agreed back then, you wouldn’t be dealing with so many troubles now! What were you even thinking at the time?”
“How should I know what I was thinking back then?” Li Wanbai pouted, looking exasperated. “Maybe I really had something wrong with my brain at the time.”
She was never one to be overly sentimental. If someone was willing to help her, she was more than happy to accept. If someone offered to get her out of Canyang Entertainment now, she would agree without hesitation.
Seriously, she was smart, okay?
The fact that Canyang Entertainment treated her as their sole star and poured all their resources into her didn’t mean it was a good thing. Precisely because she was Canyang Entertainment’s most popular artist, they kept a tight leash on her, leaving her with no freedom at all.
“What’s more important is that Canyang Entertainment now wants to use you to cultivate Ye Xiruo, just like how they used Yu Baichuan to cultivate you back in the day.”
Li Wanbai wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Su Chengzi’s expression seemed slightly unnatural when mentioning Ye Xiruo.
She didn’t dwell on it, only asking curiously, “How can I even compare to Yu Baichuan?”
Popularity, reputation, public praise—in which aspect could she possibly measure up to Yu Baichuan?
“Traffic! Your online traffic is already comparable to Yu Baichuan’s!” Su Chengzi said with a beaming smile. Suddenly, her smile vanished completely. Sitting up straight, she thoughtfully stroked her chin, “Wait! First comes being universally criticized online, then starring in a few dramas, followed by a complete reversal of public opinion. Yu Baichuan has looks, you have looks too. Yu Baichuan has a great figure, you have a great figure too… Wait! I think I know how to clear your name now!”
Excitement radiated from Su Chengzi’s eyes as she turned and dashed into the study to continue deploying her reputation rehabilitation battle plan.
Left alone, Li Wanbai reached out to stop her but was too late.
Finally, she sighed helplessly. How could she make Su Chengzi understand that she actually had no particular interest in the entertainment industry?
Whether her reputation was cleared or not didn’t matter much to her.
But since Su Chengzi was so motivated, she might as well let her do it.
The reality show soon began broadcasting. Earlier, Chen Jie had mentioned that the production team kept the schedule tightly under wraps—no one knew the filming location or timing. This left the styling department scratching their heads, cursing the producers and directors vehemently. They barely managed to prepare the outfits and makeup the day before filming started.
Li Wanbai finalized tomorrow’s schedule—wake up early, go to the company for makeup, then meet up with Su Chengzi.
After confirming everything was correct, she nodded contentedly and drifted off to sleep.
Unbeknownst to her, as dawn approached, faint rustling sounds came from outside her door.
The moment the live stream started, countless comments flooded the screen.
[So excited, so excited, it’s finally broadcasting!]
[How amusing—you were all doom and gloom before the broadcast, but now you’re fighting me for the front-row seats!]
[Hmph, I still think this unconventional variety show will never succeed. I’m just here to see how that universally disliked female traffic star will make a spectacle of herself!]
[Just a casual viewer here—why does everyone harbor so much hostility toward Li Wanbai? Is it just because she only has a pretty face, no acting skills, no talents, only leeches off her boyfriend, and rolls her eyes at staff?Hahaha, you’ve mastered the art of reverse trolling perfectly!]
[So excited, so excited! Can’t wait to see Li Wanbai’s face when the crew bursts in! I’m really curious—if a traffic female star who dominates the entertainment industry with her face isn’t even pretty anymore, will she still have a place here?]
[Commenter above, agreed agreed! Her fans can only boast about that face. If even that face isn’t pretty, I wonder what right she has to stay in the entertainment industry.]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[…]
The director behind the monitor was grinning from ear to ear. Less than ten minutes into the broadcast, the variety show had already made it onto three trending lists. The best decision he’d ever made was cutting down the number of episodes and inviting Li Wanbai and Yu Baichuan—these two masters of generating buzz! It was an absolute jackpot!
After waiting a little longer for the topic to fully ferment, he picked up the walkie-talkie beside him and issued the order: “Alright, open the door and go in!”