Chapter 248: Chapter 248: The Spotlight is Stolen Again
The barrage of insults in the comments quickly shifted from Sang Ning to Qin Kai.
[I can’t believe I used to think Qin Kai was gentle and amiable. But look at him now—he allows Shen Yi to bully Qingyue without uttering a single fair word.]
[People who say stuff like this are just weird. Qin Kai didn’t know Qingyue before, and the relationship between Qingyue and Shen Yi is complicated. If you were Qin Kai, wouldn’t your instinct be to side with your friend when they’re up against someone they dislike?]
The storm in the backstage waiting room continued to fuel heated debates, but the camera had already moved to center stage for the reveal of the star-studded mentor lineup.
The appearance of Qin Jiaxiang undoubtedly caused a small sensation, bringing both supporters and detractors among the audience.
Qin Jiaxiang and Qin Kai, father and son, simultaneously appearing on a competitive reality show—one as a mentor and the other as a contestant—added layers of intrigue.
Would Qin Kai get a green light all the way to the champion’s throne because of their connection?
After Qin Jiaxiang, several other mentors took the stage.
However, they were mostly industry veterans who worked behind the scenes, so the audience wasn’t particularly familiar with them. Their attention shifted to the final mentor about to be revealed.
Before the show’s official recording and broadcast, the production team had already teased on their official Weibo account that there would be a heavyweight guest as one of the mentors, promising a surprise that would delight viewers.
Even though confidentiality agreements had been signed by all parties, forbidding the disclosure of any details about the mentors or contestants before the show aired...
There’s no such thing as an airtight rumor mill—the internet was buzzing with a reliable whisper: Wen Jiu was one of the mentors.
Before Wen Jiu left the entertainment industry, her widespread public appeal made her a household name—a celebrity that even passersby viewed favorably.
As the host began introducing the mentors, most of the audience filled the chat with comments predicting the name "Wen Jiu," expressing their eager anticipation.
And when the host finally announced her name, and Wen Jiu walked onto the stage, it was like Lunar New Year had come early—the chat exploded with virtual fireworks.
Audiences had long suffered from an entertainment industry dominated by subpar actresses—boring faces with no acting skills.
Wen Jiu was a rare gem, with looks and acting skills both on point, earning her the affectionate title "light of actresses in entertainment" from netizens.
Films and dramas involving Wen Jiu came with guaranteed quality.
Even after being away from the limelight for so long, her return to the screen still exuded elegance and charisma, leaving countless viewers spellbound.
However, upon hearing that Wen Jiu’s return was only for behind-the-scenes work, the audience couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
After the mentor lineup was fully revealed, and the host introduced the rules of the first competitive group scene shoot, the group performance began in earnest.
Among all the performances, Sang Ning’s unexpected standout left the audience stunned.
The collective sentiment was as follows:
Actors like Qin Kai, who had solid foundational skills, could easily nail group performances, which was totally normal.
Actors like Shen Yi, who transitioned from idols mid-career, might not be at award-winning levels yet, but when fully immersed in their roles, they managed not to break the illusion.
But Sang Ning? A total acting amateur? To suddenly shine in her performance? That was downright bizarre!
Sang Ning had garnered plenty of buzz during her time on "Rustic Tales," solidifying her image as a fierce, hot-tempered woman who acted first and figured things out later.
Yet, in the group performance, she played a delicate Noble Consort—a role in stark contrast to her established persona—and managed to deliver a layered crying scene remarkably well.
The hashtag #SangNingPerformanceSystemActivated skyrocketed in popularity, climbing into the top ten hot searches and rivaling hashtags like #QingyueComeback and #RecapQingyueBetrayalsByTeamMatesThroughoutTheYears.
Clips of Sang Ning’s performance were willingly edited and shared online by various bloggers, with some specialized acting analysts providing in-depth evaluations of her skills.
The emergence of this hashtag temporarily diverted netizens’ attention from Shen Yi’s betrayal of Qingyue.
After Sang Ning concluded her performance, her warm interaction with Wen Jiu sent viewers into a frenzy of shipping.
Just one "Xiao Jiu" and a "Sangsang" from Wen Jiu had fans conjuring up an entire romantic drama between the two women.
Indeed, the sweetest dynamics are always between girls.
Under Wen Jiu’s immense popularity, Sang Ning’s real-time search rankings and follower count steadily rose.
Many viewers who weren’t into stanning celebrities but were fans of Wen Jiu began to develop favorable impressions of Sang Ning solely because of Wen Jiu’s attitude toward her.
Meanwhile, Qingyue stared at the trending page on Weibo, watching helplessly as the hashtags he had paid to promote gradually lost traction. His blood pressure was on the verge of exploding.
Wasn’t Shen Yi supposed to be a top-tier star? Why were people now flocking to Sang Ning instead?
And Wen Jiu—what was with her enduring popularity despite having retired years ago?
Qingyue couldn’t understand it, and jealousy consumed him. Despite all the effort he poured into crafting his image, his paid-for clout couldn’t match someone else’s organic success.
If that’s the case, then don’t blame him for playing dirty.
Qingyue had wrapped up his business for the evening. Nearby, Duan Wenhu was already fast asleep beside him.
The bedroom was dark with the lights turned off, illuminated only by the faint glow of the phone screen in Qingyue’s hand.
The cold bluish light reflected on Qingyue’s twisted, enraged face, rendering him almost terrifying.
Switching to his alternate account, Qingyue went straight to the hottest hashtag on Weibo: #NingJiuShipExplodesOntoTheScene.
Inside the industry gossip group: ["Who’s the Real Star?" backstage rehearsal footage suspected of being leaked—former star actress and rising online darling accused of orchestrating entertainment industry bullying. (Video)]
Thanks to the hashtag’s high traffic, Qingyue’s post gained massive views almost immediately after publishing.
Even without clicking the video, netizens could easily infer the insinuation against Sang Ning and Wen Jiu.
A "former star actress" and a "rising online darling"—only the ID numbers of Sang Ning and Wen Jiu were left unrevealed.
The video quality was grainy, seemingly recorded using a hidden camera, with jittery visuals throughout.
In the footage, Qingyue politely expressed to Wen Jiu that he wanted to play the role of Jiuqiansui, only to receive her condescending stare and dismissive words: "You?!"
Wen Jiu’s tone was icy—completely incompatible with her former image as a gentle goddess.
The video then devolved into static, obscuring Wen Jiu’s subsequent comments. No one could discern what she said.
The only clear scene showed Qingyue, after failing to convince Wen Jiu, with reddened eyes desperately holding back tears.
Once the static stopped, the video abruptly shifted to the moment when fellow contestants congratulated Sang Ning. Wen Jiu’s voice suddenly regained clarity: "Well then, Jiuqiansui will be assigned to Sang Ning."
Confused viewers were left wondering what happened—how could a brief period of static lead to such a hasty decision?