Chapter 247: Chapter 247: The Power of the Once-Popular Idol
When the online arguments were heating up, the show was still airing.
Qingyue’s appearance unintentionally brought a visual surprise to the audience, while the next few contestants who appeared were relatively low-profile, lacking any standout moments.
Not only was their screen time heavily edited to be brief, but the barrage of comments showed little interaction as well.
It wasn’t until Chu Xi and Qin Kai showed up one after the other that the comment section regained its buzz.
This rural-themed program had indeed earned the two quite a bit of popularity.
After a few more contestants appeared, it was Shen Yi’s turn, and that’s when the screen practically got flooded with comments.
Supporters of Shen Yi and Qingyue instantly went head-to-head in the comment section, neither side giving in.
On the topic of understanding actors, Shen Yi’s response was "opportunity."
To become a good actor, opportunity is indispensable.
"Mentors who can provide guidance, colleagues who can grow together, and capable production teams—these are all opportunities from my perspective."
As soon as Shen Yi finished his answer, a crowd began accusing him of being pretentious.
[Shen Yi’s biggest opportunity is Qingyue, tell me I’m wrong.]
[What opportunity? Obviously just stepping on others to climb up, huh? He did this while being an idol, and now he’s doing it again trying to transition into acting.]
[No one pretends better than the Pretentious Prince Shen Yi. He’s got something to say for everything.]
The comment section was filled with insults, but Shen Yi’s fans—who are no rookies in fights—quickly retaliated and reclaimed the upper hand in the comment battlefield.
After introducing Shen Yi, the next contestant to appear was Sang Ning.
In the video, Sang Ning faced the camera and answered seriously, "To truly portray diverse characters well, you need to have split personalities. A good actor must undoubtedly be a drama queen."
The camera first zoomed in on the words "drama queen" written in bold on Sang Ning’s whiteboard and then cut to a close-up of the host’s bewildered expression.
The host froze for quite a while before barely squeezing out a response and asking Sang Ning, "So, do you want to be a drama queen?"
Sang Ning paused to think for a second and then shook her head. "No, I prefer being a normal person."
The host’s expression grew even more colorful, clearly reluctant to carry on the conversation, and could only urge her to join the stage quickly.
The audience burst into laughter and bombarded the comment section with jokes.
[She’s truly my Sister Sang, still as daring and bold with her words as always, so refreshingly straightforward.]
[Honestly, Sang Ning isn’t being straightforward; she’s just being dumb. According to her logic, good actors equal drama queens equal abnormal?]
[What did Sang Ning eat—too many sour plums? Is she okay? She’s becoming so attention-seeking these days.]
After the pre-competition interviews of the contestants finished airing, the next segment showed the actors moving to the waiting room.
Not much noteworthy happened in the waiting room; overall, it was pretty uneventful.
Until #RuralTeamReunion# sparked a small wave of discussion among viewers.
Later, when the announcer revealed the identity of the 36th contestant, the waiting room grew a little restless.
The reason was that this contestant turned out to be Shen Yi’s arch-nemesis, Qingyue. Some actors stealthily scoffed and delightfully eyed Shen Yi, predicting his reaction when Qingyue walked in.
Qingyue appeared and headed straight toward the spot where the rural team was gathered, enthusiastically extending his hand to greet Shen Yi.
But Shen Yi acted as if he didn’t see him, remaining cold and indifferent, refusing even to glance at Qingyue.
[This is a recorded show; can Shen Yi tone it down a bit? His disdain for Qingyue is practically written all over his face—it couldn’t be more obvious.]
[If I ever doubted the authenticity of the rumors about Qingyue and Shen Yi not getting along, I’m a true believer now.]
[Some gossip isn’t baseless after all. For Shen Yi to blatantly give Qingyue the cold shoulder in front of the audience—seems he must’ve bullied Qingyue quite a bit back when they were in the same team.]
It wasn’t until Chu Xi took the initiative and warmly shook Qingyue’s hand, greeting him enthusiastically, that the awkward atmosphere was finally broken.
[Sob sob sob, yet another day of being touched by my sweet baby girl’s kindness. She’s so considerate of others’ feelings, worried Qingyue would feel awkward, and proactively broke the ice. Absolutely a little angel on earth!]
[Angel my foot—sounds more like a sycophant to me. Qingyue’s attitude toward her seemed pretty indifferent, right? If I’m not mistaken, didn’t he actually look disgusted by Chu Xi? Qingyue even wiped his hand on his pants leg after shaking hers—how much does he dislike her?]
[Which eye of yours saw Qingyue disliking Chu Xi? Clearly, he was just shy and unsure where to put his hand, okay?]
[Wow, truly the epitome of delusional fans. Always inventing excuses for their idol. Qingyue’s already in his mid-twenties—what’s up with the pretentious pure-boy act? Won’t he tank his image if it backfires?]
Shen Yi’s cold attitude remained; he refused to shake Qingyue’s hand and merely said, "Long time no see," halfheartedly.
The arms Shen Yi had crossed against his chest showed no signs of uncrossing, his dismissive stance enraging Qingyue’s die-hard fans.
[If you don’t want your arms, donate them to someone in need. Shen Yi—are your arms super-glued to your chest? Will shaking hands with Qingyue really kill you?]
[Ahhhhh!!! I’m fuming; I want to kill Shen Yi now. Don’t stop me. A jerk like him deserves to be struck down by the heavens!]
[Gotta say, Shen Yi’s manners are seriously lacking.]
[Haha, expecting character from someone who rises by stepping on others? Dream on.]
Shen Yi’s loyal fans refused to back down and went into full-blown combat mode against Qingyue’s fans.
[Qingyue’s little maids are truly hilarious. Weren’t you the ones who said Qingyue and my idol Shen Yi don’t get along? So what if Shen Yi shows his real feelings in front of someone he dislikes?]
[In the industry, almost every artist who has worked with Shen Yi gets along well with him. But I’ve hardly seen anyone who’s genuinely close with Qingyue. Whose character is the real issue should be crystal clear.]
Up to this point in the show, only Qingyue and Shen Yi’s fans were actively fighting, while neutral viewers stayed on the sidelines, merely observing the drama unfold.
Yet some neutral viewers raised questions: Qingyue has been semi-retired for quite a while now.
So why are his fans still so fierce, rivaling Shen Yi’s in combat power? Is this the enduring power of former idol popularity?
After Qingyue sat down, several attempts to start a conversation with Shen Yi were intercepted by Sang Ning, leading some neutral viewers to join the flame war.
But this time, their target wasn’t Shen Yi or Qingyue—it was Sang Ning.
[Is Sang Ning suffering from attention-seeking personality disorder? She’s so overdramatic that my toes are curling with second-hand embarrassment.]
[What does Qingyue wanting to talk to Shen Yi have to do with her? She keeps poking her head in and out to block Qingyue—is she trying to be funny or what?]