I became famous in the entertainment industry by burning incense

Chapter 593 The singer wins the MVP award! (Seeking monthly votes)
Xi Mengze took first place in the first round of the ranking competition on "I Am a Singer"!
Her rendition of "Dawn" garnered overwhelming votes, not only winning first place in the hearts of the audience but also becoming the "best of the day" in the subsequent internal singer vote, as recognized by all the singers.

It's hard to say whether Jinli's sudden appearance provided any assistance.

Even with the arrival of Jin Li, who is currently enjoying great popularity, if Xi Mengze's performance is not good, the audience at the scene are not deaf and will not vote her to first place.

Therefore, the general consensus on Xi Mengze's performance today is—

"Deserved!"

When Xi Mengze won first place, netizens who had been watching the live broadcast immediately expressed their feelings online, and the media, sensing the news, also reported on this momentous occasion at the first opportunity.

Every time "I Am a Singer" airs, there's no shortage of topics for discussion, and with Jin Li joining the show this time, there's even more to discuss.

Jin Li made a surprise appearance on "I Am a Singer," helping her friend Xi Mengze win first place!

[Xi Mengze delivers a stunning debut, performing the movie's theme song, riding the wave of popularity from the film and Jin Li!]

With perfect timing, location, and support, Xi Mengze won first place in the first round of "I Am a Singer"!

The media mostly offered their blessings. Even those who took a different approach only said that Xi Mengze had piggybacked on the popularity of Jin Li and the movie, without saying that she lacked talent.

As everyone knows, Director Hong of "I Am a Singer" is very picky about singers. If a singer's singing skills are really not good, it is impossible to invite them to come.

Well, of course, there are exceptions, such as those singers who are clearly just cannon fodder and get eliminated in the first round.

There were singers like this last year, and there are singers like this this year. Even when singing their own hit songs, they can't help but tremble and be incredibly nervous, just like newcomers.

Netizens are unsure whether this singer is nervous because they haven't been on a large stage for a long time, or because they are nervous because the entire performance is broadcast live without any auto-tuning and they have to show their true abilities.

Netizens have differing opinions, as have the media.

Talented singers and those without talent become clearly distinguishable under the unedited scrutiny of live streaming.

After the performance ended that day, Jinli left the live broadcast venue with the help of staff and went outside through another underground passage.

After waiting for about half an hour, Xi Mengze came out, looking excited.

She hadn't removed her makeup yet; there were rhinestones around her eyes, and her eyeshadow was sparkly, making her look very beautiful.

Although she hopes to be eliminated in the first round, she always gives her all whenever she steps onto the stage; that's her principle.

So Xi Mengze was surprised but also delighted to win first place this time.

No one wants to lose first place; this is the recognition she has received from the audience and her seniors.

As soon as Xi Mengze got into the car, Jinli congratulated her: "You got first place tonight, aren't you happy! Our number one singer has a good chance of becoming the queen of songs!"

Xi Mengze's eyes were big and bright as he nodded vigorously: "I'm very happy, extremely happy. I didn't expect to get first place, but the moment I opened my mouth, I knew it was in the bag."

Jinli couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Now I want to interview you, who just won first place. Do you want to stay on this stage and do your best to prepare for the next performance?"

Xi Mengze looked at her coquettishly: "I prepare carefully for every stage performance. The only thing that can defeat me is my song choice. You can rest assured about that."

However, if it were up to me personally, I would prefer to be eliminated in the next round. This stage may look glamorous, but the pressure is immense.

As she spoke, she recalled a scene from backstage where a veteran singer made a mistake while performing his hit song. He was so nervous that he couldn't breathe properly from the start and burst into tears backstage as soon as he came offstage.

That scene...

Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sad.

Xi Mengze said, "Jinli, you shouldn't participate in variety shows that require you to show off your singing skills anymore. The pressure is too much, and I feel like I can't handle it."

A singer's emotions are often not influenced by their own feelings, but rather by the atmosphere of the performance and the performance of their competitors, resulting in fluctuating emotions.

Jinli smiled and said, "It seems you've had a lot going on tonight, which has made you feel a bit complicated."

Xi Mengze said with lingering fear, "Yes, if I hadn't been cold enough, I might have been influenced by others and broken down as soon as I opened my mouth."

The two chatted as they headed to a nearby, more private restaurant for their meal.

To be honest, the show's director invited other singers to dinner, and these singers all had their own private dinners. Today, one of the big names in the music industry invited Xi Mengze to dinner and also extended an invitation to Jin Li through her.

But Xi Mengze refused without even thinking.

She not only refused herself, but also directly helped Jinli refuse.

In the car, Xi Mengze brought up the matter, saying, "Actually, it was quite unexpected that I was voted the best by other singers."

"I didn't get to meet everyone in the previous rehearsals. I only greeted two contestants. I'm not familiar with the others; we're just nodding acquaintances. There are some I've never even met before."

Jinli guessed, "Maybe it's really because you sang better than them that they voted you for first place?"

Xi Mengze shook his head: "I benefited from the film's publicity and from you, which is why it has such a huge impact on the audience."

From a purely vocal and performance standpoint, there were two other singers on stage whose performances were comparable to mine, and who were also more experienced than me. I thought the other singers would vote for one of those two.

Jinli joked, "Could it be that these two veteran singers are trying to form a clique, and the other singers don't know which side to take and don't want to offend anyone, so they simply voted for you, who has less experience? Unexpectedly, this has benefited you instead?"

It was several months after Xi Mengze and the other contestants finished watching the show that he finally understood the truth behind being voted number one. He couldn't help but sigh that Jin Li truly lived up to her name; her words were just too accurate.

However, Xi Mengze doesn't know what's going on right now, and since he can't figure it out, he's stopped thinking about it.

"The director invited me to a dinner party after the competition, and some senior colleagues also invited me to a private gathering tomorrow, but I declined them all."

I just finished a mentally and physically exhausting performance, and all I want to do right now is rest. They asked you to come over, but I declined.

Jinli nodded and said casually, "Good for you. Unless it's for work, I don't want to attend any social events."

Xi Mengze agreed, saying, "Yes, me too. I think it's better to keep some people a mystery. Sometimes it's better not to know something than to know it, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."

Jinli's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at her with interest and asked:
"You've never expressed these kinds of feelings before. Has something happened recently?"

Xi Mengze hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have a friend."

Jinli understood: "What's bothering you?"

Xi Mengze hesitated for a moment, then emphasized, "It wasn't me, it was a friend of mine."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "A male friend of mine recently discovered that he's been reading BL (Boys' Love) comics. I'm a little worried. Is he under any kind of pressure? He's never shown any interest in this genre before."

Jinli pondered: "Are you worried that someone might intentionally approach him and try to turn him gay, or are you worried that the pressure might cause his sexual orientation to change?"

Xi Mengze: "Well, I think so."

Jinli thought for a moment and said, "If this friend is still important to you, I suggest you talk to him more often recently. Perhaps he is really facing some troubles in his life." Xi Mengze sighed and rubbed his forehead, "I just hope that nothing really happens to him. Besides, he has been quite busy with his schedule recently, and there are many people watching him. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any problems in this regard."

Jinli said, "I've been reading some books recently. Some people seem sunny and cheerful on the surface, but they actually have a lot on their minds. You can't just judge them by their appearance."

Xi Mengze sighed again, "I'll talk to him more and see if something's wrong with him. If necessary, I'll advise him to see a psychologist."

Jinli glanced at Xi Mengze, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Judging from the way she looks at her forehead, nothing bad will happen to the people around her recently. Perhaps it was just a false alarm?

But Jinli then thought that it was better to be safe than sorry, and it was good to take precautions early.

Suddenly, she thought of something and said, "If your friend's sexual orientation is really that they like men, you shouldn't show it too obviously; you should respect and understand."

Xi Mengze nodded: "Don't worry, I know that much."

She paused, her brows furrowing involuntarily, and murmured softly, "I just didn't expect this. I thought... never mind."

She wrinkled her nose and decided to give up.
-
Because of media reports, after a night of dissemination, by the next day everyone knew that Jinli was currently at "I Am a Singer" and was no longer with Chenxi Entertainment.

Some paparazzi, after much deliberation, decided to continue staking out Chenxi Entertainment.

However, some paparazzi also made a quick change of direction and headed to the city where "I Am a Singer" was being held.

Apart from Xi Mengze, no one knew Jin Li's whereabouts.

Faced with numerous inquiries, both overt and covert, Xi Mengze pretended not to know their meaning. Whenever someone asked about Jin Li or her recent schedule, she always replied:

"I don't know where to go either, I'll just go with the flow."

Xi Mengze was covering for Jinli; in reality, after their dinner party yesterday, Jinli went back to Chenxi Entertainment overnight.

On the other hand, the crew of "Dawn"

When everyone woke up, they found that the movie was being discussed even more.

After watching the show, I realized that yesterday, "I Am a Singer" premiered, and Xi Mengze sang the theme song of a movie in the first episode and won first place.

Jinli also made a surprise appearance to support her, creating a climax.

Last night, the whole internet was talking about Xi Mengze and Jin Li. Netizens joked that this was a two-way journey between teammates.

On set, the actors were also discussing Jinli.

In the morning, they learned about the film's opening day results: it grossed 7000 million yuan, topping the box office!

With such results and such a high level of discussion, how could the actors not be excited?
"It became a hit as soon as it premiered, and the word-of-mouth so far is also good. Based on this performance, it is likely to remain a top box office hit. It seems that Director Chu is really going to throw a celebration party!"

"Yeah, yeah, that explains why Jinli didn't come last night. Turns out she had something more important to do—she went to help generate buzz for the movie!"

"Xi Mengze also sang the movie theme song yesterday. I wonder if the director gave her any advertising fees."

"I really hope Jinli will be trending on social media every few days, so that the movie will never lack popularity, and more and more people will become curious and go to see it."

Xu Ting walked into the conference room and heard everyone's discussion, which revolved around Jin Li. Her smile faded considerably.

She stayed for a few minutes, then made an excuse and left.

Unfortunately, the actors, engrossed in their discussion, didn't notice her leaving at all.

Despite being the female lead in the drama, her status within the production crew was not prominent, and she was instead somewhat marginalized and awkward.

Xu Ting went to find Bai Jiang, and just then Bai Jiang's assistant opened the door, so Xu Ting walked in through the door.

The assistant paused for a moment, frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

Xu Ting had done the same thing before, but the relationship was different then. Bai Jiang and Xu Ting were still friends, but now...

The assistant deliberately raised her voice and said, "Good morning, Sister Xu Ting. Are you here to talk to Brother Bai Jiang about something? Would you like me to prepare breakfast for you too?"

Xu Ting shook her head: "No need, I've already eaten."

Bai Jiang sat on the table, put down the skincare products in his hand, looked up at the mirror, and saw Xu Ting behind him.

With no outsiders present, Xu Ting made no attempt to conceal her expression.

Impatient, anxious, and somewhat dissatisfied and speechless.

After the assistant left, Xu Ting said, "I feel that Director Chu has gone too far this time. In the past, his movies have always relied on big-budget special effects, his ability, word of mouth, and plot to become popular, but this time he is relying entirely on hype."

A film that's hyped up can rise or fall because of hype. I don't want this film to be labeled as relying on Jin Li for its success, and I want to talk to Director Chu about that.

Bai Jiang looked directly at Xu Ting in the mirror and said calmly, "The situation you described is that the movie lacks substance and can only rely on hype to boost box office revenue. Audiences who go to the cinema are all criticizing the movie for being unworthy of its reputation."

But "Dawn" has a very good reputation. It could quickly stand out and expand its advantage through hype, so why not use hype?

Xu Ting actually knew this principle, but she just didn't want to face it.

Xu Ting: "Jin Li is a supporting actress in the movie. She has never participated in any promotions, but the production team wants to use her name to carry out promotions. Don't you find that strange?"

Bai Jiang: "What's so strange about it? Although she didn't come to the crew with us, everything she did added to the popularity of 'Dawn'."

Do you think she didn't promote herself? I think she's been working very hard and doesn't need to be bound by formalities.

Xu Ting: "But we are the male and female leads..."

Bai Jiang abruptly interrupted her: "Yes, we are the male and female leads of the movie, and the audience doesn't deny that, but what does it matter if the publicity doesn't focus on us? As long as people who have seen the movie know that we are the male and female leads, that's enough."

"Xu Ting, we have to admit that we just need to rely on Jin Li to generate buzz, as long as it can help the movie's box office. Even if it's just a minor actor in the movie who becomes famous, I'm willing to let the production team use him for publicity."

“If you refuse to face this fact, your mindset will become unbalanced, and then the whole crew will know that you can’t stand all of this, and that will be bad for the movie.”

He paused, then said, "You're a professional actor. No matter how dissatisfied you are inside, you have to fake a smile."

Xu Ting remained silent for a while before saying, "I thought you would be on my side. We can clearly do more and participate in the publicity. We don't need to rely entirely on Jin Li."

Bai Jiang: "You think too highly of me as selfless. I'd rather be lazy. Jinli can generate buzz, so I don't want to do any promotions. Besides, the male and female leads of the movie are ultimately ours, aren't they?"

Xu Ting understood Bai Jiang's words, but she still felt something was wrong.

Everyone was comforting her, saying that as long as she could secure the title of the female lead, everything would be fine.

But now that the movie has been promoted, Xu Ting can't help but have some doubts: Is she really the female lead in this movie?