Chinese entertainment: Top stars started being pursued by young actresses

Chapter 159, Section 158: Chen Duling: You really are in a relationship (6K)

"Chen Duling?"

Lin Shaobai couldn't help but say.

Assistant Xiao Liu immediately snapped to attention upon hearing the name: "Oh, it's that academic star. The academic star is entering the entertainment industry."

Lin Shaobai: "Sister Duling is indeed a very good student."

"Academic superstar" has become Chen Duling's label, and people say her life is like that of a female protagonist in a novel.

She's beautiful, academically gifted, and has a good personality—in short, she's the female lead in a novel.

"Boss, I've noticed you don't usually chat with Chen Duling much."

"Yes, mainly because... we haven't been in touch for a long time."

When no one is chatting with anyone else, the chat interface naturally dies down.

Okay. Let's schedule a time.

Lin Shaobai replied.

During this period, "Go Go Squid!" became one of the dramas with a popularity rating of over 10,000 on kiwifruit.

Previously, the highest popularity of this drama on the Kiwi platform was over 9000.

The fact that this drama, "Before Rebirth," has achieved this level of popularity across three platforms—Tencent, iQiyi, and Migu—is already quite impressive.

This time, it was also broadcast on multiple platforms, but thanks to Lin Shaobai's popularity, it broke 10,000 views on the Kiwi single platform.

It became one of the most popular TV series featuring kiwifruit.

The TV series that sold over 10,000 kiwifruit in 2018 was the well-known "Story of Yanxi Palace".

Lin Shaobai has gained the most fans and benefited the most from the two dramas that have already aired.

Most passersby are watching the show and few people notice what number he is.

When Lin Shaobai signed the contract to play the male lead, he didn't have two hit dramas under his belt like he does now.

The lead actress in "Ashes of Love" is Yang Zi, who debuted as a child actress and has many representative works.

"Ashes of Love" was Lin Shaobai's debut work, and "Go Go Squid!" was his second work.

The third installment, "Qingqing's Daily Life," saw him collaborate with actresses who didn't have a built-in fan base or popularity, making him a force to be reckoned with in dramas.

The official Weibo account of "Go Go Squid!" even posted a special Weibo post to celebrate the show's popularity surpassing 10,000 views.

The comments below were flooded with messages from Lin Shaobai's fans.

Congratulations, Xiaolin! Congratulations, Go Go Squid!

Congratulations Lin Shaobai, Han Shangyan is the most handsome!

With two hit dramas under his belt, Lin Shaobai is the first person born in 1995 to achieve this.

[Lin Shaobai from "Go Go Squid!" garnered 30 million likes on a single video on Douyin and gained nearly 10 million followers in ten days, making him an undisputed top-tier internet celebrity.]

After the fans' praise, here comes the real feedback from passersby.

I absolutely love watching this drama; Lin Shaobai and Yang Zi have amazing chemistry.

[Yes, yes, yes, my Poplar Tree CP, the absolute number one CP, number one on the CP ranking!]

During its broadcast, I think everyone recognized Han Shangyan, played by Lin Shaobai, right?

My grandma, grandpa, mom, and dad watch it together every day; it's such a close-knit family!

My grandma always watched family dramas, but I never imagined that one day she would watch "Go Go Squid!" with me and become a huge fan of Lin Shaobai.

No one could dislike Lin Shaobai's portrayal of Han Shangyan. Even just a few seconds of his hand gesture dance completely captivated me.

[It's the show that's gone viral online; everyone around me is watching it!]

[Just kidding, a drama with over 300 million daily views, and it's a modern romance drama at that—who dares to say it's not a hit?]

Anyway, after watching this drama, I'm completely obsessed with Lin Shaobai. I'm his loyal fan, I'm totally hooked!

For this, Lin Shaobai and Yang Zi also received a reward from the kiwi fruit company for reaching 10,000 views.

It's a certificate and a trophy.

The certificates and trophies were decent things.

The last one, "KPI Lucky Koi, Save My Dog's Life," was really quite abstract.

[Xiaolin, our show has surpassed 10,000 views! Have you thought about how to celebrate?]

Yang Zi also sent a message to Lin Shaobai.

[How should we celebrate? Set off a grand fireworks display to celebrate our drama reaching 10,000 views? Then let the whole world know how good our drama is!]

Why are you acting so strangely all of a sudden?

[Just kidding, our official Weibo account has already celebrated.]

[I mean, why are we celebrating?! Can't you understand what I'm saying?]

So, you're suggesting we meet for a meal privately?

That's also possible.

The two acted immediately, and since Yang Zi happened to be in Hengdian as well, they quickly arranged to have hot pot together.

The two of them ate hot pot like friends the whole time, without any intimate situations like one person picking up food from their bowl and feeding the other.

The same action can be used when one person picks up a bite of cake and feeds it to another person.

Yang Zi caused such a stir, and then people called her a scheming, manipulative woman.

It caused quite a stir at the time, but the hype quickly died down over time.

At the time, paparazzi said it was a top female celebrity breaking up with her boyfriend, since feeding someone cake is a pretty intimate thing, something boyfriends and girlfriends would do.

They later admitted that it wasn't true at all.

The moment Lin Shaobai and Yang Zi arrived at the Chongqing hot pot restaurant, they were photographed by paparazzi. The paparazzi even captured the scene of the two of them eating hot pot together through the window.

The paparazzi waiting outside said that the two of them had indeed fallen in love while filming and got together, revealing a huge CP and a top star!
As long as they can be photographed together privately, it will generate buzz.

Lin Shaobai, unaware that he was being filmed, suddenly asked Yang Zi, "Sister Zi, are you still planning to film fantasy dramas? I noticed you used to really enjoy them, and you seem to really like those scenes where characters fight during downtime."

Yang Zi nodded: "Of course we should film fantasy dramas, I love them! Just imagine, being one of those celestial beings, wielding a hand and destroying the world with a flick of the wrist. How awesome! These are things we can't do in real life, but actors can. Even with special effects, at least it's exciting to watch."

She really did ascend to immortality through fantasy dramas.

She has a huge number of die-hard fans who are always arguing fiercely with Dilraba's fans.

Yang Zi also understands that there is a large market for fantasy dramas now. She doesn't know about the future, but making fantasy dramas now is bound to be a hit!
Historical romance dramas are all the rage right now, and who wouldn't want a piece of the pie?

Lin Shaobai has memories of the future, and he knows that the fantasy genre won't be as popular in the future as it was back then.

It could even be described as somewhat sluggish.

Perhaps everyone is tired of the formulaic plots used in fantasy dramas over the years.

It's nothing more than those two paths, immortals and demons, falling in love, experiencing a love tribulation, and upending the world.

You can tell what the story will end up about just by looking at the beginning.

There's no need to watch anymore; it's all about fighting, the battles between immortals and demons, sacrificing lives for the sake of heaven and earth, and so on and so forth.

In the future, it will be difficult for contemporary idol dramas to become popular.

"Anyway, I still want to act in fantasy dramas, they feel really cool. I want to play an ethereal fairy."

Yang Zi winked at Lin Shaobai: "What do you mean by your silence? You don't actually think I'm unsuitable for playing an ethereal woman, do you? Even if I'm not playing the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms, I'm still..."

Lin Shaobai: "Sister Zi, you absolutely must not play the role of the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms. You'll get a lot of flak for that kind of role."

Yang Zi's face darkened: "Xiao Lin, you're really good at talking now. Don't play the number one beauty in the Three Realms, isn't that the same as saying I'm ugly?"

"I didn't say she was ugly. Are you being too sensitive?"

"..."

Yang Zi also knew that with her looks, she definitely wouldn't rank among the top beauties in the entertainment industry.

Some people had said long ago that her face wasn't suitable for being an actress, but she still wanted to prove herself.

Yang Zi is ranked among the top here mainly because of her excellent acting skills.

It's rare to see anyone criticize her acting skills.

Marketing accounts and bloggers sometimes use clips of her acting as examples to show everyone.

"Relax, relax. I do have some self-awareness. Playing the number one beauty in the Three Realms... I'm bound to get criticized. You know, I'm already being criticized so much. Would I be so bored as to deliberately make people criticize me?"

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was a little awkward, Yang Zi took the initiative to speak.

"Yes Yes Yes."

"Speaking of which, Xiaolin, among all the actresses you know, who do you think is most suitable to play the number one beauty in the Three Realms?"

"Cough cough..."

Lin Shaobai coughed twice.

"Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"That's what I was thinking. You think I'm not suitable, so who do you think is?"

"Are you just sulking with me?"

"Who's angry with you? I was just asking."

After Yang Zi finished speaking, he gulped down the water next to him.

It's obvious he's acting out of spite.

She still couldn't accept being rejected as the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms.

Lin Shaobai thought for a moment, then said, "The most beautiful woman in the Three Realms... this..."

"Look!"

Yang Zi suddenly slammed his hand on the table and pointed at Lin Shaobai's face: "You can't even name anyone who can play the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms? After all, everyone has their own kind of beauty. I don't think there is such a thing as a beauty that is universally acknowledged and recognized by all three realms."

"Yes, you are right."

Meanwhile, the paparazzi who were secretly taking pictures in the distance looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What are they discussing? Why are they talking so intensely?"

"I don't know. Did Lin Shaobai cheat on Yang Zi and she found out?"

"how is this possible?"

"Why not? Anything is possible, and Lin Shaobai is so handsome, don't you think?"

"..."

About two hours later, Lin Shaobai and Yang Zi came out of the store together.

The paparazzi were snapping photos frantically from a distance.

Lin Shaobai and Yang Zi have become a popular on-screen couple due to their two hit dramas, and many netizens hope to see them together on screen.

Even something as simple as eating hot pot would generate a huge amount of buzz if filmed.

……

in a few days

Lin Shaobai visited Chen Duling's home during his break.

Her home was very clean and had a rare, pleasant fragrance.

Lin Shaobai: "Sister Duling."

Chen Duling said she wanted to give Lin Shaobai something, but since it was Lin Shaobai's first time visiting her home, she still had to bring something to express her gratitude.

Chen Duling stopped in her tracks when she saw Lin Shaobai's hands covered in things: "You..."

I instinctively want to say that classic line, "Look, you've already come all this way, why didn't you bring anything?"

It's understandable that I'd say something I'm tired of hearing since I was a child.

Lin Shaobai: "You think you can just come whenever you want? Why bring anything?"

Chen Duling was momentarily dazed, then smiled with relief: "Just as I thought."

"What do you mean, 'as expected'?" "I mean, 'as expected,' you and I just have a tacit understanding. You always seem to be able to guess what I'm thinking, even when I haven't said anything."

Chen Duling stood there, her eyebrows and eyes as aloof as ever, her face a delicate, pointed oval shape.

Lin Shaobai wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Chen Duling had gone abroad and had lost some weight when she came back.

Her coldness wasn't like the icy cold of polar ice; it was more like the misty, rainy cold of a small town in Jiangnan. Her temperament was cool and aloof, not icy.

This feeling is more of a sense of distance; she seems unable to maintain overly close relationships with people.

She is endearing but not weak-willed.

"As for me and Sister Duling... well, in terms of academics, Sister Duling, you scored over 600 points in the college entrance exam, while I haven't reached that level yet."

Chen Duling chuckled as she straightened her hair.

Now, whenever people mention her, they always mention that she scored over 600 points on the college entrance exam.

In the entertainment industry, this score is really quite high.

Many years ago, Chen Duling posted a Weibo post saying that she was doing secret work in a certain place, and that she could still do her scientific research even if she didn't enter the entertainment industry.

No matter which path she takes, she will shine.

"I keep bringing up that score of 600-something, but now I actually want everyone to think that my acting skills have improved."

Chen Duling came to the living room and poured Lin Shaobai a cup of tea.

Lin Shaobai put his things down and came to the opposite side of her.

"I heard you've been filming on set the whole time. You've been working on one film after another, and you're practically always on set with no time to rest. You must be really stressed. Drinking this tea will make you feel a lot better."

Chen Duling smiled gently at Lin Shaobai.

Lin Shaobai: "Mm."

Chen Duling kept staring at him, with a gentle and polite smile throughout.

"It's been a long time since we last met, Teacher Lin."

“You always call me Teacher Lin, it really sounds weird.”

Lin Shaobai put down his teacup and decided to speak his mind.

Chen Duling's fingertips gently stroked the teapot in front of her. As if thinking of something, she lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, "From the very beginning, I felt that there were many things I could learn from you. Besides, don't we all call each other 'teacher' now?"

"That's all on the surface. If you say we're friends but still call each other that in private, it sounds really distant."

"Then, what would you like to hear me call you?"

Lin Shaobai was taken aback.

When he looked at Chen Duling again, he noticed that her eyes seemed to hold a few more... unfathomable emotions.

"Yes, since we're friends, let's use a term of endearment between friends... no, it should be the special way we address each other."

Chen Duling rested her chin on her hand and slowly looked out the window.

Her skin was fair and flawless, and the contours of her profile were particularly beautiful.

Just by looking at her like this, you can see a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

"Just call me Xiaolin."

Upon hearing this address, Chen Duling pouted and couldn't help but say, "Many people call you Xiao Lin."

"Ok?"

Lin Shaobai was stunned.

"Ahem." Chen Duling coughed twice, realizing she had said something inappropriate. "What I meant was, uh, it's fine. I'll call you Xiaolin from now on. How about that?"

"Yes, please still call me Xiao Lin. It's kind of awkward to hear you call me Teacher Lin in private."

"You're really direct."

"If it's Sister Duling, then let's get straight to the point."

Lin Shaobai recalled that the two of them had worked together at the beginning...

“I bought you a lot of things this time, including tea, clothes, and a watch.” Chen Duling pointed to the gifts wrapped in a beautifully presented box next to the cabinet: “They are all my little tokens of appreciation.”

Lin Shaobai: "Oh, thank you."

Chen Duling: "Actually, I already admired you a lot when I watched your show back in 2017. At that time, I thought you were a very talented singer, but I never expected that you would have two hit dramas now. I think you have achieved what you said back then: that you wanted to develop in both singing and acting."

Lin Shaobai: "Where's Sister Duling?"

"I..." Chen Duling sighed as she talked about herself: "I went abroad to study because I felt that my acting skills were really bad. But because my previous films and TV shows were such a disaster, no one... no one asked me to act anymore."

If an actor makes too many bad dramas, investors will be very cautious about casting them next time.

You're such an unlucky guy, everything you act in flops. If I drag you into a flop, why should I give you a leading role again?

Chen Duling's acting skills have been criticized for many years, and she is aware of this, so she has been working hard to resolve the issue.

Lin Shaobai took another sip of tea.

"Xiaolin, from your perspective, do you think I have any talent for acting? Tell me the truth."

"Have."

Lin Shaobai answered Chen Duling without even a moment's thought.

Chen Duling exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

"Yes. Think about it, if you're quick-witted, you can handle any industry with ease. Think about why those who studied medicine became famous after switching careers?"

Chen Duling lowered her eyes and thought for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what was going on.

"You just need an opportunity."

"Need an opportunity?"

"Yes. You need a truly suitable opportunity. If you feel that your acting skills are good enough now, then you need a role that will bring you into the public eye and that, many years later, people will still remember the role you played."

Lin Shaobai spoke to Chen Duling very patiently.

Chen Duling felt much happier after listening to Lin Shaobai's words.

"By the way, Kobayashi, you can play the piano, right?"

"Ok?"

How did our conversation suddenly turn to playing the piano?

Wearing a white dress, Chen Duling quickly arrived at the piano.

Her fair and slender fingers danced across the piano keys like elegant swans lightly touching the surface of a lake, each touch incredibly gentle.

Chen Duling possesses another kind of charm when she sits in front of the piano.

This was the first time Lin Shaobai had ever seen Chen Duling play the piano.

I heard that she studied art since she was a child, but later switched to science due to various reasons.

It had started raining outside sometime earlier, and raindrops were slowly sliding down the window.

The streets were deserted on this rainy day; I walked forward through the drizzle.

As the music's tempo gradually quickened, Chen Duling's movements became rapid yet precise.

Lin Shaobai recognized the piece she was playing; it was a piece that instantly calmed people down.

At this moment, Xiao Lin rested his head on his hand, leaning back on the sofa and quietly appreciating Chen Duling playing the piano for him.

Elegant and aloof yet dignified and gentle, kind-hearted yet possessing an indomitable spirit—this is Lin Shaobai's assessment of Chen Duling.

In fact, all the young actresses he knows have a tenacious spirit that refuses to give up.

Zhou Ye has it, Tian Xi has it slightly, and Zhang Jingyi's is even more obvious.

It seems that only Wang Churan is slightly better.

She's somewhat inclined towards a Buddhist-like attitude, but not entirely so.

Theoretically speaking, this is actually more tiring...

I can't lie completely flat, and I can't curl up.

After Chen Duling finished playing the piano piece, she turned around and looked at Lin Shaobai. She was delighted to find him listening intently with his eyes closed.

"Xiao Lin."

Chen Duling looked at Lin Shaobai, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Ok?"

Lin Shaobai, still resting his head on his hand, spoke lazily.

I feel like rain makes people lazy, and all I want to do is stay home and sleep.

"What do you think of my playing?"

"That's great, I think it's good. You don't seem to play the piano outside much, do you? To show off your talent to others?"

"Yes, I don't really like it, but I'd like to play it for you at home now. If you'd like, could you play it with me?"

"..."

"Uh, sorry, if you don't want to, that's fine. I didn't mean to force you."

"It's nothing. What's the big deal?"

Lin Shaobai flipped over and jumped off the sofa, landing next to Chen Duling.

"I'm glad you don't mind." Lin Shaobai said, sitting in front of the piano.

Chen Duling lowered her head shyly and said, "How could I mind being with someone as outstanding as you?"

"What did you say?"

"Oh no. I mean, playing the piano with you."

Chen Duling quickly tried to cover up her earlier words, her voice still as clear and pure as a spring.

The two successfully played a duet.

During the performance, Chen Duling became even more convinced of what she had said before.

She and Lin Shaobai had an unspoken understanding.
I really enjoy being with Lin Shaobai; the atmosphere always feels especially comfortable.

The most important thing in interpersonal relationships is comfort.

If you don't get along, there's really no need to continue the friendship!

"By the way, Kobayashi, have you ever thought about releasing another song?"

"Of course, although I am an actor, I also release songs I write in my spare time."

"I've always enjoyed listening to you sing, and I really like all the songs you write."

Chen Duling withdrew her hand, still sitting upright with an elegant and dignified posture.

"Hmm... a cell phone?"

She opened her phone after it rang and was surprised to see that Lin Shaobai was trending on social media.

#Lin Shaobai Yangzi at Night#
The seven large characters instantly caught her attention.

I don't know which media outlet wrote it that way.

To be honest, this term has generated a lot of discussion!
A normal person who clicks on it would want to go in and see what's going on.

What exactly happened between these two at night that made it to the top of the trending searches?

Although Chen Duling was very curious, she didn't click on it immediately.
She subconsciously looked at the protagonist of the trending topic, Lin Shaobai.

Lin Shaobai said, annoyed, "What's wrong? The way you're looking at me is weird."

"You, you and..."

"What do you mean, 'me' and?"

Lin Shaobai noticed that Chen Duling's strange expression was due to looking at her phone, so he immediately opened his phone and checked the trending topics. Sure enough!

Sure enough, he was trending at number one!
"Sigh, you and Yang Zi... you actually got together..."

(End of this chapter)