Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 241 The Unforgettable Sibling Couple
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Since she was going to join a film crew, Gu Qing simply booked her flight to Hengdian, too lazy to go back to the company. She decided to go there in advance to prepare for the role.

Before boarding the plane,
He sent a message to Boss Cai to confirm the itinerary, and then opened the revised script of "The Imperial Doctress" to familiarize himself with it again during the trip.

Before this,

This drama features two male leads and one female lead, following the classic female-oriented historical romance drama formula:
Zhu Qizhen (played by Huo Jianhua): Young and arrogant, domineering and ruthless, a typical domineering CEO in the making.

Zhu Qiyu (played by Gu Qing): A devoted, loyal, and gentle second male lead.

Tan Yunxian (played by Liu Shishi): Gentle, delicate, virtuous and kind.

Despite being called a "strong female lead"—in the early stages she uses her medical skills to do good deeds, save lives, and benefit the people—the core plot still heavily relies on various "chance encounters" with the two male leads.

This was also a common problem with male-oriented dramas during this period.

All the plot developments are inseparable from the romantic storylines.

As for the logic of "The Imperial Doctress"... there's no need to delve into it further.

What kind of good person would "bump into" two future emperors every day in broad daylight right at their doorstep? And in turns?
Gu Qing forced herself to ignore these plot holes and flaws.

For historical romance dramas, the focus is on the atmosphere and characters; delving into the details is just self-torture.

He was more concerned about the character of Zhu Qiyu, whom he was playing.

Huo Jianhua's portrayal of Zhu Qizhen basically restores the historical characteristics: rebellious in his youth, stubborn and self-willed, highlighting his incompetence, and after returning from studying abroad (being captured), he is also made more cunning and scheming.

As for Gu Qing's Zhu Qiyu?

Boss Cai was practically a "groveling" customer serviceman. In order to satisfy Gu Qing, he waved his hand and told the screenwriter to change the script according to his ideas!

This made Gu Qing a little embarrassed to ask for too much. He only made two core requirements: "Be bold in love and hate, and have a layered and varied personality. Don't just be gentle and infatuated all the time."

Gu Qing knew that "good people" were often harder to portray than "bad people" in film and television dramas.

Good people are easily portrayed as a one-dimensional character—gentle to the end and unwavering in their devotion, especially in long TV dramas, where viewers easily become aesthetically fatigued after watching too many of them.

In contrast, the characters of "bad guys" often have underlying causes, undergo transformations, and struggles, giving actors more room to develop their characters and making it easier for them to shine.

The most typical example is Mr. Zhang's "The Storm".
The villain "Gao Qiqiang" has become a viral sensation online, generating a huge amount of discussion, and even the supporting villains have gained considerable popularity.
Zhang Yi, who played the absolutely positive character "An Xin," received mixed reviews, and her acting skills were even ridiculed.

After receiving Gu Qing's "simple" request, screenwriter Zhang Wei stared blankly at Gu Qing's handsome yet somewhat aloof face in the video for a long time.
My creative passion was instantly ignited!

With a wave of her hand, she forcefully changed Zhu Qiyu's script to be "darkened"!

From a gentle and affectionate innocent girl in the early stages, devoted to Yunxian; to becoming aware of the subtle connection between Zhu Qizhen and Yunxian in the middle stages,

Coupled with the immense pressure and suspicion brought about by his sudden ascension to the throne, his personality began to twist; in the later stages, he completely descended into madness and darkness.

He became extremely sensitive and suspicious, viewing everyone around him as a potential threat, turning into a complete yandere emperor.

"this…"

Gu Qing quickly skimmed through the revised character biographies and key plot points, his expression indescribable.

You think this premise is good? It's essentially still stuck in the popular "domineering CEO" trope.

You think that's not good?
A young emperor caught in the vortex of power and with an unstable foundation is bound to be sensitive and suspicious.

Throughout history, emperors who never lacked a sense of security either ended up "studying abroad," or were "captured in the north by two emperors," or, like Guang Shen, were simply strangled to death.

Moreover, the screenwriter exceeded expectations by fulfilling the requirements set by the screenwriter—the characters should be bold in love and hate, and have nuanced personalities. The screenwriter accurately hit the current audience's preferences for "beautiful, strong, and tragic" and "crazy beauties."

"This screenwriter... is truly a talent."

Gu Qing shook his head and chuckled, closed the script, pulled down his blindfold, and sank into a brief rest amidst the roar of the engine.

The plane landed smoothly at Hengdian Airport.

As soon as Gu Qing stepped out of the passage, she sensed the elaborate setup arranged by Boss Cai. The airport scene wasn't particularly crowded, but it was enough to generate buzz, with fans mixed in with several entertainment media outlets carrying their "long lenses," their flashes immediately going off in a flurry.
The goal was clear—it was all to generate buzz for his second collaboration with Liu Shishi in "The Imperial Doctress".

"Gu Qing! Look this way!"

"Gu Qing, over here!"

Reporters quickly swarmed around him, vying to hand him microphones.

"Gu Qing, this is your second collaboration with Shi Shijie after 'Brotherhood of Blades,' and you're playing the male and female leads this time. Do you have any special feelings to share?" A familiar entertainment media reporter asked the usual question.

Gu Qing skillfully removed her sunglasses, revealing an impeccable professional smile, and responded appropriately: "Of course I'm very happy. It's a very pleasant thing to be able to work with Senior Sister Shi again."

This time we will work even harder, hoping to bring the audience a work they can look forward to.

"Can you reveal the specific genre of the new drama? Is it a period drama?" another reporter pressed.

"Yes, it's a period drama."

Gu Qing nodded, maintaining just the right amount of mystery, "Specific details will remain confidential for now, but I can tell you that the setting is the Ming Dynasty."

The atmosphere was relatively harmonious, and the problems were all within expectations. Surrounded by her assistant and staff, Gu Qing answered briefly as she steadily walked towards the vehicle arranged outside the airport.

however,
Just when he thought the interview was about to end smoothly, a slightly shrill female voice suddenly rang out from behind him, the question like a pebble thrown into calm water:

"Gu Qing, have you been following the broadcast of the drama 'Love Yunge from the Desert' lately? What are your thoughts on it?"

This question came out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the current publicity for "The Imperial Doctress".

Gu Qing abruptly stopped, her professional smile freezing for a moment, a genuine look of bewilderment flashing across her eyes.

He instinctively turned his head to look for the questioner—a female reporter, her face flushed with excitement, was staring intently at him from the edge of the crowd, her microphone held high.

The air seemed to freeze for half a second.

Just as Gu Qing's mind was racing, pondering the purpose of this abrupt question and how to respond safely,
His assistant, Zhao Ya, reacted with lightning speed, just like a mother leopard protecting her cubs!
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, everyone from the media!"

Zhao Ya swiftly stepped between Gu Qing and the female reporter, her voice loud and urgent, "We have an important schedule to attend to, and time is very tight!"
Thank you all for your enthusiasm. We will answer your questions in detail at the next press conference! Thank you! Excuse me, could you please move aside?

While making polite remarks, she subtly separated the camera and microphone with her body, and gestured to the other staff to clear a path with her eyes.

The group practically "carried" Gu Qing, who was still somewhat dazed, and broke through the encirclement at top speed, quickly getting into the waiting van.

The car door slammed shut, shutting out the noise and flashing lights from outside.

Gu Qing leaned back in her chair, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at Zhao Ya beside her, whose face was tense and who seemed shaken: "What happened with that question about 'Song in the Clouds'?"

Zhao Ya patted her chest, looking like she had just escaped a disaster: "Oh my boss, that scared me to death! That reporter definitely had bad intentions!"

She leaned closer to Gu Qing, lowered her voice, and said nervously, "The Legend of Yunxi is a drama starring Yang Ying. It just started airing recently and has quite high ratings."

She suddenly asked you this question during the promotional period for "The Imperial Doctress," clearly setting a trap for you, boss!

"If you, boss, answer her question and comment on whether the show is good or bad, or even just mention Yang Ying's name, those gossip media outlets will immediately write..."

Press releases like "Gu Qing responds to Yang Ying from the airport," "Sibling CP attracts attention again," and "Gu Qing avoids talking about Yang Ying's new drama, suspected of having a hidden story" are rampant!

Isn't this just trying to ruin your and your senior sister's new drama and cause trouble for Boss Cai?!

After listening, Gu Qing leaned back in her chair, rubbed her temples, and said helplessly, "But I don't understand, isn't this a reporter that Boss Cai invited? Why is she asking this?"

"Uh... I don't know either."

Zhao Ya was also stunned.

Could it be that they've gone mad from shipping couples?

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(P.S.: I need to grab a bite to eat first.)
(End of this chapter)