Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 258 The publicity event dug a hole

……

……

On the way to the press conference,

Naza rubbed her eyes, which had obvious dark circles, and said in a lazy yet curious voice, turning her head to look at Gu Qing: "Little brother, where did you go last night? You disappeared after recording the song, making me wait..."

She yawned slightly, "You're not as energetic as I am."

Gu Qing leaned against the cold car window, watching the congested traffic outside stop and start, making him frown slightly, feeling a bit carsick: "Brother Ruoyun insisted on taking me fishing."

"Huh? Fishing?"

Naza's previously listless spirits were instantly ignited, her eyes lit up, and she unconsciously leaned forward slightly, asking with great interest, "Was it fun? Did you catch anything?"

"It's alright," Gu Qing said with his eyes closed, his voice flat as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "It's just that the fish in the pond bite too often; it's not challenging enough." He paused.

He added, "Artificially raised ones are pointless."

Fortunately, Zhang Ruoyun was in another car and didn't hear this, otherwise, given his nerves which had been stimulated by the "Air Force," he would have turned around on the spot and dragged Gu Qing to fight all night.

The two chatted idly for a while until the car finally approached the venue for the promotional event.

Outside the venue,
The red carpet laid out by Mr. Cai was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight, and the cars of the artists slowly drove in one after another.

As the male and female leads of the series, Gu Qing and Gulnazar naturally made their grand entrance last.

Thanks to Gu Qing's current soaring popularity, and the unexpected wave of "CP fans" he and Gulnazar gained after the broadcast of "Up Idol", his momentum is quite significant.

There's no need to be surprised.

Fans don't need logic to support their idols; a snapshot, a shot, or an expression can suddenly make them fall in love.

Otherwise, in the next few years, every time a historical romance drama is released, the male and female leads won't be arranged to appear on variety shows to openly promote their on-screen couple status and attract a large wave of on-screen couple traffic.

To get good ratings for the show, the two of them need to hype it up even more.

If the show's ratings are poor, the two who were just as loving as a couple will start tearing each other apart and shifting blame.

……

The number of media present far exceeded expectations, comparable to a small to medium-sized red carpet event.

A large crowd gathered, with cameras and microphones ready to go, and the air was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Looking out the car window at the scene, which far surpassed the scale of the "The Journey of Flower" era, Gu Qing felt a surge of surprise.

He did underestimate the value of his current online presence.

Although he is one of the "Four Top Celebrities," he is the youngest of them all, only twenty years old, which is five or six years younger than the others.

This means that he still has at least ten more years of his golden peak as an idol!
Its potential commercial value has long been estimated by the industry, and may even exceed the combined value of Wu and Lu.

After all, five years later, those two top stars would be over thirty, and without solid works to support them, their popularity would inevitably decline. Gu Qing, on the other hand, was only twenty-five years old at that time, which is the age when many artists are just beginning to show their talents.

This astonishing and predictable monetization potential has attracted almost all powerful companies, including the three major platforms.

They are all secretly gathering their strength, waiting for the moment his contract expires to unleash a talent war that could shake up the landscape of the Chinese entertainment industry.

"Next, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the male and female leads of this drama—Gu Qing, who plays the male lead Liu Changyan, and Nazha, who plays the female lead Hengniang!" Host Zhu Zhen's voice rang out loudly through the microphone.

The car door opened, and the flashes of light instantly created a blinding sea of ​​light; screams nearly lifted the roof off the building.
"Ahhh! Gu Qing, look here!"

"younger brother--!"

Almost 99% of the cameras and eyes were fixed on Gu Qing.

There were still two or three reporters around Nazha trying to ask questions, most of which were meant to trap her, revolving around "relationship" or "whether she was attracted to someone on or off screen".

Meanwhile, actresses like Chen Yao and Jin Cheng, as well as male leads like Zhang Ruoyun and Wang Kai, appeared somewhat deserted and ignored.

The harsh realities of the entertainment industry are laid bare at this moment; whether you feel envy or jealousy, you can only silently endure it.

Chen Yao didn't feel embarrassed at all. Her gaze kept drifting to Gu Qing, who was surrounded by reporters, and her eyes were filled with undisguised admiration.

I just felt that my idol was under the spotlight, and it was impossible not to look at him.

"Dear friends from the media! Please ask your questions one by one, please be patient, okay?"

Zhu Zhen tried her best to control the situation, her forehead slightly sweaty. "And even if you've asked so many questions, you have to give us space to answer them at length! How about this, this reporter goes first."

He tagged a reporter from the blog (Big Eyes). The reporter, unable to hide his excitement, asked, "Hello, Gu Qing! I'm a reporter from the blog. I'd like to ask you, what are your thoughts on Lu Han's performance in the first episode of 'Running Man'?"

Some online comments say that his premiere ratings were far lower than when you were on the show. Does this mean you are more important on Running Man?

The first question was so pointed, directly addressing the delicate relationship between the two top celebrities.

This was also the question that all the reporters present were eager to hear.

"Excuse me, reporter," Zhu Zhen quickly smoothed things over, "This is the press conference for 'Legend of Nine Tails Fox'..."

Gu Qing raised his hand and gently gestured to Zhu Zhen to reassure him, his face still bearing that gentle and handsome smile.
Speaking into the microphone, her voice was clear and steady: "So many media friends have come today, I'm sure you all want to ask some questions that you care about."

If I don't answer any of them, I'm afraid you'll all be disappointed.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the breathless reporters in the room. "Well then, I will answer that question."

But for all subsequent questions, I hope they will focus on our drama, *Legend of Nine Tails Fox*, is that alright?

Amidst the reporters' suddenly heavy breathing and expectant gazes, Gu Qing remained calm and composed:
"First of all, the success of 'Running Man' is the result of the joint efforts of all seven members of the 'Running Man' family, and each of them is very important."

There's no need to overemphasize my personal role. I believe that even without me, it would still be one of the best variety shows in China.

His tone was calm, without a trace of anger, "Secondly, Brother Lu is my senior."

I watched his first episode. He was probably a little nervous because he had just joined and wasn't able to fully relax.

"Brother Chao and the others are all very friendly and easy-going seniors. I believe they will cooperate better and better in the upcoming episodes, and their relationship will become more and more harmonious."

A series of impeccable remarks that neither offended anyone nor allowed for further investigation.

The reporters could not hide their disappointment.

They want a sensational story!
Even if Gu Qing were insane, she wouldn't resort to sarcasm or ridicule.

Although there were frictions between him and Lu Han, they didn't reach the level of a blood feud like Li Yifeng's.

Superficial efforts are necessary.

"Young man, what do you think about the trending topic of you and Yang Ying as a 'sibling couple'? There are rumors online that you two are in contact in private, is that true?" Another reporter pressed on, unwilling to give up.

Gu Qing simply smiled and shook her head, her eyes gentle yet carrying an undeniable rejection, clearly indicating she had no intention of responding.

Until the question finally turned to "Legend of Nine Tails Fox":
"Gu Qing, what do you think of Nazha's performance in the drama?"

"Nazha is a very beautiful and energetic actress," Gu Qing said politely.

"You two play a couple in the drama. Did you ever have any real feelings for each other while filming?"

Gu Qing chuckled, with a hint of teasing: "If I said I wasn't moved at all, wouldn't that mean our drama was a complete failure?"

"And what about off-screen?" the reporter pressed.

Gu Qing blinked and smiled, "It's a secret."

The same question was posed to Nazha:
"When filming, of course I was very attracted to my 'husband'!" Nazha answered as frankly and directly as ever.

"What about off-screen? How does that relate to Gu Qing herself?"

Naza blurted out almost without thinking, her smile bright and charming: "Of course I'm tempted too!"

He's so outstanding and has such a great personality, I think any girl would like him, right?

After speaking, she subconsciously tilted her head, her bright eyes looking at Gu Qing beside her.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing turned his head slightly to look at Nazha, his smile revealing a hint of helplessness.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air, and their smiles at each other were captured precisely by countless cameras.

The sound of camera shutters went off instantly, and the reporters' fingers were practically sparking as they pressed the camera buttons.

After more than two hours of work, the press conference came to an end.

Gu Qing declined Cai Boss and Nazha's invitation to stay at the dinner, as well as Zhang Ruoyun's unwilling attempt to "start another round".

After the press conference, they took a car to the airport to return to the film crew in Hengdian.

……

……

(ps: There's more)
(End of this chapter)