Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 288 The Pressure on a Top-Tier Actress (5.3k views)
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Before the host could finish speaking, the angry fans could no longer contain themselves, bombarding Alec Su with a barrage of sharp and sarcastic questions:

"Director Su! Why did you have to arrange such a melodramatic plot?! What did Xu Yi do wrong to deserve all this?!"

"That's right! He was a top student with excellent grades and conduct, but Li Bala ruined his academic career and caused him to fall into depravity! It's not fair! It's so unfair!"

"We can barely accept that Li Bala is dead, but why should Zhang Yang, the instigator, be cleared of wrongdoing and have a good ending?! Does he deserve it?!"

"Director! Did Li Er and Zhang Yang really end up together?"
Was her feeling for Xu Yi really just a cold, hard "redemption"?

Before the host could take control, the emotions of the movie fans in the audience were like a powder keg that had been lit, with wave after wave of shouts.

Su Youpeng stood on the stage, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The once "Good Boy Tiger" looked particularly disheveled at this moment.

He smiled bitterly to himself.
The good news is that this film's "youthful pain" effect is off the charts;
The bad news is that it was pulled too far, and the audience is about to riot from being "hurt"!
Thankfully, today's moviegoers are generally more rational; if it were moviegoers from the past, they would have already started a real-life fight.

Su Youpeng could only bite the bullet and try to explain by downplaying the main issue:

"Xu Yi...this character is truly heartbreaking, and I felt deeply pained by his experiences during filming..."

"Li Er's feelings for Xu Yi are definitely more than just redemption; that hazy and beautiful affection that originated from their student days is real!"

"That dodge... um... maybe the girl was just too shy in that atmosphere? An instinctive reaction?"

"They're not together! They're absolutely not together!"

Feeling the countless angry gazes from below the stage that seemed to pierce through him, Su Youpeng felt a chill run down his spine and decisively chose to drastically alter the original ending: "It was just a loving gaze between two friends... uh... yes! It was pure friendship!"

He spoke rapidly, as if afraid that if he hesitated even for a second, he would be devoured by the angry fans. After finishing, he immediately shoved the microphone into Gu Qing's hands, as if it were a hot potato.
His eyes were filled with a cry for help: Quick!! Calm your fans! We're counting on you!

Gu Qing took the microphone, but before she could speak, the fans below the stage, who had just been indignant, saw their idol's face and thought of the scene in the movie where the sunny young man Xu Yi gradually walked into the abyss and finally left in despair.

A wave of heartache and lingering effects washed over me instantly.

The questioning was immediately replaced by a wave of heartfelt concern:

"Little brother! Your portrayal of Xu Yi was so tragic! Waaaaah..."

"Why do you always take on these heartbreaking roles? They make our hearts ache!"

"We want to see you and the female lead have a sweet romance! Please don't make it so angsty!"

"Little brother, your next drama... it won't be even more heart-wrenching, will it? Promise us you'll take on a sweet drama!"

Faced with the fans' loving concern, Gu Qing's face showed a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.

The image of Zhu Qiyu, the character he played in "The Imperial Doctress," flashed through his mind instantly, along with that equally unsatisfactory ending... It seems that when that drama airs, he'll have to endure another round of "torture."

"cough…"

He cleared his throat and looked at the audience with a reassuring smile, "I...I'll try my best! Next time I take a script, I'll definitely keep my eyes open and try...try my best to choose one that's not too angsty!"

The next segment was a fan service prepared by the production team—a mini-game and a raffle for autographed photos.

Lady Luck seems to be on Xiao Juan's side, as she was chosen to go on stage for an interactive session!

The host asked with a smile, "Does this lucky fan have anything to say to the creators?"

Xiao Juan gripped the microphone, her heart pounding, but she still mustered her courage and looked intently at Gu Qing: "I'm a fan of yours! Lately... I especially love the 'Qingling CP'!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the theater, giving her a little self-promotion.

"'Qingling CP'?" Gu Qing was slightly taken aback, subconsciously repeating it in a low voice, looking at Xiao Juan with a hint of doubt, "Wasn't it called 'Yanling CP'? Why was the name changed?"

His words were purely a subconscious reaction.

However, this statement is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!

“Ahhhhhh——!!!”

The female fans in the audience erupted in deafening screams! The younger brother actually knows about the "Word Spirit CP"?! Has he watched those edited videos?!

Xiao Juan felt a surge of excitement rush to her head, and she was so happy that she almost fainted!

My younger brother knows about the "Word Spirit CP"? Has he watched my videos?!
Overwhelmed with joy, she almost lost her balance; the happiness of shipping this couple reached its peak!
She quickly pointed to Chen Duling, who was standing quietly beside her, and said, "Little brother! 'Qingling CP' is you and Xiao Erduo! It's all the rage online now!"

Chen Duling, suddenly called out, opened her mouth slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering rapidly like startled butterfly wings: "Me? With Xu Yi? We... have a couple name now?"

The voice was barely audible, carrying a hint of confusion and helplessness.

"Don't Xu Yi and I have one?" Ma Sichun couldn't help but interject, her tone sour and slightly resentful.

"Uh……"

Looking at the "villain" in the movie, Xiao Juan shook her head honestly, "Based on your performance in the movie... you'll probably gain a lot of 'haters'..."

"Pfft-hahaha!"

A huge burst of laughter erupted from the audience, and the previous atmosphere of anger and frustration was greatly relieved by this sudden humor. Su Youpeng also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The post-screening Q&A session finally ended, and the crew rushed off to the next city.

In the temporary lounge provided by the cinema, everyone took a quick breather.

"Xu Yi, where's your assistant?" Ma Sichun looked around but didn't see Zhao Ya.

"I'm going to pick up the tickets." Gu Qing leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest.

"Get tickets? What tickets?" Ma Sichun asked curiously as he leaned closer.

"I Belonged to You." Gu Qing opened her eyes. "I have to buy a ticket to support Brother Chao's movie."

"Oh! Supporting the rival's box office, huh?" Ma Sichun deliberately dragged out the words. "Aren't you afraid the director will get jealous?"

Gu Qing smiled and said confidently, "Don't worry, Brother Chao is probably watching our 'Left Ear' in some theater right now."

He knows Deng Chao too well.

Although the two films were released in the same period, they were very different in subject matter. In addition, the two had a close relationship, and Gu Qing even personally composed the theme song for "The Whole World".
The two sides even used each other's publicity to promote their brotherhood, so there was no malicious competition at all.

"It's too dangerous for you to go alone!" Ma Sichun's eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea. She even dragged Chen Duling into the conversation as a "hostage." "How about two more tickets? Xiao Erduo and I will go with you! It'll be more fun and safer with more people!"

Gu Qing looked her up and down suspiciously: "What kind of wicked idea are you up to now?"

"What kind of wicked ideas could I possibly have!" Ma Sichun pouted, feigning grievance. "With Little Ear watching over us, I can't do anything bad even if I wanted to!"

“Uh…blah,” Chen Duling, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up in a low voice, with a hint of revealing something, “When you did something ‘bad’ last time…I was actually there too.”

Ma Sichun's face flushed bright red, like a boiled shrimp. She pounced over and pinched Chen Duling's cheeks: "Good little ears!"

"You dare talk back to me? You've been secretly up to some pretty bad things, haven't you? I know everything!"

"I..." Chen Duling panicked instantly, her clear eyes widened, and even her snow-white neck turned a thin layer of pink. "How did you know? Who told you?"

"Hmm,"

Ma Sichun shook her head smugly and tapped Chen Duling's forehead with her finger. "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place~ Xu Yi, hurry up and buy the tickets!"

"I'm not buying." Gu Qing refused decisively. "If you two want to watch, go see the next show yourselves. It would be best... not the same show as mine."

He didn't want to leave two third wheels around.

"Xu Yi! Those words are so hurtful!"

Ma Sichun's eyes widened, his face full of hurt. "What do you mean by 'don't play in the same game as you'?!"

Chen Duling looked at Gu Qing in confusion; this wasn't like what he usually said.

Just then, the door of the lounge was pushed open.

"Boss, the tickets are here!" Zhao Ya walked in with a smile, stepping aside to let her pass. "And look who's here?"

A figure followed them in: a gray-black baseball cap pulled low, a neat ponytail, wearing a simple white women's sweatshirt and black pants, and a large face mask.

She raised her hand and deftly removed her mask.

A signature sweet, round face appeared before everyone, with a bright smile—it was none other than the most sought-after leading actress, 'Sister Zhao'.

"Sister Liying? Why are you here so early?" A hint of surprise flashed in Gu Qing's eyes, which then turned into delight as she stood up.

"Hehe, little brother, are you surprised?"

Zhao Liying took two quick steps, jumped up, and threw herself into Gu Qing's arms, giving him a firm hug. Her tone was slightly coquettish as she asked, "I just finished my schedule and rushed over here. I'm not late, am I?"

"I wasn't late, the timing was perfect." Gu Qing smiled and shook her head.

After greeting Gu Qing,
Zhao Liying seemed to only then notice the two stunned girls beside her. A friendly smile graced her face as her gaze shifted between Ma Sichun and Chen Duling.

An aura befitting a top-tier celebrity subtly emanated from her, and even with a sweet smile, she carried an invisible pressure: "You two... are the female leads in my brother's movie this time, right?"

"Uh... I'm not! She is!"

Ma Sichun immediately backed down, instinctively taking a half-step back and quickly pushing Chen Duling forward.

Pushed to the "front lines," Chen Duling froze, feeling like a primary school student being called on by the teacher. Her face instantly turned red, and she stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

A strange sense of guilt made her want to disappear into the ground.

"Alright, stop fooling around." Gu Qing helplessly reached out and gently took off the familiar baseball cap from Zhao Liying's head, then casually put it on his own head. "Look how scared you've made them."

"I didn't scare them!" Zhao Liying protested innocently, reaching out to snatch the hat from Gu Qing's head. "Am I scary? Besides, this is my hat!"

"I bought it for you, okay?"

"Once you gave it to me, it's mine! Give it back!"

The two chatted back and forth, oblivious to everyone else, as they playfully snatched the hat from each other, their actions intimate and natural.

Seeing this playful scene, Ma Sichun instantly understood the meaning of Gu Qing's words, "Don't be in the same place as me."

She felt a mix of emotions, with an awkward feeling of being a super-high-wattage light bulb.

"Ahem... Ms. Liying, Xu Yi, you two continue your conversation, we'll be leaving now."

She forced a smile, pulled up the still-frozen Chen Duling, and practically fled.

After everyone else had left, only the two of them remained in the lounge.

"teacher?"

Zhao Liying frowned slightly, her delicate brows furrowing, and muttered somewhat unhappily, "Little brother, do I look old?"

She doesn't usually care much about her age and focuses on her work.

But as her relationship with Gu Qing grew closer, a subtle, almost imperceptible sensitivity would occasionally creep into her mind regarding the "age difference."

Gu Qing waved the movie ticket in her hand, "Little Liying, the bell is about to ring for class, you'll be late if you don't leave now."

"Okay, Teacher Gu~" Zhao Liying immediately smiled, put her mask back on, and naturally took Gu Qing's hand, their fingers intertwined. "Let's go."

The two walked hand in hand out of the lounge and headed to the adjacent theater showing "I Belonged to You".

They didn't deliberately hide; in fact, they were quite self-assured. With the popularity of the hit drama "The Mystic Nine" as their "official pairing" and the support of their brotherhood in supporting Deng Chao's films, the more open and honest they were, the less likely they were to attract controversy.

……

Inside the theater showing "I Belonged to You" on the 16th, Xiao Juan felt like she had been kissed by Lady Luck!
She stared in disbelief as the familiar young man in the hoodie, holding the hand of a girl also dressed in a casual hoodie and with a ponytail, sat down right behind her once again!
But this time, the female companion... is someone else?!
"Hello, we meet again." Gu Qing clearly recognized the girl with round-framed glasses. Even through her mask, his smile was palpable. He waved to Xiao Juan. "What a coincidence? You're here to support Brother Chao too?"

"No...no, it's not my younger brother!"

Xiao Juan was so excited she was incoherent, her mind completely blank. "I...I came to hear the song you wrote! I came especially for you!"

She felt her voice trembling.

Facing the curious gaze from Zhao Liying beside her, Gu Qing slightly turned her head and whispered a few words of explanation.

After hearing this, Sister Zhao's bright eyes above her mask curved into crescents, clearly finding this wonderful coincidence interesting as well.

"hello."

She also took off her mask, flashed Xiao Juan her signature sweet smile, and waved warmly, "Thank you for supporting the song written by our Second Master!"

"Zhao...Zhao Liying? Girl?!?"

"Oh my God!!!"

"Am I...dreaming?!"

Xiao Juan's pupils dilated instantly!
The overwhelming surprise almost made her scream.

The two main characters of the couple she edited—Gu Qing and Zhao Liying—actually appeared right in front of her!
I even greeted her!
Happiness came too suddenly, didn't it?
The movie started playing, but Xiao Juan's mind had already flown to the ends of the earth.

The plot was boring to her; she was completely absorbed in the back row.

She strained to straighten her back, her ears perked up like radar, trying to catch any faint sound behind her.

"The movie was so boring..."

Zhao Liying was clearly losing interest as well. She took out her phone, typed quickly, and then quietly showed the screen to Gu Qing, leaning her head on his shoulder as she did so. "When exactly is your song coming out?"

Gu Qing took the phone, about to type a reply, but her eyes were drawn to her own contact name on the screen:

"After Sha Qianmo was reborn as Er Yuehong, he was completely infatuated with me."

Gu Qing couldn't help but chuckle, his shoulders trembling slightly. He raised his hand and lightly tapped Zhao Liying's forehead, then tapped the screen with his finger: "Could your nickname... be any more cringeworthy?!"

"Hehe..." Zhao Liying shrank her neck shyly, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Gu Qing typed a reply on his phone to her question about when the song appeared, and couldn't help but tease her: "If we collaborate on a few more dramas later, your nickname might not be long enough."

"Don't be afraid!"

Zhao Liying took back her phone and typed a reply quickly, her eyes gleaming mischievously, "There's always a way! I'll have a brilliant plan!"

The two were having a great time chatting on their phones when a huge noise suddenly erupted in the theater!

"Swallow! How can I live without you! Swallow!!!"

The film reached its only emotional climax—Yue Yunpeng's character, Pighead, hysterically chased after a departing taxi in the rain. At that very moment, the background music surged into the theater like a tidal wave!
Gu Qing's song is finally here!

"How I wish there were someone like you, but dusk and dawn cannot recognize each other..."

Gu Qingqing's clear and crisp voice, tinged with a hint of sadness, instantly captivated everyone's ears.

Unlike the original singer's perhaps more melancholic interpretation, Gu Qing's version is clearer and purer, conveying a particularly poignant sense of regret and reluctance.

Just as top symphony orchestras sometimes choose children's choirs to sing tragic pieces, their innocent and pure voices often produce a more subtle and touching effect when expressing sadness.

The rain stopped, the song stopped, but the wind continued.

The umbrella was left behind again.

I wish you were the last one.
But the passage of time and youth cannot bear to recognize each other…

The lyrics accompany Pighead's desperate running and shouting:

Passing through your world,
I've lived my best life.

Please move forward, don't look back!
"I'll be the one waiting for you at the finish line..."

When the song reaches its climax and Yue Yunpeng's heart-wrenching cry, "Yanzi! How can I live without you?!"

When the moment was perfectly timed, sobs filled the theater.

The actors' emotional impact combined with the music's powerful resonance brought tears to the eyes.

As an actress, Zhao Liying is naturally full of emotions, and her eyes were already brimming with tears, with glistening tears silently sliding down her cheeks.

Gu Qing was in a relatively good mood because she had watched countless clips in her previous life.

"Little brother...do you need a tissue?"

A voice with a heavy nasal tone came from the side.

Xiao Juan turned around at some point, her eyes red from crying, and carefully handed over an open pack of tissues.

"Thank you," Gu Qing said softly, naturally pulling out two tissues.

He turned slightly to the side and gently wiped away the tears from Zhao Liying's face, who was leaning on his shoulder.

In the dim light, his gaze was focused and gentle.

Looking at the scene before her, Xiao Juan finally let out a torrent of tears that she had been holding back.

She wasn't crying because of the movie.
She was moved to tears by her own on-screen couple's sweetness!
The film ends, and the lights come on.

Almost all the audience members who left focused their discussion on the stunning theme song.

The crowd dispersed only after the end credits finished playing, still feeling quite unsatisfied.

……

After returning to the hotel,

Gu Qing glanced at her phone briefly; the trending topic was already up.

The doubts about whether he can sing 'pop songs' naturally need to be dispelled.

"Pay attention in class!"

Sister Zhao snatched the phone.

"Clap clap-"

The angry teacher slapped her palm.

And the next day,
When they went to the next city to promote the film,

Old Deng also prepared a 'big' surprise for Gu Qing.

……

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(End of this chapter)