Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 312 Zhengwu Sunshine (3.3k)
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"Is the production team excellent?"

Liu Tao's description was something Gu Qing found rather unusual.

Insiders say that whether a show becomes a hit depends either on the popularity of its actors or the director's skill; the production team doesn't really matter.

"Sister Liu Tao, what do you think?"

Gu Qing took a sip of coconut juice to cleanse her palate, suppressed her curiosity, leaned forward slightly, and focused her gaze on Liu Tao.

"Little brother, do you know Zhengwu Sunshine?" Liu Tao put down his chopsticks and asked seriously.

"Zhengwu Sunshine?" Gu Qing frowned subconsciously, his fingertips tapping the table lightly.

It sounded familiar. In his previous life, he seemed to have stumbled upon it while browsing marketing accounts. He vaguely remembered that the TV dramas produced by this company were generally of good quality.

Seeing him frowning in thought, Liu Tao assumed he didn't know, so he leaned forward and explained quickly, "This production team has always had a very good reputation in the industry. They have produced a series of excellent dramas before, such as 'Crossing the Guandong,' 'Life and Death Line,' 'The Age of Steel,' 'The Family of Wenzhou,' and 'Battle of Changsha.'"

She paused, then added, "The shows I'm currently starring in, like 'Ode to Joy,' and 'The Disguiser' from a year ago, were all produced by this same production team."

"Sister Liu Tao, you tell me first, what's the name of that notebook?" Gu Qing's expression was a little strange, her guess becoming clearer and clearer, but her voice remained calm.

What a coincidence that this dinner party came so soon!
“It’s called *Nirvana in Fire*,” Liu Tao said earnestly, his eyes fixed on Gu Qing’s reaction. “It’s a very famous historical political intrigue novel from many years ago.”
"Little brother, you can read the original novel first. If you like it, let me know. The production team there really liked your look in the Bazaar magazine and wants to meet you."

She spoke gently, with a reassuring tone, "Of course, if you don't like it, that's okay, I'll turn it down for you."

“Okay,” Gu Qing nodded calmly, picked up the coconut juice and took another sip. “I’ll go back and check tonight, and I’ll give you an answer in three days at the latest.”

Of course, it's impossible to agree immediately; one has to put on an act.

Gu Qing was all too aware of the popularity that the drama "Nirvana in Fire" generated back then.

It not only became a huge hit in mainland China, but also broke viewership records in Taiwan and Hong Kong in recent years.

However, when "Nirvana in Fire" first aired, its ratings and online viewership were not particularly impressive.

Because of the title and the lengthy setup in the first few episodes, many viewers had no idea what they were watching when they first started watching the show.

Just like the unremarkable "Empresses in the Palace" back then.

However, as the plot improved and word-of-mouth spread, it became a true hit after its re-airing.

The show garnered 3.3 million views in a single day online, and its total viewership across Tencent's three major platforms exceeded 450 billion. It also won prestigious awards that year, including the Feitian Award for Outstanding Television Series and one of the Top Ten Most Influential Television Series at the China TV Drama Awards.

The show's Douban rating rose to 9.4 in 2024, with 85 people participating in the rating, which shows the quality of the show.

Other than that,

Overseas, the premiere in South Korea set a viewership record for China Television (1.8% in Seoul), surpassing the previous hit, "Scarlet Heart".

It was rebroadcast 7 times on major Japanese television stations and remained in the top five of Netflix's Asian drama rankings for an extended period, truly achieving mainstream success.

This also allowed Hu Ge to successfully transform his image after "The Disguiser," shedding his idol actor persona and becoming a true powerhouse actor.

Although in the following years, historical dramas such as "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" and "Yongzheng Dynasty" experienced a resurgence in popularity,
The political intrigue aspect of "Nirvana in Fire" has slightly diminished its reputation, with criticisms including that it's too naive...

But that can't be denied; it's a well-made, high-quality drama!
Gu Qing was currently worried about not finding a good script, but unexpectedly, he only came to the banquet to catch up with Jiang Xin, met Liu Tao, and then Liu Tao introduced him to "Nirvana in Fire".
The connection between us is truly wondrous.

"Okay, little brother, I'll be waiting for your news." Liu Tao smiled broadly and instinctively reached for his wine glass to express his gratitude.

"Sister Tao, don't drink!" Gu Qing reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist as she reached for the glass, her tone tinged with a helpless smile, "If you drink, no one will be able to drive."

He glanced around the table. "If all else fails, shall I call my assistant over?"

"Never mind, it's not necessary," Liu Tao said, waving her hand with a smile after being restrained. "We don't even know when this party will end." She obediently put down her wine glass.

At the dinner table, Han Hong, Jiang Xin, and Wang Ziwen got quite drunk.

The atmosphere was lively, with constant toasts and laughter.

Gu Qing focused on eating his food. He hadn't eaten anything at all because of the red carpet event that evening, and was only keeping himself full thanks to the candy he'd been given earlier. He was starving.

"Slow down, slow down, are you starving?"

Watching Gu Qing eat with gusto, Liu Tao couldn't help but feel a maternal tenderness. She picked up the serving chopsticks and put a few bites of light green vegetables on his plate. "Kids are really different. They're growing, so they can eat a lot. Don't just eat meat, give them some vegetables too."

Seeing how much he was enjoying his meal, her own appetite seemed to improve as well.

But the good times don't last long.

Jiang Xin, her cheeks flushed and eyes somewhat glazed from drinking, suddenly grabbed Gu Qing's neck, forcing him to look at her, and leaned closer, reeking of alcohol: "Little brother, what are you doing?"

Her voice was slurred and intoxicated.

"Eat something."

Gu Qing, who was engrossed in eating, was suddenly choked. Startled, she looked up, swallowed the food in her mouth, and immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

He leaned back slightly, frowned, and asked, "Sister Jiang Xin, are you drunk?"

"Drunk? Your sister can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, how could this little bit of alcohol make her drunk?" Jiang Xin rubbed her burning cheek against Gu Qing's cheek, feeling the slight coolness from his skin, and gave a comfortable, silly smile.
Then, with a drunken, hazy look in her eyes, she pointed to the side and said, "Look, Lao Han and Ziwen are already incapacitated." Gu Qing looked in the direction she was pointing and then realized that Teacher Han Hong had taken off her glasses and was frowning as she rubbed her temples, her breathing heavy, clearly drunk and intoxicated.

Wang Ziwen was even worse off, her eyes were dull and lifeless, staring blankly at a certain point on the table, almost drooling, as if her soul had left her body.

"How much have you guys drunk?" Gu Qing was startled. He had only been focused on eating for a short while, how could the battle have become so fierce?

He picked up the bottle of Wuliangye on the table and saw that it was more than half empty.

"I can't take it anymore, I need to go throw up for a while." Han Hong's face was pale, she covered her mouth, and stood up with difficulty, her steps unsteady.

"Old Han, wait a minute, I'm going too..." Wang Ziwen seemed to be awakened by Han Hong's actions, shivered, and his eyes regained some focus, but his body obviously did not obey his commands, and he staggered after her.

"Old Han, are you alright? Should I go with you?" Liu Tao quickly stood up and asked with some concern.

"It's alright, it's alright, we can still find our way." Han Hong waved her hand, barely supporting Wang Ziwen, and the two of them, supporting each other, left the private room unsteadily.

Liu Tao had no choice but to sit down again, his face showing a helpless yet amused expression.

Immediately, she saw Jiang Xin, like a female hooligan, clinging to Gu Qing while drunk, rubbing against him, sniffing him, and making satisfied moaning sounds.

Liu Tao couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Xin Xin, are you channeling Mu Wanqing? Are you planning to perform the 'Aphrodisiac Powder' act for Duan Yu again?"

Her initial connection with Jiang Xin was through the 03 version of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," and the current scene instantly reminded her of the plot of the drama.

"Mu Wanqing... Mu Wanqing..."

Lost in thought, Jiang Xin vaguely heard this familiar name. Her eyes grew increasingly confused and unfocused, her pretty face flushed red, and she seemed somewhat dazed.

She strained to focus her gaze, staring at Gu Qing's handsome, jade-like face before her, as if she were truly seeing a character from a play, murmuring dreamily, "Duan Lang, it's been so long, how come you've become even more handsome?"

"I..." Gu Qing was about to explain, but the words were cut off before she could finish.

The next second—

"Ah—!" Liu Tao let out a short scream, instinctively raising his hand to cover his eyes, as if to say "don't look at what you shouldn't see."

wrong!

She immediately realized that she was already a young married woman, so how could she still be considered a "child"?
She lowered her hand, but couldn't help but smile with excitement and gossip on her face. Her eyes shone as she watched the dramatic scene unfold with great interest.

This scene is so interesting.

She really wanted to take out her phone and record it as a keepsake.
However, her professional ethics of respecting the privacy of artists prevailed, and she suppressed the thought, choosing instead to be a more professional observer.

Gu Qing was equally stunned, never expecting Jiang Xin to be so "fierce" when she got drunk. Her eyes widened.

But immediately, the pungent smell of alcohol filled his nostrils, causing him to frown uncomfortably and quickly turn his head away to avoid it.

Gu Qing's dodge seemed to provoke Jiang Xin, who was "immersed" in the role.

"Duan Lang, why are you hiding again?"

Jiang Xin grumbled in dissatisfaction, wrapping her arms around Gu Qing's neck even tighter, almost throwing herself into his arms. She pouted her red lips, smearing them haphazardly on Gu Qing's cheeks, chin, and neck like raindrops.

Gu Qing felt no enjoyment at all; he only felt that his face and neck were wet and sticky, and the smell of alcohol made his head throb.

He could no longer contain himself. With both hands, he forcefully pressed down on Jiang Xin's flushed face, tearing her off his body, and then slammed her head onto the dining table in front of him without any hesitation.
She was left to struggle and thrash about in vain, like a little turtle that had been flipped over.

After struggling for a while, Jiang Xin finally stopped moving, her eyes closed, and she was breathing evenly, as if she had fallen asleep on the table.

Gu Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense body relaxed, and she raised her hand to wipe the marks that had been rubbed against her face.

At that moment, he was startled to realize that there was another burning gaze beside him. He turned his head and met Liu Tao's eyes, which were sparkling with excitement and filled with the message "I saw it."

"Sister Tao, you..." Gu Qing's face was instantly filled with embarrassment and helplessness, not knowing how to explain this chaotic scene.

"I didn't see anything, I don't know anything."

Liu Tao immediately shook her head vigorously, but the corners of her mouth were turned up high and she couldn't suppress it. "You two continue, pretend I don't exist." She even added mischievously.

"Sister Tao..." Gu Qing sighed, feeling utterly speechless, and could only manage a helpless bitter smile.

Liu Tao winked at Gu Qing, lowered his voice, and suggested with a hint of ambiguity, "Xin Xin is so reluctant to part with you, how about I drive you to my house later?"
I happen to own a house here; it's very safe, and there's absolutely no chance of reporters taking photos.

Her tone was natural, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

"what?"

Gu Qing was completely dumbfounded, and his whole body froze.

He looked at Ms. Liu, who had always presented herself as virtuous and gentle, in disbelief.

Teacher Liu, you're... way too skilled at this!
Teacher Bai's true colors have finally come out.

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(End of this chapter)