Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 368 The Four Little Actresses Unleash Their Power (5.5k)
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In Shanghai, even the cold winter air seems to be filled with a restless anticipation.

—China TV Drama Quality Ceremony!

This is an annual award with considerable prestige in the domestic TV drama industry. It is hosted by the powerful Dongfang TV and aims to review and commend outstanding TV drama works that have emerged throughout the year.

As the organizer and biggest sponsor, Dongfang TV commands respect from almost everyone in the entertainment industry.

Despite the freezing weather, a long red carpet was still laid out outside the venue, and the number of cameras and crowds on both sides was staggering.

The reporters rubbed their hands and stamped their feet, craning their necks in anticipation, their eyes gleaming with the excitement of seizing a headline.

Even the organizers were somewhat surprised, not expecting that this year's ceremony would attract such an unprecedented amount of media attention.

But upon further reflection, the reason becomes self-evident—the one that could stir up such a wave of enthusiasm is none other than that person.

On today's red carpet, the most eye-catching element was undoubtedly the cast of the three film crews:

The first is the tomb raiding drama "The Mystic Nine," which created a ratings phenomenon in the first half of the year;
The second one is the historical drama "The Imperial Doctress", which also sparked a binge-watching frenzy in the second half of the year.
And, the last one,
With its "unique" method of cutout production, "Song in the Clouds" pioneered a new trend in the Chinese entertainment industry.

"Haha, let's get started! Just thinking about what we're going to see makes me excited."

A veteran entertainment reporter rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement.

"There's definitely going to be a good show today! Zhao Liying and Liu Shishi are both here. Do you think these two actresses will settle their old scores and tear each other apart first, or will they temporarily join forces to 'tear apart' Yang Ying?"

"You know, there's no one here to act as a 'buffer' today, otherwise this powder keg would just explode!"

"I'd love for them to start tearing each other apart! The more intense the better! That way we won't have to worry about making headlines for the next month!"

"I thought the era of 'Four Dan and Two Bing' was over and the entertainment industry would finally calm down, but I didn't expect the battlefield for the young actresses to be even more exciting and direct!"

The reporters whispered among themselves, their faces flushed, as if they were about to participate in a grand feast.

"In the end, it's because Gu Qing is too 'fierce'. Last night I got up in the middle of the night to gossip, and good heavens, she crashed my blog! How many times has this happened?"

"No wonder he's called the top influencer! Look at his influence, it's terrifying!"

"Hehe, to be honest, I'm a little envious of Gu Qing... If I could have that kind of 'lucky charm,' I'd gladly shorten my lifespan by ten years."

"You envy Gu Qing? I envy those young actresses! If I could 'sleep' with Gu Qing, I'd gladly ascend to heaven the next day!"

"Holy crap! Sister Xu is awesome! You're ruthless!"

These jokes, which included both risqué and non-risqué elements, dispelled the winter chill and made the waiting atmosphere even more warm and subtle.

at last,

Accompanied by a series of honking horns that grew louder as they approached, luxury cars drove up one after another, carrying actors from various film crews onto the stage.

"Please welcome the cast and crew of 'Black Fox: The Shadow of Wind'..."

"Please welcome the cast of 'The Nameless'..."

"Please welcome the cast of 'The Battle of Jiangqiao'..."

……

For these relatively niche film crews, the reporters only pressed the shutter a few times as a token gesture, and the reaction was lukewarm.

Until—"Please welcome the five beauties of 'Ode to Joy'!"

The reporters only became active again after the host announced the names of Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, and others.

The five actresses from "Ode to Joy" made a collective appearance in gorgeous gowns.
Their exposed fair skin blistered in the cold wind, making their teeth chatter slightly, but they still maintained sweet and proper smiles, leaving no room for criticism.

Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, and others walked gracefully toward the autograph board in high heels.

Normally, there are no questions from reporters during the red carpet event. But today's atmosphere is special, and the reporters certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity.

"Liu Tao! I heard you and Gu Qing are working together on a new drama. When exactly will it be released?"

"Sister Tao, are you aware of the heated argument between Gu Qing and the CP fans last night? What are your thoughts on it?"

A cacophony of sharp questions assaulted Liu Tao, who was facing the camera with a dignified smile.

Hearing this,

Liu Tao's perfect smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, but he quickly recovered and continued to complete the signing and photo process as if he hadn't heard it.

Before she arrived, she had naturally learned in detail about the uproar that had occurred the previous night.

Upon learning that Gu Qing had suffered an undeserved misfortune and had been tricked by some people using "green tea" tactics, she felt both angry and heartbroken.

She desperately wanted to speak out in support, but with Gu Qing "disappearing"—not replying to messages or answering phone calls—she worried that acting rashly might disrupt the company's potential strategy of handling the situation calmly.

Instead, it only caused trouble for Gu Qing and made the situation even worse.

'I'll go see my brother in person after the ceremony.'

Liu Tao made a decision. Thinking of everything his beloved younger brother had gone through last night, including his frank admission on "Jin Xing Xiu" about being subjected to unspoken rules,
A maternal feeling, a mixture of pity and heartache, welled up in her heart.

'In the entertainment industry, you must learn to protect yourself...'

Seeing that their questions had no effect on the composed Liu Tao, the reporters immediately changed their targets, looking for an easier "loophole".

"Jiang Xin! What do you think of Yang Ying's actions last night?"

"Sister Xin, do you think Gu Qing handled this matter too harshly, or Yang Ying acted unfairly?"

"Gu Qing was called an 'ungrateful wretch,' do you think that's an appropriate label?"

"Suitable for you..."

Jiang Xin gritted her teeth in anger, her pretty face instantly darkening. Just as she was about to retort, she felt Liu Tao beside her quietly squeeze her hand tightly.

She swallowed back the words that were about to come out, and in the end just gave a cold "humph," flicked her neat ponytail, and turned to walk quickly into the venue.

"Hehe, I've got something to talk about!"

Although they didn't receive a direct response, Jiang Xin's undisguised anger was enough to satisfy the reporters, providing them with enough material for an article.

After passing by several groups of actors from third- or fourth-tier film crews, the reporters seemed somewhat disinterested.

The three "ace" teams they were most looking forward to have yet to appear.

This waiting, in turn, intensifies the anticipation at the scene.

"The organizers wouldn't... have deliberately arranged their performances in the same order, would they?!" someone excitedly speculated.

Finally, the grand finale arrived.

"Next, please welcome the cast of 'Song in the Clouds'!"

Even the female host's announcements had a subtle change in tone.

Yang Ying today,
Wearing a haute couture mint green gown, the fishtail cut perfectly accentuated her slender waist and full hips.
The thousands of gradient rhinestones adorning the dress shimmered under the lights, perfectly complementing her signature vibrant red lips, making her look incredibly elegant and stunningly beautiful.

"Please welcome the actors: Du Chun, Lu Yi, Yang Rong, and... Yang Ying!"

"Wow—"

The scene instantly erupted in excitement! Reporters, as if injected with adrenaline, rushed to press their shutters, the dense flashes almost forming a continuous white light, and the steam rising from their heads due to excitement seemed to dispel the winter chill.

"Yang Ying! Yang Ying! Look over here! What do you think of Gu Qing's behavior last night when she scolded the CP fans?"

"Baby! Do you still think Gu Qing is the younger brother you remember? Are you sad?"

"Will Huang Xiaoming be jealous if you retweet a Weibo post supporting Gu Qing's movie?"

A barrage of sharp and even tricky questions came crashing down on me like hailstones.

Yang Ying maintained a perfect smile throughout, as if she were inside a soundproof glass enclosure, ignoring the reporter's questions and focusing only on showing her most perfect angle and posture in front of the camera.

However, an interesting detail occurred during the signature process.

When the actors of "Song in the Clouds" took a group photo in front of the billboard, it was obvious that Du Chun, Lu Yi and others all kept a subtle, almost imperceptible distance from Yang Ying.

There is no way, the situation is stronger than the person.

Gu Qing's "blood-soaked bun" is not something anyone dares to eat; self-preservation is the best policy.

"Next, please welcome the cast of 'The Mystic Nine'..." the host's voice rang out again.

Yang Ying, who originally wanted to linger a little longer on the red carpet and enjoy the spotlight,

Upon hearing the name, his expression changed slightly, and his steps immediately became hurried, almost as if he were in a panic. He quickly lifted the curtain and disappeared at the entrance of the venue.

"Please welcome the actors: Zhao Liying, Chen Weiting, and director Liang Shengquan!"

“Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!”

A sudden burst of even more intense and frantic flashes went off, the blinding white light causing Zhao Liying, who had just stepped out of the car, to squint slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Zhao Liying's outfit tonight was once again described by fans as "indescribable".

The long floral dress, with its overly bright colors, still carried a lingering sense of "rusticness" when paired with her cute chubby face.

But at this moment, none of that matters. Tonight, she is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling focal points of the entire event.

"Liying! Liying, look here!!"

What do you think of what happened to Gu Qing last night?

Do you think Gu Qing still has feelings for Yang Ying?

"Between you and Yang Ying, who do you think Gu Qing admires more?" The reporter's questions were getting bolder and more outrageous.

Even the most basic polite smile crumbled on Sister Zhao's face; her expression turned cold, and she uttered four words: "No comment." Fortunately,

Chen Weiting, standing next to her, had already put on a "keep away" expression.

"I'm so angry! Are these questions even human beings should ask?!"

Chen Weiting was already cursing inwardly.

"Weiting! Compared to Gu Qing and Leader Huang, where do you think your advantages lie?"

"Did Yang Ying really break up with you back then because of Huang Xiaoming?"

"Did you feel awkward when filming 'The Mystic Nine' with Gu Qing?"

"Gu Qing and I have a very good relationship in private. Thank you for your concern," Chen Weiting replied curtly.

"Is it because of 'like-minded people'?" a reporter deliberately misinterpreted.

"That's called having the same goals! I admire his talent!"

Chen Weiting was so angry that his nostrils were practically flaring up. He couldn't hold back any longer, so he strode into the stadium and fled from this place of trouble.

"Next, please welcome the cast of 'The Imperial Doctress'!"

Liu Shishi, Chen Yao, and Jin Cheng. The three beauties from Tangren Media made a joint appearance.

Liu Shishi, who made a grand entrance as the last person to arrive, immediately captured the attention of all the media as soon as she stepped out of the car.

The lotus-white dress accentuated her cool and gentle temperament, while her slightly pale face conveyed a sense of fragility, easily overshadowing the two young girls behind her.

Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, her famously "elegant" eyes appeared even more vacant and lifeless. She simply posed for a few photos and then strode into the venue with an aura that said "keep away."

At this point, all the invited film crews had entered the venue.

"Quick! Go inside! The real show is yet to come!"

The real "battlefield" moved indoors, with reporters surging towards the venue entrance like a tidal wave.

……

Inside the venue, the heating was on full blast, and the artists who had been shivering on the red carpet finally warmed up, their faces regaining their color.

However, after warming themselves up, these glamorous male and female celebrities all did the same thing—

They either turned around quietly or leaned forward seemingly unintentionally, their gazes all focused on the direction where Zhao Liying, Liu Shishi, and Yang Ying's film crews were located.

The curiosity, inquiry, and undisguised voyeurism in his eyes were almost palpable.

Everyone has a gossipy nature, especially in this circle, where people are often more curious about the subtle relationships between colleagues than outsiders.

While waiting for the ceremony to officially begin, the large screen inside the venue was connected to an online live stream.

The live stream chat was already flooded with various emotionally charged comments:
"Why doesn't Gu Qing dare to come? Is he feeling guilty? Coward!"

"I feel so sorry for Baby! The whole world is bullying her!"

"Gu Qing is an ingrate! He's so ungrateful!"

The distorted pairing of fans and the long-simmering resentment of rival anti-fans have finally found an outlet to vent their frustrations.

The barrage of insults directed at Gu Qing created a chaotic and unpleasant atmosphere in the live stream.

In this eerie and restless atmosphere, tonight's awards ceremony officially began.

The hosts were Yang Lan and another male co-host.

After a series of standard opening remarks and warm-up activities, the awards ceremony began in an orderly manner.

The first few insignificant awards were quickly passed over, and soon the first major award came – the Most Popular Actress of the Year.

"The nominees for this year's Most Popular Actress are—"

Yang Lan's voice carried throughout the venue through the microphone, "The Mystic Nine, Zhao Liying!"

The big screen then played a classic scene from "The Mystic Nine," showing Er Yuehong seeking medicine in the rain and embracing Ya Tou with deep affection.

"The Imperial Doctress, Liu Shishi!"

The scene shifts to Tan Yunxian and Zhu Qiyu embracing tenderly on a stone bridge.

"Haha, the organizers really know how to stir things up!"

"I love it! Give us more! Won't Zhao Liying and Liu Shishi's fans start fighting at the venue tonight?"

"Most importantly, Gu Qing is in both of their nomination clips! No wonder the main actress didn't dare to come; it would be so awkward if she did!"

The viewers in the live stream were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

At the scene, an invisible tension filled the fan areas of Zhao Liying and Liu Shishi's families, with fans glaring at each other, creating a highly charged atmosphere.

"Ode to Joy, Liu Tao!"

"The Interpreter, Yang Mi!"

Just when everyone thought the nomination list was about to end, Yang Lan paused subtly before continuing, "And—'Song in the Clouds,' Yang Ying!"

"What?!!!"

"WTF?! Yang Ying is nominated for Best Actress?"

"Have the organizers lost all sense of shame for the sake of generating traffic?!"

"What right does a drama like 'Song in the Clouds' have to be nominated for Most Popular Actress of the Year?"

The live chat was instantly flooded with countless question marks and exclamation marks. Even Yang Mi, who was also nominated, seemed much more "normal" at this moment, with the audience's criticism mainly focused on Yang Ying's nomination.

Yang Mi escaped unscathed.

"Is there something strange mixed in with this nomination list?"

"What do you mean? Why can't our Baby be nominated? She's just popular!"

"You're just jealous! Utterly jealous!"

Yang Ying's fans immediately retaliated. As one of the female stars with the largest fan base and the strongest fighting spirit in the Chinese entertainment industry, her fans' ability to tear apart rivals that of some top male celebrities.

After the nomination video ended, the host began interviewing the nominees one by one, asking them about their acceptance speeches or feelings.

Zhao Liying was the first one to be mentioned.

"All the nominated actresses...uh...I've seen a lot of their shows, and they're all very talented,"

Sister Zhao paused for a moment, then gave a very "polite" answer: "I think... anyone could win, and they would all deserve it."

As she answered questions, five small windows were split at the bottom of the large screen, capturing the expressions of the five nominees in real time.

Countless reporters and guests in the audience stared intently at the screen, trying to uncover "micro-expressions" from the most subtle changes in the female celebrities' facial expressions, which could be used to make a big deal out of them.

Liu Shishi's reaction, in particular, received special attention.

However, apart from Yang Ying, the other four nominees generally maintained a faint smile when they heard Zhao Liying's "official" answer, and occasionally clapped politely.

Only one person's smile was visibly stiff, his eyes darting around, and he appeared extremely unnatural.

"Hahaha, as expected of you, Zhao Xiaodao! Killing without leaving a trace!"

"'Many of them are excellent actresses,' tsk tsk, what does that imply? Who isn't excellent?"

Is Yang Ying about to usher in an era of "great unity" among female celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry? In the past, only Bingbing had this "treatment".

"To be able to get Sister Zhao and Shishi to temporarily put aside their 'grudges,' I can only say, Yang Ying is amazing!"

The netizens in the live chat were all "interpretation masters".

When it was Liu Shishi's and Yang Mi's turn to speak, these actresses, who had some past "grudges," surprisingly maintained basic decorum and politeness, and spoke cautiously.

however,
When the camera finally focused on Yang Ying, the atmosphere in the entire venue became exceptionally eerie.

Before she could even speak, the camera keenly captured the real-time reactions of the other nominees:

Zhao Liying tilted her chin slightly, her face expressionless, but the almost imperceptible disdain deep in her eyes was as sharp as an ice pick.

A growing aura belonging to "Sister Zhao" quietly spread out.

It's as if it's saying, 'What kind of show is this that deserves to be nominated alongside me?'

Liu Shishi's lips, which had been slightly curved, completely flattened. She turned her head and pretended to be talking seriously to the producer of "The Imperial Doctress" next to her, but her attitude was completely perfunctory and evasive.

Jin Cheng, who was next to her, unconsciously pouted her upper lip, showing a hint of dissatisfaction;
Chen Yao's delicate, loli-like face remained expressionless, her deep gaze fixed on the stage, exuding an unpredictable, almost yandere-like gloom.

Although Yang Ying was still trying to maintain her smile, the curve of her mouth had become very stiff and unnatural, and a hint of panic and embarrassment flashed in her eyes.

The key is,
It's one thing for Zhao Liying and Liu Shishi, two of the new generation of young actresses, to be unhappy.

What are you doing here, Yang Mi?!

What does Gu Qing have to do with you?!
At this moment, Yang Mi was sitting in the area of ​​the "The Interpreter" crew, and the way she rolled her eyes at the camera was completely undisguised, her disdain was palpable.

It appears extremely conspicuous and glaring under close-up shots.

Yang Ying felt a rush of blood to her head, her cheeks burning as if she were being lashed by countless invisible gazes.

She's absolutely furious!!

……

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(End of this chapter)