Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

After figuring out a strategy of "waiting and seeing" for Director Chen, Gu Qing felt a little relieved, her brows relaxed, and the slight frown on her face eased a bit.

The driver continued to drive around the city as instructed, trying to dispel the emptiness after filming wrapped with the moving scenery.

However, as evening falls, the capital transforms into a giant parking lot, with vehicles crawling along like snails, the shrill horns mingling with the city's clamor, adding to the irritability.

Looking out the window at the stagnant traffic and the hurried, tired pedestrians under the flashing neon lights, Gu Qing's last bit of "driving around" mood dissipated, and in the end, he asked Zhao Ya to book a high-end hotel nearby.

After having a simple, specially prepared low-fat dinner at the hotel restaurant, Gu Qing returned alone to her quiet suite.

The heavy door clicked shut, seemingly isolating the outside world from noise and bustle.

In an instant, an indescribable sense of loneliness and the unique emotional emptiness after filming wrapped up, like a silent tide, quickly filled every corner of the spacious yet deserted room.
It's unclear whether it was due to the environment or his own state of mind at that moment.

Fortunately, Gu Qing also had a strategy to deal with it.

"Find something to do, can't be idle," Gu Qing muttered to himself, as if giving himself an order.

To avoid getting caught up in overthinking and that familiar feeling of "role disconnection" and depression.

He went to the living room, picked up the remote, and turned on the huge LCD TV. He didn't deliberately choose a program; he just let it play loud, fast-paced commercials and variety show trailers to create a sense of "human presence."

then,

Gu Qing sank into the soft leather sofa, adjusted to a comfortable position, took out his phone, and took a deep breath, as if facing a daunting task—

Take a good look at the dense network of interpersonal relationship messages that have accumulated over the past few months.

The first thing that catches the eye, and which dominates the list by an absolute majority, is indeed the exceptionally energetic 'Yang Mi'.

After venting my emotions through tears during the day, I successfully recovered and even felt bursting with energy.

Da Mimi started her signature, almost "yandere" style of spamming and harassing people on social media again.

"Little brother~ are you there?"

"Want to play games? I'm practicing a new hero!"

"Please pay attention to me..."

"(10 emoji bombardments)"

"Gu Qing!! Are you faking your death again?!"

(Game invitation links x5)

……

The red icon for unread messages has turned into a daunting "99+".

Gu Qing looked at the dense "accusations" and invitations, her lips twitched helplessly, and she quickly swiped her finger up on the screen, directly selecting "Mark as Read".
The "noise source" was cleaned up efficiently.

Gu Qing actually admired Da Mimi more than anything.

Gu Qing truly admired her almost obsessive pursuit of her career and her fighting spirit.

Its scale is comparable to that of the ambitious "Big Bingbing" in the TV drama field.

Everything they did had a very clear and pure goal: to become famous.
And it must remain at the top of the popularity rankings!
Yang Mi even dared to say in an interview on the show: "If I encounter unspoken rules, I am willing to pay the price for the role I like."

This kind of "ruthlessness" towards oneself is almost unmatched among female artists of the same period.

Looking back at this period of my past life,

The list of "Four Little Actresses" has undergone several reshuffles and personnel adjustments, but Yang Mi has always been a steadfast presence, "guaranteeing second place and striving for first."

She has faced rivals along her path to success:
Qi Wei once overshadowed her with her unique style in urban dramas.
Tang Yan has become incredibly popular thanks to her roles in several hit idol dramas.

Liu Shishi is also highly sought after for her cool and aloof temperament and her works on specific themes.

But that was all in the past.

When "Swords of Legends" burst onto the scene in 2014, officially announcing the arrival of the "traffic era" in the Chinese entertainment industry, Yang Mi almost swept ahead of her contemporaries, leaving them far behind.

In the film industry, despite the terrible reviews of the "Tiny Times" film series, every single one of them was a box office hit, creating a phenomenal commercial success.

Even in terms of songs, "The Power of Love," which was jokingly called "powerful," unexpectedly became a highly popular representative work.

She truly excels in film, television, and music, dominating the center of attention.

If it weren't for this year,
Liu Shishi's popularity and reputation have been maintained thanks to the huge success of "The Imperial Doctress" in which she co-starred with Gu Qing. She has probably been completely overshadowed by the rising star Yang Mi.

In Gu Qing's memory, from 14 to 18, Yang Mi was already showing signs of becoming the "top young actress," with an astonishingly large market appeal and fan base.

It wasn't until later, when Zhao Liying had accumulated a lot of experience and gained a good public reputation with several phenomenal hit works such as "The Journey of Flower", "Princess Agents", and "The Story of Ming Lan", that she was able to overtake them.

If it weren't for Sister Zhao, who is equally ambitious and a formidable competitor.

So, Yang Mi can hold onto her position as the "top young actress" for at least another ten years.

Gu Qing subconsciously wanted to keep her distance from Yang Mi because she was afraid that she, born in 96, couldn't outmaneuver this 'older sister' born in 86.

This woman is becoming a bit too ruthless in her pursuit of her career.

Their mastery of hype, marketing, and creating buzz has reached an almost unparalleled level.

While this brings her huge traffic and attention, it also continuously erodes her public image.

Less than two years later, Yang Mi's reputation declined due to the negative effects of some of her works and excessive exposure.

This has led some very popular male celebrities to avoid her in public.
The fear is that normal banter between the two will be immediately edited and interpreted, then trend on social media, sparking dissatisfaction and arguments among fans.

Putting Yang Mi's news aside for the time being, Gu Qing swiped his finger and found that familiar profile picture with a simple and honest smile in the contact list—'Da Linzi'.

He proactively sent a message:

"Dalin, filming wrapped up today, I finally have some free time. Do you have time tomorrow? Take me for a walk around the neighborhood and get some good food."

……

—A high-end residential community in the capital.

Ever since my last trip home, when my half-brother's bewildered question, "What are you doing at my house?" broke my defenses,

Dalinzi hadn't been back to that "home" that made him feel somewhat unfamiliar and oppressed for some time.

now,

He was at the home of his "biological father" and mentor, Teacher Yu Qian, lying in the room he had lived in since childhood, idly scrolling through his phone.

He was enjoying this rare and truly relaxing warmth.

at this time,

The phone beeped with a notification, and Da Linzi casually tapped it. When he saw the sender and the message—

With a loud "clang,"
So excited, my hand trembled and I almost dropped my phone on the wooden floor.

Da Linzi's expression changed drastically. He suddenly rolled over, crushing the old wooden bed beneath him with a loud creak.

"Qing-ge'er, he actually... he actually still remembers this?!"

Dalinzi stared at the words on the screen, hardly believing his eyes. An indescribable joy and excitement surged through his body, and his mouth stretched almost to the back of his ears.

He himself was a little puzzled as to why he felt so excited about receiving a message from a boy.

Is it because they felt valued?
When Da Linzi first learned that Gu Qing was coming to the capital to study, he was actually quite nervous when he mustered up the courage to extend an invitation.

With his emotional intelligence and experience navigating the complexities of society, he understands all too well that polite phrases like "next time, for sure" or "let's meet up sometime" in the adult world often mean a tactful refusal.

Gu Qing, a superstar who's incredibly famous and has a packed schedule, plus her "biological father" Lao Guo, had some unpleasant experiences with her before...
Why should anyone bother with someone like me who hasn't even made a name for myself in the entertainment industry?

Unexpectedly,

Gu Qing not only didn't take his words as mere politeness, but actually contacted him immediately after filming wrapped, fulfilling the promise that seemed almost impossible to him.

This feeling of being taken seriously warmed Xiao Guo's heart, leaving her feeling flattered and touched.

He didn't even bother to think it through before replying, his fingers flying across the screen:

"Qing-ge! I have time, I absolutely have time, all day tomorrow is fine!"

"Where are you now? Are you leaving in the morning or afternoon? Let's set a time, and I'll come find you tomorrow."

I guarantee I'll take you to eat all the most authentic and distinctive snacks of old Beijing, and we'll avoid all the tourist hotspots!

"Around eight or nine in the morning, we'll go out and have a good time in the surrounding area for the whole day."

Gu Qing replied, then jokingly added, "But let's make it clear, don't try to trick me into drinking that soy milk, I'm afraid I'm not cut out for it."

"Qing-ge'er, don't worry, I'm not that bad."

Xiao Guo's lips unconsciously curled into a smile as he assured her, "I promise that everything I take you to eat will be authentic local delicacies."

"McDonald's?" Gu Qing suddenly sent another message.

"Hahaha—it seems that's really true."

Xiao Guo was immediately struck by the joke and burst into laughter, doubled over on the bed, laughing uncontrollably.

One can't help but sigh, "If Qing-ge'er had that sense of humor to perform crosstalk, he'd be a sensation all over the country."

The two chatted for a few more minutes in a relaxed and pleasant manner, finalizing the details of their meeting the next day.

Xiao Guo was very perceptive. Knowing that Gu Qinggang must be very tired after finishing filming and needed to rest, she took the initiative to end the conversation at the right time and stopped bothering him.

He had just happily put down his phone, preparing to rummage through his closet for the most smart and appropriate outfit he could wear to meet his friends tomorrow—

"Knock knock—" There was a gentle knock on the door.

From outside the door came Grandpa Qian's distinctive voice, tinged with a hint of laziness and concern: "Dalin, what happened? I just heard a 'bang' from your room, and the bed was creaking."

"Master, it's alright, it's alright, I'm happy."

Xiao Guo quickly opened the door, his face beaming with an irrepressible smile—a genuine and radiant smile that came from the heart.

"happy?"

Grandpa Qian, leaning against the door frame, was quite surprised. He carefully examined Xiao Guo's expression several times to make sure it wasn't a forced smile before he felt relieved.

His curiosity was piqued. He strolled into the room, naturally sat down on Xiao Guo's old bed, and patted the spot next to him.

He asked with a smile, "What incredible good news could make my son so happy? Tell your master."

Hearing Uncle Qian address him as "my son" so naturally, Xiao Guo didn't feel strange or embarrassed at all. Instead, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he thought it was only natural.

He walked over and kindly massaged Uncle Qian's shoulders, saying with a smile, "It's Qing-ge'er. He finished filming today and contacted me, saying he wants me to take him to Beijing tomorrow to have some good food."

"Qing-ge'er? Gu Qing?"

Even Grandpa Qian had heard of Gu Qing's reputation. "He's looking for you?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"

"Of course, would they even be interested in you?"

"Why wouldn't you like it? We're friends."

Does Gu Qing know you're his friend?

"..."

The two of them spoke in a rhythm of teasing and witty banter.

Xiao Guo was rendered speechless by this precise "criticism," feeling as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He grimaced, unable to think of a rebuttal for a long time.

His embarrassed look amused Grandpa Qian even more, and he stood up with his hands behind his back, completely satisfied.

He said, "Alright, you young people have a good time tomorrow. But remember to come back for dinner tonight. Your Uncle Wu is coming back tomorrow to visit, so you can meet him."

"Ah... Master, I... I already made plans with Qing-ge'er to play all day long..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Guo's face fell, and he said with some difficulty.

He was an extremely well-behaved child.

If he were in his strict father's house, he would never have dared to say such a thing, and would have been scolded for being "inconsiderate".

But only in front of his mentor and father, Uncle Qian, does he dare to occasionally reveal a little bit of willfulness and childishness that is appropriate for his age.

"Dalin..."

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Qian's smile faded, and he became somewhat silent.

In the past, he would have spoiled Xiao Guo without any principles, happy to see him socialize and have fun like a normal young man, enjoying the relaxed time that should belong to him. But now, the situation is different.

Xiao Guo is already twenty years old, and after appearing on the stage of "Comedians," he has gained some fame in the crosstalk and entertainment circles. In the future, he will definitely develop in the broader entertainment industry.

In terms of appearance, Xiao Guo is not suited for the idol route.

However, with the solid foundation in dialogue delivery and the sense of rhythm in performance honed since childhood, he still has great potential and possibility to make a name for himself in the film and television industry and play some important supporting roles.

In the entertainment industry, what is most important?

Of course it's: resources.

With his mentor protecting him, Xiao Guo doesn't need to worry about being discriminated against or bullied because of his background.

But Grandpa Qian knew perfectly well that he was old, and to put it bluntly, he was almost halfway to the grave. How long could he protect this child?

To truly establish oneself and obtain good roles and opportunities, one ultimately needs a broad and effective network of contacts.

He originally planned to take this opportunity to let Da Lin make a good impression at the dinner party, so as to leave a good impression on this young director Wu who was rising in the Beijing circle, and to pave the way for the future.

Just as Grandpa Qian was carefully considering his words, wanting to explain the pros and cons but also reluctant to hurt Dalin's pride.

"Master, maybe... I shouldn't go."

Xiao Guo spoke first, keenly sensing Uncle Qian's dilemma, and immediately made a choice.

She said decisively, "I'll explain to Qing-ge'er tonight that we have some elders visiting, and we'll find another opportunity to play together next time."

He tried his best to make his expression look relaxed and natural, not wanting his master to see the disappointment in his heart.

"My son..."

When Grandpa Qian saw Xiao Guo's forced act of being sensible, his heart ached, a wave of bitterness rushed to his nose, and he almost burst into tears.

The more sensible this child is, the more heartbreaking it is to see them.

He slapped his thigh and made a decision: "Here's what we'll do, Dalin, you can go as usual during the day and have fun with Gu Qing."

"Why don't you just bring Gu Qing home for dinner tonight?"

"Huh?" Xiao Guo was stunned.

Grandpa Qian laughed and said, "Just say that I, this old man, have long admired his reputation and would like to invite him to my home to meet some of today's talented young people and make friends. Is that alright?"

He quickly realized something. He had been so focused on getting Dalin to "climb the social ladder" that he had almost overlooked the fact that a much better network of connections was right in front of him.

Isn't the friend that Da Lin made himself right now the most popular young artist in the entertainment industry, with perhaps the best resources?
Mr. Qian is also an insider in the industry, so he naturally had heard about it.

Last year, almost every actor in Deyun Society who had opened a social media account was "educated" by Gu Qing's fans.

Even during offline performances, fans would "get close to their faces and shove their fists," causing a period of panic within the company.

The reason, of course, is that Guo Degang made some indiscreet remarks on stage, making fun of other people's children, which backfired and sparked this long-lasting fan conflict.

"Selling one face is selling, selling two faces is also selling."

Grandpa Qian thought to himself, "Gu Qing is about the same age as Da Lin, and they can get along well. She doesn't have any of those pretentious airs."

If this young man, out of friendship, were to give Da Lin a helping hand at a suitable time in the future, wouldn't that be a more practical and reliable thing to do than currying favor with directors who have absolutely no connection to him?

"Okay, sir, that's a great idea!"

Da Linzi's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded excitedly, "When I got back, I told Qing Ge'er that he had mentioned to me before that he really enjoyed listening to your crosstalk."

Suddenly, he remembered something and said very seriously to Master Qian, "But Master, you have to promise me one thing."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

Grandpa Qian looked at him with a smile.

"Qing-ge'er... he doesn't drink alcohol."

Xiao Guo said solemnly, "You and Uncle Wu are both well-known 'drunkards,' with bottomless drinking capacity. Don't even think about getting them drunk tomorrow night."

Can we just have a normal meal and chat?

He himself knows this all too well.

Ninety-nine percent of the credit for my gout should be attributed to Grandpa Qian.

When he was just a little kid, his grandpa Qian would call it "training his alcohol tolerance" and make him lick some beer and sip some liquor whenever he had free time. This is not something a normal parent would do.
"Wow! Not drinking?"

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Qian smacked his lips in disgust, as if he had heard something unbelievable, and couldn't help but chirp at Gu Qing from behind.
"Young man, you're in the entertainment industry and you don't smoke or drink? Are you a girl, Qing-ge? ...Or are you just putting on airs?"

He has a hardcore, old-fashioned,江湖-like mentality at his core, firmly believing that a real man should "smoke, drink, and get a perm."

That's what makes a good man—someone who lives life to the fullest and lives authentically.

"Oh my dear master, please don't say that in front of Qing-ge'er."

Da Linzi was terrified and quickly clasped his hands together in a gesture of supplication, pleading, "How am I supposed to face my friends now? Please, leave a good impression!"

"Okay, okay, look how scared you are."

Seeing Guo's nervous look, Grandpa Qian waved his hand helplessly, "I won't force him to drink, okay?"

Knowing that it wasn't easy for Xiao Guo to make such a sincere and high-status friend, Uncle Qian sighed and ultimately chose to compromise and respect.

He walked out of the room with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Not drinking...what a pity..."

……

at the same time,

In her hotel suite, Gu Qing was leaning back on the sofa, listening to the TV in the background, and racking her brains about which message to reply to first.
Completely unaware that he had been scolded behind his back by that Mr. Qian, who loved smoking, drinking, and getting his hair permed.

As planned, he first took some time to search for and send a friend request to Director Chen.

After finishing this "important task",
Gu Qing began to focus on replying to the backlog of private messages.

He swiped his finger across the screen, glancing at Sister Zhao, who treated him as an "emotional confidante," sharing her daily life and feelings in every detail, talking to herself.

Below,

The person with whom they maintained frequent contact and exchanged a considerable number of messages was surprisingly 'Jiang Xin'.

As soon as I clicked on her profile picture, the latest message popped up:

"Little brother! How could you and Taotao do this to me?!"

Upon seeing this accusatory message filled with resentment, Gu Qing thought something had happened and coughed twice inexplicably, feeling guilty.

Fortunately,

He scrolled up through the chat history and, after understanding the whole story, couldn't help but chuckle.

It turns out that Jiang Xin has also been watching "Nirvana in Fire" recently. Every week after finishing the new episode, she can't help but come to him to "talk to herself," rambling on about her opinions on the plot.

Sometimes I feel heartbroken for the love between "Mei Changsu" and "Nihuang," and other times I feel envious and jealous.

It's so lucky and amazing that Gu Qing and Liu Tao were able to act together in such a wonderful script with such well-developed character arcs!

For an actress like her who longs to act well and encounter good roles, the artistic satisfaction and creative passion she feels from working on a script like "Nirvana in Fire" is sometimes even more exciting and precious than making a lot of money.

"Such a great script, such great co-stars! Why didn't you include me? (crying)"

"Next time, next time if you come across such a great project and a suitable role, remember my name, I won't ask for payment!"

Jiang Xin's "resentment" was so intense it almost overflowed from the screen.

"Understood, Sister Xin! I'll definitely introduce you to a suitable role next time."

After replying, Gu Qing exited the chat interface with Jiang Xin and continued to reply with all her might, just like a diligent customer service representative.

He didn't even notice that the friend request he had just sent to Director Chen had been silently accepted.

It took Gu Qing nearly two hours to manage to sort out and reply to most of the backlog of messages.

Of the hundreds of messages, most were just empty pleasantries—praising the box office miracle of "Detective Chinatown" and the soaring ratings of "Nirvana in Fire."

Or, to put it more indirectly, "I have a really great notebook here, little brother, are you interested?"

Or they might invite him to various dinner parties to introduce him to some so-called big bosses.

Gu Qing maintained a polite yet distant approach to all of these requests, politely declining them with carefully crafted phrases.

Those with slightly closer relationships, like Da Xi and Chen Yao, Guan Xiaotong, and Ma Sichun, whom they met while filming together,

In real life, Gu Qing would reply to Zhang Ruoyun, Yang Yang, and others with a few words, expressing his gratitude and congratulations, and also inquiring about their recent situation.

Next in line are the "insiders" with whom they have a closer relationship.

Gu Qing patiently and attentively replied to each of the Running Man brothers—Deng Chao, Chen Chichi, Wang Baoqiang, and Wang Zhulan.

They even added at the end, "Brother, I miss you..."

Increase favorability.

Especially the film crew of the movie "Psychological Crime" that Brother Chao and Sister Shi are currently filming.

Gu Qing also planned to take advantage of this time to rest, and decided to visit their film set in a few days to give everyone a surprise.

As you scroll further in, some of the messages become more subtle and complex.

For example, Nazha first apologized for unintentionally causing negative publicity for Gu Qing in a previous interview.

Later, because of the plummeting reputation of "Fighter of the Destiny" and some potential conflicts with the male lead Lu Han during the filming or promotional period, she came to him, her "former colleague" and friend, to complain and vent her frustrations.

Even when Principal Wang unleashed a devastating AOE attack right in front of her, Nazha's reaction was different from Liu Yifei's.

She didn't think Gu Qing and Principal Wang were "colluding," but instead worriedly advised her husband to stay away from that ugly guy with the round face, because he wasn't a good person.

"Okay, I deleted him."

"Heng'er, you also need to practice your acting skills more. I feel that you have regressed a lot since your Qingqiu Fox days. You need to work harder."

Gu Qing offered a word of encouragement before exiting the interface.

He and Gulnazar co-starred in "Legend of Nine Tails Fox".

The other person's performance at that time was still very lively and charming, and their expressions were also very cute.

Not at all,
The kind of disaster he now experiences when reading "Fighter of the Destiny".

An actor's acting skills are like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

If you don't exercise regularly, your body will inevitably decline.
Just like Yang Mi, who was once very talented and clearly the best actress among the young actresses.

But Gu Qing couldn't say that Nazha was wrong.

Filming is exhausting, and most scripts are terrible. After months of hard work, like in "Fighter of the Destiny," you'll still get a barrage of criticism and your reputation will plummet.

It would be better to participate in variety shows, make appearances, and show your face in the fashion industry. Earning money easily and quickly, being a mere pretty face is indeed a good choice.

At this time,

After exiting the interface, Gu Qing saw a red dot appear in the friend request. When he clicked on it, he found that it was Senior Sister Liu, who had deleted him not long ago.

Why isn't anyone sleeping so late at night?

"Sister Xiaoya has already explained it to her agent, right?"

Gu Qing remembered,

But when faced with Liu Tianxian's friend request, he chose to... reject it outright!
I immediately rejected him; he disagreed.

Now that it has been explained,
Since Bai was deleted once, he should at least reply.

Gu Qingzheng laughed, feeling like he had finally gotten his revenge.

"Om~"

My phone vibrated slightly; I had received a reply to my message.

Gu Qing swiped up, not thinking much of it, assuming it was someone replying to her after she had just finished replying to a message.

But upon closer inspection, their eyes widened.

It was actually Director Chen who sent the message!
Gu Qing was stunned.
"This script... isn't right?!"

……

...(End of chapter)