Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

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The next day, dawn broke.

By eight o'clock, the sky over Hengdian was already clear and bright, and the sun generously shone its golden rays, illuminating this massive man-made dream city.

The film and television base, covering an area of ​​50,000 mu, is like a tireless behemoth that has long since awakened and is operating at high speed.

Hundreds and thousands of film crews, scattered in various corners of the Ming and Qing Palaces, Qin Palace, Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street, raced against time to set up equipment and lights, and began a new day of dream-making projects.

The air was filled with a unique aroma that blended paint, dust, boxed lunches, and endless possibilities—the very scent of Hengdian.

rest day,
Gu Qing, unusually, didn't stay in bed and got up early.

Since he was visiting a film set in Hengdian, a place crowded with his peers, he deliberately avoided overly elaborate or flamboyant outfits and chose a very simple casual outfit instead.

A light blue plaid casual shirt is casually left open, layered over a loose and comfortable pure white cotton T-shirt, paired with light blue straight-leg jeans that have been washed to perfection, and clean white sneakers.

It complements the azure sky, simple, refreshing, and clean.

"Let's go, Sister Xiaoya."

Gu Qing pressed down the brim of her baseball cap one last time in front of the mirror, then put on her sunglasses and black mask completely.
In an instant, most of that highly recognizable face was obscured, leaving only the superior lines of her nose and the clear jawline faintly visible.

He gestured to his assistant Zhao Ya and the driver, and discreetly boarded an ordinary black minivan, leaving the hotel where the "Riding the Waves" crew was staying.

The car traveled smoothly through the slightly crowded streets of Hengdian, with antique buildings and busy film crews passing by from time to time.

Zhao Ya, sitting in the passenger seat, seemed even more excited than Gu Qing. She turned her head, her eyes sparkling:

"Boss, I made a special inquiry last night! The drama that Sichun is currently filming is called 'Oh My General'!"

"Oh My General?"

Gu Qing leaned back in her chair, watching the scenery rushing past the window, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is it an adaptation of a novel? Is it a male-oriented or female-oriented novel? Is the original work very popular?"

He quickly searched his memory but found that he had almost no recollection of the project.

Logically speaking, given that Ma Sichun is the lead actress and the original work is based on it, he should have had no recollection of it if it had made a splash after airing.

Unless... it pounced silently?
"It's a female-oriented novel! It was the biggest hit of 2011!"

Zhao Ya's tone was filled with the excitement of a fan, and she even couldn't help but gesticulate wildly, "I found the original novel last night and couldn't resist reading it all night! It's so captivating!"
I really didn't expect Sichun to take this role, but thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. She's practically the epitome of a lesbian goddess!

In the end, she even cupped her face in her hands, revealing a blissful expression that said, "I understand."

"what?"

Gu Qing was somewhat bewildered by this barrage of terms like "viral hit," "exciting," and "a lesbian's dream man," his handsome face filled with question marks.

"What does filming a female-oriented drama have to do with 'ideal men'?"

Although he was in the entertainment industry and had some understanding of various fan cultures, Zhao Ya's unconventional thinking still caught him off guard for a moment.

"Hey boss, you'll understand if you just read the original story!"

Zhao Ya smiled mysteriously, subtly implying, "You're guaranteed to have your eyes opened."

Gu Qing's curiosity was piqued by her words. He took out his phone, opened a reading app, and searched for "General Above".

It was discovered that the original work was written by someone from Jiang.

After reading only the synopsis and the first few chapters, Gu Qing had a general understanding of the style and potential "scale" of this work.

With his photographic memory and extremely fast reading speed, he had already skimmed through dozens of chapters in just ten minutes, grasping the core plot and character relationships.

Close the phone.

Gu Qing's face showed a look of realization mixed with amusement. She shook her head and chuckled, "This drama... really is Sister Ma's 'comfort zone'."

As the title suggests, "Oh My General" features a female general as the protagonist. The story employs a rather novel "strong woman, weak man" premise.

The story revolves around Ye Zhao, a ruthless and highly skilled female general known as the "Living Yama" during the Northern Song Dynasty, who is forced to marry Zhao Yujin, a handsome but cowardly and dissolute prince renowned throughout the capital.

The two started with a mismatched marriage, and their journey was full of chaos and turmoil, but they eventually created an unconventional and legendary love story.

If that were all, it wouldn't be enough for Gu Qing to describe Ma Sichun as being in her "comfort zone".

The key is,

While quickly flipping through the pages, he noticed that there was a supporting character with a very important role in the original work—Ye Zhao's cousin.

This cousin, unaware that Ye Zhao was a woman disguised as a man, was overwhelmed by Ye Zhao's heroic spirit and "boyfriend-like charm."

A young woman's heart quietly fell for him, even leading to a jealous rivalry with Zhao Yujin, the nominal "male lead"...

"Tsk,"

Gu Qing tapped the screen lightly with her fingertip, "The trend in filming dramas is about to change..."

He didn't make many moral judgments about it; it was just market-driven.

Just like his drama "Love O2O", some of the ambiguous scenes and lines in it, if examined closely, may not be so "pure".

Capital and creators are always keen; once they sense the traffic code for a certain trend, corresponding attempts will spring up like mushrooms after rain.

What he was more concerned about was Maschin's career path.

From "The Left Ear" to "Soulmate" and now this "Oh My General"...

Gu Qing leaned back in his chair, gazing at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, and thought to himself, "Sister Ma's eye for scripts has always been excellent, it's just a pity she's had a bit of bad luck."

If these kinds of dramas were released two years later, riding the wave of popularity, they would probably all become phenomenal hits.

"but……"

Gu Qing frowned slightly, opened her phone again, and quickly searched for the few scattered reports and forum discussions about the drama.

"Given this setup and subject matter, even if it doesn't become a huge hit, it shouldn't have gone completely silent."

Why don't I remember this at all?

He was confident in his memory, but as a result, he had no recollection of anything.

This convinced Gu Qing that the final market response to the drama would likely be less than ideal.

This made him even more curious about the filming location he was about to see.

The half-hour drive passed quickly.

While waiting, Gu Qing simply skimmed through the remaining chapters of the original novel.

In the later stages of the story, the vibrant and radiant cousin, who was obsessed with "love," tragically met her end by drinking poison and dying in Ye Zhao's arms.

Her death also became a thorn in the side of Ye Zhao and Zhao Yujin's married life...

"Poisonous, extremely poisonous!"

Gu Qing couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath.

He casually clicked on the novel's comment section and, sure enough, saw a chorus of groans and curses, which immediately made him feel much better.

"Boss, here we are!"

Zhao Ya spoke up to remind her.

The car stopped on the outskirts of a relatively quiet, traditional street.

Not far ahead, a film crew had marked out a shooting area with a simple fence and warning tape, and several security personnel in uniform black uniforms were lazily guarding the entrance.

Zhao Ya got out of the car first, straightened her clothes, took out the visit letter she had prepared in advance, and walked towards the security personnel.

"Sorry, the film crew is currently shooting a movie. The filming area is closed, and outsiders are not allowed to enter."

A dark-skinned, stern-faced male security guard reached out to stop her and said in a businesslike manner.

"Hello, we're here to visit the set. We're friends of Professor Ma Sichun." Zhao Ya politely handed over the visit letter.

"Teacher Ma's friend?"

The security guard took the letter, glanced at it, and remained expressionless, seemingly unfazed by such rhetoric. He scoffed, "This kind of visitor pass won't get you into the film crew."

He had just waved his hand to refuse when he caught a glimpse of Gu Qing behind Zhao Ya, who had just gotten out of the car and taken off his mask and sunglasses to get some fresh air.

The security guard's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened involuntarily as if he had been choked, and his voice caught in his throat, turning into a series of short, breathy sounds: "Gu...Gu...Gu...!"

"Bro, don't pull this stunt. I'm here to visit the set, not to show off."

Upon seeing this, Gu Qing felt a chill run down her spine and almost instantly put her mask and sunglasses back on.

He knew that this situation was difficult to completely avoid.

If the production crew is notified in advance, they will most likely hold a small welcoming ceremony, or even suspend filming to receive him, out of courtesy and a possible desire for publicity.

That wasn't his intention.
He just wanted to switch classes.

However, in classic scenes like "Kangxi's Private Visits," one inevitably faces awkward situations where one is startled every three steps and jumps every five steps.

"understand."

The security guard had completely changed his demeanor; his back slumped unconsciously, and his face was plastered with a warm, almost fawning smile as he frantically pulled open the security tape.
He said repeatedly, "Mr. Gu Qing, this way please, please come in! Do you... do you need me to notify the producer or director immediately?"

"Okay, please."

Gu Qing nodded helplessly.

Less than 5 minutes,

A series of hurried footsteps came from inside the film set. A woman in her forties, dressed in a well-fitting suit and exuding a capable air, came running towards them with two young assistants.

Her face showed a mixture of surprise, elation, and disbelief, her gaze fixed on Gu Qing, even though he was wearing a mask and hat.

"Is he really Gu Qing's younger brother? I'm a big fan of yours. I've watched all your dramas."

The woman laughed before she spoke, her voice slightly raised with excitement. She approached Gu Qing, grabbed his hands without a word, and began to shake them vigorously.
"I'm the producer of this drama, my surname is Jin." "Young man, what an honor to have you here! Why didn't you give us a heads-up? We...we haven't prepared anything, it's so rude of us! So incredibly rude!"

The producer, who was almost two decades older than him, looked like a little fan meeting his idol, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Hello, Sister Jin,"

Taking advantage of the moment when the other party relaxed their grip slightly, Gu Qing finally pulled her hand back and quietly hid it behind her back. "I just heard that Si Chun is filming here, and since I have a day off today, I came to see her on the way. It's purely a private visit to the set."

Please don't make any arrangements or disrupt the filming. I'll stay for a bit, say goodbye to her, and then leave.

"Little brother, you've come all this way, we definitely have to take good care of you."

Producer Jin didn't forget to take out his phone and have his assistant take a few photos of him and Gu Qing before finally putting his phone away, satisfied, and remembering his business:
"Your younger brother is here to see Sichun, right? She's filming inside. I'll take you there!"

As she spoke, she reached out to pull Gu Qing back.
Gu Qing was prepared, her hands firmly tucked into her jeans pockets.

Producer Jin couldn't very well forcibly pull his hand out of his pocket, so he could only give up with a smile and lead the way, enthusiastically introducing the film crew's situation.

Along the way, every staff member we encountered couldn't help but stare at us.

They first greeted Producer Kim respectfully, and then their gazes involuntarily fell on the young man behind her who had a unique aura and was wearing a mask and hat.

Despite being heavily disguised, his superior height and proportions, composed gait, and the way he received such attentive accompaniment from Producer Kim all clearly indicated that he was no ordinary person.

After they walked away, whispers began to emerge among the staff like bubbles:
"Holy crap, who's this jerk? He's got a real attitude, hands in his pockets, with Producer Jin standing next to him like a lackey?"

"Producer Jin is smiling like he's found money... no, he's even happier than if he found money! This guy must be someone important!"

"Could it be an investor? A rich kid? Came here specifically to visit the set and support him?"

"It might really be true, otherwise look at Producer Jin's attitude... Speaking of which, which actress in our crew is so lucky?"

"Who else could it be? The second female lead, that newcomer. To get such an important role right after her debut, who would believe she doesn't have some connections?"

"Tsk, it's so frustrating to compare yourself to others..."

Gu Qing naturally couldn't hear these discussions.

He was listening to Producer Jin's slightly embarrassed introduction: "Please excuse my poor performance, Professor Gu. Our production budget isn't particularly large, so in terms of set design, costumes, and props..."

It might not be as good as those big-budget productions (S+ level), and some parts look a bit rudimentary…

Gu Qing looked around and could indeed see the tight budget. Some of the set details didn't hold up to close scrutiny, and the extras' costumes were rather rough.

But he just smiled gently: "I think the atmosphere is well created, and it's very immersive."

At its core, film and television creation still revolves around story and performance.

He skillfully changed the subject, "By the way, where exactly are Sichun and the others filming right now?"

"It's in that courtyard ahead, the Zhao County Prince's Mansion!" Producer Jin quickly pointed out the way.

The group passed through a moon gate, and a bright and open space suddenly appeared before them.

A courtyard with the elegance of the Song Dynasty comes into view, with blue bricks paving the ground, artificial mountains and bonsai, and winding corridors.

In the center of the courtyard, the lighting equipment and reflectors were already set up, and the director's monitor was not far away, with several staff members watching intently.

Gu Qing's gaze immediately fell on the three people standing in the center of the courtyard.

With his back to him was a woman in a flowing, ethereal white dress, with a slender and tall figure.

Facing him to the side was a man wearing a pink and white embroidered robe and a jade crown. However, his attire, combined with his figure and demeanor, always made people feel a little awkward.

The one standing in the middle is the most eye-catching.

He wore a deep blue, fitted military robe with a leather belt that accentuated his tall and slender figure.

A woman with her hair tied up in a high bun like a man, and her sword-like eyebrows slanting upwards towards her temples, exuding a heroic and dashing air.

Indeed, it is the long-lost "Li Bala".

Upon entering the core filming area, everyone consciously kept quiet.

Producer Jin led Gu Qing to the back of the monitor.

She gently patted the shoulder of a middle-aged director who was intently staring at the screen.

"Director Wen, take a look, who's our distinguished guest?" Producer Jin whispered.

"Is that Sister Jin?"

The middle-aged man, referred to as the writing director, was slightly overweight and wore black-rimmed glasses. He turned around with a smile upon hearing the voice.

Even the most famous director has to be humble when dealing with producers.

Following Producer Jin's gesture, his gaze fell on Gu Qing's masked face.

He first narrowed his eyes in confusion, then Producer Kim leaned close to his ear and whispered something very quickly.

Next second,
Director Wen's small eyes, which had appeared somewhat lifeless due to nearsightedness, suddenly burst forth with an astonishing brightness.

It's hard to imagine that someone of his stature could almost spring up from the folding chair, his face beaming with a flattered smile, as he tightly grasped Gu Qing's hand:

"Professor Gu... Professor Gu Qing! Hello, hello! It's an honor to have you here!"

"Hello, Director Wen,"

Gu Qing smiled politely, "I apologize for bothering you. I just came to see Si Chun. Please don't mind me and just focus on filming your scenes. I hope this hasn't affected your work."

"It won't affect anything! Absolutely nothing!"

Director Wen shook his head repeatedly, his smile so sincere it was almost exaggerated. "Teacher Gu, it's our honor to have you come and visit our little film crew!"
When the show airs, I'll tell you that Teacher Gu visited the set, and the ratings will probably jump a lot! Hahaha!

Gu Qing was momentarily speechless at these words, looking at Director Wen's genuine expression of surprise and anticipation.
For a moment, I couldn't tell whether it was just a sophisticated polite remark or if the other person genuinely thought so.

The "lucky koi" persona really resonates with people.

He could only give a vague laugh: "Director Wen, you're too funny."

at this time,

There seems to be a problem with the filming in the center of the courtyard.

The man in the pink and white robe burst out laughing, and then, as if it were contagious, the "fairy in white" next to him also trembled slightly, trying hard to suppress her laughter.

Only Ma Sichun, dressed in a blue robe and exuding a heroic aura, had a noticeable darkening on his face and looked helplessly at the director.

"Crack!"

Director Wen immediately turned around and shouted into the walkie-talkie, his tone conveying displeasure at being interrupted, but it quickly softened because Gu Qing was present.

"Director, I'm so sorry, I burst out laughing. Could you please do another take?"

The man in the pink and white robe raised his hand and called out apologetically toward the monitor, though a lingering smile remained on his lips.

"Director, you go about your business."

Gu Qing turned to the side.

"Alright, alright, Teacher Gu, please sit down, please sit here!"

Director Wen handed over the chair next to him.

Gu Qing thanked him and sat down without further ado.

His gaze naturally fell on the monitor screen in front of him.

Under the high-definition lens, the faces and expressions of the three actors are crystal clear.

Upon seeing this, Gu Qing instantly understood why he had no recollection of the drama and why it was likely to flop silently.

The problem probably lies with this "male lead".

He flipped through the original work on his way here.
The book describes the male protagonist Zhao Yujin's appearance in the most gorgeous way: he has feminine features, skin as white as snow, eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as paintings, red lips and white teeth, and is the "most beautiful woman" in the capital who can topple kingdoms.

His personality is delicate, arrogant, loves beauty, and is timid, yet he possesses an innocent charm. In essence, he is a "beautiful young man" who needs to be protected, a gender-reversed version of the "female lead".

At this moment, Gu Qing recognized the male actor on the monitor—Sheng Yilun.
He rose to fame a few years ago with his role as "Qi Sheng" in the phenomenal web series "Go Princess Go".

I heard that his career has been going through some ups and downs recently, and he was even subtly "betrayed" by his former partner, the "Crown Princess," on certain occasions. It seems like he's having a run of bad luck.

But putting aside these gossips, just looking at his appearance and demeanor: Sheng Yilun has the typical rugged, handsome appearance of a young man.
Small eyes, a long face, rough skin, close-set eyebrows and eyes, and thin lips combine to give people a mean and snobbish impression.

What does this have to do with Zhao Yujin, the "peerless beauty" in the original novel who makes even women feel ashamed of their own gender?
In the film and television market, especially in dramas that cater to female audiences, the male lead's "looks" and "compatibility" are often the first hurdle that determines whether viewers can empathize with the character and ship them as a couple, and sometimes they are even more important than the plot.

If the male lead cannot evoke feelings of "swoon" and "protection" in the audience, even the best drama will not achieve good ratings.

This is why good male actors are so valuable.

"Sister Ma's choice of partner this time... is a bit of a letdown."

Gu Qing silently sympathized with her friend.

A good, close partner can help each other succeed.
A partner who isn't close to you can make even the best performance less effective.

He looked away from Sheng Yilun's face, his gaze inadvertently falling to the bottom, to a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Under high-definition close-up shots,
That beautiful, ethereal face, with a touch of pitiful charm...

Gu Qing stared at the screen, a look of disbelief and astonishment flashing in her eyes.

Hairstyle, makeup, eyebrows, eyes, facial contours

It's obviously...

"Senior sister?!"

……

...(End of chapter)