Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

Fang Yu had originally planned it out quite well.

After the party, take singer Liu Yifei to a roadside stall for some skewers, open two bottles of strong beer, and have a casual chat about life ideals.

As a result, Sister Hong stood guard by Liu Yifei's side like a door god, never leaving her side. "The celebration banquet was arranged by the station, and all the main creators had to go."

Fang Yu gave her a long, quiet glance.

have to.

Tonight, my dream is out of the question.

He had no choice but to obediently follow the main group and move to the hotel together.

The victory celebration banquet was nothing special.

It's nothing more than the production team, hosts, actors, and singers sitting together in a random group, toasting each other, and exchanging a few polite words.

After a few rounds of drinks, the tension in the private room finally dissipated.

Director Li Rui, holding a glass of orange juice, came over and clinked glasses with Fang Yu and Liu Yifei.

"Xiao Fang, Yi Fei, you've worked hard tonight."

Li Rui's face was so wrinkled from laughing that it looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"You two have given us all a huge surprise today."

Fang Yu picked up his cup and said politely:

"It's mainly because Director Li gives opportunities to young people; we're just taking advantage of that opportunity."

"Opportunities are reserved for those with real skills."

Li Rui waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and his tone suddenly became profound.

"Next year on May Fourth, at this venue, Chen and I are still waiting to hear your new voices."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the young artists at several nearby tables who had been eavesdropping became visibly complicated.

Some people were so envious they swallowed hard, some were convinced, and some secretly gasped in disbelief.

The stage of the CCTV gala!

Many people would fight tooth and nail to get a chance to attend.

These two are quite something.

We just finished singing today, and they've already reserved all the seats for next year.

Comparing yourself to others is infuriating!

……

The following morning, the tide turned completely on the internet.

The discussion surrounding the May Fourth Gala has gone beyond simply being described as a "divine stage."

Several authoritative media accounts that rarely comment on pop music collectively stepped in, publishing several lengthy articles of over a thousand words each.

The most widely circulated one has a title that carries weight—

When Popular Music Illuminates a Century of Trials and Tribulations: Starting with Two Original Songs from the May Fourth Gala

The article begins by elevating the two songs to a high level.

"...The two original songs performed that night are particularly noteworthy."

"The Misplaced Time and Space breaks down the traditional barriers of grand narratives through a dialogue between the younger generation and the older generation spanning a century."

"It offers a gentle retrospective of a century of trials and tribulations through individualized emotional experiences."

"There are no loud shouts, but there is a power that touches people's hearts."

Immediately afterwards, the article shifted its focus to commenting on Liu Yifei.

"The Youth is like a clear bugle call."

"It doesn't deliberately pile up imagery; the lyrics are straightforward and simple, yet they accurately depict the choices contemporary youth face between confusion and perseverance."

"I am still the same boy I was before, without the slightest change. This is both an affirmation of my original aspirations and a declaration for the future."

The final paragraph summarizes both songs.

"Misplaced Time and Space" looks back at the past, while "Youth" heads towards the future.

"The two works together constitute a complete expression of the May Fourth spirit in the present day."

"They prove that popular music is not only about depicting romance and nature, but can also carry profound national sentiments and become a bridge connecting history and the future."

Once this comment was published, the nature of the issue changed!

On Weibo's supertopic, Fang Yu and Liu Yifei's fans frantically reposted the message, each caption more excited than the last.

[See? Mainstream media has officially confirmed it! From now on, if anyone says Brother Yu only knows how to create drama, I'll shove this article in their face!]

[Liu Yifei's career transition is so successful! She's successfully navigated all three paths: actress, singer, and young artist!]

【…】

The outside world is praising it to the skies.

Fang Yu himself didn't take it seriously.

A few days after the May Fourth Gala ended, he immediately began to give up.

I sleep until I naturally wake up every day, and when I'm hungry, I just scroll through my phone to order takeout.

After eating his fill, he sprawled on the sofa and continued working on the script for "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" while holding his laptop.

They were living a very comfortable life.

The only problem is that Director He Zheng seems to have taken up residence in my WeChat account lately.

He urges me to update three times a day, more punctual than an alarm clock.

Occasionally, when I get tired of writing, I take a break.

Fang Yu would also check his phone to see what new juicy gossip had broken out in the entertainment industry.

Then, he came across a trending topic.

#IdolNewGenerationFinalsCountdown#

Fang Yu clicked on it casually.

In the very center of the nine-square grid is a huge promotional poster for the finals.

Among a group of exquisitely dressed trainees adorned with glittery eyeshadow, Cai Kun, with his center-parted hair, stood out conspicuously.

Fang Yu stared at the poster for two seconds before belatedly realizing what it meant.

broken!

It seems I'm keeping a junior brother, whom I've taken care of, somewhere out and about!

Fang Yu scrolled down to the comments section.

[Go Chicken Bro! You have to debut as the center in the finals!]

To be honest, it's really not easy for Cai Kun to get this far. After that song on his initial stage performance, he relied entirely on himself.

Is Xingyao Entertainment even up to par? Isn't Fang Yu his senior from the same school? How come his senior is always on CCTV, living the high life, but he won't even retweet a single positive Weibo post for his junior?

Although I know that most netizens are just jumping on the bandwagon and talking nonsense.

But after reading it, Fang Yu still felt a little uneasy.

He leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

How to describe it?

It's like eating someone's "chicken blood bun" (a metaphor for being offered something of great value), only to forget about the "chicken" in the end.

That's a bit unfair.

He was sitting on the sofa, reflecting on his actions.

My phone vibrated; it was Sister Wang calling.

"Fang Yu, check your email. A payment has been received."

Fang Yu opened his email.

The attachment is a financial statement.

At the very top of the report, there was a line of text.

Settlement statement of derivative revenue for the first quarter of the Little Chicken character IP.

Fang Yu clicked on it to take a look.

Emoji licensing, trademark cooperation, blind box pre-sales, and revenue sharing for co-branded products.

Looking at the string of numbers, there are quite a few.

All together, it's almost as much as the fee for a regular endorsement.

Fang Yu stared at the string of Arabic numerals and fell silent instantly.

The slight discomfort I felt just now has multiplied several times over in an instant.

He took a breath, sat up straight, exited the email interface, and dialed the private number of CEO Zhang of Xingyao.

"beep--"

"beep--"

The call was quickly connected after only two busy tones.

On the other end of the phone, Mr. Zhang's voice was tinged with laughter.

"Xiao Fang, did you see the dividends? That newbie project is doing well; it's estimated to rise again in the second quarter..."

"Mr. Zhang."

Fang Yu interrupted him, her tone much more serious than usual.

"I have a question."

"How are the preparations for the finals going, Cai Kun?"