I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

In the 31st episode, the Fourteenth Prince's first memorable scene, the "heart-wrenching" moment, officially went live, instantly capturing the attention of all viewers.

Jiang Chen and Tong Liya got into a dispute over the account book. He then openly invited Tong Liya to a small grove in the west of the city, shouting that he wanted to have another fight, but his eyes revealed the excitement that a young man cannot hide.

Sunlight dappled through the woods, and he wore simple princely attire, lacking the restraint of a prince in the deep palace, exuding youthful spirit.

After their playful fight, he didn't hesitate at all and bluntly expressed his feelings: "I want to be your girlfriend."

After being teased by Tong Liya for not knowing how to pursue someone with sincerity, he immediately took action.

The next day, he specially sought her out and took her to a wonton stall on the street. After watching Su Yan eat the wontons, he revealed a sly smile of youth and slowly lied to her: "There are wolves' hearts, dogs' lungs, and human hearts mixed in here."

When Tong Liyan felt nauseous and vomited on the spot, he stood aside, laughing freely and brightly, completely carefree, mischievous and lively.

The moment this scene aired, it caused an uproar among viewers.

Jiang Chen vividly and realistically portrayed the Fourteenth Prince's youthful infatuation and mischievousness. Without deliberately trying to look handsome, he brought the pure and lively spirit of the young prince to the extreme.

On Baidu Tieba, posts discussing the Fourteenth Prince suddenly increased, with many viewers saying they were "become fans of this lively Fourteenth Prince." For the first time, the name Jiang Chen was remembered by a large number of viewers.

When the 35th episode aired, the Fourteenth Prince's deep affection for Su Yan was revealed, and the show's popularity soared to new heights.

Faced with Su Yan, who was devoted to the Fourth Prince and cold and distant towards him, he could no longer suppress his feelings and stepped forward to hug her gently. Even when Su Yan slapped him in the face, he did not take a step back, his eyes were persistent and burning.

"I'm willing to be your firefly; even when dawn breaks and you no longer need them, I'll still be there."

From a mischievous and unruly boy in the early stages to a persistent and affectionate pursuer at this moment, the contrast in his character is striking.

Viewers were completely moved by the character, and related hot posts appeared one after another on the homepage of Tianya Entertainment. The number of related posts on Tieba (a Chinese online forum) kept increasing. Jiang Chen's Weibo followers began to skyrocket, from several thousand to over 50,000 in just two days. Many viewers began to delve deeper into this newcomer, praising his delicate eye acting and his exceptionally moving portrayal of a young man's infatuation and stubbornness.

The series has reached its 39th and final episode. The scene of persuading the Fourteenth Prince to surrender in the prison in the rain directly pushed him to the point of being the most unforgettable character in the entire series, and also made Jiang Chen a minor celebrity.

The Fourteenth Prince led his troops to storm the palace in the name of righteousness, but was ultimately defeated, imprisoned, and confined to jail.

Outside the window, a torrential downpour continued. Su Yan braved the heavy rain to rush to the prison and persuaded him to submit to Emperor Yongzheng in order to save himself.

The prison was dimly lit, and rain dripped from the window cracks, soaking the Fourteenth Prince's clothes and smoothing out the arrogance in his eyes.

Looking at Su Yan, who was wholeheartedly working for the Fourth Prince, he spoke in a hoarse, dry voice, filled with resentment and desolation, asking directly, "Do you even have me in your heart?"

Su Yan lowered her eyes, her tone calm but every word piercing: "My heart belongs to the Fourth Prince, but you are an important person to me."

In one sentence, the regret that the two were ultimately destined to be apart was fully expressed.

The Fourteenth Prince looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of youthful persistence, loneliness, and relief. In the end, for the sake of this unfulfilled affection, he chose to submit, only wishing to go far away to the imperial mausoleum and stay away from the strife in the deep palace.

This scene of the two actors facing off in the pouring rain became the most tear-jerking moment in the entire series.

Jiang Chen perfectly portrayed the complete character arc of the Fourteenth Prince, from his mischievous and ignorant nature to his persistent and affectionate love, and finally to his acceptance and letting go in the end.

This scene made it to the top of Weibo's trending topics, and related clips and GIFs were widely shared on QQ Space and various forums. Discussions such as "The Fourteenth Prince is heartbroken" and "Newcomer Jiang Chen's acting is amazing" flooded the internet.

In just a few days, Jiang Chen's Weibo followers skyrocketed from tens of thousands to 150,000.

He has officially debuted...

……

Hu Da Restaurant, an old establishment on Guijie Street, is less than a ten-minute walk from the Central Academy of Drama.

There are always long queues at this place, with people sitting at the entrance waiting for their numbers.

The most famous dish is the spicy crayfish, known as the "number one" crayfish on Guijie Street. It's numbingly spicy and flavorful, with firm and bouncy crayfish meat. You'll want to lick your fingers three times after eating it.

Not long after Jiang Chen arrived at the private room on the second floor, the door was pushed open.

Tong Liya burst in, wearing a loose white sweater.

When she saw Jiang Chen, her eyes lit up, and she rushed over to give him a tight hug.

"Brother!"

Jiang Chen was swayed back a little by her hug, and patted her back with a smile: "Ya Ya, you're here."

Tong Liya released her grip, took a step back, glared at him, and said with feigned anger, "Why don't you call me 'sister' anymore?"

"She's calling me, Sister Ya Ya," Jiang Chen said without changing his expression, "I shortened it a bit."

"Can it be shortened arbitrarily?"

"Yes, that's a grammatical structure in Shandong dialect."

Tong Liya was amused by his antics, slapped his arm, and sat down.

His gaze swept around the private rooms, and his eyes suddenly softened.

Hu Da on Guijie Street was her favorite place when she was studying at the Central Academy of Drama.

I had casually chatted with Jiang Chen about this once on set, and I never expected that he would arrange to have dinner here.

For girls, it's these kinds of details that touch them the most.

After ordering, the two chatted for a while.

Tong Liya said that she was exhausted from filming "Beijing Love Story" recently, but she enjoyed filming and the atmosphere on set was great.

Jiang Chen said he attends classes at school, writes songs, and occasionally takes on freelance work.

As they were talking, the door was pushed open and a man walked in.

Tong Liya stood up: "Old Chen, you're here."

She turned and introduced them: "Jiang Chen, this is Chen Sicheng, the director of our 'Beijing Love Story'. Old Chen, this is Jiang Chen, the one I told you about, my younger brother."

Chen Sicheng extended his hand, smiling warmly.

Jiang Chen grasped his hand, and instead of calling him Teacher Chen, she called out, "Director Chen."

Chen Sicheng's smile immediately deepened.

He had just started filming "Beijing Love Story" when he was enjoying that title the most.

The young man knew how to handle things, and he gave Jiang Chen a higher score in his mind.

Actually, Chen Sicheng did invite Jiang Chen to audition.

However, Jiang Chen refused.

This film was directed and starred by him, and almost all of the core actors came from the "Soldiers Gang".

Li Cheng and Zhang Yi are brothers who fought side by side in "Soldiers Sortie".

That circle has extremely close relationships; they stick together both on and off screen, making it very difficult for outsiders to get in.

The roles left for Jiang Chen are at most minor supporting roles with little screen time and a flat character, making it difficult for her to leave a lasting impression.

Jiang Chen thought about it and politely declined.

Chen Sicheng was of course even less concerned, since his old friend had given him face and the other party had refused on his own.