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

On March 24, Happy Camp aired.

Jiang Chen's ancient costume look and a clip of him singing "Sword Heart" were included in the trailer.

On the night of the broadcast, the number of posts on the Baidu Tieba forum "Jiang Chen Bar" surged, and someone on the "Gu Jian Qi Tan Bar" started a thread to discuss "This Baili Tusu is kind of handsome".

The Weibo hashtag #JiangChenJianxin# has surpassed one million views, and fans are celebrating in their group chat. Lin Yan posted a Weibo post saying, "My Chenchen has finally gone viral," accompanied by a screenshot from the stage, which was forwarded over a thousand times.

It gained some popularity, but since the ancient swords have not yet been broadcast, its influence is limited.

When the show aired, Yang Zi and Zhang Yisan were in Jiang Chen's rented room, the three of them huddled together to watch it.

"I'm so envious," Yang Zi said, sprawled on the sofa. "Xiao Chenzi, you've been on Happy Camp, but I've never been on it."

Jiang Chen was shocked: "What? You, a veteran with 13 years in the industry, have never been on Happy Camp?"

Yang Zi starred in a TV series called "Such a Journey Out of the Mountains" in 1999, in which she played Zhou Qiong.

Zhang Yisan was laughing so hard he almost choked.

Enraged, Yang Zi lunged at Jiang Chen and grabbed his neck: "Say that again! Who's a senior? I'm only 20!"

"But you've been in the industry for 13 years," Jiang Chen dodged the question, "It's quite rare to have gone 13 years without making any appearances..."

"Jiang Chen! I'm breaking off all ties with you!"

Zhang Yisan slammed his fist on the table, yelling, "Hahaha, Yang Zi, you've finally met your match!"

Yang Zi rolled her eyes at him: "Have you only slept with anyone?"

Zhang Yisan: "..."

The three of them were making a ruckus, and the Happy Camp show was still airing when He Jiong's voice came over: "Let's welcome Jiang Chen to bring you 'Sword Heart'!"

Yang Zi suddenly stopped and turned to look at the screen: "...I must say, you look quite handsome in ancient costume."

"Of course," Jiang Chen straightened his disheveled collar, "The title of 'Beijing Film Academy's campus heartthrob' isn't just for show."

"Pooh!"

Yang Zi pounced on him again.

She just wanted to get something for nothing...

The hype surrounding the drama is still building.

Jiang Chen's sword dance video was cut into GIFs and circulated on Baidu Tieba and QQ Space.

In an interview, Kong Sheng was asked by the media: "Director Kong, I heard that you used a 4:1 ratio of film to set, a 100-day shooting period, and 800 costumes for 'Swords of Legends.' Is that an industry benchmark?"

Kong Sheng's face flushed red, and he forced a response: "...Yes."

After the reporter left, he turned to Hou Hongliang and complained, "That kid... he was just spouting basic industry practices, trying to fool laymen! What 'four-to-one' comparison? We did that when we were filming 'Crossing the Guandong'! What 'craftsmanship'? Aren't they afraid of being laughed at?"

Hou Hongliang laughed heartily: "I quite admire him. He put it very well; publicity is for outsiders. Haven't you seen the recent discussions? They're praising your craftsmanship, your lack of superficiality, and your refusal to fool the audience."

Kong Sheng: "I've always had a craftsman's spirit!"

"But nobody knew before," Hou Hongliang poured him a glass of water, "now that Jiang Chen has spoken up for you, the whole world knows. You should thank him."

Kong Sheng: "..."

By the end of March, Jiang Chen was increasingly busy.

At school, he was in the final stretch of his preparations for the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) in his second year of university.

He didn't skip a single one of the public basic courses at Beijing Film Academy—Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Fundamentals of Computer Applications, and College English—but he didn't listen much either. He sat in the back row writing songs, reading scripts, and replying to messages.

The teacher turned a blind eye to students like him who had both works and popularity: "Hey, the one playing the Fourteenth Prince, don't go too far."

"Teacher, I'm taking notes." He waved his phone.

"What are you remembering? You're scrolling through Weibo."

The whole class burst into laughter.

The game "Gu Jian Qi Tan" has entered its later stages.

On March 25, Jiang Chen went to the post-production company to attend a dubbing and screening event.

Yang Mi, Chen Weiting, Ma Tianyu and the rest of the cast were all present. Director Kong Sheng was overseeing the editing, and executive producer Hou Hongliang was reviewing the film.

After watching three rough cuts in one afternoon, Jiang Chen added some voice-over to himself and recorded a few more lines.

In early April, he attended two events.

One event was Tencent Video's spring promotion conference, where he sang "Sword Heart" for two minutes on stage. Dozens of GG merchants were sitting in the audience, warming up for the "Gu Jian" weekly drama series' sponsorship promotion.

One was a street style project for new stars by Harper's Bazaar, which was an entry-level fashion resource that Yang Mi connected with through his connections in the industry.

It's not a major feature film; it only occupies half a page inside the magazine, focusing on the everyday life of the young actors.

The outfit was styled by a stylist and consisted of ZARA clothing.

A minimalist black short wool coat, paired with a basic white T-shirt, straight-leg cargo pants, and clean white sneakers—no complicated accessories, perfectly matching his fresh and clean youthful vibe.

The filming location was chosen on the streets of Sanlitun. The wind at the end of March still carried a biting chill, making people's cheeks stiff.

Jiang Chen had never done street fashion photography before, so she was very awkward in front of the camera and just listened to the photographer's instructions the whole time.

"Relax, don't be so tense, relax your body a bit more."

"Put your hands in your pockets, look down at your shoes, be natural, don't pose deliberately."

"Take two steps this way, turn your head, stare blankly, be a little colder, and let your emotions become even more indifferent."

He wore a thin overcoat and repeatedly adjusted his posture in the cold wind, pacing back and forth, leaning against a street lamp, standing sideways with his hands in his pockets, and bending down to adjust his cuffs.

A few simple basic movements took a whole hour to film.

My nose was red from the cold, and my fingertips had long since lost all feeling. I could only grit my teeth and try my best to make my expression look relaxed and not stiff.

Li Yitong stood off-camera, wrapped in a thick scarf, holding a thermos in her hand, occasionally tiptoeing to look this way.

"One more take!" the photographer shouted.

Li Yitong stamped her feet, muttering under her breath, "Loose my ass! We're freezing like dogs, what do you mean loose? Do you even know how to film?"

She turned to the stylist and asked, "Excuse me, could you add a down liner? Or maybe a hand warmer?"

The stylist shook his head: "No, the coat will make you look bulky and fat on camera."

"Well..." Li Yitong gritted her teeth, unscrewed the thermos, and rushed over to shove it into Jiang Chen's hand while the photographer was changing lenses: "Quick, drink a couple of sips and warm your hands."

Meanwhile, the 19th Yanjing College Student Film Festival officially opened.

As a sub-venue, Beijing Film Academy held a series of screenings of domestic films and exchange meetings with the main creators in early April.

Jiang Chen, as a student, attended several forums as an observer.

Director Du Jiayi of "Turning the Mountain" and the creative team of "Children of the Stars"...

The awards ceremony was held at the Beijing Olympic Sports Center on the evening of April 26.

He didn't go to the scene; he watched the live stream from his dorm.

The list of winners has been announced:

Best Film: Hello! Mr. Tree

Best Director: Gu Changwei, *Love for Life*

Best Actor: Li Xuejian (Yang Shanzhou)

He is a Grand Slam Best Actor, having won the Plum Blossom Award, the Flying Apsaras Award, the Golden Eagle Award, the Golden Rooster Award, the Hundred Flowers Award, and the Huabiao Award—he's won them all!

When accepting the award, he said, "My son said that I'm not popular among young audiences and my works don't get much attention. But actually, I really wanted to win this award."

The audience erupted in applause; this was a true veteran artist!

Best Actress: Liang Jing, "Children of the Stars"

Most popular male actor among college students: Wen Zhang (Love is Not Blind)

Most popular actress among college students: Yan Ni (from "The Great Magician")

Meanwhile, on April 23, the second Yanjing International Film Festival opened.

James Cameron arrived in Beijing to attend the red carpet event, the opening ceremony, and the forum on "The Development of 3D Technology and Film Cooperation".

Students and faculty from the Beijing Film Academy were invited to attend the ceremony. Jiang Chen received a ticket and sat in the audience section of the National Convention Center, watching the starlight on the red carpet.

Cameron, Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing, Xu Ke, Feng Xiaogang, Wang Lihong...

Cameron said at the forum: "The Beijing International Film Festival will be a milestone for Chinese cinema."

He wondered how long it would take him to stand on it!

By the end of April, the recording of the EP was nearing completion.

Li Ronghao was doing the final mixing of "Young and Promising" in the Lejiaxuan studio.

Jiang Chen sat next to him, wearing headphones, listening to his own voice coming from the monitor.

"If I had been successful in my youth and not felt inferior, and had known what was truly precious..."

"Tone down your emotions a bit more. Regret isn't something you shout out; it's something you hold back."

"Okay," Jiang Chen said, "one more time."

He went into the recording studio and closed the door.

Li Ronghao looked at the figure on the other side of the glass, filled with emotion.

This young man has improved so much since the beginning.

"Evening Breeze and Youth" consists of five songs, recorded over two months, from spring to summer.

Completed!

May……

June……

July!!!