After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite (GL) - Chapter 3
As a blogger, Liu Xiaobai deeply understood the time-sensitive nature of short videos. So, she stayed up all night editing and post-producing the video, and promptly released it the next day.
Liu Xiaobai’s fans were the first to see it. They laughed, teasing Liu Xiaobai about how she started making silly videos. Amused, they began sharing it with friends, and just like that, one after another, everyone was happily laughing.
For all the laughter Tao Nian caused on the internet, Huang Li experienced just as much despair and breakdown because of her.
A phone call could no longer directly express her despair and terror. She dragged her still-aching foot to Lin Qianman’s home and shrieked: “Compensation! I’ll pay the penalty fee, I cannot go to this show. I get the chills just seeing her! She even smiled at me today! Do you know how sharp her teeth are?! I’m genuinely scared… I can’t handle it. I think my life is more important. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am today; I can’t just be inexplicably eaten like this!”
Lin Qianman watched Huang Li frantically jumping around her home and felt that if she didn’t calm her down, Huang Li would turn into a bird and fly away.
So, she cleared her throat. Just as she was about to speak, Huang Li leaned over, her eyes tearful, and grabbed Lin Qianman’s hand: “Qilin, you go.”
Lin Qianman: “…”
Lin Qianman didn’t speak, but gently, yet very firmly, brushed Huang Li’s hand away.
Huang Li pointed to her swollen ankle: “My leg is injured, so I can’t record the show. Actress Lin, please be an emergency substitute.”
Lin Qianman subtly replied: “…But I’m an actress. How can I go to a singing and dancing show?”
“Didn’t you also release an album when you debuted? So you debuted as a singer! And didn’t you study music when you were in school? You must know basic music theory, right?”
“I can’t.”
Lin Qianman was also terrified inside, trying to use external factors to refuse Huang Li: “Even if I debuted as a singer, I can’t dance. Moreover, I haven’t sung in so many years. How could the production team let me replace you?”
“But you have popularity!”
Huang Li was almost in tears: “This show was already failing. It hasn’t gained much public attention even now. They invited me for the traffic. But I don’t have as much traffic as you! As long as you’re willing to go, the production team will surely beg you on their hands and knees!”
This was not a lie.
Lin Qianman debuted as a singer fifteen years ago, though she didn’t gain much traction back then. But later, she transitioned to acting, winning “Best New Artist” with her very first art-house film. Because of her aloof and cool beauty, she was revered as a goddess by countless people. And because she started her career with art-house films, and later made many more, even the most critical and niche film critics never spoke ill of her.
By her seventh year, she had won all the major and minor awards both domestically and internationally. So now, when people talk about “Best Actress,” she’s the first person everyone thinks of, because she won the Best Actress award at all authoritative film festivals.
In these fifteen years, she had actually only made a dozen or so films, but they covered all genres, making her someone everyone could talk about.
Generally, such an actress might be elevated to a deity and regarded as an old artist. Unfortunately, while Lin Qianman debuted early, she was young, and her face was genuinely cool and aloof, with a hint of tantalizing allure. Later, wave after wave of beauties entered the entertainment industry, each touted as having “god-tier” looks. Yet, only Lin Qianman was universally considered beautiful.
At most, people would say they didn’t like her “type” of beauty—perhaps because they knew they couldn’t have her, they were just being stubborn.
In short, Lin Qianman had a group of extremely loyal followers who were captivated by her appearance. And because Lin Qianman was powerful, didn’t participate in variety shows, and didn’t expose her personal life, they were all ravenous, eager to learn more about her from every angle.
Meaning, if Lin Qianman really participated in “Idol 101,” her fans would swarm into the show like a pack of starving wolves.
Forget “Idol 101.” Even if it were “Antarctica 101,” with Lin Qianman, it wouldn’t flop.
Huang Li looked at Lin Qianman longingly, returning Lin Qianman’s own words from yesterday: “Feng Jun has helped us so much. This is the first time he’s asked for our help. It’s a debt of gratitude, and we cannot not repay it.”
Lin Qianman looked down at Huang Li, and Huang Li looked back at Lin Qianman.
After a moment, Lin Qianman reluctantly nodded.
The day after Lin Qianman nodded, news of Huang Li spraining her foot, getting a cast, and thus being unable to participate in “Idol 101” recordings, immediately trended on hot searches. Although her foot was only swollen, Huang Li still took a picture of her enormous cast, and, feeling guilty, included several selfies.
Most netizens didn’t pay attention to this show; they only clicked in after seeing Huang Li’s name. After reading, they only knew that Huang Li had fallen while at her company to discuss show-related matters. They offered some well wishes, praised her as a “beautiful woman with a beautiful voice and sweet demeanor,” and then there was nothing more.
It was a very obscure show; no one even asked who would replace Huang Li.
Everyone clicked on another hot search, queuing up to laugh underneath it.
Yes, after two days of fermenting, Liu Xiaobai’s video also hit the hot search.
The top comments were initially just Liu Xiaobai’s fans laughing. After most netizens swarmed in, new comments suddenly appeared: “The little sister is so cute, I’m dying of laughter.”
“Yeah, yeah, and most importantly, she’s so beautiful! She could debut right now!”
“Xiaobai, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to like this little sister now. Haha, she’s beautiful and she can eat so much.”
“Am I the only one paying attention to this little sister’s outfit? SOS, how can someone dress so unfashionably and still look so good?”
Huang Li, lying in the hospital and scrolling on her phone, had just opened her own comments. After a while, finding no one questioned her injury, she continued to look at other things.
When that video played, it was just Liu Xiaobai’s normal opening. She watched with relish, and then she saw an exceptionally familiar face…
Huang Li’s hand trembled, and she accidentally liked it with her main account.
Meanwhile, at Orange Entertainment Company, looking at the now calm web page, the person pushed their glasses up, almost able to imagine the huge waves that would be stirred up once the show aired and the news of Lin Qianman becoming a mentor spread.
Half a month later, “Idol 101” was ready to begin filming.
Although it was unpopular, some marketing accounts still took candid photos and made a summary. Unable to find anything substantial to write about, they just praised the contestants’ beauty and added a cliché about a promising future. Perhaps because the show was so unpopular, even this article had very poor readership.
Other marketing accounts, seeing its fate, felt even more that the show was hopeless, so they didn’t even want to give it any attention.
Only Lin Qianman’s fan community was a little restless.
“…Is it really impossible to find anything to talk about? Now they’re even trying to associate themselves with your Sister Lin? This trashy show is doomed to flop.”
“Don’t give them attention, okay? Can any show just mention Sister Lin? This is like trying to reach the moon to freeload off her fame, right?”
“What is Idol 101? Never even heard of it. If Sister Lin participates in such a show, I’ll live stream washing my hair while doing a handstand!”
“…Washing hair while doing a handstand, that content isn’t very exciting.”
“Mainly, I haven’t had any news of the big beauty for over a month. Thinking about it, if the big beauty really participates in this show, at least I’ll have some content, right?”
“This kind of show is not worthy of the big beauty!”
“Not worthy +10086!”
Anyway, no matter what others said, Lin Qianman was indeed already with the production team.
Another half-month later, someone in Lin Qianman’s fan community did live stream washing their hair while doing a handstand. But no one cared, because most of Lin Qianman’s fans had gone to watch the show.
Liu Xiaobai had actually been following the show’s progress.
After all, Tao Nian was her referral. A few days ago, because of Tao Nian’s video, Huang Li even liked it, and Liu Xiaobai’s account gained many followers, also earning her favor from several clients and landing some advertisements. Her fans were also clamoring for the “older sister” to appear again.
Liu Xiaobai was very grateful to Tao Nian and worried that she might suffer grievances on the show.
She also had a slight selfish motive: if Tao Nian performed well, Liu Xiaobai might gain more followers too.
So, as soon as the show’s official Weibo announced updates, she was glued to her computer, ready to watch.
Ten minutes later, her eyes were shining, and she pounded her chest in regret that she hadn’t participated in the show.
That was Lin Qianman! Why hadn’t she gone?! If she had, wouldn’t she have been able to see Lin Qianman face to face?!
She was in a daze, then dragged the progress bar back to Lin Qianman’s appearance and re-watched it.
Twenty minutes later, she started pinching her philtrum (an acupressure point used to revive someone from fainting).
Unlike previous seasons, “Idol 101” this time hadn’t released its theme song or full contestant information in advance. The mentors were announced previously, and after Huang Li sprained her leg and withdrew, the production team never announced who the other mentors would be.
Then, today, when the show started airing, it directly tagged Lin Qianman.
Everyone initially didn’t believe it but still went to watch the show.
The show started with Lin Qianman.
A large camera was directly pointed at her face.
But even so, Lin Qianman’s face was still beautiful.
This was her first time appearing on a screen outside of films, not as a character, but as herself.
Unlike the aloof image people had of her, she carried a hint of apprehension and nervousness. Holding cue cards, she introduced herself according to the script, then said she would take everyone to see the contestants.
Lin Qianman had just reached the contestants’ waiting area, saying she was going to push the door open and see what the contestants were doing.
Before her hand even touched the door, it was pushed open from the inside. A small head popped out, eyes sparkling brightly.
On the screen, Lin Qianman was strangely silent for a moment, just watching that head look left and right, finally turning towards her, its eyes growing even brighter.
Then, that person directly darted out, hugged Lin Qianman, and took a bite out of her face.
Yes, not a kiss, but a bite.
She took a real, solid bite out of the big beauty’s face, right above her eyebrow.
There was chaos on the computer screen; how dared the production team let Lin Qianman suffer even a tiny injury on their show? The cameraman following behind immediately went up, trying to pull Tao Nian away.
It seemed he couldn’t pull her away, because Tao Nian was hugging too tightly.
In the chaos, Tao Nian seemed to say something, but it was too noisy, and Liu Xiaobai couldn’t hear clearly.
She desperately opened a certain app.
Sure enough, “Idol 101” was already trending on hot search.
The highest trend was “Lin Qianman joins Idol 101.”
Immediately following it was “Lin Qianman attacked.”
Liu Xiaobai clicked on the latter.
Everyone spoke with one voice, condemning the unknown contestant for being crazy to want fame and causing trouble from the start.
In any case, “Idol 101” became popular.
The first episode went viral.
—Because a contestant attacked a mentor.
Yes.
Not a hug, not a kiss.
An attack.