The show Shen Fu took leave to attend was an acting-test variety show called Drama Like the Galaxy.
Each episode of this show invited some “rotten tomato” newcomer actors to participate, giving them improvised acting prompts to perform.
The mentors were viciously sharp-tongued.
In the first season, “xx actor cried from being scolded” trended almost regularly.
But now it was the third season, and not a single actor with even a bit of name recognition was willing to go and embarrass themselves. The show was already flop-tier.
The next morning, Shen Fu was waiting for Liang Xiaochun’s car.
Several actresses were doing makeup together.
Hearing that she was going as a guest on Drama Like the Galaxy, Xu Tiaotiao, who was straightforward and quick-tongued, exclaimed in shock: “How do you dare?”
Then she suddenly realized that didn’t sound very nice.
Xu Tiaotiao said awkwardly: “I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just… I heard the mentors on that show are very harsh.”
Shen Fu said: “It’s fine.”
Zuo Mei glanced at Shen Fu, smiling lightly: “Miss Shen, be careful not to get scolded onto the trending list.”
At that moment the car arrived. Shen Fu didn’t respond and walked off.
Zuo Mei watched Shen Fu’s back and thought she was really short-sighted.
Knowing her acting wasn’t good, yet she specifically chose a show like this.
Probably for money, right?
But why stop her?
Getting scolded onto the trending list would be perfect.
When Liang Xiaochun brought Shen Fu to the recording building, it was exactly nine in the morning, and Limited-Time Heartbeat’s livestream had just started.
Not seeing Shen Fu, the barrage was actually a bit uncomfortable.
【Where’s Shen Fu, where’s Shen Fu?】
【D*mn, I was just about to ask the same thing. Are we being pua-ed? Is it my illusion, or does the whole show suddenly get boring when Shen Fu’s not here?】
Shen Fu had taken leave to be a guest on another show. Young Master Jiang was completely nowhere to be seen, whether he hadn’t come out of his room, or wasn’t in the villa at all, nobody knew.
Because of last night’s incident, Chu Wei had gone back to his agency for emergency PR.
The others were outside drinking tea and chatting, the topics polite and bland, not stirring even a bit of discussion in the barrage.
【Now that you mention it, it really does seem like the more dramatic love-triangle messes were all related to Shen Fu. Almost all the heated topics were tied to her.】
Of course, some other fan groups posted: 【Good that she’s gone. The atmosphere turns toxic whenever she’s around.】
But most casual viewers watched dating shows to see drama and chaos. If they wanted calm chatting, they’d watch a slow-paced show instead.
But the group couldn’t be bothered arguing with those fans, so they just closed the livestream and went to search what Shen Fu was doing.
The program team noticed the revenue rate drop noticeably, completely baffled.
What, when Shen Fu first joined, netizens hated her, but once she’s gone, netizens lose interest?
Harshly speaking, isn’t that just masochistic?
Director: “Call and ask when Shen Fu is coming back?”
A staff member beside him said: “Her leave slip covers until ten tonight.”
The director looked at the falling number of online viewers and began to panic.
“Urge her agent. Tell them to send her back earlier if possible. Also, tonight we’re supposed to announce the second round of dates. Delay the announcement until Shen Fu comes back tonight.”
“Galaxy of Drama is also a live-broadcast variety show. By the third season, the audience base was only a very small part.
However, today for some unknown reason, the viewer count suddenly shot up, almost several times the usual.
The barrage kept showing one name.
【Here to watch Shen Fu.】
【D*mn, same as the one above, secret signal, coming over from Limited-Time Heartbeat?】
【She used to film so many bad dramas, her acting is probably not great, but honestly, I really want to see her make a comeback.】
【Yes yes yes, whispering here, I actually became a Shen Fu fan but don’t dare comment over there. Those few fandoms are way too fierce.】
The original audience of this show were a bit baffled.
Why did so many people suddenly rush in? Who is Shen Fu?
Oh, today’s flying guest.
Someone had heard of her: 【Isn’t she that vase who only films bad dramas?】
【Get lost, you’re the vase.】
The group of people on the verge of becoming fans refused to admit they were attracted to Shen Fu, but still, with mouths saying no while bodies said yes, they typed back on the barrage.
When the four famously sharp-tongued mentors pushed the door in, Shen Fu was already waiting in the studio.
She wore a shirt and suspenders, stylish and fresh.
Even without looking at her face, you’d think she was beautiful. Then looking at the face, it was a level that could make someone’s heart move just from looks alone.
The female mentor’s voice even softened a little: “Miss Shen, please sit.”
“Thank you.” Only then did Shen Fu sit on the high stool in the middle.
One mentor began explaining the program rules to Shen Fu.
Before he finished, another mentor with a beard impatiently interrupted him: “Isn’t it required to learn the previous rules before coming on the show?”
He looked at Shen Fu sharply: “Isn’t that right, Miss Shen? You should have made full mental preparations. You won’t cry from being scared by us later, will you?”
“Mm.” Shen Fu responded, “I won’t. Just start with the question.”
So confident?
The bearded mentor’s eyes were full of disdain.
Looking so tender and delicate. In a moment she’d definitely use crying again to get on the trending list.
Most annoying are these people who can’t act yet insist on filming. Why can’t she just dance her girl-group dances properly?
“The first prompt: you are a girl who looks quiet and not talkative, but in fact carries the blood feud of your family. Because you want revenge, you need the male lead to notice you and gradually fall in love with you.”
“The best hunters often appear as prey. You found out he likes the soft, weak, white-lotus type that evokes a protective desire, so you decide to disguise yourself in front of him.”
“No lines allowed. You must use micro-expressions to let the audience know what you’re acting.”
【Holy sh*t who wrote this prompt, please give me a drama like this!】
【But it looks hard to perform… and this is an objectless performance, there isn’t even anyone to act with. She has to imagine the scene herself.】
Hard to perform is an understatement.
Of the three prompts, the bearded mentor started with the hardest.
The actor must show at least two faces in three minutes.
For the soft, delicate face, she must not act like pure innocence or pure gentle purity. She must lay a dark underlayer beneath the clean surface.
Shen Fu stood up and moved the high stool away.
The bearded mentor sneered inwardly.
As expected, just like the rookie actors before, the first thing she did was move the stool away. Did she really think she needed such a big stage?
So dramatic.
But then the female mentor whispered, “She’s not even preparing. She’s starting immediately?”
Bearded mentor: ?
Looking at the stage again, that very motion from Shen Fu had already begun the performance.
The high stool became her prop.
She struggled to move the stool, as if carrying a crate of rotten fish and shrimp through a noisy marketplace, bent under life’s burdens.
Then she subtly glanced toward the back right.
The barrage noticed that her expression when she glanced there was indifferent, without any emotion, even carrying a faint hidden playfulness.
Her gaze followed that person walking closer, then she calmly drew it back.
【D*mn, so immersive. I could almost feel someone walking over.】
Then the next second, when that imaginary person reached her side, her tears suddenly fell.
One drop, then another. Without dirtying her face. A very beautiful way of crying.
If she were wearing a cotton dress right now, in that grimy environment, she would stand out immediately.
It was the first time the barrage had seen Shen Fu act. They were stunned.
Her eyes reddened instantly?
Tears fell instantly?
It’s a live broadcast, so no eye drops or tricks.
【Feels like I can guess the plot. He took the bait and is helping her.】
The mentors had critiqued countless newcomers whose expressions were awkward, who blanked out and didn’t know how to act, or whose performances were a complete mess.
Seeing such mature and natural acting so suddenly, they nearly lost their composure.
It was like being used to eating bran and suddenly being given a bowl of fragrant rice.
The female mentor recovered first and cued the process: “Now he has left.”
Shen Fu straightened, wiped the tear hanging on her chin with her thumb, and the grateful expression instantly closed, turning into bone-deep coldness.
The female mentor continued: “Mm, three minutes are up.”
“Thank you, teachers.” Shen Fu bowed toward the stage, then ran back to move the stool and sat neatly again like before.
【Holy, this triple-face-change technique???】
The barrage wondered if they even knew who Shen Fu was at all. They weren’t professionals and couldn’t precisely evaluate acting, but this acting was definitely not bad!
Within three minutes, switching freely, with the three personalities portrayed clearly, and even with no props or scene partners, she could still make people imagine the whole scene.
The bearded mentor was also stunned for a moment.
Shen Fu’s acting certainly couldn’t be called phenomenal, but among her age group, she definitely counted as very outstanding.
Let alone acting in any drama would be more than enough, even if she acted in films, with a good director guiding her, she could also complete the performance perfectly.
So how did she get such a bad reputation before?
They had already started the second question over here, while the bullet comments were still fiercely discussing the previous performance.
【Is it my problem?? Why do I feel Shen Fu’s acting isn’t bad? Much better than a bunch of those pretty-boy actors.】
【D*mn, the one in front, +10086】
Someone replied: 【Actually, Shen Fu’s acting has never been bad. Otherwise, with her reputation being that terrible, how would she have attracted a group of drama fans? And a lot of original novel fans of period romances were drawing cakes hoping Shen Fu would star, because she’s beautiful and gives people a sense of immersion. It’s just that she really doesn’t cherish her feathers. Others would rather not act much and wait for good scripts to protect their feathers. She, however, acts in anything. The worst script I remember was her playing a clingy, unreasonable princess. That character was so, so, so annoying. A 4.0 rating on a certain site. This should also be one of the reasons for her “vase” reputation.】
【But she was desperately acting for her family member’s medical bills, right? Talking about it like this is kind of pitiful…】
The barrage suddenly went quiet.
Why do so many celebrities love to sell misery? Because it can torment fans.
Once ordinary fans are tormented, they easily become devoted fans.
Once devoted fans are tormented, they easily become gun-wielding, enemy-slaying blood-boiled fans.
【Kind of want to cry, what’s going on? The girl actually hasn’t had it easy, and she’s not that old.】
【Why does your fandom have zero content? I want to dig up old material but there’s nowhere to dig.】
Rong Xiaozhen saw this, and hurriedly sent: 【There is material, there is, just not a lot. Pointing you to @Ah Fu Support Club】
……
In the villa, Chu Wei came back at a little past six in the afternoon and went to the gym to work out.
Xiang Lingyun, sitting in the living room, turned on the smart TV.
The TV happened to be broadcasting the live stream of Drama Like the Galaxy. When Xiang Lingyun saw Shen Fu’s face, he subconsciously stayed on that channel and started watching.
The gym’s glass was transparent, so Chu Wei also glanced over.
He wondered why Shen Fu wasn’t here today. Turns out she went to be a guest on a show.
Wen Zhenghan also happened to return from outside. Seeing Shen Fu on the TV, he paused for a few seconds.
He had visited her set before. He knew Shen Fu’s acting was good.
It was just…
What kind of questions were these?
The first one: pretending to be a wool-silk little white flower to lure a cold, rich, handsome enemy.
The second one: a gentle, generous senior accompanying a poor junior through entrepreneurship, only to be abandoned, then turning around and becoming a domineering CEO. Turns out her previous companionship was all fake.
The third was even more ridiculous, like it was pulled straight out of a Jinjiang novel: her eyes shone brightly as she looked at that person, full of love. Even being treated as a substitute didn’t matter. Yet when he finally learned the truth, his tears fell, he was actually the real substitute!
The three men’s expressions froze for a moment, extremely subtle.
Wen Zhenghan’s gaze swept toward Chu Wei, who had stiffened on the elliptical machine, then toward Xiang Lingyun, who was frozen mid-sip with his wine glass.
He frowned, unconsciously tightening his grip on the coat in his hand.
A problem emerged.
Him and Chu Wei being subtle was whatever. But why was Xiang Lingyun subtle?
