Chapter 618
Xiwei, the Big Star Wants to Enter the School
Jiang Yang didn't have time to click on his own trending search terms.
There are messages in the pinned group [Pretty Girl Battle 4].
Upon clicking, I saw an unfamiliar profile picture—a round little cat. Tian Xiwei had recently changed it: [“Jiang Yang just filled out his application for Beijing Film Academy yesterday, and today he’s trending on social media because of Beijing Film Academy’s marketing. Amazing!”]
It was followed by three exclamation marks.
Plus a flower-sprinkling emoji.
Even though they were separated by a screen and hadn't met in person, Tian Xiwei could feel that she was genuinely happy for him.
The Beijing Film Academy acted much faster than he had imagined.
After the volunteer was submitted, the official Weibo account posted a congratulatory message.
Accompanied by his college entrance examination score report.
A score that ranks first in both arts and sciences is impressive enough to be considered by any university.
It became the best marketing gimmick.
Zhang Ruonan chimed in: [“Xiwei, what does ‘hou sai lei’ mean? Is it a compliment to Jiang Yang or an insult?”]
Tian Xiwei's reply: ["Wow, amazing! I didn't even know! You're just like Haochun, you don't usually go online, right?"]
It was followed by an emoji of someone tapping their head.
Zhang Ruonan's message followed: ["How would I know any of this? I'm just a country bumpkin. Quick, tell me, is it praise for Jiang Yang or insults?"]
"Ruo Nan seems to really not understand those online slang terms," Jiang Yang muttered.
In Ruonan's world, there isn't much time or energy to pay attention to what's new online.
My life used to be completely filled with studying and making money.
For Ruonan, going online is mostly for finding work.
Even now, though she no longer needs to be a model, has a base salary, has acted in a drama, and will soon be appearing on the variety show "Mars Intelligence Agency," Ruonan is still the one who posts the least in the group chat most of the time.
When Xiwei isn't filming, she can still browse Weibo and Xiaohongshu and interact with netizens.
Bai Lu, needless to say, is quick-witted and can catch any new trend immediately.
Even when Yang Chaoyue is busy with announcements, he can still find time to banter and complain with everyone in the group.
If you don't browse Tieba (Baidu's online forum), you'll know nothing about the gossip and memes there.
She didn't use Xiaohongshu until last month when Yang Chaoyue insisted on downloading it and teaching her how to use it, at which point she slowly started using it.
Her sole purpose in browsing Xiaohongshu was to see if anyone was talking about Jiang Yang.
I rarely even check the trending topics.
Sometimes when the group chat mentions a trending topic, she'll pause for a while, then ask, "[What's this?]"
Tian Xiwei sent a message in the group: ["@Bai Lu, explain this to Ruo Nan."]
Bai Lu's reply popped up:
"Jiang Yang is a double top scorer, so it's normal for the Beijing Film Academy to use him to promote themselves. Everyone's paying attention to this right now after the college entrance exams. Normally, with Jiang Yang's scores, he would definitely choose Tsinghua or Peking University. But now he's rejecting Tsinghua and Peking University and choosing the Beijing Film Academy instead. The Beijing Film Academy is a top-tier art school in China, undoubtedly excellent in its professional field, but in terms of overall reputation, it can't compare to Tsinghua or Peking University. Jiang Yang's move is essentially giving the Beijing Film Academy a boost, killing two birds with one stone, a sure win."
Tian Xiwei typed: ["I need you to explain to Ruonan how Hou Sailei got his name. Beijing Film Academy is using Jiang Yang to create hype; only an idiot wouldn't see that."]
Bai Lu continued: ["Hou Sai Lei, I know that. It's the mascot of this year's Spring Festival Gala, Kang Kang. The prototype is a golden monkey with really big cheeks, like it has landmines stuffed in them, hence the name Hou Sai Lei, which means awesome. It's been very popular since the Spring Festival Gala, it's everywhere online, and people even talk about it in offline chats."]
They talked about lines and performances, but Bai Lu couldn't utter a single word for half a day.
She's more enthusiastic than anyone else when it comes to gossip and memes.
Zhang Ruonan sent a "suddenly realized" emoji and typed: ["It comes from the Spring Festival Gala, oh, I get it, it's a compliment."]
Taking the opportunity, Tian Xiwei teased her again: ["If it's an insult, would you think I'm insulting Jiang Yang, and then you'd insult me?"]
Zhang Ruonan's reply: ["No."]
Tian Xiwei typed a few more words: [“Jiang Yang is awesome.”]
The message had just been sent.
Zhang Ruonan's message immediately followed: ["Tian Xiwei, your dick is the one that exploded."]
Tian Xiwei felt much more at ease after seeing this reply.
She and Zhang Ruonan hadn't seen each other for a while.
But you can clearly feel that Ruonan is still the same Ruonan, unchanged in the slightest.
I don't know who started it, but in this group, as long as someone dares to say a bad word about Jiang Yang, even if it's just a casual joke, Ruonan will immediately become everyone's lackey Zhang.
It's like having a stress response.
They'll immediately start arguing, they're very protective, and they'll bite anyone they see.
Zhang Ruonan will have a loyal teammate by her side, namely Liu Haochun.
These two lackeys teamed up separately.
Hao Chun usually appears gentle and mild-mannered, but when Jiang Yang is involved, she doesn't hold back at all and will seriously refute him.
On the contrary, the most sharp-tongued woman in the group never rushes to defend Jiang Yang just because someone insulted him.
The main reason is that, in the eyes of the matriarch, all beings are equal.
She'll curse anyone who provokes her.
When they get really angry, they start cursing themselves too.
Zhou Ye is making a splash.
Send a photo.
She took the picture while delivering food, leaning in front of her electric scooter.
Two small receipts, stained with a little milk tea sweetness, are laid out in the palm of the hand, with the street scene of Yuecheng in the background.
The two receipts were placed very close together, and the handwriting was clearly visible.
One of them is from the Thai milk tea shop in the alley, and the drink menu says "Milk Treasure Milk Tea".
The other receipt is for Gong Cha, with the drink section saying "Pure Milk Tea".
Zhou Ye sent a message: "Look at the names of my two orders, one is 'Chun Chun' and the other is 'Chun Bao'. Put them together and it's 'Milk Baby,' hahaha. Where's our Chun Bao?"
Zhao Jinmai chimed in: [“Absolutely right. Even Zhang, the lackey, dared to criticize Xiwei. Logically speaking, Chun, the lackey, should follow suit. Shouldn't these two always jump in together whenever they see someone criticizing Xiao Jiang?”]
Zhao Lushi sent a voice message: ["I was just playing King of Glory, arguing with someone on mic. Chunbao just woke up and groggily came over to listen. She thought I was cursing at her, so she rolled over and went back to sleep. I'll take Chunbao to eat some rice balls from Taiwan later."]
Zhao Lushi posted again: ["Seriously, the nicknames you guys give are really awful. You call Hao Chun 'Chunbao,' Hao Chun complained to me about it, it sounds like the name of a sanitary napkin. And my nickname 'Mommy Sister' sounds like the name of an ancient brothel madam."]
Followed by.
She directly tagged Jiang Yang: [“They call my mom ‘sister,’ are you going to do anything about it?”]
Jiang Yang's reply was quick and decisive, consisting of just three words: "Just bear with it."
Just sent out.
She added, "[That's how they are, always talking badly about me behind my back. If it were my sister, I could beat her up, but with them, there's nothing I can do."]
Tian Xiwei clicked into the trending search list.
After chatting for more than ten minutes, Jiang Yang's trending search terms had already jumped to fifth place.
The entry was followed by a brightly colored "hot" character.
Clicking on it leads to the pinned post on the official Weibo account of Beijing Film Academy.
The text reads: [A warm welcome to Jiang Yang, the top scorer in both the 2016 National College Entrance Examination and the Junior College Entrance Examination, who has been admitted to the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy with outstanding results! With youthful spirit and a drive to pursue dreams in film, Beijing Film Academy will accompany you on your journey to the stars.]
There are three pictures.
One of the images is a screenshot of Jiang Yang's college entrance examination score report.
Their scores were all strikingly high, and their total scores crushed all other candidates.
One photo is a candid shot of his profile as he fills out his college application, staring at the section for the Beiping Film Academy.
His eyes were very bright.
It looked like a candid shot, but Tian Xiwei knew it was actually a staged photo, taken by Zhao Lushi for Jiang Yang.
There's also an aerial view of the Beijing Film Academy's main gate, with its red walls and green trees exuding the solemnity of a prestigious university. The comment section has exploded.
The endless stream of comments is a chaotic mix of praise and criticism.
Tian Xiwei slid down roughly.
"This is a true academic star! He could easily choose Tsinghua or Peking University, but he chose a major he loved. That takes courage!"
"Handsome, smart, and a good actor—Jiang Yang is going to dominate the entertainment industry!"
"Beijing Film Academy has struck gold! With a student like this, they'll have more confidence in their future admissions."
Some people also dug up Jiang Yang's previous works, such as "A Little Reunion" and his role as a noodle stall owner in "Go Fighting!": ["I knew this young man was a good actor. Turns out he's a top student. His comprehension is just different."]
It wasn't all praise.
There were also those who cursed.
[“This is over the top. It's just filling out a college application; is it really necessary to buy trending topics?”]
[“Refusing Tsinghua and Peking Universities to choose Beijing Film Academy, is that a moment of madness? Is the entertainment industry more reliable than the academic world?”]
[“Definitely a publicity stunt; even top students these days are so eager to become famous. The money in the entertainment industry is really easy to make.”]
Some even brought up regional differences, saying, "Southerners are just impetuous; they'd rather forgo the resources of Tsinghua and Peking Universities to study acting."
Scroll down to the next entry for this term.
Tian Xiwei saw Lu Han's repost.
Lu Han's repost was just a short sentence: ["Wow, my brother @JiangYang is awesome! He's a top scorer in the college entrance exam and got straight into the Beijing Film Academy. He'll have to look after me when he becomes famous [cool]"]
The accompanying picture is a group photo.
One of the photos is a behind-the-scenes shot of the two filming "Fighter of the Destiny".
Dressed in period costumes, the two leaned against a prop tree, their arms around each other's shoulders, their white teeth showing in their smiles.
In the background, you can see the busy figures of the stagehands.
The other photo is a candid shot of a private gathering.
Jiang Yang held a guitar, and Lu Han leaned in to listen. The camera was a little shaky, but it conveyed the familiarity of close friends.
The comments section below has already surpassed 100,000 reposts, with 90% praising the relationship: ["The amazing friendship between the brothers! Can't wait for their scenes together in 'Fighter of the Destiny'!"]
[“I’ve been listening to ‘Rose Boy’ on repeat until now. Two talented men paired with one talented man—they’re destined to be together forever.”]
"Lu Han has excellent judgment. She's already befriended Jiang Yang. Once Jiang Yang becomes famous, she definitely won't forget Lu Han."
["This picture looks so real, it doesn't feel like it's being deliberately promoted, I'm totally shipping them."]
Occasionally, a few sarcastic comments would appear.
"This is such an obvious attempt to ride on Jiang Yang's popularity. They're just trying to piggyback on his fame."
Tian Xi smiled slightly at this sarcastic comment.
Because people can actually laugh when they're speechless.
Is it true that Lu Han is trying to ride on Jiang Yang's popularity?
It was clearly Lu Han who was actively using his popularity to help Jiang Yang.
Jiang Yang is indeed quite popular online now, but he is far from reaching the level of Lu Han.
Jiang Yang had previously said that when Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong officially announced their relationship, Weibo would probably crash... That was probably an exaggeration, but Lu Han does have a lot of fans.
Without Lu Han's repost, Jiang Yang's hashtag might not have risen so quickly.
Will Jiang Yang ever become as famous as Lu Han?
Tian Xi muttered something to herself.
Keep reading.
There's more spraying below:
"Both of them are mediocre actors; even if they were put together, they wouldn't make a big splash."
[“Can marketing accounts please stop mentioning Lu Han and just focus on Jiang Yang?”]
But it was quickly overwhelmed by the fans' comments.
Next up is Huang Lei's repost: ["Congratulations to Jiang Yang on officially becoming a member of the Beijing Film Academy! I've always said this kid has talent; he can overcome obstacles in the exam hall and shine on stage. His future is bright! [Thumbs up]"]
The accompanying image is very simple.
It's a photo of Jiang Yang and him.
This photo was taken last year when we were filming "Go Fighting!"
Jiang Yang, dressed in a simple T-shirt, stood next to Huang Lei.
Still a bit green.
Huang Lei put his arm around his shoulder, his smile gratified.
The comments section wasn't as extreme as Lu Han's; it wasn't as polarized.
It leans more towards an atmosphere of blessings from elders:
"Teacher Huang has a sharp eye! She saw long ago that Jiang Yang was no ordinary person."
"When will Teacher Huang and Jiang Yang act in the same play again? A teacher-student collaboration would definitely be amazing!"
"The student and faculty files at Beijing Film Academy are now locked! Jiang Yang will have someone protecting him at the school from now on."
"Professor Huang genuinely appreciates talent; he's not just trying to ride the wave of popularity."
There were also those who criticized it.
There were relatively few of them; most were questions.
"Now you're starting to recognize your students? I've never seen you pay much attention to them before."
[“Beijing Film Academy is really going all in on Huang Lei’s marketing. Jiang Yang must have some powerful connections to get Huang Lei to put in this much effort.”]
Some people spoke more fairly: [“Teacher Huang mentioned Jiang Yang at the beginning of the year, showing he truly values his talent.”]
"It's just an elder's appreciation for a younger person; there's no need to make malicious assumptions."
Continue flipping through this entry.
Tian Xiwei's gaze suddenly froze.
I discovered that Yang Mi actually liked this Weibo post from Beijing Film Academy.
A simple "like" actually led to a trending topic on social media.
#YangMi praises Jiangyang's admission to Beijing Film Academy#
The entry's ranking is not high.
Clicking in, the comment section had already exploded:
"Is this a sign that Honey is planning a collaboration?"
"Jiang Yang got noticed by a top star as soon as he entered the industry. His resources are really good. And he still says he's not a 'resource-backed' star!"
"Sister Mi's judgment is always spot on; it looks like Jiang Yang is about to become a star."
"Is Yang Mi going to sign Jiang Yang to Jaywalk Studio?"
Tian Xiwei knew very well that Yang Mi was no longer just an artist, but a shareholder deeply tied to Jaywalk Studio. Jaywalk Studio's valuation soared in just two years, which was inseparable from Yang Mi's full support.
The popularity of the topic is soaring.
Top female celebrities have an astonishing amount of influence; a single like can create such a huge stir.
I wonder if I'll ever reach that point in the future, where every move I make is under scrutiny.
Tian Xiwei snapped out of her thoughts and didn't rush to contact Jiang Yang.
They both went back to Tongliang, so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet.
Tian Xiwei knew in her heart that this holiday after the college entrance examination might be the last time she could spend quality time with her high school classmates.
Once the acceptance letters arrive, everyone will be busy with their graduation banquets. You'll be rushing to one event after another, and she'll also have to find time to attend promotional events. There won't be much time for us to get together.
Why not let everyone enjoy this rare moment of leisure?
Just then, my phone vibrated; it was a message notification from the class QQ group.
The group name is "[Tongliang Middle School 2016 Senior Three (11) Class Never Ends]".
They were already having a lively conversation inside.
The class monitor posted: ["@Everyone, is anyone going back to school this morning to visit the teachers? I bought some fruit, and it's on my way."]
Someone replied immediately.
"Wow! I don't need to wear a school uniform anymore, I can wear a tank top to school!"
[“I’m going too! I’ll ask the teacher about accepting major adjustments in university; I’m a little unsure.”]
["+1"]
["+10086."]
Looking at the constant stream of messages in the class group chat, Tian Xiwei typed three words: "[I'm going too.]"
The message has just been sent.
I used to sit at the desk in front of her and always liked to borrow her notes. That girl, with her soft, sweet voice, would reply instantly.
"Xiwei, you're in Tongliang too! The big star is going back to school!"
The group chat exploded with discussion.
Messages to Tian Xiwei kept coming in. (End of Chapter)