Han Junqing put a lot of thought into this show, going over it again and again from beginning to end. When he was indecisive, he went to the virtual space to simulate and perform the scenes, and then watched from the perspective of an observer to see where the problem was. He repeated this process again and again until he was satisfied.
For this, he already owed tens of thousands of points in the system.
[Hurry up and do tasks to pay off the debt! Otherwise, work hard to gain fans. Increase in fan value will also increase points! One ordinary fan increases 1 point, and a loyal fan increases 10 points. If you can increase tens of thousands of fans, you can pay off the debt!]
"Sigh! It increased as you said, but just dropped one again. If the fans of Qing Ke were also included, I could pay off the debt immediately!"
"Speaking of Qing Ke, do you think I should release another single? The fans have been asking for it for a long time, and I'm embarrassed to pretend I don't see it anymore."
Wen Qing noticed that Han Junqing had a subtle expression of shyness. She felt that he was good, apart from the fact that he was too kind-hearted. As soon as a fan begged him, he couldn't hold on.
[Sure, it's almost ready to be released.]
After Wen Qing finished speaking, he went to arrange the release of the new single. A few days ago, Han Junqing was deeply immersed in the new show, and suddenly inspired. He wrote a song related to the plot. It was very suitable to be used as the opening song. However, Wen Qing suppressed it and did not let him release it. Because Tian Wang just released an album a few days ago, and the timing was not suitable.
Wen Qing deliberately chose a day without famous singers releasing new songs. Moreover, after the song "Memories", Qing Ke's name had already become famous, so she didn't need to use any underhanded tactics to quickly open up the market.
Sure enough, half an hour after the release of the new song, the download volume had already exceeded 100,000, which was even better than the title track of an album by Tian Wang, who had many fans before.
"6666, we finally got the new song from Qing Ke! I can loop a song for a whole day again!"
"It's so good! It's so good! It's so good! Important things should be repeated three times!"
"This song is different from the last one's tenderness and romance. It's very vigorous and grand. It touched my heart!"
"The lyrics are beautiful! As expected, Qing Ke did not disappoint the Qing fans. Another classic work!"
#LinZhiqiao: Qing Ke, you successfully caught my attention.#
"Haha! Great Lin is so naughty!"
"I don't know why I find this pair so cute?"
"Qing Ke, Qing Ke, come out quickly. Your number one fanboy is out to act cute again!"
…
The topic has been diverted, but the popularity of the new song by Qing Ke has not decreased. Although there are not as many fans as his previous song "Memories", it has swept some major music charts. Unsurprisingly, Qing Ke has become the biggest dark horse in the music industry this year.
Some people liked it and some people didn't. They said that Qing Ke was too ugly to show his face. However, as soon as these words came out, they were immediately overwhelmed by the scolding of Qing Ke's fans!
"Do ugly people eat your family's rice?! I'm ugly and I'm proud! Why don't you have the courage to stand up and show your picture if you have the courage to be a keyboard warrior and talk rubbish behind the screen!"
"We make a living with our talents, not with our faces. Thank you."
"It's because of people like you who spit out nonsense at the bottom that Qing Ke doesn't dare to show himself! Qing Ke, don’t get fooled by these petty people. Be confident and do what’s right. We are not superficial people!"
"Even if you are ugly, the Qing Ke fans still like you. Some people are beautiful but who knows them?!"
…
Han Junqing was moved by such a group of lovely people protecting him. He wanted to stand up and admit his identity several times, but he was stopped by Wen Qing.
[If you stand up now, they wouldn't be so supportive! Sometimes, well-intentioned lies are necessary. Believe me, even if they accepted that imaginary ugly Junqing, they wouldn't want it to be you!]
This was said too straightforwardly, making Han Junqing a bit frustrated. "I know that, but keeping it from them makes me feel uneasy. I feel like I'm deceiving them."
[It's not like you're deceiving them. You just didn't tell them that Qing Ke isn't you!]
[Why are you so bothered by this? Have you finished reading the script? Can you recite it? Have you done your daily tasks? When are you going to repay your debts? What happened to doing good deeds every day? The world is waiting for you to save it, yet you're here worrying about these meaningless questions!]
Han Junqing was bombarded with questions from her, causing his head to feel as though it were spinning. He took a break and went outside to exercise in order to clear his mind. On the way, he also saved an injured kitten. This was the end of today's work.
Finally, the crew of "The Rightful Emperor" was about to shoot. The shooting location was in the Film and Television City, which was very close to Han Junqing's residence. Therefore, he stayed at home.
The confidentiality measures of the "The Rightful Emperor" crew were very good. Until now, they have not announced the starring lineup, nor have they revealed it. The new work of Darcy was about to start filming. Therefore, the crew started shooting in a low-key manner, without attracting reporters.
This was the experience of the crew for a long time. Once it was revealed that Darcy is the screenwriter, the entire crew will not be comfortable anymore. The countless gossipers will always come out of nowhere, take pictures of the scene, and go back to attract attention.
So the crew got smart and resolutely refused to reveal it until the last moment. Even the lineup of main actors was kept a secret. This was actually beneficial for Han Junqing. He could fully predict that if it was made public that he was the male lead of this show, it would cause a great backlash from the netizens! There would definitely be many people boycotting him as the lead actor. Even if the production team resisted the pressure and wouldn't kick him out, how could he not be affected by those nasty comments? If his mood was bad, how could he act deeply? So at this moment, the one who benefited the most was actually him.
Even so, when Han Junqing arrived at the set, there were still many whispers.
"Oh, it's really him. I heard before that Darcy personally casted him as the male lead. I didn't believe it. I didn't expect it to be him."
"Why did Darcy choose this kind of person as the male lead?"
"Was his mother really a prostitute? Wasn't it said that his father was unknown? Could it be the child of some benefactor?"
"Haha, it's possible."
"I used to like him quite a bit before. He's handsome and has a nice voice. Alas, what a pity!"
"What's a pity? If you don't mind, you can still like him!"
"How could I not mind? Who knows if he has a chaotic private life like his mother? Ugh, I can't stand such people!"
…
Wen Qing was attached to Han Junqing's body, so wherever he went, she would follow. Those whispers naturally couldn't escape her ears. It made her very angry. Don't know what these people are thinking. Why involve the child in their parents' matters? It’s not what the child desires!
It was also unclear whether Han Junqing heard it. His face looked very calm. A young man who was not even twenty years old was able to perfectly conceal his emotions. Outsiders could see nothing. He could only be his true self when he was at home with Wen Qing.
As Han Junqing applied makeup in the dressing room, he closed his eyes and silently asked Wen Qing in his heart: "Did my mother really do something unforgivable? Why do people keep saying all these awful things about her?"
[No, she did not steal or rob. She simply chose the life she wanted to live and did not bother anyone. Everyone is entitled to decide their own fate, whether they deem it good or bad, and the result is borne by themselves. People who criticize the lives of others are often unsatisfied with their own and use it as an outlet to boost their self-esteem. In reality, these people are the ones who are most pitiful.]
[However, they don't deserve sympathy. You see, they will eventually have to pay the price for their lack of moral integrity.]
Han Junqing was relieved of his grief by Wen Qing's words. Suddenly, a commotion came from outside the door. The girl, who was gluing his wig, shook his head with a trembling hand.
"Sorry, I’m sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?" The round-faced girl apologized repeatedly. Her face was full of guilt. She was an amateur to begin with. The senior actor saw how Han Junqing was easy to fool, so he told her to practice with him. She was afraid of not doing it well and was highly nervous. Just now, when she was startled by the noise outside, her hand trembled.
Han Junqing's tears of pain came out, but he still managed to smile gently, "It's alright."
The round-faced girl was very grateful. She felt that he had a good temper. If it was someone else, she might have lost her job! Her opinion of Han Junqing changed. Without considering his background, his character was really faultless. But he couldn't choose his background! Thinking of this, she suddenly felt that everyone's condemnation of him was unreasonable.
The round-faced girl was excited and took out her notebook, which was essential for working on the set. In case she met a star she liked, she could get an autograph. She handed it over nervously and said, "Mr. Han, please sign this for me!"
Han Junqing smiled slightly. As he was about to take the pen, the noise outside had already permeated the room.
Han Junqing didn't have an assistant and was by himself, so a group of people coming in from outside made him look vulnerable.
The person who led those people was someone Han Junqing recognized. His name was Gong Yue. In recent years, he was very active in films and television dramas, and won the Best Male Actor Award at the beginning of this year. The media then gave him the title of Best Actor. Nowadays, the title of Best Actor was not worth much, and anyone could crown themselves as Best Actor by simply getting any kind of Best Male Actor Award.
Gong Yue looked at Han Junqing with arrogance and disdain in his eyes. "Han...eh? What was it again? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not really paying attention to the newcomers lately. I can't remember names."
Everyone around him chuckled after he finished speaking. Gong Yue was very pleased with himself, looking up and down at Han Junqing. "I'm really sorry for disturbing you while you're putting on your make up. I came here to discuss something with you. Even though this is the dressing room for the lead actor, you're the only one here, right? It's such a waste to use such a big room. My assistant and bodyguards are a lot of people, so the public room on the other side won't fit all of us. Why don't we switch?"
Han Junqing knew that he didn't have good intentions, but he didn't expect him to be so shameless. He almost ordered him to leave?! Giving up a dressing room wasn't a big deal, but should he surrender this time, his limit would be made known to all. How could anyone take him seriously in the crew after this? He already had no prestige, how could he let people step on him?
Han Junqing gave a subtle smile. His lips were on the brink of uttering something, when he heard Wen Qing quickly issued a task:
[Secondary Task: Hit the face with a stick! Let him know why the flower is so red! 500 points. I'll give you points!]
Han Junqing slightly twitched his mouth corners. He quickly recovered and continued, "You know this is the dressing room for the male lead. The question is, is that you?"
"You!" This sentence hit the sore spot for Gong Yue. Why did Gong Yue have such a strong hostility towards Han Junqing? It was because he wanted to be the male lead but failed, and of course he didn't like Han Junqing, who got the male lead role. He felt like Han Junqing had stolen his chance of being the male lead.
There are always those peculiar folks who believe whatever it is they desire should be theirs, without considering whether or not they possess the necessary capability to attain it.
Han Junqing smiled faintly and looked at him with a compassionate look, "If you want to be the hero, go right to the director to present yourself as the male lead. It will do you no favors trying to make me see your worth, you know?"
Gong Yue's nose was contorting with fury and his face turned ashen. His finger trembled as he pointed at Han Junqing in anger. He could mouth the word 'you' but was unable to form a coherent sentence. Eventually, he was forced to leave in a huff, still seething with rage.
Wen Qing praised him and swiped a full screen of 666 for him in the system. [Well done! That's it! The weaker you are, the more people will want to bully you. Only when you become strong can you truly be invincible and unyielding!]
Han Junqing smiled. His smile dazzled the eyes of the girl next to him. "I know this truth. Before, in order to protect my mother, I used to act tough. How could I not be tough when there's no man in the house? But since my mother passed away, I suddenly lost everything to protect and didn't know who to act tough for. Now I've found it again. I want to protect myself and protect my mother's reputation, because I don't like hearing my mother being slandered. Only if I'm strong enough, no one will be able to talk ill of my mother!"
At that moment, Han Junqing's gaze was so dazzling that people dare not look directly at it. Wen Qing suddenly fell silent, thinking of Han Wenqing. She had raised a good son. Maybe she didn't know that he didn't need anyone's help. He was capable of conquering his obstacles by himself. Some people are born to be looked up to!
Of course, her assistance was not completely useless. At least it could make him take fewer detours.
What happened in the dressing room was just an episode and didn't cause much of a stir on the set. However, it was obvious that the hushed whispers quieted down in front of Han Junqing. This incident had woken Han Junqing up to the fact that he needed an assistant and bodyguards. His agency might not be able to sign off on the hire, but an assistant was necessary.
"Do you have enough money to hire someone?"
Wen Qing threw cold water on his idea. Han Junqing was stunned for a moment. It was evident that there was an issue at hand.
However, Wen Qing managed to find a few suitable candidates for him, including the round-faced girl from the dressing room, who was willing to be his assistant for free without salary.
It was out of the question not to pay her, but at least they could delay the payment. After all, they were in a tight spot right now.