The Most Popular Comedian

Chapter 80

Wen Zhecheng’s brain buzzed with confusion. “What… do you mean by ‘being strong’?”

Rong Yuheng’s continuous and tearful crying mixed with loud hiccups echoed through the phone, striking at Wen Zhecheng’s fragile heart.

Wen Zhecheng was so startled that he lowered the volume on his phone. “Zaizai, what happened? Don’t cry, take your time to explain.”

Rong Yuheng took a deep breath, unsure of how to tell Wen Zhecheng. They hadn’t even confessed their feelings yet. Would it be too straightforward to talk about the fear of their relationship being exposed?

After a moment’s thought, Rong Yuheng replied, “At the end of the event, a fan from our ship wished for ‘Eternal happiness for Zecheng Yi Yu’.”

Wen Zhecheng paused, “Isn’t that a good thing?”

Rong Yuheng felt like his heart was being squeezed. “With ship fans, there are bound to be solo fans… I’m worried that you won’t be able to handle the pressures of our life.”

Wen Zhecheng finally understood Rong Yuheng’s concern. He quickly reassured him, “In my heart, Little Crystal is the most important. We can’t satisfy all the fans’ expectations, but as long as we don’t go against our moral values, we shouldn’t worry about the criticism. If we haven’t done anything wrong, why should we care about those negative comments?”

Rong Yuheng’s sobbing gradually subsided. Wen Zhecheng’s words made sense, and he realized they had their own lives to lead. He felt relieved; his owner was indeed strong.

Wiping his tears away, Rong Yuheng said softly, “I’m glad you can think that way.”

Although he had intended to comfort Rong Yuheng, Wen Zhecheng felt like he was the one who had been comforted.

Rong Yuheng let out a little laugh, “Okay, let’s not dwell on this. How about we focus on our little hamster’s happiness?”

Wen Zhecheng turned his attention back to the message. “By the way, what’s going on with WeChat?”

Rong Yuheng released a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh, that? It’s nothing important.”

Compared to the harsh criticisms from solo fans, this was nothing!

Wen Zhecheng breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Rong Yuheng chuckled, “Jianing smacked my butt!”

Wen Zhecheng’s pupils dilated. His defenses had been shattered!!!

—

After the STAR—T fan meeting, the entire group went out for a meal, reluctantly giving in to Rong Yuheng’s strong desire for hotpot.

Rong Yuheng sat by the table, holding his small bowl triumphantly. “Hey~ Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me!”

Bian Chen extended his long arm and snatched the crispy goose intestines in front of him.

Rong Yuheng exclaimed, “Ah—!”

In the end, kind-hearted Tang Ji placed half a plate of goose intestines in front of Rong Yuheng. “Go ahead, eat.”

Rong Yuheng’s eyes welled up with tears. “Tang Tang, I love you~”

Huang Jianing glanced at him and said, “I should record this.”

Rong Yuheng leaned closer. “Use it as my ‘love alarm’?”

Huang Jianing smirked, “Post it on Weibo and mention Teacher Wen.”

Rong Yuheng sighed, “…”

After a tumultuous meal, their manager, Li Jiao, took a group photo of them. They decided to place Rong Yuheng in the center, saying, “We’ll let you be in the C-position temporarily.”

Rong Yuheng, however, showed no restraint. He raised his arms wide and said, “Come, come, come, into my embrace!”

“…”

*Click*, and the picture was taken.

In the photo, Rong Yuheng had rosy lips and a cheerful smile, as if he were the master of the whole world. Meanwhile, his five teammates wore expressions of disdain, as if they wished they could disappear on the spot. Only Tang Ji seemed somewhat better, giving a half-hearted “yeah” to prevent outsiders from suspecting internal division.

The photo was quickly posted on Weibo by their manager, and the fans of the group collectively celebrated, turning the comments section into a sea of joy.

“STAR—T rarely gathers together! Ahhh, everyone looks so high-spirited!”

“It’s the first time we’ve seen Rong Rong in the middle since he joined. I’m so happy to see them together!”

However, some of Shan Qi’s solo fans were not pleased and left comments like:

“Wasn’t it supposed to be Qi-ge in the middle? Why is it RYH?”

But within five minutes, Shan Qi reposted the Weibo.

@STAR—T Shan Qi-v: The mascot belongs in the center to ward off evil spirits. //@STAR—T Idol Group-v: A long-awaited full-member gathering! [Image]

Netizens burst into laughter:

“Hahaha, Rong Goose is the real mascot!”

“Qi-ge spoils Rong Goose so much! The old Double Generals CP seems to be able to continue…”

“Rong Rong is the favorite of the group~ But your expressions don’t seem to say that! [Bian Chen’s disgusted face.jpg]”

“Tang Tang is forever the only supportive one, LOL.”

…

Huang Jianing selected the Weibo post that mentioned Tang Ji and commented:

“So, tonight, Rong Bao said ‘Tang Tang, I love you’ more than ten times. [Indifferent]”

The comments section erupted with excitement again:

“Rong Yuheng, you womanizer!”

“So, who does our mascot Rong Goose love the most? @STAR—T Rong Yuheng-v”

“@Wen Zhecheng-v, what do you think?”

“@Wen Zhecheng-v, are you here? What do you think?”

…

Rong Yuheng had to access Weibo through a mini-program because he had been locked out of his account. Even though he was in the midst of the trending topic, he felt like an outsider.

Huang Jianing couldn’t help but burst into laughter as she watched him desperately trying to get involved. “Hahaha, I told you not to mess around!”

Rong Yuheng pleaded, “Can you help me post something? I want to join in the fun too…”

Huang Jianing chuckled, “No way, I’ll get scolded by our manager.”

Rong Yuheng turned to Bian Chen, “Chen-ge, can you help me post something? Your manager definitely won’t scold you.”

Bian Chen raised an eyebrow, “? Thanks, I guess, for subtly roasting me.”

In the end, Shan Qi came to the rescue. He found a highly popular comment in the thread teasing Wen Zhecheng and reposted it:

“Rong Goose says, ‘Don’t ask Teacher Wen, his account got suspended, he can’t even see this.'”

The entire online community fell silent for a moment, then the Sherlock Holmes fans collectively solved the case: “Oh, so both of them lost their accounts after they pulled their stunts!”

—

This was bound to be an eventful night. Netizens’ laughter and comments rained down on Rong Yuheng like a sudden storm, and fans of various CPs were buzzing with countless “hammer” and “food” comments on the vast Weibo landscape.

Rong Yuheng shivered in the gusty wind and rain of the internet, clutching his phone as he messaged his owner.

【Rong Yuheng】: Are you online?

【Wen Zhecheng】: I’m surfing.

【Rong Yuheng】: The waves are a bit rough.

【Wen Zhecheng】: I’m scared.

After reading the reply, Rong Yuheng closed his phone with satisfaction. Well, he wasn’t alone, and he was happy.

After the team activity ended, Rong Yuheng flew back to K City to continue filming “Plain Robes.” He departed the night before and landed early the next morning. Wen Zhecheng and Qu Youhe came to the airport to pick him up.

There were still some fans at the airport who knew about Rong Yuheng’s schedule, holding flowers and support signs. When Rong Yuheng disembarked, he waved to the fans and greeted them, “Have you been waiting long? Thank you, everyone, for your hard work!”

A few girls turned red with excitement and hurriedly said, “We’ve been here since seven in the morning. It wasn’t hard at all!”

Rong Yuheng turned to ask Shi Qiu to share some of the bread and snacks she had with them. “If you haven’t had breakfast, you can fill your stomach a bit.”

After Rong Yuheng and the fans finished taking photos and signing autographs, they returned to the business car, which had been twenty minutes.

Wen Zhecheng sat in the back seat, and as soon as Rong Yuheng opened the car door, he leaned over, one hand holding onto the car door frame above, and the other hand pulled Wen Zhecheng into the car.

Rong Yuheng was taken by surprise by this sudden pull, nearly falling into Wen Zhecheng’s arms. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Wen Zhecheng closed the car door behind him, then embraced Rong Yuheng’s waist and buried his head in his shoulder, taking a deep breath: two days without seeing each other, he needed to get his hamster fix!

Rong Yuheng, feeling a bit out of breath, pointed out, “You don’t seem to hate the smell inside the car.”

Wen Zhecheng, still in the sweet moment, suddenly felt a bit stifled and breathless.

Shi Qiu, who was sitting in the front seat, knocked on the car door as a warning. “Mind your behavior, you two.”

Rong Yuheng, realizing they hadn’t been discreet, pushed Wen Zhecheng away with an emphasis on “human and animals should not get too close.”

Wen Zhecheng had given up on correcting Rong Yuheng’s choice of words. He couldn’t help but wonder if they would need “reproductive isolation” in the future?

After a few people returned to the filming crew, Qian Xinlei came over to check on Rong Yuheng. “How are you feeling? Are you ready to get into character?”

Rong Yuheng nodded, “Yes, I am.”

Qian Xinlei patted his shoulder reassuringly, “You’d better be.”

Rong Yuheng somehow sensed a hint of threat in his words.

—

The scenes at Changye Valley were not over yet, and Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng were on set while Xun Guang was relaxing nearby. Qian Xinlei was quite respectful of the original work in his direction, which was one of the reasons why Xun Guang was willing to cooperate with him. Some scriptwriters would constantly make changes to the script, but Xun Guang was different; he would make script revisions, check his phone, and write “Zecheng Yi Yu” fanfiction to earn some extra money.

Xun Guang was using a pseudonymous account to browse Weibo, and suddenly, his eyes widened:

@HuaMeiSaoJu-v: Is “Journey of the Plain Robes” adding suspiciously queer elements for ratings? “Zecheng Yi Yu” is actually a CP fabricated by the production team to generate hype for the adaptation.

Xun Guang clicked on the post and found that this account had meticulously analyzed the situation. From the casting to the preparations of the production team and the sudden surge in popularity of “Zecheng Yi Yu,” there were countless clues and connections…

After reading it, Xun Guang almost believed it!

What was even more incredible was that this account mentioned “Zecheng Yi Yu’s” fanfiction author, “Zecheng Yi Yu” was created by an account that was registered just before the casting for the drama began. This clearly indicated that the production team had specially hired a fanfiction author to hype up the CP.

Xun Guang: …

No, Wen Zhecheng had hired a fanfiction author to play matchmaker.

The comments below this blog post were already torn apart by original fans, CP fans, and solo fans.

“Isn’t ‘Journey of the Plain Robes’ supposed to have no CP? Why turn it into a BL adaptation? @TV Drama Journey of the Plain Robes-v”

“Spreading rumors, marketing schemes! ‘Zecheng Yi Yu’ was genuine. It just happened that they were filming together. Don’t confuse the audience.”

“Huai Qing is handsome, Yuheng is handsome. Don’t create conflicts between the two.”

“TV dramas haven’t even aired yet, where’s the rumor about turning it into a BL? Besides, ‘Zecheng Yi Yu’ started from ‘Star Creation’ and gained popularity in ‘Treasure Hunt.’ It’s not something made up for ‘Plain Robes.’ With Wen Zhecheng’s popularity, do they really need to market it as BL?”

“I only accept the original plot. If they mess with it, I won’t watch it. Goodbye.”

…

Xun Guang scrolled through the comments, and the highest-rated ones were clearly paid. The main target was “Zecheng Yi Yu,” with demands to reduce the screen time for both characters.

Xun Guang, reading this, thought, “People who refuse BL adaptations, she can understand. After all, ‘Journey of the Plain Robes’ was originally a non-BL story. But… how does this have

anything to do with Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng’s screen time? In the original work, Huai Qing and Pei Yanhe are already the main characters!”

Xun Guang, as the scriptwriter, couldn’t help but respond.

@Fei: Brother, claiming to support the original work while demanding reduced screen time, have you even read the original?

The reaction to “Zecheng Yi Yu” was like a stone thrown into the water, creating a thousand ripples. Some fans of the original work began to wake up, and CP fans rushed to defend their beloved pair.

“Without the drama airing, why accuse them of turning it into BL just because ‘Zecheng Yi Yu’ is popular?”

“Huai Qing and Pei Yanhe are partners in the original work. Why cut their screen time?”

“It’s a rumor-spreading marketing account. ‘Zecheng Yi Yu’ was genuine, and they just happened to work together on this drama.”

“Zecheng Yi Yu started from ‘Ace Star’ and gained popularity in ‘Treasure Hunt.’ It’s not something made up for ‘Plain Robes.’ Do they really need BL marketing with Wen Zhecheng’s popularity?”

“I only accept the original plot. If they mess with it, I won’t watch it. Goodbye.”

…

Xun Guang scrolled through the comments, and the highest-rated ones were clearly paid. The main target was “Zecheng Yi Yu,” with demands to reduce the screen time for both characters.

Xun Guang, reading this, thought, “People who refuse BL adaptations, she can understand. After all, ‘Journey of the Plain Robes’ was originally a non-BL story. But… how does this have anything to do with Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng’s screen time? In the original work, Huai Qing and Pei Yanhe are already the main characters!”

Xun Guang, as the scriptwriter, couldn’t help but respond.

@Fei: Brother, claiming to support the original work while demanding reduced screen time, have you even read the original?

Xun Guang, feeling something was amiss, beckoned for Rong Yuheng to come over. “Rong Goose, you and Teacher Wen, come here!”

Rong Yuheng hurriedly trotted over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Your ‘son’ is getting roasted.”

Rong Yuheng paused for a moment, not immediately realizing that “son” referred to their CP. But beside him, Wen Zhecheng’s reaction was swift.

“What happened to our son?”

Rong Yuheng finally understood, “Oh, it’s about our CP.”

Xun Guang handed them his phone and sighed, “Two people without accounts, completely unaware of the outside world’s turmoil. I have to spread information to you.”

Wen Zhecheng ignored Xun Guang’s obvious schadenfreude and slid through the blog post. His brows furrowed as he said, “It’s paid.”

Rong Yuheng’s head poked out from under Wen Zhecheng’s arm. “What’s paid?”

Wen Zhecheng sighed and rubbed Rong Yuheng’s head, explaining, “This blog post’s core is to push for the deletion of our scenes in the drama. But why would they want to cut our scenes?”

Rong Yuheng scrunched his eyebrows. “Do they want us to be unique?”

Wen Zhecheng and Xun Guang exchanged a look. “We don’t have rivals with Qian Daojiang!”

Xun Guang couldn’t hold back and pinched Rong Yuheng’s lips, “I and Qian Daojiang are not rivals! What Wen Teacher meant is that they want to cut our scenes in the drama.”

Rong Yuheng hadn’t read the blog post and comments, so he looked puzzled.

Wen Zhecheng patiently explained, “The core of this blog post is actually to push for reducing our screen time in the drama. Why would they want to cut our scenes?”

Rong Yuheng hesitated for two seconds and couldn’t help but laugh. “So this person is quite cute.”

Wen Zhecheng furrowed his brows, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. “What’s cute about it?”

Rong Yuheng’s tone carried a hint of sigh, “Cute in terms of intelligence.”

“…”

Author’s Note: Rong Yuheng (with affection): Who is this little idiot with such cute intelligence?

Wen Zhecheng: Not jealous, not envious.