After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite - Chapter 25

Due to the chaotic events of last night, the producer didn’t actually fall asleep until five in the morning.

He was woken up at 9:30 AM by a phone call.

It was from Lin Qianman’s studio, telling him to refute a rumor.

The producer was dazed, thinking it was a rumor about Lin Qianman. He didn’t understand why the studio would contact him.

The studio, however, told him it was a rumor about a contestant.

The producer was so sleepy he could fall asleep any second. He couldn’t imagine what kind of rumor a small, unpopular show like theirs would need to refute. He himself wished he could actively spread rumors to boost the show’s popularity, yet they were constantly refuting rumors.

Who spread a rumor again?! What’s there to even spread rumors about?!

He angrily opened his phone and saw the video of Tao Nian shyly leaning towards Wu Xuan. His mind was filled with the image of Tao Nian’s bloody tooth.

He wiped his face in resignation, got out of bed, and went to the public relations department to discuss refuting the rumor.

Fortunately, the large hotel where they had dinner yesterday belonged to Zhang Jingyue’s family… getting surveillance footage of the parking lot was quite easy.

The producer thought of the beginning of all this yesterday.

It was Zhang Jingyue’s wealthy father who didn’t want his “princess” to struggle in the entertainment industry, but the princess insisted on venturing out.

Luckily, because of Tao Nian’s accident, the father and daughter had some room for thought, compromise, and concession during their argument. Finally, they agreed that Zhang Jingyue would go home if she was eliminated, but Zhang Jingyue didn’t want to go home and listen to her parents argue, nor did she want to see her half-brother. So, her father, Boss Zhang, waved his hand and bought Zhang Jingyue an entire building.

The producer rubbed his receding hairline and sighed.

Such concessions and compromises are truly enviable.

Before the rumors of Tao Nian’s relationship could even ferment, the production team released a video.

There were no words, just the video itself.

Clicking it, it was completely different from the paparazzi’s video—blurred quality, clearly surveillance footage at first glance.

It wasn’t a secret rendezvous; it was a group of people, gathered together, talking about who-knows-what. Tao Nian and Wu Xuan stood slightly in a corner, a little close to each other.

“It’s not a secret rendezvous! There were many people. Wu Xuan is clean and a legitimate investor! He has no dirty thoughts at all! Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors!”

“I’m not saying anything, but that ‘First Paparazzi’ only knows how to edit videos and take things out of context. It’s disgusting! It was bad enough that they targeted celebrities every day, but now they’re targeting businessmen too. I hope these marketing accounts get cleaned up quickly!”

“…So the secret rendezvous is fake, but even in this video, Tao Nian and Wu Xuan are very close, aren’t they? This isn’t a normal social distance, is it?”

“Exactly! And at this time, shouldn’t Tao Nian be in the practice room practicing dance? Why can she come out to eat with the producer?”

“I think that ‘First Paparazzi’ was hired by Tao Nian herself, just to gain popularity!”

“She’s not even popular, just clinging to everyone. Clinging to Lin Qianman was bad enough, but now she’s clinging to the investor too? Is she crazy?!”

Some also spoke up for Tao Nian: “It shouldn’t be Tao Nian orchestrating this herself. With so many people, it makes no sense for her to do this; it would only make her lose more public favor. And angering the investor probably wouldn’t go well, right?”

“You naive child upstairs, think carefully, why does Tao Nian have no public favor (eating melon emoji)?”

“Although, look at the video. Tao Nian is on the side, but in the largest group of people, isn’t there a girl who is also a contestant on the show?”

“Yes! That young lady is Zhang Jingyue, she’s in the same dorm as Tao Nian, and their relationship seems quite good.”

“Zhang Jingyue and Tao Nian are birds of a feather! Neither of them is any good! While legitimate contestants are working hard to improve their skills, only those two are using backdoors to eat with investors! They’re ‘royalty’ (eyeball roll emoji)!”

Netizens repeatedly watched the video, trying to figure out what Zhang Jingyue and her group were doing, and what Tao Nian and Wu Xuan were doing on the side…

At this point, the production team re-posted another Weibo (vb) update.

It was posted by the producer using his verified account.

A video.

The person holding the phone was probably laughing continuously, laughing so hard they couldn’t hold the phone steady. But everyone could clearly see that it was a hospital.

Tao Nian sat on a stool, pouting angrily. The producer, holding the phone, spoke with a laugh in his voice: “Tao Nian, let me see your tooth.”

Tao Nian didn’t smile to show her teeth.

She reluctantly put down the registration slip in her hand and opened her hand towards the producer.

In her hand lay a bloody tooth.

…

Upon seeing this, some netizens were already laughing.

But the producer continued to tease Tao Nian: “Tao Nian, smile a little.”

Tao Nian was unhappy in her heart and couldn’t smile.

But she remembered that she was at work, and the person filming her seemed to be an important person at the “factory” (show), and everyone seemed to obey him.

Tao Nian could only obediently look at the producer, forcing out a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes, her lips tightly pursed. Because her gaze was so despairing and indifferent, this smile inevitably carried a hint of sarcasm.

At this point, not only the producer but even Zhang Jingyue, who had been upset about her family matters, couldn’t help but laugh.

The producer corrected Tao Nian: “Show your teeth.”

Tao Nian opened her mouth as if to say something, but due to her overwhelming indignation, she swallowed a breath and couldn’t help but start coughing.

As she coughed, a trace of bright red blood trickled from the corner of her tightly pursed lips.

Zhang Jingyue was truly no longer in a bad mood now. She even had the presence of mind to joke with the producer: “You made her cough up blood!”

Tao Nian had originally wanted to lick the trace of blood back, her tongue already peeking out soft and pink, but hearing that sentence, she immediately retracted it.

Then, she covered her chest, feigning anger, and even provided her own “coughing blood” sound effect, with another trickle of blood appearing from the other corner of her mouth.

Netizens: “…”

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

The producer’s caption was: “Yesterday, I took a contestant out to eat, and this clumsy oaf slipped and fell, not only bumping into the sugar daddy but also chipping a tooth (laughing-crying emoji).”

The production team retweeted it, essentially officially confirming that she accidentally bumped into the “sugar daddy” and chipped a tooth.

So the comments below all turned into “hahahahahaha.”

“This plot twist is seriously so funny, I’m dying of laughter.”

“Help, why is all news about Tao Nian so hilarious.”

“This sis is truly bringing us joy with her life.”

“Sugar daddy says: ‘Rebel child! You actually bumped into me?! Your money is gone! No more fruit plates for you ever again!'”

“Sugar daddy says: ‘What’s going on? Not the oppression of capital and the temptation of beauty anymore?’ (dog head emoji).”

“Tao Nian says: ‘No capital, no beauty, only a slippery foot!'”

“And a chipped tooth (laughing-crying emoji).”

“I’m laughing my head off.”

“No, no, no, perhaps Tao Nian would prefer you laugh your tooth off!”

Netizens screenshotted the animated image of blood trickling from Tao Nian’s mouth and made it into a meme: “Don’t laugh! You’ve made me cough up blood!”

The previous rumor hadn’t trended, but this time, with the official intervention, and the huge, absurd difference between the rumor and the truth, #TaoNianChippedATooth immediately trended.

After some well-meaning individuals explained the whole story, everyone joined in the laughter.

Only a few people raised questions: “So why did they take Tao Nian out to eat? What’s going on with that Zhang Jingyue? This whole group consists of producers, directors, and investors. Are Tao Nian and Zhang Jingyue ‘royalty’? Or were they…?”

Someone replied to him with a screenshot below.

It was an official statement from the Pandora Chain Hotel.

He retweeted and replied to a netizen’s comment.

“Zhang Jingyue is not just a regular contestant, she’s our boss’s daughter (eating melon emoji).”

In the comments below, he posted a photo.

It was a photo of Zhang Jingyue and Boss Zhang together.

Netizens: “???!”

Pandora Hotel is a global chain. Many wealthy and politically powerful people have stayed there. It’s the kind of hotel that people haven’t stayed in, but everyone knows it’s magnificent, extremely prestigious, and beyond their reach.

Everyone went back to carefully watch the surveillance video posted by the production team. Inside, there was indeed a middle-aged man, who was Boss Zhang.

“Good heavens… I don’t know what to say anymore. Next one, please.”

“Why are you standing there? Call her ‘wife’!”

“Wuwuwu my wife is so amazing, so beautiful, and she can cook. Wuwuwu I’m so happy wuwuwu.”

“You wuwuwu monster upstairs, don’t you have a wife? Why are you looking at my wife?! Wuwuwu wife, look at me, I want rice balls wuwuwu.”

“Good heavens, actually this whole thing started because Boss Zhang missed his daughter who’s pursuing her acting dreams, so he found an investor and had dinner with his daughter. And it turns out the investor and another contestant are the ones who trended? (confused).”

“…Wait! So it’s not strange for Zhang Jingyue to be there, but why was Tao Nian present?! Is she also a rich young lady pursuing acting dreams?!”

“No, no, no, didn’t the producer already say why? To eat…”

“Zhang Jingyue took Tao Nian, with whom she has a pretty good relationship, to eat. Then Tao Nian, after eating her fill, slipped, bumped into the investor, and chipped a tooth.”

“Hahahaha, why is it both tragic and hilarious? Help, she lost a tooth just to eat a meal.”

“Wuwuwu it’s my wife’s fault wuwuwu she shouldn’t have brought Tao Nian. Wuwuwu wife, should we get Tao Nian a gold tooth wuwuwu?”

“…No wuwuwu, can’t you speak without ‘wuwuwu’?!”

“If you want to get Tao Nian a gold tooth, you go do it yourself, don’t make my wife pay for it!”

Netizens were quick to catch up on the gossip. After learning that Zhang Jingyue was a rich woman, they quickly sought out all clips featuring Zhang Jingyue.

Then they discovered that a seemingly simple hoodie Zhang Jingyue wore cost five figures. A jacket, five figures. A clavicle chain she casually gave Tao Nian was the latest luxury item.

Netizens quickly recalled Tao Nian’s previous trending moment.

Some said the production team had shady dealings, subtly trying to drag Tao Nian down.

At that time, some also analyzed Tao Nian’s casual clothes, many of which were identical to Zhang Jingyue’s.

Although everyone also dug up that many of Tao Nian’s clothes were from Taobao, costing 29.9 yuan with free shipping, everyone still believed she was wealthy, thinking she could afford luxury goods but just preferred the 29.9 yuan ones with free shipping.

But now that they thought about it…

Tao Nian was so poor she didn’t even have 29.9 yuan clothes, she could only borrow Zhang Jingyue’s clothes to wear!

“Tao Nian: ‘A rich woman was right beside me.'”

“Envious of Tao Nian, knowing so many rich people.”

“Envious of Tao Nian, not only can she eat rice balls made by my wife, but she can also slip and bump into my husband.”

“Tao Nian: ‘Not only did I bump into your husband, but I also chipped a tooth.'”

“Tao Nian: ‘Why are you bringing me up? Don’t you have your own teeth? (confused)'”

“Tao Nian: ‘Are you being polite?!'”