After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite - Chapter 69

Lin Qianman realized something was wrong after Tao Nian finished saying she wanted to explain.

 

She was still calmly comforting Tao Nian: “It’s okay, the studio will handle it, you don’t need to worry.”

 

Tao Nian sniffled on the other end of the phone, pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears, and because she had just been crying, her voice had a slight childlike quality: “I’ve already explained it.”

 

Lin Qianman’s heart skipped a beat.

 

Tao Nian was still talking over there: “Someone asked me what was wrong.”

 

There was the sound of fingers tapping on the phone screen, as if she was replying to netizens.

 

Lin Qianman wanted to stop her, but Tao Nian let out a small “Ah!” sound: “Disconnected, logged in from another location.”

 

She quickly opened Weibo, searched for Tao Nian, and saw a post. Before she could even clearly read the sentence, the post was deleted.

 

Then came a repost, a cold, straightforward message: “Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors.”

 

Lin Qianman looked at the comments below with little hope and saw the screenshot of Tao Nian’s previously deleted Weibo post.

 

She took a deep breath and opened her chat history with her manager.

 

Her manager was already going crazy, calling Lin Qianman repeatedly, wanting her to control Tao Nian. Posting on Weibo herself was one thing, but what kind of things was she saying?

 

Huh? I want to talk to her, and she won’t even answer the phone. What time is it now? Who is so important that she won’t answer my call?

 

But when she called, she found that Lin Qianman’s line was also busy.

 

… Even with her feet, she could figure out that the two of them were on the phone.

 

The manager began pinching the philtrum (a pressure point) to calm herself down, telling Lin Qianman to come back quickly.

 

Lin Qianman, flustered, quickly hung up with Tao Nian, said goodbye to the director, and hurried back to the studio.

 

The manager was already taking heart medicine. Seeing Lin Qianman return, she struggled to stand up from her chair: “You tell me! What exactly is wrong with Tao Nian? What did I do wrong that you signed an artist like her to torment me?”

 

Lin Qianman was also only half-aware of the situation. She rubbed her temples: “A bit unlucky, I guess. How does she get photographed every time she goes out?”

 

The manager: “Is this just ‘unlucky’? Look at how she handles things?! She never said a word before, so why does she suddenly speak up the moment it concerns you? Look at what she said?! Does she have any self-awareness as an artist?! She’s an eighteen-year-old idol! Eighteen! An idol!”

 

Lin Qianman poured her manager a glass of water: “Keep your voice down. Your voice is cracking.”

 

The manager refused to drink, so Lin Qianman placed the water on the table.

 

She thought about what Tao Nian had said and felt a headache coming on.

 

But what could be done now? It just so happened that Tao Nian saw it this time, and she only understood so much. She felt wronged and wanted to explain, saying things no one understood. It had already been said, what more could be done?

 

She comforted her manager just as she would comfort Tao Nian: “It’s okay, it’s okay. Wasn’t it already deleted? It’s fine, everyone will forget quickly.”

 

Her words lacked conviction because as she spoke, she remembered that the internet has a memory. It had been fifteen years, and netizens could still dig up her non-mainstream music videos from back then. It’s likely, possible, they won’t forget this, right?

 

But what could she do? It couldn’t be brought up forever, right?

 

Lin Qianman looked at her manager.

 

The manager roared with her cracked voice: “Don’t look at me! I’m furious! Look at what everyone is saying now?! The two of you won’t be able to end this without an official announcement now!”

 

Lin Qianman: “…”

 

She said gently: “I’ll talk to Tao Nian later and tell her not to speak nonsense.”

 

The manager: “You always say ‘I’ll talk to her later, I’ll talk to her later.’ Look how much you’ve spoiled her! She only listens to you. If you had just said one harsh word to her, she wouldn’t be like this now!”

 

Lin Qianman felt a tiny bit of happiness, but she didn’t know why she was happy. She calmly retorted: “If you don’t tell her, how can you say she only listens to me? She’s so obedient.”

 

After speaking, she looked at Fang Wen, who had spent time with Tao Nian, seeking confirmation.

 

Fang Wen turned her face away, pretending not to see.

 

Lin Qianman could only call out to her: “Fang Wen? What do you say?”

 

Fang Wen: “…”

 

She braced herself: “She’s quite obedient.”

 

She’s obedient, but you tried every way to keep her from listening to others!

 

You even kept her from getting a rabies vaccine, just to make a good impression on her!

 

Lin Qianman glanced at Fang Wen: “What kind of expression is that?”

 

Fang Wen said nothing. The manager snorted.

 

Lin Qianman sighed: “Forget it, it’ll pass.”

 

The manager snorted again.

 

Lin Qianman paused: “She’s just a bit unlucky. Nothing else.”

 

That night, on a famous forum, someone started a thread.

 

“Tao Nian’s been so unlucky lately, I’m literally dying of laughter.”

 

“Other artists: abusing fans. Tao Nian: getting abused.”

 

“Hahahaha, every time she gets secretly photographed, it’s weird. These paparazzi are truly outrageous.”

 

“Others hype themselves up by being ‘black-and-red’ (infamously famous), but Tao Nian’s good; she got famous too fast and is being relentlessly attacked.”

 

“Can Tao Nian’s fans stop putting others down? Don’t you know why your idol is famous? Isn’t it just by riding on Lin Qianman’s coattails? Otherwise, who would even look at her, it’s laughable. What ability does such a useless noob have to debut? A glutton? Why doesn’t a glutton become a mukbanger instead of coming to the entertainment industry?”

 

Because of this comment, the thread indeed erupted into an argument.

 

Perhaps it was evening, and everyone had just eaten, lying on the sofa playing with their phones with nothing to do. Many people rushed in to argue, and not only did they argue on the forum, they also moved the argument to Weibo, asking for help to argue together.

 

And then, Tao Nian, who had been closely following the aftermath of her explanation, stumbled upon it.

 

Tao Nian had been very confused. She felt she couldn’t understand anything, so she picked out the sentences she somewhat understood but still had questions about.

 

Like this “mukbanger.”

 

She asked the photographer: “What is a mukbanger?”

 

The photographer explained it to her in detail, without telling her that everyone generally felt there was a huge gap between internet celebrities and celebrities, and that in the current climate promoting food conservation, everyone looked down on mukbangers.

 

Tao Nian seemed to understand vaguely, and asked: “Do they get paid?”

 

Photographer: “If you do it well, you can earn a lot.”

 

A sentence like “but most low-level internet celebrities can’t even make ends meet” was stuck in his throat as he looked at Tao Nian, whose eyes immediately lit up.

 

Tao Nian: “Wow!”

 

Being a mukbanger, you just eat food every day, and you get paid.

 

Is there such a good thing in the world?!

 

Tao Nian had only scrolled on her phone for a little while when she received a video call from Lin Qianman.

 

Lin Qianman first talked to her about the emotions in The Peony Pavilion.

 

Actually, Lin Qianman didn’t have much to say; it was basically the same things Master Xu Xiaoqing had told Tao Nian.

 

Tao Nian simply didn’t understand, and it didn’t matter if Lin Qianman explained it; she still wouldn’t understand.

 

Lin Qianman had no choice. Seeing Tao Nian’s expression, she recommended two movies for her to watch, so she could see how actors portrayed melancholy and sadness in similar situations. She also found some poetry recitations about spring melancholy for her to compare and experience the emotional changes.

 

Tao Nian, of course, agreed to everything, deciding to watch and listen tonight.

 

Then, she lay on the bed, legs bent, and pushed her luck, asking: “Can’t you perform it for me? Yue Yue says your acting is very good.”

 

Lin Qianman: “Hmm?”

 

Tao Nian: “Can you perform it for me? Right now.”

 

Spring melancholy.

 

Lin Qianman lowered her brows and thought for a moment.

 

This wasn’t very difficult. Once she knew the feeling, she just had to find a similar feeling from her past experiences and replicate it.

 

Seeing flowers in spring, sighing that time passes and youth fades.

 

Lin Qianman prepared herself. Just as she looked up, she saw Tao Nian’s face on the phone screen.

 

Right up against the camera. Because she was lying on the bed, her chin wasn’t visible, only her eyebrows, eyes, and nose. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Qianman, unblinking, as if afraid to miss even the slightest change in expression.

 

… The mood she had just built up suddenly dispersed. Lin Qianman felt no sentimentality about fleeting youth; she even felt like laughing a little.

 

But Tao Nian was still watching her, seemingly intent on learning how to portray spring melancholy from her.

 

Lin Qianman inexplicably didn’t want to appear as if she lacked basic acting skills. She strongly resisted laughing and told Tao Nian: “I can’t. You should watch how your master performs it.”

 

Tao Nian waited for a long time, and when she got this answer, it was truly disappointing. She let out a discouraged “Mm” and was about to hang up the video call.

 

Seeing Tao Nian reach out to tap the screen, Lin Qianman suddenly remembered that she had promised her manager today that she would talk to Tao Nian.

 

However, Tao Nian probably didn’t want to listen to her right now.

 

Lin Qianman could only make it short: “The manager was very angry today.”

 

Tao Nian perked up: “I was very angry today too!”

 

As she spoke, she clenched her left fist and pounded her right hand, looking indignant.

 

She said: “To be so wrongly accused, it’s too much, too much! It infuriated me!”

 

Lin Qianman: “The manager is angry that you spoke nonsense.”

 

Tao Nian looked incredulous: “But I was telling the truth!”

 

Lin Qianman looked at Tao Nian and felt like smiling, but still said: “That’s right, but you can’t talk like that anymore. From now on, your Weibo account will be managed by the staff.”

 

“But I was telling the truth! I was wrongly accused today!” Tao Nian’s eyes widened, and she frowned, looking at Lin Qianman.

 

Lin Qianman thought of what Feng Jun had told her today.

 

Hmm, although Feng Jun didn’t say it directly, the implication of every sentence was, “I trusted you to take care of Tao Nian, and you actually tried to mess with her?!” If there was anything else, it was probably a helpless, “Fine, she’s grown up now, I can’t control her, do what you want.”

 

I really didn’t!

 

Tao Nian clearly knew nothing.

 

Lin Qianman felt a little tired. She thought for a moment: “Forget it, you can play. Post whatever you want from now on. I’ll have Fang Wen give you the account later.”

 

Tao Nian brightened a little, but was still angry: “I wasn’t lying.”

 

Lin Qianman nodded: “I know.”

 

Given Lin Qianman’s good attitude, Tao Nian didn’t say anything more, but she still felt a bit disgruntled.

 

After hanging up the phone, she remembered that she had forgotten to tell Lin Qianman about her ideal job as a mukbanger, which she had only discovered today.

 

But she was afraid that if she told Lin Qianman, Lin Qianman would nag her again, so she decided not to say anything.

 

On this side, Lin Qianman called Fang Wen: “Create a new Weibo account for Tao Nian.”

 

Fang Wen: “Hmm?”

 

Lin Qianman: “Just treat it as a secondary account. Anyway, the fans won’t know it’s her, she can say whatever she wants.”

 

Fang Wen: “…”

 

Her hands trembled as she typed: “Didn’t we say it’s better not to let Tao Nian post randomly?”

 

Lin Qianman: “But she seems to really want to play. Just give her a secondary account.”

 

Fang Wen: “…So I’m still the bad guy here?”

 

Just like last time, when she clearly needed a vaccine, you said it would hurt, so she didn’t get it, and then I had to make her go, and in the end, I was subjected to pillow talk threats about losing my job.

 

Now, she should clearly be careful with her words, but you say she wants to play, and tell me to give her a secondary account. If she ever finds out later, I’ll still be the one in trouble.

 

Fang Wen wiped away a bitter tear and agreed: “Okay, I’ll go do it right away.”

 

Lin Qianman seemed to notice Fang Wen’s reluctance: “What’s wrong with you?”

 

Fang Wen: “Nothing’s wrong.”

 

“Then what are you doing now?”

 

“Didn’t you say Nian Nian’s been unlucky lately? I’m looking for temples nearby, planning to take Nian Nian to pray when I have time.”

 

I’ll go pray too, hoping Tao Nian never finds out about this.

 

Lin Qianman: “…”

 

She said very sincerely: “It’s better to believe in science.”

 

Even if she went, aren’t the stone sculptures at the temple gate all Qilin (mythical creatures)? Why bother going to the temple to pray?

 

But going to the temple to worship Buddha is still different from directly worshipping herself, right?

 

No, no, it’s better to believe in science.

 

This is a very scientific society now.

 

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Author’s Note:

 

Lin Qianman: Believe in science.