After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite - Chapter 9

Initially, fans were holding back, unwilling to give attention to such inexplicable, obviously manipulative attempts to gain popularity. They only wanted to defend their rights and make the person who harmed their idol pay the price, so they focused on questioning the studio about why they let Lin Qianman participate in such an event. But then this interview came out.

Now the comments section completely exploded.

“So what? What does she want to express? Can’t she understand human language?! And she keeps saying ‘so fragrant,’ of course beautiful people are fragrant, only you, you stink!”

“I’m so mad, I’m so mad! How can such a person exist?! Regardless of her intention, can this be reported to the police?!”

“She’s such a ‘green tea’ girl, I’m disgusted. Can’t she even speak? And that expression, what is she feeling wronged about?!”

“It’s so baffling that it makes me believe no script could write such a dramatic and idiotic plot.”

“What kind of bitch is she? I want to pull her out of the phone screen and stomp her to death, I’m literally sick!!!”

Most comments were: “Sister Lin, run! This trash show has no normal people from top to bottom!!”

Following Lin Qianman’s “descent” to Idol 101 as a mentor and the contestant’s “attack” on a mentor, the contestant’s interview also trended.

The expression of Tao Nian sitting on a high chair, looking wronged and saying she was hungry and Lin Qianman was very fragrant, echoed the decisive and fierce action of her unhesitatingly and without reason pouncing on Lin Qianman and biting her. It was enough to make people exclaim, “Good heavens!”

Because of Tao Nian’s confusing interview, everyone firmly believed that this person was specifically there to gain popularity and cause trouble.

So, Lin Qianman’s fans quickly watched the first episode at double speed, finding all of Tao Nian’s scenes within it.

Since Tao Nian truly had no basic skills, she had no direct camera shots. Even during the theme song performance, she was in the very center position, yet unremarkable, merely blending in.

But angry fans wouldn’t let her off the hook. They painstakingly zoomed in on the video, looking for those tiny figures like ants, to find Tao Nian.

They already knew that many seasons of talent shows hadn’t produced good talent, but they still thought that if someone could be on the show, they should at least know something.

But looking at it, good heavens, the microphone was right next to her mouth, but she didn’t open it. Her movements were always a beat slower than others, and she constantly had to watch others’ actions just to complete hers.

“? Is selection for talent shows so undemanding now? The kindergarten teacher who teaches children broadcast gymnastics downstairs is more fluid than her!”

“Heh, I really want to tell the production team, if you can’t find people, you don’t have to hold a talent show. You really don’t need to bring just anything onto the show.”

Her behavior was already perplexing, and then she had no talent whatsoever. Now, everyone was thoroughly cursing her.

The hashtag #TaoNianGetOutOfEntertainmentIndustry quickly began trending.

Someone commented: “How can you say that? Why should Tao Nian get out of the entertainment industry? What did she do wrong? She’s clearly still an ordinary person [doge emoji]”

Below, a row of “Rest in peace, comrades-in-arms.”

“True… she’s still just a trainee, she hasn’t debuted yet, she’s an ordinary person, right? Since she’s an ordinary person, don’t mention her name. Please don’t give her an inch of attention [smile emoji].”

“Don’t use her name. Even negative publicity is publicity. Maybe she’s even gloating that so many people know her name now. Let’s just refer to her as ‘a certain contestant’ [smile emoji].”

“Anyway, no matter what we call her, if this ‘green tea’ doesn’t apologize today, then it’s everyone’s problem.”

“The little sister is still young, she doesn’t know you can’t piggyback on popularity like this… Today, she needs to learn that some fires, if you touch them, you’ll die!”

“So, the question is, what’s this contestant’s account? Where can we vent?”

“…”

Good question.

Everyone started digging into the show’s official Weibo again, trying to find Tao Nian among the people tagged by the official Weibo.

But there was nothing.

Ever since they knew Lin Qianman was joining the show, the production team, to maintain mystery, said nothing. The official Weibo only posted a dozen or so times, with no contestant information in any of them.

Actually, when Tao Nian first signed the show’s contract, the production team gave her an account.

But Tao Nian hadn’t learned how to use it then, so she never logged in. Later, when she signed with Lin Qianman’s studio, Lin Qianman could imagine how badly she would be cursed when the show aired, so she didn’t let her log in. The production team assumed Lin Qianman’s studio would remind her, so they didn’t either.

Everyone, unable to find any information about Tao Nian, became utterly enraged.

How to put it. This feeling was like their family’s dragon was stolen, everyone knew who did it, wanted to retaliate and make her apologize, and then found out they couldn’t even find the culprit’s home?

How could this be tolerated?

Their extreme anger made them unable to control their fury, and they began an all-out search.

It was then that someone remembered a video from a month ago: “Isn’t this that ‘certain contestant’?”

People who had been laughing hysterically a month ago rushed in to see, and almost passed out from anger again.

Good heavens, so she wasn’t just riding on popularity but also pretending to be pitiful. Even during such an impactful “slap in the face” moment, she still acted as if she was very innocent.

What a true “green tea” individual!

The enraged netizens couldn’t find Tao Nian’s main base, but they found the neighbor’s house where Tao Nian had once been a guest. They then furiously blocked Liu Xiaobai’s house, demanding she hand over Tao Nian.

Liu Xiaobai looked at the online comments in dread, feeling hopeless.

As someone who had spent time with Tao Nian, although she didn’t know why Tao Nian would rush up and bite Lin Qianman, Liu Xiaobai could imagine that when Tao Nian said she was hungry, she was most likely genuinely hungry.

Although her answers were disjointed, it also seemed to fit her personality…

However, knowing it herself didn’t mean everyone else knew it. Tao Nian did such a thing, and the production team added fuel to the fire, focusing only on the show’s effect, everyone would definitely misunderstand!

She had even thought that if Tao Nian became popular, she could gain followers herself.

Now, her followers were indeed skyrocketing, and because of the increased comments, the video from a month ago became trending again. And people who finally found a trace of Tao Nian even started digging through her old content, watching from her first video, trying to find evidence of her acquaintance with Tao Nian. The view counts for all her videos increased significantly.

But…

This was not what she had imagined!

There was no way around it during this stormy period. Seeing that she was about to be overwhelmed by netizens who couldn’t find Tao Nian, Liu Xiaobai had no choice but to quickly record a video explaining that she didn’t know Tao Nian, and that the video was accidentally filmed while she was shooting a vlog. She found it interesting, so she discussed it with the person involved and posted it.

Liu Xiaobai’s fans also brought up Liu Xiaobai’s reply from a month ago.

It was a fan asking if this pretty older sister could appear often. Liu Xiaobai replied that she really met her on the street, an interesting young lady.

Netizens were still very angry: “What’s so interesting about this? This person is just disgusting!”

“…I, who genuinely laughed before, now feel very offended.”

“I’m going to delete that ‘hahahahaha’ comment I made earlier.”

“It must have been planned long ago, right? First testing the waters with short videos, then debuting through a talent show. Good heavens, so scheming!”

Liu Xiaobai watched as everyone unanimously cursed Tao Nian. After some thought, she still very subtly tried to explain on Tao Nian’s behalf: “Although I truly don’t know her, from the half-day I spent with her, she really is a… very simple person.”

As expected, she was ridiculed: “You don’t know her, yet you speak up for her like this?”

“And this is simple? Simply a ‘green tea,’ maybe.”

Liu Xiaobai’s fans advised her to delete that sentence, but Liu Xiaobai didn’t.

After going offline, she still felt a faint regret.

She knew Tao Nian’s way of thinking was different from normal people, so why did she still let her participate in a talent show? Did she make a mistake?

Tao Nian was completely unaware of the online commotion and Liu Xiaobai’s guilt.

She sat in the practice room, following the teacher to practice her solo performance piece.

The teacher was an older, very kind woman, who smiled and told Tao Nian: “Open your throat, Ah~”

Tao Nian imitated her, opening her mouth wide: “Ah~”

The teacher became even kinder: “Not like that, it’s, Ah~~~”

Tao Nian opened her mouth even wider: “Ah~~~”

Although something was off, her throat was open.

The teacher continued to teach: “Do-Re-Mi-Fa, Fa~~”

“Fa~~”

It seemed even more off. The teacher’s smile stiffened a little: “Higher, Fa~”

“Fa~”

A moment later, the teacher completely froze, helplessly putting down her lyric book: “You can rest for a bit first.”

“I’m not tired!”

Tao Nian was enthusiastic: “I can keep practicing!”

The kind smile on the teacher’s face had now turned into the Vx Minion smiling face (a common emoji representing awkward or forced cheerfulness).

Zhang Jingyue quickly came over and pulled Tao Nian away: “You’re tired, hurry up and rest.”

The production team had already confiscated their phones, so no one had their phones now, and no one knew how big a sensation the show had caused after airing. Zhang Jingyue pulled Tao Nian beside her: “Can’t you pay attention? The teacher taught ‘Fa~~'”

Isn’t what I sang “Fa~~”? Tao Nian said, feeling wronged: “Fa~~”

Zhang Jingyue was completely helpless and stopped bothering with Tao Nian.

Tao Nian looked longingly at the teacher eating a throat lozenge.

The teacher felt Tao Nian’s gaze, looked back at Tao Nian, got up, and walked out of the practice room…

Lin Qianman, who had been observing from the corner, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Seeing Tao Nian look even more wronged because of the teacher’s departure, she pulled out a box of mint throat lozenges identical to the one the teacher had, from her shoulder bag, and handed it to Fang Wen: “Give these to her.”

Fang Wen looked at the box of throat lozenges, speechless.

How did she initially think the contestant had some improper intentions towards her boss? It was clearly her boss who was constantly paying attention to every move of the contestant, satisfying every need immediately. Without complaint, without expecting anything in return, practically a full-blown “sycophant dog” of the new era.

As for the contestant, she only looked back at her boss when she was hungry!

Fang Wen wiped away an imaginary tear for her boss, thinking that in Tao Nian’s eyes, her boss was just a walking meal card. She thought, and handed the lozenges given by her boss to Tao Nian.

Tao Nian tore open the outer packaging of the box and twisted open the lid.

Zhang Jingyue naturally reached out, wanting to ask for one.

But Tao Nian didn’t even look at the person next to her. She opened her mouth and poured the entire box of throat lozenges directly in.

Zhang Jingyue was completely stunned. Fang Wen reacted a little quicker, pinching Tao Nian’s cheek and trying to make her spit them out: “These aren’t candy, they’re medicine! You can’t eat so many at once!”

Across half the practice room, Lin Qianman called to Fang Wen: “Come back.”

Her voice was a little softer: “I’ve already swapped them out for mint candies.”

Half the people in the practice room: “…”

Not only is she so good to her, but she’s also so thoughtful?!

I’m so jealous.

Meanwhile, the production team, holding their phones and looking at netizens’ comments, decided after an urgent discussion: “Let’s open a livestream and let the contestants respond to the controversy.”