Chapter 45
The situation on the internet was still escalating. However, it started to calm down due to Ling Rong's post on Weibo. Yet, shortly after, another topic suddenly rose and quickly topped the trending search list.
#ProtectOurBestBrothers#RejectRumors#
Presumably, the number of people searching for Ling Rong and Gu Ning Yan had spiked, which also rapidly increased the click rate of this Weibo post. When netizens clicked in, they found out it was a post made by Ling Rong's fan club.
[HuaRongYueMao: Today, I felt really angry and upset when I saw the rumors about brothers Gu Ning Yan and Ling Rong on Weibo. People always jump on the bandwagon to throw shade without bothering to seek out the truth.
The picture is indeed real, but do you really know what happened behind the scenes? Several of us were on-site witnesses during that incident, so we have some right to speak on this. I have been provided with a video recorded by one of our sisters, which I will now share to reveal the true situation. Finally, along with the other fan club members, we will always safeguard our best brothers.]
Below this lengthy post, there was a video about fifteen minutes long that was attached. Out of curiosity, even passersby couldn't resist clicking to watch the video.
The video began with ordinary fan club members waiting outside a large venue to photograph their idols. It was not long before Ling Rong and Gu Ning Yan appeared in the frame, appearing to be heading towards the area where the fan club members were gathered. They seemed to be in great terms. However, starting from the thirty-second mark, a sudden scream could be heard from the previously noisy crowd, followed by someone shouting "Watch out!". This was then followed by confusion and the crowd scrambling in all directions.
After a brief moment of chaos, the mystery was solved. It turned out that a middle-aged man was holding a knife to a young girl in the crowd, clearly indicating that he was a dangerous individual. Soon after, the police arrived on the scene, further confirming the man's malintent.
The video continued with the man bargaining with the police, who had no choice but to agree in order to ensure the hostage's safety. Just as the audience was getting anxious about the girl being held hostage, Ling Rong suddenly proposed to trade places with her.
'Ah, don't go Ling Rong! It's dangerous! I won't let you!' Although they were just watching the video and knew their protests would be futile, many viewers couldn't help but shout out in their hearts.
However, things did not go as expected. Ling Rong went ahead with the trade, ensuring the girl's safety even as a knife was held to his throat. As he calmly reassured the frightened girl while facing danger himself, many tender-hearted viewers couldn't help but get teary-eyed. 'What an incredibly kind and selfless man Ling Rong is,' they thought, 'facing danger himself to save another!'
But soon, they realized they were wrong. Ling Rong wasn't some helpless, delicate flower in need of saving — he was a one-man powerhouse who could take down the assailant all by himself!
Seeing Ling Rong effortlessly knocking out the attacker in the video, the girls watching in front of their screens could no longer contain their excitement. Regardless of their surroundings, they swooned and screamed in admiration.
A girl who had just stepped out of a fitting room to ask her friend's opinion was startled by her companion's sudden outburst. "What's going on? Have you spotted another handsome guy?" she asked, knowing her friend quite well.
"It's my Ling Rong! He's so incredibly handsome! Sister, you should join me in supporting Ling Rong. I guarantee you won't regret it!"
This kind of example started to appear all over the place. After dealing with the criminal, they finally saw the scene which was initially described as Gu Ningyan “bullying” Ling Rong. Yet, after watching it, they could only scoff at the person who posted that tweet. Bullying? What bullying? Are they blind? It was clear that Gu Ningyan was incredibly worried about Ling Rong and had been restraining his emotions until he saw he was safe; did they not see the moving hug that followed?
Bullying? This is clearly love!
At last, the truth came out, and the comments started to shift towards a more positive light.
[Wow! Ling Rong is so cool! I pray to the heavens for a boyfriend like him! With him around, you get to appreciate both beauty and feel utterly safe!]
[Ling Rong is truly a heavenly idol. Not only can he sing and dance and look good, but he can also fight and take on criminals by himself! So beautiful and kind-hearted! The way he offered herself in exchange for the girl's safety was so heartwarming!]
[Crying, this is what you call an idol. From today onwards, I declare myself a die-hard fan of big brother! Big brother, please make a sensational debut!]
[So that's how my Ling Rong got the injury on his neck, with such a thick layer of gauze wrapped around it, it must have been serious. My heart aches for him, I hope it won't affect his performance the day after tomorrow.]
[The previous one must have been a marketing account trying to manipulate us! The reality is so touching, and they chose to use just that one picture; what was their intention? Both of my brothers, Gu Ningyan and Ling Rong, are such good people, and their friendship is so moving. I'm sure Gu Ningyan cried when he hugged Ling Rong! Let's protect the best big brothers and debut at the top together!]
The arrival of this post finally settled the hearts of the fans from both camps and provided immense comfort to the "RongYan" CP fans. Now with evidence at hand, they had nothing to fear, and they immediately started recommending their idols to passersby.
[Buy Ling Rong's stock? My idol is not only beautiful and kind-hearted, but he can also fight! You definitely won't regret it!]
Under this scenario, even passersby couldn't help but be moved and began to pay attention to this good-looking and kind-hearted boy.
However, the haters were a group of people who refused to listen regardless of the evidence presented, always responding with "I don't care, I don't care, you're trash" – no-brain commenters. Even when faced with such solid video evidence, some still made malicious remarks.
[How could it be such a coincidence that the criminal appeared right outside your company's door? And why could Ling Rong manage to handle a criminal that the police couldn't? How skilled! I bet they hired a group of actors to create a topic and buy attention on hot searches. The previous tweet was just bait so this one could be released later. However, the acting was quite realistic.]
Numerous people immediately shot back at this comment: "Have you finished your homework before spouting nonsense here? Do you really think the police are so idle that they would act in your play? You're so sure this was staged, you must be something special, huh? Return the phone you stole from your parents and get back to your homework!"
Coincidentally or not, people soon discovered that the Metropolitan Police's official blog had also retweeted this tweet and liked it, while also adding a few lines of text, praising Ling Rong between the lines.
[SafeCityv: Thank you, trainee from [Cheer Up, Idol], @Cheer Up, Idol—LingRong for helping us today. Your assistance allowed us to successfully apprehend the criminal, and the girl who was held captive has been safely returned home with only minor injuries. Thank you, everyone, for your concern in this matter. Our bureau will present Ling Rong with a banner in appreciation.]
With the release of the official tweet, it was like a huge slap in the face of those haters.
[Haha, now that the official channel has spoken, let's see how haters continue to dance! If you dare, claim that this was also staged, involving the police officials. If you could really get the police involved, then our big brother must indeed have a lot of influence!]
[The police personally presented a banner! Our brother really has clout! I can already imagine Rongrong's confused face when he receives the banner.]
At the same time, the person who posted the initial slanderous tweet was no longer feeling so comfortable. The sudden spike in attention had initially thrilled him, but as the situation was clarified step by step, his comments section nearly exploded, and he also received a barrage of private messages scolding him.
However, he was entirely unaware that things wouldn't just blow over so easily, and it wouldn't be as simple as lying low for a while as he thought. While internet users might have short memories, the internet itself is not forgetful.
Soon afterward, a colleague called out to him.
"Hey, you there, the editor-in-chief wants to see you in his office."
The man in the cap glared at the caller, but only dared to do so after the other person had turned away. However, what could the sudden summon to the editor-in-chief's office be about? Could it be that he was being assigned an important new task?
With suspicion and a touch of excitement, the man in the cap entered the editor-in-chief's office. But just as he stepped in, he heard the balding editor-in-chief say coldly, "You're fired. Pack up your things and leave the company as soon as possible. But don't worry — the company will settle your salary for the whole month as an exception. Consider it the last act of kindness to you."
Before he could even register surprise, the man in the cap's eyes widened as he shouted at the editor-in-chief, "Why am I suddenly being fired? What did I do wrong?"
The editor-in-chief lifted his gaze slightly, explaining indifferently, "You know very well what you've done. Blame yourself for crossing someone you shouldn't have. Who would have guessed that a seemingly insignificant trainee had the backing of the entire Shengyue company? The higher-ups can't tolerate you, and it seems you're just out of luck."
"Is it due to the Ling Rong incident?! But he's just a trainee, right?"
"Who knows?" chuckled the editor-in-chief scornfully. In this entertainment industry, people like them can only tread carefully, ensuring not to draw the attention of higher-ups by any misstep. The subordinates who were asked to terminate didn’t feel wronged since they indeed caused the problem. They had to swallow this bitter pill.
Soon, netizens realized that the marketing account, which they had berated, had suddenly disappeared. The content, including the account itself, had been deleted entirely, leaving nothing behind.
The netizens were overjoyed. 'Ahaha, isn't this karma?' they thought.
This incident directly brought Ling Rong several million followers, with both the incident and Rong making it to the top of the trending topics. Ling Rong hadn't even made her debut yet and already had over five million followers on Weibo, more than some celebrities who made their debut but didn't reach mainstream popularity. It set a record in entertainment history.
Gu Ningyan also gained quite a few followers because of this incident. With previous years' slow accumulation, the follower count reached three million.
________________________
The third public performance officially began. Each group of trainees would wait backstage and watch the performance of other groups. Ling Rong's dance group was first to perform. As the opening act, their lively music and flashy dance moves quickly got all the audiences excited. The chosen costume for the day was provocative, showing off their collarbones and fair skin, which had the girls in the audience swooning.
Considering Ling Rong's unabashed allure, he deserved the center position this time.
Screams filled the whole audience. Even the boys backstage were stunned by the dazzling Ling Rong on-screen.
"No wonder he's the star of our program! The stage effects are incredible!"
"His beauty is too captivating, even for a guy like me! He's just irresistible!" Qiao Lin said this without taking his eyes off the gorgeous girl on the screen, not noticing the look he got from his nearby friend.
Ling Rong indeed outshines everyone else. Gu Ningyan couldn't help but think that he would like to keep him hidden, not allowing anyone else to witness his beauty. After glancing at Qiao Lin, he quickly returned his gaze to his crush on the screen.
He also shined the brightest on stage, so Gu Ningyan couldn’t bear to let him part with it. This internal conflict was something every man with a crush must have gone through.
At this moment, Gu Ningyan didn't want to think about the fact that Ling Rong had a girlfriend. He forced himself to forget it, or else his heartache would continue.
He just wished that their time together in the program could last longer, allowing him to stand beside Ling Rong for an extended period.
When the music ended, Ling Rong's group performance concluded. Exhausted from the dance, she gasped for breath, but the applause and screams from the audience never stopped. Even on stage, Ling Rong could hear many people calling her name.
This feeling wasn't bad at all.
After each group's performance, the highest-voted trainee of that group would be announced since it determined who would win first place. The group watched the screen attentively as the ranks were revealed, starting from the fifth place. Unsurprisingly, Ling Rong successfully claimed the top spot in her group with the highest number of votes.
"Congratulations!"
Upon returning to the waiting room with all the trainees, Ling Rong was immediately met with congratulatory and praising remarks. Some people who were closer to her even hugged her.
Among them, the most enthusiastic was Hu Yue: "Little Prince, your performance just now was amazing, and I couldn't take my eyes off of you."
Ling Rong naturally hugged him back, expressing her gratitude: "Thank you! I'm sure you'll do great in your performance as well."
Watching the two embrace, Gu Ningyan’s eyes darkened. Ever since he realized his feelings for Ling Rong, he also noticed Hu Yue harboring similar affections. Although jealousy was inevitable, now that he looked at them, there was a sense of shared fate between him and Hu Yue.
Both of them are men, and Ling Rong already has a girlfriend, so no matter how much they love her, they'll never receive any response.
"Next up, Gu Ningyan's group, please get ready."
As the staff member reminded them, Gu Ningyan had to take his teammates to the stage and prepare. Ling Rong let go of Hu Yue and gave the handsome man a big hug.
"Ningyan, good luck!" There were no more words left to say, and in the end, it all came down to two simple words – good luck.
"I'll do my best." Gu Ningyan gave her his most genuine smile. This time, he was determined to show Ling Rong the best version of himself on stage!
After stepping on stage, Gu Ningyan received a significant amount of cheers. The popularity from his previous social media incident hadn't completely dissipated and the audience was eagerly looking forward to his performance.
As the prelude began, slow humming sounded first. Although the original song was sung by a female, Gu Ningyan's deep voice didn't seem out of place at that moment. Rather, it complemented the electronic background music, making it even more perfect.
The song's lyrics carried a comfortable emotion, and when expressed in a male's soft singing voice, the feelings that the song wanted to convey were articulated fully.
Moreover, this song was deliberately chosen by Gu Ningyan, as it best mirrored his emotions.
When he was singing the lyrics, he immersed himself wholeheartedly in the song. His unrequited love for Ling Rong and his unrelenting affection for her, all these emotions were infused in his voice and expressed through the music.
Songs need emotions and soul and good singers are those who can incorporate their feelings into their music and touch the audience. That's when the singer is successful.
When the humming part arrived, Gu Ningyan's deep voice resounded alone again. He closed his eyes, infusing all his emotions into it.
Ling Rong, did you hear it? This is my love for you. It's unrequited, and I'm being careful.
You don't need to know its existence because I'll always be here guarding you. I'm ready to hide my love for you forever without letting you discover it. Because compared to you not knowing I love you, I fear more that if you discover my love, you'll distance yourself from me.
The emotions in a song can never deceive. Just by hearing this part of the humming, the audience below the stage felt a sting in their eyes and an ache in their heart.
"What's going on, why do I feel like crying?”
"My god, this part of the song is so heartwrenching, it reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. He was so good to me, but we had to part ways because of certain reasons..."
The audience may relate more to their own experiences, feeling a sense of empathy. Meanwhile, the trainees watching from backstage had another perspective, a more insider view.
"Wow, Gu Ningyan's bass voice is incredible. He really suits this song, his singing really touches people."
Qi Haoran, who's also a vocalist, couldn't help but ponder. Could it be that Gu Ningyan has someone he likes? Moreover, a case of unrequited love? As a more professional musician, Qi Haoran could discern much more. But what he couldn't comprehend was, initially when he heard Gu Ningyan sing, there was nothing of this sort. Now, it's only been a bit more than two months, during which time they were mostly stuck in the training camp. He hadn't seen him interact with any girls either. So how did he suddenly have this kind of understanding?
Of course, Qi Haoran inclined more towards the belief that this was for the stage performance. Perhaps Gu Ningyan simply possessed excellent singing abilities.
As for Ling Rong, she was quite a novice when it came to singing. Although she had natural talent and never went off-pitch, marrying emotions with the song was still a little challenging for her.
Naturally, she didn’t share Qi Haoran’s perspective, nor did she know that the man was indirectly expressing his love for her through his singing.
After the performance, Gu Ningyan, who was also in the main position, unsurprisingly received the most votes among the team. Upon returning, he received a big hug from Ling Rong.
"You sang incredibly well, really!" The young man with beautifully sculpted features didn't hesitate to lavish praise.
"Really?" A hint of hope sparked in Gu Ningyan's heart. "Did you feel anything? Or perceive some meaning in it?"
This made Ling Rong, the outsider to such nuances, quite uncomfortable. She indeed thought the song was very good, but when asked exactly why, she couldn't analyze a single word.
Pouting slightly, Ling Rong ran a hand through her short hair: "Ningyan, don't put me in a difficult spot. You know I don't understand these things. The important thing is, it was really exceptional. Look, your fans loved it too, right?"
"Is that so..." But I only wanted to sing for you.
Some inevitable disappointment crept into Gu Ningyan, yet concurrently, a contradictory sense of relief.
Perhaps it was better she didn't understand. That way, they could carry on as they had been, so long as... they remained friends.
Around one hour later, all group stages were performed, the third public show was completely over, and the votes for everyone were once again tallied.
Finally, they returned to the place representing rankings and departures.
Holding the voting results again, Li Jingrong stood there, facing the fifty remaining trainees on the ground. However, right behind him, the number of seats was reduced from fifty to thirty.
This meant that this time, another twenty people would depart from the company, unable to participate in the next stage performance.
Eventually, some people had to leave.
After scanning all the trainees, Li Jingrong finally spoke: "From the last performance to today, we have gone through a lot. I saw all of your efforts. However, the nature of competitions is brutal. Only thirty of you will remain here to continue the next phase of training and performances. These thirty will qualify for the finals, and the ten who will ultimately debut will be chosen from them."
"The remaining twenty will stop here, unable to access the stage of the next phase."
After he finished speaking, a distinct chill fell over the room.
"But you must know," he continued, "even if it ends here, it doesn't mean your stage and life end here. I believe that whichever one of you, there is a boundless beautiful future waiting. Do you know that?"
"We know!"
"Good, as young people, you need this kind of enthusiasm. So now, we will announce the thirtieth contestant, he is... "
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