Chapter 116: Talented but Lacking Virtue? If Bai Ling Performs Well, I'll Stand on My Head and Pull

"Oh, it's hard to explain in just a few words."
"You could think of it as my own unique way of honing my acting skills."
"I need to spend time alone, to truly reflect on a character and immerse myself in her emotions."
"Yes, that's right, exactly!"
Miao Miao fell silent for a long moment. "Bai, if you weren't so intent on deceiving yourself, maybe I'd believe you."
"Never mind, I trust you, Bai..."
"As for the other team members, I'll help you communicate and get in touch with them. Bai, just focus on maintaining your state. When it comes time to perform, give it your all!"
Bai Ling blew her a kiss. "Miao Miao, you're the best! I'll leave it to you."
As soon as the call ended, Bai Ling began to dance in the moonlight.
To let the room fill with moonlight, she even drew back all the curtains...
Days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
The countdown to the second recording of "I Am the Actor" had already begun.
During this period, the production team made sure to promote the show relentlessly.
Clips from the actors' rehearsals, along with scenes of the four directors personally coaching the actors, were selectively released.
Some featured conflicts between the actors, some highlighted the directors' sharp critiques.
There were also moments of actors in tears on stage, or various misunderstandings edited together.
It was typical reality TV.
But, unsurprisingly, the audience responded enthusiastically.
Those who had been closely following "I Am the Actor" since the first episode were, of course, the first to notice and comb through the released content.
Even those who hadn't been paying close attention found themselves bombarded with snippets of information.
Inevitably, buzz and discussion soared.
Lin Yubai and the other S-rank actors naturally attracted the most attention, given their established popularity and industry status.
But aside from them, many others also drew notice because of their rehearsal performances.
Some were praised for their outstanding work, others for clashing with teammates, and still others were mocked for falling short.
All in all, the show's popularity was extraordinary—several people who had been stuck on the fringes of fame for years suddenly gained new fans from just a few brief clips.
And all this was only the beginning; it was hard to imagine what the second official recording might bring.
Of course, beyond anticipation for the upcoming episode, some found themselves caught in the storm of public opinion.
Needless to say, Bai Ling was one of them.
In truth, the official material released by the show contained very little about Bai Ling.
She had only attended two rehearsals—one at the start, one at the end.
The only footage that could be used for hype was what was filmed when Zhuge Tianguang visited, and even then, Bai Ling was not in the shot.
The production team had intended to save this as a major reveal for later and hadn't planned to release it yet.
But for reasons unknown, rumors suddenly began to spread: everyone else was rehearsing, but Bai Ling had never attended a single rehearsal.
No one knew the source of this claim.
If it wasn't someone on the production team, it had to be a paparazzo.
At first, most people didn't take it seriously—after all, missing every rehearsal seemed too far-fetched.
But there are always those with too much time on their hands.
After examining the official materials and cross-referencing the rehearsal schedules of Yan Feixue and others, they realized that Bai Ling was indeed missing from her group's rehearsals.
This discovery immediately caused an uproar.
"Wow, is Bai Ling really that bold? Not even showing up once for rehearsal?"
"Is she really that confident she can handle this role?"
"'Moonlight Waltz' is notoriously difficult—even top actors need to rehearse for a long time to pull it off. What makes Bai Ling think she can just wing it?"
"I can only say: ignorance is bliss."
"Just recently, I saw her fans still cheering her on."
"Fans are usually pretty blind, honestly. I wouldn't get my hopes up."
"She hasn't even secured her footing as an actress, and she's already acting up? Unbelievable."
"To be fair, the entertainment industry has seen plenty of talented, arrogant singers and actors, but someone like Bai Ling? That's rare."
"Does she really think no one would notice?"

"I heard Bai Ling's been busy with another variety show lately, some singing competition or something. Maybe there was a scheduling conflict."
"That's no excuse. How much time does it take to record one show? Not three to five days, surely—a singing show wouldn't need that long."
"Besides, if she takes on two shows at once but can't manage her time, that's on her. Actors hate schedule conflicts, and it's the same for variety shows. How can she let one show disrupt another?"
"I heard Bai Ling performed really well on the singing show—apparently, she's got a new song out."
"What? A new song? Really? Now that's interesting—looking forward to it..."
"We're getting off track here. Sure, Bai Ling's new song might be tempting, but we're talking about this show right now."
"Cut the nonsense—let's just see how she does once the episode airs. Who knows, maybe she'll really pull off this role?"
"Now that's real nonsense. If Bai Ling can nail this role, I'll eat my hat!"
"Guys, if Bai Ling outshines everyone else tomorrow, I’ll wash my hair standing on my head."
"Wash your hair upside down? That’s nothing—I’ll... "
"Ew, you guys are disgusting..."
"Anyway, let's wait and see. It all starts tomorrow."

The controversy was neither too big nor too small.
Compared to the total online backlash she'd faced before, this current wave of criticism was far more reasonable and normal.
A number of regular viewers felt Bai Ling was being arrogant, that she was disrespecting the show, and doubted she would deliver anything impressive.
Still, they weren't overly invested.
After all, she was just one performer in a single segment of the show.
Even if Bai Ling really did flop, so what?
Only her true fans and her haters cared deeply about this.
Her fans hoped it was all rumor and that Bai Ling would shine on stage.
Her haters, meanwhile, were just waiting for the spectacle, hoping for a good laugh tomorrow.