Chapter 117: The Movie Emperor Takes the Stage, Popularity Soars

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This commotion, to a certain extent, brought additional attention to the show "I Am an Actor."

It helped the program break out of its usual audience circle even further.

At the same time, another singing competition show that Bai Ling was participating in also received considerable attention.

The directing team over there was already full of confidence.

Bai Ling's performance on stage was, of course, beyond question. As long as the program officially aired, it was bound to trigger a wave of hype, and even securing a few trending searches would be well within reach.

Bai Ling's new song, in fact, had the potential to create the true pinnacle of their show.

And now, with Bai Ling's popularity on the rise, they naturally had to strike while the iron was hot!

They decided to officially release it during the live broadcast of the second episode of "I Am an Actor."

Don't mistake this for a showdown.

One was pre-recorded, the other was live.

The two were entirely different in nature, after all. Live programs tended to run longer, and their pacing wasn't as tight as pre-recorded ones. Many times, viewers of live broadcasts would simply keep a stream open in the background while doing other things, waiting for the exciting segments they wanted to see.

The director of the singing program decided to release at this particular time precisely to ride on the popularity of "I Am an Actor," absorbing a portion of its traffic and gaining a boost.

Ideally, both shows would feature Bai Ling's performances back to back—that would be absolutely perfect. Within that short span of ten to twenty minutes, the show's popularity would completely explode.

Once this was settled, they promptly began making urgent announcements about adjusting the program's broadcast schedule.

They also released as much promotional material as possible to attract traffic.

Needless to say, the combined heat of the two variety shows produced an incredibly wondrous chemical reaction.

The viewership of both programs immediately jumped up a notch.

As for the team behind "I Am an Actor," they only belatedly realized how cunning the other program had been.

Still, they were beneficiaries as well, gaining a boost in popularity from the arrangement.

So they were happy to see it happen.

Time flew by, and it was already the evening of the next day.

In the afternoon, Bai Ling had already done a brief rehearsal with Yang Zichao, Yan Feixue, and Lin Yani, reconfirming their stage positions and running through the dialogue.

Bai Ling sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat strained.

Yang Zichao and the others hadn't said anything inappropriate to her, but they seemed to harbor some subtle dissatisfaction.

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It was very subtle... Bai Ling could understand where they were coming from, so she didn't say much about it.

As for the online discourse, Bai Ling was already well aware of it.

After all, she was only working hard on her rehearsals, not living in isolation.

As for the comments predicting that Bai Ling would surely embarrass herself, she wasn't particularly bothered. Still, with the performance approaching, she felt a bit nervous.

Performing well in rehearsal, delivering emotionally striking portrayals during practice sessions—none of that meant much.

It was only on the real stage, under the scrutinizing gazes of the directors, and amid the turbulent opinions of countless livestream viewers, that delivering an unwaveringly solid performance truly counted.

That was what mattered!

So after the rehearsal ended, Bai Ling retreated to the restroom-cum-dressing room arranged by the production team.

During that time, she even touched up her own makeup.

Using her divine-level makeup skills to keep her look in perfect condition.

Before long, it was time for the recording to begin.

Bai Ling was summoned by a member of the production staff and made her way to the familiar corridor.

This time, there was no need for everyone to take the stage one by one to introduce themselves and speak.

They would essentially just come out according to their actor rankings and take their designated seats.

So Bai Ling didn't find it tiring at all.

Once she reached her A-rank seat, she sensed that the atmosphere in the venue was somehow different from before.

The first time she had taken the stage, everyone was only thinking about grabbing attention, spreading their feathers like peacocks to showcase their brilliance.

But this time was different. Everyone looked like soldiers heading into battle, each wearing a grave expression, as if constantly on guard and alert.

Of course, what they were wary of was themselves—they wanted to adjust their own state, striving to deliver their most flawless performance and outshine everyone else!

Before long, all the actors were ready.

The directors, too, had begun whispering among themselves and exchanging remarks.

Clearly, they were the most relaxed people in the entire venue.

When the host officially took the stage and announced the first group's performance, the lighting effects in the venue began to shift.

"Wow, the first act is Lin Yubai's performance!"

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"Straight into the big guns? How exciting!"

"Opening with a movie emperor—this show has some real chops."

"Hahaha, where are the Little Universe fans? Come out and cheer!"

"Let's go!"

"The first group is Lin Yubai and Wen Yan, right? They're a couple in their new drama, and now they are again—ahhhh! Does this count as shipping them early?"

"This group was coached by Wang Dagang many times during rehearsal, so it should be a solid performance."

"The script itself is pretty good too. Even though it's a romantic idol drama, my Yubai oppa can totally handle it no matter the genre!"

"Our oppa hasn't done many idol dramas, but the two he has starred in achieved great results. This time will be a piece of cake for him too."

"I'm more looking forward to seeing how the other actor performs. Lin Yubai's performance is bound to be steady—him joining this show is basically cheating."

"Exactly. Does his acting still need anyone's approval?"

"I strongly suspect he's mainly here to promote his new drama. Probably asked by the director to come help lead the team."

"Hahaha, that theory is highly plausible!"

"Let's go, let's go, it's starting!"

A flood of bullet comments filled the livestream. It had only just begun, yet the stream had already gathered nearly seven to eight million viewers, and the number was still climbing sharply.

If Lin Yubai's group delivered a spectacular performance, it would likely attract even more viewers.

Reputation was a strange thing sometimes.

Or perhaps—the cost of watching a livestream these days was simply too low. A quick search or a single click on a link could jump straight into the stream.

It was convenient for the audience, and equally convenient for these live programs.

Bai Ling found herself growing somewhat expectant as well.

She had scarcely ever watched Lin Yubai act. In the book "The Splendid Brocade," Lin Yubai, the male lead, was praised to the heavens and beyond as someone who existed only in legend.

She wanted to see for herself what kind of perfect chemistry he and the female lead, Wen Yan, could achieve.

On set, the stage dimmed.

The lighting turned soft, resembling a nighttime street scene.

(End of chapter)