Chapter Ninety-One: Ratings Skyrocket, Raking in a Fortune?

"I admit, at first I clicked in just because of the hype and the buzz, but I never expected to be drawn in so quickly—Bai Ling's acting is truly impressive."

"Exactly, I didn't have any expectations for Bai Ling in the beginning. A newcomer, with real acting skills? Turns out, I was too quick to judge."

"Back when I saw her on the show, I already felt Bai Ling had the makings of a tough girl. But I never imagined she could portray her inner emotions so vividly."

"Isn't everyone missing the point here? Are you watching this show for the acting? It's all about the comedy! I laughed all the way through!"

"True, it definitely has comedic potential. It's pretty entertaining."

"I think the production team even labeled it as a comedy, but to be fair, even as a comedy, the acting is pretty solid. Several actors gave impressive performances."

"Both leads are decent, though the male lead is a bit weaker. He still doesn’t seem very gifted—after so many roles, he’s still not as good as his sidekick."

"Hey now, don’t set the bar so high. Not everyone is a natural like our Bai Ling!"

"Honestly, calling Bai Ling a natural talent isn’t really an exaggeration."

"All right, cards on the table, I’m not pretending anymore—Bai Ling is a little acting prodigy!"

"Hahaha, you remind me of that music prodigy from before—amazing, still hasn’t been proven wrong to this day."

"I genuinely want to ask, is Bai Ling an all-rounder?"

"Guys, aren’t you overhyping her a bit?"

The last comment was actually typed by Bai Ling herself, phone in hand.

What was with these people?

Why were the compliments getting more and more exaggerated?

Only she knew that she was no genius, and couldn’t possibly live up to such praise.

But as soon as Bai Ling made an appearance, the comment section exploded again.

"Holy crap, it’s Bai Ling herself!"

"Everyone, quick, we’ve got the real deal here!"

"Bai Ling, I love you! So, when are you going to marry me?"

"If not as my wife, then as my husband! Husband, (,,´•ω•)ノ“(´っω•｀。)!”

"Bai Ling, I really love your work, so can you release all the remaining episodes of Crown Princess at once?"

"Yeah, I’ve already watched what’s available, and it’s just not enough! Nowhere near enough!"

"More episodes, please! Faster updates!"

"Count me in!"

"Bai Ling, were the filming conditions really tough? The costumes and sets looked a bit off to me. Although... they actually suit the vibe, but isn’t it all a little shabby?"

"Hahaha, finally someone mentioned it! I also thought the visual style was strange, but strangely enough, it looks great."

"Especially Bai Ling’s outfits—they’re just incredible. They look so cheap, yet so beautiful."

...

Looking at those comments that seemed like complaints but were actually supportive, Bai Ling couldn’t help but smile.

Among these people were both fans and casual viewers.

As for paid trolls, none had shown up yet.

But it probably wouldn’t be long before they did. While they wouldn’t boost Bai Ling’s view count with fake traffic, they’d never miss a chance to stir things up on trending topics.

So, after scrolling for a while, Bai Ling and Sister Ge both put down their phones.

"Judging by the current situation, the problem is basically solved," Sister Ge said with a smile. "The company is already using this incident for PR."

"Don’t blame the company for its limited ability," Bai Ling nodded. "That’s only reasonable."

Blaming your friends for not being strong enough instead of blaming your enemies was clearly not Bai Ling’s style.

Besides, Spring and Autumn Productions had already done their best in the beginning.

The other side just had deeper pockets, that was all.

Sister Ge nodded, smiling. "As long as you’re not too anxious. The company does owe you a little, so going forward, I’ll try to get you more opportunities."

"In that case, it’ll help make up for your losses."

Bai Ling’s expression changed. "Are you adding to my workload? I refuse!"

"Huh? It’s only been a few days and you’ve already forgotten the pain?" Sister Ge teased. "Do you really think everyone is always positive and upbeat in this business?"

"In this environment, if you don’t work hard for exposure and a good reputation, those who resent you will just step all over you."

Bai Ling agreed, "You’re right, but as for more work—no way!"

Sister Ge could only sigh.

"Fine, we’ll talk about it later."

"By the way, the revenue this time should be pretty good. The profit split will be impressive—your goal is within reach!"

At that, Bai Ling’s mood lifted considerably.

As for what came next, Bai Ling actually didn’t have much to worry about.

She had no other projects at the moment; only Crown Princess was airing, and now that the ratings were soaring—

She just needed to ride the wave as her popularity grew.

As for what the paid trolls might do, that was no longer her concern.

The company was handling it now, so she could leave it in their hands.

Most importantly—profit!

She already had plans for that money.

...

As time passed, the popularity of Crown Princess continued to rise.

While it was still far from becoming a nationwide phenomenon, it had already made a significant splash among certain age groups.

So, the view count kept climbing.

With more episodes released, the view count soon approached nearly a hundred million.

This was a figure most web series could only dream of.

Meanwhile, Ou Qianqin and Wen Yan were livid watching Bai Ling’s success.

Ever since the last incident, these two were determined to compete with Bai Ling.

When Bai Ling was inexplicably boycotted online, Wen Yan had actually been delighted for a while.

Even though the director kept calling for retakes and criticizing her during filming, her mood visibly improved.

But no one expected Crown Princess to premiere so soon.

Brilliant Future had barely finished half its shooting schedule, and that was only thanks to the director rushing everyone along.

And yet, Crown Princess had already exploded in popularity!

Seeing its success, Wen Yan and Ou Qianqin were anything but happy.

Their own show was meant to compete head-to-head with Crown Princess.

But Crown Princess wasn’t even playing the same game—it had already racked up impressive results ahead of time.

Now, the pressure was on the Brilliant Future crew, and most of all, on Wen Yan herself.

What if Brilliant Future flopped?

What would Wen Yan do then?

Looking at all those comments about Bai Ling’s reversal of fortune trending online, Wen Yan was practically fuming.

She always considered herself a gentle, refined woman, but Bai Ling had truly gone too far to make her this angry!