Tonight is destined not to be a peaceful night. For Chinese netizens, this Lantern Festival has been incredibly exciting and thrilling.
First, “The Heroic Bone” released its first trailer, and fans were already in a celebratory mood. Then, it was announced that Chi Feiran would be opening and closing the E&E show.
This had been previously reported. Whenever a top-tier brand invites a Chinese person to walk the runway, it’s big news. Moreover, this time it wasn’t a supermodel but Chi Feiran, a celebrity. The excitement was already high, and “The Heroic Bone” trailer only added to the fervor.
Recently, Chi Feiran’s name has been closely linked with Rong Jin’s. The two have been meeting privately, attending shows together, and appearing in magazines. Their movie is also being heavily promoted. Many of Rong Jin’s fans, who initially were indifferent to Chi Feiran, started paying attention to the E&E show, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rong Jin.
And they did see Rong Jin sitting in the front row at the E&E show, which even the foreign media reported extensively.
Whether they were there for Rong Jin, Chi Feiran, or just to see a Chinese person walking for a top-tier brand, everyone was eagerly watching the show’s live stream.
Since the show started, the discussion on Weibo has not died down. Screenshots, GIFs, and short videos featuring Rong Jin and Chi Feiran’s names have dominated the trending topics. The Lantern Festival galas across various regions couldn’t garner much attention, which was quite disheartening.
Just when people thought this was the peak moment, Chi Feiran surprised everyone with his move during the closing!
The exact number of people watching the live stream who were stunned by this moment is unknown, but it was undoubtedly an astonishing figure because Weibo’s servers crashed!
Although they quickly carried out emergency maintenance and restored functionality, the crash itself said it all!
This time, the CP (couple pairing) fans, who had been holding back for a long time, couldn’t contain themselves anymore. They were no longer playing subtle games of bromance; they were thoroughly excited.
Rong Jin’s number one CP fan, who wanted some romantic hints, quickly made a short CP video of the runway scene. As soon as it was released, it was crazily shared.
Many people might not have sensed anything special just by watching the runway video; they might have thought Chi Feiran’s move was just a planned design to hype things up, especially during the movie promotion period. However, with a little editing from the CP fans, it instantly turned into a wedding scene video.
The runway music was replaced with a wedding march, and the entire footage was given a more dreamy filter. Chi Feiran’s runway pace was appropriately slowed down, making it seem like he was walking towards the love of his life.
Although his expression was cold, what is divine background music for? Why do post-production teams in movies add emotional music? The effect shows right here! This wasn’t coldness; this was clearly nervousness! The coldness was just a cover!
The final touch was Chi Feiran’s expression melting away like ice. The sparkle of the diamond in his ear couldn’t compare to the impact of that little bit of tenderness, as if that tenderness was reserved only for the person in front of him.
And Rong Jin?
As a guest watching the show, no matter how famous he is, he wouldn’t be the main focus of the cameras since the brand wants to showcase their products, not Rong Jin. However, because his seat was closest to the designated turning point on the runway, he was still captured in quite a few shots.
This time, the edited video skillfully combined these shots. Those expressions that seemed to be attentively appreciating the other models’ walks became dramatically different when compared to his expression when Chi Feiran appeared. This was true expectation, real attentiveness!
When the ice prince shared his glory with him, Rong Jin’s expression was nothing short of reverent!
“Ahhh!!! I couldn’t breathe at that moment! It was so beautiful!”
“I fell into the CP pit unexpectedly! My God, they look perfect together!”
“Why didn’t Rong Jin kneel on one knee! If he did, it would have been perfect!”
“To hell with bromance! I want to see them get married! I’ve already prepared the wedding gift money!”
“OMG, I’ve never felt this way about a CP video before! The bride walking towards the groom – that wasn’t a cloak; that was a wedding dress!”
“The commenter above just made me realize it instantly! One second into the pit!”
All the CP fans were shouting, “Expressions don’t lie! He loves him!!!”
Many influencers enthusiastically reposted it, each more infatuated than the last. The video was reposted everywhere, making it seem like the whole world was a CP fan of Rong Jin and Chi Feiran.
At this point, the rational fans couldn’t do anything. Even though they kept emphasizing, “It’s all promotion! Everyone calm down! It’s all for the movie! Stay calm!”
People can be quite peculiar. Once something becomes a hot topic and keeps appearing in front of them, they naturally start feeling annoyed, as if their Weibo homepage had been invaded by a virus.
Why is it them again?
This time, the first ones to feel this way were the fans of other popular stars performing at the Lantern Festival galas. Their idols’ spotlight was completely stolen. Some had a good chance of trending, but now that’s not happening.
The trending topics were filled with Rong Jin and Chi Feiran’s names, with no sign of anyone else! How could they not be upset!
They couldn’t accuse Rong Jin and Chi Feiran of buying trending spots because any sensible person would find that laughable.
But they did have something to say: “Is this kind of hype really necessary? How long until the movie is released? It’s scheduled for July, and it’s not even March yet. Are they planning to dominate the trending topics until July? Impressive, really. Rong Jin must be afraid of fading into obscurity and not being able to drive the box office, so he’s desperately clinging to a newcomer to create CP hype. He’s really keeping up with the times!”
“Seeing that video on my homepage, I just laughed. Where did Rong Jin’s aloof persona go? Now it’s all about offline interactions and accompanying each other to fashion weeks. He’s really lowered his standards!”
“Star-chasing has gone mad. I see no romance, no true love, only blatant mutual exploitation. I used to like Rong Jin, but now I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to ‘The Heroic Bone,’ but this over-the-top operation just makes me nauseous!”
“Haha, speaking of which, this certain fresh face is quite capable. Since his debut, he’s been embroiled in various intense disputes, but now he’s suddenly paired up with an A-list actor as a CP!”
Some passersby, initially only annoyed by the repetitive news, started amplifying their discontent after seeing these comments.
Yeah, the hype is really annoying…
Rong Jin’s detractors, who had been suppressed for years, started to resurface, relentlessly trying to drag him down. They couldn’t wait for him to fall into obscurity, and if “The Heroic Bone” flopped along with him, all the better.
Why has Rong Jin managed to stay at the top, maintaining a higher status than other male stars by miles?
It’s because he can carry the box office and win awards!
Since his debut, even his early films, considered black history for their youthful angst, were box office hits. Later on, his aura only grew brighter, never faltering.
Even his private life didn’t provide any scandals. He barely socialized, and although he had some dating rumors, they usually died down quickly, not giving his detractors much to work with.
This time, however, the fervent CP hype gave Rong Jin’s detractors a golden opportunity.
Chi Feiran’s schedule had been publicized early on, with E&E officially extending the invitation. This kind of high-profile event could be spun as a proud moment for Chinese representation, but what did it have to do with Rong Jin?
Even if he was also invited, it felt laughable to some. He hadn’t attended fashion weeks before, and now, with the chance to create CP hype with Chi Feiran, he went. Selling “bromance” and “matching outfits” seemed like a ploy to avoid rumors with female celebrities and losing fans. Selling CP was a cheap thrill!
The detractors went all out, skillfully manipulating the narrative. Rong Jin’s once-solid public base began to show cracks as even neutral observers started to find the relentless news tiresome.
Yeah, the hype is really annoying…
Rong Jin’s detractors, who had been suppressed for years, started to resurface, relentlessly trying to drag him down. They couldn’t wait for him to fall into obscurity, and if “The Heroic Bone” flopped along with him, all the better.
Why has Rong Jin managed to stay at the top, maintaining a higher status than other male stars by miles?
It’s because he can carry the box office and win awards!
Since his debut, even his early films, considered black history for their youthful angst, were box office hits. Later on, his aura only grew brighter, never faltering.
Even his private life didn’t provide any scandals. He barely socialized, and although he had some dating rumors, they usually died down quickly, not giving his detractors much to work with.
This time, however, the fervent CP hype gave Rong Jin’s detractors a golden opportunity.
Chi Feiran’s schedule had been publicized early on, with E&E officially extending the invitation. This kind of high-profile event could be spun as a proud moment for Chinese representation, but what did it have to do with Rong Jin?
Even if he was also invited, it felt laughable to some. He hadn’t attended fashion weeks before, and now, with the chance to create CP hype with Chi Feiran, he went. Selling “bromance” and “matching outfits” seemed like a ploy to avoid rumors with female celebrities and losing fans. Selling CP was a cheap thrill!
Rong Jin, such a big movie star, has he succumbed to the current entertainment industry’s obsession with popularity? So disappointing.
There were some who tried to refute, saying that the interaction was initiated by Chi Feiran, what does that have to do with Rong Jin? But they were heavily mocked by the haters.
Yeah, Chi Feiran initiated it. He could make Rong Jin charter a private jet, make him attend fashion week together, be on magazine covers together, and even make Rong Jin interact with him with a big smile?
So, Rong Jin is innocent. He doesn’t hype his movies, he doesn’t hype himself, he’s amazing!
So, is it really that hard to admit that your great movie star is engaging in publicity stunts? You also know it’s shameful to hype things up, huh?
A lot of people fell silent at this point. On one hand, they knew that things like publicity and marketing are common in the entertainment industry. Without it, who would know you? Saying that your work speaks for itself sounds great and passionate, but it’s really a hard and bitter road, not something that can be summed up in a sentence.
But when it comes to openly discussing marketing and hype, many people feel it’s too low-class and somehow difficult to talk about.
Why can’t actors and singers just perform quietly without hype? Maybe if it were someone else, it would be more acceptable.
But this person is Rong Jin, currently at the pinnacle of the Chinese entertainment industry.
“I’m not a fan anymore. I thought he was different, but it feels like he’s lost his integrity. It’s heartbreaking.”
“Even though I know it’s all for movie publicity, I still feel very sad. It feels like Rong Rong has changed.”
Of course, after these comments came out, there was also significant backlash.
“Ridiculous. Do you think you’re so important? Isn’t it a star’s job to cooperate with publicity? If you can give up so easily, it just shows you never really loved him!”
“He delivers acting skills, we provide box office support. Isn’t that the deal? You guys act like only starving artists can truly love art. After all, it’s art, right? How can it be tainted by commercialism?”
The online community was in a heated debate. By the time Chi Feiran found out about it, several rounds of intense discussions had already taken place.
Their names kept trending on Weibo until they were finally pushed out by other news.
The news was that the Oscars were going to hold their award ceremony!
There was a Chinese movie nominated this time, and it had a lot of nominations, which stirred the hearts of all the netizens. Everyone was hoping for a win!
According to Chang Haoqing, director Zhuo Jiansheng and his movie “Wan Rong” practically saved Rong Jin’s reputation. Otherwise, the online debate would still be raging.
Chi Feiran felt quite guilty and apologized to his manager, Chang Haoqing, and even Rong Jin.
Earlier, he thought it would be a pleasant surprise for Rong Jin. After calculating the closing music duration, he had planned to act.
Because Rong Jin seemed to really enjoy the hype around their CP (couple pairing)…
But looking back, it was indeed too impulsive.
However, after hearing his apology, Rong Jin was a bit angry: “What nonsense are you talking? Why apologize?”
Rong Jin was thrilled by the surprise and couldn’t be happier! He wished he could show off their CP every day!
He pulled Chi Feiran into his arms: “There’s nothing to apologize for. In this industry, you have to go through all kinds of experiences. Now that I’m at this position, there are plenty of people who are jealous and envious. If not this, there would be something else.”
Chi Feiran was still somewhat down: “But if it wasn’t for me…”
Rong Jin interrupted him: “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be this happy right now.”
This feeling of sharing the same air and being truly happy from the bottom of his heart was something Rong Jin had never experienced before.
Rong Jin said: “If there’s anything I’m unhappy about, it’s that I didn’t perform well that day.”
Chi Feiran: “…What?”
Rong Jin opened his side account on Weibo in front of him and showed him a top comment under a CP fan’s edited video.
Chi Feiran leaned in to read the comment carefully.
“Why didn’t Rong Jin kneel on one knee! Why didn’t he kneel! It would’ve been perfect if he knelt!!!”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Looking back at the comment, Rong Jin said, feeling regretful: “I was too happy at the time… I didn’t think of it…”
He had foolishly watched Chi Feiran walk away!
Rong Jin was too disappointed in his own performance. He felt he let down the CP fans.
Author’s Note:
The bromance plot was introduced in Chapter 9, written in May. The director Jin’s straight-guy bromance plot was also buried in the script early on. The current storyline is to hype up the CP to the max. Filming together, appearing on reality shows together, and doing magazine shoots together are because these two are stars in the entertainment industry. Without working together, there’s no way to develop a romantic line. Just confirming feelings through WeChat and Weibo interactions is an online romance story, not an entertainment industry story. That’s all I want to say. Please read rationally and don’t get swayed or try to sway others.
