CH 013

TL: Moonlit

With the broadcast of two TV dramas, both sides began to be compared by the audience in various aspects. Almost every social media platform was dominated by these two dramas, and everyone was debating which one was better.

For a while, it seemed impossible to determine the overall reputation, but the popularity of «Jiuge» remained high. Slowly, the audience started to resist the hype.

“«Jiuge» is trending every day, with more than a dozen hot searches. They must have a lot of money.”

“Sorry, these are not paid trends. It’s because the story of Little Nine is good, attracting countless water army fans who pushed it to the trending list.”

“«Jiuge» has a good story? Can it be better than «Sword Immortal»? More than a dozen hot searches every day, even ordinary people are tired of it.”

“«Sword Immortal» is still better. The story progresses gradually from the beginning, and as it goes on, the originally light-hearted story becomes more serious. That’s what makes it good.”

“In «Jiuge», the righteous and demonic paths are mindlessly opposed, and the male and female leads suffer because of their conflicting positions. But in «Sword Immortal», both the righteous path and the demonic cultivators seem to have their reasons, and there’s no right or wrong, just different ways of handling things and cultivating…”

“Even though the romantic storyline is the most inconspicuous among the various subplots in «Sword Immortal», I still find it… moving and heartbreaking.”

“The male lead is a carefree swordsman, as free as the wind, never staying in one place. The female lead is a master sister from a prestigious righteous sect, cold and untouchable. Despite their contrasting personalities, they are both kind and righteous, seeing the struggles of ordinary people and striving to maintain peace in the world.”

“This kind of unspoken, yet unbroken revolutionary friendship, it’s so beautiful, sob.”

Lan Hanchuan was busy with his movie and didn’t have much time to focus on the progress of «Sword Immortal». He entrusted everything to the producer and the public relations department. It wasn’t until a figure in the industry congratulated him during an investment discussion that he learned about the reversal in online reputation.

Lan Hanchuan wasn’t surprised at all; everything went as he expected. He just smiled faintly and said, “The success of «Sword Immortal» is thanks to the team’s efforts.”

The investor couldn’t help but show some surprise and delight. This young man was able to remain composed even in the face of praise or criticism. He had the right vision, judgment, and methods. Given some time, he would soar to great heights.

“How much more investment do you need for your movie?” the investor asked.

As an investor, one should invest not only in projects and money but also in talented individuals. The investor felt that this young man had a promising future and was willing to help him in difficult times, building a good relationship.

The investor, while discussing, couldn’t help but feel regretful: ‘Why isn’t he my son?’

When he returned to the company, Lan Hanchuan was surprised to find that Ran Xing was waiting for him in the office. In astonishment, he handed him a contract and said, “Here’s an endorsement offer. Take a look and decide if you want to accept it.”

Since the completion of «Sword Immortal», Ran Xing had been resting and living a leisurely life at home for a full two months. Finally, unable to resist the desire to work, he came to the company.

The moment he received the endorsement offer, Ran Xing breathed a sigh of relief. He almost thought he had been forgotten.

Seeing Ran Xing’s thoughts, Lan Hanchuan loosened his meticulously tied tie and teased, “Don’t worry, no matter who’s forgotten, I won’t forget about you.”

Ran Xing blushed, buried his head even more, and pretended to focus on reading the contract.

During this time, Ran Xing personally experienced the increasing popularity he was gaining. From initially being ignored to becoming part of the so-called “period drama ceiling,” his number of fans skyrocketed at a terrifying speed. In just half a month, his fans exceeded tens of millions.

And «Sword Immortal» had yet to finish airing, leaving a lot of room for growth.

Ran Xing felt like he was dreaming. Perhaps in reality, he should have disappeared after failing to compete with Qiu Hongguang for roles.

Distracted, he quickly skimmed through the contract, then secretly looked up at Lan Hanchuan. All his changes started when he met him.

Savoring this sentence, a subtle sweetness seeped from the bottom of his heart. It wasn’t overpowering, but it made him feel like he had found a treasure. Ran Xing pretended to be serious again and flipped through the contract, saying, “This endorsement is fine, I’ll accept it.”

He had the expression of someone who would gladly accept whatever Lan Hanchuan gave him. Lan Hanchuan hooked the corner of his lips and said, “This is an advertisement for a women’s product, and it suits you. You have a lot of female fans now, so endorsing it will have a good effect on the target audience.”

Ran Xing seemed to understand but not fully. However, it didn’t affect him as he nodded and said, “That’s good.”

“Good boy.” Lan Hanchuan ruffled Ran Xing’s hair and said, “Take some more rest. I’m preparing for a movie, so take a look at the script and get ready for the audition.”

“A movie?!” Ran Xing suddenly looked up, his eyes shining brightly. Every actor had a dream of being in a movie, and he was no exception. “Me, auditioning?”

Being able to act in a movie would satisfy Ran Xing. If he had slightly more screen time, maybe as the second or third male lead… Ran Xing couldn’t help but start daydreaming.

“Yes, auditioning for the male lead role,” Lan Hanchuan confirmed.

Ran Xing was completely dumbfounded.

He signed the endorsement contract in a daze, returned home in a daze, and collapsed on the bed. It took him a while to regain his senses, and he rolled around on the bed several times before barely restraining his excitement.

A few days later, Lan Hanchuan took time out to accompany Ran Xing for the endorsement shoot.

By this time, «Sword Immortal» had completely surpassed «Jiuge» in online popularity, and its reputation stabilized at a high score of nine. Not only did Ran Xing become extremely popular, but even the supporting actors in the drama also gained recognition.

Lan Hanchuan had known during the preparation stage that this drama would either fail miserably or become a massive success, ingrained in the memories of a new generation.

The people of Huaxia, regardless of gender, had a special sentiment toward cultivation dramas. However, most of the previous xianxia dramas were limited to romance, which drove away some viewers who didn’t enjoy overly romantic stories.

Throughout film history, the ones that became classics were those that included love but didn’t solely focus on it.

«Sword Immortal» was such a drama.

Lan Hanchuan was very satisfied with the current outcome, even more so than he had imagined. As he watched Ran Xing in front of the camera, showcasing the clothes, he couldn’t help but admit that the success of «Sword Immortal» was half due to the script and half due to Ran Xing’s performance.

If the male lead’s face was even slightly lacking, the impact wouldn’t have been so immediate.

Lost in his thoughts, Lan Hanchuan’s gaze shifted, and caught sight of a man next to them who was staring intently at Ran Xing, his expression complex.

It was Wu Tong, the original male lead who left «Sword Immortal» midway.

In the past few days, Wu Tong had enjoyed a few happy days, garnering some attention for his role as the infatuated second male lead in «Jiuge». Although everyone was mainly focused on the main couple’s love story, he was already happy to be noticed.

However, within a few days, «Sword Immortal» unexpectedly rose to prominence, becoming a dark horse in terms of popularity and reputation. The male lead, Ran Xing, rose to stardom, and even the supporting roles gained their own fan base due to their well-developed characters and storylines.

Wu Tong initially consoled himself, thinking that no matter how popular «Sword Immortal» became, it couldn’t surpass «Jiuge». But as time went on, he couldn’t find any more self-consolation.

He had become a joke in the industry, and wherever he went, people would mock him.

“Isn’t he the one who abandoned the male lead role in «Sword Immortal» to become the second male lead in «Jiuge»?”

“He truly lacks luck. He even let go of a golden opportunity.”

“He has poor taste in dramas.”

Wu Tong gritted his teeth, feeling regretful. He couldn’t sleep for nights on end, regretting countless times why he had been so foolish as to break his contract.

Within the entertainment industry, breaking contracts was not a small matter. Once news spread about it, everyone knew that Wu Tong was someone who would lift others up and then bring them down. If he had a new opportunity, he would break the contract. Productions with a small budget no longer dared to cast him, fearing that he would pull such a stunt right before shooting. Even if he showed up before shooting halfway through and left…

That would result in millions of losses.

No one dared to take such a risk.

So, since Wu Tong finished filming «Jiuge», he hadn’t received a single script. He finally managed to secure a web game advertisement but didn’t dare to be picky. He hastily signed the contract.

While shooting the advertisement, he noticed that Ran Xing was shooting an endorsement next door. Watching Ran Xing, full of spirit, on the screen and thinking about how a few months ago he was almost driven out of the entertainment industry, Wu Tong’s emotions became extremely complicated.

Lan Hanchuan simply glanced over at Wu Tong without paying much attention. After Ran Xing finished shooting, the two of them walked out side by side. Ran Xing turned around and glanced back. “That guy looks familiar.”

“Just a stranger,” Lan Hanchuan casually replied.

A few more days passed, and Ran Xing’s endorsement announcement was made. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe there were other reasons, but on the second day of his announcement, Qiu Hongguang also announced an endorsement for a globally renowned brand.

“Are they competing with each other? TV dramas collide, endorsements collide as well.”

“These two fandoms are tearing each other apart. The leads might even be friends, who knows what non-fans are thinking.”

“Our Qiu Qiu endorses an international brand, with prestige and class. It can’t be compared to certain individuals endorsing small brands.”

“That’s true. We, Stars, rely on our own strength and speak through our abilities. Unlike some people, who have a financial backer behind them, they are undoubtedly resourceful. How can we compare?”

“Hehe, a certain 18th-tier star shouldn’t ride the coattails of big stars’ popularity. It’s like how no matter how hard a no-name brand tries, it can never compare to an international brand.”

“This is the best clothing brand in China. Anyone with a bit of fashion knowledge wouldn’t utter the words ‘no-name brand.’ Nowadays, the fashion circle is all about Chinese elements. You, who worships foreign culture, have a mindset stuck in the past. You look down on domestic products.”

Qiu Hongguang’s fans used to have the upper hand against Ran Xing’s fans, easily suppressing the weaker fans of Ran Xing. But Ran Xing evolved, leveled up, and was no longer someone Qiu Hongguang’s fans could suppress.

Qiu Hongguang initially wanted to enjoy seeing his fans berating others, but instead, he ended up feeling furious. He smashed his phone on the spot, shattering it into pieces.