The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 40

One hour ago.

Internet onlookers had long since grown accustomed to Lin Zhiyu’s innate ability to stir up a storm.

It had been this way back during Creating Youth. Although Lin Zhiyu’s personality was eccentric and unlikable, his face was simply too beautiful. There were always fans with “motherly filters” who would dote on him. Thus, from the initial rankings to the grand finale, fans and haters clashed incessantly. Lin Zhiyu’s fandom, the Little Universes, was massive and unstoppable, hell-bent on voting him into a debut spot.

However, the man himself was somewhat unreliable. Flirting with mentors mid-competition was a small matter, but on the night of the debut, he had quit the recording in a fit of pique over the “True and False Young Master” scandal of the Lin family. He was beyond saving. Coupled with a series of subsequent confusing “love brain” maneuvers, the fans who stuck around until the end were the truest of loves.

Anti-fans often joked that Lin Zhiyu must have saved the lives of these die-hard fans in a past life.

But even with these loyalists, their numbers were small. Since then, Lin Zhiyu had failed to make much of a splash; any news was merely fodder for idle gossip.

Yet, in recent months, he had made a comeback. Using a completely different approach than before, he had managed a miraculous “salted fish” turnaround.

Passers-by looking at the name “Lin Zhiyu” appearing on the hot searches yet again felt their hearts go numb. They almost forgot what those three characters even looked like.

The peace under the “Century Reconciliation” Weibo post lasted only a short while.

After all, fans of Lin Zhiyu and Jiang Yubai had loathed each other since the survival show began. As the gap in their professional status widened, the fan wars shifted from a balanced rivalry to a one-sided slaughter. Jiang Yubai’s fans had finally enjoyed the fruits of success, only to find the Little Universes being replenished with fresh blood.

Anti-fans from both sides began to stir up trouble in secret, hoping they would tear each other apart as they used to. It was effective at first, but as the big fan accounts stepped in, the style of the conversation took a sharp turn in an unexpected direction.

Jiang Yubai’s fansite masters released more GIFs, stating that the sense of fragility Jiang Yubai displayed while staying in character was truly pity-inducing. Even a rival like Lin Zhiyu could be moved by him, proving he was the true “white moonlight” of the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, the new top fans of Lin Zhiyu reacted with indifference: “Huh? Scared me for a second. I thought Lin Zhiyu was making trouble again. It was just a hug, not a body slam. Let it go. Why argue? It is boring. I am going to watch fan edits by the masters instead.”

The anti-fans, who had worked for hours, were forced to take matters into their own hands, even making bold claims: “I think Lin Zhiyu must have found a bigger sugar daddy. Otherwise, it is hard to explain why Zhao Jinyu is speaking up for him and why Jiang Yubai was supposedly gagged and told to cooperate.”

However, not five minutes after that comment was posted, the official Blue Bird Weibo account released Lin Zhiyu’s personal wrap-up special.

@Blue Bird Official Production Team: “Waking to a sky of bright moonlight, reflecting a heart full of ice and snow, as the vast rivers flow.” [Note 1]

Xie Yunce has said his farewell, but the story of actor Lin Zhiyu has only just begun. Thank you all for your support. Please stay tuned.

The footage in the video consisted of clips selected from the filming site. Every scene was carefully chosen by Zhao Jinyu and Ye Nanyi, showing their clear favoritism. Since Lin Zhiyu’s primary role was Xie Yunce, the shots related to the Nightmare Ghost and the later version of Shen Xiuming lasted only a few seconds.

The video began with a silent corridor, the vermilion pillars casting dappled shadows in the sunlight. Then, Xie Yunce climbed the steps with a sword on his back. A pair of resolute eyes appeared on screen, followed by a high bridge of the nose and restrained, tightly pressed lips.

“Father, Mother, while Yunce was traveling through the Central Plains with friends, I discovered a strange occurrence.”

A powerful line rang out as he kowtowed in Xie Yanchuan’s study. With this, the curtain rose on the entire story of Blue Bird.

A long sword was unsheathed, its cold light flashing. Outside Changqing Town, a water column suddenly exploded from a pavilion. Amidst the mist, Xie Yunce’s sword light was like lightning, as elegant as a startled swan. The drumbeats of the background music grew denser and more urgent, as if to tighten the hearts of the audience.

Countless images flashed by: Xie Yunce entering the Taixu Academy and fearlessly debating the Dao with elders; him playing chess and drinking with four friends; riding horses through busy markets; and boating on a lake.

But the youthful spirit and vigor of those years eventually turned to dust. Fifty years later, no one had seen that exquisite Frost-Crossing sword technique that could make mountains and rivers pale, and few spoke of the young sword cultivator who once stood at the top of the Lingyun List at Taixu Academy.

The video flashed back again, finally freezing on the moment Xie Yunce stood up in the study.

“Xie Yunce intends to go toward a finality that means certain death.”

The Great Entrapment Array rose, and evil ghosts wailed within Yinshan City. The survivors who escaped death let out cries of relief. A sky-high fire ignited within the Xie Estate. Xie Yunce tried with all his might to look back one last time, but he was ultimately powerless.

“Ayu, I hope you are the one to end all of this, yet I also hope you are not.”

“In this life, Xie Yunce has nothing to be ashamed of before Heaven, Earth, himself, or his heart.”

“The only regret is not being able to see the day when the dust settles and the world is at peace.”

The screen went dark, and the background noise gradually became chaotic.

The person holding the camera was unsteady, and the lens shook as it approached the center of the noise. A figure in blood-stained, pale-blue and white clothing came into view.

“Congratulations on finishing your scenes, teachers!”

Lin Zhiyu was surrounded by the actors playing Xie Yanchuan and Liu Mianyi, greeting them with a smile to say goodbye.

The cast of Blue Bird was significant. Even the parents of the protagonist, who had only a few minutes of screen time, were veteran actors Zhao Jinyu had spent much effort to invite.

“You acted quite well.” The actress playing Liu Mianyi was a woman in her forties who started in rural dramas and had a gentle personality. She patted Lin Zhiyu’s shoulder and teased, “When you kowtowed, I almost lost control. Tears were welling in my eyes.”

“Come, let us add each other on WeChat. Perhaps there will be a chance to work together in the future.”

The actor playing Xie Yanchuan gave her a dissatisfied look and pushed his way over. “If you are adding him, then I am too.”

“You play everyone’s father in every production. What advantage are you trying to take now?”

Lin Zhiyu rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Adding WeChat is fine, but let us forget about the collaboration. After finishing this, I plan to take a long vacation for ten days or half a month.”

Before he could finish, Ye Nanyi’s voice came from the distance. “Teacher Lin, I was thinking again. Perhaps we could…”

“No, no, no! Do not think!” Lin Zhiyu waved his hands three times. “I plan to quit the industry. Do not look for me.”

The screen flashed again.

At the wrap-up, Lin Zhiyu and Jiang Yubai stood side by side. The exhaustion on their faces was covered by light and shadow, but the starlight in their eyes grew brighter. After the camera flashed, Lin Zhiyu excitedly threw his bouquet. He bowed to those behind him and said, “Thank you, everyone! I am off work! See you at dinner tonight!”

Then, he was surrounded.

Holding the bouquet, he took photos and added WeChat contacts with several veteran actors playing the Academy elders. By the time the camera was right in his face, Lin Zhiyu looked utterly drained.

A staff member off-camera asked, “Teacher Lin, do you have anything to say now that you have finished?”

Lin Zhiyu said listlessly, “Nothing much. I wish everyone good luck and a swift path to wealth.”

“Does Teacher Lin have any other wishes?”

“My wish is to get rich tonight and then immediately quit the industry to lie down. Working is exhausting and socializing is exhausting. I really want to be a salted fish that just eats and waits for death.”

The final second of the video showed him taking promotional photos in the studio. The scene of him drawing his long sword was played in reverse. As the sword entered its sheath, the video ended abruptly, leaving only four large characters: “Please Stay Tuned.”

The comment section exploded within minutes.

“Oh my god, these lines are too sexy and pleasant to hear. Who can resist this? Xie Yunce is truly the greatest white moonlight of Blue Bird.”

“That transition shot when he bowed to his parents really touched me. I have goosebumps all over. Such high-quality acting!”

“I am crying. I thought I was supporting a ‘vase’ (pretty face) this time, but he turned out to be a career-driven person! Lin Zhiyu’s acting has improved rapidly. He is no longer that wooden person with uncontrolled expressions.”

“Lin Zhiyu, are you there? Give me the contact information for your acting training class. I want to send my useless idol there for training.”

“Wait, why does everyone think Lin Zhiyu is career-driven? Has he not been saying he does not want to work and wants to quit the industry?”

“Please, no! Those months when Lin Zhiyu disappeared were so much less fun.”

“So, is the quitting part true or false?”

“It is false. How can you believe anything that guy says? Making money in the entertainment industry is easy. Who would want to quit? If he were going to quit, he would have done it long ago. Talking about it every day is useless.”

“To be honest, Zhao Jinyu’s script and casting eye are truly amazing. Lin Zhiyu managed to grab onto the last lifesaver.”

“So… does anyone else remember someone saying Lin Zhiyu had a bigger sugar daddy? Can I ask how much it costs to have all these veteran actors add Lin Zhiyu on WeChat and take photos with him?”

After seeing off the fans, Lin Zhiyu immediately pulled out his phone and clicked on the official Weibo account. He scrolled through the comments until his head throbbed, yet he could not stop himself from sliding down.

To his surprise, a new reply suddenly appeared under that comment.

@Xie Jingyao V: I do not know about others, but if it were me, ten million.

Lin Zhiyu: “…”

@Xu Xiao V: Then I will take a bit less. Five million? (How can a child star not be considered a veteran actor?)

Lin Zhiyu’s hand shook, and the phone almost hit his face.

“Are these two just bored with nothing to do?” he muttered. He hurried to check the popularity of the comments and found that within minutes, thousands of replies had been triggered by the appearance of these two.

“You two came out to add scenes for yourselves. Does Lin Zhiyu know?”

“Xie Jingyao, when did you fall to this level? Is Lin Zhaoyan not giving you money? I will go scold him for you!”

@Shen Chengyi V: Oh, then I did it voluntarily.

@Yan Ruohan V: I can testify that Chengyi and I did it voluntarily.

“Lin Zhiyu, do not quit! Come quickly and explain this situation where all the top stars are cooperating to promote you!”

“Am I the only one who finds this sweet? Our Taixu Academy F5 love each other in and out of the drama, sharing blessings and hardships alike, and working hand in glove.”

What on earth did they mean by “working hand in glove”?

Lin Zhiyu looked at the chaos in the comment section. His mouth twitched a few times, and he finally let out a resigned sigh.

The phone screen gradually dimmed. He tossed Weibo aside and fell into thought. When the agreement with Mu Sui ended, would he have a way to withdraw completely and leave for good?

Before he could figure it out, his phone rang again. This time, it was a WeChat message from Xu Dongdong.

Xu Dongdong: Zhiyu, congratulations on finishing your scenes. Come to the company tomorrow to discuss your future schedule.

Lin Zhiyu: “…”

He felt as if a tiny person who looked exactly like Xu Dongdong was leaning toward his ear, whispering gloomily, “Finished with that? Now that you are done, it is time for the next job.”

Lin Zhiyu punched the bed indignantly.