192: The 192nd day of being popular
A certain online platform's ratings have started at this moment?
However, it isn't a good time to start the ratings.
Upon hearing this news, Yao Bianliang felt her temples throbbing.
They could have started earlier or later, but they chose this crucial moment to begin the ratings.
It's as if they deliberately want to make things difficult for her.
The timing is just too coincidental. Yao Bianliang even suspects that the platform is harboring a grudge against An Sheng Entertainment.
Just as 'The Legend of An Hua' was facing a public relations crisis, this platform immediately started the ratings, clearly aiming for a drop in ratings.
Yao Bianliang can't be sure if those who gave negative ratings to 'The Legend of An Hua' might also give her show a positive rating along the way.
The thought of that alone is frightening!
After calming herself, Yao Bianliang took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, and then asked, "What's the rating for 'The Legend of An Hua'?"
"It's 5.8, and this score will definitely continue to drop," Assistant Chen said, "The storyline of 'The Legend of An Hua' just recently collapsed, so the ratings won't plummet too quickly. But it's foreseeable that the rating for the show will be extremely low."
Upon hearing this answer, Yao Bianliang found it both within expectations and somewhat concerning.
Even a poorly received show like 'The Legend of An Hua' can easily score over 5 points.
"And... what about our show?" Yao Bianliang's voice was a bit shaky.
Assistant Chen's tone was quite relaxed. "We have a rating of 9.0!"
Yao Bianliang: "..."
9.0, the initial rating is 9.0!
This is practically not giving her a chance at all.
Yao Bianliang's hand trembled, and she fumbled, accidentally dropping her phone onto the bed.
She swallowed hard and picked up the phone. "Assistant Chen, is there a possibility for our rating to drop from 9.0 to below 4.0?"
Assistant Chen hesitated, "Well..."
There was silence for two seconds on the other end of the phone. Assistant Chen gently replied, "It seems rather unlikely."
Yao Bianliang: "..."
Let it all crumble. She's tired.
******
In the following days, the rating for Yao Bianliang's show on a certain online platform not only didn't decrease, but it actually increased by quite a bit, currently stabilizing around 91.
On the other hand, 'The Legend of An Hua' due to its collapsed protagonist's character design and numerous plot bugs, had its rating drop to below 5.
Moreover, the viewership of 'The Legend of An Hua' also plummeted. Not only did it fail to gain a good reputation, but it also didn't make any money, essentially suffering a complete flop.
As for Wen Xuan's acting in 'The Legend of An Hua' was also heavily criticized.
Originally, the protagonist's character design had some issues, but it shouldn't have been this catastrophic.
Yet, Wen Xuan's acting was so poor that she turned the protagonist into a scheming, lowly character who was solely focused on climbing up the social ladder.
"The lead actress, Wen Xuan, combined with the scriptwriter Ling Huanxuan, is a completely unsolvable combination!" Yao Bianliang looked on with envy.
Look at them, the actors easily ruined their characters, and the scriptwriters casually destroyed the plot. They were truly rare talents.
Unlike her, even though she worked so hard, she couldn't make a dent in her reputation.
"I remember when Wen Xuan rose to fame, her acting was solid, and she even won numerous awards," Yao Bianliang reminisced, "I didn't expect that after so many years, her acting would become like this."
Years of acting in commercial, assembly-line dramas had eroded the vitality from Wen Xuan. Now, she couldn't portray the same feeling as before.
Yao Bianliang was filled with mixed emotions.
Indeed, making money from these commercial dramas was the right way to become popular!
If she could have teammates like Wen Xuan and Ling Huanxuan, why should she worry about anything?
The system couldn't help but comment, "Host, are you thinking about trying to recruit Wen Xuan and Ling Huanxuan?"
"Don't put it so bluntly," Yao Bianliang corrected, "I'm just seriously considering whether there's a possibility for me to collaborate with them."
This time, Wen Xuan and the others as her rivals had truly managed to throw her off.
It's troublesome.
However, if she could make them her teammates, they wouldn't hold her back but would provide her with significant help.
"Nevertheless, I need to think about this carefully," Yao Bianliang pondered silently.
This was only a rough plan. To avoid other potential problems, she needed a more detailed strategy.
Furthermore, the deadline for this task hasn't arrived yet.
What if... the later episodes of 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' also ended up with a negative reputation?
In that case, she wouldn't need to worry about the next task at all; she could just leave the entertainment industry!
******
As time passed, the grand finale of 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' finally arrived as scheduled.
On this evening, with the bright moon in the sky, Yao Bianliang, carrying her last hope, sat in front of her computer well in advance.
"Today, the final toxic plot will be revealed," she contemplated, "There might be a slight chance that the whole drama's reputation will plummet."
The viewers in front of their computers were equally eager for the grand finale.
【Ah, finally the grand finale!】
【I hope it's a tragic ending. If the female lead reconciles with the scumbag male lead in the end, I'll give the show a one-star rating.】
【Sob, sob, it's true. This male lead played by Xu Yao really deserves a beating.】
【Haha, I never had any expectations for the male lead from the beginning. Xu Yao's face makes me indifferent about their romantic storyline (pressing hands together), especially since his character is just a scumbag.】
【By the way, this is a drama with a tragic theme. They shouldn't end it with a deep tragic love between the male and female leads, right?】
【Right, if the ending of this show is a tragic love, I'll explode on the spot.】
Yao Bianliang: "..."
Who knew, back then she deliberately avoided creating a tragic love between the male and female leads, but now it seemed the comments were hinting at something else.
They shouldn't expect the male lead to regret his actions, the female lead to forgive him, and the two of them to reunite and walk hand in hand at the end, right?
Yao Bianliang had hoped that the audience would be captivated by the plot's toxicity when the male lead heartlessly abandoned the female lead.
However, from the current situation, it seemed that no one held any hope for Xu Yao, who played the male lead, from beginning to end. Some were even anticipating a tragic ending.
"If I had known this, I should have made the female and male leads reconcile…" Yao Bianliang's mood sank.
She made a wrong move, a big one!
She was so close to touching that door to becoming "凉" (cold), but due to a slight miscalculation, she missed it.
Moreover, Yao Bianliang even saw comments mocking Xu Yao.
【Help, Xu Yao's is really ugly. I don't want to see him in a romantic relationship with the female lead at all.】
【Haha, seeing the romantic relationship between the male and female lead fall apart, I even feel it should have happened earlier.】
【Hahaha, looking at them in love, it feels like putting a flower in a pile of cow dung (sorry, Teacher Xu Yao). Fortunately, the female lead cut her losses in time and completely gave up on the male lead.】
Yao Bianliang: "..."
How could they still criticize him like this?
So what if Xu Yao's appearance wasn't handsome? As the male lead, he's rich, powerful, and charismatic. What's wrong with that?
Yao Bianliang felt exhausted.
If she had known this would be the reaction, she would have chosen a handsome male lead.
According to her original plan, an unattractive male lead was one toxic element. The male lead abandoning the female lead was another toxic element.
The accumulation of these elements should have intensified the toxicity.
But who could have anticipated that combining two toxic elements would cancel each other out?
Imagine if a handsome male lead abandoned the female lead, the audience might be angry and upset;
If an unattractive male lead accepted the female lead, the audience would also feel uncomfortable.
However, if an unattractive male lead abandoned the female lead, the audience would naturally find it more acceptable, even supporting it wholeheartedly!
Yao Bianliang: "..."
Who should I reason with?
As the plot progressed, the banquet that would determine the fate of the female lead's future finally began.
The male lead had invited numerous aristocrats and noble families, featuring flowers, scenery, music, and dance. Of course, there were also beautiful women around.
At the male lead's command, the concubines of the household came to the banquet, serving wine and adding to the festivities for the esteemed guests.
After the female lead's failed escape and subsequent capture, she had lost her status as a noble concubine in the King household. Therefore, now she could only accompany guests in the front hall, just like the lower-ranking concubines.
The male lead sat high in his seat, his gaze shifting to the female lead, hoping to see signs of humiliation, pain, or regret in her expression.
However, she had no expression at all.
She had long given up on the male lead and held no illusions about her future.
The older men around her couldn't help but have inappropriate thoughts when they saw her. Fortunately, this was the King household, and they dared not cross the line too much. At most, there were some subtle physical contact and teasing remarks.
This scene didn't escape the notice of the male lead.
He had long grown tired of this woman, and seeing that she showed no remorse or pleading, he decided on the spot. With a joking tone, he mentioned that he wanted her to bestow herself upon one of the older gentlemen.
After saying this, his gaze fell on the female lead's face, carrying a hint of curiosity as if he wondered how terrified and helpless she would be.
The female lead lifted her eyes slightly, and only then did the male lead notice her expression.
Her eyes had no pain, sorrow, helplessness, or confusion. Her gaze even held a trace of mockery.
It was as if she was ridiculing him, saying, "Is this all you can come up with?"
The male lead's face immediately darkened.
"Well then, from now on, you'll be under the care of Lord Su!" He sneered and slammed down his wine cup.
【What the heck? Dog-like men always manage to push my boundaries again and again.】
【Really? Did the male lead actually expect to force the female lead to beg in this way? Laughable, who does he think he is, a piece of trash.】
【The female lead had long given up on the male lead, whether in the King household or elsewhere, it doesn't matter to her. Leaving now might not be a bad outcome for her.】
【I'm disgusted, the male lead is truly revolting. The key is, in that era, such a disgusting man would still be considered to have relatively good character.】
【Is the male lead shameless? He doesn't even like the female lead, yet he hopes she'll cry and beg for forgiveness. What a joke.】
【After all, in the eyes of these men, women are just playthings. When a plaything dares to oppose them, they naturally become angry and want to force her into submission.】
At first, the guests were quite surprised, but after realizing the situation, they offered their congratulations one after another.
They praised the male lead for giving up his beloved concubine to a friend, a deed that was sure to become a "good story."
As for the female lead in this "good story," no one cared whether she was willing or not.
And so it happened that the female lead, as a gift from the King, left the King household and moved to the neighboring Su household along with the old master.
Having originated from the King household and once been a renowned courtesan, her status naturally differed from that of an ordinary concubine in the Su household.
The old master arranged a separate courtyard for her and ensured her well-being.
However, the female lead had long been disheartened. She paid little attention to her health, and soon fell ill with a cold, her condition worsening over time.
Taking advantage of her illness, she used it as a reason to request a remote and quiet residence from the old master.
Seeing that she was bestowed upon by the King, the old master didn't make things difficult and agreed to her request.
So, on a snowy night, the female lead left her original abode with her few belongings and moved to the secluded courtyard. She was accompanied only by a maidservant.
In this small, long-abandoned courtyard, she quietly awaited her death.
The maidservant had come from the King household with her and had been with her for many years. Seeing her in this state now was quite distressing.
She couldn't help but plead, "Miss, please take some medicine."
"The old master likes you very much. As long as you recover, there's still hope for a better life."
However, the female lead was tired.
"Recover? Then use my healthy body to continue being their plaything?" she asked.
She knew that if she recovered, she would have to continue fighting with the other concubines in the household, becoming a plaything in the hands of those men.
She could continue living, but not as a "person." Instead, she would live as a pet, as a commodity.
Perhaps not long after, when she becomes old and no longer holds favor, she will have no way to survive in this mansion.
If her remaining years are to be like this, she would rather end her life prematurely.
Throughout her life, she has always been someone else's possession, never truly belonging to herself. Now, she only wants to choose her own way to die.
"Miss!" the maidservant grew anxious, "You were bestowed upon by the King. With this status, the old master and madam won't be too harsh on you, and the other ladies will also show you some respect. Why do you have to..."
But the female lead stopped the maidservant from continuing.
"I've already made up my mind, you don't need to persuade me. You should also find a way out for yourself."
Memories flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
She recalled being the lowest-ranked courtesan, living in a brothel, receiving numerous clients each day, associating with the lowest of the low.
Later, she entered a higher-end courtesan house, married into the King household, and eventually became another man's concubine.
She had encountered many women. Some died due to a life of hardship, some due to the torment of diseases; some died from covert schemes, while others perished under the cruelty of the powerful.
Upon careful recollection, those who truly had a peaceful ending seemed to be few and far between.
She had been the lowest-ranked courtesan and a high-ranking noble's concubine; she had mingled among royalty and nobility, and she had genuinely loved someone.
She had left her past, fought with the women in the back courtyard, and even attempted to escape.
Almost everything that a woman of her background could experience, she had experienced.
Yet she still couldn't find a way out for herself. It was as if the world was tolerant of everyone but her, refusing to provide a path for a woman like her.
Finally, the female lead died, dying in this winter.
As a lowly concubine, she was buried hastily by others.
In the torrent of history, she, like countless ordinary commoners, died silently, unnoticed.
With this, 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' finally came to an end.
At the same time, netizens were in a frenzy of discussion.
Yao Bianliang opened Weibo's trending topics, and her eyes caught a line of clear, bold characters.
#'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' Final Episode [Hot]!#
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