御龙山, a filming base for Xianxia dramas.
The crew of "The Legend of Sword" had arrived here to shoot a few days ago.
A hotel for actors to rest was located one kilometer away from the base.
Qin Xiaorou, who played the female lead Zhao Ling'er, quickly turned on the air conditioner after returning to the hotel.
Then, she took out a bottle of mineral water from her bag, took a few sips, and casually pulled out two tissues to wipe the sweat from her face.
The mountains were very hot in August, and the crew was filming outdoor scenes. Although it was tough, everyone enjoyed it immensely.
Qin Xiaorou had only been with the "The Legend of Sword" crew for a few weeks, but she had learned a lot about acting techniques from the veteran actors.
During their breaks, the crew would also discuss performance methods for the plot.
In short, this was the most tiring and yet the most relaxing crew she had ever been with.
Qin Xiaorou took out another bottle of medicine from her bag and took two pills with the mineral water.
She walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet of the bathtub.
Just as the water was filling up.
A knock sounded from outside.
"Coming."
She put the medicine bottle back into her bag and went to open the door.
"Xiaorou, my room's water heater is broken. Can I use yours?"
It was her sister, Qin Xiaoyuan, standing at the door with a towel.
"I just filled the tub. We can use it together," Qin Xiaorou smiled at her sister and let her in.
"Uh... okay." Although surprised, she didn't refuse.
Before they had their falling out, the sisters often bathed together.
...
The bathroom.
The sisters' fair bodies sank into the bathtub.
After a day of fatigue, soaking in the bath relaxed their minds and bodies.
"Sister, is anyone scolding you online?" Qin Xiaorou suddenly broke the silence.
Qin Xiaoyuan turned her head to look at her. "Of course. Who in this profession isn't criticized?"
"Do you reply to them?"
"Why bother with trolls? Just pretend you don't see them." Qin Xiaoyuan couldn't help but smile.
As public figures, no matter what they did, there would always be people looking for trouble.
This was very normal. If they were to engage with every person who criticized them, they would only be making themselves unhappy.
"Sister has such a good mindset," Qin Xiaorou grinned.
"What's wrong? Are you still thinking about that incident last time?" Qin Xiaoyuan suddenly sensed something was off with her sister.
Last time, Qin Xiaorou had reposted Ting Yu's song with a caption asking everyone to sympathize more with these boys, and she was cyberbullied by many.
Later, Ting Yu personally posted on Weibo, telling the bullies to shut up, and Ting Yu's fans joined in to support Qin Xiaorou, which finally ended the matter.
"No, I was just asking casually." Qin Xiaorou lay her entire body into the bathtub, then smiled with a relaxed expression, closing her eyes to focus on her bath.
Qin Xiaoyuan opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, she said nothing.
...
"Xiaorou, I want some water." After showering, Qin Xiaoyuan changed into her pajamas.
"There's a new bottle of mineral water in your bag on the nightstand," Qin Xiaorou said while blow-drying her hair.
Hearing this, Qin Xiaoyuan walked to the nightstand.
She opened the bag, glanced inside, and took out that bottle of mineral water.
As she was about to close the bag, her peripheral vision caught sight of the medicine bottle inside.
Her brow furrowed, and she took out the medicine bottle.
"Depression?"
Upon seeing the intended treatment for the medicine, Qin Xiaoyuan was startled.
However, before she could see anything else, a hand snatched the medicine bottle away.
"Xiaorou, when did you get depression?" Qin Xiaoyuan looked up and quickly asked.
She knew this illness could be serious, and ignoring it could lead to dire consequences.
"It's nothing, just mild depression. The doctor said I just need to take medicine for a few months," Qin Xiaorou said dismissively, shaking her head.
Then, she put the medicine bottle back into her bag.
"Just mild?" Qin Xiaoyuan continued, "Can I see the diagnosis report?"
"Sister, are you kidding me? Who would bring that kind of thing when going out to film..." Qin Xiaorou retorted indignantly.
Looking at her expression, Qin Xiaoyuan pondered for a moment. Her sister didn't seem to have any significant changes, and she gradually felt relieved.
Thinking about the question her sister had asked earlier, she continued to express her concern. "Was it caused by the cyberbullying incident last time?"
Qin Xiaorou wiped her still-damp hair, smiled, and nodded. "That's right. Those people were really harsh. I was affected when I read it, but after Su Yu spoke up for me, no one has insulted me for a long time."
Qin Xiaoyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. If anything's bothering you, talk to me. Don't keep it to yourself. Let me see the report when we get back."
The entertainment industry, while glamorous, also carries corresponding pressures. A bit of mild depression is a normal occurrence.
Furthermore, her sister Qin Xiaorou showed no abnormal behavior, so she put her mind at ease.
"Okay, I'll show it to you when we get back, and then you can introduce me to a more professional doctor," Qin Xiaorou agreed.
"Yes, yes, I'll help you contact one when I get back."
...
Mid-August.
The "Ace City Competition" was about to premiere.
For Ting Yu to have released another song, "A Prose Poem Written by My Father," which touched the entire internet, both fans and the general public were already accustomed to it.
Others would want to use their good songs for competitions, but he directly released them without any warning.
Moreover, each time he managed to create a significant stir.
Just like before, to make his mother happy, he directly released ten square dance hit songs.
He had directly pushed the "Square Dance Master" off the top ten rankings, making him a target for netizens' jokes and various embarrassing situations.
This was Ting Yu's capriciousness.
Currently, Ting Yu was the producer with the most diverse styles in the Mandopop industry.
After attracting a wave of older fans with his square dance hits and "A Prose Poem Written by My Father," his popularity had soared again.
His fans now spanned a very wide age range, and in this regard, no producer could compare to him.
Before the competition began.
Xu Ming, the producer for this season of "Ace," suddenly posted on Weibo.
"For this competition, besides singer Zhang Wenqing's performance, we will also invite Erhu master Mr. Zhou Ningbin to perform."
This Weibo post immediately caused a stir.
"Mr. Zhou Ningbin? Is that the elder artist Zhou Ningbin who has been playing the erhu for decades?"
"Holy cow, how did Xu Ming manage to invite him??"
"Mr. Zhou Ningbin is a veteran artist. His erhu playing is already masterful."
"This is too much! Hu Yang's previous performances were all him using his own instruments. This time, to win against Ting Yu, he's directly invited an erhu master!"
"This is outrageous. An erhu master paired with a singer king, the lineup is too powerful!!"
"If Ting Yu doesn't invite a suona master this time, he might really be in trouble. After all, the sound of the erhu is ingrained in the DNA of us Chinese people. An erhu master can make the audience's scalps tingle with just their erhu playing."
Admittedly, Xu Ming's announcement was too shocking.
It had stunned netizens.
Bringing in the national team directly to compete against Ting Yu.
Wasn't this bullying?