Both of these identities were not to be offended by their company.
Indulging Xu Feifei's fans or provoking Jiang Ling would only lead to their own destruction.
Sister Wang looked at Xu Feifei, her face pale, "Feifei, what do we do now?"
"Go back!"
Xu Feifei spat out two words through gritted teeth.
"Go back? Going back now is equivalent to breach of contract, and this penalty for breach..."
Xu Feifei roared, "The situation is critical, why worry about some damn penalty for breach? Go back!"
Xu Feifei was temperamental, arrogant, and indulged, but she wasn't an idiot. She knew who she could and couldn't afford to provoke.
Although she didn't know why Jiang Ling retired, with her looks and acting skills, her influence back then must have been considerable.
A single role was enough to stir up such a huge storm sixteen years later.
She couldn't even imagine how terrifying the heat would be when her works were exposed.
Instead of imitating her and challenging her classic characters beyond her capabilities, only to be ridiculed by the public after the broadcast, it was better to give up from the start.
Stars were living off their youth, and a traffic-driven little star like her had an even shorter bloom.
Wasting a year or a year and a half on such an unrewarding role was simply not worth it.
Withdrawing from the filming in response to public opinion would, first, establish a good impression of self-awareness among the audience, and second, avoid being ridiculed by everyone.
Xu Feifei calculated the pros and cons and made what she considered the most appropriate choice.
Half an hour later, Xu Feifei posted a Weibo, stating that her schedule could not be adjusted and she was voluntarily withdrawing from the filming of "The Romance of the Clouds and Bows," while also praising Jiang Ling's acting skills.
Jiang Ling's old fans, seeing her so sensible, no longer dwelled on the conflict with her fans.
The new fans, seeing Xu Feifei voluntarily give up, also felt embarrassed to continue their pursuit.
Jiang Ling, without appearing in person, had forced a popular star to admit defeat with a role she played twenty years ago. To achieve this level as an actor was something to be proud of in this lifetime.
Xu Feifei's withdrawal caused another stir online.
Everyone in the industry was curious about who this Jiang Ling was, who could make Xu Feifei willingly back down.
Thus, a new wave of attention surged towards Jiang Ling.
After the TV station finished broadcasting "The Romance of the Clouds and Bows," it was immediately followed by "The Little Fish and the Flowers Never Meet."
They wanted the young audience to see that Jiang Ling, playing Jiang Yuyan, could kill the protagonists with just a pure air-bangs hairstyle, without heavy eye makeup, and still only leave the title of the protagonist's name.
Who knew that this entertainment hit would spark a trending topic?
A certain young idol, while acting in a historical drama, suddenly threw a tantrum and went on strike midway.
His reason for striking was also ridiculous: he refused to wear a fake beard and age makeup.
It turned out that the historical character he played had a vast age span, from a teenager to a seventy-year-old minister of three dynasties.
After the age of forty, the director felt his face was too young and did not look like a man over forty, so he asked him to wear a fake beard and apply older makeup to better fit the role.
The young idol, however, said the beard was too ugly and he didn't want old makeup as it would damage his handsome youthful image, and he refused to do it even if it meant death.
The director patiently persuaded him, telling him that ancient men grew beards when they got older. Had he not heard of "Mighty Beards"? Men in their forties and fifties without beards were eunuchs.