The young star, upon hearing this, immediately assumed the director was subtly criticizing him for being effeminate. Enraged, he ripped off his costume and stormed off set.
Later, he wrote a lengthy post on Weibo, accusing the director of personal attacks and mocking him for being neither man nor woman.
It’s not just girls who write lengthy posts; when guys do it, their passive-aggression can be three times more potent.
His brainless fans, seeing their idol being bullied, flooded the director's and the production crew's pages with insults, causing chaos.
The station manager, upon hearing about the incident, shook his head in disbelief. "Who says young people can't play older roles? This trashy idol really thinks he's hot stuff."
He then turned to his assistant and ordered, "Change 'The Little Fish and Flowers' to 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'. Cut out the scenes featuring Xuzhu and show those actors who lack talent, throw tantrums, and act like divas what true professionalism looks like!"
"Yes!"
Tian Shan Tong Lao was the first role Jiang Ling took on after transmigrating and activating her eye-drop system.
It was this role that helped her shed the public's perception of her as a terrible actress who was unprofessional and prone to diva behavior.
At the tender age of sixteen or seventeen, she brilliantly portrayed a ninety-six-year-old woman who was both ancient and childlike, crippled and sickly.
When Xuzhu's scenes aired, the young viewers watching the drama were once again stunned.
"Holy crap! A blossoming young girl playing a ninety-year-old granny? Is this the distortion of human nature, or the downfall of morality?"
"Those older female celebrities, past forty, are still trying to pass themselves off as young girls with excessive makeup, while Jiang Ling goes against the grain to play an old woman, and does it so well. It truly shocked my entire family!"
"It's the same for idols, why is there such a huge difference in people?"
"In the original novel of 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils', Tian Shan Tong Lao appears as a young girl, but inside lives an incredibly ancient soul. Jiang Ling's eyes carry a sense of world-weariness that is just too powerful."
"Oh my god, she's so young, yet she can portray such an ancient character with such uncanny accuracy. Her acting is ridiculously good, it feels like it violates advertising laws just to say it."
"Quick, look at the small text in the bottom right corner. That line says the role of Tian Shan Tong Lao used her original voice. That ancient, sickly, yet commanding voice was actually her own dubbing."
"No way! I didn't know until I saw it, but it turns out she's not just an actress, but also a professional voice actor. No wonder her voice fits the character so perfectly, there's not a trace of dubbing detectable!"
"I can't believe she debuted as an idol? Did the entertainment industry have a different understanding of the term 'idol' sixteen years ago?"
"With such strong professional capabilities, yet debuting with an idol label, how are other idols supposed to survive?"
Seeing the string of shocked and awestruck comments in the barrage of messages, Jiang Ling's long-time fans couldn't help but smile.
These young viewers today had too little exposure; this was nothing.
Tian Shan Tong Lao was just her normal performance. The回头 (huítóu - turning back) scene of Hailong was the true peak of acting.
One glance that spanned a lifetime, five seconds of divine performance, unforgettable forever.
After Xuzhu's scenes were finished, Jiang Ling once again trended on hot search for her role as Tian Shan Tong Lao.
Countless viewers were reminded of Jiang Ling's youth and beauty, and how she could disregard her image to portray an older character, all to better fulfill her role.
In contrast, today's celebrities were constantly throwing tantrums, refusing any scenes that might slightly damage their image, yet demanding exorbitant salaries. The more they thought about it, the angrier they became.