Xia Ruyun covered her mouth as a few laughs slipped between her lips. She turned to Li Feiling, leaning back against the couch. “How much am I allowed to say?”
“Well, the plot’s... quite well-known, it's an adaptation of an old play. There are a few big twists, but nothing too related to what you might say,” Li Feiling reached up and tried to boop Xia Ruyun’s nose.
“Then,” Xia Ruyun shifted to the side, dodging the nose touch. “Since I’m playing Murong An, it’s just a real shame that I didn’t get to see majestic Empress Guiying... Otherwise, though, I think our on screen relationship is quite good.”
“I’d agree,” Li Feiling shrugged, her hand sinking down back to her lap as a faint flicker of disappointment flashed across her eyes. “Our friendship really started because of the scenes we shot together. There’s a certain... genuineness in it I’d say. Yang Guiying only really opens up to Murong An.”
“For sure,” Xia Ruyun nodded before letting Li Feiling continue.
“To a certain degree, I think that Murong An’s... departure,” Li Feiling danced around the topic with a smile. “Helps spark a lot of development on Yang Guiying’s side that I think you all will enjoy. Even more, it allows her to open her heart to Long Fei, the eventual... what’s the term... prince consort?”
“Yeah, that’s the term I believe,” Xia Ruyun smiled as she raised an arm to flex it. “Look at us go, wise beyond our years!”
The broadcast, by now, had picked its pace back up. Murmurs of Xia Ruyun’s past incident had been suppressed by the moderators before they spread. In fact, a contributing factor to the departure from the topic had been the sudden influx of Xia Ruyun’s fans. They reappeared in droves.
[Blond Men Supremacy: Omg, Xia Ruyun DEFINED my teenage period. Crazy how she’s changed. I’m still cheering for you girl! Get back your fame, your life, and your business!]
[Anonymous 21544: isn’t she not a blond man]
[Anonymous 3466: not blond, can confirm]
[+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1]
[Blond Men Supremacy: SO?! I don’t have to lust 24/7]
[Anonymous 1616: Your past chats say otherwise.]
[My Dad Went To Get Milk: I’m actually quite joyous with how Xia Ruyun has returned. She seems to be focusing on acting more, an industry she has previous experience in. However, if you take a recording of her speaking and carefully analyze the audio waveforms, it becomes clear her singing foundation is still there.]
[My Dad Went To Get Milk: She starts and ends her phrases in similar ways with an unchanged intonation style. Her breathing patterns are also still the same. Thus, for those of us who hope to see her sing again, hope can be had. It is beyond clear, to an educated expert like me, at least, that she has kept up with her vocal training.]
[Anonymous 7237: Holy block of text]
[Anonymous 74356: aint’ no way bro went over the character limit so hard that he split his message into two]
[Anonymous 7842348: blud really thinks he’s an expert]
[Anonymous 45346: fatherless behavior for real]
[Anonymous 5721: obsessed fan behavior too, bro really recorded part of this broadcast and analyzed it?]
As the broadcast continued, Li Feiling and Xia Ruyun’s section came to its final question. A husky-voiced reporter picked up the microphone. “This last question is for Xia Ruyun. Since we don’t know too much from your perspective. I just want to ask what you did after the incident three years ag-”
“Horrendous question, I’m sorry,” Li Feiling interrupted with a sharp gaze, “Actually, I’m not sorry. How does this, in any way, have to do with this production? Hello? Ask something at least tangentially related to the movie we’re shooting. Who taught you these manners? A dog? Are you really trying to dig into this woman’s darkest period in life when she should be happily celebrating her project?! What’s the logic here? Did you go to school in the ocean? It seems so because of how much water is in your brain. Puddle-headed.”
[Anonymous 25623: Ah there’s the Li Feiling we know]
[I Eat Li Feiling’s Couch: OUR QUEEN STILL HAS IT the ultra sharp tongue is unparalleled. Knew she still had the powerful edge in her Every day i bow before our queen’s unbreakable will]
[Angst Sustains Me: Guys... guys... the fic is writing itself at this point... c’mon... you see it too right? one’s defending the other...]
[Yes] [Y] [Mhm] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1]
Following Li Feiling’s passionate outburst, the broadcast made a quick cut to Zhang Jingsong. He explained they kept it in because, “We want to make our stance clear. We support the redebut project of our secondary female lead. In fact, this extends to our whole cast. We support each other, and will continue to do so.”
[W mans] [W] [Huge integrity moment from the director] [+100 aura]
The next group, Xia Ruyun and Wu Linjie, ended up being among the most peaceful. Bits of banter flowed between the two as they answered a series of innocuous, run-of-the-mill questions like “Favorite scene to shoot in the movie?” “Challenges on set?” and “Experience working with each other?”
[Anonymous 6222: What a wholesome segment]
[Anonymous 3724: You can definitely tell they’re close]
[Angst Sustains Me: Not as close as Xia Ruyun and Li Feiling though.]
[Anonymous 633245: Obviously]
[Anonymous 764: Look at the gap between them]
[Anonymous 534: Well, it's natural to have a spatial difference between men and women compared to two women]
[Anonymous 2341: L Implication]
[Anonymous 31487: Me when I’m homophobic and heteronormative]
[Anonymous 12984: Bro really wants to be in the minority]
[Anonymous 42389: Im sO sPeCiaL gUyS]
[No Found Family, Am Still Lost: But hey, doesn’t Xia Ruyun feel so much like an older sister to Wu Linjie?]
The last group to go in the first section of the broadcast though, featured the three leads together on the couch as reporters asked them questions. This time however, the interactions between the three leads sat center stage as most of the salient questions had already been asked.
Xia Ruyun, though only the supporting female lead, sat in the center, Wu Linjie sat to her right with a decent bit of separation between them, and Li Feiling had returned to her previous spot—right beside Xia Ruyun, no separation.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t say that shooting has been particularly challenging,” Li Feiling raised the microphone to her mouth, staring upward into space as if it’d give her answers. “Among the crews I’ve been in, this one has been quite a peaceful, easy-going one.”
“For sure,” Wu Linjie adjusted his position on the couch to get comfortable. “No one has too strong of a personality, and the atmosphere among the cast and crew has been one of... gentle harmony if I had to say. When we watch others shoot, we cheer them on and help them improve.”
“It’s been wonderful,” Xia Ruyun murmured as a radiant smile shone through her nervousness for just a second. Her voice quieted with every subsequent word. “For my first show back, it's been more than I could ever hope for.”
[Anonymous 3419: Gehak]
[Anonymous 43109: Beautiful answers]
[Anonymous 5349: More beautiful than the smile just now?]
[Anonymous 245087: ... no]
[Wu Linjie Battleship Leader: Look at Wu Linjie! Keeping a proper distance to the other two. The others are clearly inconsiderate of us fans! How could we ever clip either Xia Ruyun or Li Feiling individually for a clip? <.< Wu Linjie just cares more]
[Anonymous 4319: Madddd cope]
[Anonymous 24987: Can you share the drugs you’re on?]
[Anonymous 5413: More like the other two are really close]
[Anonymous 203: True sisterhood right there]
[Anonymous 2398: Wu Linjie, the professional third-wheel]
[+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1] [+1]
[Anonymous 1238: He could start a class...]
With the end of their section though, Xia Ruyun, Li Feiling, and Wu Linjie left the couch to make room for the other cast members. The broadcast continued, doing its job in more ways than one. It kept the audience engaged for the entire runtime, it built anticipation for the movie, and it helped build the popularity of the cast.