Famous! Ch.16

Chapter 16: Achieving KPIs

After the audition ended, Lu Xu was about to go downstairs when someone called out to him in front of the elevator.

The person introduced himself as the assistant director of the production crew. He added Lu Xu on WeChat and said he would contact him once the results were out. “Director Mu thinks highly of you. There’s a good chance you’ll get this role.”

Lu Xu thanked him politely.

However, Lu Xu didn’t take the assistant director’s words too seriously.

In a production crew, the director was the one in control, while the assistant director had a broader range of responsibilities, such as coordinating actors and managing the relationships among various crew departments. For an assistant director, complimenting someone was one of the easiest things to do.

Unfortunately, the power to decide on casting didn’t lie in his hands.

Before a contract was signed, no actor could guarantee that a role belonged to them. In fact, even after signing the contract and officially joining the crew, actors could still face the risk of being replaced at the last minute.

That said, Lu Xu believed he had performed well. He portrayed Wu Shen in the way he understood the character. Even if his interpretation differed from that of the director or the scriptwriter, he had done his best.

…

When Lu Xu got home, he checked his work email but still hadn’t received any new audition invitations.

He had almost given up on that historical drama and had been fully focused on today’s audition. However, just as he returned home, the assistant director of the historical drama messaged him again, sincerely inviting him to give their crew a shot.

Before Lu Xu had the chance to ask why, the assistant director sent him several consecutive messages.

It turned out that their crew’s interest in Lu Xu wasn’t entirely due to My Baby Prince.

There were fewer standout young actors nowadays. Unlike in the past, when even lesser-known actors had solid skills and could deliver great performances right away, talented young actors were now harder to come by.

The character of the Crown Prince was timid by nature and gloomy at heart. For years, he lived under the shadow of his father, unable to stretch his wings. As he grew older, his outstanding brothers each built their own power bases, leaving him—the Crown Prince—trapped like a caged bird. Even though his father, the Emperor, had assured him that the throne would be his, the shadow in his heart never faded.

By chance, the director happened to see Lu Xu’s performance as Yu Wei.

The director believed that the gloomy and manic elements in Yu Wei’s personality bore some resemblance to the Crown Prince.

Historical dramas were notoriously difficult to produce. Whether depicting palace intrigue or court politics, they required a cast of talented actors to bring the characters and events to life. With the precedent of The Watchers, the crew had never considered using a traffic-driven idol for the role of the Crown Prince.

As the eldest son and the character with the most screen time among the younger actors in the script, the Crown Prince’s role demanded extra caution in casting.

The crew was willing to go to great lengths to secure the best actors for the roles.

To persuade Lu Xu to audition, they were even willing to extend the audition period for him.

Lu Xu: “…”

In some ways, he was a soft-hearted person.

He was a little tempted.

The main reason was that they had praised his acting skills. While My Baby Prince was still trending on social media, facing harsh criticism, this crew actually recognized his portrayal of Yu Wei.

Lu Xu was someone who couldn’t resist compliments.

After Song Zhong criticized My Baby Prince, several of his peers chimed in, calling the series a disgrace to the industry and Lu Xu a disgrace to acting. However, according to the assistant director of this historical drama, their director had watched My Baby Prince. It was after seeing Lu Xu’s performance that they decided to invite him.

The criticism aimed at My Baby Prince was primarily about its lack of sophistication. While The Watchers was a grand and high-quality production, My Baby Prince was dismissed as a trashy web drama that deserved ridicule. How could it dare to compete with a masterpiece like The Watchers?

These critics kept talking about the industry, history, and prestige, acting as though they were on a completely different level from the audience who enjoyed My Baby Prince. Yet, when Lu Xu researched the director of this historical drama, he found that in terms of experience, reputation, and standing within the industry, this director far surpassed those who had criticized My Baby Prince.

Lu Xu made up his mind—he would wait for the results of his audition for the role of Wu Shen first.

…

While waiting, Lu Xu scrolled through Weibo in his spare time.

Ever since his audition day, Weibo had turned into a chaotic battlefield.

Song Zhong and his colleagues relentlessly criticized My Baby Prince, but this did nothing to hinder the show’s rising metrics. When it first climbed to the top of the trending chart, its popularity score was just over 10,000. After a single scathing critique from Song Zhong, the score inexplicably jumped to over 11,000.

Lu Xu took a screenshot of the rising popularity and tagged Song Zhong in a post: “Thanks for the rocket boost, brother. 666.”

As a professional numbers person, Lu Xu decided to save his fans the trouble. With every popularity screenshot he posted, he meticulously calculated the gap between My Baby Prince and The Watchers, down to the exact unit, just to ensure Gu Sinian wouldn’t miss it.

While Lu Xu kept himself busy with this “work,” the crew of My Baby Prince was just as active. The show’s official Weibo account quickly reposted Lu Xu’s post, followed by the two lead actors, Yang Shu and Xia Xuewen, who added their own comments.

Sure, their budget, cast, and promotional efforts couldn’t compare to The Watchers, but why back down when My Baby Prince was number one on the trending charts?

Perhaps because Lu Xu’s persistent, sardonic jabs were directed at Gu Sinian, Lin Ge Entertainment had specifically instructed Song Zhong to focus his criticisms on the production crew of My Baby Prince and not on Lu Xu personally.

After all, Gu Sinian couldn’t afford too much criticism at the moment.

His new show’s audition phase was over, and filming was set to start soon. As his first project as a leading man, Gu Sinian couldn’t allow for any missteps.

When The Watchers failed, Grape Film shifted the blame squarely onto Gu Sinian, leading to mounting doubts and criticism about him. Lin Ge Entertainment had to pour resources into sponsored articles and PR campaigns to pull Gu Sinian out of the shadow of The Watchers.

Lu Xu, however, kept dragging Gu Sinian into his posts and subtly dissing him. If this continued, Gu Sinian would only become more tightly associated with the failure of The Watchers—a scenario Lin Ge Entertainment desperately wanted to avoid.

But while Lin Ge Entertainment had their plans neatly laid out, reality wasn’t cooperating.

Previously, fans of Verse often accused Lu Xu of neglecting his former group, claiming he had let down his three teammates who had been so devoted to their bond. Now, however, Lu Xu frequently reminisced about his time with Verse.

Take today, for instance. He shared a set of stills from My Baby Prince with the caption: “Purchased in September 2021, still like new.”

In My Baby Prince, the uniforms of Ariel Academy always carried a distinct air of poverty. However, the male lead, Pan Lingfeng, had an expensive wardrobe of private outfits. After the series gained popularity, Yang Shu revealed in an interview that all of Pan Lingfeng’s private outfits had been borrowed from Lu Xu.

One of these was a somewhat flamboyant luxury-brand coat that perfectly matched the over-the-top vibe of the show.

But when Lu Xu reposted the stills, a former Verse fan who now supported Lu Xu suddenly recognized the coat.

[If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this the stage outfit Lu Xu wore for the 1114 performance?]

[??? It is!]

[That’s the ostrich-feather, narrow-sleeved, double-vented coat! I just remembered!]

[…Holy crap! 1114!!!]

The “1114 stage” referred to a performance during the lead-up to Verse’s eventual breakup. In fandom lore, it was often dubbed the “1114 Incident.”

That day, the members of Verse went all out with heavy makeup and extravagant outfits, each more flamboyant than the last. What should have been an ordinary performance ended up becoming a source of controversy. Fans later discovered that while the outfits of the other three members cost around tens of thousands of yuan—Xie Qingyang’s being the cheapest at just a few thousand—Lu Xu’s ostrich-feather coat alone was valued at a six-figure sum.

At that time, Xie Qingyang was already the group’s top member.

The top member receiving the worst treatment? Xie Qingyang’s fans weren’t about to let that slide.

Soon after, a supposed “insider” from Lin Ge Entertainment claimed that the coat had been snatched by Lu Xu backstage—straight off Xie Qingyang.

“Qingyang has such a good temper. For the sake of the group, he’s endured so much,” the insider said.

Xie Qingyang’s fans were instantly enraged.

Lu Xu posted the purchase record for the coat as proof, but fans dismissed it as a company document that didn’t mean anything.

Both Lu Xu and Xie Qingyang later addressed the issue in public. Xie Qingyang explained as well, but the “bitter smile” on his face convinced everyone he had been forced to cover for Lu Xu.

And now, this six-figure coat had reappeared on Yang Shu in My Baby Prince.

[Couldn’t it have been something Lu Xu snatched from Lin Ge Entertainment?]

[First of all, stage outfits are usually company property. They’re modified here and there and often reused for other groups under the same company. For instance, some stylists from Verse moved on to style their junior groups.]

[Second, when Verse disbanded, I remember Lu Xu getting mocked because Xie Qingyang, Gu Sinian, and Meng Qin all kept some iconic stage outfits, but Lu Xu didn’t manage to take a single piece. At the time, even that ‘insider’ admitted it.]

[…So, basically, Lin Ge Entertainment didn’t give Lu Xu anything to wear?]

[Wow, the more you dig, the messier it gets.]

Netizens quickly realized that Verse’s old gossip only became juicier the more they uncovered.

Coincidentally, almost all the outfits worn by Pan Lingfeng in My Baby Prince were from Lu Xu’s personal wardrobe. Strangely enough, many of these designs had also appeared on stage during various phases of Verse’s career.

For celebrities, exposure is essential, and re-wearing the same outfit too often is a no-go—especially stage costumes, where repetition within the same group is almost unheard of.

However, My Baby Prince was produced on such a shoestring budget that these once-worn stage costumes ended up being repurposed for Pan Lingfeng’s wardrobe.

[Suddenly remembering… for a long time, didn’t Lu Xu’s outfits always look out of place compared to the rest of Verse?]

[+1. He even went viral once for being so unfashionable.]

[I used to laugh at how poorly he dressed.]

[So… Lin Ge Entertainment never even provided outfits for Lu Xu?]

[Oh. My. God!]

Netizens dug up old videos of Verse’s group interviews.

For the ostrich-feather coat, Xie Qingyang had that trademark “bitter smile,” which fans described as “even his eyelashes looked shattered,” yet he still “explained on Lu Xu’s behalf”:

“Please treat every member of Verse kindly. Costumes are just stage decorations; we’re doing great.”

For the bohemian-style outfit, Gu Sinian casually mentioned, “Lu Xu does seem to prefer expensive clothes.”

As for the glittering rhinestone jacket, Meng Qin commented, “I’d love to try such a flashy style too, but unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance. Maybe next time!”

Netizens: “…”

#BuyYourOwnIfYouWantItSoBad#

#IWantToRobABankTooButSadlyICan’t#

In My Baby Prince, Pan Lingfeng went through over a hundred costume changes. Just the fashion alone had Lu Xu helping numerous marketing accounts meet their annual KPIs.

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