Chapter 80: Forum
[Goose Gossip Group | Episode 8 Live Discussion Thread]
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[Original Post]
RT.
Finally, the second public performance (2nd Stage) is here! Let’s open a live discussion thread. Everyone knows the thread rules, so I won’t repeat them—OP will be watching the thread closely, ok~
[2F] Here I am.
[5F] In the blink of an eye, it’s already Episode 8?
[12F] Episode 9 is the second elimination. Episode 10 is song selection + Part 1 of the third public performance, Episode 11 is Part 2 of the third public performance, Episode 12 is the third elimination.
After that comes the live finale.
[21F] My source of Friday happiness only has a few more episodes left? Time really flies. Where am I going to find fun like this afterwards?
[27F] There’s no shortage of fun with Starlight.
[32F] Reply to 27th: Watch the “Who Exactly Carried Yue Zhaolin” analysis videos on Bilibili. The bullet comments are hilarious, the comment section is even funnier, and every fan group is rushing to claim credit.
[35F] So… who did carry him?
[41F] That GIF is too dark and mostly blocked. Even after increasing the brightness, you still can’t clearly see the details. The only known detail is black hair.
Crown Prince Ying, Beauty Chu, Moocher Bro, Chen Wu, and PD Li Ying—all have black hair.
[48F] A full-on claim fest.
Fans of every trainee want to use this “debt of gratitude” to get Tide to boost them. After all, they already pushed Wei Lai into the top fifteen through coordinated voting—the active fans are terrifyingly powerful. If we want to solve this mystery, we’ll probably have to wait for Starlight’s response.
[52F] Who’s Wei Lai?
[57F] Monkey.
Who could’ve guessed there were enough of them to control the vote? (Shocking.) This is already rewriting the history of survival shows. Before it happened, no one would have believed it, but after eliminating all other possibilities, no matter how absurd the truth is, we can only accept it.
[61F] Being Tide is honestly so satisfying, but we still don’t know how it’ll turn out. After all, capital has countless ways to protect their favorites. (Trying to turn the tide against capital is really hard. I’ve followed many seasons of survival shows and seen through it all— even those so-called “underdog comebacks” or “late-stage turnarounds” are just scripted storylines.)
[77F] Rational discussion—do you guys think Emperor Yue’s group should re-perform?
This time, the top comments on both Douyin and Weibo are mostly in agreement: they’re saying a second chance shouldn’t be given. Has Emperor Yue’s public image taken a hit?
[82F] The root cause of the stage mistake wasn’t on Yue Zhaolin. The focus is on him only because he’s the most well-known in that group. Marketing accounts want clicks, so of course they’ll rope him in. But no matter how they try to drag him, it’ll just hurt the fans’ feelings—at most, he might lose a few casual supporters.
But the moment that stage airs, more casual viewers will be smitten.
I can already imagine the hot comments after the third public performance airs:
“Never once cursed Yue Zhaolin—next life, let me be this good-looking.”
“A light boat has sailed past ten thousand mountains.”
[93F] Reply to 82F: And according to reports, Emperor Yue actually tried to save the performance. If the production team hadn’t called “stop,” the show probably could’ve continued, and afterwards they could’ve marketed it as “Rong Ruize made a mistake.” That way, they’d still have buzz.
But the production team didn’t choose that route.
[101F] Even taking a huge step back, let’s say they didn’t re-record—the Emperor Yue would still have had the highest votes. So why did the production team call stop?
[120F] Probably to protect Rong Ruize? His “got sick” and “hospital encounter” hashtags shot to the top of trending way too fast—obviously someone was pushing them. Panic disorder? I doubt it’s real (I’d say there’s a high chance it’s fake).
[125F] From a PR perspective, “got sick” sounds better than “just plain sucks.” But panic disorder and still aiming to debut?
[129F] As long as his skin is thick enough—his company is Taihua—he’s definitely debuting. They already gave him a “from F-rank to B-rank” comeback storyline before (even though no one cared).
[135F] Sigh… if all the “royalty” were like Emperor Yue—dominant in a way people respect—the show’s fans would be grinning in their sleep.
[138F] That’s a sci-fi fantasy.
[142F] Emperor Yue’s probably still sleeping right now, right?
[147F] Remember when Crown Prince Ying said before that Emperor Yue is a stamina monster? The kind of dance intensity that could exhaust him makes me curious—I want to see the third public performance.
[153F] Tonight is only the second public performance, so you’ll have to wait.
[159F] Tonight—whether you’re a fan, a hater, or just a passerby—you have to at least take a look at Yue Zhaolin in historical costume before you leave.
———
[403F] Midnight sharp—open GreenFruit TV!
[410F] Snack cart’s here—front row selling sunflower seeds, bread, soda, milk, and instant noodles—
[415F] Episode eight! Episode eight!
[419F] Huh?!
[420F] Starlight, you feel unfamiliar to me tonight—why is Yue Zhaolin right at the start? I thought, like in the first public performance, you’d save him for later to keep us in suspense.
[423F] This “Crane Bell” group is pure eye candy—everyone’s visuals are up to standard.
[431F] That edgy redhead is grinning like an idiot who just struck gold—but honestly, if I were in Yue Zhaolin’s group, the only possible outcome would be getting carried to success.
[442F] This Ao LiangAo (did I spell that right?) just turned himself into an “Orleans” flavor.
I’m drooling already—should still be in time to order some KFC, right?
[448F] As a loyal fan of KFC’s Orleans grilled wings, can I file for an objection? I don’t want a real person free-riding on my fave’s name aaaahhh.
[452F] Does anyone else think Emperor Yue’s look at Orleans was… unprecedentedly affectionate
[457F] Uh… yeah, actually…
[463F] ?
No way, right?
Don’t scare me—I’ve been busy until now and just turned on the TV. Isn’t Emperor Yue covered head-to-toe in single arrows? Would he really give an arrow to someone else?
[469F] …
Saw it. Yup, definitely affectionate.
[472F] Mhm.
Affection for food.
[480F] When he heard the name, his Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze went unfocused—clearly thinking of actual Orleans grilled wings. Then he took a sip of water to cover it up.
This is pure “stand-in literature.”
[487F] From “person stand-in” to “object stand-in”—he’s crossed species.
[492F] In your twenties, it’s peak KFC-loving age. (I’m thirty and I still love it.)
[497F] They’ve started Crane Bell.
This one should be pretty popular, right? Even though it’s pure instrumental, it’s been used a lot in historical costume edits, and it was even featured on that hit music show on CCTV.
[521F] No singing part?
[546F] Doesn’t matter either way, because the second public performance is a position evaluation.
The vocal group just stands and sings, the dance group only dances—if there’s a singing part, they pre-record the audio and play it as background music.
[562F] Choreography’s by Chu Li—not surprising.
[581F] Chu Li gives me the vibe of someone with a “male fox spirit” face, but in terms of how he handles people, he’s very smooth—never picks fights, never gets too close to anyone.
Anyone else feel the same?
[603F] That kind of person is good at networking upward—knows how to talk, gets along with everyone.
[619F] Feels like he’s more enthusiastic toward Yue Zhaolin?
[634F] Makes sense—among all the trainees, Yue Zhaolin is the “upward” connection.
[653F] Suddenly I get why Chu Li doesn’t draw in many fans. Compared to Emperor Yue, his persona is just too “plain.”
Getting into the Central Dance Academy means he’s strong in skill, and he doesn’t have any real flaws—both his good and bad points are obvious at a glance.
Aside from selling the “professional dancer crushing a talent show” image and shading a bunch of other trainees, fans don’t have much else to work with.
His only standout moment was during theme song center selection, when he handed Emperor Yue a fake plum blossom.
[675F] Emperor Yue comes with built-in controversy.
Don’t be fooled by the “re-record” outrage getting hundreds of thousands of likes right now—in a while, people will forget. Once the stage airs, all that controversy will just turn into fuel to boost him even higher.
[689F] Emperor Yue himself is solid.
[723F] In the first public performance, he gave suggestions for styling, which worked out well—so for the second public performance, his teammates came to him one by one for advice. He didn’t get impatient and actually thought things through carefully.
[756F] He’s got ideas—Shu Yang’s “youngest son of the Wulin Alliance Leader” concept really suits him.
[772F] He’s quick to spot someone’s strengths and highlight them—it’s to the point people might think it’s just for show. But over in the gossip group, the focus seems different.
They’re bashing him for having no real skill, and just using this kind of “clever touch” to steal the spotlight.
[801F] Is the other group still secretly watching us in real time?
Don’t love us that much.
[823F] On the surface, the Melon Group is all about actors, but they each have their lifeline—most of them are mid-to-late-career actors in historical romance dramas. Emperor Yue’s second public performance is in historical costume, so their sense of crisis is going up. I’d be surprised if they could sit still.
[851F] I think whether it’s styling or the stage itself, it’s good when an idol has their own ideas. Otherwise, the puppet vibe is too strong, and following them isn’t fun.
[872F] They’ve started practice.
Suddenly it hits me—Crane Bell is probably meant to promote Chu Li, right? It’s both classical dance and sword dance, plus he choreographed it and he’s the one teaching it.
[893F] Definitely.
Even the bullet comments are full of praise now.
[945F] Yue Zhaolin hasn’t practiced beforehand?
This season is really strange. In the past, “royalty” without enough skill would still practice the performance songs in advance. Even if they didn’t get them perfect, they wouldn’t start completely from zero.
[972F] Crown Prince Ying did, right?
I remember he gets out of breath singing, and in the first public performance, since he didn’t choose the song himself, it was obvious. But in the second public performance, last episode’s Melatonin was so well executed—
He definitely practiced in advance.
[1001F] Aren’t Crown Prince Ying and Emperor Yue both “royalty”? Why is Xingqiong playing favorites?
[1021F] Whoa.
[1058F] That sword-flower twirl is gorgeous.
[1081F] The way he engages his shoulders mid-way, then extends to his arms, and lifts the sword—beautifully done. The key thing is, his movements aren’t clumsy, and his arms don’t shake.
How long has he been practicing? His form is impressive.
[1102F] Someone (I honestly forgot who) said in a livestream before that Yue Zhaolin knows exactly how to move to make it look good.
[1156F] He’s been posing his moves according to the second performance’s character setting (no negative connotation here).
Fast, steady, sharp.
…
[2078F] Ah, practice is over?
[2101F] I was watching so intently—holding my clothes-drying rod and following along with the sword moves—how is it already over? Checked the progress bar, and twenty minutes had flown by.
[2123F] I have a feeling—there’s about to be a sword-move challenge on Douyin.
[2152F] So they’re going straight to rehearsal?
[2174F] The mentors had a scheduling conflict, so rehearsal started early.
[2189F] Oh wow, those clothes look so ethereal. Is that layer patterned with subtle designs? When the light hits, it shimmers like rippling water as he walks.
[2217F] Yue Zhaolin is so slender—once the waist sash is on, he’s like a single thin slice.
That otherworldly, immortal-like vibe just springs right up.
[2253F] And he doesn’t even have to starve himself into a “big-headed doll” look to achieve that—he’s basically the perfect physique for historical romance dramas.
[2278F] I was still sighing over how the rehearsal lacked the hair-dye touch and felt like something was missing—then I looked up, locked eyes with Yue Zhaolin in a close-up, and got jolted like an electric shock.
[2312F] When is the Emperor Yue going to step into the historical drama world? I’ll watch him in anything.
At least his eyes aren’t dead, at least he’s handsome, at least he has a Putonghua (Mandarin) certificate.
[2386F] The other side’s sense of crisis is justified, but the gap is too wide—no point in stubbornly talking big anymore.
[2401F] The outfit looks great too—it’s not that funeral-style plain white robe, nor is it short-cut. Can all future fantasy/historical dramas please use this kind of style?
[2451F] The sword hilt tore the sleeve!
[2489F] They can’t remove the sleeve panel—it’s the source of the ethereal vibe! (screaming)
[2513F] Wardrobe malfunction—suddenly the tension went way up. Then the camera cut away—damn it.
[2546F] Ah, hair dyeing has started.
[2587F] The first round of bleaching turned it into a yellow-blond! Actually makes his skin look fairer—tempting.
[2605F] Don’t give in—on regular people, this color would almost certainly make you look like some tacky “little gangster.”
[2636F] Do they have to bleach twice? I dyed smoky pink before, and it also needed two rounds. Lost quite a bit of hair. Wonder if the bleaching agents celebs use are any better.
[2659F] Reply to 2636: It still breaks.
[2687F] Ah.
[2695F] Aaaaahhhhhh!
[2703F] Oh my god—one quick camera cut and boom—new hair color! It startled me in the best way.
[2712F] …I actually already saw his new hair at the Soda Festival and knew silver-white suited him, but seeing the freshly dyed effect—how to put it—
It’s like the sword he’s holding: a cool-toned metallic sheen.
[2756F] When he moves, it’s like watching a xianxia (immortal-cultivation) movie. I almost forgot his background was just a dressing room. And the long hair makes him look even more otherworldly than short hair.
[2782F] The one visiting backstage before this performance is Cen Chi? This guy’s actually pretty ambitious, and his skills match that ambition. It’s just that his fans dragged him down—after his votes dropped in the second round, he never climbed back up. The show inviting him this time… probably trying to stir up drama again? The performance-personality CP fans in the live comments are overjoyed, the solo stans are fainting, and Tide is watching like hawks. But CP fans do have spending power—let’s see if he can refine his fanbase in the future.
[2868F] The back view from the previous episode is here—this group’s going on stage.
[2871F] !
[2881F] The live comments on Starlight are going crazy.
[2911F] Weibo’s trending square is going crazy too.
[2958F] The Tide fandom in episode eight’s main cut are also losing it. The camera panned past and I swear I could hear their heart-wrenching screams through the screen. One of them even had this terrified expression while screaming—I’m dying of laughter.
[2975F] The screams were so loud that Orleans literally took a step back, haha.
[3012F] Ah—the sleeve panel is still there! Thank goodness!
[3043F] “I am the calamity of your Ruthless Dao”—who shouted that? So spot on! The “Ruthless Dao” in novels and dramas is already overflowing with Yan Bishengs, haha.
[3072F] This look is really good—white hair, white eyelashes, high ponytail, broad shoulders, narrow waist.
[3094F] Doesn’t Bilibili have those streams where the uploader watches the show live without showing the video, just chatting along with the scrolling comments?
The comments were flying by—full of shade-throwing, naming every single flop costume drama that went viral in Bilibili’s roast section (ahem).
[3127F] The costume-drama fans are about to charge in—Tide fandom, fend for yourselves… no wait, the Tide-sisters can take on ten at once.
[3152F] I’m guessing Starlight won’t easily let Yue Zhaolin act in costume dramas in the next couple of years, just to maintain that “Hollywood guest star” prestige. The second public performance is a one-of-a-kind (?).
No need to be too anxious about it.
[3174F] Isn’t GreenFruit preparing a comeback stage? They’ve already started getting sponsors and inviting guests—most likely for the debut group from this show.
So… at least no conflicts for the next two years?
[3202F] Hasn’t even aired yet, but they’ve already provided the editing department with milestone-level material.
Now I’m more anxious.
[3235F] It’s exactly like the reports said—Yue’s combo moves will leave anyone dizzy.
[3281F] Fans from other groups have always attacked the Tide fandom for being “bossy,” “brainlessly protective,” and “leeks turned sentient,” but no one’s ever claimed the Tide fandom don’t eat well.
[3315F] Well, their black nickname is “The King of Pleasing Fans in C-Entertainment.”
[3352F] In my book, that’s a compliment.
[3376F] The opening center is Chu Li—his stance is pretty powerful. Wow, is this the first time Starlight has used dry ice on stage this season?
[3402F] Mao Ding’s Miao-tribe youth look is great—just weld the red hair to his head forever.
[3421F] Wait, is the second public performance a one-take shot? Four people have already come out and there hasn’t been a single camera cut.
[3472F] This shot.
[3495F] Who came up with this stage design of walking out through the light curtain? The dry-ice mist feels like an interdimensional barrier—when they walk out, it really looks like they’re crossing dimensions…
[3511F] His sword tassel doesn’t look like a bell?
[3557F] Paused for a moment—yeah, it’s different from Chu Li’s and the others’. Looks like… a gemstone chain?
[3574F] That spiral design looks familiar—classic series from brand F?
[3591F] Whoa, they’re actually fighting now.
[3616F] That spinning move, with the arc of his hemline fanning out—it blends perfectly with the lighting. I kind of want to screenshot it.
[3650F] The high ponytail swinging looks great, and the sword-dancing moves are beautiful too. The stage effects and choreography really complement each other.
[3676F] You can definitely tell when someone has trained—his effortless sword toss-and-catch was amazing.
[3799F] If you look closely at Yue Zhaolin’s movements, you can see there’s a gap in fundamentals compared to Chu Li, but you can’t deny it’s very entertaining and stylish.
This is “lacking technique, making up for it with aesthetics.”
[3829F] For idols, stage presence is very important. Even if the technique isn’t strong, if the poses look good, people will overlook weaker singing and dancing skills.
He’s pretty smart about that.
[3858F] Agreed.
Some idols just brute-force it on stage—finish the moves and call it done. Then you watch the fancam and they look like they’re doing some wild shaman dance.
Sure, they’ve got power, but it’s ugly.
[3881F] I was so focused on Chu Li and Yue Zhaolin’s “duel” that I didn’t even have time to post comments…
[3902F] The dry ice hadn’t fully dispersed, so there was still a layer on the floor. Yue Zhaolin did this sweep-kick move that sent the mist swirling up—so clean and sharp.
[3936F] State banquet.
[3972F] It’s such a shame Emperor Yue never learned dance growing up—he’s honestly got real talent.
[4048F] The flowing sleeves on stage, plus that part where the sword harmonized with the flute—right when the backdrop projection showed ink-brush clouds.
[4092F] All I can think about is that part where he spun the sword in his palm—so smooth, it felt like the sword was truly his personal magic weapon.
[4124F] When he landed and did that upward thrust, you could even hear the sword slicing through the air.
[4153F] This stage was better than I expected.
Mostly because it didn’t have that half-hearted “ancient style” stage vibe (where they just wear a costume and hold a fan or sword and call it a day).
The dance had real power, and the sword strikes were sharp and precise—neither limp nor sloppy.
[4172F] But honestly—it’s the face.
This face is insanely versatile—great bone structure, looks like he’s shooting a movie whenever the camera’s on him.
The moment it switched to Orleans, I snapped out of it—his features are too delicate (small deer-like look, small mouth, small nose), more suited for small screens.
[4197F] That was so satisfying to watch.
[4227F] I don’t really watch historical romance dramas, but it still feels like such a waste if Emperor Yue doesn’t act in them.
[4261F] +1
[4301F] The thing is, current historical romances are all formulaic—different packaging, same content.
If he doesn’t act in them, it’s a pity; if he does, it’s still a pity.
[4332F] Actually, there’s this Bilibili trend where people use AI to swap an actor’s face with someone else’s in a drama.
After today, “Yue Zhaolin face-swap with XXX” videos will probably pop up like mushrooms after the rain.
[4365F] A new round of fan wars is coming—Yue Zhaolin hasn’t acted in one yet, but it’s like he already has.
[4386F] Everyone, search on Douyin.
It’s already started.
[4405F] Huh?
[4421F] Found a Douyin GIF of Yue Zhaolin’s opening in the second performance. The stage had only just begun, and it already had 50k likes.
“Forget those old babies—Yue Zhaolin’s ancient costume look is the best in C-ent.”
“So beautiful it gave me shivers.”
“Can Yue Zhaolin play the male lead in The Phoenix Record, Your Heart Like Snow on a Hairpin, Plum Red Branch, Moonlocks Mist Boat, and Crows on Frozen Wings?”
“Senior, it’s Friday—if the fans start attacking, I’m running first.”
[4512F] What a fine case of “the Khan summons his troops.” (:з」∠)
[4532F] If I remember right, The Phoenix Record, Your Heart Like Snow on a Hairpin, and Moonlocks Mist Boat have all been adapted already, right?
[4567F] All of them flopped—spectacularly.
Especially Moonlocks Mist Boat: they changed it from a strong female lead story to a male lead one, gave the male lead all the spotlight, and even compared it to a fictional character, saying “Ye Wuzhou” is the kind of role only found in old-school romance novels—so fake.
Complaining about the character but still taking the role—it’s like eating a meal and then insulting the chef. The book fans were furious.
[4579F] Your Heart Like Snow on a Hairpin was tragic too—the leads’ ages add up to almost 80, with so much skin-smoothing filter you’d think you were nearsighted. Ruined the original and still looked bad.
The book fans really held their tongues on that one.
[4612F] The comments are full of people petitioning for him to take the role—it’s already turned into an argument, but it’s a one-sided crush.
[4630F] Has the Tide fandom arrived on the battlefield?
[4645F] Nope.
It’s passersby and book fans.
“It was I who insisted he take the role, so what? Tide-sisters, you need say no more—everyone, fall back behind me!”