Superstar Ch.170

Chapter 170: Forum Posts Related to Zhaozhao’s Career (Extra 4)

[Breaking: The Lingxiao Awards results are out!]

1L: Big congratulations to Emperor Xie for winning Best Actor at the Lingxiao Awards! Now he’s officially got both major film and TV awards — time to pop open that champagne, RNG sisters 🎉

2L: Three minutes in, 18 threads already, not even counting for livestream delay — like I said, your sub has already taken the shape of Emperor Xie.

3L: Just accept it. Where on this cursed internet isn’t shaped like Emperor Xie these days? A few days ago, I was taking a walk around my neighborhood and the security guard at the gate was watching his new drama. He was like, “I know this young guy — good looks, great acting.” And I was just: …

What can I even say? As long as grandpa’s happy, I guess.

4L: Grandpa’s got taste.

5L: Grandpa’s got taste +1. But wait, isn’t 3^rd Landlord that infamous anti-Xie? How’s your account still not banned? RNG sisters losing their edge?

6L: LOL maybe the rhetoric was too smooth, actually entertained people and they let it slide out of kindness.

But seriously, times really have changed. I remember when XXZ first came into this sub, fans didn’t even dare mention his full name. They were all calling him “Morning Baby” this and “Morning Baby” that. And now? Hmm. Do his haters even have a place to exist anymore? With his level of popularity, the moment a hater sticks their head out, they get gang-beaten. Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Tsk.

7L: Wait — are y’all seriously not excited about Emperor Xie’s double crown?

8L: He’s Emperor Xie now.

9L: A mature Morning Baby earns all his trophies himself. Us fans were never worried.

10L: Wasn’t this double win always just a matter of time? If he hadn’t just been goofing off with those supporting roles, he would’ve had the full set two years ago. His fans spoil him too much — can’t even complain properly.

11L: Aaand 10th Floor’s already deleted. I’m dying 😂

12L: Uh, but 10 was kind of wild though. Those supporting roles XXZ played were all classics. He really knows how to pick scripts.

Honestly, his skills leave nothing to criticize. No matter what genre he’s in, he lives up to the fans’ and audience’s expectations. There’s nothing really to hate on.

13L: Ahhh the entire forum outside is flooded. I’m dizzy from seeing the word Xie everywhere. Isn’t your sub supposed to be a general public film/TV discussion board? (screaming)

14L: “Shock! Famous general entertainment forum turns out to be Emperor Xie’s personal garden!”

Wait… why do I feel like I saw this exact headline five years ago?

15L: Honestly, your sub is still alright. You should check out those idol fan forums — that’s what a true back garden looks like. His variety show fans are loyal and fierce. No wonder he still regularly releases music and performs on stage. Compared to them, his drama fans are practically zen monks. I mean, this thread is full of snarky sarcasm and it’s still alive.

16L: So he’s really that popular…? I always thought he just had a lot of brand endorsements.

17L: Upstairs, are you from the Stone Age?

18L: Damn, RNG sisters please see the truth — this thread is just playing with memes, no ill intent toward Emperor Xie!

Haters cosplaying as cutesy fans, get out.

19L: Sigh… to be fair, maybe they really didn’t know. I remember back in senior year of high school, I was studying like crazy — didn’t even have the brain space to follow celebs. Felt totally cut off from the world. It was only during the summer break after exams, while bored and binging dramas, that I fell into the pit.

At that time, all I knew about Zhaozhao was that he was a handsome and popular star — didn’t really get how popular.

But thinking about it now… time flies. I’m about to graduate from my master’s.

20L: Eh, thinking about it now, same here.

I think I fell into the fandom around the time TP made their first comeback. The digital release was really solid, the song was great too. Then I watched the video… absolutely wrecked me with how good-looking he was.

But I’ve always been more into actors, so I was pretty chill during his idol period. Back then, I was just praying he’d switch to acting — hehe, and I actually manifested it. That face not doing dramas? What a waste of resources.

21L: …I’m a Tao Yan’s Summer fan. Not exactly a stan, more like I went from being kind of annoyed to having a soft spot.

When he first transitioned into acting, he got hate dumped on him real bad. But the guy himself didn’t really have any actual scandals. With that level of skill, I don’t mind a little pride — actually, he’s pretty humble too, to be honest.

22L: Why are we all suddenly getting nostalgic? Has your sub always been this warm and fuzzy?

23L: Your sub’s overall vibe is pretty respectful toward actors who are really good at what they do — even if y’all are constantly being tsundere about it.

24L: Real talk, there’s barely any dirt on Emperor Xie.

Skill-wise? He’s a double grand slam winner in film and TV. He’s got the triple threat thing — acting, singing, dancing — and he’s number one in every lane. Sometimes I legit suspect he used to be an employee for some entertainment industry quick-transmigration system and just came back to live a casual life.

Character-wise? Despite being this famous, he’s still active and professional. Everyone who’s worked with him — co-stars, brands, whatever — only has praise. And all these years? Not even a single dating rumor. If I didn’t know he was just super busy and a homebody, I’d think he was secretly married off as a kid.

25L: For real…

26L: Not a hater, not a stan, but honestly sometimes I feel like Emperor Xie isn’t even human. Like… you get me?

27L: I get it. When someone’s too perfect, they start feeling fake.

At first, I seriously thought it was all a persona. I mean, who’s that amazing in real life? But it’s been so long now — even if it was an act, at this point, it’s basically become real.

28L: First of all, when it comes to professional skill, there’s no such thing as “faking it.” You’re either good or you’re not — period.

As for character, that’s more subjective, I guess. But in my worldview, someone who makes a lot of money and still remembers to give to charity is, at the very least, not a bad person.

29L: Hard to argue with that. But honestly, I think XXZ’s character is genuinely a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry. He’s pretty well-respected in mainstream circles — has even collaborated with official media outlets multiple times. Totally clean background, and his values seem solid too.

What really convinced me of his character was when his studio started signing new artists. He’s been so dedicated to supporting them. No wonder his team is full of die-hard fans.

30L: I go back even further — probably to Super Rookie 4. The way he genuinely supported the rookies… like, let’s be real, everyone in showbiz is a competitor in the end. Bringing up a rising star basically means creating someone who might challenge you someday. And back then, he was still super young himself. That was the moment I realized he had a big-picture mindset.

31L: Thinking about all this is kind of sad… he’s worked so hard, and yet the entertainment industry here still…

32L: AAAAHHHHH!

33L: Be grateful, okay? He’s a triple-threat in acting, music, and variety, has the skills and a good personality… y’all expecting the next Purple Star to show up?

Might as well hope for the future to invent androids and just replicate XXZ.

34L: So looking at it this way… XXZ is actually really amazing.

35L: Don’t know why but 34’s sincere tone randomly made me laugh a little 😂

36L: I knew this sub’s usual sarcastic tone would mess with the newbies’ perception. Look at this. What a tragedy.

37L: Baby 34 is really amazing, haha. No one here means anything bad by it — it’s just that back in the day, this sub used to bash him under the name of “political correctness” (zzzq), so now everyone’s gotten into the habit of saying the opposite of what they mean. No malice intended.

38: Okay okay, let’s not get too carried away. If he doesn’t join a new project soon, I won’t mind giving the anti-rumor team some extra work to do. 😤

39L: Real talk, back in the day, Emperor Xie really got dragged hard in this forum. His reputation completely turned around on his own merits. Just for that, I seriously respect him. Nobody likes getting slapped in the face — and pretending it doesn’t hurt unless you really admit the guy’s good? That takes some real conviction.

40L: Reporting in as one of the face-slapped. I used to mock him as just a pretty boy before he played Jing Yin.

Now, ha ha… turns out I was the clown all along.

41L: 40L, I remember you! The fact that your account is still alive is honestly a miracle.

42L: Jing Yin was stunning. His villain roles have something special to them. That’s why when people say he’s slacking off doing supporting roles, I’m like: …

Please don’t snatch our crumbs! He doesn’t take on that many roles as it is — we’re already living on scraps.

43L: My favorite role of his was the high school boy. It had this once-in-a-lifetime feel.

And honestly, he still looks super young now — totally still passes as a college guy. But in an interview he said he’s past that age and won’t take those kinds of roles anymore.

I’m like… geez bro, can you please not be so humble?

44L: Emperor Xie is too real. I mean, this industry is full of “youthful” boys and girls well into their 30s.

45L: He’s more than just real — he turned down Director Qu’s project twice because he felt he couldn’t carry the aura needed.

I’m begging — can all those actors with less skill and way more confidence please just retire for the sake of my eyes?

46: Then aside from Emperor Xie, the entertainment industry would be empty.

47L: That would be a good thing. 😌

48L: Aaaaah no dragging other people down!!

49L: It’s not dragging, it’s a full-on spray. I’m out here with a Gatling gun, rat-a-tat-tat. 💥

50L: What’s there to be afraid of? Ever heard the saying: “Half the entertainment industry are already fans of Emperor Xie, and the other half are on their way to becoming fans”? Just look at this thread — I recognize quite a few old usernames. Used to be some of the most notorious XXZ anti-fans. Super aggressive. If there’s a fight, push them out front first. 😏

51L: …I confess. 😔

52L: Feeling kind of emotional. In the blink of an eye, XXZ has already bagged the full sweep of film and TV awards.

Even though he’s been the darling of this sub for a while now, watching him continue to shine so brightly along this path… it really hits different.

It’s like… a surreal kind of feeling?

Hard to put into words.

53L: That’s love right there.

54L: I get it. Especially watching the live broadcast today — Xizhao looked so stunning, so radiant.

Feels like he’s a gift heaven sent to the entertainment world.

55L: Hmm…

56L: Honestly, it’s because he’s always been so hardworking and genuine. Without even meaning to, he’s inspired a lot of people.

So when we get to witness a huge milestone in his life, it just feels… kind of comforting. At least for me.

Watching the livestream and hearing his speech today made my nose sting a bit. I was surprised at my own reaction. I’ve literally watched him rise up step by step from a nobody.

I first learned about him through a news article, and I remember thinking: “If someone like him can be this lucky, then I need to live well too — so I don’t waste the life I’ve been given.”

But he’s done even better than I imagined.

57L: Now I’ve got that stingy-nose feeling too 😢

58L: I’m a fan, so let me say it first — he’s really a great person. Supporting him is something you’ll never regret. Truly.

59L: Pretty sure everyone knows that by now.

60L: Sigh… Honestly, I don’t really know what “true fans” are supposed to feel. I guess I’d count as a casual supporter? I’m usually really busy with work, so I don’t have time to do heavy-duty data boosting or fight off haters. I just watch his shows to contribute to the view count, and if I like a product he endorses, I’ll buy it.

To me, it feels like he is a kind of utopia. Every time I watch him — whether it’s listening to his music, watching his stage performances, or bingeing his dramas — I feel this incredible calm, like all my worries vanish.

Even though I know I still have a ton of problems to face tomorrow, just knowing that someone out there is still working so hard and running toward the future makes me feel like I’ve found my courage again.

61L: I think it’s because he gives off such a strong sense of certainty and grounding. I’m a casual fan too, and my impression is: even if you’re not his stan, once you get to know even a little about him, it’s hard to feel any negativity toward him.

He’s the textbook definition of a true idol. Compared to the trendy “boyfriend vibes” types or wannabes, he feels more like a friend.

Whether as an idol or actor, when it comes to gaining and keeping fans, I really think it goes like this:

Looks < Fanservice Ability < Actual Talent < Personal Charm.

There are tons of good-looking people in the industry. Plenty know how to flirt with fans. Talented ones… well, not as many. But if you want fans to stick around long-term, personal charm is everything.

An idol — at the end of the day — is someone who brings strength and courage to their fans. If your morals are trash, what kind of idol are you even?

…

8259L: Whoa. This thread got long.

I glanced at it a few hundred posts in — early on it had your usual sub’s snarky tone, but now it’s all heartfelt essays. Gotta admit, reading it is pretty moving.

8260L: Yeah, it’s all real feelings now.

8261L: A sincere idol always deserves to be treated sincerely. I think it’s really nice — and today is a special day, after all. Probably by tomorrow, everything will go back to normal.

But it’s such a strange feeling seeing all you sharp-tongued folks suddenly turning into crybabies (lol). I took screenshots — gonna pull them out next time we’re arguing.

8262L: Damn it, Upstairs

8293L: Screenshot away, I’m changing accounts tomorrow anyway, hehe. But since I’m switching, I’m gonna shamelessly yell it out now:

Congratulations Zhaozhao on your film and TV grand slam! Happy graduation! Wishing you health and happiness forever! Love you!

8294L: LOL, I’ll add to that: Emperor Xie is awesome, happy graduation, please keep releasing more work, I love watching you!

…

15297L: I’m the OP. I’ve read all your messages — I’ve applied to have this thread featured. I’m really sorry, I am a fan, and at first I just wanted to stir the pot a bit but then… well…

Anyway, I hope you’ll all continue supporting Zhaozhao, and that in following him, you’ll all find more joy and happiness. I’m leaving the rest of the thread to you guys to speak freely. Sending finger hearts, I’m off!!

15298L: WHAT THE HELL, OP, YOU—!!

15299L: AAAAAH! HELP! This sub really is Emperor Xie’s secret garden! Can someone please rein them in?! Xie fans have officially taken over!!

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