Chapter 15: The Official Confrontation

Since its inception, He Jinxia had set a first for the program; she was the first to announce her withdrawal from the industry on the show!

Everyone looked at her with pity in their eyes and burst into applause, already anticipating the news of He Jinxia's departure from the entertainment circle in seven months.

Can't He Jinxia successfully lose weight?

She can, but no one would believe it.

It's just that He Jinxia's history of failed weight loss attempts was too extensive; even non-fans who were just passersby knew she had been talking about losing weight for four years since her debut.

And then what?

Without exception, all were failures, not only did she fail, but she also became fatter and fatter.

The audience expected He Jinxia to continue, and although they weren't optimistic about her, they were still curious about the reason for her sudden ruthlessness towards herself.

He Jinxia looked deeply at the audience and said, "I have nothing else to say. If I don't succeed, I'll leave the circle; if I do, I'll stay and continue to fight."

"As for my aspirations for the future, my boasting, let's talk about that when I truly become a qualified star."

She bowed to the audience and then left the stage; the whole process took less than a minute, setting another record for the fastest recitation in the program's history.

"Clap, clap, clap..." The audience couldn't help but applaud again, appreciating her decisiveness.

Indeed, what is there to say? Is saying a lot useful? Instead of talking, it's better to act; if you can't do it, then there's even less need to say anything.

Can't overweight people become stars?

Of course, they can!

But can a fat person become a first-rate star?

No, they can't.

Because of their physique, overweight individuals have a natural disadvantage; people are visual creatures, and overweight people do not fit the aesthetic standards of most people nowadays.

Whether as singers or actors, overweight individuals cannot reach the top tier.

What best reflects a star's value isn't topics, popularity, or other such sub-categories, but a star's appeal, which is their ability to draw in money.

Topics, popularity, and everything else ultimately serve a star's ability to draw in money; the higher a star's market value, the greater their status.

The entertainment circle is such a cruel place.

To put it bluntly—if you can't make money for the company, why would the company promote you?

So, how to make money? Start with national recognition.

Thus, in entertainment companies, the more money a star can bring in, the more favored they are.

According to the last fifty years of statistics from the Falls Star Celebrities List, not one of the world's most influential top 10,000 stars... is overweight.

It's a sad fact; no matter how talented, overweight individuals are forever relegated to the second tier.

Even in Hua Country, there are only a handful, barely a dozen, overweight individuals among the second-tier stars.

As for those who pursued a career as singing and dancing performers, there was only He Jinxia; the others mixed into variety shows as hosts, regular comedic guests, and occasionally, they might make a cameo in a film or drama.

Clearly, He Jinxia's harsh declaration on the show was made with a do-or-die determination.

The host was stunned for a long while before coming back to his senses and awkwardly uttering a few words of blessing.

As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the director's position, where an assistant raised a conspicuous green sign, signaling that the recording should continue.

Thus, the host had no choice but to grit her teeth and carry on with the upcoming Q&A session.

Her smile lifted as she looked at the four guests, "All four of you have finished reading the letters to your future selves, do you have any questions you'd like to ask each other?"

The group exchanged glances, with only He Jinxia maintaining a calm demeanor, looking straight ahead without making eye contact with anyone.

Little did they know, the other three celebrities ultimately ended up focusing their attention on her.

Of the four celebrities' statements, He Jinxia's was the most sensational. If they could rebuke her, it would certainly be entertaining, but the risk was also the greatest.

After all, there were still seven months left in the year, and even if no one believed in her, it was impossible to guarantee that He Jinxia would absolutely fail to lose weight. There is nothing impossible to a willing heart.

The first to speak was Nan Ming.

He chose to avoid risk and turned to Zhang You, asking, "Zhang You, do you think the future you can have it all smooth sailing?"

Zhang You shook his head, "Brother Nan, no one's journey is entirely smooth sailing."

Nan Ming unabashedly retorted, "But you achieved a status in less than a year that others might struggle for a decade to reach. Isn't that smooth sailing?"

Zhang You replied coolly, "Opportunity and ability are both indispensable. I just happened to be there when the opportunity arose and had the ability to seize it, that's why I've achieved what I have now."

Nan Ming said, "I know songwriting can be greatly influenced by reality. Can you guarantee that the songs you create in the future will be of the same standard as they are now?"

Zhang You pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "I can't guarantee that. I'm different at every stage of my life. Now I am a youth, and as I step into young adulthood, middle age, I will have different insights, and these will be reflected in my songs."

Nan Ming looked at him sharply and said pointedly, "So you are admitting that you can't do it?"

Zhang You smiled faintly, "Not at all, I will try my best. May I roam for half my life, and return still a youth."

Nan Ming was stopped short, and voluntarily raised his hand, clapping in a genuinely pleased manner, and with admiration said, "The vigor of youth is truly different from us older people who have been striving for half a lifetime!"

He Jinxia, too, clapped along, mulling over Zhang You's response.

Indeed, Zhang You had a high emotional quotient. Some of Nan Ming's questions were quite sharp, but he skillfully diverted them elsewhere, answering by avoiding the heavy and picking the light.

Zhang You humbly said, "Brother Nan, you're not old. Many fans online still call you a fresh young thing!"

Nan Ming laughed self-deprecatingly and said softly, "What fresh young thing, more like aged cured meat."

Zhang You wanted to say more but just then, Ji Jiawen, who was sitting next to him, reached out and yanked the microphone from his hand. He felt a jolt in his heart and sensed that something wasn't right.

Sure enough, the next second, Ji Jiawen's voice came through, formally starting the confrontation with He Jinxia!

"I have a few questions for Jinxia," she said.

Ji Jiawen's face wore a slight smile, her voice was soft, but her words were like velvet-covered needles.

"Jinxia, the first sentence in your letter was—'You are not a good star.' Why do you think you're not a good star, is it because being overweight means you can't be a good star?"

The corners of He Jinxia's mouth quirked up, and a glint of amusement passed through her eyes.

In the past, when her friends played verbal games with her, she was known for being watertight, never letting out anything useful.

When she became the leading Oiran at Yiren Pavilion, dealing with all kinds of deceit and cunning, her words became even smoother, and of course, her adversaries leveled up as well.

Ji Jiawen's straightforward attempt to set her up made He Jinxia feel like it was a child with a knife in a marketplace—utterly overconfident.