010

In the past few days, news related to this drama has been all about ratings, especially after breaking 3.0, the drama fans and actor fans were all celebrating like crazy. Just when everyone was having a good time, the plot took a turn, with the best friends falling out and the female lead soaring while the second female lead fell into loneliness.

Among the drama fans, which group has the most members?

It's the fans of the second female lead, O.n.l.y!

Isn't this drama just full of surprises? Wen Jia was attacked by a group of crazy "cat" fans, with insults and abuses, and three of the top ten trending topics on Facebook were related to her.

#Wen Jia Gu Pan Best Friend Breakup#

#Wen Jia, Apologize to Gu Pan NOW!!!#

#Wen Jia, You Don't Deserve It#

The trending topics are exploding, can the fan groups still hold on? Wen Jia is being cursed at on Facebook, with comments like "Your dad is planting loquats in the front yard." flooding in. 

As the female lead, Vila is a true academic underachiever. She couldn't understand what was being said, so she took a screenshot and sent it to her agent, asking what it meant.

The agent replied with four words: "Your mother is dead."

Vila: "What are you saying, your mother is the one who's dead!"

The agent was speechless and decided to call Vila: "The phrase 'Your dad is planting loquats in the front yard.' is a joke derived from classical Chinese, it means exactly "Your mother is dead." "Why are you looking at all this mess? The drama fans are angry right now, they're not cursing at you, but at Wen Jia in the drama, as well as the screenwriters and directors."

Vila was still unhappy: "I understand that the character of the second female lead is likable, but isn't she likable because she always stands up for the female lead whenever she's in trouble? The audience likes her for supporting the female lead, right? No matter how likable the second female lead is, she's still the second female lead. This group of people has been acting crazy for over ten days now, and the situation is getting worse. What's going on?"

As the female lead, being criticized by the audience to this extent, it's not surprising that she is upset. 

However, her agent dared not be angry with her impulsively. Instead, he advised her: "The success of this drama depends on Jasmine. Don't act foolishly at this time. The ratings are high now, and as the female lead, you will benefit. We all know that the criticism is temporary. Before the final episode, Wen Jia and Gu Pan will resolve their misunderstandings and reconcile, which will change the situation."

"... I know, I just can't understand why she has such a good relationship with the audience, despite having a strong background. When I acted opposite her, I didn't see anything special. What do the audience like about her?"

Vila's agent had watched the drama and honestly, he also found Gu Pan cute. 

But he knew not to say this to avoid upsetting his own artist.

"Don't think about that. There are many mystical things in this industry, maybe she just has that kind of luck. You're doing well too. When you accepted this drama, you didn't aim for stardom. You thought online popularity was enough, and now you're doing well."

Yes, she was doing well.

But while the second female lead was in the spotlight, the female lead was being criticized. Who wouldn't feel uneasy about this situation?

Vila adjusted herself to wait for this drama to pass.

But before the drama ended, there was a drop in ratings. 

After the twenty-fifth episode, the ratings on Blue TV had been stable above 3, but after the twenty-fifth episode, it dropped 0.3. Some young girls saw Gu Pan ready to be Abused then change the channel for peace and quiet, preparing to see what was being said on Facebook and deciding whether to watch the replay.

Before that 0.3 could be recovered, the twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, and twenty-eighth episodes all showed a new side of the female lead, who was now stepping forward boldly, while her shortcomings were fully exposed. The stark contrast between the determined female lead and the struggling second female lead pierced the hearts of Gu Pan's devoted mother fans.

Her devoted mother fans were the most important component of this drama, and the results were as expected.

By August 31st, the twenty-eighth episode of Blue TV had dropped to 2.01 in ratings. On the night of September 1st, the first day of school, the ratings dropped further to 1.7.

Some couldn't watch due to school starting, but mostly it was the fans of 'Cloud Raising Cats' who were boycotting.

"Who wants to watch that couple lovers? They keep talking endlessly! " 

"Alright, the drama ends for me here, whoever wants to watch those remaining episodes can do so. "

...

"My All-Round Girlfriend" broke 1 in its premiere. It took ten days from 1 to 3, but only three days from 3 back to 1. 

What does this indicate? 

It shows that most of the audience are fans of the supporting female character, and neither the male nor female leads can carry the show. 

On the forums, related discussion threads are popping up like mushrooms after the rain: 

"Report, the ratings for September 2nd are out, today is better, stable at 1.7. According to the preview, the plot will take a turn tomorrow. Wen Jia will realize she misunderstood her good sister, the first and second female leads will resolve their past grievances. Will you all be waiting to watch?" 

"Does the consecutive four-day ratings drop prove that Vila and Huang Leran are just trash?" 

"This drama's female lead Vila, and with the ratings plummeting, Vila is solely responsible. Bring the male lead in, and your whole family will be wiped out." 

"After years of being a fan, this is the first time I've seen such embarrassing male and female leads. The two of them combined can't even beat a rookie supporting actress. Don't talk about being from a royal family or a rich girl, the audience doesn't care about that. If you haven't fought, you simply haven't fought." 

"A month ago, I never thought this show would explode, let alone the second female lead, Sis Jasmine, becoming the highlight." 

In the fan forums, the recent trend is to support Jasmine and criticize Vila and Huang Leran, mocking the two for being embarrassing. 

People in the industry are constantly watching the drama's ratings, with many top directors pondering over this show. It's rare to see such a strange audience composition. 

Based on previous understanding, even if the female lead is low, the audience usually sides with her. 

This drama completely defies conventional wisdom because the audience, mostly fans of the supporting character, turned against the female lead due to her suffering. This is unprecedented, not to mention the steep drop in ratings from 3 to 1.7 in just three days. 

These past few days, many directors have privately said: "If it were me, even quick-acting heart medication wouldn't work, I'd have to rush to the hospital for resuscitation after the first day of sharp decline." 

Some wonder if the director finished production without having anyone preview it. Did they not realize something like this could happen? The likability of the supporting character is quite obvious. 

... 

Director Zhou Xing is nibbling on quick-acting heart medication, praying for his ancestors to ensure the ratings don't drop further. 

As long as it stays above 1.5 till the end, this drama still has a chance to compete for the annual ratings crown, especially considering the high ratings earlier that can boost the average. 

The director feels miserable, finally getting a hit drama but encountering such a situation. However, he's not the most miserable, Ceca is. It's hard for her to accept that she lost the role due to her assistant's insensitive remarks, dragging her down. 

Seeing the drama become so popular and the supporting character become more likable, Ceca feels like she missed an opportunity worth a billion. 

Feeling uneasy, she said a few things and was mocked by viewers watching the live broadcast. 

-- Can anyone really think that the character made the actor successful??? 

-- The most important thing in life is to have some edge. 

-- Vila plus Huang Leran plus you, what's there to watch? 

Despite this, Ceca did hang on the tail of the trending topics for a while, then was quickly pushed down by her rumored boyfriend Ben. 

Coincidentally, when Ceca went live, Ben also recorded a video where his mother, Yuan Hong, asked her son: "I remember Jasmine said she plays a girl who runs a fish pond, but the drama ended and I didn't see a fish pond. Benny, ask for me, where's the fish pond? I see many people in my friend circle scolding Director Zhou Xing for being unfair. Did he secretly cut Jasmine's scenes? The later episodes are just the male and female leads wandering around, really annoying. I'm not watching for the romance, who hasn't been in love before? What's there to see?" 

The video was short and amused the netizens. 

-- Reply to Mom: The fish pond is gone, all the fish are dead, and the dead fish are all packed up by the female lead. 

-- So Ben's nickname is Benny? 

-- Mom thought to herself, Back in my day, the love affairs I had were way more exciting than yours. Do I really need to watch you act? I only turn on the TV to watch Jasmine."

-- "Who isn't, right? I'm already looking forward to Jasmine's next drama."

...

Because of the explosive popularity of 'All-Round Girlfriend', especially with Jasmine playing the second female lead, not only are those aspiring to fame interested, even some big directors have handed her scripts. 

She flipped through several, many of them offering similar roles for her to play. Jasmine entered the entertainment industry to have fun, why would she be happy to repeatedly play the same thing?

She immediately set aside those scripts.

Sitting beside her, Sister Chen was drinking water and waiting for her. Seeing this scene, she brought over the script of an artist she manages.

"You don't like any of these?"

"No."

"The audience for youth campus dramas is indeed not easy to break into. How about this urban idol drama? The setting is similar to 'All-Round Girlfriend' - post-college, focusing on several girls in a dormitory going their separate ways. It seems like a multi-lead story, with several intriguing storylines. This kind of drama has a good audience base, ranging from young girls in their twenties to aunties in their forties and fifties who can all enjoy it. This demographic is a key player in the television market."

Jasmine also considered this, "But I still don't want to take it."

"From what I know, many artists in the industry are vying for this role. Because of your success as Gu Pan, the director believes your aura and acting skills are perfect for his requirements. Are you really going to turn it down? Not even considering it?"

The agent could tell she was reluctant to let it go.

She thought it was a good script. Every year in Hengdian, many TV shows start filming, but good scripts available to actors are rare, especially for actresses.

However, Jasmine still had no intention of taking it, "I know he likes Gu Pan, but I don't want to play a second Gu Pan, especially with such a similar background. It's not like there's no other choice but this, can't we look at other roles?"

It was a reasonable argument, but it didn't stop Sister Chen from feeling heartbroken.

Jasmine chuckled.

"Is this script really that good?"

"Well, it's definitely a step up from your last one. If 'All-Round Girlfriend' didn't have you, it might have just been an average web drama. But this one is different, even though it hasn't been filmed yet, everyone in the industry knows it's bound to succeed. Lang's modern urban dramas are favored by TV stations, he is famous for that."

Jasmine took the script back and flipped through a few pages, saying, "I'm not interested in playing the fishpond master who flirts with everyone, but this one, the love brain who gets fooled, seems intriguing."

The drama is called "Girls", depicting the struggles and choices faced by four girls with contrasting personalities in a university dorm after entering society.

Director Lang Jun wanted Jasmine to play the flirtatious fishpond master from the group of four, but Jasmine was interested in the love brain character named Sweet. The other two characters include a determined sister who sets high standards for herself and never gives up until she reaches her goals, and their dorm head, who is always ready to help, acting as the peacemaker among the four.

In short, it's a story of the flirtatious fishpond master, the love brain, the determined sister, and the peacemaker.

Initially, their relationship was good, but gradually jealousy and comparison crept in. They appeared to be good sisters on the surface, but beneath it all, tensions were brewing. The test wasn't just about friendship, but also about the girls' love lives and budding careers.

Just by looking at these four characters, one can tell this drama will not be dull, and the content is sure to be rich.

Jasmine decided to give herself and the production team a chance, saying she would take on the role if she could connect with the love brain character.

Sister Chen was thrilled, she really connected with the character.

Jasmine: ...

Alright.

Maybe this is fate. (u‿ฺu✿)

*

Jasmine went with her agent sister to sign the contract. Just a day after signing, the second-generation wealthy individuals somehow got wind of the news and lined up to congratulate her.

"——Why isn't Sister Jasmine participating in variety shows? She's already taken on another drama so quickly.

——Is this drama lacking funds? I have a bit of spare money on hand.

——Congratulations on the new drama deal. Do you have time before joining the crew for us to have a meal together? A friend of mine recently had some trouble and also wants to trouble Sister to help out.

Compared to them, the most direct one is Ben. He followed the process and congratulated after everything was done, then cried to Jasmine that he could hardly bear it anymore. The old man kept asking him about making phone calls every day.

"My grandfather is afraid that if he contacts grandma too slowly, she will misunderstand him, thinking he has changed his heart. If you don't come, he's ready to shamelessly wait at the entrance of your residential area."

Jasmine remained calm: "My residential area requires facial recognition to enter, can he get in?"

"Yes, that's what I said too. He said once he buys a house and becomes a homeowner, he'll be able to get in, right?"

"Your grandfather is really smart."

...

Better to seize the day than to wait for it. On this day, Jasmine happened to have some free time, so she said she could visit Ben's family. Ben drove over to pick her up. Jasmine had been in and out of luxury villa areas many times, so she remained composed. On the Ben family's side, His Grandpa, his four children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were all neatly gathered.

There were those who missed their old lady, those who couldn't believe it and came to broaden their horizons, and those who had recently watched 'My All-Round Girlfriend' and became fans of Sister Jasmine, running over to see their goddess.

On this day, Ben's house was particularly lively.

As soon as the car parked, Jasmine got out from the passenger seat and met several pairs of bright eyes.

Yuan Hong had met Jasmine before and had a good conversation with her. As the hostess of the villa, she wanted to step forward and introduce both sides, but before she could speak, Grandpa had excitedly welcomed her.

He asked his youngest grandson who had come from the other side, "Is this the little Master Lee who can help us contact your grandmother? She's so young."

"Grandpa, you wait inside, what are you doing coming out?"

Grandpa ignored him and asked Jasmine to come in.

"I've been looking forward to this day, if you hadn't come, my old lady would be mad at me."

"Grandpa, please don't say that, I can't handle it."

"Come in, come in, it's a bit hot outside, it's cooler inside."

After going inside, Grandpa didn't give his grandchildren and idol a chance to exchange pleasantries. He was ready to tell Jasmine about his love story with his old lady in the small fishing village back then.

Ben and his siblings wanted to slip away as soon as possible.

They had heard this love story a hundred times since they were young.

Ben desperately gestured, but fortunately, he and Jasmine had a bit of understanding. Jasmine put down the fruit given to her by Mrs. Yuan and said, "Shall we make a call first?"

Grandpa reached into his pocket and took out a fully charged domestic elderly phone that could stand by for over a month and handed it to Jasmine.

Jasmine: ...

Ben's Grandpa is quite simple.

She took the phone, opened the contact list, found the contact named 'Wifey,' and dialed.

Grandpa was both excited and nervous, his heart pounding, as he was about to put the phone to his ear, his daughter teased him, "There are so many of us here, Dad, why are you the only one listening?"

"Yeah, Grandpa, put it on speakerphone so I can talk to Grandma too."

Fine, speakerphone it is.

Grandpa turned on the speakerphone, there were two long beeps, and the call was answered on the other end: "Who is it again?"

Just as Grandpa was about to call his wife, his noisy son and daughter were quicker, calling her Mom.

"Mom, it's me, your eldest."

"And me, can you recognize my voice?"

"Mom, I miss you so much."

"Granny, I miss you too!!!"

"Grandma, how are you doing down there?"

...

...

It was chaos, the old lady didn't know who to respond to.

"Alright, alright, I know you all are thinking of me, but where's that old man? Why isn't he talking to me?"

Grandpa was annoyed at being interrupted, but then he felt happy when she asked about him.

"I'm here, I'm right here."

"When are you coming down? You promised to take care of me for a lifetime when you proposed to me."

Grandpa, with a hardened scalp, shifted the blame to his descendants, saying that the main issue was that none of his children and grandchildren were reliable, especially Benny, who was too reckless - he needed to keep an eye on him. "My dear wife, it's not that I don't want to come find you, but I think about how worried you were about them when you were alive. I have to help watch over them for you, right?"

...

Jasmine nibbled on the cherries Mrs. Yuan served her, watching the Lu family's drama unfold.

Grandma was questioning everything, and Grandpa was using all his might, showing an incredible will to survive.

As she continued eating, she noticed someone approaching - it was Lu Meng.

That call, Grandpa said, Dad said, Dad said the elder aunts and younger aunts said, she didn't even have a chance to interrupt. So the younger aunt sneaked over to take a photo with Jasmine.

"I really like you, Mi. The character you played, Pan Pan, is so cute."

"Cute?"

"Yes, yes, I want to show you something!"

Lu Meng sneakily pulled Jasmine to her family's courtyard, pointing to the fish pond, saying, "Mi, look, these are the fish I feed for you."

Jasmine: "..."

After offering her kindness, Lu Meng realized that Jasmine didn't seem happy. What to do? She asked softly, "You don't like it? Is it because the fish aren't good?"

"It's not that, I just think we should go inside quickly."

"It's okay, they won't finish talking for a while."

"If I don't go in, they'll finish soon, OK?" Jasmine said as she walked back. Before reaching the door, she saw Grandpa turned into a repeat machine, holding a phone and continuously calling out for his wife.

Others were also puzzled.

"Why did it cut off?"

"Is it because the time is up?"

Everyone looked at Jasmine at the same time, realizing that the spot where Jasmine was sitting was empty, and they saw her standing at the door with Lu Meng.

"Jasmine, come and see, what's going on? Is our call time up for talking only that long?" The Ben family regretted talking so much nonsense.

Jasmine scratched her head.

Seeing her like that, Ben knew there must be a hidden reason behind it. "We talked longer last time without it cutting off. There must be another reason for this happening, right?"

"Maybe because I moved a bit far, just like with WiFi, the signal isn't good when you're far away, it's the same principle."

Jasmine said calmly, while Lu Meng directly sounded the alarm, feeling her scalp tingling.

Sure enough, the room was filled with death stares directed at her.

"Lu Meng, why are you running?!!"

"I'm not! Since it's not my turn to talk anyway, I took Mi Mi to see the fish pond we've been raising, who knew it would turn out like this!"

Her younger aunt asked, "Could you please call again, I didn't get to talk to Mom."

"Not today, sometimes the signal is unstable and the call gets cut off. It's nothing to worry about, the old lady must be very happy to have talked to so many relatives."

Saying this, she received a message from the underworld mobile congratulating her for receiving the gratitude of the underworld citizen Peng Chunxiu and getting a magic gift *1.

Feeling confident after signing a new drama, Jasmine thought she must be lucky now, so she opened the red packet without even washing her hands.

[Congratulations on acquiring the skill "Grandma in the Vegetable Garden." Skill description: Automatically equipped when entering the special scene "Vegetable Garden," no one can defeat you in the garden, here you are the queen who slays all.]

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Jasmine: Meow meow meow? ๑ᵒᯅᵒ๑