Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 428 - 429: Why Didn’t You Tell Me

Chapter 428: Chapter 429: Why Didn’t You Tell Me

Zhang Dayou gave him a sideways glance. "This entire day has been designated as a Star Holiday already. All celebrities stop their scheduled activities and wait for the release of the Star Celebrities List by the world’s authoritative group of entertainment analysts. Isn’t it today?"

Luo You touched his nose and gave a sheepish smile, "I’m just so nervous, I wasn’t sure anymore!"

He glanced around and murmured, "Do you think it’s possible that some international stars are trying to mess with Sheng Yan, so they deliberately hyped up this hot search?"

Zhang Dayou pondered for a moment, then nodded, "It’s very likely, but we can’t rule out competition among Huaxia celebrities. They could have made a big loop, running overseas to cause trouble."

This year, Sheng Yan’s accomplishments could be considered dazzling. Not only did he release a movie, but he also carved out a niche in the fashion industry. During a women’s wear show, he opened with men’s wear. Beyond that, he devoted considerable effort to charitable work...

The workload he undertook this year exceeded the total for the last two years. Outsiders might think that "World" had flopped at the box office, but insiders wouldn’t think so. Given the films released this year, "World" had a chance of breaking into the top ten, ensuring box office security.

Regardless of whether this is Sheng Yan’s worst-performing movie to date, Sheng Yan was never one to be judged by normal standards. After all, who else acts as a CEO and a star at the same time?

With these achievements combined, Sheng Yan was likely to climb further on this year’s global Star Celebrities List. Every step forward he took meant other stars would need to step back.

Once they stepped back, the value of these stars would decrease. Emotionally and rationally, none of them would want Sheng Yan to have an easy time.

The most effective way to undermine Sheng Yan’s influence was to create a scandal.

If a scandal couldn’t be found, then fostering a public opinion that reflects "disappointing achievements" could be a reluctant alternative, hoping this would influence the panel’s judgment.

While the two discussed this, a media outlet published the global box office data for "World" online—

"World" grossed 23 billion worldwide!

Upon the release of this data, fans who supported Sheng Yan fell silent.

A global total of 23 billion, with Huaxia alone contributing 10 billion, and the remaining countries combined making up just 13 billion, was a terribly low performance!

Last year, Sheng Yan’s international blockbuster, in which he starred, reached a box office of 10 billion in Huaxia within three days and racked up 20 billion overseas, double that of Huaxia!

Nowadays, even an ordinary worker can afford to watch a movie once a month. Many couples on dates, family activities, and everyday leisure activities include watching movies.

Moreover, given the global population, there are always more than a dozen films each year grossing over 10 billion at the box office, with some classics even breaking 100 billion.

"World" has been out for seven days, and its performance is far from matching that of his last film.

[Heh, global box office results are out. Where is the Imperial Army now? They were using the global box office to argue their point before, now not one dares to make a peep?]

[Tsk, Sheng Yan has regressed, his popularity has fallen, and his eye for choosing scripts isn’t good!]

[Actually, I think that Sheng Yan’s current fame doesn’t align with the works he’s presenting. A falling hero indeed, it’s the decline of a hero!]

...

The internet was ablaze with heated discussions, but He Jinxia, who was waiting backstage at the sports arena, knew nothing about it.

She had already changed clothes and had her makeup removed, contemplating with Cheng Xiaohua how to leave the sports arena.

Cheng Xiaohua explained to her that some fans, upon learning that she was a guest at Yang Xingxin’s concert, had rushed over from nearby to wait for her, hoping for a chance to meet.

But He Jinxia, already exhausted from consecutive days of filming, didn’t have much energy left to interact with fans after singing. So Cheng Xiaohua hoped He Jinxia wouldn’t meet with fans but instead leave stealthily.

As soon as this idea was voiced, it was rejected by He Jinxia.

"No, they’ve made such an effort to come here, and it’s so cold outside. I can’t bear the thought of them shivering in the cold wind for hours."

Cheng Xiaohua hesitated then said, "It’s just that, Jinxia, you look pale, and you’ve been very tense recently, not really in the right state to meet with fans."

Fans are enamored with the stars they see on screen, those who are radiant and bursting with vitality—the stars are projections of the fans’ idealized lives.

If the star loses their glamorous aura and shows their ordinary side, Cheng Xiaohua feared that Jinxia would lose fans significantly.

Upon hearing this, He Jinxia laughed, "Here I was thinking it was something serious. It’s just this? No problem, I still look pretty decent without makeup. I just need to apply some lotion and lipstick to brighten my complexion."

Cheng Xiaohua shook her head, expressing her unease.

He Jinxia tapped the table and pondered for a while. Finally, she said, "You’re right, but at the end of the day, a star is also a person with their own life. I cannot always be the idealized, perfect image they hold in their hearts."

"I’m not about that idol-currying favor game. I’m an actor; my job is to deliver good performances. A celebrity’s public image can easily collapse, but their work can endure for a long time. You don’t need to worry about this. Just do as I said. It’s not easy for them to wait for me in the cold for so long," she continued.

Seeing that He Jinxia was firm in her decision to go, Cheng Xiaohua didn’t say any more, but nodded and replied, "Okay, I’ll call Brother Luo and let him know."

Someone knocked on the dressing room door to deliver water, and Cheng Xiaohua went to open it.

As the door opened, other staff members walking past the corridor outside discussed the doubts surrounding Sheng Yan, with their words reaching He Jinxia’s ears.

"They are being too harsh. Who can guarantee every single movie will outperform the last in box office revenues?"

"Sheng Yan is a superstar after all. Audiences have high expectations for him. I guess it’s a case of loving something so much you scrutinize it more."

"I’ve seen ’World.’ The story is good, and the actors performed well. It’s just unfortunate that it’s an ancient war film with a narrower audience than modern or fantasy films. The actual results aren’t bad, but their demands are too high. Some even say Emperor Sheng’s acting isn’t up to par..."

Cheng Xiaohua’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately turned to look at He Jinxia.

He Jinxia’s fists were clenched silently, her expression darkened, and she had already picked up her phone to check Weibo.

After the water delivery staff had left and Cheng Xiaohua had closed the door, before Cheng Xiaohua could speak, He Jinxia coldly said, "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Cheng Xiaohua hung her head low, her face flushed with shame. "The news broke when you were preparing to sing backstage. I was afraid it would affect your mood if I told you, so I held back."

He Jinxia asked in an eerily calm tone, "Then why didn’t you tell me after I had finished singing?"