One week later, at 1:59 PM.
Brother Wang stared at his computer screen, waiting for the official announcement from the Smoke and Chaos production team.
At exactly 2:00 PM.
The official Smoke and Chaos Weibo account posted:
["Amidst the smoke of war, love in turbulent times; choices are hard, loyalty is tested."]
["A grand production by the Gu Consortium, directed by the visionary Li Mo, starring Qin Lang and Chen Jing, with acclaimed veterans joining the cast."]
Accompanying the post: a nine-grid collage of character posters.
Brother Wang perked up and immediately clicked into Weibo.
Thanks to the hype from earlier marketing, the official account already had millions of followers.
At this moment, the comments section was buzzing.
[Wait, the Gu Consortium? Am I seeing this right? They’re investing in a TV drama? Do they even care about this kind of money?]
[The real moneybags are stepping in! How big is this budget? My expectations are through the roof!]
[Director Li Mo, plus Qin Lang and Chen Jing? This lineup is awards-season material, no doubt.]
[This is Gu’s first foray into entertainment—definitely not small potatoes. S+ tier confirmed.]
Brother Wang’s lips curled into a smile, but as he scrolled further, dissenting voices flooded in:
[Hold up! The supporting female role Lin Wan went to @SuQianqian? Who’s that? A complete nobody?]
[Not entirely unknown—she was on a variety show once.]
[A rookie paired directly with Qin Lang and Chen Jing? Director Li’s really taking a gamble here. What if she drags the whole thing down?]
[The promo shots look gorgeous, but being pretty doesn’t mean she can act!]
[A variety show newbie landing a major supporting role? Nepotism alert. Probably slept her way up.]
Of course, there were also those who ignored the drama and focused solely on her looks:
[AHHHHH! The white lab coat look is killing me—so ethereal and fragile!]
[+1, is that face even real?]
[OMG! Isn’t that the soft-spoken fairy from that show? I’d watch the whole series just for her face!]
[Gu’s not just rich—their taste is top-tier too. This casting is eye candy! Go get ‘em, girl!]
Brother Wang skimmed through quickly, his brow furrowing briefly before relaxing.
He immediately sent a WeChat message to Su Qianqian:
[Qianqian, it’s official—the reaction is explosive.]
[Lots of praise for your looks, but there’s also noise about your acting. Ignore the haters and focus on the role, okay?]
In the production team’s break room.
Su Qianqian had changed out of the white lab coat, now wearing a simple white cotton T-shirt.
She sat in front of the makeup mirror as the artist gently removed her makeup.
Her phone vibrated, the screen lighting up with Brother Wang’s message.
She replied: [Got it.]
Then opened Weibo.
Su Qianqian saw the flood of harsh comments about her.
[Warning: Vase alert! Can’t wait for the acting trainwreck.]
[She definitely slept her way into this role!]
[Nepo babies should stay out of good productions!]
...
She froze, unprepared for such blatant online vitriol.
The makeup artist, wiping her forehead with a cotton pad, noticed the shift and asked softly, "Qianqian, the announcement’s out? Saw the comments?"
"Yeah," Su Qianqian murmured, turning off her phone and setting it on the vanity.
The mirror reflected her freshly cleansed face—even more delicate and fair without makeup.
The character’s setting didn’t suit someone so flawless, so her styling had been deliberately toned down to look more ordinary.
"Don’t take it to heart," the makeup artist reassured, seasoned in these matters. "Every newcomer goes through this. Praise and criticism come hand in hand—controversy means you’re making waves."
Su Qianqian picked up her thermos, taking a small sip of warm water to soothe her dry throat.
Her voice was quiet but steady: "I know."
Some say I’m pretty, others call me a vase, or worry I can’t act.
"But it’s fine. I never cared much about their opinions anyway."
The makeup artist glanced at her calm profile and nodded inwardly.
This girl—young and tender-faced—had a spine of steel.
