Chapter 164: Seeing Yan Li Is Finally Going to Be Famous: He Launches a Blog and Posts Personal Updates

【Daily Info 1: Qin Lan has formulated a series of "Fox Expulsion Plans," as follows…】

【…】

At the Liang Jian cast hotel, Seeing Yan Li brushed his teeth while reviewing the intelligence triggered last night at midnight.

Qin Lan had noticed Dong Xuan—he'd long been aware of it.

He had too much contact with Dong Xuan, and it was a campus romance; he hadn't avoided it much in daily life. If Qin Lan hadn't noticed anything, she wasn't truly foolish, or she didn't care about him.

On the contrary, Dong Xuan had never noticed Qin Lan—but that wasn't her fault.

Publicly, he had no relationship whatsoever with Qin Lan, not even any interaction.

Not just Dong Xuan—even some people around him didn't know Qin Lan.

Besides, Dong Xuan's side was full of smoke screens: Huang Shengyi, the Seven Fairies—how could she bother with an unknown villain from The Return of the Huanzhu Gege Pearl III?

Still, though unaware of Qin Lan, Dong Xuan suspected he had someone else.

As always, he'd been absent for days every few weeks, sometimes unreachable by phone—this couldn't be dismissed with "business trip" or "meeting."

The problem was, he had no solid evidence.

Moreover, Seeing Yan Li had bought a house as their new home and given her money and resources, making Dong Xuan believe his heart was with her, and outside affairs were merely fleeting flings.

So although she watched closely and investigated privately, she never confronted him.

Seeing Yan Li currently had no good solution either—he just dodged left and right; as long as they didn't cause trouble, he pretended not to know.

Originally, he found both of them troublesome, thinking someone like Wang Ou or Huang Shengyi was better—easily settled with money and resources.

But reality proved they were all the same.

At first, spending money and throwing resources worked fine, but over time, they began developing other ideas.

Short-term became long-term; long-term wanted promotion; promotion wanted marriage.

Why did he hurry to break off with Huang Shengyi? Because her thoughts changed as his status changed.

Wang Ou was relatively better, but she'd also entertained private thoughts; recently, Seeing Yan Li had cooled her off by pretending to be busy, hoping she'd correct her mindset.

He wanted her to work for him, not become his boss's wife!

Even the Seven Fairies—he'd learned, through his intelligence system, at least something of their true thoughts.

Put it this way: if Seeing Yan Li wished, the one currently isolated among the Seven Fairies would immediately become Dong Xuan herself.

Of course, precisely because of the system and the sheer volume of true thoughts he'd learned, Seeing Yan Li understood clearly he wasn't a universally adored heartthrob.

He could tell who was sincere and who had ulterior motives.

He didn't expect Qin Lan or Dong Xuan to be saintly in their devotion to him—but beyond some understandable selfishness, they still placed him in a very important position.

Those who gathered because of wealth and came because of power would one day leave when wealth and power faded.

Seeing Yan Li had considered: if he ever went bankrupt or was thrown in prison, the only women who might stay by his side or try to rescue him—besides his mother—would likely be Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

This was why Seeing Yan Li favored them: he could be lustful, but he had to know who his true people were.

He pulled out two phones and began his daily texting, chatting while waiting for company emails.

Last night, the premiere data for Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies hadn't triggered—so he could only wait for the TV station and company statistics.

Compared to single-channel statistics, the combined viewership data from four satellite channels was far more complex.

Seeing Yan Li didn't receive preliminary data until he reached the makeup room.

Lin Jiachuan held up his laptop; Seeing Yan Li glanced, his eyes steadied, and he exhaled softly in relief.

Not bad!

Magic City Satellite average viewership: 2.37%, ranked fourth in the same time slot.

Shandong Satellite average viewership: 2.09%, ranked seventh in the same time slot.

Tianjin Satellite average viewership: … ranked eleventh in the same time slot.

Heilongjiang Satellite average viewership: … ranked thirteenth in the same time slot.

Four satellite channels broadcasting together naturally lowered viewership; moreover, CCTV's New Year drama Han Wu Di was still airing—Seeing Yan Li never expected Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies to win the top spot.

Compared to viewership, Seeing Yan Li cared more about market share—that was the true measure of the drama's success.

Market share was another viewership metric distinct from viewership, akin to horizontal versus vertical.

It referred to the proportion of viewers watching a specific drama during a given time slot relative to the total audience pool.

For example: if 100 million TVs turned on during the 8 p. m. prime time slot, a 10% market share meant 10 million TVs were watching that drama.

Of course, actual calculations were far more complex than this example.

It included distinctions between satellite and terrestrial channels, and different agencies used different statistical methods.

But regardless, market share data was crucial—its level directly determined which drama attracted more viewers in the same time slot.

Viewership and market share were related, but not absolutely correlated.

For instance, Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies had low individual viewership, but because it aired on four channels simultaneously and dominated screens, its market share neared 20%, nearly matching Han Wu Di.

Two satellite channels ranked in the top ten, two in the top fifteen—nearly 20% of the viewing share.

If this data held steady, future reruns wouldn't be a problem.

In high spirits, Seeing Yan Li had Lin Jiachuan screenshot some data and send it to the Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies main creative team's QQ group, with one message.

【You're all going to be famous.】

…

The first to grasp the meaning of Seeing Yan Li's message was Huo Siyan.

As the female lead, she had the most screen time, especially in the early plot centered on the Seven Fairies and Dong Yong—plenty of face time.

She couldn't say exactly when, but suddenly realized she'd become the "center" of attention.

When taking a taxi to rehearsal, the driver recognized her, called her "Little Seven," gave her a 10% discount, and complained to her about Dong Yong being a pretty boy who couldn't be trusted.

When going out to buy food, the shop owner recognized her and proudly showed off to other customers that a celebrity had bought something at her store.

In the rehearsal studio, some students came during winter break to learn dance; many recognized her and asked for autographs, and the other Seven Fairies did too, but she signed the most, even more than Li Bingbing.

Her agent told her two scripts had approached her, along with several interviews.

Someone reached out privately—one was a well-known industry agent, the other was Hua Yi's talent agency department; both wanted to poach her.

She deliberately went online to check her personal BBS forum; her followers had surged more than tenfold, with many viewers, netizens, and fans posting to express their affection for her.

Huo Siyan was pleasantly surprised, yet also flattered.

In "The Young Son of Heaven," she had experienced rising from obscurity to minor fame, but the time span was long and the scale far less dramatic than now.

It felt as if in just a few days, she had transformed from a minor actress into a household star.

Too fast—too fast to feel real!

Compared to Huo Siyan, the other Fairies felt relatively better, mainly because their screen time and high-light scenes had not yet emerged, and their earnings remained unclear.

At the same time, several of the Fairies had experienced similar situations before.

Forget Li Bingbing—she had been famous for years; Fan Xiaopang's "My Fair Huanzhu Gege" had swept across Dajiangnanbei and made her an overnight sensation.

Li Lin had starred in the annual hit "Wrong Bride, Right Groom"; Jiang Xin had appeared in last year's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

Dong Xuan's "Snow Goddess Dragon," though not as wildly popular as "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," was the lead heroine and reaped substantial benefits.

Having tasted fame before, their mindsets were naturally steadier, unlike Huo Siyan's wide-eyed astonishment.

Of course, not losing composure didn't mean they weren't delighted.

On the contrary, with "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" becoming a hit, every lead actress gained some benefit; everyone was happy, and a few even had a chance to push their careers further.

The female actors were delighted, and the male actors were pleased too.

Wu Yue (the Fourth Sister) and Pan Yueming (Dong Yong), who had appeared most frequently, had also drawn significant attention.

Especially Wu Yue—his portrayal of the inventor Yu Ri was humorous and charming, full of inventive gadgets, and highly popular with audiences, especially young viewers; variety shows had already contacted him for appearances.

Pan Yueming didn't seem as hot as Wu Yue, but he was quietly getting rich.

The CCTV "White Snake Legend" crew, having seen his portrayal of Dong Yong as kind, gentle, yet resolute and principled, with an excellent image, were considering him as a backup for the role of Xu Xian.

…

By February, "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" had aired over half its episodes; after nearly a week of accumulation and fermentation, it finally sparked major discussion before the Spring Festival.

"New Year Ancient Drama Hits: Emperor Hanwu Battles the Seven Fairies—Historical Drama vs. Youthful Mythology"

"The Seven Fairies 'Descend to Earth,' Dominating the Spring Festival Slot, Breaking Market Share Records Repeatedly"

"Precise Market Positioning: 'Seven Fairies' Sweeps Through Primary and Secondary School Students During Winter Break"

"Secret to Success: Costume, Makeup, and Props—'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies' Costumes and Spirit Stone Props Become Spring Festival Favorites; Multiple Factories Rush to Increase Production"

"Big Surprise: Seven Fairies Appear at Spring Festival Gala's Fourth Rehearsal; Li Bingbing Says She's Nervous About Her First Gala Appearance; Huo Siyan Says the Seven Fairies Are United as Sisters"

"Expert Analysis: 'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies' Dilutes Classical Cultural Charm, Cannot Escape Pseudo-Feminist Marriage Themes"

"Netizens Reject 'Thunderous Drama' Criticism of 'Seven Fairies'—Costumes and Props Exquisite, Plot Light and Refreshing, Young People Love Watching Fairies Fall in Love"

"Exclusive Interview with Producer Seeing Yan Li—Unafraid of Controversy, Internet Enthusiasm Proves the Rising Influence of Younger Audiences"

"…"

Minor controversy and criticism did not hinder the continued popularity of "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."

On the contrary, the massive discussion and exposure had made its ratings grow even stronger.

Mochu Satellite TV entered the top three in its time slot twice; Jinmen Satellite TV repeatedly broke into the top ten.

Nationally, the top ten ratings list frequently featured three channels airing "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies"; once, four satellite channels simultaneously occupied the top ten.

The combined market share of the four satellite channels surpassed 25% and began advancing toward 30%, directly challenging CCTV-1's "Emperor Hanwu."

Heilongjiang Satellite TV had already begun its first daytime rerun; Jinmen Satellite TV planned a second prime-time rerun on the second day of the Spring Festival.

The other two satellite channels were also studying reruns, though no air dates had been set yet.

Everyone on the crew was satisfied with "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies"' current success, but Seeing Yan Li was still waiting.

"Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" was now considered a hit, but still lacked that final spark to become a true blockbuster.

Fortunately, he still had one trump card: the Spring Festival Gala.

At this stage, the Spring Festival Gala was the most influential stage—many might skip TV dramas, but none would skip the Gala.

Seeing Yan Li planned to tie the Gala's Seven Fairies performance directly to "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," cross-promoting them to make "Seven Fairies" a shared memory for most people during this Spring Festival.

Coupled with subsequent second- and third-round satellite reruns and relentless ground-channel bombardment, Seeing Yan Li was confident "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" would become one of the hottest TV dramas of 2005.

Two years ago, there was "Conquest"; last year, "Detective Di Renjie"—both were annual blockbusters.

This year adds "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," "Sword of Valor," and "Chinese Paladin."

Seeing Yan Li had already thought of the slogan: "Yi'an Production, Annual Blockbuster."

Hmm, seems a bit off-rhyme.

Change to "Yi'an Delivers, Blockbusters Always"—too weak in momentum. Change to "Yi'an Production, Always Premium"—wrong keyword; we need "blockbuster," to boost selling prices.

…

Seeing Yan Li was busy with the Seven Fairies' Gala appearance and tracking broadcast data from all satellite channels.

In his spare moments, he loved searching online for reviews about himself and his character.

Correct—after Seeing Yan Li's long wait, the roles of Huo Qubing in "Emperor Hanwu" and Jin Zha in "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" finally appeared.

Appearing in two major Spring Festival blockbusters, both as key characters, finally allowed Seeing Yan Li to taste the flavor of an actor's sudden fame.

Online and offline, more people recognized his face and remembered his name.

Compared to media's formulaic reports and friends' limited praise.

Seeing Yan Li preferred watching strangers' surprised reactions or netizens' genuine comments—those that were both flattering and amusing.

Too bad work was too busy; he rarely met strangers in person, so he could only indulge online.

【The actor playing Huo Qubing in "Emperor Hanwu" is incredible—I immediately felt he was like a blade, sharp and radiant, with exceptional presence】

【Historical Huo Qubing's personality was "reserved and unyielding, courageous and decisive," appearing cold and stoic; Seeing Yan Li's portrayal is too lively—he should've been played by Xie Tingfeng.】

【Can the fans please just leave? Xie Tingfeng's build is fine for a thug or a gangster, but don't ruin the Marquis of Champion.】

【This actor played Yuwen Chengdu before and I hated him with every fiber of my being, yet in this drama he's so handsome—he's like two different people.】

【You're influenced by the role. When I watched "Sui Tang Heroes," I thought he had a striking presence, tall and perfect for generals and martial heroes—Director Hu Mei has excellent taste.】

【Isn't this Wu Tian from "Conquest"? This actor's performance is great—he's completely two different characters.】

【Eyes blazing like torches, noble beyond measure—this line and the actor's image and performance match perfectly.】

【Seeing Yan Li isn't classically handsome, but he has a certain allure—no wonder he won over Li Bingbing.】

【Ah, I just discovered a new favorite male actor—is he dating someone?】

【Don't you read the news? He's the boss of a film company, worth tens of millions—acting is just a side business; he produced "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."】

【I thought both dramas had him—yesterday I got confused watching and thought Huo Qubing was dating someone.】

【Same as the guy above—I was watching Jin Zha and Huang Er dating, then switched channels and saw Huo Qubing, thought he'd reincarnated from heaven. I watched for two minutes before realizing.】

【I watch both dramas—Jin Zha is also well-played: upright and heroic, bluntly honest with all three fairy sisters. Their scenes are especially fun.】

【I read Seeing Yan Li's bio—he acts and runs a business too. Seems incredibly capable. Is there a fan group?】

【...】

Seeing Yan Li grew more and more pleased, saved some of the best compliments, and took screenshots to keep.

Of course, there were criticisms and insults too, but Seeing Yan Li ignored them all.

Even Oscar-winning actors and actresses can't please everyone; he's happy now and doesn't want such "honest advice" ruining his mood.

Secretary Hu Ya asked whether to set up a blog for him.

The Mu Zimei incident last year made blogs wildly popular; major portals launched blog services, and they're still hot—many netizens use them, and celebrities love interacting with fans there.

Seeing Yan Li hadn't noticed this before, but after checking it out, he found it fun.

It's just too troublesome—going online means writing an essay every time. Too tiring.

Still, he had Hu Ya create one for him, posted a few photos of his favorite roles—Jin Zha, Huo Qubing, Wu Tian—and wrote one sentence.

【I'm Seeing Yan Li. Welcome to follow.】

After posting his first blog, Seeing Yan Li nodded in satisfaction—cool, he must maintain this aloof image.

From now on, he wouldn't be just another minor actor—he'd be a rising young star, a future megastar…

Besides the blog, Seeing Yan Li now had his own personal BBS forum.

The forum had existed for a long time; Hu Ya registered it early to prevent others from snatching it.

But due to Seeing Yan Li's low fame, the forum had almost no activity.

At its peak, a group of actors heard about it and came to post their resumes—had Hu Ya not deleted them quickly, it might've turned into the audition site for "Lu Xiaofeng Legend."

Now, some fans and viewers had finally arrived, and the forum had gained a bit of life.

It was said two enthusiastic fans had applied to be moderators—one named 【Konggu Youlan】, the other 【Huanhuan】.

Seeing Yan Li: 【...】

Konggu Youlan—Qin Lan. No need to explain.

Huanhuan was Dong Xuan's childhood nickname, which Seeing Yan Li used only in private, when being affectionate.

Seeing Yan Li told Hu Ya to reject both applications—if they kept chatting online happily and then met offline, things would get messy…

———

PS: Two-day ten-thousand-word update complete. Please vote for monthly tickets.

(End of Chapter)