[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans":3,"chapter-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-174":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1297788,1723,"Chapter 174: Reality’s Too Sweet—How Are We Supposed to Cry Onscreen?","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-174",174,"\u003Cp>#Su Qingying Jiang Ci Relationship#\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The popularity of this hashtag skyrocketed wildly upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, it stopped at the third position on the trending chart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the hotel room, Sun Zhou's hands and feet felt ice-cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro... it's number three...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not topping the chart... it's topping the chart at number three...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci's attention was finally and forcibly dragged back to reality from that serious research topic about \"the impact of gossip on Heartbreak Value production efficiency.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, online public opinion had already undergone a new round of complete fermentation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, various versions of \"celestial love story\" fanfiction spread wildly across major platforms like Weibo, Bilibili, and Douyin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Iceberg Best Actress silently protects a talented newcomer. Isn't this more addictive than any idol drama?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She paved the way for him, he came for her. What kind of epic love story is this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou looked at those overly imaginative words on his phone, feeling completely numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro, they... they seem to have already taken it for granted that you two are together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The development of events was beginning to deviate from his most basic logical predictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, even \"harder\" evidence was dug up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some netizens did a deep dive into Spark Media, the agency Jiang Ci was signed with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, although Spark Media has the great Lin Wan holding the fort, within the industry, it's just a small-to-medium-sized media company! It simply doesn't have the clout to shove a complete newcomer into a project like *Three Lifetimes Tribulation* as the Fourth Male Lead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery added a raging fire to the already frenzied discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right at this moment, an anonymous account claiming to be a \"former employee of Daylight Entertainment\" posted a \"tip from an insider.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop guessing. I'll just state one fact. Back then, the role of Chu Wuchen in *Three Lifetimes Tribulation* never even considered Jiang Ci. It was Teacher Su Qingying who, at a dinner gathering, personally and strongly recommended him to the producer and director. That's how he got the audition opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This leak happened to be the final, scorching-hot puzzle piece, perfectly slotting into the gap of the entire story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It instantly connected all the previous clues into a crystal-clear logical chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conclusion pointed directly to the core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't capital forcefully promoting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Su Qingying's personal \"favoritism.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mindset of the \"Qingying Guards\" also underwent a shocking 180-degree reversal amidst this storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The initial scrutiny and rejection vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, what filled their hearts was curiosity about their goddess's taste, and a kind of... secret, fangirling excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So he's one of our own?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A man personally chosen by our goddess... seems like it's not completely unacceptable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really want to see what kind of magic this Jiang Ci has, to make our iron tree bloom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this public opinion trend that had spiraled completely out of control, Lin Wan and Spark Media's PR team chose the wisest, and only correct, response method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any attempt to debunk the rumors at this moment would be interpreted as \"having a guilty conscience\" or \"protesting too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best PR was no PR at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Jiang Ci's Weibo comment section was completely overrun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The style shifted from the initial uniform \"Congratulations, brother\" to a scene of large-scale, bewildering behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro, stop pretending. Hurry up and confess, how did you manage to win over my goddess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leniency for confession, severity for resistance! When did it start?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of magic do you even have, kid? Can you teach me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci scrolled through those comments one by one, his brow slightly furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the direct beneficiary of this incident, maintaining silence at a time when the woman's reputation might be affected did not align with his basic code of conduct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to protect Su Qingying's reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, he already had an answer in his heart regarding the relationship between gossip and Heartbreak Value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Analyzing from the perspective of \"Heartbreak Value KPI,\" this kind of pink-bubble-filled CP gossip was highly likely to affect the audience's immersion when watching a tragedy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If reality is too sweet, how can they cry during the show?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would severely impact his life-extending KPI!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro, Sister Wan just called and said we shouldn't do anything, just act like nothing happened.\" Sun Zhou nervously relayed the company's top directive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci ignored him and directly opened WeChat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found that avatar he hadn't chatted with in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Qingying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chat interface still remained from last year, where Su Qingying asked him about his graduation play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His finger hovered over the screen as he began to carefully phrase his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he complete this communication in a way that was neither offensive nor unclear about his intent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later, he finished editing a message and clicked send.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Teacher Su, is the online gossip causing you trouble? If needed, I can post a clarification on Weibo.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed this message was practically perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It expressed concern, proposed a solution, and clearly defined boundaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No response ever appeared in the chat dialog box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Jiang Ci thought the other party wouldn't reply, his phone vibrated softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Su Qingying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content was brief, matching her consistent style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It's fine. The innocent need not defend themselves.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci looked at these four words, feeling a bit bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The innocent need not defend themselves?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of crisis management was this? This wasn't logical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a scene flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, to thank Su Qingying for recommending him and getting him the audition opportunity, he had specially treated her to a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid awkward silences, he had practiced all the chapters from the *Complete Guide to Scumbag Quotes and Techniques* about \"how to get along pleasantly with aloof women.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From \"casually praising the other's unique taste,\" to \"using self-deprecation to bridge the distance,\" to \"sharing some harmless childhood embarrassments.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered that night, Su Qingying had laughed several times, which was unprecedented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the smiles were very slight curves, they were indeed genuine laughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That pleasant experience led him to a conclusion: this Iceberg Best Actress was not as difficult to approach as she appeared to the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was just not good with words, accustomed to using a layer of aloofness to mask her inner uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, in his eyes, the phrase \"The innocent need not defend themselves\" automatically translated to—\"I don't know what to do, but this is all I can say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sense of responsibility spontaneously arose within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he was even more unwilling to see her surrounded by these rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro! Please, whatever you do, don't act recklessly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the \"I have a bold idea\" expression on his artist's face, Sun Zhou was scared out of his wits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Wan said we should play dead! Playing dead is the best strategy right now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci didn't heed the advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, letting public opinion run rampant was irresponsible both to his KPI and to his professional partner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to cut the Gordian knot swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped open the Weibo editing page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was going to write a clarification statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A statement he believed was logically clear, factually accurate, and sufficient to quell the rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou watched him type from the side, so anxious he felt like dying on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro! I'm begging you! Let me see what you wrote first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After typing the last word, Jiang Ci handed him the phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Help me check for any typos.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou took the phone with trembling hands and leaned in to look at the few lines on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Regarding #Su Qingying Jiang Ci Relationship#, a unified response:]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[1. Teacher Su Qingying and I are colleagues on *Palace Conspiracy*.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[2. It is true that Teacher Su recommended me to the crew for *Three Lifetimes Tribulation*, and I am very grateful to her.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[3. We are not the type of relationship everyone is imagining. Please do not over-interpret, to avoid causing trouble for Teacher Su Qingying.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Thank you for your concern.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou read it word by word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These lines were simple, straightforward, and utterly devoid of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the current fervent atmosphere where the entire internet was fangirling over this couple pairing, posting such a dry, \"straight guy-style\" clarification...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou could already imagine the bomb about to detonate on the other end of the network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jerked his head up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro! Don't post it! I'm begging you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1431,"2026-06-05T18:00:08.557Z",1,"novelbin.me","6d23e2d50edb56e8a3ac79a1b158c0ca96eb3ac9a2bcf64a81fee017d05f7df1","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-175","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-173",366,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-cover.jpg"]