[{"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-211":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},1297825,1723,"Chapter 211: The Unknown","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-211",211,"\u003Cp>*The Puppet*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a classic small theater stage play, renowned for its extreme sense of oppression and profound dissection of human manipulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci, what did he mean by giving him this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To humiliate him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To say he was like a manipulated puppet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu's chest heaved violently, a surge of fury rushing straight to the top of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to explode, to throw this inexplicable script in Jiang Ci's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Ci spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The industry says Teacher Luo is an 'acting fanatic,' fully invested and immersed in roles. I... wanted to learn from you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two words pierced the proudest part of Luo Yu's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed himself far inferior to a monster like Jiang Ci, who could act until physically drained, in terms of being an \"acting fanatic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these words, \"learn from you,\" gently propped up his actor's self-esteem, which had just plummeted to rock bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci saw him as a senior worth learning from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not as a problematic actor publicly reprimanded by the director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Nian, standing to the side, felt her smile freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately stepped forward, speaking softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-Yu, you're too tired today. You should rest first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to Jiang Ci, her smile flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Jiang, I'm so sorry. A-Yu isn't in good form today. How about we postpone the scene rehearsal until tomorrow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to interrupt this bizarre exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her intuition told her Jiang Ci's appearance brought a variable she couldn't control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment she spoke, Luo Yu raised a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gesture to stop her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Jiang Ci, suppressing all the turbulent emotions in his heart, forcing out two words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on Wen Nian's face froze completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu had actually... refused her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Jiang Ci's system vision, the **[Mental Manipulation in Progress]** tag on Wen Nian flickered at a suddenly accelerated frequency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief **[Warning: Target Showing Signs of Breaking Free]** prompt flashed beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remained calm inside, perfectly playing the part of an \"acting obsessive\" oblivious to interpersonal dynamics and the strange atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He directly flipped open the printed script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His finger pointed to a particular scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's do this part.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roles in the script were simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A genius painter completely manipulated by his agent, ultimately drained of inspiration and with his career ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A calculating, step-by-step devil of an agent who, in the name of love, turns the painter into his most prized masterpiece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci pointed at the agent's lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll play this one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu's gaze fell on the painter's lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were short, mostly passive responses and feeble struggles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't this a portrait of his current state?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu thought self-mockingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took the stack of papers, preparing to begin this absurd \"scene rehearsal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci didn't give him much preparation time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning against a nearby prop box, his whole body relaxed. But the moment he spoke, he was no longer Jiang Ci.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was that honey-tongued, dagger-hearted agent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Listen to me. That art exhibition isn't suitable for you. It will drain your creative spirit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci's voice wasn't loud, carrying a kind of gentle, persuasive tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What I've chosen for you is the stage that will truly let you shine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something seemed to explode in Luo Yu's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two sentences...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How familiar they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Nian was always whispering in his ear: \"A-Yu, that script is too grueling, it will consume you. I'll decline it for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Listen to me. I've already contacted another commercial film for you. That one will let more people see you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu's breathing hitched for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced himself to look at the script and read the painter's first line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But... I really like the theme of that exhibition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was somewhat dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci responded quickly, his gentle tone hiding absolute dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liking something doesn't put food on the table. You're an artist, but you also need to live.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those people don't understand your worth. They'll only judge you, hurt you, with worldly eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only I, only I truly understand you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You just focus on painting peacefully. I'll handle all the dirty work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu's hand holding the script began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words were too familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So familiar he started to lose track of whether he was acting or recounting his own life over the past two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, the color was slowly draining from Wen Nian's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course she heard the unsettling insinuations behind these lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she couldn't lose her temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could only stand there, maintaining the perfect image of the gentle, considerate girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even had to smile and join this \"performance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Jiang's line delivery is excellent. A-Yu, see, you're completely immersed in the scene.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Nian's voice chimed in at just the right moment, trying to pull that sense of loss of control back into the safe realm of \"acting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci's performance continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened up and walked step by step toward Luo Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face no longer showed gentle persuasion, but a cruel appreciation of his own masterpiece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think you are free.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you have long been my most perfect creation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu's head snapped up, staring at Jiang Ci.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci didn't avoid his gaze, delivering the most heart-piercing line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your joys and sorrows, your career prospects, even your every breath, are all within my calculations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused. The final tone was light as a feather, yet carried the weight of a thousand jun, crashing onto Luo Yu's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tragedy is, you still think that's love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last three words cleaved straight through the chaos in Luo Yu's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All his defenses, his self-delusion, were shattered in that instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head to look at Wen Nian beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the panic, too fleeting to hide, flash across Wen Nian's face, which always wore a perfect smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it lasted only a moment before she immediately resumed her concerned, innocent expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-Yu, what's wrong? Are you too tired?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Luo Yu had seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right then, Jiang Ci closed the script in his hand with a soft *snap*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound made Luo Yu's whole body stiffen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci reverted to his usual somewhat lazy demeanor. He scratched his head, like a junior genuinely struggling with his craft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, this scene is too oppressive. I still can't nail that feeling of total control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shoved the script back to Sun Zhou, nodded to Luo Yu who was still frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks, Teacher Luo. Learned a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, as if he had just completed an ordinary professional exchange, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou, holding the folder, quickly followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire corner was left with only Luo Yu and Wen Nian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu stood rigidly in place, unmoving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, the lines from earlier echoed madly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have long been my most perfect creation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still think that's love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sentence intertwined with the strange look that had flashed across Wen Nian's face, slicing open the reality he had deeply believed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, he felt a tremor of doubt about the all-encompassing \"love\" and \"support\" surrounding him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, hotel room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time ever, Luo Yu did not have dinner with Wen Nian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He locked himself alone in the room. No matter how gently Wen Nian knocked on the door or how concernedly she inquired outside, he did not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat in the darkness, phone in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled up a contact he hadn't reached out to in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his former assistant, the one Wen Nian had \"persuaded to leave\" for various reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they still kept in touch privately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call connected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yu skipped the pleasantries, speaking directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Help me check something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over these two years with Wen Nian, exactly how many scripts did she decline on my behalf?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hanging up, Luo Yu stared blankly at the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't know how much time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phone screen lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a text message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With trembling hands, Luo Yu opened the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no extra words inside, just a compressed file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He downloaded and extracted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long list appeared on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Densely packed, all script names, with the dates they were rejected noted beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes frantically scanned the list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his finger stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A script name on the list stabbed painfully into his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—*The Unknown*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That arthouse film he had once tossed and turned over, dreaming of acting in!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he forget this film!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered staying up three nights in a row reading the script, excitedly telling Wen Nian he was willing to lower his fee, even act for free, to play that role!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still remembered how Wen Nian had hugged him then,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her voice gentle: \"A-Yu, I know you love it, but these arthouse films might not even get released after filming. It's too draining for you. Be good, we won't do this one. I've already found a better commercial film for you, that one will let more people see you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, wrapped in that \"for his own good\" affection, though regretful, he had been moved and accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, those gentle words overlapped with Jiang Ci's line, \"The tragedy is, you still think that's love,\" in his mind, finally merging into a single mocking phrase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, Luo Yu let out an extremely soft laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>",1604,"2026-06-05T18:00:08.556Z",1,"novelbin.me","32f4283a2b2bbc6eeebd82d83269b55a1b45d3aac84f3bed65d436c3af988386","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-212","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-210",366,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-cover.jpg"]