Chapter 141: The Unhelpful Ally Arrives? The Flop Script "Our Youth"

In truth, choosing "Moonlight" for this program was a decision Bai Ling made after careful consideration.

As an artist, although Bai Ling had been somewhat lackadaisical in the past, who could turn down the prospect of greater popularity? Originally, she had planned to coast through her career, but now things had improved slightly, and she was at least willing to put in some effort. Of course, she preferred methods that yielded twice the result for half the work. Using "Moonlight" to leverage Leng Yan as a stepping stone was a clever strategy. After all, the two had a decent relationship; she could simply gift him a couple of songs later to smooth things over as if nothing had happened—he-he.

Using a new song for the next episode was also part of her plan. Performing covers once or twice, and reaching or even surpassing the original, certainly generated buzz. But if she kept it up, it would inevitably become stale. Eventually, her popularity would plummet. Moreover, Bai Ling was well aware of her own limitations; when it came to pure vocal technique, she was certainly inferior to Leng Yan. Continuing to perform covers might just lead to a disastrous flop. Therefore, a new song was the best choice.

As for which new song to choose, Bai Ling still needed to deliberate. After this current episode, "Guess Who I Am" had only two episodes left. Naturally, she wanted to deliver standout performances in both and secure more popularity. If she were to reveal her female voice, perhaps…

Under the veil of night, Bai Ling agonized over the decision for a long time. Fortunately, the recent surge in popularity had brought her some good things from the "damn system." Specifically, she received access time and VIP services for the "Dimensional KTV," which were exactly what she needed. The former provided her with more song options, while the latter focused on improving her vocal technique. With a few days left before the next recording, Bai Ling could start preparing.

Of course, while focusing most of her attention and energy on "Guess Who I Am" and the establishment of her studio, Bai Ling had not forgotten that she was still filming "I Am an Actor." Because she had access to the "Best Actress Hall of Fame," she didn't need to spend too much effort, allowing her to put it on the back burner for the time being. However, to improve her acting skills, she was using the Hall of Fame regularly, which caused her points to deplete rather quickly. This was becoming a bit problematic. In the last two episodes she participated in, her performances could only be described as average; even if her acting was decent, the roles themselves were uninspired. The points she earned were not enough to sustain such a high consumption rate.

The only good news was that her acting skills were indeed advancing by leaps and bounds. This wasn't just about a specific role or play, but the fundamental proficiency of an actor. Nowadays, even with impromptu performances on set, Bai Ling could reach the level of a professional actor with seven or eight years of experience, even qualifying to participate in some less demanding stage plays. Compared to her initial state of knowing nothing, the improvement was significant.

"Before I knew it, I had grown to a level that was once beyond my reach." With the support of the system and her own relative diligence, everything was moving in a positive direction.

A few days later, Bai Ling arrived at the set of "I Am an Actor." This time, she performed as scheduled, though it didn't spark much of a reaction. Of course, this wasn't necessarily Bai Ling's fault; after so many episodes, the popularity of "I Am an Actor" had begun to wane. After all, audiences initially tuned in out of curiosity and the expectation of a visual feast. But in the subsequent episodes, following the brilliance of Bai Ling’s previous appearance, most of the content had been lackluster. Criticism began to emerge, with viewers complaining about poorly written scripts, boring roles, or the abysmal acting of some cast members.

This made the production team quite anxious. After all, this was a major variety production; they had invited top-tier directors and poured massive resources into publicity. They couldn't just watch it wither away. Thus, the production team made a bold decision. After holding private talks with several actors, the process of choosing teammates for this episode became surprisingly targeted.

Bai Ling was kept in the dark. Just as she intended to approach Su Chaolin and a few other contestants she favored, she found Lin Yubai and Wen Yan approaching her instead.

"Bai Ling, would there be a chance to collaborate with you this time?" Lin Yubai asked.

As the cameras began to close in, a subtle hint of awkwardness flickered across Bai Ling's face. The way these two approached her felt a bit like being cornered. Moreover, with the cameras right there, refusing would likely stir up a storm of public opinion. Although the young man Lin Yubai had a decent reputation, many of his fans were quite unreasonable.

This turn of events almost felt like it was forcing Bai Ling to choose him. For a moment, she smelled a whiff of conspiracy. By the time she snapped back to reality, she realized everyone else had already found their teammates. Bai Ling, it seemed, had no other choice.

Consequently, she could only nod, however reluctantly. "Since a Best Actor has extended an invitation, I must show some respect. I’ve actually been looking forward to working with you." Bai Ling said with a smile.

Lin Yubai’s expression was somewhat strange. Bai Ling’s acting was good, but he could tell she wasn't sincere. This made him feel rather uncomfortable. *I’m a Best Actor, after all; why does she have to be like this?* However, looking at Wen Yan beside him, he could understand Bai Ling’s position. Truth be told, he wanted to ditch Wen Yan too, but such are the complexities of human relationships.

In the end, the team was finalized. The only thing that brought Bai Ling some comfort was that Su Chaolin was also on their team. But this small bit of good news was quickly washed away by the next phase: the script selection.

Bai Ling wasn't the one to choose the script; Lin Yubai did. I don't know what kind of luck that kid had, but when he went up to draw, he ended up with "Our Youth." This "Our Youth" was actually a work by director Wang Dagang, adapted from his own free-spirited literary work, "Flowing Years." It told the story of several friends and couples who were entangled in their youth, cheating on each other and falling in love with one another.

Just looking at the premise made Bai Ling want to gag. In fact, the ratings and box office for this work had been quite mediocre. No, to call it "mediocre" would be a generous overstatement. It was a failure of unimaginable proportions!