"I’m serious, Shu Wan really makes it too obvious that she wants to be famous. Everyone else is here to film, but is she here for the red carpet?" one netizen commented.
"It’s clear she’s trying to steal Lin Man’s thunder. She looks so good in the group photo. Who knows how long she took to put on makeup at home? A supporting actress trying to outshine the lead every day, I just can’t stand it."
"Can someone tell me what her background is? A D-list actress getting such an important role, I’d never believe she doesn’t have a sugar daddy. I heard she arrives on set in a Rolls-Royce."
Whether it was because of the controversy Shu Wan naturally attracted or someone deliberately fanning the flames behind the scenes, the topic of Shu Wan got hotter and hotter.
After the start-up ceremony, Shu Wan saw these comments targeting her.
"Don’t take it to heart," Wang Tian, who had been in the industry for many years and was used to this kind of online opinion, said, "Let them talk; they’ll forget about it in a few days."
"Why shouldn’t I respond? Isn’t this social platform for communication?"
Shu Wan had grown to love using these social media apps.
She felt it was a platform where everyone, from all corners of the world, could share their views.
Whether good or bad, at least it offered the possibility of hearing other voices, and it was one that everyone could easily access.
In her previous life, even someone as high-ranking as an Emperor would find it extremely difficult to truly hear the voices of others.
When she was out leading troops in battle, she desperately wished she had the ability to listen to the people’s hearts and know the true thoughts of the lowest-ranking soldiers.
But that was not possible back then.
So now, Shu Wan couldn’t understand why stars in the entertainment circle, a group that survives off the audience, should muffle their voices.
"You’re being silly," Wang Tian looked at her with a mix of frustration and disbelief. "With so many people watching you, anything you say can be twisted. Especially now that everyone dislikes you, why would you want to invite more criticism?"
"I just need to do a good job with my acting; let them criticize if they want, I don’t care."
In Shu Wan’s eyes, she was confident in her skills. As long as she did her job as an actress well, no one should be able to limit her right to speak.
"No, don’t just randomly post something, I’m begging you—hey! What are you doing?" Wang Tian wanted to advise Shu Wan that less is more, but when he looked down, he saw that Shu Wan had already replied to a few comments.
Wang Tian felt like he was going to explode—Shu Wan was really testing his patience!
"Why can’t I dress nicely? There’s no rule stating that I must dress down."
"What looks good varies from person to person. Where did this nonsense about outshining come from?"
"Does a supporting actress have to be inferior to the lead in every way? Isn’t it enough to just play your part well? Are there ranks among actors, too?"
Netizens, who already had a big problem with Shu Wan, became even more excited when they saw her not only refusing to hide but also confronting their comments head-on.
"Oh boy, Shu Wan is quite confident, isn’t she? Does she really think she can act better than Lin Man?"
"Funny, actors without hierarchy, then you try carrying the whole drama. Our Lin Man is a top popular actress, who are you to compare to her? You’re only fit to carry Lin Man’s shoes."
"I’m definitely going to follow this drama now. I’m curious to see how this supporting actress thinks she’s better than the lead, a nobody who got the role with backing."
Shu Wan wanted to reply to some more comments but was stopped by Wang Tian, who pounced on her, "Ancestor, I’m begging you, okay? Don’t reply any more, or your account will get reported and banned again."
"Banned? Why would my account be banned?"
"Because Lin Man has more fans. If they band together and report your account, you could get banned."
Wang Tian’s words were prophetic; just as he finished speaking, a message popped up on Shu Wan’s phone screen: "Due to the posting of inappropriate content, your account has been muted for 10 days."
"..." Shu Wan hadn’t expected that; it was a new tactic to her.
Wang Tian’s mouth twitched, "See, what did I tell you? So, just take it easy, and don’t post anything in the future."
"Okay," Shu Wan nodded, "I won’t post for these 10 days."
"That’s better, hey, not just—," Wang Tian realized something after Shu Wan walked away, "What do you mean by ’these 10 days’? Even if it’s 10 years, you shouldn’t post anything like that again!!"