Chapter 12.1
Editor: Jodi
The quickest to react to this hype were Mu Nan’s fans.
Mu Nan had been paired in CP rumors more than once before, however he was never one to initiate such hype himself, so it was often the other party who stuck to him. His fans had long mastered a skillful response method: no arguments, no responses, just taking him away and avoiding further involvement.
But this time, something seemed different.
Initially, the Weibo posts circulating among marketing accounts quickly spread beyond their usual scope, being reposted on major platforms like Douban and various forums, and as more people shared it, even those who didn’t usually pay attention to gossip saw it on their homepages.
At first, everyone just found it amusing, but as they saw it more frequently, many people’s rebellious instincts were triggered instead.
And just at this moment, Shi Tao posted a Weibo, adding fuel to the fire.
[Shi Tao: Are you satisfied with tonight’s performance? Thanks to my teammates, and to all the teachers who sweated for us. Of course, thanks to Senior Mu Nan. Thank you for raising me up. Because of you, I could stand on this stage.]
The attached picture was a nine-grid collage, with the central photo being a stage shot of Shi Tao and Mu Nan, the chosen image being one where they were looking into each other’s eyes.
Once this Weibo was posted, the already heated situation exploded.
[Isn’t this too much? Bringing my Nan Nan into this is one thing, but dragging it on endlessly?]
[Leeching off someone to this extent? Mu Nan put in so much effort to help you on the program, and now you want to take advantage of that? Have some shame.]
[Shi Tao, I advise you to have some conscience. Just because Mu Nan is kind and easy-going doesn’t mean we are too. If you don’t know how to restrain yourself, I’ll make you regret joining this program.]
Since posting the Weibo, Shi Tao had been closely monitoring the public opinion, and the current response was clearly not what he had expected.
“What’s going on?” Shi Tao called his agent.
The agent’s tone was somewhat anxious, “The topic and search heat have far exceeded our expectations, what’s more someone is suddenly stirring things up from behind.”
“Who is it? Are they helping us?” Shi Tao still hadn’t grasped the situation.
The agent sighed, “This isn’t them helping us, it’s hurting us. We had previously planned the topic heat and the timing of each event, and now suddenly there’s an interference which is clearly too much.”
“Then what should we do now?” Shi Tao asked.
“Pause the original plan and let the topic cool down first, otherwise, it will backfire.”
Meanwhile, Mu Nan was at home, lounging and enjoying the spectacle, while Wilder, acting like a nanny, cut up fruit, arranged it on a plate, and handed it to him with a fork.
Mu Nan ate a piece of dragon fruit and a strawberry happily.
“Tell the fan club to stay calm. We’re fighting a battle of public opinion, not a war of attrition. As long as the bystanders get annoyed, that’s enough. We don’t need to trouble ourselves. They’re already busy with ranking votes and producing praise posts every day.”
Wilder laughed, “You really understand strategy and tactics, huh? Who did you learn from?”
Mu Nan chuckled, “You don’t get it. Us smart people are just naturally talented.”
Mu Nan had always had a great rapport with the general public, and this, was something that was inseparable from his character, upbringing, and diligent management.
Since his debut, Mu Nan had always restrained his fans, forbidding them from starting arguments or causing trouble, attacking those who criticized him, or becoming toxic fans, making it so that over time, his fans became a breath of fresh air among idol fandoms.
“Should we keep this going?” Wilder asked.
Mu Nan’s cheeks were puffed with food as he mumbled, “Let’s not continue for now. Everyone’s probably tired of cursing. It’s my turn to make an appearance.”
Saying this, he wiped his hands and switched to his main account.
Mu Nan neither avoided suspicion nor deliberately ignored the situation. Instead, he found Shi Tao’s Weibo and commented below: “Great performance, keep it up, you have a bright future ahead.”
Everyone was stunned.
[So… is this Mu Nan’s response?]
[Is Mu Nan cooperating with the hype?]
However just when the fans’ anger was about to be extinguished, their idol fan group suddenly beeped nine times in a row, “Your darling Mu Nan has commented.”
Then they watched as their notifications showed a series of copied and pasted messages: [Great performance, keep it up, you have a bright future ahead.] [Nice show, keep practicing, you’re a star of tomorrow.]
Mu Nan continued to use the exact same words to reply to the Teness’ group members’ Weibos.
Everyone who witnessed this was shocked.
[I’m dumbfounded. I’ve seen a lot, but never this.]
[Not directly clarifying, nor slapping your face, but just telling you that you’re no different from others. Genius move.]
[This is face-slapping. Shi Tao always claimed to be different, yet he doesn’t even get a unique interaction. His face must be burning.]
Although Wilder had a rough idea of what Mu Nan was going to do, he was still astonished by his move.
“You’re really something else…..” He tsk’ed in shock.
After finishing the Weibo replies, Mu Nan lay back on the sofa with a face mask on, “This is wisdom— you wouldn’t understand.”
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