Dark Fire chapter 61
Extra 5 – Contract Termination and Drama Promotion
In the middle of the year, Ling Zhuo and Haitian amicably terminated their contract six months early.
Haitian’s major shareholder was now Shangxun, and with Lu Chixie’s intervention, Ling Zhuo faced no obstacles. He quickly regained his freedom, taking a few crew members led by Zhang Jing to form his own independent studio.
After everything settled, he posted a long Weibo message, expressing gratitude to his former employer and teammates and looking forward to the future. Earlier in the year, when Zhang Xun left Sparkle Bomb, the group had essentially disbanded. With Deng Lanluo and Ling Zhuo’s subsequent departures, the official Weibo account finally announced its dissolution. Many were delighted, while others expressed complaints and regrets, but Ling Zhuo was no longer interested in the criticism. The burden he carried was finally lifted.
He had been very busy lately. In the first quarter, Zhang Jing got him a new drama, which had just wrapped up. “Burning Love” would be released during the summer and needed promotional efforts. In the latter half of the year, he planned to focus on music, preparing for a solo album and concert.
“Burning Love” was Ling Zhuo’s first drama, and even though he played the third male lead, he valued it highly. On the release day, after sharing the promotional posts, he anxiously refreshed the preview video over and over, staring at viewers’ comments and bullet screens.
“Stop looking.”
Lu Chixie held his hand and reminded him, “The show won’t officially air until tonight. What’s the point in refreshing now?”
Ling Zhuo looked embarrassed and a bit shy. “I’m worried about my performance.”
Lu Chixie replied, “You’re overthinking it.”
Whether the drama would succeed or flop could generally be gauged from the heat trend in the first three days. The promotional expenses were high, and the marketing was intense. Overall feedback was within expectations, with positive reviews on the plot, costumes, and special effects. The lead actors’ performances were above average, and the chemistry was good. Ling Zhuo’s acting, despite being his first time, was not a letdown, and his appearance was a bonus. Of course, there were some negative opinions, such as criticisms of the supporting roles, excessive changes from the original novel, and accusations of the romance drama being too cliché. It was impossible to please everyone.
Regardless, as the show aired, the popularity showed a rising trend, which was very promising.
A week after the drama’s premiere, the first media and fan meet-and-greet took place with the entire cast. Before this, Ling Zhuo had done several promotional interviews alone, but the main promotional focus was on Yu Fei and Lu Chixie. They had multiple joint interviews and participated in promotional activities together. The production team worked hard to push their on-screen chemistry, with mixed results.
The drama’s couple had a decent fanbase since the original novel was a major IP with many fans. The chemistry between the leads was well-received, and the couple’s fanbase quickly climbed into the top ten. Outside the show, while the production team and Yu Fei’s side tried to stir up the CP, Lu Chixie did not cooperate, creating an awkward situation.
When choosing clothes for the meet-and-greet, Ling Zhuo remembered this and casually mentioned to Lu Chixie, “Since it’s the promotional period for the drama, at least give them some face and don’t overdo it.”
Lu Chixie approached him, and Ling Zhuo turned towards the wardrobe door, holding his shoulder with one finger: “The clothes aren’t chosen yet. Don’t be so touchy.”
Lu Chixie looked at him with a meaningful tone: “Do you want me to stir up CP with someone else?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “That’s not what I meant. During this promotional period, even if you don’t cooperate with them, don’t deliberately go against the grain. Be a bit more reserved. It’s better for everyone. Please don’t bring me up at the meet-and-greet.”
Lu Chixie asked, “Do you think I would bring you up?”
Ling Zhuo said, “Just in case. I’m giving you a heads-up.”
Lu Chixie was indifferent. “We’ll see when the time comes.”
Ling Zhuo sighed, “Honestly, if it weren’t for me, this drama could really be a big hit.”
“You’re overthinking. How many people watch CPs daily? The general market doesn’t care about that. Whether the show is a hit depends on its quality. Don’t blame yourself for things beyond your control.”
After Lu Chixie’s remarks, he turned Ling Zhuo back to face the mirror on the wardrobe door and casually picked a necklace from the accessory rack, holding it up to his neck. “This one looks good.”
Ling Zhuo glanced at it indifferently. “I’m not picky. Let the stylist decide.”
Lu Chixie smiled softly.
On the day of the meet-and-greet, Ling Zhuo wore the necklace Lu Chixie chose. It wasn’t anything special, but he took it because the stylist picked it.
The meet-and-greet was live-streamed online. The cast each gave their speeches, performed, played games, interacted with the audience, and ended with a group media interview. The entire event lasted over two hours.
During the meet-and-greet, Ling Zhuo kept his distance from Lu Chixie, positioning himself on the other side of Yu Fei and deliberately avoiding interaction with Lu Chixie.
Lu Chixie glanced at him several times. During the fan question segment, when asked why he chose the role, Lu Chixie paused and didn’t immediately answer, teasing the audience both in the venue and online.
This had its own backstory. Yu Fei had entered the industry early and had solid achievements, so it was natural for her to overshadow others. In such cases, the second male lead would often be an actor with less experience or fewer achievements than her. However, Lu Chixie, being a major stakeholder’s son, could have chosen any role, yet he chose to be the second male lead in this major female-led drama, which raised some intriguing questions.
When the role was first announced, rumors circulated, the most common being that Lu Chixie took the role for Yu Fei. Regardless of who started the rumor, it initially convinced many people. But when the Ling-Chi couple emerged, another rumor spread that Lu Chixie joined the project for Ling Zhuo. Although Ling Zhuo didn’t fully understand how Lu Chixie managed his public persona to make everyone think he joined the crew to pursue someone, this second rumor also became widespread among the Ling-Chi couple’s fanbase.
Now that the drama was airing hotly, fans of the leads’ couple had increased overnight. Old news resurfaced, and both fan circles fought over the same topic, leading to some minor skirmishes. Today, the main topic was finally addressed, and everyone wanted to hear Lu Chixie’s personal reason for choosing the role.
The host, who was knowledgeable, seized the opportunity to urge Lu Chixie to answer.
Ling Zhuo felt inexplicably nervous. It would be best if Lu Chixie spoke honestly, but Lu Chixie’s seemingly amused expression made him doubt that he would be straightforward.
Lu Chixie finally spoke, asking the audience, “Why do you think I chose this role?”
The audience screamed, and the live stream’s bullet screens flooded with names—Ling Zhuo, Yu Fei, their respective CPs, and even less popular CPs involving Lu Chixie’s other roles. Fans from all sides were competitive.
Lu Chixie restrained his smile. “Let’s be serious. Work is work, and personal feelings are personal. I keep them separate and don’t mix them.”
Ling Zhuo understood. Lu Chixie was clarifying that the drama’s CP was fictional, just part of the job, but he didn’t say it too bluntly, leaving some face.
Lu Chixie continued, “As for why I chose this role, someone asked me before, and I said it was chosen by throwing darts. That’s it.”
The host laughed exaggeratedly. “So it was really chosen by darts?”
Lu Chixie replied, “My agent did the preliminary screening. I don’t mind what I act in, but I did audition. It’s not as simple as just wanting to act in something.”
The host asked with a smile, “Do you think the role was worthwhile? Do you regret your choice?”
Lu Chixie replied, “I don’t. It was good.”
He didn’t elaborate on what made it good.
Ling Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Chixie had listened to his advice and restrained himself.
At this meet-and-greet, Lu Chixie rarely acted so gentlemanly. Although he clearly separated personal feelings from work, he was courteous and cooperative during joint performances and games with the female lead, leaving no room for criticism.
Yu Fei’s team was also quite satisfied. They didn’t necessarily want to stir up CP drama, but they hoped the promotional focus remained on the female lead and not overshadowed. Lu Chixie giving face was appreciated, and Yu Fei complimented Ling Zhuo as a hardworking and talented junior.
Ling Zhuo felt a bit guilty and later asked Lu Chixie why Yu Fei praised him. Lu Chixie smiled and asked, “Do you really not know or are you pretending not to know? Do you think people in the crew don’t see our relationship?”
Ling Zhuo had no response.
During filming, he and Lu Chixie had not been very discreet, especially Lu Chixie, who had been affectionate in public. After confirming their relationship and starting to date, Ling Zhuo had probably also been quite obvious. People were not blind and could easily notice.
Well then.
After two months of airing, the show’s popularity soared, setting new highs in viewership and streaming site subscriptions. The show’s ratings were also excellent. All the lead and supporting cast benefited greatly. For Lu Chixie and Yu Fei, it was a nice addition, but for Ling Zhuo, it was a significant boost, gaining both acting recognition and industry achievements.
Film invitations flooded in, and Zhang Jing was almost overwhelmed. Although Ling Zhuo was not lacking in resources, Zhang Jing didn’t want him labeled by a specific faction or tied to Lu Chixie. External opportunities would be better for long-term development.
However, Ling Zhuo himself was more interested in music. He had planned to focus all his energy on music in the latter half of the year. Zhang Jing intended to persuade him to take another drama and wanted Lu Chixie to help. Lu Chixie, however, said, “Forget it. If he likes it, that’s enough. He prefers music, so there’s no need to force him.”
Zhang Jing was somewhat surprised by Lu Chixie’s attitude. Lu Chixie’s reasoning was, “Jing Jie, you reminded me to let Ling Zhuo make his own decisions. He’s only twenty-three. There’s no rush. Let him try different things.”
Zhang Jing was convinced and for the first time felt that Ling Zhuo’s choice of Lu Chixie was actually not bad.
Later, Ling Zhuo heard Zhang Jing casually remark, “Lu Chixie really cares about you. It’s clear he genuinely likes you.”
Ling Zhuo smiled softly. “I know.”