Hot Search Alert! The Princess Goes Viral Worldwide-Chapter 141

“Scandals?” Yan Ning raised her eyes. “What scandals does Gu Nanyan have?”

“They’re all baseless rumors,” the manager replied. “Stuff about her being an industry darling, having poor acting skills, being a tyrant on set, and bullying other actors. These are all tied to her work in production teams.

There’s also talk of involving her half-sister, claiming she’s not filial. But that one has to be handled carefully, spun just vaguely enough. After all, she’s the daughter-in-law of the Zhan Family. No one dares to go too far for fear of angering the Zhan Family.

Most of the discussion revolves around her behavior in production teams.

As for her past two variety shows, there really isn’t any dirt to dig up, especially on ‘Off to School.’ She practically became a national idol after that.

Even my own parents are practicing that ‘Celestial Wellness Technique’ she promoted. They say it works wonders and are even encouraging me to give it a try.”

At this point, the manager let out a disdainful snort. He didn’t put any stock in wellness practices and thought they were all just scams.

If people have that kind of time, they’d be better off running laps.

Yan Ning frowned. She still felt it wasn’t enough. “Once ‘Starlight Splendor’ airs, they’re bound to buy hot-topic placements. Contact the other agencies. Get everyone to band together. We’ll all work in unison to crush the buzz around ‘Starlight Splendor.’”

The manager nodded. “Don’t worry about it. There’s no way it’ll go viral.”

As soon as the release date for ‘Starlight Splendor’ was announced, social media was flooded with scandals about Gu Nanyan.

Claims that even her role in ‘Speed Running’ was scripted, paid for by the Zhan Family to promote her.

Others suggested she had connections with some shadowy figure pulling the strings. Otherwise, why would others in the industry be struggling while she lived carefree?

Even the ‘Celestial Wellness Technique’ she advocated was rumored to have been bought by the Zhan Family and handed to her, claiming credit for something someone else originally developed.

In no time, the internet was ablaze with allegations about Gu Nanyan.

Trending topics on social media platforms all revolved around her, with hashtags like #GuNanyanHasBadCharacter and #GuNanyanGetOutOfShowbiz.

Short-form video platforms were flooded with satirical edits and misleading mashups of her clips.

At first, netizens didn’t buy into it.

Many of the allegations were obviously fake at a glance, but when the same accusations kept being repeated, it started to feel like the whole world had turned against Gu Nanyan.

Anyone who dared to voice support for her would instantly be chased away with insults.

Gradually, people stopped defending her altogether.

Sister Li was so furious when she saw what was happening that she nearly burst a blood vessel. She immediately ordered her team to prepare a statement.

But somehow, the statement couldn’t be posted.

Feng Chengxi came to Li pale-faced. “The portals and platforms—some higher-ups have been bribed. They’re blocking any attempts to publish a rebuttal statement for Her Majesty Nanyan.”

S Li’s expression darkened. She told Feng Chengxi to leave and went off to investigate, determined to find out what was going on.

Having worked in the industry for years, Sister Li had built connections with different circles and maintained good relations with many.

She reached out to some familiar faces among the leadership of these platforms, calling to invite them for a meal. But every time, her invitations were turned down.

Realizing something was very wrong, Sister Li decided to take matters into her own hands and went directly to someone’s house.

Guo Zhuang, one of the high-ranking executives, was in the middle of having a meal at home when Sister Li turned up on the doorstep. With a resigned sigh, she invited Sister Li into her study.

Before Sister Li could even open her mouth, Guo Zhuang cut her off. “I know why you’re here, but I can’t help you. I really can’t.”

"Sister Guo, I’m not asking for your help, just for some clarity. What exactly is going on here? Which bigshot has a problem with our Yan Queen?" Sister Li lowered her posture, pleading, "We’ve known each other for so many years. Please lend me a hand."

Seeing Guo Zhuang remain silent, Sister Li continued, "I heard you’ve been investing recently? The Zhan Family has a few promising projects. I can get you some insider information. You know, Yan Queen is the Zhan Family’s wife, so there’s still some advantage to that."

Hearing this, Guo Zhuang appeared somewhat tempted but retained her reservations.

Noticing her wavering, Sister Li pushed harder, "Sister Guo, at least let me die knowing the truth. I just can’t understand it. Who exactly did our Yan Queen offend? She hasn’t accepted any endorsement deals or commercial gigs, so there’s no question of her competing for resources.

Even her TV dramas are self-funded, self-produced—everything self-made. We’ve never clashed with anyone. You know Yan Queen’s status—she’s genuinely from a major wealthy family. Entering the entertainment circle was just a pastime for her."

At this, Guo Zhuang couldn’t hold back anymore, "A pastime? She’s practically become the top celebrity! Two variety shows, and she’s already a top-tier star. What more could she want?

Others have worked in the entertainment industry for decades and still don’t have her level of popularity. If she keeps this up, where is there room left for anyone else? She’s on track to monopolize all popularity and resources!

Let me be blunt with you: it’s not just one studio opposing her; it’s the entire industry united against her.

If your Yan Queen truly just wanted some fun, no one would care, especially out of respect for the Zhan Family. But if she’s aiming to dominate this industry—no way!

Sister Li, let me give you a word of advice: step back. Don’t fight this battle right now.

The adversaries you’re facing aren’t one or two; there are hundreds, thousands of them! You’re a veteran of the business. You should understand how the industry fears those juggernaut top-tier celebrities who can sway everyone with a single word. Such top-tier stars, once established, consume an inordinate amount of resources.

The opposition isn’t trying to drive Gu Nanyan out of the entertainment industry; they just don’t want her to grow too big.

And forget about promotion for this show. Not just my studio—none of the others are going to give it any exposure either. You’d best let this hope go."

After leaving Guo Zhuang’s place, Sister Li’s legs gave out, and she nearly stumbled. Steadying herself, she looked up toward the sky, feeling an unbearably harsh glare.

What now? What she do this time?

Should ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍they really back down?

When Sister Li returned, she went to meet Gu Nanyan and explained the situation.

Gu Nanyan nodded, showing understanding for the industry’s concerns. The fear of monopolistic juggernauts was indeed detrimental to fair competition.

“If my presence causes so much anxiety for others, then I’ll stop filming next time. Let someone else take the lead instead,” she said lightly. Her purpose was to let the dramas spread messages, to give children something to learn—not to chase stardom.

Sister Li was taken aback by Gu Nanyan’s attitude, momentarily stunned, and asked, “Then what are we going to do about this drama? Should we abandon promotion entirely?”

Gu Nanyan set down her book, saying, “Of course, we’ll promote it. I really like this project and want more people to see it.”

“How, then?” Sister Li hesitated. “Should we contact President Zhan, ask him to…”

Gu Nanyan waved her hand dismissively, “No need. He’s not suitable to intervene.”

If Zhan Lingfeng strong-handedly intervened, it would mean declaring war against everyone in the entertainment circle. Yet, Gu Nanyan was not intimidated by this prospect; she simply felt that such pointless skirmishes were a waste of precious time.

Instead of engaging in petty feuds—shouting, accusing, stepping on one another—it was better to focus on meaningful actions.

"I'll handle this matter myself. You go and rest," Gu Nanyan said, glancing at Sister Li's exhausted face. Her complexion was pale, her eyes shadowed by dark circles. It was clear she hadn’t had any proper rest for days.

Sister Li wanted to ask what Gu Nanyan had in mind, but seeing she had no intention of discussing it, she sighed softly and turned to leave.

Truthfully, Sister Li didn’t believe Gu Nanyan had any viable solutions.

She was well aware of Gu Nanyan’s charm and strong moral compass, but the entertainment industry’s murky waters were far too complex to navigate swiftly or easily.

Oh well, they would worry about it when the time came.

If nothing could be done, then so be it. After all, Nanyan—dubbed 'Empress Yan' for her talent—had undeniable skills. She was bound to shine in the future with some smash-hit dramasSister Li informed the staff to take a break and stop monitoring the online news, then finally went to rest herself.

Meanwhile, just as Sister Li left, word began to spread externally.

Yan Ning’s lips drew into a subtle smile catching wind of the developments, convinced she had the upper hand in the situation.

At this point, nearly everyone believed Gu Nanyan was cornered, dealing with a major setback that would prevent her from launching her career to greater fame.

But suddenly, the Ministry of Education released a statement, tagging the drama "Starlight Radiance" with a congratulatory post:

【Congratulations to "Starlight Radiance" on its premiere! May everyone shine brilliantly like starlight.】

The moment announcement was made, the internet was utterly stunned.