The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 170: A Thousand Years of Waiting, A Single Thought of Deep Love

At exactly eight o'clock that evening.

The official Weibo account for "Longing Across Time" released a bombshell announcement right on schedule.

[Waiting for a thousand years, deep love in a single thought. Welcome the female lead "A Li" @ Su Qingying to join the cast.]

The accompanying image was a candid photo of Su Qingying.

In the picture, she wore only a simple, plain-colored dress with her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her cool, elegant face was free of makeup, yet it instantly captured everyone's gaze.

The moment the news was posted, the backend data stream of Weibo's servers was nearly overwhelmed by the sudden surge of traffic.

#Su Qingying Joins Longing Across Time#

#Female Lead for Five Billion Mega-Production#

Two hashtags dominated the trending charts with overwhelming force.

Su Qingying's fans—the "Qingying Guards"—instantly took over the comment section.

Their "Iceberg Goddess" had actually taken on another S+ grade commercial fantasy blockbuster!

This was practically like celebrating the New Year early!

"Ahhhhh! I'm living long enough to see this! My goddess has descended to the mortal realm again!"

"Five billion investment! Best Actress as the female lead! This opportunity is so huge it's blinding! Booked as the number one hit of the year!"

"A Li! This name sounds so beautiful! I'm already starting to imagine the story!"

After the initial frenzy. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A new, highly contentious topic was quickly pushed to the number one spot on the trending list.

#Who Is Worthy of Su Qingying's Ye Chen#

This topic turned the comment section into an absolute warzone.

"The male lead must be at the Film Emperor level! Otherwise, he simply won't be able to hold his own against Su Qingying's aura!"

"I nominate Gu Huai! If those two could team up again, I'd ship them to death!"

"Peng Shaofeng could work too! High national recognition, and his acting is solid!"

"Those idol actors better not even think about getting involved. Whoever comes will get roasted, understand?"

Netizens and marketing accounts had, for once, reached a rare consensus.

Looking across the entire entertainment industry, the number of actors who could share the screen with Su Qingying and shoulder the male lead role in this five-billion-investment project could be counted on one hand.

Every name mentioned represented seniority, skill, and widespread public recognition.

In the hotel room, Jiang Ci's phone rang at this moment.

It was Lin Wan.

"You saw the official announcement."

As soon as the call connected, Lin Wan's voice came through, cutting straight to the chase without any preamble.

"Yeah."

"Gu Huai's move here is a double-edged sword."

Lin Wan's tone was calm.

"By pushing Su Qingying out front, he's directly pulled this project's anticipation level to its peak."

"But at the same time, he's also pushed you, this 'mystery man,' right into the eye of the storm."

Jiang Ci listened quietly.

He could imagine Lin Wan on the other end of the line, leaning back in her office chair, her fingers unconsciously tapping the desk.

"The entire internet is now expecting a Film Emperor-level male lead."

"If the person finally announced turns out to be you..."

Lin Wan paused briefly.

"The huge gap in expectations will instantly transform into attacks against you. Every past scandal, every bit of criticism and doubt you've faced, will be dug up and magnified a hundredfold."

"You'll be accused of being unworthy of the role, of being forcibly promoted by capital."

Lin Wan's words were crystal clear.

Jiang Ci responded with "mm-hmm" sounds, but his thoughts had already run wild.

Su Qingying's fans... were they that formidable?

"Qingying Guards"... the name alone sounded like it had high combat power.

Then, if the kissing scenes aren't filmed well... would they track him down through the internet?

From a criminal law perspective, would sending threatening letters be classified as "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" or "intimidation and threats"?

As a public figure, if he filed a police report, would the police give it higher priority?

"Jiang Ci? Are you listening?"

Lin Wan's question interrupted his serious contemplation on "the legal definition of fan extremism and paths for self-protection."

"I'm listening, Sister Wan," Jiang Ci immediately replied.

Hearing his prolonged silence, Lin Wan's tone softened a little on the other end. "Don't let the pressure get to you on your end."

"Since Daylight Entertainment dares to do this, they have follow-up plans. What we need to do now is wait."

"Okay."

After hanging up, the room returned to silence.

Sun Zhou, holding his phone nearby, was so anxious he was practically stomping his feet.

"Bro! The internet is about to explode from all the arguing! How can you not be anxious at all?!"

Jiang Ci glanced at him.

"Would being anxious help?"

Sun Zhou choked.

Well... it probably wouldn't.

The online battle had already escalated to a white-hot stage.

Fans of various Film Emperors were almost ready to arrange offline fights over the role of "Ye Chen."

At eleven o'clock at night.

Another key figure, Gu Huai, finally made a move.

He updated his Weibo.

No long post, not even a single punctuation mark.

Just one photo and five words.

The photo showed a simple, antique-style teacup with clear, bright tea inside.

It was precisely the same cup he had pushed in front of Jiang Ci that day in the teahouse.

The accompanying text read:

"Quietly awaiting an old friend's return."

This Weibo post instantly shifted the direction of the boiling public opinion.

"Holy crap? Gu Huai isn't acting in it himself?"

"Who is he making way for? Who is this 'old friend'?"

"I'm going crazy. Who on earth is this person that Gu Huai would publicly state he's 'waiting' for? What kind of godly relationship is this?!"

Netizens who had been in fandom circles for years immediately sensed the deeper meaning.

One of the investors behind Daylight Entertainment was Gu Huai.

This Weibo post wasn't written for the general public at all. It was a message for those restless capital forces and those male actors eyeing the role.

He was making a statement.

He was telling everyone.

This role, he was protecting it.

This "mystery man," he was determined to wait for him.

"Damn! Gu Huai is so bold! This is publicly showing strong support for that mystery man!"

"Old friend? That means Gu Huai and this male lead have known each other for a long time, and their relationship is unbelievably good!"

"Who the hell is it?! Someone who could make Gu Huai go to these lengths! I'm dying of curiosity!"

"This is getting interesting. He just blocked all the backdoor routes. I really want to see what kind of celestial being finally shows up!"

The wind of public opinion began to shift subtly.

From the simple "who is worthy of Su Qingying," it gradually skewed toward "who exactly is this mystery man."

Less than ten minutes after Gu Huai's Weibo post.

The third key player in the storm, Su Qingying, also made a move.

She first reposted the official announcement Weibo for "Longing Across Time."

Her accompanying text was equally simple, just two words.

"Looking forward."

This was standard procedure.

But a few minutes later.

An entertainment marketing account with over ten million followers posted a screenshot.

The screenshot's content was from Su Qingying's Weibo homepage, specifically the "Liked" section.

The latest entry there was clearly Gu Huai's recent post—"Quietly awaiting an old friend's return."

Below this screenshot was an analysis clearly relishing the drama:

[Deep Dive into the Details! Su Qingying liked Gu Huai's Weibo! What does this mean? It shows she not only knows this 'mystery male lead' she's about to work with, but she also approves of and anticipates the arrival of this 'old friend'!]

[Who is this chosen one who can earn simultaneous endorsements from the most low-key Film Emperor and the most aloof Best Actress?!]

Once this Weibo was posted.

The fiercely arguing comment section experienced a brief lull.

Su Qingying's fans, the "Qingying Guards," were also stunned.

What was going on?

Their goddess wasn't just going to act alongside a mystery man, she knew him? And she liked his post?

This...

This development was completely unexpected for them.

An intense wave of curiosity began to overpower their initial rejection and scrutiny.

Now they wanted to know too.

Who exactly was this "mystery man" who could make both Su Qingying and Gu Huai step forward to publicly support him?

What kind of extraordinary being was he?