AITFYMIBP Chapter 1

TL: Hua

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Chapter 1: #YanranGetOutOfTheEntertainmentIndustry#

Lin Yanran opened his Weibo, and the third trending topic was #YanranGetOutOfTheEntertainmentIndustry#.

The most popular post was a screenshot from a marketing account of a forum post and its top comments:

Title: Can that useless Yanran please get out of Super Idol? He’s lowering the show’s standards!

Main Post: The show has been on for three episodes, and I get so annoyed every time I see him. It’s one thing that his skills are bad, but he also intentionally keeps Xuan Yihan from getting an “A.” Does he have a grudge against him? I heard he once called a popular singer garbage. With a character like that, he deserves to be hated by everyone!

[I have a reasonable suspicion that he kept Xuan Yihan from an A just to get more screen time and create a dramatic moment for himself.]

[Get lost, I don’t want to see this good-for-nothing anymore.]

[Washed-up nobody, stop creating drama for yourself, okay?]

[Program team, I’ll lose all respect for you if you don’t replace Yanran.]

[My heart aches for Yihan. Yanran is trash.]

[Yanran, get out of the entertainment industry.]

[Yanran, get out of the entertainment industry +1.]

This post clearly resonated with a lot of people. In just a few hours, dozens of marketing accounts had reposted it. With the added fuel from idol fans and haters, it directly sent Yanran to the top of the trending list.

Lin Yanran scrolled through the comments. The list went on for a long time, and the top comments were all overwhelmingly negative.

His assistant, Yingying, brought a cup of hot milk. Seeing the offensive words on the trending list, she took the phone out of his hand, her face full of concern.

“Brother, don’t look at this. It’s just haters trying to stir up trouble. They don’t know the real you…”

Lin Yanran, lying in the hospital bed, smiled at the young woman. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Looking at his beautiful, pale face, Yingying opened her mouth but held back what she wanted to say. “You suddenly fainted this morning and gave me a scare. The doctor said it was due to a lack of rest and low blood sugar. Brother, please remember to eat on time from now on.”

In the end, all her words of concern turned into that single plea.

However, she didn’t know that when Lin Yanran said he was fine, he wasn’t just putting on a brave face.

After all, if transmigrating into a book couldn’t faze him, then a little online slander was nothing.

Lin Yanran took a sip of hot milk, closed his eyes, and began to recall what had just happened.

He had just finished his graduation ceremony and boarded a plane to fly back home. Feeling a bit tired, he fell asleep on the way. When he woke up, everything around him had changed.

He had transmigrated into a danmei novel called The Entire Entertainment Industry Is Fighting Over Me.

According to the information he absorbed, the protagonist, Xuan Yihan, was the real young master of a wealthy family. He was a beloved figure who held the “family’s favorite” script. He was recognized by his family at sixteen and became a household name by twenty-two. His career was smooth sailing, and his family was happy and loving.

Not only was he doted on by his parents, but top figures in the industry were also crazy about him—a true winner in life.

Meanwhile, Lin Yanran, the cannon fodder fake young master he had transmigrated into, was a foil to the protagonist. He was a clumsy, ignorant slacker with a terrible reputation and endless scandals.

Six years ago, when the real young master was recognized, this adopted son, completely oblivious to his place, caused all sorts of trouble for him. He was eventually kicked out of the family by his adoptive parents, who had long since grown tired of him.

Now, without the aura of a wealthy young master, he was still determined to court disaster despite his downfall. He used his position as a mentor on Super Idol to constantly make things difficult for the protagonist, acting like a complete clown.

The tragic end of the cannon fodder was that the protagonist would rise up and slap him in the face. The original owner was so reviled that he had to leave the entertainment industry. He eventually ended up in massive debt from a contract dispute and tragically fell to his death while working at a construction site, becoming a running joke in the entertainment industry.

The current plot was at a point where the original owner had consecutively made things difficult for the protagonist, Xuan Yihan, using various excuses to keep him from getting an “A” grade.

Xuan Yihan, as the novel’s protagonist, was destined to be favored by everyone. So when the show aired, audiences and fans reacted strongly to the original owner’s actions. In addition to a trending topic condemning him, they flooded the show with complaints, demanding that the “useless” mentor be replaced.

After processing the plot, Lin Yanran opened his eyes again.

The situation seemed a bit exciting.

He took another sip of hot milk and picked up his phone to search for the video of the original Yanran giving Xuan Yihan a hard time.

He had barely typed the name “Yanran” into the search bar before his phone’s auto-fill function suggested [Yanran blocked Xuan Yihan from an A] and [Yanran get out of the entertainment industry].”

Lin Yanran ignored the other suggestions and clicked on the first link. A few seconds later, the video popped up, but it was originally posted on Xuan Yihan’s fan page.

Xuan Yihan’s Little Bunny: #YanranBlockedXuanYihanFromAnA#. It’s not that we fans are being unreasonable or seeking sympathy. But we’re powerless to say whether a certain mentor intentionally targeted Hanhan. We just hope everyone will watch the video and understand what happened at the time.

Glancing at the fan’s manipulative post, Lin Yanran clicked play.

The video was edited by a Xuan Yihan fan and was clearly well thought out. The screen was split in two.

On the left was a compilation of clips from the show’s behind-the-scenes footage and fan-taken photos and videos, showing Xuan Yihan diligently practicing the theme song. The right side simultaneously played his dance performance during the theme song evaluation.

In the video, Xuan Yihan tried his best to flash the smile of a polished idol, attempting to appear cheerful and energetic. But his occasionally furrowed brows and pale lips betrayed his physical discomfort.

It seemed he was pushing himself to the limit, and after completing the final move, he collapsed onto the floor. A mentor rushed over to help him up.

“Are you not feeling well?” the mentor asked with concern.

Xuan Yihan shook his head in the mentor’s arms and quietly said he was fine.

Then, his friend rushed over and explained in a loud voice, “How can he be fine?! Mentors, you don’t know, Yihan suddenly got a terrible cold last night and was on an IV drip before coming to the evaluation…”

After listening to him, several instructors showed concern and gave him an A grade and various encouragement.

However, the last mentor to grade him—the original owner—didn’t offer any encouragement, and his words to Xuan Yihan were cold.

He said, “Even though you’ve worked hard, I’m sorry, but I can only give you a ‘B’ for this performance.”

The grade caused a stir throughout the entire room.

Even Xuan Yihan, who had been maintaining a faint smile, couldn’t keep it up.

He bowed to the original owner and said thank you, but a close-up shot of his face clearly captured the hurt and frustration in his eyes.

Anyone who saw this would feel a wave of sympathy for him. The comments on the video were naturally overwhelming.

[To all the casual viewers who don’t understand the grading system, here’s a quick explanation: To get an ‘A’ for the theme song, every mentor has to give you an ‘A’. If any mentor gives a different grade, the contestant is given the lowest grade they received.]

[So, because of this Yanran, Xuan Yihan was forced to get a ‘B’? He missed out on the center position for the ‘A’ stage?]

[??????? That’s so outrageous?]

[He was sick but still danced with such power. Isn’t that spirit alone enough for an ‘A’?]

[Considering the mentor is Yanran, this is normal. He’s a weirdo.]

[If your brain is broken, you should donate it.]

[Is Yanran jealous of Hanhan’s talent and trying to hold him back?]

[I really don’t get it. My brother had such a severe cold but still performed so well. Why couldn’t he get an ‘A’?]

Lin Yanran’s eyes swept over that last fan comment, and he couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh.

Why couldn’t he get an A?

That fan’s filter on their “brother” must be ten thousand meters thick.

Based on Xuan Yihan’s performance, Lin Yanran felt that giving him a “B” was the original Yanran being merciful.

Most viewers don’t have professional dance experience, so they can’t see the subtleties.

But Lin Yanran had trained since childhood with his mother, a national-level dance master. After being surrounded by that world for so many years, he could immediately spot the issues in Xuan Yihan’s performance.

At a quick glance, Xuan Yihan’s dance seemed flawless, and he completed the entire routine in one take. He was definitely better than the trainees who couldn’t even remember the moves.

But if you looked closely, you’d notice he missed his beats twice and wasn’t properly synced with the drum beats. The “power” that his fans raved about was there, but the crucial explosive force was lacking. In particular, some of the more technical moves were executed sloppily. His foundation was weak, a clear sign of a rushed learning process.

This kind of performance—from someone who hadn’t even fully mastered the choreography but was rushing to the evaluation to grab an “A” group spot—might fool the audience, but it couldn’t fool Lin Yanran.

However, the protagonist is, after all, the protagonist. Normally, some viewers might not be convinced, but his friend was quick to jump in and add the kind of inspirational, “hard-working and never-give-up” story that reality show audiences love.

This emotional appeal created a kind of moral coercion. Within an atmosphere of sympathy and admiration, it suddenly became a given that Xuan Yihan deserved an “A”.

The original owner, who showed no sympathy and coldly gave him a “B,” appeared unfeeling, as if he was intentionally making things difficult.

Lin Yanran felt that the original owner was unfairly maligned. If he hadn’t just given the final grade but had also explained his reasoning, pointing out Xuan Yihan’s imperfections, his actions wouldn’t have been so easily twisted, and he wouldn’t have been so harshly criticized.

After getting a rough understanding of this wave of grievances, Lin Yanran looked up and found that an uninvited guest had suddenly come into the ward.

The person looked displeased. He immediately shooed Yingying out and then stood by the bed, looking down at Lin Yanran with disdain.

“Yanran, did you do what I told you this morning?”

The man’s tone was anything but polite.

Based on the original owner’s memories, Lin Yanran recognized the man standing before him: Ding Weikang, the original owner’s agent.

Lin Yanran didn’t know what the agent had said to the original owner. He calmly set his cup down, found his phone’s recording function, and gently pressed record.

If he didn’t speak, the other person would eventually reveal everything.

Sure enough, Ding Weikang, thinking Lin Yanran was ignoring him by playing on his phone, started a long lecture.

“Did you not hear me? Don’t you understand that I told you to get out of Super Idol on your own accord?”

With that, he reached for Lin Yanran’s phone.

Lin Yanran swiftly placed his phone on the bedside table and looked up, meeting Ding Weikang’s gaze with a cold, piercing stare.

Ding Weikang froze, his movements halting. For some reason, a shiver ran down his spine. He stared at Lin Yanran in disbelief. It was the same face, the same eyes, yet the look in them was foreign and sharp. An invisible, unapproachable aura emanated from him.

Ding Weikang stared intently at Lin Yanran, feeling as if the person in front of him had suddenly become someone else entirely.

Having always been a bully who picked on the weak, Ding Weikang had never seen Yanran act so dominant. He immediately backed down, awkwardly retracting his hand that had been suspended in mid-air.

Seeing that his agent had become much more subdued, Lin Yanran calmly spoke. “What if I refuse to leave?”

Angered that Lin Yanran was ignoring him, Ding Weikang threw a stack of contracts onto his lap. “Then you can wait for the company to sue you for breach of contract.”

Not content with just that, he continued to threaten him. “Did you forget the contract? Accepting an announcement without the company’s permission…”

Lin Yanran didn’t know what the contract said, but he didn’t show it. He simply lowered his eyes and slowly picked up the document.

He saw that one page clearly stated that if he accepted a job without the company’s permission, he would have to pay a breach of contract fee of fifty million yuan.

This was practically extortion.

Seeing Lin Yanran’s eyes fall on the fifty million yuan amount, Ding Weikang felt he had regained the upper hand. He quickly reverted to his arrogant self and got straight to the point. “Of course, you don’t have to quit. The company didn’t do anything to you for all the shows you’ve participated in before, right?”

He glanced at Lin Yanran, and when he saw no reaction, he made his intentions clear.

“You ran away from President Li’s bed last night and even kicked him. He was angry and went to the company’s senior management today.”

The implication was that President Li was unhappy about the failed coercion and now wanted to blacklist him, preventing him from appearing on any shows.

Lin Yanran naturally understood what he meant and also figured out why the original owner hadn’t rested well and had low blood sugar.

Although Ding Weikang didn’t say it explicitly, it was easy to guess that they had tricked the original owner into going there.

Lin Yanran raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying he wants to blacklist me?”

Ding Weikang scoffed, neither confirming nor denying it.

Lin Yanran looked at him, and after letting him gloat for a bit, he calmly revealed the truth. “If he really wanted to blacklist me, why would you bother coming all the way here?”

Lin Yanran’s words wiped the smug look off Ding Weikang’s face.

He stared at the person in front of him, unable to understand how his mind had suddenly become so sharp.

He used to be so foolish; he would believe any excuse, like when he was told a producer appreciated his music and to just go have a meal with him. He would obediently go without a single doubt.

Why was he so insightful today…

Was he so traumatized by last night’s attempted coercion that he had become hyper-aware?

Ding Weikang shot him a sarcastic glance. “Looks like you aren’t completely hopeless.”

Lin Yanran sneered. “Your brain works fast, too. At doing this kind of pimping.”

Lin Yanran came from a privileged background. He had been a pampered prodigy all his life. Although he wasn’t arrogant, he was forthright.

In his view, even if the original owner was a villainous supporting character in the novel, anyone who tried to coerce him was trash.

The pimp in front of him was equally disgusting, so his tone was naturally blunt.

Pimping was a dirty business that was better left unsaid.

But now, not only had Lin Yanran called him out on it, he had also mocked him to his face. Ding Weikang felt both guilty and humiliated.

He put on a tough facade and snapped at Lin Yanran. “What are you talking about, pimping? You’re a financial loss for the company. The only thing you have going for you is your face. It’s your good fortune that President Li thinks so highly of you. You should cherish this opportunity.”

Lin Yanran’s face remained expressionless despite being relentlessly belittled by the furious Ding Weikang. He only curled his lips into a slight smile. “Is that so?”

Seeing Lin Yanran so calm, Ding Weikang became even more enraged.

But just as he was about to unleash a torrent of insults, he suddenly came to his senses.

He realized that today, Yanran was acting exceptionally strange.

He used to be quiet and withdrawn, silently enduring everything without a word.

It had been this way since he joined the survival show. After a scandal caused his popularity to plummet, he was torn apart by the public but never explained himself.

Later, when the company forced him to skip his university entrance exam for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, he was mercilessly criticized by netizens and never once clarified his side of the story.

Even when the company had wrung all his commercial value dry, he quietly accepted it when they stopped giving him work and releasing his albums.

It was as if he lived entirely in his own world.

Today, he was acting like a different person. Recalling that he even had the guts to kick President Li and run away, Ding Weikang had a bad premonition.

Could it be that Yanran was thinking of ending his life?

Ding Weikang’s mind flashed to a news story he’d seen that morning about a K-pop idol who jumped to his death after being coerced. Fearing that Yanran had been pushed to his breaking point, he quickly softened his tone and began to coax him.

“Yanran, my tone was a bit harsh just now; don’t take it to heart. I know you’re angry, but we’ve been working together for five years. Would I ever harm you? I’m doing all of this for your own good!”

Ding Weikang told the lie without batting an eye, putting on a show of concern. “Haven’t you always wanted to release an album? Our company is just a small operation and doesn’t have the ability to do that, but President Li does! Go ask around. He’s a senior producer at EC, in charge of the entire entertainment division. What kind of resources doesn’t he have? All you have to do is bear with it, close your eyes, and spend one night with him. How simple is that?”

Watching Ding Weikang’s clumsy performance of “It’s for your own good,” Lin Yanran almost burst out laughing.

As he spoke, Ding Weikang observed Yanran’s expression. He knew Yanran was soft-hearted and easily manipulated. Seeing that he still hadn’t given in, he continued to persuade him. “Yanran, don’t be so stubborn. I saw your account is almost empty. You have to live, and you have to make music. Be smart and come with me tonight to the Pearl Hotel to have dinner with President Li and apologize, okay? The fact that he hasn’t blacklisted you yet means he still cares about you, you know?”

Music was what Yanran valued most, and money was what he needed most. So Ding Weikang brought up both, pretending to care while subtly pressuring him to comply.

“The higher-ups were furious and were ready to sue you for breach of contract, but President Li was generous enough to temporarily hold them off. My dear, just listen to me. As long as you go to dinner tonight and apologize, everything will be fine.”

Ding Weikang’s pleas made it seem as if he was begging Lin Yanran, but in fact he was certain that Lin Yanran would be forced to compromise due to reality.

 

After all, this wasn’t his first time dealing with a small-time celebrity; he was very experienced.

But this time, Ding Weikang miscalculated.

“No.”

Lin Yanran directly rejected Ding Weikang’s suggestion. His tone was firm and cold.

Ding Weikang stood frozen, still processing the response.

“Yanran, what did you say?”

“I said no,” Lin Yanran repeated, word for word. He then glanced at Ding Weikang and gave him an order to leave. “You can leave now.”

Ding Weikang, who had always been a bully to Yanran, nearly choked on his anger.

He had said so much, and Yanran was treating it like nothing?

And how dare he tell him to leave!

Seeing that Lin Yanran didn’t even want to look at him and had gone back to using his phone, Ding Weikang glared at him, gritting his teeth. “You’d better think carefully about the consequences of this.”

Lin Yanran didn’t even lift his head. “I’ve thought it through very clearly.”

Ding Weikang was too furious to speak. He stood there for a moment, realizing that Lin Yanran’s attitude was unshakeable and there was no room for negotiation. He finally scoffed and threatened him. “Fine, we’ll see about that.”

Lin Yanran’s lips curled into a smile. “I look forward to it.”

The hospital room door slammed shut with a loud bang as Ding Weikang left.

Lin Yanran ignored it, unfazed by his threats. He calmly saved the recording of their conversation.

Yingying only dared to enter after Ding Weikang had left. She was nervous and worried after witnessing his outburst.

“Brother, Ding Weikang seemed very angry.”

Lin Yanran nodded, unconcerned. “It’s fine.”

He gave Yingying a reassuring look but didn’t tell her what had happened. “Can you get me a laptop?”

Yingying was confused by the sudden change in topic.

A laptop?

Yingying: “Brother, why do you need a laptop?”

Lin Yanran replied, “To photoshop.”

Photoshop?

Yingying scratched her head.

Why is it that after Brother Yanran woke up, she couldn’t understand what he said or did?

But Yingying was always obedient and didn’t ask any more questions. She went and brought her laptop for Yanran to use.

Placing it down, she stood by, curious to see what he wanted to photoshop.

She watched as he quickly downloaded a photo editing program and expertly began to work.

His fair, slender fingers manipulated the mouse. In the middle of the screen, a small bear that was doing flips quickly appeared.

Lin Yanran moved his fingers again and photoshopped the words “Yanran” above the bear’s head.

Then he added a circus ring around the bear and photoshopped the words “Entertainment Industry” onto it.

Finally, he merged the two animated images to create a single meme.

And so, a new animated meme was born: [Yanran (Flips out of the) Entertainment Industry].

Lin Yanran opened Weibo using the webpage, logged into his account, and posted the freshly made meme.

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