Chapter 14: A Godsend Assist

A few days later, *The Story of a Noble Family* premiered amidst overwhelming anticipation.

Various forces were hoping that this highly-regarded production would finally push back the tide of shoddy school-themed imitations sparked by *Meteor Garden*. Since the previous summer, the domestic television market had been dominated by three successive hits.

That summer belonged entirely to *Meteor Garden*. Its roughly 20% viewership rating was an achievement that, with the rise of the internet, would likely never be reached again. Had it not been pulled from the air after two rounds of broadcasts, the frenzy might have continued unabated.

In the autumn that followed, with its main competitor neutralized, *Romance in the Rain* reigned supreme for three months, barely breaking the 15% threshold that defined a "legendary show."

Then, in December, *Autumn in My Heart* swept into the country from the East with such force that it introduced domestic audiences to the "trinity of misery"—car accidents, leukemia, and switched-at-birth tropes. It set a new floor for how much audiences could be made to suffer, successfully wringing tears from hundreds of millions of housewives. Although it ultimately failed to hit 15% due to its niche appeal, it was a remarkable feat for an imported series.

Undoubtedly, Chengpin Video, which held the exclusive rights, made a fortune. Just by selling the second-round broadcast rights to various provincial satellite stations, they raked in nearly 20 million yuan in pure profit.

Now, with the fervor for *Autumn in My Heart* finally cooling, industry insiders felt it was the perfect time to trigger the next wave of hype.

*The Story of a Noble Family* arrived right on schedule.

"12.8% premiere rating!" "14.6% average over three days."

When these figures were released, everyone from the screenwriters and the director to the higher-ups at the CCTV Film and Television Department breathed a sigh of relief. Generally, a show’s premiere doesn't necessarily start high; it requires word-of-mouth to build momentum before climbing. Of course, if the quality is poor, a total flop is always a possibility.

Because *The Story of a Noble Family* was such a hit from the start, it was clearly the "celebrity halo" effect at work—every girl who had been captivated by Gu Cheng’s cold, handsome demeanor in *Meteor Garden* had immediately jumped on board for this aristocratic drama.

"That kid Gu Cheng is truly a stabilizing force for ratings. If he weren't at the helm, no matter how good the production was, it wouldn't have hit these numbers on day one. It definitely would have been a slow burn." Even the executives at CCTV who didn't particularly care for Gu Cheng had to admit the truth: he was the most potent heartthrob for young women over the past year.

Reactions in the industry were always much faster than those of the general public. While the audience was still waiting to "let the truth fly for a while" and enjoying the spectacle of dissecting just how explosive Gu Cheng's new hit really was, the industry’s internal game of musical chairs and desperate battles for roles were already in full swing.

As the female lead, Dong Jie was already being hinted at as a lock for a "Top Ten Television Art Actors" award for the year. The higher-ups had originally wanted to give one to Gu Cheng as well, but since he wasn't part of their system and hadn't shown enough deference, they feared he might refuse the award and cause them to lose face, so they wisely didn't push it.

The second female lead, Liu Feifei, didn't have a solid grasp of acting yet. To the experts, she was still raw and in need of years of professional training, so she wasn't qualified for an award just yet. However, a top producer at CCTV took a liking to her performance as Bai Xiuzhu and, without much fuss, handed her the role of Wang Yuyan in the upcoming Jin Yong adaptation, *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*.

Gu Cheng himself got nothing, but it was believed that the audience’s eyes were sharp; sooner or later, they would realize that even the two girls who had been "lifted by his influence" had received such massive benefits, meaning Gu Cheng’s own achievements surely stood on a higher tier. It was just that the "Male God" preferred to keep his accomplishments hidden, disdaining television awards.

...

When Liu Feifei received the news that she would play Wang Yuyan in the producer's new summer project, she was naturally overjoyed. For a moment, she wanted to call Gu Cheng to show off her achievement and prove that she, too, was recognized. But half a month ago, when Gu Cheng had laid his cards on the table, he had been crystal clear: he had never liked her; he was just helping her find her "acting rhythm" and had told a white lie.

This left Liu Feifei jealous and unwilling to let go, forcing her to suppress the urge to call him with the good news. Through this setback, her outlook on love matured slightly. She realized that her feelings for Gu Cheng weren't true infatuation. She had simply never met a boy better than him, and coupled with her princess complex and vanity, she had naturally wanted to possess him. Now, while the obsession had faded, the resentment remained.

She had watched *Autumn in My Heart* on TV and listened to the theme song, *Inter-Love*. She admitted that BoA’s voice was beautiful and worthy of her title as the "Asian Diva." But when it came to boys choosing girls, wasn't looks the most important factor? Singing and dancing weren't exactly critical criteria. In terms of beauty, she still felt she was the superior one. Especially after being cast as the "Fairy Sister" Wang Yuyan, her vanity had reached its peak.

Tossing and turning for two days, Liu Feifei decided to take a break from school and travel abroad to "investigate the situation." What bothered her most was Gu Cheng’s lie about him and BoA being distant cousins. When he said it, he looked so natural and calm. She didn't quite believe it was a lie.

"If I find out this isn't a lie, but a 'lie within a lie' you told just to dump me, see how I deal with you, you heartless man!"

The execution skills of those with a princess complex are always strong. Although Gu Cheng protected his family privacy strictly, if someone was willing to pay enough or pull the right strings, digging up personal information was possible. It didn't take much effort for Liu Feifei to find out that Gu Cheng’s grandmother was named Kwon Young-rye and was indeed of East Yi descent.

She then discovered that BoA would be returning to East Yi from Japan the following week to film the music video for *Inter-Love* and visit home. So, she bought a plane ticket and embarked on her journey to Seoul. Having grown up in the United States, she had changed her citizenship long ago; carrying an American passport meant she didn't even need a visa to enter East Yi.

...

Ten days later, Seoul.

BoA dragged her exhausted, sickly body home and immediately collapsed. She had just finished shooting the music video for *Inter-Love*, and her company had decided to film extra videos for her upcoming album, *Valenti*. The title track *Valenti*, the *Inuyasha* theme *Every Heart*, and the *Autumn in My Heart* theme *Inter-Love*—not a single one could be left out. The company’s focus on this album was evident. Never before had they produced more than three music videos for a single album, all meticulously polished frame by frame.

The shoot for *Inter-Love* was grueling, second only to the time she nearly fell off a cliff during *Atlantis Princess*. To simulate the sorrow of a winter romance, the entire video was shot in a thick ice sculpture room. The tables, chairs, and plates were all carved from ice, and even the flowers and fruit were frozen. To appear beautiful and pitiful, BoA had to wear a thin camisole, leaving her shoulders and arms completely exposed.

She could have requested special effects, but the East Yi industry was notoriously stubborn. Because of the intense competition, agencies loved to brag about how much their idols could endure to elicit sympathy from fans. Caught in this world, BoA had no choice but to comply. After filming for six or seven hours in the ice room, she emerged not only with a severe cold but nearly in shock from hypothermia.

That day, her father was at work, and her mother and brother were at home. Her brother, Kwon Soon-woo, was graduating from university that year, so his schedule was free, and he often stayed home to keep her company.

As BoA lay in bed, her phone rang. It was an unknown number. She answered weakly to hear a girl’s voice, and to her surprise, it was in Mandarin. She wondered how the girl had gotten her number. Idols' numbers were highly confidential and changed every few months. If it were easy to find, she would have been driven mad by now.

Fortunately, the girl’s next sentence cleared up the mystery.

"Hello, is this Miss Kwon? I’m a friend of Gu Cheng’s, visiting from Beijing. I’m downstairs, and I have some secrets regarding Brother Cheng that I’d like to discuss with you."

"Brother Cheng’s friend? My apologies, I’m quite ill and can’t come down to meet you. Please, just come up; I’ll open the door."

Two minutes later, Liu Feifei walked in under the surprised gazes of the Kwon family. She didn't speak the local language, and no one in the family besides BoA spoke Mandarin, creating an awkward silence. After a brief exchange, BoA led Liu Feifei to her bedroom, where she lay in bed, bundled up and wearing a mask to prevent contagion, gesturing for Liu Feifei to sit on the sofa.

Liu Feifei glanced at BoA’s sickly appearance and suddenly felt like she had won an unfair victory. Suppressing her emotions, she introduced herself proudly: "My name is Liu Feifei. You may have heard of me. The hottest drama in China this year, *The Story of a Noble Family*, is a collaboration between me and Brother Cheng. I play his first love and his second wife in the show."

BoA, unsure of what the other wanted, responded diplomatically: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Liu."

Liu Feifei gathered her courage and blurted out: "I heard from Brother Cheng that you are his distant cousin?"

"Huh?"