Chapter 63: From the Moment He Acted, He Had Already Reached the Limits of This Realm
The new drama "Nirvana in Fire" continues to dominate the spotlight with explosive popularity.
However, the other two platforms among the three video giants remained silent.
Some people even forced themselves to appear calm all day, posting several updates on Weibo to express their composure and tranquility.
[Li Xinjie V: Had hotpot today with my agent @Li Hui. Thank you all for waiting for the new drama. See you on the first of next month! /Image6jpg.]
[NNQT Boy Band Official: We practiced dancing today, getting ready for upcoming variety shows. By the way, when the new drama premieres, will you all come to see the Four Talented Scholars?]
[Chen Yang V: Back at the company, all is well. Waiting for you with "Southern Order"!]
[@...]
A whole group of actors with costume idol dramas airing this year seemed to have made a pact, all showing off their personal status updates.
But whether they truly didn't care, or were attempting to mask their inner anxiety, no one could say.
When the official premiere day arrived, everyone watched the two free episodes, and then couldn't resist purchasing a membership.
After binge-watching the first six episodes—
"!!!"
"!!!"
Panic set in.
Utter panic!
In just one day, the ratings on Penguin's platform skyrocketed straight to the top!
The completion rate and comment index nearly overtook the previous number one in seconds.
And this was only the first day!
...
At this very moment, Li Hui was utterly bewildered.
It was a familiar scene, a familiar routine—watching Su Mu's drama together with Li Xinjie.
He remembered the last time the two had watched "The Knockout" with envy.
Now, it seemed they were about to repeat history.
When they heard yesterday that "Nirvana in Fire" would premiere, they watched as Li Xinjie's trending keywords were instantly pushed from the top spot to the bottom.
Li Hui nearly choked on his water.
A sense of foreboding clouded his heart.
So, no matter what, he had to watch for himself and personally confirm the quality of Su Mu's new drama.
If it turned out to be mediocre, everything would be easy to handle.
But then—
From the moment Su Mu appeared on screen, with his frail figure and eyes brimming with inner turmoil, Li Hui immediately felt the urge to schedule double eyelid surgery for Li Xinjie!
Look at that acting—then look at Li Xinjie's...
It was true: without comparison, there would be no pain.
They finished the first episode... and then the second.
Li Xinjie: "Buy the membership! Buy it now!"
Li Hui's face was ashen: "..."
He felt that he must have been blind before, choosing someone who merely resembled Su Mu in appearance.
But clearly, the brainpower was lacking—a terrible mistake.
Your competitor is about to soar, and all you care about is buying a membership.
Are you serious? Aren't you worried?
Yet as Li Hui was rendered speechless, Li Xinjie directly bought an annual pass, and eagerly clicked into the third episode.
Instantly, the screen was flooded with comments!
Bear in mind, this was only the first day of the premiere, and the number of viewers online was already frightening.
[Comments: Incoming barrage of 98,648... comments!
Haha, first! We're all members, be confident!
Su Mu! Su Mu! Su Mu! Damn, it's amazing! The acting is phenomenal!
The genius strategist, Mei Changsu, is so handsome! A costume drama about power struggles—absolutely unbeatable!
Just with the setup in the first two episodes, it outclasses all those brainless idol dramas, doesn't it?
Guys, I suddenly realized I don't like romantic idol dramas anymore, I like this kind!
Mei Changsu’s revenge unfolds link by link, and it’s so satisfying to watch; this is what a good drama is, it’s absolutely addictive!
Aaaah! Can't we have advanced screening? I'm willing to pay—Penguin, hurry up and update!
Exactly! The updates are so slow, it’s infuriating!
Penguin isn’t human—releasing such a high-quality drama so early, how is anyone supposed to watch the upcoming ones starring Li Xinjie and Chen Yang? Now that my standards are raised, I can’t enjoy those brainless idol dramas anymore!
This is what a costume idol drama should be!]
The barrage of comments swept across the screen.
The only thing to fear was a sudden silence.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew awkward.
Seeing some of the later comments, Li Hui's face turned a shade of green.
His recent confidence and good mood were shattered by this wave of blunt commentary.
Suddenly!
Li Xinjie exclaimed, "Haha, this little Fei Liu is hilarious—when he can't beat the general, he scratches the pillar. And Su Mu just lets him be!"
Li Hui: "..."
Crack.
Li Hui suddenly felt something break inside him.
He looked down...
It was his composure that had finally collapsed.
...
At Tianxing Media.
"What did Kiwi say? So we can’t move up the premiere of 'The Four Talented Scholars'? Oh, alright, thank you..."
He hung up the phone.
Zhang Hua'an held his phone, his expression blank.
After binge-watching the first six episodes of "Nirvana in Fire" as fast as he could, he’d thought to ask whether Kiwi might consider moving up the premiere of "New Four Talented Scholars."
Because if it didn’t air sooner, he genuinely feared that no one would watch it by then.
After witnessing Su Mu’s acting and the plot of "Nirvana in Fire," he began to feel anxious.
Because the gap was simply enormous, even greater than he had imagined.
Really, isn’t it just a costume idol drama? Isn’t it enough to have a brainless romance?
Why must you insist on smart plots and exceptional acting?
Looking back at his own NNQT Boy Band’s four leads—how could they be called the Four Talented Scholars? They were more like the Four Defenders at oral examination!
They weren’t even playing on the same level.
In a certain moment,
Zhang Hua'an recalled what Liu Qiangxi had once told him.
"When the time is right, that person will make his move!"
At the time, he thought Liu was just joking.
But now, he realized that was no joke at all.
Su Mu had indeed made his move.
And the moment he did, it seemed he’d already reached the pinnacle of what a costume idol drama could achieve!
Damn, this was a dimensionality reduction attack.
...
...
Two weeks passed amid heated discussion.
For viewers, it was an emotional rollercoaster—intense and exhilarating.
But for some, it was a living nightmare, filled with stress and anxiety.
As the story of "Nirvana in Fire" advanced, the deeper into the plot, the more viewers could appreciate the complexity of the narrative and the superb performance of each character.
In the midst of power struggles, there was also emotion and humanity.
Su Mu’s portrayal of Mei Changsu gradually made the audience forget his previous role as Gao Qiqiang.
Every day, with each expression, every line, even those moments when he saw loved ones yet could not let go of his grand designs—everything moved the viewers.
This was nothing like what they thought a costume idol drama would be.
It was, in fact, redefining the genre.
Discussion exploded everywhere.
Many renowned drama critics gave it outstanding reviews!
[Wolfman V: Professor at Film Academy, film and television director.
This is what a costume idol drama should be! After watching this, I don’t want to see anything else. Turns out Su Mu wasn’t bragging—he truly intended to win awards. I rarely use such absolute language, but for Nirvana in Fire, I’m willing to call it this year’s strongest drama!]
[Yang Shen V: Theatre director, screenwriter, drama critic.
Nirvana in Fire has given me hope. The lead’s acting is exquisite, the script's core is solid—undoubtedly a great start for contemporary costume idol dramas! Idol dramas can excel not only in looks, but in content too. This is quality work, deserving of support!]
[Cat Drama Reviews V: Professional critic, film reviewer, 17 million followers.
I hope the dramas premiering next month don’t let us down—even if they can’t match Nirvana in Fire, at least don’t be too outrageous. Otherwise, I really might quit!]
[...]
Public opinion swung overwhelmingly in one direction.
And within just a few weeks,
"Nirvana in Fire" soared to become the highest-rated and most-watched drama of the year!