Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 971 - 475: Heartstrings

Gu Bichen didn’t expect netizens to vehemently criticize him, causing his reputation to plummet to the bottom.

Later, he calmly analyzed the situation. The biggest reason was that Shen You’an and Rong Xianning’s celebrity halo was too strong. Coupled with their rise from the bottom, they hit the public’s sweet spot, turning the audience into ardent supporters of both.

On the other hand, people like him, born with advantages and accessing the best resources, naturally attract resentment from those who inherently despise the rich. Plus, the fans of Shen You’an and Rong Xianning stirred things up, resulting in widespread online backlash.

To remove trending negativity and control comments requires money. Although he gathered some funds, this money was meant for obtaining Zhou Rong’s information. Thinking about what’s to come, Gu Bichen felt extremely anxious.

"Reduce some of my scenes in the next episode, let me stay out of the spotlight for now."

Gu Bichen had never delved into entertainment industry trends and public opinion, and wasn’t sure how to handle it. But he understood a simple truth: going against the current is a futile struggle, and ultimately, one will be overwhelmed by the tide.

Shen You’an and Rong Xianning’s momentum was too strong and they had too many supporters. Instead of confronting them head-on, it was better to avoid confrontation temporarily.

Given his current fame, attempting to overshadow them would be nothing short of fantasy. Moreover, he had more important matters to attend to and couldn’t spare the energy to handle these messy negative public opinions at the moment.

The third episode officially started filming, and Shen You’an didn’t give Gu Bichen any time to react. He immediately took bold actions, coordinating well with Liu Runxi and Rong Xianning, and the team scored far ahead.

In contrast to the strong performance in the last episode, Gu Bichen significantly fell behind, often losing focus and missing out on quick responses. Under competitive pressure, one’s fall means the other’s success.

Eventually, Shen You’an’s team once again clinched the first place with a lead of thirty points over the second team, advancing all five team members to the next round of individual battles.

Meanwhile, the team ranked at the bottom was eliminated entirely. Similarly, one person from each of the bottom three teams would be eliminated, ultimately reducing the contenders to thirty-two for the next round of individual contests.

After the recording finished, Gu Bichen left the studio immediately with a sullen face.

Compared to witnessing Shen You’an’s success, he was more frustrated with his own failure.

It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could never surpass Shen You’an.

It was time for the routine celebration, and everyone was very calm, though Yan Lu enthusiastically suggested having a barbecue in the evening.

Her aunt had a villa in Jingzhou with a riverside garden, perfect for buying ingredients and having an outdoor barbecue.

After soliciting everyone’s opinions, they all agreed.

Then Yan Lu eagerly organized a trip to the supermarket to shop for ingredients.

"An’an, you and Xiao Rong don’t have to go. You and Xiao Rong can go to the villa and set up the barbecue ahead of us."

These two were too popular; it was difficult to disguise their figures and demeanor, so to be safe, it was better for them not to go.

So the five of them split up, with Shen You’an and Rong Xianning heading to the villa to prepare, while Yan Lu, Gao Yuyue, and Liu Runxi went to the supermarket to buy food and drinks.

Currently, too many people were watching Shen You’an and Rong Xianning, especially as several entrances and exits of the TV station were swarmed with paparazzi. If they were captured leaving together again, it would surely keep them at the top of trending searches.

Therefore, the two left from separate exits and took different cars, with each driver circling around the city to shake off the paparazzi before finally meeting at the villa.

The villa was nestled among the mountains, and security here was tight, with thorough checks for entry and exit.

Yan Lu had given prior notice, allowing Shen You’an and Rong Xianning’s cars to enter smoothly.

Shen You’an went to knock on the door, and a servant came to open it.

"You are Miss Yan’s friends, right? She told me in advance, please come in quickly."

The kind maid warmly welcomed the two inside.

"No need to change shoes."

The maid busied herself with pouring water for them, then sheepishly scratched her head: "Could you... could you sign an autograph for my daughter? She really likes both of you."

Shen You’an smiled and nodded, "Sure."

The maid quickly brought out a few photos, some of Shen You’an and some of Rong Xianning, all very popular among fans.

"Oops, I forgot to prepare a signing pen."

The maid seemed a bit flustered.

Shen You’an took a pen out of her backpack, "I have one."

She signed her name on a few of her photos and then asked, "How old is your daughter this year?"

"My daughter is thirteen, in her third year of middle school."

Shen You’an wrote on the back of the photo, adding a message: "Good luck with your exams."

The maid was deeply touched, "Both of you were top students in your exams, it’s a blessing for my daughter to receive your encouragement."

Shen You’an handed the pen to Rong Xianning. After signing his name, Rong Xianning wrote "Best wishes" on the back of the photo.

The maid carefully put away the photos, "With blessings from idols, surely my daughter will do well in the exams next year."

Shen You’an and Rong Xianning didn’t stay idle, they went to assemble the barbecue grill. It was purchased online by Yan Lu in advance and was a bit challenging to set up, but not too difficult for top students.

Shen You’an and Rong Xianning coordinated smoothly, and being very hands-on, they finished setting it up in just ten minutes.

As twilight descended, the setting sun cast its glow over the lush mountains, creating a scene as beautiful as a painting.

In late September, the intense heat of summer had dissipated, giving way to autumn’s approach. A gentle autumn breeze blew in, stars began to scatter across the sky, and a crescent moon appeared faintly.

The young man knelt on the lawn, clutching a guitar, eyes gently lowered, tuning it quietly.

In such a setting, Shen You’an felt a long-lost sense of tranquility.

As dusk deepened into darkness, the garden lit up, with ivy trellises filled with multicolored string lights and the fences adorned with wall-washing lights. In an instant, the brilliantly lit environment, along with the young man’s gentle guitar music, elevated the atmosphere to the pinnacle of romance.

Shen You’an watched the boy quietly strumming the guitar under the lights, the plucking of strings seemingly touching the strings of a young girl’s heart, hidden amidst the vastness of nature.

Just at that moment, the boy lifted his gaze and looked over.

His eyes penetrated the night, gently settling on her.

Their eyes met, silence reigned.

"I’m exhausted~" Yan Lu’s grumbling voice broke the silence.

Soon after, Yan Lu, Gao Yuyue, and Liu Runxi arrived, carrying bags of varying sizes.

Shen You’an and Rong Xianning simultaneously stood up, lowering their gazes and moving forward to help.

Liu Runxi’s gaze unobtrusively scanned between the two, then quietly lowered his eyes without a word.

"Wow, Xiao Rong is playing the guitar, we’re in for a treat tonight. If the Lemons found out, they’d be so envious, haha."

This guitar was merely a decoration in the villa, but in Rong Xianning’s hands, it held immense value.

"Little Brother Rong, your hands aren’t made for hard work, they’re for strumming strings. Just playing for us is happiness enough."

Yan Lu prevented Rong Xianning from doing any work, batting her eyes and smiling, "Can I request a song?"

In the darkness, the boy’s gaze rippled like a galaxy, filled with touching gentleness.

"What song would you like to hear?"

Yan Lu nearly swooned with happiness, "That new song you sang at the Australia reception a few days ago."

The video of Rong Xianning singing at the Australia reception had eventually leaked online, going viral recently. The audio spread everywhere; it’s important to note that this was a yet-to-be-released new song.

Alongside the leaked audio, several photos of Rong Xianning with well-known socialites from Australia also circulated.

In the photos, Rong Xianning was surrounded by a group of women, clearly looking forced. Netizens jokingly referred to him as Monk Tang mistakenly entering the Silk Cave, surrounded by Spider Demons.

Fans felt incredibly sorry for him, and even bystanders recognized the young man’s difficult situation. To repay his irresponsible father’s debts, he had to endure such pressure and at such a young age, was forced to smile despite everything. Fortunately, even though surrounded by a group of Spider Demons, the young man’s aura remained clear and clean, maintaining an image of purity untainted by external influences.