Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 1347 - 706: I Have an Idea

Zhou Yun herself was actually a bit nervous.

This drama held extraordinary significance for Zhou Yun.

It was a show where almost all the creative choices were made by her.

She was afraid that in the end, the audience wouldn’t like it, afraid that her aesthetic wouldn’t be appreciated.

The first episode aired.

Ratings broke 1 point, several hot search topics, high discussion levels, all of which were expected.

The key was whether such ratings could continue.

This depended on word of mouth.

Zhou Yun had been keeping an eye on the online reviews of the drama.

Eliminating the fake accounts, Zhou Yun carefully read the reviews from some film and television bloggers she followed, noticing that the drama’s reputation tended to be somewhat polarized.

Those who liked it praised it highly, calling it "China’s first true fashion-themed television drama."

Those who didn’t like it criticized it harshly, saying it was no different from other shallow and flashy fashion dramas, with only splashy visuals and clichés, lacking any innovation.

That night, Zhou Yun finished reading all the reviews from the bloggers she followed about the drama.

With such a high-profile TV show, there wasn’t a single film or TV blogger not paying attention to it.

Zhou Yun also received numerous emails and messages from people.

Most of her friends congratulated her on creating another good show.

But some were puzzled as to why she chose to make such a shallow drama.

Facing such doubts, Zhou Yun was somewhat at a loss for how to respond.

Shallow?

When Zhou Yun read the script herself, she didn’t find it particularly shallow—of course, compared to "Deep Sea" and "Heart Inquiry," it indeed lacked depth, which is undeniable.

However, according to Zhou Yun’s own understanding, she didn’t believe depth was the only standard for evaluating a drama, right?

In any case, the story was at least enjoyable, exciting, and engaging.

The characters in this drama were also varied and distinctive.

When Zhou Yun came back to her senses, it was already one in the morning.

She quickly washed up and got ready for bed.

She had to continue filming the next day.

However, even with her eyes closed, lying in bed, Zhou Yun couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.

She was still pondering the evaluations of "Under the Grand Dress."

The criticism from those who didn’t like the drama wasn’t something Zhou Yun couldn’t accept; rather, it made her question her own thoughts.

Must a television drama have humanistic reflection and depth of thought to be considered good?

Zhou Yun had always thought that if a drama’s story was captivating enough, with a gripping pace, it was a good work.

She didn’t find an answer to this question until two days later, when a television critic enlightened her.

"If this drama had been performed by a young actress who doesn’t hold such a high position in the audience’s hearts, I’m sure ’Under the Grand Dress’ would have received higher praise. In fact, we must realize that, in the eyes of the audience, Zhou Yun is no longer just a simple actress. She’s also no longer suitable for starring in purely entertainment-based works because people have expectations of her that go beyond simple narrative appeal. Like her self-reliant character in ’Heart Inquiry’ despite a fallen family, and her unyielding portrayal in ’Deep Sea’ when life and challenges become overwhelming. In the audience’s view, Zhou Yun is better suited for stories that are dramatic, stirring, and legendary, rather than straightforward, fairytale-like fashion dramas such as ’Under the Grand Dress.’"

After reading this review, Zhou Yun began to seriously contemplate whether she was no longer suitable for performing in such genres as "Under the Grand Dress" in the future.

Though pondering, there was a faint sense of reluctance deep inside her.

Why?

The script of "Under the Grand Dress" did have its shortcomings, but Ning Yufeng as the director endowed the drama with a very unique artistic aesthetic.

Moreover, every actor delivered a sincere performance.

It might not compare to "Heart Inquiry" and "Deep Sea," but it is undoubtedly a work filled with sincerity.

Zhou Yun thought, why couldn’t she act in slightly lighter genres like this in the future?

Now, whether it’s critics or online reviews, they are sending her to the altar—a place where her public image and on-screen image have distanced from a normal or life-like role. Actually, this has been foreseen long ago. Looking at the scripts sent to her, whether it’s "Deep Sea" or "Chen Yin," whether it’s "Moon Sinking at Sea" or the Female Assassin series, all of them involve characters with life backgrounds vastly different from those of ordinary people.