Chapter Three: Does It Feel Good?

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"Stellar Sea was all the rage back then. If Chu Hai hadn’t left the scene because of his secret marriage, I think their fame could’ve lasted another decade."
"No doubt about it—Chu Hai’s singing, Wu Yao’s dancing, and Lin Xing’s face were truly the three wonders."
"Exactly. If you put Stellar Sea in today’s market alongside these current groups, it’d be a dimensional blowout."
"Yeah, but unfortunately, both Chu Hai and Wu Yao had their scandals—only Lin Xing’s reputation is still intact."
"Lin Xing’s face was so youthful back then. Even if he was just coasting on stage, he did it with such style."
...
After Lin Xing hung up on Sister Dao, he scrolled through Weibo.
Whoa!
His first reaction was: the company is really willing to shell out the cash.
After a night’s fermentation, the trending list had absolutely exploded. Among the top searches, the eleventh wasn’t, for once, people cursing Wu Yao. On the contrary, everyone was reminiscing.
Many younger fans today have no idea just how wildly popular Stellar Sea used to be, how frenzied the scene was.
Especially Lin Xing, who was regarded as the top illiterate idol of his generation.
But illiterate or not, Lin Xing’s face was a rare gem—one that only appears once in decades.
Look at today’s crop of pretty-faced idols: everyone claims their looks are once-in-a-millennium, but as Teacher Chen put it, "Once in several thousand years and you give me this?"
Lin Xing kept scrolling.
The eleventh trending topic was filled with nostalgia for Stellar Sea and, more importantly, countless pictures from all stages of Lin Xing’s career.
What’s called a bare face?
What’s really called a bare face?
What’s called a god-tier, untouched bare face?
Lin Xing.JPG.
As Lin Xing continued scrolling, he was shocked to discover his own name had shot up to the second spot on the trending list.
2: #ApologizeToLinXing#
The top spot, of course, was: #WuYaoAddictionCheatingAbuse#
Anyone who didn’t know the context would think Wu Yao had abused Lin Xing.
Lin Xing dialed Sister Dao again: "Is it really necessary for the company to spend so much? Buying me a trending spot now will just make things even more ridiculous."

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"Xingxing, you’ve got it wrong. We’re not idiots—why would we buy a trending spot for you at a time like this? At first, I even suspected Wu Yao’s team bought it for you to shift the focus," Sister Dao said quickly. "But I checked with the PR firms, and no one took Wu Yao’s case. Apparently, he’s given up on crisis management because the evidence against him is overwhelming."
Lin Xing: "So?"
"So this time, all the trending topics are organic—real netizens pushing you up, not PR accounts. If you look at the posters, none are bot marketers."
"My guess is, people are just sick and tired of current idols, so..."
Lin Xing interjected, "All thanks to my competition making me look good?"
"Exactly. All thanks to your peers," Sister Dao nodded. "Back then, your professional skills might have been lacking, but you had the looks. Now, these idols have neither skills nor faces—they’re all photoshopped."
Lin Xing found Sister Dao’s words rather tactful. Back in the day, his skills weren’t just lacking—they were nonexistent.
But Sister Dao didn’t care about that. For her, Lin Xing’s ability to climb up the trending list through sheer public sentiment meant that, although he was past his prime, he wasn’t completely washed up.
Now, Sister Dao was already planning Lin Xing’s next moves.
Of course, she didn’t forget to remind him: "Xingxing, try not to accept any interviews, especially now that you’re trending. One wrong word could ruin everything."
Lin Xing replied, "Got it. I’m packing up and heading to the company. We’ll talk there."
"Good, the sooner the better. If you wait any longer, the paparazzi might start staking you out," Sister Dao nodded. "Those paparazzi are absolutely everywhere."
Lin Xing agreed. He’d been out of the spotlight for so long—now, with his ex-teammate’s scandal and his own return to the trending list, it would be odd if the paparazzi didn’t come after him.
And just as Lin Xing expected, many people felt a wave of nostalgia seeing him trend again.
After all, Stellar Sea was formed fifteen years ago and broke up ten years ago.
In those ten years, idols have popped up like cicadas shedding their skins—but they have neither talent nor looks.
"Back then, what were we even fans of? Even the worst member, Lin Xing, had a godlike face. Now?"
"True, I was so young back then—I thought Lin Xing was nothing but a pretty face and a bumbling speaker. Now I wonder, what’s wrong with just being good-looking? Who needs eloquence?"
"Apologize to Lin Xing! I can’t stand fans raving about photos so edited the noses are deformed, claiming it’s a bare face. Look at Lin Xing!"
"Fans, eat something real, stop swallowing garbage every day."
...

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Sitting in the company car, Lin Xing kept refreshing Weibo. He never imagined his reputation would improve thanks to a teammate’s downfall.
What’s that saying?
"Better them than me."
Couldn’t be truer.
As he neared the company, Lin Xing got a call from Feng Gang. On the other end, Feng Gang sounded tense and excited: "Xingxing, are you sure you’ll make it for the recording tomorrow?"
"Of course," Lin Xing replied. "My agent should’ve finalized all the details with you."
"Yes, everything’s set. I’m just a little worried, that’s all..." Feng Gang joked, "Now that you’re about to be popular again, I was afraid you’d bail on me."
"Director Feng, that won’t happen. It’s a matter of principle—once I agree, I follow through."
"Rest assured, the recording is on."
After a few more words, Feng Gang hung up. Facing his team, he said, "Alright, he’s not backing out. Get the publicity department moving—announce Lin Xing’s participation in our variety show."
Half an hour later, Lin Xing arrived at the company.
"Xingxing, in just this one hour, my phone’s been blowing up," Sister Dao said, rubbing her temples. "All invitations—stage shows, variety programs, even drama roles..."
The number of invitations in that one hour surpassed what they’d get in a month.
Previously, Lin Xing rarely worked, barely posted on Weibo, and spent three months a year on charity. It was a miracle for such a laid-back star to stay even somewhat relevant.
After all, even stars with no recent work would keep up their presence by posting online, making videos, or even starting rumors—anything to stay in the spotlight.
Seeing her like this, Lin Xing cut her off: "Feels good, doesn’t it?"
"Yeah, it feels amazing," Sister Dao replied earnestly. "I hope it stays this good."
...
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