Liu Rulan felt like her entire world was collapsing.
Looking at Xiao He, who suddenly seemed somewhat different, alarm bells rang loudly in Liu Rulan's heart.
She carefully observed Xiao He, speaking with a serious tone: "Are you really okay? If there's anything going on, you absolutely must communicate it!"
She wasn't afraid of artists having problems; she was afraid of artists secretly having problems!
Right now, Liu Rulan felt completely unsettled, her nerves instantly tense.
Xiao He explained somewhat helplessly: "Sister Liu, I'm really fine."
"Then what's your current situation?" Liu Rulan didn't believe him. "How could you change so dramatically?"
Xiao He: "Um... maybe I read a few books about self-cultivation and suddenly gained insight into the true meaning of life?"
Liu Rulan: "..."
Liu Rulan rolled her eyes: "Seems like there's nothing wrong after all."
However, she still took out her phone and called Xiao Chen to come upstairs.
"Xiao Chen will sleep in your room for the next few days. You must tell Xiao Chen about anything that happens, understand?"
Xiao He was startled by Liu Rulan's unusual vigilance: "S-Sister Liu, I'm really fine! And isn't it a good thing that I'm not so fierce now? This way, I can have a broader range of roles when looking for scripts in the future."
Liu Rulan sighed instead: "Actually, having a unique memorable trait is a good thing for actors. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't be busy establishing their personas. In fact, these persona-building behaviors are about labeling themselves and increasing the public's memory points about them."
And as long as they have public memory points, then the marketing is successful.
This was also why Liu Rulan had never bothered about Xiao He's aura and eye expression issues—she felt this was actually what made Xiao He stand out in the domestic entertainment industry, an advantage that helped people remember Xiao He.
Xiao He: ...This was an angle he had never considered before.
"But it's also quite good as it is now. As an actor, the several works you've produced are all quite representative and have been subtly increasing your public memory points. Even if there are some subtle changes now, it won't have too much impact." Liu Rulan patted Xiao He. "Just if there's really anything, you must tell me."
"Definitely, definitely, definitely..."
Xiao He wiped his sweat: "Sister Liu, you're being too cautious."
Liu Rulan chuckled: "That's because you haven't experienced getting a sudden phone call in the middle of the night, then hearing the artist on the other end tell you she swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills and is currently lying in the bathtub cutting her wrists."
Xiao He: ...? Huh?
Liu Rulan spread her hands: "True story, but it didn't happen to me—it happened to Cheng Xue. She previously managed a female artist who was very kind to everyone, and everyone liked her, but she suffered from bipolar disorder due to some family issues. During depressive episodes, she could directly open the window and jump from the building—it was truly terrifying. And when someone was watching her, her behavior was completely normal, but when no one was watching, she was like a bomb waiting to explode at any moment."
And when this bomb exploded, it wouldn't just affect her, but also the agent and the agency.
One could imagine what public opinion would become if an artist committed suicide under a manager's care.
Just the artist's fans alone could criticize someone to death with their harsh words.
Hearing this, Xiao He couldn't help but swallow: "What happened after that? Since it was so serious, she should have gone to the hospital for treatment..."
"The problem was she had no one else to help her. Her family was the cause of her illness and firmly disagreed with her leaving the industry. She also didn't have any genuine friends." Liu Rulan sighed. "I can't go into too much detail with you, but in the end, the company helped by sending that child to leave the industry and receive treatment. Otherwise, Cheng Xue would have really been drained continuously."
Everyone gets sick and has vulnerable moments—this is completely normal and understandable. However, the entertainment industry is really too competitive, with eyes everywhere. Everyone is constantly tense, and at the slightest sign of trouble, public opinion immediately flares up, and no one can escape unscathed.
If Cheng Xue didn't want problems, she would have to spend more energy and time taking care of a patient. And she did persist in doing so, but while maintaining such a lifestyle for a while was manageable, honestly, no one is made of iron when it comes to persisting long-term.
Anyone who frequently receives several "death" calls in the middle of the night would find their frequently startled heart really hard to bear.
"So afterwards, we also took this as a lesson and paid special attention to artists' mental health issues."
Liu Rulan brought the topic back very seriously: "If you encounter anything, especially some emotional issues, you must tell us. We can help you find solutions at any time and solve problems together. Absolutely don't hide anything, understand?"
Xiao He: "...Okay, I understand."
During their conversation, Xiao Chen also came upstairs.
"Sister Liu, eh? Brother Xiao!" Xiao Chen also took a few extra looks at Xiao He. "Brother Xiao, you're in a good mood today!"
Xiao He: "...Right."
Well, perhaps he should still practice adjusting his skills in front of the mirror.
Ending this topic, Liu Rulan signaled Xiao Chen to pack things first, then continued speaking to Xiao He: "After we finish shooting the remaining parts on the island and return to Shanghai, 'Starry Radiance' will begin its pre-release warm-up. At that time, we need to cooperate with the production team for promotions, especially with Su Shengxi's side—we'll have to interact with them again. Prepare yourself mentally; when the time comes, if we're not awkward, then they'll be the awkward ones."
Xiao He felt somewhat emotional: "It's actually happening so quickly."
It felt like he had just met Sister Liu not long ago, yet so many things had happened during this period. Even now, hearing the name 'Starry Radiance' made him feel somewhat dazed.
"Of course we should broadcast as soon as possible if we can. Anyway, it's not us who are anxious." Liu Rulan shrugged. "Wasn't Su Shengxi losing fans seriously some time ago? Now they're counting on this drama to help them successfully transform and return to their peak."
Xiao He: "Hehe..."
Then perhaps dreaming would be faster.
...
Over the following period, Liu Zehang was the first to wrap up, completing his filming tasks.
Since the character Xu Ning still had some plotlines that needed separate filming, Xiao He had to stay on the island for a few more days.
Before leaving, the two raised their hands and bumped fists as encouragement: "See you later!"
"See you later!"
After Liu Zehang left, Xiao He continued filming on the island for about another week.
By the time Xiao He returned to Shanghai, it was already mid-September.
And the broadcast date for 'Starry Radiance' was set for October 12th.