Hot Search Alert! The Princess Goes Viral Worldwide-Chapter 143

The agent was filling his cup with water when he heard Yan Ning's comment. His hand jerked in surprise, causing the cup to shatter on the floor.

Thankfully, his reflexes were sharp—he leaped back just in time to avoid getting drenched.

Shaking water droplets off his hand, he stared at Yan Ning in disbelief. "That high of a praise? What happened, did someone beat you up?"

Yan Ning rolled her eyes. "What are you even thinking? Do you really see me as that brainless? I may not want Gu Nanyan to rise, but objectively speaking, her film is genuinely good. I was completely absorbed—the plot is incredibly engaging."

"Such high praise? That’s rare. Let me take a look too," the agent said, moving closer. "I heard Gu Nanyan oversaw the entire script for this drama, putting in a lot of effort. She hired some top-tier screenwriters.

With such a meticulously crafted script, Director Yu at the helm, and ample funding, it’s no surprise it turned out well.

But honestly, I expected it to be A-tier at best. Never thought it’d reach S-tier. Impressive."

"Not just S-tier," Yan Ning shook her head, her expression serious. "It’s a super S-tier, a phenomenal blockbuster."

"That good?" The agent’s smile faded as he straightened up.

"It really is," Yan Ning sighed, her eyes brimming with envy. "When will I ever get to star in such a groundbreaking hit? Nowadays, it’s all about mindless binge-watching shows. Platforms have thousands—tens of thousands—of dramas, but only a handful are worth rewatching."

The agent didn’t respond. Instead, he sat down beside Yan Ning to watch with her.

They binge-watched four episodes straight, catching up to the latest release. Now, they’d have to wait until tomorrow for more.

"This is insane. I’m hooked," the agent admitted, astonished. He rarely found himself engrossed in TV dramas these days.

This one had zero dull moments—every second was captivating. He hadn’t moved an inch, completely absorbed for four episodes straight and still craving more.

"You’ve already watched the earlier episodes, right?" The agent took the tablet from Yan Ning. "I’ll go back and watch from the start."

"I’ll join you," Yan Ning said, eager to rewatch.

The agent side-eyed her, reluctant to share. He wanted to experience it alone. "You’ve seen it already, haven’t you?"

Yan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍Ning replied, "I want to watch it again."

The agent: "..."

So, they sat together and started from the beginning.

On her second viewing, Yan Ning noticed many details she’d missed the first time. Initially, she’d been too swept up in the plot to analyze deeply. Now, she realized the show was layered with meaning—tackling bullying, false accusations, adolescent psychology, parent-child communication… It was profoundly educational.

"No wonder they consulted so many experts," Yan Ning murmured.

The agent nodded. "I heard the script cost a fortune, with every word scrutinized. Hiring specialists wasn’t cheap either."

"This Gu Nanyan… what is she even trying to achieve?" Yan Ning couldn’t figure her out.

Before, she’d assumed Gu Nanyan was just hyping herself up, maintaining an elite image by avoiding commercial gigs.

But after watching Starlight Brilliance, Yan Ning realized she’d been wrong.

The agent had no clue either and shrugged. "Maybe she’s just selfless—genuinely wants to make a difference."

It wasn’t just Yan Ning and her agent who felt this way.

Others in the industry were also dissecting the drama.

The more they analyzed, the more impressed they were.

Damn, how did they make something this brilliant? So jealous!

At this point, no one could decipher Gu Nanyan’s motives.

But as she released one meaningful, high-quality drama after another, as she established a charity foundation and donated all her earnings, as she continued rejecting commercial endorsements without exception—only then did people understand her purpose.

As Starlight Brilliance aired, its popularity skyrocketed, eventually becoming a national sensation, sparking wave after wave of discussions.

Its ratings on CCTV-8 surpassed 2%, and other major networks followed suit.

In today’s TV landscape, breaking 1% was already a hit. Yet this drama doubled that.

Sister Li was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear.

Online viewership soared, advertisers flocked in droves, and the streaming platform raked in insane profits.

Thanks to the drama, Gu Nanyan earned two nominations at the Yunfei Awards: Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Actress.

"Empress Gu, you’re incredible! Your first leading role lands you a Yunfei nomination—this’ll open so many doors for future projects," Sister Li exclaimed.

Gu Nanyan was reading Save the Cat, a book on screenwriting.

Hearing Sister Li, she asked, "Have you found any scripts lately that match Starlight Brilliance in quality?"

Sister Li hesitated.

Where would she find another masterpiece like that? Such scripts were rare—one a year was already lucky.

"Empress Gu, top-tier scripts are hard to come by. I do have a fantasy romance script here—the female lead’s character is excellent. Want to give it a try?" It was an S-tier production, a major IP with fierce competition.

Without Starlight Brilliance’s success, Empress Gu wouldn’t even have a shot.

Gu Nanyan waved her off. "Give it to someone else."

She had no interest in fantasy romance.

The entertainment industry was full of beautiful faces—let others have the spotlight.

She didn’t plan to act in too many dramas.

Gu Nanyan had entered the industry for two reasons:

First, she wanted to experience different professions.

In her past life as a revered princess, she’d never had the chance to explore the lives of ordinary people. Now, in the modern world, she could finally try everything.

Second, she aimed to amplify her influence to do more meaningful work.

Before Starlight Brilliance, her fame was superficial—lacking substance. No matter what she did, people dismissed her.

But now, with the drama’s success, she had genuine public recognition and a positive image, making her endeavors smoother.

For instance, her charity foundation thrived because of her credibility—people trusted and donated generously.

She could also effortlessly advocate for education online and promote wellness exercises.

Countless young fans now practiced these routines, updating her daily on their progress via Weibo mentions. It was heartwarming.

Seeing these young minds grow healthy and strong brought Gu Nanyan immense joy.

To maintain her integrity, she avoided overacting.

Let others seize the opportunities.

She had other missions.

This society was wonderful—filled with countless novelties she’d never encountered.

She wanted to explore them all.

Gu Nanyan turned her gaze outside, admiring the blue skies, towering skyscrapers, and the happy, prosperous people. Her chest swelled with warmth.

Yes, she loved it here. Truly.

In Great Qi, she’d shouldered the burden of progress alone.

But here in China, everyone worked together, united for the nation’s rise.

Gu Nanyan resolved to enjoy life while contributing however she could—making this country even better.