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Chapter 71
[I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked. Would anyone actually visit a brothel in such a place?]
[Rich people aren't fools, why would they come to such a dilapidated place?]
[Is the production team too poor? They couldn't even find a slightly more presentable building.]
This "brothel" differed greatly from everyone's expectations, and skeptical comments quickly appeared in the bullet screen.
However, as the plot progressed, viewers soon realized they had oversimplified things.
W̃ eb̆ n̄о̀vē l Еňuḿа
Truly powerful and influential nobility certainly wouldn't visit this type of brothel.
The "patrons" who came here were mostly minor stewards, small merchants, or even laborers covered in sweat who had just finished work.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Their spending power wasn't high, so naturally they didn't come here to discuss poetry and romance with the girls. Most paid a small sum and went straight to the point, roughly satisfying their physical needs.
The environment inside the brothel was worse than imagined. Lower-class prostitutes had to receive clients non-stop. They had no freedom, could hardly redeem themselves, and were extremely likely to die from sexually transmitted diseases.
"Worthless little tramp, clearly born to sell yourself, why pretend to be a decent woman?" A sharp voice rang out in the dim room as the camera revealed the madam's face.
Her face was covered in wrinkles, her eyes gleaming with cruelty, eyeballs slightly protruding, like a devil crawling out from hell.
Ѐn̄ um а
The woman she had strung up for beating was already at death's door, hanging there half-dead, surrounded by blood.
Other women stood in the corner—some watching the scene with numbness, others quietly sobbing in fear.
The female lead also stood among the crowd.
Like the other women, she wore tattered clothes, her eyes filled with fear.
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The atmosphere in the entire space was oppressive. Apart from the madam's abuse and the sound of the whip, no one dared to speak.
The female lead stood among the women. Like everyone else there, she wore tattered clothes with uncleaned dirt still on them. There was nothing remarkable about her, only her thick eyelashes lowered to hide the anger and fear in her eyes.
Ёn ũ m̀ а
[My goodness, this kind of brothel is terrifying.]
[Sisters, this must be what a real brothel is like. 99% of prostitutes never experience so-called romance, only endless torment.]
[The immersion is too strong, I'm already starting to feel afraid.]
[I just imagined what I would do to save myself if I fell into such a situation, and realized there's absolutely no way out...]
The reason for the madam's beating was simple: this newly arrived woman couldn't bear life in the brothel and tried to escape. Unfortunately, as a woman with no money, alone in a strange place without support, she had nowhere to go.
Before long, she was caught and brought back, leading to the previous scene.
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After finishing the beating, the madam tossed aside her implement and left. This killing-the-chicken-to-scare-the-monkey tactic had a good effect—many women were already filled with numbness and fear.
[Too tragic, tricked into a brothel, then unable to escape once you try to run.]
[This madam isn't human at all. Does she have any conscience?]
[Wuwuwu, it's truly a case of heaven and earth refusing to answer calls for help. Female lead, quickly escape this hell and go to a higher-class brothel.]
The woman who tried to escape was barely breathing.
After the madam left, the female lead and her sisters went over to share their food and water with her, helping to treat her wounds.
Е̇n̂ üm̂ã . і d̀
"Wash the wounds with water, but you absolutely can't let them get infected."
Every prostitute had endured this way, forced to submit to reality after a severe beating.
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They were the lowest-class prostitutes. If they didn't help themselves, no one in the world would rescue them.
Today they helped others; perhaps later, they would need others to help them. To survive in this cruel society, they had no other choice.
As the plot gradually unfolded, the girls' character images became increasingly well-developed.
The top courtesan, sold to this place by her husband, was a jealous and selfish woman. But she also had conscience and principles—even facing enormous threats, she ultimately refused to betray her sisters.
Е̂ n̂ ü mă.і̄ d
The girl who tried to escape was called Xiaoxin. She considered herself above others and looked down on the female lead and other prostitutes. But at the same time, she was loyal and righteous, resilient and strong, even willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good.
The female lead's little sister was timid and weak, but at critical moments, she dared to stand up despite her fear.
None of them were perfect victims—they all had flaws—but they were all flesh-and-blood people.
They should never have been treated this way.
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When viewers saw several sisters helping one of them plan to redeem herself and leave, ultimately successfully tricking the madam, they were moved to tears.
[Ahhh I was so scared just now, they were almost discovered by the madam.]
Е́ǹ ǔ m̆а. ĩd̀
[The female lead is so clever, using this method to deceive the madam, not only helping the girl escape the brothel but also preventing the madam from getting the money.]
[Intelligence domination.jpg]
[That girl is really lucky—her mother came looking for her, and several sisters were willing to help, allowing her to successfully escape her misery.]
[I'm dying of laughter, the madam's face looks so terrible.]
As the instigator of this incident, the female lead suffered an unprecedented beating.
However, she felt extremely satisfied inside. Seeing the madam's ashen face, she felt that any beating was worth it.
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Of course, while helping others, she didn't give up hope for herself.
Among them, an older courtesan taught the female lead poetry and songs, and she even managed to make a simple pipa to practice in secret.
For prostitutes like them, this was the only path to advancement.
Lower-class prostitutes had to receive too many clients daily. Under such high-intensity "work," they could hardly live long—the slightest oversight meant death.
Only by becoming a high-class courtesan could they have a chance at survival.
But soon, the plot took a sharp turn.
Е́ ñü m̆а̀ . id́
The woman who had the best relationship with the female lead and had been teaching her music theory contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
Medical technology was underdeveloped in those days, and given the madam's character, she would never spend money on a doctor.
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Contracting such a disease essentially meant death wasn't far away.
The infected woman had originally been popular with clients, receiving far more customers daily than others. Because of this, her meals were better than most, and she could occasionally even eat meat.
But now that she was sick, everything changed.
Her treatment plummeted, and worse still, the madam forced her to continue receiving clients.
Е n ǔm̄ ӑ. і̌d̆
[Sigh, if I remember correctly, over 90% of prostitutes would contract sexually transmitted diseases.]
[Falling into such a place, forget about gathering enough money for redemption—living to your thirties would already be quite an achievement.]
[Most prostitutes probably died before they even reached the age where their looks faded...]
[Those men didn't even spare a sick woman, how disgusting.]
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The female lead tried many solutions for her, even planning to use her only savings to find a doctor, but was stopped.
After contracting the disease, there was almost no hope for recovery. The woman understood that she had no chance.
Wе b̆n.о̊v̌ е̂ l̄ Е̃ň.um а̇
She shared many heartfelt words with the female lead. It was at this moment that everyone learned about her background.
It turned out she had once been a first-class courtesan at Tianxiang Pavilion.
[Wow, she was previously at Tianxiang Pavilion? How did she end up like this?]
[I guessed it already—how would an ordinary person know so much and be able to teach the female lead poetry and songs?]
[This plot doesn't make sense. To give the female lead a cheat code, they forcibly make a first-class courtesan fall to a low-class brothel.]
Some raised questions, but these were quickly answered.
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Like most first-class courtesans, she had flirted with scholars and literati, discussed poetry, and engaged in refined pursuits.
However, as she aged and her beauty faded, her clientele gradually diminished.
Due to severe exploitation, a large number of prostitutes could never save enough money for redemption. To survive in the brothel and continue to earn a living, they had to lower their standards and take on more clients.
Thus, she fell from first class to second class, then from second to third, being sold from place to place.
Now, she had completely become one of the lowest rank.
It took just ten years for a high-class brothel courtesan to fall to the lowest level.
E̊ ńù m̈а . і̊ d̊
Her experience wasn't exceptional—on the contrary, this was the fate of a large portion of high-class courtesans.
[Incredible, it feels so helpless.]
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[I feel like the talk of redemption is just the madam dangling a carrot. Without that carrot, how would you seriously "work"?]
[996 workers are also given empty promises by their bosses every day... I'm in tears.]
[Even a top courtesan, not just a first-class one, would meet a miserable end if she aged or contracted a serious illness and couldn't earn money anymore.]
The diseased woman was already in her thirties. Long-term suffering had left wrinkles and scars on her face—she could no longer find a way out for herself.
W̆е̄b nо́v́ е l Ёǹ um а
But the female lead's situation was different.
She was still young, only in her teens. She had hope to fight for a glimmer of life in this dead end.
The sick woman began to devise plans for the female lead. The sisters who had previously been helped by the female lead also provided whatever assistance they could.
Finally, the female lead seized a rare opportunity. With her knowledge and talents, she caught the eye of an elderly woman and was sold to a high-class brothel.
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The diseased woman died that winter.
Unable to receive clients, the madam naturally wouldn't support someone who couldn't earn money. She ultimately died from the dual torment of hunger and illness.
Ёn.ùm ǎ
The last time she met with the female lead, she could no longer eat the food brought to her.
She just held the female lead's hand and told her—
"Live well."
The first eight episodes had a very tight plot, with the female lead joining forces with her sisters to fight against the madam. The storyline had several twists and turns, full of excitement and rising to multiple climaxes.
Each character had their own story. Though life was tragic and painful, with endless abuse and torment every day, when facing difficulties, the female lead never gave up struggling or resisting.
She always maintained her principles and kept hope alive.
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The end of Episode 8 showed the female lead being sold to Tianxiang Pavilion. She was about to face new crises.
And the male lead, who had virtually no screen time in the earlier episodes, finally made his formal appearance.
[Damn, I watched it all in one go, only to find the plot stops at this point!]
[Wuwuwu the supporting female character actually died, I'm crying so loudly.]
[I feel like when the supporting character helped the female lead, it was like helping another version of herself. Although she was aging with fading beauty and couldn't survive under such severe exploitation, she still hoped the female lead could live on for her and escape this miserable fate.]
[Wuwuwu, why won't that damn madam just die, I'm so angry.]
Ẇӗ bǹӧvеl̂ Ěnŭ ma
[Everyone's acting is on point! Especially the madam and the female lead—their performances are truly godlike.]
[It's true, I didn't cry when the supporting character died. But later during Yao Bianliang's crying scene, I actually cried along with her.]
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[Please, production team, give us more episodes! I can pay for membership.]
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
Ansheng Entertainment.
With their new drama competing with Yao Bianliang's, Wen Xuan and others naturally paid close attention to this matter.
Ẃ е̊b.n̊ó v̆е̊ l̀ Eňum̊ a
After finishing an advertisement shoot, Wen Xuan immediately took time to inquire about the marketing situation.
However, when she saw the related data report, she couldn't help but furrow her brows: "What's going on? Did you make a mistake somewhere?"
"Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew" had massive investment, with both costumes/makeup/props and post-production aiming for the highest standards.
Logically, with such a setup, the production team would surely promote it frantically.
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Yet such a financially powerful production team showed no intention of marketing or promotion, instead choosing to premiere quietly.
It was as if they feared public attention!
W̌ѐbñ ӧv еl Enŭ m̄ а̌
Now, "Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew" had been released, but its viewership was clearly not high.
Due to inadequate early promotion, their popularity didn't even reach half of "The Tale of An Hua's."
This should have been something to be happy about, but Wen Xuan knew that the poor data was only because the other side hadn't promoted their drama.
Whether it would start low and stay low, or start low and climb high, remained to be seen.
Her agent stood beside her, finally saying: "I also wish I was mistaken. But from the current situation, the other production team hasn't done any promotion at all."
Wen Xuan fell silent.
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If the other production wouldn't promote their drama, how could they ride on their popularity?
All her previously arranged marketing strategies had been wasted!
Agent: "Sister Wen, it seems we not only failed to ride on their popularity, but they've actually ridden a huge wave of our popularity."
She pointed at the list of marketing account articles they had purchased: "These marketing accounts and paid commenters are essentially ones we bought for them."
"Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew's" viewership was originally less than half of "The Tale of An Hua's." But precisely because they had done early promotion, the other side's viewership had actually increased significantly.
Wen Xuan: "..."
W̌ ẽ bnov̆еľ Е́num̃а̊
When she initially formulated the plan, she was fully confident it was foolproof.
But who could have imagined the enemy wouldn't follow the usual playbook!
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Not conducting any marketing promotion, risking the entire drama's failure, just to ride on their pitiful bit of popularity?
This was insane!
Wen Xuan's lips moved, but she couldn't speak for a long time. She truly couldn't understand the other side's thought process and felt extremely weary.
If she had another chance to start over, she definitely wouldn't have come up with such a method. Failing to catch the chicken and losing the rice—giving the other side increased popularity for nothing.
Ӗ n u m ӑ.і d̊.
"Ah, never mind..." Wen Xuan sighed inwardly.
At least in those marketing articles, most had criticized Yao Bianliang's side, attacking them on makeup/styling, costumes/props, and plot/character design.
Although they had given the other side a wave of popularity, they had at least reinforced "The Tale of An Hua's" image in the public mind.
Yao Bianliang's script was destined to flop. Therefore, Wen Xuan wasn't worried that the other side would pose any threat to them.
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"How is Yao Bianliang's drama being received now?" she asked while returning the documents.
In Wen Xuan's view, "Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew's" plot was extremely toxic and would surely provoke negative reactions from most viewers.
Ѐn u m̌а̄. і̂ d̄
Although only eight episodes had aired, undoubtedly several toxic points had already appeared. Wen Xuan estimated that arguments should be starting online by now.
The agent looked at Wen Xuan and understood what she was thinking.
After a moment of silence, he finally said slowly: "Forget it. As of now, netizens' evaluations of this drama are quite positive."
Wen Xuan was stunned, almost thinking she had misheard: "What did you say?"
Positive evaluations—how was that possible!
With such a toxic plot, viewers not cursing would be giving her face.
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Could it be that the information she had gathered contained errors?
Wen Xuan's heart sank, and she hurriedly asked: "What's going on? Could it be that the female lead isn't a prostitute who was defiled by many men, and she hasn't been constantly abused and tortured?"
The agent sighed: "All these points you mentioned are correct, but in this drama, these elements don't constitute toxic points."
Wen Xuan frowned deeply, her eyes showing disbelief.
She really couldn't imagine how a script with such toxic elements could be accepted by viewers.
The agent sighed: "We've misunderstood the direction from beginning to end."
W̃ е̄ b̌n̄оv̂ ĕ.l Е n̈um а
"Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew's" flashy romantic promotional poster and story synopsis centered on "love" had led Wen Xuan and others to subconsciously believe it was a romance drama about painful love.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
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He paused, finally saying slowly: "From start to finish, Yao Bianliang wasn't filming a historical romance drama. On the contrary, they were filming a realistic serious drama!"
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
Today was an utterly ordinary day for many people.
But for Yao Bianliang, it was an extremely important day in her life.
Ẇ е̇ bň ov̌ е l̀ E n̆ûm̀ă
If all went well today, then soon she would successfully complete the system task, escape her suffering, and begin enjoying a new life.
So, half an hour before "Spring Warmth, Heavy Dew" premiered, Yao Bianliang had already bathed with incense, forwarded several good luck posts, and then sat down at her computer.
"Please, I hope netizens will come curse me after watching this drama," Yao Bianliang prayed silently with her hands pressed together.
She also hoped the Douban rating wouldn't hold back, giving her a painful blow. Preferably a rating of one-point-something, outperforming all terrible dramas!
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System: "Host, the lowest Douban rating possible is only 2.1 points."
Yao Bianliang: "..."
Е n ùṁа̃
Fine, 2.1 points would be good too.
In short, a maximum of 3-point-something, definitely not higher.
The system's requirement was a Douban rating less than four points. As long as it remained stable in this range, she could perfectly complete her mission!
At 8 PM sharp, Yao Bianliang immediately clicked into the first episode.
Since the new drama had just been released, there were pitifully few bullet comments and reviews. She quickly scanned them and found the bullet comments were mostly things like "Happy premiere" and "Checking in for the first episode."
She couldn't really tell people's attitudes.
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Yao Bianliang wasn't in a hurry. The new drama had just premiered—even if the audience wanted to criticize, they would need to watch one or two episodes first. It wouldn't happen so quickly.
She made herself a cup of coffee and started watching the drama along with everyone else.
As the camera moved, the plot gradually began to unfold.
Yao Bianliang watched as the female lead she portrayed helped her sisters, struggled to survive, and maintained hope and perseverance despite the madam's oppression.
"Setting aside everything else, this drama's production quality seems quite good," Yao Bianliang couldn't help murmuring. "It has a cinematic feel."
Acting and watching a drama are two completely different experiences.
W̆ ӗ_b́ n̆о̇ v ѐl̊ Е́ n̂ ùḿ а̄
While acting, there's no background music, no director's camera language, and countless cameras swaying around. Actors need to consider positioning, body language, and dialogue tone—there's no way to see the big picture.
Watching a drama is different.
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As a viewer, she didn't need to consider too much, just needed to enjoy the work.
Although she already knew the plot, these impactful visuals combined with appropriate background music did indeed provide an excellent viewing experience.
Moreover, when creating the plot, she had only grasped the general direction. She hadn't delved deeply into some details, which were all created by the screenwriter.
Therefore, as the plot developed, Yao Bianliang was involuntarily drawn in.
Е̄ṅ_ǔm̃ а
"I never thought that the plot I created would be so engaging once filmed." Yao Bianliang watched with relish.
Due to her professional background, when watching dramas, besides focusing on the plot, she also liked to pay attention to the actors' performances and dialogue.
In this drama, everyone delivered excellent performances, with multiple parties showcasing their acting skills, making it thrilling to watch and easily immersing the audience in the story.
One episode wasn't very long, and when it ended, it automatically jumped to the next episode.
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Yao Bianliang leaned back in her chair, sipping her coffee in small gulps, her gaze fixed on the screen.
Her mind was following the plot, completely unaware of these small details, letting the computer automatically continue playing.
Enŭ mа́
One episode after another, and when Yao Bianliang came back to her senses, it was already the end of Episode 8.
She looked at the progress bar, only then realizing she had watched up to the last episode.
"It ended so quickly..." Yao Bianliang felt somewhat unsatisfied.
She secretly planned to ask Mo Youqian for the complete series to watch.
As the female lead actress, using a bit of privilege to get the complete series and watch it in advance seemed reasonable, right?
System: "...Host, don't you feel like you've forgotten something important?"
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Hearing the system's voice, Yao Bianliang's thoughts temporarily detached from the plot.
She paused, then recalled her original purpose.
Oh right, she had originally planned to check the audience's reviews. But she had been unintentionally drawn into the plot and started watching the drama instead.
Yao Bianliang: "..."
Wait, this development seemed wrong somewhere.
How had she unconsciously started watching the drama?
Ŵе.b nо̃v̌ ѐl̂ Еnumӓ
In her original imagination, this was supposed to be a drama full of toxic elements and extremely frustrating plot points!!
Yao Bianliang's gaze fell on the computer screen, which was now playing the ending credits.
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With the melodious music, the female lead danced a tragic yet beautiful dance. Her expression was smiling, but her eyes were empty. The skirt swirled, the silk ribbons danced, and she looked up at the ornate beams and painted rafters, finally letting tears fall in the wind.
The scene was both beautiful and desolate.
Yao Bianliang fell silent.
It seemed that from any perspective, this drama didn't look like a terrible one...
Еn u m ӑ ..і̃d
Not only was it not terrible, but its production quality was exceptionally high, and the plot was very engaging!
By now, night had deepened, with the moon hanging high in the night sky.
The cup of coffee still sat on the desk. It had been steaming hot earlier, but after eight complete episodes, the coffee had gone cold.
And Yao Bianliang's heart... had also gone cold.
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She stared blankly at the computer screen, unwilling to believe this reality.
This wasn't scientific. How could a perfectly terrible plot turn into something like this?
W̆ е̇ b̆ n оv̀ е̂ l Е n̄ um̊ а
"Where exactly did the problem occur!"
