Shen Zhiyao! Why is it you again?

“Hello everyone, I am Ji Fanxing.
Today, I want to speak about the recent violent destruction and false accusations directed at a certain theater that I saw online...”
In the video, Ji Fanxing calmly explained the long history of cross-gender roles in traditional opera.
“This is the beauty of our cultural heritage, not, as some claim, a perverse act.”
She spoke each word with clarity, “Though I don’t know every detail of what happened, the rumors circulating are not trustworthy.
Peking opera is our national treasure. The reason people have prejudices is because they do not understand it well enough.
Here, I urge everyone to approach and understand traditional arts with an open mind, and to respect their unique value and charm...”
The video ended there.
Xu Guosheng’s hand trembled slightly as he held his phone. Ji Fanxing’s words echoed in his ears; the phrase “national treasure” was like rain after a long drought, nourishing his soul that had long been parched.
He had never imagined that Peking opera could be valued so highly.
“Master, look,” the young martial role’s eyes shone with excitement,
“She spoke so well! Anyone can understand it, now people won’t misunderstand us anymore!”
Xu Guosheng nodded, though his heart was not as optimistic.
Such a video was unlikely to draw attention in the boundless sea of the internet.
The only consolation was that the video’s location was set to Haishi, meaning the uploader would not be threatened by Liu Sandao as the previous one had been.
Xu Guosheng returned the phone in silence. The person beside him, seeing the director’s expression, felt dispirited, realizing their hopes had been too simple.
The girl in the video seemed unfamiliar—likely just an ordinary person with some knowledge of Peking opera.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew quiet. Xu Guosheng’s apprentice, Axing, refused to give up and took out his own phone, wanting to find and watch the video again.
He wanted to ask his senior for the link, but as soon as he opened DouShou, the video popped up.
Was this the precision of big data, or...?
He rubbed his eyes, incredulous as he stared at the numbers on the right side of the video. Moments ago, there had been only a handful, now they had become astonishing.
Likes: 16,541
Comments: 1,001
Favorites: 1,849
Shares: 1,650
It had only taken a moment to swap phones—how had the numbers grown so much?
Axing quickly went to his senior, compared the videos, and confirmed they were posted by the same account.
His senior refreshed the video; in less than a minute, the likes, comments, and favorites had increased by hundreds more.
Opening the comment section, Axing finally realized who the familiar-looking girl in the video was.

【Is this Ji Fanxing? She actually posted a video on DouShou? So she uses DouShou!】
【Oh my! Is it a singing video like the other contestants? Looking forward to it!!】
【Don’t get your hopes up, it’s a rumor-busting video, talking about Peking opera.】
【I know she likes unconventional paths, but this is really unexpected—her first video is this. Still, she explained it well. I didn’t know there were such stories behind Peking opera.】
【Ji Fanxing? Who’s that? The girl looks so pleasant, probably without makeup. Her voice sounds familiar—liked!】
【What’s this about violence at a theater? How come I didn’t see anything?】
【Ji God sings so beautifully, and speaks just as well! I used to think Peking opera was noisy and chaotic, but after hearing her, I realize there are so many stories within it. Suddenly, I’m interested in Peking opera...】
【Those who spread rumors are awful. And a violent incident? I’ll go investigate what happened!】
【Wait, the theater was smashed? I think I saw something about it today, I’ll look it up.】
Seeing this, Axing happily showed his phone to Xu Guosheng, “Master! This is Ji Fanxing who sang ‘Map of Rivers and Mountains’! So many people are watching her video—we really have hope!”
The songs Ji Fanxing released on “King of All Singers” had become wildly popular throughout Longguo, with listeners spanning all ages.
Most people hadn’t followed the show, simply enjoying her songs, but in the process, her name had become familiar.
Now, the songwriter herself was speaking up for Peking opera, and many were willing to learn the truth.
Indeed, soon enthusiastic netizens found the video Ji Fanxing had mentioned, though this one was clearly a re-upload, with the spoken voices and theater’s name altered.
The account posting it was a small one, located in Jincheng, uploaded by a local resident.
This person was clever, protecting their privacy and avoiding Liu Sandao’s reach.
The scene of several burly men smashing things at the entrance of a traditional building was striking.
Immediately, someone recognized the men as notorious local bullies.
As Ji Fanxing’s video went viral, that video became a constant keyword linked to it.
Many people watched Ji Fanxing’s video and then clicked over to see what was happening.
【Unbelievable, how can such things happen in broad daylight? Is there no law?】
【This is Jincheng? Aren’t they competing for Civilized City status? How can it still be so chaotic?】
…
In a certain club in Jincheng,
Liu Sandao hung up his warning call, his face dark as iron, and kicked Li Si over.
“This is how you handle things?! How many times have I told you, times have changed, don’t leave evidence!
Do you take my words for nothing?!”
Li Si lay on the ground, motionless, beads of cold sweat on his forehead, as Liu Sandao’s heel ground mercilessly into his palm.
“Damn it, where’s the person who posted the video?! Still not found?!”

Liu Sandao was asking about the second person who posted the smashing video using a small account.
“N-no… not yet,” Li Si replied, trembling.
Liu Sandao spat, fuming as he thought for a long time. He finally realized that if he could silence Ji Fanxing—the one who had amplified everything—no one would pay attention to Huayun Theater anymore.
A vicious light flashed in his eyes as he said to Li Si, “Call Boss Wu. Tell him there’s someone he needs to deal with.
Celebrities like her are terrified of public opinion, right? Ruin her reputation! Once she’s just another nobody, find a chance to sell her off!”
As he spoke, Liu Sandao’s expression grew grotesque, “This girl is pretty—her sale will cover my losses.”
So what if she’s somewhat famous? Liu Sandao had connections everywhere. A rookie from a talent show was at his mercy.
Robin Island, by the sea, Ji Fanxing finished her video and prepared to go to the recording studio.
“Map of Rivers and Mountains” had been online for a week, with downloads exceeding one hundred million, topping the new song chart.
This achievement gave Ji Fanxing confidence that blending tradition with modern pop culture was possible in Longguo—simply no one in domestic entertainment had tried it before.
If so, she was willing to be the first to take the plunge, to walk this path to the end, and pioneer a route of national style for Longguo.
Longguo’s Peking opera was the same as Huaxia’s, only the name differed.
To break the public’s prejudice against Peking opera, the first step was to present it in a way people could accept and understand.
After much thought, she found no song more suitable than “Red Actors.”
The lyrics are drawn from opera culture, the song blends Peking opera elements; the accompaniment features traditional percussion as well as pop music influences.
It aligns more closely with modern aesthetics—when young people take interest in Peking opera, they’ll naturally dig deeper into its stories and value.
Her goal was not only to dispel prejudice, but to promote Peking opera and all traditional arts in Longguo.
“Miss Ji, what a coincidence, you’re here too!”
“What a coincidence—may I ask who you are?”
Ji Fanxing stared at the panting man before her, inwardly sighing at her oversight—her video had exposed her location.
“Hello, I’m Xi Yuyang, an agent from Wind Entertainment.”
Xi Yuyang, still catching his breath, extended his hand to Ji Fanxing, inwardly gleeful, “Heh, Shen Zhiyao—this time I found her first, you’re out of luck.”
Ji Fanxing politely shook his hand, then withdrew, asking behind him, “You… came together?”
“Huh?” Together? He hadn’t come alone? Xi Yuyang turned around, and upon seeing who was approaching, his face fell immediately.
“Shen Zhiyao! You again!”