`Chapter 34

Chapter 34

There’s a widely circulated Q&A online among CP fans:

Q: In the CP you ship, who is more invested?

A: Me.

For CP fans, the thing that breaks them the most isn’t “the CP I ship is fake,” nor “the two ended badly,” but—“the CP I ship, one of them personally sent the other away!”

The sky has fallen… all the love and time over the past few days, in the end, was misplaced.

On the night Reverse Scale’s ratings peaked, when Chen Xiang trembled as she pulled the trigger and the bullet pierced Yan Lang’s forehead, the gunshot synchronizing across screens was accompanied by the despairing cries of countless CP fans whose faith collapsed: “No—!!”

Because they had shipped so wholeheartedly in the early episodes, the bubble of “perfect love” rapidly fermented into a more intense hatred once the truth was revealed. A large number of CP fans, unable to accept reality, immediately “turned dark,” their speed of turning from fans to critics comparable to Sichuan opera face-changing; their power to denounce was unprecedentedly high.

Even more soul-crushing was the flashback in Episode Nineteen. The camera delicately depicted Yan Lang’s filial care at home, his humble willingness to do chores, as well as his fresh, smiling appearance when first joining the police in a crisp uniform—essentially a young version of Zhou Mu—creating a stark contrast with his later silent and restrained bodyguard persona. Viewers wept uncontrollably, heartbroken to the point they couldn’t recover.

The bullet comments completely went off the rails:

“Wuwuwu no wonder he’s all righteous, doesn’t look like he mingles with the underworld, turns out he’s a police brother T T”

“Bodyguard brother, didn’t you forget what Zhang Wuji’s mom said? Pretty women can’t be trusted.”

“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it! Fake! It’s all fake!! Yan Lang isn’t dead, he’s faking it, right?!”

“srds Chen Xiang is just freeing him… When she arrived, Yan Lang’s limbs had been chopped off, even being alive was torture.”

“I can’t bear to see Chen Xiang’s expression when she pulled the trigger, mixed with disappointment, pain, and disbelief… her eyes were red, she clearly hadn’t cried in years.”

“No way, girls? And you’re still shipping? Wake up!”

“The order to deal with the traitor wasn’t given personally by Chen Xiang? Doesn’t she know how cruel her subordinates are? You CP fans really let your morals follow your eyes? Where’s your ethics! Where’s your bottom line!!”

“Three years! Three whole years together day and night, he took bullets and knives for her, yet it can’t compete with Chen Xiang’s feelings for that dead daddy?!”

“But Chen Shouzhuo faked his death! Yan Lang really can’t come back, wuwuwu!”

“Chen Xiang!!!! How could you bring yourself to do it ahhhh!!!”

The famous Mr. Zhou Shuren once said: tragedy is to destroy the valuable things in life for people to see.

The screenwriters of Reverse Scale executed this to the extreme—Yan Lang’s flashbacks were as beautiful as the bright moon, making his death all the more unbearable. Coupled with the actors’ handsome appearances and sincere performances, viewers’ hatred for Chen Xiang instantly peaked; the internet resounded with “I will never believe in love again!” heartbroken cries.

Expired candy is at most bitter, but candy mixed with human blood and betrayal is like trying to find rotten meat in glass shards—suffocating and hard to swallow.

Many former top fan editors felt deeply wounded, quietly hiding or deleting their sweet edit videos, as if that could erase the pain of betrayal.

At the same time, a new wave of creation called Sea of Hate, Love of Sky rose against the tide. These edits intertwined past tender glances and life-risking protection with the final decisive gunshot and cold corpses, set to sorrowful or ironic BGM, their popularity even surpassing all previous CP edits.

The fans who had turned against the CP, while writing in the comment sections “Chen Xiang, you have no heart!” in anguish, were nonetheless obsessively staying up to produce new videos through tears. How sweet it once was, how foolish they now felt—the restrained love became calculated scheming, the life-risking protection became a deadly trap.

Chen Xiang’s “villainous woman” and “black widow” image was firmly established through repeated tug-of-war between love and hate. Interestingly, amid the unanimous online “condemnation” wave, a large number of unaware onlookers were drawn in, curiously asking: “Who is this beauty? Why is everyone cursing her?”

“No, I can’t have a heart attack alone, if I die, we all die together.” Heartbroken viewers turned grief into promotion, sharing videos with all friends and family; this self-destructive sharing paradoxically became the most viral publicity—Chen Xiang was sent to trending topics amid the sea of curses, the topic popularity maxed out.

The story of Reverse Scale surged ahead. After Chen Shouzhuo faked his death and escaped, he fully withdrew from public view as the head of the Ding Sheng Group, controlling his dark empire. Chen Xiang was pushed to the forefront, taking his place, becoming the new leader, confronting Zhou Mu directly—marking a small climax in the plot.

It’s said hatred lasts longer than love; for CP fans, the same applies. Angry viewers sat glued to screens every day, eagerly waiting for Chen Xiang to appear, while frantically commenting, “When will Chen Xiang die?” “Chen Xiang, get offline quickly!”

The hashtag #ChenXiangOffline# once surged to the top of Weibo trending, with over 300 million reads, reflecting the unprecedented attention the character drew.

Chen Xiang finally went offline in Episode Twenty-Four.

Under precise police planning, Chen Shouzhuo and Chen Xiang were forced to separate, retreating along different routes, agreeing to regroup at the old pier.

When Chen Xiang escorted the last batch of cargo, what awaited her was not the rendezvous boat, but heavy police presence led by Zhou Mu.

The sunset dyed the river blood-red. Zhou Mu stood beside a police car, looking at the girl who had stepped from pure white into the abyss, his voice low with a hint of regret: “Chen Xiang, put down your weapon and surrender. This is your last chance.”

Chen Xiang didn’t respond. Her gaze swept over the surrounding police, past the empty river, toward the city controlled by Chen Shouzhuo’s forces on the opposite bank, unreachable now—suddenly she understood.

The separate action was fake, the rendezvous point was fake; she was merely the pawn Chen Shouzhuo threw out to draw fire.

She suddenly smiled, a broken sort of beauty in her expression.

“Officer Zhou, don’t waste your effort. Everything was done by me. Chen Shouzhuo…” Chen Xiang’s voice was terrifyingly calm, “He spoiled me too much, he knew nothing.”

After saying that, she no longer gave Zhou Mu any chance to persuade her. Under the aim of countless gun barrels, she ended her young yet scarred life with a posture that was almost serene.

The bullet comments finally vented their relief:

“Finally dead! What a relief! (But why do I feel like crying a bit)”

“Hehe, still defending your good daddy until the end, but he sold you out long ago, silly girl!”

“I don’t understand! Did Chen Shouzhuo really have no father-daughter feelings for her? Was all the previous care and gentleness an act?”

“She’s not even his real daughter, people like Chen, if you’re not ruthless, how do you get to where you are today? As long as he survives, anyone can be sacrificed.”

“Bodyguard brother must be heartbroken in heaven…”

“You’ve lost your mind! What bodyguard brother? Back! Back! Back! He’s Yan Lang! Police officer Yan Lang! This poisonous woman doesn’t deserve to be associated with him even a little!”

“I wonder if Chen Xiang, in her final moments, thought of the man willing to take bullets for her…”

“Double death counts as HE (happy ending), right? kdlkdl.”

“Shut up, all of you! I really give up on you brain-dead CP fans, picking candy out of ashes, right?”

The plot of Reverse Scale continued, but Chen Xiang’s story ended. While the audience felt justice served, there was also a sense of emptiness. Perhaps the impact was too great, and people couldn’t get over it immediately. The previously deleted fan edits were quietly dug out again, with editors, hearts heavy, returning to their old craft to commemorate this entanglement that could barely be defined as “love.”

On Doujia’s Reverse Scale special forum, a long comment thread kept growing taller.

Title: A Simple Discussion of the Character Chen Xiang

Poster: Wind and Moon

Preliminary statement: purely subjective discussion of the character. No shipping sugar, mindless CP fans please steer clear.

As a male-dominated drama, Reverse Scale didn’t focus much on female characters. Aside from Xu Yaqing, who was central, the rest were fleeting glimpses. Yet even so, characters like Yao Ping, Chen Xiang, and Xing Yuan left a deep impression on viewers, with Chen Xiang topping popularity multiple times.

Today I want to talk about Chen Xiang. This character is extremely interesting. You can see the writers’ careful shaping, plus the chosen actress is excellent, the production design of the crew is solid, and the overall image is very three-dimensional and full. She is personally one of the most poignant TV drama characters I’ve seen in recent years.

Officially, she’s labeled as “father-fixated,” but her core goes far beyond that. Chen Xiang’s three turning points in her fate all stem from Chen Shouzhuo. She is like a meticulously sculpted work, walking clearly toward a predetermined tragedy.

“The first turning point is from commodity to ‘daughter.’”

The thirteen-year-old girl sold by her biological father saw her fate in the corner of a casino. Chen Shouzhuo’s arrival was the only light for her. She grabbed his hand without hesitation, called out “Daddy,” and from that moment stepped into the abyss. The actress’s handling here is extremely subtle, her eyes moving from fear to despair to the desperate resolve of grasping a lifeline, with clearly defined layers.

“The second turning point is from dependence to ‘weapon.’”

After the trauma of kidnapping, Chen Xiang developed PTSD, which later motivated her “darkening.” She knew her pain came from Chen Shouzhuo’s crimes. When she later faced assassination attempts and coldly asked, “Who do you want me to repay this time?” it reveals that Chen Xiang had long seen herself as an extension and atonement of Chen Shouzhuo’s sins. In her vulnerability, she began to grow icy thorns.

“The third turning point is from caged bird to ‘abandoned pawn.’”

Chen Xiang was forced to step to the forefront, becoming a leader in the underworld. Here, Yan Lang’s death cannot be ignored. Personally, I think Yan Lang’s death wasn’t crafted perfectly; his undercover identity was exposed too suddenly. This plotline, to serve Chen Shouzhuo’s “faked death,” felt somewhat rigid. But the actress patched the logic gap with her performance. I really liked her emotional outburst here—the sense of personally destroying the last warmth in herself made viewers instantly immerse, ignoring plot flaws.

Ironically, after Yan Lang died, Chen Xiang quickly reached her end. She realized her fate as an “abandoned pawn” and, in the last moment, chose self-sacrifice to pave the final stepping stone for Chen Shouzhuo’s “rebirth.”

Many discuss Chen Xiang’s feelings for Chen Shouzhuo. In my view, the actress’s interpretation gives the answer: it is an ultimate admiration of strength and dependency. She projected all her desire for “love” onto this man, who gave her a second life yet led her to destruction.

Chen Xiang’s tragedy was entirely caused by Chen Shouzhuo.

She was once a pure, naive girl, pulled out of the mire by Chen Shouzhuo, then turned into another dark world; ultimately, it was Chen Shouzhuo who kept her there forever, completing the domestication called “redemption.”

As Eliot wrote: “Her world ended, not with a bang, but with a whimper.”

Chen Xiang’s departure had no grandeur, only endless desolation. And the actress Shi Yin, with her story-filled eyes and moving performance, made that whimper strike heavily in our hearts.

Comment 2: Well written. Chen Xiang’s character really deserves close appreciation.

Comment 3: I suggest those who complain “Chen Xiang’s dark turn is too sudden” read this review. Where’s the abruptness? It’s clearly a step-by-step forced path.

Comment 5: Speaking of reduced intelligence, no one mentions Yao Ping? IQ trough of the series! As the policewoman’s wife, she had zero alertness, easily giving away information to the mole. I understand tools are needed to drive the plot, but this was too deliberate.

“This comment has been deleted by the poster; no provocations allowed.”

Comment 6: I like the poster’s analysis. Chen Xiang’s character going viral is truly the result of the combined efforts of the writers, director, and actress. Shi Yin really brought her to life, giving flesh and blood to the paper character. (Disclaimer: supporting character analysis doesn’t mean supporting criminal acts.)

Comment 7: Poster, can you go deeper into Chen Xiang’s true psychology toward Yan Lang? Was she really suspicious the whole time, never once moved?

Comment 8 (poster) replying to Comment 7: Personally, I think there was definitely some emotional stirring. That kind of day-to-day protection is hard not to create dependency. But there were too many things between them—Yan Lang’s mission, Chen Xiang’s stance, and the mountain in her heart called “Chen Shouzhuo.” Some lines just can’t be crossed.

Comment 10: Ahhhh poster, well said! kswl! They were both running toward each other but also restraining each other!

“This comment has been deleted by the poster. Please follow the main post’s rules, no shipping sugar.”

Comment 12: Weakly saying… it feels like after Chen Xiang’s exit, the motivation to follow this drama dropped by more than half… (runs with pot lid)

Comment 15: Hard to believe Chen Xiang’s actress is only 19? Setting looks aside, her acting is incredibly sharp, and her emotional outbursts are extremely empathetic. If this complex role were played by another young actress, it would likely end up either emotionless or as a crazy meme.

Comment 16: I’m literally hissing! Chen Xiang’s looks are my type. Pure desire ceiling, truly deserved. Several car interior probing scenes with Yan Lang—those eyes, that atmosphere—I kept staring at her face and microexpressions, rewinding the progress bar repeatedly!

Comment 20: Their scenes together definitely sparked fireworks. Two newcomers without much traffic breaking out with acting and character charm is really great.

Comment 28: While the crowd’s here, recommend my sister’s Saints in the Fog. Plays a forensic killer, plot twists at the end, acting is also solid.

Comment 29: Mark, I’ll go catch up.

…

Comment 75: Reverse Scale really went viral. Even the China Daily wrote an article, saying, “Tribute to every unsung hero who threw themselves into the fight.”

Comment 77: LOL, the official blog’s comment section has been taken over by Chen Xiang raising white flag emojis.

Comment 78: ??? Was that in the drama? Did I miss it?

Comment 79 replying to 78: Not in the drama. The actress Shi Yin herself posted it on Weibo, just everyday cute stuff.

Comment 80 replying to 79: Went to check—wow, Chen Xiang’s actress is getting seriously cyberbullied, comment section is a mess…

Comment 83: Not really cyberbullying, right? Most are scolding the character, not the actress. After all, Chen Xiang really went viral.

Comment 85: Purely a bystander, is this actress insane about fame? The character is gone but she keeps riding the heat every day. Living off just this one role for life, right?

“This comment has been deleted by the poster; no provocations allowed.”

Comment 88 replying to 85: (Although deleted, I still have to say) The sourness upstairs is practically oozing from the screen. Jealous much? Having a single role last a lifetime is way better than your main actor hopping from one S-drama to another, relying on marketing for survival!

Comment 90: Shi Yin fans already boasting achievements on credit? Last a lifetime, get scolded a lifetime, basically! A daddy-fixated psycho, falling for every man, only you guys cherish it. In reality, who would care?

Comment 91: Eh, we just treat it as treasure! Chen Xiang is awesome, Shi Yin is awesome! Makes you mad, nyah nyah nyah!

Comment 92: Whoa, whose fan from 90 has such a filthy mouth? Things going badly in real life, so you vent online?

“Please do not post provocative content. This thread is locked, replies prohibited.”

~

The night Chen Xiang “exited,” Shi Yin updated her Weibo with an animated GIF.

She waved a small white flag in her left hand and held a whiteboard in her right that read, “Spare me, I know I was wrong!” Her whole body slumped on the ground, looking pitifully at the camera.

The actor playing “Yan Lang” immediately appeared to reply: [silly smile][silly smile][pat head]

The tiny interaction instantly ignited the comment section. Fans quickly controlled the scene:

“Wow! Bodyguard brother came to pat her head for comfort! So spoiled!”

“Yin Yin baby, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, mama still loves you.”

“Hahaha playing with her own meme, so cute.”

However, more drama fans and CP fans quickly gathered, as if they finally found an outlet for their emotions:

“Chen Xiang! Bad woman! Eat my sword! [fist]”

“I hate you!! Give me back Yan Lang!!”

“Ahhh, I’m so mad! I want to jump into the TV and slap you both!”

“Your own suffering can’t justify harming others.”

“You killed a police officer, and suicide doesn’t just settle everything? I won’t accept it!!”

“FYI: Shi Yin also ‘killed’ people in Fog Walkers, professionally (dog head).”

Facing the surge of comments, Shi Yin remained remarkably calm. She had long understood that it was inevitable for actors playing villains to be scolded. The more immersed the audience was, the more it proved the actor’s performance was good. Anyway, the outsourced operations team was patrolling at high intensity, and any comment insulting her personally would be immediately deleted and banned.

Amid the sea of “scolding,” the main quest that had been on hold for almost five months finally triggered a pleasant notification sound:

【Main Quest “Appeared! A Woman Worse Than Granny Bi!” Completed】

【Reward Acquired: Accessory · Cold Light Earrings】

【Cold Light Earrings: When worn, automatically emit a chilling aura of “this woman is not to be trifled with,” causing ordinary people nearby to subconsciously forget their current actions and instinctively keep their distance, achieving physical deterrence. Duration: 2 hours, Cooldown: 8 hours】

Shi Yin had just picked up the ice-crystal-like earrings and hadn’t had time to examine them when Wen Jinhe called.

“The Reverse Scale crew is preparing a celebration banquet, tentatively set for March 5th. I’ll help you ask Director Xu for leave; you don’t need to appear in person.”

“Alright, Sister Wen, I understand,” Shi Yin immediately caught the meaning.

The filming of Jianqiao was tight, and she also planned to fly to Hong Kong for auditions later. Frequent leave would inevitably irritate the director. Wen Jinhe was taking on the role of the “difficult villain” herself, preserving Shi Yin’s image in front of the director.

“Also, next Wednesday there’s a fan meeting in Shanghai; you have to attend.”

Shi Yin’s eyelids twitched, her voice wavering: “Who… who’s going?”

Wen Jinhe sighed: “Liang Yicheng and Ye Peiqian are definitely not going. Gu Jizhou will attend. Peach is still trying to coax Liu Chuan.”

Shi Yin could have guessed Liang Yicheng wouldn’t go; after all, his facial injuries hadn’t healed, and there was no way he’d dare appear in public. But the thought of facing the drama fans’ “onsite assault” up close made her liver tremble.

“Sister Wen…” she tried to struggle, “I… can I not go?”

“No,” Wen Jinhe said coldly. “Having only one lead hold the scene already looks awkward. Your popularity is high right now, and you’re a newcomer—the platform’s face can’t be ignored. There are only a few top-tier domestic streaming platforms. Jianqiao will also air on Peach in the future; relationships must be maintained.”

Shi Yin: “…Alright then.”

A true warrior dares to confront the bleakness of life, dares to face the relentless “verbal onslaught.”

After hanging up, Shi Yin flopped onto her bed in utter despair and held the Cold Light Earrings up to the light for inspection. The crystalline facets refracted tiny sparks of light, radiating a cold aura warning others to stay away.

As she gazed, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her mind.

Right! She still had the 【Soft Light Brooch】!