Strike while the iron is hot.
After Shi Yi returned to her room, she digested the information for a bit, then struck while the iron was hot and began revising the script, applying what she had learned into it.
Time flew by without her realizing it. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had to wake up early tomorrow, Shi Yi definitely would have stayed up all night to finish revising the script. 1
Yawn.
Shi Yi covered her mouth and yawned. She checked the time, then grabbed her suitcase and headed towards Teacher Chen’s room.
“You’re here?”
Teacher Chen Hongmei was packing her things. She looked Shi Yi up and down. Today, Shi Yi was wearing light jeans and a simple white button-down shirt. It was clean and neat, yet her waist was so slender it looked like it could be wrapped around with a single hand, making people unconsciously draw their eyes to it.
Teacher Chen nodded. “Are you done packing?”
“I’ve brought everything.”
“Alright then, come over and have something to eat.”
Shi Yi looked into the room. Director Lu was sitting at the dining table. Several plates of soup dumplings and congee were set on the table, and judging by the number, one bowl was prepared for Shi Yi.
Shi Yi felt a warmth in her heart.
But weren’t they heading down?
As if seeing through her confusion, Teacher Chen explained, “No rush, come eat first. I didn’t know what you liked, so I had my assistant buy you the same thing as me.”
Teacher Chen pushed the congee toward her. “I’m guessing the staff forgot that you’ve never been on a variety show before—we won’t go straight down; the production team will shoot some introductory clips first.”
So that’s how it is.
It suddenly dawned on Shi Yi. She had watched variety shows before, and they did indeed have a segment where the guests made their entrances.
What a coincidence; just as Shi Yi arrived, the production team came knocking on the door right after.
“Morning.”
Teacher Chen opened the door and greeted the camera, “You guys came at the perfect time, I just put down my chopsticks.”
“Good morning, Teacher Chen. Are we disturbing you?”
Of course, Teacher Chen replied that they weren’t, and let them in.
Two burly men carrying cameras and an interviewer walked in quietly. Teacher Chen had been on variety shows once or twice before and wasn’t unfamiliar with the process. She simply introduced herself to the camera and said she still had a few things to pack, asking them to wait five minutes.
Then, she introduced Shi Yi. “This is my junior, Little Yi; she is also a screenwriter. The previous female guest changed her mind at the last minute, and since Little Yi happened to be next to me, I called her over to save the day.”
She said in a joking tone, “Little Yi is here to keep me company, so don’t you guys bully her.”
The interviewer thought to themselves, Who would dare?
First you say she’s your junior, then you say she’s here to save the day, and she’s a screenwriter on top of that. Who would be so blind as to bully her?
If she were an actress or a female star, they might be a bit wary. But she’s a screenwriter, and one with a strong background at that—she poses no competition to them. Getting on her good side might even bring the surprise of a script dropping into their laps. Anyone with a brain would only flatter her.
If the idol they stan has a good attitude towards her, would the fans object?
Teacher Chen was directly and completely shutting down any suspicions or questions that might arise after the broadcast.
It was indeed so.
But on the other hand, Chen Hongmei also wanted to keep Shi Yi from being nervous, telling her that there was nothing to be afraid of on a variety show; she was here for her.
Teacher Chen found that her first goal was very successful. As for the second… Shi Yi wasn’t the least bit nervous; her whole demeanor was calm and natural.
Instead, thinking of a certain issue, Shi Yi pulled Teacher Chen to a corner. “Auntie, later on, could you not introduce me by my surname Shi?”
Chen Hongmei froze for a moment before sudden realization dawned on her.
She understood. Shi Yi wanted to hide from her nephew! She didn’t want people to know that she was Gu Zhan’s ex-girlfriend!
…Ah, well, whether she said it or not probably wouldn’t make much of a difference anymore.
After eating, Chen Hongmei led Shi Yi downstairs. The staff showed the way, and they directly boarded the ship.
A man was already sitting on the deck of the ship. The man was dressed in a tracksuit, sitting with his legs crossed, his entire body screaming impatience. Hearing the noise, he shot a sideways glance over.
“Teacher Chen, Director Lu.”
He uncrossed his legs, stood up straight, and called out to them.
Teacher Chen nodded. “Little Fang.”
She introduced him to Shi Yi. “This is Fang Yanhang, Fang Junlin’s son. You can call him Fang Fang.”
Fang Junlin. Bring up this name and 80% of today’s youths would know it—the richest man in the country.
“This is Little Yi, she’s a few months older than you, you can just call her Sister Little Yi.”
Chen Hongmei was someone his father had instructed him absolutely not to offend. Fang Fang might be arrogant, but he knew what was important and what wasn’t. Following Chen Hongmei’s words, he spoke up, “Sister Little Yi.”
Shi Yi returned a smile. “Fang Fang.”
Eight single sofas were placed in an arc on the deck.
Shi Yi took a seat next to Chen Hongmei. Despite her calm appearance, her mind was wandering.
She had a bad premonition.
She previously thought Fang Fang was some Z-list celebrity; she never expected him to be Fang Yanhang! Would a wealthy young master like him really participate in a “three-no”1 variety show?
Or rather, could a variety show that Fang Yanhang came to participate in really be a “three-no” variety show?
Shi Yi felt it was impossible.
The two female guests who arrived subsequently completely confirmed Shi Yi’s suspicions.
The first one, Ming Qiuqiu.
The darling of a group that debuted from a survival show. She was clumsy, soft, and adorable, with two dimples when she smiled. Her fan count broke through 40 million within two years, making her the fastest-rising female star… In the original book, it wasn’t until the female lead appeared that Ming Qiuqiu’s record was broken, and her true colors were exposed.
The second one, Wen Xin.
Shi Yi had just seen her on a dating variety show a few days ago. If Ming Qiuqiu was a new-generation little flower, Wen Xin was an undeniable leading actress. She debuted at sixteen and had filmed no less than 20 movies in the past ten years, her position as a leading actress as steady as Mount Tai.
These two female stars, you’re telling me they would participate in a “three-no” variety show???
Were they crazy, or was she crazy?
Shi Yi’s vision went dark, and her heart began to beat disobediently. She was certain: this was no “three-no” variety show.
Eight sofas. The four on the women’s side were already full, and the men’s side was short of one person.
Shi Yi’s gaze landed on that empty seat. So, who was this center position reserved for?
“…”
Within a few minutes, she got her answer.
The sound of a car door closing could be heard, followed by footsteps gradually approaching. The footsteps were unhurried, stepping onto the cruise ship’s stairs, getting closer and closer step by step.
Shi Yi looked over. Her heart was pounding violently, seemingly foreshadowing something.
The sound grew clearer.
At the corner, the figure of a man was revealed. He slightly raised his eyes, revealing a pair of eyes as pitch-black as ink.
“Gu Zhan?!”
“Teacher Gu?”
The several guests were all somewhat surprised.
Gu Zhan’s gaze swept past the group of surprised people and landed steadily on Shi Yi.
…And this was exactly when the live broadcast started.
Translator’s note:
Leave a Reply