Only after writing down the shopping list based on the dishes Qi Xun had ordered did Chen Yuxi turn his attention back to the variety show.
He even dragged the progress bar all the way back to the beginning to watch it from start to finish.
His screen time turned out to be quite generous—at least much more than he had imagined.
For instance, among the dozen or so Q&A segments he had recorded in the car as supplementary footage, they actually kept two of his.
Even Jiang Xinwen and Jiang Yunhai only got three each.
Once inside the wooden cottage, all the footage of his interactions and conversations with Xu Qinghe was preserved as well.
It was only after that point that he transitioned into “passerby mode,” appearing in various shot cuts or serving as a background element for others.
Chen Yuxi, however, was thoroughly satisfied.
The episode had been airing for just over two hours, yet bullet comments on screen were already starting to mention him:
“Who is this handsome guy?”
“This handsome guy looks a bit unfamiliar, but he’s so fine [Licking_screen.jpg]”
“Oh my god, it’s Chen Yuxi! I voted for him back in the day!”
Chen Yuxi was overjoyed. He forwarded the link to his family group chat, letting everyone know he was on TV again!
By the time he finished showing off to his family, the variety show had reached the section where they worked in the fields.
At the time, Qi Xun hadn’t said many words; most of the time was spent with him and Wang Lanyin chatting.
In order to give Qi Xun more screen time, the production team worked hard to insert shots of him during Chen Yuxi and Wang Lanyin’s conversations.
As a result, the situation presented on screen was: even though he was the one speaking and the caption clearly labeled “Chen Yuxi,” the camera was focusing on Qi Xun at work.
Alternatively, when he spoke, the camera would pull back for a wide shot, use Qi Xun as a background, or simply film all three of them together.
Even with the post-production editors working so hard, Chen Yuxi still managed to score a lot of screen time.
…The post-production editing team really had it tough.
The screen time reserved for him in the cottage likely stemmed from his friendship with Xu Qinghe.
As for the field footage, it was Qi Xun’s silence that served as his screen-time insurance policy.
On Xu Qinghe’s end, he could write a few more songs for him in the future.
As for Qi Xun…
Chen Yuxi took a screenshot of one of the shots featuring Qi Xun in the background and sent it over, expressing his gratitude once more: Thank you for Teacher Qi’s silence, which allowed me to gain so much screen time! [Flower_scattering.jpg]
Qi Xun: .
Qi Xun: Verbal thanks alone are completely meaningless.
Chen Yuxi let out a laugh and typed back: I get it, I get it. Once you think of what you want, I’ll send it over~ Double portion!
Qi Xun didn’t reply.
Chen Yuxi understood that too. No rebuttal meant tacit agreement.
Recalling the photo of the conference room Qi Xun had posted in the group chat earlier, Chen Yuxi refrained from bothering him further, closed his messages, and continued watching.
After picking the bitter gourds and returning to the wooden cottage, his screen time shrank significantly, appearing basically as a background element.
However, he got a bit more screen time during the “Pass the Parcel” game—at least when each person sang, the camera kept one or two shots of him, whether from near or far, which was more than enough.
Of course, the variety show was genuinely enjoyable: it featured rustic charm, countryside scenery, paired with the comical sight of handsome men and beautiful women awkwardly farm-working in the fields, accompanied by serene background music—a delight for both eyes and ears.
Finally, there was a high-minded, insightful discussion at the end.
It was truly perfect, no wonder it could remain a flagship show for so long.
An episode lasted 110 minutes, ending right at the Pass the Parcel game.
Chen Yuxi watched with unfulfilled eagerness.
With Xu Qinghe, Qi Xun, and the show’s core audience base, the view count had already jumped to over five million within just over two hours of airing, which was utterly terrifying.
Chen Yuxi thought about it for a moment and logged into Weibo.
…Sure enough, it was trending on the entertainment hot search list.
Xu Qinghe hadn’t taken on many acting roles in recent years, appearing instead as a guest on various variety shows, which was relatively normal.
Qi Xun, on the other hand, after sweeping the Grand Slam awards, had shifted his focus to corporate affairs. Forget variety shows—he hadn’t even filmed a movie in nearly three years. With his sudden appearance on a variety show, his fans had gone completely wild.
Consequently, the top spots on the hot search list were almost all about him.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Chen Yuxi tapped on the top trending topic: “Qi Xun Variety Show”.
@GreenPlumBadge: Oh my god, my idol actually still remembers he’s an actor!! [Moved.jpg][Variety_show_screenshot.jpg]
@IsXunBrotherAtWorkToday: Who is this?! My Xun-ge actually went on a variety show?!
@MoonRisingOverCloudSea: Why did Qi Xun suddenly pop up? Did his investments fail, forcing him to take on variety gigs?
@A_B_C_Pancake: Some fans shouldn’t be so jealous. My idol hasn’t taken on work in years, yet the moment he does, he hits the hot searches. Are the obscure nobodies green with envy now?
@LoveXunForTenThousandYears: Worthy of being my idol! Away for years, but upon returning, he’s still single! [Thumbs_up.jpg][Variety_show_edit_clip]
@XunsPoisonCanKillInstantly: Worthy of being my idol! One lick and I poisoned myself to death!
…
Apart from a few negligible voices, most of the comments were very… friendly. They were either shocked by Qi Xun’s sudden appearance on a variety show or teasing his years of unchanged sharp tongue and single status—lighthearted and cheerful.
Glimpsing a part gave a picture of the whole; one could tell that Qi Xun’s fans had a completely different style from Qi Xun himself.
Chen Yuxi was thoroughly entertained, scrolling through several trending topics before stopping.
The singing competition he participated in a few years ago earned him a third-place finish. Coupled with his former agency pushing him through various events and promotions, he had managed to gather nearly a million fans back then.
However, ever since he terminated his contract, events decreased, publicity dwindled, and commercial gigs virtually vanished, causing his follower count to slowly bleed away.
It had now dropped to 470,000.
Yet despite the drop, some veteran fans consistently checked in and left comments under his posts, continuing to support him—though he didn’t know how long they could keep it up.
So, after finishing his Weibo scroll, Chen Yuxi headed back to his own profile, intending to interact with his old fans.
He opened the promotional post he had made earlier and entered the comment section.
The top comment, however, was not a familiar handle.
@AppleHawthornSourVinegar: Marking my spot while it’s fresh!! Tag me if there’s any gossip!
It had three thousand likes and over a thousand replies.
Tapping in, every single reply was a copy-paste of that exact sentence.
Chen Yuxi was dumbfounded. What gossip? What gossip did he have?
The second top comment:
@EdwardianNight: Handsome guy, how old are you, where are you from, and are you spoken for?
Underneath this comment was a string of hahahahas.
Chen Yuxi understood now.
It seemed his face had withstood the test of the screen, pulling in a bunch of visual fans for him.
Pretty good—it proved his skincare routine over the past few years hadn’t gone to waste.
Chen Yuxi skipped past these comments and scrolled down to find familiar IDs to reply to.
…
The next day.
Chen Yuxi got up early in the morning to do groceries at the market.
Beef, fish head, pork belly, shrimp… plus vegetables and fruits, he carried a full load in both hands.
The market was right at the intersection, and since it was still early, he strolled leisurely back carrying multiple bags of goods.
Before he even reached the compound entrance, a figure suddenly materialized out of nowhere and reached out a hand toward him.
Chen Yuxi froze, then recoiled in shock: “Teacher Qi? Why are you here?”
Wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, Qi Xun tilted his cap up slightly, knitting his brows: “Didn’t you invite me over for dinner?”
Chen Yuxi: “But it’s not even 9 AM yet—”[1]Can someone explain this to me, I’m confused but I think I’m getting it, Chen Yuxi invited him for dinner but why would he say its not 9am yet? Chinese people usually (not all) eat dinner … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3519141_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3519141_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Before he could finish his sentence, the several bags of meat and produce in his right hand were snatched away.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing—” He tried to snatch them back.
Qi Xun turned around: “Let’s go.”
Chen Yuxi hurried to catch up: “No, wait, I can do it myself. You’re a guest.”
Qi Xun: “Oh, afraid I’ll poison it?”
Between laughter and tears, Chen Yuxi said: “What are you talking about? These are raw vegetables and raw meat, they’re still dripping with water! It doesn’t fit your status!” As he spoke, his hand was already resting on Qi Xun’s wrist, attempting to wrest the bags back.
Qi Xun let him pry at his fingers, but kept an iron grip on the bags without yielding a millimeter: “What status do I have? Untouched by worldly dust, raised on morning dew?”
Chen Yuxi couldn’t help laughing: “Your joke—”
“Kids nowadays, I tell ya!” Two elderly ladies passed by, muttering loudly, “Openly acting like homosexuals on the street, no shame at all!”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
Qi Xun turned his head back: “Old age—”
His mouth was promptly covered by Chen Yuxi, who stood on tiptoe with lightning-fast reflexes.
“Da Ge[2]Big brother, not blood related, just a form of respect for someone who is older than you. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3519141_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3519141_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });!” Chen Yuxi lowered his voice, frantically saying, “Do you want to hit the headline news or the entertainment hot searches?! You’re going to pick a fight over a couple of muttered words from old ladies?!”
Qi Xun stood dead still, the glare on his sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Then, muffled against Chen Yuxi’s hand, he said, “I suggest you add height-increasing insoles next time.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
Snatching his hand back instantly, he offered a dry laugh: “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to. I was just afraid you’d get snapped by paparazzi… Wait, why are you here? Didn’t you drive here?”
Qi Xun shifted his gaze away, continuing forward: “I drove. It’s parked by the roadside.”
Chen Yuxi hurried to catch up again: “Don’t you know which building I live in? Drive into the parking garage! What if paparazzi reporters snap a photo?”
Qi Xun: “Oh, whatever.”
The deep eyes behind the sunglasses flicked toward a certain direction.
Having given up on reclaiming his items, Chen Yuxi walked alongside him carrying the remaining bags. Hearing this, he remarked with admiration: “Is this the confidence of a Grand Slam Film King? Completely unbothered by paparazzi.”
Qi Xun said casually: “This is the confidence of being single.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
He almost burst out laughing.
Qi Xun turned his head, looking at him through his sunglasses: “Laugh if you want to.”
Chen Yuxi’s eyes curved into merry crescents as he couldn’t resist joking: “Since the fortune teller said you’ll find a partner this year, let the paparazzi snap away when the time comes! Let them promote the heck out of it for you!! Tell the whole world you’re taken!”
Qi Xun: “…Mhm.”
Shifting his gaze away, he glanced at a certain direction once more. Sensing the reflection on his lenses, the corners of his lips curved up slightly as he said, “It definitely will.”
Chen Yuxi: “Hahaha~”
References[+]