Qin Nian met with Qi En’zi.
As Qi En’zi led Qin Nian, she chattered on, reminding him, “Mr. Shen, as soon as you enter, filming will start.”
Qin Nian pulled his suitcase into the mansion’s garden.
To achieve a realistic effect, the production team hadn’t disclosed much information to the guests, not even revealing who their fellow participants would be.
“Can I just go in?”
Qin Nian pointed to the door, asking the cameraman filming nearby.
Qi En’zi nodded, whispering, “You can go right in. Just act naturally, like you usually would.”
Qin Nian entered the mansion. Although it was located in the suburbs, the decor was quite impressive, with carefully selected furnishings and interior design.
At the entrance, a bright red suitcase hinted that another guest had already arrived.
Upon entering, Qin Nian saw a young man and woman sitting on the sofa, while another woman stood by the window, puffing on a slim cigarette as she gazed outside.
She merely flicked her cigarette ash silently when Qin Nian came in, without saying a word.
The woman on the sofa, however, was quite enthusiastic. “Are you a new guest? I’m Qu Chun, this is Huang Zixuan, and the one by the window is Xi Liyan. What’s your name?”
Qin Nian nodded modestly. “Just call me Qin Nian.”
Qu Chun and Huang Zixuan seemed approachable, and the three of them sat on the sofa, chatting casually.
“I wonder how many people are participating in this variety show,” Huang Zixuan mused, then turned to the cameraman. “Can you tell us?”
The cameraman shook his head.
So that was a no.
The three, unfamiliar with each other, felt a bit awkward in the room, making the atmosphere slightly tense.
Finally, footsteps sounded from outside.
The door opened, and footsteps approached in tandem.
The camera immediately turned towards the entrance.
It was Gu Huai and Qin Jiaxu.
As soon as Gu Huai entered, he glanced at Qin Nian. In his plan, Qin Nian would surely be flustered upon seeing him and Qin Jiaxu. However, when he looked at Qin Nian, the latter appeared completely composed.
Qin Nian glanced at the newcomers and, feeling bored, poured himself a glass of water.
On the way here, in the car, Feng Wang had already informed him that Gu Huai and Qin Jiaxu would be participating in this variety show, even asking if he regretted it now and wanted to back out.
Qin Nian didn’t understand why he should cancel just because of Qin Jiaxu and Gu Huai.
He hadn’t done anything wrong. Participating in the show was just a job for money.
What was there to regret?
Qin Nian declined Feng Wang’s offer.
In his limited memory, Gu Huai did participate in this season of Brilliant Star, but he distinctly remembered that Qin Jiaxu did not. The world after reincarnation was quietly changing.
Qin Nian didn’t mind. After all, he would face whatever came his way without fear.
Qin Jiaxu was pleasantly surprised to see Qin Nian. “Xiao Nian, you’re participating in this show too? Why didn’t you tell the family?”
What was he doing, announcing to everyone present and the audience that he wasn’t close to his family?
Qin Nian finished his water and placed the glass on the coffee table.
He was puzzled. “Isn’t participating in the show supposed to require a confidentiality agreement?”
His words left Qin Jiaxu at a loss for a response.
Qu Chun watched the scene and laughed. “Qin Nian, you know the new guests?”
Qu Chun wasn’t from Ning City, so she naturally didn’t know what had happened there recently.
Qin Jiaxu nodded. “We’re brothers.”
Brothers appearing on a variety show together?
Qu Chun was baffled but deeply intrigued. “Oh, I see. And what’s your name?”
Qin Jiaxu smiled. “I’m Qin Jiaxu. Just call me Jiaxu.”
Just then, the sound of high heels echoed loudly through the living room.
A boldly dressed woman appeared, wearing sky-high heels. Her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, and her lips were painted a vivid red. As she walked, she complained, “Oh my, what backwater place is this? My assistant had to reroute the GPS three times to get here.”
She tossed her wavy brown hair and glanced towards the sofa, lowering her sunglasses slightly with her index finger.
Her gaze swept over the guests, hesitating at Xi Liyan by the window and Gu Huai on the sofa.
Finally, as if making a decision, she removed her glasses and sat next to Gu Huai with a bright smile. “What a coincidence, Mr. Gu Huai, joining this show with you. I’ve heard your name online before.”
She completely ignored everyone else around her.
Xi Liyan, having just finished her cigarette, walked over and casually tossed the butt into the ashtray on the coffee table.
“Chattering away, it’s so noisy.”
Qin Nian remained silent. He was beginning to understand why this variety show had become so popular in his previous life. The guests had such distinct personalities, like different types of flammable materials thrown together. Any conflict would be the spark that could ignite the whole scene.
The director spoke up, “Everyone’s here.”
The director of Brilliant Star was a young man named Wu Jun, who would follow the guests and the camera crew throughout the show until it ended.
With everyone present, it was time for introductions.
The living room fell into a brief silence.
Meeting for the first time, no one knew what to say.
Qu Chun made an effort to lighten the mood, turning to ask, “What’s the purpose of this variety show?”
The director explained, “It’s about you all living together, a bunch of second-generation kids living together.”
Everyone began to realize that each of them seemed to have a notable background.
Gu Huai, of course, was known as the young master of the Gu family, whose brand dominated much of the domestic daily market.
Xi Liyan’s mother, Li Yanqin, was a celebrated singer from the previous generation.
As for the good-natured Huang Zixuan, he was the son of a famous director who had won the Best Director Award at the Golden Shadow Awards for three consecutive years during his prime.
The late-arriving woman, Yu Xiaoting, was the daughter of a veteran actor. Recently active online, rumors in the entertainment circles suggested she was the lost gem of the old actor Yu Xiong, though some speculated she might be his illegitimate daughter. She had been photographed dining with Yu Xiong and a middle-aged woman at a restaurant, seemingly in a heated argument with him.
It was indeed a gathering of wealthy and famous second-generation individuals.
The production team’s intention was clear: to showcase the lives of these second-generation individuals. Big stars had been overdone, so they took a different approach, filming the children of big stars, offering a glimpse into the family lives of celebrities.
Qu Chun laughed heartily, teasing, “So what kind of second-generation am I, the poor second-generation?”
Though self-deprecating, Qu Chun showed no signs of insecurity.
In terms of background, Qu Chun indeed couldn’t compare to anyone present. She was a child from an ordinary family who loved acting. She spent her days in Hengdian, rushing to any film crew that came by to see if they needed extras.
Over time, she became acquainted with some directors, landing minor roles.
Because she took every role seriously, she gradually made her way to the big screen, gaining some supporting roles. While she wasn’t a major star, her name was known to many viewers.
Qin Jiaxu smiled. “I’m Qin Jiaxu. Compared to all the big singers and actors here, I’m quite insignificant. My mother is a pianist. Although she gave up the piano for love, she was my first piano teacher and remains the greatest pianist in my heart.”
Qin Jiaxu spoke with sincerity, his genuine expression moving the onlooking cameramen and crew.
Yu Xiaoting, seeing Qin Jiaxu and Gu Huai’s good relationship, chimed in with praise, “That’s an artist for you. Mr. Qin, you’re truly impressive.”
Finally, it was Qin Nian’s turn.
Qin Nian smiled. After all, there was only one Liu Baixu, and whoever claimed it first would be the pianist’s child. Qin Jiaxu knew this and finished before him, leaving the awkwardness to Qin Nian.
Qin Nian spoke up, “I’m nothing special, just an ordinary person.”
His words were unremarkable, but Gu Huai had no intention of letting him off.
“Ordinary? Ordinary people have parents too. Everyone else has introduced themselves, but you haven’t said anything. Are you ashamed of your parents?”
The staff hadn’t expected the conflict to arise so quickly.
They were a bit surprised, as their plan was for everyone to coexist peacefully for a while, waiting for minor conflicts in daily life to arise before editing in some drama.
Qin Nian tilted his head. “I’m just an ordinary person, and my parents are ordinary too. Do I need to say more?”
Qu Chun was puzzled. “Didn’t Qin Jiaxu just say you two are brothers? Are you related?”
Qin Nian replied, “I’m not sure. It’s not something I said.”
With those words, Qin Jiaxu quickly put on a hurt expression.
His expression wasn’t overtly pained, remaining as it was, but his eyes conveyed just the right amount of sadness.
Qu Chun suddenly realized she might have asked an inappropriate question.
The atmosphere, which had just warmed up, began to cool again.
The director stepped in to smooth things over. “Tomorrow, we’ll be heading out. Tonight, you can enjoy a big meal. Once we get there, you’ll have to earn your Points.”
His words immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“Where are we going?”
They had assumed this villa would be where they’d live together, but the director quickly dispelled that notion.
The director revealed, “We’re going to the countryside, to experience the rural scenery.”
As soon as he said that, Yu Xiaoting exclaimed, “Oh my, the countryside? Is the production team out of money? Why go to the countryside? There are so many mosquitoes, and it’s inconvenient.”
The director didn’t mind. “Yes, our production team is quite poor.”
Gu Huai pondered for a moment and then suddenly said, “That’s not fair.”
Everyone was puzzled.
The director asked, “What’s unfair?”
Gu Huai smiled. “For us city kids, it’s naturally uncomfortable to go to the countryside. But for someone who grew up in the countryside, like Qin Nian, it’s a huge advantage.”
Gu Huai wasn’t worried about how the show might affect his image. First, public opinion didn’t concern him, and second, his online persona was already known for being sharp and domineering, so whatever he said was considered normal.
He turned his gaze to Qin Nian. “Qin Nian, why don’t you mention you grew up in the countryside? Did the love from your adoptive parents not mature you after all those years?”
The room fell silent. Even Xi Liyan, who had been keeping her head down, looked up at Qin Nian upon hearing Gu Huai’s words.
As a director, Wu Jun naturally anticipated friction among the guests to create buzz for the show.
But personally, he felt sympathy for Qin Nian, who had already offended Gu Huai, the sharp-tongued one, before the show even started.
“Gu Huai, stop it.”
Qin Jiaxu tugged at his sleeve, but Gu Huai shook him off, determined to uphold justice.
Qu Chun laughed, trying to defuse the tension. “The countryside, I grew up there too. We can help each other out.”
Qin Nian wondered if Gu Huai was out of his mind. He had already warned him before, yet he kept using his adoptive mother to mock him. In the end, the mockery only affected Qin Jiaxu, who still hadn’t returned to his biological parents.
Qin Nian lowered his gaze. Speaking of this, didn’t the adoptive parents care about their biological child at all? After all this time, they hadn’t even considered visiting their biological son at the Qin family.
Qin Nian turned to Gu Huai, meeting his gaze without flinching.
“So, what are you trying to say? That I don’t mention growing up in the countryside because I’m ashamed? Or that I abandoned my adoptive parents for money?”
“But, Mr. Gu, whatever the case, it’s all just your wishful thinking. I don’t mention my upbringing because it’s ordinary and not worth mentioning. Returning to my biological parents is simply a child’s longing. I don’t understand why you associate it with money.”