“Star Agricultural Assistance Action” was a reality show with a very noble starting point, yet it failed to generate much buzz, and its viewership ratings and popularity lagged behind contemporaries. Jian Zhixu spent his weekend reviewing the previous season to get a general feel for the program’s content.
The production team would select regions with local specialty agricultural products that were suffering from sluggish sales. Through the participation of celebrities, they would help open up new sales channels or increase visibility, thereby achieving the goal of agricultural assistance.
This also reflected the mobilizing power of the participating celebrities. More fans meant an extra layer of security for sales. Naturally, many in the industry harvested fans, while also gaining a virtuous reputation for agricultural assistance why wouldn’t they do it?
As for him, Jian Zhixu didn’t need to guess to know: his Weibo followers had practically vanished entirely. The remaining ones were presumably anti-fans, and his direct messages (99+) were filled with abuse. The company had already abandoned managing his account.
Monday, a hotel in Yicheng.
The live broadcast of “Star Agricultural Assistance Action” had already begun. Although it was early morning during the summer vacation, the live stream room was bustling with fans staking out their idols.
The official Weibo said there are two mystery guests. According to reliable sources, one is Xie Lan. The other is being kept under wraps so tightly could it be some huge A-list star?
Impossible, Xie Lan is already the biggest name they’ve managed to invite.
All the rumored ones have been ruled out due to scheduling conflicts. I can’t imagine who it could be.
It seemed the production team was quite skilled at building hype, turning even him into a mystery guest. Jian Zhixu waited in his guest room for the departure time, sneaking into the live stream room using a burner account.
At that moment, a delicate, short-haired young man appeared on the live stream screen to greet everyone.
The comments immediately flooded in: My Crazy First.
Han Yanfeng, 26, debuted as a singer and released quite a few albums, but asking for a representative work resulted in only he and his fans knowing neither you nor I knew. He liked to showcase his personal style on stage, dubbed a musical genius, nicknamed “Crazy” by fans, and given the sharp net-review verdict of “mental patient.”
Immediately after, the camera turned to a young girl. A sweet girl wearing a floral dress said her hellos, “Hello everyone, I’m Du Sungsang.”
Jian Zhixu had done his homework beforehand: she was an idol from a girl group, 21 years old, maintaining a pure and sweet persona whose voice could make one’s skin crawl right off.
A familiar face entered the live stream: Li Changyu, 27, who debuted as a web drama actor but turned to variety shows after failing to land acting gigs for a long time. Netizens jokingly called him a variety show professional; hanging out in reality shows for too long tends to turn someone into a smooth operator.
There were a total of seven guests this season. Xia Qing, 25, a top-university scholarly internet celebrity known to the public for her stand-up comedy, had a round face.
Chen Hua, 30, an actor with old-cadre vibes and solid acting skills, but the dramas he starred in were basically lukewarm, perhaps never running into a good script.
After the two finished their brief introductions, the camera quickly shifted to a boy with phoenix eyes, lips as red and teeth as white as a porcelain doll. Wearing a green vest paired with an all-white outfit, he looked dazzling and stylish the spitting image of a prince charming.
The comments: Ahhhhhh……
How can Xie Lan be this handsome?
Mom loves you, sister loves you, love you love you love you [heart icon jpg]
Qin Zi’an must have saved the Milky Way in his past life; otherwise, where did he get such good fortune?
Jian Zhixu felt fortunate that it wasn’t Qu Yuheng who did the saving; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been any role left for him. But his own luck didn’t seem too great either after asking for a phone number and even resorting to the trick of “not seeing each other for a day feels like three autumns,” the stingy guy stubbornly refused to give it up.
Without even a phone number, the road to conquering the villain was still a long way off! Fortunately, he had a backup plan.
Wait, Xie Lan is already out, and the mystery guest still isn’t showing up?
Who on earth is it? Everyone is waiting for him!
The guests in the live stream room didn’t seem to know who the mystery guest was either. When they asked the director, the director replied that the person hadn’t arrived yet.
Xie Lan asked if departure time had arrived and if they should wait.
The few looked at each other in dismay, until older senior Chen Hua said, “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Jian Zhixu understood he was deliberately being made to delay his departure so that the news would read: “X debuts on ‘Star Agricultural Assistance Action’ and puts on airs.” Once fan emotions reached a boiling point, they would dredge up the original owner’s past simpering mess, subject him to a digital crucifixion all over again, and drive up traffic and hype.
They deserved low viewership ratings; instead of making a proper show, they spent all day playing these cheap tricks.
After bouncing around for over three hours, by midday, the group finally arrived at their destination: Baihua Village.
The live stream camera aimed at the minibus door, and the guests stepped down one after another. A wave of floral fragrance washed over them, causing the guests to lower their heads and admire the little wild flowers along the road.
Netizens, however, were taking attendance: One, two… missing one. Is this person going to flake today?
Such guts! I gotta see who it is.
Sisters, I suddenly have a bad premonition.
The production team rented a two-story teaching building of the village elementary school to serve as the filming base. In front of the building was a muddy dirt playground, and canopy tents had already been set up.
The guests lugged their luggage over one after another. Du Sungsang looked pitiful, having the least strength and the most suitcases.
She asked, “Xie Lan, how come you have so little stuff?”
“I keep it light for summer,” Xie Lan offered a helping hand, “I’ll help you carry one.”
Du Sungsang thanked him repeatedly, prompting the comment section to shower Xie Lan with praise for being a true gentleman and a warm-hearted guy.
When they reached the tent, a young man stood up from a low stool and walked toward the guests.
Under the live stream camera, the young man was dressed in a sharp blue work jumpsuit, stepping in a pair of Martin boots. He looked handsome, cool, and exuded a pilot-like vibe enhanced by his sunglasses.
The mystery guest is so handsome!
Jian Zhixu took off his sunglasses and politely greeted the guests, “Hello everyone, we’ve finally gathered.”
Jian Zhixu?
[Shocked jpg], did I see wrong?
Kao, why is he here?
Jian Zhixu proactively explained, “Director Liu said he wanted to give everyone a surprise, so he had me wait here in advance.”
Upon learning the reason, several of them accused the director of playing dirty, lying to them that the person hadn’t arrived yet and making them wait in vain for half an hour.
Liu (Liu Fei) was fit to burst. He only learned Jian Zhixu had already arrived after getting off the bus, and when he called the VJ still at the hotel to question him, the VJ said Jian Zhixu had told him to depart in the afternoon.
Xie Lan looked at the radiant Jian Zhixu, sizing him up from top to bottom for a good long while. His gaze was murky and unreadable, flickering through jealousy and disdain within seconds before instantly shifting back into a smile. “Zhixu, it’s been a while. You seem to have changed.”
Heh! This face-changing rivaled Sichuan Opera. The netizens who used to comment on Xie Lan’s lacking emotional range in acting should really take a look—wasn’t his emotional fluctuation right here?
Jian Zhixu answered with candid crispness, “I have changed”—no longer your pairing seasoning.
What kind of attitude is this?
Rude dog trash, acting all arrogant to the skies. Just wait, I’m calling my squad to flame him off the show.
Didn’t he used to look lifeless and drugged-up? How did he emerge from a month of radio silence to completely glow up into a handsome pilot?
Just an innocent melon-eating bystander passing by the live stream, and I’ve fallen instantly for the blue-jumpsuit hunk.
Are you blind? What’s handsome about him?
Just said one word and you’re triggered? Your great-aunt here has eyes like torches: he’s handsome everywhere, even down to a single hair. Sister is a born contrarian, fight me if you’re not convinced.
In an instant, the comment section erupted into a flame war.
Xie Lan’s fans had kicked a steel plate this time. Sister Contrarian was a tough nut; while silencing the opponents, she didn’t forget to rain down gifts to cheer for Jian Zhixu.
Looking at the full-screen comments and the steadily rising traffic, Liu Fei’s previous gloominess vanished into thin air.
He had to admit that Jian Zhixu was indeed striking in a crowd. His features were bold and handsome, his frame straight and tall; compared to those effeminate, delicate idols, any normal person glancing over would definitely prefer his style.
It seemed he picked the right person. Liu Fei rubbed his palms, prepared to start making moves, and reassigned Jian Zhixu a newly joined VJ—a rookie whose brain was nimble and who was much more obedient.
Lunchtime had just arrived. The production team provided the ingredients for the first meal, while subsequent meals required completing tasks to earn them and cooking them themselves.
Under the tent, fresh vegetables and farm-fresh eggs sat on the table, alongside two ribs, a block of cured bacon. The group looked at each other, not knowing where to start.
The one among them who looked most capable of cooking was Chen Hua. Xia Qing asked, “Brother Hua, can you cook?”
“No,” Chen Hua genuinely couldn’t. His family followed the traditional patriarchal division of labor where the husband worked outside and the wife managed inside; he practically never stepped foot in the kitchen.
Du Sungsang shook her head like a rattle drum—kitchen oil smoke ruined skin, so forget about cooking; she didn’t even want to come to the show, but the company forced her.
Musical genius Han Yanfeng stated that his hands only knew how to play musical instruments.
“Learn on the spot,” Li Changyu took out his phone, ready to search for a tutorial.
Jian Zhixu asked, “Is anyone available to help prep?”
Xia Qing raised her hand. “I help my mom wash vegetables, cut vegetables, and peel garlic at home.”
“That’s enough.” Jian Zhixu picked up the ingredients and headed straight to the kitchen.
The BKing is online. It’s over, don’t bother eating lunch. Anyone who watched season 1 knows the production team only gives one meal.
Will someone stop him from flexing?
Didn’t Xie Lan cook in his last drama? He even went specifically to learn it.
Our Lanlan just doesn’t like showing off.
The seven guests split into two groups: three went to the kitchen, and senior Chen Hua went along to check out the situation, while the other four returned indoors to discuss potential upcoming tasks.
The kitchen was a temporarily constructed small tile house with two new mud stoves, though luckily the production team provided cooking utensils.
Before long, a clattering sound rang out.
“Does Teacher Jian know how to cook?”
Xia Qing was a year younger than him and had been calling him Teacher Jian all along. Jian Zhixu felt she wasn’t all that difficult to get along with. “Learned the basics.”
Xia Qing might not have run with pigs, but she’d eaten pork; his knife skills in chopping ribs and slicing cured bacon evenly rivaled her own mother’s. She smiled and said, “You’re being modest, I’m starting to look forward to this.”
Under Jian Zhixu’s direction, Xia Qing assisted in an orderly fashion, while Chen Hua occasionally helped pass things, forming a sharp contrast with the three people indoors. Han Yanfeng sat under the air conditioner strumming his guitar to compose, while Du Sungsang and Xie Lan discussed how the production team’s tasks might relate to flowers.
Gradually, the tone of the praise-filled prince-and-princess comments in the live stream reversed direction, shifting toward everyday necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
I can smell the cured bacon right through the screen. Who is this guy? I want to marry him.
Woah! Jian Zhixu’s new track is terrifyingly powerful. A handsome pilot cooking in a dilapidated kitchen ordinary people just can’t compete with this vibe.
Sizzling sounds filled the wok as the cured bacon rendered its fat. Stir-fried snow peas came out of the pan, braised ribs were blanched, scooped out, tossed back in to stir-fry with various seasonings.
The young man skillfully brandished the spatula with a calm, fully relaxed demeanor. Flexing to this degree was simply off the charts.
The VJ’s camera zoomed in on the brightly colored braised ribs, causing him to swallow hard behind the lens.
Hearing the sound, Jian Zhixu glanced over and discovered the VJ was a new face. He was taller and sturdier than the previous one, with slightly darker skin, handsome features, and looked very young probably around 20 years old.
Did Jian Zhixu go to New Oriental to study culinary arts during his disappearance?
I declare: as long as he doesn’t touch drugs, gambling, or prostitution, this man, I’m stanning.
Isn’t it just a meal? Our Lanlan cooks way better. The flexing king just loves stealing the spotlight.
Fans all knew that the old Jian Zhixu used to compete with Xie Lan in everything, and openly snatching the spotlight was something he did frequently.
Let your Lanlan cook next time then.
Jian Zhixu had no idea that with this single meal, his new fans were sprouting up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
Two meat dishes, plus garlic-stir-fried greens, tomato scrambled eggs, and a bowl of egg drop soup, were presented on the dining table.
The four who didn’t participate were genuinely astonished. Han Yanfeng sang a song dedicated to Jian Zhixu, finishing with, “No copyright fee, enjoy it for free.”
Xia Qing gave a restrained, quiet eye-roll.
Haha, I saw that eye-roll.
Chen Hua offered continuous praise throughout, maximizing emotional value. Even Du Sungsang looked at him with newfound respect, changing her address to something much more polite, “Little Brother Jian, you’re amazing.”
Variety show regular Li Changyu received a secret agent mission from the production team to appropriately deflate Jian Zhixu’s ego. Sounding snarky, he asked, “Just wonder how it tastes?”
“You don’t have to eat it; nobody’s forcing you.” Jian Zhixu scooped himself a rice bowl, sat down, and started eating.
Not eating meant going hungry, and Li Changyu wouldn’t let his stomach suffer, brazenly picking up his bowl and chopsticks.
Xie Lan, who always occupied the high ground of halo superiority, maintained an outward appearance of calm while suppressing the subtle emotions deep in his eyes. He praised, “Zhixu, you cook so well. Who did you learn from? How come Zi’an never mentioned…”
Jian Zhixu sighed helplessly, then said very seriously, “Do me a favor and stop mentioning that name in front of me; it makes me nauseous.” He added one final remark: “No talking while eating.”
The original owner’s stomach cancer was inextricably linked to them. Qin Zi’an was selfish and insidious, using him to stir up Xie Lan’s feelings and hinting that he liked skinny people, turning the foolish original owner into a simp starved down to a bag of bones. Meanwhile, Xie Lan stepped on Qu Yuheng’s heartfelt devotion, perfectly embodying the desire to have everything at once—take the fan appreciation event, for instance, which sounded nice as a thank-you, but actually exploited Qu Yuheng’s resources.
Jian Zhixu had zero desire to interact with two birds of a feather. He came because of the hush money, but the contract didn’t include tolerating Xie Lan putting on a show in front of him.
If they came to disgust him, he would equally run them over with a truck and never internalize any stress.
Xie Lan was utterly astonished; the old Jian Zhixu would never have dared treat him with such discourtesy.
Those holding bowls quietly lowered their heads to eat while eating melons. Previously, Jian Zhixu’s obsessive pursuit of Qin Zi’an had sparked quite a few jokes, something insiders were generally aware of.
To ease the tension, big brother Chen Hua quickly chimed in, “Let’s eat first, we still have tasks this afternoon!”
Meanwhile, outside the live stream, Qu Yuheng’s gaze was profound as he watched the young man on the screen.