The moment Su Zhu leaned closer, the smile in Xi Peini’s eyes deepened just a bit more.
She loved interacting with clever people like this. This rising star fit her preferences completely.
She swept her hair back, looked at the passing scenery outside, and spoke up, “Alright, now that we’ve picked up the fifth member of our team, there’s only one left. We’ve reached this point, so aren’t the program crew planning to tell us the name of the final member yet?”
The driver upfront steered the vehicle steadily, paying no mind to Xi Peini’s question.
Hearing Xi Peini’s remark, Zhou Lei in the back seat could no longer sit still.
He gripped the back of the front seat, leaned forward, and said in an incredulous tone, “No way, Teacher Xi, you don’t know who this last person is either? So mysterious? I actually thought you all knew, and that it was just because my star power wasn’t high enough that they didn’t bother telling me.”
Zhou Lei spoke with exaggerated intonation, making any ordinary sentence he uttered carry its own natural humor.
Everyone was swept up in the lighthearted atmosphere he created, and they all smiled involuntarily.
“Who do you guys think this person could be, keeping it this mysterious?” Zhou Lei took the lead in driving the discussion.
“Hmph, making it so mysterious just to hook our curiosity. When they get up here, they should have to self-penalize by singing three songs first,” Mao Junrong chimed in cheerfully, refusing to let the conversation stall.
“Penalties or no penalties, my main worry right now is that when this teacher arrives, what if I don’t recognize them? That would be game over. You guys have to save me.”
Everyone’s remarks carried a mix of genuine curiosity and playful banter.
Through those few casual exchanges, they all arrived at a silent conclusion.
As for this mysterious person’s status, right now, none of the people currently in the vehicle could compete with it.
Following this line of thought, even before seeing who the person was, a subtle sense of reverence bloomed in everyone’s hearts.
After all, this industry still maintained very distinct social hierarchies.
If you messed up, you would be accused of an up-and-coming talent acting like a diva.
At that moment, everyone weighed things carefully in their minds.
Yet before this person even arrived, everyone in the carriage had unconsciously grown familiar with one another.
After all, with a comedian like that present, awkward silences were impossible.
Zhou Lei dutifully fulfilled his obligation as an atmosphere warmer. Just as the previous topic ended, his eyes blinked, he let out a chuckle, and targeting Su Zhu, a brand new topic was born.
“Little Su Zhu,” Zhou Lei began.
“Ah?” Su Zhu responded.
“Tell me, why are you so pretty?” Zhou Lei launched into a barrage of Northeast dialect without a single frame of preparation.
Su Zhu: ?
How was she supposed to respond to that?
Luckily, Zhou Lei did not actually expect a proper reply from her before continuing, “You guys know, I was the first one to get on the bus, and then I just watched all of you gorgeous guys and gals hop on one after another. Just, do you understand my feelings? I felt like this was a humiliation test handed to me by the program crew! I protest!”
Su Zhu held back a laugh. Zhou Lei was genuinely fun to be around and knew how to let loose.
To be completely honest about appearance, his looks certainly couldn’t be considered top-tier; they were below average for a normal person.
Yet once a person possessed a humorous soul, it always made others overlook their physical exterior to a certain extent. Zhou Lei was precisely that kind of person.
Everyone knew he was joking, so Su Zhu chimed in cheerfully, “I protest too! The program crew knew damn well I’m terrible at speaking, yet they put me in the same frame as Teacher Zhou. Hey, you guys aren’t allowed to edit out my low-IQ statements; I still want to keep working in this industry after the show finishes airing, so please leave me some dignity.”
She directed her final sentence straight at the camera lens.
Upon hearing that, Zhou Lei instantly flashed a thumbs-up. What more was there to say? Someone who could catch a joke like that, was that low-IQ?
In short, they were all colleagues who cared deeply about the group atmosphere, and so they spent the rest of the ride laughing, joking, and playing until they arrived in front of the upscale residential complex where Song Yuran lived.
Throughout the journey, Su Zhu’s replies were extremely tactful and poised.
She was neither attention-seeking nor stiff, but rather gentle, considerate, and composed. Adding small touches of humor at appropriate moments, she melted into this little collective like flowing water, effortlessly and seamlessly integrating without anyone guarding against her, so that they unconsciously accepted her into their fold.
However, that shared joy and laughter inside the vehicle paused for a moment when the car finally came to a halt.
Gazing at the familiar, prestigious apartment gates, subtle and complex expressions surfaced on everyone’s faces.
This was S-City’s premier luxury residential complex. Money alone couldn’t guarantee you a home here; living in this place had long become a symbol of status. Even within their entertainment circle, the number of people capable of living here could be counted on one hand.
This detail further solidified the notion that the mysterious newcomer’s background was anything but simple.
The follow-car behind them also stopped. The director strode over and spoke through the car window, “Everyone, please wait a moment. The residential complex doesn’t allow external vehicles to enter, so we’ve already notified the guest, and she’ll be walking over right away.”
Everyone remained seated obediently, continuing to chat about the previous topic.
Su Zhu and Xi Peini sat naturally side by side. Though their affectionate interactions during the ride still retained a tinge of acting, viewed from the surface, both of their postures were entirely natural without a shred of forced pretense.
Su Zhu was still chatting happily and smiling along with everyone else.
Right at that moment, a voice, as intoxicatingly wonderful as fine red wine, yet capable of making every hair on Su Zhu’s body stand on end, drifted in from the side.
“Apologies for being late.”
When Song Yuran ducked her head and stepped into the vehicle, her voice was as crisp and clear as an ice spring, yet it struck Su Zhu’s heart like a thunderbolt.
Su Zhu never read ghost stories in her daily life, but at this exact moment, she felt her current predicament was far more terrifying than any ghost story. The hairs on the back of her neck instantly stood on end, and her scalp prickled as though countless tiny bugs were crawling across it.
She stiffened and slowly turned her head back. Her heart rate soared past one hundred and fifty beats per minute, hammering so fast and heavy that her hands and feet went numb.
She desperately told herself that she must have misheard, that it was merely a voice that happened to sound similar.
Until her gaze met Song Yuran’s.
Those eyes, as deep and fathomless as if they held ten thousand stars, contained a calmness laced with a subtle complexity that Su Zhu couldn’t quite decipher. The instant she saw them, Su Zhu felt as though a layer of frost had settled over her heart.
Her hands and feet turned icy cold, her lips drained of all color, and even her breathing turned sluggish.
Compared to her, Song Yuran was far more composed. From start to finish, she acted as though she hadn’t recognized Su Zhu at all. After offering a warm greeting to everyone in the carriage, she gracefully took a seat.
Every movement was polite and courteous, completely devoid of the arrogance one might expect from someone of her standing.
“Were you all gathered together in advance?”
With no other vacant seats available, Song Yuran naturally sat in the very last empty seat at the edge of the second row, softly asking the group.
As she sat down, the atmosphere inside the entire vehicle underwent a subtle shift.
Xi Peini and Su Zhu went without saying.
Cao Yi, who had been maintaining an icy expression and striking poses all along, unconsciously straightened his posture, showing a degree of tension and caution befitting a junior meeting a senior.
Zhou Lei opened his mouth several times, but failed to utter a single word.
Upon seeing Song Yuran, he couldn’t help feeling a bit intimidated inside. After all, he had heard certain rumors about Song Yuran, and given her status and standing, it was hard to gauge how far his usual art of offense could safely go without crossing a line.
Thus, the lively, bustling mood inside the vehicle quieted right down.
It wasn’t until Song Yuran spoke up herself that the overly silent environment within the space was finally broken.
“No, no, we only gathered together today ourselves. Speaking of which, I never imagined the final person would be Teacher Song. Teacher, let me tell you, if I say something wrong in a moment, you must forgive me. I am, oh my god, way too excited! One day I actually get to appear in the same frame as Teacher Song. Teacher Song, I am your fan, no, wait, wrong, you are my fan, no, wait, you are my idol!”
Following Zhou Lei’s flurry of flustered and chaotic explanations, the mood inside the vehicle finally eased up a bit, and everyone resumed chatting normally.
Song Yuran’s attitude remained consistently warm and graceful, a hint of a gentle smile resting on her lips as she conversed with ease.
She even managed to smoothly catch the occasional internet slang or joke hidden within Zhou Lei’s speech.
The vehicle started moving again, heading toward their destination.
Inside the carriage, after that brief spell of unfamiliarity, chatting resumed.
Yet, what exactly they were talking about had become rather hazy to Su Zhu.
Her mind was an absolute mess right now.
The space inside the car was limited, and the two of them were seated right next to each other. The pleasant, cool fragrance emanating from Song Yuran was slowly creeping into her breathing, making it feel as though the chaos and madness of that single night had rushed back into her mind in an instant.
Su Zhu stiffened her entire body, not daring to move an inch.
Why on earth would Song Yuran come onto this variety show?
There was no such event in the original text; according to the original plot, Song Yuran never touched a single variety show all the way until the finale.
Wait. If the original plot had unfolded as written, at this exact point in time, she should have been busy dealing with the fact that the original host had drugged her, forced herself upon her, and even taken photographs. Even if she had originally received variety show invitations, she definitely would have turned them down.
Yet in this lifetime, due to her arrival, the photographs and video incidents never happened.
As a result, Song Yuran’s schedule had opened up!
The butterfly effect.
The term flashed abruptly through Su Zhu’s mind, though she hadn’t expected that this effect would ultimately bite back at her.
She recalled Song Yuran’s parting words: “Don’t ever appear in my sight again.” Su Zhu’s complexion turned paler by the second.
She was probably, truly done for.
Zhou Lei had chatted for a while with Song Yuran. Based on his impressions and understanding, a mega-star like Song Yuran was rumored to have a terrible temper and be extremely difficult to approach.
When they first started talking, he still felt a bit apprehensive inside.
Yet to his surprise, upon actual contact, Song Yuran was completely different from the rumors.
Her disposition was gentle, her speaking voice was soft and soothing, and that slight smile made people feel warm inside. She didn’t carry an ounce of airs, nor did she exude any terrifying senior-level aura. When joking around, she didn’t put on a front or get upset.
This allowed Zhou Lei to finally relax.
Once he relaxed, his peripheral vision caught sight of Su Zhu sitting there with a rigid spine, looking precisely like a wooden dummy.
He immediately chimed in with a teasing grin, “Teacher Song, you truly are the king of the entertainment industry. Your aura and presence are so overwhelming that regular folks like us don’t even dare move.”
Knowing he was just joking, Song Yuran let out a low chuckle. “Is that so?”
“Of course it is! I’m not exaggerating at all, look!”
As Zhou Lei spoke, he pointed a hand toward Su Zhu. “Look at her. Just a moment ago she was bouncing all over the place, definitely the ultimate extrovert among extroverts. The moment she sees you now, she can’t even get her words out straight. Look at how stiff her face is, she looks like she’s about to stop breathing.”
Hearing his words, Song Yuran turned her head slightly.
Those captivating eyes gazed smilingly at Su Zhu as she let out a soft laugh. “What’s wrong? Are you that afraid of me?”