“They say where there are women, there are always disputes. But I don’t think that’s entirely true,” Qian Da chuckled as he watched the arguments unfold in the live stream. “Even two male celebrities can have all sorts of conflicts. It’s true what they say, the bigger the tree, the more it catches the wind.”
The control room was no longer in the chaos it had been earlier. After receiving news that Jiang Liyue was unharmed, Qian Da relaxed and began sipping from his beloved thermos.
“Having Jiang Liyue join was the right decision. He brings his own popularity, and with his homophobic trait, he’s practically made for variety shows,” Qian Da mused. He recalled how reluctant he was when Shengshi Entertainment pushed him into the show, but now he was eating his words!
Jiang Liyue was rumored to be aloof and solitary, a personality that doesn’t mix well in variety shows. Would he really force such a persona? If so, only his face fans would be glued to the screen.
But somehow, Jiang Liyue’s performance on his show seemed different from the rumors. As long as it was good for him, that was enough.
“Director Qian, we only have two female artists among the eight, and one of them is an outsider. Isn’t that a bit too few?” The assistant director commented while looking at the split screens of the live streams.
The control room could see the real-time dynamics of each group. For instance, Bai Runzhi’s group, “Ruyi,” was clearly lacking in highlights and conflicts. The two of them barely spoke, and without dialogue, how could there be any highlights?
If one of them were a stunningly handsome man and the other a beautiful fairy, maybe face fans would tune in just for their looks. But “Ruyi” consisted of an ordinary office worker and an aging martial arts teacher, neither of whom seemed to have any appeal.
The assistant director frowned and continued, “How about we try replacing the father-daughter duo with a popular girl group next time? It might be more interesting.”
Qian Da replied, “No, we can’t. This group will have highlights, just wait and see.”
Qian Da hugged his thermos, glanced at Bai Runzhi’s room, and smiled knowingly.
*
Bai Runzhi indeed had nothing to say to his daughter along the way. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, but he didn’t know how to start. Since getting married and having children, his visits home had been few and far between, so it was understandable that his child wasn’t close to such a father.
He could chat freely with directors, crew members, and artists, but when faced with his own daughter, he seemed to lose his voice.
Bai Yanran was dragged into participating in the variety show. If it weren’t for her company’s connection with the show’s production and her boss’s insistence, she wouldn’t have thought of mingling in the entertainment circle, especially where her father was involved.
Bai Yanran didn’t have any special skills; she was just an ordinary office worker doing odd jobs at the company. In her free time, she read novels and slacked off. She had no interest in this task of earning money abroad and didn’t want to have any. She just wanted to get it over with and go home to relax.
Dealing with her father was even more challenging than reporting to her boss.
“Grumble—” Bai Yanran rubbed her stomach, surprised that the game even knew she hadn’t eaten.
Bai Runzhi said, “Yanran, let’s go get something to eat.”
Bai Yanran put her hand down and said uncomfortably, “Do you have money? Can you afford it?”
Faced with his daughter’s sarcastic words, Bai Runzhi smiled warmly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together. “No matter how poor, I can’t let my daughter go hungry.”
Bai Yanran scoffed and ignored him, walking ahead on her own.
“Yanran, wait a moment!” Bai Runzhi saw a truck loading goods nearby and quickly called out to his daughter. “We might be able to earn some money over there.”
Bai Yanran paused and looked in the direction her father pointed.
At the street corner, there was a large truck with three containers of goods behind it. It was unclear what the goods were, but they didn’t seem light.
There seemed to be only one person working hard, moving one item and then squatting down to catch his breath. Just watching made Bai Yanran feel tired even without lifting anything.
“You’re not planning to help him, are you?”
Bai Runzhi was puzzled by his daughter’s question. “Why not help? He looks like he’s struggling.”
Bai Yanran felt exasperated by her father’s simplicity. She said, “He didn’t advertise for help. Why would he pay you if you just go up and help? He might not even have enough to live on himself…”
Before she could finish, she saw her father already heading towards the truck.
Bai Yanran cursed under her breath and had no choice but to follow.
*
Jiang Liyue fell asleep, enveloped by a familiar scent.
In his dream, that scent lingered around him, bringing warmth and comfort.
For five years, wasn’t this what he had always wanted?
Jiang Liyue’s dreams were always dark and narrow corridors, so oppressive that he didn’t want to linger. He would force himself to wake up from the nightmare after four or five hours of shallow sleep, just to ensure he wouldn’t die.
Today’s dream, though still familiar in scenery, allowed him to feel Zhao Chenxing’s presence by his side.
Zhao Chenxing! From the day you returned, you should have known you’d never be able to shake me off again!
Suddenly, the dreamscape that had remained unchanged for five years underwent a dramatic transformation!
Where was this?
It looked like a hotel room.
The suite was large, with a king-size bed, sofa, coffee table, and bar. It didn’t look like the hotels he had stayed in with the crew over the past few years.
Exquisite paintings, glass chandeliers reflecting colorful beams, bright white sheets, soft luxurious carpets, and scattered clothes on the floor.
All these elements indicated that this hotel was—
Jiang Liyue slowly raised his head, incredulous, and looked towards the bed. Sure enough, the person he had been thinking about, Zhao Chenxing, was lying there, covered only by a thin blanket!
Was he dreaming about that day five years ago?