Su Qinghe raised an eyebrow and answered the call.
“Hello?”
A middle aged man’s voice came from the other end, carrying a deliberately warm enthusiasm.
“Hello, Teacher Su. I’m Li Cheng, the chief director of Our Little Courtyard. Sorry for calling out of the blue, but I’d like to talk to you about the show.”
Su Qinghe froze for a moment.
Our Little Courtyard?
The plot of the original novel flashed rapidly through her mind.
There really was a pastoral lifestyle variety show in the book called Our Courtyard. In the original story, this program served as an important turning point in Jiang Nian and Lu Zhiheng’s romantic storyline. Lu Zhiheng participated as an investor, while Jiang Nian was one of the regular cast members. Amid the idyllic countryside atmosphere, the two gradually grew closer, sharing countless subtle flirtatious moments that left readers squealing with delight.
As for the original Su Qinghe?
She had never appeared in it at all.
She was an obscure D-list celebrity burdened with endless scandals. Why would the production team ever invite her?
Leaning against the kitchen island, Su Qinghe replied politely yet distantly.
“Hello, Director Li. May I ask what this is regarding?”
Li Cheng chuckled.
“It’s like this. We’re currently preparing the second season of Our Little Courtyard, and we’d like to invite you to join as a regular cast member. I was wondering whether you’d be interested.”
Su Qinghe: “…………”
She was silent for two seconds.
Then she asked with complete sincerity,
“Director Li, are you sure you’ve called the right person?”
Li Cheng: “???”
Su Qinghe continued, “I’m Su Qinghe. You know, the same Su Qinghe who was trending a few days ago because everyone was calling her a deranged simp. Are you sure you want to invite me?”
Li Cheng choked slightly before forcing out an awkward laugh.
“Teacher Su sure knows how to joke around. When our production team selects guests, we focus on authenticity and relatability. We’ve been paying close attention to your recent performance and feel that you’re actually a very good fit for the style of our program.”
Su Qinghe remained silent.
She was processing the information.
A plotline that had never existed in the original novel had appeared.
Logically speaking, this variety show should have had absolutely nothing to do with her. Now that the director was suddenly inviting her, either her transmigration had created a butterfly effect, or…
She recalled the endless trending topics she had generated these past few days.
Clarifications, scandals, rumors…
Although many people still criticized her, public opinion was undeniably shifting. Comments like “This girl is actually kind of interesting,” “She looks pretty good without makeup,” and “Feels like she’s finally come to her senses” had begun appearing.
So the production team had taken an interest in her recent popularity?
A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Testing the waters, she asked,
“Director Li, would it be convenient for you to tell me which guests have already been confirmed?”
Li Cheng paused, apparently not expecting the question, but he answered anyway.
“Oh, currently we’ve already confirmed President Lu, Lu Zhiheng, and Teacher Jiang Nian. We’re still negotiating with several younger actors.”
The moment Su Qinghe heard that, her heart skipped a beat.
Lu Zhiheng, Jiang Nian.
The male and female leads of the original novel.
And then there was her, the original story’s deranged villainess supporting character.
Good grief! What kind of heavenly lineup was this?
A genuine battlefield of love and grudges.
She could practically imagine the trending topics after the show aired:
#AwkwardEncounterBetweenSuQingheAndJiangNian#
#TheWaySuQingheLooksAtLuZhiheng#
#LuZhihengIgnoresSuQingheTheEntireTime#
#SuQingheHasAnotherMeltdown#
Each one sounded more exciting than the last.
Taking a deep breath, Su Qinghe recalled the original storyline of the show.
Throughout the program, Lu Zhiheng and Jiang Nian shared countless subtle interactions, causing their relationship to progress rapidly. At that time, Jiang Nian had not yet broken up with her boyfriend, but she had already begun developing complicated feelings toward Lu Zhiheng. As for Lu Zhiheng, although he appeared cold and distant on the surface, he constantly looked after Jiang Nian, showing consideration at every turn.
If she joined the show, what would happen?
At best, she would become invisible, receiving almost no screen time.
At worst, the editors would turn her into an “awkward simp,” using her as background decoration for the leads’ romance while squeezing another wave of publicity out of her.
Either way, she would just be cannon fodder.
Su Qinghe was perfectly clear-headed about the situation.
Speaking into the phone with utmost sincerity, she said,
“Director Li, thank you very much for the invitation. However, I’ve recently been preparing content for my own vlog, and my schedule probably won’t allow it. I’ll have to decline this time. I hope your recording goes smoothly.”
Li Cheng was visibly stunned.
He clearly hadn’t expected an obscure D-list celebrity to reject a variety show invitation that had practically been delivered to her doorstep.
After a brief pause, his tone became somewhat peculiar.
“Teacher Su, won’t you reconsider? Our platform is excellent and the exposure is huge. Besides, President Lu and Teacher Jiang Nian will both be participating, so the discussion and attention will definitely…”
Su Qinghe laughed.
“Director Li, that’s exactly why I don’t dare go. I’m a small actress carrying a mountain of scandals. If I joined, I’d probably just cause trouble for your production team. Let’s leave it at that. Thank you for your kindness, and goodbye.”
With that, she decisively hung up.
Standing in the kitchen, Su Qinghe let out a long breath.
Someone else could volunteer for that battlefield.
All she wanted was to quietly film her vlogs, focus on her career, stay far away from the male and female leads, and preserve her little life.
As for popularity?
She could create that herself.
Three days later.
Su Qinghe was editing her very first vlog, a comedic video titled “Kitchen Disaster Compilation,” when her phone suddenly exploded.
Not literally.
But incoming WeChat messages flooded in like a tidal wave, while Weibo notifications buzzed so intensely that the phone nearly fell off the table.
The first call came from Zhao Jing.
“Su Qinghe!! You’re trending again!!”
Su Qinghe looked bewildered.
“What did I do this time? I haven’t even left the house these past few days…”
“Look for yourself!”
The call ended. Opening Weibo, she checked the trending list.
#SuQingheConfirmedToJoinSlowLifeCourtyard#
Popularity: Explosive
Su Qinghe: “???”
She tapped into the topic.
The top post was from an entertainment gossip account.
[@EntertainmentAuntie: According to reliable sources, Su Qinghe will be joining the variety show Our Little Courtyard and appearing alongside Lu Zhiheng and Jiang Nian! Not long ago, Su Qinghe publicly denied having any relationship with Lu Zhiheng, yet now she’ll be appearing on the same variety show. Is a massive love-triangle battlefield about to unfold? Can’t wait!]
The comments section was in chaos.
[Holy crap? Is this real?]
[Didn’t Su Qinghe say she’d never pursue Lu Zhiheng again? That backfire happened fast.]
[LMAO, I knew she couldn’t resist. Everything she said before was obviously an act.]
[Disgusting. Claims they’re unrelated while constantly finding excuses to get close to him.]
[What is the production team thinking? Why invite her?]
[I want to see Jiang Nian’s reaction hahaha.]
[Poor Lu Zhiheng. He’s about to get harassed again.]
The more Su Qinghe read, the more speechless she became.
When exactly had she confirmed her participation?
She had clearly rejected the invitation!
Were these gossip accounts just making things up now?
Taking a deep breath, she scrolled further down.
Then she found something even more ridiculous.
Several entertainment accounts had released nearly identical articles at the same time. Every one of them claimed that “Su Qinghe has officially confirmed her participation.” The accompanying image was a self-recommendation post she had made a few days earlier, saying she hoped directors and producers would notice her and that she looked forward to future opportunities for collaboration.
The problem was that the post had been made after the voting event, and the actual content simply said “looking forward to a future opportunity to collaborate.”
It never said she had confirmed joining anything.
Were these gossip accounts taught reading comprehension by a PE teacher?
Su Qinghe checked the posting times.
All of the articles had been published within roughly the same hour.
At a glance, it was obvious they had been paid for.
But by whom?