Fortunately, after formal recording began, those two not-so-bright individuals finally exercised some restraint and settled down a bit.
Before joining up with the regular cast members, the group had to complete three preliminary tasks.
Sensing friction among the group, the production crew deliberately assigned them to different teams.
Huang Jingyun, who had just smoothly smoothed over the earlier tension, actively requested Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu, along with another junior female participant. The four of them headed down the mountain to tackle the grocery shopping task.
Whether due to the previous incident or because Ji Liao possessed a reputation for strong personal integrity that left him thoroughly unimpressed by Zeng Chu’s bullying of the vulnerable, Ji Liao chose to take only the perpetually masked You Sangxi with him, leaving Zeng Chu, who had originally been assigned to his team, behind.
Being paired with a Best Actor like Ji Liao was a perk that Zeng Chu and You Sangxi’s boy group management agency had specifically purchased from the production team, with the explicit agreement that they would be slotted into a team with one of the two heavy-hitters. Now that Huang Jingyun had claimed Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu, the duo had no choice but to follow Ji Liao.
Yet Ji Liao had cast Zeng Chu aside without a second thought, a glaring display of his clear dissatisfaction with the idol.
Zeng Chu stood frozen in a daze, only realizing that the script had completely derailed once Ji Liao and the others had already walked out of sight.
The two other minor unknowns were left behind as well. They had previously caught wind from their own managers about certain behind-the-scenes arrangements for this season, meaning they were fully aware that Zeng Chu’s agency had bought their way into an A-list team.
Being paired with top-tier stars practically guaranteed massive, stable exposure.
They had spent a good while secretly burning with jealousy back then, cursing their own management companies for being too weak to buy them a similar slot.
Now, watching Zeng Chu thoroughly sabotage and squander such a golden opportunity, the two couldn’t help a quiet surge of schadenfreude.
With the cameras actively rolling, however, they buried their gloating deep down, putting on fake, amiable smiles as they reminded the dazed Zeng Chu to walk with them.
By contrast, the group with the smoothest and most relaxed atmosphere was undoubtedly the one led by Su Youqi.
For reasons unknown, Huang Jingyun’s attitude toward them was remarkably warm. Exhibiting zero trace of an A-list pop princess’s airs, she chatted and joked with them the entire way up the mountain, occasionally even showing off her vocal prowess by humming soft melodies for them.
Moreover, compared to the female participant in their group, Huang Jingyun showed a distinct preference for striking up conversations with Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu, feeding them a massive share of close-up camera time.
Nobody would believe it if you claimed she wasn’t deliberately looking out for the two of them.
Guan Hongyu leaned close to Su Youqi’s ear and whispered, “Do you think she’s got her eyes on us, which is why she’s treating us so well?”
You couldn’t entirely blame Guan Hongyu for overthinking. The entertainment industry was a breeding ground for endless rumors, and as a semi-insider linked to the industry, Guan Hongyu had caught wind of plenty, including the persistent whisper that Huang Jingyun favored unspoken rules involving younger, handsome idols.
Guan Hongyu glanced down at himself, then sideways at Su Youqi: young, attractive, and impossibly easy on the eyes. It fit every single criteria!
Su Youqi murmured back, “You’re overthinking it.”
“You honestly think both of us managed to slip into this variety show purely on Jin Yan’s tiny fraction of primordial force?” Su Youqi analyzed the situation for Guan Hongyu. “Think about it. Jin Yan is just a young martial arts action director. Even though he’s worked in the industry for a couple of years, his seniority falls way short. How could he possibly score us tickets to a currently trending variety show?”
Guan Hongyu wasn’t stupid; he simply hadn’t bothered to dig deeper. Guided by Su Youqi’s breakdown, the pieces clicked instantly. “You mean someone used Jin Yan as a proxy to drop these two tickets right into our laps?” Yet a puzzle remained. “If that’s true, why would someone go to such lengths?”
If the person’s goal was to butter up Guan Hongyu and buy favor by leveraging his identity, doing it openly would make sense.
However, operating covertly through Jin Yan specifically to keep them in the dark meant that particular theory fell flat.
So what other motivation could the mastermind possibly have?
“Gratitude, probably,” Su Youqi offered a soft chuckle, having already deduced the identity of the person behind the scenes. “I wasn’t entirely certain at first and merely suspected it might be him, but seeing Huang Jingyun’s attitude toward us today sealed it.”
Guan Hongyu asked, “What does Huang Jingyun have to do with this? Who on earth is it?”
Staring blankly, Guan Hongyu desperately craved the answer.
Su Youqi provided a hint. “Think about it. Who has Huang Jingyun been collaborating with lately?”
“Collaborating?” Guan Hongyu propped his chin on his hand in deep thought.
Although Huang Jingyun reigned supreme as a pop princess, the domestic music market had experienced a sluggish decline over recent years, prompting many singers to pivot toward the film and television sectors. Naturally, the sweet and charming young songstress was no exception.
While her status in the music world remained undisputed, nobody could guarantee box office draw or television ratings for an acting newcomer.
After careful screening by her agency, she finally secured a supporting female role in a mid-to-high-tier production to test the waters.
And the director helming that very production was none other than the person who had directed the minor supporting roles Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu had previously taken.
“It’s him? But why would he go so far?” With the answer unlocked, Guan Hongyu grew even more perplexed, a flurry of question marks spinning in his head.
That director had previously treated him with deference purely out of respect for his father; pulling off a secret act of anonymous kindness like this made zero practical sense.
First, if Guan Hongyu remained completely unaware, the favor was entirely wasted. Second, if Guan Hongyu genuinely wanted to join this variety show, he possessed the personal clout to secure an invite without needing any director’s assistance.
“Like I said, it’s about gratitude,” Su Youqi sighed with an expression that said heaven helps those who help themselves. “Since your family’s legal team jumped straight into the fray, didn’t you carefully review the background documents on Jin Yan’s late brother’s case? The director’s wife was the academic counselor of Jin Yan’s brother back then. Stricken with intense guilt and grief over the tragedy, she suffered a severe depressive breakdown. It wasn’t until Huang Linzhi’s crimes were dragged into the light and he was locked away in a proper psychiatric facility that her condition finally began to improve.”
So the director had gone through an elaborate maze, funneling the spots to them through Jin Yan, purely to repay a debt to Jin Yan and extend a gesture of gratitude.
Guan Hongyu experienced a sudden moment of enlightenment. “So that’s how it is! Right, I remember now, that director is actually close personal friends with the chief director of this very variety show!”
“That explains why Huang Jingyun is taking such good care of us; she must have received direct instructions from the director.” Guan Hongyu connected every dot, fully grasping the complete narrative arc. He nudged Su Youqi’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize you were so observant, Third Brother.”
Su Youqi smiled faintly. “Of course.”
It wasn’t that he was exceptionally observant, of course; Zheng Ze had simply filled him in on the details.
Guan Hongyu, catching only the surface declaration, automatically interpreted the statement as Su Youqi’s humble yet confident admission.
“Third Brother is a legend!” Following physical combat prowess and culinary mastery, Guan Hongyu was once again thoroughly conquered by Su Youqi’s high-tier intellect.
Su Youqi offered a warm, amused smile as he watched Guan Hongyu.
Unbeknownst to them, Nan Ke, observing the entire exchange from inside the jade Buddha, wore an identical expression of fond amusement.
Did he really think a mid-tier film director possessed enough clout to order around an A-list pop princess to this degree?
Let alone account for all the other unseen variables…
Inside the jade Buddha, Nan Ke silently watched Su Youqi bask in the belief that he had cracked the absolute truth, choosing deliberately to withhold the full picture.
Concealing his merit and fame.
Convinced they had uncovered the root cause, both young men visibly relaxed.
Especially Guan Hongyu, who felt an immense weight lift off his shoulders upon realizing he wasn’t being targeted by unspoken industry rules.
He hadn’t even been in a proper relationship yet; he was still just a baby!
Compared to the serene, lighthearted atmosphere surrounding Su Youqi’s group, Zeng Chu’s camp was suffering miserably. Shunned and isolated by his two fellow castmates, who lacked his blunt ineptitude at masking hostility, Zeng Chu fell into traps repeatedly and came close to losing his temper on camera multiple times.
Consequently, by the time all groups reconvened after finishing their tasks, Zeng Chu looked at Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu with eyes blazing with literal fury.
Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu: ????????
When had they managed to offend this village idiot again?
Debt weighs lightly when you owe enough; a person hating you doesn’t make you lose an ounce of flesh. Neither Su Youqi nor Guan Hongyu gave Zeng Chu a second thought, completely dismissing his seething anger and reverting to chatting, strolling, and enjoying their day in utter peace.
The stark contrast in behavior caused the rest of the cast to regard Su Youqi and Guan Hongyu with newfound respect.
As for their evaluation of Zeng Chu, it naturally plummeted even further.
With Huang Jingyun’s overt display of favoritism, the minor unknowns who had previously distanced themselves in the van skillfully pivoted their attitudes, rushing over to suck up and make small talk under the framing of the cameras as if they had always been the closest of friends.
Guan Hongyu initially wanted nothing to do with them, but a quiet reminder from Su Youqi, just treat it like acting in a minor supporting role again, helped him tap into an actor’s perspective to swallow his irritation, ultimately playing along with the social charade quite smoothly.
Ah, the vital importance of perspective shifts.
Having witnessed the darkest depths of human malice, Su Youqi couldn’t be bothered to care about the transparent calculation of these minor influencers. If he weren’t tracking down items needed for his current objective, he wouldn’t waste a second playing such low-tier games with them.
Su Youqi instinctively reached up to brush the jade Buddha resting against his collarbone, thinking quietly: Big Boss, I am making supreme sacrifices on your behalf today!
Sensing a sudden block in ambient light, Nan Ke assumed these people were draining Su Youqi’s patience. Drifting outward through a gap in Su Youqi’s fingers, Nan Ke murmured, “The Nan family owns a stake in several entertainment networks. If you dislike them, just say the word to Mother, and we can easily swap them out for people you actually enjoy working with.”
As if worried he hadn’t made his leverage clear, Nan Ke added a clarifying addendum: “Not just the guest roster, the production crew can be replaced too.”
The absolute unbridled luxury of an elite tycoon’s world.
Su Youqi finally tasted the pristine bliss of being spoiled rotten by a powerhouse.
Holy shit, this rules!
No wonder toxic romance tropes featuring a domineering CEO falling hopelessly in love held such enduring universal appeal.
Absolute, unchecked indulgence, who could possibly resist that?
Still, keeping a firm grip on the reality that this marriage was nothing more than a temporary, accidental ghost union, Su Youqi replied using a private, sound-isolated mental thread: “No need, Big Boss. Watching the circus play out is actually pretty entertaining.”
Nan Ke countered, “You don’t need to force yourself to tolerate company you despise.”
Translated plainly: Our family possesses the absolute muscle to fix this instantly.
“Really, it’s fine, Big Boss! I just think their schemes are too amateurish to genuinely upset me. If things ever cross the line, I’ll handle them myself.” That was a pure statement of fact; Su Youqi had never been someone willing to swallow grievances. “Besides, my primary objective for coming here isn’t the variety show anyway, it’s securing medicinal materials for you.”