ABOES 5: Mysterious Guest

“Huaiming, I…” Song Jing still tried to defend himself.

However, Xia Huaiming had completely run out of patience. “Enough.”

Song Jing might’ve been the one Xia Huaiming was most satisfied with, but no matter how satisfied, he was still just a side piece. Xia Huaiming despised people who didn’t know their place—and this time, Song Jing had stepped out of line.

“Don’t come over for the time being. I don’t want to see you.”

With that, the call was mercilessly cut off.

Song Jing stared at the phone, stunned by the busy tone for a few seconds before finally realizing that he had truly angered Xia Huaiming this time.

He didn’t know what Ye Xinian had said to Xia Huaiming, but the outcome was obvious. He had chosen to believe Ye Xinian.

As for him, Xia Huaiming’s words were all the answer he needed.

Song Jing’s eyes burned with jealousy and frustration, yet there was nothing he could do.

If he wanted to climb higher, Xia Huaiming was the only person he could rely on now but Xia Huaiming’s heart was full of Ye Xinian.

Ye Xinian. Ye Xinian.

Song Jing grabbed a glass from his bedside table and threw it to the floor. A sharp crack rang out as it shattered into pieces.

Whether it was Ye Xinian or Xia Huaiming, one day he would trample both of them underfoot!

…

Ye Xinian had just woken up in the morning when he received a message from Xie Yi, reminding him not to forget to repost the Weibo.

After replying, Ye Xinian logged into Weibo. Just five minutes ago, Chu Wen had made a post.

@ChuWen: Stop asking already! @YeXinian is the handsome guy you’re all looking for. He just moved in next door yesterday so we grabbed a meal together.

Overnight, the hashtag #ChuWenYeXinianShopping had not dropped much on the trending list. In fact, its visibility and views had multiplied.

So the moment Chu Wen’s post went up, the comment section exploded:

【Moved in next door?】

【If I remember right, Wenwen, aren’t you living in the company dorms?】

【! So does that mean Ye Xinian signed with your company?!】

【He really did! Go check Ye Xinian’s Weibo bio—he’s signed to Yunxing Entertainment! OMG I’m so happy!】

【Oh my god! That means we’ll be seeing Chu Wen and Ye Xinian filming together a lot more?!】

【Can’t wait! That face alone—I’m a fan for life!】

【GKD¹an internet slang from China, means hurry up or do it faster! I want to see your videos already!】

…

In just a short time, Ye Xinian’s followers skyrocketed. He glanced at it briefly and quickly reposted Chu Wen’s Weibo.

@YeXinian: Thank you all for your support and love. I’ll be in your care from now on. //@ChuWen: …

【Aaaaah! What a hottie!】

【You’re seriously so handsome, gege!】

【This face… I’m obsessed! When will you go live or film another video with Chu Wen?】

【Looking forward to Ye Xinian!】

…

After posting, Ye Xinian didn’t bother checking the comments and rushed out with his roommates.

Their exam that morning was the last one. After that, they could go home.

Ye Xinian remembered Xie Yi’s reminder and casually put on a cap before leaving .

Even so, plenty of people still turned to look at him.

Luckily, people only looked and didn’t approach. Some of his classmates jokingly teased him.

Before the exam started, Xie Yi sent Ye Xinian another message, letting him know that the assistant she had found for him had been confirmed, and there was a small change in the variety show schedule. After the exam, the assistant would come pick him up from school.

Ye Xinian replied with a simple “Okay.”

As soon as the exam ended, Ye Xinian got a call from the assistant.

The assistant, Liu Ran, had a few years of experience and a pleasant personality. When he learned that Ye Xinian had luggage, he drove straight to the dorm.

Liu Ran was easy to get along with and the two chatted happily on the way.

Once they arrived at the company, Ye Xinian learned from Xie Yi that the filming schedule had been moved up.

Originally, Let’s Go Travel was set to begin shooting in mid-July. Since Ye Xinian’s break started at the end of June, Xie Yi had planned to spend those two weeks preparing him, going over key points and having him film a few more videos with Chu Wen to build up visibility.

But now, the shoot had been moved up to early July. That meant they had only five days left. The cast announcement on Weibo was also scheduled for that evening.

That morning, the director had contacted Xie Yi, requesting Ye Xinian’s promotional photos.

So today’s visit was for the promo shoot.

Ye Xinian had done plenty of magazine shoots before, so this wasn’t new. The sudden change still caught him off guard. “Why was the schedule moved up?”

Xie Yi, who had a decent relationship with the show’s director, knew a bit of insider info, “Director Zhao said a big-name guest had a scheduling conflict, so they moved it up.”

Ye Xinian raised a brow. “Big-name guest?”

Let’s Go Travel was a new reality travel show planned by Yunxing Entertainment. It featured an unscripted and livestreamed format, so despite investing a lot, they hadn’t managed to recruit any big-name stars.

After all, in today’s entertainment world, few celebrities could maintain their image without scripts. How many had already flopped on live shows?

Reality shows were already risky—and livestreaming only made it worse.

No agents or stars wanted to take that kind of gamble, so for a while, the production team couldn’t even find six guests.

They eventually lowered the bar and found four artists—one of whom was the relatively unknown Ye Xinian.

Now, suddenly, there was a sixth guest, and supposedly a “big shot.” Of course Ye Xinian was curious.

He wasn’t the only one.

That evening, the Let’s Go Travel official account posted the promotional poster:

@Let’sGoTravel: Summer vacation is here—anyone up for a spontaneous trip? Join us next Friday at 7 p.m. with @JiXi @SuQing @YanJing @JiangYin @YeXinian for an unforgettable journey! 

Although the official Weibo only tagged five people, there were six photos in the post.

Curious fans clicked on the last image. It was just a black silhouette with four words: Mysterious Guest.

The show’s lineup wasn’t exactly star-studded. Only singer Ji Xi had some fame so the team bought a trending spot to promote.

Since Ye Xinian had already been trending earlier, the announcement drew even more attention to him.

By the end of the night, his follower count had surpassed 200,000—and kept climbing.

【Can’t wait!】 

【Ye Xinian? He just signed and already has a gig? Not bad!】

【Looking forward to Ye Xinian.】

【OMG, is Ji Xi really joining? I haven’t seen him on a variety show in forever!】

【Who’s the mysterious guest??】

【The show’s about to start and they’re still being secretive?】

【Livestreamed? I love it!】

【Finally, a variety show to follow!】

…

Haishi Film Studio.

In the presidential suite, agent He You glanced at the fully packed luggage on the floor, then looked at Duan Zhiyan, who was resting with his eyes closed. “We’re really leaving?”

Duan Zhiyan opened his eyes at the question, lips curving into a faintly mocking smile. “The only reason I agreed to this film was as a favor to Chi Xiwen.”

He You understood the unspoken meaning. He was angry too but also couldn’t help feeling regretful on Duan Zhiyan’s behalf. The film had cost him a lot of effort. To walk away now meant wasting three months of work.

Still, as long as Duan Zhiyan was happy, that was what mattered.

“It’s probably for the best,” He You said. “You’ve been working hard lately. The car’s already downstairs. I’ll take you home. The variety show won’t start for a few days. It’s the perfect time to rest.”

Duan Zhiyan nodded without a word and closed his eyes again.

…

After Ye Xinian finished the photoshoot, he stayed at the company while Xie Yi walked him through key filming notes. She also gave him a general overview of the other regular guests.

Ye Xinian was competent and dependable, but since this was a live broadcast, Xie Yi had to consider every possible scenario as his agent.

Fortunately, Ye Xinian picked things up quickly, which reassured her.

Before he left, Xie Yi handed him a short overview of the first episode’s shoot.

Let’s Go Travel may not have a script, but the crew still needed the guests to have a basic idea of what to expect.

Ye Xinian looked at the thin stack of three A4 pages in his hand with a slightly complicated expression.

His expression deepened when he finished reading. 

The three pages consist of the first page which is the cover, the second lists the guests, and the last page that contains the useful information.

It listed a number of prohibited items.  No snacks, no phones, and no cash.

Staring at that last page, Ye Xinian suddenly had a feeling—this variety show wasn’t going to be so simple.

For the next three days, Ye Xinian went to the company every day. Xie Yi had arranged some image training courses, and each afternoon, he took classes.

On the fourth day, Xie Yi gave him the day off to rest and prepare for the shoot the next day.

The Let’s Go Travel crew would be filming right at his home, so he really did need to get ready.

That very same day, a post appeared on the biggest anonymous forum in China:

【Just got confirmation—the mysterious guest on Let’s Go Travel is Duan Zhiyan.】

The post blew up in minutes.

【For real?!】

【Duan Zhiyan never does variety shows!】

【OMG! If it’s true, I’m lighting fireworks!】

【My god-tier man!!!!!!!!】

【Aaaaah this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing! I never thought I’d live to see him on a show!】

【Let’s Go Travel? What kind of show is it? When does it air?】

【Wait—TOMORROW? Livestreamed? I’m literally combusting!】

【SO EXCITED!!!】

…

As a national award-winning actor, Duan Zhiyan always carried buzz. His low-profile lifestyle only made every bit of news about him more explosive, whether real or not.

Not long after the post went up, it was picked up by promo accounts across all platforms. Within thirty minutes, it hit the trending list.

Let’s Go Travel haven’t even started filming yet—and it was already a hit. 

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  an internet slang from China, means hurry up or do it faster