AAMIBBSBY 8

“President Shen! Why didn’t you let us know in advance that you were coming?”

Yan Wenqing ran over enthusiastically. He hurriedly asked the staff to prepare a chair for Shen Shixiao and casually introduced Shen Shixiao’s identity to the directing team.

For this variety show, his Shen Group’s beverage brand, Lemon Fruit Tea Vitamin C, held the exclusive title sponsorship for 540 million, making him the show’s sole financial backer. Hearing that the big boss of the Shen Group had come in person, the staff hurriedly straightened their backs and greeted him.

After responding politely, Shen Shixiao’s gaze remained fixed on the livestream monitor, lingering there for a long time.

Only Yan Wenqing knew the reason for Shen Shixiao’s behavior; everyone else simply assumed he was interested in the variety show and invited him to sit in the broadcasting room to watch together.

At this time, the bullet screen was already covering the monitor densely. Almost a third of them were discussing the little brother playing the courtesan.

The assistant director laughed in puzzlement. “We didn’t have a waist-twisting design in the script. The actor probably had his own ideas, and that’s what created this viral moment.”

Shen Shixiao stared calmly at the screen. “Who is standing below the city tower?”

Yan Wenqing replied, “That is Film Emperor Liang, a highly popular big star.”

“Surnamed Liang?” Shen Shixiao scrutinized the man on the screen, propping his arm up to rest against his forehead.

The camera had already cut away, and Xia Zhi’s scene was over. After receiving a cue from the staff, he shivered and jumped down from the platform.

It was way too cold up there.

Wrapped in a military greatcoat, Xia Zhi sat in the break room holding a cup of hot milk tea, as a staff member teased, “Didn’t expect you to twist so well, have you studied dance?”

Xia Zhi happily chewed on a taro ball. “No, the plot required it, so I improvised a bit. Just now, when you guys told me to twist, I almost couldn’t catch on.”

Hearing this, the staff member replied with some hesitation, “We didn’t tell you to… twist…”

After some explanation, the tears of Xia Zhi, who now knew the truth, fell.

Ah this, it’s truly mortifying.

The actors who had already exited the stage couldn’t leave yet; they would be interviewed in a while. However, the timing of a live broadcast couldn’t be grasped accurately. It was estimated that even if there was time for the trainees to go on, it would only be the two or three minutes left over after all the mentors had finished their interviews.

Forty people, two minutes of screen time—a silent competition spread, with undercurrents surging among the trainees as they geared up to fight for camera time and stand out.

In this era, topics are king. Where there’s a topic, there’s traffic.

An hour later, the recording for the first episode ended, with the end of the story resting on the retreating figure of the swordsman played by Film Emperor Liang.

The audience watched with complete satisfaction, strongly demanding that the next episode be broadcast immediately. The starlight value voting officially ended after the interviews. The camera switched to Film Emperor Liang, and the staff asked him some interesting questions, while the “Liang Fens¹A brilliant fandom pun. “Liangfen” is a real Chinese street food (cold jelly noodles). However, it combines Best Actor Liang’s surname (Liang) with the word for fan (fen – 粉). So his fans affectionately call themselves “Cold Noodles.”” in the bullet screen frantically licked the screen.

Ten minutes later, the last mentor, who was Xia Mingxuan, began his interview. He had just zoned out, vaguely thinking he had seen Shen Shixiao sitting next to the director.

Why would he come here?

After it was Xia Mingxuan’s turn to appear, sharp comments emerged in the bullet screen, mostly roasting his acting skills—staring and frowning, a typical stone face. However, Xia Mingxuan had quite a few looks-based fans, who led the fan clubs to quickly purify the bullet screen²A coordinated fandom tactic. When haters or critics flood the comment section/bullet screen with negativity, organized fan groups will rapidly spam positive comments, emojis (like scattering flowers), and praises to drown out the bad comments, effectively “purifying” the feed., soon filling the screen with scattering flowers and praise.

The trainees were led by the staff to the open space in front of the palace, which was the place for interviews. The temperature tonight was too cold. The production team thoughtfully provided each person with a super thick down jacket, printed with the logo of their gold master daddy, Lemon Juice.

Sitting on a small folding stool, Xia Zhi cupped his cheeks and gazed into the distance.

That star surrounded by eight camera angles, why did he look so much like Xia Mingxuan? He wasn’t in the script, was he?

“Sigh, will we get a chance to be interviewed in a bit?”

“All the time is taken up by the mentors, how would it be our turn?”

“I only had one line today, I don’t know if the audience will remember me.”

The chattering discussions didn’t disturb Xia Zhi at all. He wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself, wearing a mask of pain.

So hungry, wuwu.

The program’s duration was already at 118 minutes, with two minutes left until the end. At this time, news came from the planning team. For the first episode, Film Emperor Liang topped the chart with 40 million starlight value.

Receiving this news, Yan Wenqing wasn’t surprised, but the next piece of news left him slightly shocked.

Xia Zhi ranked sixth, with a starlight value of 9.6 million, just behind Xia Mingxuan’s 18 million.

Shen Shixiao looked sideways. “Is this considered a lot of votes?”

Yan Wenqing shook his head like a rattle-drum. “It’s not just considered a lot, it’s super high!”

Xia Zhi is an amateur! He has absolutely zero fan base—his votes rely entirely on his public appeal and his own performance.

He really did pick up a treasure!

Meanwhile, completely unaware of all this, Xia Zhi was so hungry his chest was sticking to his back³A common, exaggerated idiom to express that someone is absolutely starving.. He wanted to eat a soft, sweet roasted sweet potato.

With only ten or so seconds to make a decision, Yan Wenqing immediately had the staff give the final half-minute to Xia Zhi.

Meeting envious gazes, Xia Zhi was swiftly pulled in front of the camera by the staff. One second he was still looking completely bewildered, the next second he immediately gave a clear, sweet smile to the camera, possessing an innate sense of the camera, grasping the aura just right.

“Hello everyone, I am Zhizhi. I played the courtesan in Night Raid on Chang’an. Thank you all for liking it.”

Amidst the ancient city walls and palaces, his fair and gentle features carried a glow, shining brilliantly under the bright moonlight.

Who wouldn’t like a gentle and handsome young man?

Shen Shixiao gazed at him for a long time, slightly lowering his eyes.

[Called Zhi Zhi? The name sounds so nice too!]

[Zhizhi, I’m your first jiejie⁴The fan is calling herself Zhizhi’s older sister. A specific type of fan demographic. These are usually female fans who adopt a protective, doting “older sister” persona toward a cute, younger idol. fan!]

[In one minute, I want all of Zhizhi’s information!]

[D*mn, he looks so well-behaved! Completely different from his aura just now.]

A mobile phone was mixed among the cameras, allowing Xia Zhi to see the bullet screen everyone was spamming. A staff member casually chatted with him, “Everyone really likes you, what are you planning to do when you go back later?”

Xia Zhi wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself, sweet enough to make teeth fall out. “Go home and eat with my husband.”

[???]

[???]

The staff member’s heart tightened; digging out someone’s private life with the very first question, would they get their salary deducted?

Hearing this answer, Shen Shixiao raised his head in surprise. He didn’t stare at the screen this time anymore, but stood up to look for the camera interviewing Xia Zhi. From his angle, he could see Xia Zhi’s back.

Xia Zhi seemed to be in a very good mood. His hands hidden behind his back away from the camera were very restless, making a little white rabbit gesture.

A momentary gentleness dyed the space between Shen Shixiao’s brows, a smile reaching the depths of his eyes.

The program ended, and the trainees left towards the hotel one after another, discussing Xia Zhi’s name.

After Xia Mingxuan heard about Xia Zhi’s starlight value, his expression became very ugly. What was even harder for him to accept was that there was a fifty percent chance Shen Shixiao came here for Xia Zhi.

He gripped the script tightly, his whitened fingertips lacking any trace of blood.

Receiving a text message, Xia Zhi trotted eagerly to the entrance of the film and television city. The car responsible for picking him up was just twenty meters away, yet Shen Shixiao was standing at the entrance, as if waiting to welcome him.

Their eyes met, and Shen Shixiao took off his scarf, lowering his head to wrap it around his neck.

Shen Shixiao’s body heat still lingered in the scarf. Xia Zhi buried his head and whispered a thank you.

So warm, wuwu, why is he being so good to him.

On the way, Shen Shixiao handled official business, while Xia Zhi started 5G surfing.⁵Modern internet slang. “Surfing the net at 5G speed” means keeping up with the absolute latest online gossip, trends, or news in real-time.

Only half an hour had passed since the variety show ended, but his burner Weibo account⁶A secondary, often anonymous or unverified social media account. had already been dug up by infinitely resourceful netizens. There were a few comments underneath, asking if he was the courtesan.

I’m not a courtesan, I’m a little cutie.

Xia Zhi’s eyes curved in a smile, and he laughed out loud.

Shen Shixiao spoke up at this moment, “My mom said she wants to invite you and your family to our home for a meal.”

“How is Auntie’s health?” Xia Zhi hurriedly turned off his phone and asked.

“Her spirits have been quite good lately, so she wants to see you.”

“Do I need to prepare anything?” Xia Zhi hurriedly mentally counted his bank card balance. Meeting the parents for the first time, he had to buy a decent gift no matter what.

Even though it was an arranged marriage.

Seeing his distressed look, Shen Shixiao’s tone was gentle. “I will prepare the gift for my mother, you just need to go with me. If you think it’s okay, I’ll have my assistant notify Xia Huaishan.”

Xia Zhi nodded like a chick pecking at rice. “Okay.”

The script for the next episode was being rushed out, and Xia Zhi had a week of rest time.

On the upcoming weekend, Shen Shixiao brought him back to the Shen family’s old mansion.

The Shen family was a century-old wealthy family. From the architectural style of the courtyard, it wasn’t hard to see their generations of prominence.

In the living room, Mother Shen sat in the seat of honor, accompanied by Xia Huaishan’s family, whose faces were piled with smiles. Qin Wanru continued her usual flattery and fawning, while Xia Mingxuan quietly kept her company on the side, pouring tea for Mother Shen.

Mother Shen looked to have a good complexion. When Xia Zhi and Shen Shixiao walked in, they didn’t hear what they were saying, but it wasn’t hard to tell that Mother Shen was somewhat impatient and perfunctory.

Xia Zhi’s heart sank, worrying that Mother Shen would be hard to get along with.

At this moment, his palm was suddenly covered tightly by a warm hand, and Shen Shixiao nodded at him, signaling him not to worry too much.

Xia Zhi stared at their intertwined fingers.

One reason Shen Shixiao married him was because of Mother Shen. In front of the elders, they still had to maintain an affectionate facade.

Then shouldn’t he also be a bit more sensible?

Therefore, he gently rested his head on Shen Shixiao’s shoulder, and finally, cast a probing glance at him.

Am I being good?

Shen Shixiao seemingly didn’t expect him to take the initiative, and reached out to rub his head.

This scene was seen by the four people in the living room, and Mother Shen took the initiative to stand up and walk towards them. She was already 49 years old this year. From her bone structure, it wasn’t hard to see that she was a great beauty in her youth, her every movement carrying an innate nobility and elegance carved into her bones.

“You must be Zhizhi, right?” Mother Shen’s lips gently curved, taking the initiative to extend her hand. “Seeing the two of you so happy, I can rest assured.”

Xia Zhi first blinked in flattered surprise, then went over and linked arms with Mother Shen, saying respectfully, “Hello, Auntie.”

Mother Shen feigned dissatisfaction. “Shixiao, pick an auspicious day and hurry up to get your marriage certificate, I want to hear Zhi Zhi call me Mom.”

Shen Shixiao echoed, “Mm.”

The three of them getting along so harmoniously made Xia Huaishan’s family seem out of place. Xia Mingxuan’s expression turned a shade uglier, because he felt that the Shen family servants were looking at them with an inexplicable disgust.

Mother Shen gave Shen Shixiao a look, and said towards Xia Huaishan, “In-law, the main characters have arrived, shall we start the banquet?”

Xia Huaishan hurriedly stood up. “Okay.”

The Shen family was quite particular about their meals. From the meaning behind each dish, down to the shape of the plates, everything was meticulously prepared.

Mother Shen said thoughtfully to Xia Zhi, “I asked Shixiao beforehand, and he said you like to eat these.”

Xia Zhi smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Auntie.”

This mother-in-law is too wonderful!

Ah, no wait! This mother-in-law⁷This is a hilarious internal monologue showcasing Xia Zhi’s gay panic regarding his gender role in the marriage. Pópo means the mother of a husband (used by a wife). Xia Zhi accidentally uses this first, then quickly corrects himself to Zhàngmǔniáng, which means the mother of a wife (used by a husband). is too wonderful!

Throughout the meal, Xia Huaishan’s family of three found it hard to swallow their food.

They could faintly sense that Mother Shen didn’t seem to like interacting with them much, but instead kept her attention on Xia Zhi. Unless there was a specific matter that required Xia Huaishan’s nod of approval, she would only then ask a question in a formulaic manner.

Xia Zhi drank his sea cucumber soup, his eyes narrowing in bliss, completely ignoring the frantic looks Xia Huaishan was shooting him.

After the meal, none of Xia Huaishan’s prior calculations had panned out, and he resentfully said his goodbyes, taking Qin Wanru and Xia Mingxuan with him. Mother Shen had something to say to Xia Zhi in a moment, so she had him wait in the living room first.

Xia Zhi couldn’t be bothered to see Xia Huaishan and the others anyway, so he simply sat on the sofa like a little pig, eating fruit.

In the courtyard, Mother Shen put away her gentleness, a commanding aura chilling the space between her brows. “Just now, Xia Huaishan suggested to me, since you and Xia Zhi haven’t gotten your marriage certificate yet, could the marriage partner be switched to Xia Mingxuan.”

Shen Shixiao let out a cold sneer, silently watching the retreating backs of the three people.

The Xia family’s driver was right at the Shen family’s gate; Shen Shixiao and Mother Shen stood in front of the main gate, watching them get into the car. Even though he hadn’t reaped a single benefit, Xia Huaishan still had the thick skin to say, “In-law, you should hurry back inside.”

However, what greeted them were two pairs of deeply meaningful gazes.

Mother Shen and Shen Shixiao had similar facial features. When expressionless, they appeared aloof and unapproachable.

Shen Shixiao spoke quietly, “Did you really think my Shen family would take just any piece of trash?”

• 1
  A brilliant fandom pun. “Liangfen” is a real Chinese street food (cold jelly noodles). However, it combines Best Actor Liang’s surname (Liang) with the word for fan (fen – 粉). So his fans affectionately call themselves “Cold Noodles.”
• 2
  A coordinated fandom tactic. When haters or critics flood the comment section/bullet screen with negativity, organized fan groups will rapidly spam positive comments, emojis (like scattering flowers), and praises to drown out the bad comments, effectively “purifying” the feed.
• 3
  A common, exaggerated idiom to express that someone is absolutely starving.
• 4
  The fan is calling herself Zhizhi’s older sister. A specific type of fan demographic. These are usually female fans who adopt a protective, doting “older sister” persona toward a cute, younger idol.
• 5
  Modern internet slang. “Surfing the net at 5G speed” means keeping up with the absolute latest online gossip, trends, or news in real-time.
• 6
  A secondary, often anonymous or unverified social media account.
• 7
  This is a hilarious internal monologue showcasing Xia Zhi’s gay panic regarding his gender role in the marriage. Pópo means the mother of a husband (used by a wife). Xia Zhi accidentally uses this first, then quickly corrects himself to Zhàngmǔniáng, which means the mother of a wife (used by a husband).