“No need to cover the mic, it’s not on yet.” Chu Xingxing adjusted her lapel mic, and Jiang Changsheng’s hand paused for a moment.
The tip of Chu Xingxing’s pinky accidentally brushed against the back of Jiang Changsheng’s hand.
A faint pink scratch appeared across the back of his left hand.
It didn’t hurt at all.
Yet it sent a tingling sensation through him, like an electric shock, accompanied by a subtle itch.
“Ah, did I scratch you?” This was Chu Xingxing’s first time wearing nail extensions, and she wasn’t quite used to them yet.
“No.” Jiang Changsheng awkwardly scratched the back of his left hand with his right.
He was grateful the backstage lights were dim.
She couldn’t see his ears, burning red.
“I’ll go check how much longer it’ll be. You have a seat first.” Jiang Changsheng pulled a chair over and placed it next to Chu Xingxing.
Biting his lip, he seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and quickly left the backstage area.
He was a late bloomer when it came to feelings, and encountering this strange sensation, his instinct was to flee.
—
Backstage.
Chu Xingxing didn’t sit down. Instead, she stood and did some basic stretching.
Sitting for a long time getting makeup and hair done and recording the show had made her feel stiff all over.
Sitting for long periods is really bad for your health!
It can reduce blood flow to the brain, worsen fatigue, insomnia, and memory loss. In severe cases, it can even increase the risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Luckily, her shirt-dress was loose and comfortable, allowing for full-body stretches from head to toe.
Fifteen minutes later, her stretching was done.
Chu Xingxing stretched lazily and closed her eyes to rest for over ten seconds.
After stretching, her body felt relaxed and comfortable, like being reborn.
“Pretty standard stretching form. Looks like you exercise often?” Suddenly, a gentle male voice appeared backstage.
Chu Xingxing opened her eyes and realized Wen Han had arrived backstage at some point.
Earlier, when it was just her and Jiang Changsheng, it didn’t feel cramped.
But the moment Wen Han, aka ‘Double-Door Fridge’, appeared, the backstage strangely felt a tiny bit crowded?
“Hi, fellow ‘porter’,” Chu Xingxing greeted him cheerfully, making small talk: “Here early to wait for your slot?”
Wen Han was the last one to do a live call, scheduled after her.
It seemed the grandmothers’ call times had been extended, so it might still be a while before her turn.
“Yeah, I like to be prepared early.” Wen Han maintained a comfortable distance from Chu Xingxing, neither too close nor too far.
Because he was so tall, he always looked down slightly when speaking, his eyes sincere.
Chu Xingxing gave him a thumbs up, praising him sincerely: “No wonder everyone says Teacher Wen is a role model in the industry. Well-deserved.”
The first time she followed Wen Han’s fitness live stream, Chu Xingxing saw many compliments about him in the comments.
Things like ‘the most down-to-earth Movie Emperor’, ‘universally liked in the industry’, ‘zero negative reviews’, ‘no scandals’, ‘model worker’, ‘industry benchmark’ – those kinds of ‘labels’.
Back then, she wondered how someone could have such a perfect personality?
When she learned that Wen Han was Wen Xuelan’s youngest son.
Chu Xingxing had to admit, if he was raised by the upright, cheerful, and principled Wen Xuelan, she could believe such a perfect person existed.
“Teacher Wen?” Wen Han found it amusing.
Crossing his arms, he shook his head with a light laugh: “I’m a ‘porter’ just like you now. Calling me Teacher Wen makes me feel old. Just call me Wen Han.”
“Okay, Wen Han.” Chu Xingxing agreed readily.
Being respectful in the industry is one thing, but you’d never see Chu Xingxing being coy or pretentious. If the other person asks for it, the best respect is to do as they say.
Wen Han looked at her with deep, dark eyes and asked politely, “Can I call you Xingxing? Or like my mother, Xingbao?”
“Xingxing is fine.” Chu Xingxing smiled, a little awkwardly.
When she heard ‘Double-Door Fridge’ say the word ‘Xingbao’, she got goosebumps all over.
Hearing the same nickname from the dear old ladies felt perfectly fine; in fact, she enjoyed it.
But hearing a grown man say it really made her uncomfortable…
“Okay, Xingxing.” Wen Han curved his lips slightly, his handsome face wearing a gentle smile.
Just then, Jiang Changsheng hurried backstage, carrying Chu Xingxing’s blue thermos flask decorated with Kuromi stickers: “Ten minutes until you’re on. Want some more water? It’s warm. I put in some pseudo-ginseng flowers and licorice.”
“Thanks.” She took the flask and quietly shuffled two steps forward.
Honestly, having her and Wen Han here was already the limit for this backstage space.
Adding Jiang Changsheng really made it excessively cramped.
“Hello.” Wen Han looked at Jiang Changsheng, his tone soft and gentle, yet carrying an almost imperceptible sense of pressure.
Maybe it was Jiang Changsheng’s young master temperament flaring up, but for some reason, he found Wen Han disagreeable.
The tall, slender, handsome young man just stood there, stubbornly not responding to Wen Han’s greeting.
“This is my agent, Jiang Changsheng.” Chu Xingxing introduced him generously, trying to break the… awkwardness?
Jiang Changsheng said somewhat coolly, “Teacher Wen is here a bit early. You’re the last guest to call a fan, right? It’s pretty cramped back here, not very convenient. I’ll have my assistant take you back to the green room first.”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind waiting here.” Wen Han’s tone was gentle but brooked no refusal, nodding with a smile.
In Jiang Changsheng’s eyes, this was just being shameless!
The subtext was: So what! Can you carry me out?
Since he couldn’t kick him out, Jiang Changsheng didn’t say anything else. He just casually paced and finally stopped between Wen Han and Chu Xingxing.
Wen Han tilted his head and asked Chu Xingxing, who was standing in the corner, across Jiang Changsheng: “Xingxing, I’m a bit curious. Why did you want to join this variety show?”
Jiang Changsheng: ?
Is this guy treating me like air??
And since when is it okay for you to call her Xingxing???
Even I, her agent, don’t call her that!!!
“Ah,” Chu Xingxing paused briefly, then answered seriously: “Because I want to travel and see the world, and I personally really love the lifestyle of the dear old ladies. I can learn a lot from them, so I signed up.”
Wen Han: “But this show is relatively niche. I think you might be more suited for ‘Let’s Travel Together’ next door. That travel show has much more traffic and is all young people. I have some friends on that show. If you’re interested, I could arrange something after your trip here.”
Wen Han hadn’t watched the adjacent show’s livestream, nor did he understand Chu Xingxing’s resistance to ‘Let’s Travel Together’ or her conflict with guest Tian Mengtong.
Moreover, ‘Let’s Travel Together’ was indeed the most talked-about show at CBM Entertainment, and in the whole industry.
From an objective outsider’s perspective, Wen Han was simply giving a rational suggestion.
“No!” Chu Xingxing’s face was full of refusal. She said seriously: “‘Let’s Travel Together’ isn’t a travel show at all. It’s extreme survival. You can’t eat or sleep well, and you have to fight for resources. It’s terrible for your health. I’m not going.”
Seeing her fair little face scrunch up, Wen Han couldn’t help but laugh.
This young lady was quite unique, so protective of her well-being?
“Do you usually like working out?” Wen Han asked.
Chu Xingxing nodded: “Yeah, I usually do functional training. I like weight training too, but my home conditions are limited, so recently I’ve just been making do with HIIT at home.”
Sigh, poverty was limiting her spending power for gym memberships.
“Haven’t found a suitable gym? Where do you live?”
After asking, Wen Han quickly added: “Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. I personally love fitness and opened my own gym with a few childhood friends. We have six chain locations in the capital. If you happen to live near one of our gyms, I’d love to give you a VIP card.”
Chu Xingxing was tempted for a second, then quickly calmed down.
You don’t get something for nothing. Free things are always the most expensive.
She’d better just stick to doing HIIT at home honestly.
Before she could refuse, Jiang Changsheng spoke up slowly: “You see, Teacher Wen, CBM Entertainment isn’t so hard up that we can’t afford a gym membership for our artists. I just took over her contract. Today, my assistant will help her find the most well-equipped, advanced gym near her home. The company will cover it fully. No need for you to worry about it, Teacher Wen.”
“It’s fine. What the company reimburses is their business. I have no other motive, and I really can’t find any other way to thank Xingxing. An annual fitness VIP card isn’t much money. It’s for nothing else but to thank her for giving my mother and me an unforgettable trip. Since my father passed, my mother has been living abroad with my two older brothers, and her mood hasn’t been great.
Since returning to the country, her mood has improved significantly. She likes Xingxing a lot and has mentioned her to me more than once. Although I could accompany her on the first trip, I’ll need Xingxing’s help to take care of my mother on the subsequent trips. Please don’t refuse this small token of my appreciation.”
Wen Han’s words were neither humble nor pushy, logical and well-founded.
There was no flaw to be found, and no reason to refuse.
“Can I add you on WeChat? It’ll make it easier to coordinate during the trips.” Wen Han took out his phone.
“Sure,” Chu Xingxing looked at Jiang Changsheng’s grim face and added, “No need to trouble yourself with the gym. The company reimburses me now; it would be a waste otherwise.”
Seeing Chu Xingxing refuse Wen Han’s gym offer, Jiang Changsheng’s expression finally improved a bit.
Young Master Jiang touched his earpiece and pulled Chu Xingxing slightly closer: “Two-minute countdown. It’s your turn for the call.”
—
Inside the ‘Grandma’s Journey’ Studio.
Chu Xingxing had just taken over from Little Grandma Jiang. The two high-fived happily.
Walking calmly to the temporarily set-up small studio, Chu Xingxing greeted the camera composedly: “Hello everyone, welcome to my live stream.”
At that moment, a large number of Tian Mengtong’s fans flooded in, each one extremely combative, practically wanting to tear Chu Xingxing apart.
If Jiang Changsheng hadn’t had his assistant do some ‘data maintenance’ beforehand, filtering out a barrage of curses and personal attacks, the comments section in the ‘Grandma’s Journey’ stream would have been truly unbearable to watch.
[Traitor! The worst kind of person who betrays their bestie!]
[My heart hurts so much for Tongtong, being betrayed by a friend is just too sad wahhh]
[The word ‘bestie’ makes me sick now. Damn bestie!]
[Experiencing Tongtong’s situation makes me feel ‘bestie’ is already a derogatory term]
[Yuck, this makes me so sick. She agreed to travel with her bestie, and the bestie even worked hard to help this nobody get resources. With CXX’s status, how dare she abandon our Tongtong?]
[Our Tongbao has such a good temper and never minds things, but the Aitongs will never forgive this! Chu Xingxing, come out and apologize!!!]
[CXX, stop playing dead and come out and apologize!]
[CXX is such a manipulative teaser, how does she still have the face to stream? Go apologize to Tian Mengtong now!]
Chu Xingxing calmly read a few lines of comments, smiling as she waited for the call to connect successfully.
This little bit of scolding from the haters was nothing!
Having experienced gunfire and hail of bullets, zombie sieges, and comrades sacrificing at any moment, Chu Xingxing indicated: This is a small scene.
“Ten seconds until fan connects. Just give me an OK sign, and I’ll cut the feed, citing connection issues.”
A familiar youthful voice came through her earpiece.
It seemed Jiang Changsheng was still worried? He’d even taken over the director’s job.
Pfft, so young but already such a worrier.
“Five, four, three, two, one…”
Connection successful.
—
The staff off-stage, including the director’s team, were incredibly excited at this moment.
Finally, some juicy gossip!
The show was finally getting some buzz!!
From the perspective of the director’s team, used to filming variety shows for young people, the four grandmothers’ streams earlier were boring.
Sheng Shuwen was connected to a girl she had silently sponsored through medical school, who was now the head of the gynecology department at a certain hospital in the capital, also called ‘grandma’ by younger folks.
The two chatted like old sisters, gossiping for ages, singing and dancing, making Director Sun drowsy.
The other three grandmothers were connected to elderly fans around their own age.
Goodness, as soon as they connected, they’d tear up with excitement, unable to speak, just wailing.
The three grandmothers, like life mentors, gently comforted their fans. Perhaps having been away from screens for so long, they cherished the interaction with fans who liked them and couldn’t bear to hang up, leading to serious overtime.
The director’s team finally got to Chu Xingxing, the one laden with ‘scandals’.
As soon as she appeared, the director’s team was wide awake.
—
In the live stream shot, Chu Xingxing was still stunningly beautiful.
She really wasn’t used to beauty filters, so she simply turned hers off.
[I don’t know why the comments are trashing her, but this young lady’s skin is amazing!]
[Is the filter on? Even with a filter, looking like this is incredible!]
[Probably no filter. The beauty didn’t distort when she picked up her cup to drink water. This beauty level can hold its own.]
“Hello, I’m Chu Xingxing.” Her tone was normal, her emotions stable.
“Hello, Chu Xingxing…” The fan who successfully connected sounded like a young girl.
The other party was clearly stunned for a moment. In the background, several female voices whispered: “Wow, does Chu Xingxing have a filter on or not?”
“Doesn’t look like it? What do we do? Seeing a beauty, I’m a bit soft-hearted…”
“Shut up! How can you be so spineless! Shh, the call connected…”
Chu Xingxing smiled faintly, guessing the other party was probably in a dorm.
And, unsurprisingly, the whole dorm were probably Tian Mengtong’s fans.
“Hello, little sister, what should I call you?” Chu Xingxing asked patiently.
“Ahem…”
The girl on the other end cleared her throat, her tone turning serious, speaking rapidly: “First, I want to state clearly, I am NOT your fan, and I will never be a fan of someone like you in this lifetime. I’m here today, not as a fan of anyone, but just as an ordinary girl, standing up for another kind-hearted little girl.
I originally thought friendship between girls was the most beautiful and pure thing in the world, but Chu Xingxing, you’ve really opened my eyes. I’ve never seen someone who stabs their bestie in the back like you do! I will abide by the live stream rules. Now I ask you, why did you agree to accompany Tian Mengtong on ‘Let’s Travel Together’, then break your promise at the last minute, leaving Tongtong to record the show all alone, and then get isolated on the show!”
After asking, the fan didn’t give Chu Xingxing a chance to answer. Instead, she passionately continued: “What was your intention? How did our Tongtong wrong you? She brought you along when you debuted, you repeatedly screwed her over on ‘Bestie House’, yet she didn’t hold a grudge and helped you get various roles, still unwilling to give up on your friendship. Tongtong often posts about your bond on Weibo. How can you bully such a kind-hearted little girl? You can’t be such an ungrateful person, Chu Xingxing. You MUST explain yourself today!!!”
The girl on the call got more and more worked up, her voice cracking with tears by the end, her throat hoarse.
The staff were dumbfounded jpg.
Wow, Tian Mengtong’s fans sure can talk!
And she claims she’s not a fan? Lying to dogs??
Even a dog wouldn’t believe it…
—
Jiang Changsheng was sweating nervously off-stage.
He stared intently at Chu Xingxing. If she made that gesture, he would cut the feed immediately.
Director Sun casually glanced at the viewer count for the stream and his eyes widened instantly.
Holy crap! Ten thousand viewers!!!
Looks like they should feature Chu Xingxing more often from now on.
Black-red is still red, right?
Everyone waited for Chu Xingxing’s response.
Chu Xingxing patiently listened to the ‘anti-fan’ little sister’s ’emotional accusation’, then calmly spoke: “Sorry, little sister, since you didn’t introduce yourself when you came on, I don’t know what to call you. Is it okay if I just use your ID?”
Then, without giving the other party a chance to respond, she calmly said: “Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, can you repeat your question just now? Mainly because after you, ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, asked your question, you said so much that I’ve forgotten what you, ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, asked.”
Chu Xingxing recited the other person’s ID seriously, even deliberately repeating it three times.
On the fan’s side, there was at least a solid half-minute of dead silence…
All the staff on set, including those backstage, were struggling not to burst out laughing.
Jiang Changsheng and Wen Han’s thoughts were, for once, in sync – How is she so adorable?!
Jiang Changsheng even marveled, feeling like he had stumbled upon a treasure.
Chu Xingxing’s psychological fortitude was like an iron wall; it was explosive in the entire entertainment industry.
“Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, are you still there?”
“Has Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ disconnected?”
“Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, can you hear me? Type 1 if you can hear me~”
During that half-minute, Chu Xingxing initiated a continuous calling function.
Until the comments section was flooded with 【11111111】.
The tense,comments section instantly switched styles—
[Hahahahaha I’m dying laughing at Chu Xingxing!]
[This is so mortifying hahaha]
[Laughing so hard I could get rich hahaha]
[I’m cracking up! Honestly, I forgot long ago what the fan even asked hahaha]
[Help hahaha! Xingxing is too funny!]
Chu Xingxing even tilted her head and seriously asked the production team: “Is the other party’s mic broken? Why is there no sound? I haven’t heard a single sound from here…”
“Everything’s normal.” Director Sun gave a thumbs up.
Chu Xingxing nodded: O Jib K.
After confirming that ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ hadn’t disconnected, Chu Xingxing patiently called out her ID another ten or twenty times.
Finally, she heard a response:
“Ahem… ahem, um, Chu Xingxing, I just wanted to ask you, why did you promise to accompany your good bestie on ‘Let’s Travel Together’, and then break your promise at the last minute? Do you know that’s a very dishonest thing to do?
I, we need you to provide a reasonable explanation, otherwise, publicly apologize to your bestie.”
Perhaps because she had just gone through a major ‘mortifying’ experience, the girl with the ID ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ was significantly less aggressive than before.
Chu Xingxing nodded and said with a smile: “That’s right, I did initially verbally agree over the phone to participate in the recording of ‘Let’s Travel Together’ with Tian Mengtong.”
The comments exploded—
[Fck! Fck! F*ck! So manipulative! How can she be so calm about it???]
[She just admitted it???]
[Gosh, never seen such a thick-skinned person in my life, doesn’t even deserve to be called human!]
[Wuwuwuwuwu holding my Tongtong tight, Tongtong was so unlucky to have a ‘bestie’ like her?]
[I thought she wouldn’t dare admit it! Since she admitted it, apologize now!]
[Chu·Toxic Bestie·Xingxing, she’s really toxic. Whoever touches her gets bad luck]
‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ was just about to sternly demand an apology from Chu Xingxing.
Unexpectedly, Chu Xingxing spoke again.
“Initially, I trusted Tian Mengtong completely. After all, she was the only friend I had in my four years of university. So when she, who hadn’t contacted me for a long time, reached out hoping I’d accompany her on ‘Let’s Travel Together’, I was very happy. It’s just…”
Chu Xingxing paused, biting her lip with restraint, lowering her head.
When she looked up again, she casually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her fair face. A glimmer of starlight flashed in her pitiable eyes.
In the camera, a pitifully lovely beauty with a touch of vulnerability stood quietly, her eyes revealing helplessness and grievance.
The comment section’s direction shifted instantly—
[Aahhh! Beauty is justice!!!]
[I’m notoriously double standards but cxx must be innocent, she must have a good reason!]
[D*mn, why do I suddenly have a crush on her? She’s not wrong! She definitely isn’t!]
[F*ck, can’t you talk nicely? Tian Mengtong’s fans are so aggressive right off the bat!]
[She really looks pitiful here. The young lady’s grievance can’t be acted!]
[Doesn’t everyone online say cxx’s acting is terrible? If this grievance is acted, I’ll live streaming eat a scale!]
At this moment, Chu Xingxing’s mind was filled with the scene from her childhood when her parents forcibly took her little golden retriever out of the base. No matter how she begged, it was useless. She watched helplessly as the dog was surrounded by zombies, struggling with its last ounce of strength to crawl back to its little owner, only to be shot in the head by her father, a base guard.
That feeling of being misunderstood and wronged was written all over her delicate, fair face.
Chu Xingxing sighed softly and continued: “At that time, Tian Mengtong sent me the electronic contract for ‘Let’s Travel Together’ via email. Later, I discovered that the contract’s content was very different from what she had verbally agreed to. It contained many unreasonable clauses. But I still chose to believe her, thinking Mengtong had sent the wrong file. So I made a special trip to the company. Only then did I find out that this unreasonable contract was indeed the correct one, not a mistake. The agent also explicitly stated that Mengtong was aware of the unreasonable content in the contract.”
Chu Xingxing raised a smiling face, her tone becoming slightly lighter: “But that’s all in the past. I’m also grateful for that incident, because it gave me the chance to meet four lovely precious ladies, allowing me the honor of joining their wonderful journey as a proud ‘porter’.”
Finally, she gently clenched her fist and said with conviction: “I will take good care of the precious ladies during the trip.”
[Aahhh! What do I do, I’m totally being won over by Xingxing!]
[Speaking softly and logically explaining the whole process, darn it, I can’t find a single thing to criticize Chu Xingxing for.]
[Oh my! Xingxing calls the grandmothers precious! So doting!]
[Xingxing and the dear old ladies dote on each other, their interactions are super cute!]
[Wow, looking at it all, why should she apologize? Tian Mengtong should apologize to her! Isn’t this setting up your bestie?!]
[I really can’t find any dirt on cxx. The bestie show before was proven to have malicious editing. She worked hard without complaint the whole time and still got called lazy and greedy? cxx didn’t jump out then to say she was wronged. This beautiful lady has it so rough.]
[Talking about that bestie show really pisses me off. It’s scary to think about! It proves that after it aired, Tian Mengtong clearly knew her bestie’s parts were maliciously edited, and she never spoke up for Chu Xingxing, right?]
[Seeing it this way, isn’t Tian Mengtong the toxic bestie? And she sends her crazy fans to bite people???]
[Yuck, I hate this fan culture crap the most.]
The comments scrolled quickly, the general public opinion is obvious leaning towards Chu Xingxing.
However, Tian Mengtong’s die-hard fans held a different opinion.
‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ had gotten over the mortifying hurdle and was shaking with anger after hearing the response.
She wished she could crawl through the Wi-Fi signal and have it out with Chu Xingxing.
In the comments, Tian Mengtong’s loyal fans were also jumping around crazily—
[Won’t believe a word this liar says until Tongtong responds!]
[That’s right! Without evidence from cxx, she’s lying!]
[Don’t tell me just because she’s pretty, people will believe anything she says?]
[D*mn it, show us the evidence! Otherwise, not a single word Chu Xingxing says is believable!]
“You say jump, I say how high? Hilarious. Never mind that the contract was probably sent directly to Tongtong by the company, and she just forwarded it. Who gave you the right to spout nonsense and accuse Tongtong of knowing about the unreasonable content? Our Tongtong might have been deceived by her agent too! What you said is a load of crap, I don’t believe a word! If you’ve got the guts, show us the evidence! Now! Right now! Show us the evidence!!!”
Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’ was almost shouting herself hoarse.
Chu Xingxing listened sympathetically to the other party’s voice, reminiscent of “Baojuan, my throat,” and felt sorry for her throat.
Chu Xingxing shook her head helplessly and said politely: “Sorry, Miss ‘Monkeys on the Mountain, My Butt is the Reddest’, that’s the second question. The live call only allows one question.
However…
Let me add one more thing. It’s always ‘he who asserts must prove’. If you think Tian Mengtong was wronged, then let her provide evidence that she was wronged, okay?”
As she finished, Chu Xingxing made an ‘OK’ gesture with her right hand.
Jiang Changsheng took only 0.1 seconds to react and cut off the call.
Regarding the entire ‘contract’ incident, Jiang Changsheng had been present personally, and even the grandmothers roughly knew the story.
He never imagined that, despite both being CBM Entertainment artists, Tian Mengtong and Chen Dong could be so arrogant.
Whether it was to stir up topics or to find a ‘control group’ to trash, they shouldn’t target an artist from the same company, especially when the two were once good friends.
Jiang Changsheng felt an even more complex mix of emotions towards Chu Xingxing.
He felt both sorry for her and thought she was naive, and also a bit bitter.
He felt he hadn’t truly entered her heart or gained her 100% trust.
Jiang Changsheng made a decision.
From today on, regardless of whether it was an agent or artist from the same company, anyone who messed with his artist was messing with him, Jiang Changsheng.
—
After Chu Xingxing finished her broadcast, it was Wen Han’s turn to connect with fans. Wen Han’s stream was harmonious and warm.
As a low-key actor with solid acting skills, Wen Han’s fan base was mostly rational.
The fans’ comments were normal. Wen Han was very down-to-earth, caring for his younger fans like a big brother, and everyone chatted happily.
Soon, Wen Han’s session also ended.
At the end of the ‘Grandma’s Journey’ pilot episode.
The four grandmothers and the two ‘porters’, Chu Xingxing and Wen Han, faced the camera together and said: “Thank you all for watching. See you on our first trip!”
The recording of the ‘Grandma’s Journey’ pilot episode officially wrapped up.
—
As soon as filming ended, the grandmothers, eyes sparkling with gossip, rushed over and surrounded Chu Xingxing.
“Xingbao! Is that Tian Mengtong the little girl you did the bestie show with?”
Wen Xuelan linked arms with Chu Xingxing, and after receiving an affirmative answer: “Tsk tsk, I only saw her once in that clip, and I knew that little girl wasn’t simple. She’s full of tricks!”
“That Tian what’s-her-face looks small and delicate, but you can tell from her interviews that she’s quite… ‘tea’.”
Jiang Yao whispered, proudly showing off the internet slang she’d learned.
Sheng Shuwen maintained her powerful demeanor, patting Chu Xingxing’s shoulder and speaking earnestly: “Your Grandma Sheng here has been in business since I was young, and I’m not fully retired yet. I’ve seen all kinds of people. When I was young, I got stabbed in the back plenty by seemingly harmless little girls like that. You can never be too careful, Xingxing.”
“Dear child, the grandmothers aren’t trying to interfere with who you’re friends with. It’s just a friendly reminder. It’s best to keep your distance from people like that in the future.”
Ai Minli’s expression was serious, but her tone was very gentle.
Surrounded by the grandmothers, one after another, Chu Xingxing didn’t get a chance to speak.
At that moment, she didn’t want to talk anyway.
She just wanted to enjoy this warmth she had never experienced in her life, like being wrapped from head to toe in a cozy, warm duvet.
Chu Xingxing just smiled happily at her dear old ladies, looking into the eyes of whoever was speaking.
She truly relished this feeling of being surrounded by her precious ladies.
“Oh my…” Wen Xuelan slapped her forehead. Seeing Chu Xingxing silent, she hugged her a bit sheepishly and asked carefully: “Xingbao, are the grandmothers talking too much?”
Jiang Yao quickly chimed in: “Dear child, if you find it annoying and don’t want to hear us nag, just tell us straight. Oh dear, we’re just used to worrying…”
Chu Xingxing’s eyes curved into crescents, sparkling brightly. She reached out and hugged her dear ladies: “No, how could I possibly find it annoying? Not annoying at all!”
It felt incredibly warm, okay!
Having people who remember you and care about you feels really, really good.
“I hope the grandmothers will talk even more. More, more~” Chu Xingxing playfully stuck out her tongue.
“I know! ‘More, more’ means even more, come again!”
Jiang Yao acted as the ‘translator’ for the other three grandmothers.
“So that’s what it means?” The rigorous Ai Minli took out a small Kuromi notebook and carefully wrote it down, stroke by stroke.
—
At the same time, inside CBM Entertainment’s largest Sol studio.
‘Let’s Travel Together’ had also finished recording its pilot episode.
Compared to ‘Grandma’s Journey” simple 4+2 deploy, ‘Let’s Travel Together’ had more guests, just in terms of numbers.
There were 11 guests in total, and the interpersonal relationships were very complex.
This CBM Entertainment New Year show gathered all the explosive points of popular variety shows.
Guests with popularity, multiple character archetypes, invited guests with irreconcilable ‘conflicts’, more men than women, top-tier actors, idols, singers, stand-up comedy artists all together…
If ‘Let’s Travel Together’ didn’t become a hit, it would be a travesty of justice.
Even in the pilot episode, witty remarks flew thick and fast during recording.
Some guests were full of gunpowder the moment they met, either awkwardly chatting or being sarcastic.
Because Chu Xingxing didn’t sign the contract, Chen Dong hastily pulled in Cookie, the dance lead from the company’s JAM girl group, to fill in.
This displeased Tian Mengtong greatly.
She had protested to Chen Dong, not wanting Cookie to join ‘Let’s Travel Together’ either.
But Chen Dong said he really couldn’t find anyone else; only Cookie was available.
Because of this, Tian Mengtong was in a sulk before recording the pilot even started.
Both Cookie and Tian Mengtong had cute, sweet-looking faces.
But Cookie was mixed-race. Besides having features more like a doll, she was also a full ten centimeters taller than Tian Mengtong and had a very hot figure.
A devilish figure with a mixed-race doll face, powerful dancing, decent vocals, capable of rapping, and with inherent variety show appeal due to often making pronunciation mistakes due to her mixed heritage – in Tian Mengtong’s eyes, Cookie was there to steal her thunder.
Earlier, among the 11 guests, the only young female guests in their early twenties were Tian Mengtong and her ‘control group’ Chu Xingxing.
Now, how had she become a ‘control group’ for Cookie?
Moreover, because Tian Mengtong’s English wasn’t great, she was afraid of appearing foolish on screen and interacted very little with Cookie.
Cookie’s Chinese wasn’t good, but she wasn’t stupid. She could tell who didn’t like her.
The fiery mixed-race girl stopped trying to get close to Tian Mengtong and instead mingled easily with the boy band members.
Tian Mengtong hadn’t gotten familiar with the other guests yet, and even her future husband, Jiang Chang’an, was currently just an nodding acquaintance.
Jiang Chang’an was a deep thinker and hated girls who threw themselves at him, so Tian Mengtong naturally wouldn’t approach him now.
Furthermore, having lived a complete previous life, Tian Mengtong’s feelings for Jiang Chang’an were… complicated…
Compared to her previous life, where the guests all felt sorry for her being badly treated by Chu Xingxing and doted on her like a little sister from the start…
Tian Mengtong suddenly realized, how had everything become so different in this life?
She had performed well in the call session just now, gaining everyone’s sympathy, with everyone coming to comfort her. So why, as soon as the pilot recording ended, was no one actively talking to her?
The more she thought about it, the sadder she got. Anxiously, Tian Mengtong took out her phone to call her assistant.
Where had her assistant gone? Why wasn’t she coming to pick her up!
It was then that she noticed several messages from her biggest fan.
Watching the recorded clip of Chu Xingxing’s call with her fan, Tian Mengtong’s hands and feet turned cold, her heart suddenly pounding wildly.
With her good hearing, she overheard Cookie exaggeratedly saying not far away: “Oh my god! I can’t bear to see her like this……”
Cookie was looking at the phones of two boy band members, shaking her head repeatedly.
The boy band members had shared the video of Chu Xingxing’s call with her fan with Cookie.
Even as a foreigner, she felt sorry for this pretty Chinese girl.
“What she said was logical and well-founded. I think we’ve all wronged her bestie. Now we just wait for Tian Mengtong’s response.”
“There might be a reversal, but based on my years of experience gossiping, the chances are slim.”
The two boy band members whispered, glancing at Tian Mengtong with complex expressions.
Until the truth was confirmed, at least the three of them wouldn’t interact with Tian Mengtong anymore.
—
Stung by the strange looks from the guests and staff on set, feeling like sitting on pins and needles, as if something was caught in her throat, as if thorns were piercing her back, Tian Mengtong hated Chu Xingxing at that moment.
Chu Xingxing… seemed like a completely different person.
The Chu Xingxing Tian Mengtong knew was an introverted,忍, self-abasing girl, even with severe depressive tendencies.
This girl, facing the camera calmly and confidently, almost glowing, couldn’t be Chu Xingxing!
How could anyone change so much in such a short time?
Had Chu Xingxing been possessed!
She even had the malicious thought, when would Chu Xingxing kill herself in this life? Why didn’t she die
