Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 10

With the motor engine started, the bamboo raft transformed from a bicycle into a Ferrari, effortlessly cutting through the water. Soon, Ran Lin caught up with Gu Jie’s raft.

From a distance of about ten meters, Ran Lin wanted to shout a greeting, but upon closer inspection, he saw Gu Jie holding the same sheet of questions, murmuring to himself. Obviously, Gu Jie had started the rapid-fire Q&A later than him and was now in the midst of the tense part.

Ran Lin swallowed his call and silently overtook the raft. After passing some distance, he looked back and saw Gu Jie sprawled on his raft in a spread-eagle position while the boatman was collecting the bamboo pole to start the motor.

It seemed Gu Jie had succeeded too.

Ran Lin felt happy for his partner in his heart.

Because the program crew was really tricky; rowing the boat actually required technique, not just brute strength. Constantly rowing with low efficiency could easily frustrate the guests. If one were to think conspiratorially, perhaps the crew hoped for an emotional outburst from the guests or even for someone to give up entirely, which would make for an exciting episode.

Ran Lin overtook Gu Jie, becoming the second to arrive at Yangdi. The first was Zhang Beichen, who had been leading the way smoothly all along.

“How long have you been here?” Ran Lin greeted Zhang Beichen after disembarking.

“Not long.” Zhang Beichen smiled.

There was a little sweat, still not wiped off his temples, shining under the sun. It gave him an overall warm and gentle aura.

Ran Lin couldn’t help but tease. “Don’t be modest, you were way ahead. I used all my strength but didn’t even see your shadow.”

Zhang Beichen seemed genuinely embarrassed by the praise, scratching his head awkwardly. “How about I let you have first place? You can choose the room first tonight.”

Ran Lin was taken aback, not knowing how his joke was interpreted so deeply. He quickly clarified, “That’s not what I meant. I was just joking with you.”

Zhang Beichen blinked in confusion, as if still trying to gauge the truth of that statement.

Ran Lin, somewhat helplessly, said, “I can’t joke with you anymore. I’ve never seen anyone take things so seriously.”

Zhang Beichen finally seemed to believe him, exhaling deeply. “As long as you’re not angry, that’s good.”

“I’m too busy congratulating you to be angry.” Ran Lin felt almost defeated by his sincerity.

He had initially thought Zhang Beichen was just good-natured, but now realized he was a straightforward, Guo Jing*-like character. Ran Lin thought to himself that he must be straightforward with this partner in the future and avoid making any supposedly humorous jokes.

*Fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. According to the description, he is “dumb”, slow in learning and inarticulate. His most outstanding trait is his constant strife for moral rectitude.

“Beichen, Ran Lin—”

A loud call came from the river.

Both looked and saw that Gu Jie had arrived.

The young man on the bamboo raft was waving his arms with a rare excitement on his face. Ran Lin felt this excitement was more about finally reaching the shore, and it made Gu Jie more lively towards them. Of course, after almost a day of filming, everyone was gradually opening up.

After helping Gu Jie ashore, Ran Lin curiously asked, “Did you see Lu Yiyao and Xia Xinran?”

Gu Jie shook his head. “No, I was following you.”

Ran Lin smiled, then teasingly said, “Too bad, you still couldn’t catch up.”

Gu Jie wasn’t annoyed, just spreading his hands lightly. “How come I heard someone had an extra question during the rapid-fire Q&A?”

Ran Lin was stunned, then looked at Gu Jie, whose expressionless face betrayed a teasing glint in his eyes.

The one who looked clever turned out to be a straightforward, warm guy, while the serious one turned out to be capable of jokes.

Ran Lin was exhausted by this contrast, but he preferred to deal with Gu Jie’s jokes. “You only saw me eating meat, not getting beaten*. Others had bonus points in their extra questions; mine were life-threatening.”

*Metaphor referring to someone only noticing the benefits or good outcomes that a person is enjoying (eating meat) but fails to see the hardships, struggles, or sacrifices (getting beaten) that the person had to endure to achieve that success.

Gu Jie was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

Ran Lin suddenly realized that Gu Jie wasn’t too concerned about the camera; it was just his personality was more reserved at first. Whether it was the indifference in the morning, the surprise attacks in the afternoon, or the current joking, Gu Jie was just being himself. “I’m not familiar with you, so I won’t make unnecessary conversation, but as we get to know each other better, I won’t pretend to be cool or show off.”

“I only heard about the extra question, so what exactly was it?” After laughing enough, Gu Jie finally became curious.

Ran Lin instinctively didn’t want to repeat the question—a kind of self-consciousness only he could understand. But facing Gu Jie, he tried to make his defeated expression look sincere and natural. “It’s too terrible. I don’t want to remember it. You’ll know when it’s broadcast.”

Fortunately, Gu Jie wasn’t the type to dig deeper. Although he couldn’t help but chuckle, he didn’t ask further.

An hour later, Xia Xinran and Lu Yiyao finally struggled to shore, the former a dozen seconds faster than the latter.

In the end, it was the motor that brought them over, but the three who had already arrived learned from the crew’s walkie-talkie—both of these partners had failed the rapid-fire Q&A game and had to continue manually. Later, the crew realized that if they kept going, there wouldn’t be enough time, so they finally allowed the motor to be started, speeding up the last part of the journey.

Lu Yiyao’s face didn’t look too good when he landed, mostly due to exhaustion, but his emotions weren’t too apparent. Xia Xinran was different. He rushed towards the three waiting friends, especially Ran Lin, and started complaining. “They set me up—”

Even a beautiful face couldn’t look good when scrunched up like a bun. Ran Lin laughed unkindly, then, before Xia Xinran completely lost his temper, finally asked the question all the partners were curious about. “What kind of trap did you fall into?”

Xia Xinran was clearly deeply hurt, still indignant. “They actually made me choose the female star I most want to work with among Wen Qiao, Wang Xinyu, Ai Na, and Yu Bingqiu!”

Ran Lin was startled by Xia Xinran’s bluntness.

No, it was more like startled four times. Each name mentioned made him jolt.

Although these four female stars were still considered “Little Flowers*” in the industry, they had already established themselves in the circle, each carrying a certain level of resources and popularity. Any rumor about them could prompt their teams to send out legal letters to marketing accounts.

*[Xiao Hua] (小花) Refers to almost all young actresses, regardless of their popularity, reputation, and acting skills. Because of the varied standards, Xiao Hua is divided into several lines, representing their status and popularity in the industry. Specifically, the first line covers the most popular actresses and whatnot. The most popular ones are generally called Liuliang Xiao Hua (流量小花).

The production crew on-site, like Ran Lin, displayed a subtle quietness.

“What’s with that expression? Isn’t this question tricky?” Xia Xinran misunderstood Ran Lin’s daze and continued indignantly, “They are all good friends. How can I choose one over another? How can we hang out together after this!”

What was a sensitive issue seemed completely trivialized by Xia Xinran’s righteous indignation. The atmosphere suddenly lightened.

Ran Lin was impressed and said with a laugh, “It’s tricky, really tricky. But actually, you could have chosen more than one.”

Xia Xinran looked astonished. “I could have chosen more than one?!”

Ran Lin thought carefully about the rules the staff member had told him. “It seems they didn’t say you couldn’t.”

In fact, his own question sheet didn’t have any multiple-choice questions. It seemed each guest had different questions, specifically targeted by the crew.

“So there’s a way to do this…” The beautiful young man, Xia Xinran, was full of emotion, feeling as if his soul had been elevated through Ran Lin’s guidance.

Xia Xinran’s moment of realization was too endearing. It was a surefire way to melt the hearts of older female fans and intoxicate the younger ones.

Lu Yiyao didn’t join the discussion, merely sitting casually nearby, resting.

Ran Lin wanted to show some concern for his colleague, but after glancing at his expression and considering his own reputation for always clinging to popular figures, he ultimately chose not to approach.

Fortunately, the production crew didn’t let everyone rest for too long. Seeing that all five people were present, they quickly urged everyone to return to the cruise ship.

The journey from Yangdi to Xingping was the most scenic stretch of the Li River. The production crew, finally showing some conscience and didn’t arrange any more tasks, allowed the five male stars to quietly enjoy a peaceful moment.

Ran Lin finally understood why the production team, even at the risk of breaking their own rules, had decided to start the motor for Lu Yiyao and Xia Xinran at the last moment. If they had delayed any longer, it would have been too dark, and they would have missed the opportunity to appreciate such a splendid landscape.

Traveling through the river, it felt as if they were drifting through a painting. If this was the case even in winter, the experience must be even more stunning in spring and summer.

However, the pleasant time was short-lived. The cruise ship soon docked at Xingping, and the five men boarded the familiar seven-seater vehicle, heading to Old Town Yangshuo.

By the time they arrived in Yangshuo, it was completely dark. The town was lively with the onset of evening lights, signaling the start of a vibrant nightlife.

The hungry men finally got to sit down for a meal. Although the crew had prepared local delicacies, the famished group could hardly appreciate the flavors and ate hungrily.

The camera dutifully recorded everything. After dinner, the last task of the day arrived—choosing rooms.

The crew had arranged five types of accommodations: a super luxurious hotel room, a standard hotel room, a hotel single room, a B&B, and a local home stay.

Zhang Beichen, having priority, chose a standard hotel room after some thought.

Ran Lin, second to choose, hesitated but picked the hotel single room.

Gu Jie, going third, sighed lightly, “You two are too polite,” and then calmly chose the luxury big bedroom.

Ran Lin knew that the other party was actually teasing them for their false modesty. Did they really not want to sleep in the luxury big bedroom? Of course, they did. But facing the camera, it was hard not to overthink things.

Actually, Ran Lin admired Gu Jie’s self-assuredness, just as he envied Xia Xinran’s easy-going nature. These were qualities he found hard to emulate. He lacked the courage and confidence.

Just as Ran Lin expected, Xia Xinran, who had thought he finally had a chance, was heartbroken after Gu Jie chose the luxury big bedroom. Xia Xinran was left listless, having to share the B&B and local homestay with Lu Yiyao.

After a satisfying meal and settling their accommodations, the five men went their separate ways.

The camera crew followed Ran Lin to his hotel single room, and he showed them around his soon-to-be residence. About fifteen minutes later, Bearded Cameraman Sun finally turned off the camera, hungry and ready to leave.

The production team had clearly stated in the contract that they would not install surveillance cameras in the guests’ accommodation; all footage came from the following camera. So, Bearded Cameraman Sun’s departure meant the day’s filming was completely over!

Ran Lin wanted to set off a thousand firecrackers in celebration.

He had no time to think about the others. Ran Lin collapsed into the soft mattress, feeling utterly drained.

He had no recollection of falling asleep. When the bedside phone rang, he groggily thought it was morning and that the hotel was providing a wake-up call.

“Were you asleep?” Wang Xi’s voice always had a way of instantly waking someone up.

“Ah, no,” Ran Lin answered hastily, looking confusedly at the still-dark window while searching for his phone to check the time.

“I’m coming up,” Wang Xi said, hanging up before Ran Lin could respond.

Ran Lin was dazed, his mind still not fully functioning, but his hand continued to search for his phone on the bed, as if finding it would bring him a sense of security.

It wasn’t until there was a knock at the door that Ran Lin finally came to his senses—his phone had been with Wang Xi since the early morning, before the program recording began.

It wasn’t just Wang Xi who came, but also Liu Wanwan.

“Ran Ge, you didn’t take any luggage and just wanted to sleep?” Liu Wanwan joked as she brought in Ran Lin’s suitcase, making herself at home.

Wang Xi glanced at her.

Liu Wanwan immediately quieted down, sticking out her tongue when Wang Xi looked away.

The single room wasn’t spacious. Besides a bed, there was only a table and a chair. Now, with two more people, the space seemed even more cramped.

“How do you feel?” Wang Xi pulled the chair to the bedside and sat down, asking Ran Lin while handing back his phone.

Ran Lin glanced at the time; it was only eleven at night.

No wonder he felt so exhausted; he had only slept for just over an hour.

“Not great.” Ran Lin put his phone aside and gave his answer carefully.

During the day, the production team didn’t allow the guests’ teams to follow the program’s filming. So in the morning, as soon as the five of them left, their respective managers and assistants moved here to wait for their artists to finish their engagements.

Therefore, what Wang Xi and the others could see was only the scene of the five leaving the hotel in Guilin in the morning and the scene of them just finishing their meal and choosing rooms in the hotel lobby.

Lu Yiyao and Xia Xinran’s teams had it even worse. To communicate with their artists closely after the recording, they probably had to follow them to the B&B or homestay, waiting until the filming was over and they had finished their discussions before they could return to the hotel to rest.

“What’s not great about it?” Wang Xi leaned back in her chair and asked calmly.

Ran Lin thought for a moment and said honestly, “Overall, the five of us lack chemistry, whether in conversation or games, it’s… particularly awkward. Then there’s my own issue. I always find myself unconsciously mindful of the camera, always afraid of saying something wrong or doing something inappropriate. It feels especially tiring.”

Wang Xi listened very attentively and patiently. It wasn’t until a long while after Ran Lin finished speaking that she slowly began, “So, you didn’t say anything wrong today, nor did you do anything that would attract negative attention?”

Ran Lin was caught off guard by her question and paused for a moment before responding with a wry smile. “I don’t know. All I can say is that my performance was definitely not natural, the kind of unnaturalness that can only be saved by some miraculous editing.”

“And what’s your plan for tomorrow?” Wang Xi raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone rising a bit. “Continue being awkward?”

Ran Lin caught the implied meaning and immediately replied with respectful humility, “I humbly request Xi Jie’s guidance.”

Wang Xi liked Ran Lin’s cleverness; it was one of the reasons she was willing to spend time and effort on him.

“Listen carefully, there are only two types of people who become popular in reality shows. One, those who can portray their intended character convincingly without being too slick or awkward, appearing so natural that all viewers believe that’s their real personality; the other, those who don’t play any character and just be themselves—they may not be perfect, but as long as there’s no major flaw in their personality and they have some shining qualities, sincerity is the easiest way to gain favor…”

Wang Xi said all this in one breath, pausing for a moment before looking deep into Ran Lin’s eyes. “But to the audience…”

“They’re actually the same kind of person.” Ran Lin was beginning to understand her point.

Wang Xi smiled in satisfaction, her delicate face softening with the smile. “Exactly. The audience only wants to see ‘the real artist’. Either be strong enough to act out ‘realness’, or just be yourself. Of course, the latter has its risks too. If you really are a person without any charm, then showing your heart to the audience won’t save you.”

Ran Lin thought hard for a moment. “I feel like I’m… alright, not too bland.” He seemed a bit embarrassed by his own self-praise and smiled sheepishly.

Wang Xi chuckled.

Liu Wanwan, however, was dumbfounded.

Ran Lin’s sudden shyness made him incredibly charming, and she swore that if Ran Lin adopted a shy persona in front of the camera, he could explode the hearts of countless young girls.

A lovable and bright young man, he was absolutely enchanting.

“That’s good. That’s the kind of confidence you need.” Wang Xi stood up, stretching her neck to relieve some stiffness. “Starting tomorrow, act as if the camera doesn’t exist. Apart from things like marketing gimmicks that can’t be discussed, say whatever you want to say and do whatever you want to do. Don’t worry about whether doing this will please the fans or doing that will attract criticism. Remember, anything that the production team dares to include in the show won’t ruin you.”

Ran Lin smiled brightly, feeling a sense of clarity and refreshment. “Okay.”

Only Liu Wanwan, hiding in the corner, secretly felt a bit of regret.

The shyness dissipated too quickly; his usual bright demeanor remained the main theme. Given his personality, it seemed unlikely he would become more subdued. But she then thought a fresh and natural style wasn’t bad either. Although it might not have a strong impact, it was subtly influential.

Wang Xi didn’t know that her assistant had already mentally planned out her artist’s entire career. Seeing that Ran Lin had understood, she felt relieved and instructed Liu Wanwan to help quickly pack up without delaying Ran Lin’s rest, and then left to continue with other tasks.

After Wang Xi left, Ran Lin said to the busy Liu Wanwan, “I can do it myself. You should rest early too.”

“It’s okay.” Liu Wanwan was energetically unpacking, asking, “Ran Ge, which clothes do you want to wear tomorrow? I’ll find them for you…”

Before the clothes came out, the bag for underwear peeked out, and Ran Lin quickly reached over and closed the suitcase with a bang.

Liu Wanwan was startled.

Ran Lin apologized profusely, gently saying, “I can do it, really. Don’t trouble yourself.”

Liu Wanwan looked at him quizzically for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Ran Ge, did you not have an assistant before?”

Her question hit the nail on the head, tinged with a sad undertone.

Without waiting for Ran Lin’s response, Liu Wanwan read the answer from his expression and laughed, “Ran Ge, sometimes you’re really cool, and other times, you’re incredibly cute, even cuter than Xia Xinran.”

Ran Lin was torn between laughter and tears. “Complimenting me won’t get you a raise.”

“Ran Ge.” Liu Wanwan abandoned the suitcase, looking up into Ran Lin’s eyes, her tone becoming serious. “Can I ask you a question?”

Ran Lin, not expecting her sudden seriousness, nodded without thinking. “Sure.”

“Is your relationship with Lu Yiyao really not good?”

“……”

Ran Lin was petrified, encapsulating his entire state at that moment.

Liu Wanwan lowered her eyes, sounding somewhat dejected. “This morning at the hotel in Guilin, there was no interaction between you two, and he didn’t even glance at you. Even if you’re not friends, as colleagues, it shouldn’t be like that.”

Ran Lin pondered for a long time, swallowing back the words ‘don’t ask too much’, and instead asked, “Can I first ask, is this question coming from a fan’s perspective, or as my assistant?”

Liu Wanwan lifted her head, blinking in surprise, before firmly saying, “Assistant.”

This wasn’t actually a question.

It was a choice.

If you choose A, you can’t share what you’ve heard with B.

Ran Lin explained the entire airport fiasco to Liu Wanwan, including the potential frustration and resentment of Lu Yiyao and his fans. However, he cautiously omitted the part about the company’s marketing hype.

Even so, this was enough to make the young girl go through dozens of expressions while listening. In the end, she looked deeply apologetic and uneasy.

“Why didn’t you refuse me when I asked you to sign that phrase?” Liu Wanwan, now knowing the full story, could easily guess that her Weibo post had only added fuel to the fire of Lu Yiyao’s disdain for Ran Lin. “Isn’t that like deliberately attracting negativity toward yourself?”

Ran Lin scratched his head somewhat helplessly. “It was me who offered to write you a phrase, so there was no reason to refuse when you asked. Besides, it’s been a whole year since anyone asked for my autograph. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Liu Wanwan’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. “At least you should have warned me not to post it on Weibo.”

Ran Lin gave a wry smile. “I didn’t expect you would actually post it.”

Liu Wanwan looked at him in disbelief. “Such an exciting event, of course, I had to post it.”

Ran Lin looked back at her, equally puzzled. “Don’t CP fans always advocate for keeping their fantasies to themselves?”

Liu Wanwan was left speechless. After a while, she sincerely said, “Ran Ge, you really know a lot…”

Meanwhile, Lu Yiyao, staying at a homestay, was still performing the extra task of the lowest-rung guest in front of the camera—making rice noodles.

It was 2:30 in the morning by the time he got to taste the rice noodles he had made himself.

The host, who stayed up late with him but seemed to enjoy every moment, asked, “How does it feel to eat the rice noodles you made yourself?”

Lu Yiyao pondered for a moment, then said, “I want to share this joy with all my colleagues.”

Around 3 in the morning, the National First Loves were awakened by startling knocks at their doors, only to be greeted with a bowl of lovingly made rice noodles.

Even Xia Xinran, staying in the B&B, wasn’t spared.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 9

After watching his three companions enter the cave, Ran Lin waited for another thirty minutes. He just sat idly in front of the cave entrance, exchanging glances with the circle of show crew members around him.

The bearded cameraman remained diligent with his filming. With no other choice, Ran Lin studied the map for half an hour, occasionally looking up at the camera to complain about his burning desire to start the adventure.

When the director finally said he could go in, Ran Lin felt like he had been granted amnesty.

The cave was cool, and the deeper he went, the more colorful the lighting became. Various shapes of stalactites filled the cave, creating a dreamlike and magical scene under the colored lights.

Being off-season, the cave was quieter, with fewer tourists. Ran Lin first headed to a prominently marked spot on the map, only to find the badge had already been taken, leaving behind an empty box.

Ran Lin stopped and chose a brightly lit spot to study the map again. He finally decided to take a different approach.

Even though the map was crowded with tiny, dense annotations of over a dozen locations, making it hard to match each spot with its adjacent names, Ran Lin noticed some intriguing words: “Taking you into the pit, flying with you.”

Compared to names like “Great Immortal Peach”, or “Black Dragon Head”, or “Triple Flower Liquor”, which clearly referred to scenic spots or commercial points, these words exuded a mysterious charm. More importantly, there were 5 badges at this location—5!

After studying the map back and forth for a few minutes, Ran Lin had an epiphany and immediately started running back the way he came.

Bearded Cameraman Sun, not understanding why his subject suddenly turned into a frenzied rabbit, had no choice but to chase after him with his equipment.

Ran Lin quickly ran back outside the cave—he hadn’t gone far in—and bypassed the cave entrance to run uphill! Beside the entrance was a winding path leading to the highest point on this side of the bank.

The rest of the guests were inside the cave, so the planning team and even the production crew were a bit puzzled as to why he ran out and seemed to be getting further away. They needed to control all aspects and processes of the show, but they might not remember every specific point on the map, even if the planning department briefed them.

Ran Lin kept running uphill and finally saw what he was looking for—a vertical sightseeing elevator!

While waiting at the cave entrance earlier, he had almost memorized the scenic area’s advertisements, one of which mentioned a sea-land-air viewing experience. “Sea” was obvious, referring to boat rides on the dark river. “Land” was understandable with the indication of a small train entering the cave and the option to walk. But the “air” part was intriguing.

Considering the cave’s internal landscape, viewing it from a plane was out of the question. So, how could one achieve a high-altitude downward view?

Ran Lin was puzzled when entering the cave, but after seeing “Taking you into the pit, flying with you” and connecting the dots, he realized. The cave entrance wasn’t the only entry point; the location marked with those words was another entrance, one that could bring visitors in from above!

Admittedly, one could find the elevator inside the cave and ascend from below. But from where Ran Lin was, turning back outside and running up was faster. Moreover, the marking was “Taking you into the pit”, not “Taking you out of the pit”. The badges were likely hidden at the “high entrance”!

After running breathlessly to the elevator, it was still ascending from below and hadn’t reached the ground yet.

Ran Lin looked around and finally saw a corner of the program’s logo behind a medium-sized rock!

Ran Lin was overjoyed, his heart pounding with excitement, completely forgetting that this was just a show being recorded. In his heart, he repeatedly wished that the box wasn’t empty, with special earnestness. It was like returning to childhood when a single game was a whole world, and one could get passionately caught up in winning or losing with friends.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the sightseeing elevator arriving. As he was about to step forward and check the box, Ran Lin was distracted and turned around.

Through the transparent elevator door, he saw a striking figure in bright green—Lu Yiyao, unmistakable for his flamboyant color.

Their eyes met through the glass, both surprised and stunned.

As the elevator door slowly opened, both of them reacted.

Ran Lin bolted, probably running the fastest in his life. But Lu Yiyao, not to be outdone, squeezed through the partially opened door. Thanks to being four centimeters taller than Ran Lin, his long legs gave him an incredibly wide stride that was infuriatingly consistent, and he was about to catch up!

Both men pounced behind the rock at the same time.

The damned production team had only left a box there!

It was Ran Lin’s first time seeing a medal, and in his excitement, he had completely forgotten about the cameras. He just wanted to make a great start.

Lu Yiyao, on the other hand, had been tormented enough. Just when things were looking up, he was solely focused on performing even better, hoping in the end to throw the medals back in the production team’s face.

Being too serious could be a problem.

Especially when one serious person meets another.

The two men tangled with each other like basketball players fighting over a ball on the court, each employing every trick in the book for the sake of possession.

If this were a basketball game, the referee would have blown the whistle by now.

But this was a variety show, and the director not only hadn’t kept up, but even if he had, he would have been delighted by the scene.

So in the struggle, the lid of the box flew off.

The box itself was also deformed in the fray.

And to make matters worse, the box that was supposed to contain 5 badges only had one marked “worth 5”.

Could there be a bigger letdown?

“Stop, stop, stop—”

Ran Lin couldn’t take it anymore and gasped for a pause, of course, still clutching the badge.

Lu Yiyao was on top of him, arm reaching over the competitor’s body, also holding the badge.

It was a very ambiguous position.

But the two of them, in that moment and scene, from their bodies to their souls were filled with “badge” and “fuck the production team”, pure and candid as two rays of light between heaven and earth.

“We can’t keep fighting like this… It’s a waste of time and inefficient…” Ran Lin’s breathing steadied as he discussed a solution with the handsome face so close to his.

Lu Yiyao thought the other made sense. “If we damage it, the production team might invalidate this badge.”

Ran Lin was stunned. “They wouldn’t go that far, would they?”

Lu Yiyao shook his head with difficulty. “You’re too new to this game. There’s a lot you don’t understand.”

Ran Lin didn’t have the leisure to ponder the deeper meaning of Superstar Lu’s words. His only thought was to resolve the issue quickly. “You get up first, and then we’ll discuss a solution.”

Lu Yiyao raised an eyebrow, clearly not quite trusting him.

Ran Lin quickly realized this and hurriedly said, “Let’s put the badge aside and let go at the same time. I promise not to play tricks.”

Lu Yiyao hesitated for a moment, then half-doubtfully got up from Ran Lin, still clutching the badge.

As the pressure lifted off him, Ran Lin propped himself up with his arms.

Finally, the two good-looking, high-altitude male stars got up from the dirt, standing shoulder to shoulder, making a picturesque scene that could even be used for the program’s official announcement if not for the badge they were holding between them.

Of course, it would also work if the badge were rugged and handsome.

But this valuable 5+ badge had been made into a cute, yellow little star, which from afar looked like Patrick Star had been colored by SpongeBob SquarePants.

Ran Lin: “I’ll count one, two, three, and we let go together.”

Lu Yiyao: “Okay.”

The two crouched down together, solemnly and with a stern expression, placing the star on the ground an arm’s length away.

“One, two…”

“Three! Haha—”

Xia Xinran swooped in like a whirlwind, deftly stealing away the 5+ badge.

Lu Yiyao and Ran Lin looked at their own and each other’s empty hands, simultaneously thinking of the words—death from talking too much.

It was just a badge; they should not have turned it into an Infernal Affairs* rooftop showdown!

*Critically acclaimed Hong Kong film about two men, one a mole for the police department, while the other an undercover cop who infiltrated the triads. Through their actions, they risk exposing their other counterparts while being simultaneously unaware that they both have the same goal. There’s an American film that’s a remake of it called The Departed.

“Gu Jie!!!”

Xia Xinran’s smug laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by an angry roar.

Gu Jie, who had the upper hand, casually waved the 5+ badge in his hand with a rare smile on his rugged face, although still shallow. “Extreme joy turns to sorrow.”

Xia Xinran went crazy again.

Gu Jie didn’t play along with him; seeing the sightseeing elevator about to close, he dashed over and made it at the last second.

Xia Xinran was left jumping outside the elevator, with the cameraman assigned to him trying hard to stifle his laughter, almost unable to hold the camera steady.

“The oriole has escaped*.” Ran Lin, finally regaining his composure from the chaos, reminded Lu Yiyao.

*This is referencing the idiom “The praying mantis catches the cicada while the oriole follows”. It refers to while coveting the gains ahead, one should be aware of the dangers behind.

The latter dusted off the dirt from his clothes and said helplessly, “Us two cicadas might as well disperse too.”

Ran Lin glanced in Xia Xinran’s direction, asking, “Not going after the mantis?”

Lu Yiyao also looked over and couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m afraid of getting hurt by the sickle.”

This was the first time Lu Yiyao had joked with him. Ran Lin was a bit dazed as he watched the other’s lips curl into a smile.

Lu Yiyao’s smile was attractive and warm, and no matter how many times Ran Lin saw it, it was always good to see. Noticing Ran Lin’s gaze, Lu Yiyao subconsciously restrained his smile and coughed lightly. “I need to go down and continue looking for badges.” Without waiting for Ran Lin’s response, he headed for the sightseeing elevator.

Ran Lin watched as Lu Yiyao walked back to the elevator, passing by Xia Xinran. As another elevator ascended, Ran Lin quickly slipped in and returned to the cave.

What he didn’t know was that as soon as the elevator doors closed and it started to descend, Lu Yiyao’s expression changed from indifference to a conflicted look of wanting to speak but stopping himself. He alternated between frowning and pursing his lips, as if there were two souls inside him at war.

The cameraman following Lu Yiyao captured all the subtle emotional fluctuations through his lens. But he couldn’t delve into Lu Yiyao’s heart to truly understand these micro-expressions.

If there was a mind-reading device in the world, it would surely hear the scolding voice against his chest at that moment—

I told you to stay away from him, and yet you ended up in his arms. Has the production team eaten your brain?

Lu Yiyao was a man with strict demands on himself.

He had a little person in his heart who always helped him reflect.

In the following time, there wasn’t much spark among the five male stars.

Firstly, the cave was winding with three levels, so it wasn’t always possible to meet; secondly, as the remaining badges became scarce, it took longer to find one, and everyone’s spirits were no longer high.

In the end, the medal count was Ran Lin with 5, Zhang Beichen with 7, Xia Xinran with 9, Lu Yiyao with 13, and Gu Jie with 16.

The 5+ gold badge became the key to victory.

Thus, when the results were announced, Xia Xinran wailed again.

Gu Jie initially ignored it, but as Xia Xinran showed no signs of stopping, he frowned slightly and offered a mild warning to his relentless partner. “I don’t know what the privilege of victory will be used for tomorrow. Do you think it could be to assign a punishment to one of the others at will?”

Xia Xinran shut his mouth.

So quickly, in fact, that he choked.

Ran Lin, who had been watching the whole process with peripheral vision and catching every word, pressed his lips tight to keep from showing his amusement too obviously. Xia Xinran naively thought Gu Jie was taciturn and had a gentle temper.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Gu Jie’s low-key silence wasn’t due to a good temper, just that he couldn’t be bothered to argue. His character was in high agreement with his image: a straightforward guy, not fussy, without too much hassle.

But if you nagged and annoyed him, he would assure you with one sentence to shut you up and keep you from daring to bounce around again.

The cruise ship was still waiting at the shore, but this time, the staff boarded the cruise ship, and the five stars had to switch to rafts.

There was only one boatman and one program crew member on the raft.

Before boarding the cruise ship, the female host announced the next surprise—all had to follow the boatman’s instructions to paddle the bamboo rafts downstream to Yangdi Pier. The order of arrival at the pier would determine the order of room selection for the night’s accommodation.

In other words, how well tonight would be spent depended on this effort!

So why wait? It’s time for a little bamboo rafting trip down the river.

The five male stars clumsily boarded the bamboo rafts, while the cameramen, who had already scouted the location with the production team, followed their stars with agility, even with equipment in hand.

The boatman began to teach the stars how to paddle. Zhang Beichen learned the fastest and was the first to leave the pier.

Ran Lin was third, closely following Gu Jie ahead of him.

After the three rafts had drifted far away, Lu Yiyao and Xia Xinran’s raft finally set off with difficulty.

But those who had drifted out were not faring well.

Ran Lin didn’t know about the others, but after just fifteen minutes of paddling, his forehead began to sweat, his hands gripping the bamboo pole were tingling with pain, and his arms, which were making large movements, were sore and numb.

What was even more frustrating was that the raft seemed to spin more than it progressed; it might actually be better to let it drift on its own.

This lasted for an hour.

Just when Ran Lin felt he was at his limit, the staff member, who had been sitting quietly on the boat, suddenly smiled brightly. “Actually, our bamboo raft can be powered by a motor.”

Ran Lin knew this; the motor was installed at the rear of the raft and clearly visible. However, he thought the purpose of this segment was to paddle manually, without using the motor.

Now, the staff member, who had been as quiet as a mascot for sixty minutes, mysteriously informed him that the motor could be used. Anyone with an IQ over twenty would suspect a catch.

“But first, you need to play a small game. Only after passing it can you use the motor.”

Ran Lin wasn’t surprised.

“A rapid-fire Q&A for sixty seconds. We will ask fifteen questions, and if you can answer ten within sixty seconds, you pass. You only get one chance, so good luck!”

Handing back the bamboo pole, Ran Lin took the question sheet prepared by the staff, keeping the printed side down to prevent cheating.

“Are you ready?” The staff member smiled enigmatically.

Swallowing nervously, Ran Lin replied, “Yes.”

“Ready, go!”

As the stopwatch started, Ran Lin flipped the A4 sheet and began reading rapidly, racing against time—

“Your favorite color… Blue!”

“Your favorite food… Steamed buns!”

“The kind of man you admire… Loyal!”

“The kind of woman you admire… Confident!”

“The male artist in the mainland entertainment industry you admire the most… Oh no, that’s a trap, pass!”

“The female artist in the mainland entertainment industry you admire the most… Another trap, pass!”

“What do you want your fans to call you, Burning Noodles or Raging Fire… Better Burning Noodles, haha*.”

*Clarity: Burning Noodles/Face [Ran Mian] (燃面) vs Raging Fire [Lin Huo] (磷火). They are using homophones of his name Ran (冉) Lin (霖) as puns for his fanbase.

“What do you admire most about Lu Yiyao… Um, his accomplishments.”

“Do you have a girlfriend now… No!”

“When was your first love… High school!”

“How many girlfriends have you had… None!”

“Your favorite…”

“Time’s up!” The staff member stopped the stopwatch, grinning. “Sixty seconds, nine questions answered, just one short.”

Ran Lin put down the A4 sheet, feeling drained both physically and emotionally, and sadly asked, “Can’t you make an exception for my sincere answers?”

The staff member shook his head regretfully.

Ran Lin felt like crying.

“It’s not entirely impossible…” the staff member added, changing his tone. Ran Lin waited eagerly.

“Can you assure that all your answers were sincere?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll add one more question. If you can answer it, you pass.”

Ran Lin handed over the question sheet without hesitation. “Ask anything.”

The staff member didn’t take the sheet but pointed at it. “Before I ask, can you repeat the answers to the tenth and eleventh questions?”

Confused, Ran Lin complied: “When was your first love? High school. How many girlfriends have you had? None.”

After repeating, Ran Lin understood.

The staff member chuckled. “My question is, please explain.”

Ran Lin answered sincerely, “My first love happened in high school. It was unrequited and unsuccessful.”

The staff member said, “…Master*, start the motor!”

*[Shifu] It’s a respectful term, when used in modern day, to refer to a skilled worker or craftsman, thus addressing them as a master or expert in their profession—in this case, the ferryman.

As the motor started and a cool breeze brushed his face, Ran Lin felt a long-missed comfort. Whoever set these questions truly understood him. Any slight change in wording, and he might have fallen into a trap.

In the rush of the moment, he had little time to judge whether a question was safe to answer. Except for the ones about favorite male and female artists, which were clearly traps, the rest were risky. Moreover, his principle was to be as honest as possible, avoiding lies unless absolutely necessary.

So, if those two questions were slightly altered—

“Where did your first love happen?”

“How many people have you dated?”

His answers might have been completely different.

His first love happened in the boys’ dormitory in high school. It was unrequited and unsuccessful.

He had two online relationships. One ended before meeting because he hesitated to send a photo and got ruthlessly blocked; the other was a college mate, who, during their first date at a movie, sneakily texted a casual partner. He could’ve pretended to go to the bathroom to text, but in the dark cinema, his phone screen shone like a searchlight, making it impossible not to notice.

As the wind grew colder, Ran Lin gazed at the scenery of the Li River, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

That was close.

Kinky Thoughts:

Oh. I’m glad we got his sexual orientation all sorted out already.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 8

At the Mopan Mountain Pier, the starting point for sightseeing in the Li River Scenic Area.

Xia Xinran gave Ran Lin a shocked look when he saw the signs for “Pier” and “Li River”.

“Spill it, do you have a relative in the production team who gave you spoilers?” Xia Xinran asked seriously in front of the camera, making it seem like a variety show stunt.

Ran Lin was amused by this. Before he could respond, the production team hurried them onto a large tourist boat.

The boat, chartered by the production team, had a spacious indoor area on the first level and a bright, clean deck on the second.

The five men were first led to the indoor area on the first level. As soon as they sat down, the hostess re-entered the scene, glowing—

“Guilin’s landscape is said to be the best under heaven, so we chose the beautiful Li River for the first stop of The National First Love Drifting Story! From today, our heartthrobs will travel to eight locations, facing eight adventures, vowing to defend their honor as the National First Love! Who will be the landscape’s First Love in Guilin? Let’s wait and see!”

“The voting channel at the bottom of the screen is now open. Everyone can pick up their phones and shake them to interact with us!”

After the hostess finished her opening remarks and read the advertisements, she left the scene. As the main camera withdrew, the five follow-up cameras took their places. The subjects, whether composed, leisurely, bright, or playful, all shared one thing in their minds—confusion.

Not telling the guests the script indeed made things real. But the clueless guests were just as baffled.

Ran Lin was worried about how this first episode would turn out. At least for now, he hadn’t seen any highlights, neither in the production team’s planning nor in the variety show sense of the guests themselves.

In fact, he had no right to criticize others; he was just as wooden in front of the camera.

Hopefully, things would improve. As Ran Lin comforted himself with these thoughts, he was distracted by the scenery outside the window.

Along the shore were rolling green hills as the boat sailed on clear waters.

The river, not as full in winter as in summer, lacked the sparkling vitality of the warmer months but had its own distant and desolate beauty. The hills along the shore seemed covered in a light mist, creating an ethereal, mysterious feeling.

The banks were quiet, and few boats were on the river. The roaring tourist boat cut through the water, unfolding a picturesque landscape for those who cared to see.

Just a glance was enough to capture one’s attention.

“Ran Lin,” Gu Jie, who had gone up to the upper deck and was now back, called to him. “It’s your turn.”

Ran Lin came back to his senses, feeling as if he had missed the whole world. Without time to ask what was going on, he followed Gu Jie’s direction and headed to the deck alone.

Stepping out of the cabin, the river wind greeted him, slightly chilly but not too harsh.

The staff were already waiting there with a smile, and Ran Lin had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, his task was to pick one of the other four partners he thought most fit the image of a “Landscape Male God” and explain why, all while speaking to a secret camera.

The so-called secret camera was actually in a makeshift single-person booth set up on the deck with a camera inside.

From hearing the task to entering the “booth”, Ran Lin had only a few seconds to think.

The booth felt flimsy, as if the “walls” could be blown away at any moment. But to create a secretive atmosphere, the production team and staff outside were very quiet, leaving Ran Lin alone with the sounds of the wind and the river.

Lowering his eyes, pondering for a moment, Ran Lin let out a gentle sigh and finally looked up at the camera. No, he almost pressed his face against the camera, then said word by word, very seriously, “Although I feel a bit sorry for my idol, for the title of ‘Landscape Male God’, I still have to choose Xia Xinran. The landscape is naturally distant, graceful, and subtle. Although Xia Xinran is far from subtle, ahem, when it comes to beauty, he is second to none… Uh, wait, did I say something wrong…”

“No matter what, my vote goes to Xia Xinran!”

After throwing a flirtatious look at the camera, Ran Lin left the booth satisfied. He wasn’t sure how well he did, but he had done his best.

The boat passed various unique rock formations and peaks, eventually arriving at the Guanyan Pier. During the journey, apart from the booth interviews, there were no substantial segments for interaction. Everyone just enjoyed the scenery, the wind and showed off their good looks.

At the entrance to Guanyan, the five men lined up again. The hostess finally announced the results of the first round of voting for the Landscape Male God—Ran Lin voted for Xia Xinran, Xia Xinran for Lu Yiyao, Lu Yiyao for Gu Jie, Gu Jie for Zhang Beichen, and Zhang Beichen for Lu Yiyao.

Lu Yiyao received two votes, Xia Xinran, Zhang Beichen, and Gu Jie one each, and Ran Lin none.

When the hostess announced Lu Yiyao’s two votes, Ran Lin had a bad feeling, which was confirmed. In front of the camera, he could only jokingly self-deprecate, “I’m so handsome. How can you guys not see it…”

His four companions laughed along perfunctorily, without much sincerity.

The hostess then announced the real highlight of the day—The Guanyan Adventure!

Guanyan, a historic underground cave, had always attracted visitors. The cave had three levels and five chambers, with the two upper levels being dry caves and the lowest level housing an underground river. The caves were interconnected in a complex manner, and even with a map, one could easily get lost without a guide.

The five celebrities were given hand-drawn cartoon maps, marked with fifty badges.

Collecting badges was the ultimate goal of the Guanyan Adventure. They had four hours, and whoever collected the most badges would have a special privilege in a segment the next day.

However, the order of entering the cave was based on the votes received on the boat. This meant Lu Yiyao, with the most votes, would enter first and have the full four hours. The others, each with one vote, would only enter half an hour later, meaning they had only 3.5 hours to collect badges.

Ran Lin, with no votes, would enter last and have only three hours.

How much difference could one hour make in collecting badges? Ran Lin didn’t know.

In fact, Ran Lin didn’t really care about how many badges he could collect.

But with the other partners already inside the cave and only he left waiting at the entrance, the bearded cameraman Sun Ge insisted on filming his lonely situation from every angle. The thought alone was disheartening.

The five men, not yet well-acquainted—excluding Xia Xinran and Zhang Beichen, who also behaved almost like strangers—had instinctively made their choices, resulting in no one voting for him.

Ran Lin was no longer concerned about how viewers would react to this segment. He felt genuinely disheartened from a personal standpoint in his interactions with others.

“Oh my God, is this the map?” Xia Xinran exclaimed in shock upon seeing the “Pier” and “Li River” signs, and after Lu Yiyao had just disappeared into the cave. He held up the hand-drawn map to his camera. “Audience friends, please take a look. This is the map the production team gave us. Compared to this, the Beijing subway map is just a doodle!”

At first, Ran Lin and the others didn’t react much, but by the end of his statement, they all burst into laughter. Xia Xinran’s comparison was so vivid, considering the complex and winding map of Guanyan with fifty badge locations marked on it.

“Alright,” Gu Jie quickly regained his composure, saying seriously, “Instead of complaining, we should study the route.”

Xia Xinran had an epiphany. “Right, we have four people here—more brains are better. Let’s analyze this together!”

Gu Jie felt defeated, realizing that Xia Xinran seemed to have forgotten the adventure’s purpose was to compete for the title of Landscape Male God, which meant they were competitors, not collaborators.

But Xia Xinran had already spread the hand-drawn map on the ground, beckoning everyone over. “What are you waiting for, come here.”

Ran Lin smiled and was the first to respond. Zhang Beichen and Gu Jie followed with some hesitation.

Even so, Gu Jie was somewhat resistant. “It’s not quite right for us to discuss together when Lu Yiyao entered alone. He’s ahead with a full 4 hours.”

Xia Xinran sighed heavily, his face exuding a “you’re too young” kind of benevolence. “Don’t worry, he won’t blame us. He surely understands a principle better than any of us here: the higher the popularity, the greater the responsibility.”

With limited space on the map, it was a challenge for the planners to clearly depict the main routes inside the cave, the badge hiding spots, and the pathways. Fortunately, with four people and eight eyes, they managed to categorize the map within about ten minutes. Attractions, badges, and routes were all sorted.

No matter how clear the map was, it was just theoretical, so they ended the discussion feeling somewhat prepared. The rest depended on their performance inside the cave.

With ten minutes left until Gu, Zhang, and Xia’s departure, the three of them had nothing to do. One sat silently on Ran Lin’s left, studying the map; another sat on his right, looking out at the river, and one paced in front of him, interacting with his camera and the future audience.

Ran Lin had just chosen a clean spot to sit, not intending to stay long since the ground was cold in winter. But for some reason, all three of the one-vote party gathered around him.

He wondered if he had unknowingly picked a spot with good Feng Shui.

“Hey, why did you vote for me?” Having interacted with future fans, Xia Xinran suddenly squatted down close to Ran Lin, looking at him with wide, serious eyes.

Xia Xinran’s beauty wasn’t feminine but rather childlike. So, combined with his straightforward nature, he might come off as brash at first, but over time, his simplicity became relaxing.

“Because I think you’re even more beautiful than the landscape,” Ran Lin exaggeratedly yet seriously said, creating a comedic effect. But Xia Xinran loved being praised for his looks, regardless of whether it was serious or joking.

Like now, his face lit up. “So you’ve become my fan now?”

Ran Lin grinned and nodded hastily. “Yeah, yeah.”

Xia Xinran then bluntly asked, “So, do you like me or Lu Yiyao more?”

Ran Lin, caught off guard by his direct challenge, took a moment before replying, “That depends on who collects more badges.”

Xia Xinran dramatically turned to his camera with a serious face. “Lu Yiyao, watch out. I’m going all out to win over a true love fan!”

Ran Lin couldn’t hold back his laughter. He could already imagine the subtitles in post-production—[Crisis among the Male God Group, A Fierce Battle for Fans!]

Gu Jie watched the entire scene but couldn’t really grasp the point. Logically, he understood that this segment would probably have a good effect on the variety show, given Ran Lin’s reaction. But emotionally, he couldn’t relate to such interactions.

He somewhat regretted signing up for this reality show. For someone like him who preferred not to talk much in daily life, participating in a reality show was almost masochistic.

Zhang Beichen had been deeply engrossed in studying the map even after the group discussion had ended, so engrossed that he was oblivious to the drama unfolding just a few steps away.

Xia Xinran, seemingly fond of picking fights with him, came over right after hamming it up for the camera and bluntly asked, “Why didn’t you vote for Ran Lin? If you had, all four of us could have entered the cave together!”

Zhang Beichen, caught off guard, instinctively retorted, “Didn’t you also vote for Lu Yiyao?”

His tone was a bit sharp, clearly a direct and genuine reaction—both he and Xia Xinran had voted for Lu Yiyao, so why was one blaming the other?

Xia Xinran, however, had his own logic. “But you’re familiar with Ran Lin, right? Didn’t you both record the theme song together?”

Zhang Beichen was speechless at this point. After a while, he glanced awkwardly at Ran Lin.

Ran Lin felt black lines covering him. It seemed like he was being blamed for something he hadn’t done.

“If it were me, I would’ve also voted for Lu Yiyao.” Ran Lin quickly tried to smooth things over. “Who wouldn’t vote for Lu Yiyao as the Landscape Male God over me without feeling guilty?”

Xia Xinran was confused. “But you clearly voted for me, didn’t you?”

Ran Lin believed Xia Xinran didn’t catch the hint that he was trying to steer the conversation away from a sensitive topic. So he decided not to bother anymore and let the situation unravel.

“Actually, I voted for you out of sentiment. I was worried that if you got zero votes, you couldn’t handle it and would lose confidence in your stunning beauty.”

“…Ran Lin!!!”

“My becoming your fan is true.”

“True, my ass— aaahhh!”

Watching Xia Xinran’s meltdown was truly entertaining. He was genuinely upset, with most of his words needing to be censored. Yet, it didn’t make the situation awkward.

Instead, everyone was enjoying his rant, like watching a child who couldn’t have candy throw a tantrum.

Not every kind of genuine emotion was likable. But Xia Xinran’s frankness, unguarded mouth, lack of malice, and a bit of vulnerability made up his unique charm. There were times when he was annoying, but more often, he was endearing.

Meanwhile, Lu Yiyao, who had been in the cave for nearly half an hour, stood at the small dock of the underground river on the lowest level of the three-layer cave, hesitating.

After all this time, he had only collected two badges. He had followed the map diligently, but it seemed either the map was wrong or he misunderstood it. Either way, he was fed up!

Wasn’t the show supposed to be about reality? Fine. The real Lu Yiyao just wanted to enjoy a leisurely trip!

Lu Yiyao had never been taken on a trip when he was a child as his parents were always busy; then he went abroad for middle school, always returning to China during holidays for additional education; later, during college, he had a falling out with his father, who wanted him to study business, and had to work part-time due to reduced financial support, leaving no opportunity for travel; and finally, after entering the entertainment industry, he was so busy he couldn’t even find time to complete his credits, let alone travel.

So, part of the reason he signed up for this reality show was his fondness for the “travel element” in the program’s plan.

But the experience turned out to be entirely different. Constant camera presence made him overthink everything, worrying about what to say and do, unlike acting according to a script. This required improvisation.

Well, he decided to improvise.

Let others collect the badges; he was going to thoroughly enjoy the stunning karst landscape.

“Slow down, step here, right.” On the small boat at the underground river dock, the boatman carefully helped Lu Yiyao and the cameraman aboard, ensuring their stability.

“Sit tight!” Amidst the roaring water, the boatman called out and set sail.

As the boat slowly moved away from the dock, heading deeper, Lu Yiyao put down the hand-drawn map and stretched out without caring about the camera.

He suddenly noticed a familiar logo and, curious, picked up a box with the program’s logo from under the boatman’s feet.

Opening it, he found a badge inside.

Lu Yiyao was astonished. He set the badge aside and picked up the map again.

If he remembered correctly, there were no badges marked at the underground river on the map!

Three minutes later, Lu Yiyao discovered the problem. What he had thought to be the underground river was actually the sightseeing car path, and what he had believed to be the sightseeing car path was, in fact, the walking dry path. The actual underground river was where he had thought the walking path was.

Either the map was drawn incorrectly, or I misunderstood it.

Now it seemed, it was the former. The artistic quality of the hand-drawn map was soul-elevating, but the whimsical placement of the landmark names could drive someone with OCD to madness.

According to the revised understanding of the map, after getting this badge, there was no need to waste more time exploring the underground river, as there were no more badges along that route. There must be another one overlooked near the dock.

Thinking this, Lu Yiyao abandoned his previous resignation and got serious again, politely saying, “Excuse me, could you please take me back to the dock?”

“What?” The sound of the water was too loud, and the boatman didn’t hear him clearly.

Lu Yiyao had to shout, “I want to go back to the dock—”

The boatman finally heard him. “No—”

Lu Yiyao: “…Why?!”

The boatman didn’t reply but instead bent down to pick up a prop board that Lu Yiyao had overlooked, which was placed under the original badge box, and held it up high.

Lu Yiyao looked closely. In the colorful light, playful and clear calligraphy characters were visible:

[The path you choose, even if in tears, must be completed! — The Production Team]

Lu Yiyao stared blankly at the prop board, suddenly wanting to ask, ‘Who am I? Where is this? What am I doing?’

The episode’s planning was a mess, the prop preparation was dubious, and they were professional in playing tricks on the guests.

Hong Jie, how did you manage to pick this show out of so many glamorous and beautiful reality show proposals for me? 

Is the director your relative…?

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 7

In addition to featuring five National Boyfriends, <National First Love Drifting Story> had another gimmick: absolutely no script for the stars. Every segment and itinerary were controlled by the production team, and the celebrities were kept in the dark. It was a purely authentic reality show, showcasing celebrities in their natural state.

The official promotional slogan was:

The most unpredictable journey!

The most bizarre challenges!

The most authentic reactions!

The most interesting encounters!

You decide who is the ultimate National Boyfriend!

Any reality show daring to brand themselves as “authentic” these days was truly brave.

Because reality shows did have scripts, and they were always sent to the celebrities. The more earnest and confident production teams only outline the process, segments, and desired end results in the script, such as competition, unity, inspiration, humor, etc., leaving the rest to the celebrities’ improvisation. Other production teams’ scripts might even specify what reactions certain celebrities should have at certain moments, what props they should receive, etc.

With the former type of script, the final outcome retained at least 30% “authenticity”. With the latter, it was essentially just a “show.”

Regardless of the type, these details weren’t usually highlighted. They’d rather have the audience forget the existence of “reality show scripts” and even subtly create an “unscripted, on-the-spot authenticity” in post-production.

However, <National First Love Drifting Story> broke the norm by openly telling the audience they were doing it for real. The same attitude applied to their contracted celebrity guests: if you can’t handle it, don’t come.

Only XX Satellite TV dared to do this. They were always at the forefront of the conversation, making a killing.

Ran Lin truly didn’t receive a script. The production team only informed him about the local weather, around 10°C, and advised him to wear comfortable, warm athletic clothing.

Then, under Wang Xi’s guidance, accompanied by Liu Wanwan, his first-ever personal assistant newly appointed by the company, Ran Lin set off. Liu Wanwan, originally a company administrator, had volunteered for the role after seeing an internal job posting.

Seeing her apple-red cheeks, Ran Lin was worried she might ask for another autograph.

Filming began with him packing at home. It was Ran Lin’s first time being followed so closely by a camera, making him nervous. By the time he realized what he had said, he was already on the plane.

When the production team’s driver picked him up from the airport and brought him to a hotel in Guilin, it was already 8:30 p.m. Gu Jie and Xia Xinran’s flights were even later. Zhang Beichen and Lu Yiyao had already arrived, especially the latter, who had come a day earlier at his own expense for a day of leisure in the city. Of course, that day wasn’t filmed.

The director and production team warmly welcomed Ran Lin, chatting with him and Wang Xi, but their conversation boiled down to one message: Relax and enjoy, haha!

The director was ambitious, but Ran Lin couldn’t relax amidst his laughter.

Wang Xi and Liu Wanwan shared a room, and Ran Lin had his own. The hotel’s air conditioning was warm; he couldn’t even wear his fleece hoodie and had to switch to a T-shirt.

The cameraman didn’t seem to be resting yet, and Ran Lin wondered if he could ask him how long he planned to keep filming. There was a difference between having eaten pork and having seen a pig run*.

*Idiom used to describe people who haven’t personally experienced things but have heard about them, seen them, and have some understanding.

Ran Lin, who had never been under such close surveillance, felt quite pressured.

Considering the cameraman’s hard work, Ran Lin felt he couldn’t just sit around idly. Otherwise, the footage would just be of him staring blankly, which would be difficult to edit later. After some thought, Ran Lin decided to go greet his “partners” ahead of time.

When Zhang Beichen opened the door and saw him, he was quite surprised but quickly welcomed Ran Lin warmly.

For some reason, there was no camera following Zhang Beichen. Ran Lin guessed that Zhang Beichen might have arrived early, and enough footage of him had already been captured.

Being on camera, everyone was somewhat reserved. So, apart from initially discussing the theme song—their only common topic—the conversation was mostly just small talk with occasional awkward pauses. Soon, Ran Lin couldn’t sit still any longer and excused himself.

He originally didn’t want to visit Lu Yiyao. Since it was awkward with Zhang Beichen, it would only be more so with Lu Yiyao.

But before leaving his room, he had already told the following camera that he was going to meet his partners in advance. Having met one and skipping the other would seem odd and could attract criticism.

Reluctantly, he continued to find Lu Yiyao. However, it was his assistant who opened the door.

The assistant didn’t seem too surprised to see Ran Lin, but hesitated upon seeing the camera, then whispered, “Lu Ge is asleep. He was out all day yesterday and is quite tired.”

Ran Lin really wanted to ask why the assistant was still there if Lu Yiyao was asleep, but he held back.

Lu Yiyao’s tactic wasn’t very clever. Or maybe he didn’t intend to hide his “rejection” of Ran Lin.

Although a bit embarrassed, Ran Lin could understand Lu Yiyao’s feelings. He also felt relieved that Lu Yiyao didn’t want to see him. Otherwise, in front of the camera, he couldn’t outright say he was sorry for leeching off Lu Yiyao’s popularity. Meeting would only add to the awkwardness.

The assistant closed the door gently, but it still made a sound. After hesitating, to avoid the atmosphere being too dry, Ran Lin turned to the camera and made a light comment, “Looks like I won’t get to see my idol until tomorrow. What a shame.”

The cameraman finally seemed satisfied. As soon as Ran Lin returned to his room, the cameraman turned off his equipment and stood at the door with a simple smile, saying, “Have a good rest.”

Ran Lin was relieved and quickly grabbed an unopened bottle of water from the table to offer him, saying, “Thanks for your hard work.”

The burly, bearded cameraman suddenly became shy, quickly waving his hand. “No need. I have some in my room.”

Ran Lin didn’t insist and said, “Then you should rest well too, Sun Ge. Tomorrow might be like competing in a decathlon.”

Sun Ge was amused by the comparison. “It won’t be that bad.”

Ran Lin paused, then narrowed his eyes and asked out of the blue, “Sun Ge, do you know the script?”

The cameraman was taken aback, suddenly burping in surprise.

Ran Lin felt a bit guilty but also wanted to laugh, quickly changing the subject. “I was just asking randomly. Even if you did know, I wouldn’t want you to make a mistake. You should go rest.”

The cameraman nearly fled.

Ran Lin regretted it a bit, feeling like he had bullied an honest person.

On one hand, Ran Lin was relieved to end the day’s filming. On the other hand, Lu Yiyao was still mired in gloom over being disturbed.

He had been worried that Ran Lin would come to seek him out after his arrival. And indeed, Ran Lin did come.

But that wasn’t a big deal.

Since the airing of “Yun Zhang”, Lu Yiyao had quickly become a favorite among fans. Many colleagues he knew but had barely interacted with in the past two years started sending congratulatory messages and creating an impression of close friendship in interviews, on Weibo, and at fashion events.

Lu Yiyao usually turned a blind eye to these actions. He wouldn’t go out of his way to embarrass anyone, and even if he encountered them face-to-face and wasn’t happy about it, he would still play along.

But Ran Lin was an exception. The actions of others were predictable, and the results were estimable. At worst, it meant having one more fake friend. Everyone was busy anyway, so there wasn’t much need for interaction.

But Ran Lin was always full of surprises. In Lu Yiyao’s heart, there was an inexplicable fear of the unpredictable future.

His mind and body both resisted being in the same space as Ran Lin. Even if an encounter was inevitable, he wished it could be delayed as long as possible.

“Lu Ge.” The assistant couldn’t stand it any longer. “You’ve been staring at that screenshot for several days. Why bother? I know you’re angry, but the original post has been deleted. Don’t trouble yourself over it.”

Sitting cross-legged on the bed with no sign of sleepiness, Lu Yiyao pondered for a long time before finally putting his phone back on the bedside table and telling his assistant, “You should go back and rest too.”

The assistant was relieved to hear this and quickly left for the standard room arranged by the production team.

As the door closed, Lu Yiyao picked up his phone again, placing it on the bed in front of him. The screen still showed the screenshot saved in the gallery.

It was a Weibo screenshot of a girl named “Curly Curly Eyelashes”.

The post was filled with excited howls of “Ahhhhhhhh”, and one had to strain to make out the words. “I got my idol’s autograph today.”

Then there was a picture of a postcard with the message: [I love Lu Yiyao! – Ran Lin.]

As the assistant said, the original post had been deleted, and there was no need for Lu Yiyao to keep looking at the screenshot. But…

Lu Yiyao placed his hands on his knees, glanced at the screenshot, and took a deep breath as if the phone in front of him wasn’t a device but a martial arts manual.

Tomorrow, he would have to film shoulder-to-shoulder with Ran Lin. He had to be vigilant against any underhanded tactics from him.

So, it wasn’t that he was looking at the screenshot to disgust himself. He was etching those words into his mind—”constant vigilance”.

What was inevitable would come. It was like those two people in a math problem in school, one leaving from point A and the other from point B. Whether they were moving towards each other, away from each other, one fast and one slow, or vice versa, they were destined to meet. Then, you’d be asked how long it would take for them to meet or at which point they would meet.

The hotel lobby was the point where Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao would meet.

At 7 a.m. Beijing time, the five celebrities, who had coincidentally ordered breakfast to their rooms, gathered in the hotel lobby for the first time.

In front of the cameras, they lined up, exchanging polite greetings that seemed warm but were actually distant.

Lu Yiyao stood in the center, with Xia Xinran and Gu Jie on either side of him, while Ran Lin and Zhang Beichen were on the outer ends. The arrangement appeared casual but was actually based on their popularity.

During the handshake, Ran Lin barely touched Lu Yiyao before the latter quickly pulled away.

To the camera, it might have looked like a handshake, though not a warm one, but definitely polite and friendly. However, Ran Lin knew that there wasn’t any actual contact, and Lu Yiyao didn’t even make eye contact with him.

Ran Lin felt disheartened. Lu Yiyao clearly wasn’t indifferent, and it seemed a grudge had been formed.

Just as he thought about returning to his original spot, Xia Xinran suddenly pulled him back next to Lu Yiyao, then quickly moved to Ran Lin’s spot, swapping their positions. This left Ran Lin standing next to Lu Yiyao.

“You probably wanted to stand here, right? Haha,” Xia Xinran joked narrowly, with a mischievous look on his face. He wore a long red down jacket, making him look tall and beautiful.

Describing a man as beautiful might seem odd, but it perfectly suited Xia Xinran. His face was one that many girls would envy: fair, delicate, softer than most men but with more vigor than most women—a natural beauty.

Facing Xia Xinran’s prank, Lu Yiyao could only frown, and Ran Lin, seeing the teasing in his eyes, could only feel helpless.

Xia Xinran, not content with just that, leaned over Ran Lin and asked Lu Yiyao, “Did you see that Weibo post? Ran Lin’s confession to you?”

Lu Yiyao internally cursed Xia Xinran a hundred times but maintained a handsome smile on his face, asking naturally, “What Weibo?”

Xia Xinran, thinking Lu Yiyao genuinely didn’t know, blinked and explained clearly, “The one where he signed an autograph for a fan and also wrote ‘I love Lu Yiyao’. It went viral. Haven’t you seen it?”

Lu Yiyao feigned surprise as if hearing it for the first time, looking at Ran Lin. Ran Lin felt sure Lu Yiyao had seen it but was just playing along. “That was really embarrassing. I’ll explain it to you later.”

Lu Yiyao appeared unsatisfied but decided to let it go, saying, “Alright then.”

Ran Lin smiled graciously at his “idol”.

Of course, the promised explanation in the future would never happen. Both of them disliked their own actions.

The “idol” looked at the distant blue sky, thinking, ‘Lu Yiyao, when did you become so hypocritical?‘

The “fan” looked at the ground, thinking, ‘Ran Lin, can’t you ever speak the truth?‘

Xia Xinran’s mischief didn’t create the expected waves and seemed disappointed. Just when he was about to say something else, the usually quiet Gu Jie suddenly said, “Today, we just happen to represent five colors.”

Everyone looked at him, clueless. Gu Jie wasn’t particularly eloquent, but he spoke firmly. “Green, yellow, red, white, black.”

Only then did everyone realize Gu Jie was referring to their outfits. Xia Xinran wore a bright red down jacket, Zhang Beichen a bright yellow short cotton jacket, Lu Yiyao a green windbreaker, Ran Lin a white short down jacket, and Gu Jie a black leather biker jacket.

Five people, five colors. All in casual wear, the hardest to pull off was Lu Yiyao’s, whose bright green color stood out everywhere, impossible to lose in a crowd, and the outdoor windbreaker lacked any shape. Yet, he wore it with style.

It was a natural ease and composure radiating from his bones, more casual than Xia Xinran’s flamboyance, gentler than Gu Jie’s indifference. As if he was truly there for a holiday, even if slightly awkward in front of the camera, he stayed true to himself.

“So, what’s the significance of these five colors?” Xia Xinran understood that Gu Jie was talking about their clothes but still didn’t grasp the meaning.

Gu Jie slightly leaned forward from the group and explained, “In ancient times, these five colors were considered fundamental. Basically, these five colors could be used to create all other colors.”

Xia Xinran tilted his head. “So?”

Gu Jie looked at him quietly, his masculine face exuding peace and serenity.

Xia Xinran waited for two minutes, finally realizing that Gu Jie had finished speaking.

A gust of wind whistled through the revolving doors, chilling the hotel lobby. The atmosphere turned incredibly cold.

Ran Lin wanted to facepalm. Better yet, he wished the cameraman would turn off the equipment and let them all huddle in a corner for a while.

Finally, even the director couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He had originally wanted the female host to wait a bit longer, giving the guests more time to interact, especially Lu Yiyao and Ran Lin, who had such heated topics to discuss. However, the five of them had managed to turn the conversation into a frozen wasteland.

“Hello, National First Loves. I’m Bai Rong, and I’ll be with you every step of your journey! I bet the fangirls in front of their TVs have already blacklisted me, but for the sake of our idols, I’m willing to take the plunge! Without further ado, I’m sure our idols are most curious about what we have planned for today and the challenges awaiting them…”

The lively hostess said this, then suddenly turned to face the camera.

“I declare here that everything that follows is unknown to our National First Loves. Like everyone else, I’m very curious to see their performances… National First Love Drifting Story, go!”

With the hostess’s lead, the atmosphere finally improved a bit. The five men, led by the hostess, exited the hotel and entered the large seven-seater SUV provided by a sponsor, waiting at the door.

One driver, one cameraman, and the temporarily taskless hostess got into the production team’s car, leaving one seat for each of the five men.

“Aren’t they even going to tell us where we’re going?” Xia Xinran, sitting behind the driver and the most indifferent to the camera, was the most talkative.

Lu Yiyao, sitting behind the co-driver’s seat, kept a gap between him and Xia Xinran.

“You’ll know when we get there,” he said, patience being something he never lacked.

“You really are something. Twenty years old with the patience of an eighty-year-old,” Xia Xinran teased and then turned to the three men in the back. “Hey, aren’t you guys curious at all?”

Zhang Beichen smiled good-naturedly. “It’s more interesting not knowing.”

Xia Xinran rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed.

Ran Lin was surprised. With his back to the camera, Xia Xinran didn’t bother to hide his disdainful attitude. He suddenly remembered that Zhang Beichen and Xia Xinran were from the same company, yet since the beginning, they had barely interacted, almost like strangers.

Zhang Beichen, seemingly used to this, naturally ignored the look, his expression unchanged.

Unaware of these undercurrents, Gu Jie only heard Xia Xinran’s question after Zhang Beichen’s response, “Aren’t you curious?”

Gu Jie replied simply, “No.”

Xia Xinran regretted asking him, even more so than asking Zhang Beichen.

“You can’t be the same as those two, right?” The curious Xia Xinran finally turned to the most transparent person.

Ran Lin, not wanting to leave him empty-handed, thoughtfully analyzed and cautiously shared his guess, “We might be going to the pier.”

Xia Xinran wondered why his answer was so specific. “Why?”

Ran Lin hesitated. Just giving an answer was one thing; if his analysis turned out to be wrong, that would be embarrassing.

Growing impatient, Xia Xinran urgently called out, “Linghu?”

This caught Ran Lin off guard. He was unsure if it was intentional or accidental.

It seemed this was unintentional. Xian Xinran’s expression changed when he realized his slip-up, quickly explaining, “I’ve seen videos of your character online recently. Your ancient costume looks really good. It’s memorable!”

Ran Lin was amused and conflicted. He disliked Xia Xinran’s attitude towards Zhang Beichen but found him to be a straightforward person without much guile, unsure what to make of this interesting character.

“Explain why you think we’re going to the pier?” Xia Xinran brought back the main topic after the digression.

Ran Lin thought since he had joined this supposedly most authentic and realistic reality show, he might as well speak his mind. If he was wrong, then so be it. “When you travel to Guilin, how can you not see the landscape? And to see the landscape, how can you not cruise on the Li River?”

Xia Xinran blinked blankly, swallowing his follow-up question.

This was because he knew nothing about Guilin, and if he let his curiosity get the better of him, his next question might embarrassingly reveal his ignorance about what the Li River was. Clearly, his present “colleague” had done his homework. Although Xia Xinran wasn’t the brightest, he knew better than to keep asking and risk exposing his lack of knowledge or making a fool of himself. So he chose to pretend to understand and keep his lack of knowledge to himself.

Ran Lin realized from Xia Xinran’s expression that he didn’t understand, but kindly didn’t point it out.

Lu Yiyao, who had been sitting upright, looking straight ahead, suddenly turned back. Ran Lin was caught off guard and met his gaze directly.

It was their second eye contact since the airport incident, and this time, Lu Yiyao initiated it.

With his handsome eyebrows slightly raised and a look in his peach blossom eyes that was anything but friendly, as if he disliked Ran Lin showing off his intelligence, he said, “Don’t be so certain. What if you’re wrong and get embarrassed?”

Ran Lin looked back at him intently, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Then I’ll just act cute.”

A moment of silence followed, with only their gazes locked in wordless conversation.

Finally, Lu Yiyao calmly withdrew his gaze, sitting upright again, chin up, looking forward. He resolved to delete that retweeted post about the airport misunderstanding when he got back!

How hard is it to maintain a good public image?

Lu Yiyao thought it depended on one’s definition of “hard”.

For him, it was like enduring a bleeding heart while still having to smile and act cute. In the end, this even became a dark joke used against him by others. Yet, he still had to maintain a composed and strong facade. This was already pushing the limits of how harshly he could treat himself.

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 6

Ran Lin received the contract for the reality show in November, and the filming was set to begin in January, leaving him only two months to prepare.

During these sixty days, besides taking time out to record the theme song for the show, he devoted the rest of his time to fitness training.

According to Wang Xi, he could be the National Little Brother, National Boyfriend, or even the National Husband, but first and foremost, he was a male celebrity. Even if his face was as beautiful as Daji*, his body shouldn’t be weak once the clothes come off.

*A famous figure in Chinese mythology and folklore, often portrayed as a fox spirit who takes on the form of a beautiful woman. She’s said to be the favorite concubine of King Zhou of Shang, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty. Her malevolent influence supposedly led King Zhou into a life of depravity and cruelty, which eventually contributed to the downfall of the Shang dynasty.

Ran Lin was too thin. Although he still had the grace of a young man, there was a certain slightness to his frame.

Wang Xi’s fitness plan for him was to gain some muscle appropriately. The overall image was still to maintain a bright youthful look, not needing bulging biceps or clearly defined abs, but rather a toned and healthy physique.

Ran Lin was obedient, so although it was hard work, he found a sense of achievement in seeing his body and fitness improve in the sweat.

The day he recorded the theme song happened to be Christmas Eve. Recording theme songs usually involved each person singing individually and then combining the recordings later, which saved time and effort and didn’t require coordinating the schedules of all the guests on the same day.

Lu Yiyao, Gu Jie, and Xia Xinran had already recorded separately.

Only he and Zhang Beichen were left.

Zhang Beichen’s TV drama crew had been rushing their schedule and hadn’t given him time off until the day before Christmas Eve. He came hurriedly the next day—if any later, the program’s final promotion wouldn’t be able to air as scheduled.

Ran Lin had the most flexible schedule of all the guests, so he had been waiting for the production team’s arrangement. Probably to save effort, the team didn’t want to record just for him on a separate day, so they waited until Zhang Beichen could come and informed Ran Lin to join on the same day. This way, they only had to set up the equipment once, which was cost-effective and efficient.

Ran Lin had no objections and rushed over early that morning.

The recording studio wasn’t ready yet, which displeased Wang Xi, but she still waited with Ran Lin. About two hours later, everything was prepared, and Zhang Beichen also arrived.

“I’m really sorry for being late. We just finished the drama shoot last night, and I’m quite exhausted. Sorry, sorry.”

Zhang Beichen’s agent, Wu Xuefeng, was a kindly middle-aged man in his forties, known affectionately as Wu Ge. He wasn’t tall, was slightly overweight, had a round face, and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He was often seen smiling with colleagues and the media, rarely showing a stern face.

Zhang Beichen followed behind him, bundled in a down jacket and silent, but his face bore a constant apologetic smile. Everyone could see that the face under his cap was genuinely fatigued, even affecting his handsome looks. He was clearly not well-rested.

His first act upon arrival was to apologize, and objectively speaking, they hadn’t actually delayed the production team—the recording studio had just been set up. So the staff laughed it off and moved on.

The recording engineer hurried the stars to start. Ran Lin didn’t have time to chat with Zhang Beichen and was quickly ushered into the recording booth.

Part of the recording booth footage would be used in the music video and behind-the-scenes clips. Since it was for recording a theme song, not acting or show-making, overly dramatic styling was avoided, so both of their outfits were quite casual.

“I heard you arrived two hours early. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.”

Just as Ran Lin was about to put on his headphones, he heard a gentle, magnetic voice beside him.

Zhang Beichen’s first words to him were an apology.

Ran Lin turned in surprise, taking a serious look at his partner for the first time.

Zhang Beichen was handsome and tall—taller than Ran Lin’s 180 cm—probably at least 184 cm. He has a sunny disposition, much like the charismatic and popular basketball team captain in college, who inspires many with his youthful vigor, passionately plays, and leads his team forward with enthusiasm and brotherhood.

“No, I came early.” Ran Lin quickly shook his head, meaningfully adding, “You know, my schedule is quite… flexible.”

Zhang Beichen paused, then realized Ran Lin was self-deprecating and laughed, his attitude more relaxed. “I saw what happened at the airport on the internet. It was pretty funny.”

Ran Lin was embarrassed, wishing he could erase that part of his history with correction fluid. “Can we skip this part…”

Zhang Beichen was amused by the pitiful look in his eyes and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The recording engineer couldn’t stand it anymore and reminded them from the microphone. “Handsome guys, let’s get started.”

After they put on their headphones, the intro music began.

Who would sing which part of the song was a matter for post-production. During the recording, Zhang Beichen sang the A section, Ran Lin the B section, and then they sang the chorus together.

Ran Lin was known as the singing king of his college’s external department, performing solo every year at the annual event and participating in various campus singing competitions. Although not a professional singer, he definitely had a voice that could perk up ears.

He had practiced the theme song so much that he knew it by heart, playing it on loop in the gym until even his coach begged for mercy, suggesting he use headphones with better sound insulation.

So as soon as the music started, Ran Lin was in the zone, his voice clean and warm, occasionally using subtle breath control.

This pleasantly surprised the entire recording team, who became much more positive in their attitude towards him.

In contrast, Zhang Beichen’s raw voice caused some frowns. Whether it was due to lack of rest or a natural lack of musical talent, his voice was strained, with high notes either breaking or failing to come out at all. Worse, he kept getting the lyrics wrong.

After several attempts, the recording engineer called a halt.

The plan had been to record them together in one go, but it turned out better to let Ran Lin sing solo first, then coach Zhang Beichen later.

By midday, Zhang Beichen was visibly struggling, and the recording team was disheartened.

Wang Xi sat there the whole morning without saying a word, her face growing darker and darker.

Ran Lin glanced over and prayed fervently, hoping she wouldn’t explode, even if it meant she remained as unapproachable as an ice sculpture.

The tense atmosphere persisted until the arrival of a large order of takeout—Wu Xuefeng had taken the initiative to order lunch and afternoon tea for everyone. Of course, he was paying for it.

Clay pot rice, shrimp dumplings, shumai, steamed spare ribs… All grievances seemed to vanish in the harmonious atmosphere akin to a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant.

The smell of coffee and sight of egg tarts made Zhang Beichen’s off-key singing seem more forgivable.

Before the recording team could resume, Ran Lin first approached Zhang Beichen, who was sitting dejectedly in a corner, and began to guide him empathetically.

“For the highest note in the chorus, ‘There’s light in the distance,’ you don’t have to strain your real voice to hit the pitch. The more you worry about reaching it, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Just sing it normally, even if it’s a few notes lower.”

Zhang Beichen was confused. “Wouldn’t that be off-key?”

Ran Lin glanced at the recording team, still engrossed in their meal, and then quietly said, “As long as you sing out, don’t get the lyrics wrong, don’t worry about being off-key. They can fix it, and it will sound good after mixing.”

Zhang Beichen still looked uneasy. He had never seriously recorded a song before. Even during his audition show, he performed street dance and only rapped during group performances, so he wasn’t familiar with these tricks.

“Don’t worry. I don’t hit every note perfectly either. They all need some post-processing.” Ran Lin reassured him and added, “You’re just nervous, focusing too much on that one line, and then messing up the rest. Just relax and let the lyrics flow smoothly, and it will be fine.”

Zhang Beichen seemed persuaded. “Really, it’s okay?”

“Yeah.” Ran Lin patted his shoulder, then chuckled softly. “You think when they mix our chorus with those of the other three, it will blend seamlessly? Besides pitch, there’s rhythm and enunciation. Not just that high note, even other parts won’t be perfectly in sync. It will obviously sound like a quintet.”

Zhang Beichen visualized this “harmonious” future scene and relaxed.

“Thanks,” he said, getting up to stretch and prepare to eat his neglected lunch.

Ran Lin, who had already finished eating, held his milk tea and smiled brightly. “I should thank you. It’s really good.”

After Zhang Beichen walked away, Wang Xi came and sat next to Ran Lin, half-smiling. “I didn’t realize you were such a good Samaritan.”

Ran Lin sensed that Wang Xi was in a bad mood, as if waiting for someone to set off her thunderous wrath, so he just chuckled awkwardly, not daring to add to the conversation.

Wang Xi glanced at him and didn’t pursue the matter further.

Ran Lin turned his face to the wall, silently praying for someone to take this sister away.

The afternoon recording session went very smoothly, and the recording engineer was surprised by the change in Zhang Beichen’s performance. Without any need for his coaching, Zhang Beichen seemed to have shed a great burden. His voice was no longer strained, and the lyrics were correct. Although he went off-key on the highest notes, there were no voice breaks or losses, and the issues were entirely within the scope of what could be fixed with post-production techniques. This improvement was truly heartening and brought a sense of relief.

They finished early, before four o’clock. Before leaving, Zhang Beichen proactively added Ran Lin on WeChat.

This was the first artist, other than Dream Without Limits, to actively add Ran Lin on social media.

During his previous film shoots, he had to take the initiative to add the lead actors, but even after adding them, there was little interaction, and sometimes he was even blocked from viewing their Moments, which was quite disheartening.

Having established a good relationship with one-fourth of his future collaborators, Ran Lin saw this as a positive start.

Leaving the recording studio, Wang Xi’s tense demeanor finally showed urgency, urging the driver to hurry to the company.

Ran Lin couldn’t recall any other tasks that needed to be completed at the company today, but he didn’t ask and just quietly followed along.

Upon returning to the company, they learned that Han Ze had been waiting in Wang Xi’s office for most of the day, and his mood wasn’t good.

Ran Lin then understood that Wang Xi’s low spirits all day had nothing to do with his recording efficiency. In fact, her mind might not have been in the recording studio at all. From the moment she was informed that Han Ze was waiting, she had already mentally returned to Dream Without Limits.

One star was at the peak of his popularity, the other’s future uncertain, both sharing the same agent. It was clear who needed more immediate attention.

Ran Lin understood this.

But human emotions were complex, and it was hard not to feel let down.

Wang Xi entered her office and first closed the blinds. What happened inside remained unknown to outsiders.

Ran Lin took out a packet of instant soymilk powder from his bag, found a paper cup in the pantry, and mixed it with hot water.

The aroma of soy milk was limited, but enough to relax Ran Lin.

The door to the pantry was gently pushed open, and a young girl tiptoed in.

Ran Lin thought she wanted to make coffee and moved aside for her.

Unexpectedly, the girl closed the door and walked straight up to him, her cheeks reddening as she approached, eventually turning as red as a bright apple.

“Um… I really love your portrayal of Linghu Xiaodao. Could you give me an autograph?” She blurted out, too shy to lift her head, extending a pen and a blank postcard.

Ran Lin took it, curious, and flipped it over to see Linghu Xiaodao’s photo from the drama.

When did his character get merchandise?

“I-I really like it, so I had it custom-made online!” she explained immediately, seeing his hesitation.

Ran Lin felt the girl looked familiar—certainly not a new employee. If she worked here daily, she wouldn’t have waited so long for an autograph.

The only explanation was that she was a new fan, not a new employee.

Meeting a new fan in person was a different experience from gaining followers online. The former was much more impactful and real.

Ran Lin knew it was silly, but he was thrilled, almost wanting to spin around in joy. Of course, he had to maintain his image in front of a fan, so he picked up the pen, trying hard not to smile too broadly. “Just an autograph, no blessings?”

The girl, eagerly awaiting, was taken aback by his question. “Ah?”

Ran Lin’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Besides the autograph, don’t you want me to write something else?”

The girl lit up in disbelief. “Really?”

Ran Lin nodded. “Of course.”

She continued, “Anything?”

Ran Lin joked, “Except curses.”

The girl was amused and finally mustered the courage to say, “I want you to write ‘I love Lu Yiyao’!”

Ran Lin: “…”

Girl: “Aren’t you his die-hard fan?”

Ran Lin: “Yeah!”

Once a public image was established, it was like water poured out—it couldn’t be taken back.

In the evening, Wang Xi and Han Ze finally came out of the office. It was evident that they had reached some sort of agreement, as both seemed in a much better mood.

Seeing Ran Lin still waiting, Wang Xi was initially surprised, then apologized unusually. “Sorry for forgetting about you. There’s nothing else here. You can go back. Remember to work out on time tomorrow.”

Ran Lin felt a mix of frustration and resignation.

That night, the girl posted on Weibo. Although it was from an anonymous account, it still attracted over three thousand comments.

Initially, it was the fans of the CP who were excited. But gradually, a large number of Lu Yiyao’s fans joined in.

Compared to the restraint shown during the initial airport misunderstanding and the video of Yun Zhang and Linghu Xiaodao, Lu Yiyao’s fans seemed to have lost all their composure with this real-life CP, unleashing various complaints and insults. The girl was so frightened that she soon deleted the Weibo post, and the minor controversy subsided.

However, Ran Lin, who had witnessed everything, felt a growing unease.

Finally, on January 10, just before the recording, the reality show’s production team dropped a bombshell—they released the theme song and unveiled the mysterious fifth guest!

All five male celebrities retweeted the show’s Weibo post, but they hadn’t started any interactions with each other yet.

That night, Ran Lin’s Weibo followers increased by tens of thousands. However, among the thousands of new comments, about 70% were from Lu Yiyao’s fans, criticizing him for riding on the coattails of popularity and others mocking him for not deserving the title of National First Love. The remaining 30% were divided between those taking a wait-and-see approach and those staunchly supporting the CP, passionately defending it.

On January 15^th, amid high expectations and mixed reviews, the first episode of the show was recorded in Guilin, amidst a whirlwind of discussion.

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