Chapter 73 "Long time no see, I thought you would..."

This year has seen many variety shows become wildly popular, including a dating show and a hilarious talk show. Of course, the easiest way to get high ratings is still through large-scale outdoor reality shows.

The reality show is called "Storm Battlefield," and judging from the name, it's probably similar to "Secrets of the Wilderness." The investors prefer to select young, popular, and talked-about celebrities, unlike "Secrets of the Wilderness," which features ordinary people.

Yu Shuling's performance in "The Wilderness" is outstanding. It is another hit after the dating reality show. Kawana has good physical strength. Because foreigners cannot fully understand Chinese, her image is a bit of a natural and innocent beauty. In addition, Lyra has been very popular recently, and suddenly she received this offer.

Even Sister Qian couldn't help but smile, increasingly satisfied with them:

"This show is pre-recorded, but the editing and production process is quite fast. It should be available online in about two months. Although it won't be during the peak promotional period, the residual popularity is real. Don't underestimate this residual popularity; it can keep your show on the charts for longer. More exposure on variety shows can also attract more fans. Remember not to hold back."

Actually, she wasn't worried about Yu Shuling and Chuan Nai, but the other three, especially Zhong Xinfan, were different. Zhong Xinfan was someone who wasn't very talkative to begin with. She had always been like that, and after joining Youjia, there was no special effort to change her persona to avoid backfiring. She was always the lukewarm one in the group.

However, this invitation was for the entire group, probably because they valued the group's popularity, so it's impossible to select just one member. Sister Qian explained the format of the variety show to them first, since they've only been in the industry for a little over two years and their overall experience isn't that mature yet, so she needed to give them a thorough lesson.

This variety show isn't as tiring as "The Wilderness Secret," which requires a lot of physical exertion, and it consistently uses a battle mode, without as many predictable scenarios for viewers to guess.

The variety show will take about two to three days to film, depending on how well everyone completes the games. Each episode will feature different games and themes, both indoors and outdoors. I heard that this episode has selected quite a few singers and dancers, so I guess the theme will be related to singing and dancing.

Accompanied by Sister Qian, the group watched the first two episodes of the variety show and found it quite entertaining. The show didn't have an MC, only a director, so it demanded a high level of comedic talent from the guests. The guests were constantly outwitting and outmaneuvering each other, creating a series of laughs and moments of tension and excitement that kept everyone glued to the screen.

They watched until midnight before Sister Qian urged them to go back to their rooms to sleep. Lyra is currently living with her manager for easier scheduling.

[Detection indicates the male and female leads will soon appear on a variety show. Host, please maintain your high-intensity antics.]

As everyone returned to their rooms, Yu Shuling suddenly heard the system's voice flash in her mind. The system hadn't been online for so long that Yu Shuling had almost forgotten about it, and she was startled, pausing at the door. Li Song immediately asked with concern:

"Lingling, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little sleepy."

Yu Shuling concealed her earlier actions without making a sound, only coming to her senses after entering the room.

Jiang Wenxi had been keeping a low profile lately, and Yu Shuling hadn't paid attention to where Qi Xiuxiu had gone after failing to debut, almost forgetting about it altogether. But if she didn't follow the system's instructions, she probably wouldn't have peace afterward. Thinking of this, Yu Shuling had no choice but to turn on her computer and search for the two of their names.

Jiang Wenxi has actually been active all along. After all, he hasn't done anything illegal or disorderly and hasn't been blacklisted. His popularity has just declined compared to before, but he's been very active in pandering to his fans lately. Yu Shuling casually searched his name and saw specially edited GIFs pop up, with suggestive eyes and gestures that sent a chill down her spine.

"..."

Yu Shuling quickly withdrew to save her eyes.

She saw on the forum that Qi Xiuxiu is now developing as an actress. With the rise of short dramas, which are a new favorite among internet users, Qi Xiuxiu's looks are more than enough to make her a leading lady in a short drama. She quickly became a minor celebrity.

However, Qi Xiuxiu has repeatedly hinted that she doesn't actually want to portray someone else's life, but rather continue to pursue her own dreams. Her strikingly beautiful face alone is enough to keep her a large and loyal fanbase, and since it happened online, people tend to forget quickly; the incident has been over for some time and is no longer being mentioned.

As expected of the female and male leads, how could they be so easily defeated by the mere act of protecting each other during their debut?

Prior to this, Yu Shuling had shot a solo magazine cover. It was a resource recommended to her by a foreign photographer she had worked with before. Since that previous shoot, the two had maintained some contact. This time, after careful consideration, the cover shoot was given to Yu Shuling. It was a very good women's magazine with a high level of prestige.

The photoshoot went very smoothly. The photographer was a handsome mixed-race man who traveled around China for business and was quite well-known in the industry. He greatly admired Yu Shuling's expressiveness and bluntly expressed his desire to get to know her, which she politely declined with a half-joking gesture.

However, upon arriving at the assembly point after flying to the recording location, Yu Shuling immediately saw that familiar face. The young man had a head of beautiful natural brown curly hair, and his deep-set eyes were very charming when he smiled. He took the initiative to greet Yu Shuling and gave her a big bear hug.

The mixed-race photographer grew up abroad and has an outgoing and easygoing personality. Although Yu Shuling rejected him last time, she explained that it was due to his profession and that it wasn't convenient, but that she could contact his agent anytime for work collaborations. The man wasn't angry after being rejected and, in a very gentlemanly manner, indicated that they could continue to work together in the future, showing great friendliness towards her.

The recording hadn't officially started yet, and although the location outside wasn't publicly announced, fans already knew about it and had packed the area to the brim. Thanks to Yu Shuling's previous reminder, and considering that Lyra rarely does anything outside of official events, Yinhe was surprisingly small this time, with the front rows mostly occupied by Jiang Wenxi's fans.

Yu Shuling greeted everyone as usual. After they met, they went to a small house they had rented earlier to rest and wait for everyone to gather. Some people also touched up their makeup. This trip was quite important, and Sister Qian was personally accompanying them. In this short time, while the makeup artist was touching up Lyra's makeup, Sister Qian went out for a short while and quickly returned.

"Shuling, try not to get too close to Jiang Wenxi later. His fans are like mad dogs. They really think they're the kingpins of the entertainment industry. Aren't they afraid of the backlash?"

Sister Qian has managed more than one artist; she's no novice manager. At this moment, her expression betrayed an undisguised disgust, as if she'd been smeared with something dirty, and she seemed somewhat indignant. Yu Shuling sat there, having just finished drinking water, waiting for the makeup artist to touch up her lipstick. Li Song asked first:

"What happened between Lingling and Jiang Wenxi?"

The guests for this episode haven't been announced yet, but rumors have been circulating for a while, and those who will be participating in the recording naturally know the lineup.

Besides the five members of Lyra, there are also Jiang Wenxi, Li Qizai, Bai Fan, Liao Zhouzhou, and Mu Xing. Li Qizai and Bai Fan are Jiang Wenxi's former teammates. Although their group has disbanded, they seem to have a good relationship in private. They didn't seem awkward when they appeared on the show and were always chatting and laughing.

Liao Zhouzhou and Mu Xing are both up-and-coming actors who haven't yet taken on leading roles and have mostly played supporting or third male characters. However, they have already built up a certain reputation, especially Mu Xing, who gained a fanbase for her pairing with a BL drama. She is good at promoting her on-screen couple without actively trying to break them up, and she has a great personality. She has also been generating a lot of buzz lately.

After what happened before, Jiang Wenxi's remaining fans tried to salvage his image, but he also lost a lot of fans, severely damaging his reputation. After that, he went into seclusion for a while and didn't have much contact with women. His female manager was even transferred away, creating a persona of being hurt, which made his fans feel sorry for him.

Since then, Yu Shuling has thoroughly offended Jiang Wenxi's company. Sister Qian didn't expect the two of them to meet on the show, but since things had already turned out this way, they were practically enemies, so it was unlikely that they would create a CP (couple pairing). Sister Qian was quite relieved.

As a result, not long after Yu Shuling appeared, some of Jiang Wenxi's fans took her out of context and posted her on various platforms, specifically capturing her hugging the photographer, slowing down the shot, adding background music, and making the handsome man and beautiful woman look very pleasing to the eye.

Coupled with some ambiguous captions, the goal has been achieved. There are still people in the comments section cursing Yu Shuling, saying very harsh things, not letting go of any opportunity to vent their brother's anger.

"Are Jiang Wenxi's fans crazy?" another female assistant glanced at it and couldn't help but curse, "It was clearly the photographer who took the initiative, and Lingling also hugged other girls, why not release that? What are they deliberately trying to mislead us about?"

However, this episode features a full girl group, half a boy group, and two young, popular male celebrities, making it an easy topic for creating romantic pairings. Most variety shows prioritize viewership, and even negative publicity is still publicity. "The Storm" has consistently maintained high popularity, and after weighing the pros and cons, Sister Qian decided to let them seize this opportunity to gain exposure.

Yu Shuling roughly understood what they were discussing, but as the person involved, she remained unfazed, only saying calmly:

"It doesn't matter."

Sister Qian's expression wasn't very good, but she nodded, and quickly composed herself, afraid of affecting the artist's mood.

"It's nothing serious. Just try to avoid any interactions with Jiang Wenxi that could be edited by the production team to create a romantic pairing."

Soon, Lyra and the others finished touching up their makeup and went outside to record the opening performance dance. They had improved a lot recently, and their movements were so synchronized that they could be described as "knife-like synchronized dance," with the choreography showcasing a youthful energy unique to girls.

After the song ended, the other boys applauded politely. Mu Xing, who was lively and loved watching idol groups, clapped until her hands were red. After Li Song took his bow, he smoothly led the group in self-introductions and also introduced himself to the other boys, proceeding according to the director's planned schedule.

Besides them, there are two other mystery guests whose identities have not yet been revealed.

After Lyra finished her performance, she took her seat. While her teammates hesitated slightly, noticing the male and female groups' chairs were grouped together, Yu Shuling strode over confidently and sat down next to Jiang Wenxi. As if she hadn't received instructions to avoid suspicion, she turned around and smiled sweetly at him.

"Teacher Jiang, what do you think of our dancing?"

Yu Shuling smiled and looked at Jiang Wenxi, her voice clear and crisp:

"Long time no see, I thought you would miss me a lot."