Chapter 74 "I think you should come up here."...

If any female celebrity had spoken to a male celebrity like that, they would probably have been labeled as having an ambiguous relationship. But Yu Shuling and Jiang Wenxi are a handsome couple, and after they said those words, no one joked about it; instead, they fell into a moment of silence.

As guests invited to the show, everyone will generally try to get to know their colleagues whom they will be working with. And the quickest way to get to know someone is to watch their past variety shows. Yu Shuling gained a lot of attention for her roles in "The Wilderness" and the girl group audition, and everyone saw the tense atmosphere between the two and how they exposed each other before.

As soon as he finished speaking, several former teammates couldn't help but burst into laughter, they simply couldn't hold it in. Jiang Wenxi knew that he was the only one who could stop the embarrassment now, so he didn't say anything, but a complex look flashed in his eyes.

After the previous setback, Jiang Wenxi became much more obedient. He cut off all contact with Qi Xiuxiu and never interacted with her again. Although Qi Xiuxiu later tearfully accused him of being irresponsible and a scumbag, Jiang Wenxi, heartbroken, ultimately chose his career over Qi Xiuxiu.

Jiang Wenxi currently has no plans to date and is focused solely on his career. However, he still vividly recalls the feeling of his blood rushing to his head when he was exposed in public. That blow caused him to lose many fans. Later, his management company came up with a solution: all his female managers and assistants were reassigned, and even his makeup artist was replaced with a male. By using this somewhat extreme method to garner sympathy, they successfully retained a portion of his fans.

Jiang Wenxi has always been outstanding since childhood. If he hadn't become an idol, he could have even been admitted to a very good university in the country, and his life would still be brilliant. That day, he was publicly humiliated by Yu Shuling. While he was filled with regret and anger, there was also a strange emotion that he couldn't quite explain. He really wanted to prove himself to Yu Shuling, so he worked harder than ever before, including this time when he and his teammates performed on stage for the first time in a long time. His voice was also louder and more stable than before.

But Yu Shuling's reaction was only lukewarm.

If Yu Shuling were still that useless, slacking member of the obscure group, Jiang Wenxi would naturally just think of it as being bitten by a dog, without any extra reaction. But now, under her leadership, the entire group is thriving and their careers are developing very well. Not only that, but they have also discovered charm and brilliance that they never had before, and now they have many fans following them. Jiang Wenxi has a strange feeling in her heart.

He had also listened to Lyra's new song. Although it wasn't too different from her previous style, her talent was worlds apart. The girl who shone on stage had unknowingly undergone a transformation through sweat and hard work, and now she had the right to judge him, although Jiang Wenxi didn't want to admit it.

However, that last sentence was just a casual joke. After calmly sitting down, Yu Shuling didn't even look at him again. This production team is quite good at stirring things up. The director's eyes rolled around, and everyone knew that he was up to no good.

"Now you can guess who our two mystery guests are today. Their professions are not exactly the same as yours, but they are somewhat related."

"Wow, I thought she was an actor, but the PD's description makes it sound like she's a singer, considering there are so many idols here." Liao Zhouzhou smiled, looking very excited.

"Could it be the producer?" Li Song interjected.

The next moment, the production crew started playing appropriate background music, the door opened, and You Jingzhou walked out. The girl following behind looked familiar; Yu Shuling had already mentally prepared herself, since she hadn't seen him earlier, and the system had reminded her, so it must be—

Standing behind the tall and long-legged You Jingzhou, Qi Xiuxiu was a head shorter than him, making her appear petite and charming. The boy in front of her wore a long trench coat, and a light gray turtleneck sweater accentuated his upright figure. His languid and refined face, coupled with his newly permed slightly wavy hair, made him appear even more handsome and gentle.

With all twelve guests present, the production team's intention to create drama was obvious. Everyone's eyes were inevitably drawn to Qi Xiuxiu and Jiang Wenxi, as no one knew the identity of the mystery guest beforehand. Jiang Wenxi's expression changed slightly the moment she saw Qi Xiuxiu appear, and the atmosphere even shifted for a moment.

As a guest, Qi Xiuxiu naturally knew who was there today. In the past, she might have been at a loss, but when her gaze fell on Jiang Wenxi and she noticed that Jiang Wenxi was deliberately avoiding looking at her, her heart sank.

"Hello everyone, I am actress Qi Xiuxiu."

Finally, it was Qi Xiuxiu who perked up and introduced herself first, breaking the awkward silence. Mu Xing and Liao Zhouzhou quickly chimed in, and after everyone exchanged pleasantries and got to know each other, they finally got down to business.

This episode features so many idols, so the theme is naturally related to singing and dancing. The ultimate goal is to find the hidden treasure puzzle pieces, piece together the city's landmark buildings, and then take 18 photos in a 3x3 grid to win. There are three days in total. Teams will be drawn by lot first, and then a mini-game will determine the departure order.

The production team placed treasure chests in various locations. You can unlock these chests by participating in singing and dancing competitions. The chests you open may contain puzzle pieces and coins. The more coins you have, the higher your budget will be, and the better your accommodation will be tonight.

The accommodation options at night include large villas, chain hotels in town, and brick houses in the countryside. Of course, commuting to the city is much more convenient than living in the countryside, allowing you to seize the opportunity as soon as you make a purchase.

The lottery involved pressing a rolling number ball on a machine. Drawing the same number meant you were in a group. Yu Shuling immediately drew a "5". Kawana watched longingly from the side, tugging at her clothes, clearly hoping to be in the same group as Yu Shuling again.

Lee Ki-jae was supposed to go next, but seeing Kawana's nervous expression, he couldn't help but laugh and let her go first. The girl took a deep breath and pressed the button, and the result was a "2".

Kawana's beautiful eyes immediately turned slightly gloomy and displeased.

Although it's a pre-recorded broadcast, the draw was held outside the venue, and the area wasn't cleared. Many fans were watching from outside the barriers. They saw Kawana following closely behind Yu Shuling, but when she wasn't satisfied with the draw results, she looked like a clingy little cat that hadn't gotten its way, and everyone was laughing uncontrollably.

Leaks from behind-the-scenes footage are unavoidable, but it's a common practice that with security guards present, things won't go too far, and many shots won't be filmed. Otherwise, the show wouldn't be as interesting when it airs.

Everyone drew lots one by one. In the end, Lin Yujie and Zhong Xinfan were on one team, Li Song and Li Qizai were on another, Chuan Nai drew Liao Zhouzhou, Jiang Wenxi was paired with Bai Fan, and Mu Xing was paired with Qi Xiuxiu. The one who got the number Chuan Nai had been dreaming of was You Jingzhou. After hearing the director's rules, he leaned close to her, lowered his head, and whispered to Yu Shuling:

"What should I do? I can't dance. Can Teacher Yu's crash course be held urgently now?"

The "crash course in dance" he mentioned refers to a time when Yu Shuling taught fans to dance at a fan meeting. When the fans shouted "We can't do it!", Yu Shuling simply flipped over from behind the table and performed a crash course in dance, which she taught quite smoothly.

You Jingzhou's singing was very captivating, but he had never danced, even when fans jokingly asked him to perform. Yu Shuling tilted her head slightly to look at him, but instead extended a hand:

Do you pay tuition?

Although she's a teammate, she's very clear-headed. If she's doing work that isn't her responsibility during working hours and getting overtime pay... well, that's something to consider.

Liao Zhouzhou, who was nearby, couldn't help but lean over and tease her:

"Shuling, are you really that heartless to your teammates? We're supposed to be together for three days!"

"Director," Bai Fan said solemnly, raising his hand as he overheard their conversation, "can we change teammates midway through the game?"

"What are you thinking about?" The director ruthlessly rejected the idea, then used a megaphone to cue the flow of the game, "The next game is called Charm Reversal. Originally, when we were doing the closed beta, we planned to have everyone play it in pairs, but since we figured you could guess the routine, we changed the way we play it."

"Rules of the Obstacle Course: Teammates cannot touch the ground or obstacles. The faster you complete the course, the more initial funds you receive. For same-sex teams, the total time can be reduced by five seconds; for opposite-sex teams, the female participant can reduce the total time by ten seconds."

As soon as the director finished speaking, everyone started whispering. Bai Fan even shouted:

"That's not fair, director! The total time for same-sex teams is only reduced by five seconds, that's too short. How can the boys and girls weigh the same?"

Bai Fan and Jiang Wenxi teamed up as a same-sex pair, convinced that it was unlikely that a girl would participate in this challenge. The male celebrities here all work out, and the tallest female celebrity is Li Song, who is only a little over 170cm tall and weighs at most 50kg. For a guy with normal physical strength, it would be too easy for him to carry her.

Ten seconds is a drop in the ocean. Bai Fan and Jiang Wenxi are both over 180 cm tall and weigh at least 65 kg. It would be very difficult for either of them to carry the other while running.

The director remained silent, saying that this was the result after the internal testing, which made Bai Fan furious but helpless, since they were the production team.

Finally, each team stood on the starting line and began their simulated practice with one minute left on the countdown. There were obstacle bars and acupressure mats in front of them, and carrying or holding someone on your back was tiring. You also had to change positions halfway through, which definitely took up a lot of time.

Yu Shuling and You Jingzhou jogged quickly across the 200-meter track, and feeling they were almost there, they returned to the finish line. Seeing You Jingzhou's outstretched hand, Yu Shuling gracefully tossed her chin.

"I think you should come up here."

-----------------------

Author's note: There will be an update tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow if not!).