Chapter 29 The online reversal must ensure that Chai Yundu and Zhu Qingting are assigned to the same class...

Having concluded their journey through Vienna, the music capital, the "Passing on the Arts" program team boarded a train and headed to the third stop of their trip—Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, a city brimming with bohemian charm.

Unlike the previous performances in Hungary and Austria, which featured collaborations between Chinese and foreign partners, the general director, Yao, modified the rules for this performance at the Confucius Institute in Prague:

The seven guests were randomly divided into three groups by drawing lots: two pairs and one group of three.

They will compete in a joint performance with three other teams composed of Czech students, themed "China-Czech Cultural Dialogue".

Adding to the tension, 50 local Chinese students and 50 students from the Czech Confucius Institute who are passionate about Chinese culture were invited to vote to determine the winner. This added an element of national pride and a sense of mission to bring glory to the nation to the performance.

The draw results are in, and Zhu Qingting and Chen Yifei have been paired up. One is a highly accomplished and award-winning principal dancer, and the other is a popular boy band idol who excels in both singing and dancing; their combined stage presence is explosive.

Although he didn't end up in the same group as Zhu Qingting as he had hoped, Chai Yundu was still relieved. At least this time, his girl wouldn't be bothered by any foreign students with ulterior motives or attract those annoying unwanted suitors.

However, as the seven-day intensive and fulfilling recording in Prague, Czech Republic, came to a close, the chief director, Director Yao, looked at the transmitted filming footage in the temporary studio at the Confucius Institute and sighed inwardly at the monitor.

To be fair, the recording in the Czech Republic was a great success; the depth of cultural exchange and the brilliance of the performances exceeded expectations.

However, Director Yao's inner desire for dramatic conflict and program highlights was not fully satisfied.

He knows that today's audiences are extremely discerning. In order to uphold the core mission of cultural dissemination, the production team did not blindly pursue popular celebrities, but carefully selected these talented guests who possess cultural skills and span multiple fields.

However, without enough compelling plot conflicts and emotional tension, it is unlikely that viewership ratings and online discussion will remain high.

Looking back at the first two episodes, although Liszt's harassment and Lucas's impulsive confession brought Zhu Qingting and Chai Yundu an unpleasant experience, it is undeniable that those unexpected events and their continued fermentation brought the show unprecedented attention and topicality, repeatedly making it to the top of the trending searches.

This stop went too smoothly. Without the "unexpected" disruption from the foreign trainees, the guests formed teams through a relatively fair draw. Although they cooperated well and achieved remarkable results, there was limited interaction between them. Their relationships were harmonious, but they didn't spark any real interaction, making the situation seem somewhat uneventful.

Director Yao stroked his chin. Three-quarters of the journey was already over, with only the final stop in Germany remaining. He had to do something to bring this long and arduous trip to a spectacular close.

An idea became clear in his mind.

He's going to tamper with the recording of the final stop.

Rules? Lottery? Those can all be handled flexibly.

His goal couldn't be clearer: no matter what, Chai Yundu and Zhu Qingting had to be assigned to the same group!

He could sense that the two were genuinely in love and had no intention of keeping their relationship secret. Their interactions and support on the show showed that they wanted to gradually let their fans get used to and accept their relationship.

He was willing to create an opportunity for these two people to work closely together and interact frequently.

He wanted to see if the two of them could create the ultimate climax for the show under the constant watchful eyes of the cameras!

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Meanwhile, while the production team was busy filming in the Czech Republic, footage shot in Hungary and Austria in the early stages, after being carefully edited by the post-production team, was broadcast simultaneously on television and online platforms, sparking heated discussions.

Public opinion has largely focused on Chai Yundu and Zhu Qingting.

In fact, as early as when Chai Yundu assaulted a foreign friend during a recording in Budapest, which became a trending topic, and Zhu Qingting resolutely posted a clarification on Weibo, some astute netizens had already noticed something unusual.

"Hero saves the beauty! So sweet! Chai Yundu is also Zhu Qingting's idol, with this double buff, something is bound to happen between them!"

However, at that time, all of Chai Yundu's fans united and stepped forward to strongly control the comments: "We're taking our brother away, no thanks! If anyone were harassed, our brother would stand up for them! We refuse to be associated with him, we refuse to ride his coattails!"

However, as the meticulously edited episodes were gradually released, more and more details were scrutinized by Sherlock Holmes fans, leading to a plethora of interpretations:

"[Screenshot: Budapest Airport Arrival Gate] Look! Zhu Qingting and Chai Yundu are standing side by side waiting for the other guests. Look at their backs! Look at their height difference! Look at their physiques! They look like a perfect match!"

"Stop rubbing against him, okay? My brother has perfect proportions, he looks good standing next to anyone! [Image: A fan-edited picture of a 1.5-meter-tall figure in a Lolita dress standing next to Chai Yundu]"

"Listen up! Chai Yundu has never shown any interest in snacks before! It's strange that he brought so many on this trip. And look at the Hungarian supermarket scene, the potato chips he bought are clearly the same brand that Zhu Qingting lingered in front of the shelf for a few seconds!"

"It's just a coincidence. Du Ge is only 333 months old. What's wrong with him liking snacks? Don't you like them too?"

"[Collage: Beanie Detail Comparison] Case solved! The black beanie that Zhu Qingting wore at the airport is the same one worn by the blurry girl when paparazzi photographed Du Ge, who was suspected of having a relationship!"

"Don't all beanies look the same? This is the same style as the one on Pinduoduo for 19.9 yuan with free shipping. How can they even sell this as a hard candy? [Attached is a screenshot of the product page] And my brother's studio has already clarified that it was a staff member!"

"[GIF: Chai Yundu's expression after Zhu Qingting takes off her towel at the hot spring resort, revealing her swimsuit] Oh my god, look at Chai Yundu's expression! He's jealous!! He's panicking!"

"That's an overinterpretation, but to be fair, even as a woman, I love looking at Zhu Qingting's figure [shy]"

"[Screenshot: Two people making eye contact on the train] I'm so excited! Look, Chai Yundu and Chen Yifei were having a nice chat, he must have received Zhu Zhu's 'want to eat snacks' look, that's why he suddenly suggested that the loser of mahjong eats snacks! Look how happy Zhu Zhu is eating them later!"

"Help! Stop trying to get in here! Zhu Qingting never said she wanted to eat anything. You're all just making things up."

"I wish I had a boyfriend like Chai Yundu—handsome, fit, skilled in martial arts, and a great cook! Look at him feeding Zhu Zhu spicy chicken, and when he saw Zhu Zhu get splashed with oil, he immediately rushed over to help in a panic. It's so sweet! [heart eyes]"

"It's clearly because she's so stupid, okay? She managed to get splattered with oil while making fried eggs, and everyone was waiting for her..."

"[GIF: After Lucas's confession at the Vienna Golden Hall, Zhu Qingting's flustered gaze glances towards the audience] Here's the key point! Look, after Zhu Qingting rejected Lucas, her eyes subconsciously glanced in a certain direction from the audience! That direction! The director later cut to the shot! It was Chai Yundu! She was looking at him! She was watching his reaction!"

"There are so many people in the audience! She was just panicking and trying to find a familiar face to ask for help, okay? Don't overinterpret it!"

And so, amidst a chorus of "Don't piggyback on this" and cheers of "I'm shipping them!", a CP supertopic called "Du Qing Si" was quietly established and quickly gathered a large number of fans.

They analyzed every frame of the two together, from subtle eye contact to seemingly unintentional physical closeness, from their veiled interactions on Weibo to their tacit cooperation on the show.

The video editors showcased their talents, adding romantic music to clips of the two to create various CP-themed videos. They even montaged together Zhu Qingting's classical dance works available online with Chai Yundu's costume drama roles, weaving together a series of beautiful videos.

Of course, the opposing voices are equally fierce and should not be underestimated.

Besides the core fans who steadfastly hold their ground as "girlfriend fans" and "wife fans," there is also a group of fanatical and irrational "die-hard fans" of Chai Yundu and Xu Yi.

They were spamming the relevant comment sections and supertopics with the same slogan:

"Together we journey through life, through the rest of our days!"

"Without hesitation, I will cross the river to reach my heart!"

"I'll travel alone, to ferry you across to the end!"

They were highly wary and repulsed by any man who approached Chai Yundu, viewing it as a desecration of their "sacred couple".

They even organized yet another massive "skinning operation".

However, unlike other female celebrities who were rumored to be dating Chai Yundu and were subsequently exposed for having plastic surgery, having sugar daddies, or being bullied at school, Zhu Qingting's experience is as clean as a flawless crystal.

Photos from childhood to adulthood have surfaced, proving her natural beauty; she is a natural beauty who has been beautiful since childhood.

Her academic and work experience was meticulously reviewed. She was admitted to the top dance academy, Beijing Dance Academy, ranking first. During her university years, she won numerous gold medals in professional dance competitions at home and abroad. After graduation, she was promoted to the youngest principal dancer of Haicheng Song and Dance Troupe in the shortest time.

Her dedication is also admirable. Her friend Qin Youyou posted photos of her covered in bruises from intense training; and there was also a clip of her suffering a concussion after being hit by her partner's mistake while participating in the variety show "Street Dance of China," yet she insisted on completing the performance...

All of this paints a picture of a dancer who is both exceptionally talented and works incredibly hard.

While others get worse the more they are exposed, she only becomes more attractive because of it.

Furthermore, as the "exposé" craze intensified, some originally steadfast "girlfriend fans" and "wife fans" began to waver and quietly switched sides, joining the ranks of "Du Qing Si" CP fans.

Some of them made this statement:

"Zhu Qingting is too outstanding. If my brother has to date, it seems like I have no choice but to support her."

"I hereby unilaterally declare that I agree to her becoming my sister-in-law."

"With such outstanding examples before me, I have no choice but to humble myself and act modestly."

"Thinking about it carefully, Zhu Qingting has no scandals at all, top-notch professional skills, and a good personality. It seems... she really is a good match for my brother."

As Zhu Qingting scrolled through the complex, mixed, yet increasingly warm comments on her phone, she felt a warm current flowing through her heart.

The initial worries and anxieties gradually dissipated after seeing more and more rational voices of support and understanding.

Especially when she saw fans who might have been hostile towards her gradually change their attitudes and even send her blessings because of her hard work and clean past, an unprecedented sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.

She no longer needs to worry about her relationship with Chai Yundu becoming public.