Variety Show
After shooting the cover, Chu Yiran returned to Hengdian.
Today is his last scene. The female lead is kidnapped by the rival of the third male lead's family business. The male lead and the third male lead work together to rescue the female lead. When the third male lead, played by Chu Yiran, sees that the female lead is hurt because of him, he finally decides to give up on the relationship and go abroad to study alone.
"Teacher Chu, for this scene, you need to jump off the restaurant's terrace, then roll on the hood of a car to stop the thug in the driver's seat." The action director gestured to Chu Yiran while putting on his safety harness.
Chu Yiran nodded, estimated the height and distance, and the props team laid out mats next to the car.
"Action!"
Chu Yiran jogged to the edge of the restaurant terrace, and the steel wire behind him gradually tightened. He leaned on the railing and jumped down, but just as he took off, the steel wire behind him suddenly snapped with a "crack".
A gasp rang out as he plummeted downwards, the feeling of weightlessness sending him crashing down. In a flash, Chu Yiran used his waist and abdomen to pull himself up and grab the gauze curtain hanging outside the terrace.
The thin gauze curtain was also torn off, but it gave Chu Yiran a little space to recover. He seized the opportunity and swung his body, curling up and crashing into the soft cushions that had been laid out.
"Bang--!"
After crashing down, Chu Yiran rolled several times on the ground. Although he had tried his best to protect his limbs, the pain from falling from a great height still made him frown.
"Ran Di, are you alright?"
Lin Wanxing, who was sitting in the car, was the first to rush over, followed by a group of staff members.
Director Li Zhen rushed over and roared, "What's going on with the props department?!"
Uncle Zhang from the props department quickly apologized: "I'm so sorry, Director, it was all my oversight! I checked it yesterday... It's probably because the wire was too old that it broke. I'm really sorry..."
Someone brought a stretcher, and several people lifted Chu Yiran up together. Through the dense crowd, Chu Yiran saw Chen Chen's triumphant smile.
——
After a thorough examination at the hospital, it turned out to be just some minor injuries. Li Zhen told him to rest at the hospital for the night, but Chu Yiran slipped away after the nurses finished applying the medicine.
After returning to Hengdian, Chu Yiran first went to the prop room and then went straight to Chen Chen's hotel room.
Who is it?
As soon as Chen Chen opened the door, before he could even react, Chu Yiran grabbed him with a backhand and pushed him into the room.
"What are you doing?!"
Chen Chen struggled angrily, wearing a white hotel bathrobe, his hair slightly damp, water droplets running down his cheeks and neck.
The room was dimly lit, and by the floor-to-ceiling window, assistant director Zheng Cheng was leaning against the sofa shirtless.
Seeing Chu Yiran enter, Zheng Cheng wasn't surprised. Instead, he casually leaned back on the sofa and said, "What's wrong, Chu? Have you finally come to your senses? Do you want to be taken care of by me like Chen did...?"
Zheng Cheng was tall and bulky, with his neck and chin almost forming a line. Leaning back on the sofa, he looked like a pampered toad.
His eyes were greedy and lewd, his pupils were cloudy and yellow, and he looked Chu Yiran up and down.
Seeing him laugh so unrestrainedly, Chu Yiran couldn't help but feel nauseous.
In Chu Yiran's memory, the original owner once saw Zheng Cheng and Chen Chen hugging in the dressing room. At the time, he thought he hadn't been discovered, but the next night he was cornered by Zheng Cheng in the hotel stairwell.
Zheng Cheng pinned Chu Yiran against the wall, his breath, reeking of smoke and alcohol, brushing against his ear. "Didn't Chen Chen tell you? In this industry, if you want to become famous, you have to be 'sensible'."
At that time, Chu Yiran was very weak, but she still managed to break free from Zheng Cheng's embrace.
Zheng Cheng, who had been bitten, still yelled, "You dare to resist? Do you know who's behind me...?"
Later on set, Zheng Chenggong often made things difficult for Chu Yiran. He not only arranged the worst accommodation for him, but also deliberately scheduled his scenes for late at night and early in the morning. No wonder that on the day Chu Yiran was kicked out of the crew, he, as the assistant director, was so impatient to make sarcastic remarks.
Pulling herself out of her memories, Chu Yiran sneered, "You guys were the ones who did the props, weren't you?"
He went to the prop room just now and saw that the material and color of the wire were not old enough to break automatically, and the crack was very smooth, clearly indicating that someone had deliberately cut it with a sharp tool.
Zheng Cheng spread his hands: "What evidence do you have?"
"Director Zheng, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, 'If you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet...'" Chu Yiran snorted coldly, "We'll have a long time to meet."
After saying that, he looked at Chen Chen and said, "Oh, right, Teacher Chen, I forgot to tell you that I'm wrapping up filming tomorrow, and you're wrapping up filming the day after tomorrow."
Chen Chen was puzzled, and Chu Yiran continued, "Sister Xing went to see the screenwriter a couple of days ago and cut all your scenes. You'll 'die' in a car accident the day after tomorrow, and the new script should be in your hands by tomorrow morning..."
"Impossible! You're talking nonsense—!" Chen Chen shouted excitedly, "I'm the male lead, why are you treating me like this?!"
"Why should I?" Chu Yiran tightened his grip. "Because you dared to mess with Lin Wanxing! Do you think she doesn't know who gave the paparazzi the video? Such high-definition footage, right in front of Lin Wanxing's RV door, how could anyone outside easily capture it?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Chen's expression changed. Just then, Zheng Cheng tried to grab him again, but Chu Yiran pushed Chen Chen forward and kicked him hard in the buttocks. Immediately afterward, Chen Chen fell on top of Zheng Cheng, and the two of them fell to the ground.
"I'm warning you, if you dare mess with me again, neither of you will be able to stay in this industry."
After saying that, Chu Yiran turned and left.
——
The next day, Chu Yiran filmed a few more scenes and then officially wrapped up filming. Li Zhen personally handed him a bouquet of flowers, and the crew members also came to say goodbye to him.
"Ran-ge, why did you just leave like that?" Zhao Lingyi came over and hugged his arm, covering her mouth and whispering, "Leaving me all alone with this tigress for a month—"
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Wanxing grabbed his ear and said, "What are you chattering about here?"
"Congratulations on wrapping up filming, Ran Di," Lin Wanxing pushed Zhao Lingyi aside. "Also, the production team of 'Currently on the Escape' has confirmed you as a regular guest. The first episode will officially start filming on the 15th of next month, and they'll probably come to your agent to sign the contract in the next couple of days."
"Thank you, Sister Xing." Chu Yiran smiled, knowing that Lin Wanxing must have helped a lot.
"And the entire show is live and unedited," Zhao Lingyi winked, "That sounds really exciting."
Seeing how much Zhao Lingyi knew, Chu Yiran asked, "Are you going too?"
"Ahem..." Zhao Lingyi pretended to be mysterious, "The program has signed confidentiality agreements, you'll find out when the time comes."
Seeing his self-deceiving behavior, Chu Yiran didn't say anything more, just smiled and went to say goodbye to the other members of the crew.
After leaving Hengdian, Chu Yiran first went back to his hometown to visit Zheng Shuyi, and then went to offer incense to his deceased father.
Looking at the photos displayed in the house, Chu Yiran felt a moment of disorientation. The original owner's parents looked exactly like his parents in his previous life, but the traces etched in the dilapidated old house all told the story of the original owner's growth here.
In his previous life, his father, Chu Zhongyi, died on the battlefield and his body was never found. In this life, the original owner's father worked hard to support the family and died of illness at an early age.
Standing before his father's grave, Chu Yiran solemnly kowtowed three times. He had been so disobedient and unfilial; he didn't know if his father in heaven would still accept his worship.
After calculating the money he had left, Chu Yiran borrowed another 100,000 yuan from his agent. He not only had his old house renovated, but also bought a lot of things for Zheng Shuyi.
After doing all this, Chu Yiran returned to Jiangcheng, and before she knew it, it was time to record "On the Escape".
This variety show is quite good at hype. Until the day before the premiere, the production team was still working with various marketing accounts to create hype and release a bunch of "proposed guest lists", ranging from top celebrities to obscure stars, but they never officially announced the real lineup. Even the guests who had already signed contracts didn't know who would be coming.
This morning, the hashtags #GuestsRevealedOnLiveDateOfTheEscape# and #AVeryNewOfficialAnnouncementOnTheEscape# trended on social media, with fans from various groups arguing fiercely in the comments section, speculating whether their idols would be among the guests.
Chu Yiran had just finished his makeup when the director suddenly informed him that he had to be the first to go on stage. However, he was not intimidated at all and went straight into the recording venue with his microphone.
The official cameras had already started broadcasting live. Chu Yiran was led into a building by staff. As soon as he took off his blindfold, he received a "task card" and a "mini-map" from the production team.
From the audience's perspective, the white lights in the building cast a soft glow on Chu Yiran, making his creamy yellow overalls bright and refreshing. The wide shoulder straps hung loosely on his shoulders, making the white T-shirt underneath look even cleaner and fresher. The stylist also pinned a fluffy little yellow duck to his chest, which swayed with his steps, adding a touch of cuteness and adorableness.
The chat messages in the live stream kept scrolling—
"Holy crap, Chu Yiran is here too? This kid's risen in rank pretty fast!"
"Overalls are amazing! Are those legs even real?"
"Help! The little duck on his chest is so cute!"
"Which palace does this belong to? I've never seen this before..."
...
Following the directions on the mini-map, Chu Yiran arrived at the first small room and saw Lin Wanxing and Zhao Lingyi as soon as she opened the door.
"Hey Ran-ge—" Zhao Lingyi hugged him right away, "You look really young today!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Wanxing took the new mission card: "The 'Escape' Rallying Order. Welcome to the game. You now need to complete the 'Three-Legged Race' to find new teammates at the next meeting point. Game rules: Three people stand side by side, with the legs of two adjacent people tied together. You must proceed together to the next meeting point. If you fall down, you must start over..."
As soon as she finished reading the task card, Lin Wanxing's face filled with despair: "It's over—"
Chu Yiran asked, "What's wrong?"
“He’s been extremely uncoordinated since he was a child,” Lin Wanxing pointed at Zhao Lingyi, “We definitely won’t make it!”
Zhao Lingyi exploded: "Who's uncoordinated! I was the physical education class representative in high school!"
"Alright—" To prevent them from arguing any further, Chu Yiran quickly called out, "Let's not waste any more time, let's get started!"
Chu Yiran stood in the middle to separate them, and the three of them tied their adjacent ankles together.
"I'll count to one, two, one—" Chu Yiran had just started speaking when Zhao Lingyi tripped and the three of them fell to the ground with a "thud"!
"Zhao Lingyi, is your lack of coordination hereditary?!" Lin Wanxing growled coldly.
"My fault?" Zhao Lingyi retorted, "Who told you to take such big steps!"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Chu Yiran reached out to block their view: "Stop! Listen to my instructions—" He took a deep breath, "Let's take it slow. I'll say 'left-right-left,' and we'll take smaller steps..."
The three awkwardly coordinated their movements, while the live chat was flooded with comments.
"Zhao Lingyi and Lin Wanxing explode at the slightest provocation! It's hilarious!"
"Help! Chu Yiran is like a parent comforting a child, hahaha!"
"These three are strangely likable..."
...
Fifteen minutes later, the three of them finally staggered to the next meeting point—a large black door with the words "Gate of Redemption" affixed to it.
A loudspeaker blared from behind the door: "Welcome, players, to the 'Gate of Redemption.' Solve the puzzle and save your teammates."
Then, the monitor on the adjacent wall lit up, displaying a line of text—
The joy of having a son is not the same as having a daughter; a gentleman compares his virtue to this. —Guess the Chinese character.
"What is this thing?" Zhao Lingyi and Lin Wanxing both frowned.
“It’s ‘jade’,” Chu Yiran blurted out. “Zhang refers to jade artifacts. The Book of Rites says, ‘In the past, gentlemen compared their virtues to jade.’ So it is ‘jade’.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the black door opened automatically, and a voice-over said, "Congratulations, player, for solving the puzzle."
In the dimly lit room, only a beam of overhead light shone down, illuminating the lone metal chair in the center. A tall man dressed in a shirt and suit pants sat with his back to them, his hands bound to the back of the chair with black straps, and an eye mask covering his eyes.
Zhao Lingyi muttered under his breath, "Is the production team really going this far?"
The comments kept scrolling by—
"The production team is really going all out; this is definitely taboo play!"
"Who's that? Looks like he's got a great figure! Hiss hiss!"
...
"Hurry and save our teammates!"
Lin Wanxing excitedly went over to untie him, and Chu Yiran also stepped forward to help him remove the blindfold.
The light from above shone down on the other person's slightly squinted fox-like eyes. He tilted his head slightly, revealing a long, slender neck, caused by the sudden light.
— Shen Zheyu.
His fellow disciple, Shen Zheyu, smiled at him and said "I don't blame you" before he died.
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