Regarding the issue of formalizing their relationship, it seemed like there was no difference between them and a normal couple.

They were not shy about affection, but since they were in a long-distance relationship, they could only chat flirtatiously over WeChat and couldn’t put it into practice.

So, this question was quite meaningful.

Ning Qiuxiu touched her chin, wondering if Mr. Zhan wanted to take their relationship to the next level, like… cough cough, Ning Qiuxiu’s face flushed as she said, “When can you carry me like a princess?”

When Zhan Qingyue heard “princess carry,” his face darkened.

He had been keeping a grudge about this “grievance” for almost half a year.

He still hadn’t gotten back at Ning Qiuxiu for easily lifting him.

However, now that he had recovered physically, carrying her wasn’t difficult.

With some exercise, he could probably do it the next time they met, especially since Ning Qiuxiu only weighed 85 pounds—very light.

So, Zhan Qingyue nodded: “Then Mrs. Zhan’s word is final.”

Ning Qiuxiu was a bit annoyed by the formal tone, saying, “Okay, you’re so annoying.”

Zhan Qingyue: “……”

He just wanted a title, how did it become annoying?

Not understanding, but having found a trick to handle it, Zhan Qingyue decided to soothe her by saying, “It’s because Miss Bamboo Spirit is so naturally beautiful that it tries my patience.”

He needed to act quickly to avoid a wild boar that might come out to eat his carefully nurtured vegetables.

“……” Ning Qiuxiu blushed again, thinking, “Pervert!”

The two of them didn’t realize there was a communication problem and ended the call happily.

Regarding the fan gift incident, since it involved a minor, the police handled it very carefully.

After clarifying the situation, they reported it online using pseudonyms, calling for rational fan behavior and correct guidance from celebrities.

With younger fans these days, a celebrity’s image and actions greatly influence their fans’ views.

Even though pseudonyms were used, the incident was still terrifying.

The police released pictures of the severed arm and the headless realistic doll, which attracted a lot of attention.

Knowing that the culprit was a minor, and that the idol didn’t stop the fan when informed, made people even angrier.

The online discussion was buzzing.

On set, everyone was discussing the incident, not knowing the main culprit was right among them.

Everyone was speculating about who might be responsible.

The case was almost wrapped up.

Since the instigator was a minor, it could only be addressed through education.

Her parents were also taking it seriously and promised to educate and supervise her properly to prevent her from going astray.

As for Zhen Paohui, he wasn’t the main planner.

If this had been exposed, it would have been disastrous for him.

So, the police kept it confidential, and Ning Qiuxiu and her team wouldn’t reveal it either.

Although Zhen Paohui wasn’t named explicitly, he was still questioned by the relevant authorities.

He was likely having a hard time sleeping these days.

This incident had a significant impact on him, and unless he completely lost his mind, he wouldn’t cause trouble again.

“Hey, this is the last time I’m helping you,” Qu Hua had come back again to ensure everything was fine, saying to Ning Qiuxiu, “Even though it’s not my doing, it’s been resolved nicely~”

In mid-March, Ning Qiuxiu returned for the shareholders’ meeting and to terminate her contract with Qu Hua.

After that, she would no longer have any ties with him.

“Thank you for taking care of me this past year, Brother Qu,” Ning Qiuxiu said sincerely.

Aside from Zhan Qingyue, the person she interacted with most here was Qu Hua. Only Ning Qiuxiu knew how much he had looked out for her.

“And thank you, Little Qiuxiu, for your patience over the past year,” Qu Hua replied with a smile. “Keep working hard and fly higher, becoming a big Qiuxiu. When you win that Golden Statue, I’ll be boasting about it.”

“Boast all you want.” Ning Qiuxiu tried to smile but failed, feeling too emotional.

She lowered her head, trying to control her feelings, when she heard Song Chu calling her from a distance, “Ning Qiuxiu!”

Ning Qiuxiu looked up and saw Song Chu walking quickly toward her.

She hurriedly wiped her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Holy crap, I just realized, is that thing trending on social media about you…?”

At first, Song Chu hadn’t connected the trending topic to Ning Qiuxiu.

It wasn’t until the topic’s popularity remained high and he reviewed it again that he remembered she had received a fake arm from a fan not long ago.

“Shh,” Ning Qiuqiu hushed him. “Is your reflex arc running around the Earth?”

Song Chu glanced around at the crew, who were engrossed in scrolling through social media, and lowered his voice. “Damn, this is censored like a Japanese adult film. How the hell is anyone supposed to know who it is?”

“…” Ning Qiuxiu rolled her eyes at his comparison. “We didn’t intend for everyone to know who it was.”

“Damn it, scumbags like that shouldn’t be protected by censorship. They should be fully exposed and utterly disgraced, unworthy of being public figures. Damn trash!”

“Hey,” Ning Qiuxiu reminded him, “there are media here today. Keep it down. What happened to your public persona?”

“…” Song Chu toned it down a bit but still mumbled, “As if I’m afraid of them exposing me. Let them try. I’ll make their lives hell.”

“Big words, Song,” Ning Qiuxiu teased. “But I heard that a few days ago, during the fan visit, one of your ‘mom fans’ fainted because she couldn’t handle seeing how thin you’d become. If you ruin your public persona, will they jump off buildings?”

This was true.

A few days ago, during a fan visit, one of Song Chu’s ‘mom fans’ had fainted after seeing him and shouting, “Chu baby, how did you get so thin, ah…”

The incident had startled everyone and even trended on social media.

“Who spread that rumor? I…” Song Chu started to rant, but seeing everyone’s attention on them, he lowered his voice again. “She hadn’t eaten breakfast and had low blood sugar. She got too excited seeing my beauty and fainted!”

Ning Qiuxiu looked at him with mock affection. “Son, avoiding reality isn’t good. What did Mom always teach you?”

Song Chu: “…Get lost. I don’t have a shameless mom like you.”

Ning Qiuxiu sighed, “Alas, my rebellious son breaks my heart.”

Song Chu: “…”

So, he stormed off angrily.

Ning Qiuxiu, after winning another argument with Song Chu, suddenly felt the thrill of winning an argument against Zhan Qingyue.

It was really that satisfying.

Damn it! Ning Qiuxiu cursed inwardly and heard Qu Hua’s light laughter: “Song Chu, his manager must be having a headache.”

“Indeed, it’s a huge headache,” Ning Qiuxiu said. Every time she saw his manager, she felt like there were more gray hairs.

But with this distraction, her melancholy mood dissipated.

She asked Qu Hua, “By the way, what’s the company saying about Ye Ke?”

Ye Ke was the actress Ning Qiuxiu had met when she first arrived.

She was signed by the leading lady’s studio later and became famous from a drama.

Now that Ji Weiliang’s studio was gone, Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t poach her from her old employer, so it was perfect for Qu Hua to take over.

“We’re almost done with the talks,” Qu Hua said, looking excited. “I spoke with Ye Ke a few days ago. We hit it off well, so it should be fine.”

Ning Qiuxiu nodded: “Her acting is good, and she’s a solid person, just delayed by her manager.”

“Yeah, Jiu Jiu has a good eye~” Qu Hua said with a smile, clearly pleased with Ye Ke.

“By the way,” Qu Hua continued, “Super Extraordinary airs this Saturday on National Channel 1. Remember to watch it~”

“……” If Qu Hua hadn’t mentioned National Channel 1, Ning Qiuxiu would have almost forgotten she recorded a show called Super Extraordinary.

The name was so generic and forgettable that only National Channel’s daring attitude would use such a name.

National Channel’s reality show wasn’t promoted as heavily as other channels’ shows and didn’t even have proper ads or big-name guests.

So, the first episode of this super serious yet ridiculously funny reality show had very low ratings and ended poorly.

Ning Qiuxiu had watched it herself. Despite the fun content and better-than-expected editing, without a major star, the show flopped, even worse than her low-budget bamboo rat show.

The bamboo rat show, due to Fang Jinran and her later persona, had a huge online viewership.

Ning Qiuxiu seriously doubted the show would last.

But her doubt was quickly dispelled.

The day after the show aired, a hashtag #NationalChannel Hardcore Variety Show Teaching# quietly appeared on trending topics.

It featured clips from Super Extraordinary, showcasing hilarious moments.

National Channel’s reality shows were known for being serious and formal, but these clips were so absurdly funny, creating a stark contrast that quickly drew people’s attention and increased viewership.

The trending topic had been up for a while, and “Super Extraordinary” was skyrocketing in popularity with its online viewership surging.

Several guests had also been trending, one after another.

It was evidently a premeditated publicity stunt.

Analyzing the guests most likely to participate in such promotions, Ning Qiuxiu found herself to be the prime suspect.

“I bought the trending topic,” Santiao admitted over the phone to Ning Qiuxiu. “This variety show isn’t bad, but the national station isn’t advertising it enough. It was being overlooked, and now it looks like I made the right call.”

Ning Qiuxiu wailed in response, “So the sixth episode is already on its way 1551, I thought I was finally free.”

Santiao: “…”

#WhatIt’sLikeToBeAnArtistPrayingForYourShowToFlop#

Miserably ending the call with Santiao, Ning Qiuxiu was about to hand her phone to Xiao Chi and head off to shoot when she saw a message from Zhan Qingyue.

It was a photo of him working out.

Zhan Qingyue, dressed in all-black sportswear, looked strikingly different from his usual serious, well-dressed appearance.

The outfit made him appear sunny, handsome, and full of youthful energy, like a vibrant young man in his early twenties.

Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but stare for a few moments, sneakily saving the picture before closing it to read Zhan Qingyue’s message.

[Mutant Black Bean: Working hard to get promoted today too.]

Ning Qiuxiu: “…”

[Ning Qiuxiu: It’s okay if you don’t work that hard, really.]

After all, that sort of thing couldn’t be rushed.

[Mutant Black Bean: Can’t let Qiuqiu be disappointed.]

The inability for people’s brainwaves to sync could lead to misunderstandings, compounded by the vastness of the Chinese language and Zhan Qingyue’s tendency to speak with dual meanings.

So, Ning Qiuxiu blushed when she read the message.

The underlying meaning of Zhan Qingyue’s words clearly implied he was working out to improve his stamina for… that.

Ahhh, how could his thoughts be so dirty? Ning Qiuxiu’s face turned beet red.

He was becoming increasingly shameless!

Even more terrifying was the fact that she was a bit looking forward to it. What was wrong with her?