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As the private jet touched down at Li City’s airport, the evening sky was dark, and the air had a crispness typical of foreign countries. Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu stepped off the plane, both feeling the exhaustion of the journey, but there was a sense of excitement for what lay ahead.
The crew and other guests, who had spent an entire day in transit, were already tired, and the scheduled live broadcast had come to an end for the day. Everyone was free to head to their accommodations and rest up for the busy filming ahead. Tomorrow’s shoot would begin at 8 a.m., and the schedule was tight.
Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu, however, were far from the typical travel fatigue. Thanks to the luxury and comfort of their private plane, they had been able to rest, watch movies, and even enjoy a relaxing bath during the flight. Neither of them felt the usual weariness of such a long journey. Yet, out of respect for the production and the upcoming filming, they decided to stay in for the night, preparing themselves for tomorrow’s early start.
Yan Xi felt a sense of dread. She recalled the poor travel plan that Xu Yangyang had prepared for Zhou Qingyu in the novel—an awkward, budget-friendly itinerary that had left much to be desired.
“Do we need to come up with our own travel guide?” Yan Xi asked, hoping to avoid a repeat of that disaster.
Zhou Qingyu, who had been aware of the requirement since before the show began, looked unbothered. She had decided to delegate the task to Xu Yangyang, trusting that someone else would take care of it.
With a nonchalant wave of her hand, Zhou Qingyu responded confidently, “Don’t worry, I brought you out here to relax. There’s no need for you to worry about making a plan. Leave it to me!”
Yan Xi sighed, half-relieved and half-apprehensive, unsure of whether Zhou Qingyu’s carefree approach would lead to an ideal travel experience.
.
By 7:50 AM the next morning, most of the guests had gathered in the living room.
Although they had all gone to bed early the night before, several of the men still seemed to struggle with jet lag, their faces showing signs of fatigue as they faced the cameras.
Xiao Yu was scolding Jiang Tao. “I told you not to read the script last night. Now look at you, all sleepy!”
Jiang Tao, usually serious when working, now looked like a child in front of Xiao Yu. “Ugh, your script was just too good. I couldn’t resist!”
As for Kang Boye and Qin Li, they were simply victims of staying up too late playing games the previous night.
On the breakfast table in the living room, a delightful spread was laid out. A middle-aged man dressed in a butler’s uniform stood by, instructing the chef to place the finished dishes on the table.
The guests caught the enticing aroma of the food on the table, and their stomachs started growling in response.
However, out of the eight guests, only six had arrived; Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi were still missing.
Su Lingling frowned, her tone laced with annoyance. “They were the last ones to board the plane, and now they’re the last ones to show up again? They’re always holding us back and delaying our schedule!”
Ye Luoyi, though not openly critical of Zhou Qingyu, made a veiled comment, “Maybe Qingyu and Yan Xi are tired. But today’s gathering is one of the rare group activities on this trip. If they don’t come soon, it’ll be hard for us to continue with our plans.”
In the live chat, viewers quickly chimed in:
[“Zhou bitch strikes again! Traveling with people like this is such a headache!”]
[“People with no sense of time are the worst! Everyone else has carefully planned their trips, and now everything is thrown off!”]
[“Isn’t the meeting time 8 a.m.? There are still a few minutes left.”]
[“Being a bit early is polite, isn’t it? Zhou bitch doesn’t even have that much courtesy!”]
Louis, standing nearby with his classic F-country features, spoke fluent Chinese as he asked the guests if they’d like to start their breakfast.
The enticing aroma of the dishes proved too hard to resist, and the guests stopped worrying about Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi. They all took their seats and began serving themselves.
Qin Li sighed with appreciation. “The other shows I’ve been on were so stingy, they wouldn’t even think of preparing breakfast for the guests. Director Yu really went the extra mile.”
“Exactly,” Ye Luoyi chimed in, gracefully spreading butter on her toast. “When the show told us to prepare our own travel itineraries, I thought we’d have to handle food as well!”
Su Liling took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee, her previously sour expression finally softening into a smile. “This coffee is excellent, much better than what we had on the plane!”
Hearing the guests unanimously praise him, Director Yu walked into the living room, looking slightly sheepish.
Scratching the back of his head, he explained, “The villa was arranged by our production team,”—after all, for a variety show, it’s better to keep all the guests together—“but this breakfast… it was prepared by Teacher Zhou.”
Note”: In China, addressing senior artists as “teacher”,( lǎoshī) reflects deep-rooted cultural values of respect, hierarchy, and mentorship in traditional Chinese society