Chapter 20.2

Mission accomplished, Yan Zhao removes his makeup and plays games with Ling Xiao in the rest area.

This mission is much easier than he imagined. Although the haunted house is spooky, he only stays in one place and can’t see his own face. After overcoming the initial anxiety, there is really nothing to fear.

At eight o’clock, the director’s voice rings on time: “Everyone has worked hard. Through this mission, we hope you can experience the challenges faced by amusement park staff. Every enjoyable moment you have in the park is backed by the hard work of the staff. As a thank you, the park staff have prepared small gifts for you, and all attractions after 8 o’clock are free for you to enjoy, a reward for your efforts today!”

Yan Zhao applauded, but before he could fully rejoice, the director said, “So first, let’s gather at the haunted house.”

Yan Zhao: “…” I don’t think so.

“Enjoy it!” The lady at the haunted house ticket counter gave Yan Zhao a thumbs up. “The hanging ghosts said they would do their best to scare you!”

Yan Zhao responds weakly, “I’m so looking forward to it…”

Ling Xiao put his arm around Yan Zhao’s shoulder, saying, “Again, Xiao Yan and I already went through it. Can’t he make it scarier—”

Yan Zhao interrupted him, saying, “It was fine the way it is now!”

The six of them, with Yan Zhao as the former haunted house employee, were pushed to the front.

With forced courage, Yan Zhao kept his eyes on the ground, chanting silently, “Prosperity, Democracy, Civilization, Harmony…” Ignoring the ghosts grabbing his feet and those being provocative in front of him.

As their pace quickened and they passed through a bronze statue of a grim soldier, three strings of white skulls appeared in the air. The one on the right had a flower on top, suspended by nearly transparent threads, and the cabinet behind it seamlessly blended with the painted walls.

Seeing Ah Mei, he relaxed a bit. This section was his domain—

A ghost with a mouth sewn shut and a crack suddenly hung upside down from the top: “Leave your tears!” and even played with puns.

Yan Zhao: “………”

The hanged ghost waves his hand: “Hello, can you give me any reaction?”

Yan Zhao raised his hand and pushed him, and the hanged ghost swung in the air like a swing: “Wait, don’t attack the staff!!!”

…

Yan Zhao’s pupils dilated, his steps were sloppy, and his face was expressionless. He walked out of the haunted house like a zombie and found a bench to contemplate life.

—Who am I, where do I come from, and where do I go?

After the haunted house journey, the director organized them to go on roller coasters, drop towers, and other attractions, and recorded a lot of exciting material.

The Ferris wheel slowly rose, colorful lights contrasting with distant fireworks. After the six of them shared their thoughts on the Ferris wheel, the shooting ended. Yan Zhao had a busy schedule, so he didn’t return to the hotel with them but flew directly back to Jincheng. Upon arrival, it was already four in the morning.

The velvety night sky was adorned with a few stars. Under the streetlights, his shadow stretched long.

Yan Zhao dragged his heavy suitcase into the house. Unlike the dim courtyard, a few small lights were on inside, casting warm and hazy light.

“Why are you still not sleeping…” Yan Zhao drooped his eyelids, his brain sluggish like gears stuck, taking several seconds to consider each sentence. On the plane, he dreamed of being chased by ghosts with guns, and when he woke up, he still was not energetic like before sleeping.

Shen Yuanting took the suitcase and helped him upstairs, saying, “I still had work.”

“You stayed up so late. Take care of yourself,” Yan Zhao whispered, his hand gripping the staircase railing.

Under the young man’s eyes, there were heavy dark circles, which appeared even more severe compared to the healthy and fair skin around them.

Shen Yuanting furrowed his brow, “You too.”

The bedding in the bedroom had been changed, fluffy and soft, carrying the warm scent of sun-dried fabric. Yan Zhao climbed into bed, clutching the down comforter tightly.

Shen Yuanting stood at the doorway, looking at him with little expression.

Yan Zhao asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Yuanting remained silent for a while and said, “Nothing, just go to sleep. Goodnight,” then he turned off the light.

Shen Yuanting returned to the study, where the desk was neatly organized with files sorted into categories. He picked up a thin booklet from a stack of documents and started flipping through it.

…

“…The endorsement was canceled?” Early in the morning, Yan Zhao was still lying in bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Why? Did they think my endorsement fee was too high?”

“No, I carefully thought about it. In the past, for the sake of exposure, I took on too many endorsements for you. Now that we’re not an 18th-line(low tier) celebrity anymore, we should focus on quality. I’ve turned down those miscellaneous brands for you, so as not to lower your commercial value,” Song Jing said.

“Okay, thank you, Sister Song.” Yan Zhao asked, “So, I don’t have any morning schedules?”

Song Jing replied, “That’s right. Haven’t you gotten up yet? You worked hard during the shoot yesterday. Take a little more rest.”

Yan Zhao was pleasantly surprised, “Oh, okay.”

In the past, when he was sick, Song Jing would only remind him not to delay filming. Why was she showing concern today?

Song Jing sent him the latest schedule, and Yan Zhao glanced at it. It was much more relaxed than before, with most of the shoots concentrated during the day and fewer in the evenings.

Yan Zhao stretched lazily, got up to wash, exercise, and practice singing. In the afternoon, he had a cooking class.

Yes, cooking. For over twenty years, he hadn’t set foot in the kitchen, but today he was going to learn to cook! This was because Song Jing arranged for him to appear on a food variety show called “Star Feast” as a guest. He was going to showcase his skills as a flying guest.

At first, Yan Zhao refused, saying, “I only know how to make instant noodles, boiled water instant noodles, tomato instant noodles, milk instant noodles. Can I do cola instant noodles?”

Song Jing advised, “Do you think past guests knew how to cook? Most of them learned on the spot. We won’t portray you as a master chef. Just find a recipe, learn a few tricks. If all else fails, you can always be a vase on the show.”

Yan Zhao frowned, “But it’s live-streamed. I don’t know anything. Won’t I be inviting haters?”

Song Jing thought for a moment and suggested, “You can go for the dark cooking route, be sincere, and attract fans.”

Yan Zhao: “…..”

—Well, what else can I do? I’ll learn.

…

When Shen Yuanting opened the door, a cloud of smoke greeted him.

Wang Zai dashed out quickly, meowed, and grabbed the hem of his pants, pulling him into the house.

Shen Yuanting frowned and walked in quickly, only to see a layer of gray smoke swirling near the ceiling. The exhaust hood roared loudly, unable to completely suck away the continuously emerging black smoke. And at the source of the smoke, in the kitchen surrounded by clouds and mist, a figure could be vaguely seen.

Yan Zhao coughed violently, hurriedly turned off the fire, and the knife-cut chili in the pot had already faded from its original red color, turning into a crispy lump of charcoal.

Shen Yuanting: “What are you doing?”

Yan Zhao covered his mouth and nose, “I’m cooking…” Then realizing that this behavior didn’t seem worthy of being called cooking, Yan Zhao corrected himself, “Burning the house down…”

Shen Yuanting: “…”