As soon as Director Xu’s words fell, a round of applause erupted outside the car.
“Finally made it!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
“Hope we get someone who can cook; apart from Ran Yang, no one here knows how to!”
“No worries, even if they can’t cook, Director Xu won’t let us starve, hahaha.”

Amidst the guests’ laughter, a male voice stood out sharply.
“Weren’t we told that Ran Yang’s ex-husband would be coming? Is this him?”
“……”

The atmosphere on site suddenly froze.
It was at this moment that Lin Can got out of the car. Although he was tall and had a great body ratio, wearing a cartoon headpiece made him look a bit ridiculous compared to the well-dressed stars.
Someone couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
“What kind of outfit is this? It’s so funny!”

Though the comment was humorous, there was no malice in the laughter; it was quite cheerful. The person walked over to help Lin Can with his suitcase.
Lin Can thanked him and explained, “It’s what the director asked for.”
The helper glanced towards Director Xu, “Director Xu, what trick are you up to this time?”

Director Xu laughed heartily. He was young and handsome, often referred to by fans as the most handsome man among directors, and he got along well with many stars in the industry.
Seeing Lin Can looking at him, Director Xu immediately waved and greeted him, telling him to just call him Xu Lan.
Lin Can understood this was for Qi Yuan’s sake and appropriately called him Director Xu.

“I’m Wan Xiwen, a model; just call me Xiwen,” the man helping Lin Can with the suitcase said, smiling, revealing two deep dimples that were quite adorable.
Lin Can nodded, “I’m Lin Can.”
“Lin…”
“Lin Can?” A voice interrupted their conversation. “I haven’t heard that name before; you’re Ran Yang’s ex-husband, right?”

Lin Can turned to look in the direction of the voice. A slender, cold-looking man was sitting on a wooden chair, his gaze filled with scrutiny and disdain.
【I can’t believe this; can someone make Bai Qing leave? Is he unable to live without Ran Yang? How many times has he mentioned ‘ex-husband’ since the live broadcast started? I’m already tired of hearing it.】
【So annoying, how can a grown man be so petty? I don’t understand how his fans can still support him.】
【What? Did we say something wrong? Isn’t this guy Ran Yang’s ex-husband?】
【It’s not our fault that Ran Yang ended up with a scumbag; he chose poorly, so who can he blame?】
【Exactly, they say they divorced, but then both ended up on the same dating variety show. Who knows if they just want to cash in as a family, haha.】

Bai Qing and Ran Yang attracted completely different fan bases, one being enchanting and the other gentle. However, they both came from the same talent show, and since their debut, they had been in competition.
In Bai Qing’s mind, Ran Yang’s current status was all thanks to Song Xiao, the wealthy young master, supporting her. Otherwise, a contestant who ranked lower than him in the talent show couldn’t possibly be doing better.
Their rivalry was well-known in the industry, and when Ran Yang divorced, many suspected that Bai Qing had bribed her ex-husband to turn against her, leading to a flood of online criticism against Bai Qing, causing him to lose several endorsement deals.

With new grudges added to old ones, Bai Qing was more than eager to take jabs at Ran Yang now that her life was in a mess.
Seeing that Ran Yang hadn’t shown any unusual expression, Song Xiao was about to explode, and Wan Xiwen quickly stepped in to ease the tension.
“Alright, alright, everyone knows his name is Lin Can now, Bai Qing, you don’t need to keep bringing it up.”
After saying that, he looked back into the car, pretending to be clueless, and asked Lin Can, “So, Lin Can, who’s your partner? Why aren’t they coming out? Are they carsick?”

Lin Can followed his gaze and noticed that someone still had no intention of coming out.
He helplessly shouted inside, “Aren’t you coming out yet?”
Bai Qing scoffed softly; although his voice wasn’t loud, it was clear to the audience because of the microphone.
But this time, no one got angry; they all laughed.
【I hope that person comes out soon; I want to see if you can still scoff.】
【He clearly has no idea who he’s about to face.】
【Let’s take a moment of silence for Bai Qing.】

Bai Qing’s fans couldn’t take it anymore.
【We didn’t scoff for no reason! Do Qi Yuan’s fans have to be so domineering that they can’t even let us make a sound?!】
【Can Qi Yuan just quietly leave the entertainment industry to inherit his family fortune? A prince running around competing for resources, suffocating other stars, how shameless!】
【Exactly, his acting isn’t even that great…】
【The internet really broadens your horizons; where else could you see so many clowns?】
【In the live broadcast room, you can even see someone saying the Film Emperor’s acting is bad.】
【Who knows if that Film Emperor got his award through connections?】
【Do you think Qi Yuan is the kind of useless person who needs connections to win awards? He’s too proud for that.】
【Stop talking; I might cry again soon.】

Bai Qing had a lot of scandals since his debut, not to mention the cringe-worthy idol dramas he starred in. He even bribed the organizers of a TV festival to win an award, and after being exposed by netizens, he recorded a video claiming he had no idea.
He spoke tearfully, and his fans felt sorry for him, while fans of other artists and ordinary bystanders treated it as a joke, bringing it up every now and then as a classic tale.
“Looks like he’s about to cry again” became one of Bai Qing’s most popular memes.

Some were curious.
【Did he really not know Qi Yuan would be here? Aren’t the guests supposed to be informed in advance?】
Believe it or not, Bai Qing really had no idea.
That day, at Qi Yuan’s suggestion, Director Xu called everyone to dinner to discuss work. He didn’t want to see Ran Yang, so he casually made an excuse to decline.
Director Xu was naturally unhappy, so he kept a little secret and intentionally didn’t tell him who the last guest was.
Qi Yuan cooperated perfectly, still lounging in the car, and his lazy voice drifted out.
“Someone’s been barking like a dog, and it’s grating on my ears, so I just don’t want to go out.”

Bai Qing’s mocking smile froze instantly.
Everyone else was speaking normally, but he was the only one throwing jabs, making it obvious who he was referring to.
The bullet comments started flooding in.
【Keep barking, keep barking; weren’t you just having a great time? Don’t back down now.】
【This feels good; even though I’m not a fan of Qi Yuan, I still find it satisfying!】
【Hahaha, look at Bai Qing’s face!】

Lin Can awkwardly glanced at Bai Qing.
Apart from him, no one cared about Bai Qing’s current state; they all stood up from their chairs, pretending not to know who was inside, and began discussing.
“Why does that voice sound so familiar…?”
“Me too, it sounds a bit like Yuan Ge.”
“Could it really be Yuan Ge?”

Wan Xiwen was fully committed to the act, looking exaggeratedly at Lin Can, “Is your partner Yuan Ge?”
This kind of variety show really wasn’t suitable for Lin Can, he thought, resignedly nodding his head.
“Wow…” Everyone exclaimed in unison.
Lin Can felt so awkward that he could only urge the person inside to come out quickly.
“What are you rushing for?” Qi Yuan said, but his actions were quite sincere; without waiting for Lin Can to urge him a second time, he got out of the car.

He was undoubtedly the most outstanding figure in the entertainment industry, with both talent and a strong family background, giving him an air of confidence and superiority.
As soon as he got out, he shot a glare at Bai Qing amidst the enthusiastic applause.
“Was someone just talking about my Lin Can?”

Bai Qing shivered internally but had to keep a brave face in front of the camera, forcing a smile that wasn’t too flattering.
“Yuan Ge, I was just a bit curious; I’ve never encountered this situation before…”
“Then you really have limited experience,” Qi Yuan interrupted him bluntly.

Bai Qing was at a loss for words, blinking innocently.
The bullet comments were filled with laughter from everyone except Bai Qing’s fans.
【So satisfying! It feels like a weight has been lifted.】
【This is the vibe! The familiar boss is back!】
【Boss, you’re cutest when you’re confronting everyone!】

Bai Qing’s fans were jumping up and down in frustration.
【How can Qi Yuan, a Film Emperor, be so petty!】
【Exactly, everything we said was the truth!】
【Qi Yuan is really hungry; he’s so obsessed with a divorced old man, and he’s still a scumbag. Isn’t he afraid of being laughed at by other fans?】

“Alright, alright,” Director Xu raised a megaphone to take control of the situation, “Now that all the guests have arrived, we can officially start recording our show.”
“Okay!” Everyone cheered and clapped in support.
“The village behind you is where you’ll be staying for this period.”

Once everyone turned to take a look, Director Xu continued, “But which house you stay in will depend on your luck.”
“We have a total of four groups, eight people. There’s one mud house, two flat houses, and one building. I won’t say much about the conditions inside; you’ll find out once you move in.”

As Director Xu spoke, the smirk on his face was hard to hide.
Thanks to the heat brought by Qi Yuan, he was determined to make this season a classic, working overtime on the segment design just to ensure the guests could “enjoy themselves.”
Qi Yuan, who knew him best, frowned slightly, “Why do I feel like you have ulterior motives?”
“Great Film Emperor, just cooperate with us; this is a fantastic variety experience, and you have someone to accompany you—how rare is that!” Director Xu gave him a thumbs up.

Suddenly being called out, Lin Can unconsciously stood a bit straighter.
Qi Yuan clicked his tongue, realizing that Director Xu really saw Lin Can as his talisman and comforter.
“If you don’t mention Lin Can, that’s fine,” he pointed at Lin Can’s headpiece, “When can this thing come off?”
“Don’t rush,” Director Xu, although he hadn’t seen Lin Can’s true face, knew that the person who could take down Qi Yuan was no ordinary individual, deliberately keeping the audience in suspense, “You can take it off after this segment ends.”

Qi Yuan impatiently urged, “Then let’s get on with the first segment.”
Director Xu cheerfully responded, sending a staff member to fetch the props that had been prepared long ago.
But the bullet comments were not pleased.
【Qi Yuan is too domineering; he’s here as a guest, yet he’s ordering everyone around as if he’s the director.】
【Exactly, it’s so abrupt; he’s making everyone else feel awkward.】
【So annoying, I came to watch a variety show, not to see this prince throwing a tantrum!】
【I’m anxious too, but I’m different from you; my appetite has been whetted all along. What does the ex-husband look like?!】
【Rumor has it that Qi Yuan lost his mind when he saw the ex-husband; he was the one who pursued him actively, clinging on like crazy.】
【Is that true? If so, I’m getting excited!】
【It’s obvious from the start that this is a Qi Yuan hater; even I, not being a fan, know he wouldn’t cling to someone like that; he’s too proud for that.】
【Exactly, it’s clear who’s chasing who; the one with money and power isn’t the ex-husband.】

While the bullet comments were buzzing, the staff brought out a box containing balls.
“There are four balls inside, each with a piece of paper that indicates the room you’ll be staying in. Each group should send a representative to draw lots.”

It seemed like a pure luck-based game.
Qi Yuan slightly raised his chin, looking at Lin Can, who was still wearing the headpiece beside him.
“Are you going to draw?”