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Chapter 15
The recording for “Forward Charge” would only begin at eight in the morning the next day. Before that, Wen Tang needed to go to Tomato TV to participate in the recording of the variety show “Happy Sunday” with the crew.
“Happy Sunday” had been on air for over ten years, with a steady audience. New dramas and movies were always promoted on it, and Wen Tang appeared on the show two or three times a year.
On the way to Tomato TV, Ke Xin received the updated schedule and guest list from the “Forward Charge” team.
The previous list had been given a couple of days earlier, but this new one had just been released, and it reportedly included changes to some personnel and game segments.
After opening the list, Ke Xin saw that the game segments were unchanged, but there was one additional person on the list!
“Tang Tang, the program team just sent me the schedule. I saw that Lu Zhiling was added to the guest list! We had coordinated with them before, but they never mentioned this. It wasn’t on our list either, but now it suddenly appears! And the crew only mentioned a few key supporting roles for the new drama’s promotion. Could Lu Zhiling really be considered a key supporting role now?”
Holding the tablet and looking at the schedule, Ke Xin clenched her fists in frustration. “The program team and the crew are trying to stir things up!”
Lu Zhiling was Wen Tang’s ex-boyfriend from early last year. After breaking up with him, Wen Tang had acted in two more dramas and had relationships with a couple of other ex-boyfriends.
The program team invited Lu Zhiling without informing Wen Tang, likely fearing she would refuse to come if she knew. However, if they notified her in advance, they worried she might not show up at all!
So they caught her in this awkward position, not too early or too late, forcing Wen Tang to deliberate on her response and keeping her anger at bay.
Ke Xin figured out what was happening and was infuriated. But Wen Tang, upon hearing this, didn’t even bat an eye and calmly said, “They’ve always been like this.”
People in the entertainment industry are sharp, eager to make the most out of every opportunity. How could they pass up such a good chance?
Wen Tang had lost count of how many times she had been in such situations.
If it were Liu Meifen, the show would have been canceled unless Lu Zhiling left. But Wen Tang didn’t have such concerns.
Compared to Lu Zhiling, she was more concerned about someone else. She had just messaged Gong Yue again, but he had gone silent.
Sigh.
Her younger brother was really hard to deal with.
“But Tang Tang…” Ke Xin was troubled, having been single for twenty-two years. She really didn’t understand. “Won’t it be awkward to be on a variety show with an ex-boyfriend?”
Wen Tang glanced at her and replied in a very normal tone, “I’m used to it.”
Ke Xin: “…”
Sorry, she shouldn’t have asked that question.
She was being narrow-minded!
But speaking of stirring things up, people in the entertainment industry were indeed professionals.
Creating topics where there are none, making headlines where there’s no buzz.
Ignoring Wen Tang, who is always a hot search topic, would be abnormal.
Prepared for the moment she would see Lu Zhiling at Tomato TV, Wen Tang wasn’t particularly surprised. As long as the program team didn’t go too far, she could handle being on stage with her ex.
The entertainment industry is small, and such encounters are inevitable. She had parted ways with all her ex-boyfriends amicably, so there was nothing to avoid. However, after the show airs, it will likely spark a new wave of public discussion and quickly rise to trending topics.
The drama about to be broadcast was filmed early last year, and her relationship with Lu Zhiling was also from that time.
A year later, Lu Zhiling was no longer the obscure eighteen-line actor he once was. After their breakup, Wen Tang had helped him connect with some decent resources. Their past relationship had also made headlines, and taking advantage of the buzz, his manager had secured several new dramas and endorsements for him. Lu Zhiling had frequently appeared on television, and his recent participation in a popular variety show had boosted his popularity. With several upcoming dramas featuring him as the lead, his career was poised for further growth.
Every ex-boyfriend of Wen Tang’s had soared to success after their relationship.
Wen Tang’s taste in men had always been sharp.
The cast of the show included not only Lu Zhiling but also the leads, second male and female leads, and supporting characters, all present. So, Lu Zhiling’s sudden appearance didn’t seem too out of place.
Everyone was waiting in a shared lounge, and Wen Tang was the last to arrive.
As soon as she walked into the lounge, cameras began recording behind-the-scenes footage.
Wen Tang greeted everyone, including Lu Zhiling.
“Long time no see.” Wen Tang approached him, extending her hand with a very natural attitude.
Lu Zhiling was the most proud among Wen Tang’s past boyfriends. She still remembered how his eyes turned red when she mentioned breaking up after filming their drama, though he remained silent and wouldn’t try to persuade her.
Lu Zhiling looked at Wen Tang with his long, narrow eyes, which were particularly beautiful and easy to get lost in.
Wen Tang had been attracted to Lu Zhiling because of those eyes.
His gaze, seemingly indifferent yet affectionate.
He also extended his hand to Wen Tang, saying, “Long time no see,” in front of the show’s crew and the cameras of “Happy Sunday.”
Everyone understood the nature of Wen Tang and Lu Zhiling’s relationship, but as actors, they knew how to act professionally. They avoided discussing what shouldn’t be mentioned and ignored what shouldn’t be looked at.
Even Wen Tang and Lu Zhiling behaved like ordinary colleagues, without any hint of ambiguity.
If one ignored the rumors about Wen Tang and Lu Zhiling, the recording of the show seemed like a perfectly normal affair.
Recording a show involves a lot of time—adjusting the process, rehearsing, and reshooting parts that aren’t satisfactory. By the time the recording ended, it was already nine in the evening, and everyone hadn’t had dinner yet.
The program team invited the cast to have a late-night snack.
Wen Tang was on a diet, avoiding food after 4 PM, and she had another show to record the next day. Since “Forward Charge” relied heavily on physical stamina, she wanted to stay quiet at the hotel tonight.
So, she didn’t go.
After returning to the hotel and taking a shower, she finally received a message from Gong Yue.
“Mm.”
……
Wen Tang held her phone and got into bed.
Her younger brother was really difficult to deal with!
Wen Tang couldn’t understand why he was so terse with his messages.
Would typing a few more words really tire his fingers? He looked energetic and young at the opening ceremony.
Wen Tang pondered whether to reply and how to respond, considering they would meet the next day.
Even though he didn’t know she was her. 🙂
A moment later.
[Candy: Senior Brother, I used to watch your show, and it always had so many celebrity guests. It’s really impressive!]
Wen Tang decided to compliment him again, without worrying about the specifics.
With so much romantic experience, she knew everyone—whether men or women—liked hearing praise, especially guys with a hidden vanity that was rather endearing.
As expected, after being praised, his replies started coming faster.
[Y: Aren’t you too?]
Is he saying she is also a big star?
Although he didn’t know she was indeed a big star and not a minor actress, she was still quite happy.
Wen Tang couldn’t help but smile.
She humbly replied:
[Candy: Oh no, I’m just a minor actress. Becoming a big star is really tough.]
With her years of personal experience, she could vouch for how difficult it was to become a big star.
Even though she had been famous for many years, who knew how much effort she had put in behind the scenes? Working non-stop 365 days a year, continuously learning and working, or else she would be overtaken, forgotten, and left behind.
Capital doesn’t invest in someone for no reason, and fans are the most forgetful group. They may like her today, but tomorrow, they might switch their support to someone else, and even turn against her.
Being a star is that cruel.
At this moment, in the luxury apartment in Lingcheng near the river, Zhou Jingyu sat on the sofa, looking at the message Wen Tang had sent him.
The apartment lights were fully on, illuminating the place like daylight.
Zhou Jingyu’s flawless face, illuminated by the fluorescent lights, appeared especially indifferent.
After a while, his long, slender fingers typed out a few words on the phone screen.
[Y: Is it really that hard?]
He sent the message and waited for a reply.
Soon, a response arrived.
[Candy: Yes, it is!]
[Candy: It’s super hard, okay?！！！]
Today, Zhou Jingyu had briefly looked into the domestic entertainment industry.
He thought that anything solvable with money couldn’t be considered truly difficult.
But until now, he still didn’t know who she really was. Who was the person hiding their identity to get close to him?
Was she a host on the “Forward Charge” variety show?
He tapped his long legs twice with his fingers and then replied.
[Y: Are you in Liuzhou now?]
[Candy: Yes!]
[Y: I’m in Liuzhou too.]
Wen Tang didn’t find anything odd about this statement.
[ Candy: Oh, what a coincidence!]
Seeing her clueless reply, jumping into the trap without realizing it, Zhou Jingyu slowly typed out a few more words.
[Y: Let’s meet up.]
……
……
……
The other end was silent for about five minutes before sending a reply.
[Candy: But, I’ve already finished my business and bought my ticket. I’m leaving tomorrow.]
[Candy: Sorry, Senior Brother.]
[Candy: Let’s meet next time!]
[Candy: Here’s a candy for you. JPG]
Seeing so many messages from her at once, Zhou Jingyu couldn’t help but let out a light snort through his nose.
Dare I invite you, dare you agree?
Not a single word of truth.
A little liar who spouts lies.
***
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Ayalee[Translator]
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