Chapter 53

The next day at noon, Ye Chen arrived at the reality show shooting location with Gao Ran and successfully met up with the program staff.

The recording of the reality show aimed for a natural, unpretentious effect, requiring no complicated preparations. Filming could start as soon as they arrived, with cameras already set up in the guest lounge to capture the scene of the guests entering.

Ye Chen’s flight was early, so he was the first to enter the lounge. For the sake of filming convenience, he dressed very casually today, wearing a simple white t-shirt with a dark shirt over it. The loose, relaxed Japanese-style outfit had excellent drape, with smooth folds and shadows highlighting his slender, handsome figure, exuding a youthful vibe.

Ye Chen waved at the camera, smiled with his signature dimples, and picked a seat to wait obediently.

During the half-hour wait, the other three regular guests also entered the lounge one after another, greeting each other.

Besides Ye Chen, the other regular male guest was named Zhou Yu. Standing at 1.91 meters tall, he was a well-known male model with many fans due to his striking looks. In the past two years, he had ventured into the entertainment industry. Although he had acted in two critically panned dramas with notoriously poor acting skills, earning the nickname “Human Teleprompter,” he had shifted towards variety shows and reality TV. He believed his biggest advantage in acting was his good attitude.

There were two regular female guests. One was Jiang Xiyue, a champion of a popular music talent show. She had delicate features and a slender, fragile appearance, skilled in playing eighteen different musical instruments, and was a talented songwriter, often triggering protective instincts in men.

The other female guest was Gu Youyou, a disciple of a famous cross-talk master. Despite having the looks to rely on her appearance, she chose to rely on her wit. Known for her stage performances without any concern for maintaining a pretty image, she gained a wave of popularity through her contrasting charm and accidentally joined the ranks of top entertainers. She had participated in two movies directed by a legendary figure in the comedy world and was a popular comedienne with strikingly good looks.

In addition to the regular guests, each episode of the show invites a different artist or group as a temporary guest to prevent the audience from getting tired of seeing the same faces all the time. For the first episode, the temporary guest was a four-member male idol group named AS, consisting of four handsome and fresh-faced assembly line little fresh meat who could easily hound to death those with mild face blindness.

The leader of the reality show, Zhang Qin, was the leading lady of a local TV station, often seen hosting various variety shows. She would be following the fifteen-day recording process, issuing tasks and hosting activities for the guests.

“Alright, now our scheduled four guests have arrived,” Zhang Qin said, clapping her hands in front of the camera, trying to keep the suspense up before the big reveal. “For those of you who followed the official Weibo of our show, you might know that due to various considerations, we have decided to add a brand new heavyweight guest to the second season. This mysterious guest is participating in a reality show for the first time, breaking the dimensional wall just for our show…”

Ye Chen was so uninterested in these scripted words that he even wanted to sneakily play on his phone.

“…Now, let’s welcome our mysterious guest!” Zhang Qin finished her introduction, making a gesture of invitation.

As soon as she finished speaking, the lounge door was pushed open.

The mysterious guest at the door instantly became the center of attention, and Ye Chen casually looked up…

“Ahhh!” Gu Youyou screamed without any celebrity decorum, “He’s alive!”

Zhou Yu also stretched his voice in disbelief, “Wow—really—”

Jiang Xiyue’s eyelids slightly lifted, equally surprised but maintaining her calm demeanor.

Four little fresh meat, different mouths, one voice ^[1]In unison): “Oh my God!” ——Behind the door stood Shen Mofeng, draping a recently removed thin jacket over his shoulder, leaning against the wall. Seeing the staff open the door, … Continue reading” written on his forehead!

“This is a ladies-only car,” Zhang Qin laughed, “only girls are allowed.”

Just as Ye Chen was about to abandon his dignity and transform into a girl on the spot, someone grabbed him by the collar like a kitten.

“Where are you going?” Shen Mofeng’s dark eyes glinted as he said in a deep voice, “Get in the car.”

Ye Chen drooped his head in resignation, letting Shen Mofeng drag him into the car and push him into the back seat.

During the post-editing, Ye Chen was humorously given droopy bunny ears and wide noodle tears, with the words “Give me back my girls!” floating above his head. Shen Mofeng, who had grabbed him, was given wolf ears and a wolf tail, with the words “No girls, only Teacher Shen” above him.

…

The reactions of the guests inside the car were also part of the reality show, so the cameras kept rolling even after they got in. Ye Chen didn’t dare to speak freely, but he felt like he was about to explode if he held back any longer. He pulled out his phone and started typing a message to Shen Mofeng: Why are you here?!

Shen Mofeng took out his phone and replied, pretending to be casual: Just like you, it’s for work. What a coincidence.

Ye Chen typed furiously, his fingers nearly leaving afterimages: No way, you never take on variety shows or reality TV. You did this on purpose!

Shen Mofeng smiled and admitted: Yes, I used my connections to get in. I’m here to chase my boyfriend.

Otherwise… Shen Mofeng’s sharp gaze pierced through the front seat, staring at Zhou Yu, then through Zhou Yu to the four young idols in the car ahead.

…It wouldn’t do to not see each other for half a month, especially with so many wild men around. How could that be acceptable?

Ye Chen was fuming: Then why didn’t you tell me yesterday?

Shen Mofeng glanced at him coolly: If you had behaved a bit better yesterday, agreed to let me visit you on set, or agreed to video call me every night, I might have told you.

Ye Chen was speechless: “…”

He indeed wasn’t “well-behaved” enough yesterday. However, he had been so relentlessly teased these past few days that his mind felt like a boiling pot of glue, hot and confused. He desperately needed a break to cool down, and yet…

Ye Chen anxiously rolled down the car window, letting the wind blow through. He tugged at his collar, shaking it wildly, trying to let the cool air soothe his overheated, prickly skin.

Shen Mofeng sinisterly messaged: Naughty little boy, needs a scare.

Shen Mofeng: And needs traps set for him to fall into.

Seeing the words “set traps,” Ye Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He stiffly avoided looking in Shen Mofeng’s direction.

Shen Mofeng’s lips curled up: Call me “gege” tonight.

Ye Chen glanced at the screen, turned his head, and pressed his face against the car window to cool down. His ears, hidden under his black hair, were temptingly red.

With cameras recording, Shen Mofeng didn’t dare to be too blatant. After all, their exchange of subtle expressions was noticeable enough for anyone to see they were texting each other. It was time to tone it down.

So, Shen Mofeng made a fist, resting it against his lips to hide his uncontrollable smile, while he and Ye Chen each looked out their respective windows.

His ears were a bit red too.

…

Two hours later, they arrived at their destination, Yunfu Village.

For the sake of the show, all nine guests would stay at a local farmhouse. This farmhouse had four bedrooms to be allocated, with each room comfortably housing two to three people. Naturally, the two girls would share one room, while the four members of the boy band would split into two rooms. Zhou Yu, ever the friendly affection unifier, cast a look towards Shen Mofeng and Ye Chen, who had arrived with him in the same car, and cheerfully suggested, “How about the three of us share a room?”

Shen Mofeng looked at Zhou Yu with an indifferent expression, as if he hadn’t heard clearly, and let out an upward nasal sound, “Hm?”

“I…” Zhou Yu suddenly lost his words.

Shen Mofeng didn’t have much of an expression, but Zhou Yu inexplicably felt a surge of killing intent in his eyes.

How intense was that killing intent?

To illustrate, it was as if an old bachelor who had repeatedly failed to lose his virginity finally had a chance to seek a fulfilling sex life, only to have some clueless idiot come and ruin it…

—It was about that intense.

Zhou Yu felt a chill down his spine and swallowed the rest of his sentence, laughing it off as he went to join the boy band members for a room.

Ye Chen enviously watched Zhou Yu’s bird-like… eagle-like free departure and, without much hope, reported, “Shen Ge…”

“What’s up?” Shen Mofeng asked kindly, while simultaneously turning his face to the camera’s blind spot.

Ye Chen: “…”

Shen Mofeng gazed at him with a half-smile, mouthing: You dare.

Ye Chen swallowed hard and said, “N-nothing.”

The author has something to say:

Although a few supporting characters from the entertainment industry appeared, there were no vicious female or male supporting characters; everyone is joyous sand sculptures~

The old rogue is bullying people again! Look at the angry face of the dear mother — ╰(*°▽°*)╯

They’re going to sleep together… (rubs hands)