Meng Zhen nestled on the sofa, reading through the comments one by one.

She felt that fans were a remarkable group. They devoted their passionate and pure love to their idols, constantly giving and dedicating themselves, all in the hope that their idols would appear on a larger screen.

With this thought in mind, her gaze softened slightly.

After resting, she began to prepare for the recording of the variety show.

In the program 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》, whether as a regular mentor or a youth mentor, proficiency in musical instruments was a must.

Professor Ning Fenghua from the Conservatory of Music was known far and wide for nurturing numerous musicians, with the pipa^[1]traditional Chinese musical instrument belonging to the plucked category of instruments being his most frequently used instrument.

Zhang Zhongqing played the guqin extremely well. Two years ago, he represented the country in a cultural exchange in Italy, gaining a certain level of renown overseas.

Fang Jing was adept at playing the flute and had composed theme songs for several martial arts dramas, receiving widespread acclaim.

When the staff previously asked Meng Zhen what she wanted to play, she chose the erhu^[2]a two-stringed bowed musical instrument. In her previous life, her first silent film role was as a supporting actress who played the erhu under a bridge. Even though silent films lacked audible music, there were plenty of knowledgeable people in Shanghai. Meng Zhen didn’t want to spend her whole life as a singing girl. Acting in movies was her only way out. Naturally, she had to seize the opportunity and not just go through the motions.

From her first film to becoming a leading actress, she went through a full ten years. Even if her skills weren’t top-notch, she was still far superior to the average person.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the variety show recording arrived. Meng Zhen got up before dawn. Wearing a hat and mask, she took the subway to Chenxi^[3]Morning Light Theater at Normal University. Just as she reached the entrance of the theater, she saw a black Audi parked nearby. A tall, slender man stepped out from the back seat. He wore a well-tailored suit, his hair was obviously styled, and his makeup had a distinct Korean influence, looking very refined.

This person was Yue Yuanzhao.

Previously, Yue Yuanzhao had participated in the filming of the web drama 《Phoenix Arrives in Splendor》, spending three to four months with the other Meng Zhen. He was well aware of Meng Zhen’s fondness for him. Seeing her now, he took a few steps forward, approaching her with a smile playing at the corners of his lips and a hint of ambiguity in his tone,

“Zhenzhen, I didn’t expect that we would have the chance to work together again.”

Meng Zhen wasn’t the other Meng Zhen and had no interest in a man as insincere as Yue Yuanzhao. She removed her mask and said blandly, “Teacher Yue is a talented person, so it’s my honor to work with you.”

The other Meng Zhen had very delicate features, but due to malnutrition and lack of proper care, her complexion was somewhat sallow, diminishing its impact.

Recently, Meng Zhen had been applying a thick layer of Qibai Gao to her face and body every night. She also personally cooked nourishing soups regularly. Given her youth and good constitution, it didn’t take long for her skin to become fair and smooth, like rich and luscious cream.

Yue Yuanzhao had also seen the short film 《Daffodil》. At that time, he was indeed impressed by Meng Zhen’s beauty but didn’t think much of it. After all, the film’s director was the renowned Qian Xubing. With such a prominent figure behind the camera, even a pig could appear charming, let alone a person.

But standing face to face with Meng Zhen right now, Yue Yuanzhao realized how wrong he had been.

He felt a hint of regret, yet on the surface, Yue Yuanzhao showed no hint of it. He merely gazed at Meng Zhen with his captivating peach-blossom eyes.

Yue Yuanzhao’s fans once stated that they were willing to exchange anything just to have their idol gaze at them affectionately.

Unfortunately, Meng Zhen was not a naive girl enchanted by Yue Yuanzhao. She had long seen through his true colors. Without saying another word, she followed the staff directly to the dressing room.

To the program 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》, money wasn’t an issue, so each guest invited by the production team had their own private dressing room. After entering, Meng Zhen found herself being scrutinized by a makeup artist with meticulous makeup. It took a while before the makeup artist snapped out of it and smiled before speaking, “Teacher Meng, you’re really beautiful. Your skin is delicate and radiant. In my opinion, you don’t need a heavy foundation. We should mainly emphasize the contours of your eyebrows and eyes.”

The makeup artist, somewhat known in the industry, quickly determined the general direction for Meng Zhen’s makeup. After Meng Zhen sat down, she applied primer to Meng Zhen’s face, followed by sweeping contour with translucent powder. Finally, she picked up an eyeliner pencil to outline Meng Zhen’s eyes.

The costume prepared for Meng Zhen by the production team was a modified qipao. Made of light aquamarine silk, it outlined her graceful figure. Her thick, black hair was curled with a curling iron and swept up behind her head, revealing her slender neck. She resembled a republican-era lady stepping out of an oil painting, captivating everyone’s gaze.

The staff stared at Meng Zhen for a moment before handing her the script.

“Teacher Meng, you and Teacher Yue are the guests of this episode, so as youth mentors, each of you has a ‘revival card’. If a contestant loses the competition and you happen to be satisfied with them, you can use it to help them successfully pass this round.”

“Besides that, when you go on stage later, you will also perform with the instrument you chose. I remember Teacher Meng chose the erhu. What will be your performance piece?”

“The erhu solo piece 《Horse Racing》.”

It was created in the 1960s, depicting the scenes of racing horses galloping and neighing through stringed instruments. The music was crisp, lively, and extremely pleasant to listen to. After hearing it, Meng Zhen fell in love with the piece. She had practiced it countless times and had already memorized the score.

Meng Zhen put on her in-ear monitor and followed the staff to the backstage area.

At this moment, the three regular mentors had already stepped onto the stage, each showcasing their proficiency with musical instruments to perform the piece 《Spring Blossoms on a Moonlit River》. The poetic charm of the lyrics blended perfectly with the musical score, expressed through the guzheng, pipa, and bamboo flute. The lively notes brought an ultimate auditory pleasure, transmitted through the sound system to every corner of the recording studio, continuously stirring the hearts of the audience and contestants.

Meng Zhen cradled the erhu in her arms, her eyes half-closed as she savored the melodious tune.

Yue Yuanzhao was positioned to her right and his gaze fixed on Meng Zhen, completely unaware that someone was hiding in the corner taking photos.

A woman with a work badge around her neck aimed her phone at Yue Yuanzhao, continuously pressing the shutter button. Observing the expression of her idol, her face twisted with resentment as she muttered under her breath, “Meng Zhen is such a slut. She’s relying on her good looks to seduce our brother. I’ll expose her true face on the forum later!”

The live audience cheered and screamed for the performances of the three regular mentors. As the thunderous applause gradually subsided, the host finally stepped onto the stage, deliberately teasing the audience.

“The first youth mentor to come on stage is exceptionally outstanding. In the past two years, not only has he presented numerous flawless stage performances, but he has also filmed TV dramas and achieved excellent results. Do you all know who he is?”

“Yue Yuanzhao!”

“Yue Yuanzhao!”

In the audience seats, fans shouted their idol’s name at the top of their lungs. They either waved golden light sticks or held up light boards of the same color, creating a dazzling sea of bright yellow lights that looked particularly impressive.

“It seems like you’ve already guessed his identity. Let’s welcome our first youth mentor, Yue Yuanzhao!”

As the host’s voice trailed off, a lively melody suddenly played, and the man in a pure black suit stepped onto the stage. His handsome face appeared on the large screen, once again eliciting screams from the fans.

Yue Yuanzhao had chosen to play the guzheng, but apart from his manager, no one knew that he had never learned to play this instrument before.

In the past few years, to gain favor with Korean fans, Yue Yuanzhao specifically learned the local ethnic instrument, the gayageum. The gayageum resembles the guzheng in appearance and structure, both having one string per bridge.

However, the gayageum he learned has twenty-one strings, while the guzheng prepared for Yue Yuanzhao by the production team had sixteen strings. This difference made it awkward for him to play, resulting in a somewhat stumbling performance.

While Yue Yuanzhao performed on stage, Meng Zhen sat backstage cradling the erhu, her thumb hooked around the neck of the instrument. When she heard the melody for 《Fisherman’s Song at Dusk》, she couldn’t help but freeze in place.

The nearby staff also showed surprised expressions. They had been involved in producing this folk music variety show, and although their understanding of traditional musical instruments wasn’t as extensive as that of the masters, they could still discern the skill level of performers.

Yue Yuanzhao’s performance was too amateurish.

The majority of the audience members were fans of Yue Yuanzhao, and they cheered and screamed for their idol’s performance. Their enthusiastic applause reached a fever pitch.

At this moment, the three regular mentors seated at the judges’ table wore somewhat peculiar expressions. Fang Jing managed to keep his composure, given his many years in the industry, but the face of Professor Ning Fenghua darkened noticeably.

The original intention behind the creation of 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》 was to deepen the understanding of traditional Chinese musical instruments among the younger generation and even foreign friends. Not only were the mentors carefully selected, but the students who performed on stage also had several years of foundation in traditional music. Even under pressure, their performances shouldn’t drop to such a level.

Moreover, despite his age, Professor Ning Fenghua’s eyesight was still sharp enough. Yue Yuanzhao’s way of plucking the strings was noticeably different from the techniques used for the guzheng and instead resembled those of the gayageum.

He wondered how the production team selected the youth mentor. It’s simply ridiculous!

Zhang Zhongqing, a graduate from the Conservatory of Music who had taken Professor Ning’s classes before, noticed his uneasy state. He quickly muted his microphone and lowered his voice to persuade him, “Professor Ning, Yue Yuanzhao is just a guest mentor for this episode. We’ll have someone else next time. There are so many audience members watching. Please don’t get upset.”

Professor Ning gave him a cold look. “Do you take your teacher for a fool?”

Zhang Zhongqing dared not respond and instead forced a smile while nervously touching the tip of his nose.

Yue Yuanzhao probably also realized something was wrong. His powdered face turned bright red, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His face on the screen reflected a hint of awkwardness.

Immediately after the performance, the host stepped onto the stage, smiled at Yue Yuanzhao, and said, “Thank you, Teacher Yue, for the wonderful performance. Now, let’s warmly welcome our second youth mentor with enthusiastic applause—— Meng Zhen!”