Font Size:
In the beginning, sponsorship for “My Days in the Apartment Building” wasn’t easy to secure. Despite having Zhang Miya, a well-known figure, as the show’s anchor, many potential sponsors remained cautious until the guest list was finalized.
After all, compared to the popular romance observation variety shows, this live simulation of everyday romantic life had a limited scope, being presented in a live broadcast format.
Considering that the audience wouldn’t be tuning in all the time and the usual variety show scripts might not fully cover the spontaneous nature of the show, it posed a challenge. Plus, it demanded excellent acting skills.
Even when Zhang Miya was selecting guests, she took her time.
However, at this critical juncture, a friend’s brand was willing to offer substantial support.
Upon learning that Zhang Miya had planned to include a web-based model in the show’s cast, excitement grew.
Zhang Miya had some reservations. After all, her friend’s brand was relatively niche, solely based on the wealth of their family background, allowing them the luxury of pursuing such ventures.
The online store didn’t enjoy high popularity; occasionally, it made a buzz, but finding a suitable endorser was challenging. Well-known figures in the community, especially those in same-sex relationships, were unwilling to lower their value by endorsing such a small brand.
Besides, even if they were married, they were hesitant about committing to specific roles, fearing it might affect their future acting opportunities.
Hence, the brand was still being promoted by lesser-known internet celebrities.
However, the offer from this brand was quite substantial. Along with accepting it, Zhang Miya was given two options.
She let the guests choose for themselves.
At the time, You Yuxing was chosen, and Zhang Miya had a hunch. Even if You Yuxing agreed, his fiancé, Sheng Xin, probably wouldn’t.
This plan was bound to fail.
However, if it were Chi Yizhen, everything would work out perfectly.
Web-based models had a high level of flexibility and weren’t confined to a specific style; many worked part-time for multiple brands.
Naturally, they started with the most intriguing topic.
But Zhang Miya was a bit worried about unexpected incidents and had specially gone to the recording site today.
The founder of Miyu Mi, Zhu He, had watched some of the live stream yesterday. In the morning, he had also seen the overnight post-production edits hurriedly put together by the production team.
His impression of Chi Yizhen was that he was exceptionally skilled at flirting, to the point where it was hard to distinguish between sincerity and playfulness. Sitting with Zhang Miya that morning to watch, he was astonished by Chi Yizhen’s bold moves. He expressed his satisfaction with Chi Yizhen multiple times, saying, “His performance on the show seems so effortless. The other two groups appear a bit rigid in comparison. He seems like he’s here to have fun, yet also as if he’s genuinely living the experience.”
At least, Chi Yizhen and He Tiao’s barbecue stall atmosphere in the gifs had an inherent charm; even passersby scrolling through couldn’t help but be moved by the emotions conveyed in the images.
Regardless of how you looked at it, both of them had a certain gritty charm.
Today, the immersion was even deeper than last night. Surprisingly, Chi Yizhen managed to turn the program’s live studio into a feast for himself. Many viewers expressed their amazement at Chi Yizhen’s behavior during the live broadcast.
They respectfully dubbed him the “Master of Charm.”
Zhang Miya hesitated, thinking about Chi Yizhen’s genuine struggle to earn money. She paused before saying, “He’s… short on money. Anyway, even if he doesn’t come on the show, he still has to find a job.”
Zhu He understood Chi Yizhen’s situation well, and he was also aware of the feud between Zhang Miya and You Yuxing.
Although he was the founder of a small brand, his family was well-off, and money was not a concern. He had an older sister in the industry, a chief editor at a fashion magazine.
She knew many celebrities and privately didn’t think highly of You Yuxing.
In the end, many things boiled down to business and required exchanges.
You Yuxing’s resources were mostly acquired through favors, many of which were gifts from Sheng Xin. Whether they were genuine achievements as fans claimed, those in the know understood the reality of the situation.
Zhu He observed the energetic young man rushing into the company and saw Chi Yizhen staring in astonishment at the clothes prepared in the studio. He chuckled and said, “Will he storm out on the spot?”
Zhang Miya shook her head confidently. “He definitely won’t storm out; he’s already received half of his payment in advance.”
However, Zhang Miya wasn’t entirely sure. After all, many artists were averse to such arrangements. Even those in the LGBTQ+ community who were open-minded privately considered these matters very personal and embarrassing. They wouldn’t openly disclose such preferences, even to friends.
To her surprise, Chi Yizhen merely took a serious look at the prepared clothes. It wasn’t too intrusive; it involved a bit of privacy and uniforms, after all.
Some of the accessories hanging there didn’t seem like typical items to be worn publicly; many were things Chi Yizhen had only seen in books.
The person in charge nervously watched him, afraid Chi Yizhen might reject the outfits outright.
“Are we not shooting?”
But the person standing before her merely tucked his hands into his coat pockets, lips quirking up slightly. “We’re shooting.”
Chi Yizhen smiled casually.
He chuckled, “Shouldn’t there be another price for this kind of thing?”
When he smiled, his eyes crinkled, and the worry lines on his forehead vanished, making him unexpectedly radiant.
The studio was brightly lit, and Chi Yizhen’s gaze seemed to blend with the lights. Unfortunately, his mind was filled with thoughts of his debts. He stepped forward and asked again, “Can we negotiate the price? Can we talk about it some more?”
The man on the live stream surprised everyone. Instead of the expected embarrassment and avoidance, he was bargaining.
Zhu He: …
Zhang Miya: …
[What kind of character is this supposed to be??]
[But really, for this kind of show, there shouldn’t be a shortage of willing participants, right?]
[Chi Yizhen… I salute you for your honesty about being broke… but your husband is rich! Oh, I forgot, he’s a barbecue seller now, hahaha.]
[Should E-god contemplate how to reach the pinnacle of life through selling barbecue?]
The person in charge coughed awkwardly and nodded.
Chi Yizhen added, “I received a notice that I’ll be shooting a series. Besides your company, I have other part-time jobs. Can we adjust the schedule a bit?”
Of course, the person in charge knew that this was a variety show, and their own boss was promoting their brand. However, they hadn’t expected this actor, who seemed to be making a mess of things, to have so many roles.