Chapter 8 (1/2)

That night, Yan Xi didn’t return to her dormitory.

Since it was already summer break with no classes, and her roommate had decided to stay in the dormitory over the break, Zhou Qingyu worried that Yan Xi might feel emotional if she returned. So, she brought Yan Xi to stay at her spacious flat instead.

That night, Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu shared a bed.

The next morning, Yan Xi was woken up by the sound of the doorbell. Zhou Qingyu, still grumpy from being woken up, turned over and buried herself deeper under the blanket, showing no intention of answering the door.

Half-asleep and groggy, Yan Xi glanced at the time—it was 7 a.m.

The doorbell continued ringing, growing more insistent.

Yan Xi sighed helplessly, got out of bed, and headed to the living room to open the door.

Outside the spacious flat, a crowd of people had gathered—it was the production team of Let’s Travel Together. Standing at the forefront was the following PD, holding a camera ready to start filming.

The scheduled shooting time was 8 a.m., but the production team had deliberately arrived an hour early to capture the guests in their natural state—like female celebrities without makeup or male celebrities in their sleeping positions.

This segment was always a hit with viewers, who were particularly curious about these candid moments. Despite the early hour, the livestream’s chatroom was already buzzing with activity.

[Comment section from the livestream:]

• “Been ready for this! Just waiting to see Zhou-b*tch mess up!”
• “No way Zhou-b*tch knows about the surprise filming. No makeup, no filters under a live camera—her so-called ‘goddess of the entertainment industry’ persona is going to crash and burn!”

• “Zhou-b*tch looks so plain, yet she dares to meddle in Yi Yi and Second Young Master Pei’s relationship. She’s disgusting!”
• “She’s just jealous of Yi Yi for having Second Young Master Pei and for being prettier. That’s why she slapped Yi Yi on purpose!”

Everyone was eagerly anticipating the moment when Zhou Qingyu would face the camera bare-faced. As the door opened, the PD carrying the camera and the variety show staff swarmed in.

However, instead of the disheveled Zhou Qingyu the viewers had imagined, the camera captured a young girl wearing a cute bunny-print nightgown. Her skin was as smooth and radiant as snow, her arms as delicate as lotus roots. Her slightly messy hair gave her an endearing, freshly-woken charm.

[Livestream comments:]

• “Whoa, is Zhou Qingyu’s bare face this stunning?”
• “So adorable! She looks like a little bunny—I just want to hug her!”

• “Why do I feel like she looks completely different from the made-up Zhou Qingyu? Is the entertainment industry’s makeup game this strong? Such a drastic transformation!”
• “Are you stupid? This isn’t Zhou Qingyu!”

The staff who rushed into the luxury apartment were momentarily stunned before someone finally asked, “Excuse me, is this Zhou Qingyu’s residence? We’re from the Let’s Travel Together program crew.”

Facing the camera for the first time, Yan Xi couldn’t help feeling a bit flustered. She nervously tugged at the hem of her bunny-print nightgown and replied, “Qing Qing is still sleeping. I’ll go wake her up.”

The apartment, spanning over 500 square meters, easily accommodated the program crew. The follow-camera PD trailed Yan Xi as she headed toward the master bedroom, while other crew members began setting up cameras around the space.

Curious, the PD asked, “Miss, are you also a celebrity? Maybe Zhou Qingyu’s travel partner for this show?”

Yan Xi patiently replied, “I’m not.” She glanced at the camera and added, “Hello, everyone. My name is Yan Xi. I’m Qing Qing’s friend, and I’m joining her for this variety show.”

[Livestream comments:]

• “She’s not a celebrity and still this pretty?!”
• “Zhou Qingyu is gorgeous too, so do all good-looking people hang out together? Take me along, please!”
• “She says she’s not a celebrity, and you believe her? Don’t be naïve. She’s definitely a new recruit by Xingyao. They probably booted Xu Yangyang just to promote her!”
• “Exactly! How else do you explain Xu Yangyang’s ‘coincidental’ injury right before filming, and this conveniently stunning friend of Zhou Qingyu joining the show? There’s no such thing as too many beauties!”
• “Poor Xu Yangyang—got written into a sacrificial lamb role!”

Yan Xi entered the bedroom, where Zhou Qingyu was still buried under the blankets, refusing to get up.

Yan Xi pulled open the curtains, and the morning sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire room in a golden glow.

The staff were brimming with excitement, all eager to capture Zhou Qingyu’s bare face on camera.

Zhou Qingyu, hailed as a “divine beauty” in the entertainment industry, was the epitome of bold and striking beauty. Yet, she had never participated in lifestyle variety shows, and to this day, no paparazzi had managed to photograph her without makeup.

The production crew had scheduled filming an hour earlier than usual, hoping to use the hashtag #BarefacedDivineBeauty as a marketing gimmick to snag a spot on trending topics.

If Zhou Qingyu’s bare face turned out to be stunning, it would be a win-win situation for everyone.

If it wasn’t… well, that might be even more entertaining.

After all, based on the production crew’s experience, most bold-featured beauties didn’t look particularly remarkable without makeup.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yan Xi gently tugged on Zhou Qingyu. “Qingqing, the crew is here. Time to get up.”

Zhou Qingyu despised being woken up while sleeping. Once, on a film set, she had been napping when a production assistant woke her up to shoot a scene. In response, she lashed out with a tirade so fierce that the poor boy was left sobbing for his mother.