Me And My Four Dancers - Chapter 9
Chapter 9 Let’s Go Drink
As the saying goes, the first time is strange, the second time is familiar. After Yan Shuo calmed down, he was less worried about the possibility of his QQ account being exposed.
At worst, it would just become another trending topic. He wouldn’t admit it anyway, even if Li Linjia came to question him. “It’s not me, I don’t know, it’s none of my business.” He would just deny it.
But QQ wasn’t a problem; Shen Ze was a huge one.
This crappy show “Superstar” would film for three months, a full thirteen episodes. He and Shen Ze would have to sleep in the same bed for thirteen episodes! … Even if Shen Ze could remain calm now and had no intention of confessing his feelings to him, three months, day after day, night after night, with his secret crush sleeping next to him, who could remain mentally stable?
But what could he do?
He couldn’t just tell Shen Ze, “You’re not allowed to have a crush on me anymore.”
Breaking the curtain would benefit no one, so he wouldn’t do such a foolish thing. So, life is so difficult, and having too high an emotional intelligence is a mistake. He wished he could be dull, that mysterious skill of “not being able to detect when someone likes him,” but why couldn’t he have it?
No wonder they say stupid people have more luck, while smart people always have more troubles.
Yan Shuo fretted for a few days, but work had to go on as usual.
For the past few days, he and Shen Ze had been working routinely under the camera. After a day’s recording, they would retreat to their rooms, close the door, and rarely communicate privately.
Is Yan Shuo intentionally avoiding communication with Shen Ze? Is Shen Ze perhaps more reserved and cautious around him? In short, Yan Shuo could subtly sense that Shen Ze was also intentionally reducing contact with him. His every word and action was restrained, and he spoke very little, avoiding conversation whenever possible.
He seemed genuinely nervous, which was understandable.
Amidst their awkward interactions, the first episode of “Superstar” was finalized, including all the extra footage. With post-production editing complete, it will premiere on schedule this Saturday. This morning, the official Weibo account released a new set of posters and a three-minute trailer.
Yan Shuo hadn’t been on his main Weibo account in a while, but he logged in again and, like the other guests, reposted the official post to promote the show.
A few minutes after he did, Chen Ze reposted his, not from the official account.
Yan Shuo wasn’t surprised. This is part of the CP-building business, and Weibo interaction is crucial.
As Li Linjia put it, our business philosophy is: to pay attention to every detail and ensure complete customer satisfaction.
Yan Shuo, still young at the time, asked her naively, “Isn’t this a lie? We’re deceiving people. Isn’t that hypocritical?”
Li Linjia lectured him, “Do you think it’s hypocritical? No, not at all. We sell happiness. Isn’t that the essence of being in the entertainment industry? Although we’ve made a lot of money, we must not forget our roots. Bringing happiness to the public is our duty, our original aspiration. The world of fame and fortune is too impetuous. We should stay true to our original aspiration and forge ahead.”
Yan Shuo: “…”
From then on, he gave up questioning Li Linjia, fearing her brainwashing rhetoric would escalate into “serving the people by promoting couples, operating for the rise of the Chinese nation.” He quickly shut up and just followed her instructions.
Yan Shuo followed the repost and clicked on Chen Ze’s Weibo profile to scan it.
Chen Ze’s online style was similar to his real self: aloof, quiet, and seldom using cute emojis. Of the five members in their group, Chen Ze and Fu Xinyan are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Fu Xinyan, on the other hand, is a true Weibo user. Seeing the long, lyrical posts he posts daily, Yan Shuo is convinced that even if Fu Xinyan doesn’t become a celebrity, he could still be a sentimental blogger with millions of followers, constantly showering his fans with inspirational messages. Absolutely.
Because of this, almost no one in their group would mess with Fu Xinyan, lest they accidentally end up in a long Weibo post and be analyzed by his fans.
It’s a shame that others can avoid it. Yan Shuo was originally ordered to promote a couple with Fu Xinyan. With the popularity of the two, so many people are convinced that there’s something fishy going on. Even if Fu Xinyan didn’t write about him, as long as his words hinted at a bad mood, he’d be blamed—”Yanyan, go comfort Xiao Fu! Why have you upset him again?”
Yan Shuo’s heart aches, and he can only silently repeat the motto “Never forget your original aspiration” to comfort himself.
Similarly, contrast creates beauty.
Compared to Fu Xinyan, Chen Ze is a perfect business partner. Putting aside their personal disputes, Chen Ze’s online presence is a quiet, peaceful, and incredibly worry-free person.
Thinking of this, Yan Shuo felt less stiff, and his mood improved slightly.
The production crew will be filming on location soon—although it’s a closed-door program, if the only locations for thirteen episodes are the guests’ villas and the competition stage, it would be too boring. The audience would lose interest after just two episodes.
As far as Yan Shuo knows, the first episode will serve as a pilot, with relatively simple content, focusing on the guests getting to know each other and each person’s initial thoughts on joining the show. The main event of “Superstar” begins in the second episode.
The main show is a competition-style format. First, the director will draft five different themed performances every two episodes, based on the guests’ professions. For example, since Yan Shuo and Shen Ze are primarily singers and dancers, one of the themes will be a song and dance performance. However, this theme will not be assigned to Yan Shuo and Shen Ze’s group, but will be chosen by the less skilled group. This is known as a crossover performance.
Then, the five groups of guests will each perform their five programs on stage. The audience and specially invited judges will comprehensively score the performances, ranking them from first to fifth. Points will be awarded based on their placement. In the final episode, after the rankings are determined, the group with the highest total points will be crowned champion.
In general, according to this plan, the first episode of “Superstar” is the introductory episode, the second episode is the first program theme, and the guests’ creation and practice process is filmed. The third episode is the performance stage, and the fourth episode is the second program theme… and so on, all the way to the final episode, for a total of six crossover performances.
The stage is undoubtedly a major attraction, but the show’s core appeal is its celebrity reality show, so the emphasis is on showcasing the real behind-the-scenes preparations for the stage.
Yan Shuo was well aware that the so-called “real process” was anything but realistic.
The director had frankly explained during the meeting that after assigning the guests a theme, they were free to find inspiration and add creativity to the stage performances. What did he mean? To put it bluntly, the production team was using public funds to invite the guests on outings to expand filming locations. This made the content more interesting, the images more beautiful, and it was easier to create conflict and establish character for the guests.
Thus, “Superstar” is a variety show that combines stage competitions, outdoor sports, and scenic tours, with numerous selling points.
At least for Yan Shuo, the filming process was fun and not at all boring.
The upcoming outdoor shoot involved a boat trip to the lake, but not everyone was going. Only his and Shen Ze’s group were going; the other groups had separate plans.
It’s worth mentioning that the lake they were visiting this time was the city’s most famous Lover’s Lake, a popular dating destination for couples—the production team’s eagerness to create a romantic couple was clearly written on their faces.
Even more outrageously, the filming was to be done covertly. The director instructed them to wear sunglasses and masks, disguise themselves as ordinary tourists, and blend in quietly with the crowd, trying not to be spotted.
Yan Shuo knew exactly how the footage would turn out; he knew the post-production team all too well. The screen would undoubtedly be filled with pink bubbles and ambiguous subtitles, creating the illusion of a private date between him and Shen Ze.
Before departure, there were still some matters to arrange, so the guests rested and would leave later.
Yan Shuo and Shen Ze were already prepared, sitting on the sofa together, playing with their phones and waiting for the time to pass.
Yan Shuo was checking WeChat. Two days ago, Qi Haoyu had created a small WeChat group called “Actually, the Plastic Group is Not Plastic at All.” As the name suggests, it was their five-person group.
Yan Shuo opened it and saw a message floating above it—
Qi Haoyu: “It’s break time on set, good afternoon! What are you guys up to? QVQ?”
Five minutes passed, and none of the brothers responded to him. Clearly, the group name was fake, and this fake group is truly fake.
Yan Shuo tried to save face: “We’re taking a break too. We’ll go shoot the location later.”
Qi Haoyu, probably on his phone, replied almost instantly: “You guys? You and Brother Ze? I heard you two sleep in the same bed. Is that true?”
Yan Shuo: “It’s okay. The bed is big, and there’s plenty of room.”
Qi Haoyu: “How does it feel? It’s really not crowded, Brother Yan? I haven’t slept in the same bed with anyone since I was seven. I really want to try it.”
Yan Shuo: “…”
Is there anything worth trying?
Yan Shuo: “It’s okay, it’s not crowded. You’ll experience it when you get married and share a bed with your wife.”
Qi Haoyu: “!”
Qi Haoyu: “You and Brother Ze both felt like they were married?”
Yan Shuo: “…”
No wonder no one paid attention to him. Chatting with a silly elementary school kid whose brainwaves were so off-kilter was exhausting.
Yan Shuo closed WeChat indifferently and prepared to head to the forums for some entertainment. He hadn’t been there lately.
However, before he could even open the post, a new group chat message popped up—
Qi Haoyu: “By the way, we can meet tomorrow! The top five members of the M.E.N universe, reunited!”
Qi Haoyu: “Come on! Applause! Clap! Clap!”
Yan Shuo: “…”
Chen Ze: “?”
Chen Ze: “Aren’t you guys filming on set?”
“…”
Yan Shuo turned and glanced at Chen Ze. He assumed Shen Ze had blocked the group chat and couldn’t see them chatting.
But he was also curious. How would they meet? He assumed they’d be working separately this time, and wouldn’t be together for at least three months, with the chance of visiting each other on set. Could it be that the production team was going to visit the set for joint promotion?
Yan Shuo: “What event? I haven’t received any notification.”
Qi Haoyu: “It’s not an event, it’s a personal arrangement! Our crew also happens to be filming on location, not far from you guys. Let’s go drink and sing karaoke together after work tonight~”
Yan Shuo: “…”
Chen Ze: “…”
Qi Haoyu: “Okay, actually, it was Sister Jia’s arrangement. She told us to pretend we were going out together, and paparazzi would be taking pictures at the door. Then, she’d post a rumor about us drinking together to prove our close relationship and dispel the recent rumors about M.E.N.”
Qi Haoyu: “She’ll help you get some time off from the production team, so it won’t affect filming.”
Yan Shuo understood. Ever since his fake account was exposed, rumors of discord within the M.E.N group had been rampant. There were rumors that Chen Ze was going solo as a singer, Qi Haoyu was quitting to go to school, Li Jin was turning to acting, and Fu Xinyan was being poached by XX company… In short, in less than two weeks, M.E.N had been disbanded eight hundred times, and Yan Shuo was the biggest problem that led to the group’s disbandment.
Yan Shuo felt a bit awkward, but he couldn’t resist. He immediately replied in the group chat, “Okay, let’s go for a drink.” As soon as the message went out, Qi Haoyu’s private message suddenly popped up—
Qi Haoyu: “Brother, I just need to tell you something. Let’s meet tomorrow to talk. QAQ.”
Yan Shuo: “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Qi Haoyu: “I broke up. My girlfriend is actually a guy!!! The photos she showed me were fake!! She’s actually a guy!!!”
Yan Shuo: “…”
It’s over. So tragic! The beautiful love story of the post-2000s generation has been shattered.