"Good morning, Xiao Jiang. Have you been here long? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Xiao Jiang was still unsure of the new artist's temperament, so he honestly replied, "I arrived at six o'clock and have already eaten. Brother Xiao, have you eaten yet? There's yogurt and bread in the car."
"We've eaten, let's go."
"OK."
The car started, and Xiao Jiang followed the navigation. He heard Xiao Shulang say in the back seat, "From now on, just be on time for the agreed time. You don't need to be too early. With me, just do what you're supposed to do, and don't be too reserved about anything else."
His voice was so pleasant, gentle yet forceful, it was like a tranquilizer for Xiao Jiang. Xiao Jiang, who had been restless all night and had rushed out of bed early in the morning, felt a lump in her throat and a warmth in her heart: "Okay."
Who wouldn't want a good boss at work? It makes them more motivated to do their job.
They need to go to the trainees' dormitory first to film the daytime scenes. The director gave the staff the list of guest stars yesterday, and someone will lead the way when they arrive.
"Teacher Xiao, please go to the dressing room first."
Today, the guests will have two outfits, one for backstage and one for the stage. Xiao Shulang's own outfit is quite good, and the stylist thinks it's perfectly fine to use this outfit for the backstage recording, with just a little hair and makeup done.
When the makeup artist was doing Xiao Shulang's makeup, she couldn't help but sigh, "His face is so good! It's fair and flawless, and all his features are perfectly proportioned and beautiful. He's even more stunning up close. No wonder his popularity skyrocketed after appearing on a variety show. His looks are truly undeniable."
As she was getting her makeup done, greetings came one after another from outside the door, growing closer and closer until the dressing room door opened. The staff inside greeted her warmly as soon as they saw who it was: "Teacher Qin!"
When Xiao Shulang arrived, everyone was just exchanging pleasantries. There was no such enthusiastic welcome. Look at everyone's faces, beaming with joy, showering Qin Shuang with smiles like sunflowers.
The makeup artist who was applying makeup to Xiao Shulang also stopped and greeted him: "Good morning, Teacher Qin!"
Qin Shuang nodded: "Hello everyone, I've come over to say hello."
Qin Shuang has his own makeup and styling team, which he brought along for today's show. He had already finished his first look before leaving home and was just waiting for filming to begin.
Xiao Shulang opened his eyes and turned to greet Qin Shuang: "Good morning."
Qin Shuang: Good morning.
They greeted them as if they were still living under the same roof, as if it were second nature.
Qin Shuang pulled up a chair and sat down. His assistant, Xiao Wu, poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. After taking the water, he noticed the makeup artist was still staring at him and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Ah? Ah!" The makeup artist fidgeted with her fingers. "Is there anything you need, Ms. Qin?"
"I'm just sitting here to rest for a while."
The makeup artist froze for a moment: "Ah, okay, okay."
The makeup artist turned away awkwardly and started applying makeup to Xiao Shulang again. He had thought that Qin Shuang was staying here instead of going to the lounge because she had something to do... but he had been presumptuous.
The makeup for the backstage recording didn't need to be too heavy, and Xiao Shulang's styling was also done quickly.
Today he wore a white T-shirt with a black vest and a long necklace. The makeup artist styled his hair neatly, but deliberately tousled a few strands of hair at his temples, letting them dart out, subtly revealing a hint of arrogance amidst his docility, further enhancing his pure and clean yet alluring demeanor.
Their looks are absolutely stunning.
After the styling was completely finished, everyone else in the dressing room was stunned. Some people even bumped their feet on the cabinet because they were so attracted by the look when they were moving things.
"Aww!"
A loud howl of pain brought everyone back to their senses. The one who bumped his toe was embarrassed and raised his hand, grimacing as he left. Xiao Shulang turned around, and the others hurriedly looked away, except for Qin Shuang, whose gaze remained fixed on him.
Qin Shuang didn't shy away from the question: "The styling is great."
He complimented her naturally and generously, and Xiao Shulang wasn't embarrassed at all: "Thank you, you look good too."
The two got up and walked out together, and only then did the staff in the dressing room dare to speak behind their backs.
"Wow, Xiao Shulang's face is even more incredible up close."
"Yeah, but why would the director invite him? In terms of star power, even if they were to find someone to fill in at the last minute, it wouldn't be his turn."
"Who knows? Let's just focus on doing our own thing."
Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang walked side by side. He took a glasses case out of the bag that Xiao Jiang was carrying behind him and handed it to Qin Shuang: "The sunglasses are returned to their rightful owner."
Qin Shuang took it. When Xiao Wu heard it was sunglasses, his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Qin Shuang to lend sunglasses to someone he'd only known for a few days. What surprised him even more was what followed—
Qin Shuang, who always cherished her sunglasses, didn't even open the lid to check if the item was intact before handing it to herself.
Xiao Wu took it blankly, looking at Qin Shuang in disbelief, then at Xiao Shulang's back, until Xiao Jiang spoke to him: "Hello, everyone's together today... uh, are you alright?"
Xiao Wu blankly put the glasses case into the bag, and said slowly, "It's nothing... I just witnessed something and I'm still a little dazed."
Xiao Jiang was confused: "Huh?"
They were walking together, how come he didn't notice anything special?
Xiao Shulang joked, "When we said goodbye, I thought we wouldn't see each other again until we got back to the mountains, but we met again today."
They finished filming today and have to go back to the dating show tomorrow. Even though they're on vacation, they haven't actually separated at all.
Qin Shuang: "It's great to work with you."
The two didn't talk much, but walking side by side, there was no awkward silence even when they weren't speaking.
The staff knew that the two guests were the guest stars, but the mentors and contestants did not. Their backstage recording involved first greeting the mentors and then watching their group's practice room performance one by one.
The four mentors were already waiting in the lounge.
Ji Mingming said listlessly, "Hey, does nobody really know who the guest is this episode?"
Although the guest lineup is not revealed in advance for the sake of the show's effect, there are usually some rumors beforehand. This time, all they know is that the guest has been replaced at the last minute, but they have no idea who it is.
"The director seems quite pleased," Wen Baihe said casually, touching up her lipstick in a small mirror. "They've found a good person, haven't they?"
"Sister Baihe is willing to talk to me now," Ji Mingming said, seemingly flattered. "You're not angry anymore?"
"Oh."
Wen Baihe slammed the lid shut: "I just thought the lounge was too quiet, so I was just starting a conversation."
Ji Mingming shrugged. A staff member knocked on the door and came in carrying a camera: "Filming is about to begin."
Ji Mingming finally perked up: "Looks like we'll be meeting the guest stars soon."
After the cameras were turned on, the door to the lounge reopened, and the two guest stars entered the room to greet everyone.
When they saw Qin Shuang, everyone's eyes lit up: the participation of a popular celebrity meant an increase in the show's popularity! Nobody wants to be on an obscure show, right? Therefore, whether they were sincere or not, they all put on very enthusiastic expressions.
Ji Mingming's acting was even more exaggerated, with him exclaiming "Oh my god!" But before he could finish his exaggerated performance, it almost came to an abrupt halt with the appearance of the second guest.
Sparse and elegant.
If they warmly welcomed Qin Shuang's arrival, upon seeing Xiao Shulang, three out of the four mentors were stunned, and then a deep sense of disappointment arose in their hearts.
I thought both of them would be big-name guests, but one turned out to be a nobody?
Moreover, even someone like Wen Baihe, who doesn't watch dating reality shows, only learned of his existence by browsing entertainment news and seeing the conflict between Xiao Shulang and Luo Tian.
Not to mention fans and passersby, even some people in their circle thought that Xiao Shulang was going to take the route of becoming famous through controversy and riding on Luo Tian's popularity.
But since the cameras were on, they didn't show their disappointment directly on their faces. They still greeted Xiao Shulang with smiles. Xiao Shulang could keenly sense the sudden drop in enthusiasm, but he still smiled politely and said, "Hello, everyone."
The others need to put on an act, but Ji Mingming doesn't, because he's a publicly acknowledged friend of Luo Tian.
Ji Mingming stood at the back and didn't go forward. She even deliberately showed a disdainful expression to the camera, which was very conspicuous.
He wanted to openly and blatantly dislike Xiao Shulang, posing as a friend of Luo Tian.
As mentioned earlier, three of the four mentors were disappointed, but the remaining mentor was not disappointed when he saw Xiao Shulang; instead, his eyes lit up.
He stepped forward and shook Xiao Shulang's hand: "Teacher Xiao, welcome."
Xiao Shulang had already memorized everyone's information and knew that his name was Zhuo Cheng, so he responded with ease: "Thank you, Teacher Zhuo."
Zhuo Cheng seemed a little reluctant when he let go of her hand, and took the initiative to start a conversation: "The guest performers will be giving us pointers on the performance, right? What's the order this time?"
The others glanced at Zhuo Cheng, seemingly casually: their feigned enthusiasm was limited, and in reality, none of them brought up the topic separately with Xiao Shulang. Zhuo Cheng, on the other hand, was genuinely welcoming him.
A staff member off-camera explained: "The two guest stars will be traveling together to watch the performances of the four groups. The order will be determined by drawing lots."
Previously, the guest stars were divided into groups to inspect the area, but this time they are paired up and acting together. However, the director must have had his reasons for arranging it this way.
After the draw, the viewing order was: Ji Mingming's group first, and Zhuo Cheng's group last.
Now that the order is set, Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang will go with Ji Mingming first, while the rest of the group will go to their respective practice rooms so they can practice a bit more before the guest stars arrive.
The athletes arrived at the practice room earlier than them and were already in place.
Before leaving, Zhuo Cheng secretly glanced at Xiao Shulang, and Xiao Shulang happened to meet his gaze. Startled, Zhuo Cheng immediately looked away as if he had been caught red-handed.
Xiao Shulang: ?
He was still wondering when he saw Zhuo Cheng scratch his head, turn back to him, wave awkwardly, and then quickly walk away.
Xiao Shulang was even more confused.
Could it be that he knew the original owner of this body?
However, after searching through his main memories, he found no trace left by Zhuo Cheng, so it was very likely that the original owner himself had no impression of Zhuo Cheng.
If the original owner didn't remember, Xiao Shulang would have even less reason to know.
While they were thinking, the group had already arrived at the door of Ji Mingming's group practice room.
After opening the door, Ji Mingming walked in with her head held high, like a hostess. The contestants, who had just sat in a circle discussing something, immediately stood up and greeted the mentors and guests.
Amidst the rising and falling greetings, Ji Mingming clapped her hands: "Alright, alright, get ready. Teacher Qin is here today, so everyone has to do their best."
He deliberately avoided mentioning Xiao Shulang, but Qin Shuang didn't appreciate his gesture: "Teacher Xiao is more professional than me."
Ji Mingming's expression froze, while the contestants looked curiously at Xiao Shulang.
Xiao Shulang said calmly, "Teacher Qin praised me. He was just being modest. We are all looking forward to everyone's performance today. Let's do our best."
Ji Mingming glanced at Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang: Some people on TV shows are just putting on a show, so he thought that relationships on dating reality shows were just something to look at and not be taken seriously. But now he was a little unsure. Did the two of them really have a good relationship?
The mentors and guests all sat down to the side, leaving the main seats in the room for the contestants. Everyone was wearing simple practice clothes, and their performances began as soon as the music started.
This performance is the second public performance, and the scores will be entered into the historical score accumulation. In the next round, those ranked lower will be eliminated, so everyone is putting in their best effort and is also very nervous.
Even though the performance in the first round was like that, Ji Mingming didn't change the center position. When watching the show on TV, there's always editing, so you can't always see the whole thing. But when you're sitting in the audience and watching the whole performance, all the strengths and weaknesses are laid bare.
As the music played, Qin Shuang's expression grew increasingly blank, Xiao Shulang frowned slightly, and Ji Mingming's expression became increasingly impatient.
When the performance ended, Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang politely applauded. Before their applause had even stopped, Ji Mingming shouted and went out.
"Is this all you've trained for?!"
The applause was cut off by roars, and half of the contestants lowered their heads, pursed their lips, and dared not utter a sound.