Xiao Shulang slept soundly and woke up refreshed at seven o'clock the next day without needing an alarm clock.
The program's live broadcast started at 8:00 AM. Most viewers don't have time to watch such a long live broadcast, so an edited version will be released later. Those who don't like live broadcasts can wait.
Xiao Shulang changed into his sportswear. He wasn't just talking about it yesterday; he does have a habit of going for a morning run whenever he has enough time.
The "cozy little home" is located in the suburbs with beautiful scenery, but there are few residents around, making it very quiet. Even Xu Baichang and Luo Tian can stroll around outside without worrying about being surrounded by fans or paparazzi.
The early morning is the best time to start a day. The morning breeze is refreshing and pleasant. Breathing in the fresh air is delightful. Starting from the tree-lined path at the door, I run around in circles and come back, working up a good sweat.
It was truly comfortable for both body and mind. The air was so fresh, and I felt completely relaxed from the inside out.
Xiao Shulang, panting heavily, stopped running about two hundred meters from his home, took a breath, and slowly walked back.
As I turned the corner, a man pushing a suitcase came into view.
Staff members had already set up cameras at the entrance.
Xiao Shulang was stunned for a moment, then raised his wrist to look at his watch; it was already eight o'clock.
The man was opening the door when he heard the noise and turned around, allowing Xiao Shulang to see his face clearly.
The person broke through the languid morning light and unexpectedly entered Xiao Shulang's eyes.
The sixth guest on the show is Qin Shuang.
He is also the only main character in the original work.
This glance reminded Xiao Shulang of his thousand-word essay in the original novel's comment section, a long and detailed piece filled with praise for Qin Shuang.
The paper doll I was following has come to life!
A note from the author:
Xiao Shulang: You might not believe it, but you can actually make real paper dolls!
Chapter 5: The closer Xiao Shulang got, the more lethal his face became.
Qin Shuang's recent drama is currently airing and his face is all over the internet. Xiao Shulang naturally saw it too, so he recognized Qin Shuang at a glance.
In the original novel, when Qin Shuang first appeared, the author showered him with compliments on his looks, to which Xiao Shulang could only say: "His reputation is well-deserved."
He's handsome from every angle!
Xiao Shulang is also good-looking, but he's not the same type as him. The paper doll has become real, making him unable to help but take one look and then another.
When Xiao Shulang first read the book, he really liked the character Qin Shuang. Whether it was his heroic spirit in the face of adversity or his serious attitude towards people and things, he was incredibly captivating to readers.
A novel I've been following for a long time, a protagonist I've admired for a long time—when the real person steps out of the words and into my life, the impact is no less than finding out I've traveled through time.
The original novel is a career-driven, fast-paced story about how Qin Shuang rose from obscurity to become a top influencer, and how he eventually discovered that he was actually the long-lost youngest son of the head of the Qin Group.
It can be said that he started out with a perfect combination of being handsome, strong, and tragic. He fought his way through with his own abilities and even transformed into a young master of a wealthy family. He used the facts to slap those who had ridiculed him in the face. He did whatever he wanted.
There are many people in the book who like Qin Shuang, some with ill intentions and some with genuine feelings, but Qin Shuang just doesn't develop feelings for anyone. She gets a lot of friend cards and "good person cards".
But that still couldn't stop him from being too charming.
In addition, Qin Shuang once revealed in an interview that she collects different styles of sunglasses, so people jokingly call her "the one who doesn't care about anyone once she puts on her sunglasses".
At this point in time, Qin Shuang is already a popular actress with explosive popularity. At a young age, she has already won Best Actor and Best Actress awards, and she has just returned to her ancestral home, having been found by the Qin family.
However, the outside world is unaware of this news. Therefore, in the eyes of some capitalists, Qin Shuang is a newcomer with good business skills but no foundation, and she is easy for them to manipulate.
Little did they know that those who harbored this attitude and intended to cause trouble would all be crushed by Qin Shuang in the end.
Xiao Shulang from the original novel was long gone by this point, and Qin Shuang hadn't developed any romantic relationships with anyone while participating in the dating reality show, so her character remained intact.
In terms of reputation and works, Xiao Shulang should address Qin Shuang as "Teacher Qin," even though Qin Shuang is a year younger than him.
Unable to share his joy at meeting the protagonist, Xiao Shulang kept it all inside. He gathered his emotions into a ball and took the initiative to greet him: "Hello, Teacher Qin, I am Xiao Shulang."
Qin Shuang nodded: "Hello."
The number of viewers in the morning cannot compare with that in the afternoon, but that does not stop everyone from enthusiastically bombarding Qin Shuang with barrage comments.
[Ahhh, look at me, brother! You're so handsome!]
[The new drama is amazing! Qin Shuang, I love you!]
[Wow, he's got so much charisma! I absolutely love him!]
So much attention was focused on Qin Shuang that no one had time to mention Xiao Shulang's scandals anymore. Just showing his face attracted all the attention. The original protagonist was terrifying.
The door to the small house was a double door; if only one person could pass through, one side would be open. However, when Qin Shuang pushed the door open, she opened both doors so that the two of them could go in together.
The audience might not have noticed, but Xiao Shulang had already sensed the man's subtle and meticulous care.
It feels so comforting.
As they entered the house side by side, Qin Shuang said, "I watched the live broadcast of the program yesterday."
Xiao Shulang blinked.
"Dinner looks delicious."
Since Qin Shuang watched yesterday's live stream, she must have seen the comments mentioning his scandals. But instead of avoiding them, Qin Shuang praised Xiao Shulang right away, showing that she was really not afraid of causing trouble for herself.
All the things Luo Tian hired online trolls to fabricate were without any evidence. As fellow industry insiders, Qin Shuang believed the facts more than the few words of online trolls.
This is the kind of tough, headstrong male lead I love!
Xiao Shulang laughed: "I'll take that as a compliment to my cooking skills."
The two went upstairs together. Xiao Shulang took a shower, changed his clothes, and tidied himself up. He still appeared without makeup.
Makeup is usually needed to look presentable in front of the camera during filming or on stage. In reality shows, it depends on the situation. The Heartbeat Encounter program also has makeup artists who can apply everyday makeup if needed.
But since Xiao Shulang can pull off a bare face, there's no need to bother.
Qin Shuang's arrival added a new highlight to the show, with all six people gathered together. The production team also revealed their true intentions, with a staff member asking with a smile, "What did everyone think of the ingredients last night?"
The sense that there's a hidden agenda behind their smile couldn't be clearer.
Besides Xiao Shulang's excellent work, the ingredients themselves also contributed, and everyone answered that they were good.
Then the staff member smiled slyly: "We never said that the ingredients would be provided for free indefinitely."
"Whoa—"
Everyone instantly realized, "So that's what they were waiting for!"
Xiao Shulang nodded: "No wonder. Last night I felt that there was only enough food in the refrigerator for one or two meals. I thought we would replenish it when we ran out."
They ate another meal in the morning: bread with jam and milk, along with some fruit. There was practically nothing left in the refrigerator except for drinks.
During filming, we couldn't use our own phones, which meant electronic payments were unavailable, and nobody brought cash with them to the show.
The staff member said, "Today's meal expenses need to be earned by completing tasks. Please go outside and get on the bus. We will take you to the task location."
"As for what the mission is, we'll find out when we get there."
The competition for seats on the bus turned into a little drama. Luo Tian deliberately lined up behind Xu Baichang when boarding, so that they could sit together naturally once on the bus. Although yesterday's experience wasn't pleasant for Luo Tian, there was also something to be happy about: Xu Baichang had indeed sent him a text message expressing her affection. Today, he had to make a good impression and redeem himself.
Yin Xingzhi's hopes of sitting next to Luo Tian were dashed, so he settled for a seat behind and to the side of Luo Tian, hoping to find an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
Although Qin Shuang was present today, she was still not within his hunting range.
According to his analysis, Qin Shuang became popular because of her work, and she is known for being resistant to pressure and won't listen to reason. She had offended a company before, and he believes that such a person will eventually learn her lesson and her popularity will not last long. He doesn't want to get involved with her.
An interesting scene unfolded: apart from Luo Tian and Xu Baichang sitting side by side, the rest of the people sat alone. You Ziang, who was following behind Yin Xingzhi, did not choose to sit next to him, but found another seat for himself.
Qin Shuang followed suit, while Xiao Shulang was the last to board the bus. He randomly chose a window seat and sat down with no one next to him.
Such subtle seating arrangements made the two people sitting together all too obvious, and it was more effective than tea or coffee in energizing the audience early in the morning.
Wow, are Luo Tian and Xu Baichang getting along? Right?
I support them both; I think they're a perfect match!
[Hey, wait a minute, have you guys forgotten Luo Tian's performance yesterday?]
That was just a temporary mistake. Believe in Luo Tian! Go Luo Tian!
Xiao Shulang listened to Xu Baichang and Luo Tian's conversation and found that Xu Baichang wasn't very enthusiastic, while Yin Xingzhi kept interrupting. Xiao Shulang smiled, put on his headphones to listen to music, and admired the scenery outside the window.
The bus arrived at its destination after more than an hour. The onboard radio announced that the live stream camera was showing the architecture and scenery of a well-known aquarium in the city.
"Welcome to the aquarium! Your task is to serve as servers at the marine restaurant, providing attentive dining service to our customers!"
"I hope we can all get to know each other better after working together. Let's do our best!"
The six guests included those who already knew each other and those who had never met before. Working together was indeed a quick way to understand each person's personality.
The camera showed the exterior of the aquarium's architecture, and the number of comments on the screen increased significantly.
【Ugh, the aquarium! Why can't I go today?!】
I've been there, I've been there! I've practically checked it off my list, sob sob.
The aquarium features an ocean-themed restaurant. Although it wasn't a day off today, the restaurant was still quite popular. The food is delicious and the ambiance is top-notch. The entire design makes you feel like you're in a tranquil, azure ocean, and just sitting there is a pleasure.
The guests arrived at the restaurant through the staff entrance and changed into the restaurant uniforms. Although they were wearing the same clothes, different people wore them in completely different ways.
The scene of changing clothes was obviously not shown; what appeared on camera was everyone already dressed up, and the comments section was filled with people expressing their love for their favorite guests.
Xiao Shulang was undoubtedly the most handsome among them, but even the two non-celebrity guests received more comments expressing their admiration for him.
After the live stream started yesterday, his fans from years ago were pleasantly surprised to see the face they used to like on the screen. However, there were too many people criticizing Xiao Shulang. Some of them believed the rumors and then stopped being fans, while others were too afraid to speak up. Any scattered praise was drowned out by the criticism.
For example, only a few stray birds are drifting by now.
I think Xiao Shulang is very handsome.
[He's really good-looking, whisper]
The waiters are responsible for taking orders, serving food, responding to customer needs promptly, and cleaning up after the meal. After intensive pre-job training, the six of them officially started working.
——
Xiao Mo came to the aquarium today to take photos. She also watches "Heartbeat Encounters". She had to do things today, so she didn't watch the live broadcast. She planned to watch the recorded or edited version later. However, her friend called to tell her that the crew of the show came to the aquarium to film.
That's so lucky!
She was thrilled and immediately went to the Ocean Restaurant. There was no need to queue for the time being, so Xiao Mo quickly found a seat and waited for the waiter to come over.