Mu Qiu couldn’t figure out what that smile from the director meant.
They were already at the final punishment segment now, which meant this episode was about to completely wrap up. Could there still be some weird twist coming?
She was still standing on stage, so it wasn’t good to keep staring over there. She could only turn her head back and continue watching the others receive their punishments.
This episode’s punishment segment actually wasn’t that fun. Compared with the previous episodes, this one was just way too mild and too boring. It was only suitable to do on stage, suitable for them in their inconvenient performance outfits to have some quick verbal interaction with fans.
But what do fans care about when they come on-site? Isn’t it all about interacting with their idols? In that sense, this game did fit.
After the punishment ended, it moved on to the slogan segment.
A group of people wearing special headbands stood with their backs to the audience. The camera that had been constantly rotating on stage was suddenly raised up, like a mechanical arm in an unmanned factory, lifting the lens high, aiming at the guests and the audience below, clicking away taking photos.
With that extra-tall bunny-ear headband on his head, Cheng Zhirang’s sweet voice sounded again: "Next, we need everyone to shout a slogan together. After we count down three-two-one, the camera will automatically switch to video mode. Everyone get ready—"
"Three, two, one!"
Tens of thousands shouted together: "Different Variety Show! Different us!"
Click, episode eight wrapped, slate down.
——
The main doors of the venue opened, and several thousand people slowly streamed out. Everyone still had traces of excitement on their faces, each of them still eagerly discussing the stage they’d just seen.
There were also groups of fans outside taking photos, checking in for memories, and handing envelopes to the assistants waiting outside.
"These are letters everyone wrote to Brother Cheng. Assistant Liang, you have to pass them to Brother Cheng!"
"Did you bring that mailbox we gave you, Brother Liang? Everyone brought quite a lot of letters this time."
"We didn’t bring anything else, only letters. Assistant Liang, you have to tell him, okay?"
"Tell him that we support him no matter what he does. We don’t believe those online rumors. We trust him!"
"Brother Cheng did so amazing today! Assistant Liang, remember to remind him to go home and rest well!"
"Alright, that line’s unnecessary, girls. Someone’s already reminding him now."
"Suddenly I feel a bit sad."
"Assistant Liang, Brother Cheng’s birthday is coming up soon. We’ve already prepared the promos and a get-together. Can he do a short livestream to chat with us?"
"Can we see him on his birthday? Will there be any offline event? We just saw him, but we already miss him so much. He hasn’t been filming lately—has his life been okay?"
"Is Brother Cheng getting off work now, or does he still have follow-up activities? Can we wait here and see him?"
There were lots of Cheng Zhi fans, lots of letters, and even more questions—so many Assistant Liang could barely listen fast enough.
He was guarding the nanny van outside, doing double duty interacting with fans. He took that mailbox out of the car, filled it up with envelopes, and selectively answered a few of their questions.
"You don’t need to spend money on promos. There should be a livestream on his birthday. As for offline events, we’re still discussing. Considering that day isn’t a weekend, the chances aren’t great, but if anything changes, the studio will notify everyone in time."
"He’s been resting well lately, and his love life is going well too. Don’t waste time arguing with rumor-mongers online. If you have any doubts, send them to the studio."
"No need to wait around here. Head home while you can and don’t get heatstroke. He still has to stay a while longer with the show team, then he’ll go straight back."
"I’ll give him the letters. He’ll definitely read them, don’t worry. As long as you’re satisfied with today’s stage, that’s enough. Go on home."
The fans gradually dispersed, and the afternoon sun quietly dipped, slowly falling from between the high-rises down to the horizon. Patchy, dappled light replaced the harsh sun, loosening the layers of stifling heat. The hot waves fled and dissolved, and a gentle evening breeze came in.
Only then did Mu Qiu and the others come out of the hotel, changing into casual clothes to go for a group dinner.
This episode was pretty special and felt very accomplished, definitely worth celebrating.
Li Yang played host and treated everyone to this meal, a tom yum hotpot—as if he was footing the bill to celebrate finally holding his head high. He paid very briskly, even covering that peach-tower ice cream Guan Yu bought to make it up to Shi Yuhuai.
The others had arrived first. When Mu Qiu and Cheng Zhirang walked in hand in hand, Li Yang and Lin Lian were still ordering a second peach-tower ice cream—supposedly to soothe the irritable Guan Yu.
There were only two seats left by Guan Yu’s side. Mu Qiu was arranged next to Guan Yu. Cheng Zhirang went to get her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, then sat back down, resting his hand on the small of her back, gently massaging.
Mu Qiu felt completely drained of strength. Her legs crossed and rubbed together under the table, and she instinctively leaned toward Cheng Zhirang.
The irritable Guan Yu, gnawing on her ice cream, noticed something off and scooted closer to ask in a lecherous whisper, "Great Author, you’re really dedicated to your craft—this worn-out, and you still squeeze in some personal experience of overindulgence so it’s easier to write, huh?"
"...Shut up. Go gnaw your tower."
"Well, yeah, same here. If I were Brother Cheng, I wouldn’t be able to hold back either."
"Sister Guan Yu, if you wanted shrimp paste you could’ve said so," Mu Qiu dropped the shrimp paste next to her into the pot, smiling with her eyes but not her mouth as she raised her voice, "Anyway, Li Yang’s paying. Eat whatever you want, what’s there to be afraid of?"
Guan Yu clicked her tongue, then turned back to gnaw on her ice cream.
"I’m sorry."
Cheng Zhirang sounded full of apology, even his hand massaging her waist paused.
Mu Qiu tapped his arm with the pad of her finger, signaling him to keep going.
"What are you sorry for? Boyfriend and girlfriend engaging in normal great harmony of life—is that illegal?"
Not to mention, she was the one who told him to come and meow in her ear and listen... okay, stop.
"Ahem, let’s eat. I’m hungry."
Thai hotpot wasn’t that different from regular hotpot, but the ingredients at this restaurant were really fresh, which Mu Qiu loved. Cheng Zhirang served her several rounds of shrimp paste and abalone, and she ate very happily.
A dinner with adults couldn’t go without some alcohol. After two rounds of drinks, a slightly tipsy Chuchu Tiantian smiled and asked Mu Qiu a question.
"Sister Mu Qiu, you and Brother Cheng have such a good relationship. How did you manage to win Brother Cheng over in the first place?"
Mu Qiu thought for a moment. "Of course with my blazing love and warm heart, I moved him. He thought, wow, there’s actually a girl in this world who’s so fresh and unpretentious, not fake, hardworking and positive—and he was instantly touched."
Shi Yuhuai gracefully ate his shrimp and spat out pure straight-man commentary: "Help, I’m going to puke."
Mu Qiu: "...Brother Huai, you’ve been chiming in a bit too much lately. Can you not talk?"
Shu Ran: "Even Brother Huai can’t take it anymore. You should seriously consider just how unreliable your own words are."
"Let the clear-headed bystanders who actually know what’s going on sum it up," Guan Yu wiped her mouth and said:
"You used your blunt gaze, bold declarations, and wonderfully bizarre brain circuits to grab Brother Cheng’s attention. Poor Brother Cheng, a straight-laced guy who only knows how to act in dramas—how could he withstand this kind of unapologetically unique offensive? He could only fall step by step."
"In short, this is a tragic tale of how someone being too honest just makes him easy prey."