It Was Him

After getting out of the car, Li Yu walked partway down the red carpet. The photographer had only filmed his back, so the viewers in the livestream had yet to recognize him. It was not until Li Yu turned around that his face appeared on camera.

"Good morning, everyone."

Li Yu greeted the production crew, and the livestream chat immediately grew livelier.

[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, who is this handsome guy? I'm available!!!]

[Where's my secretary? I want all the information on this handsome guy in three minutes.]

[Aaaah, how can someone's eyes be this beautiful? He really... I'm crying, I fell for him at first sight.]

[President, I found him. This little brother is Li Yu, an artist under Dream Splendor Entertainment. He's nineteen.]

[What did you say?! Nineteen years old! Good, good, good, I like him even more.]

[The production team really gets it. They picked guests straight from my heart.]

[Hmph, just another way to please me. (Wifey, kisses, hugs, and carry me up high.)]

[Fine, fine. As long as the production team is willing to put some thought into pleasing me.]

Before the livestream viewers could calm down, a second sedan drove in.

The production team had not told Li Yu the guest lineup beforehand, so he was curious as well. Like everyone else, he turned his gaze toward the car.

When the door opened, the first thing to catch everyone's attention was a slender, porcelain-white leg extending from the car. Then, as that leg lowered, a black pair of sky-high heels landed steadily on the ground.

The newcomer wore a slit mermaid gown, so her movements as she stepped out were especially restrained. She bent slightly, her wavy hair brushing over her rounded shoulders. When she lifted her head, it seemed as though everything around her had lost its color.

Li Yu was stunned as well. He had not expected the production team to have such influence that they could invite that person onto the show.

[Who did I just see!!! Liang Meichen!!!]

[Production team, you've made it! You actually invited my goddess Liang!]

[Aaaah, it's her! It's her! It really is her!]

[Just for Goddess Liang, I'm following this show until the final episode!]

Liang Meichen had starred in countless classic films in the past. She was part of many people's childhood memories and the goddess universally acknowledged by netizens. After achieving a grand slam of awards, she had announced her retirement from acting.

Now, after being retired for nearly ten years, she had returned for a variety show like this. How could netizens not be excited?

"Hello, Teacher Liang. I'm Li Yu."

Li Yu took the initiative to greet her. His manner was humble as he took Liang Meichen's hand and accompanied her onto the platform.

Liang Meichen nodded at Li Yu, her smile generous and radiant. Though she was nearing forty, she had maintained herself very well. As she walked, her skirt swayed gracefully, and her beauty was beyond compare.

No sooner had Liang Meichen stepped onto the platform than the third guest arrived. Though not as much of a heavyweight as Liang Meichen, he still made Li Yu raise an eyebrow.

"Hello, Teacher Liang."

The newcomer first gave Liang Meichen a brief hug before stopping in front of Li Yu. "Li Yu, you're here too."

"Xie Jingming? What a coincidence."

After all, they were livestreaming. The expressions on Li Yu's and Xie Jingming's faces were perfectly normal. They even smiled and shook hands, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Xie Jingming had debuted as an idol and had recently begun taking roles in web dramas. He was considered moderately popular.

Logically speaking, given Xie Jingming's relationship with Shen Zhonglou, Li Yu should have disliked him somewhat.

But Li Yu distinguished things clearly. Shen Zhonglou was the one who had hurt him in the past; there was no need to hold Xie Jingming accountable at a time like this.

Of course, Xie Jingming was smart enough not to stir up trouble now. A faint smile rested on his face as he tried his best to present the audience with his best state.

I'm so jealous. Why is Li Yu's skin so fair? Standing beside him makes me look worse by comparison.

Thinking this, Xie Jingming casually edged a little closer to Li Yu.

The next few guests all had a certain level of fame: popular young actress Shu Menglan, rising singer Yu Lin, veteran host Xiang Zhinan, and international model Zhou Yanqing.

After getting out of their cars and walking the red carpet, the first thing every one of them did was greet Liang Meichen.

That made people curious. The show had eight regular guests in total, yet even someone of Liang Meichen's stature had not been saved for the grand finale. So who exactly was the last person to appear?

Then the final black business van drove in, and all seven guests on the platform instinctively looked in that direction.

Perhaps it was just psychological, but the moment Li Yu saw the last guest's clothes, his heart jolted.

Why does this style of dressing look so familiar...

It was not until the person approached that Li Yu saw clearly—wasn't that Chi Yan?

Chi Yan was actually joining a variety show too!

"Hello, everyone. I'm Chi Yan."

Although Chi Yan was usually rather aloof, this was a show, so he still had to make the necessary interactions.

The moment he stood there, his temperament was completely different from everyone else's. He was so handsome that he seemed difficult to approach.

"Chi Yan is a special guest on our show. He currently serves as the CEO of Bright Joy Media and has appeared in many prominent business magazines."

Afraid that some guests might not know Chi Yan, the director gave a brief introduction from below the stage.

[He's from Beijing, and his surname is Chi... omg, I don't need to explain what that means, right?]

[God! I've only seen him in interviews on financial channels. I never expected to see the real person on this variety show!]

[Holy shit, I just went to Baidu his profile, and isn't this guy straight-up a male lead from a novel?]

[This is insane. He's only twenty-two... Other people's twenty-two and my twenty-two don't seem to be the same...]

[Enough. I said enough. This NPC corpse is feeling a little unwell.]

[Being handsome is one thing, but he's this amazing too? Is this show constantly reminding me that I'm useless?]

[I'm angry, but I won't say why. Let Nüwa guess.]

Chi Yan ultimately stood to Li Yu's left. He turned his head and gave Li Yu a look.

Li Yu's gaze met Chi Yan's for only a moment before he hurriedly looked away. His feelings were complicated. It was like running into an acquaintance but having no choice but to pretend they did not know each other.

He had never publicly disclosed his family background. As for the fact that he had known Chi Yan since childhood, Li Yu felt there was even less need to reveal that on the show.

Clearly, Chi Yan thought the same way. The two pretended to be meeting for the first time, distant yet somewhat awkward.

"Alright, all eight guests have arrived. To help everyone get to know each other better, the production team has prepared a little game."

As soon as the director finished speaking, the staff handed task cards to the guests.

Shu Menglan took a task card and read its contents aloud to everyone. "Icebreaker Game—The following six pictures correspond to six scenic spots in South Jade Mountain Ancient Town. The guests must reach the corresponding locations based on the pictures and complete the activities assigned to each scenic spot. Only after checking in at all six locations may they return to the gathering point."