You really did that, I'm crying

"It's all manufactured sweetness anyway, so why does it matter what you watch? Why not treat yourself better and watch something with good acting?"

Ye Yizhou looked innocent, his tone sincere and direct.

In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to Director Ji.

Calling out the show's chief director right to his face-now that took guts.

Director Ji's shifting expressions were quite a sight too.

The atmosphere on set was awkward, with hostilities poised to erupt.

"You..." Director Ji had just begun.

Ye Yizhou raised a hand to stop him. "Stop."

"We can leave it there. Wasn't that bit of conflict intense enough? Cutting it off at just the right moment leaves people wanting more. Edit that bit into a teaser and release it, and won't the views just shoot right up?"

Ye Yizhou's eyes were bright as he spoke with an easy smile. "What do you think?"

"You really did that, I'm crying. Talking points, buzz-you've even taken care of the show's publicity."

Director Ji listened in a daze, then smiled helplessly in praise when he caught on. "Who could tell you apart from a marketing genius now?"

Ye Yizhou raised his eyebrows slightly, his unrestrained smile radiant and brazen.

[You've really cracked the secret to editing variety shows.]

[Everyone else has to use all sorts of malicious editing to cobble together a confrontation, but damn, you just nailed it outright.]

[Say what you will, using that scene as a teaser would definitely lure loads of people in.]

[If the teaser cuts off there, everyone will be waiting for the director to blow up, wanting to hear what he said when he went off. Too bad that's really all there is, hahahaha.]

[Those who watched the livestream, don't go telling everyone. We'll fool as many as we can, hahaha.]

[Don't worry, I've already watched the livestream. The director really tore into him. Ye Yizhou got absolutely roasted. You don't want to miss it.]

[Hahaha, everyone knows how publicity works.]

The haters had already been cleared out. Almost everyone left in Ye Yizhou's livestream was there for the drama and laughs, and not only did they love stirring up trouble, they were full of jokes too.

"You're all so wicked!"

As Ye Yizhou watched the comments scroll past, his smile deepened. "But I love it. I'll leave fooling people to you, then!"

[ok]

Director Ji watched Ye Yizhou interact with the comments, somewhat dumbfounded. One move from Ye Yizhou was enough to show what he could do.

The publicity from this was going to be off the charts!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This one's going to cost you."

Ye Yizhou suddenly shook his head and sighed.

"What?" The mention of money immediately put Director Ji on edge. "What's going to cost me?"

"They're about to burn down the kitchen." Ye Yizhou tipped his chin at Director Ji, signaling for him to look at the Guests' livestream feed.

Director Ji hurried a couple of steps forward and stared at the screen, where flames were leaping from their frying pan while several people bustled about in a panic.

"Quick, go deal with that!" Director Ji urgently called for the crew to handle it.

A pan catching fire was fairly normal.

The main worry was that the Guests wouldn't know how to handle it. If it really turned into a major fire, they'd be in trouble.

"Who came up with the idea of having the Guests cook together? What a genius. They nearly bonded through disaster just making a meal. They'll be thick as thieves after this."

Ye Yizhou leaned back in his chair, leisurely making snide remarks.

Already anxious, Director Ji grew even angrier at Ye Yizhou's words.

This guy's ability to infuriate people really had reached its peak.

"None of them can cook, and you still sent them into the kitchen. The kitchen burns, the vegetables scorch, the meat turns black, and it all gets thrown away in the end. Isn't that a blatant waste of food? They'd be better off ordering takeout."

Ye Yizhou began critiquing the segment and its concept, unable to hide the distaste in his voice. "Can't they develop feelings over takeout? That's discrimination!"

Still, this was nothing like what Director Ji had envisioned.

Director Ji closed his eyes with a headache, as though hoping for out of sight, out of mind.

"Two hours cooking, ten minutes eating. Which part did you originally expect them to bond over?"

"While cooking? They're already scrambling around like this. Who has time for romance?"

Every guess and every analysis from Ye Yizhou made Director Ji's silence even more deafening.

Director Ji: ...

This was nothing like he'd imagined!!!

"These segments are a bit dull. How are you going to keep viewers if you don't do something exciting?"

Ye Yizhou chipped away at Director Ji's defenses.

Director Ji finally cracked. "If you're so good, you do it!"

"Heh."

Ye Yizhou gave a low chuckle.

Director Ji suddenly realized something was wrong, but it was already too late to stop him.

Ye Yizhou's deep voice was full of temptation, like a demon murmuring in his ear. "Sure!"

Director Ji instantly felt a chill down his back.

"You all heard what your director just said, right?"

Ye Yizhou wore his usual innocent expression. "I didn't ask for this. Director Ji invited me himself."

"Since Director Ji has invited me so enthusiastically, it'd be a little ungrateful of me to refuse."

Ye Yizhou nodded solemnly at Director Ji, his tone sincere and earnest. "Don't worry. I definitely won't let you down."

Director Ji looked as though he had grievances he couldn't voice. Don't worry, his ass. The more Ye Yizhou said that, the more anxious he felt.

"I know where to draw the line. Don't look like the sky's about to fall."

Ye Yizhou patted Director Ji's shoulder reassuringly and gave a very earnest nod.

"Why don't you ask those lips you can't stop from curling up whether you really know where to draw the line?"

Director Ji had seen right through him.

Ye Yizhou's desire to stir things up was practically spilling out. He couldn't hide the mischief in his eyes or the smile on his lips at all.

Ye Yizhou pulled up a chair and sat in front of the main livestream monitor, his legs crossed and his hands resting casually on them, his smile becoming even more open:

"It's a livestream. What's the point if we don't do something exciting? Are we seriously going to sit here watching them play house?"

"Don't go too far."

Director Ji knew he couldn't stop Ye Yizhou. After all, he was Party A, so he was largely the one calling the shots. Still, Director Ji had to make a point of reminding him.

"Go with your original plan for now. I'll make some arrangements."

Ye Yizhou stood up and headed outside. Seeing that the camera was about to follow him, he raised a hand to stop it. "Don't follow me for now. The fun's only really interesting when you keep it mysterious."

"You all get it, right?"

Ye Yizhou directed those last words at the livestream. "I'm signing off for now. Bye."

The cameraman obligingly shut down his individual livestream.

Ye Yizhou walked beneath a tree not far away and said something into his phone.

But the mischievous smile curling his lips heralded the unrest to come.

One advantage of livestreaming was that the Guests weren't allowed to use their phones, creating a certain information gap that made their reactions on camera more genuine.

Of course, it also made it easier for things to blow up in their faces.

There was something to look forward to.