Shang Shujue was already used to being watched. By now, he no longer cared about the glances cast his way from time to time. He really was perfectly composed.
He calmly let the new makeup artist do his makeup while chatting with his Gossip System.
Their conversation was blocked from others.
"Host, you're a spirit treasure that attracts tremendous fortune. This world's fortune exists for you."
"You can turn this world created by an anti-fan into a world you rule."
"Your physical body has already turned to ash anyway. There's no way to restore it, so you might as well start over here."
The Gossip System's spirit form was an adorable, cuddly black flying cat, with little wings, black fur, and black eyes.
It was a very typical Chinese domestic cat, and its voice was soft and sweet, as though it were acting cute.
A large part of the reason Shang Shujue had agreed to come to this world created by an anti-fan was that this little cat was simply too adorable.
He didn't want it to disappear.
"Mm, that anti-fan of mine really does know me well. They even recreated my figure and looks exactly."
"If I didn't know how dramatic and dog-blooded the plot was, I'd almost think this little anti-fan was actually a diehard fan."
Shang Shujue inspected his current appearance in a mirror within his sea of consciousness, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming he hadn't ended up looking bizarre.
As for why the makeup artist had fainted earlier, he really did take it as a case of low blood sugar.
There were plenty of people like that in his line of work.
After all, entertainers wanted to stay in shape and look good on camera, so people who dieted themselves into low blood sugar were a dime a dozen.
And among ordinary people outside the industry, it was also common to wear their bodies down while making a living and end up with low blood sugar.
When Shang Shujue's awareness returned, the makeup artist had finished his makeup. All the contestants were taking a break, with ten minutes left before they went on.
During those ten minutes, the director, Yu Yang, would come over to assign their entrance order.
On a talent show like this, naturally, the earlier someone appeared, the more screen time they would get.
And if they were good at interacting, the camera would rarely leave them for long.
Although the show was livestreamed, it was no use being live if the broadcast director didn't put someone on camera.
Guests who wanted to become popular could only work hard.
Most of the contestants on this variety show were newcomers. Even those with some name recognition didn't have much, setting aside family backgrounds and resource allocation.
One could say they were all starting from the same line. How they reached the finish would depend on their own abilities.
Shang Shujue scrolled through posts on his phone, but before he could read much, he suddenly felt the need to use the bathroom.
He checked the time and decided to take care of it first. Suddenly going to the bathroom during filming later would be rather rude.
"Jiajia, I'm going to the restroom. Sorry for the trouble, but could you stay here, listen for my entrance order, and collect my number card?"
Shang Shujue spotted his assistant walking toward him, spoke to her, and then walked past her.
He hurried to the restroom outside. No holding in pee or poop-it was better for all his internal organs...
By the time Jiajia reacted, he was already nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, Brother Jue, I..." I don't think I'm allowed to stay here? I only came to deliver water...
"It's fine. Just explain it to Director Yu in a moment. Don't feel troubled over it."
Chen Ruijia was wondering how to explain the situation to the rather ill-tempered Director Yu when a very gentle voice sounded beside her, offering advice.
She looked up and saw a handsome young man in pale blue hanfu patterned with ink paintings. He was refined as jade and smiling gently at her.
She froze for a moment, her gaze unconsciously flicking to the name tag on his left chest-Zhang Zhichen. Warmth filled her heart. He really is such a gentle person.
"Thank you. I understand."
After speaking to Zhang Zhichen, Jiajia went to find the director, her ears red.
She was going to become this young man's fan. He would definitely make the group and debut!
While Shang Shujue was in the bathroom, the production team had started the livestream.
They hadn't turned on the cameras, however, so the viewers pouring in saw only darkness.
But that didn't stop them from flooding the screen with comments. It was lively.
"Aaah! Guys, who understands how happy I am? I opened my eyes and saw the livestream of the talent show I've been looking forward to most! I practically kipped straight out of bed!"
"Aaah! I heard Ji Yunqing and Mu Nanyu were both invited! I honestly can't believe it. How did those two sworn enemies ever agree to film a show together?"
"Holy shit! I heard there are loads of handsome guys this season, not an ugly face among them! I'm so excited! Hurry up and light up that black screen. I want to see hot guys!"
"Guys, I heard that obnoxious rich second-generation brat Shang Shujue is competing this season too.
"I seriously can't stand him! That bragging post he made the day before yesterday had my heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys aching. From jealousy and anger!"
"Aaah! Whenever I think about how he sullied my idol Su Youchuan's good name, I want to throw a sack over his head in the middle of the night and beat the crap out of him! So disgusting!"
"Fuck! That shit-for-brains idiot Shang Shujue is joining this show too?
"I feel like my cerebellum is shrinking. Does a rich second-generation brat who only knows how to eat, drink, and play even recognize musical notes?
"Does he know do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti? Other than being good-looking, he's completely useless, okay?"
"I heard Zhang Group's young son, Zhang Zhichen, is joining this show too. He's always been playing the violin on social media, so he must be really talented."
"Yes, yes! And not only that, he's really good-looking and very gentle. He likes all sorts of ancient-style things and can even perform Chinese-style dance.
"That separated mother and daughter reunited because of what he did before. He's practically an angel."
"Exactly, exactly! They're both rich second-generation kids, so why is the gap so huge? Looking at Shang Shujue feels like fucking eating shit. He's revolting!"
"Shang Shujue, get out of the entertainment industry! But Jinyuan Media can't go under. My fave is still at that company, even if the boss has lousy character."
"But the benefits at their company really are beyond reproach. I have reasonable grounds to suspect Shang Shujue hired someone to run it for him. I don't believe a lovesick rich second-generation brat who just eats and waits to die could run a company well."
Even with a black screen, the viewers were already discussing the show fervently, and its popularity was still climbing.
Watching the livestream's steadily rising popularity, Yu Yang grinned so widely his face nearly split, though he remained fairly restrained in front of his subordinates.
"Quick, quick, put Zhang Zhichen and Shang Shujue close together. Preferably have Zhang Zhichen go first, with Shang Shujue right after him. We need to capitalize on this buzz."
"Director Yu, Mr. Zhang is number seventeen. Should we put him at eighteen? Isn't that a little too early? And with Shang Shujue's current condition, he..."
The staff member didn't finish voicing their concern, but the meaning was clear. After all, they had only just finished the meeting.
If they angered Shang Shujue and something unpredictable happened, wouldn't they be in trouble?
Yu Yang rubbed his chin and pondered for a while. Shang Shujue's situation was special, but he couldn't bear to let the traffic go. In the end, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"It's fine. Arrange it that way. It'll give me a chance to see what he'll be thinking then."
"Let's start! Once you've handed out their number cards, tell them to enter. The live recording officially begins!"
With Yu Yang's command, no one raised any objections, and the entire backstage area sprang into action.
After the contestants received their number cards, the livestream's picture came on.