The man who strode out of the car wore a striking blue motorcycle jacket. He had broad shoulders, a straight back, and chiseled features.
His shimmering peach-blossom eyes were especially captivating when he looked over, and even his half-smile looked like an invitation.
Xi Juan, his canon husband, the youngest grand slam best actor in the industry-what was he doing here?
Weren't they supposed to meet while filming Journey through Luo, with Xi Juan falling for him at first sight, stunned by his beauty?
Why had it happened so much earlier now?
Bai Ruanruan froze where he stood for a moment. When his gaze flicked toward Nan Qing on the other side, he understood at once.
Perhaps, to balance out the fact that cannon fodder Nan Qing had not been written out and had instead joined a variety show, his husband had appeared ahead of time to protect him.
A gleam of smugness appeared in Bai Ruanruan's eyes, and he lightly tidied his hair with his fingers.
But this was good too. It would let the audience see the youngest grand slam best actor in the industry fall for him at first sight!
Bai Ruanruan curled his lips, took a few steps forward, and looked at Xi Juan, saying in a coy voice,
"Hello, Teacher Xi. I'm Ruanruan. Please take good..."
Whether his voice was too quiet or Xi Juan, dressed like a gaudy peacock, was simply too much of a show-off, the man strode toward Nan Qing, his voice laced with laughter.
"Qingqing, why are you ignoring me?"
The corner of Nan Qing's mouth twitched. "..."
What rotten luck.
Seriously.
If he'd known that bastard Xi Juan was coming, he wouldn't have joined this variety show.
He had met Xi Juan seven or eight years ago. Back then, Xi Juan had been a transfer student, but with his exceptionally good looks and easygoing personality, he had made a whole crowd of friends within days.
Plenty of people fawned over him and hung around him, but Xi Juan, as though there were something seriously wrong with him, insisted on pestering Nan Qing.
Every day, he either poked Nan Qing's shoulder, tugged his hair, or snatched his backpack to copy his answers.
Nan Qing's persona in this world was already that of an idiot with terrible grades, yet Xi Juan insisted on copying his work, getting them both scolded. Nan Qing was sick to death of him.
He had finally managed to hold out until Xi Juan left and could at last be rid of him.
But who could have known that, after all those twists and turns, this renowned grand slam best actor would cross paths again with a notorious nobody like him!
Nan Qing's tone was unfriendly. "Don't act like we're close. I don't know you."
At those words, the people beside them wore varying expressions. Even the director, who had hurried over, was stunned.
They quickly looked at Xi Juan, afraid the ill-tempered best actor would lose his temper.
Yet Xi Juan acted as though nothing had happened and kept smiling at Nan Qing.
"Still mad at me, young lady?"
The director stood dumb as a wooden chicken, while Bai Ruanruan gaped in shock.
The set fell silent, leaving only Xi Juan's amused voice.
"I was wrong. It was my fault. How about you give me a beating to cool off?"
Bai Ruanruan was practically going mad.
Could someone tell him what had happened?
Why had Xi Juan, clearly his rightful husband, failed to notice him at first glance and instead acted so warmly toward Nan Qing, who should have died long ago?
The director, who had hurried over, came back to his senses as he watched the two of them, seeming to understand something.
But he did not point it out. He simply raised his megaphone and interrupted them.
"Everyone, Teacher Xi, now that we're all here, we're about to start filming!"
"This episode is packed with big names, and we even have Teacher Xi here to anchor the show. I'm sure we'll work well together and have a great time today."
"One more thing: our broadcast format has changed from previous episodes. Starting with this episode, Hello, World will be broadcast live! All right, filming for this episode, 'Hello, Pingqiao,' begins in three, two, one-action!"
At the director's command, the camera pointed toward the picturesque Mount Pingqiao. The livestream went live, and viewers poured in.
"Hubby!!! I'm here!!!!"
"Huh! Where's my hubby?"
The director's voice came from off camera as it slowly moved to frame the six figures standing together.
"Everyone, say hello to the viewers!"
Apart from Bai Ruanruan and Professor Chen, everyone on the livestream was a familiar face who needed no introduction. The bullet comments, meanwhile, grew lively.
"Why would Xi Juan descend to the mortal realm for a little variety show like this? Aren't good actors supposed to maintain an air of mystery?"
"Holy shit! Xi Juan's face is seriously handsome! Just straight-up handsome!"
"When is Teacher Xi going to play a top-tier alpha in an ABO story? He looks like he could get his wife pregnant eighteen times in a row!"
"Why is Nan Qing still here? Shouldn't an artist with this much dirt on him leave the entertainment industry already? How does he still have the nerve to appear on variety shows? And shamelessly stand next to our Brother Xi?"
"Get out of the entertainment industry, you flop Nan Qing!"
"LOL, why is Nan Qing on the same show as Lin Tang again? That banquet group-photo battle last time was a real eye-opener. Looks like we'll have more drama to feast on today!"
"Taking our Tangtang away. Keep your flop hands off!"
"Aaaaah, Xingyan, you're the best!"
Fans of each guest flooded the screen with comments. With a particular idea in mind, the director had remembered to enable a popularity comparison for the six guests. Both criticism and gifts could raise their scores.
On the bar chart, Xi Juan's popularity led by a wide margin. Lin Tang and Yu Xingyan were doing well with their fans' support, while Nan Qing kept getting mentioned because people were cursing him. Only Professor Chen, an outsider no one paid attention to, and entertainment-industry newcomer Bai Ruanruan generated no discussion.
Professor Chen was a scholar who had joined the show because he was a Mount Pingqiao local and wanted to contribute to promoting his hometown's culture. Even without any attention, he remained calm and unhurried.
Bai Ruanruan still maintained a polite smile, but his fingers had already begun digging into his palm.
After finally waiting for the others to finish introducing themselves, Bai Ruanruan put on a sweet smile and greeted the camera in a delicate voice.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Bai Ruanruan!"
"Who's this? He looks all right."
"Is the person above blind? He's so powdery and made-up, and you think he looks all right?"
"Absolutely nothing distinctive about him. Don't tell me he's another ugly son some investor shoved into the show?"
Bai Ruanruan caught the comments flashing past and nearly had his nose twisted out of joint in anger.
He cursed these tasteless people a hundred times in his head, waiting for the show to get going so they would all get slapped in the face.
The director delivered a few brief lines, then cued Professor Chen to give a short introduction to the local area.
While the bullet comments kept flying, Xi Juan suddenly leaned slightly to one side on the livestream.
At 1.93 meters tall, he already stood out, and with such an eye-catching face, even the slightest movement was especially noticeable.
"What's Xi Juan doing? Did he step on a pebble?"
The next moment, Xi Juan bent down slightly and whispered in Nan Qing's ear in a voice everyone could hear:
"Qingqing, why do you keep avoiding me?"