Chapter Summaries

Song Shi'an finished filming a scene, charmed a child with candy, and shared a village meal with He Zeyu before paparazzi photographed him. As the crew headed up a mountain for the next shoot, He Zeyu struggled to climb and gave up after Song Shi'an teased him.

• After the director called cut, Song Shi'an comforted a child with a candy and tossed two more candies at He Zeyu, who pretended to be injured.
• He Zeyu told Song Shi'an that the child had been difficult with him, while Song Shi'an credited science for the child's good behavior.
• Song Shi'an ate heartily at the village meal and gave He Zeyu only one fatty piece of pork belly from the auntie's dish.
• A paparazzo photographed Song Shi'an eating and found that every picture made him look good.
• The chapter described Si Qinglan's death after Ling Yan borrowed Moon-Embracing and the eight great cultivation sects attacked the Clear Pavilion.
• On the mountain hike, Song Shi'an offered to help He Zeyu, but teased him about his fitness until He Zeyu sat down and refused to continue.

Song Shi'an carried the exhausted He Zeyu up the mountain, finished a night of filming, and prepared for the final scene the next morning. The chapter ended as Si Qinglan appeared in the scene and challenged the eight sect leaders who had attacked his disciple.

• Song Shi'an hoisted He Zeyu over his shoulder and carried him up the mountain, where the assistant director teased He Zeyu about needing more training.
• Song Shi'an photographed the mountain scenery, finished filming the night scenes, and sent his mother another hundred thousand while discussing his return home.
• Song Shi'an arrived tired for the final shoot, declined He Zeyu's freshly ground coffee, and prepared for the battle scene with the extras.
• The eight sect leaders confronted the disciple at the sect gates, and one leader's spell was erased before Si Qinglan's voice challenged them.

Si Qinglan sacrificed himself after defeating the siege at Clear Pavilion, and He Zeyu finished filming the scene as Si Qinglan. Song Shi'an returned to the Capital, where fans welcomed him, then went to the library to join his friends for exam week.

• Si Qinglan drove the invading sects away but collapsed after telling Ling Xuan to care for Ling Yan and follow his own path.
• Si Qinglan dissolved into blue motes, and Ling Xuan collapsed after failing to catch him.
• The director called cut on He Zeyu's final scene as Si Qinglan, and the crew celebrated the wrap.
• Song Shi'an returned to the Capital to a crowd of fans and headed straight back to school for exams.
• Song Shi'an learned that Chi Xun and the others were studying in the library, where Jiang Ye had saved two seats for him and a friend.

Song Shi'an finished his exams and prepared to return home, learning that the original owner had also been sent to another world. On the train, he helped a girl with her suitcase and went back to sleep, unaware she had already decided he was her dream guy.

• Song Shi'an reunited with Chi Xun at the library and browsed several bizarre unofficial-history books instead of studying for his exam.
• After exams ended, Chi Xun left for home, and Song Shi'an hesitated over changing his ticket before speaking with his mother about his arrival.
• Song Shi'an asked the system about the original owner and learned that he had been matched to another world with a male lead performance system.
• Song Shi'an took a train home and helped a girl lift her heavy suitcase onto the luggage rack.
• The girl messaged her friend that Song Shi'an was her dream guy, and her friend reminded her she had said that about twenty-three people that month.

Song Shi'an arrived in South Pond Village and found that his parents had transformed their old home into a scenic, comfortable house. He shared a view of the village with the F4 Group, whose members were surprised by how picturesque his home was.

• On the train, Song Shi'an watched The Invisible Bystander with a girl who recognized him, then helped her with her suitcase when she reached her stop.
• Song Shi'an met Father Song at the station, and they rode an electric scooter to South Pond Village while Father Song told him about Mother Song's preparations.
• Song Shi'an admired the village scenery and discovered that his parents had renovated their house into a guesthouse-like home with a courtyard.
• Mother Song welcomed Song Shi'an home with a table of food, and he explored his bright upstairs room overlooking the river and fields.
• Song Shi'an sent a photo of the view to the F4 Group, and Jiang Ye, Chi Xun, and Pei Zhiyan praised the scenery.

Song Shi'an settled into his holiday at home and agreed to let a variety show film in his village. As the crew began planning the shoot, he slept through much of the preparations and got up when relatives were expected to visit.

• Song Shi'an ate with his parents when village chief Old Liu arrived to ask whether the family would cooperate with a variety show filming in the village for a week.
• Song Shi'an agreed to participate, reassuring his worried parents that he could stay indoors and the crew could not film him without his company’s agreement.
• After dinner, Song Shi'an washed the dishes, then stayed up gaming until dawn and slept through the morning rooster crowing.
• The crew for "The Countryside Never Closes" scouted the village and discussed adjusting homes and including local crafts such as Mother Song's fermented tofu.
• Song Shi'an slept through the crew's planning and woke when Mother Song told him relatives were coming over.

Song Shi'an went to the market and cooked a meal for his parents before their relatives arrived. After meeting his cousin Sun Sinuo and brushing off his aunt Song Qiaoyun, he learned that she had long treated his mother poorly.

• Song Shi'an took his mother's scooter to the market, bought groceries, and returned home to cook.
• A location-scouting staff member filmed the market and noticed Song Shi'an, then sent the footage and photos to the director.
• Song Qiaoyun arrived with gifts, followed by Sun Weiguo and Sun Sinuo, who complained about the journey.
• Sun Sinuo was captivated by Song Shi'an when he carried dishes out of the kitchen, then learned he was her cousin.
• Song Shi'an politely greeted Song Qiaoyun but returned to the kitchen, where his mother explained that Song Qiaoyun had disliked her since she married into the family.

Sun Sinuo discovered that her cousin Song Shi'an was the famous actor she admired, then spent a tense family meal and an awkward afternoon trying to get closer to him. She posted a photo with Song Shi'an, but her friends mistook it for a bad edit.

• Sun Sinuo recognized Song Shi'an as the celebrity she followed on Instagram while their families gathered for dinner.
• Song Qiaoyun criticized the meal and compared Sun Sinuo's future prospects with Song Shi'an's, while Sun Weiguo and Father Song tried to smooth over the conversation.
• After dinner, Sun Sinuo dropped a stack of plates in the kitchen, and Song Shi'an swept up the broken pieces before taking her upstairs.
• Song Shi'an gave Sun Sinuo a remote and let her order milk tea while he played a game.
• Sun Sinuo secretly took a photo with Song Shi'an and posted it to her Moments, but her friends doubted that he was really her cousin.

Sun Sinuo reconsidered her behavior toward Song Shi'an and apologized, while he forgave her for posting his photo without permission. The next morning, Song Shi'an found Mother Song trying to pluck a rooster that she had failed to kill, and took over so they could have it for lunch.

• Song Shi'an told Sun Sinuo to respect others and delete the photo she had posted without his permission.
• Sun Sinuo deleted the post, questioned Song Qiaoyun about her hostility toward Mother Song, and later apologized to Song Shi'an by message.
• Song Shi'an forgave Sun Sinuo for posting his photo, and she joined his fan groups and bought merchandise and promoted products.
• Song Shi'an woke the next morning and found Mother Song struggling to pluck a still-living rooster.
• Song Shi'an caught the rooster, sent Mother Song inside to rest, and prepared to kill it himself for red-braised chicken pieces.

Song Shi'an enjoyed a leisurely morning at home while his parents prepared a meal, and a television crew arrived hoping to film Mother Song making fermented tofu. Mother Song agreed to help the local economy, and Song Shi'an later woke in time to eat the chicken his father had prepared.

• Song Shi'an passed the task of killing the rooster to Father Song, then ate Mother Song's freshly fried spring rolls and drank soy milk upstairs.
• Director Zhao Lin and Old Liu visited the Song family to ask Mother Song to demonstrate her fermented tofu-making for The Countryside Never Closes.
• Father Song initially refused, but Mother Song agreed after Zhao Lin explained that the program could help attract tourists, provided the crew did not film inside their home.
• Mother Song told Father Song she hoped local development would let him stop leaving to find work, and he thanked her for her years of sacrifice.
• Song Shi'an woke near eleven, came downstairs, and ate several bowls of rice with the braised rooster for lunch.

Song Shi'an reluctantly accepted a highly paid NPC role on The Countryside Never Closes after director Zhao Lin recognized him. As filming began, Song Shi'an waited at the village entrance for the celebrity guests, and Su Yan spotted him.

• Zhao Lin recognized Song Shi'an in scouting footage and contacted Lin Fan about offering him a role on the variety show.
• Lin Fan visited Song Shi'an and persuaded him to accept a 300,000-yuan guest appearance as the show's country host NPC.
• Song Shi'an read his script, asked Zhao Lin to conceal that he lived in the village, and learned the villagers would treat him like an ordinary NPC.
• Lin Fan woke Song Shi'an early for styling before filming began the next morning.
• Song Shi'an waited at the village entrance to give guests directions, and Su Yan noticed him as she arrived with another guest.

Song Shi'an welcomed the variety-show guests and helped the cast settle into their first day of country life. After rescuing Mo Heng from a hen, he cooked lunch and left the director impressed by his skills and on-screen appeal.

• Song Shi'an carried Xia Xingduo and Su Yan's luggage to the house, where he found Mo Heng and two young actors already waiting.
• Mo Heng introduced the show's tasks, and the guests divided up the work around the house and garden.
• Song Shi'an found He Jingzhao struggling to peel a potato and remembered that she was good at making dumplings.
• Mo Heng collected eggs but was chased by the hen, so Song Shi'an drove it off with a broom and took the eggs to cook.
• Song Shi'an prepared lunch while Mo Heng and He Jingzhao helped in the kitchen, and the director decided the episode would be a success.

Lu Yang returned to the courtyard covered in mud after falling into a ditch while chasing Big Yellow, and the guests shared a meal with the dog. On the final days of the variety show, Song Shi'an helped his mother prepare fermented tofu for filming before everyone departed the village.

• Lu Yang staggered back covered in sludge with Big Yellow, while Song Shi'an greeted the dog and fed it braised pork.
• Lu Yang explained that he had fallen into a muddy drainage ditch while trying to pet Big Yellow, and the guests set aside food for him.
• Song Shi'an arranged a pastoral outfit and makeup for Mother Song before she demonstrated how to make fermented tofu on camera.
• The director joked that Mother Song should enter the entertainment industry, and Song Shi'an's glare made him retreat.
• The guests said goodbye at the village entrance, and Mo Heng and He Jingzhao dragged Lu Yang away from Big Yellow as it watched them leave.

Song Shi'an watched Number One Winner premiere with his parents as the packed audience and online viewers became fascinated by Qu Lingzhou's mysterious role. The movie's success sent its mysteries trending, and Song Shi'an welcomed the new year with a smile.

• Song Shi'an took Father Song and Mother Song to a sold-out screening of Number One Winner in the county town.
• The audience watched Qu Lingzhou appear as a seemingly useless, frightened teammate before his role transformed the story near the finale.
• The movie ended with Lu Ci as the winner, a cryptic post-credits scene, and unanswered questions about Qu Lingzhou and the little sister.
• Number One Winner dominated online searches, and viewers speculated about Qu Lingzhou while commenting on Song Shi'an's Weibo.
• Song Shi'an watched fireworks outside and smiled as he put away his phone.

After the New Year, Song Shi'an returned to school and discovered that his film had become a huge hit, while his snack-group customers scolded him for closing his stall over the holiday. Back at the villa, Ji Shuyao told him the company wanted him to attend more events and consider a leading role in a major production.

• Song Shi'an accepted Pei Zhiyan's fifty-thousand-yuan New Year transfer after learning Jiang Ye and Chi Xun had received the same amount.
• Song Shi'an saw that Number One Winner had passed five billion yuan at the box office and that his Weibo following had grown to thirty million.
• Song Shi'an returned by train, met Xiao Zhang at the station, and hurried away with him after people stared at Xiao Zhang's conspicuous outfit.
• Song Shi'an apologized to the snack group for closing over the New Year and promised to add new dishes to the menu.
• Song Shi'an returned to the villa, noticed the expensive replacement clothes and accessories, and found Ji Shuyao waiting for him.
• Ji Shuyao told Song Shi'an that the company wanted him to attend more events and accept at least one of several lead-role scripts.

Song Shi'an declined a leading role but found the script appealing and set his sights on playing Wei Jinghong. He returned to campus for the new term, where classmates gathered outside his class to catch a glimpse of him.

• Song Shi'an refused Ji Shuyao's offer of a leading role, then read the script and decided he wanted to play Wei Jinghong.
• Song Shi'an overslept, returned to his dorm, and shared hometown snacks with Jiang Ye and Chi Xun.
• Song Shi'an headed to his major class while people outside the teaching building speculated about whether he would show up.
• Song Shi'an attended Professor Wang's class and noticed several people pressing their faces against the classroom window.

Song Shi'an tried to avoid being recognized while running his popular night-market stall, but Shen Lingshu became interested in turning it into a brand. As his short-lived drama roles and overseas popularity drew attention, Ji Shuyao was flooded with offers, and Song Shi'an arrived on the set of Splendid Business Journey for a small role.

• Song Shi'an fled campus photographers, opened his night-market stall with cheesy beef fire noodles, and hurried away when Shen Lingshu and Shen Xingluo joined the queue.
• Shen Lingshu admired the stall's business potential and contacted its owner through her assistant after Song Shi'an ran off.
• Song Shi'an spent half a month attending classes and playing minor roles, while viewers noticed he kept dying onscreen and called for him to get a bigger part.
• Number One Winner became a hit overseas, recognition of Song Shi'an spread, and Ji Shuyao received a flood of endorsement and drama offers.
• Song Shi'an and Lin Fan were taken to the set of Splendid Business Journey, where Director Zhou prepared to film Song's small role.

Song Shi'an transformed into Wei Jinghong and rode Ink Firmament for his first scene, charging into the marketplace opposite Gu Huai’s Xie Yanzhou. The scene ended with Xie Yanzhou staring at Wei Jinghong, dazzled by his arrival.

• Director Zhou welcomed Song Shi'an and sent him to get dressed and made up as Wei Jinghong.
• Song Shi'an met Ink Firmament, whose fierce temperament vanished as he petted and rode the horse.
• Gu Huai worried that Song Shi'an's striking appearance would overshadow him as the male lead.
• Song Shi'an filmed Wei Jinghong galloping through the marketplace and confronting Xie Yanzhou.
• Xie Yanzhou looked up at Wei Jinghong and thought he was more dazzling than the sun over Luo'an.

Song Shi'an filmed a horseback scene for Splendid Business Journey, and a paparazzo’s video of him quickly went viral. After a fellow director pressured Director Zhou to arrange a cameo, Song Shi'an began archery training and learned he would have to draw the bow two hundred times a day.

• Wei Jinghong stopped Cui Heng from whipping Xie Yanzhou, then tossed Xie Yanzhou a pouch of gold before riding away.
• After the scene ended, Song Shi'an discovered that catching the whip had left a painful welt on his palm.
• A paparazzo posted a video of Song Shi'an in costume, and it rapidly gained popularity and reached the trending page.
• Director Zhou rejected a friend’s demand that he arrange a cameo for Song Shi'an, despite the friend’s dramatic threat to die in front of him.
• Song Shi'an went to practice archery, missed the target on his first attempts, and learned from Li Xuyang that he had to draw the bow two hundred times each day.

Song Shi'an bought an archery skill from the system after exhausting himself practicing with a bow, then played Wei Jinghong in a comedic pleasure-house scene. The filming ended with Wei Jinghong beating Xie Yanzhou over a misunderstanding about umbrellas, and Song Shi'an helped Gu Huai up after the director called cut.

• Song Shi'an asked the system about his Affection Points and redeemed the Phantom Feather Lost Trace archery skill for 200,000 points.
• Song Shi'an arrived refreshed on set and prepared to film a scene in which Wei Jinghong interrupted Xie Yanzhou at a pleasure house.
• Song Shi'an greeted his scene partner, Gu Huai, and the director praised his rakish look before filming began.
• Wei Jinghong noticed Xie Yanzhou at the pleasure house, abandoned his own business, and followed him to a courtesan's room.
• Wei Jinghong struck Xie Yanzhou with his iron fan for supposedly courting another woman, but Xie Yanzhou explained that he had been discussing his umbrella-selling business.
• The director called cut amid the crew's laughter, and Song Shi'an helped Gu Huai up.