"All right, that concludes our interview. You two can take a break for now. We're going to pick up the next pair of sibling guests."
Once the camera turned away, the Chu siblings, who had just been hugging, instantly broke apart and straightened their clothes with mutual looks of disgust.
After a little while, Chu Yu still felt uneasy enough to remind him, "Remember not to run your mouth on the show. Your sister has plenty of anti-fans. Watch out, or you'll get flamed too."
Chu Chen turned his eyes away in disdain and looked out the window. "Let them flame me. I don't care."
"Keep talking big. When they actually do, you'll have plenty to cry about."
Although Chu Yu kept grumbling aloud, she had already begun planning how to change everything she had experienced in her dream.
In the dream, the reason Chu Chen had been flamed in the first place was the string of pointed questions the production crew kept directing at Chu Yu.
Chu Yu was an entertainer. She knew the crew only wanted buzz and talking points, and she could put up with it.
But Chu Chen was young and hotheaded. The moment he saw the crew targeting Chu Yu like that, he became upset and started firing back with all kinds of
venomous
retorts.
Later, some anti-fans deliberately edited clips of Chu Chen and posted them online, making it look as though he was an ill-mannered brat viciously berating the staff. They immediately provoked a fierce reaction.
As a result, later on, the viewers unanimously believed that not only did the Chu siblings have a terrible relationship, but they were also morally bankrupt, hurling ill-mannered abuse at the production crew.
So the most effective way to avoid this whole series of problems was to prevent conflict between Chu Chen and the production crew as much as possible.
Chu Yu folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes to rest.
The bus drove steadily down the road. After traveling an unknown distance, it gradually slowed and entered the upscale apartment complex ahead.
Chu Yu opened her eyes and looked out the window.
Looking at the apartments ahead, she guessed this must be where the second pair of sibling guests lived.
The bus stopped by the roadside. After letting them know, the staff climbed off with their cameras on their shoulders.
After a wait of about half an hour, an elegant, refined pair of siblings boarded the bus.
"Hello, I'm An Ya. Just call me Xiao Ya."
The woman wore a snow-white long dress that swayed with the breeze, giving her the air of a young lady from a scholarly family.
An Ya took her younger brother's hand and continued her gentle introduction. "This is my younger brother, An Yu. He's eight this year, right at that mischievous age. If he does anything wrong, don't indulge him. Feel free to set him straight."
An Yu blinked impishly, stealing glances at Chu Yu opposite him. He seemed very curious, but his strict upbringing kept him from speaking out of turn.
Chu Yu politely stood and shook An Ya's hand.
Then she made an equally solemn introduction. "I'm Chu Yu. This one beside me is my good-for-nothing younger brother, Chu Chen. He may be a little older, but he's also at that disobedient, rebellious age. Don't indulge him. Feel free to set him straight."
Chu Chen opened his eyes with a dark expression and glared at Chu Yu.
Watching the Chu siblings interact, An Ya smiled with her lips pressed together and thought, The Chu siblings are pretty amusing.
Soon, An Ya took her brother by the hand and sat down farther back.
The production crew conducted their usual interview, and the bus continued toward the next destination.
And this put Chu Yu on high alert.
Because she knew very well.
If, in that dream, she had been nothing more than a cannon fodder supporting female character.
Then this third pair of sibling guests invited by the production crew ought to be the undisputed female lead and her younger brother.
Chu Yu gave a cold snort.
So they'd cast her as a cannon fodder supporting female character, had they?
Just wait and see.
Chapter 5
The production crew's bus slowly pulled over on a secluded lane. Ahead stood a dilapidated residential building, its walls yellowed and peeling, with few people still living there.
Compared with the Chu family's luxurious villa and the An family's upscale apartment, this place did look particularly shabby.
When An Ya noticed the change in the scenery outside, she looked a little taken aback too.
She probably had not expected the third pair of sibling guests invited by the production crew to live somewhere so run-down.
Just then, a plainly dressed pair of siblings slowly approached.
Walking in front was the older sister, Wen Zhixin, dressed in a white shirt and jeans.
Warm sunlight fell over her, casting a halo around her as though her entire body were glowing.
Beside her, her younger brother, Wen Tianqi, skipped toward the bus, looking innocent and childlike.
"Sorry for the wait, everyone. My name is Wen Zhixin, and this is my younger brother, Wen Tianqi."
Chu Yu's gaze shifted to Wen Zhixin, cautiously looking her up and down.
Wen Zhixin noticed Chu Yu's gaze too, but she merely smiled faintly and paid it no further attention, leading her younger brother to the empty seats on the other side.
The assistant director continued following the procedure and began interviewing the Wen siblings.
After Wen Zhixin nodded, the camera officially began recording.
"Of the three pairs of siblings taking part in this show, you and your younger brother come from the worst background. What would you like to say about that?"
This question made it clear that the production crew really had not been deliberately targeting Chu Yu earlier, because their questions for every guest were pointed.
Wen Zhixin visibly froze.
But she quickly reined in her emotions and answered with the gentleness of a spring breeze. "The family I was born into isn't something I could decide for myself, but I don't envy other families. Because my family loves me very much, and so does my younger brother."
As she spoke, Wen Zhixin's tender gaze settled on Wen Tianqi beside her, vividly bringing to life the image of a good older sister from a poor family who nevertheless had a strong character.
The production staff continued, "Then may we ask why you brought your younger brother onto the show?"
This question was clearly a trap deliberately laid by the production crew.
There were only a few reasons anyone would agree to take part in the show: either they wanted fame, or they wanted to make money.