Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Just blowing up the inside wasn't enough; whether it was dealing with Star Entertainment or those within the fan community who had vested interests, Xi Liang had connections. It would be best to completely undermine their position, to knock Xi Liang off their rock pedestal.

To eliminate Xi Liang was to temporarily suppress Star Entertainment as well; capital had to be fought with capital.

....

"Wow! Fireworks?" Zhou Lili exclaimed.

"Scaredy-cat, making a fuss over nothing," Zhou Mian habitually teased his sister and retorted, "Those are sparklers, not fireworks. You'd get arrested in minutes for setting off fireworks."

"Pfft."

Xu Qingyan paid no attention to the lively siblings, got a lighter from Zhou Mian, and lit a sparkler for Pei Muchan. In the dark night, the bright sparks scattered.

Pei Muchan stared blankly as the sparkler lit, her expression slowly softening. She spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"I'm going home tomorrow; my father asked me to return."

"Uh... okay." Xu Qingyan didn't know what to say. In fact, it would have been enough for Pei Muchan to say the first part; there was no need to mention the second half, that her father was back.

Her father... She had never mentioned her father. To be exact, Pei Muchan had never talked about her family in front of Xu Qingyan. This was the first time she brought them up.

But on further reflection, they had only known each other for about two months, and they were usually busy. There was a lot to talk about when they chatted, and time flew by.

All along, Pei Muchan gave Xu Qingyan the impression that she lived alone. It suddenly dawned on him that the empty house Pei Muchan had was perhaps reserved for family gatherings.

If she hadn't mentioned it now, Xu Qingyan wouldn't have given a second thought to her family. After all, the two of them were more than friends, but there wasn't any obvious flirtation.

Family... it still felt distant, yet she chose this moment to explain. So Xu Qingyan couldn't pretend he hadn't heard it and asked another question.

"Is your father asking you to come home for the Mid-Autumn Festival?" Stay updated via empire

"Marriage pressure," Pei Muchan's eyes slightly drooped as she spoke, then looked up at him again, "It might be a blind date, but I'll reject it. It's just a good chance to go home."

"This year... I won't go back for New Year's."

The sparkler had extinguished; Xu Qingyan truly didn't know what to say and simply lit two more for her. With a sizzle, the bright sparks burst forth into the dark night.

"As long as you know what you're dealing with... uh, if I can help in any way, you can just tell me. I'm not likely going back for Mid-Autumn, and for New Year's..."

"For New Year's, we'll see when the time comes. It's a long way off,"

He really didn't know what to say, everything seemed blurry. He could only offer a commitment within his limited scope, to say too much... would be bluffing.

Volunteer to pretend to be the boyfriend?

That would be too farfetched. It would be fine if it were just a play, but if she didn't think it appropriate, wouldn't it make him look like a fool?

When there's ambiguity, every word has to be carefully considered, as if measuring with a ruler, gauging one's weight in the other's heart, meticulously quantifying every inch of distance between them.

"Mm, thank you," Pei Muchan said with a nod and a downward glance.

Before long, Zhou Lili came bouncing over, calling out to Sister Pei and pulled her away. The two of them scampered off to light small fireworks that could make various shapes.

Seizing the moment, Xu Qingyan and Zhou Mian sat together and had a brief chat.

"What was that with Li Zhi last time?"

Hearing this, Zhou Mian was momentarily baffled.

He had always treated Xu Qingyan as his most significant resource, building a relationship from ordinary friends to getting to know each other gradually.

Perhaps it was the nature of the entertainment industry, but after Xu Qingyan's sudden fame, Zhou Mian instinctively lowered his stance, and he even had work to do that day.

Yet, when Xu Qingyan called for a gathering, he immediately found a colleague to cover for him, took care of all the barbecue necessities, and even considered various details.

But in the end, he realized Xu Qingyan seemed unchanged, without the slightest bit of inflation. As if the sudden fame was a fleeting cloud, a fleeting dream.

Even recalling his own trivial matters, the private life of a backstage hand.

Honestly, Zhou Mian would be lying if he said he wasn't touched at the moment. The people in this circle are indeed very opportunistic, but there are those who are sincere as well.

He could feel that Xu Qingyan genuinely regarded him as a friend, with no relation to his job or standing.

"Hey, what could it be? Just an ordinary colleague,"

Zhou Mian squeezed out a smile, but his eyes seemed to hold a solid block of wood, not nearly as cheerful as when he interacted with Zhou Lili just moments ago.

"I'm married now, no way I'd get involved with her. Brother Xu, you don't need to say it; I understand. I have that much integrity; otherwise, I wouldn't last in this field."

"Mm." Xu Qingyan nodded, then felt puzzled, "A shotgun wedding? I remember when we were shooting the love reality show, you weren't even engaged, and you didn't say a word about getting married."

"No choice, she was pregnant," Zhou Mian sighed, "We were planning on getting engaged, but she wouldn't commit without a house. Just before, I got a bonus and we finally..."

"At that time, you were busy, Brother Xu. It wasn't appropriate to bother you with my personal affairs."

Ding dong.

He glanced at his phone; Xu Qingyan had transferred ten thousand yuan to him.

"Brother Xu, what's this for..."

"Gift money for your wedding; keep it,"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mian opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately, nothing came out.

"Thanks, Brother Xu."

"No problem."

After a moment of silence, Zhou Mian looked in the direction of the two women, then turned back, hesitated, and sighed softly before speaking slowly.

"I did have feelings for Chen Niannian (Li Zhi) once; that was when I was quite young. I was almost about to confess to her when one day she told me she wanted to share a secret with me."