Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

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Two days later, Xu Qingyan flew to Chang'an.

Pei Muchan, though somewhat unconvinced, was shut down by that guy calling her a "niche little queen" and ended up obediently recording "Annual Rings."

Li Shangyin could remain a niche poet without any exposure; let alone a minor celebrity on the comeback.

In fact, if a singer doesn't release singles to maintain popularity, they're really just out of sight, out of mind. After all, if you don't go on variety shows or release songs, no matter how hot you were last year, who will remember you after the New Year?

After landing at the airport in the afternoon, he ran into some touts aimlessly wandering around the exit.

He ignored them, walked out the door, and began hailing a cab to the hotel he had booked. He checked into his room, kept the receipt for reimbursement, and threw himself onto the bed with a "whump."

The scheduled interview time was ten o'clock the next morning, meaning he had the whole day to himself.

He slept until six in the evening before he started wandering out in search of food. Chang'an, being a city full of tourists, didn't make Xu Qingyan stand out.

He had planned to visit the museum, but the reservations were already full for a week, and he couldn't get a ticket, so he gave up on that idea.

With nothing better to do, Xu Qingyan took a cab to the city wall on his own. Everywhere he went, people were trying to sell him Lantian jade, and he couldn't take it anymore, blurting out.

"Mate, I attract evil spirits; I keep seeing red shoes by my bed. Can your jade keep me safe? I bought some before, and the person who sold it to me has died."

"A sure win, huh? Mate, give me a few."

The seller hesitated for a moment, then walked away without looking back, without a hint of hesitation.

Beneath the city wall sprawled a night market, bustling with people coming and going. Most were tourists from other places, and since the National Day had passed some time ago, it wasn't exactly peak season.

"Hello, what would you like to eat?"

"Uh... Give me a chive pocket and a side of oily tea and fried dough twists." After ordering his meal, Xu Qingyan found a table to sit at and casually took a few photos.

After sending the photos to Boss Pei, he chose to forward them to Lin Wanzhou and sent a copy to Shen Jinyue as well.

In less than half a minute, messages buzzed in, bombarding him like crazy.

"Wuuu, I want to eat that too."

"Give me a bite!"

"Where is this place? Is there such a place in Xinghai? How come I don't know about it?"

Xu Qingyan replied to the messages one by one. Pei Muchan asked if the interview was tomorrow? Lin Wanzhou also asked when he would return to Xinghai; he guessed he'd be back in three to five days.

He also replied to Shen Jinyue, "This isn't Xinghai, this is Chang'an."

Shopping alone is truly dull. While walking on the street, he was occasionally approached by young girls. Sometimes by men, and even by a couple.

What, do I look like a single guy?

Looking at the couples on the street, glued together like paint to a wall, or friends of the same gender holding hands, men... never mind, that he didn't envy.

He sighed slightly, took a few bites of the fried dough twist, and felt lonely.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Within the director's team, in a small office, three people were leaning back in chairs smoking. The table was set with a chicken stew pot, several bottles of alcohol, and a few dishes for snacking.

One of the young men, Zou Lewei, appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Releasing a thin puff of smoke and frowning slightly, he seemed dissatisfied.

As soon as he spoke, the air filled with the smell of gunpowder, "What does Group Leader He mean? He rejected my plan and I've heard he's bringing in some nobody. Where did he even find this person?"

"Try this, try these chicken feet." Another person, Xu Hongjun, was short in stature. He laughed without engaging further, "The flavor of their chicken feet is exceptional."

Gossiping about the boss behind his back wasn't Xu Hongjun's style. It's best to keep things watertight at dinner parties; it's not like they're friends or relatives, and one might get stabbed in the back someday.

After all, many celebrities and artistic workers are flawless in public but can't help spilling secrets in their close circles, which then get recorded and leaked online, leaving them finished.

The fact that these people mingle with so many others from all over the place, domestically and internationally, means that some naturally have warped thoughts and tend to say things they shouldn't when drunk.

"Bringing in talent, well, since ancient times..." The third person, Yan Daolang, looked sophisticated and in his early thirties. He lifted his glass and took a sip, "Foreign monks can recite the scriptures well, haha."

"Recite my ass!" Zou Lewei said irritably, "Who knows what these people are thinking. If they had brought over an experienced planner from the station or a scriptwriter, that would be one thing."

"I've checked. This guy is just a clown seeking attention. Participating in some love reality show, he's always doing exaggerated stuff to grab eyeballs."

"Is that what a literary worker is? Always messing with trending topics. Playing those entertainment industry tricks, it's utterly low-brow. Does he even deserve to be part of the project?"

The entertainment industry's hierarchy of disdain is omnipresent. They see themselves as artsy folks and look down on reality show nobodies quite routinely. Not just nobodies, but even internet celebrities and artists are viewed with the same disdain.

What status, to sit at the same table with us?

But this was also Zou Lewei's way of probing the subject, wanting to hear what the other two thought about He Guojin's decision. He wanted to test the waters before deciding on his next move.

Zou Lewei was venting too intensely, and for a moment, the other two didn't respond.

The man who offered the chicken feet smiled awkwardly. He wasn't stupid. Publicly criticizing leadership could lead to a reckoning come fall. He took a bowl of soup to change the subject.

"Try this soup, see if it's fresh, cool down a bit."
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The thirty-something old fox also smiled and tucked into a marinated chicken foot. After letting Zou Lewei vent his frustration, he finally brought up the topic.

"What's the guy's name?"

"Xu Qingyan, I've looked him up. He's been making quite a stir online recently." Zou Lewei sounded impatient, "An attention-seeker; I don't even know if his work is original or plagiarized."

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