Chapter 108

Chapter 108 [VIP] Extra 4 (Variety Show)

At the beginning, the "Shi Jiu" CP supertopic was created by Qi Wei mainly to deal with the potential negative PR from the rumors about the "Huan Zhou" scandal. At that time, they just wanted to get through the announcement of their relationship, smoothly break the contract, and they never thought about hyping up their CP.

So, the supertopic didn’t have the management of the studio, and all the content had to be hunted down by fans. By all logic, this supertopic shouldn’t have gained any traction.

After all, both Shi Tuo and An Ye were essentially homebodies, and their chances of being photographed together out in public were about five or six times a year, with maybe only one or two occasions where their faces were clearly captured. After An Ye's studio was established, she had never participated in any variety shows. For movie promotional interviews, she still maintained the same business-like attitude, and when the conversation veered toward family, she always kept her answers short. So, from the perspective of a mature and rational woman like Qi Wei, this CP supertopic should have died out by now.

But for some reason, the supertopic seemed to live up to its name, and by its third anniversary, it made it into the top five of similar supertopics.

Various commercial collaboration offers flooded the studio. Miss Qi Wei, who was usually very inclined to bend for money, started getting tempted after rejecting a few offers and seeing the price rise higher.

"Do you remember last year when we were caught by paparazzi during our honeymoon in Norway?" Qi Wei had invited Shi Tuo to the studio meeting room for a serious discussion. "It was the one where Jiu Jiu was half-squatting, and Shi Tuo had his chin resting on her forehead. Someone wants us to authorize merchandise."

An Ye: "… That’s not a pose only the two of us can do, so why would we authorize it?"

Her words were quite ambiguous, and Shi Tuo almost got burned by his yuzu tea.

"Because they just want to sell that pose with your faces," Qi Wei projected an image on the screen. "The cartoon figurines will use your faces. If we collaborate, they plan to unlock more poses, mostly with the female wearing the male's jacket."

That sounded even more awkward. An Ye suspected that Qi Wei was just teasing them, especially since she had already told them several times not to wear Shi Tuo's jacket when they went out...

Shi Tuo didn’t hesitate for even a second: "No authorization."

Qi Wei calmly nodded and moved on to the next proposal: "This one is an invite for a post-marriage reality show, focused on slow living. It would film the daily life of a couple. I looked at the script, and there’s a character setup."

"What’s the character setup for us?" An Ye asked, a little curious.

"Workplace elites and a dedicated best actress," Qi Wei said, pausing for a second before dismissing the idea herself. "Forget it, this doesn’t suit you two."

Shi Tuo: "?"

"Last month," Qi Wei reminded them about the 'workplace elite and dedicated best actress' concept. "Your wife said she wanted roast goose, and I said it would be better to wait until after the awards ceremony to eat it. Who was it that secretly stuffed a roast goose into a plastic bag, hid it in their suit pocket—oh no, the inner pocket—and brought it to her to eat?"

Three large pieces of roast goose with skin! They ate so much their cheeks were puffed up.

How old were they? Thirty! Sneaking food backstage, mouths covered in oil!

An Ye scratched her nose and quickly changed the subject: "Next proposal."

Qi Wei rolled her eyes: "The next one is an advertisement. Jiu Jiu has been the spokesperson for a drink for years, and this summer they plan to release a couple's edition, and they want Shi Tuo to appear in the ad."

That was a solid proposal.

Seeing that neither of them had any reason to reject it, Qi Wei moved this item to "pending": "I’ll go over the ad script later. If Shi Tuo doesn’t have too much screen time, we’ll consider the collaboration."

Having been in the industry for so many years, Qi Wei knew the fine line between too much and just enough. If they made them film a commercial where they were all over each other, it would actually make fans lose interest. But filming a shot from behind, a pair of hands handing over a drink, or a wide shot—those could definitely be considered.

"Last one," Qi Wei paused. "An interview show by a cross-platform content creator."

An Ye was surprised.

These proposals had been carefully vetted by Qi Wei. Their studio was traditionally conservative about business. An Ye wasn’t particularly ambitious in this area, and Qi Wei had come from a traditional entertainment background, where resources were scarce.

They rarely received interview offers from new media, and when they did, Qi Wei would turn them down.

It was an unfamiliar process, lacking resources to connect with, and the editing and airing might lead to mixed reviews—too many uncontrollable factors.

She never expected that Qi Wei would save this kind of interview for last, so An Ye took the proposal.The person they were collaborating with, she didn’t know.

"This content creator, Zou Zou, is Diao Tong's sister," Qi Wei didn’t keep them in suspense. "She graduated from the Communication University of China and has been doing interview shows for the past five years, interviewing people from various industries. I’ve looked at her previous content, and she’s someone with ideas. I think it’s worth a try."

They all remembered Diao Tong’s help three years ago. After Huan Zhou was acquired, Diao Tong moved to another big entertainment company and had been developing well. Last year, Diao Tong and An Ye both won the prestigious acting award at the end of the year, receiving their awards together on stage and attending the backstage interview.

Diao Tong had already matured. She never mentioned the variety show from back then. As she had said, she only reminded An Ye about the Sheng Yu matter because An Ye was her idol, and at just the right time, in a very low-key way, she helped her idol once.

She never gave An Ye a chance to return the favor, except for this one thing Qi Wei brought up today.

"Diao Tong and her sister have a good relationship. Zou Zou went on the first episode of the show, and later, whenever the show needed a boost in popularity, Diao Tong would come to help out. The show has been revamped many times in the past five years, and this season is focused on celebrity interviews, with a casual drinking and chatting format. It’s not a live broadcast, and the editing team uses resources from Diao Tong's side."

"I’ve looked into it. Her sister has invited several celebrities, and we weren’t the only ones she contacted. I suspect Diao Tong probably didn’t mention this to her sister."

"So, I think, if you both find this kind of interview format acceptable, it wouldn’t hurt to participate."

"Putting aside the Diao Tong connection, personally, I think this show is quite good. It has both entertainment and depth, and the popularity is pretty high. Many of the girls in our studio watch it during lunch breaks. Zou Zou, I’ve heard some rumors about her, but overall, she’s someone you can trust."

"You can watch her show when you go back. If you think it's fine, we can accept the invitation."

So, one day in May that year, during lunch break, a girl from An Ye’s studio, having carefully calculated the calories, heated up her lunchbox, took a sip of milk tea, and opened up the weekly updated Zou Zou’s "Drinking and Chatting."

The familiar opening theme began. This season focused on entertainment industry interviews, and before each new episode aired, people would guess who the guest of the week was. The bullet comments were more active than usual.

The girl, sucking on her straw, typed in the bullet comments: [I think it’s Lu Yifei from our company. He said he loves Zou Zou’s "Drinking and Chatting" and has always wanted to be on this show.]

After the opening, the camera revealed the familiar little drinking table with many bottles of alcohol. Two people were sitting by the table, but Zou Zou was nowhere to be seen.

The bullet comments froze for a second.

[???]

[Is that An Ye? Who’s the person next to her?]

[It’s definitely her husband, so dark, haha, she didn’t even wear makeup, her hair isn’t oiled, good reviews.]

[!!! They actually appeared on the show! I’m going to the supertopic right now!]

[Ahhhhhhhh Zou Zou, you never disappoint!]

The girl, who had been sucking on the straw, suddenly lost interest, staring blankly at the screen.

The show had just started. The PD was still speaking to An Ye and the others off-camera, saying that there were about five minutes left before filming began. Zou Zou was talking with Qi Wei about the latest interview script and asked them to wait for a moment.

Then the production team displayed a subtitle saying that this segment wasn’t originally part of the main show, but because their interaction was so full of love, they decided, after discussing with the guests, to include it at the beginning.

And then, the main show started.

The two didn’t particularly mind the filming crew adjusting the lighting nearby. An Ye helped Shi Tuo adjust his collar, frowning slightly in annoyance: "You should at least put on some base makeup. When the reflector is in place, you’ll look exhausted."

Shi Tuo smiled and adjusted An Ye's collar, which had been pulled down by the weight of the microphone.

"Don’t drink too much later," he whispered, pointing at the wine on the table. "Don’t touch the yellow bottle. You had a headache for a whole day the last time you drank that."

An Ye glanced at the table in accordance with Shi Tuo’s hand.

The show was centered on casual drinking and chatting. The snacks prepared this time were all spicy marinated dishes. An Ye noticed small pieces of marinated kelp.Shi Tuo paused for a moment, glanced at the staff, and secretly picked up a piece of kelp and put it into An Ye’s mouth.

An Ye puffed her cheeks, chewing the kelp with squinted eyes.

And so, this part of the opening passed.

[Now I finally understand why An Ye’s cheeks are always round after marriage.]

[? People still complain about An Ye’s round face? Was her face sharp before? It was sunken, okay!]

[Are you allergic to romance? You’re arguing over this?]

[Give me the ship! An Ye didn’t even give her husband a look, and he fed her kelp!!!]

[What if An Ye was actually looking at something else, and only ate because the camera was on her?]

[Forget it, it’s already 2024, and some people are still shipping this lovey-dovey persona in front of the camera.]

[An Ye’s value dropped after she got married? What are you even saying? She won Best Actress at the Sunshine City International Film Festival two years ago, and won three major Best Actress awards for "Ninety-Nine Days" last year. Please get your facts right.]

[She’s one of the top five actresses in domestic pay. Get to know her.]

[What are they even shipping? The supertopic is starving, alright? I’d rather they ship it!]

The young girl quietly raised her head and glanced at the meeting room.

Today, Shi Tuo came in for a meeting, probably to discuss a movie contract. When she arrived at work in the morning, she saw her boss, An Ye, entering the elevator with Shi Tuo. An Ye had a rice ball in her hand with kelp inside.

So, her boss actually likes eating kelp, it wasn’t forced for the camera.

It seemed like real affection.

The young girl didn’t know why, but she blushed slightly. After taking a bite of her lunch, she felt it was kind of enjoyable.

Zou Zou entered the scene, first offering various apologies and greetings, then pouring drinks. After they each drank a glass, Zou Zou set down her chopsticks.

During this process, Shi Tuo selected a low-alcohol beer for An Ye and put a few more pieces of kelp into her bowl. Finally, the interview began.

This wasn’t a serious interview show, and the topics were all over the place, but each time they managed to capture a few emotional moments. For an interview, it was quite enjoyable to watch.

However, for the guests, on-the-spot reactions were very important.

Zou Zou chose to hold the interview at the drinking table for this reason, as even drinking a couple of glasses could help loosen people up.

They first followed the usual routine of talking about their recent updates. An Ye’s responses were proper and standard, and Shi Tuo hadn’t spoken at all, sitting beside her with his head slightly tilted, watching her talk.

Then, Zou Zou changed the subject and took out a big crocodile with its mouth open. Each of them had to press the crocodile’s teeth, and whoever’s mouth fell off would have to either tell a truth or drink a special cocktail made by the production team.

Finally, the show reached the part the audience loved to see.

Zou Zou played the game fairly, without any tricks. The three of them pressed the teeth by luck, and An Ye had an uncanny accuracy, winning all four rounds.

In the first two rounds, she chose truth.

The first question: "What’s the biggest change after getting married compared to before?"

An Ye thought for a moment and answered, "I don’t have to sleep alone anymore."Shi Tuo: "..."

He lowered his head subtly, unsure whether he was hiding a smile or the redness in his ears.

The second question: "How do you usually call each other?"

An Ye didn’t need to think: "Shi Tuo."

Zou Zou was surprised: "No nickname?"

An Ye was serious: "Shi Tuo itself is already intimate enough."

Zou Zou: "..."

Shi Tuo lowered his head again.

For the next two rounds, An Ye hesitated but chose to drink.

The first glass she drank herself. During the second glass, Shi Tuo stretched his hand to stop her, saying to Zou Zou: "She doesn’t drink well. Can I take her place?"

Zou Zou didn’t go easy: "If you’re replacing her, then it’s three glasses."

Shi Tuo: "Fine."

And so, three glasses of alcohol were downed.

[...This damn little couple.]

[I put down my chopsticks and suddenly had my mouth stuffed with food for no reason.]

[I've been researching An Ye's speaking style lately. Ignoring the whole Huan Zhou situation, after she went solo, her interviews have often been short but surprising.]

[She’s always direct. Last time I saw her team at the airport, we tried to rush up for her autograph. She pushed through the crowd and came over to tell us, 'Don’t crowd, there’s an escalator ahead, you’ll fall and die.']

[??? Hahahaha]

[I love this kind of persona!]

[Is it just me, or does this feel a bit clumsy? Like when people who lack emotional expression communicate with others.]

[Yeah, I’ve always felt that An Ye has some emotional gaps. You can see her parents never doing anything right in front of the camera, and she rarely talks about her family.]

[Now that you mention it, the line 'I don’t have to sleep alone anymore' suddenly feels sharp.]

[You guys are really finding a knife in the sugar at noon! It's not easy!]

[Can we focus on the important stuff? Shipping CP, sisters, Black Knight just drank three cups straight!]

[An Ye’s husband’s ears are so red, even before drinking.]

[His eyes never left An Ye. At the start, when Zou Zou walked off to greet everyone, An Ye’s bowl was never empty.]

[Ah, my Shi Jiu CP is real!]

[? You just realized this now after they’ve already gotten their marriage certificate? Isn't that a little slow on the uptake?]

[Do you think An Ye's husband will get drunk? A guest on this show got drunk last time and started dancing, causing the show to end early.]

In the fifth round, Zou Zou pressed the tooth, and she decisively drank a glass of cocktail.After Shi Tuo drank three glasses of alcohol, An Ye became more cautious, selecting and re-selecting, yet still unable to escape the fate of her sharp intuition. In the sixth and final round, the crocodile's mouth still snapped shut.

"Truth or dare?" An Ye bit her lip.

The cocktail was a mix of alcohol, and she was actually a little upset. Every time it was her turn, the three glasses earlier shouldn't have been drunk by Shi Tuo.

Shi Tuo couldn’t drink mixed alcohol, and once it had three or more types, he would start gesturing with three fingers.

"The last round of truth is going to get a bit intense," Zou Zou reminded her. "This is an online show, so the boundaries are a bit more open."

This was part of the show’s process, which had been communicated beforehand, and An Ye knew about it.

But she just... felt a little unhappy. Maybe the alcohol was getting to her head, and she forgot that she had already agreed that Shi Tuo couldn’t drink mixed drinks, so the show's cocktail was actually just a single type of alcohol.

She pursed her lips and nodded.

"Can I answer for her?" Shi Tuo, who had only been following the flow of the show, suddenly spoke.

Zou Zou was stunned: "Ah, this..."

"You can ask three questions," Shi Tuo said.

He wasn’t sensitive to the cameras or the crew; he just noticed An Ye’s mood wasn’t great and instinctively moved her behind him, hiding her from the camera.

The camera operator looked up briefly and adjusted the angle.

Shi Tuo was momentarily stunned and pulled An Ye closer.

An Ye, who was really starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, obediently hid behind him. When she realized she couldn’t hide anymore, she simply lifted Shi Tuo’s arm and buried herself in his embrace.

Zou Zou was stunned.

Qi Wei had said that An Ye had a good alcohol tolerance, and these were all low-alcohol drinks she had given her.

"Go ahead and ask," Shi Tuo started taking over the process.

"One question then." Zou Zou started to tease. "You two went from childhood friends to getting married. What was the turning point?"

"There was no turning point," Shi Tuo answered.

Zou Zou: "Usually, when friends become romantic partners, there’s a process, right?"

Shi Tuo thought for a moment: "I never saw her as just a friend."

Zou Zou: "…So, you always intended to marry her?"

Shi Tuo: "I never planned on being apart from her. Marriage was just a legal reason to stay with her."

An Ye raised her head from Shi Tuo's arms, glanced at him, then at Zou Zou, and nodded, reminding her: "That’s three questions."

Zou Zou: "…"

The rest of the process was about promoting An Ye's recent movie, discussing the future of her studio, and diving into some deep topics like how the film industry should survive in the age of short videos.

It was meant to be a relaxed discussion, with everyone a bit tipsy.

But Zou Zou didn’t expect that after drinking, these two would become even more tense than usual.

Some wariness is instinctive; these two naturally have a barrier between themselves and others. Once they feel physically or mentally uncomfortable, they instinctively cling to each other and shut others out.An Ye and Shi Tuo were this type of couple.

Although Zou Zou swore to the heavens that she hadn’t tampered with the crocodile's head and it was purely An Ye’s hand that was unlucky.

So the rest of the interview became quite entertaining.

After drinking a bit, Shi Tuo’s aggressive side was harder to suppress, and An Ye, being the type to always protect her partner, turned Zou Zou's interview into a collection of moments where the host was left dumbfounded.

Zou Zou: "I’ve noticed that the movies An Ye has taken on after marriage are a bit different from before. The latest one is an art film, right? Directed by Yang Zhengyi?"

An Ye: "Mm."

Zou Zou: "…"

Zou Zou: "What about Shi Tuo? Does he watch An Ye's romance films? Have you seen 'Ninety-Nine Days'?"

Shi Tuo: "I watched it. It was pretty good."

An Ye: "What was good about it?"

Shi Tuo: "…"

Zou Zou: "…"

Shi Tuo was starting to get annoyed. His wife was finally inexplicably drunk, and it was happening on the show.

From that point on, things became quite unbearable to watch.

Until the very last question, when Zou Zou asked them what their plans for the future were.

Maybe because it was the last question, An Ye’s mood eased a little. She said, "Nothing planned, just living life well."

Shi Tuo thought for a moment and said, "Just like now, that’s fine."

[Hahahahahaha, five years, this is Zou Zou's most awkward interview!]

[The person who said An Ye had emotional issues, come out. I think Shi Tuo might have this issue too.]

[These two got drunk and just clung to each other.]

[This is my first time watching this show. Does this count as a failed interview?]

[Look at the clicks and live view count. Do you think this is a failure? Zou Zou must be thrilled, it's a historic high in views and likes.]

[I’m different from you all, I just want to say that An Ye’s husband is really handsome. Where can you find such a handsome guy in real life!!!]

[The way he hugged An Ye to hide from the cameras really made me tear up. Every time I try to secretly take a picture of them, he stops me like that! You see, he's so good at it!!]

[Their relationship is really good. For those who used to say they were just showing off their relationship for the cameras, what do you think now? What good did that get them?]

[An Ye’s personality makes variety shows difficult for her. No wonder the studio stopped doing it later.]

[True, I kind of understand why they stopped selling the loving couple image after three years of marriage.]

[They probably don’t care much, just living their own lives.]

[Long-lasting, long-lasting, just live well!]

[? Is your fan club's support really that off-beat?]