Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Some people come on the show for fame, some for profit.

But as long as there is desire, there will be flaws.

Xu Qingyan was neither for fame nor for profit; he couldn't reap the benefits of Kulinan shards, just a salary. His goal was simply to last seven days, just going crazy and picking fights.

When he praised someone, he might do so insincerely, but his cursing was utterly genuine, so meticulous he almost wanted to check the other person's household registration.

Sometimes he thought that Evil Sword Immortal likely lost to Jing Tian because he was born in the wrong era. If he were in the current times, his resentment alone would be enough to beat eight Jing Tians.

The first thing he did every morning was to punch this shitty world a few times as his rebellion against life.

If the eight male and female guests were considered fish from various industries, Xu Qingyan was the catfish brought in by the directors to stir the water, the murkier the better.

The only person he couldn't figure out was Pei Muchan—did the pop diva join the love reality show just to change her mood?

As night fell.

The two of them got ready to go downstairs for dinner, and it was also time to start the live broadcast.

Just before leaving, Pei Muchan's phone suddenly rang.

Pulled by the chain, Xu Qingyan, who was walking ahead, turned back to look at her. Her expression was not good, and she answered the phone with a frown.

To make walking easier, the chain had been shortened to about one meter. He did want to respect Pei Muchan's privacy but under the current circumstances, it seemed unnecessary.

He stood there waiting, not intentionally listening in, yet he still caught some fragmentary words and intonation. It seemed her assistant was on the other end, speaking with annoyance.

During the call, Pei Muchan's expression also turned unsightly, but overall she remained calm. After instructing the person on the phone a few times, she hung up.

"What's up?"

"It's nothing, just a small work-related issue," she said, her eyes dimming momentarily as she spoke.

Her longtime cooperating senior singer had declined her studio's invitation to collaborate, offering only a few rough demos as a perfunctory gesture, claiming the good songs had already been reserved by someone else.

And he implied that if she wanted to outbid them, she would have to pay more.

He even said that since she was preparing to transition, she should not be so picky. There are not many evergreens in the music scene; people need to be open-minded and get more exposure for popularity.

The music scene has always existed, yet no one has ever seen its true face.

"Work, is it tough?" he asked.

"It's manageable," Pei Muchan gathered herself and smiled, "Just encountered a little trouble, but it's not a big deal. It's actually a good opportunity to take some rest."

"Alright, then let's head downstairs," Xu Qingyan didn't take it to heart. A jobless man worrying about the diva's troubles was pure nonsense.

From the moment they stepped out, the follow-shot crew was already in position. Just before going down the stairs, she suddenly asked,

"I didn't say anything strange when I was drunk, did I?"

The barrage wasn't busy, but hearing the word "drunk," they began collectively dropping question marks.

"Tipsy in the room, huh? Alright, alright, playing behind my back, huh!"

"Stumbled in and I've been searching everywhere asking, 'whose clown mask fell off?'"

Hearing this, Xu Qingyan recalled the words Pei Muchan had said while drunk, and it seemed that apart from mentioning a Lin Wanzhou, there was nothing else.

"Guess?" His smile grew increasingly wicked.

Pei Muchan: "....."

Thump thump thump, the sounds of their footsteps were slightly messy as they just reached the downstairs living room when they ran into Song Enya and Nian Shuyu, who were getting ready to go to the restaurant for a meal.

The group exchanged greetings, and Xu Qingyan approached Song Enya to chat. They laughed and talked until they stopped just before entering the restaurant.

When Xu Qingyan came back, Pei Muchan asked.

"You seemed very happy talking to her?"

"Yeah, Song Enya is pretty and speaks nicely, no wonder she's so popular." Xu Qingyan said, then turned to glance at Pei Muchan, "Why?"

She felt uncomfortable inside and muttered, "It's nothing."

A few minutes later, they both sat quietly in a corner of the restaurant, waiting for others to arrive. Soon, Shen Jinyue hopped over to them.

Without much hesitation, she thumped down next to them and they stared at each other—eyes wide.

"Are you being a third wheel?" Xu Qingyan was not pleased to see her.

"A third wheel?" Shen Jinyue was surprised and glanced at him then at Pei Muchan, "How did you two get so close?"

"Slept for a bit." He answered.

"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Pei Muchan's face flushed red, then remembering what Xu Qingyan had said that afternoon, she turned to Shen Jinyue and asked, "Have you decided who you're voting for the day after tomorrow?"

Hearing this, Shen Jinyue cautiously turned to glance at the camera, whispering sneakily.

"Can this even be said outright?"

"Then, do you think they've discussed it?" Xu Qingyan's voice floated eerily to Shen Jinyue's ear, deliberately trying to scare her, "Maybe they've already agreed to vote you out together."

"Impossible!" Shen Jinyue was still stubborn, but her face looked a bit panicked, "You're so annoying, they'd vote you out before me, and I'd be the first to vote for you!"

"Oh, really?" Xu Qingyan casually leaned back in his chair, "Who knows what card you've got."

"What I have is of course...!" Shen Jinyue caught herself mid-sentence, suddenly stood up and puffed out her cheeks, "You trickster, trying to con me!"

"I didn't say anything; you said it yourself." Xu Qingyan curled his lip.

The dinner was a 'choose-your-own' dating segment, where male and female guests could invite someone they fancied to a candlelit dinner, choosing the location themselves.

Though it was said to be self-chosen, it was really just within and just outside this seaside villa. The rain had just stopped outside, ruling out an outdoor shoot, so they decided to shoot the candlelit dinner under the cover of darkness.

The rooftop, courtyard, a private room, choose at will. The show's crew had done this mainly to stir up the guests' competitive spirits and disrupt any initial relationships that were forming.

People's thoughts are bizarre and varied. Some may like someone but won't approach right away. Instead, they'll start with someone else and gradually move closer to their real interest.

When it comes to making a choice, these people become swirling variables of uncertainty.

For instance, Shen Jinyue, who no one had bothered to pick up in the morning, had suddenly become the belle of the ball. Watching her surprised expression, Xu Qingyan turned to Pei Muchan and complained.

"Some people have been transparent from the moment they sat down, yet they're still self-congratulating on their cleverness."

Upon hearing this, Pei Muchan laughed as well.

"Why don't you go invite someone else?"

Xu Qingyan's gaze landed on her, "Someone else? Who might that be?"

"Song Enya. Didn't you say she's beautiful and speaks nicely?" Pei Muchan flicked back her hair, propped her hands on the table, and locked eyes with him.

"Forget it, Song Enya doesn't even need to check what day it is to eat KFC; how could I be worthy of her?" He smirked and shifted his gaze away.

"What about me then?" she asked.

"You don't like KFC; thankfully, I can't afford it." He spoke carelessly.