Dating My Drama Queen Girlfriend On A Slow-Paced Variety Show - Chapter 4

[Holy crap! It really is Luo Mingzi! I’m speechless!]

[A golden quote! Goddess Luo drops a golden quote right at the start!]

[Goddess Luo is still Goddess Luo forever elegant, forever refined, forever high and mighty, and forever clueless about the hardships of the common folk.]

[She’s a rich young lady, after all; there’s a wall between her and ordinary people.]

[And she calls this “lying flat” for a comfortable recording? Are you not comfortable enough when you’re filming? You “famous actress” who can only recite lines like a robot.]

[When is Luo Mingzi going to quit the entertainment industry?]

Bad reviews are always more eye-catching than good ones, and malicious words always sting more than kind ones.

Luo Mingzi’s fans did their best to create a welcoming atmosphere, but her “anti-fans” were a force to be reckoned with, standing their ground in a stalemate against her loyal followers.

In the living room, Li Yue suddenly lowered his hand, hiding his wine glass under the coffee table.

On the screen, the woman surrounded by a barrage of bullet comments that swung between adoration and rejection removed her sunglasses.

The overwhelming wave of comments stuttered for two seconds. A moment later, the love and the vitriol surged back with a vengeance, but in that two-second gap of silence, a large blank space appeared on the screen.

In the midst of the landscape, a girl so beautiful it felt surreal frowned with displeasure. Her lips quirked into a tiny, fleeting pout before she quickly pulled it back. Her eyes, which seemed to compete with the clarity of the lakes and mountains, stared blankly into the distance.

Li Yue remembered that whenever Luo Mingzi was angry, worried, or anxious, she habitually puffed out her cheeks. However, after being called “childish” by many people, she had tried hard to break the habit. But a habit held for so many years couldn’t be changed easily, resulting in this subconscious reaction, a reflex followed by a quick snap back to reality.

With a face like hers, she looked good doing anything.

Even those who hated Luo Mingzi the most had to admit: this woman was truly beautiful.

…Followed immediately by the thought: What a waste of such a face!

The “truly beautiful” girl looked mournfully at the four large suitcases beside her and asked in disbelief, “Do I really have to drag these over one by one?”

Staff member: “That’s right.”

“But it’s all mud!” Luo Mingzi pointed at the rugged, uneven path. “And rocks! And grass is growing everywhere!”

Staff member: “We went through a lot of trouble to find a recording location with this kind of terrain!”

Well, aren’t you proud of yourselves.

Luo Mingzi was rendered speechless. She silently picked up one suitcase, but after a moment, she lifted her foot and whined, “Then let me change my shoes first.”

The guests who had already arrived at the house waited for a long time. Finally, unable to wait any longer, they stepped out only to find Luo Mingzi halfway down the path. Everyone was in good spirits after a round of laughter, they helped her carry her luggage back.

Although the path to the house was rugged, the house itself and its interior were excellent. The decor was exquisite, and it was fully equipped with all sorts of furniture. The living room even had a floor to ceiling window facing a low wall, offering a view of the distant mountains and lakes.

Despite having done almost nothing, a panting Luo Mingzi stood in the courtyard with a look of confusion on her face.

“I’ve wanted to ask since I arrived, why is there so much grass planted outside? It’s so neat.” She pointed at the bright green plants lining both sides of the distant road and asked the staff, “You didn’t plant that on purpose, did you?”

In the footage, the staff members looked puzzled. Following her finger toward the distance, they asked, “What grass?”

“Those over there,” Luo Mingzi said, standing on her tiptoes to point at the “grass.”

In the living room, Li Yue’s hand paused while peeling a shrimp. He lowered his head to stifle a laugh, then dipped the peeled shrimp in sauce and placed it on a plate.

On the TV, You Yang took a sharp breath, his expression going blank. He said to Luo Mingzi, “Sister, that’s wheat. Wheat!”

The screen was instantly filled with laughing and speechless bullet comments.

Wu Xuezhen and Pi Dajun, a married couple, heard the laughter from the production team and poked their heads out from the second floor to ask what was happening. Upon hearing about Luo Mingzi’s “feat,” they burst into laughter.

For a moment, the house was filled with laughter inside and out.

Luo Mingzi’s face turned visibly red. She puffed out her cheeks and said unhappily to You Yang, “Why are you calling me ‘Sister’? Do I look old?”

You Yang immediately waved his hands in denial.

Luo Mingzi breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, “That’s good. I remember I’m younger than you.”

You Yang was surprised: “Really? Sis… no, didn’t you debut a year earlier than me?”

“I’m 23,” Luo Mingzi said.

You Yang immediately replied, “Senior!”

Luo Mingzi waved it off and said, “Just call me by my name. By the way, are you an idol?”

You Yang nodded.

“Oh, then I won’t shake hands with you. Let’s not make your fans angry. Please tell them to rest assured. I will work hard to avoid any scandals with you, and I won’t let the company market us as a ‘CP’ (Couple). I have no interest in men!” Luo Mingzi’s tone was very serious, as was her expression, making it hard to tell if she was joking or serious. However, the comments were all “Hahaha,” while only You Yang stood there with a blank face, nodding.

Then, Luo Mingzi suddenly asked back, “You’re the same, right?”

I have no interest in men, and you’re the same, right?

You Yang: ???

The editors slapped the words “Mentally Unstable” over his facial features as he slowly replied, “I… guess so.”

Bullet comments: [Hahaha.]

Fans who shipped You Yang with his male teammates were dancing with joy. He hesitated! He hesitated! The CP we ship must be real!

For a brief moment, the two fanbases were actually at peace with each other.

After the guests met, they toured the house, assigned rooms, and unpacked their luggage. Everyone began to plan their future life. The goal of the show was to live in the countryside: growing flowers, planting vegetables, walking the dog, and fishing.

Speaking of walking the dog, Luo Mingzi was very firm in her refusal: “I can’t raise a dog, because you have to pick up its poop, and I really can’t do that!”

“If all else fails, you guys can just raise me,” she said proudly. “I’m very high-maintenance!”

The three guests: “…”

The director behind the camera raised a megaphone to remind her: “Teacher Luo, please watch your language! We are broadcasting during dinner time!”

Luo Mingzi drawled, “Oh~ okay then!”

“Sorry.” She covered her face with both hands and gave a playful, embarrassed smile to the camera.

Luo Mingzi’s army of “face fans” (fans who stan her for her looks) instantly flooded the space, their presence overwhelming and peerless.

In any case, the matter of dog walking was set aside for the moment. The group still had to solve the problems of food, clothing, and transportation, as well as prepare to welcome the guest for the first episode.

The next episode wouldn’t air for another week. Although the preview released a blurred image of the upcoming guest, fans had already guessed their identity. However, none of this concerned Li Yue.

On the screen, the sun set, draping the undulating ridges of the mountains in a sky full of crimson clouds. The courtyard, which had been lively all day, fell silent. As the “Evening Village” theme music played, the guests went to bed.

Li Yue withdrew her gaze from the woman on the screen, who was nestled in her blankets wearing an eye mask. She stood up and picked up the plate piled high with shrimp.

Raising her hand and opening her mouth, she poured all the peeled, now cold shrimp into her mouth at once. With puffed-out cheeks, she began cleaning up.

As she tidied, she thought to herself: As expected, crawfish really aren’t that delicious.

The first episode of Evening Village was a resounding success, thanks to various supporting factors. Regardless of anything else, the famous quotes and scenes Luo Mingzi contributed in the first episode kept the discussion surrounding her at an all time high. From the public’s reaction, the positive effects seemed to outweigh the negative.

A veteran in the industry once praised Luo Mingzi: “Simply standing there, she is a painting.”

Under the momentum of this success, the first guest of Evening Village an influential veteran actor and an old friend of the fixed guest couple arrived, kicking off the second episode.

Li Yue ate roasted fish while watching that second episode.

The next day, when she went to the company to prepare the song selection for her final stage, she heard news about Evening Village from Yu Bilan.

“I heard the data for the second episode is a bit worse than the first, and the reaction has been mediocre,” Yu Bilan said. “But with the guest’s fanbase being what it is, the overall numbers are still decent.”

Li Yue asked hesitantly, “Why? I thought the show was quite good.”

Yu Bilan narrowed her eyes and poked Li Yue, saying, “You’re a fan of Teacher Luo to you, is there anything about her that isn’t good? But variety shows are a bit of a mystery. If it’s destined to be a hit, even a low-budget production will skyrocket. If it’s not, no matter how much money you throw at it, it just won’t catch fire. In short, you still have to put your heart into it.”

From the production crew to the guests, everyone in Evening Village seemed to be working hard and with heart. Furthermore, this was Luo Mingzi’s first time appearing as a fixed guest on a variety show. Li Yue, looking through the lens of a protective “mother fan,” couldn’t see anything wrong, so she sought advice from Yu Bilan.

Yu Bilan thought for a moment and said, “It feels like the guests are lacking a bit of a spark between them. The production team must have noticed the problem too, I heard they’re currently looking for a new guest. Their show is different from Because of You, it’s filmed and broadcasted simultaneously, so the tolerance for error is higher.”

Speaking of this, Yu Bilan suddenly clicked her tongue and patted Li Yue’s shoulder. “After all, Evening Village is a major production by Mingyue TV. A new guest can’t go there without a certain level of strength or popularity. Our music department is basically starving right now, and you’ve only just started and haven’t hit your stride yet. Otherwise, we could recommend a few artists like the other departments are doing.”

Li Yue pursed her lips and nodded slowly.

She was one step late.

No, perhaps many steps late.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed, but one cannot force what cannot be obtained. Li Yue kept this matter in her heart and focused on preparing for the final stage of her variety show.

At this time, Because of You had reached its third episode. Li Yue, who had barely appeared in the first two episodes and acted like a wallflower, finally took the stage on behalf of her team.

Her appearance at the beginning of the show had drawn a lot of skepticism. However, after learning she was the songwriter and singer for Evening Village, the doubts subsided significantly. Still, she was too quiet on the show. Occasionally, when the camera caught her face, her expression was always calm or carried a faint smile. She was beautiful, yes, but distant and cold.

She wouldn’t even speak unless prompted.

The other guests participating in Because of You all had names for themselves in the music industry, including two very famous singers. Compared to them, Li Yue whose only achievements were three TV drama inserts and one show theme song seemed unremarkable.

She was so detached that the audience watching the show didn’t even associate the singer with the recently viral Evening Village.

Full of doubt, the audience opened the third episode to watch this “unremarkable” person, who had stood on the stage at the end of the second episode to build suspense, sing for the first time.

Because of You aired at 8:00 PM on Thursday.

At 8:06 PM, Li Yue’s stage began.

At 8:30 PM, Because of You hit the number one spot on the trending search list for the first time since it started broadcasting.

#Li Yue Because of You

#Li Yue “Desert”

#New Generation Singer Li Yue

In the third episode of Because of You, the entire audience stood up to applaud once again. The only two times this had happened before were for the two famous, mature singers in the first two episodes. Regarding this junior, the two musicians backstage gave her extremely high evaluations.

“A voice from heaven, a beautiful timbre,” Yin Tan praised Li Yue highly. “When she opened her mouth, the whole world seemed to go quiet. All sounds vanished, leaving only her voice echoing in my ears. Listening to her sing is so comfortable. It’s rare to encounter such a clean voice. I suspect the production team intentionally held her back just so she could burst out now!”

Another senior singer from the same debut era as Yin Tan laughed, “The production team has already looked past us! However, I’ve already thought of a theme for a song I want to write for her!”

“Does she need you to write for her? She can write them herself!” Yin Tan shot a disdainful look at his friend. “That’s why I invited her to be a guest at my concert, and Little Li has already agreed.”

“You moved too fast!”

Yin Tan: “Hahaha!”

At that time, Li Yue had finished recording all the episodes of Because of You. Only three of the nine episodes had been released. While the later stages were still waiting to be aired, Li Yue became famous in a single battle during her first stage.

Compared to Evening Village, where the song was popular but the singer was not, this was the first time her popularity truly exploded.

She was a total hit!

Starting from the third episode, discussions about Li Yue were everywhere on the internet about her songs, her voice, and her personality.

[Li Yue is like someone living in seclusion. “Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely I see the southern mountains.” It feels like she doesn’t care about anything except singing. She’s very indifferent and quiet, but it’s not the kind of coldness that doesn’t understand social graces!]

[I feel the same! She smiles when others laugh and play, but her smile makes you feel like the noise shouldn’t involve her! And she’s so polite, her daily interactions with other guests are methodical and calm. You can’t find a single fault. She feels like a child raised by a great family in a novel!]

[But with this kind of personality, it feels like there are very few variety shows she can go on!]

[People born for music don’t need “variety sense”! She just needs to sing well! Let’s develop well and aim for the high end! Of course, I don’t mean having variety sense is low-end.]

[I looked up Li Yue’s profile, she’s actually an artist under Huaguan?? The same Huaguan as Luo Mingzi! And she sang the theme song for Evening Village! Also, the insert songs for the popular dramas Lingxiao Journey and Iris were sung by her! Holy crap, isn’t this the typical ‘popular song, unknown singer’ case?]

[I’m a fan of the drama Lingxiao Journey. I love the song. I remember going to a music app to look it up back then; the singer intro just said ‘Li Yue, New Generation Singer’ with no other info, so I forgot about it later.]

[I didn’t expect Li Yue to be so young and look so good. If she had come out earlier, wouldn’t she have been famous sooner?]

[She just signed with Huaguan and participated in a music show, so she’s probably planning to develop seriously. Li Yue’s manager said on social media that Li Yue will soon release her first single, which she still wrote and composed herself. I’m looking forward to it!]

[Looking forward to it!]

Not paying attention to social media and being picked up and dropped off from work by Yu Bilan, Li Yue didn’t yet feel like she was famous. On the other hand, Yu Bilan was so excited she wept with joy at the office, exclaiming that she truly had a keen eye.

“A discerning eye for gold! Perseverance pays off, Li Yue is a masterpiece!”

The company was also shaken. They were contacting her to set up endorsements and follow-up marketing, wanting to retain this wave of popularity as much as possible. Then, Because of You continued to air. Li Yue’s stages came one after another. Even before the company stepped in, Li Yue won every battle she fought with her performances. Her cover songs climbed back to the top of various music charts, and the originally lukewarm show suddenly spiked in popularity.

In the final episode, Li Yue tied for second in total points with another senior singer, second only to Yin Tan, bringing a perfect conclusion to her debut stage.

Although she didn’t win the championship, anyone with eyes could see who the true winner of this competition was.

Li Yue, who had finished recording a month ago, was clocking in at the office. She had just breathed a sigh of relief after seeing off a certain leader who had specifically come to see her, when she suddenly heard a “Bang!” the sound of the door being pushed open.

Yu Bilan was waving her phone, looking like one of those unidentified people in a neighborhood riding an electric scooter with a megaphone playing ads.

She shouted excitedly, “Good news! Incredible news! Teacher Big Li! The production team of Evening Village sent an invitation! Do you want to go to Evening Village as a guest star?”