Dating My Drama Queen Girlfriend On A Slow-Paced Variety Show - Chapter 8

The photographer’s equipment rose as a matter of conditioned reflex.

Li Yue pressed down the corners of her mouth, looked out the window, and smiled. “It looks like we’ve arrived.”

The accompanying director turned her head and saw a dense crowd of her own people by the roadside. She had sent a message to the Executive Director when they were on their way, but she hadn’t expected the Executive Director to come out and greet them personally.

The accompanying director scratched her head, recalling Li Yue’s smile from a moment ago. She tossed words like “lingering affection” into the sea of clouds. What lingering affection? It turned out Teacher Li was just smiling with relief because she had finally reached the end of a very long car ride!

The car came to a halt. Outside, two more cameras were lifted, aimed directly at the car door.

The moment Li Yue stepped out was recorded faithfully.

Liu Xinran, the Executive Director who had come specifically to see Li Yue in person, felt her eyes light up. The little person inside her heart nodded in approval. No wonder Su Pei mentioned this singer newly signed to Huaguan putting talent aside, her appearance and aura alone were incredibly “star-like”!

“Star quality” is a fleeting thing. Every famous artist has a bit of it. In layman’s terms, it’s being different, standing out like a crane among chickens. It’s that certain “vibe” that allows someone to be picked out instantly from a crowd of ten thousand.

But no matter how striking Li Yue was, Director Liu was still nervous.

There was no other reason than the fact that the four big shots already in the show were “titans.” None could be offended. She had thought the premiere of Late Countryside was the beginning of a grand success, but it turned out to be the end. They had filmed five episodes already, and the four titans were still “appreciating each other” with a polite distance, as if they were all holding back.

She somewhat regretted not choosing a veteran with more variety show experience. She was starting to doubt her own vision before hiring them, she thought these four would coordinate well, but the results were lackluster. Last episode, they invited a veteran host, and while the effect was okay, it was so loud and rowdy that when the director was editing, she wanted to rip off the words “Slow Variety” and slap on “Saturday Crazy Party” instead.

It was strange.

Because of this, she decided to sink or swim by choosing a rising star from the recommendations around her.

If the veterans couldn’t carry the show, then so be it. The rising star lacked seniority, but she had “buzz”!

Buzz!

Director Liu wanted buzz so badly!

She didn’t want people to keep praising her “delicate filming style that belongs in a documentary” anymore, that’s where she had come from!

Director Liu, possessing grand ambitions, pinched her thigh to wake herself from her melancholy. She smiled at the new star and said, “Welcome, Teacher Li!”

Li Yue smiled slightly and said, “Hello, everyone.”

She looked so ethereal that Director Liu’s heart skipped a beat and not in a good way.

Heavens! She’s so gentle, so celestial! Won’t she be even more distant when interacting with the guests?

Thinking of this, Director Liu felt a bit dizzy. She felt she had truly been bewitched by that woman Su Pei, choosing a “Cold Beauty” for an already overly harmonious and polite guest group. Wouldn’t there just be awkward silences later?

No! It was all because of Yi Minhua, who suddenly flaked! What a sensitive coward! She didn’t even give them enough time to find a replacement, forcing the guest to book a ticket in the middle of the night to rush over.

Because of this, Director Liu decided she had to at least shake Li Yue’s hand. She resolved that if it was awkward, it was awkward she would make the post-production team edit it into a “happy family” vibe even if it killed her! At worst, she’d just show more scenery shots!

Director Liu’s thoughts were a bit long. Li Yue looked at the scenery for a second time, wondering if she should shake Director Liu’s hand. Maybe I should… forget it, I’ll look at the view a bit longer.

The wheat was growing quite well.

The same scenery felt different through a lens versus seeing it in reality.

The wind brushed against her face repeatedly, bringing the scent of grass and trees to her nose. The production team was a bit noisy, but Li Yue felt a strange sense of peace. Her gaze fell upon the small courtyard in the distance, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

“Should I head out?” Li Yue asked. “Can I just take my luggage over?”

Director Liu blinked, startled, and hurriedly said, “Yes. Teacher Li, have you watched our show?”

Li Yue replied quickly, “Yes, I’ve watched every episode. I like it very much.”

Whether she had crammed for the show or was a genuine fan, such words were pleasant to hear. Director Liu beamed, catching a hand signal from the accompanying director who had picked Li Yue up.

the accompanying director’s fingers were flying pointing at Li Yue, then flying again.

This one. A goddess! Incredible! Just watch, Sis!

Director Liu: “?”

Incredible how? She wanted to see!

In everyone’s eyes, the tall, slender artist pulled her luggage and a pink trolley. The trolley was covered, its contents unknown, though bits of green could be seen near the handles.

The accompanying director who had fetched Li Yue looked at the silver thermal container on top of the pink trolley and flashed a mysterious smile.

Guest stars usually didn’t have much luggage, and neither did Li Yue, but Li Yue’s was “complex.” At the very least, no guest had ever brought a folding trolley and a thermal container in addition to a suitcase. Given that the guest was a woman, Director Liu couldn’t help but say, “You can call the other teachers over to help.”

The road to the courtyard was rugged and uneven; a suitcase would be difficult to manage.

Li Yue rolled up her sleeves, revealing pale, slender arms. She smiled and said, “It’s okay. It’s not heavy, I don’t have much.”

The photographer, who had personally seen her stuffing things into the suitcase, had a complicated expression.

Not… heavy?

Li Yue gripped the handle with both hands and exerted force. Her arm muscles tensed, and blue veins surfaced on the back of her hands as she pulled the suitcase over a bump without changing her expression. Before anyone could anticipate what she would do next, Li Yue stopped, pressed a button, and the silver-white suitcase suddenly began to move forward with a “hum.”

Everyone: …Oh!

It was electric!

Director Liu: She really is a loyal viewer! She even considered this?

Li Yue pulled the two cases, “clacking” along the path through the wheat fields. Ten minutes later, the small courtyard was right before her eyes. There were many staff members outside the yard as well. Li Yue paused, spotted a familiar face in the crowd, and their eyes met. Su Pei nodded.

Li Yue lowered her gaze, walked over with a smile, and knocked on the door.

The staff had told the fixed guests that the new guest would arrive at ten o’clock. It was currently not even 8:30 AM. Li Yue figured the guests were likely still in bed or at least, one of them should be.

She knocked, but heard no movement behind the door.

Li Yue’s throat moved, and she blinked rapidly a couple of times, as if trying to hide her nervously racing heart. She reached out and pressed the doorbell.

A sweet, soft voice came from the intercom: “Welcome to ‘Late Countryside Cottage’! We’ll be right there to open the door for you!”

Inside the living room, the guests who had just woken up and were drawing lots to decide who would cook, poked their heads out. “The new guest is here?”

“So early? Wasn’t it ten o’clock? Who is it!”

A girl still in her pajamas clutched her slip of paper, suddenly jumped up, and shouted, “I’ll get the door!”

She vanished in a flash, “patter-patter-pattering” toward the courtyard gate, with a photographer chasing after her.

“I’m coming!” Luo Mingzi shouted as she ran, her tone exceptionally cheerful. She asked loudly, “Who are you?”

Li Yue didn’t speak. The camera captured her quiet profile.

She listened silently to the “patter” of footsteps until they stopped behind the thin wooden door. Through the cracks, she could see a pink silhouette. A faint, sweet scent of incense slowly drifted out.

“Open Sesame!”

Luo Mingzi shouted happily, pulled the bolt, and swung the wooden door open.

The visitor’s face suddenly burst into her field of vision.

Li Yue looked up, meeting a pair of eyes that had suddenly gone wide.

On camera, the two people, one inside the gate, one outside, simultaneously froze for three seconds.

Li Yue blinked very softly, looking from Luo Mingzi’s messy, fluffy hair to her eyes, from her eyes to her lips, and from her lips to the slender neck that could be encircled with one hand.

In the silence, the woman behind the door who was so beautiful one couldn’t look away, and so familiar she couldn’t be more so swallowed hard. She raised a hand, pointed at Li Yue, and said slowly:

“You… you look just like my girlfriend!”

The surroundings went dead silent. The photographer holding the camera nearly had his hands shake. The director, the editors, and various staff members all fell silent, looking at Luo Mingzi in shock.

In that dead silence, Li Yue smiled.

The corners of her mouth curled up. Though it was sudden, since it was Luo Mingzi, it wasn’t surprising at all. She said:

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Li Yue added, “I like Teacher Luo, too.”