Did Assistant Xie Make the Trending Searches Today? - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The First Broadcast

In May, the white magnolias on both sides of the road were blooming brilliantly.

A silver-gray car pulled up to the entrance of a European-style villa. Xie He-ting thanked the driver earnestly before getting out with his luggage. The villa was located within a manor, surrounded by a serene and secluded environment. To ensure filming went smoothly, the area had already been cleared of outsiders.

Following the guidance of the house number, he walked up the steps and saw a locked glass door. Xie He-ting waited at the entrance for a while. Seeing no one inside, he abandoned the idea of calling for someone to open it. He didn’t dare act rashly, fearing he might be discovered as “unusual.”

The first episode of The Signal of Love was being live-streamed across the entire web. Before it even officially started, the popularity in the live room had already reached a minor peak. Rows of “Protect the world’s best Shi Jixing” and “Shen Ji, I love you” scrolled across the screen.

When a corner of a garment appeared in the frame, the bullet comments erupted uncontrollably.

“Ahhhh, it’s definitely Xiao Xing! He loves wearing T-shirts like that!”

“Doesn’t look like his build—this person is so thin. But even just looking at the back, you can tell it’s a beauty, hehe.”

The camera panned to Xie He-ting.

“Who is this? A guest?”

“Probably staff. Look, he’s wearing a mask and a hat, and he didn’t even bring a suitcase… wait, let me zoom in. What is he holding? A black drawstring plastic bag???”

“Hahaha, this staff member is too funny. Is the production budget that tight? Can’t they give the kid a normal bag so it doesn’t break halfway!”

“Wait, I think he’s a guest? Why else would the crew film a staff member?”

“What guest would be this shabby? This is an Orange TV S-tier variety show; who are you looking down on?”

“He’s wearing a name tag! He-ting? Is he a civilian guest? That name sounds like an artist’s.”

“Huh? The production wouldn’t do this, right? Where did they dig up this country bumpkin? The teaser said the civilian guests have big backgrounds.”

“Just a gimmick. Orange TV has always been good at hype.”

Xie He-ting, naturally unable to see the comments, waited peacefully at the door. The viewers who were complaining were now confused.

“Wait, what is this guest doing? Waiting for someone?”

“Probably. Otherwise, could it be that he doesn’t know how to open a glass door and is waiting for someone to let him in? Hahaha.”

Waiting wasn’t an issue, but four or five minutes passed, and he was still standing perfectly straight outside the glass door, which piqued everyone’s curiosity.

“What is Orange TV playing at? Letting us watch a live stream of someone spacing out?”

The viewers were clearly more anxious than Xie He-ting. After five minutes, they began tagging the production team to ask if there was a broadcast accident. After a long seven minutes, another car finally drove into the entrance, shifting the audience’s attention.

“Ahhhh, Shen Ji! Shen Ji is here! It’s his car!”

“Holy crap, Movie Star Shen is so handsome today. That suit look—I’m dying.”

Shen Ji wore a suit, the hem perfectly tucked into his trousers. His figure was tall and straight as he stepped through the light. He possessed an elegant, scholarly aura and an exceptionally handsome face.

“As expected of a man who can challenge the big screen; his features are superior.”

The moment Shen Ji appeared, the number of viewers in the live room surged at a terrifying speed. Shen Ji and Lin Bi were from the same school and both focused on the film industry with similar accolades. While Lin Bi’s popularity was slightly higher, Shen Ji was an absolute A-list star.

Shen Ji’s participation in The Signal of Love was undoubtedly one of the show’s biggest selling points. In his ten-plus years in the industry, despite occasional rumors, he had never publicly disclosed his sexual orientation!

“This guy is bold. He doesn’t go public, but when he does, he goes straight onto a variety show. How is this different from coming out via live stream?”

“His CP fans are already crying in the bathroom.”

Xie He-ting had waited at the door for ages and finally saw a person arrive. He politely took off his hat and mask and greeted the newcomer: “Hello~”

The cameras swiveled to focus on both of them. The chatter about Shen Ji instantly died down. The audience was stunned by Xie He-ting’s high-definition beauty.

“Holy… crap… I’m dead.”

“Where did they find this guest??? This must be an artist, right? There’s a person this stunning in the industry?”

“I want all the info on this guest within one minute. Sluuurp.“

“As expected of Orange TV, they really know how to pick ’em. This civilian is too good-looking.”

Shen Ji looked toward the pleasant voice. The person before him made his eyes light up. Eyelashes like crow feathers hung half-lowered over eyes that sparkled like jewels—bright and clear, making one want to draw closer. Now, the person tilted his face up slightly to look at him; when he smiled, those beautiful eyes turned into crescent moons. That expectant gaze made Shen Ji daze for a split second.

Realizing his lapse, Shen Ji reacted quickly. “Hello,” he greeted politely. As he spoke, his gaze brushed past the other’s rounded earlobes; the hair was a bit long, which perfectly added a unique charm to him.

“Why haven’t you gone in?” As Shen Ji spoke, he very naturally pressed the doorbell on the wall. The closed glass door slowly slid open.

Xie He-ting had an epiphany. So you have to press that spot for the door to open.

Shen Ji noticed the other was only carrying a bag and asked, “Where is your suitcase? Should I help you get it?”

Xie He-ting noticed the other was pulling a box with wheels. Suitcase? Got it. “I don’t have many things; they’re all in the bag.” He gave a reserved smile, shaking the black drawstring plastic bag in his hand.

“Hahahaha, so that really is his luggage? Is it a new release from Balenciaga?”

“To the person mentioning Balenciaga, lawyer’s letter warning.”

Shen Ji looked at the bag and couldn’t help but smile. However, he didn’t mock him for carrying a trash bag, assuming it was a unique hobby of young people. “You only brought these? We’re going to live here for a week.”

One season of The Signal of Love took a month and a half to produce, with three weeks of filming—exactly 21 days. 21 days is enough to form a habit, and the crew hoped the guests would spark love through their time together. However, popular stars had tight schedules, especially for 24-hour filming, so they decided on a format of one week on, one week off.

Xie He-ting wasn’t foolish enough to explain that he didn’t know how many supplies were needed for a week. He had simply packed a few sets of clothes; summer garments didn’t take up much space. The book said: If you feel awkward, just keep smiling.

The two walked into the villa one after the other. Shen Ji very gallantly held the door for Xie He-ting to enter first. The comments began to ship them immediately.

“Movie Star Shen clearly has a good impression of him, he took the initiative to talk.”

Shen Ji’s fans immediately retorted: “He’s just being friendly and saying hello, don’t over-imagine things.”

“Shen Ji’s personality is so good, so gentle. Why is he still single?”

“Don’t know. I’m more concerned with how the crew was powerful enough to invite him.”

The cameras followed their footsteps, gradually revealing the interior of the villa to the audience.

“Whoa! Orange TV, you really are rich!”

“A villa! A pool! A gym! So luxurious!”

Orange TV had truly gone all out. The villa was in a wealthy district, with excellent decor and layout—two floors totaling over 600 square meters. There were six rooms on the second floor and two on the first, an open kitchen, a massive living-dining area, an independent theater, a sunroom, and a full-floor gym in the basement. Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows was a blue open-air pool. The decorated suites of five-star hotels that cost tens of thousands a night were only at this level.

Shen Ji placed his suitcase by the foyer and took the plastic bag from Xie He-ting’s hand, placing them together on the entry cabinet.

Because the villa was so large and had many camera positions, environmental noise affected the audio. A few minutes into the broadcast, the crew realized this and immediately prepared lapel microphones for each guest at the foyer. Shen Ji took one and expertly clipped it to his clothes.

Xie He-ting silently followed Shen Ji’s lead. It looked simple when Shen Ji did it, but when he tried, he couldn’t get it right, and no sound came out. He fumbled for a while but couldn’t understand it. He had to set his sights on the only other living person in the room: Shen Ji.

Having changed his shoes, Shen Ji was about to step inside when his clothes were lightly tugged. He leaned back and looked around. Xie He-ting was holding the mic, with the wires tangled messily in his hands.

“Um, Brother, I can’t do this properly. Can you help me?”

The voice was soft and sweet, like a small brush lightly stroking Shen Ji’s eardrum. The usually calm and self-contained Movie Star Shen prided himself on having seen many storms, but he didn’t expect this “Brother” to make his face burn slightly.

“Ahem—” He cleared his throat with feigned composure and naturally took the microphone from Xie He-ting, lowering his eyes. “Turn around, I’ll fix it for you.”

Xie He-ting turned around obediently. A hot finger brushed past the back of his neck—the temperature was strangely high. Xie He-ting was startled by the heat and subconsciously shrank his neck, turning his head to look at him with concern: “Brother, do you have a fever?”

“Hmm?” Shen Ji was focused on the microphone.

“Your hand… it’s a bit hot,” Xie He-ting said earnestly.

Consequently, Shen Ji’s handsome face turned even redder. The comments turned “red” as well.

“Shen Ji, get a grip!!! Why are you blushing! Don’t be so pure-hearted, okay!! You’re in your thirties and you blush just because someone calls you ‘Brother’!”

“If He-he looked at you with that face and called you ‘Brother’ so sweetly, could you handle it?”

“Wait, ‘He-he’ already? Does he know you? Be respectful to my wife.”

“Piss off, clearly he’s my wife.”

“The chemistry between these two is off the charts. It looks like Shen Ji really likes him.”

Shen Ji’s fans said coldly: “It’s just for the show! Can you guys not ship people the moment there’s interaction? Have some dignity; someone of this style is clearly not Mr. Shen’s type.”

“The person above seems to know a lot. What is Mr. Shen’s type?”

“Obviously someone like you-know-who!”

“You don’t mean that person, do you?”

“Exactly him.”

“What riddles are you guys playing? I want to hear too.”

Shen Ji’s fans went silent.

Soon, Shen Ji finished fixing the microphone. He cleared his dry throat and asked Xie He-ting, “Are you thirsty?”

Xie He-ting nodded. Shen Ji went to the kitchen to pour water.

Xie He-ting gave himself a little mental pep talk. The book was right! Polite people are welcomed everywhere! No, he had to read the book again tonight; he had forgotten some details! He had to study hard tonight! The book’s teachings were too useful!

While Shen Ji was pouring water, Xie He-ting picked up a card placed in the living room. It read: “Welcome to The Signal of Love, a live same-sex dating variety show. Seven guests will spend a romantic and unforgettable 21 days here. The first guest to arrive at the Love Cottage, please read out the recording rules.”

Xie He-ting turned it over to look. Seeing Shen Ji was still pouring water, he began to read the rules aloud. His clear, refreshing voice echoed in the room:

“First, this variety show follows a 1+1+1 format: one week of recording followed by one week of rest. The final selection in the third week will reveal the couples who successfully held hands. During the recording period, if a guest publicly announces a relationship, they will automatically withdraw from the competition.”

Reading this, Xie He-ting’s eyes lit up! So, as long as he could successfully “hold hands” with a guest, he could logically withdraw from the show? But… that seemed quite difficult. Oh well, better keep reading the rest.

Xie He-ting settled his mind and continued: “Second, the guests consist of three stars and four civilians. Civilian guests must keep their identities secret during the first week. Meanwhile, we have opened a ‘Blind Box’ activity on official Weibo; viewers can leave messages to guess the identities of the four guests.”

“After the identities are revealed in the second week, the first ‘melon-eater’ (onlooker) to guess correctly will have the chance to become a limited ‘One-Day Love Observation Assistant’ to observe the guests’ romance up close.”

“Third…”

Xie He-ting’s throat was dry by the time he finished the last word.

“Thank you.” He took the water Shen Ji handed him. Though he was dying of thirst, he still took small, elegant sips. His movements were incredibly pleasing to the eye—every gesture clearly belonged to a child raised in an extremely well-bred family.

Seeing him finish half the cup, Shen Ji pulled a tissue and handed it to him, gesturing for him to wipe his damp lip: “Do you want more?”

“No need, thank you, Brother,” Xie He-ting said with a sweet smile toward him.

“So sweet, that smile. My god, I’m getting diabetes!!!!”

“Ah, that doting smile from Shen Ji. Could they be the fastest couple to hold hands??”

Some comments really disliked Xie He-ting’s behavior: “Wait, am I the only one who thinks this He-ting is a ‘Green Tea’ (manipulative)? Why start calling him ‘Brother’ right away? Does he know you? Calling people ‘Brother’ and ‘Little Brother’ the first time you meet.”

“I find it strange too. He arrived first but didn’t go in; what was that about?”

“Ridiculous. What’s wrong with calling him ‘Brother’? Can’t a person be polite?”

“If he’s being polite, calling him ‘Mr. Shen’ is the standard industry term. Is ‘Green Tea’ behavior not allowed to be called out?”

“Whoa, whoa! More guests have arrived!”

“Holy crap! It’s actually Shi Jixing and Zhou Yanrong!”

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