Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 93

Li Ting was completely in the dark regarding the contents of Si Xiaoxiao’s interview.

Because Yan Guan had keenly sensed that her artist, Si Xiaoxiao, had been keeping secrets and acting uncooperative lately—and fearing that Xiaoxiao might resent being forced into a “CP” (Couple) marketing stunt with Li Ting—she hadn’t disclosed the details of the interview before the recording.

Consequently, Li Ting remained equally oblivious to the nature of the program.

Under normal circumstances, a manager would vet interview questions in advance to help an artist maintain a positive image, filtering out anything out of line. However, since Yan Guan hadn’t mentioned any specifics and the program belonged to CCTV (the highly reputable Central Television), Li Ting assumed it was just a standard, positive promotional segment.

In truth, Li Ting had underestimated Yan Guan. Yan Guan was a total “rogue” manager; as long as she could stir up hype, land gigs, and make money, she would take any path. Were the questions full of traps?

No problem. Si Xiaoxiao didn’t have a great reputation with the general public anyway, and “infamous” is still “famous.” As long as there were no fundamental moral failings, they could always fix the image later. Let the bombshells drop; the more, the better.

Under a mutual agreement between the manager and the production team, the innocent young Si Xiaoxiao was faced with a minefield of sensitive questions. Anyone else might have sidestepped the traps or given vague answers, but as luck would have it, the interviewee was the blunt, Li-fan-influenced, four-year-old… Xiaoxiao.

Thus, the “darkness” of the talk show descended, and an entertainment industry legend of “infamous stardom” was born!

The host was daring enough to ask, and Si Xiaoxiao was certainly daring enough to answer.

At the recording site, under the searing studio lights, the host wore a professional smile while lobbing increasingly tricky questions aimed directly at the heart of the “CP” relationship. Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao stared back with her pure, innocent eyes, welcoming all questions and answering them with a resounding, blunt honesty.

“Oh? It seems you two are very close and see each other often?”

“Yes! Sister Li Ting is the best. I live with her every day!” (Hard evidence of cohabitation!)

“Living together? Then there must be many interesting interactions in your daily life?”

“Mhm! Sister makes me delicious food, and at night she holds me while we sleep. It’s so warm in her arms!” (Added details of sharing a bed!)

“It sounds like Li Ting takes great care of you. What kind of person is she to you?”

“Sister Li Ting is the best person in the whole wide world! We are the bestest friends in the universe! Better than the stars and the moon!” (Relationship defined: Universal certification!)

By the end, even the host—famed for her sharp tongue and tough attitude—was numb. It felt like Si Xiaoxiao was here to “come out”! How did she dare to answer everything? The fanservice was so blatant it felt over the top!

As the interview progressed, the host even began to feel anxious. For the first time, she worried: with so many bombshells, could this even be aired?

Ultimately, the host, who usually “finished off” guests by digging up scandals, found herself trying to smooth things over for Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, felt great because she could answer all the questions without needing the “it’s inconvenient to disclose” tactic her sister had taught her.

So, when Xiaoxiao returned home and Li Ting asked how the interview went, she beamed a radiant smile. She said she had answered everything perfectly and that the host was very nice and hadn’t made things difficult at all.

Unaware of the impending media storm, Li Ting looked at the “well-behaved” Xiaoxiao, and her heart melted. She became incredibly indulgent. That night, Li Ting rarely set aside her work to curl up on the sofa with Xiaoxiao, watching her favorite cartoons and enjoying the final moments of peace before the storm.

The next day, Li Ting’s own manager, Gao Mengya, reminded her not to forget her scheduled CCTV interview.

Only then did Li Ting recall this obligation amidst her busy schedule.

However, she didn’t link her interview to Xiaoxiao’s segment from a few days prior; she viewed it as just another routine promotional opportunity. Since the film crew had scheduled night scenes to stay on track, she carefully gave the twelve-year-old-minded Xiaoxiao instructions for staying home alone before heading to the recording.

To her surprise, as soon as she entered the studio, Li Ting sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere. What she expected to be a standard positive interview turned out to be almost entirely focused on her relationship with Si Xiaoxiao.

Even CCTV was starting to ship them? Why were all the questions about her and Xiaoxiao?

Startled, Li Ting immediately raised her guard, gaining a side-view of the “simmering” hype she hadn’t noticed.

However, her years of navigating the entertainment industry had made her a master of media relations. Her responses were textbook examples of diplomatic grace—polite and poised, yet skillfully avoiding every trap that could be over-interpreted. Her words were precise and her logic airtight as she engaged the host in a silent, high-stakes battle of wits.

After several rounds, even the seasoned host failed to gain the slightest advantage. Every potentially controversial topic was met with Li Ting’s “four ounces to move a thousand pounds” technique—deflecting pressure with effortless grace. Her performance was practically leak-proof.

Once the intense and efficient morning interview concluded, Li Ting politely declined the production team’s warm lunch invitation. Her heart was already racing back to the residence, worried about Si Xiaoxiao being home alone.

When she opened the door, the warm light of the entryway spilled over her. Her eyes met a dining table already set with takeout containers—clearly carefully selected and balanced—with utensils arranged with meticulous neatness.

Then there was Si Xiaoxiao. Upon hearing the door, she bounded off the sofa like a joyful young deer and rushed to the entrance. Her face erupted into an unreserved, brilliant smile as she gazed at Li Ting with sparkling eyes.

In that instant, a strange, grounding wave of warmth surged through Li Ting’s body. The exhaustion from her taut nerves was miraculously washed away, leaving only an indescribable sense of fulfillment—of being truly waited for and quietly kept in mind. The emotion swelling in her heart was so foreign it made her nose sting, yet so cherished that she wanted to hold onto it forever.

Over the next few days, nothing extraordinary happened, and as predicted, Si Xiaoxiao’s consciousness grew by one year every day.

Under the premise of ensuring her safety, Li Ting began letting Xiaoxiao take on simple, low-risk jobs with clear procedures, such as shooting basic print advertisements or attending low-key brand events.

However, during every outing, Li Ting acted like the most fretful of parents. She repeatedly nagged Xiaoxiao to “see more, listen more, and speak less.” Leveraging her powerful logical thinking and foresight, she pre-planned for every possible emergency Xiaoxiao might encounter—detailing exactly how to answer every sentence and manage every facial expression. It was practically a military-grade operational plan.

Looking at the thickening files on her computer titled “Xiaoxiao’s Growth Guide” and “Crisis Management Manual,” Li Ting felt conflicted. She felt as though she were experiencing what it was like to be both a manager and a mother simultaneously—and doing so by “raising” the very crush she had loved in secret for years.

The experience was nothing short of surreal.

Li Ting felt the complexity of the situation; she felt like she had become a mother ahead of schedule. What kind of unique experience was it to raise the person you love?

Meanwhile, aside from screening Xiaoxiao’s work, Li Ting was also incredibly busy. They didn’t spend a vast amount of time together, but thanks to Li Ting’s devoted care, even as Xiaoxiao’s mind grew at a visible rate, her dependence did not decrease. Instead, it grew like a vine winding around a great tree—stronger and deeper with each passing day.

Xiaoxiao was an adult by nature. Due to unknown reasons, she was traversing the long journey from an ignorant child to a budding youth in just a few days. During this process, Li Ting was the most important, clearest, and nearly the only light source in her newly awakened world.

This influence was profound and immense, subtly shaping the rapidly growing Xiaoxiao’s understanding of the world and emotion.

Li Ting didn’t know if this development was good or bad. She didn’t know how Xiaoxiao would eventually recover her original memories, or how Xiaoxiao would feel once she did. Would this period of being meticulously cared for—of total dependence and forced emotional bonding—be a warm, moving secret between them? Or would Xiaoxiao feel manipulated, robbed of her autonomy, and view Li Ting as a terrifyingly calculating person who took advantage of her vulnerability?

These uncertain, fleeting thoughts were like faint, persistent shadows that occasionally drifted across Li Ting’s mind in the dead of night, bringing a sharp, cool sting of pain.

But Li Ting could only cherish each day as it came.

Because she was only a supporting actress, Li Ting’s role wasn’t overly heavy. After a week of intense day-and-night filming, she had basically finished her scenes.

At the same time, she received calls from the music and acting variety shows, informing her that the next episodes were about to begin recording.

By now, Si Xiaoxiao’s self-perception had reached twelve years old—the exact age of her youth when they first met while filming The Bronze Sparrow: No Gap, the project that had launched their careers.

She was still like a burst of passionate fire—bright, flamboyant, and infinitely curious about the vast world. She instinctively loved everything fresh and interesting. The only difference from back then was that Li Ting wasn’t just one of the interesting things; she was the entirety of what was interesting.

Xiaoxiao’s daily entertainment had long since shifted from childish cartoons and plush toys to various movies and TV dramas. She laughed with the spirit of a girl on a galloping horse, until one day, she turned on The Bronze Sparrow: No Gap and pulled Li Ting over to watch it with her.

At the end of the story, she said she liked it very much.

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