Going from "Fanservice" to Reality with My Goddess - Chapter 23

After the filming of Love Sickness wrapped, the entire cast and crew shared one last meal together, marking the definitive end of the project.

Yu Nianzhi returned to her residence, but before she could even rest for a few days, Wu Lian’s phone call arrived. Yu Nianzhi had just stepped through her front door; her luggage wasn’t even unpacked when the phone rang. Seeing Wu Lian’s number, she knew she was in trouble she had only just returned, and the woman was already calling. Her information network was truly formidable.

Yu Nianzhi sighed, realizing that her hopes for a vacation were likely dashed.

Sure enough, Wu Lian had already prepared a full itinerary. She granted Yu Nianzhi only two days of rest before she was to begin working to make up for the time “wasted” filming Love Sickness. Consequently, Yu Nianzhi, who hadn’t even had a chance to catch her breath after leaving the set, found herself back on a non-stop work schedule.

To this, Yu Nianzhi could only comfort herself by thinking that making money was never a bad thing.

In contrast to Yu Nianzhi, Shen Yan had it much easier.

On this day, the hardworking little assistant, Song Xin, arrived at Shen Yan’s house to get to work, brewing Shen Yan’s favorite health tea. Because she had been so preoccupied with filming on set, Shen Yan’s wellness regimen had fallen by the wayside; now that she was temporarily idle, she intended to get back on track.

With Song Xin’s attentive service in the morning and a trip to the gym in the afternoon, Shen Yan’s schedule was balanced. Since the filming of Love Sickness had ended, Shen Yan planned to rest properly for a while before moving on to her next project.

While waiting for Song Xin’s tea, Shen Yan’s phone suddenly chimed with a WeChat notification. She picked it up and saw it was a message from her “little friend.”

Although Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi were now apart and couldn’t meet as often as they did on set due to their respective jobs, they kept in constant contact. They chatted about daily trifles just like any pair of close friends. During these chats, Shen Yan never missed an opportunity to share her wellness recipes.

Just as she had on set, Shen Yan couldn’t resist teasing Yu Nianzhi a few times. Even though Yu Nianzhi wasn’t physically in front of her, Shen Yan could almost imagine her blushing face. The thought of it always brought a smile to her lips.

Yin Qin, the “gold-medal manager,” once caught a glimpse of Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi’s chat interface. For once, Yin Qin wore an expression as if she had seen a ghost. After holding back for a long time, she finally asked, “Movie Queen Shen, where is your idol baggage? What happened to your public persona of being gentle and sophisticated?”

Song Xin served the tea to Shen Yan and received yet another compliment from her boss. She couldn’t help but feel a bit smug; she was the most devoted assistant under the boss, doing the hardest work and brewing the best tea!

Afterward, Song Xin picked up her phone and began happily scrolling through Weibo.

In recent days, the wrap of Love Sickness had trended on the hot search list. Although the film couldn’t be released domestically, it had maintained a high level of discussion during filming for various reasons. Now, many people were eagerly anticipating the release. Song Xin, despite having watched the entire filming process on-site, knew there was a difference between the raw footage and the final cut, so she was equally excited.

After resting comfortably at home for a period, it was time for Shen Yan to get back to business. Early that morning, she went to the office to find Yin Qin. A pile of various scripts and materials was stacked high on the desk.

Shen Yan’s mouth twitched at the sight. As expected of you, the workaholic Yin Qin.

Seeing her arrive, Yin Qin set down the document in her hand and looked up. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and her habitual thin-lipped expression. Dressed in a professional black suit, she radiated the aura of a shrewd and capable career woman—a stark contrast to Shen Yan’s usually languid and smiling demeanor.

However, Shen Yan knew her manager was actually quite soft-hearted.

Yin Qin said, “These are some of the better scripts I’ve picked out for you. See if any of them interest you.”

Shen Yan gave a non-committal hum, picked one up, glanced at it, and set it aside. The next few followed the same pattern; nothing seemed to pique her interest.

Watching her, Yin Qin rubbed her temples, thinking, Here we go again.

Shen Yan was a fast reader, usually flipping through a book briefly before setting it down. However, she suddenly paused when she picked up one particular volume. She arched an eyebrow. “This one isn’t bad.”

Yin Qin had been prepared for Shen Yan to finish the entire pile before speaking, as was her habit. She hadn’t expected her to make a decision so soon. She leaned over to see what could capture the great Movie Queen’s attention and saw the large characters on the cover: Let’s Travel Together Variety Show Planning.

It was actually a travel variety show.

“How is there a variety show in there?” Yin Qin blurted out, unable to process it immediately. Naturally, her professional competence wouldn’t allow for such a low-level mistake. She thought for a moment, frowning. “After I made my selection, I asked Xiao Zhao to organize the ‘keep’ and ‘discard’ piles separately. She must have accidentally mixed it in. That girl…”

“I don’t know what that company was thinking, trying to get you on a variety show. Just look at the others.” As she spoke, she reached out to take the planning book from Shen Yan’s hand and set it aside. Shen Yan hadn’t been on a variety show in ages; it would be a miracle if she agreed.

Shen Yan didn’t say more and continued flipping through the rest of the scripts. Only then did she say, “Those two endorsements look okay; let’s settle on those first.”

Yin Qin asked, “…And? That’s it?”

Under Yin Qin’s fierce “you’re not leaving this room until you choose something” gaze, Shen Yan finally compromised: “Soul of the City is also acceptable.”

Just as Yin Qin was about to nod, Shen Yan immediately began bargaining: “That film doesn’t start shooting until next month. Don’t be in a hurry to schedule me. I’ll let you know when I’ve thought it through.”

Yin Qin thought to herself that since she was going to act in it anyway, what did it matter if it was sooner or later? But since Shen Yan had agreed to film, she didn’t push and consented.

While Shen Yan was preparing her next move, Yu Nianzhi was carrying out the packed schedule Wu Lian had arranged for her. After all, she had taken Love Sickness without permission and felt she was in the wrong. She didn’t bargain with Wu Lian’s arrangements and accepted them all.

During this time, she first accepted a role as the female lead in a youth idol drama. Meanwhile, Wu Lian squeezed in two commercial shoots for her.

Although this drama felt hard to stomach after the high standards of Love Sickness—even Lin Xin found it unbearable to watch, Yu Nianzhi had to grit her teeth and push through. The biggest advantage of such a drama was the fast pace of filming; the director wasn’t overly strict with requirements, making it somewhat easier for her.

Before she could even finish her scenes there, Wu Lian presented the next arrangement.

Wu Lian called Yu Nianzhi into her office and tossed a planning book in front of her. “This is a variety show I found for you. By the time you finish your current project, it will be just in time for the first episode’s filming. Take a look.”

Yu Nianzhi glanced at it. The cover read: Let’s Travel Together Variety Show Planning.

She flipped through it. It was a travel variety show that planned to invite eight regular guests. The theme was visiting various scenic spots across the country and completing related tasks. It focused on leisure and entertainment with a “fresh and light” style, allowing participants to relax while experiencing the beautiful scenery of the country. It was quite an attractive program.

While acting best demonstrated a performer’s strength, staying solely on film sets made it difficult to maintain public discussion. A lack of exposure would cause one to slowly fade from the audience’s attention.

Recently, Yu Nianzhi had little choice in what Wu Lian selected for her. Moreover, she understood that this variety show would indeed be helpful to her career, so she agreed.

Shen Yan was preparing for her endorsement shoot while still dwelling on the film she had promised Yin Qin. The thought of heading back to a busy set made her feel even more lethargic.

On a quiet day, Shen Yan arrived at the office to find Song Xin already there, staring intently at her phone screen with an excited expression looking as if she wanted to jump right into the screen. Shen Yan didn’t quite understand Song Xin’s habit of glowing over her phone, but as a considerate boss, she respected her assistant’s hobbies.

Hearing the door, Song Xin immediately looked up and rose to greet her.

Shen Yan asked casually, “What are you looking at that’s got you so excited?”

Song Xin was watching the trailer released by the Let’s Travel Together production team, feeling thrilled that Yu Nianzhi was one of the regular guests. She knew very well that her boss was on good terms with Yu Nianzhi, so she was always happy to share the latest news about her.

Song Xin said, “Kiwi TV just posted an update. Yuyu is going on a variety show!”

Shen Yan replied casually, “Oh.” She had no other reaction.

Yu Nianzhi had already mentioned to Shen Yan a while ago that she was going to film a variety show, so she wasn’t surprised by Song Xin’s words at all.

Seeing no surprise or excitement from Shen Yan, Song Xin said with some disappointment, “You knew Yuyu was going on Let’s Travel Together? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shen Yan thought to herself: Given our relationship, Niannian obviously told me long ago.

She was about to offer Song Xin some casual comfort when something suddenly clicked, and she froze.

Let’s Travel Together? That name sounded a bit familiar.

The scene of Yin Qin asking her to pick a script flashed before her eyes. She had seen this plan and even commented: “This one isn’t bad.”

Shen Yan: “…”

She paused for two seconds before confirming with Song Xin again: “What did you say that variety show was called?”

Song Xin looked confused. “Let’s Travel Together. Sister Shen, didn’t you already know?”

Shen Yan: “…” I was careless.

She deeply regretted not asking Yu Nianzhi for more details at the time. She wondered if it was too late. Then she comforted herself at least she hadn’t signed for Soul of the City yet. This proved she was quite farsighted; there was still a chance to fight for the variety show.

She immediately called Yin Qin and said bluntly, “I’ve changed my mind.”

Yin Qin didn’t process it immediately and asked reflexively, “What?”

Shen Yan said seriously, “I’ve realized that variety shows are the best for building rapport with the audience. I want to participate in Let’s Travel Together.”