The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 48

Xu Zhiyan spent about a week at home during winter break. For the first few days, Lin Ya and Xu Qingyi were extremely gentle with her—almost to the point of spoiling her, fulfilling every little request.

But in the end, she couldn’t escape the universal curse of “stay too long, mom gets annoyed.” Even though she hadn’t done anything in particular, the sight of her lying around all day talking to her girlfriend on the phone was enough for Lin Ya to start asking multiple times in the last two days, “When are you leaving for that variety show?”

The day before departure, the show—“Pastoral Sentiments” (Tianyuan Chichi Yi)—officially launched its Weibo account and posted the first announcement. At the same time, Shen Buhui’s name once again rocketed to the top of the trending list.

#ShenBuhuiVarietyDebut
#ShenBuhuiPastoralSentiments

— ???????

— Wait, wait, wait… Did I read that right? My wife’s going on a variety show??

— What kind of weird winter rural show is this?! Oh—my wife’s in it? Never mind. It’s perfect. I support it 100%!

— Shen Buhui and Xu Zhiyan!! The “Straightforward CP” is about to rise!!

Shen Buhui’s fans were ecstatic, the “Straightforward CP” shippers (from Zhiyan + Buhui = Zhiyan Buhui) even more so, and even Xu Zhiyan’s modest but loyal fanbase was over the moon.

Director Yan, watching the climbing numbers of followers and online buzz, was extremely satisfied with the launch.

On such a high-energy day, Xu Zhiyan set off to meet up with Shen Buhui and the production team.

The two had agreed to meet at the apartment first, then depart together from the nearest airport the next morning.

Pastoral Sentiments aimed to depict an idyllic, rural lifestyle for celebrities—but since it was currently the peak of a harsh northern winter, the production team had already scouted warmer southern locations. In the end, they chose Rongcheng, a place known for its spring-like climate year-round.

Xu Zhiyan had already packed plenty of essentials into her suitcase for the trip.

But Shen Buhui was still thinking about what happened that morning. “That suitcase this morning was so pretty.”

Xu Zhiyan laughed helplessly. “The one you bought was way too obvious. Anyone could tell they were matching.”

Shen Buhui had pulled out a brand-new set of matching suitcases that morning, letting Xu Zhiyan pick one—but in the end, she’d refused, saying it was too obvious. So only Shen Buhui rolled hers to the car.

“If we’re bold and open about it, no one will think too much of it,” Shen Buhui commented casually.

Xu Zhiyan paused, her gaze drifting subconsciously to Yuanyuan across from her.

Yuanyuan nodded in agreement.

Xu Zhiyan: “…” Okay, maybe she was overthinking it.

Seeing this, Shen Buhui raised an eyebrow and knocked gently on the car seat.

Xu Zhiyan scratched her head, realizing she was in the wrong, and kept quiet.

After a smooth flight to Rongcheng, the crew welcomed them at the airport and drove them straight to a scenic, lush location.

As Xu Zhiyan stepped off the vehicle, suitcase in hand, she looked up at the clear blue sky and couldn’t help but sigh, “The air here is amazing.”

Shen Buhui stood beside her and gave a small nod.

“Welcome to our charming mountain tea estate,” a voice called from behind—it was the director. “Here, you’ll spend your days living simply, enjoying nature and a peaceful pace of life…”

“Tea estate?” Xu Zhiyan caught that word. “Do they grow tea here?”

The director shook his head. “Tea estate is just the name. No actual tea.”

Xu Zhiyan nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Shen Buhui furrowed her brows slightly—clearly picking up on the phrase “through your own efforts” in the director’s welcome speech.

They had been dropped off at the village entrance. From here on out, the car couldn’t go further in.

As they pushed their luggage forward, the production crew that came with them was held back at the entrance. In other words, they would be living with the other guests on their own for the entire week.

In the distance, mountains overlapped in soft green hues, mist curling lazily over their peaks. Up close stood traditional bamboo and wood houses, far removed from the tall buildings of the city.

After a light drizzle, the air was fresh and clean. Stone paths wound their way through the village, flanked by several crystal-clear streams. The entire scene looked like a painting come to life.

The further Xu Zhiyan walked, the more she loved it.

“We’re not the last ones to arrive, are we?” she suddenly whispered to Shen Buhui.

Shen Buhui glanced at the untouched ground around them and said calmly, “I think we are.”

The dirt road ahead was dotted with footprints, the soft mud still fresh. Judging by the direction, it looked like the others had walked the same path.

Xu Zhiyan gripped the handle of her suitcase a little tighter, feeling a surge of nervousness. This was her first time filming a variety show. Though it still involved facing a camera, it felt entirely different from being on a film set.

Sensing her tension, Shen Buhui subtly switched her suitcase to the other hand, bringing herself closer to Xu Zhiyan.

Leaning in slightly, she whispered, “It’s alright. I’m here.”

Her voice was so soft that only Xu Zhiyan could hear it.

Director Yan, who had been trailing behind with the crew, blinked with interest and subtly signaled the cameraman to focus.

By the time they arrived at their destination, Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui found themselves standing in front of a quaint courtyard bursting with blooming flowers along the roof.

The courtyard was enclosed with a green picket fence, adorned with tiny, delicate flowers whose names Xu Zhiyan didn’t know—but they looked beautiful all the same.

Hearing movement outside, Shang Qi and Qi Helin came out to greet them.

“You’re finally here,” Shang Qi said with a bright smile. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

She reached out to help them with their luggage, but Xu Zhiyan quickly waved her off, saying politely, “It’s alright, Teacher Shang—I’ve got it.”

She simultaneously dodged Qi Helin’s subtle attempt to lean in closer.

Shang Qi didn’t insist. She and Qi Helin led them into the courtyard, giving a light introduction to the space as they walked.

Inside, the remaining two guests were already standing in the courtyard. With their arrival, the entire cast was officially assembled.

The director kindly gave everyone a few moments to exchange greetings. Once the six of them had introduced themselves, she lifted her loudspeaker and began the official opening.

She first repeated what she had said earlier to Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui, then continued, “…Over the next week, we’ll assign you occasional tasks, but the goal of every task is to improve the quality of your daily life here.”

“…And for this entire week, your meals, cleaning, and accommodations will all be your own responsibility. In a moment, the crew will distribute your starting funds. Please note—this amount will only cover the absolute basics of survival. If you want a better quality of life, we suggest you earn it with your own hands and labor!”

“—Now, please open your suitcases and take out only the essential items. Everything else will be stored by the crew.”

Xu Zhiyan resisted the urge to sigh. Looking around at the stunned expressions on everyone’s faces, she couldn’t help but raise her hand. “Excuse me, Director—what exactly counts as ‘non-essential’?”

In her opinion, everything she packed had a purpose.

Without missing a beat, the director replied, “Anything aside from clothing and basic hygiene products will be considered non-essential.”

She then pointed at the game console peeking out of Chen Xingguang’s bag with a polite smile. “For example, this would be considered non-essential and must be handed in.”

Suddenly called out, Chen Xingguang: “……”

Xu Zhiyan nodded in understanding, then opened her suitcase and crouched beside Shen Buhui to begin sorting.

Seeing this, the others also opened their luggage. For a moment, the courtyard was filled with suitcases and bags scattered across the ground.

With a pained expression, Xu Zhiyan pulled out the instant noodles she had brought and tucked them into the storage bag. Then she glanced sideways to check on Shen Buhui’s progress.

As her hand brushed something inside her suitcase, Xu Zhiyan paused. A moment later, she subtly shifted closer to Shen Buhui.

“Block me,” she whispered.

Though puzzled, Shen Buhui obediently positioned herself to shield Xu Zhiyan.

Moments later, she saw Xu Zhiyan swiftly stuff a boxed item into a small purple cloth bag, then bury it beneath a pile of other “non-essential” items before tossing it into the storage bin.

Recognizing the box immediately—familiar in both shape and frequency of use—Shen Buhui: “…”

“Why did you bring that?” Shen Buhui asked in a low voice.

Xu Zhiyan knew how silly it probably looked, but she had her reasons.

“I just thought, you know…” Seeing the confusion on Shen Buhui’s face, she quickly rephrased, “Better safe than sorry. I was afraid we might need it and wouldn’t have it.”

Besides, bringing it didn’t necessarily mean they’d use it.

Shen Buhui’s head throbbed a little. She looked at Xu Zhiyan, who seemed completely unfazed, and raised her hand as if to flick her on the forehead—but in the end, she held back, mindful of the cameras around them.

“…As long as it makes you happy,” she said slowly.

Had she really been acting that eager lately? Had she left such a desperate impression that Xu Zhiyan thought she needed to come armed? Shen Buhui couldn’t help but reflect on her recent behavior.

“Teacher Shen, Teacher Xu, please finish up your whispering—yours are the only suitcases we’re still waiting on.”

Suddenly, all eyes turned to them.

Blushing furiously, Xu Zhiyan sped up, and soon after Shen Buhui finished, she had her things sorted and turned in as well.

Once everything was collected, the director raised her megaphone again to assign rooms. “We only have three rooms in the house, so you’ll need to decide amongst yourselves how to pair up.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui exchanged a glance—then Xu Zhiyan raised her hand.

“I’ll share a room with Teacher Shen.”

Since they were boss and employee and clearly had a close relationship, no one found it strange or objected.

Zeng Yue, a step slower, looked toward them, then turned to Shang Qi with a smile. “Then I’ll room with Teacher Shang?”

Shang Qi laughed brightly. “Sure!”

Which left Qi Helin and Chen Xingguang naturally grouped into the final room.

As they pushed their luggage toward their rooms, Xu Zhiyan found herself worrying. What if she couldn’t help but cling to Shen Buhui while sleeping, and the cameras caught it?

Her thoughts weren’t inappropriate—just that, after spending so much time with Shen Buhui, she’d developed some unruly sleeping habits. If she unconsciously rolled over or did something embarrassing, she’d never live it down.

But when she opened the door and saw two single beds separated by a nightstand, she realized she’d been overthinking it.

…Then why did she feel a tiny twinge of disappointment?

Once everyone was settled, they were called to regroup, and the director finally handed over the promised starting funds.

Staring at the painfully thin wad of red bills, Xu Zhiyan was full of question marks.

Was this really a peaceful pastoral lifestyle—or some kind of survival challenge in disguise?

Seeing it was nearly dinnertime, the director kindly announced, “Since it’s your first day, we’ve thoughtfully stocked the fridge with enough food for tonight and tomorrow. After that, it’s up to you!”

“—Now then, let’s get moving!”

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