Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 231 Chen Duling's Envy
That night, after coach Chen Xiu had led Reba through five cycles of interval training, he got up and went to the living room to light a cigarette.

Looking at Chen Xiu, who was smoking with the window open, Reba's beauty mark seemed to crease thoughtfully.

She put on her bathrobe, stepped barefoot onto the carpet, came up behind Chen Xiu, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Brother Xiu, have you been having more worries lately?"

"Ha, filming isn't a troublesome thing for me."

Upon hearing this, Reba thought for a moment, then curled her lips in a slightly jealous expression.

"So you're upset because of Nezha?"

"I just find her reaction a little strange, but it's not exactly bothersome."

Chen Xiu spoke the truth, but the image that flashed through her mind was of Nezha coming to her alone after dinner and saying, "I want to understand you a little better!"
Then he and his assistant rushed to catch a flight that very night.

What does it mean?

Seeing the thoughtful look on Chen Xiu's face, Reba understood the situation and simply used his own affairs to divert Chen Xiu's attention.

"Brother Xiu, Kong Sheng, the director of 'Candle in the Tomb,' introduced me to a role as the female lead in the sequel to 'Nirvana in Fire.' I'm about to star in a TV series that will be broadcast on satellite TV!"

"This show does sound pretty promising."

Chen Xiu stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray by the window, reached out to close the window, and turned around to hug Reba.

"Does Kong Sheng's recommendation require an audition?"

"Hmm~, he said the audition was just a formality."

"If you still need to go through the process, it means your role hasn't been officially confirmed yet."

"There shouldn't be any problems... Ouch!"

Reba exclaimed in surprise as she was lifted up in a hug, her hands instinctively wrapping around Chen Xiu's neck.

The two returned to the room and lay down on the bed side by side.

Chen Xiu said, "Yang Ming helped you get a role in the 'Running Man' spin-off variety show and become a regular host on 'Keep Running.' Filming will start next year. With the drama you mentioned, plus the airing of 'Eternal Love' and 'Wolf Warrior 2,' your status should be firmly at the top tier."

"Really?"

“You already have a representative work, what you lack is traffic and attention. The attention of “Keep Running” will not be weaker than that of “Running Man”, and it can be considered the first star-making variety show.”

"Then... I'll be on the front line soon."

Reba's voice trembled, her eyes sparkled, and her heart pounded with excitement as she celebrated her fifth year in the industry and her impending rise to top-tier stardom.

Chen Xiu watched Reba quietly, and only spoke up to offer emotional support after Reba's agitated emotions had subsided.

"Once you complete this step, you can then create a variety show with yourself as the main character, and also appear as a guest on other variety shows. If you maintain an output of 1 to 2 works every year, your status will be rock solid and there will be no risk of it slipping."

"Hey!"

Reba covered her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes. Her emotions, which had been calming down, became even more agitated after Chen Xiu's words.

Seeing this, Chen Xiu raised her hand and touched her bun.

"You'll get used to this feeling quickly, and from now on, no director in the industry will refuse to grant you leave."

"Brother Xiu, I...you are really, really good."

Reba thought of the time when her request for leave was rejected. She wanted to thank Chen Xiu, but the words felt too formal, so she expressed her emotions in the simplest of words.

Chen Xiu chuckled and reached out to pull Reba over.

"You'll have a lot of fans in the future, and you'll also have a lot of haters. Don't cry like you are now when that happens."

"Hehe, with you by my side again, no matter how many haters I have, I won't cry!"

"I can't help you smear the haters... If you become a top-tier celebrity, you can earn more money and buy a bigger house!"

"Ok?"

Reba's body suddenly stiffened, and her excited, teary-eyed face slowly lifted up as she gazed at Chen Xiu.

"Can I stay in my current house and not move?"

"Sure! But it's still necessary to buy a few more houses. If reporters find Wanliu Academy in the future, you'll have somewhere else to live."

"Oh, I see."

"Otherwise, what do you think it means?"

Reba chuckled sheepishly and said it wasn't interesting at all.

Seeing the teasing look in Chen Xiu's eyes, Reba's eyes darted around, her face flushed as she retreated to the foot of the bed, lifting a corner of her cumbersome bathrobe.

"Brother Xiu, the sequel to 'Nirvana in Fire' doesn't start filming until next month. Can I stay on set with you this month?"

"Hmm~, huh? I almost forgot about the important thing. Don't you have an audition to attend?"

"The audition won't take more than a few days."

"I think we need to find out about the production company. If we know them, we should call them in advance to be prepared. It would be best if you could land the role smoothly, but if something goes wrong, we'll have a backup plan."

Chen Xiu's voice paused for a moment, which was unusual, and then her breathing became heavier.

Seeing that Chen Xiu was thinking of her, Reba sat up happily.

"Can I stay with you this month?"

"There are only a few days left this month, so you can keep it if you want."

Lying on her back in bed, listening to Reba's cheerful laughter, Chen Xiu thought this angle was pretty good too. ...

As December arrives, the foothills outside Miyun District in Beijing are covered with a layer of snow that hasn't melted in the morning.

The show "Back to Field," which has been filming for several months, welcomed new guests this episode: Chen Duling, Xie Yilin, and Dong Zijian, who arrived a day early.

As Chen Duling carried her suitcase, one foot stepped into the Mushroom House while the other was still outside, a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Dudu! You're here!"

"Ah? The meaning of the character, it's been a long time..."

When Meng Ziyi, who was carrying a dog and walking enthusiastically toward her, approached, Chen Duling, who was still not used to variety show recordings, simply greeted her politely but awkwardly.

The oblivious Meng Ziyi was unaware of Chen Duling's awkwardness; she was currently immersed in the joy of reuniting with her friend.

"Could you hold the dog for me? I'll help you with your luggage."

"oh oh."

Chen Duling took the dog from Meng Ziyi in a daze, letting her pull the luggage with one hand and link arms with her as they walked inside.

"Let me tell you, you don't need to do anything here. Just order simple and easy-to-make dishes, and don't order anything too complicated."

"Hmm? Is this something I can say?"

"Hey, just listen to me, I wouldn't hurt you!"

"Oh okay."

Lagging behind, Xie Yilin looked at her two best friends holding hands in front of her and wanted to ask: Who can help her carry her luggage!

Just then, Lanminghua, who was rushing out to see the new guest, successfully entered her field of vision.

"Handsome, could you help me with my luggage?"

"Sure! I'll help you."

Although Lanminghua is the biggest victim of Huang Sanshi's tendency to preach and his strange delicacies, he is still a very friendly person.

Upon seeing that the new guest was a woman, he immediately showed his gentlemanly manners by picking up Xie Yilin's luggage and leading her inside.

Seeing this setup, the production team hiding behind the camera instantly planned out the content for today's shoot.

"Teacher He, Teacher Huang, today's shoot will mainly focus on the friendship between Meng Ziyi and Chen Duling, with a little bit of CP interaction between Liu Xianhua and Xie Yilin. As for the cooking part, Teacher Huang, just do your job normally!"

He Jiong and Huang Sanshi, who were hiding inside, replied "received" after receiving instructions from the production team.

Generally speaking, the allocation of screen time in variety shows is approached from four aspects.

First: The character himself must have a sensational or controversial aspect.

For example, when Huang Sanshi cooks, anyone who has watched two episodes can tell that his cooking skills are not as amazing as rumored. But controversy makes the show interesting, so his importance to the show is self-evident.

Second: The artist themselves has a large following, there's nothing more to say about that.

Third: They have connections; Dong Zijian is one such example.

Fourth: A variety show icon, someone who brings entertainment value from the moment they appear on screen and has a likable personality; Meng Ziyi belongs to this category.

Dong Zijian arrived a day early and has already been given enough screen time, so he can have less screen time this time.

Meng Ziyi and Chen Duling already have considerable popularity due to their roles in "Love O2O," so it's reasonable to pair them up for a show.

Upon entering the Mushroom House, Meng Ziyi learned that her task for the day was to chat and interact with Chen Duling, and she was very happy to agree.

She's a master at chatting!

"Dudu, what have you been busy with lately?"

"Going to acting training classes again, trying out new roles, and going to auditions for film sets..."

"That sounds so busy. I'm currently filming a suspense movie, playing the female lead. The male lead is playing both the older and younger brother. When I'm acting with him, it feels like I'm acting with two different people. Um, we probably can't talk about work."

Halfway through the conversation, Meng Ziyi suddenly remembered that "Back to the Countryside" is a variety show that focuses on a slow-paced life and getting away from work.

Her current conversation with Chen Duling about work seems to deviate from the program's theme.

Unsure whether to continue, Meng Ziyi's large eyes darted around aimlessly before finally settling on He Jiong, who was silently huddling for corn kernels.

"Teacher He, can we continue talking about work?"

He Jiong felt a tightness in his back, and his ability to improvise immediately came online.

"Talk to Dudu about whatever she wants to talk about. She's a guest today, and we need to make sure she's satisfied!"

"Oh, Dudu, shall we continue?"

Chen Duling, who was drinking hot tea, naturally had no objection.

"Sure! I'm also curious about the show you're talking about."

"This drama was arranged for me by the company. Apparently, they said the script was very good. After I finished filming 'Qin Wang Po Zhen Qu', I continued filming this one."

Upon hearing this, a hint of envy flashed in Chen Duling's eyes. She also understood that the company arrangement Meng Ziyi mentioned was actually Chen Xiu's arrangement.

Looking at the simple and innocent Meng Ziyi, Chen Duling thought to herself: I, the female lead of "Love O2O", am now without any roles to play and have to go to the film crew for auditions. Meanwhile, Ziyi, the second female lead, is getting a constant stream of opportunities and can avoid all sorts of troubles. Chen Xiu, Chen Xiu!

Meng Ziyi noticed that Chen Duling seemed a bit down. She finally realized that Chen Duling still needed to audition for roles, while she herself was getting a constant stream of offers. The difference was too great, so she quickly changed the subject and started chatting about everyday things.

Finally, Huang Sanshi sent the two of them, along with Liu Xianhua and Xie Yilin, out to buy groceries.

(End of this chapter)