Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

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"Oh, fine then," Lin Wanzhou said reluctantly as she saw Xu Qingyan out the door.

She even pecked him on the face in front of the elevator.

"This is our secret," she said.

As for Xu Qingyan, he didn't take it to heart, knowing the secret couldn't be hidden for long. However, for the current situation, in general, it was steadily moving upward.

By eight o'clock, he had returned to his place and finished replying to Pei Muchan.

"Hmm, prime time, the premiere has started," he texted.

Today was the premiere of The Legend of Martial Arts, and almost everyone related to him was sitting in front of the TV if they had the time. Whether it helped or not, at least it contributed to the viewer ratings.

The same went for Pei Muchan, who usually worked out at this time, followed by a bath and then reading. She typically went to bed at ten, sometimes even at nine.

But today was a bit special; she wanted to see what Xu Qingyan had been up to.

The show was broadcast on a local TV station, but it had been properly scheduled during prime time, proving that the show must have some value.

Yet these past few days, Pei Muchan hadn't seen much promotion for it.

Normally, a trending show would buy some hot searches, either about the male or female lead or some behind-the-scenes footage. Who cares if the antics are acted out? As long as there's a hook, it can be a hit.

Buzz, Pei Muchan looked down at her phone and replied with a message.

"I'm watching your show on TV, [photo]."

Xu: "There are just two episodes, after which you can go to sleep. Didn't you usually prepare for a bath around this time, eh... Have you bathed yet?"

Pei Muchan: "..."

She was lost for words for a while. No matter the topic, give him an inch and he'll take a mile, popping out messages that bordered on going too far—though she didn't mind.

Even though the corners of Pei Muchan's mouth were turning up, she replied primly and seriously.

"Shouldn't you be concerned about your show, what do you care if I take a bath or not?"

Xu: "Isn't it just as important?"

"Think about it, if you miss your bath because of watching 'The Legend of Martial Arts' and then feel sleepy when the time comes, you'll doze off in confusion. Wouldn't that leave you feeling less than fresh tomorrow?"

Pei: "How could I possibly forget to bath."

Xu: "You never know, biological clocks don't lie. Just to be safe, why don't you video call me? When the time comes, I'll be on the other end to ensure you remember."

Pei: "Heh, pervert."

Xu: "Don't say that, now. I didn't say I wanted to watch you take a bath. I mean as an alarm clock, you understand?"

Pei: "...Can't I just set an alarm clock myself?"

Xu: "Do you understand what a biological clock is? Some people get so used to their routine, not even an alarm clock can wake them. But I have a secret weapon that's guaranteed to wake you up."

Pei: "What?"

Xu: "[Coy] Are you sure you want to know?"

Pei: "...Suddenly, I don't want to anymore."

In those twenty minutes, although Pei Muchan kept retorting, her lips curled higher and higher, unwittingly chatting with Xu Qingyan for a long while about bathing.

Even though she verbally let him get away with a lot, Pei Muchan didn't mind. She knew Xu Qingyan was always harboring thoughts for her, with a bit of a longing tendency whenever they kissed.

She didn't dislike it; in fact, she felt a little bit of…

She didn't dwell on it, completely led by her emotions, not realizing how she had changed recently. She constantly loved checking her phone in her free time, and her first instinct after work was to reply to messages.

It seemed like all interactions with him had become lively and interesting, whether it was chatting, sending photos, talking over the voice, or meeting up.

It was as if a massive vortex had appeared between her and Xu Qingyan; everything about the other attracted her attention and made her pause to watch.

And during this process, she felt happy and tireless. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

Pei Muchan felt she had never been so joyful, yet she didn't ponder the feeling. Nor did she realize this was the flirtation phase; she even thought she was clear-headed.

But just as everyone has their own time to bloom, each person's rhythm of love is different.

The relationship between the two initially was indeed like a slow-cooking stew, perceivably ambiguous, closer than with others, but without that feeling of falling head over heels in love.

Even after kissing, it was just a heart flutter and addiction. Pei Muchan thought she knew what she was doing, her mind was clear, and she felt she could start and stop at will.

However, even a thousand mile levee may crumble at the first sign of ants. Compared to a raging flood, it's just that the process is slower.

Ultimately, when it's time to be boiled, one has to be boiled; when it's time to fall, one has to fall.

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The primary reason for Pei Muchan's illusion of having the upper hand and being sober was that Xu Qingyan wasn't always compliant.

Their usual interactions involved a give and take, giving the impression of a friend, a reliable friend, an intimate friend—holding hands was not out of the question, and perhaps a kiss would also…

Such changes were akin to a frog being boiled in warm water.

Of course, with Lin Wanzhou, it was the reverse. It went from a torrential momentum at the beginning to a fine, vine-like entanglement later—a slow process.

In short, the buildup took a while, but she still fell into it.

While chatting, Pei Muchan suddenly realized that after begrudgingly agreeing to start a video call before taking a bath, they had already been talking intermittently for half an hour.

"The Legend of Martial Arts" had been watched in vain; she only vaguely remembered a few lines.

"His name is Bai Zhantang, a hopeless mediator!"

"I don't like eating steamed buns... Can this even be considered food for humans?"

Pei Muchan felt a flush of heat on her face. She had agreed to support the viewership ratings, but she ended up chatting with Xu Qingyan instead, hardly paying attention to the show.

To avoid embarrassment from a possible check by Xu Qingyan the next day, Pei Muchan had no choice but to suppress the urge to reply to messages and concentrate on watching the show seriously.

After watching for a while, she found... that she had actually become engrossed in it.

Pei Muchan was certain that she didn't particularly enjoy sitcoms—whether it was a lack of a sense of humor or not keeping up with trends; in general, she rarely watched shows even for entertainment.

Modern comedy often relies on characters' quirky antics and wheezing for laughs. Sure, it's funny, but after laughing, one still has to face the characters' introspections.

But "The Legend of Martial Arts" was different. Even if Pei Muchan missed a part, it didn't prevent her from understanding the show. The lines matched the characters, each sentence strengthening their personalities.

In the scene, everyone at the Tongfu Inn was busy working.

They were genuinely rolling up their sleeves to work, not just faking it; the camera even offered a full view. Only Guo Furong was sitting by the stairs, saying, "I'm not even going to eat this meal."

The actors were talking while working, illuminated by candlelight. Guo Furong looked indignant, "My dream is to be a heroine, not domestic help!"

Luo Yuexiu, playing the Shopkeeper, had a bright smile as she handed a plate to Big Mouth, calling out to Big Mouth before continuing.

"Still dreaming of being a heroine? (Laughter)"

The positioning was natural, and the way they spoke was very lifelike. Even without watching, just listening was quite pleasant; one could tell what the characters were doing in the show just by their conversation.

This was quite impressive. In some shows, if you cover the lines, you can't tell at all what the actors are saying.

Guo Furong, unable to argue, was handed a broom.

"Work? Now... right now?"

"Yes."

Guo: "Please, I haven't even eaten yet!"

"Oh, eat after you're done. That's the rule here. There's a saying, there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Bai Zhantang, wiping the table, turned and said, "And there's no free breakfast either."

Scholar: "Nor a free dinner."

Big Mouth: "Nor a free midnight snack."

Mo Xiaobei: "Nor free snacks."

Everyone was busy, speaking realistic lines. Pei Muchan just watched, occasionally laughing along until the two episodes finished.

She noticed a detail: When Guo Furong was shirking work, she wasn't putting much effort into her tasks. To show this nonchalance, the director used her not rolling up her sleeves as an indication.

Later, as Guo's mindset shifted, she was seen working with her sleeves rolled up, indicating that she had now taken it as a real job, rather than being ready to escape at any moment.

After all, what would she do with dirty clothes the next day?

After finishing, Pei Muchan couldn't help but feel that the show was likely to be a hit. It was comfortable to watch and to listen to, which was already quite good. And it was evident that a lot of effort had been put into it.

After thinking it over, she made a video call to Xu Qingyan.

He almost instantly answered. However, by the looks of it, he was working. Unsure whether he was writing a script or a song, his bright expression was visible in the camera's frame.

"What's up? Reporting in after your bath?"

Pei Muchan: "..."

"I'll go take a bath later. I'm going to bed... I just watched your show. It's quite good. It will be a hit."

He smiled, "I guess so, we'll know the result tomorrow."