As soon as Li Qianxing said, “Sure,” Jiang Lin’s eyes suddenly lit up—without a doubt, Li Qianxing must have been watching the livestream, noticed the unexpected situation, and came to his rescue.
Jiang Lin’s expression remained unchanged, but joy instantly filled his entire body, making him feel almost light-headed.
Controlling his voice to remain steady with a hint of pleasant surprise, he asked, “This variety show is scheduled for today and tomorrow. Is that convenient for you?”
Li Qianxing’s voice was calm, as natural as ever. “It’s convenient. I’m on vacation and have nothing to do every day. What exactly is this variety show about?”
Jiang Lin explained gently, “We’ll perform a few short scenes and discuss acting techniques together. I thought you might be interested.”
Li Qianxing replied, “I see. I am indeed interested in discussing acting. Should I come over now?”
As their conversation continued, Jiang Lin’s smile grew wider. “The production team will send a car to pick you up. We’ll see each other soon.”
Li Qianxing: “Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”
Jiang Lin, facing the camera: “I’m looking forward to it too.”
The chief director ended the call and instructed the host to build up the atmosphere.
The host, who had been covering her mouth in shock since hearing Li Qianxing’s agreement, turned to Jiang Lin while maintaining that expression: “Oh my goodness! Teacher Li Qianxing is coming to our show! Teacher Jiang, our director really owes you one!”
Jiang Lin laughed, “I couldn’t possibly accept that. How about this—director, you can secretly slip a big red envelope into the guest gift bag. I promise to keep it a secret and won’t tell anyone.”
His words sent the host and all the guests into fits of laughter.
[Jiang Lin: What’s the situation now, Li-ge?]
[Li Qianxing: Just finished coordinating with the production team. I’m heading downstairs to drive over.]
[Jiang Lin: The directors must be ecstatic. Your first variety show appearance, and they lucked out.]
[Li Qianxing: It’s not that cheap. My brother said he’d negotiate a good price. Plus, this is an urgent rescue mission, so there’ll be an extra fee.]
[Jiang Lin: The production team’s still making a killing. Other shows couldn’t get you even if they offered a fortune.]
[Li Qianxing: I’m in the car now. See you soon.]
[Jiang Lin: Drive safely. No need to rush.]
Jiang Lin exited WeChat and glanced at Weibo’s trending topics. Sure enough, #Film Emperor Li Qianxing’s First Variety Show Wonderful Weekend Livestream# had skyrocketed to the top of the entertainment chart.
But he didn’t pay much attention to it and instead entered the 99CP super topic.
There was a pinned thread about Wonderful Weekend for a focused discussion about the variety show. Jiang Lin opened the comments section and couldn’t help but smile after just a few glances.
[99 together again! Let’s celebrate together! The heavens have blessed us! 99 is real!]
[Qianxing’s first livestream was for Lin-ge, and now his first variety show is for Lin-ge too. He’s truly head over heels!]
[Did you see Lin-ge’s smile earlier? Usually, his eyes are so big when he glares, but just now, I could barely find them!]
[Click to see how my Lin-ge praises Teacher Li in a hundred different ways! Everyone, take notes! [Video link]]
As Jiang Lin was engrossed in reading, his ears suddenly caught the off-mic host’s sharp intake of breath.
He glanced up and noticed Li Mingsi’s smile was barely hanging on, his hand gripping the armrest so tightly that veins popped on the back of it.
Jiang Lin looked at the communication log screen in front and was momentarily stunned.
It displayed “Huang Zongxin.” Though he’d never met the man, the name was familiar.
Huang Zongxin debuted early, starting his acting career at fifteen. Now, fifteen or sixteen years later, he was an accomplished actor with numerous awards. If he were to join the show, even if Jiang Lin matched him in skill, Huang Zongxin would still outrank him in experience.
No wonder Li Mingsi had been so confident earlier. Not only had he sabotaged Jiang Lin’s partner, but he’d also found such a formidable figure for himself. The combination of a veteran actor and a popular star perfectly aligned with the production team’s desire for both quality and viewership. It wouldn’t be surprising if they replaced Jiang Lin’s team with this pair at the start.
But now, Huang Zongxin, like Qian Chang before him, was refusing to join the show.
Jiang Lin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow—it seemed that rumor was likely true after all.
Huang Zongxin was considered Li Qianxing’s contemporary rival. Unlike Li Qianxing, who carefully selected and polished his roles, Huang Zongxin took on everything offered to him, far surpassing Li Qianxing in the number of works. In his early years, he accepted all kinds of dramas, leaving a list of what his fans now called his “dark history.”
He did have talent, though, and grew remarkably fast. However, whether due to bad luck or not, he always missed out on international film festival recognition. Moreover, whenever he competed against Li Qianxing for awards, he always lost.
Rumors later spread that he had repeatedly hinted at Xingyi suppressing him to promote Li Qianxing. He half-publicly expressed that he and Li Qianxing had incompatible auras, and it was best they never crossed paths. He even went so far as to include clauses in his contracts preventing him from appearing in the same productions or events as Li Qianxing.
Previously, Li Qianxing never appeared on variety shows, while Huang Zongxin was a regular. However, in recent years, presumably to cultivate his reputation, Huang Zongxin became more selective with his roles and rarely showed his face on variety shows. The fact that Li Mingsi managed to invite him, and the production team was willing to replace others for him, showed that he still carried some weight.
Who would have thought that Li Qianxing, who had never participated in variety shows before, would suddenly agree to come this time?
Even setting aside Li Qianxing’s earlier agreement during the livestream, when comparing the two, one was a highly acclaimed film emperor making his variety show debut, while the other was merely making a comeback. Even just considering the buzz it would generate, it was clear which one the production team would choose.
Jiang Lin glanced at Li Mingsi’s increasingly darkening expression and felt his mood improve even more.
With his intended partner refusing to come and no one to rescue him, Li Mingsi ended up being the only guest without a partner. If they weren’t live streaming right now, Jiang Lin believed he would have stormed off in a huff.
Sure enough, as soon as the camera panned to the last guest, Li Mingsi rose with a gloomy face and quickly left without a word.
Jiang Lin inwardly sneered and continued scrolling through the CP super topic.
After all the guests had invited their partners, there was a final segment where everyone chatted about interesting performance anecdotes.
Jiang Lin had expected the production team to announce Li Mingsi’s withdrawal, but surprisingly, Li Mingsi returned. Although his expression was still sour, he managed to force a smile the moment the director signaled to begin.
Once this part was over, it was time for the lunch break. The livestream paused, and everyone left the stage to rest.
*
Jiang Lin had already noticed Xiao Ding standing at the edge of the stage and walked directly toward him.
Xiao Ding whispered, “Yan-jie sent me over.”
This wasn’t surprising. Even if Yan Yi wasn’t watching the livestream herself, the company had a dedicated team monitoring events, and they would report any incidents to her immediately.
Jiang Lin asked, “Have you seen Li-ge?”
Xiao Ding replied, “Li-ge and I arrived at the same time. The production team wanted to arrange a separate lounge for him, but he insisted on sharing with you.”
Jiang Lin couldn’t help but smile. “Go check the lunch prepared by the production team and pick something light and easy to digest for Li-ge.”
Xiao Ding agreed and went off to find the staff.
Jiang Lin returned to the rest area and saw that Li Qianxing had already applied light makeup.
Li Qianxing, who had been looking at his phone, looked up and removed his earphones. “Did you see Xiao Ding?”
Jiang Lin pulled a chair next to him and sat down. “Yes, I asked him to get lunch and pick something you’d like. Did the production team show you the upcoming schedule?”
Li Qianxing: “I’ve seen it, but I haven’t received the script we’re supposed to perform yet.”
Jiang Lin: “That’s still being kept secret.”
He then changed the subject with a hint of schadenfreude: “That Li Mingsi tried to play dirty, but it backfired. Now he’s the one left alone.”
Li Qianxing: “He deserves it.”
Jiang Lin was a bit curious. “Do you and that guy, Huang Zongxin, really have such a deep-seated conflict that you can’t even be in the same room?”
Li Qianxing pondered the name for a moment, then replied with a blank expression, “I don’t even know him. I’ve seen some of his dramas, and we might have crossed paths at award ceremonies, but I don’t recall ever having a conversation with him.”
Jiang Lin chuckled. “Let’s not talk about him then. Anyway, he’s avoiding us by not coming. We’ve got a powerhouse alliance here. If he showed up, he’d have to bring that deadweight Li Mingsi along. He probably couldn’t bear the embarrassment.”
As they were chatting, Xiao Ding returned with boxed meals, and the three of them had lunch together.
With their stage appearance approaching, the makeup artist came over to touch up their makeup while the host approached to review the program flow one last time.
After exchanging pleasantries, the host cautiously said, “It’s like this: you two are such skilled actors that if you follow the script, there might be a noticeable gap between your performance and the other groups. So the directing team wants to add a bit of a challenge for you two to make the show more engaging. Would that be alright with you?”
Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing exchanged glances before asking her, “What kind of challenge?”
The host explained in detail.
Li Qianxing’s eyebrows rose as he listened. Seeing his expression, Jiang Lin knew he was interested and said with a smile, “Sure, no problem.”
The host clasped her hands together: “Thank you both for being so accommodating! Your scene will be scheduled last, giving you more time to prepare. If you need any props or costumes, just let us know, and we’ll do our best to provide them.”
After working out the details, it was soon time for the afternoon broadcast to begin.
Li Qianxing followed Jiang Lin onto the stage, where the production team had specially prepared a loveseat for them. As Jiang Lin sat down, he glanced up at the screen opposite them, which was filled with comments from 99CP fans praising the production team’s thoughtfulness.
Jiang Lin chuckled softly and leaned in to whisper in Li Qianxing’s ear, “You have a self-introduction coming up. Have you prepared what you’re going to say?”
Li Qianxing nodded slightly. “I have. But after the introduction, there’s usually some interaction with the host, and that’s…”
Jiang Lin patted his knee lightly. “I’ll handle that part. Just follow my lead. Relax, treat it like we’re here to have fun.”
Li Qianxing’s expression softened, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. “Okay.”
Jiang Lin looked up again to see the opposite screen flooded with comments like “Ahhhhh!” and “I’m dying from this ship!” He felt even more satisfied.
The live broadcast officially began, and the host first invited the four new guests to introduce themselves.
Needless to say, Li Qianxing was first.
Li Qianxing’s prepared words were very concise. “Hello, everyone. I’m actor Li Qianxing, and I’m delighted to be part of ‘Wonderful Weekend.’ This is my first time on a variety show, so please bear with me if I make any mistakes.”
The host responded, “Teacher Li started as a child actor and has been in the industry for twenty years now. You must have the longest acting career among all our guests, right?”
The other guests nodded and murmured in agreement.
Jiang Lin picked up the microphone. “Li-ge’s experience is incredibly rich. He’s played characters of all ages. When we were filming together before, there was a scene recalling university life. After we’d done our makeup and were doing a test shoot, wow! Even though I’m several years younger than him, when we started acting, I felt like I was taking advantage of a kid who’d never been out in the real world.”
The host exclaimed, “Wow! So, Teacher Li, what did you think of Teacher Jiang’s acting at the time?”
Li Qianxing thought for a moment and replied, “Mature beyond his years.”
The bullet screen was instantly flooded with rows of “Hahaha.”
[As expected, Teacher Li’s praising of Lin-ge is back online.]
[Honestly, just looking at their faces and auras, I can’t really tell they’re a few years apart.]
[After all, Lin-ge is “mature beyond his years,” LOL.]
Li Qianxing had many well-known film and TV works, and the host had clearly done her homework, chatting with him about some of them for a while. Jiang Lin helped by cracking jokes in between, quickly livening up the atmosphere.
After finishing the introduction segment for all four guests, they finally moved on to the most important part – the performance stage.
The host held five envelopes in her hand. “We’ve prepared some scripts for our five groups of guest teachers. Each group has three scenes to perform – one this afternoon, and one each tomorrow morning and afternoon. Everyone will soon be able to enjoy the wonderful live performances of our teachers.
“Due to time constraints, the scenes are not long. Every half hour, we’ll invite one group of guest teachers to perform on stage, with each scene lasting about five to ten minutes. This means the first group to perform only has half an hour to prepare. It’s quite a challenge!
“Teacher Li doesn’t have a partner, so all three of his scenes are solo performances. The other eight teachers will perform in pairs. The order of appearance will be determined by drawing lots. The group that draws the first slot will automatically be scheduled second to last in the next round.”
At this point, a guest interjected, “Why second to last? Shouldn’t it be last?”
The host explained with a smile. “Because the last slot is reserved especially for Teacher Li and Teacher Jiang. The directing team has added a challenge for these two teachers – their script only specifies the characters and situation, without any dialogue, and they’re not allowed to discuss it beforehand. So accordingly, they’re given a bit more preparation time.”
The other guests let out a collective groan at the first part but then began to look at the two with sympathy as they heard the rest.
No matter how skilled they were, they were still actors, not scriptwriters. Having a script without dialogue and not being allowed to discuss it was practically hell-level difficulty. This kind of improvisation not only tested their acting skills but also their adaptability and chemistry. Otherwise, they might not even be able to keep up with each other’s lines in the scene.
After explaining the rules, the host let the other four groups draw lots, then started distributing the scripts.
As she handed them out, she addressed the camera, “Our production team swears on the total director’s income for the rest of his life that these scripts are indeed only being given to the teachers now, and absolutely nothing was revealed beforehand!”
The bullet screen was instantly filled with laughter.
[That’s quite a vicious oath. Alright, we’ll believe you this time.]
[I’m new here. Can I ask, does this show change its director every episode?]
[No, no, the director swears like this every episode. You’ll get used to it, you’ll get used to it.]
[Judging from the show’s previous effects, I do believe their claim of ‘not revealing content to the guests in advance.’]
While the guests were opening their envelopes, the camera first focused on Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin’s hands.
Unlike the others who received small booklets of a dozen or so pages, they each got only two thin sheets of paper, marked with their names and labeled “Forbidden for the other to see.”
The two exchanged a glance, then turned to sit back-to-back.
Li Qianxing opened his sheet, which read:
Character: Boss Li, outwardly the leader of a theater troupe who performs female roles, but actually one of the undercover agents in enemy territory. Having learned that Young Master Jiang has gained the favor of the enemy commander and is about to be assigned an important task, he decides to risk everything and assassinate him first.
Jiang Lin’s sheet read:
Character: Young Master Jiang, outwardly a prodigal son, but actually a deep undercover agent who has infiltrated the enemy’s core and obtained important intelligence multiple times. Due to the death of his contact, he has lost touch with the organization and is trying to find other contacts to deliver the urgent intelligence he has just acquired.
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