Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

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Removing Pei Muchan from the voting might not have a significant impact on the program.

But if the top contestant withdraws from the competition for various reasons, the production team will have no choice but to invite the last performer from the previous stage to advance in her place.

Then the professionalism of the program will inevitably be questioned. However, as long as paid articles are well-crafted, the lost audience can be recovered from elsewhere.

The meeting had been going for almost an hour, and the directorial team had discussed most of the details. They also touched base with Wen Shuanghua to confirm her willingness and the general timing for signing a contract.

Just as the meeting was about to wrap up, the assistant asked,

"Director, how shall we deal with Lin Wanzhou's case?"

"Her withdrawal is their problem; they shouldn't think they can escape unscathed. Buy some paid articles to smear them and shift the public's focus onto them. That'll do."

"Got it. Do we need to buy articles for Pei Muchan as well?"

"Get them together, but don't go overboard; it'd be a waste."

"Alright." The assistant was about to leave but then seemed to remember something and added, "At that time, Xu Qingyan mentioned making a music video or something, implying that we rigged the votes."

"Six hundred and thirty votes and he's talking about vote rigging?" the director said, "Without evidence, what good is a music video? Do as you see fit."

"Understood."

With the meeting adjourned, members of the directorial team filed out through the door.

....

"Cheer up, it's the last scene." Xu Qingyan said.

The scene being filmed was a farewell, filled with family feuds and national enmities. The male lead, played by Lu Dong, resolves to give up his life as an entertainer to rush to the front lines and defend his country, bidding farewell to Sun Mengyun at the alleyway's end.

The shot was quite simple, as some more complex scenes had already been conquered that morning. This particular shot was deliberately saved for the last scene, as a wrap-up.

The music video had no dialogue, only movements and expressions.

Above, water was sprayed to mimic the dense, fine drizzle typical of the Jiangnan region.

Lu Dong, tall and fit, looked particularly sharp in military uniform. Unlike his status as an entertainer filmed the day before, he seemed to be born for military-themed dramas.

Sun Mengyun was dressed in a bright red bridal robe, her head uncovered, hair done in a simple bun.

This was something Xu Qingyan specifically added, making the farewell seem solemn yet not overly so. Ultimately, he hoped the husband would return alive from the battlefield.

From childhood friends to sweethearts, destined to be wed, they were supposed to buy fine silks for making clothes, purchase jewelry to adorn themselves, and spend years as a young married couple.

But with the abyss at their side and fierce enemies beyond, with his seven-foot frame, he had pledged himself to the country and could no longer pledge himself to her.

In the shot, the two exchanged glances.

Hand in hand, silent, choked with emotion at their farewell. It was unclear who suggested it, but the two began to perform a play at the mouth of the alley, turning gently to the rhythm of the soft drizzle.

"Great!! I declare the filming of 'Riding a White Horse' MV officially wrapped!" Xu Qingyan rose from the director's chair and gestured grandly with his hand.

"Thank you, everyone, for your hard work these past two days!"

Bang!!

Cheers filled the set, signaling a collective release.

"Damn! It's finally over!"

"It's really not easy to earn this money. Even though Director Xu didn't ask for overtime, the day just felt so long!"

"Yeah, on other sets, filming a week isn't as tiring as one day here."

"With things as they are, let's eat first! Feast together!!" Someone in the crowd shouted excitedly, "Director Xu, are you covering lunch today as well?"

"Yes, just report to Zhou Mian if you're coming." Xu Qingyan said with a smile.

There's no need to skimp on the wrap party. These two days have been about efficient time management. Not only Pei Muchan was exhausted, but the other actors and crew were too.

Without a wrap party, they would really have to "wrap up."

No matter how taxing the job, a big meal on the house could soothe all woes. A variety of dishes and beverages were served continuously, and everyone's faces were alight with smiles.

No matter how stressful the shoot, Xu Qingyan was generous with payment and spare no expense for the meal. Not only was the food plentiful, but the drinks were self-serve to each person's content.

Xu Qingyan sat at the main table, constantly toasted by others, and eventually started going from table to table drinking with them. Pei Muchan was also toasted occasionally, but she only sipped tea.

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Shen Jinyue with her pink hair ate as if she hadn't eaten in ages. Once seated at the table next to Pei Muchan, she began to feast heartily.

"Director Xu, I'd like to offer you a toast," Lu Dong said as he walked over. "I've learned so much from you that today has been more meaningful than the past year combined."

Who says straight men don't understand the art of language? Anyone even slightly involved in this circle is never truly brainless.

"You flatter me, you've performed well," Xu Qingyan said tersely, drinking half of the wine in his glass, while Lu Dong drained his in one go.

Then came Sun Mengyun, also offering a toast of thanks, after which her face turned slightly red.

"Thank you for your guidance, Director Xu."

"It was nothing, you're talented too," Xu Qingyan responded, receiving toasts in a routine manner, even having a soda with the young girl, He Yi, and casually praising her.

After a round of drinking, Xu Qingyan was still as steady as ever. Enjoy more content from empire

When he returned to his seat, he found that Pei Muchan had poured a cup of tea into her glass. She cleared her throat seriously and turned to him.

"Director Xu, may I offer you a toast?"

"That's tea in your cup, right?" Xu Qingyan leaned in to take a closer look into the cup, and his alcohol breath wasn't too heavy, so Pei Muchan didn't shy away.

"Yes, thank you for your help," Pei Muchan said softly.

"It's not really help, it's also for myself," Xu Qingyan picked up his glass, thought for a moment, and then switched to tea. "You earn money, and so do I. It's just work after all."

"Oh."

Their teacups touched lightly, and she suddenly heard Xu Qingyan say softly.

"Consider taking me up."

At his words, Pei Muchan's hand immediately clutched the cup, and she glared at him, embarrassed.

"You're not allowed to mention that!"

She began to regret it. She shouldn't have acted impulsively. Now she had done it, a moment of rashness was likely going to be nagged about for years, and he was so... annoying.

"Why can't I mention it? 'Officials can start fires...'" Xu Qingyan chuckled, but before he could finish his sentence, he turned his head and saw her blushing face.

His words trailed off, forgotten in a few thumps, and he couldn't speak anymore.

Shen Jinyue, belatedly realizing what was happening, looked up to see Xu Qingyan and Pei Muchan whispering.

She glanced down at her slightly bulging belly, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and walked over. Peering closely, she found the two discussing editing work.

"The editing suite is booked, we should be able to get it done in two days," Pei Muchan said with a frown. "This place has good technicians, we can rush it if needed."

"No need to rush, it's a waste of money, right?" Xu Qingyan was about to say more when he turned and saw Shen Jinyue standing curiously beside him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Sister Pei, are you guys short of money?" Shen Jinyue asked with an innocent and wealthy expression.

"She's not, but I am. Are you doing poverty alleviation?" Xu Qingyan eyed her. "Being poor isn't scary, what's scary is if that poor person is me."

She blinked and said, "Okay."

Xu Qingyan: "....."

He envied the silly goose daughter of the landlord's family for being too innocent. In contrast, he himself had become frighteningly shrewd from the grinding hardship of poverty.

.....

Xinghai.

Wednesday and Thursday, two whole days.

Xu Qingyan was submerged in the editing studio. After the MV shoot concluded, Pei Muchan resumed her regimen of work and rest, focusing on preparing her new album.

In the end, Shen Jinyue still called her parents, then happily followed Pei Muchan back to Xinghai. On her very first day back, she ran off to Lin Wanzhou.

She clung to him, spouting a bunch of sappy words and successfully mooched Qi Ting for a day's use. The two immature ones ran off to play in the city for the whole day.

Who knew how those two women tuned into each other's brainwaves; they wandered around taking pictures here and there. The busy Xu Qingyan got so annoyed by the photo bombardment that he set his phone to Do Not Disturb.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and quietly, Friday arrived.