Against the Light - Chapter 78
Chapter 78: Wonderful Love
"Hey, the boss's wife is here. Have a seat." Qu Qi caught sight of the two of them out of the corner of her eye and greeted them, her brow furrowed as she stared at her computer.
"What happened?" Gu Xinran asked, noting her expression.
Qu Qi ignored her, typing away at her keyboard. A moment later, her tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, and she burst out laughing, startling them both.
"Boss! A pie just fell from the sky!"
"?"
Gu Xinran frowned. "Calm down first." She was wary of things like pies falling from the sky. She remembered how easily she had acquired the rights to The Ode to Mountains and Rivers, thinking it was a gift from the heavens. And how did that turn out?
"This time, it's a really big pie!"
"Didn't Le Tao invest in a romance variety show? They just announced it this morning. This afternoon, the show 【Wonderful Love】 posted on their Weibo that they're preparing to start filming and are selecting guests! Le Tao has really hit a steel plate this time. There's no room for them in the entertainment industry anymore!"
"So, you're saying that Le Tao is finished without us even having to lift a finger?"
"Exactly! And not only that, 【Wonderful Love】 just sent me an invitation, hoping to have you and the boss's wife on the show!"
Gu Xinran paused, exchanging a look with Bai Yilan, who frowned thoughtfully.
"Do you know about this variety show?"
"Tell me about it."
"It's a phenomenal romance variety show. The first season aired the year before last and caused a huge sensation."
"The show is mainly filmed in the countryside. The goal is to let the audience escape the hustle and bustle of city life, return to a pastoral setting, get closer to nature, and forget about the worries of work and school to experience the beauty of the natural world. According to the rules of the first season, they invite three couples as guests. Each couple chooses a house and manages their own life. The show is live-streamed, and there are also guest commentators in the studio providing real-time analysis."
"When the first season aired, live-streaming was just taking off, so it became incredibly popular. I still remember the three couples from the first season; they were worlds apart. On the surface, they all seemed sweet and loving, but their true colors showed as soon as they faced any trouble. Some of them could turn their days into poetry, while others made a complete mess of things. One couple from that season got married right after the show, and another broke up."
"By observing their interactions, viewers can see a reflection of their own relationships with their partners, so it really resonates with young people."
After hearing Qu Qi's explanation, Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow, an idea forming in her mind.
"Manage our own lives? Build… a house? That sounds good. Yilan, what do you think?"
"Absolutely not." Bai Yilan showed her no mercy, exercising her veto power on the spot!
"I think it would be very meaningful. Two people building their love nest together, how romantic is that? On second thought, it's too tiring."
Gu Xinran tried to argue her case, but after a single glance from Bai Yilan, she immediately changed her tune and slapped herself down.
Qu Qi smacked her lips, as if she'd just enjoyed a fresh, warm treat.
Aww, why was she suddenly looking forward to seeing these two bicker while building a house on the show???
Half a month later.
Weibo, which had been quiet for a long time, suddenly exploded.
It all started when the official Weibo account of 【Wonderful Love】 posted an update.
"Tomorrow at 8 AM, we set sail with the wind."
Just eight short words, a high-profile announcement of the show's premiere!!
【Ahhh, I've waited so long for this day!!】
【Finally, you're here, and thank goodness I never gave up, ahhh!】
【Where are the guests? Where are the guests? Why haven't they been announced yet? Are they going to wait until the premiere?】
【Ahhh, so excited, so excited!】
【Insider news, I heard there will be three couples again. Two same-sex couples and one opposite-sex couple~】
【Sob, I want to see Teacher Bai and Xinran. I wonder if they'll be on. I want to see them on the same stage so badly.】
【Sister upstairs, don't even think about it. This show only invites Movie Kings or Movie Queens, people with real weight in the industry. Those two you mentioned aren't qualified.】
【Teacher Bai isn't qualified? Do you have any idea how many industry awards she's won? Gu Xinran isn't qualified? She just won Best Actress. Did your village just get internet?】
【Sob, I want to see Teacher Bai too. I'll make a vow: if the Bai-Gu CP comes on the show, I'll livestream myself eating a keyboard!】
【I'll eat one too!!】
【+1】
【Damn! I'm not sleeping tonight. I'm just going to camp out in the live stream room and wait!】
The next day, at 7:00 AM sharp.
The official Weibo account of 【Wonderful Love】 released a nine-photo grid featuring individual shots and group photos of the three guest couples.
The first couple was a well-known heterosexual pair, the Movie King and Movie Queen duo, Wei Zhan and Ruan Tang. In the photo, they gazed at each other affectionately, the very picture of a talented man and a beautiful woman.
The second couple was a huge surprise. It was Qi Qiuyan and Qi Yuwei! In their photo, they wore matching couple's shirts, leaning back-to-back against each other.
Many viewers were stunned when they saw this pair. Qi Qiuyan was famous for being extremely career-focused, and there had never been any news of her being in a relationship. How was she suddenly participating in a reality show as part of a couple??
However, what kept people in suspense the most was the third couple.
In the photo, it was clearly two women. They were wearing matching white dresses, holding hands as they strolled along a golden beach, their skirts fluttering in the gentle breeze. One of them raised her left hand to brush a stray strand of hair from her ear. Just from their figures, you could tell that these two had an ethereal air about them!
What was infuriating was that a large question mark had been placed over this couple's faces, completely obscuring their features! The production team was clearly trying to build suspense!
The comment section exploded again.
【This is just cruel, seriously!】
【Ahhh, you can't keep us hanging like this! Who is it, ahhh!!!】
【Please, just put us out of our misery.】
【This? This is it? I stayed up all night for this?】
【Damn (a type of plant), I'm in love with these figures.】
8:00 AM sharp.
The 【Wonderful Love】 live stream started right on time! The screen was instantly flooded with comments.
In the studio, the stage lights slowly brightened. On stage were two long sofas, a coffee table with snacks, and more. The male host on the far left waved at the camera. "Hello everyone, and welcome to Wonderful Love. I'm your host, Lu Xing."
"The three people beside me are surely familiar to everyone. During the first season of Wonderful Love, we invited these three emotional psychology experts to join us. Welcome, teachers."
The host led the applause, and the experts clapped along.
"I know our audience probably wants to see us the least right now. They must be dying to know who our third guest couple is. To be honest, I'm really curious myself. The production team has done an excellent job keeping it a secret this time. Even I'm still in the dark."
"Then let's hurry up and see," the emotional experts all said, unable to wait.
The host laughed, warming up the atmosphere before gesturing. The director cut the feed to the recording site.
This season was a major production. The live stream was split into three screens, allowing viewers to watch all three couples simultaneously. Of course, in this mode, there was no sound, only real-time subtitles. You had to click on a specific couple's individual stream to hear the audio.
The host had another monitor in front of him showing the live comments from the audience. Seeing the overwhelming demand to see the third couple, he happily obliged and opened their stream.
However, when the image enlarged, he too was baffled. The camera was framed from the guests' necks down. Their faces were still not visible!!
The woman on the right wore a black shirt with an open collar. The woman on the left wore a camel-colored trench coat over a white shirt. Their clasped hands were the center of attention.
【Ahhh, this is too much!!】
【Fuck.】
【Is this necessary? Are they ever going to stop building suspense??】
【The Black… the Black and White duo?】
【Holy shit, holy shit, look at their hands!! There's a ribbon on the left hand!!】
【!!! We've cracked the code, ahhhh!! It's Teacher Bai, it's Teacher Bai!!!】
Before the host could figure it out, he saw the screen fill with comments like 【Ahhh, it's Teacher Bai!!】. He paused for a moment. "Huh? Teacher Bai? So, the third mystery couple is Bai Yilan and Gu Xinran?" he asked, seeking confirmation from the director team off-stage.
In the car, Gu Xinran was still deliberately holding Bai Yilan's wrist, trying to cover the obvious feature.
"Sister Ran, you don't have to hide it anymore. The audience has already guessed," the cameraman said with a wry smile, raising the camera to frame both of them.
"Hm? So quickly?" Gu Xinran was slightly taken aback. Then, she smiled at the camera and nodded in greeting. "Hello everyone, I'm Gu Xinran. This is my partner," Gu Xinran said with a light laugh.
"Hello everyone, I'm Bai Yilan." Yilan also gave the camera a faint smile, a small dimple appearing at the corner of her lips, which was very charming. She was still a little nervous in front of the camera, as this was her first time appearing on a variety show as a guest.
【Ahhhh, it really is Teacher Bai!! Teacher Bai is so beautiful, ahhh!!】
【!!! Partner!! 'This is my partner'!! Are they back together? I believe in love again!!】
The comment section was filled with screams.
"Sister Ran, Sister Lan, let me ask a question on behalf of the audience first. Teacher Bai is usually a very private person. Why did you accept this invitation?" The cameraman acted as a temporary host.
Suddenly put on the spot, Bai Yilan subconsciously glanced at Gu Xinran.
Gu Xinran smiled and nodded at her, offering encouragement, afraid she was nervous.
"Because of her," Bai Yilan said.
"Did Sister Ran drag you here?"
"No. She was scrolling through Weibo and saw a lot of comments under this show's official account saying that if we came, they would livestream themselves eating keyboards. She wanted to see people eat keyboards."
"…???"
Gu Xinran's smile froze on her face. You can't say that out loud, wife!
【I fucking…】
【…】
【The ship I chose… gotta see it through, even if it makes me cry T^T】
【Good thing I didn't say I'd livestream myself eating shit :D】
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