"After My CP Ship Capsized"
By Jiang Yueniannian
"Sister You, can you help me find some variety shows?"
As the scorching summer was coming to an end, the blazing sun in Hengdian still hadn't set, making everyone drowsy with the heat.
Li You, who had been feeling sticky and stuffy in the windless film set, was startled by these words. She looked at the speaker in disbelief, instantly jolted awake from her sleepiness.
On the shooting scene, Chu Yueyi had just finished filming a scene. Her inner garment beneath the ancient costume robe was slightly damp with sweat in the high temperature. Her oval face, baked by the sunlight, had a rosy glow, while her lively almond-shaped eyes remained clear and calm.
Li You stared at her incredulously, quickly handing her a bottle of frosty mineral water before dryly asking, "Are you dizzy from the heat?"
Since Chu Yueyi's debut, Li You had been her manager, and she knew the artist's personality inside out, fully aware of the huge contrast between her appearance and her inner self.
Chu Yueyi had an innocent, cute, and approachable baby face, looking obedient and well-behaved, but in reality, she was more strong-minded than anyone. Li You had previously hinted at the artist to do some variety shows and create some buzz, but Chu Yueyi had always politely and tactfully brushed off the topic, completely unmoved.
Now that this opinionated artist had suddenly changed her tune, it naturally scared Li You into feeding her ice water, fearing that she might be delirious from the heat!
Facing her dazed manager, Chu Yueyi casually twisted open the bottle cap, took a few sips of the ice-cold water to dispel the summer heat from her body, and then flashed a flawless smile, saying softly, "No, I'm not."
Looking at the familiar professional smile, Li You hesitated before saying, "Yueyi, it doesn't really matter whether you win awards or not. To be honest, the value of awards these days isn't that high, and you still have a long career ahead of you..."
Li You thought Chu Yueyi's unusual behavior was due to her recent failure to win an award, so she naturally tried to comfort her.
Chu Yueyi shook her head lightly, "Sister You, didn't you also say before that buzz is very important? I've been thinking about it carefully lately, and I feel it does make sense."
Seeing her sincere attitude, Li You asked skeptically, "Really? You're not just upset about not winning the award, are you?"
Based on her work and ability, Chu Yueyi winning the annual Best Actress award should have been a sure thing. Who would have thought that in the end, it went to a popular actress with connections? The other actress had few film and TV works but plenty of variety show appearances. Anyone would find it hard to swallow.
There were quite a few netizens online who felt indignant on Chu Yueyi's behalf, but the spotlight always focuses on the winners. The buzz generated from sympathy and regret wouldn't last long.
"It really has nothing to do with the award. I know best how well I acted," Chu Yueyi wasn't so fragile. She was extremely confident in what she excelled at, even regardless of outside opinions.
Li You stared at Chu Yueyi for a long time, feeling that her words didn't seem fake. Only then did she put her mind at ease: "Alright, I'll start reaching out to some projects recently. You just wait for my news while you're on set. After you wrap up filming, I'll take you to meet some directors and variety show teams."
"You haven't been on many variety shows before, so our team doesn't have much experience in this area."
Chu Yueyi nodded in agreement. She knew well that she had no achievements in variety shows, and now that she was determined to do this, the initial period would definitely not be easy. She hadn't done variety shows before simply because she felt the timing wasn't right, but now might be a suitable new beginning.
Building a career is like tending a fire. Works are the firewood and flame, while variety shows are the fan and wind. For a stable flame to grow larger, it needs just the right amount of wind to fan it.
Now she was waiting for that wind to come.
As summer gave way to autumn, the stuffy days in Hengdian passed in a flash, and even the film set welcomed a cool breeze.
On the day of wrapping up filming, Chu Yueyi, holding a bouquet given by the crew, smiled and said goodbye to her comrades-in-arms one by one, finally boarding the car that came to pick her up, bidding farewell to the place where she had fought hard for months.
In the car, Li You had been watching Chu Yueyi's interactions with the crew members the whole time. Only when the artist finally returned to the car did she curiously ask, "Who were those people just now? I don't remember any of them."
Li You had only met the main creative team, such as the director and producer, but with hundreds of people in the entire crew, it wasn't possible to be familiar with everyone.
Chu Yueyi counted on her fingers, reciting like a family treasure: "Xiao Ya from makeup, Liu Liu from the production team, Xiao Xia the B-cam operator, Boss Wang from the small shop at the entrance..."
"Are you still deeply practicing the mass line?" Li You's eyelid twitched slightly. She had long noticed that Chu Yueyi was very good at managing interpersonal relationships, always getting to know all sorts of people and getting along well with them.
"No, it's the mutual understanding among us working people," Chu Yueyi paused, then added, "Oh, Boss Wang doesn't count as a working person."
Li You was already used to her good grassroots foundation. She waved the program materials in her hand: "I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Chu Yueyi tentatively said, "The good news?"
"We've found a variety show. The team's standard is good, and you'll have a lot of screen time."
Variety show resources were also in high demand now, and Chu Yueyi having ample screen time in the show would undoubtedly give her more opportunities to perform. She had thought her manager would have to put in a lot of effort, but unexpectedly, just as she finished filming, there was already a new variety show project.
"That's great," Chu Yueyi nodded, "What's the bad news?"
"It's a dating reality show," Li You said with resignation, "Probably not easy for you to shine."
It was precisely because it was a dating show that screen time was guaranteed, but it came with other issues.
Chu Yueyi was stunned for a moment, then seemed thoughtful: "It's not that bad."
"..." Li You stared at the artist for a long time, carefully probing, "As far as I know, you've never dated before, right?"
Li You only knew that Chu Yueyi hadn't had any relationships since entering the industry, but wasn't very clear about her past during student days.
"That's right." As a lifelong single, Chu Yueyi's attitude was humble, nodding frankly.
Li You raised an eyebrow: "Then where does your confidence come from to think it's not bad? You have no practical experience at all!"
Chu Yueyi defended herself seriously: "No, I have rich theoretical knowledge and practical accumulation..."
Li You was quite surprised: "Where did you get practical experience without ever dating?"
Chu Yueyi said with a straight face: "During my university years, I long served as the emotional counselor for my dormitory and class, independently resolving multiple emotional and romantic disputes through emotional counseling, data analysis, and case studies. I covered the full chain of stages including the ambiguous period, honeymoon period, and reconciliation period. I participated in dozens of face-to-face emotional counseling sessions and accumulated hundreds of hours of late-night voice consultations..."
Li You: "?"
Chu Yueyi: "After graduation..."
Li You looked at the artist who was talking non-stop, and interrupted with a blank expression: "If I may ask, with such a rich and impressive resume, why are you still single?"
Li You thought: She's so eloquent about other people's relationships, but when it comes to her own love life, she's clueless?
Chu Yueyi pretended to be profound: "The wise do not fall into the river of love."
Li You: "..." Ridiculous, truly ridiculous!
"I suddenly feel you're quite suitable for a dating reality show. Whether you've dated or not is beside the point, but you really do have a sense for variety shows. I was worried you'd always be acting and not be funny..." Li You commented numbly, "Thank you, I actually laughed."
Chu Yueyi casually flipped through the materials, saying offhandedly: "Because I'm always acting, that's why I'm more suitable. A dating reality show is about performing love, not actually falling in love, so why does it matter if I have experience or not?"
"The guests and audience won't take it seriously, just like various film and TV works. Everyone knows it's just a grand and illusory performance."
So Chu Yueyi would never develop real feelings from the show. She knew clearly that it was just a performance in front of the camera, and all she needed to do was create the most realistic illusion.
Li You was immediately convinced, exclaiming: "As expected of you, extremely rational."
Chu Yueyi closed the materials and smiled: "That's why you chose me back then, Sister You."
Li You was slightly taken aback, then revealed a relieved expression, comforting her: "It's okay, I'll see if I can get the show to arrange an active male guest to lead you a bit, then it shouldn't be a big problem..."
Although Chu Yueyi seemed easy to get along with on the surface, Li You knew she found it hard to open up and was actually quite passive. She used politeness and friendliness as a protective shell, but deep down she was distant and had a sense of boundaries.
Chu Yueyi didn't politely decline her manager's goodwill. She always had a clear division of labor with Li You, each doing their own job, and trusted that the other would make the best choice for her.
The reality show was called "Heart-Fluttering Promise," featuring multiple groups of guests each season, with rules centered around the concept of "promises." Chu Yueyi even filled out complex forms for the production team, detailing her requirements for an ideal partner, including numerous date ideas. The thoroughness of this survey shocked her, making her feel that even a rough screening of some conditions could pinpoint specific individuals in the industry.
After completing the form, Chu Yueyi privately muttered to her manager, "The survey questions were so detailed, they might as well have asked who I like directly."
Li You replied, "Why didn't you just fill in a name then? They might actually be able to get that person."
Chu Yueyi retorted, "They can't get someone if I fill in a name."
Li You asked curiously, "That's not necessarily true. Who did you base your answers on? Is your ideal celebrity very famous?"
Chu Yueyi blinked and said, "I based it on an anime character. Can they custom-make a person to match?"
Li You: "..."
Li You: "No wonder you're known as the 'Lonesome Queen'."
Not long after, the production team sent back news that Chu Yueyi's partner would be a musician named Shi Guanghua. While this person clearly didn't meet Li You's requirement of an "active male guest," the usually restrained manager was quite satisfied, for one reason only – his fame.
Chu Yueyi hadn't watched Shi Guanghua's shows before, but she had recently heard of his reputation and occasionally came across news about him. He had previously appeared on an electronic music production show with a male idol Chu Yueyi had worked with. Initially, he maintained the image of a talented, masked music genius, speaking little and often causing awkward silences during recording. However, his popularity exploded after one unmasked duet performance.
Looks are the primary productivity. Shi Guanghua's face alone boosted Weibo's KPIs, perfectly illustrating that being handsome is not only a meal ticket but can also provide livelihoods for countless others.
As a diligent and professional worker, Chu Yueyi specifically watched her future colleague's show and quickly understood why he became famous overnight. An outsider to the entertainment circle with looks that outshone industry insiders, no wonder he could become a household name with just one performance.
As Chu Yueyi watched the show on her iPad, Li You stood beside her and remarked, "He almost overshadows Zou Qian standing next to him."
Zou Qian was the male idol Chu Yueyi had worked with, and he was on the same team as Shi Guanghua in the show. Both were exceptionally good-looking, but each had their own unique charm and style, making it hard to say who was better.
"Be more confident, remove the 'almost'," Chu Yueyi mercilessly put down Zou Qian. Looking at the cool and taciturn Shi Guanghua on the screen, she wondered aloud, "But does Shi Guanghua really need to be on a dating reality show?"
After watching her new colleague's music show, Chu Yueyi couldn't understand why he would participate in a dating reality show. If it were her, she would never make such a career move, as it would undoubtedly impact his female fans who admired him for his looks.
"He wasn't originally in the entertainment industry, so maybe his resources aren't keeping up yet," Li You commented. "But why didn't he take off his mask earlier in the show? He might have attracted even more fans. Was he afraid people would only look at his face and not listen to his music?"
If Shi Guanghua had shown his face from the beginning, he probably wouldn't have needed to compete musically with others in the early stages – he would have dominated the show from the start.
Chu Yueyi shook her head, "That's a narrow-minded view. In my opinion, he should have worn the mask in the early stages. It would definitely attract more fans than not wearing one."
Li You humbly asked for clarification, "To create a contrast effect on purpose? Like in TV dramas, where the reveal is more stunning than if he hadn't worn it at all?"
"That's not it, you're overthinking," Chu Yueyi couldn't help but criticize. "This isn't some idol drama plot where an ordinary female lead takes off her glasses and turns out to be stunningly beautiful."
"Then why?" Li You asked.
Chu Yueyi explained confidently, "The pandemic is still recurring, especially when they first started recording and the situation was unclear. How could he survive to the end and attract fans without wearing a mask? You see, he only took it off after recording for over 14 days. This shows responsibility for his own life and others'. Living longer means more time to attract fans..."
Li You: "..." Who's really overthinking here?