On the return journey, Chu Yueyi held an emergency meeting with Li You and others in the car, delving into the awkward first recording session that made them want to sink into the ground. Although Chu Yueyi hadn't participated in many variety shows before, she already had a premonition that this broadcast would flop, as she and Shi Guanghua had absolutely no chemistry.
Li You tentatively asked, "Yueyi, what do you think? Do you feel the show suits you?"
Chu Yueyi replied calmly, "It's not about what I think, but what he thinks. What's his team's intention? Didn't the director notify them in advance that I was the female guest?"
Chu Yueyi couldn't understand Shi Guanghua's unusual behavior. She could only speculate on the reasons for his aloofness – maybe he didn't want to be on a dating show and was forced to come, or perhaps he simply looked down on her star power. Although neither of them were A-list celebrities and were roughly on the same level, some male artists often had a mysterious self-confidence, which wasn't uncommon in the industry.
If Shi Guanghua felt she was reaching above her station, they might as well part ways now and save each other's time.
"No, no, the executive producer notified them in advance. They knew you were the guest," Li You pondered for a few seconds before continuing dryly, "Actually, I just spoke with Shi Guanghua's team, but the staff on his side were very... you know what I mean?"
After wrapping up, Li You had planned to angrily confront the other party, but Shi Guanghua's manager turned out to be a pushover. He was almost on his knees, kowtowing on the spot, not at all the arrogant figure she had imagined.
There was no haughtiness, no looking down on others – it was simply an amateur operation. Li You suddenly felt like a hero with no battle to fight. She felt it would be inglorious to bully the weak, and there was absolutely no sense of accomplishment.
Chu Yueyi summed it up precisely: "His team is as unprofessional as he is."
Li You nodded, "That's right. After all, he wasn't an artist before, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. We'll have more autonomy, and it'll be more advantageous for public opinion and promotion after the broadcast..."
"Of course, that's assuming you feel you're suitable for the show. If we really continue recording, today's situation will become the norm, which is why I said your thoughts are the most important."
Chu Yueyi understood. The pros and cons of choosing Shi Guanghua were quite obvious: the advantage was his recent popularity and his team's ease of communication, which could avoid mutual attacks after the broadcast; the disadvantage was his poor variety show sense – he was like a gourd with its mouth sewn shut, leaving her to drive the atmosphere.
Although Li You fully respected the artist's opinion, Chu Yueyi knew the drawbacks of quitting the show. Even if they changed the male guest or switched to a different show, she could still encounter new problems. As long as one works, they have to face difficulties, and it might even be worse than facing Shi Guanghua.
As a never-say-die working professional, Chu Yueyi made her decision after weighing the pros and cons: "Sister Youyou, it's not about being suitable or not. When an opportunity arises, I won't let it go."
Li You muttered, "But I feel Shi Guanghua's personality is truly reserved. His manager says he doesn't usually interact with people..."
At present, it seemed Shi Guanghua's aloofness had nothing to do with arrogance; it was merely his personality. He was naturally not talkative.
"There's no such thing as perfection in this world. If something appears flawless, it's definitely suspicious," Chu Yueyi said calmly. "Flaws within a controllable range are actually more reliable than absolute perfection."
Chu Yueyi never believed in pie-in-the-sky opportunities. Only options with clear advantages and disadvantages were dependable, making the benefits and risks apparent from the start. Rather than choosing unknown challenges, it was better to choose known problems, at least to find a solution approach.
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Li You didn't try to persuade her further. Instead, she reminded her, "Since you're going to continue recording, you need to establish a good relationship. It can't be completely like today. His manager says he's slow to warm up to people. Why don't you try to get to know him better recently, maybe check in on him occasionally or chat..."
"Ah, getting older makes one ramble on. I almost forgot you're the best at this!" Li You suddenly realized, laughing, "I guess I don't need to worry about that with you."
Chu Yueyi had no negative reviews among her collaborative teams, and most staff members liked her. Li You had always been quite reassured about this.
"..." Chu Yueyi was stunned by these words. She remembered how she had just retorted to Shi Guanghua and suddenly realized this move might have been rash.
She couldn't help but take out her phone, looking at the newly added friend in WeChat, and hesitantly asked, "Sister Youyou, do you think musicians have good memories?"
Li You: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
Chu Yueyi: "Do you think if I send a caring WeChat message now, it could override the impression from earlier and make my new colleague forget on the spot..."
Li You: "?"
Chu Yueyi had originally thought Shi Guanghua was targeting her, but since his manager said he wasn't good at communication, he might indeed just be a socially awkward person who creates awkward silences. She had been pondering how to salvage the situation all the way back and finally sent a carefully worded WeChat message, deciding to establish contact with Shi Guanghua first.
In the past, when communicating with colleagues, Chu Yueyi had always been able to maintain an excellent sense of propriety. After all, they were all industry peers who met while filming, and only needed to maintain a friendly and harmonious working relationship. However, her relationship with Shi Guanghua was slightly unusual, as they had to act romantically on a dating show.
Being too distant wouldn't break the ice, but being too familiar would be strange, putting them in an ambiguous position.
If Shi Guanghua were an experienced actor, he might be able to work with Chu Yueyi to control the rhythm, but he happened to be the type who was poor at socializing even among normal people, making it difficult to know how to approach him.
The content Chu Yueyi finally edited was polite yet caring, still using the respectful "Teacher Shi" as a form of address at the beginning. She felt that the first message shouldn't be too familiar, but rather test the other party's attitude and then advance based on the response, naturally drawing closer.
Chu Yueyi calculated Shi Guanghua's return time and clicked send after getting out of the car, thinking that the evening was conducive to communication. She then quietly waited for her new colleague's reply.
However, even by 1 AM, there was still no response.
Chu Yueyi wondered: Could her new colleague be a health-conscious elderly person who goes straight to bed after getting home?
"Sister Youyou, could you please send a message to Shi Guanghua's manager, just saying today's recording was tiring," Chu Yueyi thought for a moment, then added softly, "And ask if they got back safely."
Li You sent a message to Cheng, who basically replied instantly. She answered, "They've already returned."
Chu Yueyi continued to guide her manager, asking Li You to inquire further: "Teacher Shi rarely records shows, so he's probably not used to the recording pace yet. Is he already resting because he's tired?"
Li You: "No, he says Shi Guanghua often stays up late and should be wide awake right now."
Chu Yueyi: "..." Well done!
Confirming that the other party had read but not replied, Chu Yueyi gained a new understanding of Shi Guanghua, muttering, "So he's quite petty."
She had merely followed his example by saying his smile wasn't nice, and he was angry enough not to reply to her WeChat message?
Li You didn't hear her self-talk clearly: "What?"
"Nothing, it's my problem. I didn't do my homework in advance," Chu Yueyi reflected ruefully. "Although I've watched shows he participated in, I actually know very little about him, so it's no wonder our first meeting was awkward."
Li You hesitated: "Yueyi, don't be too hard on yourself. Actually, you're one of the most career-driven artists I've ever seen."
Li You wasn't lying. When she first met Chu Yueyi, she had a feeling that the young girl in front of her would definitely succeed. She had resilience and vision far beyond the ordinary, as well as a strong mentality of being strict with herself and lenient with others.
She set extremely high standards for herself.
Hearing these words, Chu Yueyi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she had an epiphany: "Right, I can manage my career. Now it's just that my career has become him..."
Li You looked completely bewildered: "Huh?"
Chu Yueyi suddenly sat up, opened her laptop on the table, and started searching for information about Shi Guanghua. Switching to a serious work mode, she said expressionlessly, "Before it was managing my career, now it's just managing him."
Li You: "???"
She didn't believe that with the same energy she put into her career, she couldn't handle someone like Shi Guanghua!
After finishing the recording, Shi Guanghua still felt tense on the return journey. Instead of going back to his place to rest, he plunged straight into his studio.
Cheng exclaimed in surprise, "Bro, go home and sleep early! You're having allergies and you're still making music? There's no need to push yourself so hard!"
Shi Guanghua: "Can't sleep."
"You're really a man of steel. I'm exhausted just following you around," Cheng couldn't help but yawn, waving goodbye to Shi Guanghua. "I'm going home to sleep."
Shi Guanghua couldn't explain his highly alert state. He felt as if his mind had separated from his body - though physically exhausted, he was filled with a floating sensation that made it impossible to lie still in bed.
Countless fresh musical notes surged through his mind, with emotions that could only be released through music. It was an electrifying stimulation, even more vivid than years ago, causing him to stay awake all night, completely immersed in creation.
He recalled some memories and captured subtle changes, but they were shrouded in thin mist, completely impenetrable.
Obscure, concealed, mysterious, unspeakable.
Just like her perfect self today.
Did they really know each other now?
The first ray of dawn shone through the floor-to-ceiling window into the corridor.
Shi Guanghua finished his new composition. With questions lingering in his heart, he finally left the enclosed, signal-less studio. In the morning light, he inexplicably called Zou Qian, unusually taking the initiative to seek information.
On the other end of the line, Zou Qian's voice was thick with sleep. He couldn't help but complain, "Brother, do you know what time it is? Hasn't anyone told you not to call so early?"
Shi Guanghua replied concisely, "I have something to ask you."
"What is it?" Zou Qian was used to his friend's coldness. He suddenly seemed to remember something and excitedly started gossiping, "Oh right, didn't you go to record a show yesterday? How did it feel meeting your idol for the first time? I just can't figure out why you'd suddenly decide to become a fan of Chu Yueyi!"
Faced with Zou Qian's rapid-fire questions, Shi Guanghua rigorously denied again, "I'm not her fan."
Zou Qian brushed it off, "Yeah, yeah, you're not a fan. I understand you people, always claiming to be casual viewers when controlling comments, but secretly watching interviews and following dramas, being even more devoted than real fans. You're all veteran 'casual viewers'..."
Zou Qian: Nobody understands casual viewers better than me!
Shi Guanghua felt the other party wasn't listening. After pondering for a few seconds, he said helplessly, "...I'm really not her fan."
Zou Qian asked puzzled, "Then what's your relationship?"
Shi Guanghua: "It's none of your business."
Zou Qian: "Didn't you say you had something to ask me? Now you're saying it's none of my business?"
Shi Guanghua said calmly, "Doesn't your new album need a ballad? I just wrote one last night..."
Hearing this, Zou Qian immediately cast his curiosity aside, his voice turning sycophantic, "Bro, Shi-bro, my dear brother, our relationship doesn't need labels. What do you want to ask? Go ahead!"
Shi Guanghua was silent for a moment. He started to experience the same dizzying blank state as yesterday and asked in a low voice, "...What kind of person is she in private?"
Zou Qian had worked with Chu Yueyi in the same drama production before, so they should have had plenty of opportunities to interact in real life. Zou Qian had even joked before about giving Shi Guanghua her WeChat contact, but was always firmly refused.
Zou Qian was stunned, "Who are you talking about?"
Shi Guanghua remained silent.
Zou Qian probed, "Chu Yueyi?"
Shi Guanghua's heart skipped a beat.
"Her?" Zou Qian stroked his chin. After brief consideration, he honestly shared his impression, "She's just an emotionless working machine."
Zou Qian wasn't lying. Chu Yueyi was meticulous in her work and attentive to others in private. If she hadn't revealed her true self, she could be considered a perfect and precise machine.
Shi Guanghua had expected the other party to have some deep insights, but now he felt inexplicably displeased and coldly retorted, "Nonsense."
Zou Qian exclaimed, "Well, well! You still say you're not a fan? The moment someone criticizes your idol, you immediately jump to defend her. You're clearly a fan in casual viewer's clothing, ready to control the narrative!"
Shi Guanghua couldn't be bothered to listen to his chatter and abruptly hung up the phone. He then noticed a bright red message notification on his screen.
Shi Guanghua rarely used WeChat when he was abroad. He would disconnect from the network while creating in his studio, earning him the nickname "the caveman who can't speak." People around him were used to him not replying to messages, and would directly knock on his studio door for urgent matters. Gradually, they stopped sending him messages altogether.
Shi Guanghua opened the notification and found it was a warm greeting message from Chu Yueyi. Judging by the time, it was sent after he had retreated into his studio last night, which explained why he only received it now.
After reading the WeChat message, Shi Guanghua became even more convinced that Zou Qian was talking nonsense. She clearly had plenty of emotions.