Chapter 66: Taking the Boss to the Opera

Alas—why can’t there be a second person in this world as perfect as he is? He wished he could slap himself. He never should have chosen the finale position during the lineup; he ought to have gone first! How could he have lost this competition otherwise?

Even Qiu Shishang, always the cool and aloof superstar, couldn’t help but laugh at Wang Fei’s ridiculous antics. The other guests were doubled over with laughter; Xu Mengbai and Lin Yunyue were already a mess, their shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

A sudden worry flashed through Qiu Shishang’s mind—would he have to do something equally image-shattering when he took the stage next? He could, but was it necessary?

Still, though Wang Fei looked foolish, he’d succeeded in attracting attention. Audiences loved to see variety show guests make fools of themselves. The live broadcast’s ratings soared. Qiu Shishang only needed to consider whether such a trade-off was worth it.

As Wang Fei’s facial contortions grew ever more outrageous, his mouth gaping and gesturing, a single finger extending in an exaggeratedly delicate pose, he appeared even stranger.

On Bai Yichu’s face, a look of growing disdain slowly surfaced.

In truth, as soon as she saw Wang Fei straining to imitate Miss Cai’s aggrieved manner, she’d already guessed the answer they were supposed to get. She simply pretended not to know. Somehow, watching Wang Fei strive to prove his acting skills, she found it both ludicrous and comical.

To have come this far as a top-tier female celebrity, enduring the relentless pressures of her job, she sometimes had to find her own amusements.

“Yichu, what do you think of my acting? Did you figure out what I’m doing?” Wang Fei was quite pleased with himself. Otherwise, why would his dream goddess have stared at him for so long? He had no idea that, in Bai Yichu’s eyes, he was nothing more than a clown.

Bai Yichu chuckled dryly, saying little. She kept her chin propped on her hand, signaling for him to continue. With a slight frown, she maintained a look of confusion.

At that moment, Lin Jia prompted that time was running out. Not wanting the goddess to lose the round, Wang Fei had no choice but to ramp up his efforts, throwing all dignity aside. He grimaced grotesquely, desperate to convey a more accurate and vivid impression of the empress.

This role reversal between man and woman finally broke Bai Yichu’s composure; she couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Looking at the beautiful woman before him, as radiant as a lotus just emerged from water, Wang Fei was struck with awe. If only he could date her... Could it be that she felt the same way about him?

At this point, Bai Yichu was thoroughly enjoying herself. An idea flashed through her mind. Tapping her cheek with a slender finger, she gave a gentle smile and said, “I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead,” he replied.

“In ancient palaces, how did imperial concubines usually refer to themselves before the emperor?”

“As ‘your humble concubine’!” Wang Fei blurted out, pleased with his quick wit. He even laughed in delight. Surely, after displaying such cleverness before the goddess, he would capture her attention in the rounds to come!

The other guests were beside themselves with laughter. Xu Mengbai, pointing at Wang Fei, said to Lin Jia, “Director, he broke the rules! He said the forbidden word! He’s out!”

Wang Fei was momentarily bewildered. Realization dawning too late, he clapped a hand over his mouth, looking at Bai Yichu in disbelief. Why had she deliberately led him to utter the elimination phrase?

Bai Yichu’s expression returned to its usual cool indifference. She hadn’t meant to target him; she simply had no experience with romance and didn’t know how to refuse Wang Fei’s ardent pursuit. She believed in being decisive. Since ignoring his messages hadn’t deterred his barrage of texts, it was best to make things utterly clear in the most ruthless way.

I don’t like you.

I have no interest in you whatsoever.

For a moment, she felt a touch of melancholy. Perhaps the unread messages she’d sent Lin Yu, even now left without response, were his way of rejecting her as well?

Bai Yichu swiftly composed herself, letting out a gentle sigh. Watching Wang Fei stand and slink away from his chair, dejected, she felt an unexpected sense of kinship in their mutual disappointment.

“I just can’t do it,” Wang Fei muttered as he was eliminated, ending the round. Bai Yichu gave the correct answer. At the very end, Si Shaozhe, left without her line, sat alone in her chair. The music in her earpiece was blaring; eyes closed, she enjoyed it, still waiting to confidently reveal the answer and bask in the spotlight.

The rest of the audience was preparing for the next round—only she remained lost in her fantasy.

Immersed in her own world, dancing to the upbeat music, Si Shaozhe became the laughingstock everyone discussed as the cameras rolled.

Shocking! The untouchable superstar, so different in private…

The show’s popularity spiked once more.

At that moment, with a glance from Qiu Shishang, Lin Yunyue took a phone from Lin Jia. Facing the camera with a bright smile, she recited the ad slogan: “For hilarious variety shows, choose the TriPlus phone—wide-angle lens for a clearer picture!”

Xu Mengbai stepped forward, leaning on Lin Yunyue’s shoulder and chimed in, “TriPlus phone, with Dragon Processor technology—better for gaming, streaming, and faster internet!”

Bai Yichu took a step forward: “Love life, love the TriPlus 12 even more!”

Seeing this, Qiu Shishang added a slogan as well, while Wang Fei and, belatedly, Si Shaozhe—having had her headphones removed by staff—moved to stand behind Bai Yichu, forming a triangle. Smiling like a celestial being, Bai Yichu cradled the TriPlus 12 at the center, shielded by the three men.

The ad finished, everyone returned to their places, and the next round began swiftly. Qiu Shishang took the lead. The telephone message he drew was: “TriPlus phone, always capturing your beauty; with 5G data, movie streaming is smoother than ever!”

Foul play! Wasn’t this a violation? They’d just recited the ad copy—anyone could guess the answer with the slightest gesture mimicking a phone.

Another rule: during a team’s turn, the opposing team could interfere.

Wang Fei, still crushed from being played by the goddess, perked up at the chance for mischief. He gleefully grabbed a TriPlus 12 and disrupted Qiu Shishang and Xu Mengbai as they tried to communicate.

Xu Mengbai was so amused by Wang Fei’s antics he burst out laughing, forgetting to say the answer. Time ran out, and when it was Lin Yunyue’s turn, she watched Xu Mengbai’s performance seriously, only for Wang Fei to interrupt again. Xu Mengbai laughed so hard he forgot about the game entirely, pointing at Wang Fei as the round’s time ticked away.

Lin Yunyue stood onstage, puzzled, head tilted, finger pointing at herself, wearing a face full of confusion.

“So what’s the answer?” the host asked.

The two exchanged glances, falling silent.

As the countdown ended, Lin Yunyue stammered for ages but couldn’t utter a single word, finally looking helplessly at Qiu Shishang, who simply spread his hands in defeat.