Chapter 352 - 3 Episodes

Avaleigh stepped out into the arrivals hall at Shanghai Pudong Airport. This was her first work-related meeting since Mimi's death and she was a little nervous. She pulled down her hat a little and adjusted the mask on her face as Danson walked confidently beside her. Although Macaron had been disbanded and no agency had been promoting her for almost 2 weeks, 2 weeks wasn't enough to have people completely forget about her. So, she still had to be careful.

Outside the airport, a car was waiting for them in the hot summer weather. The air was a little smoggy and humid, but the air conditioning in the car immediately made them feel like they had stepped into another world.

Avaleigh removed her mask and hat, wiped away some of her sweat, and touched up her makeup. Her makeup was light, but she still looked beautiful. A natural beauty like this was rare in the entertainment industry. Especially when she had spent so many years in Korea where plastic surgery was the norm.

"You've never had any procedures done?" Danson asked as he analyzed the woman beside him. 

Avaleigh glanced at Danson and shook her head. She was also a bit surprised that her agency never asked her to do anything before she debuted in Macaron. Apart from dyeing her hair and getting her to train her body, they didn't really change her appearance much.

Seeing that they were on the topic of plastic surgery, Avaleigh was reminded of the beautiful woman she met a few days ago. She had seen a lot of plastic surgery in the entertainment industry, so she had no stigma against it. Instead, she was a little curious. "Do men like women with plastic surgery?" she asked, wondering how men thought about it. She had seen the way that Emerson interacted with Marissa and it still made her a little uncomfortable. "Your stepmother seems like a very attractive woman," she added, trying to sound casual.

Danson almost choked at the mention of Marissa. His woman was the complete opposite of Avaleigh. She practically had every possible procedure done under the sun! Although he never minded Marissa's original appearance, he had to admit that the current Marissa was very attractive. At least, to him, she was. Perhaps, it was because he loved her, so she always looked attractive no matter what she did.

So, he replied, "My stepmother is a real catch! Whichever man gets her is really lucky!"

On the surface, it sounded like he was praising Marissa, but in reality, he was praising himself.

When Avaleigh heard Danson's response, she frowned. Did Emerson think the same way?

The poor girl had no idea that Danson and Marissa were actually a couple - only Emerson knew.

Soon, the car pulled up outside a film studio and the two stepped out. Avaleigh had visited this studio in the past. But, that was when she was still a part of Macaron and she had a huge agency backing her. This time, she was there as a solo artist and she was being backed by a new agency, so she was a little nervous.

Danson saw her nervousness and wrapped his arm casually around her shoulder, "You don't need to worry about anything. Let me do the talking."

Avaleigh glanced at the confident man and nodded her head.

Although Danson was new to this, he was good at socializing and he knew the producer well, so he was not concerned at all. The fact that they were invited all the way to Shanghai was already promising.

And, he was right.

As soon as the producer saw Avaleigh, his eyes immediately lit up. Dressed in a purple-patterned t-shirt and ripped jeans, the producer walked over to Avaleigh and looked her up and down. "Oh darling, you're perfect!" he exclaimed.

Avaleigh had never met this man before, but he obviously knew who she was. This was the first time that Producer Xue had seen her in person and she looked even better in person than onscreen.

When Danson first mentioned Avaleigh to him, he was ecstatic. He was a huge fan of hers and she sounded like the kind of person he had been searching for.

Like many other successful variety shows, Producer Xue's variety show was following a standard format. A permanent cast of 7-8 members would be put up to different challenges each week; sometimes they would have group challenges, sometimes they would have solo changes. The 7-8 members usually consisted of 1-2 women and the rest were men, mainly because the filming hours were long and the challenges were strenuous. The woman/women he chose had to be both attractive for a bit of eye-candy, but also strong and independent so she could be a good role model. She couldn't be afraid of getting dirty and she had to be prepared to appear on camera with little to no makeup. Moreover, she had to have the ability to win against the men in challenges, whilst showing a gentle caring side towards both the other members and the guests.

Avaleigh was a beautiful natural beauty, she was an idol that was used to working long hours and she was extremely fit and healthy. On top of that, she spoke Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Korean; an ability that could help her relate to a variety of international viewers and guests.

And, most importantly, she had just lost her contract in Korea so she had plenty of time to commit to a weekly show. No matter how the producer looked at it, she was perfect.

But, he still needed to test her chemistry with the other cast members. If there was no chemistry, then everything else was useless.

With a smile, the producer pulled out a contract and placed it in front of Avaleigh. "We will sign you up as a guest for 3 episodes. If you are a good fit and the viewers like you, we will keep you on. If not, then we will pay you for the 3 episodes and bid you farewell. Are you OK with that?"

Avaleigh looked at the contract and smiled. At a time like this when she had absolutely nothing else going for her, 3 episodes were already more than she could ask for. So, she looked into the producer's eyes and nodded her head. "Yes, I won't disappoint!" she replied excitedly.