CH 36.1

Other people smoothly sacrificed their second finger.

“I have played eleven scholar roles,” Song Ming’an said.

Han Songxue gave him a thumbs up, “You’re amazing.”

Everyone smoothly sacrificed their third finger.

Su Chengyang had two fingers left, and it was her turn to speak.

Su Chengyang lowered her head to think. Did she have anything special about her?

“I have never been in a romantic relationship,” Su Chengyang said tentatively, then looked around at the expressions of the others.

Han Songxue immediately retorted, “Impossible! I don’t believe there’s a grown-up beauty in this world who hasn’t been in a relationship!”

Su Chengyang helplessly said, “I really haven’t been in a relationship.”

Xiao Lu suddenly appeared from nowhere, holding a bowl of hot pot ingredients and happily eating among the staff.

When she heard Su Chengyang say she had never been in a relationship, she sneered. Su Chengyang had even resorted to using the lame excuse of “the company doesn’t allow me to add others on WeChat,” so it wasn’t surprising that she had never been in a relationship.

Some people are like a copper wall and iron barrier, blocking all peach blossoms ruthlessly. If she is not single, who is single?

In any case, Su Chengyang’s reason caused everyone except Qin You to sacrifice a finger.

When Han Songxue silently broke off a finger, Su Chengyang looked at her in surprise and said, “Really? You have been in love?”

Han Songxue: “…”

“In high school, I dated for two weeks and then broke up,” she replied.

Su Chengyang curiously asked, “May I ask why?”

Han Songxue looked numb and said, “It’s a bit presumptuous of you to ask.”

“Oh…” Su Chengyang nodded and didn’t intend to continue questioning.

“But if you really want to know, I can tell you,” Han Songxue added.

Su Chengyang: “…”

She understood.

From now on, any shameful secrets should not be shared with Han Songxue because she couldn’t keep even her own secrets, let alone others’.

“In high school, there was a male celebrity whom I liked very much. He insisted on asking me who was more handsome between him and that celebrity in my heart.”

Others also paused their tasks and curiously looked at Han Songxue.

Su Chengyang guessed what she would say, shook her head, and continued to eat her lettuce.

“And then? What did you say?”

Han Songxue said with a matter-of-fact expression, “What else could I say? I definitely told him the truth. I asked him, ‘What makes you so confident to compare yourself to others?’ I thought I was being gentle at the time. I actually liked him a lot, and he was kind of handsome. What I wanted to express was that although he was more handsome than you, I still chose to be with you and not someone else.”

Su Chengyang smirked, “Do you know that when you say things like that, you sound very serious and naturally sarcastic? What was his reaction when he heard it?”

Han Songxue propped up her chin with one hand and stirred the hot pot aimlessly with the other, saying, “He stared at me for half a minute, walked away with red eyes, and transferred out of the class the next day. Do you think he’s childish? Just because of a single sentence, he never spoke to me again.”

As she spoke, Han Songxue let out a sigh.

Su Chengyang shook her head, “It’s not possible. With your personality, he must have been upset by more than just this one thing. This was probably just the last straw.”

Maybe because she was reminded of her youthful years, Han Songxue momentarily blanked out, feeling a little down. She lowered her head and said, “Maybe, but it’s all in the past.”

The others didn’t pay much attention and continued with their game.

The second round ended quickly, and the final winner was Qi Fu.

Qi Fu allocated the food to everyone reasonably, giving Su Chengyang a whole plate of large meatballs. Since one person couldn’t finish a dish, a few people shared it, and eventually, everyone had five or six dishes in their own hot pots, continuing to eat and play.

During this time, no matter how happy they were chatting, Tan Qi would not participate.

Occasionally, Su Chengyang would glance over at her and Tan Qi always had her head down, looking thoughtful.

The meal was more enjoyable than they had imagined, perhaps because there was a sense of accomplishment in obtaining food through the game, and it was more fun to banter with a group of people than to eat alone.

Even after they had each gotten the food they wanted, they didn’t stop playing the game. They even used it to compete for the right to distribute drinks.

Most of the time, Su Chengyang was the first one to be eliminated. As soon as she was eliminated, she buried her head and continued to eat her own food.

When it was Tan Qi’s turn, Su Chengyang thought she was going to say something to cover it up, but she suddenly put down her chopsticks and let out a heavy breath, as if she had made a major decision.

“I’m divorced.”

After saying this, Tan Qi lowered her gaze to the ground and did not dare to look at the other people’s expressions.

She chose to publicly disclose this matter during the program recording after careful consideration. She knew that after this matter, which she had been trying hard to hide, was made public, it could have a huge impact on herself. She did not have a very high celebrity status to begin with, and once she lost all her popularity, she would be abandoned by the industry.

She understood Su Chengyang’s reasoning. If it weren’t for that night, she wouldn’t have wanted to escalate things to this point.

A small stone can cause a thousand ripples.

As Tan Qi finished speaking, the room fell into a momentary silence.

“Next, please continue.”

Seeing that no one responded, Su Chengyang spoke up lightly to remind them.

The next one after Tan Qi is Han Songxue. Hearing Su Chengyang’s words, she suddenly came to her senses and said, “Oh…it’s my turn. I haven’t eaten anything when it was convenient for me.”

Su Chengyang: “?”

She really wanted to roll her eyes at Han Songxue.

Han Songxue sat up straight, feeling guilty as she glanced at Su Chengyang. She was too shocked and said some inappropriate things. Moreover, she felt that Sister Tan Qi still had something to say, so she didn’t want the game to end too quickly.

Just as Su Chengyang was about to look at the next person, Shen Fu, who was sitting in the back, folded down one finger expressionlessly.

Su Chengyang: “…”

As everyone’s gaze turned to him, Shen Fu felt uneasy and lowered the brim of his hat, covering half of his face. His ears turned slightly red and he muttered, “One time, I had a lollipop in my pocket and I just tore it open without thinking…”

Suddenly, Tan Qi laughed.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but she laughed sincerely.

The thing that had been weighing on her was revealed with their nonchalant attitude towards it, as if it was less important than them eating a lollipop when it was convenient for them.

Han Songxue and Su Chengyang exchanged a glance, and they felt a deep connection.

“Keep going!”

When it was He Xu’s turn, she glanced at Tan Qi and casually mentioned her experience of participating in the college entrance examination. No one had to fold a finger.

Shen Fu and Qin You both mentioned two ordinary things, and no one had to fold a finger because of that. Finally, it was Tan Qi’s turn to say, “I have…”

“I have a seven-year-old child.”

Everyone silently folded down a finger and continued as before, taking turns to speak until it was Tan Qi’s turn again.

“The father of my child has threatened me. He is addicted to gambling and owes a lot of money. When he is short of money, he comes to me for it. Otherwise, he threatens to expose my divorce and the fact that I have a child.”

“I f…” Han Songxue’s eyes widened, and she almost cursed in traditional Chinese.

Tan Qi lowered her head, her voice trembling. “Next.”

The people who had not been eliminated took another turn, and the conversation turned back to Tan Qi.

“I hit the father of my child. Because he couldn’t pay back the high-interest loans he owed and asked me for money. When I refused, he tried to harm my child. I knew I should have reported him to the police and let the law punish him, but in order to keep my career, I indulged his behavior and made him even worse. I’m sorry.”

Tan Qi’s manager stood opposite, and as soon as she heard Tan Qi’s words, she turned red-eyed.

Regardless of the reason for her initial decision to keep her marriage a secret, her exposure this time will definitely receive criticism and have a certain degree of impact on her future career. Moreover, cooperating with the company’s policy of promoting unmarried and childless individuals was also her own agreement. Whatever the final outcome may be, she should bear it on her own.

After unloading the burden that had weighed on her, Tan Qi felt relaxed and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a tissue from the table.

Su Chengyang had a complex expression and said, “Sister, let’s call the police.”

Tan Qi nodded, “I should call the police.”

After finishing their meal, the program team gave them two hours of rest time.

Before returning to her room, Tan Qi told everyone that she had decided to make the incident public on Weibo and report it to the police. If the public judged her harshly in the end, she would announce her withdrawal from the recording of <Travel>. Otherwise, it would definitely affect the program team and other guests.

The program team agreed with her plan, and everyone went back to their rooms, waiting on Tan Qi’s Weibo to determine the direction of public opinion as soon as possible.

At 2:30 pm in the afternoon, Tan Qi, who had been silent about the fan abuse incident that had been trending, finally posted a response on Weibo.

Tan Qi wrote:

【I’m sorry and thank you for your love and support over the years. I have let you down.

The person I had a dispute with on the street last night was my ex-husband.

He is addicted to gambling and has repeatedly…】

This Weibo post detailed her various experiences with her ex-husband, including the reason for their divorce, the amount extorted from her, and the issue of child support over the years. She mentioned that her ex-husband did not contribute a single penny towards their child’s upbringing, and she took care of everything by herself.

At the end of the post, she wrote that the reason she didn’t go public earlier was because she was worried that her fans and netizens wouldn’t accept it and that her career would be affected. She also sincerely apologized to everyone.

There are several screenshots and a recording of an argument with her ex-husband in the comments section, providing detailed evidence that she wasn’t just sitting idly by.

The Weibo post immediately received responses.

Su Chengyang and other members of the program team constantly checked her Weibo to see the public’s response.

After all, fans mostly like their favorite artist’s persona, and if it falls apart, the artist will undoubtedly receive a lot of criticism.

After posting the Weibo, Su Chengyang immediately went to the comments section and refreshed it several times, revealing many new comments.

【Emmm.】

【No, I don’t understand, what can’t be made public about this? Do you think you’re a popular artist? Wake up, you’re just a nobody.】

【Ah, is this something you need to worry about? Look at yourself, do you think fans like you because of your persona?】

【Sigh… You have a vague self-image. Nobody cares if you’ve been married or have children.】

【Sis, take this seriously… This is something a top artist should worry about, not you.】

【I have never seen anyone so foolish. Just because of this, you were extorted for millions? I hope your child didn’t inherit your brain.】

【Sister, honestly… I don’t care that you became a grandmother. Can we just focus on acting?】

【Call the police! Have the guy below sent to prison!】

Su Chengyang looked at the comments under Tan Qi’s Weibo post, and was a little stunned for a moment.

It’s…not quite what she imagined.

After posting the Weibo, Tan Qi felt a chill all over her body, threw her phone aside, and dared not look again.

For a long time, she tremulously asked her manager next to her, “What are they saying? Are they cursing at me?”

Her manager looked at her strangely and said, “Yes, they cursed at you.”

“…How many?”

“Quite a lot.”

Taking a deep breath, Tan Qi’s eyes turned red and she asked, “What are they cursing about?”

“They said you have water in your brain.”

“And then what?”

The manager cleared his throat and said, “If you’re going to be a loser, then don’t aim for the top-tier.”

Tan Qi was stunned.

“Huh?”

Tan Qi turned her head, looking confused and it seemed like it wasn’t what she had expected.

“What?” Tan Qi asked in confusion, wondering if she had misheard something.

The manager handed her the phone and said, “Under your Weibo comment section, someone say that you don’t have the destiny to be a top-tier artist, but only the obsession with being one.”

“…”

Tan Qi was so upset that she forgot to cry and took the phone from the manager.

【Small artist are worried about their image?】

【Sis, there’s no need to actually worry about it.】

【After working so hard in the entertainment industry for so many years, looking at your fans, don’t you feel insecure?】

【Do you have a brain? Just because of this, you were extorted for millions?】

【If you don’t need your brain, you can donate it.】

After reading the comments on Weibo, Tan Qi looked at her manager next to her, feeling confused.

“Is it wrong for me to have this concern?”

Her manager looked at her with a bit of amusement and said, “It turns out that it was unnecessary.”

Tan Qi: “…”

Although the news of her divorce and having a child didn’t receive much reaction from her fans and netizens, after Tan Qi posted on Weibo, all the related keywords were mocking her for overestimating herself and not having a deep understanding of her own position. As for the incident of Tan Qi publicly assaulting her fans, it was quickly clarified that she was too naive, which led to her being extorted by her ex-husband. After being threatened with her career and child, her emotions completely collapsed, which led her to do such a thing.

As long as the incident of assaulting her fans was clarified, the comments mocking her on Weibo were no longer important and did not have much impact on her personally, because her fans and the public simply did not care about her image.

Tan Qi looked at the scrolling real-time Weibo entry and couldn’t quite believe it.

The things that she had been worrying and concealing every day, in fear of being discovered, were simply being brushed over like this? Did no one really care that she had been married before?

She even received messages from her longtime fans:

【Sister Tan, you’re really too confused. Have you ever thought that at nearly 30 years old, your fans would consider your divorce to be a bad thing?】

【Because of this, the scumbag extorted so much money from you, I don’t know what to say to you. If this incident hadn’t gone viral, were you planning to be extorted by him forever? You’re not young anymore, and you’re also a mother. Take good care of yourself.】

Tan Qi: “…”

Tan Qi was really confused. She never expected things to develop this way. She thought her career would be destroyed after the exposure, but what happened?

Did she overreact?

A top artist suddenly announced a divorce and child, and may be criticized by fans. As a small artist, who would care?

Although the outcome was much better than she had imagined, she felt a little embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Seeing the comments below the Weibo, Su Chengyang breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Songxue probably just finished reading the Weibo and sent a few messages to Su Chengyang.

【What does it mean on Weibo?】

【Sister Tan Qi don’t have to quit the program, right?】

【If Sister Tan Qi quit the program, we’ll have to deal with strangers, and I don’t want that.】

【Chengyang Chengyang Chengyang Chengyang come out quickly!】

Han Songxue is a chatterbox. If nobody talks to her, she can send a hundred messages to herself and have a conversation.

Su Chengyang was overwhelmed by her consecutive messages and clicked on them.

【Sister Tang Qi doesn’t need to quit the program. Don’t worry.】

Han Songxue breathed a sigh of relief:【That’s good, I’m scared to death.】

After exchanging a few words with her, Su Chengyang ended the conversation and logged off WeChat.

Su Chengyang felt relieved and went back to bed, intending to take a good nap during her break time.

Xiao Lu came in with a plate of fruit and asked Su Chengyang, who was lying in bed, “Would you like some fruit? My cousin brother said you had too much greasy food for lunch, and this could help you feel better.”

While placing the fruit on the bedside table, Xiao Lu murmured, “He’s at the company, and yet he asked me to cut some fruit for you. He’s never so thoughtful for his own sister.”

Su Chengyang ate too much at lunch and felt bloated, making it difficult for her to fall asleep. She sat up in bed when she heard Xiao Lu muttering and said, “Thank you.”

Xiao Lu pinched her face and said, “What are you thanking me for? Are you such an easy target? I’m your assistant, and I get paid to do this. You should take it for granted.”

Su Chengyang swatted her hand away, took a small piece of apple, and asked, “Is Manager Lin coming over?”

Xiao Lu picked up a piece of watermelon and nodded, “Yes, the program team is taking you guys to another location tomorrow. Maybe he will go directly there?”

Su Chengyang looked puzzled and asked, “Is this episode not being recorded here?”

“No, it’s at a scenic area.”

“Scenic area?”

Xiao Lu explained, “Before the program went on air, no one knew if it would break even or not, so when choosing the filming location, the program team chose to cooperate with some local governments that needed promotion, and signed contracts to receive money.”

Su Chengyang nodded, seeming to understand but not entirely. She had never been on a variety show before and didn’t know much about this sort of thing.

Xiao Lu continued, “After the first episode aired, Wangjing Village became popular online. I heard many people wanted to go see it, and it helped boost the local economy. However, the second episode’s ratings were slightly lower, although it still did pretty well. From this episode onwards, there will be guest celebrities on the show to promote it, like endorsements.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang became curious and asked, “Who is the guest celebrity in this episode?”

Xiao Lu shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s kept strictly confidential.”

“Oh.”