CH 4

After they left the media building and got into the car, Zheng Xue's manager still couldn't believe it no matter how he thought about it.

"How could Wen Li possibly appear on the show? The news about you and Lu Ming being on the show has already been released. Does she live in some remote place without internet?"

His words carried subjective resentment. Of course, they knew that Wen Li was in Yancheng. Regardless of which property she owned, it was impossible for her not to have an internet connection.

Moreover, just half a month ago, she attended an offline event held by the endorsement brand at the Times Shopping Center.

Zheng Xue remained silent, her face cold, as she dialed Lu Ming's phone.

As soon as he answered, Lu Ming's voice came through, "I'm recording a show, what's up?"

Zheng Xue sneered while speaking in a strange and sarcastic tone, "Honey, you're quite charming. Back then, you caused Wen Li to be criticized for half a year, and now she still can't forget about you. She's rushing to join the show and cling to you."

On the other end of the phone, Lu Ming paused for a moment, his tone somewhat absent-minded, "Wen Li wants to be on the show?"

Hearing her husband's absent-minded tone, she didn't need to think to know what expression he had on his face right now.

Zheng Xue thought about the time when he and Wen Li were promoting their CP. Every time he looked at Wen Li in front of the camera with that tender and affectionate gaze, she couldn't bear it. She furrowed her brows and said fiercely, "Lu Ming, let me tell you, when you go on the show, you better cooperate with me. If people find out that it wasn't Wen Li who didn't want to break free back then, but rather you who had feelings for her and wanted to continue with the CP, get ready to be criticized to death. If it weren't for me coming up with the idea to turn things around and bite Wen Li first, do you think there would still be so many female fans believing in your 'good man' image?"

When they were dating, Lu Ming gained a lot of popularity by promoting CP with other female artists. However, due to Zheng Xue's fierce objections, Lu Ming had to publicly announce their relationship during the peak of the "fame and fortune" CP. Wen Li was harshly criticized at the time, while Lu Ming was praised by many passersby as a "real man". If the truth were to be exposed, not only would it expose the faces of those people who used to post black-and-white pictures of Wen Li every day, calling her a home wrecker and cursing her to death, but it would also expose the faces of those fans who had engaged in heated arguments with Wen Li's fans on behalf of Lu Ming, defending their real and heartfelt relationship.

There was silence on Lu Ming's end for a long time, and finally, he calmly responded, "Understood."

Hanging up the phone, Zheng Xue tossed her phone aside. She originally wanted to turn her head and look at the scenery outside the car to ease her mood. But unfortunately, just as the car passed by Da Yue City, Wen Li's jewelry advertisement giant billboard caught her eye. It was the best advertising spot in Da Yue City, representing the artist's top national popularity and commercial value. Thousands of people passed by it every day, and as long as one looked up, they could see Wen Li's face.

She was one of the candidates for the endorsement back then. If it weren't for Wen Li, the person on that billboard right now would have been her.

If Wen Li was unsuccessful in love but successful in her career, she could have tolerated it a bit better.

But unfortunately, Wen Li married Song Yan.

He was the acknowledged white moonlight both inside and outside the entertainment industry, and yet, after attracting Lu Ming, she quickly gained the favor of Song Yan.

Why?

Her underground relationship with Lu Ming for several years couldn't compare to the publicity and hype that Wen Li and he had created in just a few months.

Zheng Xue was so angry that she found it difficult to breathe. She felt both sad and resentful, especially with Lu Ming's tone just now, clearly showing his reluctance to let go of Wen Li. She turned her head and closed her eyes tightly.

——

After months of buildup and anticipation, the official Weibo account of [In This World with You] finally announced the lineup of guests.

Following the voting rankings, the official account first announced the first pair of celebrity guests.

Official Weibo Account: 「In This World with You, where both joys and sorrows are embraced! Your beloved 'Salt Grain' couple is here! Come on! @Song Yan @Wen Litchi [doge]! Let's all dive into the beautiful love story of this enchanting couple, show your support!」

The Weibo post was published at 5:20 PM and quickly rose to the top of the trending topics. Half an hour later, the hashtag #Song Yan and Wen Li Join In This World with You Season 2# became a hot trending topic.

Their respective Weibo posts were flooded with comments from fans and shippers. Fans posted stunning individual photos of both of them, while shippers posted screenshots from a recent fan-made video featuring the couple.

「It's His Majesty and His Empress!!!」

「Wuwuwuwu, it's the Lunar New Year!」

「Ah, I'm looking forward to seeing His Majesty and His Empress' sweet interactions together!」

Reply within the thread:「Hey, I'm a bystander. Which drama are they from? The beautiful pictures convinced me to watch the drama.」

Reply from a dedicated shipper:「It's not from a drama, hahaha. It's a screenshot from a video edited by a shipper fan. The link is pinned in the super-topic, and you can also find it on Bilibili and YouTube! The storyline is incredible, so feel free to watch!」

「That's amazing! The individual fan art didn't affect me, but the fake photo of them together took away half of my life. I've saved it as my wallpaper.」

「If these two had just collaborated on a project, they wouldn't have been mocked as a 'contractual couple.' Their looks and aura really match perfectly.」

「Their ancient costume outfits are absolutely stunning. I strongly recommend fans not use modern photos for their comments and instead use stills from the drama.」

A few hours later, along with the purchased trending topic by the production team, the hashtag #BeggingForASaltGrainPeriodDrama# climbed to the top of the trending list, driven by natural popularity.

That fan-made couple video went viral.

Once again, onlookers witnessed the power of CP fans.

The fan community celebrated the Lunar New Year with excitement, continuously increasing the rewards for their lottery Weibo posts. The highest-valued prize was a limited edition perfume set from a luxury beauty brand under the sponsorship of the current season. The number of shares, likes, and comments became increasingly outrageous, rivaling those of B-list celebrities.

Wen Li retweeted the official Weibo post of [In This World with You] and simply added 

Song Yan retweeted Wen Li's post and also added 

Song Yan:  repost //@Wen Litchi: 

「Today, this Beauty is copying the wife's homework. 」

「Repost is an automatic forwarding of text, and Beauty intentionally added a  emoji. Ah, so cute and sweet! @Salt Grain Couple Daily Bot」

「Only true fans should comment here! This is our CP fans' territory!!」

「Ah, I really love the subtle sweetness of Salt Grain, neither explicit nor cheesy!!!」

Immediately after, the naming sponsor for the second season of [In This World with You] unveiled their brand-new spokespersons.

Special Promotion: 「Welcome the 'Salt Grain' couple, @Song Yan @Wen Litchi, to join the Special Promotion family! Special Prom organic milk, giving your body a buff~ #SongYanWenLiEndorseSpecialPromMilk#」

The accompanying image is a poster of Song Yan and Wen Li holding milk, both wearing classic business smiles.

「Special Prom Daddy, you rock!!!!!!」

「I've already bought more than ten boxes. I'll buy another ten with additional supplies!」

「I've made the purchase. My child loves drinking it. CP is truly amazing.」

「The last time they were in the same frame was two months ago, wuwuwu. I've never felt that ads could be so enjoyable. Thank you, sponsor Daddy!」

The first pair of celebrity guests ignited the excitement, and the subsequent three pairs also made it to the trending topics, sparking a series of trending discussions.

The second season of [In This World with You] features a total of four celebrity couples, two of them residing in Yancheng, while the other two resided in Shanghai. The production team divided the shooting into two groups based on their geographical locations. The shooting locations are not fixed and will be adjusted according to the schedules of the celebrity guests. There will be arranged trips during the filming, similar to a sponsored vacation.

Compared to the first season, the second season introduced a new feature: a live-streaming room.

In today's competitive variety show landscape, relying solely on weekly episodes is not enough to meet the audience's demands. Apart from the regular episodes, the four pairs of guests will also have their own unedited live-streaming rooms, which will be opened irregularly and have a semi-commercial nature. Occasionally, they will also conduct charity livestreams to support poverty alleviation and agricultural assistance. All the proceeds from the live-streaming rooms will be donated to charitable organizations on behalf of the celebrity guests by the production team.

Even before the official announcement, the production team had already installed cameras in the four couples' residences.

However, even though the show had started filming, Song Yan was still busy with reshoots in Shanghai and was unable to return on time. The promised couple variety show had turned into a solo living variety show, which was quite awkward.

Recently, she had to participate in a new idol reality show. The other party was coming to Wen Li's agency for a meeting. Immediately after finishing an offline brand event, Wen Li was promptly grabbed by her manager, Lu Dan, and driven to the company in a nanny car.

Inside the car, the scenery outside flew by as Wen Li supported her chin and yawned.

Lu Dan looked worried and said, "I'm asking, are you and Teacher Song participating in this variety show to break the public's stereotypical impression of you as a contractual couple, or to deepen that impression? The show is already in the recording stage. Are you planning to have a cardboard cutout of Teacher Song standing next to you?"

Wen Li laughed at the thought of that image and said, "That's a great idea."

Lu Dan replied in an exasperated tone, "Can you be serious? When Zheng Xue buys a water army to criticize you, don't come begging me to buy a water army to argue with her."

Wen Li pouted and retorted, "If you won't buy them for me, I'll create a fake account myself to argue with her fans."

"Can I call you 'sister' instead of 'Miss Wen'? Can you please behave?" Lu Dan clasped her hands together, "Just act a bit cute with Teacher Song and ask him to come back soon, okay?"

"Me acting cute with him?" Wen Li snorted, showing determination, "Besides my grandfather, no man has ever enjoyed such treatment from me. Whether or not Song Yan comes back is his own choice. I can rely on my personal charm to surpass the other three couples."

And she added pointedly, "Especially Zheng Xue and Lu Ming."

Lu Dan rubbed her forehead and sighed, "Even at this point, you're still concerned about face?"

"Hmph."

Wen Li lowered her gaze, took out her phone, and swiped on the lock screen before unlocking it and opening WeChat.

She just stared at it, continuously, until the car arrived at the underground parking lot of the company. Lu Dan told her to get out of the car, but she couldn't make sense of it.

They went directly to the meeting room by elevator and happened to encounter someone coming from the other elevator.

A pure and sweet face, dressed in a high-end outfit, and carrying the latest C-brand product for this spring, which had just been worn by models at Paris Fashion Week not long ago. Unexpectedly, she was wearing it so soon.

"Junior, are you here for the meeting too?" Wen Li politely greeted.

Xu Xingyue held her phone in her hands, seemingly playing a game, but she wasn't wearing headphones and didn't lift her head at all. She walked straight past Wen Li, wearing high heels.

However, her assistant, who was following behind her, stopped and politely bowed before saying, "Hello, Sister Wen Li."

After the person left, Lu Dan exclaimed in amazement, "Last year, when she hadn't debuted yet and you met her at the company, she would still call you 'Senior' and hold your hand. It has only been a year since she became popular. You weren't so arrogant during the first two years of your debut."

Wen Li's tone remained calm as she said, "Who let her have good luck and enjoy the benefits of being an idol? Wherever she goes, she's always being praised."

In the past two years, the idol industry had surged in popularity. Under the orders of Zhang Churui, the CEO of Garry Entertainment, the idol department, which had been dormant for many years, was reopened. Last year, the company sent Xu Xingyue and several other trainees to participate in the female idol talent show. Xu Xingyue was highly promoted and gained recognition for her talent and ability to attract fans. She debuted as a high-ranking C-position member with overwhelming votes, and her value skyrocketed.

The girl group Xu Xingyue belongs to is currently the most popular, and she is the top in popularity within the group. The company had been promoting her a lot. Within a year, she has risen to the top three on the commercial value ranking of female artists, showing significant momentum.

Today, Zhang Churui called her and Xu Xingyue to attend the meeting, which was for this year's male idol talent show.

When they arrived at the conference room, the executives of the media company under the Fengxun Group had already arrived.

Zhang Churui, the boss of Garry Entertainment, was wearing a simple-cut dress and was chatting happily with the executives. She had light makeup on her face and didn't wear much jewelry. She looked very capable and shrewd.

"Here they are," Zhang Churui gestured to Wen Li to greet them, "This is Mr. Li."

Wen Li extended her hand, "Hello, Mr. Li. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation this time."

Mr. Li complimented with a smile, "Churui is really extraordinary. Both the boss and the artists are all beauties."

Zhang Churui immediately covered her mouth and smiled shyly, "Mr. Li, you are too flattering. Last time when you brought your wife to the dinner, if I didn't know she was your wife, I would have wanted to sign her as an artist."

Mr. Li burst into laughter, and laughter lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.

The two bosses flattered each other, and Xu Xingyue, who was sitting aside, stood up and greeted in a soft and gentle voice, "Hello, Senior."

Wen Li smiled and looked at her, her voice even softer than Xu Xingyue's. "Oh, so your voice is not hoarse anymore, Junior?"

Although Xu Xingyue couldn't be considered a serious singer, she was still an idol who sang and danced, so her voice was important. Zhang Churui immediately looked over and asked, "What happened to your voice?"

Xu Xingyue looked confused, "There's nothing wrong with my voice."

"Really?" Wen Li looked surprised, "I saw you at the elevator earlier, you walked past me without even saying hello. I thought your voice was hoarse and it was inconvenient to greet your seniors. But maybe you forgot to wear contact lenses today and didn't see me?"

She didn't mention that she had greeted Xu Xingyue first. She knew that Xu Xingyue would definitely realize she was making fun of her. So she casually gave Xu Xingyue a way out, stopping the teasing before it went too far, so as not to leave a bad impression on Mr. Li.

Xu Xingyue did catch on, and her face looked a bit unpleasant, but she had to go along with Wen Li's words and nodded. "I'm sorry, Senior. I indeed forgot to wear contact lenses, so I didn't see you earlier."

Wen Li waved her hand generously and said, "It's okay, it wasn't intentional. If it were intentional, then you should take some etiquette classes."

Mr. Li, on the other hand, didn't catch on at all and happily said, "You two have a good senior-junior relationship. When you appear on the show, your sisterly bond might attract more fans."

Zhang Churui smirked and casually remarked to Xu Xingyue, "If you're nearsighted, you should cancel your schedule for the next two months and get surgery. Otherwise, you might not even recognize me when you see me."

Xu Xingyue was at the height of her popularity, so canceling two months' worth of schedules meant losing a considerable amount of money.

She quickly whispered, "I'm sorry, I'll definitely remember to wear contact lenses next time."

After tapping on the matter, Zhang Churui nodded and said, "Let's not waste any more time. Mr. Li has other matters to attend to, so let's start the meeting."

The main topic of the meeting revolved around the upcoming male version of the talent show. They invited Wen Li to be the chief judge of the formation of the group, while Xu Xingyue, the winner of last year's talent show, joined the mentor team and participated in this variety show together with Wen Li.

The previous season of the female talent show was highly popular, so for this season's male version, the organizers wanted to bring some creativity. Currently, they had only announced the mentor lineup and kept the selection of the chief judge confidential, along with the contestants and related staff, all of whom signed non-disclosure agreements to prevent any leaks to online media. The official poster only featured silhouette images, leaving the surprises for the day of the program recording, followed by marketing disclosures. This way, the first episode's viewership was guaranteed.

Each mentor had to prepare their solo performance for the first episode to showcase their abilities. The mentors' performances would be fully mic'd, and Xu Xingyue was practicing her vocals on the treadmill every day for that reason. However, it was evident that the program planning focused more on highlighting Wen Li.

She couldn't help but ask, "Does Senior Wen Li need to prepare for the stage as well?"

Mr. Li smiled and said, "Of course not."

She only needed to show her face.

The capital understood very well that Wen Li's national popularity didn't require a solo stage to attract fans. On the contrary, it could even attract many passersby who had no interest in talent shows.

Wen Li felt fortunate that she didn't have to suffer in the practice room. But out of a sense of professionalism in taking money for work, she still said, "If the program requires it--"

Mr. Li interrupted, "Everyone has their own specialties. We know that Ms. Wen is an actress by profession, and she might not be particularly skilled in singing and dancing. We won't force you, so don't worry."

Wen Li glanced at Zhang Churui.

The boss didn't tell them that she had been a trainee overseas before she became an actress, did she?

Not having to prepare anything was, of course, the best outcome for her, and Wen Li felt relieved.

The meeting proceeded quickly, as all the details of their collaboration were clearly stated in the contract. Today's main focus was on the details. Shortly after Mr. Li left, Wen Li also planned to leave.

Wen Wen helped her arrange an appointment in the afternoon to try on haute couture at the C brand SKP store. The dresses had been air-shipped from France and would be worn to attend the charity gala hosted by a fashion magazine.

Xu Xingyue was originally walking behind her but suddenly called out to her.

Wen Li turned back, her voice tinged with a smile, "Are you asking me to recommend a brand of contact lenses?"

Xu Xingyue's expression froze for a few seconds, then she affectionately linked her arm with Wen Li's and with a helpful tone said, "No, not that. Senior Sister, since you're not proficient in singing and dancing, if you have any professional questions during the program recording, feel free to ask me anytime. I will tell you everything I know. I definitely won't let Senior Sister be taken advantage of by saying she can't sing or dance while being a judge."

"..."

Was the part on her Baidu Baike page about her undergoing one year of training at an overseas entertainment company deleted?

Wen Li was about to say something when Zhang Churui, who was still in the office checking contract details, spoke up, "Wen Li, come back here. I have something to discuss with you."

She ignored Xu Xingyue and returned to the meeting room.

With no one else around, she felt much more relaxed. She sat next to Zhang Churui and propped her chin, lazily asking, "What's the matter?"

Zhang Churui said, "What were you implying in front of Mr. Li about Xu Xingyue? She's been receiving a lot of support from Fengxun lately. Do you feel like your resources are too good, so you want to share some?"

Wen Li retorted, "Then why were you just speaking up for me?"

Zhang Churui hypocritically dragged her words, "You are my biggest money-maker. I can't offend you for her sake."

Wen Li retorted again, this time with a tone that was clearly not out of resentment but carried a hint of subtle satisfaction.

Zhang Churui was long accustomed to Wen Li's stubbornness. Getting back to the point, she said, "Stop arguing. Is your husband free these days? Talk to him and see if he's willing to be a guest on one episode. He has a larger following than you among the general public. With him on the show, not only the entire program but that specific episode will definitely gain attention. It also conveniently aligns with the couple variety show you're doing."

These capital folks were really outrageous. Was this a talent show or a competition for celebrity status?

"His agent said they can't make the decision."

"Then just go directly to their company's President Bai."

"No, I won't," Zhang Churui frowned and immediately refused, "Song Yan's wife is right in front of me. Why should I go through all the trouble to ask someone else?"

His contractual wife was not as good as someone else.

Wen Li pursed her lips and said, "Even if I ask him, he might not agree."

The recording for the couple variety show had already started, and the other couples were recording together at home, while she and Song Yan were separated by distance. It was inconvenient for the camera crew to split into two teams and shoot them separately.

Zhang Churui efficiently said, "Then call him now. If he's unwilling, I'll talk to him."

"..."

"Why haven't you made the call yet?"

She dared to argue with her manager, but she couldn't argue with the boss.

Wen Li had no choice but to take out her phone and call Song Yan.

He answered quite quickly, his deep and steady voice coming through, "Hello."

"Have you come back yet?"

"Not yet. What's wrong?"

Wen Li's tone was flat, "Oh, can you come back a little sooner?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and his voice sounded relaxed, "It seems a bit difficult. Do you want me to come back?"

"You're overthinking." She immediately looked at Zhang Churui and deliberately spoke loudly, "President Zhang, did you hear that? It's no use if I say it. You talk to him yourself."

If she easily gave up on business like this, there would be no point in continuing and she might as well declare bankruptcy.

Zhang Churui felt that Wen Li lacked ambition and said, "Then try to act spoiled with him."

Since when did acting spoiled guarantee a better life for women?

Wen Li resisted with a look on her face that said: I'm not that kind of delicate and charming girl. I am a noble, cold queen.

Afraid that the boss wouldn't understand the subtext in her eyes, Wen Li firmly refused, "If you want to act spoiled, you can do it. I won't."

Zhang Churui was extremely speechless, "He's not my husband. Why would I act spoiled with him?"

But unexpectedly, Song Yan on the other end of the phone heard this conversation and suddenly spoke up, "Teacher Wen."

Wen Li's attitude was not very good, "What? If you're not coming back, just hang up."

The voice transmitted through the communication device actually had a soft and sweet tone, but she just didn't know how to speak properly.

She was so awkward, she didn't even know she sounded more whiny and clingy than a delicate and charming girl.

Song Yan laughed a little and said casually, "If you act spoiled with me, I'll come back."

"?"

It's too simple to be true. There must be a conspiracy. She definitely couldn't act spoiled.