Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Click! The camera abruptly shakes, cueing the music.

It cuts to a triple clap, then suddenly freezes on the slim silhouette of what seems to be a woman in a cheongsam. The camera zooms in rapidly as the lights around fiercely brighten up, accompanied by a voice-over.

The host, casually sitting on a stool with a microphone in hand, asks in a relaxed, conversational tone.

"Are you confident about this challenge?"

"Yes, I've prepared a song," the guest in the cheongsam replies, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"Did you write it yourself?" the host inquires further.

"No, a very important friend wrote it for me," the guest speaks out, "It's an impressive composition, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves."

Boom, boom, boom, the golden logo of "I Am King of Songs" slowly emerges and settles on the screen.

A grandiose male voice-over starts to sound, filled with vigor.

"The double divas unite on stage, in their prime years! We are singers! On the road, in the prime of our youth!"

With that, the preview ends.

Netizens are left stunned after watching the whole thing, and the related video underneath is the behind-the-scenes footage from the fourth episode of "Love Hunter," titled "Heart-Fluttering Union of the Two Divas!"

The comment section of the preview is bustling with activity, offering fresh entertainment following the latest scandal.

"Classic! The "I Am King of Songs" production team sure knows how to play the game. They've got this popularity thing down pat!"

"The show's move seems a bit rushed. Just a couple of days ago they were bashing a scumbag. Now they've promoted Pei and Zhouzhou's music program, and to be honest, it's a bit unseemly."

"From the No. 2 Senior High School of Nanchuan, Class 18-3, I, Chen Yi, simply love watching women fight. Looking forward to it."

"They both claim the song was written by a friend, but when I checked out their recent singles, some of the songwriters are the same. Honestly, it gives me a bad feeling."

"I'm excited for Pei's new show, I've been listening to "Always So Quiet" on loop. Aren't they going to promote good songs? It almost got buried, ah, Sister, slay me!"

"Fun, this is just about making quick money, isn't it? Can't they stick to singing properly? Enough with the theatrics, I'm unfollowing both of them. Not a single good song!"

"I Am King of Songs" has really amped up the anticipation. The majority of the trailer is focused on the two young divas, with the rest of the people getting only two or three seconds of footage.

Pei Muchan and Lin Wanzhou have been quite popular lately; after all, they are considered rising stars. Even if they are slipping in popularity or changing directions, they have a considerable number of casual fans.

Besides, the two women already had an album competition for some time, which ultimately ended with Pei Muchan's album sales growing cold and Lin Wanzhou gaining a huge lead to claim the title of rising star.

In other words, Lin Wanzhou reached stardom by stepping over Pei Muchan in her size 36 white sneakers.

Netizens have no other hobbies but to enjoy watching women fight. The more beautiful the women, the more entertaining the fight, leaving people smirking with glee.

The show's producers decided to introduce not just one but two guests to challenge the existing ones, aiming for a sensational effect. The first pair of guests was diva Zhang Yuqi and the pop prince Wang Yu, drawing traffic from nostalgic fans.

This time, they're blatantly relying on the popularity of Pei and Lin's love variety show. They didn't expect the two to outshine everyone else, consistently ranking in the top two.

But that doesn't stop them from harvesting views and as for respect and influence? Even the traffic from diva Zhang Yuqi is fair game, so what's the big deal with a young diva?

In an age where entertainment trumps all, there are too many divas and pop kings to count. The young divas certainly have more visibility than regular singers but still lag behind internet celebrities.

No endorsements? What are they, confounded?

Whether it's Pei Muchan or Lin Wanzhou, their current sole income is from music releases. One is just reviving her career, the other is starting anew, and neither has any endorsements to speak of.

Their group dates on the love variety show fail to attract any endorsements.

The moral compass of TV viewers seems to be a bit heavier than that of the younger, live-streaming audience, with a keener eye for criticism.

In the eyes of some female viewers, it's not just Xu Qingyan that's considered lowly; Pei Muchan and Lin Wanzhou also fare poorly, judged directly through certain details and behaviors.

What good does it do that men like them? Their spending power is only slightly better than that of dogs.

...

September 19, at ten in the morning.

Xu Qingyan bustles around his apartment, taking a brief rest on the couch. He is cheerfully scrolling through the newly released preview, with the show set to air during primetime at eight in the evening.

He and Pei Muchan had agreed to fly to Jianye this afternoon; by the time they land, it will be evening, and they'll probably have to stay up late for the recording.

That's an old tradition of the TV station, staying up all night to tape shows. With so many production teams, the studios never rest, operating in a continuous rotation.

But it's still early now, so there's no rush. Lying down, he continues browsing on his phone, the trending topics have passed, and the filial netizens have already forgotten about him.

Just as he is thoroughly enjoying himself, a call comes in. He's startled for a moment, but as he recognizes the caller, he instantly sobers up.

No, why is she calling so early?

"Have you packed everything?"

Pei's voice comes through, somewhat lazy.

"Yes, have you gotten up?" Xu Qingyan lounges on the couch, closes his eyes, yawns noiselessly, and says, "Give me twenty minutes, and I'll come pick you up."

These past few days have truly frazzled him. It seems like the show's editors have inherited their skills from a historical castration room. With calculated cuts here and there, they skillfully turned him into public enemy number one.

Aside from two studios, he hardly goes anywhere else and has to wear a mask when he does step out. The incessant discussions alone are enough to overwhelm anyone.

It's almost as if they're about to set up a website for him, www.xuqingyan-the-scumbag.com.

"I'm downstairs, in the negative first floor," Pei Muchan says.

"What?" Xu Qingyan jumps up from the couch, sitting cross-legged, "Why did you come so early, didn't we... agree that I would pick you up?"