Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

He turned off his phone's screen and drew a sharp breath. Wen Yun?

Speaking of which, he had been frequently visiting Lin Wanzhou's studio over the past month, often driving there on his own after finishing work in the afternoon.

Despite all his visits, he seemed to have never run into Wen Yun.

His impression of Wen Yun mostly came from what Lin Wanzhou and Qi Ting had told him, and from hearing her voice over the phone. Her tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an undertone of severity.

Lin Wanzhou's makeup room was the same as the other guests', and the show's crew didn't mistreat her for her achievements. It was simply because her agent was Wen Yun, and that was the only reason.

Pei Muchan had nothing, just running a half-hearted studio on her own.

There were signs that her career, which had dwindled, might be picking up again, but she was still a long shot from skyrocketing to fame. To the show's crew, there were hundreds of artists like Pei Muchan every year.

In the end, they were just flashes in the pan; there were almost no singers who could make a comeback after falling out of favor.

Most of the singers who did manage a resurgence would bask in a brief spotlight, with press releases scattered everywhere. Then they would fade into silence on the music scene, unable to churn up any waves again.

So, two singers of equal talent, even if they had the same status, capabilities, and even the same lyricist and composer, were still treated differently by the show's crew.

Perhaps the producers didn't specifically target Pei Muchan, but as the saying goes, "As the superiors act, so do the subordinates." The entertainment industry was inherently opportunistic, where social etiquette was magnified countless times over.

With this thought, Xu Qingyan couldn't help but turn to look at Pei Muchan beside him. Sensing his gaze, she put down her phone and curiously turned to look at him.

"What's up?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Damn, the mature woman's head tilt is so cute!

Cough cough, stay calm, don't get too carried away.

"Nothing, just..." He averted his gaze and said, "Are you thirsty? I was thinking... no, I mean, I want to go buy a bottle of water."

Pei Muchan pondered for a moment at his words.

"Okay."

Xu Qingyan, using buying water as an excuse, slipped away, wondering if Pei Muchan had seemed a bit absent-minded just now.

Walking through the bustling airport terminal, under the vast sunlight above. The airport's announcement system was broadcasting real-time, "Passengers flying with Xinghai Airlines F....."

Carrying the water back, he almost forgot the way and had to turn around a couple of times to find his way back. From a distance, he saw Pei Muchan sitting alone, isolated, fiddling with her phone.

Xu Qingyan suddenly remembered asking her why she didn't have an assistant; she had said one person was enough.

Fortunately, the plane did not have a delay.

It took off on time at two o'clock in the afternoon. On the plane, Xu Qingyan urged Pei Muchan to rest. According to the travel time, they were expected to arrive at the hotel by six in the evening.

"You get motion sickness, so this time I've prepared oranges and a layered mask for you."

"Sleep on the plane, and when we get to the hotel you can still rest for two hours. Eat a little something in the evening, and then head to the TV station at eight twenty."

"I've calculated it, even with the flight delay, you'll have enough time to rest."

Pei Muchan, seated next to the window, wearing a mask and a hat, glanced sideways at Xu Qingyan and gave a soft hum. Her eyes shimmered like ripples on the West Lake.

She listlessly reached out and placed a motion sickness patch behind Xu Qingyan's ear. The cool touch of her fingertips on his ear sent a chill straight to his heart.

"You should wear one too, to prevent... getting dizzy."

After she said that, she closed her eyes.

Xu Qingyan froze for a moment, gazing at the sleeping elder sister, then touched the motion sickness patch behind his ear. His gaze dropped for a moment, and he casually peeled it off.

A bottom guy is never swayed by emotions, yay!

Plus, he was a typical pragmatist; why wear a motion sickness patch if you don't get sick? Besides, they were on a plane, and who knew if those patches even worked.

This was his third time on a plane, and he wanted to keep his eyes open every second.

The flight landed smoothly, and he led the big sister beside him past the envious stares of fellow passengers... well, not really, everyone was in a hurry.

There wasn't even a bottom guy trying to hit on them, so there was no chance for showing off or face-slapping.

Before getting in the car, Xu Qingyan reflected for a moment, considering that the lack of attention might be because bottom guys also have a "two tigers can't share one mountain" kind of belief.

Realizing this, he suddenly understood that if he couldn't find a single bottom guy around him, then he might be that bottom guy himself.

As evening approached, Xu Qingyan rolled down the car window. The afternoon's heat seeped into the taxi, circulating and refreshing the air inside. The driver glanced back but didn't say anything.

Pei Muchan was sound asleep in the back seat, wearing a layered orange-peel mask, her face bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, casting a warm honey hue on her.

Compared to his last dash to Jianye, this time he was clearly more experienced. At least in reducing travel fatigue, Xu Qingyan had executed his plans flawlessly.

With half an hour left to the hotel, they hit the evening rush hour.

Take a deep breath, traffic jams are normal.

The sunset was like an artist's brush, edging the entire city of Jianye with a border of slate gray sky. With delicate strokes, the day darkened until they reached the hotel at six twenty.

It took about twenty minutes longer than expected; every second of rest was precious.

Pushing the luggage cart, he took on the role of a temporary assistant.

After an afternoon of rest, Pei Muchan was already much more alert. Even though the journey was exhausting, her complexion was still much better than the last time she had rushed to Jianye.

In the elevator, Xu Qingyan silently calculated how much rest he could squeeze in. If he had time later, he might even be able to fit in a game.

The third episode of "I Am the King of Songs" would air at 8:03 PM, and both of them needed to leave at the latest by 8:20 PM; there likely wouldn't be enough time to watch the premiere during their trip.

Ding! The elevator arrived at 17A, and Xu Qingyan stepped out, pushing two suitcases.

Throughout the trip, Pei Muchan behaved very well. Quiet, she did whatever Xu Qingyan told her to do, looking weak and easily giving the driver the wrong impression.

Could it be that this elite woman was being blackmailed by that man?

Standing at the door of the room, Xu Qingyan took out two key cards, first opening one of the rooms to let Pei Muchan in. He turned on the lights, checked the room for cleanliness and safety.

After ensuring there were no issues, he then opened the windows, turned on the air conditioning, and drew the curtains.

"You rest first, I'll be next door, and call you when it's time," he said.

With that, Xu Qingyan, pushing his own little suitcase of happiness, intended to head to the room next door. He pondered how to plan out an hour and fifty minutes, perhaps play a couple of games, and then sleep for half an hour.

Ordering a meal in advance, he would sort himself out with something to eat first.

Just as he was about to leave, he was suddenly called back.

"Don't go."

"Hmm?" He turned around; the room was dim at this moment.

Pei Muchan lay on the bed appearing somewhat listless, but much better than when she was in the car. In the faint light, her double-layered mask stood erect, placed on the nightstand.

"What's wrong?" Xu Qingyan walked over, thinking she might be uncomfortable, and waved his hand in front of her eyes, "Do you have a headache, or a cold?"

"No, I want you to stay here," Pei Muchan said, mustering her energy and sitting up in bed. Her eyes, unusually bright in the darkness, she began to speak.

"Come here, I have something to tell you."

"Ah? Oh, okay," Xu Qingyan sighed.

He hoped it was something like a confession because otherwise he, a bottom-tier man, would be really disappointed.

After all, even with a 40k/s internet speed, if he was really craving it, he could wait by the window for an hour.

This level of determination should not be underestimated, even heavier than the resentment of his roommate who stayed up all night searching for videos on the internet during university, only to find barely a few worth watching.

Xu Qingyan sat down next to her. Pei Muchan sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, and he took a seat right by the bed's edge. At such a close distance, he could faintly smell her fragrance.

The chilly scent he was used to, with the subtle warmth of her body, mixed together into an intoxicating aroma. It was like a pheromone, sweetly souring his chest and whetting his appetite.

To be honest, he was beginning to have some thoughts.

Pei Muchan hung her head, remaining silent in the dim room for a while. At first, Xu Qingyan maintained a smile on his face, but after some silence, the smile faded.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Don't want to attend the show anymore? If you're not feeling well, that's okay, you don't have to go. To tell you the truth, that show is trash."

"Using music to speak, it's just a place for cultivating fandoms. The people they find, pretending and posturing about understanding music when they don't know anything at all."

"I'm telling you, these people just keep feigning depth, or they cry in front of the cameras. Honestly, watching all that gives me second-hand embarrassment."

Facing his incessant comforting blabber, Pei Muchan suddenly lifted her head, cutting off his words.

"In another two hours, the recording for the show will begin."

"Yeah, so what's the matter?" Xu Qingyan blinked, "Precisely speaking, there's still two and a half hours left. If you're not feeling well, we can still catch the last flight back to Xinghai tonight."

"I don't want to leave; I want to finish the competition," she said, lifting her head and pursing her lips.

"Hey, then you rest well, and you'll be good for the stage later on," Xu Qingyan muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on the changing expressions on Pei Muchan's face.

"Are you nervous? It's normal to be nervous before a competition, just take deep breaths. Breathe a few more times, and you'll relax," he counseled.

She shook her head in denial.

"I'm not nervous at all; I really want to win, but... I'm afraid if I win and then withdraw from the competition, it will involve you. Maybe you should go back to Xinghai first," she suggested.

"What does that have to do with me?" Xu Qingyan was taken aback for a moment and then laughed offhandedly, "Singing a song on some crappy show, would it result in implicating nine kin?"

"I don't know, I just feel... like I'm being selfish," she said, hugging her legs and burying her face in them, her voice growing softer, "I'm aware that if I offend them, they might take it out on you."

"So let them be mad; what's the big deal?" Xu Qingyan's tone was carefree; he wasn't taking it seriously, "In the future, we just won't do variety shows; we'll release albums and soar."

"It's not 'we,' it's you..." Pei Muchan said, "You are the most talented songwriter I've ever met; you shouldn't have to take risks with me."

"You'll have many more opportunities in the future; you're still so young, and antagonizing those people won't do you any good," she added.

"It's really no big deal; I'll just write songs for you in the future," Xu Qingyan intended to mention Lin Wanzhou, but restrained himself, feeling it would spoil the mood at this moment.

"Thank you... thank you," Pei Muchan raised her head to look at him, still hugging her knees, her eyes brimming with tears and her quivering lower lip bitten.

Seemingly overflowing with emotion, reaching its limit, she took a deep breath, her voice trembling,

"I just can't understand... why, why does everyone keep bullying me, for three years now, even though I've always... I've never done anything wrong..."