The abrupt ending of the show left the audience feeling frustrated with the program’s producers. Yet, they were still eager to know the answer and whether “Silent Gaze” was caught by Bai Jin.
As a result, unsatisfied viewers flooded a certain social media platform and forum, gathering to discuss the content of the variety show, further boosting its popularity. Anything related to Yan Chi saw a rapid rise in interest. After all, even just the first episode caused a buzz on the trending list, largely thanks to Yan Chi alone.
Gu Qingtong also saw the trending list and was taken aback. She didn’t expect herself to be included in the tags this time. She thought she would be as unnoticed as she was in the past, with no mention of her name in the trending headlines.
Clearly, she was unaware of the complete 180-degree turnaround in attitude that the Yan Chi fans had towards her after watching the show. Even the rational fans could see that Gu Qingtong had no intention of bonding with Yan Chi; they were simply forced into the CP1Couple Pairing by the program producers.
The collaboration partner being such a calm and polite beautiful junior, Yan Chi’s fans were more than willing to embrace this mutual win. Therefore, in the comments section of the trending topics, one could even see Yan Chi’s fans helping others who were captivated by Gu Qingtong’s appearance, introducing her to curious onlookers.
As they say, Yan Chi brought her in, and her beauty attracted the fans. Gu Qingtong’s looks were undoubtedly a powerful tool for attracting fans. Just her stunning and charming face could give people the impression that she could become popular even as a vase.
Moreover, after learning about Gu Qingtong’s resume, one would discover that she was a well-trained actress who had played numerous supporting roles in well-received productions. The strong contrast between her appearance and her background made Gu Qingtong the most popular among the guests.
Aside from Gu Qingtong rapidly gaining popularity among the audience, the biggest beneficiaries were undoubtedly the team behind “Love Game”. The production staff almost wanted to worship Yan Chi. While they didn’t know what kind of favor Yan Chi owed the director, they all agreed that the director should kneel and thank her.
The entire production team enjoyed the feeling of “lying down and winning.” Seizing the opportunity, they immediately released the highlights of today’s episode through the official program account. These so-called highlights were just a few sweet moments between Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong, skillfully edited together, titled #SweetestMomentsOfSilentGaze#, and tagged with #ClickHereToSeeTheBeautiesTogether# to lure unsuspecting viewers into watching the full episode.
The fans in the comments were also cleverly pulling others into the fandom:
[That’s right! Our Silent Gaze is so bold. They held hands and hugged in the first episode. Have you ever seen anything like this? They are the fastest progressing couple in the show. We Chinese never lie to fellow Chinese!]
[Other CPs just tease fans with a bit of sugar, but Silent Gaze is the main lead actively feeding the fans. Joining this fandom is a win, my friends. Dog-head.jpg.]
Indeed, many people were deceived into becoming fans, only to realize halfway through that they had fallen into a “sugar-trap,” and finally understood the true meaning behind the name “Silent Gaze” CP.
Unfortunately, it was already too late, and they were already stuck in the fandom. They could only join the other viewers in lamenting and wishing for the two to break the ice soon. Upon seeing these comments, Gu Qingtong thought to herself: ‘Breaking the ice is impossible! It’s never going to happen in this lifetime! Only by pretending to be unfamiliar can one survive in this love variety show.’
As Gu Qingtong was looking at the trending topics, she received a call from Sun Xiao. Without even hearing what Sun Xiao had to say, she could already guess. As expected, Sun Xiao excitedly said: “The response to the variety show is fantastic! I’m sure there will soon be scripts or other opportunities coming your way. With Yan Chi helping you so much, who would believe that there’s nothing between you two? I only believed your nonsense and thought you were just in a marriage alliance! Trust me, if you cooperate well with Yan Chi and create buzz around your CP on the show, you’ll quickly rise from the bottom and become a singing sensation!”
Gu Qingtong felt helpless and replied: “I didn’t deceive you, and besides, I can’t create a CP with her. Our alliance must not be exposed to the public.”
Sun Xiao remained unfazed, knowing well the mentality of cp fans. She said, “You may say you won’t create a cp, but what’s the use? The audience is already loving it!”
Gu Qingtong searched online and realized that just two hours after the variety show started, a fan group for Silent Gaze had already been established!
The number of fans following the cp group was rapidly increasing, and it soon surpassed five thousand.
“Seriously, is this 800x speed?! Why are they so obsessed with it?” Gu Qingtong couldn’t help but exclaim.
She was bewildered by this audience’s rebellious behavior. They didn’t care about official promotions and insisted on digging out sugar from this unfamiliar plastic cp! Previously, Gu Qingtong had even criticized the Chu Wen CP as being too artificial, but now she was tempted to personally create a cp for them on the show to divert the audience’s enthusiasm.
Seeing those posts that could depict a ten-thousand-word drama with just one glance, Gu Qingtong decided to quit reading them. She didn’t want her mind to be filled with strange thoughts, especially since she had to face Yan Chi on set the next day.
What she didn’t know was that most of these viewers were long-time fans of love variety shows and were well-versed in the process of shipping cp. They were familiar with this routine and could easily immerse themselves in their favorite cp, enjoying months of happiness. Once the show was over or the cp became a real couple, they would move on to ship the next pairing.
In those reality love variety shows featuring ordinary people, the editing often deliberately mixes footage of cp who are devoted to each other with scenes involving other individuals to confuse the audience and increase the program’s effectiveness.
Over time, experienced viewers, like seasoned detectives, have become adept at using magnifying glasses to find evidence of their favorite cp’s interactions. For example, many of them have started re-watching the show to analyze the details.
They are particularly puzzled by the sudden disappearance of the atmosphere during the scene where they met at the amusement park. The show’s editing gave the impression that something was fishy, making it a focal point for analysis.
Soon, a viewer discovered that the transition in that scene had a discrepancy. Although the settings were similar, the background audio included the amusement park’s hourly clock chimes. This meant that the two shots had a time difference of at least an hour, indicating that they were not filmed immediately in chronological order.
What happened during that one hour? Although no one knows for sure yet, it is evident that the meeting arranged by the program crew was not the real first encounter between the two.
This thread quickly became a hot topic, and everyone was expressing their opinions below, trying to gather evidence through subtle clues, and even scrutinizing footage taken by bystanders at the amusement park that day.
❖❖❖❖❖
On the other side, Yun Mingxuan looked at the trending hot topics with a furrowed brow, her eyes showing a mix of regret and unwillingness. However, these emotions seemed somewhat incongruent with her innocent and pure appearance.
At the beginning of “Love Game,” she was invited to be the second female guest. When she found out who the other guests were, she felt disappointed and declined the offer outright. After all, as an idol, there was no meaningful reason for her to participate in a fake CP with these relatively unknown actors, except to gain more fans.
In the end, the program crew chose her former teammate, Bai Jin, which made Yun Mingxuan even ridicule her decision, thinking that she lacked vision and that her fans would eventually leave her.
Who would have expected that Yan Chi would suddenly appear?! Regardless of her underlying intentions towards Yan Chi or her regret for missing out on this opportunity to gain popularity, Yun Mingxuan simply couldn’t accept it.
What bothered her even more was that Gu Qingtong, whom she had overlooked, joined the show as a last-minute replacement and even got the chance to form a CP with Yan Chi.
As Yun Mingxuan thought about the embarrassing situation she faced in front of the two of them during the Young Actors Development program, her anger grew stronger. Just then, she received a phone call.
When she saw the caller’s name, Yun Mingxuan furrowed her brows and realized it was Bai Jin, whom she hadn’t been in contact with for a long time. They used to be rivals in their former group, with similar positions, but Yun Mingxuan’s pure and understated appearance was often compared to Bai Jin’s natural mixed-race beauty. She always seemed to lack a certain advantage and never won any beauty contests against her.
Although she harbored dissatisfaction towards Bai Jin, Yun Mingxuan knew that she was an unpredictable and impulsive person who could become aggressive and bite others when provoked. She didn’t dare to mess with her.
Yun Mingxuan had debuted by gaining popularity through pitying herself and engaging in online drama with Gu Shuyu, which wasn’t a righteous approach compared to her teammates. They all knew the inside story, and though they might have thought of her as petty, they still maintained a friendly facade. But this Bai Jin, upon seeing the news about Gu Qingtong, would use this matter to taunt her, seemingly afraid that the world wouldn’t be chaotic enough.
During the years they were in the same group, Yun Mingxuan had endured Bai Jin’s provocations countless times. At this moment, seeing Bai Jin’s name on the caller ID surprised her, and she hesitated whether to answer the call or not.
Unexpectedly, Bai Jin got straight to the point and asked her if she wanted to participate in the “Love Game.”
“Don’t pretend to be a good person with me. I know your thoughts about Yan Chi. You can’t bear to show your face and participate. You can only watch Yan Chi form a CP with the person you envy the most.”
Yun Mingxuan couldn’t deny that she felt embarrassed to participate after having previously refused. Trying to go back now, licking up Yan Chi’s popularity, would undoubtedly show her true intentions too clearly.
But she also knew that what Bai Jin said was true. So she hesitated and asked Bai Jin suspiciously, “What benefit would I get from participating?”
“You have feelings for Yan Chi, and I have my own thoughts about Gu Qingtong. Isn’t that reason enough?” Bai Jin’s voice carried a playful tone.
Yun Mingxuan’s heart sank, and after a moment, she replied: “…Then you ask the director for me.”
Bai Jin, who had already figured out Yun Mingxuan’s mindset, made a soundless hum on the other end of the phone. If it weren’t for Yan Chi’s strict vigilance, she wouldn’t have called Yun Mingxuan to cause trouble between them.
She didn’t want to be CP with Yun Mingxuan. ‘So annoying,’ she thought to herself.
❖❖❖❖❖
After a night of discussions, the hype around “Love Game” had only slightly diminished. Early in the morning, the program team posted an announcement on their official account: “Today is the shooting for the second episode of the variety show. In order to let the audience experience the joy of casual cp interactions up close, the program team has decided to live-stream the first game task. Each cp pair will have their own live room, and the live stream will officially start at 3 PM in the afternoon.”
This move immediately ignited the enthusiasm of the audience. After all, live streaming and pre-recorded episodes are different; it’s fresh content and there’s no need to worry about the program team’s editing messing things up. Previously, the most they got were some private welfare live streams from the guests, but who would live-stream while shooting a show and involve the audience?
Experiencing the cp interactions as if they were on the scene themselves was truly a treat!
Praising Director Bu for his great compassion, everyone speculated about what surprises the afternoon might bring.
Even Gu Qingtong didn’t know this news in advance. While doing her makeup, she looked at the messages sent by Director Bu. Since it was an impromptu live stream without a script or a fixed process, everyone just needed to approach the tasks with a casual mindset.
Seeing the program team’s various tactics, she was already numb to them. It’s just a live stream, no big deal.
However, when she arrived at the shooting location for this episode, she would discover an even bigger surprise. The second episode of “Love Game” was not shot in City A but instead at the famous tourist spot, Wushan, in the neighboring City B. It was winter, and the mountain was covered in snow and frost, attracting many tourists for winter holidays.
In that area, there was also a vast natural ski resort and hot springs, so skiing and enjoying the hot springs became two essential activities. As it was a collaboration between the tourist area and the program team, when Gu Qingtong arrived at Wushan, she realized that their task location was not as crowded as usual with tourists. It was quiet and suitable for appreciating the snowy scenery, though, of course, this was only true for those dressed warmly.
Initially, Gu Qingtong thought that winter in City A was already quite cold, and she assumed that the weather difference between the two cities wouldn’t be much. Therefore, she didn’t fear the cold and came dressed lightly. Little did she expect that the temperature at Wushan was below freezing, and with no sun today, the surroundings were gloomy and chilly.
To look good on the live stream, Gu Qingtong was still wearing the same outfit as before, and she nearly froze. She hid in the heated air-conditioned car and didn’t want to get out. It was only when she arrived that she regretted not dressing more warmly.
When it comes to needing help, Gu Qingtong didn’t have anyone like other people’s assistants to fetch clothes for her. Although Sun Xiao mentioned that she might get an assistant to help Gu Qingtong with her busy schedule, it didn’t happen in such a short period. Gu Qingtong was still on her own for this variety show.
Although Yan Chi had asked her before if she wanted to come together, Gu Qingtong couldn’t agree. She always felt that if they were seen being too intimate by the crew, it would not be approved.
Gu Qingtong looked forlornly outside the window at the vast expanse of white snow and the large chunks of ice hanging on the pine trees. She felt a strong shiver run through her, as if she had been frozen solid.
She knew that she used to dress lightly for appearances, but that was in City A, which was already warm and comfortable. With her delicate and sensitive nature, she was never comfortable with the air conditioning temperature being too low or too high. How could she not fear the cold?
Although it was still early, the upcoming photo shoot would be under the giant ancient pine tree at Wushan, surrounded by snowy scenery. Gu Qingtong’s mind went blank for a moment. Would she be able to endure until it was time to soak in the hot springs?
The program team’s driver went down to set up the location and equipment as soon as they arrived at their destination, leaving Gu Qingtong alone in the car. Of course, she didn’t expect anyone to bring her clothes. She had overestimated her ability, thinking that the program team would provide skiwear, so she didn’t worry too much. She only focused on bringing swimsuits and bathrobes to take beautiful pictures in the hot springs. The thickest clothing in her suitcase was that bathrobe!
Thinking about it, Gu Qingtong suddenly realized that every time she came to shoot a variety show, there would always be some clothing mishaps. She hadn’t forgotten the embarrassment of bringing the wrong attire for “Pure Desire Ceiling” last time, and now she faced another problem.
The car windows were gradually covered with mist from the heated air conditioning, making it foggy and unclear inside where Gu Qingtong was sitting, feeling distressed and indecisive.
At that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the window beside Gu Qingtong. Not wanting to open the door and feel the cold, she simply wiped away the fog on the side window with her hand and looked outside. To her surprise, she met a pair of familiar light-colored eyes – it was Yan Chi.
Yan Chi’s gaze fell on Gu Qingtong’s thin clothes, and a knowing expression appeared in her eyes, indicating that she had already guessed Gu Qingtong’s careless mistake. Yan Chi knew everything but chose not to remind Gu Qingtong, which was undoubtedly intentional. After all, Yan Chi remembered the regret of not being able to make Gu Qingtong wear her clothes when she left a kiss mark last time.
With this in mind, Yan Chi’s eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the depth of her feelings in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingtong was also observing Yan Chi. In the snowy landscape, Yan Chi was already wearing a down jacket, open but matched with a cashmere scarf. However, even with such thick clothing, her complexion seemed paler, clearly uncomfortable with the temperature and altitude on the mountain.
Seeing her look unwell, Gu Qingtong came to her senses and quickly pushed open the car door to let Yan Chi in. At this moment, she was not afraid of others suspecting their close relationship.
“Too cold to go out?” Yan Chi didn’t come in but stood in front of the car door, intentionally asking.
Gu Qingtong’s voice trembled from the cold air: “If you won’t come in, just close the door!”
“Forgot to bring warm clothes?” Yan Chi continued to expose the situation but subtly moved forward to block the wind for her, leaving no trace behind.
Yan Chi’s relentless pressure successfully made Gu Qingtong embarrassed, and she tried to defend herself, saying: “I didn’t forget to bring warm clothes! I did it to look good on camera. You wouldn’t understand!”
Just at that moment, two crew members walked past behind Yan Chi. Gu Qingtong was frightened and instantly changed to a professional attitude, forcing a smile: “I meant… teacher Yan, you wouldn’t understand us young people.”
“Do I have to take you to change clothes for every episode?” Yan Chi lightly laughed and said while leaving the scarf and innerwear on, taking off her down jacket and draping it over Gu Qingtong. She slightly bent down, holding Gu Qingtong’s arms with both hands, almost as if giving her a hug and wrapping her tightly: “Let’s go to Xiao Jun’s place.”
Gu Qingtong stared at the relatively thin clothing in Yan Chi’s hands, her eyes widened, and she started pulling at the gray down jacket: “I, What should I change into? You should wear this; don’t get cold…”
“Don’t worry, haven’t I always made you comfortable even when you were sick?”
Yan Chi’s gaze shifted, carrying a hint of intriguing interest, and she casually lifted Gu Qingtong’s long hair that got trapped under the down jacket. She let her fingertips linger on a strand of hair while openly uttering those teasing words.
