When other people heard this, they subconsciously looked at Qian Jianann. Although the distance was relatively far, they could still see some differences when observing carefully.
“I feel like his nose seems a bit crooked?”
“Could it be that he had plastic surgery? He fell twice during the game earlier, did he bump his nose and make it crooked?”
“My goodness, a simple fall can make the nose crooked, that’s too scary!”
……
The audience instantly started discussing, some even secretly taking out their phones to film Qian Jianan on stage and posting the videos online, intending to expose a major scoop.
Of course, Qian Jianan’s fans also reasoned:
“If you don’t have evidence, please stop talking nonsense! Because of the doubts on the Internet, Jiajia even went to an authoritative organization to authenticate it!”
“Exactly. It could just be swollen from the previous fall!”
“You can conduct remote appraisals even though we are so far away. You really think you are Sherlock Holmes.”
“Can’t you just watch the show without making a fuss? Why are you fixated on Jiajia? I suspect some professional trolls were hired!”
……
No one on the two sides was willing to accept the other’s advice, and they actually got into a quarrel for a while, but after all, they were still concerned about the fact that they were at the recording site of the program, so they didn’t make too much of a fuss.
On stage, the other guests gradually noticed Qian Jianan’s appearance, but considering the ongoing recording, they could not blatantly approach him for a warning. They could only provide subtle hints, and even one of the hosts pretended to observe the game situation and stood by his side, trying to block any camera angles that would expose his full face.
However, Qian Jianan remained unaware of his situation and felt dissatisfied with the host’s actions, as if blaming them for intentionally blocking his camera time, his expression becoming increasingly unsightly.
Facing Qian Jianan’s reaction, the two hosts could only endure it despite their frustration.
Fortunately, only the final round remained in the first game segment, so everyone tried to hasten the pace and conclude it in the shortest time possible.
The first game eventually ended with “Immortal Road” winning two gold coins. As the host announced the result, he smilingly instructed the prop team to deliver the punishment to the losing side.
Although called a “punishment,” it was another attention-grabbing tactic. These were harmless entertainment methods aimed at showcasing even celebrities and idols make mistakes and face penalties, bridging the gap between fans and stars.
This time, the punishment was a glass of bitter melon juice with added ingredients.
Even from afar, the transparent glass bottle revealed a greenish glow, which looks very dark at first glance.
“The color is so green it makes me panic.” the host Wei Jia joked, smilingly serving it to each guest from the “Xianxia Romance” team.
The closest recipient was Qian Jianan.
Wei Jia strolled along, chuckling as he casually glanced at his long-time partner beside him. Their years of partnership had cultivated a tacit understanding, allowing Yao Qian to instantly understand his meaning with just one look.
“I think it should be fine as long as there’s no green on the head1Thei joke is related to the slang “grass growing on one’s head,” which means someone is being cheated on.,” Yao Qian responded with a smile, following alongside him and taking a few steps to the side, seemingly making way for Wei Jia, but in actuality shielding him slightly from the cameras.
Meanwhile, Wei Jia took the opportunity as he handed out the bitter gourd juice to discreetly tap Qian Jianan’s shoulder, removing his microphone. When Qian Jianan turned around, Wei Jia subtly pointed to his own nose.
Qian Jianan: ?
Qian Jianan didn’t react at first, looking at him with an inexplicable expression. But when he instinctively followed Wei Jia’s gesture and touched his own nose, his expression changed instantly.
He stole a glance at the audience below before using the motion of drinking the bitter gourd juice to partially cover his face with the cup.
The taste of the bitter gourd juice was indeed so magical that among the guests, either grimacing or frowning, Qian Jianan’s slightly pale face didn’t appear too conspicuous.
However, this situation was clearly unsuitable for continuing with the recording. The show’s director had already noticed Qian Jianan’s odd behavior. Although he didn’t mind the scandal of a guest’s plastic surgery boosting the show’s popularity, he still considered Qian Jianan’s background and decided to call for a break after the first game segment concluded. His assistant raised a cue card to announce the intermission.
Such breaks were common during previous shows due to intense games or other circumstances, so the live audience didn’t react much.
However, some still noticed the abnormality on stage, especially when Qian Jianan hurriedly left the backstage area after the break was announced, sparking speculation among the audience. Combining this with earlier incidents, a new wave of heated discussions erupted.
“What’s going on? Could Qian Jianan’s nose really be crooked?”
“Hard to say, let’s see what happens. If Qian Jianan doesn’t come back, it’s most likely true.”
“No way? If a guest suddenly drops out, can the show even continue?”
“Why assume the worst? Maybe he’s just taking a normal break?”
“So many people are taking a break, why single out Jiajia?”
……
The audience grew increasingly vocal, and more fans shared their observations online.
Although Qian Jianan initially lacked much influence to attract significant attention, the discussions and shares grew rapidly, fueled by the ever-popular topic of celebrity plastic surgery. Gradually, more people became invested in the matter.
For now, this fermentation remained hidden in the darkness of the internet, unnoticed by the show’s crew.
After returning to the dressing room, Qian Jianan didn’t linger long. His medical team performed a basic check-up, slightly adjusted the position of his implant to ensure a normal appearance, and he returned to the stage.
After all, he had just recently revealed his natural, high-end looks, so he couldn’t afford any unfavorable exposure at this point.
At the very least, he had to push through this variety show first.
Fortunately, the remaining two games didn’t require strenuous physical activity, mainly focusing on intellectual challenges. So, he didn’t need to worry too much.
But after all, he knew that something had happened to his nose, so when he returned to the stage, Qian Jianan couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic, especially when facing the cameras and the audience below. He had the constant illusion that everyone was staring at his nose, as if they had all noticed the abnormality.
Under this psychological pressure and considering the upcoming segments, Qian Jianan suddenly felt like the recording was dragging on excruciatingly long. He instinctively began avoiding the surrounding cameras, hoping this public ordeal of a show would end soon.
“Welcome back, everyone, to our show! After a short break, I’m sure our guests have recharged their energy. In the upcoming game showdowns, we hope you’ll all give your best performance,” Wei Jia smiled as he delivered the opening lines before announcing, “Next up is the second game segment, the Tacit Understanding Challenge!”
“As the name suggests, the Tacit Understanding Challenge tests the rapport between team members. Two members from each team will be selected. Within the three-minute time limit, one will act out clues, and the other will guess, but no sounds are allowed apart from the actions themselves. Any vocal cues will be considered a violation and the team will be disqualified from the game.”
Yao Qian followed up by briefly explaining the rules, then added with a smile, “For this challenge, three pairs will be chosen from each cast to compete in turns.”
“The team with the most correctly guessed cards wins. The losing team will still face the bitter gourd juice punishment, so both sides, please do your best!”
After hearing the hosts’ explanations, the two casts selected their teams for the three rounds. Since it was a team format, everyone had a chance to participate, with the extra round naturally going to the most prominent cast member.
Considering the Immortal Road team won the first round, they would start this challenge.
The first pair to compete was Fu Yan and Du Jiaojiao.
Du Jiaojiao acted out the clues, and Fu Yan guessed.
The two portrayed a couple in the show, immediately eliciting cheers from the audience as they took the stage.
Surprisingly, within the three-minute time limit, they managed to correctly guess twenty-four cards, showcasing an impressive level of tacit understanding that captivated the audience and fans, elevating the atmosphere to a climax.
Even the hosts exclaimed in exaggerated praise, claiming it was the first time they’d encountered such a highly in-sync pair in this game.
The second round featured the male duo, Wang Xu, and Wang Lele, the comedic “Double Wang” duo known for their playful antics. Although their success rate wasn’t as high as Fu Yan and Du Jiaojiao’s, they still performed well, and their showmanship gained them quite a following among the audience.
Finally, it was Jing Li’s turn, paired with the male lead, Fu Yan.
The two characters played the role of brothers in the drama, with Jing Li’s character constantly protecting the male lead and ultimately sacrificing his life for him.
As soon as they stood together, thunderous cheers erupted from below, with countless voices calling out their character names. There were even many CP fans of the characters who secretly clenched their fists with excitement, as if they wished to bind the two together on the spot.
“Ahhhhh! Seeing the Young Master and Yuze (character names) together, I can die withou!!”
“The Young Master and Yuze look so good!”
“The real-life version of the indulgent junior brother doting on his beautiful young master! I’m too overwhelmed!!!”
……
Jing Li, however, remained focused, carefully studying the prompt cards and contemplating how to act out the clues for Fu Yan.
Soon, the timer began.
The first card read: Clown Performance.
Jing Li glanced at the card and immediately contorted his face in an exaggerated expression. In the next moment, he began mimicking the actions of a clown performance he had seen before.
Everyone saw him first gesture four fingers towards Fu Yan, then touch his own nose. Fu Yan instantly responded, “Four words? Nose?”
Jing Li nodded, then tilted his head back, scrunching his nose as he imitated a clown’s walk.
The action was straightforward, and Fu Yan guessed almost immediately, “Clown? Clown performance?”
With the correct answer announced, the audience cheered on cue, and a delighted smile appeared on Jing Li’s face.
Fu Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as well, then jokingly remarked to Jing Li, “Well, this is certainly the most beautiful clown performance I’ve ever seen.”
His words immediately sparked a roar of laughter from the audience below, while the CP fans grew even more excited.
However, Qian Jianan, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t muster a single laugh. He felt as if the prompt was subtly hinting at something, and when he saw Jing Li touch his nose, he instinctively touched his own to ensure it hadn’t shifted again.
Coincidentally or not, many of the following cards also involved nose-related actions.
“Eat? Nose? Turn one’s nose up at?”2The action of turning up one’s nose is related to the meaning of disdaining or looking down on something in the idiom “嗤之以鼻”.
“Fish? Eyes? Being inattentive?”3The clues of “fish” and “eyes” are referring to the literal components of the idiom “鱼目混珠” which describes eyes wandering like a fish’s. usually referring to someone who is inattentive or distracted.
“Car? Drink water? Mom? Traffic jam?”4The clues “car” and “drink water” are pointing to the transportation/flowing aspect, while “mother” sounds like horse, all relating to the meaning of “车水马龙” which literally means “carriage stream, horse current” and metaphorically refers to heavy traffic or crowds.
“Ears? Nose? Full of ears and nose?”5The clues “ears” and “nose” literally make up the components of the idiom “耳满鼻满” which means to hear something so much that one’s ears and nose are metaphorically full of it/sick of it.
……
With the constant mentions of noses, Qian Jianan couldn’t help but repeatedly touch his nasal bridge, as if he couldn’t be at ease without physically confirming it.
His frequent gestures naturally didn’t escape the audience’s notice, drawing their attention. Many began closely observing his actions.
With all the back-and-forth, Qian Jianan felt increasingly restless, as if everyone was scrutinizing his face, eagerly awaiting his embarrassment.
Even every burst of laughter from the stage and audience made him feel like they were mocking him. Every pore on his body screamed the verge of a breakdown, wishing he could immediately flee the show.
Finally, amidst his torment, came the last and most anticipated segment—the talent showcase.
This segment had been arranged beforehand, with rehearsals and procedures already practiced, so theoretically there shouldn’t be any major issues.
For this showcase, Qian Jianan had registered to sing, which was one of his meager talents that he could barely excel at.
As long as he didn’t go off-key, he could probably muddle through.
But that was before.
After the nose incident, Qian Jianan clearly felt his condition had deteriorated severely. The nervousness even caused him to forget most of the lyrics.
In such a state, allowing him to perform would be an outright embarrassment, but he couldn’t think of any other solution at the moment.
In his panic, Qian Jianan instinctively scanned the other guests, eventually fixing his gaze on Jing Li beside him.
He recalled that Jing Li’s talent was playing an instrument, right?
If he had musical accompaniment during his performance, Jing Li’s playing could cover up the parts where he forgot the lyrics.
Moreover, judging from the audience’s earlier reaction, Jing Li was highly popular. Collaborating with him could attract even more attention and discussion.
The more Qian Jianan thought about it, the more excited he became. Glancing at the performance in progress, he discreetly leaned towards Jing Li’s ear when no one was paying attention and proposed the idea of working together.
However, after hearing him out, Jing Li simply glanced at him before shaking his head without hesitation.
“I’m not too familiar with the song you’re singing,” Jing Li refused.
Qian Jianan’s expression instantly froze, his face contorting momentarily.
Not familiar?
That song was practically inescapable these days, yet Jing Li claimed unfamiliarity?
Qian Jianan shot Jing Li a resentful glare, feeling deep down that the other was deliberately mocking him.
But in this situation where he needed Jing Li’s help, no matter how infuriated, he had no choice but to temporarily swallow his anger. For the first time in his life, he pleaded in a humble tone, “Please, I’m begging you. Just help me out this once. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word, and I won’t hesitate.”
This was the greatest sincerity he could muster.
But Jing Li remained unmoved, continuing to shake his head, “I really am not familiar with it.”
In fact, he was not fooling Qian Jianan by saying this. Although he disliked Qian Jianan, Jing Li wasn’t petty enough to purposefully make things difficult at such a time.
Although he had been in this world for a short time and listened to many popular songs, the music still differed greatly from those from the Spiritual Realm. His unfamiliarity with the musical score was only natural.
For this talent showcase, the piece he prepared for the qin performance was one his senior brother had previously taught him.
But Qian Jianan had no way of knowing this. Seeing Jing Li repeatedly reject his overtures, he could barely maintain his superficial courtesy.
He turned, glaring intently at Jing Li as he gritted out, “Jing Li, I advise you not to push your luck!”
However, faced with his threat, Jing Li merely gave him a dismissive glance before turning away, ignoring him.
Qian Jianan was so angry that he was fuming, but there was nothing he could do about him.
At that moment, Fu Yan had finished showcasing his calligraphy talent. The host, Wei Jia, had a staff member display Fu Yan’s brushwork to the audience as he praised with a smile, “Who would’ve thought our handsome, talented Fu Yan is also so skilled with the brush! His strokes are vigorous and powerful. You must practice calligraphy extensively in private, huh?”
The audience erupted in cheers, with Fu Yan’s fans fervently supporting their idol.
As the atmosphere reached its peak, Qian Jianan suddenly interjected with a sly look, “Jia-ge, don’t just praise Fu Yan. I’ve heard Jing Li also practices calligraphy in private. Why don’t we take this opportunity to witness it?”
The author has something to say:
Qian Jianan: Jing Li is popular, collaborating with him would not only cover my shortcomings but also ride on his hot wave of popularity.
Jing Li: No need. You’re already quite popular without piggybacking on me.
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