Chapter 027: The First Watch

Xi Yao and Lou Yao exchanged a glance, silently making a mental note about Chen Yi and Zhao Meng. Although Zhao Meng was completely shielded by Chen Yi’s body so that no one could see what passed between them, it was obvious to everyone that Chen Yi was messing with Zhao Meng. They had witnessed such things too many times to be surprised anymore; only someone as naive—almost foolish—as Chen Yi would think his actions went unnoticed.

Song Wan quietly observed everything, head bowed, saying nothing.

Zhou Fan tugged at her sleeve. “Song Wan, thank you for earlier.”

She shook her head. “It’s what I should do.” They were all part of the same crew and would likely be partners on the show, so it was only natural to help when possible.

Fortunately, the atmosphere didn’t grow tense. Chen Yi’s fans, delighted by his antics, shrieked and picked up the next line of the script: “Then hold my hand and never let go!”

At this moment, Song Wan and Zhou Fan stood in the middle, with Lou Yao and Xi Yao on either side. When Chen Yi led Zhao Meng over, Song Wan and Zhou Fan shifted towards Xi Yao, making room for them.

Earlier, during the interview, Zhao Meng and her companion had been sitting on the chairs next to Xi Yao. Now, as they passed by Song Wan, she looked up and met Zhao Meng’s eyes. It had been months since they last met, and seeing Zhao Meng again felt almost like a lifetime ago. Especially when she noticed the dark circles under Zhao Meng’s eyes, not even the best concealer could hide them, Song Wan’s already indifferent mood became even calmer.

She nodded to Zhao Meng and then looked down again, doing nothing more.

Chen Yi took his place beside Zhou Fan, leaving Zhao Meng to stand on his other side, right next to Lou Yao. Still, Zhao Meng was deeply dissatisfied with this arrangement. As the female lead of the drama, she should have been standing where Zhou Fan now was. She lowered her head, her eyes filling with frustrated tears. But none of the other three cast members had any objection.

Stage positions on a show matter greatly—a single spot can mean more or fewer shots on camera. In the original plan, Chen Yi, the most popular and undisputed male lead, stood in the center; Zhao Meng, as the female lead, should have stood beside him. Song Wan, playing the male lead’s younger sister, would stand next to Chen Yi and Xi Yao, while Mo Yan, who once had a betrothal with the female lead, should have been by Zhao Meng’s side, next to Lou Yao.

However, due to the earlier incident on social media, Zhou Qi instructed the production team to change Zhao Meng’s position. The show had considered capitalizing on the recent buzz by placing Song Wan center stage but decided against it to avoid potential conflict, instead letting Zhou Fan stand where Zhao Meng originally would have been.

Zhao Meng had lost her popularity and millions of fans, but her foundational status still outstripped that of a newcomer like Song Wan. The production team had tried to handle things as tactfully as possible.

Neither Chen Yi nor Song Wan was affected, so they had no complaints. Zhou Fan, now the beneficiary, was far too pleased to object.

Only Zhao Meng lost out on screen time, but who cared? The entire “Immortal in the Clouds” crew disliked Zhao Meng, and her misfortune was greeted with barely concealed delight. Previously, when Jin Youqian produced that video, Zhao Meng and her team had insisted she was merely checking the time on her phone, refusing to admit fault. In this industry, it was all too common for someone to deny everything at first, then later attempt to clear their name through unrelated means. With no further evidence, Song Wan and the others could only watch as Zhao Meng continued her charade.

Now, at last, they felt a measure of vindication.

Song Wan turned her head and met Lou Yao’s gaze. Lou Yao winked playfully. Song Wan suddenly realized that the crew’s willingness to accept this arrangement was likely due not only to Zhou Qi’s influence but also to Lou Yao’s behind-the-scenes help.

The interview concluded, and soon it was time for games. The two hosts formed one team, Chen Yi and Zhao Meng were another, and, naturally, Song Wan was paired with Zhou Fan.

Changing into sporty uniforms backstage, they reemerged, and the audience howled even louder at the now unmasked Song Wan. The shouts of infatuation grew bolder and louder.

Confronted with this for the first time, Song Wan was a bit flustered, but she quickly regained her composure. Lou Yao, noticing her nerves, came over and encouraged her to strike a few alluring poses. At first, Song Wan was hesitant, but remembering Jin Youqian, she decided to use all the moves she’d tried on him. Every gesture dripped with charm, making the audience’s hearts flutter.

Before the fans could even finish their wolf whistles, Lou Yao began mimicking her, deliberately exaggerating the moves to comedic effect, sending the fans into fits of laughter and instantly livening up the studio. Song Wan’s goddess image was firmly established.

Although it would later be shattered in the games, at this moment, all the viewers—including Lou Yao—genuinely believed Song Wan truly was a “goddess.”

Four games were scheduled for the episode: three main ones and a backup. The first game went smoothly, and as the script required, Chen Yi and Zhao Meng, the leading man and lady, took first place. Since the outcome was predetermined, everyone played a bit stiffly this round, but as long as the leads got their airtime, the following games could be played more freely.

This was one reason the variety show “A Happy Family” had remained top-rated for so many years—the guests’ reactions always felt genuine.

The second game was “You Act, I Guess,” testing teamwork and rapport. Song Wan and Zhou Fan barely knew each other and expected to do terribly. And indeed, Song Wan acted out over twenty words, but Zhou Fan guessed fewer than five—far behind Xi Yao and Lou Yao, who, as longtime friends, scored several times higher.

Since they were the first pair up, Song Wan and Zhou Fan looked hopeless after seeing the other team’s score, even pretending to sulk in the corner, as if completely demoralized. The hosts played along, hamming it up and delighting the audience.

Up to this point, despite a few hiccups, the filming was going remarkably well; for a variety show, there were plenty of jokes and the guests were cooperative—this episode was sure to be a ratings hit once edited.

But then, when no one expected it, something went wrong.

For Chen Yi and Zhao Meng’s turn, as per the rules, the woman would act and the man would guess. Chen Yi didn’t even consult Zhao Meng—he went straight to the answer board, leaving her standing awkwardly alone, looking helpless and embarrassed.

The first word was “umbrella,” an easy one—Zhao Meng simply needed to mime holding an umbrella, point above her head, and it would be guessed in a flash. The production team had clearly given the drama leads an easy start.

But Zhao Meng stood there stiff as a board, not even lifting her hand.

Chen Yi grew anxious. “What’s the word? Just act it out!”

Zhao Meng, mortified, whispered, “Pass.”

Song Wan turned to Zhou Fan. “Do you think something’s wrong? Zhao Meng keeps clutching her left hand with her right…”

Zhou Fan’s eyes flickered; he clearly didn’t want to get involved. “Who knows? Maybe she’s just trying to get more screen time by making a scene.”

Song Wan frowned but, not knowing Zhou Fan well, said nothing more.

The second word was “water cup”—also very easy.

Zhao Meng, frozen, said, “Pass.”

Chen Yi clenched his fists, barely containing his frustration. “Is that really so hard?”

By now, the audience was growing restless, whispering anxiously among themselves. The situation threatened to spiral out of control.

Lou Yao and Xi Yao exchanged looks. Lou Yao finally spoke up, smiling, “Mengmeng, this one’s really simple. Don’t you use this every day? Just think how you’d use it—just…”

“Pass,” Zhao Meng muttered, head bowed, unable to meet Lou Yao’s suddenly cold gaze.

Xi Yao, in charge of the words, frowned but complied, removing “water cup” to reveal the next word.

“Right hand.”

Even Zhou Fan wanted to roll his eyes—could it get any easier?

But Song Wan was worried, watching Zhao Meng clasp her hands together.

Sure enough…

Zhao Meng, her voice trembling on the verge of tears, couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “Pass…”