Chapter 013: Strange, Strangely Pleasant to the Ear

After dinner, Director Li felt that just a dry live stream wasn't creating enough of a splash.

So he set his sights on Chu Jinghe.

Why not borrow a trick from the neighboring love-themed reality show?

No sooner said than done.

Director Li, with a megaphone in hand, had people set up a bonfire on the flat ground.

He challenged several guests to improvise a bonfire dance!

As a former dance king, Zhou Jingming was the first to be called out.

The Jingming fans in the live stream got so excited they started spamming the chat with messages.

Under the eager requests of the audience and the show providing the music, Zhou Jingming danced a traditional-styled dance that combined both grace and strength.

He knew that young people nowadays loved such dances.

Indeed.

After he finished his dance, there was a round of rapid-fire applause!

Qin Dingyue was so impressed her eyes were nearly popping out, not to mention the fans watching the screen.

The dance was quickly clipped into short videos and uploaded overnight to a certain platform.

In less than half an hour, likes and shares had reached hundreds of thousands.

The comment section had succumbed.

It was clear that Zhou Jingming's popularity was frighteningly high.

"Zishen, I remember you're also quite amazing when it comes to dancing!"

Chu Jinghe, perhaps with some ulterior motive, suddenly spoke up.

She successfully diverted everyone's attention to Xu Zishen.

Xu Zishen just froze for a moment, then met Chu Jinghe's gentle smile, feeling a bit awkward.

The moment of their eye contact was caught by Mu Jincheng, who frowned unintentionally.

He didn't like Chu Jinghe smiling at other men like that.

Moreover, during the first episode, Xu Zishen had nearly ended up in the same group as Chu Jinghe.

If it weren't for his subtle maneuvering, Qin Dingyue's partner would have been him.

So, Mu Jincheng wasn't too fond of Xu Zishen.

"I can dance too," Wen Yan said with a smile as he raised his hand, "Mr. Chu, I'm considered a singer who can dance too!"

Undeniably, Wen Yan's voice was really good.

But when it came to dancing, he was a bit far off compared with Zhou Jingming, who debuted as a dancer.

Liu Qiang was a bit discontented as they took turns stepping up.

But aside from acting, her singing and dancing weren't up to par.

Chu Jinghe said with a smile, "Of course I know Brother Yan is an expert in this area, and he's even our senior among us. I was just thinking, maybe we younger ones could learn from any shortcomings and ask our senior for some guidance. You wouldn't mind, right Brother Yan?"

These words pleased Wen Yan to no end!

Among those present, Wen Yan was the eldest.

But Wen Yan had a babyface, appearing almost a decade younger than his actual age.

He didn't seem out of place standing together with Zhou Jingming, Xu Zishen, and others.

"Of course I don't mind!" Wan Yan was not only unopposed but also delighted.

Shen Yan sat quietly on the side, watching how the female lead displayed her charm that enchanted everyone.

As long as the female lead spoke up, those around her would bask in her glow.

Tsk tsk, true to being the enchantress of a female lead.

Even if she swear, people would automatically interpret it as sweet talk!

Looking at the male lead, he was already so infatuated with the female lead he couldn't tell north from south.

In Shen Yan's view, no one present was clear-headed.

Then, seduced by Chu Jinghe's sweet words, they formed a team on the spot and cooperated on a very cohesive dance.

Handsome guys, who doesn't like to watch?

The fans watching the live stream went crazy, completely losing their minds.

After the men had their turns, it was Liu Qiang and Qin Dingyue's turn.

Chu Jinghe took the initiative to stand out and sang a song.

That song was actually one of Wen Yan's, and after singing she sweetly asked Wen Yan to give her feedback.

Wen Yan was already spellbound by the female lead, naturally, he lavished her with praise.

You have to admit, the female lead did sing quite well.

Qin Dingyue, who came from a theater background and was naturally blunt and adventurous, spontaneously performed a sword dance for everyone, unanimously earning their recognition.

Liu Qiang, on her part, managed to pull off a decent soft dance.

It was just a token effort.

Most of them were performing dances.

Finally, when it was Shen Yan's turn, Chu Jinghe appeared considerate, "Shen Yan is the youngest and least experienced among us, so let's not be too hard on her, shall we?"

Liu Qiang laughingly chimed in, "I think Shen Yan usually keeps her talents well-hidden, she must have some skills we don't know about! Show us a couple, enlighten us!"

"Yes, I think Shen Yan will definitely be able to do it. Everyone else has performed their talents, so we can't have one person left out," Wen Yan turned around, smiling as he spoke.

Facing Shen Yan's indifferent gaze, Wen Yan's smile froze instantly.

He was even frightened almost to the point of choking on his own saliva.

Shen Yan didn't refuse either.

Everyone had showcased their talents; she couldn't be the exception.

"In the presence of all my seniors here, the talents displayed earlier are something that, as a junior, I am ashamed to admit I cannot match. As for me, I have nothing to offer except for a bit of acting skill."

Hearing the word "acting."

Those who had seen the web drama starring Shen Yan couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.

Did Shen Yan even have a claim to acting talent?

To them, she was just a beautiful but talentless vase.

[If I hadn't seen that eye-sore of a web drama of hers, I might have believed her.]

[I suggest Shen Yan try playing the role of a fake princess; a natural performance would definitely become a hit.]

[I doubt how she, of such a caliber, managed to get the resources for this show; there must be some hidden story.]

[Just say she's been involved in some under-the-table deals.]

[Waiting for the fake princess to mess up.]

[She's bound to make a fool of herself! Allow me to laugh out loud...]

Shen Yan's fans exploded in anger upon seeing this.

Crying out words of encouragement for Shen Yan.

The haters appeared to mock them for supporting a mere vase.

Chu Jinghe had a slight smile on her lips, her expression filled with anticipation: "I'm actually looking forward to this!"

Mu Jincheng sneered disdainfully.

What talent could Shen Yan possibly have.

She had her share of making a fool of herself.

"Give me an erhu."

Shen Yan suddenly requested an erhu from the program team.

Director Li, who was actively monitoring the shoot, was confused for a moment, "We didn't prepare instruments like the erhu..."

They were here for survival, with no musical instruments brought along at all.

"I just so happen to have brought a ukulele with me," Xu Zishen suddenly remembered the little guitar he had in his suitcase, "Would that be okay?"

His last question was directed at Shen Yan.

"That would be perfect," Shen Yan smiled at him, "then I'll trouble you to borrow it for a bit!"

Xu Zishen had his assistant go to retrieve the instrument.

Chu Jinghe furrowed her brows ever so slightly.

She was very aware of her own charm.

Although she came from a comfortably well-off family, from childhood to adulthood, no one around her had ever treated her poorly, everyone always accommodating her. Her path to stardom had been smooth sailing, and even when facing any issues, there was always a benefactor to help.

Xu Zishen had clearly been looking at her just moments ago, but was so easily hooked away by Shen Yan.

It incomprehensibly bothered Chu Jinghe.

The ukulele was quickly brought over.

Shen Yan took it and strummed it lightly, producing a clear sound.

It was clearly no ordinary little guitar.

Mu Jincheng watched her movement and inwardly sneered at the pretentious display.

Chu Jinghe watched Shen Yan with a gentle and expectant smile still on her face.

Liu Qiang adjusted her position, the corners of her mouth holding a smile that was far from well-meaning.

Everyone else followed suit, their eyes fixed on Shen Yan.

Shen Yan's fans felt nervous.

As new fans of Shen Yan, they had of course looked into her past and really felt that aside from her face, she seemed to have no special talents.

As everyone waited for Shen Yan to make a fool of herself, her slender fingers plucked the strings, and a calming yet refreshing tune poured forth from her unhurried hands.

Chu Jinghe's gentle smile slowly stiffened on her face.

Liu Qiang was directly petrified.

What tune was this?

Strangely, strangely pleasant to hear...

Then, the girl's thin lips parted, and her clear, elegant voice swept over them like a spring breeze, penetrating the heart and soothing the soul!

Shen Yan sang an unfamiliar ballad in a capella.

The melody and lyrics of the ballad carried a faint hint of melancholy...

The song that spilled out within the room caused the tall figure walking in the courtyard to halt.

The manor's servants were secretly gathered around a tablet, watching the live broadcast in the break room.

The door was half-open.

Qi Si stood straight outside, his eyesight excellent enough to see the graceful figure on the tablet.

The ballad and the sound of the ukulele seemed to be imbued with magic, dazzling him, preventing him from moving for a moment.

For the first time, he realized that his fiancée, who always insulted him and wanted to escape from his side, actually possessed such a little talent.