Chapter 110: Game Segment

Chapter 110: Game Segment

As expected, the double-released episode the next day successfully sparked another fan-shipped pairing.

Jian Ye and Mo Huan had already played a couple in Director Wu’s drama, and now that they crossed paths again on the show, fans instantly started shipping them.

In no time, the "Phantom Night" CP blew up overnight.

In the video, Jian Ye visited the film set just to watch but was unexpectedly pulled in by the director to jump in for a scene. The audience was stunned by his brief, silent acting moment.

"I legit cried through my screen, even though I don’t know the context of the drama."

"Just from this short clip, I could feel the heartbreak. Honestly, Jian Ye’s crying scenes are next-level good."

"I was lucky enough to see a clip of Jian Ye’s off-the-cuff crying take circulating online before. Even then, his performance was amazing, but today’s video made it even more emotionally resonant."

"This kid is just too good at crying—it’s so moving. No wonder his brother at home can’t bear to see him suffer and dotes on him hard."

"Phantom Night CP is everything! Even though it’s just acting, seeing them hug made me so emotional."

"Begging Jian Ye to act more—he’s really suited for it!"

The show’s popularity remained high, topping the variety show rankings on Pomegranate TV for two consecutive weeks.

By the third week, when everyone saw Jian Ye’s shockingly good cooking skills, the show’s popularity peaked.

Overnight, Jian Ye blew up all over again, surpassing even his previous viral moments from social news and dance performances.

He became a college student who, without fully entering the entertainment industry, already outshone some A-listers.

"Jian Ye is ridiculously multi-talented! His cooking skills are crazy refined—does he often cook for his brother at home?"

"Then his brother must be so lucky, no wonder he spoils him. If my little brother cooked like this for me every day, I’d spoil him too."

"Even such a difficult dish turned out perfectly under Jian Ye’s hands. Many previous guests lacked this kind of dedication—just for this, I’m full-on stanning now."

"I’ve noticed that Jian Ye’s eyes sparkle when he’s doing something he loves. I really admire his attitude."

"He’s always been a guy with solid morals—why else would he jump off a bridge to save someone without hesitation before?"

"My favorite guy has both talent and character—it’s just waiting on his glow-up."

Because Jian Ye’s performance on the show hit all the right notes for contemporary public aesthetics and values, his fanbase grew at an astonishing rate.

Jian Ye now hesitated to open Weibo casually—every time he did, it would freeze like crazy due to the flood of private messages expressing admiration.

Yi Siyu had Special Assistant Xu take over managing his social media accounts. Before signing with an agency, his accounts needed professional handling, and with Jian Ye busy with studies, he had little time to handle such a massive fanbase.

Special Assistant Xu was an an all-rounder, highly skilled in this kind of management. Jian Ye’s official fan groups expanded significantly, while unofficial ones became too numerous to count.

As the show’s popularity remained sky-high, the whole cast came together for their final group recording, held at a newly built convention center in Yunjing.

The guests would participate in games designed around the specialties of their respective professions.

This recording was streamed live, with an edited version to be released later.

The production team was pressured into this by the audience’s impatience.

Netizens now found even the two eps a week wasn't cutting it—they demanded real-time content.

The production team loves pampering their fans, and with the show's massive popularity, live recording was the natural next step and a better way to promote the program.

"Hello, dear audience in front of your TVs! I'm your old friend Xiao You! Today, we're going to have our battle for the 'Experience Star' title!"

"All six guests have arrived. Say hello to the audience!"

Xiao You held the microphone while the cameraman panned across the six guests one by one.

They were: master carpenter Zou Yan, chef Le Yao, artist Zhuang Yao, young actor Mo Huan, professional race car driver Qiu Yuelun, and sophomore dance student Jian Ye.

Zou Yan, the oldest at 35, was mature and steady, nodding at the camera; Le Yao, like an intellectual older sister, waved at the lens.

Then, the camera slid over to the handsome men in the show, who looked like they stepped out of an F4 drama.

Some netizens joked that the show should change its name to *The Gorgeous Bunch*.

After all, every one of them was good-looking, with off-the-charts visuals.

A show like this is pure stress relief for exhausted office workers—who doesn’t love eye candy? It’s just so pleasing to the eye!

"Ahhh, Jian Ye’s smile at the camera is so gorgeous!"

"I don’t care, at this moment, he’s looking at me! This POV shot is making me melt!"

"Four hotties lined up? Yes, please!"

"Jian Ye really has chemistry with everyone; every CP feels so strong, it’s hard to choose!"

"I ship them all—variety is the spice of life! I’m an adult—I want it all!"

"Today’s challenge is a relay race. Everyone should have seen the order on the big screen, right?" Xiao You asked.

Zhuang Yao smiled and replied, "Then the all-rounders will have the upper hand!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Jian Ye.

Jian Ye pressed his lips together and stayed silent—the bigger the crowd, the quieter he got.

He knew most of them here, except for Zou Yan, whom he hadn’t interacted with. The others had either been on his team or had him on theirs.

The show’s earlier draw was totally luck-based—some might be chosen multiple times as the "experienced" party, while others might never be picked at all.

Jian Ye had only been selected by Zhuang Yao once, so he’d barely been picked, while the others had been chosen at least twice.

Their pairings had all played out differently too.

The upcoming game’s first round involved the guests racing in go-karts, completing a course before stopping at a designated spot to cook a dish each. Then, they’d drive to the third task point to draw an object—be it a person, animal, still life, or plant. By the fourth round, they’d carve that drawing into wood.

The fifth round required acting out a scene from a video clip, with options A, B, and C representing family, friendship, and romance, respectively.

Finally, they’d showcase their best dance moves—even if you can’t dance, you’d better try!

There wasn’t a strict judging criterion for winning or losing. Instead, the day’s "Experience Star" would be chosen based on votes from the cast and the Observer.

"Ready, set, go!"

Once the game started, all six go-karts sped off, with Qiu Yuelun, the pro racer, predictably surging ahead.

But later, he actually slowed down, like he was holding back on purpose.

As soon as he slowed down, Jian Ye swiftly overtook him, taking the lead in the first segment.

"LMAO, Qiu Yuelun, you were totally waiting for Jian Ye on purpose!"

"Even the sandbagging is obvious! Wake up, dude! This is a competition!"

Upon reaching the second task point, Jian Ye pulled out all the stops.

He chopped vegetables swiftly and skillfully, slicing potatoes and green peppers into uniformly thin strips.

The show only required each guest to prepare one dish, but he couldn’t resist making two extra.

A plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes with green peppers, a bowl of boiled sliced pork, and a serving of spicy tofu (mapo tofu).

These comfort food dishes were his specialty.

By the time he finished three dishes, the other guests had only just completed one each. Of course, Le Yao, being a professional chef, put extra effort into her forte, preparing a straight-up gourmet "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate"*, complete with intricate garnishes that looked like it cost a fortune.

"Holy crap! Watching them cook is making me hungry!"

"Can Jian Ye pack those dishes and have them delivered to me like, right now? They look so appetizing and delicious!"

"These are all my favorite dishes. I’m opening my food delivery app to order the same right now."

"Le Yao is truly a pro chef—while others are just messing about, she’s playing in a different league."

Jian Ye didn’t think the game was about speed, nor did winning matter much to him, so he simply started enjoying himself.

He wasn’t particularly skilled at drawing, but in the third segment, he still went at it earnestly.

He drew his beloved little dog, Qiu Qiu—a fluffy, snow-white ball with big, glossy black eyes and a tiny tongue sticking out, looking heart-meltingly cute.

Though rough around the edges, the drawing had a lively charm. Zhuang Yao took the longest in this segment, and Jian Ye couldn’t tell what he was drawing, guessing it must be something quite complex.

"Aww, such a precious pupper! Doesn’t its expression kinda resemble Jian Ye himself?"

"Now that you mention it, there’s a resemblance—so dorkily endearing. Does Jian Ye have a pet dog?"

"What’s Zhuang Yao drawing? Looks like the profile of a man, but it doesn’t seem like a self-portrait. Definitely a handsome guy, though!"

"Our Zhe Xiao is a master at portraits. This seems to be part of his series—he’s painted this same man multiple times. Is it a character he created, or does he have a real-life inspiration?"

The fourth task was woodcarving. Jian Ye had no prior experience, so he followed tutorial videos and slowly worked on carving his little dog Qiu Qiu. Luckily, his dog’s round shape made it less challenging.

In this segment, aside from Zou Yan, who was naturally skilled as a carpenter, Qiu Yuelun was surprisingly decent.

"Qiu Yuelun once learned carving from Master Zou Yan—I saw their segment that day. He’s a total sponge for tips, asking Zou Yan for all kinds of carving tips."

"Doesn’t Qiu Yuelun’s carving look like a tiny dancer?"

"Wait—is he carving Jian Ye? (whispering)"

"Qiu-Ye shippers, we won!"

For the fifth segment, the situational acting, Jian Ye chose a parent-child story. The video depicted a son who, due to work, failed to see his mother before her passing, kneeling at her grave in regret.

Jian Ye immediately went full method, not even needing the props prepared by the crew.

The young man stood frozen at the tombstone, like his brain couldn’t process it, then reached out to touch it. His hands shook like a leaf, his entire body shaking slightly. *Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate: A symbolic Chinese dish representing success and upward mobility.

At the moment his faith finally crumbled, all his emotions burst forth. The young man dropped to his knees, bowed his head to the tombstone, and cried out hoarsely, "Mom..."

He couldn’t speak another word. By now, Jian Ye was sobbing his heart out, his eyes and nose red, tears streaming down his face, dripping off his chin to the ground.

For the acting challenge, the guests took turns stepping forward to act. Jian Ye was the first.

While he performed, some who hadn’t finished the previous task remained at their stations, while others stayed in this segment, waiting for their turn.

Mo Huan was among those waiting.

Jian Ye pulled off an incredible imaginary-prop performance, his acting so powerful it left Mo Huan’s heart pounding and raw.

Midway through the performance, Mo Huan almost lunged forward to catch him, fearing Jian Ye might hurt himself from the intensity of the scene.

Naturally, eagle-eyed fans online caught this reaction.

"LMAO! OMG, did Mo Huan just try to grab him?"

"Clearly, this guy is even more immersed in the scene than Jian Ye."

"This just proves how deeply Jian Ye’s acting resonates—it’s like next-level method acting."

"I’ll definitely watch any drama with Jian Ye from now on."

After Jian Ye’s segment ended, Mo Huan began his own performance, picking a romantic scene.

The video depicted a man confessing his love to someone he adored, with the guests free to improvise.

Mo Huan asked, "Director, can I pick Jian Ye to act this out with me?"

"Sure. Jian Ye, you’ll play the one being confessed to. Stand opposite him."

Jian Ye, who had just taken a sip of water, just stood there stunned before shuffling over.

Before he could fully process the situation, Mo Huan suddenly locked eyes with him, full of longing...

"Xiao Ye, I’ve had feelings for you for so long. Seeing you makes me happy, makes my heart race, makes me crave being near you..."

"Today, in front of everyone, I want to ask you—Xiao Ye, will you let me be with you?"

Jian Ye: "..." *chokes on his water*

Author's Note

Jian Ye: Damn, Senior went full method actor in seconds! That was next-level! (*puppy clapping jpg.*)

Mo Huan: Using the scene to confess… hopefully no one notices? (*sneaky jpg.*)