Chapter 48: The Word for This Is: First Come, First Served

Chapter 48: This Is What They Call: First Come, First Served

It was the day the new episode aired.

Each group had a different style segment—some ancient, some modern, some rural, some period-piece—and because of the makeup and styling involved, it was a lot more hassle than the previous singing and dancing performances.

So this time, the livestream was scheduled for eight o'clock in the evening.

In the morning, everyone headed to the production team. The director gave everyone a quick rundown, and they hit the makeup room right after noon.

Eight o'clock in the evening.

During the prime-time slot, a flood of viewers who'd been camping out poured into the livestream. Among the countless viewers, there was one username that never missed a single episode—just one character: "Qin."

Qin Mo sat in his office working through a thick stack of documents, while one of the monitors on his desk played a variety show.

The manager who came in to give his report had been too nervous to look up, but after hearing a burst of laughter coming from CEO Qin's computer, he couldn't help but prick up his ears and sneak a peek.

Holy shit.

CEO Qin was really watching a variety show during work hours?

The balding manager didn't get it. Same as him, this guy was human—how could he run a massive company and still watch a variety show?

Meanwhile, he himself was exhausted just managing a hundred-odd people.

Thud.

A stack of documents hit the desk with a casual thud. Qin Mo leaned back, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the desk, his gaze icy: "This is all you've got after a week?"

The room went ice-cold.

"S-sorry," the manager hurriedly explained. "The timeline was too tight. We only got a few meetings in on this proposal..."

"Only losers make excuses."

Qin Mo looked up, his eyes cold and flat: "Three days. I want a solid, finished proposal. If you can't do it, get out."

"Yes, yes, of course."

The manager grabbed his stuff and left. Just as the door was closing, he caught a glimpse through the gap—Qin Mo had turned to the monitor, a smile spreading across his face.

Whew.

The manager walked out of the CEO's office in a cold sweat. If he lost his job at his age, the mortgage alone would bury him.

Back in the office.

Qin Mo set down what he was holding and watched the livestream intently. Now it was their group's turn.

The chat was howling, but nothing too crazy yet.

And then...

Qin Yan, in his wedding robes, boldly called out the emperor's name. The young emperor in his dragon robe froze, his shoulders sagging slightly, pain flashing in his eyes.

As an emperor, he wanted to run.

But the groom—now just a subject—wasn't about to let him go. Qin Yan stepped forward, closing in on the emperor—his former lover.

He didn't give a damn about propriety or the line between ruler and subject. Under the moonlight, he kissed him.

In the hazy, festive back garden, two figures—one in red, one in yellow—wound around each other, lost to the wind and the night.

The comments exploded instantly.

— 'Holy shit, can they even show this on a livestream? Did they actually kiss for real? Camera, give us a close-up!'

— 'You useless camera operator, don't you know your job? Turn around and point at them! I want to see them kiss—kiss like your life depends on it! Who asked for the wide shot?!'

— 'They're so perfect together, oh my god. This show actually delivers.'

— 'Wait, they just kissed like that?'

— 'Why do they kiss so naturally? Are they actually kissing during rehearsals too?'

— 'Speaking of which, have you ever thought about why Qin Yan can be on this show and always paired with Su Zhiyu? Maybe he's here as someone's plus-one?'

— 'The person above hit the nail on the head. That explains how a regular person could get onto this show. There are plenty of rich people, but the really rich ones wouldn't be bored enough to join a talent show.'

— 'Is this acting or just messing around? Doing a kissing scene this openly—is that even appropriate?'

— 'What's wrong with it? Kissing scenes in dramas are totally normal. Who let this ancient fossil in here? Kick them out.'

— 'My heart goes out to my Mianbao. In and out of the show, he's the only one getting hurt. Mission accomplished, I guess.'

— 'Hahahaha I'm dead. No joke, I feel bad for Liu Mian too.'

In the play, the Seventh Prince discovered that the bride he'd just married was... tangled up with his imperial brother in the back garden.

He rushed over in disbelief, and the three-way confrontation was about to blow up.

It drove the drama to a second climax.

When it ended, a lot of viewers commented hoping they'd turn this into a full drama—if you're gonna be this messy, go all in.

Qin Mo frowned.

No one knew why he was upset.

When the secretary walked in, the livestream on the screen was already off. Without the noise, the vast, empty office felt suffocatingly heavy.

"CEO Qin."

Qin Mo: "Bring me A Yan's variety show contract."

"Yes."

Qin Mo flipped through the contract. These shows usually have set eliminations planned for the first few rounds.

"A Yan's contract doesn't have him getting eliminated early?"

The secretary shook her head: "No, the young master wanted to stay on for more episodes, so he won't be eliminated in the early rounds. Don't worry, CEO Qin."

Qin Mo frowned even harder. He closed the contract: "You can go now."

If he made A Yan drop out midway, he'd definitely be pissed—he might even throw a fit like last time.

Never mind.

If A Yan wants to play, then let him play.

Qin Mo thought for a moment, then grabbed his phone and made a call.

...

Backstage after the show.

After performing, they still had to do backstage interviews, then everyone gathered together to wait for the results to be announced on the spot.

Three members at the bottom were eliminated, and both Su Zhiyu's group and Jiang Yizhou's group were in the clear.

Su Zhiyu came out after removing his makeup and happened to run into Jiang Yizhou, who was just coming out too.

The two exchanged a glance, and Jiang Yizhou spoke first: "Zhi Yu, you done?"

Su Zhiyu nodded: "Mm."

"Perfect, let's go sit in the lobby for a bit? I gotta wait for Brother Qin, and aren't you waiting for a ride from Qin Yan too? Come with."

These past few days, everyone had been eating together a lot, so the fact that Su Zhiyu hitched rides with Qin Yan was something they all knew.

They just didn't know the two of them lived together.

Su Zhiyu had a feeling Jiang Yizhou might have something to say, so he followed him.

"Zhi Yu, you ever heard a saying?" Jiang Yizhou said with a grin as he walked, "This saying fits us perfectly."

Su Zhiyu replied flatly: "No."

Jiang Yizhou pouted: "You don't even know what saying I'm talking about, and you just say no. That's so dismissive."

He paused, then went on: "Actually, it's a phrase. The phrase is: first come, first served."