The Rebirth of a Top Star

Without Shen Nanqiao watching him, Dou Shiyan relaxed a lot and finally returned to his eloquent CEO persona.

When the production team asked Dou Shiyan, "What prompted you to come to this show?" Dou Shiyan seemed to be thinking seriously, but in fact he was figuring out whether he should say that he came because he wanted to find a girlfriend, and say something as carefree and high-sounding as others.

Dou Shiyan didn't say anything. He looked at Shen Nanqiao, who had her back to him and seemed to be thinking about something. She had been chatting enthusiastically with the new guest just now, but now she was silent.

Dou Shiyan was genuinely worried that Shen Nanqiao might criticize him in front of the camera later, since she was the only one in the world who didn't see him as some kind of CEO.

Little did she know that when she finished speaking and turned to look at Shen Nanqiao, he had already walked away, not even waiting for her, let alone scolding her.

Qi Qi took over Dou Shiyan's job directly, and Shen Nanqiao returned to her bedroom. Shen Nanqiao hadn't considered being her own boss before, but today, once the idea arose, it grew rapidly in her mind.

Shen Nanqiao thought the idea of ​​becoming the boss of her own life was really good.

She even forgot that Dou Shiyan was waiting behind her, and she started to make serious plans.

Shen Nanqiao pondered alone for a long time, and even jotted it down in her notes before remembering to go downstairs.

Other guests had arrived one after another. When Shen Nanqiao came downstairs, she was surprised to see that in the living room, besides the two new guests, there was another person chatting animatedly among the crowd.

This was the first time Shen Nanqiao had seen Zhao Shuyue speak up in a crowd, and Shen Nanqiao sensed that she was trying to curry favor.

Why? Is it because Wu Miaomiao left?

A sharp-eyed person below spotted Shen Nanqiao. Zheng Yi looked up and greeted Shen Nanqiao, signaling her to come down quickly. Only then did Shen Nanqiao remember Dou Shiyan's matter.

It was because Dou Shiyan sat obediently in his usual seat.

Shen Nanqiao didn't look at him. Although there were no cameras around, everyone was chatting.

Shen Nanqiao joined in, but didn't speak. Zhao Shuyue continued talking, her eyes subtly glancing at Shen Nanqiao, her voice growing more and more enthusiastic.

Shen Nanqiao didn't want to delve into the reasons behind this; she was somewhat watching Zhao Shuyue's acting.

Zheng Yiyi, having somehow heard that Dou Shiyan was there for Shen Nanqiao, couldn't help but gossip. Only the two of them heard: "He's so charming, even his suitors have come to the production team."

As expected, Shen Nanqiao rolled her eyes at Zheng Yiyi, refusing to answer such a pointless question.

Shen Nanqiao looked down at her phone. A message had just come in, but she kept her ears open and heard Zhao Shuyue say, "The matter didn't escalate. The director didn't hold them accountable, and the industry didn't blacklist them."

When he said this, he didn't look up at Shen Nanqiao, and it was as if he was openly trying to see Shen Nanqiao's reaction.

"What they did was really too much." Zhao Shuyue complained again. The two new guests didn't know what had happened before, so Qiqi couldn't help but ask, "Are you talking about the two people in front of us? What happened to them?"

Everyone present had a mysterious look on their faces. When that incident was mentioned, everyone would think of the same scene. So Qi Qi was a little curious and a little at a loss. She was the only one who wasn't in the entertainment industry. Dou Shiyan was fine, after all, he had plenty of money.

But I always feel inferior here, which makes me very uncomfortable.

Finally, Zhao Shuyue got to ask, and she became even more enthusiastic. Shen Nanqiao couldn't listen to her anymore because she had finally received her first good news in a long time.

The movie "Begonia Blossoms" is finally going to be released. The message Shen Nanqiao received was from the director asking her to cooperate with the publicity.

Shen Nanqiao was overjoyed. This was her first real work, a piece she had poured all her heart and soul into, and it was finally about to be released.

Shen Nanqiao hurriedly opened Weibo and started looking at the related posts. The first thing she saw was a post from Fang Zihe, featuring a still of herself smiling at the camera. It was as if the spring breeze was blowing through her sideburns.

Shen Nanqiao clicked into her own page and was also looking for pictures. The director had just sent her several pictures to choose from, including one that looked the same as Fang Zihe's.

Shen Nanqiao hadn't seen Fang Zihe for a long time. Fang Zihe might be unhappy that Shen Nanqiao wasn't there, but from Shen Nanqiao's perspective, it was simply because she was too busy and didn't have time to organize a team-building activity for everyone.

She simply followed Fang Zihe's format and sent an identical message, featuring Fang Zihe's pursed-lips smile, carrying a hint of the shyness of an innocent young man.

After finishing posting her status update, Shen Nanqiao finally heard Zhao Shuyue call out to her, "Right, Qiaoqiao?"

Whenever Zhao Shuyue uttered the name "Qiao Qiao," Shen Nanqiao always felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation.

"What?" Shen Nanqiao didn't know what she was talking about. She only saw that all the attention was on her, and Dou Shiyan's eyes even carried a hint of anger. Shen Nanqiao roughly knew what they were talking about. It turned out that they were talking about her in the end.

Shen Nanqiao looked at Zhao Shuyue, whose eyes were bright, as if she was expecting her answer.

Shen Nanqiao refused to say, and smiled, "When do we start filming?"

Just then, someone from the director's entourage arrived. Since there were new members joining the cast today, many people were waiting to watch the live stream and browse the variety show.

Shen Nanqiao discovered that dating reality shows still prefer to film dinner time the most, as both the seating arrangements and the topics of discussion leave viewers with endless room for imagination.

Shen Nanqiao sat in her favorite spot. She wasn't sure if she had obsessive-compulsive disorder, but if she couldn't sit in that spot due to unforeseen circumstances, she would feel very uncomfortable.

Dou Shiyan hasn't spoken a single word to Shen Nanqiao since arriving on the show. The last time they met before coming to the show, they drank together, but now Shen Nanqiao isn't even giving him a smile or a glance on the show.

Dou Shiyan felt a little uncomfortable, so without thinking, he sat down next to Shen Nanqiao, in the seat that everyone had previously assumed belonged to Gu Ning.

When Dou Shiyan made his move, Shen Nanqiao only glanced at him and said nothing.

Seeing Dou Shiyan's actions, Gu Ning couldn't help but glance at Shen Nanqiao's expression. However, since it was a live broadcast, Gu Ning had no choice but to change her position and not compete with the new guest for anything.

In front of Shen Nanqiao was a stir-fried pork dish. These dishes, of course, were not made by the guests themselves. Usually, the meals on the first day were also arranged by the production team, but no one on the show would expose them.

Thinking of this consensus, Shen Nanqiao found it quite amusing. She picked up another piece of stir-fried pork with her chopsticks, and an unknown smile appeared on her lips.

Dou Shiyan assumed that Shen Nanqiao liked the dish, and couldn't help but reach out his chopsticks to pick up a piece for her.

Shen Nanqiao followed the chopsticks and saw Dou Shiyan. She pushed the meat that Dou Shiyan had picked up to the side and did not touch it.

Dou Shiyan's eyes darkened; he realized he needed to find some time to have a proper talk with Shen Nanqiao.

After finishing her meal, Shen Nanqiao took her phone and went upstairs, not giving the new male guest who wanted to get to know her a chance at all. Dou Shiyan followed behind Shen Nanqiao with a wronged expression, and in the end, he could only greet Shen Nanqiao's door with a cold slap on Dou Shiyan's face.

Shen Nanqiao didn't give Dou Shiyan any face, but Dou Shiyan wasn't angry. Back in his room, Dou Shiyan kept a close eye on what was happening in the room. Finally, at 10:30 p.m., he saw Shen Nanqiao in the hallway.

Dou Shiyan went out immediately, still wearing the same formal clothes he wore today, and even hadn't removed the makeup he didn't like.

He had been waiting for Shen Nanqiao.

Shen Nanqiao was blocked in the middle of the corridor by Dou Shiyan. When she went left, Dou Shiyan went left too; when she went right, Dou Shiyan went right too.

Shen Nanqiao's expression was about to break down. She looked at Dou Shiyan seriously and asked, "What? Is something wrong?"

Dou Shiyan actually had a vague idea of ​​why Shen Nanqiao was angry, but he wasn't sure, so he decided to ask her for clarification.

"Would you like to go down for a walk?" Dou Shiyan asked Shen Nanqiao. He wasn't sure if Shen Nanqiao would be willing to go down with him for a chat, or at least to have a serious talk.

Seeing Dou Shiyan's serious expression, Shen Nanqiao realized that it wasn't good for her to keep giving the president the cold shoulder. Actually, it wasn't that Shen Nanqiao disliked Dou Shiyan coming to the show, or that she wanted him to stay away from her like she did with other suitors.

Shen Nanqiao didn't think Dou Shiyan came here because he liked her, but she was certain that he came here because of her.

Shen Nanqiao nodded, and the path she was about to take downstairs to find food turned a corner. This was the first time Shen Nanqiao had sat in the backyard with a male guest from the show. The scenery here was beautiful, whether at night or during the day.

Shen Nanqiao passed by the tree where she had argued with Wu Miaomiao again, along a somewhat familiar route.

Shen Nanqiao found a seat and sat down, looking at Dou Shiyan in the soft moonlight, waiting for him to take the initiative to explain.

"Are you angry that I came to this show?" "That's your freedom."

Shen Nanqiao didn't think Dou Shiyan would change his decision because of her, so as his ordinary friend, she fully supported Dou Shiyan's arrangements.

But his decision now is clearly a waste of time.

Shen Nanqiao didn't think he had made the right decision, so she was a little angry. Was she angry? It was hard to say; it seemed more like she was just upset that her friend had wasted his time.

“Actually, you don’t need to participate in this program; it’s a complete waste of your time,” Shen Nanqiao stated her opinion directly.

Dou Shiyan is currently at a crucial juncture in taking over the family business. There are many people in the family who are eyeing the business covetously. If Dou Shiyan is not on the front lines now, wouldn't that give others an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?

Shen Nanqiao always remembered that the two of them were good partners who encouraged each other. Dou Shiyan looked at Shen Nanqiao's scolding and knew that she was worried about him.

But something just didn't feel right. Shen Nanqiao kept talking nonstop, and the longer it went on, the more certain Dou Shiyan became that Shen Nanqiao really just saw him as a good friend with whom she could work hard together or ask for help when needed.

I haven't thought about a formal relationship at all.

Shen Nanqiao's mouth was dry from talking. She felt that Dou Shiyan should have listened, and looked at Dou Shiyan expectantly, waiting for him to say that she should go back to work immediately and not waste time here.

Dou Shiyan was considering whether he should just confess his feelings directly. Otherwise, he really couldn't tell that this girl was usually quite smart, so why was she so clueless about this kind of thing?

Seeing that Dou Shiyan didn't speak, Shen Nanqiao thought that Dou Shiyan had finally taken her to heart and wanted to stand up and stretch. Before she could even stand up, Dou Shiyan grabbed her wrist.

Shen Nanqiao has a small frame. Recently, she doesn't need to participate in filming for any roles, so she spends her days playing, eating, and sleeping on the show.

Having gained a little weight and no longer being as skinny as before, Shen Nanqiao is now the most perfect being in Dou Shiyan's eyes. Dou Shiyan pulled her aside.

"What are you doing?" Shen Nanqiao broke free from Dou Shiyan's hand, not understanding why he had suddenly gone crazy.

Dou Shiyan originally intended to press on and say it directly, without giving Shen Nanqiao time to doubt or think. At least this long-standing secret needed to be broken through quickly.

Unexpectedly, Shen Nanqiao didn't give him a chance to continue after standing up. He changed the subject before he could finish his sentence, saying, "Don't worry, I've already made all the arrangements. It's just a program, it won't affect anything."

After learning that Dou Shiyan was coming to the show, Shen Nanqiao had already compared all the female guests on the show, and she really couldn't think that Dou Shiyan could find a girl who would make his heart flutter.

She had considered everyone, even comparing each of the male guests, Shen Nanqiao. She suspected that Dou Shiyan might also like boys, but he was just too embarrassed to tell her.

Sometimes you have to admire Shen Nanqiao's imagination.

Shen Nanqiao considered all the named people present, but there was one person who hadn't participated at all.

That's herself.

Shen Nanqiao didn't think that her long-standing revolutionary friendship with Dou Shiyan would be tainted by mere love.

So she was genuinely urging Dou Shiyan to return to his post as soon as possible.

Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted.

Dou Shiyan also stood up as Shen Nanqiao did. He prepared his words, finally ready to shock Shen Nanqiao. He opened his mouth, but before the words could be uttered, he heard someone behind him call Shen Nanqiao's name.

"Nan Qiao, it's your turn to do the follow-up interviews."

From beginning to end, Dou Shiyan never uttered the confession he wanted to make.

Gu Ning stood in the light and shadow of the living room, looking at the two dimly lit figures. He knew that the person standing behind Shen Nanqiao was Dou Shiyan. He also knew that Dou Shiyan and Shen Nanqiao had known each other for a long time. He even knew that the reason Dou Shiyan participated in this program was because of Shen Nanqiao.

However, Gu Ning was somewhat unwilling. Such a good Shen Nanqiao, if he gave up in the face of difficulties, would not be an option that a real man would choose.

Gu Ning looked into the dim light. He knew Shen Nanqiao could see him. He repeated in his usual gentle voice, "The production team wants you to go for a post-production interview. Go quickly."

Thus, Dou Shiyan could only watch helplessly as Shen Nanqiao left, getting further and further away from him.