The Rebirth of a Top Star

Seeing that Dou Shiyan didn't give a definite response, Shen Nanqiao decided to go ahead and conduct the interview first.

Gu Ning arrived just in time. Shen Nanqiao walked past him, offering basic polite thanks: "Thanks, I'll go now."

Dou Shiyan's gaze shifted from following Shen Nanqiao until Shen Nanqiao left and he could no longer see her, and then gradually moved to Gu Ning.

Gu Ning did not leave after completing his mission. Instead, after Shen Nanqiao left, Gu Ning changed from a relaxed posture to standing upright with his back taut.

Dou Shiyan's intuition told him that he might need to talk about more than just one person today.

Gu Ning stepped from the living room, where the light and shadows shone, into the backyard, disappearing into the darkness before standing with Dou Shiyan.

Dou Shiyan sat down again; he wasn't going to have a proper conversation on this stage where there were only two of them.

Only Shen Nanqiao would have such influence that she would ask me to explain.

Gu Ning sat down next to Dou Shiyan, right where Shen Nanqiao had just stood up and left.

"You came here because you like her."

Gu Ning stated her guess directly.

Dou Shiyan then looked at Gu Ning. He hadn't expected this man to be so direct. Since they were both open and honest, Dou Shiyan suddenly felt interested in having a chat.

Unlike before when Dou Shiyan felt frustrated because Gu Ning called Shen Nanqiao away, he now sees Gu Ning as an outlet for his anger.

"It's because we don't have time to spend together usually," Dou Shiyan said, sounding annoyed.

Dou Shiyan returned to China for two reasons. One was to resolve family issues, and the other was that even after being abroad for so long and having little to no contact with Shen Nanqiao, he still couldn't forget her.

Even when she wakes up in the middle of the night, Shen Nanqiao's face appears in her mind.

He missed her so much.

Before he even returned to China, his family had already sent him countless contact information to choose from. They were all from prominent families, and some were even daughters of high-ranking officials and politicians, with numerous real business cards attached. This was because he was the eldest son and heir of the Dou family in name only, and he had the sole right to choose.

There are so many beautiful women, but Dou Shiyan doesn't like any of them.

All he wanted was to eat a bowl of hot wontons with Shen Nanqiao at a simple roadside stall.

Gu Ning keenly grasped the point Dou Shiyan made about "usually," further confirming that they were old acquaintances.

"Are you pursuing her?" Gu Ning wanted to confirm this.

Because he had only subtly shown a little bit of interest before, Shen Nanqiao would distance herself from him.

Now that Dou Shiyan is so direct, Shen Nanqiao can still sit and talk with him, which is a big difference for him.

"Perhaps. But she doesn't know." Dou Shiyan didn't know why he was saying these things to Gu Ning. But he just wanted to hear her thoughts.

Gu Ning just happened to run into them.

Fortunately, it's just because Shen Nanqiao doesn't know.

Gu Ning comforted herself in this way, thinking that everything was normal only because she didn't know. If she did know, she might be in the same situation as herself.

Gu Ning secretly pondered that she had gotten the answer she wanted from her question. Gu Ning hadn't expected Dou Shiyan to ask her so directly: "You like Qiao Qiao too?" Dou Shiyan asked with a statement of certainty.

Gu Ning knew that as long as he appeared here, he would not be able to hide his thoughts. Now, the two men were sitting together, both of whom appeared to be successful people in the eyes of outsiders, but now they were troubled by the same girl.

"Yes, but she rejected me." Normally, when Gu Ning saw Shen Nanqiao subtly distancing herself from her, she wasn't so obviously sad. But for some reason, even though she wanted to pretend to be open-minded and express her feelings, she felt a sudden surge of sadness that she couldn't hide.

Gu Ning was very distressed. He had originally planned to come to Dou Shiyan's side to issue a challenge, but now the two of them had become kindred spirits.

Gu Ning composed himself. He figured Shen Nanqiao should be coming out soon, followed by Dou Shiyan's interview. The program team always managed the order perfectly. Gu Ning had always known this.

Time was running out, so Gu Ning stood up and said seriously to Dou Shiyan, "There is no first come, first served. Everyone should rely on their own abilities."

"Of course." Originally, she had planned to persuade him with reason, and if that didn't work, she would resort to force. But now, without Dou Shiyan even having to say anything, Gu Ning turned and left after uttering her "harsh words," which was far too automatic.

Gu Ning's timing was indeed very precise. Just as he left, Shen Nanqiao came out from inside, looked at Dou Shiyan who had not yet left, and reached out to beckon him with some surprise: "When you go to the back interview, watch your words."

While speaking words of concern, Shen Nanqiao's eyes scanned Dou Shiyan. She recalled what she had said to Dou Shiyan earlier, and it seemed that nothing had been hurtful. She had said almost everything for his own good and explained things very clearly.

It's unlikely that Dou Shiyan would be so upset as to sit in the back and cry because of what I said.

As Dou Shiyan brushed past her, Shen Nanqiao stared into his eyes. They were neither wet nor swollen, so it seemed he hadn't shed any tears. Because of this accidental guess, Shen Nanqiao wondered if she had exaggerated.

It's much better to have a familiar male guest than to have another male guest who imitates Xing Anhe.

Shen Nanqiao watched Dou Shiyan walk into the back room, which was on the other side of the living room. Shen Nanqiao simply sat on the sofa and played on her phone, chatting with the staff around her, preparing to apologize to Dou Shiyan properly when he came out.

After all, the two are still friends.

After Dou Shiyan settled into his seat in the back room, he finally understood what Shen Nanqiao meant by being cautious in his speech.

The staff of this show, or rather the director, were really bold in asking questions.

For example, as soon as Dou Shiyan sat down, the person behind the camera took out a small notebook and said directly: "Welcome, President Dou, to our variety show. I heard that you came to participate because of Shen Nanqiao, is that right?"

The very first question elicited the answer everyone wanted to know. In a position out of sight of the audience, the staff member smiled, but their eyes held a clear look of inquiry.

Their job in the backstage area is to observe the audience all day and then ask them questions about the meaning behind the small details, digging deep into these subtle aspects.

Dou Shiyan instantly understood Shen Nanqiao's arrangement. He smiled at the camera, thinking that if Shen Nanqiao were here, she would definitely tell him: "Half of the reason is that we were friends before. She introduced me to your show and said it was great, so I came to participate."

Without Dou Shiyan needing to think too much, he knew this was definitely the best answer.

Because everything online is traceable, if Dou Shiyan lies and says he didn't come because of Shen Nanqiao, someone will dig up their online interactions, and then he won't be able to explain himself clearly.

If he directly admits that he came here because he has feelings for Shen Nanqiao, then he will be directly proving it on the show.

Dou Shiyan knew how to use this kind of public relations language.

But he didn't want to lie.

Or rather, he really didn't want to be stuck in the position of being Shen Nanqiao's friend again, unable to turn things around.

It's time to take a gamble. Sometimes, playing your cards openly is faster than playing them secretly.

“I’ve known her for a long time, but she only sees me as a friend.”

As Dou Shiyan spoke, the staff behind him were practically lighting up. What Dou Shiyan was saying was like a catalyst that would propel the show to new heights.

The camera zoomed in, focusing on Dou Shiyan's sincere gaze. He was still saying, "I just hope that through our time together on this show, she can understand that we can be more than just friends. That's all I need."

Dou Shiyan told the whole truth. Since he couldn't speak his true feelings to Shen Nanqiao because he had reservations, it was much easier to say these honest words in front of inanimate cameras than to face Shen Nanqiao directly.

Indeed, after saying these words, Dou Shiyan felt much happier than before he came in. He took the initiative to ask about the process: "What is the next question you have prepared?"

Looking through his notes behind the camera, after Dou Shiyan's explanation, he realized there seemed to be nothing more to ask.

Because Dou Shiyan had already finished speaking.

Everything that was expected to be said, and everything that wasn't, has been said. There's nothing more to ask.

However, Dou Shiyan's gaze was so direct, it was as if he was saying with his eyes: Hurry up! Ask me any questions you may have.

The director had a sudden inspiration: "So what do you think of the other female guests on our show?"

If you're going to talk about Shen Nanqiao, then let me ask you how you view the others, which is a stark and direct comparison.

"We're all good brothers." Dou Shiyan's answer was indeed reassuring.

Now, among the staff in the back-end interview room, besides Shen Nanqiao, who was the most popular at the beginning, Dou Shiyan has now become the most popular. To be honest, and to put it bluntly, they are giving everyone one surprise after another.

They could already imagine the sensation that would ensue once this segment aired on television.

The first thing Dou Shiyan saw when he came out was Shen Nanqiao, who was sitting on the sofa, chatting with a photographer standing behind the sofa, holding his phone high in the air.

Dou Shiyan knew that taking the initiative could overcome everything, so he also moved closer to Shen Nanqiao to see what attractive thing was on Shen Nanqiao's phone.

Shen Nanqiao had a Weibo page in her hand, but it was different from usual; the numbers on it were scrolling very quickly.

By the time Dou Shiyan got closer, Shen Nanqiao had already spotted him. She even held up her phone for Dou Shiyan to see. The photographer who was next to Shen Nanqiao took two steps back and disappeared from Shen Nanqiao's view.

Shen Nanqiao shared her Weibo page, where many people were leaving comments or liking her posts, and the red numbers were gradually scrolling.

Shen Nanqiao's happiness was palpable: "Look, these are all my fans."

Shen Nanqiao hadn't checked her phone since posting that Weibo message today. She only checked it out of boredom while waiting for Dou Shiyan outside, and was surprised to find that she already had so many fans.

Shen Nanqiao was genuinely surprised, especially by the heartfelt messages she received. She read them one by one, and everyone was saying they would support her new drama.

Some fans who shipped Shen Nanqiao and Fang Zihe as a couple during the filming of "Begonia Blossoms" have now resurfaced, tagging Fang Zihe under Shen Nanqiao's Weibo posts, hoping he will leave a comment soon to fulfill their wishes.

Shen Nanqiao saw it all. She remembered all the love shown to her and was unwilling to forget it.

It was this unconditional love that motivated Shen Nanqiao to work harder and harder.

After sharing her happiness, Shen Nanqiao prepared to have a serious chat with Dou Shiyan. She turned to look at Dou Shiyan behind the sofa, only to find that his expression was not very good.

Shen Nanqiao's first thought was that the production team must have asked Dou Shiyan some serious questions in the post-interview room, which was why the current situation had occurred. "What's wrong with you? Is it because of the interview you just went in?"

If Dou Shiyan gave Shen Nanqiao a definite answer, Shen Nanqiao might go into that room right now and ask her what exactly happened.

It is Shen Nanqiao's bounden duty to go to great lengths for her friends.

But Dou Shiyan stopped her: "No, let's go back."

Dou Shiyan remained calm. Shen Nanqiao was surprised to see Dou Shiyan like this. "Are you really okay?" Dou Shiyan didn't look okay at all.

Actually, it wasn't because of the post-interview; when Dou Shiyan first came out, Shen Nanqiao didn't see the happy smile on his face.

However, after Dou Shiyan looked at Shen Nanqiao's phone, Shen Nanqiao herself didn't care about the messages she sent, but Dou Shiyan saw clearly that they belonged to another male celebrity whom he didn't recognize.

Shen Nanqiao would only think of this as work, but Dou Shiyan's personality would make him take every problem that arises seriously.

The newly emerging Fang Zihe presents a significant problem.

Dou Shiyan followed behind Shen Nanqiao, escorting her step by step to her bedroom. "Get some rest," Dou Shiyan waved to Shen Nanqiao.

Shen Nanqiao had completely forgotten that she had appeared in the living room to wait for Dou Shiyan because she wanted to talk to him. Now that the man was standing at the door and waving at her, Shen Nanqiao quietly closed the door and was really preparing to get ready for bed.

Back in his room, Dou Shiyan turned on his phone and found his assistant. Since he wasn't at the company, almost all the burdens were on his assistant. Dou Shiyan was preparing to rest during the show, but his assistant was still working diligently in the brightly lit building.

Dou Shiyan gave his assistant a new order: "Check who that man is in Shen Nanqiao's latest Weibo posts."

The assistant had come back from abroad with Dou Shiyan, and the two were old acquaintances. Only at this moment did the assistant genuinely sigh, "Sometimes Dou Shiyan is quite like a domineering CEO when he's using me."

Dou Shiyan lay in the room where the production team had replaced the furniture with brand new ones, looking up at the ceiling, planning what he should do tomorrow.