At nine o’clock in the evening, Bi Tan had just finished discussing work when he suddenly heard a burst of laughter from next door.

“Hahahaha... Inside the car? In the wild? Fan fiction? Yan Man! You’ve got your day now!”

Simon laughed all the way from the living room to the balcony, finally ending with Yan Man kicking him out of the room.

Yan Man: “Go back to your room and laugh.”

As the door was about to close, Simon stuck his hand out to stop it, looking serious. “Wait.”

Thinking he had work-related matters to discuss, Yan Man paused slightly. “What?”

Simon: “Send me the link, I’ll go check it out.”

“...”

The next moment, the door next door opened, and Bi Tan poked his head out. “What link?”

Simon: “Get lost!”

Bi Tan: ?

After enduring a relatively peaceful night, Yan Man woke up the next day to find Zhou Xuan hiding under the covers, seemingly reading something.

With her sharp intuition, Yan Man pulled back the corner of the blanket. Sure enough, Zhou Xuan was reading the same fateful fanfiction from last night.

Yan Man narrowed her eyes, sensing some danger. “Don’t tell me...”

Zhou Xuan quickly clarified: “No, I’m not shipping them.”

Yan Man felt relieved.

Zhou Xuan: “I’m just appreciating it from an aesthetic perspective. It’s so thrilling, I love it.”

“…”

Is that really from an aesthetic perspective?

After breakfast, everyone headed to the designated location provided by the program team.

The finals were about to begin, and each contestant had to record a highlight segment of their performance.

These segments were provided by the program team, with roles determined by lottery, and contestants had three minutes to perform their highlights.

This performance was similar to filming scenes; they would be edited together afterward and could be reshot until the actors were satisfied.

After all, some actors are better suited for one continuous shot, while others improve with more practice. Providing both live performances and edited versions also gave the audience a more intuitive sense of acting skill.

Yan Man drew a period drama, and the shooting location was also chosen by lottery, behind the side hall’s courtyard.

“I heard there are only two period drama scripts… They’re not easy to act, not like modern dramas,” Simon said as they walked. “But the ancient costumes look good, so it balances out.”

Yan Man hummed in agreement, raising her head. The gates of the courtyard opened.

The scenery she drew was beautiful—carved beams and painted pillars, red bricks and green tiles. A small tree stood at the entrance, and flower beds were arranged neatly. If you listened carefully, you could even hear faint sounds.

Simon exclaimed: “Your luck is incredible... This setting is amazing. It must have been the filming location for that hit period drama. It looks exactly the same.”

“What does this prove?” Simon passionately declared, “It proves you will soar high in the finals! Unbeatable! Winning the crown!”

Turning his head, he saw Yan Man crouching beside the flower bed playing with a cat.

Simon: “...”

Yan Man: “This cat is very shy. As soon as it hears my voice, it scurries away.”

Simon: “Is the focus on the cat?”

“Isn’t it?” Yan Man blinked. “It’s so cute.”

“…”

The cameraman would arrive shortly. Yan Man had already memorized the script thoroughly. Standing at the gate, she framed the scene with her fingers, thinking about which angle would be best.

A commotion came from outside the yard. She adjusted her frame, turned her body, and Ye Lin’s face appeared within the frame.

A ray of light spilled from the edge of the frame, the dazzling light casting a distinct shadow on the man’s jawline.

Yan Man paused, lowering her arm.

It wasn’t an illusion; Ye Lin really came over.

She frowned slightly, curious, but before she could ask, the man spoke first.

Ye Lin: “Any issues?”

Oh, the teacher came to inspect homework again.

The earlier commotion was probably because he was next door. After finishing there, he came over naturally.

Yan Man thought it was quite like the individual tutoring sessions from the class teacher before the college entrance exam. Unable to resist, she smiled.

“One issue,” she pointed at the flower bed, “There seems to be a stray cat there. It’s too thin. Can we feed it something?”

“…”

Ye Lin walked over to her side, following her line of sight.

Yan Man: “It should be a kitten. Since you’ve raised cats before, you should know what’s suitable?”

“Not a kitten, it’s an adult,” the man lifted his leg and walked over, watching the white figure weaving through the branches. “But it’s too thin, malnourished.”

He half-kneeled, resting his elbows on his knees, and said softly: “You can feed it canned food or soak cat food in goat milk.”

Easy to digest.

Yan Man had never raised pets, so she had many questions, exuding a sense of helplessness and naivety. “Can we buy it here? What brand is good? Do we need to mix goat milk?”

“…”

After a pause, Ye Lin said: “I have some in the car.”

“Cat food?”

“Everything.”

After another pause, the man continued: “I went home this morning. My cat insisted on coming along, so I brought food in the car.”

“You mean I should get it from your car later? That’s not very polite.” Yan Man blinked and said, “Then I’ll come after I finish shooting?”

“…”

After a while, the man let out a breathy sound, like a laugh, but perhaps not.

Fleeting, she didn’t have time to see clearly.

She only saw him nod, his bangs moving slightly with the motion.

Ye Lin: “Contact me when you’re done shooting.”

She made an OK gesture: “Alright, no issues then. Go guide the next person.”

The cameraman arrived quickly. The man left the courtyard and headed to the next student’s shooting location. Soon, she heard cheers from next door.

“Teacher! Teacher, please sit!”

“I miss you so much, teacher!”

“Teacher, can you watch me act this scene? I really want to act with you, teacher!”

These boys, when it comes to idolizing stars, each one becomes more sentimental than the other.

Yan Man shrugged and began filming.

She filmed it once, passing in one take. Afterward, she watched it twice on the camera monitor, feeling the emotional impact was sufficient, so she didn’t reshoot.

Simon also said it was good: “Nice, you performed steadily. This scene is great.”

After packing up the equipment, Yan Man was heading out when she suddenly heard a commotion.

A group of people surged in.

Surrounded by everyone was Zhong Siyi, someone Yan Man recognized.

One of the hot favorites to win the competition, a celebrity with forty million Weibo followers whose fans were adept at generating data.

“Are you leaving already?” Zhong Siyi was surprised. “You’re done shooting?”

“Yeah, we started early,” Yan Man tilted her head. “Anything wrong?”

Zhong Siyi smiled. “Here’s the thing, the set I drew isn’t very good—it won’t produce the desired effect. I asked the director’s team, and they said it’s fine if the other party agrees.”

“Can I borrow your set to shoot?”

“Sure,” Yan Man replied, “Will the cameraman be yours or mine?”

“Mine is fine.”

Yan Man agreed and told the cameraman he could leave.

Remembering she needed to get cat food, not knowing where Ye Lin was now, she walked quickly with her head down. Zhong Siyi might have thought they had left directly, as the staff actually closed the gate.

Yan Man looked back, finding it strange but didn’t think much of it.

On her way back with the cat food, she passed by Zhong Siyi’s shooting courtyard and peeked inside.

Simon followed and said, “Her courtyard looks decent. Why did she specifically come to shoot here...”

Suddenly, Yan Man thought she heard a meow, quickened her pace, and pushed open the gate.

The people inside were startled. Zhong Siyi’s assistant, holding something, looked at her in surprise. “Why are you back?!”

“It’s my own courtyard, can’t I come back?” Yan Man found it amusing, pointing at the syringe in the assistant’s hand. “Are you catching the cat?”

…

She asked directly, causing a brief silence in the yard. Yan Man moved behind them. On the table, the little cat was trapped in a bag, tied to the window.

The assistant stuttered in explanation: “It’s just… the cat wandered in on its own.”

That timid cat, which hid deeper when it saw her, how could it possibly end up on the table surrounded by people?

She lowered her eyes and smiled.

A naturally graceful celebrity who was usually easy-going, but this smile was more of a sarcastic response to the clumsy excuse. It seemed she found exposing such a poor excuse a waste of time. Lazily untying the rope around the cat’s hind legs, she didn’t even bother questioning.

The cat, likely sedated, lay limply in her arms.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, one of Zhong Siyi’s staff stepped forward to smooth things over. “Teacher Yan, don’t be angry. It’s just a stray cat without an owner. Let’s not ruin the harmony.”

“Who said it doesn’t have an owner?” Yan Man held the cat in her arms. “I’m adopting this cat.”

…

The crew fell into an even longer silence. After a while, Yan Man glanced at the cat and said, “I’m not lending the courtyard anymore.”

After saying that, she stepped out of the gate, cradling the kitten in front of her. Simon took the key from the door and gestured for everyone to leave.

“Everyone should finish early and wrap up work early, right? I just remembered we shot a panoramic view here, which might affect Teacher Zhong’s performance.”

Zhong Siyi instinctively took a step forward.

This scene was crucial for her, yet no matter how she filmed it, she couldn’t achieve the desired effect. She was anxious. By chance, she recalled seeing a white kitten when she passed by here—it was fate. The cat matched the description in the script perfectly.

Thus, she came to Yan Man’s courtyard, hoping to use it as a reference to make her performance more realistic.

This way, the audience would recognize her more and give her a higher ranking. If she could secure the top spot, maybe she’d get a chance to act alongside Ye Lin.

She joined this program for Ye Lin, so she had to nail this short film.

To show him, to let him see her shining moments.

Realizing Zhong Siyi’s intentions, her agent finally spoke up.

Agent: “We’re doing this out of desperation. There are only a few hours left for shooting. This scene happens to be about a newly entered concubine being given a warning, killing the cat to intimidate her. We came early in the morning, shot a few scenes but couldn’t find the right effect. We figured it was due to the lack of a concrete reference, making the performance too superficial.”

“This place conveniently has a stray cat. Judging by its frail appearance, it might not survive the winter. Letting it have a hearty meal before departure might be a good thing for it?”

“If Miss Yan likes white cats, we’ll find you a better one later, with purebred certification.”

“This cat’s fur is matted, dirty. Miss Yan shouldn’t hold it anymore; it’ll soil her clothes.”

Between the lines, the meaning was still clear—they wanted that specific cat.

In this industry, who wouldn’t call her “Teacher” respectfully, reaching this position. Even if occasionally doing something immoral, those with less clout had to endure.

Being chased out like this was embarrassing.

Whether the scene was important or not became secondary. What mattered was suppression.

Yan Man: “I like this one.”

The agent still smiled: “If Siyi doesn’t shoot this scene well, no one can bear the consequences.”

This statement carried a hint of a smiling tiger’s threat, ostensibly negotiating but essentially pressuring. The superiority of traffic celebrities was fully displayed here, implying she should know when to stop and not be difficult.

Yan Man ignored them, opened the door, and was about to say something when someone beside her said the same thing.

Ye Lin: “If it’s not shot well, the only reason is the actor’s incompetence.”

…

No one expected Ye Lin to be standing outside the door. The agent immediately fell silent.

When it came to status, this influential figure in the industry was leagues above Zhong Siyi, whether in terms of acting skills or seniority. It was a level where Zhong Siyi wouldn’t even qualify as his supporting actor.

This circle was indeed brutal. Hearing Ye Lin’s stance, the staff immediately scrambled to move things out. Zhong Siyi stood there, stunned, her mind spinning.

Ye Lin came too? When did he arrive?

He probably doesn’t know this suggestion was made by her, right?

As a top-tier celebrity with forty million followers, although she didn’t have significant works, participating in this program was more than enough. She wouldn’t have come if she hadn’t known Ye Lin was here.

Even though she didn’t manage to join his group, she thought that securing first place and getting the customized script might give her a chance, right?

She still remembered the first day of recording. She deliberately knocked on his dressing room door, subtly expressing her admiration.

But the man merely kept his head down, reading the script, not uttering a word.

She didn’t even have time to enter before Bi Tan politely asked her to leave.

But now? He was actually speaking up for Yan Man? How long had he been standing there waiting at the door—for whom?

The drumbeat in her heart grew louder. An incredibly unbelievable thought popped into her mind—

Zhong Siyi burst out of the door, seeing the dazzling midday sunlight. Yan Man bent down and got into Ye Lin’s car.

The reflector in front was blinding, reflecting Zhong Siyi’s face drained of color.

Yan Man got into the car, still worried about the cat in her arms.

“Drive faster, please.”

Ye Lin glanced down; the small cat was nestled in her arms, completely limp but breathing steadily.

Unconsciously, he softened his tone a bit: “It’ll be fine.”

Yan Man was still skeptical about his words until they reached the hospital, where the doctor said it was just a reaction to anesthesia. Thankfully, the kitten wasn’t in any life-threatening danger.

Aside from malnutrition, there weren’t any significant issues.

Yan Man sighed in relief and sat outside while the doctor dewormed and cleaned the cat.

Unbeknownst to her, during this waiting period, the entertainment forum exploded again.

[Is anyone following ‘This Is Acting’? Something big happened during this episode’s filming!]

[During the pre-recorded short film lottery, Zhong Siyi drew a scene where a concubine witnesses her beloved cat’s death. She tried several times but couldn’t get it right, so she went to Yan Man’s courtyard to shoot it. It turns out she wanted to kill a stray cat on the spot to get into character better! Fortunately, Yan Man saved the cat and even adopted it.]

[Zhong Siyi’s team probably felt the pressure of the shoot and said they could send Yan Man a better-bred cat later. Yan Man didn’t even bother responding—she absolutely forbade them from touching it!]

[Later, Zhong Siyi’s agent sarcastically remarked that no one could take responsibility if she didn’t perform well. Then Ye Lin appeared out of nowhere and said poor acting is purely an issue of skill—so cool!]

[Absolutely true, a friend in the crew told me personally!]

The post quickly gained heat.

[??? Is this real or fake? What’s wrong with Zhong’s mind? Following this logic, would they have to commit murder for a murder scene?!]

[Where does she get this sense of superiority? A cat’s life isn’t a life? It’s just a scene—are you really that full of yourself?]

[I’ve heard Zhong has a bad reputation. Her entire team exudes arrogance. I heard that when shooting a magazine spread, she demanded local snacks to greet her. When the food got cold, she threw a diva tantrum saying she couldn’t eat it, claiming she was too hungry to work, forcing the staff to buy more in the freezing wind.]

Later, the original poster also shared a photo—a blurry candid shot where Yan Man’s face wasn’t visible, but you could vaguely see her cradling a small cat, her fingers supporting its head.

[A friend also told me that Yan Man treasures this outfit a lot, even using a napkin while eating because it’s a one-of-a-kind piece that can’t be bought anymore.]

[No wonder—I thought her clothes looked beautiful at first glance.]

[Even though she cherishes this outfit so much, she still willingly held a dirty stray cat in her arms T-T What kind of angelic fairy is she? I’m crying buckets.]

[She’s truly amazing! Didn’t someone mention a thread earlier? A sister who happened to be an extra said she was feeling a bit feverish that day, and Yan Man even ordered her a bottle of cold water!]

[Is she really that nice? You’re making me want to stan her.]

[5555 Yan is such a sweetheart!]

[Wait, an angel—you meant to say angel, not licking.]

[Teacher, will writing too much fan fiction about Yan-Ye make you like this?]

[Hahaha wait a sec! Just realized—the Ye Lin mentioned at the end of the post—is he the Ye Lin I think he is?]

And so, the post successfully veered off-topic, turning into another Yan-Ye shipping fest:

[Don’t kill me with your shipping! Coconut Grove! Why were you the first to appear there!!!]

[Do you understand what it means to be henpecked?!]

[He just doesn’t want anyone bullying his wife, do you understand his love?!?!]

[I really want to see some top-tier actors protecting their wives.]

[Since cats are such great beings, Ye Lin, why don’t you use this opportunity to chase after your wife?]

The CP stans were having the time of their lives. By the time the thread reached 520 replies, Yan Man had also successfully taken custody of Glutinous Rice.

Glutinous Rice was the name she had just given the little cat—a small, white bundle that looked soft and sticky, making the name perfectly fitting.

At first, the kitten was very shy, but after eating something at the hospital, it seemed to realize that Yan Man wouldn’t harm it. On the way back, it even licked her palm.

Ye Lin’s cat was also in the car.

The one he brought along was the Ragdoll from his profile picture—it looked aloof and distant, but unexpectedly, it was extremely clingy, staying close to him throughout the journey and calling out whenever it strayed a few steps away.

Yan Man: “I thought Ragdolls were supposed to be aloof and distant, not paying attention to people.”

After all, it looked noble, and at first glance, she thought it resembled Ye Lin.

“No,” the man said, “Ragdolls are very clingy.”

So it only looked aloof, but in reality, it was very dependent on those it was close to?

Yan Man: “What’s its name?”

“Tissue.”

Yan Man paused: “Does it have any special meaning?”

“No,” he replied, “On its first day home, it shredded all the tissues in the house.”

“…”

How convenient of you to name it that.

The car ride was long, and once it felt safe, Glutinous Rice, lying in Yan Man’s arms, gradually began sniffing around.

The two cats sniffed each other’s noses and surprisingly got along well, eventually even cuddling up to sleep together.

Since the adoption was urgent and Yan Man hadn’t bought a cat carrier yet, luckily Ye Lin had one, and he placed both cats inside.

After getting out of the car, Yan Man followed him into Ye Lin’s room.

Mainly because she was new to cat care and didn’t know how to start. Plus, Ye Lin had experience, and she heard his room already had a cat bed set up, so she wanted to check it out.

After letting the two cats out, Ye Lin turned to her and said: “After getting a cat, make sure to keep the windows and balcony doors closed.”

“I know that,” she pointed to the bag, “What about a cat tree?”

“Buy one that fits the cat’s size.”

“Should I get a cat bed?”

“You can,” he paused, “but they’d rather sleep in a cardboard box.”

“…”

They chatted for over half an hour. When it was time to leave, they discovered Glutinous Rice, full and content, had fallen asleep next to his cat.

“Glutinous Rice, Tissue,” Yan Man suddenly came up with a CP name, “Glutinous Paper.”

Ye Lin: “...”

She didn’t know why she came up with a CP name here either. After thinking about it, she couldn’t bear to wake them up.

It must have been a long time since it had a good, full meal and rest.

“My place doesn’t have anything ready yet. Can they stay here tonight? I’ll pick them up after I get everything prepared,” Yan Man said, “It’ll give me a few days to get ready.”

“That’s fine.”

And so, she returned to her room. After waiting through a few hours, took a shower, and thought about Glutinous Rice.

She opened the chat window and sent a message to Ye Lin.

[Miss it.]

[Is it okay?]

[Send me a video to see.]

Upon seeing the first word of the message, the man sat up from his bed.

After reading the rest, he slowly lay back down.

Soon, Yan Man received a reply.

Ye Lin: [Come over and see.]

She got up and went to the neighboring room. As he just opened the door, Yan Man noticed his slightly rumpled bedsheet.

“Did you sleep?”

Ye Lin glanced at her: “What?”

She shook her head, “Nothing, I just didn’t expect a young person to sleep before ten.”

“…”

Glutinous Rice had woken up and was now playing with Tissue. Yan Man crouched to watch them, occasionally reaching out to pet them, smiling warmly.

Her hair was too long, so she brushed it aside, revealing a large expanse of fair skin on her back under her nightgown.

Perhaps because she had just showered, her shoulder blades still carried a faint blush.

The man swallowed hard and averted his gaze.

Yan Man played with them for a while, feeling it was time, and then stood up: “Alright, there’s a competition tomorrow. I should go back.”

But just as she reached the door, Glutinous Rice pulled at her skirt with its paw.

She tapped its nose: “What? Do you want me to sleep here?”

“I need to go back to my own room,” she said, “I’ll come pick you up in a couple of days.”

After soothing Glutinous Rice for a bit, Yan Man finally left. Ye Lin, head down, was typing something. Once she returned to her room, she received a long list from him.

Pet supplies, snacks, hairball paste, toys.

Yan Man replied with a thank-you, put on a face mask, and began preparing for tomorrow’s competition.

The finals of “This Is Acting” moved to a larger venue. Three hours before the live broadcast, it trended on hot searches.

Everyone was placing bets—who would win tonight’s championship?

In Zhong Siyi’s dressing room, the atmosphere was tense.

Her manager was speaking softly: “That post about the cat incident has blown up quite a bit, but the company has already cleaned it up. Tonight, you must stay calm. If reporters ask, just say you’re unaware of the matter, okay?”

The post had a significant impact, causing her to lose tens of thousands of followers within hours. Luckily, the company acted quickly, and the team bought some followers to compensate.

Additionally, her dedicated fans quickly whitewashed the situation, saying there was no solid evidence and rumors shouldn’t be trusted—they could fabricate thousands of similar stories… This way, they barely managed to suppress the uproar.

However, a potential snack endorsement deal had slipped away.

It was impossible not to be affected. Now, every time she saw Yan Man, her palms would sweat.

The manager asked again: “Are you listening?”

“Yes…” she said, “I know.”

“Mm, tonight’s □□ also participated in some operations. Don’t be too nervous. As long as you don’t mess up and nothing major happens, it should be secure.”

“…Okay.”

There were six actors divided into three groups of two for head-to-head competitions. Fortunately, Yan Man wasn’t paired against her.

Yan Man’s performance tonight was as stable as ever. Playing a girl suffering from domestic violence, her emotions fluctuated widely, but she hit every mark accurately. Especially the last three identical lines—each delivered with different emotions.

Even as a competitor, even as her rival, Zhong Siyi had to admit that Yan Man performed exceptionally well in this scene.

Besides the mentors, the live chat was filled with praise:

[Finally free at the end—those three identical lines about leaving home seem the same, but they actually represent relaxation, lingering affection because they’re family, and acceptance of the situation. Her line delivery skills are truly commendable.]

[A drug enforcement officer turned acting fan—after binge-watching the previous episodes, I can only say her performances never cease to amaze me.]

[She’s such a good actress. When she portrayed the injury scene, I cried along with her...]

Finally, it was her turn to perform. Zhong Siyi took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt, put on a smile, and walked back onto the stage.

Zhong Siyi was still popular. Despite the incidents, many fans remained unaware, and some believed it was slander from competitors.

[Siyi’s here!]

[Excited for tonight’s little fairy~]

[Yi Jian Zhong Qing, morning thoughts, evening dreams—Sisi, go for it!]

She was somewhat distracted tonight and didn’t get into character immediately. Fortunately, she managed to cry convincingly during the crying scene, which was considered normal performance.

Her advantage in this scene was her outward expression of emotions, making it easier for the audience to feel them compared to Yan Man’s role.

To put it simply, her role was easier to play—Yan Man’s role was incredibly difficult.

Soon, the voting channel opened and closed exactly ten minutes later.

After rounds of eliminations, only Yan Man and Zhong Siyi remained on stage.

The live chat was ablaze with discussion:

[Actresses standing tall!]

[That must be Yan Man winning by a landslide—no contest.]

[What nonsense are you talking about? Clearly, Siyi performed better.]

Thus, the live chat erupted into two opposing viewpoints until the screen displayed both vote counts.

Zhong Siyi: 51,765,568.

[50 million?? Zhong Siyi??]

[Stable, stable—this win is guaranteed!]

The screen went black again, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.

Yan Man: 51,765,568.

The live chat had to look several times before confirming: [A tie?!]

[Wow, the votes are exactly the same??]

[This must be a setup! Even if your eyes were on your butt, you’d know whose acting was better. If Zhong Siyi has 50 million votes, Yan Man should have 80 million!]

[Everyone, calm down... Don’t forget tonight’s rules—the video platform needs daily active users too.]

[Oh right, completing tasks can earn multiple votes! And Zhong Siyi’s fans were scrambling everywhere, asking people they knew to vote. I saw many doing that! Yan Man’s fanbase is more stable—basically all her votes are from actual fans, and the rest are from casual viewers.]

[…I knew it. Zhong Siyi’s votes are inflated, but Yan Man’s aren’t. Her fans are very rational, and she has an enormous casual viewer base!]

[Also, Zhong Siyi has been in the industry for a long time. Viewers who recognize her face but don’t know who’s who might blindly vote for her.]

[Well, let’s see what the production team says.]

The host was also startled by the screen, laughing to ease the tension: “So this really shows our voting process is transparent. The backstage directly gave us the data, cleared it, and released it. Everyone, please stay calm while the director’s team discusses the final solution.”

After more than ten minutes of discussion, the staff brought stools, signaling the two could sit for a while.

The heat in the live stream continued rising, and Weibo’s trending topics exploded.

There was only one trophy prepared, and the custom script couldn’t be filmed by two people. How to arrange this became a dilemma.

The camera panned to Zhong Siyi, who was anxiously waiting, her gaze fixed, throat tight, fingers gripping her skirt.

Her company intervened, and her fans cared deeply about today’s numbers… She never expected that after so much effort, she would end up tied with Yan Man, who had only been in the industry for a few months and whose fanbase was more laid-back.

The camera shifted to Yan Man. She shared the same personality as her fans; at this moment, she was resting her head on her hand, yawning.

Seeing the camera on her, she quickly straightened up.

[Yan Man! Is this the time to be sleepy?!]

[Hahahaha, I’m dying laughing.]

[Awwwww, cute little pig. Who loves you? Oh, it’s me again.]

[Man: Can we hurry up? I want to go back to sleep.]

[Ye Lin’s other name: Sleep.]

For some reason, after showing Yan Man, the cameraman turned to Ye Lin.

[You’re so understanding.]

Just as the CP stans were about to start shipping, a voice came from the stage.

Perhaps tired of the prolonged discussion, Zhong Siyi suggested: “I have a small idea. Could the director’s team consider it?”

Host: “Please share.”

Zhong Siyi: “Since the live performance ended in a tie, and we must determine a winner, recreating the set would consume significant manpower and resources. Moreover, everyone considers this the finals—it’s neither appropriate nor reasonable to broadcast live again.”

“In that case, there’s only one alternative: similar to a pre-recorded short film.”

“Teacher Yan Man and I will each shoot a micro-movie simultaneously. Both films will premiere on the platform, with a like button available. Whoever gets more likes will be the winner.”

“If, by any chance, the likes are tied again, then comments and online discussions will decide.”

Clearly unwilling to offend anyone or take responsibility, the director’s team found Zhong Siyi’s suggestion feasible after brief deliberation.

“What about Manman?”

“Me?” Yan Man blinked, her eyes moist from yawning, “I’m fine with anything.”

“Alright, it’s settled. We’ll give you one week for filming, and the short films will premiere at 8 PM one week from now,” announced the director. “Please keep an eye out for notifications. Thank you all for your patience and support.”

“And the co-stars?” Zhong Siyi asked, “Do we choose them now?”

Director: “Yes.”

“I’ll choose someone similar to me—Xi Jin, who also has 40 million Weibo followers.”

Zhong Siyi turned her head: “What about Manman?”

By now, Yan Man had suppressed her drowsiness: “Then I’ll choose someone similar too—Shao Wei, are you free?”

Shao Wei also had around 10 million followers, similar to her.

From below the stage, Shao Wei happily gave an OK sign.

The live chat erupted even more fiercely:

[Man, don’t be so honest! Shao Wei’s skills can’t match yours!]

[Zhong Siyi is so calculating... Clearly suggesting something advantageous for herself. At least she has many works under her belt. Together, they have 80 million followers—four times Yan Man’s side.]

[And she deliberately said to choose someone similar, implying Yan Man should do the same.]

[Exactly! After she said that, Yan Man couldn’t possibly say Ye Lin, right?]

[Don’t worry, 23333. I think Manman doesn’t care about her co-star. Give her some confidence—she can definitely do it!]

[I know she can! But sometimes initial conditions matter! Isn’t competition supposed to be fair? How can they compete when the basic conditions are different?!]

[It’s mainly Zhong—her insinuations are disgusting.]

[Those criticizing Zhong Siyi, come on, wouldn’t you fight for opportunities at work? Ever heard of self-recommendation? People naturally seek benefits and avoid harm—it’s normal, unless you’re a saint.]

…

That night, the discussion volume tripled compared to the previous season. Almost everyone’s Weibo homepage and social media feeds were buzzing about this.

The video app’s downloads skyrocketed to number one.

The six-person PK fast-forwarded to a two-person PK—a veteran top actress versus a rising starlet, making it hard not to anticipate.

Meanwhile, capitalizing on Yan Man’s built-in popularity, several variety shows approached her.

Yan Man didn’t have time to discuss this with Simon. For the audience, it was just entertainment, but for her, it was another challenging role.

This time, it was a period drama.

And a fantasy wuxia series.

She had never filmed one before.

Moreover, the character’s starting age was young, spanning a wide range. In just over ten minutes, she had to portray ages from 16 to 25.

She studied the script even while eating, researching how to perform in wuxia dramas.

Despite these challenges, she was genuinely excited because she loved the script and always felt invigorated by challenging projects.

Three days of preparation passed, and on the fourth day, filming began.

The makeup and hairstyling took a long time. After finishing, Yan Man admired her headdress, finding it fresh and beautiful, and couldn’t resist touching it.

As soon as she opened the door and saw Ye Lin’s face, she was momentarily stunned.

Bi Tan: “His avatar is him, unsatisfied?”

“...”

She looked at Ye Lin, surprised: “Why are you…”

Ye Lin: “Here to watch you act.”

“Ah,” Yan Man suddenly realized something, “Teacher Zhong Siyi’s mentor also went, right?”

The man paused briefly before responding: “Mm.”

Though he came first, Zhong Siyi’s mentor also arrived upon hearing about it.

She nodded, accepting this arrangement.

Whether called by the production team or spontaneously, it didn’t matter. With Ye Lin here, she indeed felt safer.

After waiting a bit, Shao Wei also finished his makeup and walked out.

Shao Wei’s acting was indeed average, but his face was good-looking. His ancient costume well-masked the disproportionate forehead, making his proportions appear better.

Yan Man nodded: “Not bad, your ancient costume look.”

Shao Wei blushed slightly: “You look beautiful too.”

“Alright, let’s rehearse,” Yan Man patted the script. “They’re preparing over there; we should be able to start soon.”

“Okay.”

Today’s first scene was a confession.

Yan Man decided to start with this scene, extending her hand to place her “inner core” into Shao Wei’s palm.

Her palm rested on Shao Wei’s, putting down the script, and she looked up at him: “Do you know I like you? It started very early, a long time ago.”

...

Shao Wei glanced at the script, looked up, and was about to deliver his lines when suddenly, he seemed to see something, startling him. He quickly withdrew his hand from under Yan Man’s and covered his lips.

Yan Man noticed his dilated pupils: “What’s wrong?”

Shao Wei: “I... I... You... You...”

“Look at Teacher Ye’s expression... It’s terrifying...”