Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 313, Section 314: A Difficult Challenge from a Music Senior

The sound from Director Xiao Fang's walkie-talkie hadn't faded yet.

On the winding, narrow rural cement road, a dusty, ordinary Japanese sedan came into view.

Xiao Fang had met Lin Xiao in town with the director, Lutdan, and recognized the car as his.

Xiao Fang's eyes widened with excitement.

Good heavens, the savior has finally arrived! The super-duper top star, the last hope of this season's show—Mayor Lin, finally managed to arrive late at 4:38 PM in his beat-up little car, despite his busy schedule.

Xiao Fang almost burst into tears when she saw the metal car bouncing along the mountain road.

Good heavens!
If Mayor Lin doesn't come soon, he'll be driven crazy by his wife's leisurely vacation lifestyle.

From picking up Han Xixi this morning until now, the total filming time is more than six hours, but the footage used may not exceed 30 minutes.

If this style continues, the first episode is doomed.

Fortunately, Lin Xiao arrived in time, and today's filming could still be saved.

Xiao Fang regrouped and made a comeback.

In the footage, Lin Xiao's car came to a steady stop at the gate of the courtyard, and then a person got out of the car in a flurry.

Unlike the other guests who were refined, handsome, and fair-skinned.

Lin Xiao was wearing a work polo shirt and casual trousers, with a pair of domestically made sports shoes on his feet.

His attire was very much in line with his status as town mayor, but it had nothing to do with his age of less than thirty, showing absolutely no sense of fashion or youthful vigor.

It's one thing to dress in an outdated way.

As the camera panned to a close-up, Lin Xiao in the video had messy short hair, an oily face, and large bags under his eyes, making him look like he hadn't slept for days.

Looking at his entire face, Xiao Fang was almost unrecognizable; the confident and spirited demeanor he displayed at the last press conference was now completely gone.

The staff were all dumbfounded.

Is this still a guest recording a show?

This must be some migrant worker who went to the wrong place!
When Xiao Fang saw Mayor Lin looking so travel-worn and down-to-earth, he had a bad feeling.

This premonition is very likely to become a reality.

In the scene, Lin Xiao strode into the house, and Han Xixi came out of the house to greet him when she heard the noise.

"You're back~" Han Xixi said with a smile in her bright eyes, her tone calm.

"Ah."

Lin Xiao calmly agreed and sat down on the bamboo stool by the door.

Han Xixi poured a glass of water over.

Lin Xiao took the cup, gulped it down in one go, and then handed it back.

"Want some more?" Xixi asked.

"I'm not drinking anymore," Lin Xiao replied.

Xi Xi nodded, put the water glass back in the living room, took out a large palm-leaf fan, and sat down on the other side of the door.

The couple remained silent, each gazing quietly into the distance, like two guardian deities.

Xiao Fang, who was off-camera, was stunned once again.

"This...this...these two haven't seen each other for half a day, and after finally reuniting, they barely exchanged twenty words before running out of things to say...is this reasonable?"

Xiao Fang was speechless.

He had been working with director Rutgerdan on variety shows for a while now. He had seen people on the show who were incredibly tactful and had excellent control over the situation, people with histrionic personalities who could say whatever they wanted to people, people who used their seniority to bully newcomers, and newcomers who tried all sorts of attention-grabbing tactics to get ahead and steal the spotlight...

A small lens captures the myriad aspects of life in the entertainment industry.

However, Xiao Fang had seen so many people, but she had never seen this couple before. The man didn't care about his image, and the woman had no sense of crisis at all. The couple acted as if they were living an ordinary life in their own home, without any intention of putting on an act!

That's not all; Xiao Fang even praised the young couple for their genuine personalities.

But the key is.

Judging from the current atmosphere between the two, Xiao Fang simply cannot believe that this is the loving couple who fell in love at first sight and got married in a flash, as rumored online.

"No one's saying anything. Do these two really have feelings for each other...?"

Xiao Fang now has serious doubts.

Of course, his biggest concern was the recording of the program.

Judging from the current pace of the young couple, this group of guests has no highlights or sparks. If this continues, the recording may fall apart!

But Xiao Fang had no way to solve it.

If other guests did the same, Xiao Fang, as the group director, had the right to interrupt the recording and provide guidance to the guests according to the script.

They can create a climax even if there isn't one.

But this couple made it clear in black and white before the recording that they would not accept the scripted arrangements.

So no matter how anxious Xiao Fang is, there's nothing she can do right now.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and keep recording.

In the footage, the couple sat for about five minutes before finally speaking again.

"Did you have lunch?" Lin Xiao asked this time.

"have eaten."

"What to eat?"

Tomato and egg noodles.

"you made it yourself?"

"Of course, there's no takeout here!"

Han Xixi made a playful gesture.

Lin Xiao smiled naturally.

Under the bright setting sun, the young couple were bathed in a golden glow, creating an atmosphere of inexplicable harmony.

Xiao Fang's eyes lit up.

My restless heart, which had been anxious just moments before, was inexplicably calmed down by this scene.

He felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

At the entrance of a residential house.

Lin Xiao and Han Xixi sat on either side of each other like door gods, showing no intimacy whatsoever, and their conversation was only casual and disjointed.

Lin Xiao asked about lunch, then after a pause, Han Xixi asked about work.

Then the conversation turned to children, housework, and eventually even to buying diapers and formula...

Director Xiao Fang was dumbfounded again, off-camera.

"No, these two really came here to settle down?!"

Xiao Fang inwardly grumbled.

But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he felt as if he had slapped himself in the face.

The variety show "Longing for Married Life" claimed to showcase the most authentic married life when it was officially announced for its first season, emphasizing authenticity.

Now, Lin Xiao and Han Xixi's brief chat has inexplicably perfectly illustrated the original intention of the program.

But...

Saying something is one thing, doing it is another.

Just like "studying hard" is absolutely true, but what's popular in society today is the idea that studying is useless. People think that you're stuck in your parents' social class, and no matter how high your degree is, you can't break through.

Applying this to variety shows...

Regardless of the original intention or the promotional highlights, once the recording begins, it's all about generating buzz and creating sensational moments. Setting up a script is the most basic requirement. Some programs even disregard human life and engage in dangerous designs and plans just to make the show more exciting and attractive.

Social responsibility and truthful portrayal are all bullshit.

Traffic and hype are the top priorities.

Although Xiao Fang did not agree with this point, from the perspective of a variety show personality, the scenes and content presented by the young couple in front of him were really devoid of any highlights or originality.

If it weren't for Lin Xiao's large fan base and Han Xixi's high popularity...

Xiao Fang wished she could cut all the footage from this afternoon and make them "disappear" from the first episode.

But of course he couldn't do that.

The material about these two ancestors should not only be preserved, but also used as the focus and showcase of the first phase, for in-depth dissemination and comprehensive presentation.

Xiao Fang can only pray now: that Mayor Lin will pull himself together and quickly "stir up" something, so that he won't treat this house like his own home anymore.

Xiao Fang's expectations were ultimately dashed.

From 5 p.m. until the filming ended at 9 p.m., Lin Xiao remained in a half-dead state, just like when he appeared in the afternoon.

Throughout the entire process, he did not show any initiative or enthusiasm. Even as an "ordinary person," facing so many cameras, he did not show the slightest bit of nervousness, remaining as calm as if he were returning to his mother's home.

As a marriage observation variety show, if the husband is laid down, the wife naturally can't cause any trouble.

Moreover, Ms. Han Xixi deeply practices the principle of "the wife follows the husband's lead," and acts entirely in accordance with her husband's style, maintaining a calm and undisturbed demeanor.

They are a young couple, both under 30, but they live like a golden wedding anniversary couple who have been together for a lifetime.

When they discussed having dinner, this is how it went:
"What are we having for dinner?" Lin Xiao asked.

"What would you like to eat?" Han Xixi replied.

"I'll eat whatever you do."

"I'll make it. Tomato and egg noodles will do."

"Eating soup noodles in the middle of summer? Isn't that too hot?"

"Then I'll rinse the noodles in cold water and make tomato and egg noodles?"

"Well, yes."

After dinner, the couple's demeanor was like this:
"Are you full?" Han Xixi asked.

"I am full."

"Then you wash the dishes!"

Why should I wash?

"I've already cooked!"

"Oh, that makes sense..."

"but?"

"But I'm tired today!"

"Okay, I'll wash up then. You go take a shower and go to bed!"

"Okay, thank you, honey. Love you~"

"Don't love me, it won't work."

After Han Xixi finished washing the dishes and returned to the bedroom, the scene looked like this:
"Haa~ Hoa~ Haa~ Hoa~"

Mayor Lin, wearing only a vest and shorts, lay sprawled on the bed, already asleep.

Han Xixi was completely used to this style of expression, and her face remained expressionless.

After turning off the main lights, I washed up, cleaned, and went through a tedious skincare routine, interspersed with half an hour of reading.

It was quiet until nine o'clock, then I turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Xiao Fang off-camera: My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, has finally died.

He spent the entire afternoon and evening looking forward to it, even making wishes and performing rituals to bring some fresh conversations and scenes to the couple.

There was nothing.

They're not even as good as many couples who are having relationship problems, let alone a couple deeply in love. After all, if they were to actually argue on a TV show, it would definitely be a highlight and generate a lot of buzz, and the ratings would definitely be high!

But these two are clearly two monks who have obtained a marriage certificate!
Xiao Fang simply couldn't hold it in any longer.

He told the entire crew to wrap up work, and without even having dinner, he rushed to the director Rutgerdan's room to launch into a tirade of complaints and grievances.

As expected, Director Lu completely ignored him.

The final result was: let them be, don't worry about it!

Xiao Fang was furious, just like a clown who went to the teacher to tattle and then got a scolding in return.

However, after going through this ordeal, he finally understood.

Even if Lin Xiao and Han Xixi perform poorly, they are still the gamblers and top students of this season, even if their status is not as high as the other two groups.

Therefore, the production team cannot and should not abandon them.

We can only do our best to protect it.

Having grasped this point, Xiao Fang quickly processed his emotions and changed his perspective, deciding that no matter how much Lin Xiao and his wife slack off, he would still do his filming work diligently.

When he lay in bed at night doing this kind of mental preparation, he felt like a white lotus flower that emerged from the mud, untainted by its surroundings.

The next morning, Xiao Fang regrouped and set off again.

When he arrived at the film set, reality gave him another rude awakening—Mayor Lin was busy with official duties and hadn't even had breakfast before going to work overtime!
Xiao Fang was dumbfounded.

It's worth noting that the first three seasons were filmed on weekdays, from Tuesday to Thursday.

Because celebrities' schedules are not arranged according to workdays, and since they have taken on this variety show, participating in the recording is their most important job, and other jobs have to take a backseat.

The production team chose to film on a weekday to avoid the weekend and prevent large crowds from gathering.

The reason why the recording time for this season was chosen to be from Friday to Sunday was to accommodate Mayor Lin's schedule as an office worker.

At the time, Lutdan had a backup plan and suggested to Lin Xiao that if his work conflicted with filming, the production team could come to his work location to participate in the filming. Lin Xiao readily agreed.

Today, Mayor Lin was supposed to work overtime, but when the production team suggested filming him, he said that his overtime task was to be inspected by the superior supervisory team, which had strict confidentiality requirements, so filming was not allowed.

Xiao Fang: "???"

At this point, Xiao Fang's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

"This is so unfair... Mom, I want to go home!!"

Xiao Fang was crying uncontrollably inside.

However, this time, he wasn't the only one who felt deeply humiliated; the other two groups of guests also felt the same way.

Today is the second day of recording.

The theme of the recording was: three groups of guests visiting each other's homes and having lunch together.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this process design.

After all, the three groups of guests joined Dafeng Village as "new villagers," so it's only natural for them to visit each other and get to know one another on their second day.

In the first three seasons, the three couples lived together, and the sparks that flew between the six people were much greater than if the three groups were separated.

This season, at the request of Mayor Lin, a new format has been established, with the three groups of guests living separately. The program also focuses more on exploring the way couples get along, rather than the interpersonal relationships between couples.

Theoretically speaking, this season's format is actually more in line with the show's theme.

However, in reality, having the three groups of guests live separately will result in fewer sparks and more interesting moments, putting the production team's management skills and the guests' performance abilities to the test.

In order to allow the audience to quickly switch to the new mode.

Today's visit to other programs plays a crucial role in connecting the past and the future in the new program.

The other two groups of guests took it very seriously, preparing gifts in advance and dressing up carefully before heading out after breakfast.

result.

Mayor Lin has abandoned his post again.

Even Han Xixi felt embarrassed. She could only apologize repeatedly to the guests who had come from afar. As a person, she had no choice but to force herself to stand up and do the work of entertaining guests.

What's even more embarrassing is.

The other two groups of guests were more prestigious and had higher status than her, and one of the male guests was a judge when she participated in "The Voice of China".

Although he wasn't her mentor, he was a senior who witnessed her rise from obscurity to winning the championship.

This guy is called Jiang Feng. He's from Jingzhou, a veteran rocker, has a sleazy appearance, likes to wear leather pants, and his overall image is pretty bad.

However, this same man is incredibly promiscuous, having married and divorced multiple times. Yet, the fame of his wives has only grown, and now she is Zhang Yi, one of the top five international film actresses in mainland China.

This is sufficient proof of how successful Jiang Feng is in his career.

His representative works are too numerous to count on two hands. Putting aside his personal style and image, his status is not only in the rock circle, but also in the mainland music scene.

This was the first time Han Xixi had met Jiang Feng since "The Voice of China" ended.

But it wasn't on a music program, but on a reality show that observes married life, which was quite dramatic and surreal.

Han Xixi was very embarrassed.

After achieving fame and success, what people fear most is encountering those who helped them. They feel awkward about being arrogant, yet unwilling to be humble. This makes them feel very uncomfortable about their self-positioning.

Han Xixi doesn't like to put on airs, but Jiang Feng does.

So she felt very uncomfortable.

"Wow, your Lin is quite the talent. He's recording a show while also keeping up with his regular job, and he even writes and releases songs in his spare time. He's making money from three sources at once. Is he aiming to become the richest man in the country?" Jiang Feng said sarcastically after the four guests sat down in the room and had only exchanged a few words.

The atmosphere immediately became somewhat awkward after those words were spoken.

Jiang Feng's wife, Zhang Yi, is a very ambitious woman, but because of her excessive ambition, the public doesn't have a good impression of her.

So in order to win back public favor, she has recently been trying to cultivate a virtuous wife persona.

Hearing that her ugly husband had suddenly fallen ill, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes and said gently, "That's called having many skills. Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand."

As she spoke, she smiled and gave Jiang Feng a gentle push, making it look like a loving interaction between husband and wife, but in reality, she pinched him hard with her fingers.

Jiang Feng winced in pain but endured it.

Han Xixi originally wanted to flatter Senior Jiang Feng, but seeing that he was rather unfriendly to her husband, she knew that if she flattered him, she would inevitably have to suppress Lin Xiao.

She was very unwilling.

So they quickly abandoned this set of hypocritical actions and chose to let this strange emotion land hard.

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.

Another couple, Jiang Xiaofei and Du Yanfang, took the initiative to smooth things over, and the conversation shifted to other topics, making the atmosphere lively again.

Everyone walked around, chatted, and looked around.

Before long, it was 11 o'clock.

The three groups decided to prepare lunch at Lin Xiao and Han Xixi's house.

Zhang Yi wanted to portray herself as a virtuous wife, so she volunteered to cook, with Du Yanfang assisting and Han Xixi, the hostess, naturally helping out throughout the process.

Two men were having an awkward conversation outside.

An hour later, a sumptuous lunch was served, just as Lin Xiao returned.

"Oh, what a distinguished guest! I'm so sorry for not greeting you properly!"

Lin Xiao greeted them warmly, as he was in his own home and needed to maintain the demeanor of a host.

The three women's eyes lit up as soon as they saw him arrive.

Han Xixi, of course, needs no introduction. Despite being an "i" person, she tried her best to pretend to be an "e" person all morning.

Her mental state had long been pushed to its limit.

She was going crazy if her husband didn't come soon.

The other two women's eyes lit up, purely out of admiration for Lin Xiao.

Both of them have achieved great success in their careers, but as women, they can't escape their gossipy and admiring nature.

Lin Xiao's financial resources are far inferior to those of legendary singer Jiang Feng and wealthy second-generation Jiang Xiaofei.

But when it comes to personal charisma, those two ugly women combined don't even amount to half of him.

After all, not everyone can write a dozen classic songs at such a young age and single-handedly make their fledgling singer wife famous.

The key point is that this was just something he did casually in his spare time.

Songwriting is just a side job for Lin Xiao, but his achievements surpass those of 99% of full-time musicians.

This is equivalent to using one's hobby to overthrow the entire music scene.

So domineering, who wouldn't love it?

Moreover, Lin Xiao has not neglected his primary job; his dedication to working at the grassroots level demonstrates his unwavering faith and compassion for the world.

Most importantly, he's also handsome.

He's even more handsome than 90% of male celebrities.

A man with top-notch looks, character, and abilities, even if he's a little less wealthy, is enough to make 99% of women's hearts flutter.

If Zhang Yi and Du Yanfang had a choice, they would definitely not choose their wealthy husbands, but would firmly choose Lin Xiao instead.

Unfortunately, they were unlucky and never met him.

So I had to settle for second best and choose a partner based on wealth and status as the hard criteria, which led me to my current unattractive husband.

It brings tears to my eyes.

As soon as Lin Xiao entered, Zhang Yi and Du Yanfang couldn't hide their admiration, which made the other two men quite anxious.

After exchanging greetings, we took our seats.

Jiang Feng was the first to challenge, jokingly saying, "Mayor Lin, you are both the host of this village and the master of this house, yet you arrived so late. Isn't that a bit insincere in your hospitality?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three women changed.

Han Xixi was unable to speak.

The other two women, mindful of the cameras, and not wanting to stand up for someone else's husband, simply smiled knowingly and remained silent.

Lin Xiao was already getting ready to start eating.

Hearing Jiang Feng's words, she keenly sensed the malice in his joke and raised an eyebrow.

"Brother Feng is right!"

Lin Xiao smiled brightly, appearing both enthusiastic and unintentional, "It was my poor hospitality; I should punish myself with three drinks!"

He wholeheartedly accepted the punishment, after all, he had been late yesterday and asked for leave today, which was indeed inadequate.

After saying this, he poured three glasses of wine and drank them down in one gulp.

"Mayor Lin is so generous!" Jiang Xiaofei immediately changed his opinion of Lin Xiao, his expression becoming pleasant.

Several women immediately chimed in.

Lin Xiao quickly waved his hand and said, "Everyone, please don't call me 'Mayor,' it makes me hesitant to respond. We're in our free time now, and we're all friends and neighbors. Xi Xi and I are a little younger, so please call us by our names, it'll sound more friendly!"

These words were spoken gently, which made Zhang Yi and Du Yanfang smile even more brightly, and they quickly agreed.

Then everyone chattered and discussed the terms of address for a long time.

Ultimately, they decided not to use his real name, as it would seem too formal. Instead, they called Guan Linxiao "Teacher Ma," which came from his famous pseudonym "Ma Yao," making it sound both playful and friendly.

Han Xixi was naturally called "Xixi".

Once the titles were settled, the atmosphere at the table became even more cheerful. The simple-minded rich second-generation Jiang Xiaofei immediately ditched his allies and joined this harmonious family.

So, out of the six people at the table, Jiang Feng was left standing alone, looking awkward and out of place.

Jiang Feng is a singer and has absolutely no talent for acting.

This was his first time appearing on a variety show, and he was forced to come by his wife.

Given his status in the entertainment industry, he already felt that appearing on variety shows was beneath him. Now, his spotlight and popularity have been stolen by this young upstart, Lin Xiao, and even his wife is showing obvious signs of infidelity.

Jiang Feng felt a faint green glow emanating from his head, how could he not be angry? He immediately lost face.

"Xiao Lin!"

Jiang Feng broke the lively and harmonious atmosphere at the table and spoke again.

The moment this title was uttered, everyone's expression changed.

Everyone had just given Lin Xiao a humorous nickname, but this guy insisted on being annoying and addressed everyone as "Little Lin" with the attitude of a senior.

The malice implied in those two words couldn't be clearer.

For a moment, no one spoke. A hint of impatience flashed in Zhang Yi's eyes, but she quickly switched to a gentle smile befitting a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Lin Xiao remained calm and composed.

This show was a sponsorship he brought to Starlight Town, and he would never overturn the table unless absolutely necessary.

So even though he noticed Senior Jiang's provocation.

He always had a bright smile and listened attentively.

“Yes, Teacher Jiang,” Lin Xiao replied.

"You're so late, are you just going to punish yourself with three drinks?" Jiang Feng chuckled.

"So, what does Teacher Jiang mean?"

"I didn't mean to cause trouble!"

Jiang Feng first issued a statement of acquittal.

Everyone immediately understood: Yes, he was deliberately trying to cause trouble.

Jiang Feng laughed and said, "Your three cups of self-punishment just now were your self-punishment for being late as the male head of this household, but as the mayor of Starlight Town, you are also late in receiving us guests who have come from afar... Shouldn't you also punish yourself once?"

Lin Xiao smiled but didn't say anything.

Jiang Xiaofei quickly smoothed things over: "No need, Teacher Ma is busy with work, it's not like she didn't come on purpose..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Feng interrupted, "He's busy with his work as town mayor, but receiving us is also part of his duties. He can't possibly neglect one thing while focusing on the other, can he?"

Although Jiang Xiaofei wasn't very bright, he understood that Jiang Feng was deliberately picking a fight.

So he stopped talking.

The women hesitated to express their opinions, their expressions somewhat awkward.

Lin Xiao, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

I anticipated various problems during the recording of the variety show, but I didn't expect to be targeted on the very first day.

He wasn't angry at all.

Jiang Feng is a man of true character; he has earned his current position through his own abilities.

If his creative ability were any less, or if he had fewer representative works, with his emotional intelligence, he would have been blacklisted from the entertainment industry a hundred times over!
Lin Xiao laughed and said, "Brother Feng is right. I was indeed very rude today and I have to accept the punishment... Why don't you tell me how I should be punished?"

This sincere attitude pleased Jiang Feng, and he smiled smugly.

"That's easy, doesn't Xiaolin also do music composition part-time?"

"Ok?"

Jiang Xiaofei chuckled, "Old Jiang, you don't mean you want him to write a song on the spot, do you?"

Jiang Feng waved his hand and smiled: "Songwriting is a serious matter, how can it be used as punishment? What I mean is, Xiao Lin has a very popular hit song recently, and since the atmosphere is so good now, why don't you sing a live version of 'Little Apple' to liven things up!"

Upon hearing this, the other five people were all surprised.

The originally harmonious atmosphere at the dinner table gradually turned strange.

(End of this chapter)