He plays Feng Yuxiu, and his girlfriend is a fairy-like beauty.

When Ye Mo picked up his phone again.

A smile that couldn't be contained still lingered on his lips.

Liu Yifei's face reappeared on the screen, his eyebrows raised and his eyes glancing sideways at him.

"Who is it, laughing like that?"

"Running Man," Ye Mo sat up straight, "invited me to be a guest on the show, which will be filming in a week."

The screen fell silent.

Liu Yifei's expression froze.

It wasn't a polite pause; it was a pause as her mind raced. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but she held it back.

"What's wrong with you?" Ye Mo frowned.

"Running Man?" Liu Yifei's voice changed, no longer the lazy, coquettish tone from before, but serious. "They invited me too."

Ye Mo was taken aback.

"When?"

"My mom turned it down for me last month."

"You turned it down?" Ye Mo almost jumped out of bed. "You turned down 'Running Man'?"

"It was my mom who pushed me," Liu Yifei emphasized again, her tone filled with obvious helplessness. "She felt that my current exposure was already enough, and I should avoid variety shows if possible. Besides, outdoor reality shows like Running Man, with all the running, jumping, and mud-rolling, weren't suitable for me. To put it bluntly, she thought Running Man was too new. There had never been a show like that in China before, and nobody knew how it would turn out. What if it flopped? If the ratings were bad after the 'Fairy Sister' rolled around in the mud, wouldn't that be a waste of her image?"

After listening, Ye Mo took a deep breath.

He got it.

Liu's mother's logic—from the perspective of an agent and mother—is not actually wrong.

The Running Man format is unprecedented in the country.

We've imported a lot of variety shows, but about half of them don't fit the local culture.

Sending my daughter to be one of the first to test the waters is indeed risky, in case it fails.

But she didn't know.

Ye Mo knew.

"You have to go." Ye Mo's voice was calm, but his tone was as firm as if he were stating a fact.

Liu Yifei blinked.

Why?

"This show is going to be a hit." Ye Mo looked at her. "Not just a regular hit, it'll be a phenomenal hit. Trust me."

How did you know?

Ye Mo opened his mouth.

He knew that in his past life, he had watched Running Man for three whole seasons in a rented apartment.

When the first season aired, the ratings broke three and four, and all seven regular MCs became popular again. The phrase "tearing name tags" was directly welded into the national memory.

Which of the first season's guest stars hasn't been repeatedly brought up in retrospect?

But he couldn't say that.

"I've seen the original Korean version." Ye Mo chose a safe approach. "That format is a national variety show in South Korea, with ratings exceeding 20%. The team that brought it to China has invested heavily; the art direction, cinematography, and scriptwriting are all handled by the original Korean team over six months. The regular cast members—Deng Chao, Li Chen, Chen He, Wang Baoqiang—aren't they all currently very popular? The platform, team, guests, and format are all top-tier. If this show doesn't become a hit, I'll do a handstand—"

"Alright, alright." Liu Yifei chuckled, but her eyes remained serious. "Are you serious? You think it's a good idea?"

"I'm optimistic," Ye Mo said, enunciating each word clearly. "And I'm even more optimistic about you going on. Your current popularity is built on your work, but variety shows are different. Variety shows let the audience see what kind of person you are. Outdoor competitive shows like Running Man rely heavily on personality—you have such a great personality, you'll be a fan magnet. Just imagine, what kind of effect would it have if the whole country saw you crawling out of the mud and laughing?"

Liu Yifei remained silent for a few seconds.

"You're right. And—since you're going, I'm even more determined to go."

Her tone changed.

It's not the kind of "I'll think about it," but "I've made up my mind."

"I'll go talk to my mom myself." She said each word carefully. "You're right, a show like this is one you won't see again if you miss it, and if you go—I'd be even less willing to miss it."

Ye Mo felt a warmth in his heart.

"What if your mom asks why you suddenly changed your mind?"

"I told her Wang Baoqiang was there too, and she really approves of him," Liu Yifei said without hesitation. "Anyway, I can't mention you."

Why?

"Are you a walking encyclopedia of questions?" Liu Yifei rolled her eyes. "If my mom finds out you're going too, she'll immediately connect it to our plan. Think about it, two popular celebrities, one currently famous and the other just starting out—appearing on the same episode of Running Man at the same time. My mom is that smart, do you think she won't find out? Not only will she not let me go, but she'll also find out your flight number and blacklist you, you believe me?"

Ye Mo thought about it. He believed it.

"Okay, don't mention me."

"Not only will I not mention you, but you also shouldn't get too close to me on set." Liu Yifei counted on her fingers, "Don't talk to me first, don't stare at me, and don't go easy on me when we're tearing off name tags—no, if you dare to tear mine off, you're dead."

Ye Mo smiled.

"Are you telling me to tear it or not?"

"You—just record normally. Try to avoid it if you can, and only deal with it if you really can't avoid it." Liu Yifei sighed. "My mom will definitely watch it on broadcast. She'll be watching it with a magnifying glass in front of the TV, you know?"

"I understand. Underground operations."

"Comrade Ye Mo, this is a test from the organization for you."

"We guarantee the mission will be completed."

After hanging up the video call, Ye Mo leaned against the headboard, staring at the crack in the ceiling.

Two things are on my mind.

First, Liu Yifei will also be filming Running Man.

This means that he has to pretend he doesn't know his girlfriend at all during a whole day of recording.

Maintain distance in front of the camera, be mindful of boundaries during games, and pretend it's their first time meeting in front of everyone.

The difficulty is comparable to taking the entrance exam for the Central Academy of Drama again.

The second item—

He picked up his phone, found Ah Qiang's number, and dialed it.

"Hello, Teacher Ye?"

"Brother Qiang, sorry to bother you at this hour." Ye Mo sat up straight. "I have something to report to the Hong Clan—I have another engagement from the 15th to the 18th of this month, and I'd like to check with the schedule of 'Sha Po Lang' to see if there are any time conflicts."

"Okay, I'll tell Teacher Hong right away. Teacher Ye, please wait a moment."

Less than a minute later, A-Qiang came back.

"Teacher Hong said there's no problem. The official start of filming is next month. These few days are mainly for stunt rehearsals and set design, so it won't be affected. You can go and record your show with peace of mind."

"Thank you, Teacher Hong."

"You're welcome," Teacher Hong added.

"What?"

"Before filming starts for 'SPL: Sha Po Lang,' remember to dye your hair back to its original color. Yellow hair on variety shows—well, Teacher Hong's exact words were: 'It's too eye-catching.'"

Ye Mo smiled.

He didn't know if Sammo Hung had watched last year's Running Man.

But clearly, Hung Kam-pao knows what variety shows are.

He hung up the phone, but the air conditioner unit outside the window was still humming.

But today, it sounds like it's not noisy anymore.

......