I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

After all, in her eyes, this was just because Lin Mu and Chen Junqian were in the same class again in junior high school. If she had been in the same class as Chen Junqian a year ago, she would be the one chosen by Teacher Wang to film a video as a classmate right now.

Xu Youwei had even planned it out. Since this was the "Chinese Character Dictation Competition," and many of the questions were taken from the Book of Songs, she could take this opportunity to openly reveal the nickname she had given Chen Junqian and make it public to the national audience.

But that's just wishful thinking.

"So when will the first episode air?"

"We can see it next Friday, at 8 pm during prime time. Speaking of which, do you all want to watch it together? I'll call Qianqian then and ask if Yun and Nianqiu are with him too, so we can all get together and it will be a lot of fun watching the show."

Xu Youwei hesitated for a moment when Lin Mu took the initiative to invite her in the group, but in the end she chose to agree. After all, what he said was very clear. Given that she had called Chen Junqian first, it seemed unrealistic for her to watch the show with only Chen Junqian at that time, not to mention that Shen Nianqiu was also there.

Thinking of the girl she had met briefly last summer, Xu Youwei unconsciously pursed her lips again, suddenly realizing the purpose and necessity of Zhu Wenyun's establishment of the Guoning Childhood Sweethearts Alliance.

Indeed, if one doesn't work.

Then let's go side by side!

----------------------------------

While the VCR filming was in full swing in Guoning, Chen Junqian in Beijing was not lagging behind either, especially after his outstanding performance in all eight semi-final matches over the following week, winning first place with almost 100% accuracy.

Not only did members of the production team come to reshoot interviews for the program's editing and production, but in the last two episodes, an additional camera was specially placed in front of him to capture his every move and expression in real time.

However, it can't be said that this was prepared only for Chen Junqian, because Zhu Wenyun, number 002 next to him, also became a favorite of the program team with her excellent performance. For such a contestant who has almost secured a spot in the finals after the semi-finals, the program team, which follows the rule of shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target, will certainly not hesitate to lay the groundwork and guide in the first episode.

After the first week's eight semi-final matches, all the teams also had a short break. The recording of the semi-finals will not take place until after the first episode airs. However, the teams that were eliminated in the semi-finals cannot leave immediately. After all, there will be a special revival match for the best SVP from each team. Breaking through from there can also lead to the finals. So everyone has to stay and participate in the recording of the show as off-site friends and family.

As Chen Junqian had seen in his previous life, the Anhui and Zhejiang teams both successfully broke through from the semifinals and entered the top eight of the semifinals. They were also placed in the same group as the Hunan and Guangdong teams to compete for the only spot to enter the finals.

That's why, even during these few days of free time, Chen Junqian, Zhu Wenyun, and Shen Nianqiu haven't really been able to relax. They've mostly stayed in their rooms to continue reviewing the vast amount of Chinese characters they know. They only meet up briefly at the restaurant downstairs to chat during meals, like today.

"The first episode airs tonight, shall we three watch it together?"

Since Mu Mu had mentioned this to them a couple of days ago, Chen Junqian took the opportunity to invite the two of them to watch the game together.

"Sure, I'd also like to see how the production team edits and produces the show."

"Hmm, out of curiosity."

Shen Nianqiu and Zhu Wenyun both nodded in agreement with the suggestion. After all, when they participated in the recording, they were just answering questions, waiting, and then answering again under high tension. There was no background music or on-site explanation from the host. On the one hand, they were unsure of what they would look like on camera, and on the other hand, they were curious about what kind of post-production editing and production the production team would do.

"Okay, then let's meet at my room tonight. My roommate is going to watch it with the teachers and teammates from the team, so I'll be alone in the room. I'll add you two to a group chat, and Mumu will also be watching it with us via voice chat. Everyone's really looking forward to it."

Chen Junqian took out his phone and added Shen Nianqiu and Zhu Wenyun to the QQ group that Lin Mu had created. Looking at the ratio of one man to six women in the group and the name of the group, which Mu Mu had temporarily set, 'Chinese Character Dictation Competition Spectator Group', Chen Junqian felt that he would one day witness the spectacular scene of five people in six groups that he had only seen in jokes. He just didn't know how many small groups his seven people could form.

Before they knew it, it was eight o'clock in the evening. Chen Junqian and his two companions sat down in their rooms, while Guo Ning's group of four gathered at his home.

As for why they chose Chen Junqian's house, there were, of course, reasons.

First, Wang Hongling has to go to the chess and card room to watch the shop at night, so there's no one else at home. This makes it convenient for the girls to play and make noise as they please without anyone interfering, and they don't have to worry about disturbing their parents.

Secondly, it was because Gu Lingguo and Chen Xi lived nearby, making it convenient for them to come over. Also, Lin Mu had a spare key to Chen Junqian's house, so it was natural for them to choose this place to watch the show together.

The public chat channel, which suddenly had seven people connected, was a bit noisy at first. However, as eight o'clock approached and the TV program officially started, Guo Ning and the four-person and three-person groups on both sides of Beijing held their breath and began to focus their attention seriously on the TV in front of them.

"Writing is the transmission of civilization, and the nation's foresight."

"Hello everyone, welcome to the Noah's Ark Youxuepai 2013 Chinese Character Dictation Competition, jointly hosted by CCTV and the State Language Commission. I am your host..."

The show started with a series of opening remarks from the host. Chen Junqian, who participated in the recording, took the opportunity to explain that the host was not actually on set, but in the studio next door. What they could hear on set was only the examiner reading the questions. The main reason was that the contestants couldn't answer the questions while the host and commentators were talking. This was because the production team edited the footage and audio from both sides together in post-production.

"So, what about the older brother? When will he appear?"

It has to be said that Gu Linguo's question did give Chen Junqian a strong sense of déjà vu. Coupled with the title "brother," if it weren't for the fact that the bullet screen format hadn't yet become popular on mainstream video websites, and that this Chinese character dictation competition was being broadcast on CCTV-1, Chen Junqian felt that he would already be hallucinating seeing some colorful bullet screens starting with battle cries floating in front of his eyes.

"I don't know either. It seems like they didn't record much of our 100-person group's segment on the first day..."

As soon as Chen Junqian uttered those words, the television screen switched to the side of the host's voice saying, "At the same time, we have also set up a group of 100 students from various provinces who were eliminated..." and then focused on Chen Junqian, who was numbered 001 at the very front.

One, two, three, three seconds.

Meanwhile, in a fairly successful mahjong parlor in Guoning, all the customers who were playing mahjong, washing mahjong tiles, and shuffling mahjong tiles heard the proprietress scream at that very moment:

"Oh my god, my son is on TV!"

"Come and see, come and see! We're waiving the station fee tonight, it's CCTV... CCTV-1!"

P.S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

Chapter 45: Please watch the video! (Two-in-one)

However, Chen Junqian's first appearance only lasted three seconds. Soon, the camera returned to the main stage, where the first contestant from Xinjiang was already standing up to answer questions. Compared to other variety TV programs, the editing style of "Chinese Character Dictation Competition" is relatively simple and straightforward. The advertisements and opening remarks only lasted a total of three minutes before the main program began.

"Ah, I see Sister Nianqiu."

As the first contestant began writing "[Guangxu]" on the electronic answer board, the camera started moving back and forth between the faces of the other contestants, the instructors and their families offstage, and a wide-angle view of a group of 100 people. Accompanied by the background music playing in sync, a tense atmosphere was quickly created. However, the question was not difficult at all. The six girls who were currently connected with Chen Junqian on the live stream should all be able to answer it.

"Is it written on the palm of your hand?"

"Yes, the show's producers encourage us contestants to do some small things in front of the camera, such as showing a slightly shocked or confident smile when we hear the question, or scribbling in our palms or in the air."

"The 100-person group is fine because they don't get much screen time anyway. But I have to complain about the electronic answer board and the pen used by the production team. The writing experience is really just so-so. Many contestants actually have pretty good handwriting, but on this board, it becomes barely legible. From the middle onwards, I stopped using the pen and started writing on it with my finger. It felt a bit more comfortable that way."

"It felt like everyone was making changes so frequently, which scared the instructors offstage. They were all saying 'Submit - Submit' all the time."

"Because that board is very difficult to write on, and the judges also said before the competition that every stroke should be written clearly. If there is any scribbling or blurry strokes, it may affect the final judgment. The 100-person panel offstage may be more lenient in their review, but the contestants on stage are under a lot of pressure. I remember that in one of the semi-finals, a contestant lost because of this."

"Yes, I remember the word he drew was 'catching a turtle in a jar,' but when he wrote the left half of the character '敝' above the turtle, he didn't write it down directly, but split it into two parts. As a result, the judges judged it as an incorrect way of writing and he was eliminated."

After chatting briefly about their experiences during the recording of the show, the television screen showed Shen Nianqiu's appearance. Everyone fell silent again, including Shen Nianqiu herself, who subconsciously leaned forward to see how she would look on camera.

Unlike the previous students who made a rather simple entrance by simply walking up to answer a question and then leaving, Shen Nianqiu's entrance was met with a comment from the host in the studio: "This girl is very tall and beautiful." The camera then smoothly cut backstage to the Zhejiang team's supporters and their teacher, followed by a statement that sounded almost like a promise: "Nianqiu will definitely be fine."

It wasn't over yet. After the teacher in charge finished speaking, the camera didn't switch back to the main stage. Instead, it started the VCR segment from zero frames, showing an interview that Shen Nianqiu had given when she was still in school, along with some comments from other teachers and classmates.

"I've never participated in a competition like this before, so I'm definitely a little nervous. But I'll try my best to perform at my best. Let's cheer myself on!"

“Nianqiu was the second-highest scorer in our school’s final selection, and she was also the oldest student in the whole team. Everyone felt at ease when she was there, including me as her teacher.”

"Every student in the grade should know her, right? She's good at academics and sports, and she's also the lead singer in the school choir. Actually, she already had a support group when the auditions were held at the school. Shen Nianqiu, keep it up!"

Upon hearing this, the entire chat channel erupted in excitement. However, Shen Nianqiu, the person in question, seemed unfazed. She simply sipped her drink leisurely, admiring the girl's beautiful face, which remained stunning even under the unfiltered and unobstructed lens of CCTV. Then, for no apparent reason, she glanced at Chen Junqian beside her, causing Zhu Wenyun to instinctively sit up.

The first word Shen Nianqiu drew was "arrogant and conceited."

"Actually, I remember this was my second word. The first one should be '梧桐' (wutong). It seems the production team thought it was too easy and cut my part out."

While Shen Nianqiu was writing on stage and Shen Nianqiu in front of the TV was simultaneously making sarcastic comments, the hosts and commentators in the studio were also discussing the word and the contestant himself.

"The difficulty of this word actually lies in the first character, '恃', which means to rely on or depend on. It means to be self-reliant or to think for oneself. It's easy to misremember and write '持'."

"However, it seems that Ms. Shen on the stage was not stumped. She wrote the character neatly and easily right away. Actually, when I looked at this contestant's information, I found out that in addition to studying, she has also been receiving vocal and dance training. Look at her back, it's very straight. Her posture and demeanor are very pleasing to the eye, and it's the same when she writes."

Shen Nianqiu probably felt that the production team was spending too much time and resources on her. Coupled with the chat channel suddenly starting to tease and ridicule her, she felt a little overwhelmed. She kept muttering "Hurry up, hurry up" while covering her eyes and peeking out through the gaps in her fingers.

After she successfully finished writing and the judges deemed her to have the correct answer, Shen Nianqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, she still felt a little hot on the face, and the chat channel was filled with people urging her to explain what the support group in the video was.

“It was done by the other students at school. Anyway, it had nothing to do with me, and I didn’t look into it. Besides, I went to the high school section after I went back.”

"No, no, no, I think the number of fans in this support group will increase after tonight's show airs, if you can make it to the last few rounds before being eliminated. So, Qianqian, can you give us a spoiler about who will win tonight?"

"It would spoil the fun, but what Mu Mu said earlier was quite right. It looks like my sister is going to become a big star overnight."

Faced with Chen Junqian's joking remark, Shen Nianqiu, who was right next to him, didn't need to take any blue pills that would allow him to touch someone through the screen. Instead, she simply grabbed him and pinned him to her chest.

"Big star my foot! And don't even mention me, I remember you were the one who stole the show at the end, right? Hmph, I'd like to see how the production team will edit your segment."

"Cough...cough cough."

Fortunately, there was another woman present, Zhu Wenyun, who was equally well-developed. Chen Junqian wasn't suffocated for long; he was quickly rescued from the older sister's embrace by the literary girl who had pounced on him. After coughing twice, he rubbed his neck and protested:

"We agreed not to give away spoilers!"

"Tch, those who got spoiled haven't even said anything yet. Besides, I think they're even more excited for the rest of the show after being spoiled like this. Why don't you ask them?"

Sure enough, after Shen Nianqiu played the role of spoiler, the four members of Guoning in the chat channel suddenly perked up. After all, they initially thought that Chen Junqian's appearance was only for the first three seconds of the episode, but after hearing Shen Nianqiu's words, it seemed that there were more scenes to come.

"Oh right, I haven't seen the video about Qianqian that the teacher asked me to film yet, and I haven't seen the glass bottle that I asked Qianqian to bring?"

"Is it possible that that thing can't be brought to the recording of the show? Even for a serious exam, you can't bring a glass bottle full of origami cranes to the exam room, right? The proctor definitely wouldn't allow it. But I did bring the bracelet and badge."

"Ah, I can prove that. I recorded the three seconds when my brother appeared earlier, and you can see my badge and Xixi's bracelet."

The girls were chatting animatedly, but Xu Youwei, who was sitting there watching TV, paused for a moment, then turned to Lin Mu beside her and asked:

"What kind of origami crane badge bracelet?"

"Didn't Weiwei give us the things we asked Qianqian to take to Beijing?"

"...Nobody told me about this at all, but never mind."

Although she felt a little speechless, Xu Youwei quickly let it go when she thought about how Lin Mu had asked Chen Junqian to bring her a glass bottle with her own marks on it. However, she was completely unaware that her every move, word, and change in expression was being observed by the other two girls.

After the first round of easy questions, the difficulty of the questions increased significantly from the second round onwards. Guo Ning's group of four could no longer answer each question in sync. The selected team members on stage also began to make frequent mistakes and were eliminated. The camera would often follow them all the way to the outside of the arena, capturing them either looking unwilling or bursting into tears in the arms of their tutors who came to pick them up. After all, they were just a group of junior high school students.

However, since it is a team competition, as long as all five members of a team are not eliminated, even if only one person is left, if he is the final winner, he can still lead the entire team to be revived and advance to the next round. So after crying and regretting, these eliminated students will seamlessly join the family and friends group outside the field and start cheering for the remaining teammates in the field.

As the main team members left the stage one by one and the difficulty of the questions increased, the accuracy rate of the 100-person team answering questions simultaneously in the audience also began to plummet. It dropped from about 70% at the beginning to 50%, and then to 30%. When they got to the obscure word "Pixian Douban" (郫县豆瓣), which is related to a place name, the accuracy rate of the 100-person team dropped to 11% for the first time, almost approaching single digits, echoing the contestants who left the stage in disappointment.

"How many questions did Wenyun get wrong by this point?"

Faced with Chen Junqian's question, Zhu Wenyun also recalled the scene from that day before nodding and answering:

"There should only be this one question. I misspelled the character 'Pi' in Pixian County."

"This question was indeed quite difficult. If I had drawn it, I think I would have had a tough time too. Place name questions are really hard to answer. Sometimes the characters aren't particularly difficult to write, but if you don't know them, you just can't write them. The previous question about the Tumen River was the same. I just hope I don't draw a place name question in the semi-finals."

As Shen Nianqiu was speaking, the television screen once again shifted to Chen Junqian's side, seemingly to deliberately compare him with the contestant who had also failed to write "Pixian" earlier. The camera zoomed in on Chen Junqian's correctly written answer sheet, then zoomed in on his confident profile and the gesture of finishing his pen. Simultaneously, the lower right corner displayed the introduction: "[Chen Junqian, No. 001, Guoning Middle School Junior High Division, Guoning City, Anhui Province]", followed by the label: "[Currently, the writing accuracy rate is 100%, ranking first in the 100-person group outside the venue]".

Satisfied to have another clip of Chen Junqian's appearance, the four members of Guoning cheered together again. It can only be said that compared with the duo from Beijing, the four of them are indeed more childlike in age and personality, especially under Mu Mu's leadership, they are almost turning into Chen Junqian's fan club.

But this is not the end.

As the show neared its end, the Xinjiang team had been completely eliminated, the Guizhou and Henan teams each had only one member left, and the Zhejiang team had Shen Nianqiu and Liu Yichen left. Then it was Shen Nianqiu's turn to appear once again.

"Ah, I guess this is where I 'died'."

The moment the host uttered the word "melamine," Shen Nianqiu, sitting in the room, instinctively leaned back, her voice becoming dejected.

"Chemical terms and geographical terms are the same; they're too easy to misspell."

Then she turned to ask Zhu Wenyun:

"Did you write it correctly?"

"No, I think my grasp of chemical terminology is even worse than yours."

Zhu Wenyun shook her head helplessly as well. After all, if she had answered this question correctly, she would have been able to beat Shen Nianqiu in the first round of the semi-finals. But the fact was that she was also a bit clueless about these chemical terms and made the same mistakes.