Chapter 29

When The Thorny Path’s head director first invited Shen Junyi to join the show, he’d prepared himself for all sorts of difficulties—scheduling conflicts, sky-high fees, demands to interfere with post-production editing.

He could accept all of that! After all, with Shen Junyi came buzz and ratings. The investment was so huge precisely because they were aiming for the top-tier market.

But what he never expected was that, at the very last moment—after his agent had verbally agreed to all the terms and was about to sign—Shen Junyi himself would drop this condition.

The top star’s flippant, matter-of-fact tone was still seared into his memory.

“You said this show will pair up the guests in teams of two, and at the end, you’ll all perform together on stage. So among the guests you’ve invited, is there anyone with stage skills on my level?”

“Xia Yuan? That weakling who can dance three minutes and needs half an hour to catch his breath—he’s worthy of sharing a stage with me? Maybe Huo Xi, at best.”

“I have very high standards for stage work. I’m not partnering with anyone who’ll drag down my performance. Unless you can find someone whose singing and dancing abilities match mine. Can’t find anyone? Then forget it. Maybe next time. Goodbye.”

The head director: “…………”

F*ck you!!! So what if you’re a top star?!

The production team had already leaked to marketing accounts that Shen Junyi would be participating, building early buzz for the show. The investors had all signed off on Shen Junyi—they were only willing to put up the big money with him on board. And now, with the contract already drafted, he was backing out because his potential partners weren’t good enough???

Wasn’t that just bullying?

Looking at the entire industry, besides Huo Xi, who the hell could match your level???

And they could only afford one of them—Shen Junyi or Huo Xi!!!

After that call, the head director felt like he was falling apart.

He was so pissed he even contacted Huo Xi’s agent—fine, he’d switch top stars! Who needed you?! But Huo Xi had no availability. Turns out, it really was Shen Junyi or nothing.

The director was stressed, bitter, and losing hair by the handful.

The entire production team fell into a gloom, scouring the entertainment industry for someone whose singing and dancing abilities could rival Shen Junyi, the king of the stage.

A low-level production assistant who was a fan of Zhao Yu timidly raised her hand amidst the despair. “Um… Director, what about Zhao Yu? The main dancer of Shining Five. She’s incredibly talented.”

The director’s eyes lit up: “!!!”

Oh, right! How had they overlooked this “newcomer” who’d just left her group and returned to China?

They’d been so focused on the domestic scene that they’d neglected Zhao Yu, the recently returned Korean girl group center.

The director immediately pulled up Zhao Yu’s stage videos. After watching just three minutes, he made his decision: “It’s her! Contact her agent. And you, Xiao Liu—go tell Shen Junyi we’ve found someone, and ask if he agrees.”

The moment they reached out to Zhao Yu’s agent, Shen Junyi gave his approval.

Xiao Liu, honest as ever, relayed his exact words to the production team: “He said, ‘I can tell you guys really did your best. Fine, I won’t make it harder on you. She’ll do.'”

The head director: “…………”

You little shit!

Regardless, the casting was finally set, and the production team breathed a massive sigh of relief.

There was no way Zhao Yu could turn down this offer.

The Thorny Path was arguably the biggest-budget variety show of the year in China. After Han Shuang explained it, Zhao Yu understood the nature of the show: it was a charity-driven project with an excellent concept.

In terms of format, The Thorny Path was actually a collection-based outdoor reality show. Eight guests would be split into two-person teams each episode, forming four groups to complete tasks.

Through missions, guests would collect various resources needed for their stage performances—costumes, makeup and hair, songs, choreographers, stage effects, performance order, and so on.

Each episode had a different theme, so the task types varied—from adventure challenges to self-reliance missions. After the mission phase, guests would prepare performances using the resources they’d collected, then take the stage for a charity showcase.

All proceeds went to charity, with each episode supporting a different cause—for example, the first episode might help children who’d dropped out of school, the second could help elderly living alone. This targeted approach ensured donations were put to good use.

Because of its positive, socially conscious nature, the show also had government support, making location permits and broadcast approvals much smoother.

Aside from Shen Junyi, the other guests were no slouches either—popular actors, traffic-generating young stars, and well-respected industry veterans with solid credentials.

For Zhao Yu, fresh off her return to China, landing a spot on this show was a massive step up. So even with Shen Junyi on the cast, she couldn’t possibly turn it down.

After officially signing the contract, she still felt a little dazed.

How did a stroke of luck like this—like winning the lottery—fall into her lap…

Lin Zhinan was even more excited than she was, clutching the contract. But then she looked at Zhao Yu with concern. “Yu Yu, you’re going to be on a show with Shen Junyi. On camera, don’t you dare chicken out. This is your first variety show since coming back—so many eyes are watching. You have to do well. Don’t mess up!”

Zhao Yu let out a melancholy sigh.

Lin Zhinan continued, “And most importantly—I used to encourage you to confess, but on the show, you have to keep your distance! You know how fierce Shen Junyi’s fans are, right? One misstep and they’ll accuse you of using him for clout or setting up a CP. You’re at a crucial stage where you need to convert casual viewers into fans. You absolutely cannot get into a fan war with them—they’ll dig up every real and fake scandal they can find!”

Zhao Yu nodded solemnly.

Back at the company, everyone was thrilled she’d landed the gig. Compared to what Muyi had previously lined up—including the one from Jiang Yu—none came close to The Thorny Path. Even if it meant rearranging her schedule, Han Shuang was more than happy to do it.

After the excitement settled, Han Shuang gave her a serious talk. “Xiao Yu, I asked the production team—Shen Junyi is definitely on board. During filming, be careful to avoid anything the editors could twist into a CP narrative. At this stage, we can’t afford to have his fans come after you.”

Zhao Yu: “…I know.”

Jiang Yu also called to warn her once he found out. “With The Thorny Path, forget my show—you don’t need it. Just focus on that. Of course, I’m happy for you, niece. But remember: minimize interaction with Shen Junyi during filming. I know more interaction means more screen time, but it’s not worth it. We can get you famous on our own—don’t lose the big picture over him and get dragged into drama.”

Zhao Yu: “…………”

What kind of monster was Shen Junyi anyway?!

After the contract was signed, Han Shuang leaked the news to friendly marketing accounts, and naturally, online discussions started buzzing.

Some envied her for landing such a great gig right after coming back. Others suspected she was just using it for hype. Most fans stayed on the sidelines, waiting for the official announcement to avoid being embarrassed.

Lin Yi couldn’t wait to message her: “The Thorny Path???”

Zhao Yu replied: “Yeah…”

– Yi Yi: Damn! My Yu is a boss!

– Zhao Yu: You flatter me.

– Yi Yi: Wait! But! You know my brother is on this show too, right?

– Zhao Yu: …Yeah.

– Yi Yi: Yu Yu, I’m not saying this out of jealousy or pettiness, but please stay as far away from my brother as possible on the show!!! If any dating rumors come out, the Yi Ren will tear you apart!!! You’re not deep in fandom culture, you don’t know how vicious our fanwars can get. With Yu Meiren’s current power, you definitely won’t win!

– Zhao Yu: …Got it. I’ll stay THIS far away from him ——————————

– Yi Yi: Hahahahaha but still, Yu Yu, this is the peak of being a fan! You’re going to be on the same stage as my brother! I still remember you crying your lungs out at his concert back then.

– Zhao Yu: I’M NOT A FAN ANYMORE!!! SHUT UP!!!

– Yi Yi: Oh, really? I don’t believe you.

She followed up with another message:

– Yi Yi: But don’t be too stiff either. If you need to work together on the show, work together. Overly avoiding him would be weird too. Just act natural. Don’t worry—I’ll organize the Yu Meiren to control the comments for you.

– Zhao Yu: Does anyone else know?

– Yi Yi: Know what?

– Zhao Yu: That your super-topic host and fan club manager is a double stan.

– Yi Yi: Something came up. Gotta go.

….

A week later, The Thorny Path officially announced its guest lineup—Zhao Yu and Shen Junyi both on the list.

Though Yu Meiren fans had already gotten inside info that their idol would be on the show, they’d kept quiet until the official announcement. Only after the confirmation did they start joyfully promoting and spreading the word.

Their daughter was doing them proud!!! Landing such a great gig right after coming back—such a face-saver!

Of the eight guests, six were A-listers: besides Shen Junyi and Zhao Yu, there was Xia Yuan (another singer-dancer idol), rising actress Zheng Wanyi, traffic heartthrob Wei Chi, and pop diva Sun Yan.

The other two were award-winning actors: Chu Erping and Ruan Fengdi, a Best Actor and Best Actress winner respectively.

Aside from the two veterans, fans of the other six went into full promotional mode the moment the lineup dropped. Many artists had wanted to be on this show, and seeing that Zhao Yu—who’d been rumored but dismissed—had actually made the cut, they were practically green with envy.

Why her? She’d just left her group and come back to China. Even if she’d been popular in Korea, why would she land a gig this good right off the bat?

Still, despite the sour grapes, no one suspected she had a sugar daddy. If she did, she wouldn’t have had to leave her group and come back in such a messy situation.

Online chatter continued to heat up. Half a month later, The Thorny Path officially began filming.

Zhao Yu, carrying everyone’s warnings to “stay away from Shen Junyi,” boarded the plane to the first filming location with a heavy heart.