Chapter 15 The recording of “Rush Forward” wasn’t scheduled to begin until 8 AM tomorrow morning. Before that, Wen Tang needed to go to Tomato TV to participate in the recording of the variety show “Happy Sunday” with the drama crew. “Happy Sunday” had been on air for over a decade and maintained a stable audience. Whenever a new drama or film needed promotion, it was never overlooked. At most, Wen Tang appeared on the show two or three times a year. On the way to Tomato TV, Ke Xin received the program schedule and guest list from the “Rush Forward” production team. They had sent a preliminary version two days earlier, but this was a new one, just released, reportedly with changes to personnel and some game segments. After opening it, Ke Xin found that the game segments remained the same as before—only the personnel had changed. One additional person had been added to the original list. “Tang Tang, the production team just sent me the program schedule. I saw that among the invited guests, there’s actually Lu Zhilin! We coordinated with them before, and they never mentioned him. He wasn’t on the program list they gave us either, but now he’s suddenly been added! And the drama crew too—they only said a few important main and supporting actors would participate in the new drama’s promotion. Lu Zhilin is a fourth or fifth male lead. How did he suddenly become an important supporting actor?” Ke Xin clutched her tablet, staring at the schedule with clenched fists: “The production team and drama crew are trying to stir up trouble!” Lu Zhilin was Wen Tang’s ex-boyfriend from early last year. After breaking up with him, Wen Tang had filmed two more television dramas and dated two other boyfriends since then. By inviting Lu Zhilin without notifying Wen Tang, the production team likely hoped to avoid her refusing to film upon seeing him at the scene. But if they notified her in advance, they feared she simply wouldn’t show up. So they timed it perfectly—not too early, not too late—leaving Wen Tang in a position where refusing would require careful consideration, and she couldn’t direct her anger at them. Ke Xin quickly figured out the production team’s scheme and was furious. But when she heard Wen Tang’s response, she didn’t even raise an eyebrow, speaking calmly: “They’ve always been like this.” Everyone in the entertainment industry was shrewd, wanting to maximize every opportunity. How could they possibly pass up such a good chance? Wen Tang had lost count of how many times people had pulled stunts like this on her. If Liu Meifen were here, this variety show recording would definitely be canceled unless Lu Zhilin left. But Wen Tang didn’t have such concerns. More than Lu Zhilin, she was actually more concerned about someone else. She had just messaged Gong Yue, but he had gone silent again. Sigh. Her brother was really difficult to deal with. “But Tang Tang…” Ke Xin was conflicted. Single for twenty-two years, she really didn’t understand. “Won’t it be awkward appearing on a variety show with your ex-boyfriend?” Wen Tang glanced at her, speaking in an extremely casual tone: “I’m used to it.” Ke Xin: “…” She shouldn’t have asked that question. She had been too narrow-minded! But to be fair, when it came to stirring up trouble, people in the entertainment industry were truly professionals. Without a topic, they created one. Without heat, they generated it. Not using Wen Tang, who was always a trending topic, would be abnormal. Already mentally prepared, when Wen Tang saw Lu Zhilin at Tomato TV, she showed no surprise. As for appearing on stage with her ex-boyfriend, as long as the production team didn’t go too far, she had no objections. The entertainment industry was small. There would always be reunions. She and all her exes had parted on good terms with nothing to hide. It was just that after the variety show aired, it would likely spark passionate discussions among the audience and quickly trend online. The television drama about to air had been filmed in early last year. Her relationship with Lu Zhilin was also from early last year. A year had passed. Lu Zhilin was no longer an obscure eighteenth-tier artist that nobody cared about. After dating Wen Tang, she had connected him with some decent resources. Their relationship had unexpectedly trended online, and his agent had seized the opportunity to secure several new dramas and endorsements for him. Over this past year, he frequently appeared on television. Not long ago, he participated in a variety show that went viral online, and through it, Lu Zhilin gained significant popularity with audiences. Now, once the dramas where he played the male lead aired, his career would reach new heights. Every one of Wen Tang’s exes had soared to success after dating her. Wen Tang’s eye for talent had always been sharp. Besides Lu Zhilin, the drama crew had also invited the male and female leads, the second and third male leads, and the second, third, and fourth female leads—everyone was invited without exception. From this perspective, Lu Zhilin’s sudden appearance didn’t seem so abrupt. Everyone was arranged in a waiting room. Wen Tang was the last to arrive. As she entered the room, cameras had already begun recording behind-the-scenes footage. Wen Tang greeted everyone one by one, including Lu Zhilin. “Long time no see,” Wen Tang said, taking the initiative to walk over and extend her hand, her manner extremely natural. Lu Zhilin was the most prideful of Wen Tang’s exes. She still remembered when they finished filming the drama and she mentioned breaking up—his eyes had suddenly turned red, but he pressed his lips together without saying a single word to try to win her back. Lu Zhilin’s narrow, elongated eyes looked toward Wen Tang. Those eyes were particularly beautiful, and when he looked at someone, it was easy to become entranced. Wen Tang had liked Lu Zhilin back then precisely because of those eyes. A faint gaze that seemed cold yet held warmth. He also extended his hand toward her. “Long time no see,” he said in front of the drama crew and under the “Happy Sunday” cameras. What relationship Wen Tang and Lu Zhilin had, everyone understood tacitly. But as actors, they knew best how to perform—not saying what shouldn’t be said, not mentioning what shouldn’t be mentioned, not looking at what shouldn’t be seen. Even between Wen Tang and Lu Zhilin themselves, they presented themselves as ordinary colleagues with no hint of ambiguity. By the end of the program, if one ignored the rumors that had circulated about Wen Tang and Lu Zhilin, this was simply a normal variety show recording.　　Recording a show requires going through the process, rehearsals, and reshooting any unsatisfactory parts during formal recording, all of which are very time-consuming. By the time the show recording ended, it was already nine o’clock at night, yet everyone hadn’t eaten dinner yet. The production team invited the cast to go out for a late-night snack. Wen Tang was on a diet and fasted after four in the afternoon. Moreover, she had another variety show to record tomorrow. “Charge Forward” relied entirely on physical stamina, and just thinking about running around the entire venue all day tomorrow made her want to spend tonight quietly at the hotel. So Wen Tang didn’t go. After returning to the hotel and taking a shower, she finally received a message from Gong Yue. “Mm.” …… Wen Tang picked up her phone and got into bed. This cool older brother was really difficult to deal with! Wen Tang couldn’t understand why he was so sparing with his words.