Chapter 235: Starting Recording

The recording location for the program was in the suburbs of Yuming, in a relatively remote town. They specifically found a place where there were no other houses or residents within a hundred-meter radius, because only in this way could they control the recording site so it wouldn't be disturbed.

Nowadays, if you want to record a reality show, you have to find such a place.

Li Zhenzhen and the others made the final confirmation on site and then began to follow up on the progress of each group.

"All groups have set off and are on their way. It is expected that Li Zhibai and the others will be the first group to arrive." Deputy Director Zheng Hesong said to Li Zhenzhen.

Li Zhenzhen nodded.

The expected arrival time was also carefully adjusted by them.

Having Lu Yan He and the three of them arrive first would have great benefits for the effect of everyone meeting for the first time.

According to Li Zhenzhen's understanding of them, Yan Liang was the most gentle and kind, and wouldn't let the atmosphere turn cold. Lu Yan He would help Yan Liang warm up the atmosphere, while Li Zhibai was relatively arrogant and might not look down on others, so conflicts might form between their personalities.

Li Zhenzhen didn't give each of them a detailed performance script, but the production team had a script for how to arrange the artists and how to set the scenes.

Everything was carefully designed.

Chen Biqiu stood beside Li Zhenzhen wearing a pair of sunglasses, helping her hold the fort.

After all, this was Li Zhenzhen's first time in charge of a variety show, and today was the first day of recording.

Li Zhenzhen took a deep breath.

"The program has already started recording; trust your team." Chen Biqiu said to Li Zhenzhen in a low voice. "Even if some problems arise on site, it's normal. Solve one problem as it arises."

Li Zhenzhen nodded and said okay.

At this time, someone reminded: "Li Zhibai, Lu Yan He, and Yan Liang are expected to arrive in ten minutes."

Li Zhenzhen immediately perked up and said: "All departments prepare, artists prepare to enter."

There were quite a few staff members on site, but every fixed camera lens was empty.

In reality shows, there is a principle that, except for staff members acting as NPCs, they basically cannot appear in the lens, as it would affect the audience's immersion.

When the three of Lu Yan He arrived, there were only cameras on site, and no staff members.

This was an atmosphere deliberately created by the production team.

The cameraman responsible for filming them got out of the car, but the PD did not.

The three of them looked at each other.

In front of them was a small building with a courtyard, and next to it was a lake.

The lake water shimmered in the sunlight.

"What's the situation? What should we do?" Lu Yan He turned his head and looked around, asking.

There were many cameras placed on site, but there were no instructions.

Could they just go in directly like this?

At this moment, Yan Liang pointed to a door in front and said: "It seems like something is hanging on that."

The three of them dragged their suitcases over.

A sign was hanging on the door, with "Check-in Guide" written on it.

"Welcome to the House of Youth. Please choose a question and answer it honestly. Only honest people can check into the House of Youth."

On the side of the door, there was also a stand with eight questions posted on it.

Lu Yan He and the others immediately looked at those questions.

Once they saw them, wow, they were all tricky questions, and one of them was even "Are you single now?".

This question is very common, but not for artists.

Many artists hide their relationship status and don't make it public.

"Eight questions, does that mean there are eight people in total?" Yan Liang asked.

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "It should be."

"What question do you want to choose?" Yan Liang asked.

Lu Yan He looked around and chose the one: "What kind of person do you least like living with?"

He turned his head to look around and asked: "Who am I answering to?"

Li Zhibai took down the "Are you single now?" question and said: "Just say it directly. There must be dozens of people watching us from places we don't know right now. Once we finish answering, someone will use a remote control to open this door and let us in."

After speaking, he raised the question card in his hand and said: "Single, single as can be."

However, after he answered the question, there was no movement at the door.

Li Zhibai looked puzzled.

Lu Yan He asked: "Is it that we all three have to finish answering before this door opens?"

After he finished speaking, he immediately said: "I least like living with people I hate."

Li Zhibai: "Isn't that nonsense?"

"But it didn't limit my way of answering." Lu Yan He said, "Of course I least like living with people I hate the most."

"Then what is a person you hate the most?"

"Someone like me who is more handsome than you?" Li Zhibai asked immediately.

Lu Yan He took a deep breath, "Pah!"

Yan Liang laughed and took down the "Do you snore when you sleep?" question, saying: "No one has ever heard whether I snore when I sleep, but according to my own feeling, I shouldn't."

After he finished answering, the door still had no movement.

Li Zhibai immediately accused Lu Yan He: "Look, it's because your answer was too perfunctory. They think your answer content is unqualified and won't open the door for us. You guys have participated in too few variety shows, especially this kind of reality show. Let me tell you, the director teams of these reality shows are all very bad. They are holding back farts, wanting to get some reactions out of you. If you don't say something real, they won't let you go."

Li Zhenzhen and the others who were hiding in the small room behind the scenes watching the live broadcast: "..."

"Li Zhibai's temper is really not..."

With Li Zhibai saying this, Lu Yan He couldn't help but mutter in his heart, could it really be that his answer was too perfunctory and the director team thought it wouldn't work?

Lu Yan He said half-believingly: "Then I'll change my answer. I least like living with hypocritical people. Is that direct enough?"

Li Zhibai looked at the door, and there was still no movement.

"This door... what should we do?" Yan Liang said, trying to push the door, and the door pushed open directly.

"Hmm?" Yan Liang was stunned.

Lu Yan He and Li Zhibai were also stunned.

"The door is already open?"

The three of them pushed the door and went in, and as a result, another stand sign was placed inside the door, with "Actually, you just need to push the door to come in. You don't need to really answer the questions. You didn't obediently answer the questions before coming in, did you?" written on it.

Lu Yan He: "..."

This tone is so mean.

He and Yan Liang both looked at Li Zhibai for the first time.

Li Zhibai also turned his head to look at them for the first time.

Li Zhibai's words about the door only opening after answering the questions were still ringing in their ears.

At this moment, no one spoke, but the things they wanted to say had already been expressed in other forms.

In the "small dark room," a screen was playing the situation of the three of them in real time. The occurrence of this scene made many people on site unable to hold back their smiles, covering their mouths and laughing.

"Director, is our design really good?" Someone asked while laughing, "Li Zhibai's expression, hahahaha, I guess it will become an emoji pack when it airs."

Li Zhenzhen also smiled and said: "Isn't this the effect we want?"

"No wonder Li Zhibai is the most popular among the three of them; he has so many memes on him."

"Yes, clearly he looks like he has the biggest temper, and I thought he was the one least likely to cooperate. I didn't expect that among the three, he is the one who can produce the best results." Lu Yan He's PD Chen Mo was also in this "small dark room" and said.

Li Zhenzhen said: "Lu Yan He and Yan Liang are both recording a reality show for the first time. The first recording will definitely not be open. In this regard, Li Zhibai is much more familiar with the routines of reality shows and knows how to give effects. But don't speak too early. This is our first recording. They will become more and more interesting in the future."

"Hmm, I've already felt it initially." Chen Mo said, "When we went to pick them up this morning, the relationship between the three of them was clearly the kind that is genuinely good. As long as Li Zhibai is there, Lu Yan He and Yan Liang can be much more relaxed, and they tease each other very interestingly."

Li Zhenzhen nodded and said: "The three of them, just watch. Now it's just the tip of the iceberg."

After being "mocked" by the production team, Lu Yan He and the others silently stopped talking and decided to enter the house.

As soon as they left, a staff member suddenly opened the door from a small compartment on the side and closed the door.

Lu Yan He heard the movement and turned his head to look with some surprise, only to see that the staff member actually covered his face with a sign, with the five big characters "Pretend I don't exist" written on it.

Lu Yan He showed an unbelievable expression, and then looked at the staff member returning to the hidden small compartment with an unbelievable expression.

"Uh..." Lu Yan He was really recording a reality show for the first time and didn't know these routines. Now he understood. Although there were various instruction signs on the surface, as if letting them do things according to the instruction signs, in fact, there were still staff members doing some mobile things on site.

Lu Yan He and the others walked through the courtyard and into the house.

The house was very large and looked very new. It should have been specifically built here for filming this program.

They put their suitcases aside, turned their heads to look around, and were just about to walk around the house when suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from outside.

A figure appeared at the door.

Lu Yan He and the others immediately looked over.

"Hmm? Song Lin Xin?" Lu Yan He was somewhat surprised to find that this figure was very familiar; it was someone he knew.

The person who came in was none other than the female singer Song Lin Xin, who became famous overnight this year, an "old acquaintance" of Lu Yan He.

"Hi!" Song Lin Xin saw Lu Yan He standing at the door across the courtyard, her eyes lit up instantly, and she waved at him.

Seeing Song Lin Xin dragging two large suitcases by herself, Lu Yan He immediately went out to pick her up and helped her take one of the suitcases, "So you came too."

Song Lin Xin was full of surprise and said: "I'm so happy to see you. I thought they were all strangers, and I was very nervous before coming."

In the "small dark room," the director team looked at each other.

"Are Lu Yan He and Song Lin Xin actually that familiar?" Deputy Director Zheng Hesong asked.

Li Zhenzhen said: "They just met at some gala performances, right?"

"Song Lin Xin's first time breaking out of the circle and being known by everyone was singing *Memory*, which was created by Lu Yan He. They must be familiar with each other." Chen Biqiu said, "How come you don't even know this?"

Once Chen Biqiu said this, the others silently shut their mouths.

Indeed, making a program without doing this homework properly was indeed their dereliction of duty.

"Speaking of which, the other guests of *Young Days* also have some connection with Lu Yan He." Zheng Hesong said, "Qin Zhibai also recorded *Small Song Gathering* with Lu Yan He."

"They don't have a private relationship; I've asked about this." Li Zhenzhen said, "They just recorded a program together."

"Then what about Peng Zhixing?" Zheng Hesong said, "I saw two days ago that the latest episode of *Zhixing* to be aired this Saturday has Lu Yan He as the interview guest."

Li Zhenzhen was somewhat surprised, "Ah?"

"Don't tell me Lu Yan He knows all the other guests too?" Someone asked immediately, "Didn't we say before that we wanted to create a program with the concept of strangers living together? If Lu Yan He knows everyone, it seems there are no strangers."

"How could he know everyone? Even if he knows them, most of them are just nodding acquaintances." Zheng Hesong said immediately, "How long has Lu Yan He been famous? He was studying at school before and didn't really mix in the entertainment industry. It's impossible for him to be familiar with so many people."

After speaking, he glanced at Li Zhenzhen.

He knew that his director attached great importance to the positioning and conception of this program, so he denied the other party's statement immediately when someone raised a question.

He also thought he was right.

Li Zhenzhen smiled and said: "No matter how many of them know each other and how many don't, the artist lineup has been finalized. Next, the program can only be filmed and watched. We don't know what the program will look like in the end. The advance design is just a design on paper. The final formation depends on the specific process. We don't need to always use the initial design and expected goals to correct our filming process. This is inherently unknown, and the unknown is the most interesting part."

Everyone was already very used to what Li Zhenzhen said.

She often said such things.

However, everyone also knew that this was her first time officially directing a program, and her experience was definitely insufficient.

For newcomers, everyone supports them on the surface, but how much trust they have in their hearts, no one knows.

The guests participating in this program appeared one after another.

After Song Lin Xin, it was Qin Zhibai.

He was also a singer who had just debuted not long ago. He was handsome but relatively cold. Everyone knew that his family was very wealthy and he had studied abroad.

This was the second time Lu Yan He met Qin Zhibai.

It had been almost a year.

On the contrary, Yan Liang was more familiar with Qin Zhibai. They had recorded *Small Song Gathering* together and had met several times in work situations later.

After Qin Zhibai, finally someone Lu Yan He didn't know came.

Actor Xiao Yun.

After Xiao Yun, another figure appeared, which stunned Li Zhibai.

Not just Li Zhibai, Lu Yan He and Yan Liang also showed unbelievable expressions, unable to believe that this person would appear.

Meng Li.

She held a parasol, dragged a suitcase, and walked over gracefully.

As the heroine of the summer hit drama *Accompany You to the End of the World*, although her popularity was not as high as Li Zhibai's, she was also relatively popular.

Song Lin Xin and Xiao Yun both lit up and praised Meng Li's styling today as very beautiful.

Meng Li greeted everyone with a smile, her eyes fell on Li Zhibai, and the corner of her mouth curled up, "Li Zhibai, long time no see."

Facing this female star who had been pestering him recently, Li Zhibai's head was huge.

He swallowed his throat and rarely showed a look of embarrassment.

Fortunately, in front of so many people and so many cameras, Meng Li didn't say anything that would make the scene difficult to end, just smiled and said: "Li Zhibai is very popular now. Every time I look for him, he never has time to reply to me."

Li Zhibai was so embarrassed he didn't know what to say.

Lu Yan He had to stand up to help smooth things over, laughing and blaming Li Zhibai: "So you really don't reply to anyone's messages. It's fine if you don't reply to mine and Yan Liang's, but you don't even reply to Meng Li's? Do you not look at your phone?"

Yan Liang understood and immediately followed up: "Exactly."

Seemingly blaming, but actually turning the matter of Li Zhibai not replying to Meng Li's messages into Li Zhibai not replying to everyone's messages, shifting the conflict.

Meng Li glanced at Lu Yan He and Yan Liang lightly and said: "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, Lu Yan He. Last time you told me that you were no longer living with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, so why did I just hear my PD say that the three of you are still living together? Are you living together or not? Why is it so ambiguous?"

Song Lin Xin and the others thought Meng Li was just teasing Lu Yan He and the others, and they all showed teasing smiles.

Only Lu Yan He's pupils trembled.

A cold sweat.

Last time Meng Li was squatting at their dormitory door for Li Zhibai, Lu Yan He happened to run into her when he went back. Meng Li asked Lu Yan He to see if Li Zhibai was there. In order to help Li Zhibai cover up the fact that he was in the room, Lu Yan He had to tell a lie, saying that he didn't live there either, and turned around and left.

"We—" Lu Yan He hesitated to explain, but Yan Liang suddenly stood up and said: "He moved out for a few days, but because he had to record this program, he moved back in. Have you been to our place? When?"

Meng Li: "Not long ago."

As her voice fell, someone else came.

Lu Yan He breathed a sigh of relief.

Great.

This topic could finally end for the time being.

However, a dark cloud loomed over.

Meng Li actually participated in this program too!

Then the subsequent cohabitation life... Lu Yan He was full of pessimism. He also turned his head to look at Li Zhibai. Li Zhibai had no expression on his face, and his eyes seemed to be empty. He didn't know what he was thinking deep in his heart at this moment.

In the "small dark room," the director team looked at each other.

According to their initial design, Meng Li's appearance should have been a reunion topic after *Accompany You to the End of the World* aired. However, the anticipated hugs and memories did not appear, but instead, an indescribable atmosphere radiated between the two.

"The two of them, they seem a bit strange?"

"Why does it feel like Meng Li is a bit sharp towards Li Zhibai and the others as soon as she arrives?"

"Don't know."

"My radar tells me there's a story between them."

"Meng Li seems to have some resentment towards Li Zhibai?"

Li Zhenzhen looked carefully at the expression details of each of them in each camera position.

She didn't participate in the discussion just now, but she also noticed that there were some more complex things between Li Zhibai and Meng Li.

The relationship between them seemed to be more complex than they had imagined from the beginning.

Li Zhenzhen was silent, and suddenly felt a bit panicked in her heart, with a hidden worry that the recording of the program would develop in an unexpected direction.

So far, eight artists have appeared.

Several people sat and stood in the living room, not knowing if there were others.

However, according to the question cards they saw at the door, there should be eight guests.

Just at this time, Peng Zhixing came.

"Hi, everyone!" Peng Zhixing walked in wearing a straw hat and dressed casually.

At this moment, the advantage of being a host was instantly reflected; everyone knew Peng Zhixing.

Peng Zhixing also greeted everyone enthusiastically.

Another round of pleasantries.

When it was Lu Yan He's turn, he was already the last one.

Peng Zhixing hugged Lu Yan He briefly and said: "Didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

Lu Yan He nodded with a smile.

"Have you just met?" Xiao Yun asked curiously.

Peng Zhixing said: "He just came to record my program. The latest episode of *Zhixing* to be aired this Saturday is him."

Xiao Yun said wow and looked at Lu Yan He with envy.

After the pleasantries, everyone looked at each other.

Peng Zhixing said: "Let's choose the rooms first, how about that? Has everyone seen the rooms?"

"Not yet." Xiao Yun shook her head.

"Then let's take a look together. After looking, let's see how to divide the rooms." Peng Zhixing automatically started to cue the process.

Everyone had no opinion.

"If anyone has any special requirements for the rooms, say it in advance. We'll probably be living here for many days. Don't force yourself and live uncomfortably." Peng Zhixing said, then looked back and suggested, "How about we exercise some gentlemanly spirit and let the three girls choose first?"

Lu Yan He and the others certainly had no opinion, and Qin Zhibai also nodded silently.

Xiao Yun said wow happily.

After she said wow, Meng Li glanced at her, as if surprised by her performance.

This house has three floors and more than a dozen rooms.

After several people walked around the house, Meng Li said: "Let's not pick and choose. It's exactly three floors high, so we girls will live on the third floor, and you boys will live on the second floor. When guests come later, we will divide by gender, which is convenient."

"Fine." Peng Zhixing nodded, "This is the most convenient way to divide."

The three girls were ready to take their suitcases upstairs.

"We'll help you move them up; you go up directly." Peng Zhixing said immediately.

Xiao Yun was still polite, saying: "It's okay, we can move them up ourselves."

Meng Li glanced at her, let go directly, and said: "Fine, then it's up to you. Reliable."

After Meng Li finished speaking, she went upstairs directly.

Xiao Yun was a bit embarrassed for a while and didn't know what to say.

Song Lin Xin patted Xiao Yun, smiled, and turned to Peng Zhixing and the others: "Then trouble you for your help."

Peng Zhixing: "It's okay, you're welcome."

Li Zhibai bypassed Meng Li's suitcase directly and went to carry Xiao Yun's.

Lu Yan He really had a lot of things he wanted to say to Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, but in this house, there were cameras everywhere, and there was no vacuum corner. Especially since everyone was wearing a microphone, whatever they said would be heard by others, and there was absolutely no private space—of course, the toilets and bathrooms were okay, but it was too strange for them men to run to the toilet and bathroom together.

He sat on a chair and sent a message in their small group, @Li Zhibai, asking: Surprised?

Li Zhibai replied: Surprised my ass, it's a total shock. Zhou Ping'an even told me he had already settled things with Meng Li, who knew she would pop up today? I was almost stunned.

Yan Liang: Then what about the subsequent recording? I feel like she was targeting you as soon as she came in.

Li Zhibai: Who knows, I'm so annoyed now, I wish I could just take my suitcase and go back.

Yan Liang: The breach of contract fee is very expensive.

Li Zhibai: Then I'd rather pay the breach of contract fee than suffer here.

Lu Yan He: Actually, apart from Meng Li, the others are quite good.

Li Zhibai: But with her here, it doesn't matter how good the others are. I have to discuss with Zhou Ping'an; I want to quit this program. This shitty program can't be recorded anymore.

Lu Yan He: Take it easy, it's just the beginning? It would be very strange if you left suddenly.

Li Zhibai: Isn't it even stranger for me to be like that with Meng Li?

With Li Zhibai saying this, Lu Yan He really couldn't refute.

The strange atmosphere between Li Zhibai and Meng Li just now, everyone must have felt it.

Just at this time, Lu Yan He suddenly received a message that he had joined a new group chat.

It was Peng Zhixing who pulled a group for the eight of them.

Peng Zhixing said in the group chat: Everyone tidy up a bit, let's gather downstairs in 10 minutes and go have lunch together.

It was already almost twelve o'clock at noon. According to the director team's arrangement, this lunch was also the first formal gathering after the eight of them moved in.

Ten minutes later, Lu Yan He went downstairs. He was the fourth to arrive. Peng Zhixing was chatting with Song Lin Xin and Xiao Yun, and Yan Liang stood by listening.

"Let's discuss what to do in the afternoon when we eat at noon later?" Peng Zhixing suggested, "The director team didn't provide us with any script, we can only find something to do ourselves."

Song Lin Xin was still somewhat surprised and asked: "The director team really won't design some segments for us in the back? Just let us do whatever?"

"Should be, right?" Peng Zhixing was also somewhat uncertain, "I asked them before, and that's what they said."

Song Lin Xin nodded, "Okay."

For such a filming mode, everyone seemed to be somewhat unaccustomed.

Li Zhibai and Qin Zhibai also came down one after another.

These two appeared together, quite giving people a feeling of brothers.

Both were expressionless and arrogant, but the former was expressionless with a hint of irritability, while the latter was expressionless with a hint of coldness.

The most ridiculous thing was that these two came down one after another, walking together all the way, without saying a word.

"Only Meng Li is left. Has she come down?" Peng Zhixing asked.

Song Lin Xin said: "We looked for her when we came downstairs, and she said she would come down immediately."

So, several of them continued to chat and wait.

This wait was another ten minutes.

"Why hasn't she come down yet?" Peng Zhixing asked, "How about I go up and see?"

Just at this time, Meng Li arrived late.

She actually changed into a set of clothes, changed into a long dress in bohemian style, put on a sun hat, and appeared in front of everyone gracefully.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." She said with a smile.

Although she was apologizing, Lu Yan He didn't hear that she really felt sorry.

Peng Zhixing smiled and said: "It's okay, not long. Now that everyone is here, let's prepare to set off. Is there anyone else who can drive?"

Li Zhibai said: "I'll drive."

So, Peng Zhixing and Li Zhibai were each responsible for a car, taking everyone to the restaurant.

The restaurant was chosen by the director team.

The director team had greeted them in advance and arranged the camera positions.

After the nine people went in, the dishes were already set on the table, a table full of dishes, the fragrance was pungent, and it looked very tempting.

"Really hungry." Peng Zhixing said, "So hungry."

A group of people sat down one after another, and Lu Yan He sat with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang.

Peng Zhixing was indeed a host and would never let the scene turn cold. As soon as he sat down, he immediately said: "Although we all know each other, let's do a simple self-introduction later? We will be living together for many days, we can introduce each other's personality and hobbies, and at the same time, if there is anything we need to pay attention to, we can also tell us directly. In this way, we can understand each other faster."

"Okay." Xiao Yun responded immediately.

"No need, right." Meng Li suddenly frowned and said: "Still doing self-introduction, it's too vulgar." ===== CHAPTER 236 =====