Chapter 105: Left Arm, Right Arm

The audience erupted in thunderous applause and screams; apart from Lai Shuiqing and Gao Yuanyuan, the other three on stage were all hugely famous.

Jia Jingwen, the sweet girl from Wan Sheng; Su Youpeng of the Little Tiger Team; Heavenly King Cheng Chen.

Their fans immediately shouted loudly from the stands, with Cheng Chen's fans being the most frenzied, waving their light boards incessantly.

The director cut the camera to the audience section and gave Cheng Chen a close-up of his face.

"Everyone's so enthusiastic—looks like you all really like them, right?"

"Yes!"

The audience below the stage responded enthusiastically to He Jiong.

"Great! We also have a mysterious guest joining us today at the recording—can you guess who it is?"

Let's give a warm round of applause for our big star from Xiangnan, Yan Danchen—Chenchen!"

He Jiong shouted loudly.

Soon after, Yan Danchen stepped out from backstage wearing a floral dress, exuding a pure, literary charm.

"Hello everyone, I'm Yan Danchen."

Yan Danchen greeted the audience, then glanced briefly at Cheng Chen before looking away.

Since their last meeting, Cheng Chen hadn't seen her in a long time.

"Actually, I know Chenchen too—we had a mutual good friend, and by chance we became friends."

After the opening segment, Cheng Chen took the microphone and smiled.

"Oh my god, you two are friends? Is that true, Chenchen?"

Yan Danchen smiled shyly and said:

"Yes, Teacher He. We had a good friend named Chen Shasha, who played Yin Li in Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre; she's also my senior sister, and Cheng Chen knows her quite well."

"What a coincidence! No wonder the entertainment circle is a circle—everyone ends up knowing each other!"

"Hmm? Cheng Chen and Chenchen—how come those names sound almost like one person, haha?"

He Jiong suddenly said after thinking for a moment.

Hearing his remark, everyone instantly realized—it was true.

"Oh come on, Teacher He,

you're the host—you can't even tell front and back nasal sounds apart? The director's going to fine you for this!"

Wei Jia laughed and said.

"Hahaha."

Hearing Wei Jia's words, everyone burst into laughter.

But precisely because of He Jiong's remark, everyone now looked at Yan Danchen's radiant smile and Cheng Chen's handsome face standing together—and they truly looked well-matched.

Seeing everyone's gossip-filled expressions, Cheng Chen felt helpless, because he could sense the chill emanating from Gao Yuanyuan on his left…

"Director, give close-ups of Cheng Chen, Gao Yuanyuan, and Yan Danchen right now."

The director's voice came through the director's earpiece, and the camera immediately shifted to the three of them.

To the director's eye, their expressions differed: Gao Yuanyuan's face was icy, Yan Danchen's was shy, and Cheng Chen, caught between the two women, looked slightly awkward.

"There's definitely a story between these three!"

Watching the scene of two women and one man, the director thought to himself.

"Everyone must be familiar with Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, and Director Lai is now adapting it for the second time.

Just from the four actors on our stage, you can see this new version of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre is packed with handsome men and beautiful women.

Just this cast alone makes me desperate to watch the drama!"

He Jiong said to the camera.

Hearing this, Cheng Chen smiled slightly and said:

"Beautiful faces are all the same; interesting souls are one in ten thousand.

Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre isn't just visually stunning—it's also a drama with real depth. I hope you'll like it."

Hearing Cheng Chen's words, the audience fell silent for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic applause.

Beautiful faces are all the same; interesting souls are one in ten thousand!

This phrase hit the nail on the head—so brilliant!

"That's so well said! Next time someone tells me I'm as skinny as a skeleton, I'll just say this to them, hahaha."

Wei Jia chimed in.

"No no, I still think this line sounds better coming from a handsome guy. Coming from you, it feels like you're desperately justifying yourself, hahaha."

Li Xiang laughed and retorted.

Wei Jia looked at her with an innocent expression, and everyone couldn't help but laugh heartily at his face—the scene was lively.

"Hey, I heard Yuanyuan and Cheng Chen actually get along really well on set—you play Zhou Zhiruo, Cheng Chen plays Song Qingshu.

In the drama you're husband and wife, but outside it you're brother and sister. How's this little brother of yours? Does he usually annoy you?"

Rumors about Gao Yuanyuan and Cheng Chen's relationship had been circulating before.

But after they publicly referred to each other as brother and sister, it still didn't stop people's gossiping.

Hearing He Jiong's question, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Gao Yuanyuan and Cheng Chen.

Gao Yuanyuan had been silent until now; caught off guard, she avoided eye contact and said:

"Him? … He's great. On set, he's been very considerate to me. Usually… we're all busy, but when we have time, we call each other or grab a meal."

A perfectly standard answer—but clearly avoiding any implication.

If there really was nothing between them, why would she need to avoid it?

Add to that her flustered expression, and it instantly ignited the burning flame of gossip in everyone's hearts.

Even Yan Danchen looked at Gao Yuanyuan with a skeptical expression.

At that moment, Cheng Chen suddenly stood up and said with heartfelt sorrow:

"Sis, you saying that really hurts me—haven't I been good to you all along?"

Then he gazed at Gao Yuanyuan and recited with deep emotion:

"I raise the banner for my sis—dare anyone dare stand against her? All directions are enemies—I am her brother, and even more, her banner!"

Upon hearing Cheng Chen's words, everyone looked bewildered; only Yan Danchen, who knew Cheng Chen well, covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.

Gao Yuanyuan also looked at Cheng Chen helplessly, warning him with her eyes not to act up.

"I raise the banner for my sis… Pfft! Hahaha, I'm dying laughing!"

Li Xiang muttered Cheng Chen's words under his breath, glanced at Cheng Chen standing solemnly beside Gao Yuanyuan, then burst out laughing.

The key was that Cheng Chen was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, speaking with the tone of someone reciting poetry.

To call him romantic, yet he recited absurd lines—the stark contrast made everyone unable to hold back their laughter.

"This Cheng Chen has serious variety show sense—if only we could make him a permanent guest on Happy Camp."

Zhu Jianfeng, one of Happy Camp's producers, sighed as he watched Cheng Chen freely improvise and let loose on stage.

"Don't even dream about it, Lao Zhu—he's a Heavenly King-level superstar. We got him here only because we used Lai Shuiqing's directorial connections to pitch it as promotion for The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."

"Normally, he wouldn't even glance at our invitation. It's not that he's arrogant—it's just that our station's too small."

Said another producer, Yu Le.

"What a shame—since he stepped on stage, Cheng Chen alone has delivered eighty percent of the laughs."

"And the entire topic has revolved around him—not because he's a big star and everyone fixates on him."

"But because he knows how to create buzz, dropping quotable lines nonstop. Haven't you noticed even seasoned hosts like He Jiong and Li Xiang are struggling to keep up with him?"

Zhu Jianfeng observed Cheng Chen constantly interacting with the hosts on stage and spoke with feeling.

"Indeed—he's a variety show talent. His talent in this field is no less than his musical gift."

…

After the hosts and guests joked and shared amusing stories from the set,

the guest introduction segment ended, and Cheng Chen was then assigned by the crew to perform a song as a transition.

So he chose "Fairytale," the most widely known song, perfectly suited for the show.

"You cried to me and said, all fairytales are lies."

"I can never be your prince."

"Maybe you won't understand—since you said you loved me, my sky, every star has brightened…"

The live audience sang along loudly with Cheng Chen, instantly pushing the entire show to its climax.

"An excellent song—so beautiful. Now let's interview the composer, lyricist, and performer of 'Fairytale,' Cheng Chen—what do you think of this song?"

He Jiong held the microphone, pretending to be a reporter.

"If I describe this song as 'beautiful' or 'heavenly,' everyone's surely tired of hearing those words…"

Cheng Chen paused, teasingly withholding his next words.

"Friends, since Happy Camp first aired, we've never seen a guest praise himself—oh… then how should we describe your song?"

He Jiong, no doubt the best straight man, instantly caught the cue and played along.

"You should say that after listening, your ears immediately got pregnant."

"Hahaha, that's quite… unique. If Wei Jia sang it, your ears would probably miscarry…"

Wei Jia, called out, remained calm and replied slowly:

"As long as I have no ears, I won't get pregnant!"

Everyone immediately burst into laughter at the back-and-forth between the three.

Next, according to the edited version, it should be the commercial break.

Speaking of commercials, we must mention a bold move by Xiang Province Satellite TV.

At the time, Xiang Province Satellite TV imitated Gang Sheng TV by removing its logo during commercial breaks.

Soon after, Southeast Satellite TV copied the tactic, leading multiple cable networks to exploit the loophole and broadcast unauthorized local ads.

That year, even Xiang Province Satellite TV and Southeast TV nearly took the blame.

And the State Administration's "Always Display Logo" order was implemented starting in 2003.

You could say Xiang Province Satellite TV single-handedly set the entire advertising industry back three years.

Of course, this move was very correct—otherwise, who knows how many ordinary people would have been deceived…

"This is Xiang Province Satellite TV's Happy Camp—after the break, even more excitement! Next up: the game segment!"

"Rules: guests are divided into two teams. After spinning in place fifteen times, you must race to the water barrel and pour water into it.

The team with the most water in the barrel within the time limit wins—the losing team must tell a joke to make everyone laugh, or face punishment!"

Happy Camp, after all, is an entertainment show—stars here inevitably interact with hosts and play games.

Though the game seems childish, its real appeal lies in watching the guests embarrass themselves—it's highly entertaining.

Teams were drawn by lot, and the results came quickly.

Cheng Chen, Gao Yuanyuan, and Yan Danchen were on one team.

Jia Jingwen, Su Youpeng, and Lai Shuiqing were on the other.

It was a two-men-one-woman team versus a two-women-one-man team.

Li Xiang hosted; He Jiong and Wei Jia were responsible for adding water to both teams.

Soon, Cheng Chen's team went first—all three pinched their noses, closed their eyes, and spun in place.

After spinning, the three dashed toward the water barrel—but Gao Yuanyuan lost her balance and stumbled backward, falling hard.

Yan Danchen, following closely, was caught in the ripple and fell to the ground; although Cheng Chen felt dizzy, seeing both women fall at once, he immediately leapt forward to catch them—only to…

All three crashed to the ground, but Cheng Chen had planted both arms behind each woman, firmly embracing one on each side.

Seeing this, the audience erupted.

At that moment, the director insisted on giving each of them a close-up—especially Cheng Chen's face, twisted in both pleasure and pain—prompting everyone to burst into laughter.

"You okay?"

Li Xiang hurriedly asked from beside him.

Cheng Chen, face contorted in pain, forced a smile:

"I'm fine. Little fairies are raised on clouds—they have no weight at all, light as air... ow, ow..."

"Hahaha."

"I'm dead, little fairies raised on clouds."

"If they're so light, why are you screaming in pain?"

"Cheng Chen is so good at complimenting—calling them 'little fairies'? I love it!"

The audience clapped loudly; some women even stood up, shouting Cheng Chen's name.

"Are you all okay?"

He Jiong walked over, concerned.

"We're fine."

Cheng Chen helped the two women up, stood, shook his arms, then smiled at the crowd's shouts:

"Please call me, Cheng·Rainbow·Puff·Chen. Thank you."

"Rainbow puff? Hahaha! First time I've heard flattery described so refreshingly!"

Wei Jia laughed beside him.

The competition resumed. After that fall, the two women deliberately slowed their steps, while Cheng Chen kept charging ahead—but after the race ended, their score was naturally poor.

When Jia Jingwen's team went on, having learned from Cheng Chen's group, they walked slowly and didn't fall once, barely defeating Cheng Chen's team.

"Alright, the competition's over. Final result: Cheng Chen's team loses! Will you accept the punishment directly, or tell a cold joke?"

He Jiong asked with a grin.

Cheng Chen grimaced and said:

"Then I'll tell you a cold joke."

Cheng Chen cleared his throat; everyone's eyes fixed on him as he began slowly:

"This is a somewhat sad story. It's said a wildly popular love song was adapted from it…"

Why is telling a joke suddenly turning into a sad story?

Everyone was puzzled, but Cheng Chen continued:

"The first time an ant went out, it couldn't find its way home."

"Just then, it met another ant, carrying food on its way…"

An ant lost? Fairytale? Where's the cold joke?

Ignoring everyone's confused glances, Cheng Chen went on:

"After hesitating a moment, the ant gathered courage and asked:

'Friend, how do you get back to the anthill?'

The other ant froze for a few seconds, then stammered:

'With a smile… or very quietly…'"

Cheng Chen finished. The entire venue fell silent.

"I told you I can't tell jokes—you insisted I do. Now look: it's 'mother of silence opening the door to silence'—silence to the extreme…"

Cheng Chen waved his hand, looking utterly helpless.

Li Xiang laughed: "Hahaha, so 'Afterwards' was adapted from a little ant's journey home? Liu Ruoyin would want to hit someone if she heard this."

"'Mother of silence opening the door to silence'—so hilarious! Cheng Teacher, how is your brain even built? You're really a…"

He Jiong, torn between laughter and exasperation, trailed off, unable to find the right word.

"I'm really a treasure boy?"

"Treasure boy? That's a peculiar and nice term—but you're an adult, still a boy?"

"A man is forever a boy. Besides, who isn't a three-year-old…"

"A man is forever a boy, and besides, who isn't still a three-year-old..."

"A three-year-old baby with two hundred extra months!"

"A three-year-old baby with two hundred extra months!"

The audience was once again doubled over laughing, clapping in admiration.

In truth, in his past life, people had long grown used to Cheng Chen's lines.

But now it was 2003, so they had such an extraordinary effect.

He was exploiting this time gap—using the vast information flow from his past life to conquer today's audience.

The show had been recorded for an hour and was nearing its end; Li Xiang and He Jiong began managing the timing.

Cheng Chen had already delivered enough gags and punchlines; He Jiong turned the topic toward Yan Danchen and Jia Jingwen.

One was a star from Xiang Province; Happy Camp claimed her as its "birth mother."

The other was a female actress from across the strait who had come to the Mainland to struggle—both were highly representative.

Lai Dao had originally been included in the topic, but his Mandarin was too poor, and he was too rigid, lacking any variety show flair.

Lai Dao was originally included in the topic, but his Mandarin was far too poor, and he was too rigid and lacked any variety show flair.

So He Jiong directly focused his topic time on Su Youpeng.

The two women, when asked about their struggles in the film and television industry, both couldn't help but tear up.

In the end, He Jiong and Li Xiang stepped forward to comfort the two women, after which He Jiong asked Cheng Chen:

"What's your story?"

Cheng Chen replied coldly:

"I have a story. Do you have wine?"

The audience burst into laughter again, and this recording ended in warmth and joy.

……

"You've worked hard, Lai Dao, Teacher Cheng. Let's all have a simple dinner together tonight?"

Outside the studio, He Jiong invited them.

Lai Dao waved his hand, saying he had to return to Gang Sheng for some matters.

Su Youpeng, Jia Jingwen, and Gao Yuanyuan said they still had to return to their filming sets.

Only Cheng Chen was free; he clearly wanted to stay behind to keep Yan Danchen company, but couldn't find a suitable excuse.

At that moment, He Jiong's phone suddenly rang. After apologizing, he walked aside to answer it.

After about two or three minutes, He Jiong apologized again:

"Sorry, I just took a call…"

Then he looked at Cheng Chen and said:

"Teacher Cheng, just now the Dazongyan of my show 'Kuai Ben'—who's also our vice station chief—called me. He wants to invite you to dinner to discuss some collaboration. Are you available?"

It was as if fate had handed him a pillow just as he was sleepy; Cheng Chen felt a surge of joy inside, feigned a moment of thought, then nodded:

"Sure, no problem."

Cheng Chen secretly sent a message to Yan Danchen, telling her to wait for him at the hotel.

He then went to see off Gao Yuanyuan and the others to the airport…

……