Chapter 239: Choosing a Partner

【Reborn Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

The first two episodes of Wulin Waizhuan have been released, and many viewers immediately posted their reviews online.

"No wonder this is Shang Director's sitcom—honestly, before this, I never imagined a sitcom could blend with wuxia drama; Shang Director is doing something no one else has done!"

"Highly recommend this show to those who haven't watched it yet—only two episodes have been released, but the setting is truly brilliant!"

"Without exaggeration, Screenwriter Cheng Chen has elevated this sitcom far beyond mere entertainment."

"In the realm of sitcoms, this show is a milestone in both packaging and substance."

"I love this show—even if they only release two episodes a day, honestly, it's not enough, not nearly enough!"

"Xinghuo Production, always premium quality!"

……

Cheng Chen scrolled through the comments on Weibo, smiling as he spoke to Yan Danchen in his arms:

"I originally wanted you to play Guo Fu, but then I realized it didn't suit her personality."

Cheng Chen sat in front of the computer, while Yan Danchen sat on his lap, eating grapes one by one.

She slowly fed each purple-red grape into her rosy little mouth and said:

"You don't have to give me every good role, but I really like this show."

"The plot is light and relaxing—perfect for unwinding after a long day, taking a bath, and lying comfortably on the sofa watching them joke around."

Cheng Chen stared at her lips opening and closing, and said:

"That's exactly why I made this show—everyone's workday is already exhausting."

"If you then watch TV dramas full of suffering and gloom, it only drains your spirit; watching TV should be for relaxation."

Comedy, in a sense, exists to lighten the mood.

"I know." Hearing Cheng Chen's words, Yan Danchen wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned:

"I know you're the best—honestly, the first time I heard you were the Screenwriter of this show, my first thought was, 'Will you become a Screenwriter forever now?'"

"That's an eighty-episode sitcom, you know—sitcoms are way harder than traditional TV dramas."

"They demand extreme openness in dialogue; every line on the script is distilled to its essence."

"If you can write a great sitcom, regular TV scripts won't challenge you at all."

Cheng Chen kissed her forehead and joked:

"You trust me that much? What if I write a total flop—won't you be disappointed?"

Yan Danchen shook her head:

"Maybe someone else might, but you never will. Look—whether releasing albums, holding concerts, or acting—you've never failed."

"Writing scripts is just another channel for your talent; that's why I believe in you."

Hearing Yan Danchen's words, Cheng Chen was deeply moved.

In this era, having a woman who believes in you unconditionally and stands by you is truly rare.

"Of course, Wulin Waizhuan has only aired its first two episodes—if the plot collapses later, I'll take back what I said today."

Yan Danchen lifted her smooth chin, a grape still in her mouth, eyes half-closed like a mischievous little fox smirking.

Seeing her like this, Cheng Chen felt a surge of desire.

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【Reborn Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

"Woman, you've successfully aroused my 'wrath.'"

Imitating a line from a future-era tycoon, Cheng Chen grinned wickedly as he swept her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom…

Imitating the famous line of some modern tycoon, Cheng Chen grinned mischievously as he swept her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom…

The online buzz over Wulin Waizhuan's broadcast continued.

But Cheng Chen had no time to pay attention now—the time had arrived for the first recording of We Are In Love.

The recording location was a countryside guesthouse.

Like the original, it gathered three young couples into the guesthouse.

First, each pair would choose the most compatible partner to form a couple and appear in the following episodes.

"Xiaoming Ge, Chao Ge, you're here so early? I'm not late, am I?"

When Cheng Chen arrived, Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao were already at the production site.

Huang Xiaoming noticed he'd been meeting Cheng Chen too frequently lately.

When he went out to film, he ran into him at Hengdian.

He thought Cheng Chen had come to visit him, but turns out Cheng Chen wasn't even there to see him.

Later, at the Langya Bang set, they saw each other every day.

Now, for a variety show, it's again him who planned it—and starred in it.

When did the world become this small?!

And now he was clearly an employee—his boss was always Cheng Chen.

Deng Chao was collaborating with Cheng Chen for the first time, though they'd crossed paths before.

But this was their first real conversation.

As top young actors, the three were often compared by onlookers.

Cheng Chen, needless to say, had the advantage of music—he had the highest fame and greatest traffic among them.

In terms of popularity alone, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he crushed the other two.

"Not late at all—we just got here a moment ago."

"Not late, not late—we just arrived a moment ago."

As a working stiff, Huang Xiaoming quickly chimed in.

Deng Chao merely nodded at Cheng Chen in greeting.

Though in the future Deng Chao would be a total clown, right now he was a fresh-faced idol with an ego to maintain.

Cheng Chen nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries with the two, then went to the program team's temporary office to assign tasks.

Besides participating in the variety show, he also had to coordinate with the crew about upcoming shoots.

Of course, all this had been planned ahead; there were directors and producers on-site to oversee everything.

He'd just come over to give a few final reminders.

"The sponsor's jewelry and logo must be placed prominently—when the camera starts, pan away from the logo, blur it, then shoot the people…"

Cheng Chen instructed the director beside him.

Sponsors of variety shows always need to feel their money was well spent, especially since Cheng Chen planned to film seasons two and three…

When Cheng Chen had finished briefing the crew, the female actors finally arrived on set.

"Hi, hello."

The first to enter was Zhi Ling, her long legs and slender waist with full curves giving off a blend of sensuality and sophistication.

Especially her sweet, soft Wan Sheng accent—it made your bones melt.

Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao's eyes lit up; they immediately cut off their conversation and stood to welcome the three.

Right behind her came Xu Cainv, who smiled at the two as she entered:

"I never expected to be working with two 'Emperors'—it's truly an honor."

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

Xu Cainv called them "Emperors" because both Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming were famous for playing emperors.

Huang Xiaoming's The Son of Heaven and Deng Chao's The Son of Heaven were their breakout and defining roles.

"Zhi Ling, Sister Lei, I'm Deng Chao."

Deng Chao greeted them first.

Huang Xiaoming quickly followed, not to be outdone:

"Please sit down, the director will be here soon."

The two women nodded and sat gracefully.

Huang Xiaoming's eyes fixed on Lin Zhiling before him, his face wearing a warm smile.

This version of Xiaoming Ge wasn't yet the oily man of the future—he'd always preferred women with good figures and refined facial features.

Like his future wife, Big Treasure—she was a total bombshell.

Deng Chao, meanwhile, valued inner depth; his eyes subtly scanned the two women, finally settling on the intellectual, elegant, and literary Xu Cainv.

The four chatted, the atmosphere light and easy.

Cheng Chen, from the back office, watched all four clearly through the monitors, including their conversation.

In fact, from the moment the guests entered the guesthouse, all cameras had already started recording.

Their conversations and greetings had all been captured on tape.

Watching Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao's eyes lock onto their preferred female guests, Cheng Chen secretly chuckled.

You each pick your own—then no one will be "competing" with me for Ceng Li.

The moment Cheng Chen thought this, Ceng Li walked into the guesthouse.

"Hello, everyone's already here? I'm not late, am I?"

No sooner had Ceng Li spoken than four pairs of eyes turned toward her.

Deng and Huang were visibly stunned.

"Ceng Li, welcome, come over—we were just talking, everyone just arrived."

Xu Cainv greeted her first.

The two men rushed to carry her luggage, since filming would continue for two consecutive days.

All guests had brought their own luggage.

"I was just saying someone hadn't arrived yet—turns out you're the last one."

Huang Xiaoming smiled.

"Was the trip tiring? Come sit down, chat, and rest a bit."

Deng Chao added from beside her.

Though none knew each other well, all present were actors—pretending familiarity was second nature.

Through the monitor, Cheng Chen watched Deng and Huang fawning over Ceng Li, gritting his teeth in fury.

"I'm going out—just remember what I just told you."

Cheng Chen said to the director beside him.

"Yes, rest assured."

"Hmm."

…

When Cheng Chen arrived on set, the host immediately stepped out.

"Welcome to the recording set of We Are In Love. First, welcome our six guests. Now, let's go over the rules…"

The first segment is selecting your heartthrob—male or female.

The six guests will be interviewed in turn, sharing their ideal partner criteria.

This step is meant to satisfy viewers' voyeurism—letting them see what kind of partner their idols prefer.

To put it bluntly, the idol's dating standards have been laid out—figure out how much you're worth.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

Of course, at this stage, most guests on variety shows will say some polite remarks.

Things like being filial, having a good personality, and so on.

Male guests certainly won't say they like women with big buttocks, slim waists, and good looks.

That would only make the public think you're vulgar and shallow!

"Hmm… what kind of woman?"

Cheng Chen sat in front of the camera and said:

"The girl I like must be interesting—beautiful faces are all the same, but an interesting soul is one in a million.

Second, we must share the same aspirations; I don't care if she's inside or outside the industry.

If our aspirations align, I believe we'll have far more in common—that's what I'd call comradeship.

That feeling of elevating our revolutionary friendship…"

The filming of the first episode of We Are In Love lasted two days.

Two days to film one episode was indeed tight.

But since it was the first episode, the director wanted everyone to get to know each other.

So the main footage of the first episode would end when the couples were finally paired up.

It was also a way to leave a cliffhanger and hook for the next episode.

During this time, Cheng Chen did not deliberately get too close to Ceng Li.

He knew Ceng Li was currently avoiding him, not wanting to get entangled too deeply, so he didn't force himself upon her and risk rejection.

The Devouring Starry Sky: Signing to Become a God

Xu Cainv and Zhi Ling kept intentionally or unintentionally striking up conversations with Cheng Chen.

One of them admired Cheng Chen's talent; the other had previously interacted with him in Tai Sheng.

In the words of mainland media, they had gone on a candlelit dinner date together.

Overall, the filming of the first variety show went smoothly; though they were off-script with no fixed lines, these individuals weren't as at ease as they'd be in acting.

But after two days of interaction, as they gradually grew accustomed to the variety show's rhythm, progress moved quickly.

The only person who seemed slightly lacking was Zhi Ling.

After all, she was a model by training and had little acting experience.

Yet she knew she couldn't compare with these actors, so she often just sat or stood.

She would unintentionally showcase her graceful curves, then say in a sweet Taiwanese accent:

"What are you doing~?"

Instantly drawing the attention of all three men on set.

…

"The first episode has been fully filmed. I'll review the footage on Tuesday, revise it Wednesday and Thursday, and aim to release it by Saturday.

I already said before—we're editing while filming, so the post-production team, you've got your work cut out for you."

After the filming of the first episode ended, Cheng Chen said to the crew.

"Understood!"

…

"These past few days have been a lot of fun—I hope you'll enjoy our new variety show."

After the first episode ended, the We Are In Love production team edited a two-minute teaser trailer.

Within those two minutes, there was a montage of everyone, paired with warm, romantic captions about love—directly maximizing the variety show's appeal.

"The girl I like must be interesting—beautiful faces are all the same, but an interesting soul is one in a million…"

At the very end, it was Cheng Chen's statement on his dating standards—just one line.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

"Wah wah wah, is it finally coming?!"

"I heard they're editing while filming—that way they can gather audience feedback immediately, super awesome.

No wonder it's hosted by my idol—ask me, which variety show in China dares to do this?!"

"Please, Cheng Chen's line really got to me—beautiful faces are all the same, but an interesting soul is one in a million.

This line has given people like us, with ordinary looks, the courage to fall in love again!"

"Honestly, I really love what Cheng Chen said—he didn't dodge the question with official clichés like other actors do; he's genuinely participating in the show!"

"Sigh, waiting for Nirvana in Fire is driving me crazy—let me watch a big variety show to satisfy my cravings!"

"Please let me date Cheng Chen! I'm the interesting soul!"

Cheng Chen's remarks about "an interesting soul" were immediately picked up by netizens and shot to the trending list; his interview clip was added to the topic, and its click count kept climbing.

…

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