Inside the car, Zhouzhou glanced outside. Upon seeing the cameraman give her a gesture, she hurriedly spoke up, "Teacher Xu, we need to put on our microphones, so everyone will have to wait a moment."
This was all part of the normal process, and it wasn't Xu Qingqiu's first time encountering it, so there was nothing unusual about it.
"Okay, please go ahead and make the arrangements."
Looking at Xu Qingqiu's expressionless and aloof appearance, Zhouzhou, who had never interacted with her before, was still unable to gauge her personality, so she spoke cautiously.
However, for now, the young Queen seemed quite approachable. She didn't exude the intimidating, unapproachable aura Zhouzhou had imagined.
"Okay, thanks for understanding. A staff member will come by shortly. By the way, about that person..."
While speaking, she pointed at Chu Tian, who was sitting in the back. Although she didn't finish her sentence, the meaning was pretty much conveyed.
Putting on a microphone required wrapping a pack around the waist, which inevitably involved lifting clothes and other potentially awkward adjustments. This wasn't ideal with a man present.
Chu Tian silently lifted his head and pointed at himself.
You've got to be kidding me? Me again? I just got here and sat down, do I have to get out again?
Seeing his reluctant face, Li Chunhua was really about to lose her temper this time. Since filming had paused, she wasn't afraid of causing an incident and was ready to give him a stern talking-to.
But Xu Qingqiu hurriedly held her back, turned her head to look at Chu Tian, and casually said, "It's fine. He can stay here; it's no bother."
After saying that, she quickly turned back to look out the window, acting as if everything was very casual. However, only Li Chunhua, with her sharp eyes, noticed the faint blush that fleetingly appeared on Xu Qingqiu's cheeks.
Good heavens, the darling girl I've been protecting for so many years is about to be poached!
And him of all people? What kind of potion did that Chu Tian give you? He just fools around all day, a good-for-nothing slacker—and mute, to boot! He has no ambition and just drifts along. What on earth do you see in him?
Is it because of that incident back then? Or just because he's somewhat handsome? Is it really worth it?
Since Xu Qingqiu herself wasn't concerned, Li Chunhua saw no need to play the villain. She forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and turned her head away with a huff, sulking.
On the other hand, Chu Tian secretly gave his boss a mental thumbs-up.
Now that's a boss for you—so magnanimous!
He even shot Zhouzhou, seated beside him, a smug look, accompanied by a proud CLICK!
The sound almost made Zhouzhou's brain short-circuit.
No, this is too complicated; she's completely bewildered.
Fortunately, the sound technician came to open the car door and came to their rescue. With an assistant's help, they quickly and efficiently fitted the necessary people with microphones.
In his original world, these devices were nicknamed "Little Bees." They were common accessories, and virtually every celebrity had worn one at some point.
The sound technician glanced at Chu Tian, hesitating, unsure if he needed one too. Li Chunhua noticed and quickly said, "He doesn't need one, thank you."
The sound technician's hesitation was understandable. Chu Tian sat there as poised as could be, lacking the typically furtive and timid demeanor of an assistant. Combined with his physique and looks—which practically screamed 'celebrity,' especially with sunglasses perched on his nose and his artfully disheveled hair—he exuded a peculiar sense of fashion.
It was natural for the sound technician to be hesitant.
Soon, everything was ready. The main cameraman switched on the surrounding cameras, and the follow-cam operator also settled into the front passenger seat.
The car started and drove toward the show's recording hall.
During the drive, Zhouzhou diligently carried out her tasks as host, and Xu Qingqiu cooperated fully, the two of them laughing and chatting the entire way.
Once they had enough footage, the two continued to chat animatedly about personal topics, clearly enjoying themselves. If the cameras hadn't still been rolling, Chu Tian suspected their conversation might have become incredibly unrestrained.
He had no interest in their chatter, so out of sheer boredom, he slept for most of the journey.
"Chu Tian? Wake up! We've arrived."
Xu Qingqiu had been secretly keeping an eye on him as they neared their destination. She worried he might do something clumsy again, which would anger Sister Hua. So, she was prepared. As soon as they arrived, she turned and gently tapped Chu Tian to wake him.
Huh? We're here already?
Having slept the entire journey, he groggily opened his eyes, yawned, and stretched lazily in the car, his gaze bleary as he looked outside.
The midday sun was at its fiercest. To make matters worse, there appeared to be some kind of red-carpet-style event outside the recording venue, likely for a promotion or filming.
Sister Hua had a schedule, but he didn't, so it had nothing to do with him. After a brief glance, he paid it no more mind.
Once the car stopped smoothly, Li Chunhua was the first one out. She opened her door, then hurried to the trunk, found the two bags from earlier, and took out a parasol.
It couldn't be helped; this assistant seemed utterly unreliable. She'd have to do it herself.
By then, Xu Qingqiu and Chu Tian had also alighted from the car.
Li Chunhua rolled her eyes and walked over to Chu Tian.
"Hold this!"
Huh? Oh!
Chu Tian looked at her in surprise. Only when he saw the parasol in her hand did he understand.
You had to admit, despite Sister Hua's usual stern demeanor, she was quite thoughtful at critical moments. He was just starting to feel the sun's sting when she handed him the parasol. Nope, can't badmouth her next time. Sister Hua is actually pretty great; she deserves some praise.
Delighted, he took the parasol and opened it over his head. The harsh sunlight instantly softened. Apart from a faint, warm breeze, everything felt pleasant.
He was comfortable, but Li Chunhua's scalp tingled with exasperation.
"What do you think you're doing? That's for Qingqiu! Who said you could use it for yourself?!"
Huh? Is that right?
Chu Tian tilted his head, his gaze meeting Xu Qingqiu's.
One was comfortably shaded under the parasol, while the other stood under the blazing sun, frowning at him with a look of silent reproach. That hint of anger in her expression was surprisingly cute. What was going on here?
Yikes, what a blunder. I completely forgot about the boss. Force of habit, force of habit. My sincere apologies. Mentally apologizing, Chu Tian gave an embarrassed grin, sidled over, and dutifully held the parasol over his boss.
Xu Qingqiu, seeing his reaction, explained, "It's fine for you to use the parasol. Next time, we can bring a few more so everyone has one. But today we're filming a show, and with celebrities and cameras everywhere, we need to be a bit more careful. Plus, I have to be on camera later, and reapplying makeup is troublesome, so please bear with me. Thanks for your help."
Whoa, the way the big boss is talking… why does it feel a bit odd? You're the boss; saying things like that makes me feel… what's that phrase? Ah, 'overwhelmed by an unexpected favor.' Yes, that's it.
Seriously though, this boss is amazing. She speaks so pleasantly. She might seem aloof, but once you interact with her, you realize she's gentle and kind-hearted. A truly top-notch boss!
Thinking this, Chu Tian nodded eagerly and shifted the parasol further over her.
Since the boss put it that way, he definitely had to make sure she was well-shaded and didn't get any sun. Of course, he couldn't let himself get sunburned either.
And so, onlookers saw a small parasol struggling to shield two figures: a gracefully poised woman and a tall, handsome man.
You know, they actually looked quite good together!