After previous interactions, Xu Qingqiu had somewhat gotten the hang of Chu Tian's personality. With a nonchalant and simple statement, Chu Tian immediately surrendered.
"The boss is right!"
Alright then, you're the boss, what you say goes. What else could he do? He relies on this job to make a living, not just for the salary but also for reputation. When his boss pulled rank, he had no choice but to obey. Go he must, but personal protection is essential.
Chu Tian scurried over.
Witnessing this scene, the corners of Xu Qingqiu's mouth turned up almost imperceptibly as she tried hard to conceal her smugness.
But her satisfaction didn't last long. Chu Tian walked over to Yiyi and, to her utter disbelief, found a familiar backpack and opened it, revealing a variety of cosmetics.
He picked and chose, quickly finding the sunscreen spray. Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, Chu Tian closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and liberally sprayed himself with the expensive sunscreen.
PFFT! PFFT!
The people around were dumbfounded, and Zhou Yiyi felt a shiver run down her spine.
That was Sister Qiu's favorite sunscreen spray! It's very expensive!
Chu Tian didn't care about that. Going outside meant facing the harsh sun, and he wasn't foolish. Without sunscreen, he'd be burnt to a crisp, wouldn't he? He wasn't some classic handsome type who liked to get tanned; paler skin looked better.
After applying the sunscreen, he casually tossed the nearly empty bottle back into the makeup bag, pulled out a pair of sunglasses with flair, put them on, and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking like the coolest guy in the venue.
Only Yiyi, with a woeful expression, stared at the messy makeup bag, strongly suspecting he had done it on purpose. She could only look pitifully at Sister Qiu, trying to convey it had nothing to do with her.
Yes, I did it on purpose, Chu Tian thought. You wanted me to go, didn't you? We'll see if you dare ask me again next time! Don't look at me; you're the one who insisted I go.
Xu Qingqiu simply glanced at him indifferently, pressed her lips together, and said calmly, "Let's go."
She then led the way downstairs with her team. The staff and cameramen below were already well-prepared.
This time Chu Tian was smarter; he didn't push his way to the front but followed behind the little assistant, Zhou Yiyi, copying whatever she did.
Zhou Yiyi, lugging two big bags and pouting like someone who had been wronged, didn't say a word.
Her arms felt like they were about to break from the weight. She knew better than anyone who this so-called assistant beside her really was. He wasn't an assistant at all—he was the man constantly on the boss's mind.
"Shall I help you with one?"
Chu Tian, having received several inexplicable glares, finally realized what the problem was. He quickly lowered his head and asked Zhou Yiyi, "Ah? Yes, please, thank you!"
The formerly aggrieved Zhou Yiyi immediately perked up.
Xu Qingqiu, observing this from the reflection in the elevator doors, didn't say anything.
Just as Chu Tian took one of the bags, the elevator doors opened with a DING.
"Yiyi, you and Chu Tian go put the things in the car first, then wait for me there."
"Oh, alright."
It seemed Xu Qingqiu also remembered the scenario from last time and was spooked by it, so she intentionally sent him away.
It was the same routine as last time. After a brief interview in the car and discussing some pre-planned questions, the rest was idle chatter and simply making the trip.
This time, I'm not in the same car with them, and I couldn't care less. After all, I don't understand these things. I just need to follow the little assistant; that way, everything will be fine.
Upon reaching the recording studio, the group headed straight inside.
"Teacher Xu, we'll go to the rest room first and wait for a bit," Zhouzhou said. "Someone will come to find you later. We also need to do makeup first today, and there's a dress rehearsal afterward. You can see then if your outfit needs any adjustments."
Zhouzhou meticulously explained some details, and Chu Tian curiously surveyed the entire recording hall while following behind.
This is quite different from the other world I remember. In my previous life, when I recorded shows, they always took place inside the TV station. Only shows produced by web platforms would use studios built in industrial parks like this. Generally, TV shows were filmed in their own station's broadcasting hall or an adjacent studio. Unexpectedly, in this world, variety shows have already broken away from being confined to the TV station's system. Even a top-tier show like 'The Sound of Nature,' which is practically Lanjiang TV's flagship program, isn't filmed in the TV station building or even in Lanhu City where Lanjiang TV is based. Instead, they chose to record in a separate industrial park in the Capital. This approach has two advantages. First, it breaks free from the outdated layout of TV station buildings. Both the backstage areas and the broadcasting halls are more spacious and bright, without that gloomy, cramped feeling. Second, the location is much more convenient. People no longer need to travel all the way to Lanhu City for recording. After all, most entertainment industry stars and artists are based in either the Capital or Shanghai. The downsides are a slightly weaker connection to Lanjiang TV and some impact on Lanhu City's local cultural identity. I don't know if all shows operate like this or if it's just this one.
The group quickly arrived at the rest area. Rooms lined both sides of the corridor. Each door featured the logo of "The Sound of Nature" and a number, like a room number. Number six was Xu Qingqiu's exclusive rest room.
"Teacher Xu, you can rest inside for a while," Zhouzhou continued. "Someone will come for you later. This is the production team's walkie-talkie. I'm usually around, but if I'm not and you need anything, you can use it to contact us directly."
"Okay, thank you."
"It's no trouble at all."
With that, they opened the door to the rest room.
The rest room was moderately sized. A television on the wall displayed the production team's logo. On the other side were two large sofas, enough to seat four or five people, with an oval coffee table in the middle.
Chu Tian found a spot and sat down, bored, watching the others chat idly. He couldn't join the conversation; even if he spoke, his raspy voice still sounded unnatural. It would tire him out, and others wouldn't enjoy listening anyway.
Might as well just close my eyes and rest. I stayed up late last night scrolling through short videos and talked too much, so I didn't sleep well. This is a good chance to catch up on some sleep. Being able to slack off and nap during an out-of-office assignment like this is pretty great.
He drifted off to sleep, but the others couldn't.
After some time had passed, someone knocked and entered the room.
"Teacher Xu, we need to do a costume fitting and also adjust your makeup. Could you please come to the makeup room?"
"Alright, I'm coming."
Xu Qingqiu hurriedly stood up. Glancing at Chu Tian, who was sound asleep, she signaled Sister Hua to keep quiet and not to wake him. "Let him sleep. We can go by ourselves. He wouldn't have anything to do if he came with us for a costume change anyway."
"Fine, fine. Go on and spoil him," Sister Hua said with a sigh.
What could Li Chunhua do but accept it?
The little assistant Yiyi, carrying two large bags, followed closely and obediently. Zhouzhou, however, glanced around in confusion, not quite understanding the situation, but still tagged along obediently.
Consequently, Chu Tian was the only one left in the rest room.