Deng Siqing bowed to the audience, overwhelmed by their adoration.
Lin Chudong stood up and led the applause. Deng-jie's performance today was simply too brilliant.
Wang Xi quickly said, "Teacher Dafei, don't get too excited, watch your step!"
The comments section immediately exploded with laughter.
"Haha, Wang Xi, don't be such a wimp. You were calling him Dafei earlier, why Teacher Dafei now?"
"Wang Xi is just being realistic. With Dafei's strength, calling him teacher is no loss."
"Wang Xi is the type who only behaves after getting a beating."
"Teacher Wang Xi, quickly chat with Da Fei for ten yuan while you can, otherwise you won't get the chance later."
"..."
The ranking of the competition was announced, and there were no surprises.
"The champion of this season's Crossover Singer is, Deng Siqing!"
Amidst the confetti, the program came to a perfect end.
Zhang Qinxue breathed a long sigh of relief. Live broadcasts were really too difficult. After this time, she would never do a live broadcast again; her heart couldn't take it.
When Deng Siqing ran out, Zhang Qinxue nearly had a heart attack.
In the evening, Deng Siqing, Cheng Huanhuan, Sun Xuan and Da Fei, the four of them, had a meal. Sun Xuan said, "Congratulations, Sister Deng! When Da Fei shoots a film, bring Sister Deng along. With a career spanning film, television, and music, you might really become a little diva." Deng Siqing smiled, "Director Sun, please don't make fun of me. I don't have that ability. It's good enough if I can host properly." Cheng Huanhuan raised her hand, "I do! Da Fei, quickly promote me. I'm open to anything." Lin Chudong said, "Sister Huan is good at performing skits, but singing, let's forget about it, haha."
This time, everyone didn't drink much. Sun Xuan said, "Da Fei, where are you planning to choose the filming location for our show?"
Lin Chudong said, "It's still a bit cold up north right now, so we definitely need to go south. Let's choose Yunnan."
Sun Xuan nodded. "Okay. The station said your plan is fine, but they won't let you off easy either. You get the exclusive title sponsorship, and you give the station two million, which will cover the equipment and labor costs. You'll be responsible for all the show's production expenses, how does that sound?"
"The station will earn money from other sponsors and viewership ratings."
Lin Chudong nodded. "No problem, that's even better."
According to Lin Chudong's calculations, the first few episodes of Rural Life wouldn't require too much funding.
The biggest expense would be the guests' fees.
Sun Xuan said, "Alright, will you go to Yunnan with me tomorrow? To choose the location?"
"Sure."
The two discussed it and decided to set off tomorrow morning.
\n\n
After dinner, Lin Chudong told Wang Zhi and Yang Han to book their own tickets to return tomorrow. He would fly directly from Capital City to Kunming.
\n\n
In the evening, he parked the car downstairs at Deng Siqing's place.
Deng Siqing suddenly clutched her stomach, her brows furrowed.
"Sister Deng, what's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts a bit, could you help me?"
Lin Chudong helped her out of the car, felt her pulse, and said,
"Sister Deng, you have period cramps."
Deng Siqing's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded.
Lin Chudong picked her up directly.
"I'll carry you."
Deng Siqing's cheeks were slightly flushed as she lay in Lin Chudong's arms, feeling completely safe.
Back at home, Deng Siqing lay in bed, clearly a patient now.
Pouting, she said with a hint of grievance.
"Da Fei, my stomach hurts."
Lin Chudong patted her hand. "Drink more hot water."
"..."
Deng Siqing said, "Learn something else, like making me some brown sugar water."
Deng Siqing was almost laughing with anger. How had she not noticed that Da Fei was such a straight man before? Maybe it was because she had been too love-struck previously.
But she was also love-struck now, just a clear-headed version.
Lin Chudong said, "From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, brown sugar water only replenishes a bit of energy and doesn't relieve pain."
"If you want to relieve the pain, I can give you a prescription..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
Deng Siqing quickly stopped him, "It's not that serious. Just rub my stomach." Lin Chudong swallowed, "Is that appropriate?" Deng Siqing bit her lip and nodded. Warm hands rested on her belly. Lin Chudong used some simple massage techniques.
Deng Siqing took a deep breath, feeling much better.
"Da Fei, have you never been in a relationship before?"
Lin Chudong shook his head, "No."
"Then, didn't any girls pursue you in school?"
Lin Chudong thought for a moment, "Probably not."
Even if someone had a crush on him, he might not have noticed.
Deng Siqing suddenly found him very cute, "Alright, let's go to sleep."
"Okay."
After turning off the lights, Lin Chudong lay down beside her.
Deng Siqing curled up, resting her head on his arm to get more comfortable.
Soon, Lin Chudong's breathing evened out.
Deng Siqing leaned over and gently kissed him on the face.
Not satisfied, she kissed his lips again.
A fleeting kiss, a mere touch.
In the afternoon, she almost hadn't recovered; the power of her first kiss was simply too great.
Seeing Lin Chudong asleep, Deng Siqing began to hum softly.
"A gentle kiss has already moved my heart... You ask me how deep my love is..."
That time, he thought he hadn't heard anything, right?
The next morning, Lin Chudong and Sun Xuan met at the airport.
As soon as they met, Lin Qiqi called.
"Big Fei, I have a few days off, can you keep me company?"
Lin Chudong said, "I'm going to Yunnan on a business trip, I can take you, are you going?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'll buy a ticket right now."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Chudong asked, "Director Sun, Lin Qiqi is also going, you don't mind, right?"
Sun Xuan smiled, "It's okay, I don't mind."
After a few hours of travel, they arrived at Kunming Airport.
At the airport, Lin Qiqi saw Da Fei and threw down her luggage, excitedly running over and throwing herself directly into his arms.
"Hehe, we're going on a trip again, how wonderful!"
Lin Chudong smiled wryly, "This isn't a trip, it's a business trip, and I even lost my glasses."
Lin Qiqi bumped Lin Chudong's sunglasses off.
Suddenly, several female passengers who had just gotten off the plane exclaimed.
"Da Fei? Is that Da Fei?"
After shouting, quite a few people immediately gathered around.
If this were the past, Da Fei wouldn't have this much influence. But things were different now. With his popularity, he could easily cause a commotion.
Sun Xuan said, "Don't just stand there, hurry and run! Use the underground passage."
Lin Chudong quickly ran out.
Lin Qiqi stuck out her tongue and quickly put on her mask. Luckily, no one had noticed her.
Da Fei was really popular now.
After another few hours of driving, they finally arrived in Xishuangbanna.
It was already night when they got to the hotel. Lin Qiqi and Lin Chudong were used to traveling for work. Most of an artist's time was spent on the road, so they weren't uncomfortable.
Sun Xuan was utterly exhausted and immediately checked into a hotel room to rest.
Of course, Sun Xuan had his own room. He didn't ask for their opinions; he just booked a double bed room for the two of them.
Lin Chudong and Lin Qiqi entered the room. Lin Qiqi's cheeks were slightly flushed, but she was used to it by now; it wasn't the first time they'd stayed together.
She flopped onto the bed and stretched languidly.
"I'm dead tired. The air here is really good."
Lin Chudong nodded. "It's also much warmer. I bought some loquats from a roadside vendor earlier. Have you ever eaten them?"
At the mention of food, Lin Qiqi sat up, her eyes shining.
"Let me try some."
She peeled open a loquat, admired it for a moment, and then offered it to Lin Chudong.
"You eat it first."
Every time she ate something, Lin Qiqi always gave him the first bite.
"Okay."
He took a bite. It was sour and sweet, quite delicious.
Lin Qiqi ate half of it in small bites, licked her lips, and then peeled another one.
After eating half, she gently held the other half in her teeth.
"Mmm~"
Lin Chudong had just finished arranging his luggage when he saw Lin Qiqi poke her head in, a half-eaten loquat in her mouth that she was offering him. Without thinking, he reached out and took it, popping it into his mouth.
Lin Qiqi immediately pouted, turning her head away.
Lin Chudong realized what had happened a moment later. What was going on?
"Qiqi, are you mad?"
Lin Qiqi turned her head away again, arms crossed, and huffed, "Hmph!"
Lin Chudong scratched his head. "I'm sorry, Qiqi. Please don't be angry."
Lin Qiqi turned back, glaring at him.
"What did you do wrong?"
Lin Chudong's eyes lit up. He knew this one!
What did Sister Deng teach me before?
It seemed like she said a whole bunch of things, and then ended with "at a loss."
Sister Deng's exact words were, "I'm sorry, I didn't take your feelings into account. Although I was always watching you, I still couldn't be completely thorough. I think I was wrong because, when you questioned me, I was actually at a loss."
But unfortunately, Lin Chudong was too busy enjoying the beauty of his first kiss at the time, and only remembered "at a loss."
Right! "I'm at a loss, I'm not wrong!"
The words fell, and the air froze for two seconds.
Lin Qiqi's expression was blank. He had watched videos of all the relationship bloggers online, but he had never heard of an answer so ridiculous.
Lin Qiqi put his hands on his hips. "You, you're playing on a homophone, right? It's not funny at all, I'm not talking to you!"
After saying that, Lin Qiqi lay on the bed, leaned against the headboard, and hugged his arms, looking like a little pufferfish, angry.
Lin Chudong looked a little embarrassed. Wasn't that how it was supposed to go?
This question was too difficult.
Lin Chudong peeled another loquat and then brought it to Lin Qiqi's mouth.
"Eat this, okay?"
Lin Qiqi pouted, "No."
Lin Chudong thought for a moment, bit into it himself, and then offered it directly.
Only then did Lin Qiqi open her mouth and gently take a bite of the loquat.
This stupid Lin Chudong, he was really hopeless.
Last time, he fed her candied haws like this too, but he still hadn't learned.
When Lin Qiqi put the loquat in her mouth, she realized Lin Chudong hadn't stopped.
His lips were still moving forward.
When their lips finally met, Lin Qiqi's eyes widened. Her small hands nervously pushed against his chest, but she didn't stop him from getting closer.
Neither of them had much experience, and the kiss was a bit of a mess.
The loquat between their lips was squeezed, and juice ran down their necks.
(Loquat: I knew I should have stayed on the tree.) A few minutes later, they separated. Lin Qiqi covered her mouth, her eyes filled with a mix of shock and delight as she looked at him.
"Da Fei, what was that for?"
Lin Chudong swallowed. "I was feeding you."
Lin Qiqi immediately covered her face, acting coy and flirtatious.
"You're so annoying!"
Then, he burrowed into the covers, pulling them over his head.
Lin Chudong was stunned for a moment.
Shoot, I don't know the answer to this one.
Lin Chudong finished washing up and lay in bed. Lin Qiqi was still huddled under the covers, looking like a little quail.
Ding Dong.
His phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Tian Yingxiong.
"How's the program preparation going? I've finished talking with the company. The appearance fee for this program is set at 500,000, and you get a portion of that."
Now, Tian Yingxiong's appearance fees for the show are a bit complicated. The projects Lin Chudong arranges for him first have to give a portion to their company after the money arrives, and then both Xinghuo Entertainment and Liangyin Media pay him his salary.
But this time, Lin Chudong is paying the appearance fee himself, so he won't actually get much money. He just needs to give Xinghuo a little something.
Lin Chudong: The venue is agreed upon and is being prepared. It'll be done in a few days. Can your Yanhua come? Tian Yingxiong: Don't even mention it; I'm angry.
Lin Chudong: Sigh… What happened?
Tian Yingxiong: How would I know? It's inexplicable. She even asked me what I did wrong. How would I know what I did wrong?
Lin Chudong: All women are the same. Let me teach you. A man has to be tough. If you have a masculine aura, she'll submit. Just say, "The only mistake I made was knowing you!"
Tian Yingxiong: Really? I'll try it.
Zhou Shifang posted a Weibo update.
"My new book, Alien Homeland, is now available. This is a labor of love, ten years in the making. I invite everyone to read it. @Publishing Group Science Fiction Competition"
As soon as Zhou Shifang's new book was released, his fans immediately became excited.
"Finally, we've been waiting for Teacher Zhou's new book! I've been starved for something new to read."
"When it comes to science fiction, you still have to read Teacher Zhou's work. The logic is rigorous, and the imagination is fresh. I'm blindly supporting it first!"
"I've already pre-ordered online. Go, Teacher Zhou! First place in the competition!"
"No wonder Teacher Zhou hasn't been arguing with Da Fei recently. It turns out Teacher Zhou was busy with his new book!"
"Teacher Zhou is a cultured man. How could he have time to argue with an actor every day?"
"Mainly because I can't win the arguments..."
After two verbal battles with Lin Chudong, he was utterly humiliated by the other party's insults, and he didn't dare to argue anymore.
Firstly, he was running out of comebacks, while Lin Chudong had a constant stream of witty remarks. Arguing would only lower his standing in the readers' eyes.
Secondly, Lin Chudong had far more fans than him, and his fans couldn't win the argument either.
So, he was waiting to use his work to deliver a slap in the face and let them know who the real pillar of the literary world was.
When it came to science fiction novels, he, Zhou Shifang, was the first, and Da Fei wasn't worthy. It was just a Beginning, he wasn't qualified to enter the literary world yet.
Zhou Shifang's Alien Homeland was a blueprint and idea he'd been preparing for years. This time, he had to make a splash! Arguing with Da Fei this time was also an opportunity, a chance to promote himself.
"Haven't you noticed that Da Fei has also released a new novel? He's also participating in this Science Fiction Competition."
"What? Where is it? Have I been living under a rock?"
"Check the official Weibo account of the Liang Music Team. The novel is called Three-Body, and it's also in the Science Fiction Competition!"
"Holy crap, this is interesting. Da Fei is entering the literary world. @Zhou Shifang, you've got a rival this time."
"Da Fei is awesome! He even knows about Three-Body? It's a model in celestial mechanics. If he's writing about this topic, he needs a strong knowledge base."
"Da Fei's knowledge base is definitely strong. He's a guest lecturer at the University of Politics and Law."
"That's law. Da Fei might be proficient in law and music, but can he also be proficient in physics and astronomy? Don't overestimate him."
"Da Fei's book will probably flop. The Science Fiction Competition has always been the most competitive, with the most top-tier writers. Da Fei is an outsider; he probably won't even make it into the top ten."
"I don't care. I'm already supporting Da Fei. I've pre-ordered it online."
"I'm also a Da Fei fan, but I'll wait until tomorrow to go to the bookstore and check it out. I'll buy it if it's good."
"..."
There was a lot of online discussion. Many people supported Da Fei, but most weren't optimistic about him.
After all, Da Fei was just an outsider. Entering the literary world wouldn't be so easy.
The sales of Beginning were indeed good, but everyone thought its popularity was mainly driven by the TV series.
Because he was famous, many people wanted to buy it and see what it was like.
If he actually wrote a novel with no publicity, it would probably be a bit difficult to get the public to accept it.
Zhou Shifang was unhappy when he saw that Da Fei was also participating in the Science Fiction Competition, and that it was with Feiyang Publishing House.
No wonder Feiyang Publishing House didn't want his work. Were they letting Da Fei represent them in the competition?
"Three-Body? Even many professional scholars can't explain this kind of celestial mechanics model. Da Fei tackling this subject is simply courting disaster. The book must be full of flaws. I'll buy a copy later and point them out for everyone."
Zhou Shifang's words immediately sparked further gossip amongst the crowd.
"Teacher Zhou is going to expose the fakes! He dares to write science fiction in front of Teacher Zhou? I'm afraid he won't be able to handle Teacher Zhou's sharp tongue!"
"Haha, so many science fiction writers have been scolded into not writing books anymore by Teacher Zhou. Da Fei dares to challenge this kind of science fiction? He's really not afraid of death."
"Teacher Zhou, think twice! Buying a copy is equivalent to increasing Da Fei's sales!"
"Does Teacher Zhou even care? His sales are definitely going to crush Three-Body by dozens of times!"
"..."
The Science Fiction Competition judging takes about a month. The judges are all chief editors from publishing groups, and senior figures in the literary world.
The judging rules were, firstly, the content, and secondly, sales and influence.
Da Fei himself certainly had a certain influence, but they had to consider the book's influence.
Seeing the online public opinion, Zhou Shifang's lips curled into a sneer.
"Da Fei, you're the one who ran into the gun, not me trying to ride your coattails."
Modu Normal University, Department of Chinese Language and Literature.
Xiao Ting sat on the bed, closed "Beginning", and said with lingering interest.
"This novel is so good! I didn't expect a story about a bus to be written so wonderfully."
The lively girl said, "Right? I finished the first two books, and they're well-written. I suggest you watch the TV series."
Xiao Ting shook her head, "I'm not interested in TV series. I still prefer reading books."
She took out her phone and scrolled through Weibo for a while, suddenly saying with some surprise, "Teacher Zhou released a new book."
The lively girl said, "That's the science fiction writer you like? I saw it too. Da Fei also released a new book."
The lively girl was a Da Fei fan and wasn't very interested in Teacher Zhou, but she knew about their feud.
Xiao Ting pushed up her glasses, "Oh? He also released a book? Then there's something to read."
The lively girl said, "Xiao Ting, you've read books by both Zhou Shifang and Da Fei. Who do you think will win this time in the Science Fiction Competition?"
Xiao Ting frowned. "Speaking of writing, Teacher Zhou is probably more skilled. He has a solid foundation, after all."
"And strictly speaking, this Beginning isn't really science fiction. If Da Fei keeps this style, he probably doesn't stand a chance."
The lively girl shrugged. She wasn't a bookworm and felt that Xiao Ting's analysis was more accurate.
The next morning, after the first class, Xiao Ting went straight to the bookstore.
Both books were in the bookstore at this time, and both were in very prominent positions.
One was a brand new work by science fiction god Zhou Shifang, a new work he'd spent ten years crafting, titled Alien Homeland.
The other was a work by the popular singer, Da Fei, titled Three-Body.
These two had previously engaged in a war of words on Weibo, which had sparked considerable public opinion. Therefore, the books placed here wouldn't have a problem selling in the first few days. But how they'd sell later depended on their actual skill.
Xiao Ting picked up Alien Homeland and began to read it with relish.
After a few minutes, she nodded in satisfaction.
It was indeed a work that Teacher Zhou had poured his heart and soul into. Both the world-building and the plot design were very strong.
The only downside was that the anticipation for the plot wasn't high enough. It focused too much on world-building, and the plot felt a bit stiff.
After reading the beginning, she wasn't in a hurry to read on.
Xiao Ting took a brand new copy, intending to buy it and read it when she was bored.
Then, she picked up Da Fei's Three-Body.
Looking at the introduction on the cover, she was a little surprised.
It's completely different from the style of Beginning.
"Four light-years away, the 'Three-Body Civilization' struggling for survival receives information sent from Earth. After using super technology to lock down the basic sciences of Earthlings, the Three-Body people's massive cosmic fleet begins to advance towards Earth..."
"From one to five in the morning, the entire universe will flicker for you!"
Just reading the synopsis, it's obvious this is a story about an alien invasion.
It clashes with Teacher Zhou's Alien Homeland!
Xiao Ting lost some interest. She had seen a lot of alien stories, and most of them were poorly written.
First of all, the technology level of the aliens is not clearly explained, and their methods of attack are also very ordinary. Every time it comes to the final technological battle, it's basically a mess, with the combat power collapsing.
Even Teacher Zhou isn't perfect at handling this kind of subject matter. Da Fei challenging this theme really isn't a wise choice.
But because she read the previous book, Beginning, Xiao Ting still decided to take a look, wanting to see if this book by Da Fei would also have the same quality as the previous one.
Flipping to the first page, a scientist named Wang Miao appeared in her mind.
As she read on, Xiao Ting's brow furrowed slightly.
Scientists committing bizarre suicides one after another, the strange countdown that appeared in the protagonist Wang Miao's eyes—these confusing clues drew her in.
"Da Fei's book is kind of interesting, huh?"
-----------------------
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