The Top Couple Is a Bit Sweet

He spoke in a casual tone as if he had just casually helped her with a small favor.

However, Wen Li understood that in just one night, he had managed to contact her father and the official Weibo account, obtain verification, write a statement, and clarify the situation.
This efficiency was comparable to that of a top-notch PR team.

No wonder he had been making phone calls all night.

She had actually misunderstood him as indifferent and unconcerned about her well-being, which had caused her to sulk for a long time.

Immature.

Ridiculous.

Brainless!

It would be false to say that she wasn't moved.
Wen Li wasn't good at expressing gratitude, but as a person, she couldn't be impolite.
When someone helped you, you had to say thank you, otherwise, people would think she was ungrateful.

After contemplating for a while, with furrowed brows and a wrinkled nose, she finally uttered two words from her mouth: “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

Just these simple words, when spoken by them, felt a bit unfamiliar and awkward.

There was nothing more to say.

She had planned to get up and voice her complaints, but now that the matter was resolved, there was no need to say anything.

Sunlight streamed in through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite.
After several days of continuous rain in the Star City, the sun finally decided to shine, casting a gentle warmth in people's hearts.

Song Yan looked at her with a calm and serene gaze.
His pupils were reflected amber by the sunlight, like a pool of lake water.

Sitting up straight, he rubbed his knees up and down with his hands.
Because she didn't sleep well last night, her complexion was a bit pale.
Her messy hair framed a face that was only the size of a palm.
Her features were soft and beautiful, lacking the embellishment of makeup.
She looked soft and beautiful, with a hint of vulnerability that she usually didn't show on camera.

“So, um, what do you want as a return gift?” After racking her brains, Wen Li finally came up with a topic and patted her chest.
“Just say it, I have money.”

Song Yan also replied, “I don't lack money.”

Alright, alright, they both weren't short of money.

“So, what do you want then?”

Wen Li thought he wouldn't stoop so low as to ask for a kiss like those cheap rogues who take advantage of girls.
But Song Yan really didn't follow the usual route and said in a very old-fashioned manner, “Then give me a kiss.”

“…” What era was this tactic used to tease girls?

Although Wen Li had some complaints in her heart, she knew she had to fulfill the request of her benefactor.
She coughed, shifted her position, and moved closer to him, tilting her neck, intending to give him a peck on the cheek.

Song Yan turned his head sideways, lowered his gaze to look at her, and sounded somewhat surprised, “Hmm? Why aren't you refusing?”

Wen Li immediately bit her lip and stuttered, “It's a thank-you gift for you, why would I refuse?”

“I thought you would react as usual,” Suddenly imitating her usual expression, Song Yan pursed his lips and said, “Tsk, you wish.”

Then, amused by his own imitation, he blinked at her and pretended to be puzzled, “Why are you so obedient today?”

After he imitated her, it ignited Wen Li's anger again.
She stood up, looked up at him, and forcefully and loudly said her catchphrase, “Tsk! No more thank-you gifts! I'm going to wash my face!”

Song Yan wasn't angry either.
He looked at her with an expression that seemed to say: That's more like you.

Wen Li turned around, her expression somewhat puzzled.
He made it clear that he was teasing her and not actually asking her to kiss him, which meant he wasn't vulgar and wasn't trying to take advantage of her.

Then why was she angry?

She felt like her thoughts were as elusive as a needle in the sea, sometimes even she couldn't understand herself.

After taking two steps towards the bathroom, she turned back.

Song Yan: “What's wrong?”

“…
You really don't want a thank-you gift?” She didn't even know what she was testing.

“No need.”

She felt a hint of indescribable disappointment.
Soon she suppressed the inexplicable emotion and arrogantly raised her chin, “Oh, suit yourself.”

As she walked to the bathroom, she squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush in a casual manner and put it into her mouth.
The electric brush head vibrated in her mouth as Wen Li looked at herself in the mirror blankly.

Until another person appeared in the mirror.

With the foam in her mouth, Wen Li asked, “…
Is something the matter?”

Song Yan placed his hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and quickly pecked her on the cheek.

“Even if I wanted a thank-you gift, it wouldn't be something like this,” He said casually, “You're my wife.
Do I need an excuse to kiss you?”

“Remember this, don't be fooled next time.”

The side of her face that he kissed felt burning hot.
Wen Li was stunned for a while.
She didn't expect him to deviate from the usual route like this, which made her furious and her back teeth tremble.

When he left, Wen Li didn't care about her appearance and shouted loudly at his departing figure, her mouth still full of toothpaste foam.

“I haven't washed my face yet! You have no hygiene sense!”

——

All the recording work in Star City was completed and the group flew back to Yancheng.

After greeting the fans who came to welcome them at the airport, Wen Li had just sat in the car for a few minutes when she received a call from President Zhang.
The talent show she had already signed a contract for was starting the first episode recording in two days, and she was asked to quickly return to the company for a meeting.

The entire crew of [In This World with You] was still in Star City and would return to Yancheng in two days, giving the guests a temporary two-day break.

Song Yan didn't have any specific plans.
He had been too busy in the previous two years, so this year he reduced his workload and canceled many unnecessary trips.
He suggested taking Wen Li to the company first and then he would go home to rest.

The car arrived downstairs at Garry Entertainment Building when Wen Li suddenly remembered something and reminded him, “Oh, Teacher Song, you agreed to be a special guest.
Don't forget, I'll talk to President Zhang about it when I go upstairs.”

Song Yan nodded, “Okay.”

There was nothing else to be discussed, so Wen Li got out of the car.
Wen Wen followed behind her, but Lu Dan didn't hurry to get out of the car, “You two go ahead, I'll chat with Teacher Song for a moment.”

“Alright, hurry up, Sister Dan.”

“I know.”

After closing the car door, Lu Dan didn't say much.
She straightforwardly expressed her gratitude, “Thank you.”

Song Yan knew what she was thanking him for and smiled, saying, “It's a small matter.”

“Actually, right after we finished recording the show that night, I was already trying to find a PR contact for Wen Li.
But it was beyond my reach.
No matter how long my arms were, I couldn't instantly reach your home and send the painting to the appraisal institution.
So, I've been trying to persuade Wen Li to stay calm.
It was also a way to comfort her.
The leak from the marketing account, it's both true and false, at most it's just a dispute between fans.
We've encountered such things too many times.
If we respond to every little movement, it would be too suspicious and make us seem unable to remain calm, blowing things out of proportion.”

As Lu Dan spoke, she clicked her tongue, “But I didn't expect Zheng Xue to post on Weibo directly, raising the fans' grievances to the level of the artists themselves.”

She didn't want Wen Li's path to stardom to be narrow.
Since Wen Li's debut, Lu Dan had been teaching her to be tactful in everything she did.
Although enduring might feel suffocating, it was the best solution.

Rather than making enemies or directly confronting others, she preferred Wen Li to endure this moment and gradually climb up step by step.
Online comments were like the wind blowing through the grass, fickle and uncertain.
Today, it might be the topic of discussion for everyone, but after two months, who would still remember?

As for scandals, Lu Dan had been in the industry for many years, and the artists she had managed before were all well-known figures.
Every artist had scandals, regardless of their authenticity.
As long as they were celebrities, it was impossible for them not to have any scandals.
Clarifying each one individually would consume too much time.

“The intention to publicly tear things apart is already quite obvious,” Lu Dan sighed.
“I'm afraid she won't be able to resist arguing with netizens.”

Song Yan understood what Lu Dan meant and said, “She can't stand seeing the people around her being treated unfairly, let alone herself.
Endurance isn't suitable for her.”

Having seen her sense of justice before, he knew how to make her feel relieved.

Their thoughts had similarities and differences.
She wanted to fight back face to face, regardless of winning or losing, she just wanted to release her anger in person without any restraint.

Meanwhile, Song Yan used a smarter but indirect approach.

Lu Dan nodded with a smile, “Wen Li debuted under my management, but you handled this matter better than I could.
It would be a pity for all of us managers if you decide to retire and be a manager in the future.”

Song Yan spoke gently, “Everyone has their own specialization.
Actually, this time I just took over your job and succeeded, it was just a stroke of luck.”

Because there were no filming activities, he didn't wear foundation on his face, and there was a slight hint of exhaustion around his eyes.

Lu Dan didn't know if he had slept that night.

Anyway, she knew that their carefree little artist slept comfortably.

As she watched the car drive away, Lu Dan inexplicably remembered a decade ago when she had just graduated and accompanied her mentor to socialize and expand her network.

Her mentor introduced her to the renowned director Yu Weiguang, who had directed a critically acclaimed art film that became a sensation, not only receiving rave reviews but also propelling the young male and female leads, who were newcomers at the time, to stardom.

That was also the first time she met Song Yan.

At eighteen, Song Yan was beautiful and slender, exuding a youthful aura that hadn't faded.
He was sharp, proud, and reserved.
People jokingly called him the Young Film Emperor, but he never responded.
When others offered him a toast, he didn't even say a polite word, simply raising his glass and downing it in one go.

His pride was different from Wen Li's.
Wen Li's pride leaned more towards her privileged background, a mix of arrogance and fearlessness of a young lady.
She was sociable and optimistic.
On the other hand, Song Yan's pride was rebellious, going against the norms and not willing to go with the flow.

Fortunately, Yu Weiguang liked him and protected him, saying that he had the temperament of a young master, a bit naive, and not very sophisticated, so everyone should not take him too seriously.

If he had grown up as a spoiled young master, how could he have chosen to enter the entertainment industry?

Lu Dan didn't know, but she also didn't have a habit of prying into other people's privacy.

However, by now, it seemed that the sharp edges of Song Yan's personality had indeed been smoothed out by the industry.
He understood the ways of the world, had a shrewd mind, and knew the various rules of the industry.

With this in mind, if Song Yan really became the manager for a certain artist with the surname Wen, it might not be a bad choice.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Lu Dan's phone rang.
Wen Li's voice sounded dissatisfied, “Sister Dan, why haven't you come up yet? Director Zhang is about to scold someone.”

“I'm coming, I'm coming.”

——

The talent show that Wen Li participated in was actually no different from the popular talent shows in the Asian entertainment industry in recent years.
They bought the rights to an overseas program and gathered a hundred trainees from different agencies.
Fans would vote for their favorite contestants, and the top few would debut.
Behind the scenes, there were plenty of manipulations and controversies each season, generating a lot of buzz.

The production team also had abundant financial resources and had been aggressively promoting the show on various platforms for a month.
The profiles of the one hundred contestants had been thoroughly investigated by netizens.
The mentors had each made their announcements on Weibo, except for the Chief Guest who would witness the debut of the final group.

Initially, they planned to release a silhouette of Wen Li, but after a discussion during a meeting, they realized that even a silhouette wasn't safe.
No matter how old the photo was, her long-time fans would find it in a matter of minutes, leaving no sense of mystery.
As a result, the Chief Guest remained completely unknown online until the recording of the show.

Apart from the top executives of the two companies and the staff involved in planning and arrangements, even the other guests and contestants don't know who the Chief Guest was.

Regarding the artist who will serve as the Chief Guest, several popular marketing accounts have been speculating for a while, mentioning top actors and singers, both male and female.
They've been speculating for almost half a month, but no one has been able to leak any information.

Entertainment Bago: 「3.29: First recording of 'For Your Debut,' mentor lineup: Yan Jun, Xu Xingyue, Qi Sihan, Icy.」

「And what about the Chief Guest?」

「Bago, any leaks on the Chief Guest? Why haven't you revealed it yet?」

Entertainment Bago replied: 「Fengxun Group is keeping it a secret, I really can't find out.」

「Damn, who is it? I've been thinking about it for several nights.
Just tell us already!」

「Fengxun really knows how to play.
Look at me, a clearly clueless little supporter.
」

So, the comments section started another guessing game.

The mentor lineup is already impressive, with Yan Jun and Xu Xingyue being A-list idols.
The Chief Guest must be even more influential.

「How about Wen Li? There aren't many top female idols and she's the hottest one recently.
It would be right for the program to invite her for as the Chief Guest.」

「Don't joke around.
This is about selecting idols, not actors.
Why would Wen Li, an actress, join in the fun?」

The comments section was ablaze, but then a fan replied.

Ah Li's Little Grape: 「I don't believe it until it's officially announced.
But secretly, I'll tell you that Sanli was a trainee overseas before her debut.」

「What? Wen Li was a trainee?」

「Oh my goodness, did my village finally get internet? How come I've never heard of it?」

Ah Li's Little Grape: 「The company didn't promote it, so not many people know.
It was mentioned in Sanli's biography a couple of years ago, but I don't know why they deleted it.
」

「I'm curious, how are Wen Li's singing and dancing skills?」

Ah Li's Little Grape: 「Even the fans don't know.
」

Xiao Xuechuqing: 「Hahaha, they're making up all kinds of stories just to hype up their star.
Isn't she already popular in the film and television industry? Now you want to ride on the popularity of the idol industry? Are you that short of money?」

The fans who had been patiently explaining immediately switched to battle mode.

Ah Li's Little Grape: 「Before you pretend to be a passerby later, can you at least change your name and your idol's profile picture? Remember the fake painting scandal? Just saying.」

「Haha, fake painting scandal, hahahaha.」

Xiao Xuechuqing: 「Before our Zeng Xue debuted, she learned the ethnic dance.
It's more convincing than your idol's vague 'overseas trainee' in the biography.」

Ah Li's Little Grape: 「Wow, so she learned ethnic dance, no wonder she bought a fake painting.」

In short, the “fake painting” phrase was repeated three more times, and the comment section was filled with applause from the random passersby who were eagerly watching the show.

With such high online discussion, by March 29th, the first recording of [For Your Debut] was already lively, even without an audience.
One hundred contestants were seated, creating a lively atmosphere.

Wen Li sat in the backstage dressing room, with the stylist still working on her hair.
To match the nature of the variety show, she had specially done an idol stage makeup.

Idol stage makeup and actors' makeup are fundamentally different.
Actors focus on their appearance on screen, emphasizing facial contours and highlighting their features with natural and light makeup.
On the other hand, idol makeup aims to reduce facial flaws, enhance delicacy and style, and create a unique and intense look.
Various hair colors are used to better attract the audience.

Some idols may not have outstanding features, but once they step onto the stage, they shine brightly because the lighting and makeup minimize their flaws and accentuate their stage presence.
With such an atmosphere, as long as they have talent, it's easy to attract fans.

Since Wen Li still had to join the filming crew later and couldn't actually dye her hair, the stylist created a temporary lavender hair color for her.

The hair gradually transitioned from the roots to the ends in shades of purple, complemented by intricate braiding.

Wen Li couldn't help but think that if she hadn't been brought back to the country by her uncle, she would probably be a legitimate idol now.

Just putting on idol makeup as an ordinary person could already be stunning, let alone an actor with unbeatably superior features.

The stylist was very satisfied with the look they created for Wen Li today and kept asking her how she felt about it.

The staff member in charge of stage management knocked on the door and said, “Teacher Wen, are you ready? It's almost time for your entrance.”

The staff member glanced inside and coincidentally caught Wen Li looking at him.
She replied, “I'm ready, coming right away.”

Seeing her like that, the staff member blinked and remained stunned for a few seconds before smiling and saying, “I almost didn't recognize you.
Teacher Wen, you look really beautiful with idol makeup.”

Wen Li felt quite proud and secretly took out her phone to take several selfies.

First, she sent them to her manager, assistant, and a few friends in the industry.
After receiving unanimous praise, she hesitated for a moment and then stopped at Song Yan's WeChat profile picture.

After thinking for two seconds, she chose the best selfie and sent it over.

Accompanied by the staff member, she arrived at the waiting area.
Behind a screen in the recording venue, the mentors' lineup was being introduced one by one, and each mentor's appearance caused a wave of screams and cheers from the contestants.

At this moment, the host had already introduced Xu Xingyue, and the production team playfully introduced her background.

Affiliated with the management company: Garry Entertainment.

A big company, which instantly sparked cheers from the contestants.

The contestants gasped in excitement.

Ranked first in the fan vote of the previous season of [For Your Debut].

The contestants chanted, “Senior Xu! Senior Xu! Senior Xu!”

Wen Li was still waiting for Song Yan's reply and paid no attention to the stage.
However, she didn't know what he was doing, as he was taking a long time to respond.

It wasn't until the staff member reminded her, “Teacher Wen, there are five minutes left.
Can you please hand me your phone?”

Reluctantly, Wen Li handed her phone to the staff member.

On the large screen and through the loudspeakers in the recording venue, the introduction of the Chief Guest began to play.

To be honest, these variety shows are all adept at creating a sense of mystery, but compared to the introduction Wen Li received on the program she recorded in Star City a few days ago, this one was relatively normal.

“Affiliated with the management company, Garry Entertainment.”

Surprisingly, even the Chief Guest was an artist under Garry.
Garry truly lives up to its reputation as the biggest sponsor of this season.

At this point, some of the contestants had already guessed who this witness was and were whispering to each other in their seats.

“Is it Wen Li?”

“Impossible, isn't she an actress?”

“I saw online rumors saying she used to be a trainee too.”

“Is it really her? Who has a pen on them!”

Then the voiceover announced that this guest has tens of millions of followers on Weibo and is highly popular.
Finally, on the big screen, they played a montage of this guest's film and television works.

They used the timeless ancient costume footage.

But no matter how many times you watch it, the stunning feeling never fades.

On the screen, Wen Li, wearing a long trailing dress and a headdress, stands under a peach tree and then looks towards the camera.

The scene transitions to her recent hit search topic, where she wore a Republican-era cheongsam.
The production team somehow managed to find such clear footage.

Even the contestants who were completely clueless already guessed who the witness was.

The young and spirited boys cheered as loudly as the girls, or even louder, more excited, and more ecstatic.

Wen Li emerged from the dim lights, looking completely different from the ancient silhouette on the big screen.
She had gradient purple hair, delicate makeup, dazzling water diamonds like mermaid tears adorning the corners of her eyes, vibrant lip color, and a wine-colored retro French court mini skirt.

Like a violet stained red in the ruins, when she smiled, everyone became slaves bowing beneath the corners of her mouth, puppets shouting and cheering for her enchanting mermaid tears.