The Most Popular Comedian

Since the last time he substituted for the class, Wen Zhecheng had not returned to the program group.

It wasn’t that he was deliberately avoiding Rong Yuheng, but rather Ke Ting hadn’t given him the opportunity. Ke Ting’s tour had just ended, leaving him with plenty of time to participate in program recordings.

Rong Yuheng’s daily routine remained the same. He would dance with Huang Jianing and Zou Yi, sing with Pu Zaixi, occasionally join Bian Chen’s rap, and sometimes playfully touch Zhou Shubai, who was always on edge.

His demeanor was far from ordinary.

This ordinary yet compact daily life came to an end with a phone call from his manager, Xu Sun.

Xu Sun’s call happened to come the night before the promotion match, and his voice sounded urgent.

“Xiao Rong, perform well in tomorrow’s promotion match. I’ve secured a spot for you in a variety show, ‘Coming from a Distant Place.’ You know about it, right? It’s a highly popular show! There’s a segment that requires someone to make a brief appearance. Although it’s not a significant role, it’s still on camera, which is particularly suitable for you.”

Rong Yuheng had heard about this variety show before. One of his friends in the industry was a big fan of a regular female guest named Ju Zi Yi and would often visit the program’s set shamelessly.

Thinking about it, he was quite looking forward to going to the program’s set and witnessing that scene firsthand.

Rong Yuheng replied, “Thank you, Brother Sun. I will do my best and strive for an outstanding performance.”

Xu Sun’s voice hesitated for a moment, and then there was a faint sound of electrical interference coming through the phone, making it sound somewhat weak.

“…Just perform normally.”

Rong Yuheng replied, “Alright.”

The next day was the promotion match.

It was the same time, the same place, but compared to last time, there were a few fewer companions.

Thinking that five members would be eliminated after this promotion match, everyone, regardless of their ranking, couldn’t help but feel a knot in their hearts.

From the moment Zhou Shubai boarded the bus, he hadn’t said a word. No matter how many flowers Rong Yuheng gave him, he couldn’t retrieve the dazzling smile of the bourgeoisie that he usually wore.

After futile efforts, Zhou Shubai gave up decisively, only reaching out to embrace the former, attempting to melt his frozen heart with passionate love.

Zou Yi, aware of the cause and effect, couldn’t help but sigh, “Fortunately, my family doesn’t oppose me. Even if they did, they wouldn’t have the power to stop me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shubai’s expression became even more desolate.

Zou Yi commented, “But isn’t your brother too exaggerated? He even brought bodyguards into the program group to catch people. What kind of bossy entrance is this?”

Pu Zaixi chimed in, “Well, to be fair, Shubai was quite extravagant in the past too, a wealthy young master who seemed detached from the world.” He sighed sincerely, “They say blood is thicker than water…”

Rong Yuheng remained silent. He felt that Zhou Shubai’s desolation was about to overflow like the Yarlung Zangbo River.

The casual banter among the group came to an end when the bus arrived at the TV station. They all got off the bus and walked together towards the dressing room.

There were other celebrities and artists at the TV station for program recordings, and the trainees felt excited when they encountered them along the way. One of the celebrities greeted Shan Qi.

Pu Zaixi caught the flicker of curiosity in Rong Yuheng’s eyes and whispered, “It seems that Qi-ge has someone in his family who is involved in the industry, so he knows a lot of people.”

Rong Yuheng nodded, “It seems like Qi-ge is someone who blossomed under the influence of art.”

Pu Zaixi was no longer surprised by his peculiar choice of words. After all, Rong Yuheng himself could make flowers bloom, so what’s the big deal if others sprouted a bud?

Inside the dressing room, everyone waited in order of appearance for their makeup.

Rong Yuheng drew the number 13 again this time, and he was already numb to it.

While the previous contestant was getting their makeup done, he decided to practice outside. Xu Sun had instructed him to do well in this promotion match and not to perform exceptionally.

He wanted to practice how to not be so extraordinary.

The injury on his shoulder hadn’t fully healed, but it wasn’t severe either. He practiced in front of the reflective glass for a while, tilting his head and winking at himself, when he saw someone walking out from the corridor behind him.

Rong Yuheng paused for a moment, stopped practicing, and turned around.

“Teacher Wen?”

Wen Zhecheng walked towards him step by step, his expression relaxed. He nodded, “Practicing?”

Rong Yuheng responded with a sound, “Mm,” and asked, “Why are you here too?”

“I happened to have work around here in the afternoon, and I heard about your morning competition, so I came early to take a look.”

Rong Yuheng burst into a smile, his eyes shining brightly, “I thought Teacher Wen came specifically to see me.”

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze flickered, feeling somewhat guilty. He wasn’t specifically here to see Rong Yuheng; he came to see all the trainees. However, he couldn’t deny that Rong Yuheng was the one he most wanted to see.

No one can resist unexpected surprises.

Rong Yuheng was like a gift box, and every time it was opened, it brought immense joy.

Wen Zhecheng paused for a moment and said, “I’m also looking forward to your performance.”

Rong Yuheng had said it casually, considering Wen Zhecheng’s personality, even if he said “no,” it wouldn’t matter. But he didn’t expect Wen Zhecheng to offer such encouraging words.

Rong Yuheng was instantly inspired.

Following the principle of reciprocating kindness, he raised both hands above his head and made a heart shape. The loose cuffs of his sleeves fell down from his arms, revealing his beautifully sculpted arms.

“Teacher Wen, do you know what this means?”

Wen Zhecheng said, “It’s a heart shape.”

Rong Yuheng’s lips curled up, “This is the first heart I’ve made, nicknamed ‘Initial Heart,’ and now it belongs to you.”

Wen Zhecheng’s heart, “…Boom!”

He licked his dry lips, about to say something, when a voice from behind interrupted.

“Yuheng, it’s time for your makeup—Oh, Teacher Wen is here too?” A head popped out from the corridor, and Pu Zaixi paused for a moment when he saw Wen Zhecheng, then quickly said, “Teacher Wen, I’m borrowing Yuheng for a moment!”

Wen Zhecheng’s heart was still racing, and he found the situation subtly strange: Why did they say “borrow” instead of just taking him away?

But Rong Yuheng and Pu Zaixi seemed completely unconcerned about that question. The former put down his “Initial Heart” and waved to Wen Zhecheng, “I’m off.”

Wen Zhecheng nodded as if giving his approval, “Go ahead.”

It wasn’t until the two disappeared around the corner of the corridor that Wen Zhecheng finally let out a sigh—

Oh my goodness, why does Rong Yuheng keep teasing him all the time?

Rong Yuheng followed Pu Zaixi back to the dressing room. Miss Qi Ling, the makeup artist from last time, was still there, and she eagerly ran over when she saw him. “I’ll do your makeup!”

Rong Yuheng wagged his tail happily, “Sure, sure!”

Pu Zaixi’s mood was complicated. He had a feeling that Rong Yuheng might become popular with the ladies.

Qi Ling’s hobby was digital painting, and when Rong Yuheng mentioned wanting a small peach blossom drawn under his eye, she agreed without hesitation. She was skilled at it, and she liked Rong Yuheng so much—he was good-looking and brought joy to others.

When Qi Ling drew the peach blossom, she was as meticulous as applying glaze to porcelain.

After she finished, she was eager to try something else. “Sister, let me add some gold powder for you!”

Rong Yuheng cheered, “I’m the shiniest chick under Sister’s wing!”

Then the two of them danced together, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Bian Chen, passing by for the second time, couldn’t take it anymore. “Rong Yuheng, are you an idiot?”

Rong Yuheng turned his head, “Sister, draw him a pile of shit.”

Qi Ling, “Okay~”

Bian Chen exploded, “Rong Yuheng, get lost!”

Rong Yuheng, “Hahaha~!”

After finishing their makeup, they waited for their turn to go on stage.

Rong Yuheng took a stroll backstage and spotted Wen Zhecheng again. The latter was sitting in a corner with Ke Ting, engaged in a conversation. Just as Rong Yuheng was about to walk past, Wen Zhecheng suddenly looked up and their eyes met.

Following Wen Zhecheng’s gaze, Ke Ting saw Rong Yuheng and waved at him with a smile.

Rong Yuheng rushed over with quick steps, “Teacher Ke, Teacher Wen.”

Ke Ting sized him up and asked, “Are you ready?”

Rong Yuheng replied, “I’m okay.”

Ke Ting, whether having watched the recording from the production team or just coincidentally, asked, “Just okay?”

Rong Yuheng responded, “Then let’s make it a little better than just okay.”

Wen Zhecheng’s ears inexplicably turned red, feeling slightly offended!

Fortunately, they only exchanged a few words before Rong Yuheng left. After he left, Ke Ting turned to Wen Zhecheng and asked, “Does Teacher Wen know what Xiao Rong will be performing this time?”

Wen Zhecheng shook his head.

Ke Ting seemed to imagine something and chuckled, “Although they aren’t as amazing as Jianing and the others, they’re still quite cute.”

Wen Zhecheng remained silent.

He wondered, when did he stop being cute?

Up front, it was Shan Qi’s turn. The performance on stage was reaching its climax, with Shan Qi’s powerful voice piercing through the walls, igniting a frenzy of cheers and screams from the audience, engulfing the surging excitement.

On the judging panel, Qiao Tan couldn’t help but appreciate it, smiling as he turned to Song Tang, “The next performer has quite a lot of pressure.”

Song Tang had seen the order of performances and shook his head at Qiao Tan, teasing him, “Well, you never know.”

As the last note from Shan Qi dissipated in the air above the stage, the lights dimmed, but the whole venue remained restless.

Then, the host’s voice resounded, “Please welcome contestant number 13, Rong Yuheng!”

The audience, which had just calmed down a bit, instantly erupted again.

“Rong Yuheng!! Ahhh!”

A spotlight beamed down onto the center of the stage, and Rong Yuheng stood there, wearing a loose white shirt with mid-length sleeves. His legs were straight, his posture elegant, and he held a microphone in the center of the spotlight.

The camera zoomed in on his face, giving a close-up shot. His beautiful and clear peach blossom eyes shimmered with starlight, and below the corner of his eye, a small pink peach blossom sparkled.

These details couldn’t be seen by the audience at the live venue, but the viewers watching the livestream on the internet went crazy.

“Ah! Ah! Ah! A little fox from the mountains has transformed into a human!”

“Oh my, there are really stars in his eyes! Is he going to sing seriously this time since the opening was so quiet?”

“Peach blossom eyes with peach blossoms below them. I’m sure I, Rong Yuheng, will encounter peach blossom love this year!”

…

Rongshi Group, the familiar office, and the familiar large wooden desk.

This time, there were two people sitting there.

Rong Tianshen and Rong Congyan sat side by side at the desk, with a computer open in front of them, displaying a face that resembled theirs to some extent—Rong Yuheng’s.

Rong Tianshen had a frowning face and complained loudly, “What kind of flower is this? I don’t like it!”

Rong Congyan couldn’t help but tease, “If you don’t like it, why did you click on it, Dad? It’s a bit… ky.”

Rong Tianshen asked in confusion, “What does ‘ky’ mean?”

Rong Congyan instinctively sensed the danger and immediately made up a serious-sounding explanation, “It means a test. You’re testing Xiao Heng with this.”

Rong Tianshen doubted it, but soon his attention was diverted.

On the screen, the camera pulled back, and Rong Yuheng suddenly pointed his right hand above his head, revealing a sweet and bright smile.

 

 

“せーの——（预备）”

“Ready, set——”

The barrage suddenly quieted down, followed by lively and cheerful music flowing out, and then exploded again together.

“Love loop!!!”

“Oh my god, so damn cute!!”

Rong Congyan almost lost track of what was happening in front of the screen. He quickly glanced at Rong Tianshen and discreetly searched the drawer with one hand for quick-acting rescue pills…

Rong Yuheng walked from the center of the stage to the front, taking one step at a time, and reached out to interact with the audience.

でも そんなんじゃ だめ

But that won’t do,

もう そんなんじゃ ほら

No, it won’t do anymore,

心は進化するよ

The heart evolves,

もっと もっと

More and more.

He raised his hand and gestured to the audience to interact while singing. Most people are well aware of the interactive rules of this song and, at the last word, shouted together, “More, more!”

The entire audience remained synchronized until the end, creating an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm that could rival the explosive performance of Sing Qi in the previous round.

Qiao Tan exclaimed from the judges’ panel, “Is this considered part of the 2D culture?”

Jin Zhiyao couldn’t contain her urge to sing along. She clenched her fists tightly and said, “This is the power of empathy within the same cultural community!”

Qiao Tan smiled meaningfully, “Jin Teacher seems quite familiar with it.”

Jin Zhiyao immediately muted herself, realizing her slip-up. “…” Oops, I revealed myself.

As the song reached its climax amidst the lively atmosphere with the audience cheering, off-screen, Rong Congyan skillfully found the voting portal and started examining the barrage of comments.

In the center of the screen, Rong Yuheng’s last sentence “Meeting you again makes me feel happy” drops down.

Then he raised both hands towards the audience and made a big heart gesture.

“Please have an encounter with me!”

The entire audience exclaimed, “Ahhhh!! Encounter, encounter, let’s have an encounter right away!”

The overwhelming cheers from the stage directly pierced through to the backstage where Wen Zhecheng was, “…”

He was not pleased.

Equally displeased was Rong Tianshen, who discarded his dignified demeanor as the chairman of the conglomerate and loudly grumbled at the screen, “Hmph! What kind of encounter? Disgusting!”

Beside him, Rong Congyan remained unperturbed, imitating the tone of a fangirl as she typed and sent barrage messages:

Rong Rong is so adorable! I choose my peach blossom boy!

Rong Tianshen exclaimed, “No posting allowed!”

Rong Congyan replied, “I also want to have an encounter with the little brother~ I want to have a love affair~”

Rong Tianshen couldn’t believe it, “Are you crazy? That’s your younger brother!”

Rong Congyan’s expression turned numb, “I am not Rong Congyan now, and that is not my younger brother. I am just an emotionless barrage machine.”

“…”

Author’s note: 

Rong Congyan: Confirmed as a tool. Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng: Headless and displeased.

Song : Hanazawa Kana 

“巡り会えたことが幸せなの” (meguri aeta koto ga shiawase na no)