The Most Popular Comedian

Chapter 55

After sending off Xu Sun, it was almost time for the program recording. You Tianyu had finished his energetic performance, so Rong Yuheng accompanied him to the door. Wen Zhecheng, like a silent spirit, followed them quietly, pursed his lips together without saying a word.

Rong Yuheng turned his head, conveying a puzzled expression: ?

Wen Zhecheng acted nonchalantly, “The show is over, we should see him off together.”

Rong Yuheng, “… ” He felt that Wen Zhecheng hadn’t left his character yet.

You Tianyu waved at them, “No need to see me off, just go back quickly.”

Rong Yuheng said, “I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”

“Skip treating me.” You Tianyu paused, then leaned in close to Rong Yuheng and whispered, “Let’s have a meal at your home next time.”

After acting seriously the whole morning, You Tianyu suddenly said this. Rong Yuheng was momentarily stunned. After a moment, he pouted, “So you’re a lobbyist too.”

You Tianyu smiled and didn’t say anything.

Watching You Tianyu left, Rong Yuheng turned to Wen Zhecheng who had been trailing behind.

…

Rong Yuheng’s tone was gentle, as if he was caring for an elderly person with a cognitive impairment. “Teacher Wen, did you have fun today?”

Wen Zhecheng nervously clenched his fist behind his back. About eighty percent of a man’s impulsivity was due to instinct. He had been holding back for too long, and now, seeing his little hamster being held by someone else, a rush of anger surged to his head, and all his restraint vanished.

Wen Zhecheng hung his head and softly replied, “Not really.”

Rong Yuheng blamed himself, “It’s my fault for not creating a good performance environment for you.”

Wen Zhecheng repeated his line, softly comforting, “It’s not your fault.”

Rong Yuheng, “…”

He was almost out of patience. What was originally a simple scene today turned into a mess with the sudden appearance of Wen Zhecheng. He was nearly flipped over.

“Of course, it’s not your fault. I asked you to help me take off my vest, but you didn’t change. You’re a Film Emperor, what are you robbing the cameo’s scenes?”

Wen Zhecheng knew he was in the wrong. Seeing no one around, he reached out and pulled Rong Yuheng, “It’s my fault.”

Suddenly, Rong Yuheng couldn’t say anything to blame him.

He felt that this version of Wen Zhecheng… was especially able to get to him. His heart was like it had been hit, feeling a little flustered.

Rong Yuheng quickly turned around and walked inside. “Forget it, it’s fine. I forgive you. After all, I am a magnanimous hamster. Let’s go, let’s go record the program.”

Wen Zhecheng stared at his fluffy back, a small delight bubbling up in his heart. He caught up and got close to him. “You’re really nice.”

Damn it. Rong Yuheng’s fur stood on end.

What was so nice about him?

There were ten minutes left until the program recording.

Inside the lounge, Su Yuyin had already been chatting with the other two guests for a while. Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng entered one after the other, and everyone’s gaze immediately turned toward them.

Su Yuyin stood up and introduced the two sides, “This is Duan Xiu, and this is Zhou Yin. Everyone knows Wen Teacher, and this is Rong Yuheng.”

Zhou Yin was a female singer who had recently released an album and was gaining popularity. She had met Rong Yuheng before, and now she shook hands with him again.

Duan Xiu was a young actor who got a bit excited when he saw Wen Zhecheng, “Teacher Wen, I really love your movies!”

In front of others, Wen Zhecheng reverted to his usual calm and composed demeanor. With a hint of indifference, he responded, “Thank you.”

Rong Yuheng glanced at him, unexpectedly finding it amusing. He thought, Wen the owner was quite good at keeping his composure.

Wen Zhecheng turned towards him, sensing his gaze. “Why are you laughing?”

Rong Yuheng composed himself seriously, “Nothing, I just remembered something funny.”

Wen Zhecheng playfully patted him, “You’re definitely laughing at me.”

Damn it…! The two new guests exchanged glances: What’s going on? Is Film Emperor Wen really like this?

Su Yuyin, who had already experienced quite a bit of turmoil, wasn’t fazed by this. To him, the situation was merely a drizzle.

He explained for the two newcomers, “Teacher Wen was the mentor during Xiao Rong’s talent show days.”

The two newcomers suddenly understood, “Oh… so they have a good relationship.”

Su Yuyin continued with a smile, “Speaking of which, half of the people on stage today are from ‘Ace Rising Star.'”

Duan Xiu looked around in confusion, “But aren’t there only five people? Who else?”

Su Yuyin casually replied, “You’ll find out in a moment.”

…

When the recording of the program began, the five of them went on stage and finally understood Su Yuyin’s intention.

Xi Lin stood at the center of the stage, applauding to welcome them, “Welcome, everyone, to our ‘Treasure Hunt Competition!'”

After Xi Lin finished speaking, he winked at Rong Yuheng just as he had before.

Rong Yuheng winked back.

Wen Zhecheng’s eyebrows furrowed, a little question mark appearing above his head. Had he missed something again?

After introducing themselves, they moved on to the interactive segment. Xi Lin held cue cards and said, “Today, let’s share what your favorite dessert is.”

The order of speaking was based on their positions. According to Wen Zhecheng’s rank, he should have been at the front, but with Rong Yuheng at the end, he naturally stood in front of him.

Su Yuyin spoke first, “I prefer desserts with a strong fruity and sour taste, not too much cream. After all, as we age, we need to be careful about excessive sugar and fat.”

Laughter erupted on stage.

In reality, Su Yuyin was only in his thirties, not particularly old in the entertainment industry. However, due to his reputation for clumsiness, always holding a thermos flask, he gave off a feeling of entering middle age.

Duan Xiu continued his words,”I don’t eat much cream either. I personally like the taste of Napoleon.” After he finished speaking, he shared a few interesting stories about going to buy desserts by himself, and then turned the topic to Zhou Yin.

“You girls probably like desserts, right?”

Zhou Yin nodded, “I don’t know about the others, but I really enjoy them. I used to love chocolate mousse the most, but I’ve been indulging myself lately, and my figure isn’t well managed. Many people say I should lose weight, so… I haven’t had dessert for about three months now.”

“Wow~” A chorus of sighs arose from the stage. “Managing one’s figure is really tough.”

Su Yuyin warmly said, “Zhou Yin, you’re not overweight at all right now. You can still have chocolate mousse!”

…

Once the first three guests finished their speeches, it was Wen Zhecheng’s turn. He took the microphone and said, “Mille-feuille.”

“Wow!” The people on stage immediately exclaimed, “Teacher Wen’s fan club is called ‘Thousand Layer,’ right?”

Wen Zhecheng nodded, “Yes.”

The program team had informed Xi Lin in advance, so he asked, “When was the last time you had mille-feuille, Teacher Wen?”

Wen Zhecheng glanced at Rong Yuheng, “About half a month ago.”

“Teacher Wen, do you usually go out to buy desserts yourself? I can’t quite picture that scene.”

“Not buying, Rong Rong made it for me.”

The other three guests on stage who hadn’t received the script were puzzled: …?

Xi Lin handed the microphone to Rong Yuheng, “So, did Yuheng make it himself or buy it?”

Rong Yuheng leaned over, “When you’re giving a gift to Teacher Wen, you should make it yourself.”

A smile appeared on Wen Zhecheng’s lips…

Trying not to look at Wen Zhecheng’s triumphant expression, Xi Lin continued with the script, “Does Yuheng know how to make desserts?”

Rong Yuheng answered, “During my studies abroad, I took culinary classes focused on desserts and Western cuisine. I learned it then, but I wasn’t very good at it. Teacher Wen kindly accepted what I made.”

Rong Yuheng finished, and just as Wen Zhecheng had been sparing with his words earlier, he now spoke up on his own initiative, “It was really delicious, and I ate it all.”

Rong Yuheng shyly lowered his head, “Don’t overpraise it, you are someone who has seen the world.”

The onlookers couldn’t help themselves, “Pff… hahaha!”

Rong Yuheng’s disguise was partially lifted, and that was enough for now.

Accepting something new always involves a process, and timing and approach are both crucial.

…

After the interactive segment, the five guests entered the recording area.

Before entering, Rong Yuheng turned to Wen Zhecheng and reminded him, “Remember to be lively, try to get more camera time, okay?”

Hearing this, Duan Xiu and Zhou Yin, who were walking ahead, turned back in shock: This newcomer is actually advising Wen Zhecheng on how to perform!

Then they saw Wen Zhecheng peek his head out, “I’ll do my best.”

Duan Xiu and Zhou Yin were even more astonished, “…”

Rong Yuheng couldn’t gauge the shock the two had just experienced, but he did admire how easygoing and cooperative this year’s Film Emperor was.

As the five of them entered, the door closed behind them.

The theme of this episode was unexpectedly “Gourmet Food.” The first room was designed as a Chinese-style kitchen, with a wooden frame structure and two wooden long tables on either side against the wall. Several dishes were placed on them, covered with half-moon-shaped lids.

The aroma wafted out from under the lids, and Rong Yuheng was nearly drooling in an instant!

He reached out and lifted the lid of the nearest dish, revealing a plate of glossy red braised pork with two sprigs of mint leaves on top. Under the light, it looked appetizing.

Rong Yuheng turned to Su Yuyin with a mischievous smile, “Su Ge—”

Su Yuyin couldn’t meet his gaze, “Don’t just think about eating. We should…”

Before he could finish, he saw Wen Zhecheng also approaching. Pointing to a piece of meat in the dish, he suggested to Rong Yuheng, “This one tastes great.”

Rong Yuheng nodded as if he was an expert, “Impressive~”

Su Yuyin’s unfinished words got stuck in his throat, “…”

Fortunately, Rong Yuheng had been on two previous episodes, so he knew to look for clues. After a quick glance, he sighed in regret, “Forget it, let’s find clues first. It wouldn’t be good if we ate the clue.”

Su Yuyin looked relieved, and before he could arrange anything else, Wen Zhecheng chimed in, “Let’s hurry, or the food will get cold.”

Su Yuyin was once again left speechless.

What? So the ultimate goal is to eat, and the show is just a side thing?

Duan Xiu and Zhou Yin were simply amazed: Wen Zhecheng was indeed very lively!

The little theater antics of Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng, who kept everyone on their toes, temporarily ended, and everyone got back into the game.

There were eight dishes on the two tables, four on each side. On the right were: braised pork, pea and sausage simmered rice, stir-fried pig’s head meat, mustard greens and tofu soup; on the left were: mung bean stewed pig trotters, bamboo shoots stewed beef, angelica and ginseng soup, and braised lion’s head.

Zhou Yin couldn’t help but make a “gululu” sound…

Rong Yuheng quickly caught on and teased, “Zhou Yin, do you want to eat too?”

Zhou Yin immediately covered her ears, “I’m not listening!”

Duan Xiu sincerely advised, “You might as well plug your nose.”

“…”

While Su Yuyin and the others were being unadventurous, he had already pulled out a bamboo basket, filled with a few pairs of couplets.

“Come take a look!”

The four of them immediately gathered around.

They unfolded the couplets, all of them joyful blessings: “May all your wishes come true,” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” “Good luck is ahead”…

As Rong Yuheng was examining them, Wen Zhecheng bumped into him and whispered, pointing to the door frame leading to the next room, “There are marks on both sides of the door frame. It looks like you can stick the couplets there.”

Rong Yuheng squinted and found it to be true!

He shot Wen Zhecheng an appreciative look, “Truly worthy of our Teacher Wen!”

Su Yuyin turned towards them upon hearing this, “What did Teacher Wen say?”

Wen Zhecheng gestured to the door frame, succinctly saying, “Couplets.”

Yang Wen, behind the monitor, muttered to himself, “…”

He felt like bowing to Wen Zhecheng – if the footage shown to the camera had half as much of the whispered interactions between him and Rong Yuheng, the post-production work wouldn’t have been so difficult!

Unaware of Yang Wen’s inner turmoil, Wen Zhecheng completed his “significant discovery” and then retreated, starting to search for other clues.

Walking alongside Rong Yuheng, he quietly praised him, “You’re actually quite suited for this show. I was worried you wouldn’t adapt well to variety.”

Wen Zhecheng’s words reminded him of his earlier conversation with Xiao Tang.

As he turned the plates on the table in search of clues, he continued, “I also thought I wouldn’t fit, but Xiao Tang told me that I’ve become more suitable for variety.”

After finishing his sentence, he glanced at the “culprit” responsible for all this, clearing his throat and adding a hint of playfulness, “Xiao Tang said that when the two of us are together, it’s quite appetizing.”

Rong Yuheng was examining the bottom of a plate, and after pondering for a couple of seconds, he said, “I understand what she means.”

“You understand?” Wen Zhecheng’s face suddenly felt a bit warm. He sneakily glanced at their three teammates who were studying the couplets not far away and took a step closer to Rong Yuheng, “Then tell me.”

Before Rong Yuheng could respond, they heard cheers from their three teammates on the other side, as if they had collectively unraveled a clue. It was a stark contrast to the main duo standing here looking foolishly at the plates!

“…”

Rong Yuheng sighed, amid the background noise of his teammates celebrating, and held the plate in his hand as he approached Wen Zhecheng.

“The two of us are appetizing, isn’t that like a dish?”

Author’s Note: Rong Yuheng (Proud Sea Otter): I get it again~

Wen Zhecheng (Squealing Groundhog): You still don’t get it!