The Most Popular Comedian

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The emotional segment always ended on a divine note. Yang Wen had gone from initial shock to complete numbness as he stared at the screen.

An assistant handed him water and tried to lighten the mood, “Director Yang, how about next time we have Xiao Rong take a more heartwarming approach? Maybe walk the sentimental path occasionally?”

Yang Wen kept his gaze on the joyous stage on the screen and let out a faint sigh, “Forget it… everyone has their own roles. Xiao Rong is the comedian. There’s no need to force him into sentimental territory.”

After taking a sip of water, Yang Wen continued, “I initially wanted our show to evoke some tears from the audience, but this approach works too. Considering it as an atmosphere adjustment isn’t bad. After watching our show, if people can feel something and we end it with laughter, that’s actually quite nice.”

…

The recording of the program ended, and the five guests returned backstage to change their clothes.

This was the second time Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng were in the same dressing room, but this time, Wen Zhecheng’s mind was occupied by other matters.

His little hamster seemed to dislike conversations about family, probably because of his parents’ divorce, which might have created a psychological barrier for Rong Yuheng.

Lost in thought, Rong Yuheng suddenly emerged like a groundhog from under Wen Zhecheng’s gaze.

“Wen Teacher, can you help me with this ribbon?” Rong Yuheng had a decorative ribbon on his sleeve, and as Wen Zhecheng bent over to assist, he tried to figure out how to broach the topic on his mind.

Seeing that Wen Zhecheng’s thoughts were elsewhere, Rong Yuheng couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows, “What are you thinking?”

Wen Zhecheng was thinking about something else even while tending to his hamster! 

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Duan Xiu had already changed and left, leaving only Su Yuyin a few meters away collecting his belongings. Without thinking, Wen Zhecheng blurted out, “I’m thinking about you.”

Rong Yuheng’s heart thumped again, like it had been struck. He withdrew his small hand, “What could you be thinking about me?”

Wen Zhecheng glanced at him, pursing his lips, hesitating to speak, afraid of crossing boundaries.

Seeing Wen Zhecheng’s hesitant expression, Rong Yuheng felt suspicious. He scooted closer and nudged him, “You wouldn’t be trying to find me a new home, would you?”

“Nonsense.” Wen Zhecheng was both exasperated and amused. He playfully ruffled Rong Yuheng’s hair, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Is your home in this city? When do you plan to go back?”

Rong Yuheng paused for two seconds, then shifted away from Wen Zhecheng, “Not in this city, and I haven’t decided yet.”

“Is it far?”

“Not too far, just in the neighboring city.” Rong Yuheng pondered for a moment, “I’ll probably go back in a while. I’ll handle the matters of rescheduling my agent and the PR fallout from the horse incident before going back.”

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Wen Zhecheng nodded and didn’t press for more information. He simply soothingly rubbed Rong Yuheng’s head, “You’re really good.”

Rong Yuheng’s eyelashes fluttered. He thought to himself, “Good” was far from the truth.

“Mainly, I’m worried about my big clam gathering dust.”

–

Rong Yuheng bid farewell to Xu Sun officially and then took Wen Zhecheng’s business car back. With their manager Qu Youhe and assistant Xiaotang present, Wen Zhecheng didn’t need to drive himself. He sat in the back seat with Rong Yuheng.

This was the second time Qu Youhe and Xiaotang had seen Rong Yuheng. Xiaotang sat in the passenger seat, sneakily stealing glances at Rong Yuheng through the rearview mirror.

Whether it was an illusion or not… she felt Rong Yuheng was becoming more attractive. Even a small assistant like her found her heart racing just looking at him.

Rong Yuheng was lounging lazily in the back seat, and Wen Zhecheng’s arm draped around him from behind, “Feeling uncomfortable?”

Rong Yuheng didn’t want to shake his head, as it would worsen his motion sickness. Instead, he blinked his eyes: Yes, uncomfortable.

Wen Zhecheng adjusted his arm’s position slightly, “Lean on me then.”

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Rong Yuheng felt a bit embarrassed. Perhaps Wen Zhecheng’s masculine charm was just too prominent, leading him to develop some “gender consciousness.” Despite being male himself, he just felt that something was off.

“Don’t bother, your hand wrapped like this might be uncomfortable,” Wen Zhecheng naturally brought up the script, “This is called confinement for now, and when we’re out, it’s free-range.”

After pondering for a moment, Rong Yuheng found no issue and comfortably rested his head on Wen Zhecheng’s arm.

Xiaotang, secretly watching from the front row, was utterly dumbfounded: What the hell, is this what Brother Zhecheng is like?

She used to think Wen Zhecheng was somewhat aloof and distant, with no rumors of any relationships. He was like an ancient ironwood tree. She never expected him to bloom into a cluster of flowers!

Qu Youhe held onto the steering wheel, his patience running thin. He initially thought Rong Yuheng was trying to cozy up to his Brother Zhecheng, so he didn’t hold him in high regard. But from their interactions, it seemed to be the complete opposite!

Qu Youhe thought to himself, luckily Shi Qiu was taking over Rong Yuheng. They had a good relationship, and his PR skills were top-notch. If in the future, his Brother Zhecheng went all out to cling to Rong Yuheng and chase after him, Shi Qiu wouldn’t obstruct… right?

Qu Youhe dropped Rong Yuheng off at his apartment first and then took Wen Zhecheng to the company for other matters.

When Rong Yuheng returned to the dormitory, Shan Qi and Huang Jianing were still out for work, leaving three people playing cards in the living room.

“Is there any food?” Rong Yuheng wandered into the living room and sat down. After recording the program, they had only eaten some cakes provided by the production team to curb their hunger. Now he was hungry again.

Bian Chen gave Rong Yuheng a disdainful glance, “What kind of piglet are you?” Before Rong Yuheng could respond, Bian Chen stood up and went to the kitchen, “There are a dozen or so steamed vegetarian dumplings left from lunch.”

Rong Yuheng wiped away imaginary tears, “Bian Chen, you’re a saint!”

Bian Chen snorted.

After the dumplings were heated, Rong Yuheng grabbed a bowl and sat in the living room, watching the three of them play cards.

Although Tang Ji rarely indulged in entertainment, he had excellent card skills, winning seven out of ten rounds.

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Zou Yi showed zero gaming aptitude throughout, and in the final round, he pushed his cards forward, “Damn, Tang Ji, your cards are ridiculously good. Are you the legendary koi fish?”

Tang Ji quietly shuffled the deck, “This seating arrangement is lucky.”

Bian Chen teased as usual, “Zou Yi, you’re just not good with sharp tools”

“…”

Soon enough, the two strong men were wrestling with each other.

Tang Ji placed the cards on the table, not urging or persuading them, simply observing quietly. Rong Yuheng, holding his bowl of dumplings, sidled up to chat with him, “You’re not busy today?”

Tang Ji made a sound of agreement, “Mm, my agent told me not to overexert myself, to rest properly. I’ve scheduled myself three hours of leisure time, and I’ll practice dancing in the evening.”

Rong Yuheng’s motion of eating dumplings faltered, “…You’re so disciplined.”

Tang Ji replied, “If you don’t follow a plan to complete your tasks, your routine will be disrupted, and your goals won’t be achieved.”

Rong Yuheng’s expression revealed admiration, “I’ve learned something…”

Zou Yi and Bian Chen finished their wrestling and returned to the card game. Not long after, Huang Jianing and Shan Qi also returned. Seeing Rong Yuheng’s carefree appearance made Huang Jia Ning feel tired on his behalf.

“Rong Bao, come here for a moment.”

Rong Yuheng happily ran over, “What’s up?”

Huang Jianing’s family was connected to Feng Yu High Up, and he had just heard that Xu Sun had submitted his release papers to the higher-ups. “You and your agent terminated the contract?”

Rong Yuheng nodded cheerfully, “Yeah!”

Huang Jianing didn’t understand why he was so excited, “Then in the future…”

Rong Yuheng interjected, “I’ll sign with a new agent.”

“Are you ready to change agents already?” Huang Jianing was genuinely surprised. How did Rong Yuheng handle everything so quietly?

Huang Jianing knew that changing agents wasn’t a simple matter. Rong Yuheng didn’t have much influence in the industry, yet he had just switched agents without a fuss!

Others gathered around upon hearing this, “What? Rong Bao is changing agents??”

Teammates would eventually find out about this matter, and Rong Yuheng didn’t plan to keep it a secret either. “Yeah, I’m already in the process.”

Shan Qi was concerned, “Who’s the next agent? We need to be careful this time.”

Rong Yuheng pouted, “Shi Qiu.”

Shan Qi, “…” Fine, he worried for nothing.

Most of the team members more or less knew that Rong Yuheng’s previous agent wasn’t good. Especially Zou Yi, who had been roommates with Rong Yuheng during their trainee period and knew more details. He felt relieved upon hearing this.

“Finally, he’s gone! He used to leech off your resources. Ah… to be able to change agents so easily, he got off cheap,” Zou Yi said with a pleased expression.

Rong Yuheng lovingly patted Zou Yi’s head.

The light from the living room lamp illuminated his forehead, creating a halo-like effect. “Don’t hold grudges. We must believe that unjust actions will lead to their own downfall.”

…

Rong Yuheng had to inform Lu Mingxuan about changing agents. Previously, Lu Mingxuan had given him the contact information of the “Wheat Fragrance” boss, which clearly indicated that the boss of “Wheat Fragrance” was the uncle of Zai’an, and Liu Wanjing was also introduced by them. Moreover, Liu Wanjing joined the program team shortly after Rong Yuheng was confirmed as a regular member.

Many friends in the industry knew about Rong Yuheng’s appearance on “Treasure Hunt,” but he never mentioned that he was a regular member. The program team hadn’t officially announced it yet.

Zai’an needed to get the information, and the only channel was through Xu Sun.

The industry had many talented individuals, but most of them went unnoticed. Xu Sun had seen many high-quality artists who were unable to break through, so his choice to align with Zai’an backed by capital was not surprising.

After learning the details, Lu Mingxuan scolded loudly over the phone, “How could they be so scheming, always trying to spite you?”

“I guess Zai’an thinks that if he had been the one to participate in the trial version initially, he would be the regular now. Feeling unequal, he wants to make things difficult for me too. For this kind of variety show, fans are gained quickly, and so are haters. If Liu Wanjing were to tease me every episode, my public image would probably crumble by the time the show ends.”

Lu Mingxuan angrily cursed, “How despicable!”

Rong Yuheng couldn’t help but sigh… Lu Mingxuan was just too well-behaved, scolding people like an elementary school student. If it were a certain Zaun white dumpling, Zai’an’s family portrait would likely need a retake.

Rong Yuheng continued analyzing with Lu Mingxuan, “Furthermore, Zai’an and his group sending Liu Wanjing in was advantageous for them. It’s not just about taking a dig at me. Xu Sun visited the program team and knew how conscientiously this show is produced. It’s not a problem to elevate a host’s popularity.”

As Lu Mingxuan gradually grasped the situation, he added, “If Xu Sun didn’t tell them beforehand that you’re a regular, they wouldn’t have had time to place someone once the program was officially announced.”

Rong Yuheng said, “Without knowing that I’m a regular, they wouldn’t have needed to place someone.”

“You’re right,” Lu Mingxuan concluded, then thought of something else, “Why didn’t they use their connections to directly send Zai’an in?”

“The host has very few camera angles, and the benefits of the program team haven’t fully shown yet. A top-tier host won’t come. Yang Wen, the third-tier host, doesn’t fit, and Liu Wanjing is in a precarious position with low pay. It’s not difficult for them to send him in. But being a regular is different. With one Su Yunyin and one Wen Zhecheng, they’ve raised the bar. I only stayed because I brought three big financial backers – you guys. Zai’an can’t afford to be a regular. “

Hearing this, Lu Mingxuan puffed up his chest with pride, “So, dads are powerful! Sigh… they really thought you stayed on the show just because of your exceptional variety show skills.”

Rong Yuheng puffed up his chest in the same manner, unabashedly boastful, “Blame my strength for being too overwhelming. I gave them that misleading impression! My bad~”

“…”

He was met with the sound of the phone being hung up – a “beep” indicating the call had ended.

– 

Just after Rong Yuheng finished recording the second episode, the program team released the official announcement video a few days later. The video was accompanied by a promotional image, with the title “Treasure Hunt Contest” spanning the entire image. Below it stood Su Yunyin and Rong Yuheng side by side, with the silhouette of another person behind them, labeled as “Mysterious Regular Guest.”

@TreasureHuntContestOfficial: #TreasureHuntContest# Every Thursday at 6:30 PM, don’t miss it! There are stories and drinks here, follow @SuYunyin @STAR—T_RongYuheng to join us~ And a mysterious regular guest “W” joins us in the second episode! [Video]

The hype around “Treasure Hunt” had only just begun, and the official post only generated a small wave of interest initially. It wasn’t until Su Yunyin also retweeted the official post that the attention suddenly surged!

The comments section of the official post was quickly filled with fan messages:

“Wherever Teacher Su is, I am there too! #TreasureHuntContest#”

“He’s here! He’s here! [Heart] #TreasureHuntContest# #SuYunyinSuperTopic# Our Su gege has become a regular on another show!”

“The promotional image looks great! [Image] Looking forward to Teacher Su’s variety show! The little brother beside him is handsome too, I’m going to follow along on Weibo~”

“My beloved Teacher Su! And my new wall, Rong Goose~ [Heart] I’m a fan now!”

“Mysterious guest!! Who could it be?”

“Ah, it’s my little comedian Rong Rong!! #RongYuhengSuperTopic# Spreading Rong Goose baby to the world! Looking forward to Rong Goose’s variety show. [Sun Emoji]”

“Mysterious Guest ‘W’? Wang? Wei?”

…

Rong Yuheng also retweeted the official post. His fan count had already surpassed three million and he was second only to the all-around artist Single Qi in the STAR—T idol group.

However, Rong Yuheng’s fanbase was a bit different from the other team members. It included older fans like Wen Zhongyun, attracted by his exceptional square dancing and stress-relieving variety show performances.

After Rong Yuheng retweeted the post, the front rows of his comments section were quickly occupied by mom fans:

“Little Rong, keep it up, Mom loves you!”

“Looking forward to Rong Rong, want to see square dancing!”

“The kid is so adorable, Auntie is cheering for you! [Grinning Emoji]”

Of course, there were more professionally inclined fangirls trying to maintain their image:

“Looking forward to our cutest comedian, Rong Goose. #TreasureHuntContest# #RongYuhengSuperTopic#”

“Rong Rong is perfect for variety shows! Love Teacher Su, love Rong Goose! [Image] The two of them standing together are so pleasing to the eyes~ I just don’t know who the mysterious guest is, looking forward to the three of them on stage together!”

Amidst this lively promotion, a retweet suddenly stood out, pushing Rong Yuheng’s popularity to another peak:

@KuangZhao: The moment I’ve been waiting for is here. //@STAR—T_RongYuheng: Kekeke, charging ahead with a few teachers! //@TreasureHuntContestOfficial: #TreasureHuntContest# Every Thursday at 6:30 PM, don’t miss it!…

After retweeting the Weibo post, Rong Yuheng put his phone down and went to take a shower. When he came out, he saw that his Weibo was about to explode!

Before he could even dry his hair, he checked his phone to see that it was that friendly boar again!

Rong Yuheng, “…” This boar king is truly at the forefront of the gossip game.

After thinking for a moment, Rong Yuheng decided to follow Kuang Zhao and left a “[Heart]” comment under his retweet.

In less than half a minute, he received a private message from Kuang Zhao.

【Kuang Zhao】: !!!

【Kuang Zhao】: Don’t give me hearts, please!! [Dismayed]

【Rong Yuheng】: …??

Before he could ask the other party what they meant, Rong Yuheng saw his Weibo exploding again, with his popularity even rivaling the famous variety show star Su Yunyin!

The reason was simple—

Weibo netizens had noticed that Wen Zhecheng, who had been inactive for ages, suddenly liked Kuang Zhao’s retweet.

Author’s Note:

Rong Xiaogua: [Hearts]

Wen Zhecheng, secretly peeking: ? ? (Raises a fork)

Friendly boar Kuang Zhao: Don’t come over!! (Terrified)