CHAPTER 135: CHAPTER 124: QUEEN CHEATING? WHEN IN TROUBLE, SEEK CHU TIAN

After more than two hours on the road, they finally arrived at the location where the program was to be filmed.

"Huh? Is this the place?" Xu Qingqiu asked quickly when she saw the car stop.

"Yes, Teacher Xu. If you head down from here, that building up ahead is it," a staff member replied.

She looked in the direction the staff member was pointing. A huge lake lay like a mirror on the ground, with undulating mountains in the distance and green trees nearby—the scenery was indeed beautiful.

At the edge of the lake stood a five-story building that resembled a guesthouse, its exterior simple yet attractive.

"Is this the place? Do I go over by myself?"

Unfortunately, her question fell on deaf ears. When she turned back to the production team, she found everyone just standing there smiling at her, but no one spoke.

"Okay, I guess I have to make my own way over then."

Although the production team had outlined the general procedure on the way, this first experience still felt somewhat unnatural and flustering for her. Fortunately, her strong self-control helped her quickly calm down, relax her mindset, and project an air of ease.

Fetching her luggage from the car, Xu Qingqiu dragged her suitcase along the winding path and soon arrived in front of the house.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

People inside quickly heard the commotion and came out.

"Did you hear that? Is someone here?"

"It seems so, I heard it too."

"Let’s go down and see. I wonder who’s arrived this time."

Several people came downstairs, chatting as they walked, and soon reached the entrance, where they saw Xu Qingqiu standing outside.

"Oh my, Teacher Xu is here! Hurry and help her."

"Teacher Xu, I didn’t expect it to be you! Let me help you with your luggage."

"Come in, it’s hot outside. Teacher Xu, would you like some water? I can pour you a glass; we have coffee and boiled water..."

Xu Qingqiu had never experienced such a scene. Weren’t we supposed to be here to make friends? Why are there so many young people? I don’t recognize a single one of them.

But these people were all so enthusiastic that she was nearly overwhelmed, managing only to offer a strained laugh as she greeted each one in turn, though she couldn’t recall any of their names.

After entering, she realized there were more people inside.

"Diva Xu, we’ve met before, remember me?"

"Teacher Lin, of course, I remember. Are you also participating in this program?" Xu Qingqiu immediately recognized the person. He was also a singer, Lin Xiangqun, who was probably in his forties and considered her senior.

"Haha, yes, they told me it was a vacation program, so I came, but then..."

"But then what? Isn’t it?"

Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s innocent expression, Lin Xiangqun gave a bitter smile and said, "Hey, you’ll figure it out eventually. Have a seat for now. Oh, and the rooms are upstairs. You can pick one yourself. The men are staying on the third floor; you might want to check out the fourth floor, the view is a bit better there."

Lin Xiangqun’s attitude was excellent; his introduction was detailed and considerate. She couldn’t tell if this was just his nature or if he treated different people differently.

"No rush," Xu Qingqiu said. "Since everyone’s here, it’s a good opportunity to get to know each other first." With so many people having come to greet her, she felt it wouldn’t be right to leave immediately and didn’t rush upstairs.

"Alright then, let me introduce you," Lin Xiangqun offered. "These are all talented young people. This is a young singer who returned from South Korea..."

"This is a young actor who just graduated last year..."

They had probably arrived earlier and already knew each other, so Lin Xiangqun’s introductions flowed smoothly. Admittedly, his memory was quite good; he remembered all four or five people present.

Just then, more people came down from upstairs.

"Oh, so sorry, so sorry! We fell asleep. We were wondering what was happening downstairs and didn’t realize a new person had arrived."

Xu Qingqiu recognized these few people, though she wasn’t very familiar with them. Seeing how polite they were, she quickly stood up and responded with a smile.

"Perfect timing," Lin Xiangqun said. "Let me introduce you all. I’m not sure if you know them: actor Xu Wanrong, actor Zhou Jianyang, and this one is quite special—a well-known author named Chen Feng."

"Hello, everyone. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Teachers," Xu Qingqiu said.

"You’re too kind, Teacher Xu! Welcome, welcome!" came the replies.

...

The rushed and somewhat awkward meet-and-greet session finally concluded. Afterward, everyone chatted for a while longer, helping them get to know one another a bit better.

Xu Qingqiu finally picked a room and settled in.

Meanwhile, Chu Tian had already embarked on his grand vacation.

After the production team led him to the staff accommodations, Chu Tian took a look around. The environment wasn’t luxurious, but it wasn’t bad either; he wasn’t picky.

After dropping off his luggage and informing Yiyi, Chu Tian eagerly grabbed his fishing rod and headed towards the lake.

Yiyi actually wanted to go too, but she was worried about Xu Qingqiu and decided to go see her first.

Chu Tian, however, paid her no mind. It wasn’t some dangerous reality show. From the name "Dormitory No. 7," he figured it had to be a lifestyle-type program. It would be nothing more than watching a group of celebrities, like helpless oversized babies, fumbling through daily life for entertainment. Aside from some trivial squabbles, there was no real danger to speak of.

"Who’s that guy? Is he also part of our program?"

Onlookers saw him emerging from the production team’s lodging area, carrying a small folding stool and a fishing rod. They all stared, eyes wide, their expressions a mixture of incomprehension and shock.

"Huh? I’m not quite sure. Maybe he’s an assistant to one of the celebrities?"

"An assistant? Assistants are that cool these days? The celebrity is working inside, and the assistant is out here fishing?"