CHAPTER 463: CHAPTER 463: THROWING A TANTRUM

When the girl followed Xiao Ge over, Chen Bin immediately asked, "Have you ever hosted a program before?"

"I hosted programs at school before."

"One of our hosts is sick here. You’ll take her place."

"What? You mean me?"

The girl pointed to herself, her beautiful big eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Bin nodded.

"There’s no time to waste. I’ll give you five minutes to prepare. This is just a rehearsal, you can read from the script."

Following that, he had Xiao Ge lead the girl backstage.

Once the five minutes were up, Chen Bin spoke into his earpiece.

"All departments ready, 3, 2, 1, go!"

As soon as Chen Bin finished speaking, the opening music started playing.

Following this, the four hosts entered the stage together.

Although it was just a rehearsal, everyone was dressed up and wearing makeup.

Only the girl filling in last-minute wore casual clothes, making her stand out awkwardly.

Especially when delivering the opening lines, she seemed extremely nervous.

Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she read the lines.

But just as Chen Bin was filled with disappointment, the girl seemed to find her footing.

Not only was she no longer nervous, but she also became as poised and composed as the three other hosts beside her.

This effortless confidence made Chen Bin look at her in a new light.

He couldn’t help but think some people are born to be hosts.

After the rehearsal ended, the girl slumped onto the stage, her delicate face filled with panic.

Lu Cailian and the other three stood nearby, comforting her softly.

It was clear they had acknowledged this newcomer.

Chen Bin walked over to the stage and asked the girl, "What’s your name?"

Just as she was about to stand up, Chen Bin gestured for her to stay seated.

Taking a deep breath, the girl forced herself to suppress her lingering nerves.

"My name is Wu Jie."

"How old are you? What year are you in college?"

"Eighteen. I started school early, so I’m a sophomore now."

"Do you live here in Tianhai?"

"Yes."

Nodding, Chen Bin took out his phone and opened a note app.

"Give me your home address and phone number."

"I live at ..."

As Wu Jie reported her basic information, her three classmates gathered around her.

One of the male classmates asked curiously, "Deputy Director Chen, you don’t mean to let Wu Jie host the Spring Festival Gala, do you?"

"That possibility isn’t entirely off the table."

Hearing this, the three turned to look at Wu Jie with eyes filled not only with envy but also jealousy.

In their view, Wu Jie wouldn’t have had this incredible luck if she hadn’t previously had a chance encounter with Chen Bin.

Wu Jie’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Chen Bin’s words.

To her, even being able to step on stage for rehearsal was already more than she could have hoped for. Hosting the gala wasn’t even within her wildest dreams.

After dealing with all the things at hand, Chen Bin headed straight to the provincial People’s Hospital.

After asking the doctor on duty, he learned that Ji Yue had acute appendicitis and required surgery.

If she opted for conservative treatment, she’d need at least a week of rest.

Plus, the risk of recurrence would always be lingering.

No matter how important the gala was, it couldn’t compare to the importance of one’s health.

In the ward, Chen Bin relayed the doctor’s words to Ji Yue, who started crying on the spot.

She didn’t have connections in the TV station, and she had worked so hard to become a host for the gala, only to fall ill now.

Anyone in her place would feel unwilling to accept this.

After comforting Ji Yue briefly, Chen Bin went straight home.

Before tutoring Zhao Nianbing on her homework, he added Wu Jie on WeChat.

He sent her the gala’s script and asked her to memorize it quickly.

Having just filled in last minute that evening, Wu Jie was still excited.

When Chen Bin sent over the script, her heart skipped a beat.

"Could it be ... Am I really going to host the Spring Festival Gala?!"

After staying up all night to memorize the script, Wu Jie finally went to sleep in the morning.

That afternoon, Chen Bin received a call from the production crew.

"We’ve already picked up Wen Wan; she’s currently at Yanxi Hotel."

"Alright, I’m on my way!"

After hanging up, Chen Bin drove straight to the hotel.

However, the staff responsible for receiving Wen Wan said she was resting in her room and would be down soon.

Chen Bin initially thought she’d come down quickly, but half an hour passed, and there was still no sign of her.

The staff went to call her again, only to be told to wait a bit longer.

Another half hour slipped by, yet Wen Wan remained absent.

This made Chen Bin feel a growing sense of irritation.

Knowing full well someone was waiting downstairs, yet still dawdling upstairs was a clear sign of disrespect toward Yanxi Province TV Station.

When the staff wanted to call her again, Chen Bin stopped them.

"Forget it. She’s a celebrity; she probably needs time for makeup or something."

Unknowingly, another hour quietly passed.

By now, Chen Bin’s fury had ignited like wildfire. Just as he was about to go up himself, Wen Wan finally emerged from the elevator.

Her hair hung loose, a pair of oversized sunglasses covering her face.

The aura she exuded was just as aloof and unworldly as it ever was.

Confronted with such beauty, Chen Bin’s anger began to dissipate.

The staff immediately stepped forward to usher Wen Wan and her manager over.

"Let me introduce: This is our station’s Deputy Director Chen—also the Director of this year’s Spring Festival Gala. This is Miss Wen Wan, and this is Miss Wen’s manager, Ms. Lu."

Lu Jiali was a large woman, roughly the same build as Cao Chenxi.

Bundled up in thick winter clothes, she walked like a tank.

"Miss Wen, welcome to Tianhai for Yanxi TV Station’s Spring Festival Gala."

As he spoke, Chen Bin extended his hand to shake hers, but Lu Jiali sat down on the sofa nearby before saying a word.

When Wen Wan was about to speak, Lu Jiali interrupted her with a soft cough.

Chen Bin’s face flashed with a hint of awkwardness, but he kept smiling.

"Miss Wen, I’ve listened to your songs before and really enjoyed them. That’s why we invited you here."

Wen Wan, however, acted as if she hadn’t heard, keeping her head down and playing with her phone.

Seeing the tension in the air, the staff quickly stepped in with a smile.

"I’m a big fan of Miss Wen. Being able to hear you sing live this time is such a thrill."

Still, there was no response.

Feeling underestimated left Chen Bin increasingly irritable.

He pulled out the performance contract from his bag and handed it to Lu Jiali.

"Here’s the contract. If there are no objections, why not sign it now?"

Without even looking up, Lu Jiali responded coldly.

"We’ll sign it after seeing the performance venue."

With a nod, Chen Bin put the contract away.

"Well then, how about we head to practice now and get familiar with the stage?"

Lu Jiali turned her head and stared coldly at Chen Bin.

"Miss Wen has very high standards for sound equipment. If anything goes wrong, it’ll be on your faulty equipment. As for rehearsals, twice is enough—singing too much isn’t good for her throat."

Unable to stomach her condescending attitude any longer, Chen Bin stood up and addressed the staff nearby.

"I have something to attend to. Take them to the station now."

As Chen Bin left, he greeted Wen Wan and Lu Jiali again.

But the two women, glued to their phones, treated him like he was invisible...