The appointed day arrived in a flash.
Early morning, after finishing his usual run, Fan Qing hailed a taxi to pick up Jian Feiyang.
Jian Feiyang stepped out of the company dorm, a little surprised.
“Fan Qing, you came by taxi today?”
“Mm.”
Fan Qing helped him into the back seat and slid in after him.
“Today’s your big day, after all. A little ceremony adds a sense of occasion.”
He rarely teased.
Jian Feiyang opened his mouth but said nothing, clenching his fists lightly on his lap.
Oh no!
Should he confess that he hadn’t slept well last night because he was nervous?
He fidgeted silently as Fan Qing glanced at him, eyes flicking with understanding.
So this kid does get nervous, huh.
Fan Qing said nothing. The ride was quiet, and soon they arrived at their destination: Jingzhe TV Station.
The station, named after a solar term, sounded ordinary but hosted several high-rating, well-regarded programs.
Among them, the variety show Just Go for It—run by Ma Gong—was a flagship.
Fan Qing walked Jian Feiyang in, and the assistant responsible for reception couldn’t help stealing several glances, clearly recognizing that Jian Feiyang was here to audition for Ma Gong’s show.
Jian Feiyang, however, was too nervous to notice.
Fan Qing surveyed the surroundings, noting the receptionist’s expression: gossip, curiosity, and a hint of anticipation.
He mused silently.
Soon, they were led to the office with a Just Go for It sign.
As soon as the door opened, Fan Qing understood the expression on the receptionist’s face.
The original host for Jian Feiyang’s audition slot, Guan Junhao, was seated beside Director Ma Gong.
Fan Qing remembered that Guan Junhao had been hospitalized due to a fractured calf.
Why was he suddenly here?
Fan Qing quickly realized he might have missed some important information.
For now, he just studied Director Ma Gong’s expression.
Hmm?
Ma Gong looked slightly displeased, and there seemed to be some tension between him and Guan Junhao.
A few guesses flashed through Fan Qing’s mind in the short steps it took to enter the room.
Before he could react, Jian Feiyang excitedly spoke first:
“Guan Ge! You’re out of the hospital? Is your leg okay?”
“Guan Ge?”
Fan Qing noted the peculiar expression on Jian Feiyang’s face.
Guan Junhao and Ma Gong both paused mid-action.
Then, Ma Gong’s eyes flicked subtly toward Guan Junhao.
Guan Junhao’s body tensed, his mouth opening slightly, but no words came out.
…Wait, something wasn’t right. The script Fan Qing had seen didn’t match this situation.
Ma Gong broke the awkward silence.
“Come, sit. You must be Jian Feiyang?”
He scanned Jian Feiyang, his gaze briefly resting on Fan Qing.
“So he’s the assistant,” he thought. Fan Qing had a striking presence. Even in this hyper-competitive industry, could an assistant really stand out like this?
Fan Qing met the gaze and nodded, stepping back slightly behind Jian Feiyang. Today, Jian Feiyang was the focus; he had no intention of stealing the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Jian Feiyang quickly struck up a casual conversation with Guan Junhao, swiftly obtaining an autograph and even taking a photo with him.
Jian Feiyang smiled at the picture, then turned to ask Guan Junhao a question.
“Guan Ge, if I get selected, can I print out your photo and put it on my bed at my dorm?”
Guan Junhao, still trying to make sense of how the script had taken this turn, froze. It took him a full three seconds to process Jian Feiyang’s words literally.
“What… you want to print it out?”
Wasn’t the autograph enough? Wasn’t the photo together enough?
Jian Feiyang gave an embarrassed little laugh.
“Yeah, that way I can see it every night before I sleep.”
Every night… before sleeping?!
For the first time, Guan Junhao felt like he’d never truly seen the world before. How could someone like Jian Feiyang exist?
He stared blankly for a long moment before slowly coming back to his senses.
Wait…
He had come here intending to figure out who had sent fans to tarnish his image. Whoever spent so much effort to smear him probably had their eyes on his position, maybe even hoping to knock him out of it.
But…
Jian Feiyang?
What the heck was this kid?
Guan Junhao couldn’t make sense of it and finally asked directly:
“You sound like one of my fans.”
Maybe… a little obsessively so.
He didn’t say it out loud, but Jian Feiyang froze for a moment.
He scratched the back of his head, dumbly saying,
“Huh? Didn’t I say that? I’m your fan, Guan Ge.”
Guan Junhao: “?”
When did you say that?
Jian Feiyang: “?”
Did I really say that?
He instinctively looked at Fan Qing.
Two clueless beings, and their meeting had gone smoothly.
Fan Qing commented briefly, then nodded calmly:
“You didn’t actually say it.”
Even he hadn’t realized that Jian Feiyang was Guan Junhao’s fan.
“Hehe, maybe I was too nervous and excited, so I forgot,” Jian Feiyang said with a silly grin.
Guan Junhao: “…”
Complex, baffling, utterly confusing emotions.
He stared at Jian Feiyang’s goofy face for a long while, exasperated, and plopped down.
If only he hadn’t offended his manager to come here.
Why did he even come?
Was he really expecting people behind the scenes to stand out in front?
All he got to see was a total goof like Jian Feiyang!
He scolded himself for being so clueless but couldn’t help sneaking glances at Jian Feiyang. Physically, the kid looked better than him—those biceps, clearly trained.
And the personality…
Thinking of Jian Feiyang wanting to put up his photo, Guan Junhao hesitated a little. Personality… well, it seemed compatible with everyone else on the show. Someone who could take a hit.
He glanced at Ma Gong, quietly asking,
“What do you think? Seems okay?”
Ma Gong slowly typed a question mark with his gaze—Are you serious?
Wait, wasn’t Guan Junhao here to challenge someone? And now he’s recommending this kid? Seriously?
Guan Junhao froze for a moment before realizing:
Oh, right! Why would he argue with such a silly kid? This kid was here to take his place anyway!
He quickly masked his face with a “nothing happened” expression.
Ma Gong shook his head, trying not to laugh, but didn’t completely expose him.
Fan Qing, however, observed everything. He glanced at Guan Junhao, then at the still-grinning Jian Feiyang.
This kid probably forgot what “nervous” even meant by now.
Still, maybe it’s true: sometimes, fools do have their luck.
Thanks to Jian Feiyang’s antics, plus Guan Junhao’s sudden softening, Ma Gong’s impression of Jian Feiyang went up significantly.
After all, this was a variety show. Personality like Jian Feiyang’s was a definite plus.
“How’s your stamina? I assume you’re aware of the show’s requirements?”
Ma Gong, now confident, asked the final question.
Fan Qing silently thought: Here we go.
He looked at Jian Feiyang.
Just as he expected, Jian Feiyang paused, then said:
“Stamina? Uh… I can probably run for three hours now?”
Fan Qing’s rare expression briefly twisted in disbelief.
He’d been careless! He forgot the most fundamental problem: Jian Feiyang’s actual endurance.
Ma Gong frowned.
“Only three hours?”
Some dissatisfaction seeped through. What was going on? Had the kid never watched their show or didn’t understand the rules? A full day of shooting, with chase sequences and other competitions, was normal. If Jian Feiyang could only last three hours, that was far too little.
Ma Gong’s impression of Jian Feiyang instantly dropped.
As Fan Qing opened his mouth to explain, Guan Junhao, sitting next to Ma Gong, spoke first.
He glanced suspiciously at Jian Feiyang, voice hesitant:
“You can run for three hours? At what pace?”
Fan Qing was a little surprised but couldn’t help admiring Jian Feiyang’s back.
Some people really… had incredible luck.
“Uh… just like normal running?”
This time, Jian Feiyang turned to Fan Qing for guidance, looking for help.
“I don’t really know what pace it counts as—it’s all the training A-Qing set up for me. Before, I could only run for two hours, but now I can make it three.”
In that instant, Ma Gong’s inquisitive gaze and Guan Junhao’s astonished eyes both landed on Fan Qing.
Maybe he should have coached Jian Feiyang on what to say first?
Fan Qing pushed up his glasses, pulled out his phone, and thought for a moment.
But… maybe it wasn’t necessary?
Wrong as it was, the approach had its merits.
He flipped through his phone and handed a video to Ma Gong.
“This is a clip I edited—Jian Feiyang’s training from yesterday. If you’re interested, I can send the full unedited version.”
Prepared, as expected.
Ma Gong accepted the phone with a nod of approval. The clip was under five minutes but covered all the training: from basic running to standard push-ups and weightlifting.
It even included a short simulated combat sequence, clearly modeled on the show’s usual challenges.
Both participants moved skillfully, but Jian Feiyang ultimately won.
“You’ve got some skills, kid. Nice work!”
Guan Junhao, who had sneaked a look, couldn’t help but be impressed. Despite being cast as the show’s “pretty face,” that was just the program’s need. If he actually competed seriously, he might not have lost to others.
The clip, though short, proved Jian Feiyang was genuinely capable—albeit still a bit green.
Ma Gong, listening to Guan Junhao’s praise, remained silent but internally impressed.
Indeed, Jian Feiyang seemed to have the upper hand physically, but the assistant’s endurance, despite losing, was remarkable given his weaker base. And Jian Feiyang’s line earlier—it was thanks to the assistant’s arrangement that he started training. Plus, the video itself had been carefully prepared in advance…
Ma Gong’s gaze flicked to Fan Qing.
“Wasn’t Jian Feiyang’s manager the same one who brought out Nie Luo?”
Implying it might have been the manager orchestrating this?
Fan Qing immediately understood Ma Gong’s implication. Though the explanation made sense, he wasn’t about to hand over the fruit of his own planning. Besides, this was the first step in his larger scheme.
He smiled faintly, calm and collected.
“Yes. But the manager is quite busy—right now, I am fully responsible for Jian Feiyang’s matters.”
“Impressive for a young one.”
Ma Gong couldn’t help scanning Fan Qing again, silently admiring him.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll have the contract sent over.”
Fan Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Regarding this, I may need to trouble you for one more thing, Ma Dao…”