The people whose names were called all responded in agreement.
Xue Yi said to Chi Yan and Xu Yi, “Go change your clothes quickly. Your mentor is even treating you to a meal—so envious.”
“Alright,” Chi Yan said, “See you tomorrow!”
Since Chi Yan had special effects makeup on, it took her a bit longer to remove it, and Xu Yi waited beside her.
By the time they arrived at Yu Jingming’s lounge, they were the last ones there. As soon as they walked in, four pairs of eyes turned toward them, and for once, Chi Yan felt a bit pressured.
“Director Yu, sorry for being late. My makeup removal took longer, and Xu Yi was waiting for me, so we arrived late,” Chi Yan explained.
Yu Jingming shook his head helplessly and said, “It’s fine, I didn’t mind. Now that everyone’s here, let’s go.”
Yu Jingming had borrowed a car and driver from the program team in advance, and they were waiting in the TV station’s parking lot.
The car was a nine-seater, so there was more than enough space for them all.
No one dared to sit next to Yu Jingming, so he ended up sitting alone in the front row.
“Let’s take some time to get to know each other,” Yu Jingming said. “You probably don’t know much about me. My name is Yu Jingming, and I was invited to this show because I recently won the Best New Director Award from our national directors’ association. I don’t like sticking to rigid formulas, so the script I’ll be giving you might include some unconventional elements—be prepared for that.”
Cheng Yu said, “Got it! We’ll follow your lead, Director Yu!”
“Good,” Yu Jingming scanned the people in the car. “No need to be too formal. I’m pretty easygoing.”
Xu Yi gathered the courage to ask, “Director Yu, where are we going for dinner?”
“A well-known restaurant in Hai City called ‘Gourmet.’”
“Director Yu, you actually managed to book a table at such an expensive private restaurant?” Chi Yan asked. “I’m definitely going to eat a lot tonight.”
Yu Jingming chuckled. “Eat as much as you want. The restaurant is owned by Shen Chen, and since it’s nearby, I just called ahead and reserved a private room. Besides, he’s paying in the end anyway.”
Xu Yi quietly asked Chi Yan, “Isn’t Shen Chen that big shot who graduated from our school? How does Director Yu know him so well?”
“I think their families know each other, but I’m not sure,” Chi Yan replied. “I heard on Director Yu’s film set that Shen Chen invested in the movie, so maybe it’s related to that.”
Ye Jiawen, who had overheard their conversation, asked, “Isn’t Shen Chen the CEO of Shen Group, the sponsor of our competition? And he’s your school’s alumnus?”
“I still find it hard to believe that Shen Chen invested in this competition,” Xu Yi said. “And now we’re eating at his restaurant, and he’s footing the bill. If you round it up, that means he’s treating me to a meal!”
Her voice was a little loud, and everyone in the car heard her.
Yu Jingming turned around and said, “I never expected you to be Shen Chen’s fangirl.”
“Shen Chen’s status in our school is really high!” Xu Yi said. “Actually, Chi Yan’s video going viral for hosting was thanks to Shen Chen’s popularity. If he weren’t so well-known, that video wouldn’t have spread online.”
Yu Jingming suddenly remembered something and asked, “Chi Yan, in that hosting video, wasn’t Xu Yi also there? She was the lead singer, right?”
“Uh… yeah,” Xu Yi stammered, caught off guard by the mention of her embarrassing moment. Wanting to end the topic quickly, she said, “But no one recognized me before…”
Chi Yan helped shift the conversation. “Aren’t we almost there? I see the sign.”
Sure enough, the driver made a turn into an underground parking lot and parked the car.
“We’re here,” Yu Jingming said. “Let’s get out.”
Yu Jingming led them to the private room that Shen Chen had reserved for them. After they sat down, he said, “Don’t hold back today. Order whatever you like.”
After everyone finished ordering, his phone notification sound, which had a special alert, went off. He checked the message and said, “The program team just sent me the rules for the next round. Do you want to hear them before or after we eat?”
Lin Shan, who had been quiet until now, immediately said, “Before we eat. Otherwise, I’ll be on edge the whole meal, and it won’t be enjoyable.”
Yu Jingming looked at the others. “What do you all think?”
Ye Jiawen said, “I’ll go with whatever you decide, Director Yu. I don’t mind either way.”
Seeing that no one had any objections, Yu Jingming said, “Alright, I’ll forward it to you all. Let’s make a group chat first.”
After successfully creating the group, Yu Jingming copied the competition rules from the director’s team and pinned them in the group announcement so that everyone could see them.
“The script for each group will be selected personally by the director, and all five contestants in each group will perform together. After the performance, the audience will vote to determine the winning group and individual rankings.
The winning group’s mentor can choose two contestants to stay. Among the remaining three groups, each mentor can only keep one contestant.”
Xu Yi read halfway through before falling silent.
Cheng Yu continued, “There’s more. Each of the four mentors will write down the names of three contestants they think should advance. The top three contestants with the most votes will move on. If there’s a tie, the mentors will openly discuss it. The remaining two spots will be decided by audience votes.”
“This seems a lot more complicated,” Lin Shan said. “But if someone performs better within their group, they’ll have a higher chance of advancing.”
As soon as she said this, the room fell into silence. In the same group, they were both teammates and competitors. Everyone realized this and their previously cheerful expressions faded.
“You’re wrong,” Chi Yan spoke up. “Actually, if the group wins first place, the chances of advancing are much higher. The winning group’s mentor can select two contestants to advance directly.”
Yu Jingming followed up on her point, saying, “Don’t look at me—I only judge based on live performances. If you perform well on stage, I’ll let you advance. Otherwise, there’s nothing to discuss. The goal of this competition is to discover talented actors. The fact that you’ve made it this far means you’ve already outshined many others, and I believe none of you will disappoint me.”
The atmosphere lightened slightly. Ye Jiawen raised his glass first and said, “I also believe Director Yu will be fair and just. A toast to Director Yu.”
The others followed suit, lifting their glasses in a harmonious scene.
After the food was served, Yu Jingming said, “Take your pictures now—you can post them on Weibo later. I’m planning to post as well.”
Once everyone had taken their photos, he began analyzing their recent performances, pointing out each person’s strengths and areas that needed improvement. Everyone listened attentively.
The food at Gourmet was excellent. While enjoying the meal, they also absorbed Yu Jingming’s feedback, savoring this rare moment of relaxation in their otherwise intense schedule.
“Tonight, you can take a short break. I won’t take up more of your time,” Yu Jingming said as he noticed they were almost done eating. “Tomorrow morning, you’ll need to change rooms. Be at the rehearsal room by 2 p.m. sharp so we can pick scripts and assign roles. If you need to go back to the apartment, come with me. If you have other plans, it’s still early, so I won’t insist on sending you back.”
Since Ye Jiawen, Xu Yi, and Chi Yan’s university was in Hai City, they all decided to return on their own. Lin Shan and Cheng Yu, being from out of town, followed Yu Jingming back to the apartment.
Ye Jiawen received a call, said a quick goodbye to Yu Jingming, and left.
Xu Yi turned to Chi Yan. “My brother is also having dinner nearby, so I’ll go find him and head home with him. You be careful on your way back.”
Chi Yan gave her an “OK” gesture.
She walked to the hotel entrance, planning to hail a taxi.
Just as she reached the roadside, a Porsche pulled up in front of her. Thinking it was here for someone else, she stepped aside.
To her surprise, the window rolled down, revealing Shen Chen in the driver’s seat.
“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.”
Chi Yan smiled politely and declined. “I’ll just take a taxi home.”
Shen Chen said, “No way. You’re popular now—if you stand here any longer, someone will definitely recognize you.”
Chi Yan glanced around and indeed noticed a few people watching her. Without hesitation, she quickly opened the passenger door and got in.
“Thanks,” she said. “I thought no one would recognize me in that look.”
Shen Chen glanced at her and asked, “Have you not checked Weibo yet? Your million-dollar bet is famous now. A lot of netizens are following you.”
“I totally forgot about that. I just remember that during the competition, I didn’t even look like myself…”
Chi Yan had hoped that people wouldn’t recognize her today, but now it seemed she needed to be more cautious in the future.
Prompted by Shen Chen, she quickly opened Weibo.
Her notifications were flooded with red dots, and her follower count had surged past a million. Fans were highly active in her comment sections and discussion threads, even forming an anti-hate group to support her.
It all felt surreal.
“I can’t believe it’s grown this fast…”
Shen Chen said, “Variety shows, especially ones like the one you’re in, attract a lot of fans. Right now, most talent shows in the country focus on singing and dancing. Acting competitions are a new direction, but plenty of people are into it.”
“So, is that why you invested in The Road to an Actor?”
“I think the show has potential. Plus, it can bring fresh talent into the industry—why not?”
“You have great foresight, President Shen.”
Shen Chen chuckled and said, “Don’t flatter me. Also, it sounds weird when you call me ‘President Shen.’ Just compliment me directly. Say, ‘Shen Chen, you really have great foresight.’”
“Shen Chen, you really have great foresight.” Chi Yan decided to grant his wish.
This was already the second time Shen Chen had driven her home. On top of that, he had helped her clear up rumors with Yu Jingming, and she hadn’t even properly thanked him yet.
“Oh? You followed me on Weibo? And with your main account?”
“Miss Chi, I’m your fan now. A real one.”
Chi Yan looked at him with a smile. “Mm, well, your idol just followed you back. Surprised?”
“It’s alright,” Shen Chen replied, sounding smug. “Wasn’t it only a matter of time before you followed me back?”
Chi Yan shook her head and stopped talking, but her mood had clearly improved.
She scrolled through Weibo, checking the latest news. The Road to an Actor had indeed gained immense popularity. The recent Top 20 contestant week had just gone live on the Xiyou platform, and the show’s viewership had skyrocketed, breaking multiple records.
That afternoon’s live broadcast had even reached a peak audience, with an overwhelming number of comments.
Chi Yan saw that Yu Jingming had posted a Weibo about their dinner together. She reposted it, adding a caption:
“The food was great, and the mentor and teammates were all amazing. [thumbs up]”
The comment section was quickly flooded with reactions. She skimmed through them—most were compliments or messages reminding her to take care of herself. Some people asked where they had eaten.
She replied to a familiar fan:
“It was at ‘Gourmet’ in Hai City.”
