Chapter Twenty-Nine: What Night Is This?

Afterward, Chen Mu’en went on to read out the play rates for the other shows. The former star host of “Idol Express,” Zhu Jiayin, was clearly displeased, casting frequent glances at Liao Yuan, frustration simmering inside her.

“Idol Express” had a daily play rate that hovered steadily between 90,000 and 120,000; by month’s end, Zhu Jiayin’s bonus was the envy of the entire department. But now, the newly arrived “Midnight Ghost Blows Out the Lamp” had suddenly widened the gap between hosts, a chasm so vast that no one dared to challenge it—the difference was not just a little, but an entire galaxy apart.

Until yesterday, the most played program in the department topped out at just a hundred or two hundred thousand plays in a day, and that was a rare occurrence. A show like “Midnight Ghost Blows Out the Lamp,” with over two million plays in a single day, not only had never appeared before, but the thought alone made one’s scalp tingle. Yet now, it had truly appeared.

As Chen Mu’en recited the play rates for other programs, Zhu Jiayin turned her head, staring at Liao Yuan’s features again and again, growing more convinced that this young man had more than just talent—he was rather handsome, too. Although he had snatched away the glory of first place, in reality, “Midnight Ghost Blows Out the Lamp” and “Idol Express” were entirely different types of shows. Most listeners of “Midnight Ghost Blows Out the Lamp” were novel fans hopping about on Weibo, with no overlap at all with the audience of “Idol Express.” She had little reason to resent him, so her annoyance quickly faded.

Besides, Liao Yuan was something of a celebrity within the station. Back in the second program division, he had drawn public attention due to an emotional entanglement with the first division’s director, Xi Yun. Now that he’d moved to the online division, he’d instantly become the leading figure, with outstanding results from his programs. Even in terms of income, Liao Yuan’s monthly earnings of six or seven hundred thousand made him a paragon of youthful wealth, far outstripping most others at the station.

At this thought, Zhu Jiayin’s gaze softened as she looked at Liao Yuan. Liao Yuan didn’t notice, but Xiao Peng beside him caught the look and perked up instantly. Why was this sultry woman looking at me? Could it be…?

“All right, that’s all for today’s meeting. Dismissed.”

After the morning meeting, Chen Mu’en deliberately sought out Liao Yuan. “You must stay at the company tonight. The unexpected number of listeners for ‘Midnight Ghost Blows Out the Lamp’ has caught the attention of the station director. The director will come for inspection tonight, and you’ll need to answer questions from netizens online.”

Liao Yuan nodded in agreement, then turned to head for the studio to record the evening show. He wasn’t in a hurry, though, because before that, he wanted to find a quiet room to write his script.

Tonight, the “Ghost Blows Out the Lamp: The Ancient City of Jingjue” segment would come to an end, and there wasn’t much material left. Aside from the necessary recording, Liao Yuan needed to write out the next part of the story.

After days of mental exhaustion, recent rest had restored him nearly completely. In an empty lounge, Liao Yuan sent Xiao Peng away, opened his laptop, and began to type out the story lingering in his mind with steady rhythm. His long fingers struck the keyboard crisply; perhaps due to years of playing piano, his typing speed was astonishingly fast.

But before long, the lounge door was quietly pushed open.

The host of “Idol Express,” Zhu Jiayin, tiptoed behind Liao Yuan. She watched him write intently, her eyes flickering. After finishing a section, Liao Yuan paused in thought, sensed something, and turned around to see a smiling woman in her thirties gazing at him.

He vaguely remembered her—probably the host from the neighboring studio?

He asked, “Is there something you need?”

As he spoke, Liao Yuan’s gaze unconsciously dropped. Zhu Jiayin’s outfit was unusually bold. Early summer, heavy makeup, a deep red lace blouse—flamboyant and eye-catching. Her full chest rose and fell in rhythm with her breathing, swaying gently; beneath her cinched beige shorts, her pale thighs flashed. Any man would find it hard to ignore such a sexy getup.

But—

Liao Yuan tilted his head. He remembered distinctly that at the morning meeting, she’d worn a thin jacket.

“Oh, Teacher Liao, writing a script?”

Zhu Jiayin saw Liao Yuan return to himself. Staring into those soulful, alluring eyes, her heart couldn’t help but flutter. She moved closer, placing her hands naturally on his shoulders, massaging gently as she feigned concern, “Just arrived—are you settling in well?”

“It’s alright.” Liao Yuan silently endured the old hand’s advances.

Zhu Jiayin seemed emboldened. She bent close to Liao Yuan’s ear and blew a warm breath, then pressed a finger lightly to his cheek. “Teacher Liao, I heard you once had a thing with Xi Yun—is that true?”

Liao Yuan’s ears, apparently sensitive, flushed instantly from the warm breath. He broke free from Zhu Jiayin’s hands, stood up, packed his laptop, and silently pushed open the lounge door, vanishing swiftly into the corridor.

Zhu Jiayin: “…”

Xi Yun. Again, Xi Yun.

In the corridor, Liao Yuan muttered her name.

He felt both unfamiliar and familiar with it. Based on what he remembered, Xi Yun was the director of the first program division at Donghai Broadcasting Station, specializing in music programs, and boasting the highest listenership in the station, bar none.

Further back, his memories blurred into high school. In his freshman year, during a school celebration, Liao Yuan, as the new student representative, was invited to play piano for the entire school. After his performance, he stunned the audience. The girls screamed and applauded, and from then on, his legend began. Every school celebration, Liao Yuan’s piano solo was a highlight.

Afterward, he received countless letters from senior and junior girls confessing their feelings. He was truly innocent then; every time he came to class, his desk was nearly overflowing with letters. These girls were meticulous, folding each letter into intricate shapes—unfolding them was as tricky as solving a Rubik’s cube.

Yet most of the letters were formulaic, imitating melodramatic romance dramas, pledging all sorts of dreamy, vague vows. Eventually, Liao Yuan lost interest, and stopped bothering to read them. Until one envelope stood out and caught his attention—not because it was fancy, but because it was tied with plain hundred-yuan bills.

He was immediately captivated by the imposing image of Chairman Mao. So he eagerly pulled out the letter, and at first glance, his heart skipped.

The legendary senior, Xi Yun, who combined beauty, intelligence, and wealth, finally couldn’t resist her loneliness, and with a move both clichéd and practical, handed over a thousand yuan. On the letter she wrote eight characters: “Date me, this is your bride price!” Along with her grade, class, name, and QQ number, and a crooked but bright red heart drawn at the end…

Her acting was utterly clumsy!

Liao Yuan held the wad of bills in one hand, the letter in the other, mind wrestling. At last, he decided to add her number. Believe it or not, his initial intention was just to return the cash.

But fate had other plans. Their relationship started with that envelope and quickly spiraled out of control. Before long, Liao Yuan succumbed to the senior’s many charms. Being two years older, she outmatched him in both intelligence and physical maturity—a young man pure as paper could hardly resist the temptations of adolescence. And so, the two of them ended up in bed early on.

Three years later, despite Xi Yun’s repeated warnings, Liao Yuan persisted against his family’s objections, stubbornly choosing her college and broadcasting major. To many, Liao Yuan’s first year at university was the turning point of his life. On the day of his arrival, campus rose Xi Yun, the thorny rose beloved by all, stood at the freshman welcome station, gazing across at her junior.

They seemed instantly drawn to each other. For a moment, time stood still, the world fell silent, and all noise faded away. Everyone sensed the aura between them; even a fool could see they knew each other well.

But events unfolded very differently from what people expected.

Xi Yun’s indifference surprised everyone, and that coldness lasted two years, leaving Liao Yuan lost for the same period. Two years later, Xi Yun graduated and joined Donghai Broadcasting Station as a rookie host. Another two years passed, and she became deputy director of the first division. The following year, she was promoted to director, achieving remarkable success and a boundless future.

Liao Yuan, meanwhile, repeatedly failed to pass his major, taking makeup exams again and again. Though he managed to get his certificate, he couldn’t obtain his diploma, casting a shadow over his job search. Fortunately, he had some talent, and after several retakes, he graduated, applying again and again for positions at Donghai Broadcasting Station—always failing.

In the end, it was Xi Yun who intervened, leading to Liao Yuan becoming the new host of “Strange Events of the Human World.” Truly a fated entanglement…

After arriving at the studio, Liao Yuan placed his laptop on the console, reflecting on his past with Xi Yun and shaking his head. He had decided that after “Ghost Blows Out the Lamp” concluded, he would leave this place of heartbreak, lest hearing Xi Yun’s name stir up his emotions again and again.

Although he still carried some of his predecessor’s obsessions, unlike his predecessor, Liao Yuan now viewed relationships with detachment—sometimes even finding having multiple women around to be troublesome.

He pondered, thinking this must have been why he, in his previous life, was still a famous bachelor at thirty, while his friends’ children could already buy soy sauce.

Just then, Xiao Peng came over full of excitement. “Yuan-ge, are we starting to record the second part today?”

“Yes, here’s the script I just wrote. Print it out.”

Liao Yuan handed Xiao Peng the portable drive, gave him instructions, and then walked alone into the studio.

Suddenly, he remembered something, took out his phone, and quickly browsed Weibo.

The single-day hit count for “Ghost Blows Out the Lamp” had exceeded two million, completely beyond his expectations. While the work was excellent, the push from the internet was crucial—without the support of fans on Weibo and other forums, it wouldn’t have achieved this success.

He refreshed Weibo, and the “99+” messages remained. On his personal homepage, he saw that yesterday his Weibo had been viewed over four million times. His latest post had been shared over twenty thousand times and had seventy thousand comments—all for a post from half a year ago.

A few days ago, that post had barely a dozen comments. The surge in followers was even more dramatic—from just over two hundred thousand yesterday to more than six hundred thousand today! It looked like reaching a million was only a matter of days.

Liao Yuan pondered for a moment, then decided to post: “Thank you for your support, dear listeners. Tonight, the first part of ‘Ghost Blows Out the Lamp: The Ancient City of Jingjue’ comes to an end. Tomorrow, the second part of the ‘Ghost Blows Out the Lamp’ series, ‘Dragon Ridge Maze,’ begins. I hope you’ll continue to support us.”

He added the radio page for “Midnight Ghost Stories” and posted.

Then, he checked his private messages. Besides encouragement from fans, there were many messages from publishers, and even one about the film rights to “Ghost Blows Out the Lamp.” He found it familiar, and upon checking the sender’s profile, was instantly disappointed—it was that variety show director Fu Yuntao again from yesterday.

How odd—why would a variety show director want to make a movie? Was his brain fried?

Liao Yuan shook his head. Everyone has dreams; he couldn’t begrudge a variety director his ambition.

But before he could be disappointed for long, the director’s pinned post caught his attention.

“Dear viewers, all contestants for ‘Produce 101’ have now assembled and filming is underway. The first episode is expected to meet you next month…”