Chapter 3

After registering their rooms, instead of being directed to their accommodations, the staff led them to the studio.

Many people had already arrived before them, gathering in groups of three or five, either standing with acquaintances or grouped by company. Among these people, some were clearly the center of attention, while others were obviously sycophantic.

Observing the scene, Lu Xiang's eyes flashed. He sidled up to Qi Linxuan and whispered, "Xiaoyuan, something feels off. This show might not be what we imagined... I'll go find out more. You stay here."

As he spoke, his eyes shone with shrewd calculation. After casting a glance at Qi Linxuan, his gaze lingered involuntarily on that handsome face, and he added, a little too pointedly, "There are a lot of people over there. If you say the wrong thing, it might get broadcast and you'll be scolded."

Qi Linxuan smiled foolishly, just as he had in the past. "Mm, I'll wait for you."

Zhou Siqi pursed his lips. After Lu Xiang left, he hesitated for a moment and finally couldn't resist saying, with a sarcastic tone, "For your own good, don't get too close to them."

Qi Linxuan kept smiling, showing no flaws. "As long as I know what I want, that's enough! No matter how the show goes, I just want to perform well and do my best. If I achieve something, that's great. If not, at least I tried. The rest is up to fate."

Hearing this, Zhou Siqi dropped his sarcasm and nodded in agreement. "That's not a bad way to look at it."

He glanced in Lu Xiang's direction, paused, and then added, "This might be a bit much to say since we don't know each other well, but your friend... his intentions aren't entirely pure. Don't believe everything he says."

Qi Linxuan hadn't expected him to say that.

He had only intended to use these two as an excuse to keep his distance from Lu Xiang, but now he found himself feeling a bit more genuine about their interaction.

Still, he didn’t reveal his true thoughts. Maintaining his persona, he looked at Zhou Siqi with wide-eyed innocence and sighed, "You're really a good person! But aren't you too trusting? What if I were ungrateful and sold you out to him? Wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"

Zhou Siqi seemed not to have considered that possibility and was momentarily stunned. Qi Linxuan then offered advice, "Actually, you could ask for my phone number, send an anonymous text, or write a letter without your name... Sometimes, being indirect is the best way to protect yourself."

Zhou Siqi vaguely sensed there was more to Qi Linxuan's words, but seeing his harmless expression, he decided he was overthinking it. He nodded blankly, and Qi Linxuan smiled again. "Let's not talk about this. Let's go sit down! Once everyone arrives, they'll probably assign tasks..."

As Qi Linxuan spoke, the last group arrived.

Among them was another figure who attracted everyone's attention, and upon entering the studio, the dynamics subtly shifted into a three-way standoff.

Qi Linxuan watched them, all his emotions hidden behind a mask of cheerful eyes, revealing nothing. He waited quietly, just like any other young performer unaware of his cannon-fodder fate, his face full of innocence and expectation.

But just because he wished to remain unnoticed didn't mean he would get his way.

As he sat there, he soon felt several glances sent his way. Looking back, he saw that the person Lu Xiang had been currying favor with, along with his entourage, were all staring at him, while Lu Xiang was responding to something the man said.

Qi Linxuan gave a small smile toward Lu Xiang, who met his gaze only to look away awkwardly. Hidden in the shadows, a spark of amusement flashed in Qi Linxuan's eyes.

How interesting... The stories from back then seem even more sordid than I imagined...

While he mused indifferently, the host took the stage to announce the rules of the show.

"As the title suggests, 'The Ultimate Actor' is a competitive reality show. Unlike most feel-good, rehearsal-focused programs, 'The Ultimate Actor' employs a brutal elimination format.

"From the first to the fourth round, participants are paired off, with only one from each group advancing; the other is eliminated.

"After four rounds, the remaining four will face a new set of rules.

"Additionally, this is a semi-live show: rapid recording, editing, and broadcasting. What is filmed during the week is aired at week's end, so viewers can follow your progress in near real-time.

"Enough talk—I'll announce the groupings now."

...

Most of those present hadn’t expected things to move so quickly, and the room erupted in commotion.

But before anyone could discuss it, the host began reading out the teams, one by one.

Qi Linxuan's name came up in the middle, paired with Lu Xiang—just as he remembered.

Le Xi seemed to want to comfort him, but before she could, Lu Xiang reappeared, gazing at Qi Linxuan with sorrowful eyes, as if he had something to say but couldn't.

In the past, such an expression would have made Qi Yuan’s heart clench. But now, Qi Linxuan...

He looked back with childlike innocence and smiled. "This is great! Now we can see who's more skilled! No matter who wins or loses, we’ll still be friends, right?"

Qi Linxuan's response was so unexpected that Lu Xiang's face froze in surprise, making him look rather ridiculous.

Zhou Siqi snorted nearby. Qi Linxuan pretended not to notice the awkwardness, and continued with anticipation, "That's how you feel too, right? We're friends!"

Just then, a cameraman approached, aiming the lens at them.

Of course, Lu Xiang couldn't contradict him on camera. He forced a twisted smile and said, "Of course, I'm looking forward to it too."

Qi Linxuan withdrew his gaze, satisfied, and waited patiently for the script.

Last time, Lu Xiang had chosen the script; this time, Qi Linxuan planned to choose for himself.

After all, this was a variety show, not a film. He didn’t need to overthink it and could try roles he’d never played before.

With that in mind, as soon as the groups were set and the script excerpts announced, Qi Linxuan felt like a mouse who’d fallen into a rice jar—happier than ever.

At first, he meant to pick a straightforward "good guy" role, but midway through browsing, he realized something.

Wait! He didn’t have the scars now. Instead of always playing the good guy, he should try a role he’d never dared attempt—a decorative beauty.

Beautiful, delicate, and fragile like a willow in the wind...

With this thought, Qi Linxuan quickly settled on his choice.

It was from an idol drama he’d heard of but never watched. The plot was a bit clichéd—a heroine loses her memory, meets a rich, ill-tempered male lead, and they go through a series of conflicts before falling in love. Just as the male lead confesses and the heroine is about to accept, she sees a person—a beautiful, melancholic figure. Suddenly, her memory returns: "Ah! This is my first love, my secret crush!" Her first love then confesses to her, leaving her torn between the two men. After much confusion and misunderstanding, she finally realizes her first love was just a youthful fantasy, and the male lead is her true love.

The show provided several scenes: between the male and female leads, the female lead and her friend, and, the one Qi Linxuan chose, between the male lead and the "first love" character.

In the original, the male lead was played by a popular actor, while the "first love" was portrayed by a relative nobody. According to the script, this character was supposed to be beautiful, fragile—a sickly beauty—but the actor was average in looks and skills, so in the final cut, he looked more sick than beautiful, and not even convincingly sick.

Because the "first love" was all fragility and no defiance, his scenes mostly consisted of "gazing melancholically at his beloved." With the male lead also lacking highlights, this scene was left over after the top picks had chosen.

Qi Linxuan was quite pleased with this outcome. When it came time for their group to pick, he immediately raised his hand. "We'll take scene seventeen!"

Lu Xiang hadn't expected Qi Linxuan to volunteer so quickly and was left dumbfounded.

He was about to protest, "Wait, we haven't decided yet," but Qi Linxuan turned to him, eyes shining with excitement. "You’ll play the male lead! I’ll be the supporting character!"

Qi Linxuan's gaze was so pure, so sincere, that to Lu Xiang it looked like he was putting his whole heart into it.

Lu Xiang hesitated, looked at the clip playing automatically on the screen, and finally kept quiet.

Qi Linxuan watched the flicker of guilt in Lu Xiang’s eyes, unmoved. He knew this man—selfish to the core, narcissistic beyond measure. Otherwise, after the awards ceremony in their past life, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to make such shameless remarks.

He was simply curious: would this younger, less experienced Lu Xiang let his guilt show after half a day, or would it take a full day?

That was his only question. But soon he realized he had overestimated Lu Xiang.

An hour later, after everyone had chosen their scripts and were heading back to their dorms, Lu Xiang stopped him. With an "anguished" look, he whispered, "Xiaoyuan... I have something to say. Can you come with me for a moment?"