17: Did you miss me?

When the internet heard these words from Shen Lian, it exploded.

【The knife I just picked up has been put back down. Sigh, it doesn't sound like he's describing Zhou Tangsi.】

【I can only say, Shen's love-struck brain has awakened a little, but not by much. Making this up on the spot, does he think we're idiots?】

【Exactly, his social circle is so small, it's already been thoroughly dug up by netizens. There's no such thing as a handsome guy with a crew cut, okay?】

Indeed, for someone to suddenly do a 180-degree turn, to those familiar with him, it feels like an act.

Shen Lian had previously been dragged onto the trending searches, and his family tree had been flipped through. It's no exaggeration to say that those haters and rival fans probably knew him better than he knew himself.

Regarding Shen Lian's statement, most people calmed down and couldn't help but sneer.

【But looking at Shen Lian's expression, it doesn't seem fake...】

【Sister above, why don't you look at the way Shen Lian used to fawn over Zhou Tangsi? That was what was real.】

Invisibly, the netizens' "prejudice" gave Shen Lian a layer of protective camouflage.

Who could have guessed that this person would show his trump card right from the start?

Zhu Yingyu clearly thought the same. She felt it was a bit abrupt and surprising, but upon further reflection, drawing a line with Zhou Tangsi was one of the fastest ways to turn his reputation around.

Shen Lian grilled the fish, found some large leaves to wrap them in, coated them in mud to keep them warm, and then headed back along the original path with Zhu Yingyu.

Zhu Yingyu wove a flower crown herself. Whenever she had trouble with her hands, Shen Lian would take over to help her. The two walked and stopped along the way; they didn't lack food or water and were simply relaxed and comfortable.

In contrast, the other two groups could already be described as being in chaos.

Although Zhao Lin and Fang Ke were only two people, they were willing to use their brains. They made their own fish spears and used ghost-vine to weave a makeshift fishing net; they tried every method. Although they weren't as heaven-defying as Shen Lian, they managed to get some fish, but they were soaked through, sweating profusely.

As for Zheng Ge and his team, they just sweated with meager results.

Li Jiabo was nice to look at but useless. He carried a certain idol baggage and couldn't move freely. But wild fish didn't care about your baggage; with a "whoosh," they would swim away.

The river water was cold, and Feng Susu, being a girl, quickly started feeling uncomfortable.

And Zheng Ge, the fighter jet among losers, was even worse than Li Jiabo. Plus, with his old ankle injury throbbing, he was basically a burden.

This was the true portrayal of "Stars Charge Forward Boldly." It was normal for past guests to face such predicaments; they were absolutely nothing like Shen Lian!

The production team breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed it wasn't their problem; it was Shen Lian's problem.

Zhu Yingyu found wildflowers in three colors, inserted them into her flower crown, and wore it. It looked quite good.

【Suddenly realized that Yingyu is very suitable for that kind of pastoral-style heroine.】

【Before, some people thought she was tacky, but I don't think so. Her features are clearly very striking.】

The road to the finish line was long, but with company and a light heart, by sunset, they had already found a spot to sit down.

After chatting for a while longer, Shen Lian took out the fish, one for himself and one for Zhu Yingyu.

Perhaps because it was wild fish, combined with the fresh scent of grass and soil, Zhu Yingyu found it extremely delicious.

Halfway through the meal, Zhao Lin and Fang Ke arrived. The two were hunched over like eighty-year-old men, each leaning on a stick, panting and in a disheveled state.

Seeing the fish in Shen Lian and Zhu Yingyu's hands, they froze instantly.

Fang Ke swallowed his saliva.

Shen Lian reminded them, "Check in."

Zhao Lin stumbled forward and completed the check-in with the staff.

"Once you've checked in, you're no longer competitors." Shen Lian handed over the remaining half of the fish, along with more than half a bottle of water. "Do you want it?"

"Dad!" Fang Ke slid to his knees to take it, his movements so smooth that everyone present was stunned.

Zhu Yingyu also shared the remaining half of her fish with Zhao Lin. "Brother Zhao, hurry, hurry, hurry."

Fang Ke took a sip of water and a bite of fish, his eyes suddenly turning red.

【Hahahaha! Screenshot this!】

【I'm dying of laughter. Look at what they've put the kid through.】

【You have to say, Shen Lian is actually quite loyal.】

【Heh, is this Shen-dog planning to buy people's hearts? Then why give it all to Fang Ke? Zheng Ge and the others haven't even arrived yet.】

Zheng Ge had stepped on Shen Lian to gain fame a while ago and snatched up quite a few resources. How could he not offend people? Plus, his performance was average, and his fans were arrogant, so naturally, more people couldn't stand him.

【Zheng Ge fans, I've tolerated you for a long time! Do you have some kind of serious illness? The fish and water were all obtained by Shen Lian himself; he can give them to whoever he wants. Is Zheng Ge some kind of crown prince? Must it be saved for him?】

【I like your statement. Remember to turn off your DMs. Zheng Ge fans are just like this; any good thing should belong to their 'brother'~】

【Relying on climbing into Zhou Tangsi's bed to get resources, he really thinks he's so amazing.】

【I've wanted to say this for a long time: Zhou Tangsi is a businessman, why does he hang around the entertainment industry every day? If he really plans to debut, he should hurry up, otherwise in two years he'll be an 'old cucumber.' The two of them act like they're in a romance drama every day; CP fans will eat up anything.】

The comments section was once again a war between fans and haters, but there were very few people scolding Shen Lian.

Judging the matter as it stands, Shen Lian's performance in this variety show was absolutely brilliant.

After waiting for nearly another hour, the sky had darkened, and Zheng Ge and his team finally arrived late.

They hadn't caught ten jin of fish. According to the original plan, the production team reduced the requirement to six jin, which was barely a pass.

Zheng Ge plopped down on the ground. His clothes and legs were covered in mud, and his carefully styled hair was messed up. Once it collapsed, it revealed the shortcomings of his head shape. Looking listless, his clean aura was eclipsed, and he was immediately not as attractive.

Hearing the commotion, Zheng Ge looked up and saw Shen Lian leaning back, laughing heartily, his brows and eyes clear and bright.

Zheng Ge's hand at his side clenched involuntarily.

He remembered the first time he saw Shen Lian: the man was standing in the light, surrounded by praise.

The live broadcast ended after all the guests expressed their thanks.

The ratings had hit a new high, and the follow-up topics were flooding and fermenting across the plaza. Shen Lian had indeed blown everyone away, but not in the manner of a sacrificial lamb.

Getting down the mountain and into the car, his assistant Jiang You immediately handed him hot water. "Brother Shen, you were incredibly cool today!"

"Good." Shen Lian closed his eyes to rest. "Then quickly take your 'incredibly cool' Brother Shen home. I'm exhausted."

Jiang You was a bit curious about how Shen Lian lived in such a prime, expensive rich neighborhood, but being a newcomer, he stuck to the principle of 'say less, make fewer mistakes' and didn't dare to ask.

After getting out of the car, Shen Lian held onto the door and said, "If there's anything, I'll call you. You don't need to be on standby 24 hours a day. Go play for a while."

Jiang You was excited. "Understood!"

As soon as the door opened, Aunt Fen poked her head out from the kitchen. "Little Shen, you're back?"

"Yeah." Shen Lian replied listlessly. "Aunt Fen, I want to eat pickled fish."

"I'll make it for you right now!"

With a "creak," someone came out of the study.

Shen Lian looked up and saw Chu Yilan standing at the stairs in dark gray loungewear. The man had one hand in his pocket, handsome to an unreasonable degree.

Shen Lian's heart skipped a beat. Under the lights, his eyes were truly bright and gentle, and the tone of his voice was also tinged with a bit of softness. "Master Chu."

Chu Yilan didn't speak. In a place Shen Lian couldn't see, his fingertips were lightly rubbing together.

Shen Lian asked again, "Did you miss me?"

He boldly revealed his love, at every moment.

Chu Yilan: "..."