AITFYMIBP Chapter 77.1

TL: Hua

Upon learning that her son was going to film a show, Xie Roufei personally packed six whole suitcases for him. Half a suitcase was filled just with emergency medicine, each carefully labeled by her.

Looking at the luggage, Lin Yanran felt like a primary schooler about to move into a dormitory.

He vaguely remembered that when he went to summer camp as a child, his mother was the same way—stuffing his backpack full, always worried he’d lack something.

Back then, he didn’t quite understand; he thought it was a hassle to carry and that his mother was a nag.

But reuniting with her now, he could fully understand her reluctance to see him go and her constant worry.

He joked with Xie Roufei, “Mom, if I bring this much stuff, what if the production team confiscates it all?”

Xie Roufei chuckled, “Why not just hide it?”

Lin Yanhui, standing nearby, was puzzled. “Where would he hide such big suitcases?”

Xie Roufei smiled. “He’ll improvise.”

After saying that, she pointed to one of the boxes. “The temperature is going to drop again these next few days. I put some warm clothes and gear in there. Remember to use them when you’re filming outdoors.”

She had caught up on Lin Yanran’s previous shows, so she knew the boy was just like her—sensitive to the cold.

Hearing Xie Roufei mention work, Lin Yanhui recalled the trash company his son had been signed to before—the one that forced the kid to stay up all night for money and film physically exhausting shows.

He suggested tactfully, “Your brother has been dabbling in the entertainment industry lately. Do you want to move to his company? That way, if anything happens, you two brothers can look out for each other.”

Lin Yanhui didn’t elaborate, but Lin Yanran guessed his reasoning and explained to his father.

“I’ve already signed with a new company. They are very good to me; they give me a lot of private space and freedom, and they respect me.”

When mentioning Siyu, Gu Siye’s face suddenly flashed in Lin Yanran’s mind.

Following that, the memory of Gu Siye telling him “a friend wants to sign you” jumped out.

His focus wavered for a split second, and the rest of his sentence stalled.

Seeing his father looking at him, waiting for the rest, Lin Yanran forgot what he had originally intended to say and simply added:

“So far, our cooperation has been very pleasant.”

Hearing this, Lin Yanhui knew his son had no intention of relying on the family. While he felt a bit of regret, he also felt gratified and nodded.

“That’s true. You’re all grown up now; it’s good for you to go out and explore on your own.”

Just as the father and son finished talking, Lin Yanran’s grandmother arrived.

Hearing her voice, Ultraman, who had been sleeping in the corner, dashed happily toward the door.

Yingying had to return to her hometown for a bit and couldn’t care for Ultraman, so Lin Yanran had brought him home.

Unexpectedly, the usually cold and aloof Ultraman had been acting cute for Kang Huixian ever since they met. It was incredibly affectionate toward her.

Kang Huixian crouched down and took Ultraman into her arms.

She patted its head, her eyes kind and gentle. “This puppy is so bright. Even though it’s our first time meeting, I feel like I’ve raised it for years.”

“That must be because you’re destined to meet.”

Listening to his mother’s words, Lin Yanran smiled at Ultraman and his grandmother.

The scene felt strangely familiar.

—

Early the next morning, Lin Yanran left home and flew to another city. Upon arrival, staff immediately took him to a hotel.

In his room, he repacked his luggage. From the mountains of things his mother prepared, he picked out the essentials and had his assistant, Xiao Wang, carry them.

Then, the stylist began working on his look.

The show’s camera crew and staff arrived around this time.

They informed Lin Yanran that because the program had a segment where the preview episode would be broadcast live to viewers, they would start with a live broadcast today.

Lin Yanran was no stranger to this format. It was similar to Incredible Journey, so he didn’t feel any pressure.

“Should we start once I’m done with styling?”

Seeing the staff hadn’t started filming yet, he asked for clarification.

“Your group is scheduled to film last, so Teacher Yanran, there’s no rush. You can take your time. However, you and Teacher Gu will be filmed separately. During your solo segment, if questions about Teacher Gu come up, please keep people in suspense and don’t reveal things too early.”

Lin Yanran understood the production team’s intention and immediately nodded.

Once finished with his styling, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Gu Siye.

Lin Yanran: Mysterious guest, have you arrived?

Usually, his WeChat messages were replied to in seconds, but minutes passed with no response.

Lin Yanran figured Gu Siye was likely still on the plane, so he put his phone away.

After waiting about half an hour, the staff notified him that they could head to the filming location.

At that moment, the Unexpected Surprise live stream channel officially opened.

This time, the production team only opened one main stream instead of separate rooms. The first guests the audience saw were Song Zixuan and Gao Zitai.

The two were already at the filming site. As the camera panned over, they immediately greeted the viewers.

“Hello everyone! We are the Gemini Duo~”

As they said “Gemini Duo,” they crossed their arms over their chests in an ‘X’ gesture.

This pair had already been officially announced on Weibo, so many of the viewers were their fans. Seeing this incredibly childish opening, they couldn’t help but roast them.

[What “Gemini Duo”? They’re clearly the goofball duo]

[Suggest a name change to the clown duo]

Some passersby who didn’t know their relationship asked, [Are these two friends too?]

[They’ve shared a bed for ten years.]

[Shared a bed???]

While the bullet comments were reeling from the mention of “shared a bed,” Song Zixuan introduced them according to the staff’s prompts.

“Gao Zitai, my old classmate of ten years.”

Gao Zitai nodded. “Correct. Although I really don’t want to admit it, it’s the truth. Someone used to copy my homework all the time.”

Song Zixuan didn’t argue. He just smiled and brought up another memory.

“I only remember someone copying my homework and accidentally copying my name along with it. In the end, he was called to the physics teacher’s office…”

Upon hearing this, Gao Zitai immediately covered Song Zixuan’s mouth, desperate to stop him from revealing any more embarrassing stories.

While muffling his partner, he roared toward the camera, “Don’t broadcast this! Cut this part out!”

Song Zixuan had been one of the MCs in the first season of Unexpected Surprise and was extremely popular.

For the premiere of this new season, the production team had invited him back.

Having participated in so many shows, his sense of “variety humor” was top-notch. Coupled with a goofball like Gao Zitai, their interaction right at the start had the audience laughing out loud. The bullet comments were instantly flooded with: [Too late!]

After this pair finished their greetings, the camera immediately cut to the next group.

The lens focused on the red carpet at the entrance.

The car door opened, and a female celebrity stepped out in stilettos and a sleek, form-fitting leather outfit, looking incredibly sharp and chic.

As the camera zoomed in from a distance, her exquisite features gradually became clear, and viewers immediately began spamming her name.

[He Yawen!!]

[Goddess looks so cool and badass today!!]

[I am living for Sister He’s high ponytail!!]

After stepping out, He Yawen bent over and gallantly extended her hand into the car.

Then her invited guest friend followed her out.

[Ahhh, Chu Shiyu!]

[Shiyu baby!!]

He Yawen and Chu Shiyu were “senior and junior” sisters from the same agency, but beyond that, they were genuine best friends.

Although they debuted at different times, both had several hit dramas under their belts and were considered among the top five most popular “Young Flowers” in the industry. Their status was undeniably high.

On camera, He Yawen and Chu Shiyu walked the red carpet elegantly hand-in-hand.

However, the moment they stepped through the door, their first move was to huddle, clutching their own shoulders and blowing on their hands.

“It’s so cold, ahhh!”

Their “cool goddess” personas vanished instantly, replaced by a hilarious, relatable scene.

After warming their hands, they spotted Song Zixuan and Gao Zitai.

The four of them greeted each other and chatted for a while. Seeing that the third group of guests had yet to arrive, they all looked toward the door.

“Where’s the third group?”

“Who is it? Who is it?”

“You guys kept it so well hidden, I’m dying of curiosity!”

Seeing that even the guests were in the dark, the bullet comments followed suit.

[Even they don’t know?]

[Is this scripted, or is the secret really that tight?]

[Looks real. Gao Zitai couldn’t act out a face that shocked. Hahaha.]

[Gao Zitai: I feel personally attacked. 23333]

[Ahhh, who is it? Reveal them already; I’m so excited!]

Just as the audience’s curiosity reached its peak, the live stream screen paused for a brief moment.

Two seconds later, Lin Yanran’s face appeared on camera.

[!!!!!]

[It’s Yanran!!!!!]

[Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

The moment Lin Yanran appeared, the official Unexpected Surprise Weibo account simultaneously posted his formal announcement.

No one had leaked this news beforehand. Even Lin Yanran’s team had kept it strictly under wraps, so no one expected the third guest to be him.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Yanran’s fans rushed into the live stream. The bullet comments were instantly flooded.

[Hahaha, the third guest is actually Yanran!]

[One of the top-nominated ‘Siran’ pair actually got invited! Great job, production team~]

[Guys, if Yanran is here, can I start hoping for Siran? (Dog head emoji)]

[Absolutely, absolutely! I won’t watch this show if Gu Siye isn’t on it!!!]

As soon as someone mentioned “Siran,” the rest of the chat leaned into the meme.

While the chat was buzzing, Lin Yanran finished walking the red carpet and joined the other four guests.

Gao Zitai, who had been bickering with Song Zixuan, shouted Lin Yanran’s name the moment he saw him. Like an enthusiastic “little wolf dog,” he dashed over and pulled Lin Yanran into a hug.

“Whoa! The third mystery guest is actually you!!”

Gao Zitai was clearly thrilled.

After all, during Incredible Journey, he had followed Lin Yanran around, eating and relaxing while Lin Yanran handled everything. In his mind, “having Yanran equals having everything.”

He was initially worried that Song Zixuan might be unreliable, but after seeing Lin Yan, he felt much more at ease.

He slung an arm around Lin Yanran’s shoulder and introduced him to Song Zixuan with a cocky air: “Yanran, my brother. He’s a beast at games.”

Song Zixuan obviously knew who Lin Yanran was. He shook his hand while roasting Gao Zitai: “I know. He’s the one who carried your sorry ass to victory.”

Turning to Lin Yanran, he added, “It must have been hard for you, having to drag an aircraft carrier across France.”

[Hahahaha, Song Zixuan loves roasting Gao Zitai.]

[This ‘plastic brotherhood’ vibes, I’m dying.]

After greeting the guys, Lin Yanran exchanged pleasantries with the two actresses.

He Yawen studied him and asked, “Why are you here alone? The staff said we’d arrive in pairs. Where’s your friend?”

Gao Zitai also realized something was missing. “Come on, whisper it to me. Who did you invite? Is it Ye An?”

Remembering the staff’s reminder, Lin Yanran only offered a mysterious smile. “You’ll know when he arrives.”

As everyone knows, the more you hide something, the more curious people get.

Seeing Lin Yanran acting mysteriously, various speculations began to appear in the comments.

[Is this guest a huge star? They’re the last to appear?]

[Why so mysterious? Is it really Gu Siye??]

[Ahhh, Siran, my Siran, can I start dreaming now…]

[Stop dreaming. Didn’t you see the other guests? They’re either equal status or the big star bringing a junior. If it were Siran, it would be Gu Siye bringing Lin Yanran, not the other way around.]

[Yanran probably couldn’t pull Gu Siye into this, right?]

[I’m hopeful too, but Teacher Gu notoriously dislikes variety shows. He only did Super Idol as a mentor. He wouldn’t be interested in a reality show like this.]

[If not Gu Siye, then who? Cao Zhengpeng??]

[Cao Zhengpeng seems more likely. That way the three pairs would be classmates, sisters, and friends of different generations.]

Just as viewers were logically analyzing the possibilities, the noisy Gao Zitai and Song Zixuan suddenly shut their mouths.

Their eyes were fixed toward the entrance, their faces frozen in expressions of pure shock.

He Yawen and Chu Shiyu looked at each other and simultaneously covered their mouths in disbelief.

Seeing the exaggerated expressions of the guests, the viewers in the live stream lost all interest in analysis.

It was obvious even to a fool that an unexpected big shot had arrived.

Everyone was desperate to see who it was, but the camera stubbornly refused to turn.

After a few agonizing seconds of waiting, the director finally allowed the camera to cut to the door.

In the next second, Gu Siye appeared on screen.

????

The bullet comments, silent for a split second of collective shock, were instantly occupied by a barrage of question marks.

Then, Gu Siye’s name completely took over the entire live stream.

Even though they had been chanting “Siran” for fun, nobody actually thought it would come true.

But the reality was Gu Siye had actually come!!!

[AHHHHHHHHH!]

[Teacher Gu!!!]

[The friend Yanran invited is actually Teacher Gu!!!!]

[Ahhhh Siran Siran Siran!]

[Happy New Year, brothers and sisters! Giving you all an early New Year greeting!!]

[Yanran, my dear son, Mama loves you!!]

[I declare that from this moment on, you are the greatest variety show in the domestic entertainment industry!!]