Entering the glass-walled skyscraper, passing through the lobby, and taking the elevator straight to the fifth floor, one would find the doors to the broadcasting studio by turning at the first corner to the east. The studio’s soundproofing was exceptional; standing at the entrance, only a faint murmur could be heard—
"That concludes today's program. Our thanks to our sponsor, Li’en..."
Pushing the doors open and stepping inside, one would find themselves in the center aisle of the audience seating, level with the final row. This vantage point faced the center stage directly.
Studio audiences were usually small; there were only eight rows here, but every seat was filled. A sea of heads looked on, eyes fixed intently on the people on stage.
Small venues had their advantages. Even from the back row, there was no need to watch the large screens; one could see everything happening on stage with perfect clarity.
Six people stood at the center of the stage. Behind them were several foam gift boxes, as tall as a person, scattered at varying heights to serve as a backdrop. The large screen displayed a string of English text: *play-a-game*.
The male and female hosts stood at either end, microphones in hand, while the four guests in the middle faced the audience. Whenever a camera panned toward them, they would wave and smile.
They were arranged by height. Two men stood beside the male host, while the two women stood to the right of the female host.
Though they varied in stature, they were all remarkably good-looking—especially the man standing next to the male host. Even though his attire was the most understated among them, he remained the focal point: a short, apricot-colored corduroy jacket that hit right at the waist, layered over a blue-and-white pinstriped shirt neatly tucked into grey jeans.
His temperament and appearance were simply peerless.
His eyes were a shade lighter than most, yet they were incredibly spirited. His nose was straight with an enviable bridge. He possessed a handsome face, and his smile was captured by the cameras at every turn.
His hands were equally elegant. On his right wrist, he wore an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (model 15450OR.OO.D002CR.01) with a rose gold bezel and a black dial and strap, the second hand ticking steadily. His left hand was tucked into his pocket, while his right hung naturally at his side, reaching past his belt. The belt featured a vintage Gucci buckle—two golden, interlocking "GG"s with smooth, polished edges that caught the light.
Judging by these high-end accessories, it wasn't hard to tell that this man came from a wealthy background. Rich, handsome, and witty—even those who hadn't come specifically for him found themselves drawn in. Consequently, both the cameras and the audience's gaze lingered on him the longest.
After the host finished reciting the sponsor's name, the stage and the audience erupted in applause.
A few seconds later, the female host addressed the crowd: "To wrap up the show, let's pick one or two audience members to ask some questions."
The crowd grew visibly excited. Hands shot up instantly, some even waving both arms.
"Shall we each pick one?" the male host suggested to his co-host.
"Sure, I'll go first," she said, scanning the rows. She pointed as she counted, "Let's go with... second row, number... one, two, three, four. The young lady in the fourth seat. Yes, you!"
The girl stood up as a staff member handed her a microphone. The camera immediately zoomed in on her.
Her voice trembled with obvious nerves. "I... I want to ask Zhang Jin'an a question."
The male host immediately teased the man beside him. "Jin'an, have you thought about recording all your answers today? I feel like with all these questions, you could write a whole book."
The man pulled his left hand from his pocket and adjusted his earpiece, his jacket partially obscuring the "G" on his belt buckle.
He smiled as he replied to the host, "I'll consider it when I get back." Since his eyesight wasn't perfect, he squinted slightly to get a better look at the girl. "What did you want to ask me?"
As the man's slightly low voice resonated through the studio, the girl covered her mouth and leaned down to whisper to her friend. However, she forgot she was holding a microphone, and her "whisper" was amplified several times over by the speakers: "Oh my god, Dage's voice is absolutely divine."
The moment she spoke, waves of laughter broke out across the audience.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha, best moment of the day!"
"LMAO, I'm dying, hahahaha!"
The people on stage couldn't help but laugh as well. The male host smoothed things over with a grin. "Young lady, should I remind you that your mic is on, or should I remind you to ask your question?"
"Oh, right!" The girl's ears turned bright red. She scratched her head sheepishly. "I just wanted to ask Dage... do you still remember your vlogs? What happened to that 'next update' you promised?"
The female host glanced at the audience, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Look at that—half the audience started laughing the moment she finished."
"The ones laughing are all veteran internet surfers," Zhang Jin'an said to the crowd. "If you know, you know."
Indeed, those in the know laughed even harder.
"I see why you complimented him first," the male host said to the girl. "Give him a sweet treat to lower his guard, then hit him with the demand for an update to catch him off balance, right?"
"Demanding an update in person—brilliant," the man standing next to Zhang Jin'an added.
The girl was quick-witted. She immediately looked into the camera and said, "Quick, everyone in the live chat, spam 'brilliant' on the screen!"
Zhang Jin'an was amused. "You really know how to work a crowd," he told her.
"I have to. Like idol, like fan," she retorted.
"Whoa! She's got a silver tongue!" the male host exclaimed.
Zhang Jin'an chuckled, then dropped the banter to speak seriously. "As for the vlogs, it depends on whether our fate has run its course. If the fate is gone, then I'm ghosting."
Male host: "In layman's terms..."
Zhang Jin'an: "It depends on whether I feel like leaving the house."
"Did you hear that, everyone?" The female host made a sweeping gesture. "Quick, spam 'despicable' on the screen!"
Zhang Jin'an laughed.
Next, the male host called on a second person. A young man stood up to ask his question: "Hello, Dage! I'm a fanboy. Can you say a few cringe-worthy social quotes?"
Zhang Jin'an: "...Why are all your questions so weird?"
The male host was also puzzled. "Friend, why would you want to hear that?"
"Because I heard Dage say them once on another variety show and I laughed for ages. I just wanted to hear it again," the guy said.
Zhang Jin'an gave a helpless laugh. "I get it. Everyone loves the cringe these days."
The guy grinned. "Exactly."
Zhang Jin'an: "And you're proud of it."
"Hahahaha!" The male host looked like he was enjoying the show. He gave Zhang Jin'an a mock bow. "Jin'an, you can't back out of this mission. Let's get straight to it. No need for much—just say about a hundred quotes..."
Zhang Jin'an shot him a look. "?"
The host immediately corrected himself: "Two or three will do."
The man next to Zhang Jin'an took a step back. "Come on, everyone, spam 'ask and you shall receive' on the screen!"
"Don't, man. Doing this for the hype is truly cringey," Zhang Jin'an sighed, trying to recall some of the "social quotes" videos he'd seen.
Just then, the male host's voice drifted over lazily: "Life is not easy; Jin'an is feeling queasy."
"Stop with the voiceover," Zhang Jin'an said.
Though, the host wasn't wrong. It suited his current mood perfectly.
He had expected to be on this show with Jiang Siyang, but as luck would have it, they weren't even in the same episode.
If only Jiang Siyang were here right now; he surely would have helped shoulder a few of these questions.
The thought made him feel a bit gloomy.
Life really wasn't easy; danger lurked at every turn.
Zhang Jin'an took a deep breath and faced the camera. "The flowery world dazzles the eyes; don't get cocky if you lack the prize."
His tone was completely flat, like a robot. To make matters worse, the background music suddenly cut out, making the moment even more awkward and hilarious.
The people beside him were dying of laughter. The two women leaned against each other, covering their mouths, and the audience was in stitches.
Zhang Jin'an treated it like an acting gig and continued reciting to the camera: "Also... I don't know about being young and wild; I only know the winner takes all. Bro, remember to drop a 666 if you like this." After finishing, he looked at the young man. "Satisfied?"
The guy was overjoyed, his grin reaching his ears as he nodded vigorously. "Satisfied, totally satisfied!" He sat back down.
"That was so cringey my scalp is tingling," Zhang Jin'an muttered.
"How about one more?" the host suggested.
Zhang Jin'an waved at the camera. "I'm off the clock. Goodbye."
"Hahaha, wait, wait, wait..."
After that, the hosts gave their closing remarks, officially ending the three-hour recording. As the music swelled, the audience began to exit in an orderly fashion. The guests were whisked away by their respective managers. Within minutes, the studio was nearly empty.
Zhang Jin'an returned his earpiece to the staff, but he didn't leave.
Someone had called out to him.
He turned to look. Three girls were standing behind the railing, calling his name.
Looking across the room, they were the only audience members left.
Since the stage was four steps higher than the floor, they had to look up to call him: "Dage! Dage!"
"Dage! Dage!"
Zhang Jin'an told Li Qiang to wait a moment and walked toward them.
As he reached the edge of the stage, he saw a security guard approaching them from a distance. Zhang Jin'an quickly gestured to the guard. "Sorry, just a few minutes. They just want to say a few words."
The guard stopped in his tracks.
Zhang Jin'an crouched down and asked, "What's wrong?"
the girls were visibly excited, clutching each other's hands. They clearly hadn't expected him to actually come over.
"Ahhh, it's really him!"
"I'm so glad we didn't leave yet!"
"Dage, did... did you look at the Super Topic on your birthday?" asked a girl whose bangs were held back by four bright hairclips.
The clips were so eye-catching that Zhang Jin'an immediately dubbed her "Hairclip Girl" in his mind.
"I did. Why?" he replied. Although he had been more anxious for Jiang Siyang's birthday wishes that day, he had still looked at everything he was supposed to. He certainly hadn't forgotten the Super Topic.
Hearing this, the girls grew even more animated.
"Then... did you see the top posts? The fan-edit?" the girl next to her asked.
"The one... about the time-travel story?" Zhang Jin'an asked tentatively.
Hairclip Girl's eyes lit up, and she nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, that's the one!"
There had been a very popular post in his Super Topic that day—a video a fan had made using clips from his various works. It was expertly edited, with transitions as smooth as flowing water. What made it truly stand out was the complete narrative it told.
The plot was roughly about "Zhang Jin'an" traveling through different parallel worlds to save himself. In the end, he succeeded, but he became lost in time.
*I am submerged in time, yet I have saved myself.*
That was the opening line of the video. It had left a deep impression on Zhang Jin'an; he remembered it even now.
"I saw it. It was very well edited," Zhang Jin'an said, then paused.
He saw Hairclip Girl's eyes beginning to well up.
The answer came to him instantly, and his voice softened.
"Did you edit it?" he asked.
Hairclip Girl nodded heavily, tears spilling over. Her voice shook violently. "Yes! I... I'm crying because I'm... I'm just too excited. I didn't think... you'd actually see it..." She began to sob so hard she couldn't finish her sentence. She lowered her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve while her friends rubbed her back to comfort her.
Zhang Jin'an didn't speak; he just watched her quietly. The only sound in the studio was her soft sobbing.
The second hand of his watch ticked slowly, marking the passage of time, second by second.
After the second hand had made half a rotation, the girl who was comforting her said softly to Zhang Jin'an, "Thank you, Dage. Truly, thank you. she worked on that video for over a month. We're just so happy you saw it."
Zhang Jin'an smiled. "Why thank me? I should be thanking you for celebrating my birthday, and for coming out today."
He understood Hairclip Girl's feelings perfectly. It was no different from how he felt when he won Best Actor; when someone finally obtained something they had poured their heart into, there was an eighty percent chance they would cry from the sheer emotion.
Watching a video was a small gesture for him, but for them, it was everything.
He never minded fans using his image for creative works. Having people like him was a good thing. Fanfiction, fan-edits, fanart—those were all expressions of their love for him.
Zhang Jin'an thought for a moment, then said, "Stop crying. If you cry like this now, won't you just cry all over again when I repost it?"
"..."
The sobbing stopped abruptly. It was replaced by wide, tear-filled eyes.
Hairclip Girl cried out in shock, "What! You're... you're going to repost it?!"
"Yeah," Zhang Jin'an stood up. "You'll probably see it when you get home."
Hearing the confirmation, the girl next to her screamed in delight, "Holy crap!!!!"
"So, you should head back now. Go on, go on," Zhang Jin'an said kindly.
This worked like a charm. Hairclip Girl immediately wiped her face and began pushing her two friends toward the exit. "Let's go, let's go! We're going! Charging home at full speed!!" Before leaving, she didn't forget to turn back and shout, "Sorry for bothering you, Dage!"
Zhang Jin'an smiled faintly. "I'm fine. But if you don't leave now, you're going to get kicked out."
"Hehe..." They laughed and chatted as they walked away.
When they reached the door, they stopped once more.
Zhang Jin'an watched as Hairclip Girl put her hand on the door handle, turned back, and shouted at him: "I'll support you forever! ...Siyang!"
The girl next to her burst out laughing. "Hahahaha!"
Zhang Jin'an didn't take it to heart at all. Instead, he joked back, "Careful, or your account might get banned."
"Ah, is it that scary? I'm out, I'm out!" Hairclip Girl said.
Zhang Jin'an waved at them. "I'm heading out too. Get home safe."
"Okay—"
That "okay" was like the final stroke of a conductor's baton at the end of a symphony, signaling that everything was over. All the instruments fell silent, and the studio became quiet in an instant.
Zhang Jin'an truly left then, heading into the backstage area without looking back.
Behind him, the stage that had been so lively just minutes ago was now silent, and the audience seats were empty. A staff member turned off the last spotlight aimed at the stage.
The entire studio, save for the backstage area, fell into darkness.
The heavy doors slowly closed. The light spilling in from the hallway shrank from the size of a door to a thin sliver, then vanished.
The studio's soundproofing was excellent, but if one listened very closely, a few stray sounds could still be heard from the corridor.
"I'm so satisfied, I'm never leaving this fandom... If any sasaengs camp out at his hotel again, I'll curse every single one of them..."
The voices were intermittent, growing fainter and fainter.
Until finally, they disappeared.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
历恩 | Li'en | A brand name (sponsor of the show).
超话 | Super Topic | A community feature on Weibo (similar to a subreddit) dedicated to a specific celebrity or topic.
土味社会语录 | Cringe-worthy social quotes | Cheesy, rhythmic, or "tough guy" quotes often associated with a specific subculture on Chinese short-video platforms.
老铁 | Laotie | Internet slang for "bro," "buddy," or "friend."
666 | 666 | Chinese internet slang meaning "awesome," "smooth," or "well done."
私生 | Sasaeng | Obsessive fans who invade the private lives of celebrities.
饭随爱豆 | Like idol, like fan | A common phrase in fandom meaning fans behave similarly to the celebrity they follow.
混剪 | Fan-edit / Mashup | A video created by fans by cutting together various clips of a celebrity.
