December 21st, the Winter Solstice.

In this season, the sun had self-taught the art of laziness; the morning light arrived later with each passing day. It wasn’t until seven or eight in the morning that the pale golden rays finally broke through the thick leaden clouds, casting light on the bare branches of the sycamore trees along the street.

Today was a special day.

Why Are You Unhappy?, a divorce variety show for which NO1 had purchased the rights and fully invested, officially began filming.

This show had been in preparation for a long time and had been hyped for an entire month. Combined with the powerful gimmick of “live-streaming the entire emotional life of celebrities,” the program became a hit before it even aired, attracting a massive amount of attention from across the internet.

The production team was under immense pressure.

Compared to pre-recorded shows, the live-stream format was far less controllable. It required the full dedication of the entire team to ensure every department operated smoothly, guaranteeing that the live broadcast would be error-free and provide viewers with the most authentic, immersive viewing experience.

This was undoubtedly a huge challenge.

Fortunately, today was not the day the live-streaming would actually begin.

However, the schedule for this day remained extremely tight.

The entire production team was divided into three squads, heading to three different cities ahead of time to record the prologue of the three guest couples going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to file for divorce.

Film in the morning, edit in the afternoon, and air at eight in the evening.

It sounded like going into battle.

But compared to the month-long live-streaming process that would follow, the task of recording the prologue seemed less terrifying. At least, they had set aside time for editing.

Thank goodness.

Chen Xi was one of the follow-shot directors for the production team.

According to the length of their marriages, the three divorcing guest couples were given different codenames. Chen Xi and another follow-shot director happened to be responsible for the filming of the couple named the “Noon Group.”

Because this divorcing couple was currently separated, he and the other director acted separately, taking their respective teams to the guests’ residences to prepare for filming before bringing them to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The car drove at a steady speed.

A mobile phone screen was laid out horizontally, displaying a real-time navigation map. The route was somewhat winding, pointing directly to the final destination: Tongcheng New Tech Cultural and Entertainment Industrial Park.

Sitting in the car, Chen Xi couldn’t help but look down at the script in his hand. Several pages were printed with today’s itinerary, and the blank spaces on the side were filled with dense notes. However, his messy handwriting deliberately avoided the line at the very top.

【Noon Group Guests: Civilian Shi Linchuan / Actor Xie Jinghe】

Chen Xi: “…”

No matter how many times he looked at it, he still felt shocked.

First: The Best Actor had been secretly married for three years.

Second: His secret spouse was actually the boss of NO1.

Thinking of the various trending news topics from the past month, not to mention the curiosity of the audience, as one of the sub-leads for the production team, Chen Xi couldn’t help but let his mind run wild, as if a hook were scratching back and forth at his heart.

He let out a soft breath, his heart racing.

Regardless, the show’s popularity was definitely guaranteed!

When the navigation showed they were approaching their destination, he clapped his hands. Seeing everyone else in the car look at him, he half-encouraged, half-reminded them:

“We start filming in a moment, so stay alert. Double-check the status of the equipment.”

He recued the process: “Xiao He has already confirmed with the guests in advance. The other party doesn’t need us to handle makeup or styling, so we will film the guests’ entrance directly. They will get into our car, accept interviews inside, and finally, the two divorcing guests will meet at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau…”

“Is that all clear?”

This variety show focused on “authenticity.”

Therefore, the production team didn’t prepare a specialized filming studio for interviews. Instead, they chose to do it on the road, using it to close the distance and build tension before the guests met.

8:30 AM.

With an electronic voice announcing “Navigation ended,” the production team’s car stopped in front of the building. The follow-shot cinematographers with cameras on their shoulders moved into position one by one. Chen Xi’s expression sharpened; he quickly entered “work mode” and signaled the assistant remaining in the car.

The assistant nodded and sent a notification via mobile phone.

Shi Linchuan woke up very early.

Before dawn, he was already at his desk with a cup of coffee, working online on his laptop. The electronic light carved a sharp shadow across his face. The entire space, aside from his breathing, was filled with the occasional crisp clicking of the mouse.

The desk was very clean.

Only the laptop and accessories, a coffee cup, and a mobile phone remained.

The desk calendar had lost its purpose and had been mercilessly swept into the trash can.

Today was no different from any other day, except for the additional task of a month-long business trip.

It took Shi Linchuan only half a minute from answering a call to hanging up. He then spent another half-minute closing his computer, picked up his phone with one hand, grabbed the coat draped over the chair with the other, and walked straight to the elevator.

Downstairs.

What the camera captured was this very scene:

The man walked out of the commercial building in a full suit. His movements were swift and fluid. He was casually raising a hand to adjust his collar, the fabric outlining his long, lean physique.

At the same time, his black overcoat swept out a sharp arc behind him.

The man was in his early thirties. His features were handsome but held a sharp, cold edge. The rimless glasses on his face added a touch of what looked like “sophisticated villain” energy to his temperament.

Very handsome.

He had that kind of “bad boy” charm that radiates the composure of a mature man.

Especially when his long, narrow eyes glanced toward the lens…

Chen Xi, standing behind the cinematographer, felt his heart jump.

He had worked in the industry for many years, participated in countless variety show recordings, and had seen more than three digits’ worth of high-profile celebrities. Yet, at this moment, he still couldn’t help but secretly click his tongue.

With these looks and this temperament…

It was a real pity not to work in the entertainment industry.

But the moment he remembered the other man’s identity, the thought vanished into thin air.

Work in the entertainment industry?

If the variety show blew up, the one who profited the most would still be this guy.

Strictly speaking, this “civilian” was the ultimate boss of their entire production team.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi composed himself and threw himself into his work.

Shi Linchuan didn’t know what the staff on site were thinking. Following the shooting points the production team had relayed in advance, he ignored the camera following him, got into the car, and allowed the staff to install the audio equipment.

Soon, the car started again, and the interview portion began.

Three pairs of guests, six people total.

Regardless of whether the guests were separated or not, the journey to the Civil Affairs Bureau was taken separately. In the car, they had to answer several questions prepared by the production team.

Shi Linchuan faced this round as well.

He sat in the backseat, ignoring the cinematographer beside him and the fixed cameras in the car. He answered every question the moment it was asked, without a single hesitation. He was crisp, decisive, and carried an air of effortless composure.

Shi Linchuan had read the proposal and knew that this interview would be played for his partner at a certain point, but he remained unconcerned and was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of answers Xie Jinghe would give.

Just past 9:00 AM.

The car drove through a traffic light, turned right, and slowed to a stop in front of a small plaza.

Behind the plaza stood a square, grey-white building. Standing atop it was a row of large red characters, unmistakably reading: “Tongcheng Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Shi Linchuan casually rolled down the window.

The freezing winter wind poured in.

The meteorological observatory had issued a warning several days ago, stating that Tongcheng had entered its second major cold wave of the season and was very likely to experience sleet within the week.

From far away, he saw several people standing in a corner of the small plaza. One of them was bundled up very tightly; the fluffy, white, short-cut down jacket—which looked like it was inflated with air—was very eye-catching. Snowball-like fur tassels hung on both sides of the collar, and the black backpack on his back was also bulging.

Even though the person was wearing a hat and a mask, Shi Linchuan recognized him at a glance.

It was Xie Jinghe.

That fool, head lowered, kicking at a rock to pass the time.

The sky looked like it had been scrubbed by an eraser, appearing gloomy and connected to an expanse of mottled grey clouds with blurred boundaries.

The white down jacket he wore looked like it was treated with fluorescent dye; it seemed to glow.

He had lost weight.