Surprised or not, Shi Yaoguang felt too powerless to make a retort.
What she wanted to know now was how Quan Jinbei got along so well with Shang Minghao.
Even going as far as to play the roles of an Earl and his butler separately.
Knowing her curiosity, Quan Jinbei didn’t keep it a secret and began to explain to Shi Yaoguang right away.
"When I contacted the show’s production team, Shang Minghao happened to have the same idea, so to avoid pointless competition, we simply both gave ground."
Hearing this, Shi Yaoguang couldn’t help but reveal a helpless expression.
The two of them sure could be flexible.
Quan Jinbei looked at her and suddenly said, "I’ve noticed that recently he doesn’t seem to be as protective over Shi Yiqing as he used to be."
"Is that so?" Shi Yaoguang hadn’t noticed.
Quan Jinbei was also making a guess based on his own feelings, and he felt his guess was very close to the truth.
After giving it some thought, Shi Yaoguang came up with a conjecture of her own.
As Heavenly Dao, even if Shang Minghao had feelings for his personally selected female lead Shi Yiqing, he couldn’t protect her indefinitely, especially when he knew that she was no match for Shi Yaoguang.
Faced with such a dilemma, Shang Minghao only had two options.
Either he could stick with Shi Yiqing and keep having a showdown with Shi Yaoguang,
Maybe one day they could defeat Shi Yaoguang, but he knew that possibility was slim to none.
Or he could choose to give up on Shi Yiqing and start supporting a new chosen girl.
As long as he initially picked the lead, as long as any lead’s halo remained unextinguished, the world would carry on as normal.
So, Shi Yiqing was not irreplaceable.
It’s just that replacing her would cost Shang Minghao a certain price.
Having understood this, Shi Yaoguang’s mind became active.
Perhaps, she wouldn’t need to lift a finger for Shang Minghao to give up on Shi Yiqing.
As Quan Jinbei discussed Shang Minghao with Shi Yaoguang, their conversation was not broadcast live.
The audience in the live stream room could only see the Countess, Shi Yaoguang, conversing with the very handsome Earl.
Watching their harmonious interaction, a stream of pink bubbles floated across the screen.
"They look so well-matched. If I didn’t know this was just a variety show, I would think they really were an Earl and Countess."
"To the person above, you’re not alone."
"Let me tell you a secret, just now the butler was Shang Minghao!"
"Shang Minghao? The CEO of Bada Entertainment who bought up half of the entertainment industry, Shang Minghao?"
"Yes, exactly, isn’t it thrilling?"
"It must just be someone who looks like him, right? Shang Minghao is the boss of a big company, why would he appear in a small variety show as a guest?"
"What’s so impossible about that? Don’t forget, the Shi Yiqing that Bada Entertainment is heavily promoting is also there. Even if it’s just for the sake of the woman he wants to support in his conquest of half the entertainment world, his presence is not strange."
"Didn’t someone say before that Shang Minghao took an interest in Shi Yaoguang? Could he have come for her?"
"That’s unlikely. It looks like Shi Yaoguang’s Countess has an official partner, Shi Yiqing is a maid, Shang Minghao is playing the butler, clearly he’s here for her. Didn’t you see him selflessly training Shi Yiqing? Maybe he just wants to set up his couple image with her in front of everyone."
"You all are focused on Shang Minghao, but am I the only one curious about the Earl? He’s really good-looking, and compared to Shang Minghao, he’s not lacking at all. The two men each have their own merits, but I still prefer the Earl!"
"The Earl is way too handsome, could he be someone from the entertainment industry?"
"If he really debuted, how could we possibly not know? With that kind of looks, there’s no way he could fade into the crowd."
"Three minutes, I want all the information on this man!"
"Here comes the info! The Earl’s real name is Quan Jinbei, the head of the Quan Family. You might not know about the Quan Family, but you might remember the storm it caused online a while ago..."
"Back then, the fourth young master of the Quan Family and Shi Yiqing had an affair, leading Shi Yaoguang to cling onto an even bigger thigh. The news from the Quan Family always indicated that Jinbei was gravely ill, so the public never knew about his existence..."
Seeing the explanation, the barrage of comments became even crazier.
"What kind of divine lineup is this? I just went to Baidu for a crash course and came back, with the head of the Quan Family having such a badass identity, why would he bother to make a cameo as an NPC in a small reality show?"
"What else could it be? It has to be for love!"
"Mom asks me why I’m eating lemons, I’m on my knees for the boss’s love."
"Shang Minghao for Shi Yiqing, Quan Jinbei for Shi Yaoguang, this is what true love looks like."
"Enough already, right? Nobody’s said Shang Minghao came for Shi Yiqing, and as for Quan Jinbei..."
"He’s the head of a powerful family, how could he possibly come on a show for a woman? Maybe there’s another reason?"
"What other reason could there be?"
The barrage speculated whether Quan Jinbei and Shang Minghao were making cameos for their respective love interests, just as the camera caught a glimpse of aristocratic youths in riding outfits.
"Oh my god!! That’s Ming Yan!!!"
"It’s really Ming Yan! How did the production team get him?"
"I’m a fan of Ming Yan, and there’s nothing about this appearance in his schedule. Kudos to the production team!"
"Whoo whoo whoo, finally seeing brother again, he hasn’t been out and about on shows for a long time."
When Shi Yaoguang saw Ming Yan, she paused for a second, "What are you doing here?"
Ming Yan, who is Quan Siyan, said excitedly, "I just heard uncle was coming, so I came over to join in the fun."
While saying this, he gave Shi Yaoguang a wink, "It’s Auntie who’s impressive, being able to persuade uncle."
"It wasn’t me who persuaded him," Shi Yaoguang explained.
Quan Siyan had a knowing smile, "I understand, it’s a case of ’the wife sings, the husband follows’."
Hearing this, Shi Yaoguang was even more exasperated, "Only you would say that."
"Of course, I would say it," Quan Siyan said. He looked around and not seeing Shi Yiqing, he asked, "Why don’t I see her?"
"She was taken away by Butler Shang."
Hearing Shi Yaoguang’s words, Quan Siyan immediately got pumped up, "As the heir in line for the castle, I feel it’s my duty to check if the new maid is studying diligently."
Shi Yaoguang glanced at him, knowing what he was thinking, but she didn’t stop him and let him go.
As an NPC, Quan Siyan was not supposed to be on the live broadcast.
Watching Quan Siyan leave the drone’s live broadcast range, the barrage screamed again.
However, it wasn’t long before he reappeared in the camera’s view.
When Shi Yiqing saw him, she too paused, then her face fell.
Quan Siyan crossed his arms, appearing nonchalant, "Are you trying to question me, the owner, in your capacity as a maid?"