A program, especially those produced by unofficial platforms, definitely prioritizes commercial goals and profitability the most.
Zhou Yun knows that no matter how popular she is, she definitely can’t compete with Song Chi in terms of commercial value, let alone in terms of popularity and traffic.
Their airtime on the show was different, something they had thought of from the beginning.
But to have so little screen time, Zhou Yun wasn’t angry, she felt a bit ashamed.
Not knowing what the production team was thinking, they only broadcast 15 minutes of her footage in the first episode, which made Zhou Yun question the significance of her presence on the program.
Was it just to create a gimmick with Song Chi?
Indeed, it was awkward.
Many comments in the video barrage complained that Zhou Yun appeared as out of place on the program as if she’d wandered onto the wrong set.
What made it more embarrassing was that, at this moment, the photographer following her for "After the Scandal" was still holding the camera in front, shooting her.
Everything was recorded.
Zhou Yun could only laugh and say, "I’ve realized I am quite pretty indeed."
Zhou Lan turned her head and winked at Zhou Yun from behind the camera.
"Should we get some sleep? You have to shoot early tomorrow, probably another two hours before we reach the hotel," Zhou Lan said.
Zhou Yun hummed in acknowledgment, took out her eye mask, and said, "I’ll get some sleep then."
No sooner had she finished speaking than her phone rang.
"Who doesn’t want me to sleep?" Zhou Yun muttered to herself, put down the eye mask, picked up the phone, and saw "Song Chi" flashing on the screen.
"Big shot, why are you calling me so late, what’s the occasion?" Zhou Yun asked.
Song Chi let out a sound and asked, "Not angry?"
"Angry about what?" Zhou Yun asked.
Song Chi said, "You’ve barely got any screen time because of me."
"Thank you for that, now everyone’s pitying me. It’s a good thing it’s not the other way around, if I had more screen time than you, I reckon I’d already be blasted all over the hot search," Zhou Yun laughed heartily.
"Watched the program?"
"Yeah, watched it. On the way back to the set, just finished it," Zhou Yun said, yawning, "What about you?"
"No, having drinks with someone."
"You’re drinking and calling me? Did you watch the program?"
"Not yet, been busy, haven’t had the chance to see it."
Zhou Yun was surprised and asked, "Then how do you know I had so little screen time?"
"I glimpsed Weibo, some people mentioned it there," Song Chi said with a quiet laugh.
Both of them were silent for a few seconds.
If a person just saw some relevant information on Weibo and then called you without much explanation, just casually mentioning and saying a couple of sentences.
If a person wants to comfort you but is also afraid of hurting your self-esteem.
Zhou Yun exclaimed, "I actually wish I had less screen time now, you’re not unaware that I was rebuked by so many people a while back."
"They don’t understand you."
"Song Chi, you’ve only known me for a few months."
"Really? I feel like I’ve known you for a long time."
Zhou Yun’s eyes trembled slightly.
She looked at the fleeting shadows and lights outside the car window, glanced at the camera inside the car, and words stuck in her throat, wanting to say, unable to speak.
"Surely a friend, very thoughtful." Zhou Yun lowered her head and laughed, her features shrouded in shadow, "But don’t speak up for me in the future, Song Chi, the truth will always be the truth, and a lie will always be a lie. Stop using your influence to clear my name, I..."
She wanted to say, I don’t want you to be implicated.
But that sounded too ambiguous.
She changed her words at the last moment, "I don’t need it."
Song Chi on the other end was silent for several seconds, then replied with three words: "Heartbroken."
"What heartache? Drink less, go back and rest early." Zhou Yun, fearing she would reveal more in front of the camera, said, "I’m hanging up too, tired, have to shoot early tomorrow."
Some people you just can’t talk to lightly. Once you talk, the barriers of your heart face a breach, always at risk of exposure.
But Zhou Yun didn’t know that Song Chi’s mood at this moment was the same as hers.
He had made this call to Zhou Yun while his friends had left to use the restroom.
He’d drunk a bit too much.
He had better control than most, managing a normal tone on the phone, but looking into his eyes, one could tell, he was a little drunk.
His eyes were shrouded in a layer of misty haze.