He Jinxia took Cheng Xiaohua’s phone and scrolled through it, her gaze sharpening, and said without changing her expression, "But I didn’t buy any lottery tickets."
Cheng Xiaohua said excitedly, "Wait a second, I’ll go buy them. I saw a scratch card stall not far from here on my way over!"
He Jinxia followed her lead and said, "Alright, buy ten for me."
Cheng Xiaohua was already deep in the fantasy of a windfall and immediately set off to buy the tickets.
He Jinxia watched her leaving figure, raised her hand to touch her forehead, and noticed a slight sweat, which was from nervousness.
Should Cheng Xiaohua be called perceptive or careless? She noticed that He Jinxia was in a good mood but didn’t think it had to do with romance. Just now, when checking horoscopes, the sight of the financial forecast excited her enough to buy lottery tickets.
If she had scrolled further, she would’ve seen the love prediction below, which read, "This month you will meet the most important person in your life, a huge challenge and surprise, filled with danger and opportunity. Don’t be afraid, bravely go for it!"
He Jinxia lightly shook her head, so, fate...
The next afternoon, everyone in the crew had their makeup done and costumes on, and they headed to Huadu Film City with high spirits.
Huadu was not a new city, nor a first-tier one, but it had an ancient history and cultural depth.
Sitting in the car and looking at the corridors and alleys outside, along with shops purposely made to look ancient, He Jinxia suddenly felt a sense of awe.
Filming in Film City, seeing the ancient buildings and interacting with ancient times items, often gave her the feeling of traveling back in time. But in Huadu, where modernity mixed with ancient style, she saw development.
If the wheel of history had not veered, moving forward from her own ancient times, it would probably have evolved into something like Hua Country after a thousand years, and cities similar to Huadu would likely exist.
After about fifteen minutes on the bus, the crew disembarked.
The hotel they chose was very close to Huadu TV Station, just a ten-minute walk, though the ride was even slower than walking due to traffic congestion.
Upon entering the TV station, a staff member was already waiting at the door. Seeing them, he promptly came over to ask, "Is this the crew from ’Chen Xiaohui, Go Forward!’?"
The crew was dressed very snugly; even Dong Qiin wore a black mask and hat, making it difficult to recognize any crew members by appearance.
Upon hearing the staff member’s words, Dong Qiin took off his black mask and nodded, "Yes, we are all from ’Chen Xiaohui, Go Forward!’ crew."
The staff member counted their numbers, confirmed it was correct, and then led them upstairs. Follow current novᴇls on nοvelfire.net
The recording of the "Today’s Hot News" program was on the third floor of the TV station. It had not started its official recording yet, and as there were other programs being recorded there as well, the staff member took them to the waiting room and made them each a cup of tea.
He Jinxia did not drink the tea but instead sipped water from the water bottle she had brought with her.
They didn’t have to wait long before a casually dressed, fashionable man walked in, greeting them warmly and kindly.
"Hello, Teacher Zhang!"
"Hello, Teacher Zhang!"
All the staff stood up and greeted the man with smiles and respect on their faces.
Zhang Zhihuan was the male host of "Today’s Hot News," having hosted the program for over a decade. He was a well-known host in the industry, known for his good temperament, generous personality, and wide circle of friends.
What made some celebrities envious was that Zhang Zhihuan still had a baby face; his appearance hadn’t changed much from over a decade ago. If one had to make a comparison, it was only that there were a few more wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, giving him a slightly more weathered look.
"Hello everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. There was a small issue with the lights on set, so the recording will start a bit late," said Zhang Zhihuan gently.
The crew hurriedly shook their heads, "No worries, no worries!"
Dong Qiin also showed great respect toward Teacher Zhang, stepping forward and saying, "It’s no problem, our crew’s whole day schedule is dedicated to recording the program."
Zhang Zhihuan laughed, "Haha, it was just a light adjustment, it won’t take up your whole day. Once the recording is done, I’ll treat you all to a meal, remember to come!"
"Teacher Zhang, you are too polite!" the crew members quickly replied.
Following that, Zhang Zhihuan stayed with them in the green room, asking if they had any questions about their positions and interactions during the recording.
Wu Daxi and Li Li acted like newcomers, discussing with Zhang Zhihuan.
Compared to them, He Jinxia and Song Zilin appeared somewhat aloof, both sitting in their spots and looking at the script.
They had received the program’s script just that morning, and its detail was based on the celebrities’ status.
Those with higher status had more freedom in their performance; there wasn’t much written on their scripts. Those with lesser status also didn’t have much on their scripts, since they could only serve as a backdrop, and backdrops don’t need to talk.
But it must be said, Zhang Zhihuan was good at socializing. Despite being a famous host within the circle, he didn’t act haughty or ignore those who didn’t fawn over him.
While answering questions from Wu Daxi and Li Li, Zhang Zhihuan would look up at He Jinxia from time to time and discuss the techniques of stage movement with her.
As this knowledge was necessary for everyone, it didn’t seem like he was exclusively coaching He Jinxia. Rather, he would call her name before giving guidance, ensuring that He Jinxia didn’t feel excluded or neglected.
Even Song Zilin was not an exception. Though she was just passing through, Brother Zhang still shared some useful techniques with her.
As they chatted, half an hour passed unknowingly, and a staff member knocked on the door and came in, saying that the venue was ready.
Zhang Zhihuan immediately stood up, calmly and steadily saying, "Let’s go, let’s proceed to record the show."
Upon entering the venue, the crew saw another female host of the program, called Deng Xiiaoxiiao.
Deng Xiiaoxiiao had a nickname, "Sister Xiao Xiao," originating from her habit of laughing often, and her laugh was indeed very distinctive—almost bewitching.
As soon as she saw He Jinxia and others, Deng Xiiaoxiiao laughed heartily and came over to greet them with a bow, boldly saying, "Thank you for waiting, everyone!"
The crew again shook their heads, politely saying there was no need for thanks.
Deng Xiiaoxiiao was even more enthusiastic and bold than Zhang Zhihuan. Using the terms from the internet, she was quite the "tomboy."
Ah, this wasn’t meant as an insult. She genuinely had a boisterous personality. Even clad fully as a woman, the moment she opened her mouth, you could feel she was like a man.