Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

”That’s the singer Chen Zhi. I heard he’s a great cook. He was on one of those reality shows with kids before and came off as a total sweetheart.”

Guo Tong’s dad was a director, so she was well-connected in the industry and often heard all sorts of gossip. From her subtle tone, it was clear there was probably something wrong with Chen Zhi.

In the entertainment industry, the biggest taboo is a loose tongue. Ni Bingyan didn’t ask further. She just said, ”Oh, it’s him. Well, that should make things easier for us later,” and changed the subject to a class reunion.

”The class president mentioned in the group chat a few days ago that since there are a lot of events in Beijing at the end of the year, they’re organizing a reunion. Are you going?”

Guo Tong was a pretty honest person and didn’t like to B.S. or placate people, so she took out her phone and checked her schedule.

”I’m about to start filming on a new set, and I still have a few endorsements to shoot. I don’t think I’ll be able to find the time. What about you? I went the last two years but never saw you there.”

’Back then, the original owner of this body was obsessed with her CEO. She had no time to expand her social circle, so of course she didn’t go.’

Ni Bingyan said, ”I happened to be busy with something back then. Once you’re in this industry, getting everyone together is pretty tough, I’m afraid!”

Especially when some classmates had long since changed careers, while others grew more and more famous with time.

’What could people who achieved their dreams and people whose dreams were shattered possibly have to talk about when they get together?’

The longer it had been since graduation, the harder it became to organize a reunion.

”That’s true.”

Guo Tong clearly felt the same way.

The two chatted a bit more about their work schedules, then waited quietly for the show to begin filming.

At 2:40, the host, Li Sijia, came into the dressing room.

It was a habit for most hosts to come and get familiar with the guests before filming so things wouldn’t be so awkward on the show.

The men’s dressing room was right next door. Hearing the host arrive and figuring the women were done with their makeup, Chen Zhi immediately followed.

”Wow~ I’m so happy to be recording with two great beauties today!”

Though he spoke of two great beauties, his eyes were glued to Ni Bingyan.

Guo Tong subconsciously furrowed her brow and ignored him.

Ni Bingyan felt a primal discomfort but just smiled at him without saying a word.

In reality, her mind was already screaming with insults—’We won’t be short on oil for the cooking segment later. Just look at this greaseball! You could probably squeeze a handful of oil right out of him!’

The moment she sensed the awkward atmosphere, Li Sijia introduced them to each other.

The two women greeted him reservedly and said no more. Chen Zhi, as if he hadn’t noticed, struck up a conversation with Li Sijia on his own.

”Who’s the master chef today? And what’s the theme for today’s showdown?”

Chen Zhi was an outgoing and talkative person. Since the celebrity guests and the master chef didn’t know each other’s identities or the show’s schedule, and he was very conscious of his idol image, he wanted to get some information in advance.

”If I tell you ahead of time, it’ll ruin the effect of the show, and then my paycheck will get ruined too, haha! I’m not telling you a thing! You’ll find out when you get on stage.”

Even though they knew she was joking, she’d made her point, so no one pestered her further.

The group chatted idly for a few more moments. Glancing at the wall clock, Li Sijia made a welcoming gesture, signaling for them to head to the studio.

”It’s almost time, I’ll go on stage first! Xiao Cui, remember to bring the three guests backstage in a moment! Brother Dong should be ready on his side, too.”

The Starlight Group and the master chef were separate, entering from opposite sides of the stage. The other male host was in charge of that side.

The show had a male and a female host: Dong Rui and Li Sijia. Both were veteran hosts at Blueberry Channel with a wealth of experience.

The three of them silently followed the burly staff member, Xiao Cui, to wait backstage.

Hearing their names being introduced on stage, the three of them got up and went on one by one.

As the biggest star, Guo Tong went first. Following the ’ladies first’ principle, Ni Bingyan was second, and Chen Zhi was third.

”Our first guest today debuted at the age of four and is known as the ’Nation’s Little Sister,’ Guo Tong! Let’s give her a warm welcome!”

A wave of applause erupted in the studio, the atmosphere lively.

”Next up is the second member of our Starlight Group, she is—the young actress, Ni Bingyan!”

The stage was bright, but it was a bit dark backstage. Because there were two steps, and Ni Bingyan was wearing high heels and afraid of falling, she kept her head down to watch her footing.

Just as she stepped onto the first step, in the split second before going on stage, she saw Chen Zhi behind her smile and reach out to touch her waist. He whispered, ”Bingbing, be careful,” his words like a whisper due to their height difference.

’What the fuck!’

’Groper!’

’It’s just two steps, it’s not like I’m paralyzed! How fucking dare you touch my waist?’

Ni Bingyan had clawed her way up from the bottom. What kind of filth hadn’t she seen?

The next moment, she wobbled as if she’d lost her balance, and her elbow slammed directly into Chen Zhi’s face.

Her mic was already on, so of course she didn’t dare speak. Chen Zhi had been certain she would have to just suffer in silence, which was why he’d moved in to grope her.

If such a beautiful woman passed by him and he didn’t cop a feel, he’d regret it until next year.

After her clean and decisive counterattack, Ni Bingyan used the momentum from elbowing him in the face to take a single stride onto the stage. She waved to the audience, an impeccable smile on her face.

”Hi, everyone~ I’m Ni Bingyan.”

Chen Zhi clutched his eye socket, the pain so intense that tears streamed out. He was about to start cursing when Xiao Cui, sensing something was wrong, walked over.

”Mr. Chen, is the light too strong for your eyes? Are you alright? It’s your turn to go on.”

Without waiting for a reply, he switched on his mic.

’Go on and curse. Let everyone out there get a good listen.’

Chen Zhi was about to lose his mind with anger!

’The light’s too fucking strong, my ass! Are you fucking blind? Can’t you see I just got hit?’

Chen Zhi was cursing a storm in his head, but his idol image was too important. He forced a smile onto his face, covered his microphone, and said in a low voice, ”I’m fine. The lighting is just a bit poor, I lost my footing for a second.”

Xiao Cui suppressed a laugh, supported him by the lower back, and pushed him onto the stage.

The staff members who interacted with them up close knew all too well what kinds of monsters haunted the industry.

Chen Zhi’s nickname, the ’King of Groping,’ had long been whispered about in private. Only a clueless workaholic like Ni Bingyan, who only ever thought about acting, wouldn’t know.

’Sigh, my goddess Bingbing, this is all I can do to help you.’

Chen Zhi had moved too fast before for Xiao Cui to react. But now he wanted to play the victim after doing something wrong? Not a chance.

The staff member watched the backstage monitor, a blissful look on his face.

’Bingbing really is beautiful! Even more so in person than on TV.’

”First, let’s go over the rules of the showdown.”

After a burst of excitement on stage, Dong Rui began explaining the format as planned.

As usual, the show would be divided into three parts, each with different content. Ni Bingyan immediately perked up her ears to listen.

The first segment was called ”The Four Flavors: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, and Spicy.” Both sides of the showdown had to draw a theme from it and cook a dish according to that theme.

The second segment was called ”My Favorite.” The three celebrity guests each had to make their favorite dish, giving their fans a chance to get to know them better.

The third segment was a technical challenge. Both sides would make one dish to show off their skills.

Usually, this was when the Starlight Group would run into teamwork problems, creating all sorts of hilarious moments.

At the end of each segment, there would be scoring from the audience and a panel of judges. Finally, the average scores from all three segments would be combined to determine the winning team, who would receive a gift from the show—a charitable donation made in the winner’s name.

As Blueberry Channel’s leading host, Dong Rui was especially skilled at hyping up the crowd. The plants in the audience only needed to listen to his tone to know when to applaud.

After explaining the rules, it was time for the mystery master chef to make their entrance.

”Come on, let’s have a round of applause for today’s master chef! He is—Sichuan cuisine’s Master Chef—Ni Guangli!”

The hosts had introduced the three celebrity guests one by one. After Ni Bingyan came on stage, greeted the audience, and sat down, she had been sitting there quietly.

Seeing Chen Zhi force a twisted smile while enduring the pain as he came on stage, she almost burst out laughing.

She never expected that the master chef the host introduced next would be her dad!

At that moment, a VCR was already playing, showcasing all of Ni Guangli’s impressive awards.

Ni Bingyan was familiar with all of them; her eyes were fixed only on her dad.

’Oh my god! I haven’t seen him in over two months! He said he was coming to see me a while ago, and I thought he meant he was coming to visit me in Beijing. But this is it?’

’But this was more than enough to make her happy.’

Ni Bingyan was so overjoyed and surprised that she couldn’t help but stand up.

The studio was arranged in a V-shape, with the celebrity guests seated in a row on one side, the master chef on the other, and the hosts in the middle. Ni Bingyan’s sudden move to stand up was especially conspicuous.