Chapter Thirty: An Invitation from a Top-Tier Variety Show

After a quick and simple tidying up, Bai Ling was ready to head out to the Spring and Autumn Company. Xiangzi and Miao Miao soon arrived to pick her up as well. However, as Bai Ling descended the stairs, she was met with a commotion.

"You brat, do you want a beating?"

"Big brother, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, isn't that enough?"

"Don't—don't hit my face, my mom says my looks are my livelihood!"

"Are you kidding me? Trying to crack jokes with me, huh? Hand over that camera!"

"Hurry up!"

With her usual curiosity and a mindset that it was none of her business whether someone was hitting or getting hit, Bai Ling strode forward cheerfully to see what was going on. To her surprise, the quarrel a short distance away involved people she knew.

At that moment, Xiangzi had Zhen Xiang by the collar, looking fierce and intimidating. Judging by the scene, Bai Ling instantly understood—he’d caught a paparazzo red-handed.

Zhen Xiang clung to his camera, refusing to let go, while Xiangzi’s face was flushed red with the effort to snatch it away. Bai Ling knew she couldn't just watch anymore.

She rushed over at once. "Xiangzi, stop! Xiangzi, it’s a misunderstanding!"

Xiangzi looked at her in surprise. "Sis, why are you here? This is a paparazzo—he’s been lurking here for days just to secretly photograph you, I’m sure of it! Get to the car, quickly."

Bai Ling looked at Xiangzi helplessly. "I know this guy."

Xiangzi was stunned. "Sis, you know a paparazzo?"

Zhen Xiang, looking aggrieved, chimed in, "That's right, we know each other!"

In truth, he wasn't sure himself—was eating the breakfast Bai Ling had given him enough to count as ‘knowing’ her? But with a beating looming, he forced a firmer tone into his voice as he repeated the word 'know.'

Seeing this, Xiangzi finally let go. Fortunately, there was no one else around, or who knows what kind of trouble would have followed.

Bai Ling turned to Zhen Xiang. "So, have you been promoted? Or transferred to another paper? What brings you to City A?"

Zhen Xiang scratched his head. "Is it possible that, whether it’s City D or City A, it’s all just a business trip?"

Bai Ling understood immediately. "Wherever the celebrities go, you follow? So, by the look of things, you've latched onto me now?"

Zhen Xiang shivered at once, afraid Xiangzi might come over to hit him again. "Hey, don’t say it like that! ‘Latched onto’—that’s for sugar daddies. I just want to get the latest scoop on you, to help with your publicity..."

Xiangzi eyed him suspiciously. Since when were paparazzi so well-intentioned?

Zhen Xiang felt wronged. Honestly, that was exactly what he was doing. Reporters like him, trying to write about Bai Ling, rarely got any real photos, so they had to make up stories about the feuds between Star Glory Company and Bai Ling. Those articles were vague at best, bordering on attempts to smear her.

But Zhen Xiang was the only one with real photos, and he had reported the truth without embellishment. If not for that, Bai Ling probably wouldn’t even bother acknowledging him.

"Alright, alright, it’s nothing serious," Bai Ling said, waving Xiangzi back to the car. Then she turned to Zhen Xiang, "Since you’ve done well in the past, I’ll give you a little privilege."

"From now on, I’ll tell Xiangzi not to guard against you—photograph as you wish. But if there’s anything unusual happening in your circle, you have to let me know. Don’t leave me in the dark."

Zhen Xiang was instantly excited. "Why are you afraid of these things? Do you actually have any scandals?"

A sharp glance from Bai Ling silenced him at once. "Sorry, that’s just a habit I’ve picked up in my two months on the job."

Bai Ling had no intention of arguing further. "Scandals? Who doesn’t have them? I never went to college—does that count as a scandal? But these are trivial things. What worries me is someone deliberately trying to slander me. An innocent person like me naturally needs to take precautions."

She was, of course, referring to Star Glory Company. Judging by recent events, Bai Ling knew Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai were far from honest. Their grudges were far from resolved. It was only reasonable that she take measures to protect herself.

Although Zhen Xiang wasn’t the sharpest, after a moment’s thought, he understood the situation and readily agreed. For him, as long as Bai Ling stayed relevant, this verbal agreement would be valuable.

After exchanging contact information with Zhen Xiang, Bai Ling got into the car and left.

On the drive, Xiangzi and Miao Miao wanted to talk to her about Zhen Xiang. Once Bai Ling explained, they were reassured.

Upon arriving at the company, Sister Ge quickly laid a large stack of notices in front of Bai Ling. This time, it was a true stack—three times as many as before. Bai Ling glanced through them briefly.

Almost all the invitations were for high-profile shows, with the lowest being a second-tier variety program with considerable buzz. The best among them were top-tier shows usually reserved for established celebrities.

Though Bai Ling was currently very popular, she was still, at best, a newcomer. To receive such offers was truly astonishing.

After scanning through, Bai Ling settled on a variety show: “Spend the New Year at My Home!”

This was a slow-paced reality show that sparked a wave of interest each year during its recording and broadcast, and it had already run for several seasons with great success. Many people chose to appear on the show to boost their reputation or promote new works. This alone was a testament to its popularity.

Of course, the show's enduring success was also due to the producers’ careful planning. The program always tailored its guest list, deliberately inviting artists with major followings, creating mutual benefit—a kind of two-way street.

From that perspective, it was easy to understand why Bai Ling had received the invitation.

Not that Bai Ling cared much for this aspect. What appealed to her was that such slow-paced variety shows required little effort—no need to showcase any special talents, just chat, laugh, and share a meal. As long as she had a sense for variety, the rest would pose no problem. Besides, the show’s appearance fee, like its reputation, was top-notch.

“If you pick ‘Spend the New Year at My Home,’ your schedule will be tight. Recording starts this weekend,” Sister Ge said. “Before then, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the show. But don’t worry, I’ll have Miao Miao handle all those arrangements.”

Sister Ge had no objections to Bai Ling’s choice and made arrangements immediately. Bai Ling, seeing this, said her farewells and planned to leave.

But just as she was heading back to her place to learn more about the show, Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai were already making their move.