A Star Who Can Do Everything Except Filming (5): 

After it was confirmed that Si Qi and Chu Feng would participate in the program, many famous scriptwriters and planners were added to the team. A large number of talented people gathered, each of them shrewd and experienced.

They knew they could use Si Qi and Chu Feng as a gimmick to attract attention, but they also knew they had to stop at the right point—overdoing it would only bring trouble.

So, unlike previous episodes where the guest pairings were introduced right away, this time the production team played a trick. They didn’t immediately reveal who was paired with whom, but instead filmed separate VCRs for each person, letting the audience guess which two were the real couple.

When Chu Feng’s name finally appeared, netizens started complaining: “Isn’t this obvious enough? Lately all the rumors say Si Qi’s lover is General Chu, and now the general, who has never appeared on variety shows, is here—of course they’re a pair!”

But some disagreed: “Wait a second, this time the Duke’s daughter is also on the show. In terms of status, only she is worthy to be paired with General Chu, right? Si Qi is clearly unqualified.”

Fans who were originally unhappy with Si Qi dating someone suddenly got upset: “What do you mean? Are you saying our 77 isn’t even as good as a duke’s daughter? In terms of looks and temperament, our 77 would be more than enough even for a princess, okay?!”

Onlookers were speechless: “Fine, fine, your 77 is the best in the world. You’re the ones who scold him, and you’re also the ones who protect him. Amazing…”

Even so, everyone seriously watched the guests’ VCRs, trying to figure out who was paired with whom.

As they watched, some couldn’t help but complain: “Doctors, lawyers, warriors and such were acceptable, but compared to the Duke’s daughter, the national general, and a top celebrity, this guy named Fang Huai is just an unemployed drifter? What’s that supposed to be?”

“I saw him wearing brand names before, thought he was some rich second generation, but his academic background is terrible… no second generation would go to such a school.”

“Emmmm… is this woman really the Duke’s daughter? Her manner and conversation feel worse than the female doctor we just saw. Are my eyes deceiving me?”

“I don’t really like Si Qi, but I have to admit he didn’t become a top star by luck. With that face and aura, if you told someone he was a prince, they’d probably believe it.”

“Heeheehee, my 77 really does look like a prince, but he grew up in an orphanage. For him to turn out like this, it’s all his own ability.”

“General Chu is so domineering. Compared to him, that so-called A-class warrior just now looked like an ordinary man.”

As they talked, the VCR ended and the livestream officially began.

The camera showed each guest in turn. They were separated into different rooms, each with a screen in front of them. The staff explained: “The VCR only gave a simple introduction of your background. Now we’ll conduct a test so the audience can better understand you.”

When the view switched to Si Qi, the live comments exploded: “Ahhhhhh 77777777!!!!”

“Boohoo, 77 please don’t date anyone, okay? Even if you break up I’ll still love you! You’ll always be the best—please don’t date anyone…”

“Holy crap, Si Qi looks like this in real life? I’ve only seen him on billboards before. Damn, he looks even better in person than in photos!”

“Now I get why so many people like him… he’s like an elf prince living in reality. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that he could live off his looks alone.”

“Get lost, slut Si! Stay away from my general!!”

“Wow, the one upstairs has some nerve. Since when is General Chu yours?”

The comments heated up. On screen, Si Qi leaned lazily in his chair, one hand supporting his temple, chin slightly raised as he looked at the screen. He looked completely unaffected by the recent public uproar.

“I thought with all the online drama lately, he’d be miserable. Guess I was wrong.”

“Other celebrities would’ve already come out to apologize, but not him—he doesn’t care at all. He even dared to show up on a dating show. His guts are huge.”

“I’ve said it before—Si Qi fears nothing. In just a few years he’s already offended so many people. Why would he care about this? And when he said he’d go public with his relationship, he actually did it. That’s bold.”

Then a multiple-choice question popped up on Si Qi’s screen: “Please choose three fields you’re most skilled in. Medical/Combat/History & Culture/Business & Finance/Physics/Chemistry/Music…”

The doctors, lawyers, and others quickly selected their fields, sometimes even choosing their potential partner’s profession. This gave viewers hints, like linking the female doctor and the warrior, since they picked each other’s expertise.

But most people still focused on Si Qi and Chu Feng. Si Qi, because of his career, got even more attention than Chu Feng, and people mocked: “Si Qi dropped out after high school, his education level must be low.”

“His acting is nonexistent, his singing relies on autotune. Out of all those options, none are his strength.”

“Hah, he didn’t pick any—just clicked random. That’s basically giving up.”

“Hmm… Didn’t the Duke’s daughter graduate from Hercode University? Why did she pick literature, combat, and entertainment? For a noble university graduate, these are her strongest fields? She could’ve at least picked etiquette… and judging by her posture, she probably didn’t learn that well either.”

“General Chu chose combat, medical, and geography, not entertainment. Maybe he really doesn’t care about the entertainment world, so he and Si Qi aren’t related?”

“General Chu picked medical and combat. Could his partner be the female doctor or the warrior?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How could General Chu choose someone that ordinary as his partner?”

“You fans really think you can decide who your idol marries? Mind your own business.”

Once the guests finished choosing, the system generated twenty questions for each. Viewers were surprised:

“These questions are tough.”

“They’re very specialized. Only professionals could answer them.”

“Oh my god, are these physics problems for real? They don’t actually have to solve them live, right? Just looking at them gives me a headache!”

“Pfft, look at Si Qi’s questions. They’re a complete mess, all over the place. It would’ve been better to just pick three fields randomly—at least that way he’d get something manageable!”

“Boohoo, my 77 is being bullied. The show shouldn’t even allow a random option, this is deliberately making things hard for him!”

“…Please. It was your Si Qi who chose random, okay? How is this the show’s fault?”

“No matter what he does, even murder, you’d still forgive him. Speechless.”

The guests focused on their papers and quickly answered. Since they were in their fields of expertise, most of them handled it easily.

Because the lawyer had chosen music, some netizens suspected he might be Si Qi’s partner, which led to sarcastic remarks from Si Qi’s fans.

Later, when it was Zheng Shi’s turn, and she picked entertainment questions, fans mocked her the same way, full of jealousy.

This annoyed some bystanders, who defended her: “Can’t you show some decency? What has this girl ever done to you?”

“Even if you keep mocking, she was born at the finish line. You’re just jealous.”

“Si Qi is just a small celebrity—if he saw the Duke’s daughter, he’d be groveling. But you fans are dragging him down.”

“Hah, the Duke’s daughter would never look at him. Do you think your idol is that precious? I bet she’s General Chu’s real partner. Si Qi is just clout-chasing, that’s why he came on the show. When he sees the Duke’s daughter, his face will turn green. Let’s see how arrogant he acts then!”

Amid all the arguments, no one paid attention to Zheng Shi’s answers. The camera switched to Fang Huai, but the audience barely noticed.

Only when Fang Huai finished and Chu Feng appeared did the tone change. The comments instantly turned into admiration: “Who’s the lucky one that gets to date General Chu?”

“Boohoo, could it really be Si Qi?”

“Eh, I hate to say it, but if I had to pick someone for 77, it’d have to be General Chu.”

People noticed that every time a guest appeared before, Si Qi’s fans would curse them. But when Chu Feng appeared, the insults disappeared, replaced with tolerance. Then again, it made sense—no matter how picky his fans were, they couldn’t complain about Chu Feng.

In fame, background, and ability, Chu Feng was Si Qi’s equal or even his superior. Even with their idol filter, Si Qi’s fans couldn’t talk nonsense in front of Chu Feng. That would be ridiculous.

They might dare to offend other guests, including the Duke’s daughter, but they would never risk openly insulting Chu Feng. If they did, the whole country would roast them alive. They weren’t that stupid.

Chu Feng, expressionless, quickly finished his paper. Whether combat, medical, or geography, these were his strongest fields, so unsurprisingly he scored full marks. The comments were filled with praise.

Then the camera returned to Si Qi. Viewers burst into laughter at his chaotic test questions. Even his fans couldn’t hold back, joking that last place would belong to 77, but last place was still a kind of first place.

Amid the laughter, Si Qi didn’t roll his eyes or say he’d hand in a blank sheet, as people expected. Instead, still casual and nonchalant, he began typing answers on the keyboard.

His speed was astonishing, his answers flowing without hesitation. The live audience giggled, saying he should’ve just handed in a blank sheet instead of wasting effort.

But then, seconds later, someone suddenly said: “Wait, isn’t that answer correct? Look at question three—it’s right! Does anyone who knows about the other questions want to check?”

“…I went to check, and the second question really is correct!!”

“The ninth one is right too.”

“Hey hey hey, no way. Even with the thickest fan filter, you wouldn’t lie this badly, right?”

“No one’s lying. I’m not a Si Qi fan, but the answers are actually correct.”

“Nonsense. How could he get such a messy set of questions all right? Did the program team feed him a script? Did he already know the answers beforehand?”

As soon as that was said, his fans immediately exploded: “What a joke! Our 77 would never use a script to fake being a genius! He’s straightforward and would never stoop to lying! He never hid his education or background, and he said he doesn’t care about degrees at all. Why would he pull something like this now??”

“To be fair, Si Qi’s arrogant attitude and refusal to play the respectful junior has offended many seniors in the industry, and the media has bashed him countless times for it. He wouldn’t tell such an obvious lie—it doesn’t fit his character, and there’s no benefit in it.”

“Our 77 didn’t care when he won the Golden Toilet Award (for bad acting). He treated it as lightly as winning first place. Why would he cheat for a perfect score? What a joke!”

“I don’t know what Si Qi’s really like, but if the production really wanted to help him, they could’ve just let him pick a few reasonable subjects to ace. Then a full score would look believable. But giving him random questions and letting him answer all of them correctly? That’s ridiculous—no one with half a brain would script it this way.”

“…So, because it’s too absurd, it actually proves the test was real??”

The audience debated fiercely. Even the producers thought the perfect test was suspicious, and one carefully asked Si Qi: “I remember you said your highest education is high school? How come you could answer all these…?”

Si Qi replied confidently: “What? Just because I only graduated high school, I can’t get full marks? Who are you looking down on? Education doesn’t equal intelligence. I didn’t go to college because I couldn’t afford it, not because I couldn’t get in! Funny, isn’t it.”

The staff, sweating, stammered: “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that, just… um…” He couldn’t very well accuse Si Qi of cheating to his face.

Netizens said: “Now that you mention it, that does make sense. Not getting into college doesn’t mean he couldn’t self-study.”

“So does anyone know what Si Qi’s exam score was back in the college entrance exam?”

“Not sure. The media only ever said he finished high school and called him uneducated. They never mentioned his actual grades.”

“Figures. Those gossip reporters always twist the truth and stir public opinion.”

“This is too much. You guys believe anything he says. There’s no way he could’ve learned this much just by self-studying. This is obviously scripted!”

Just as a few netizens began to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for misunderstanding him, Si Qi lifted his chin proudly and said something that left everyone speechless: “Besides, with my looks and my presence—tsk tsk—if I had delayed entering the entertainment industry just to study more, that would’ve been a loss for the whole world!”

Netizens: “……”

“Give me back my sympathy!”

“Si Qi really is still Si Qi.”

“Hahahaha, why does his shamelessness suddenly seem kind of cute?”

“Confirmed, he’s the definition of a blunt boy.”

Jokes aside, the program still had to prove itself clean. The staff said: “We’ll randomly select a few questions from the question bank for you to answer, is that alright?”

Netizens teased: “Seriously? It’s just a variety show. Why are they taking this so seriously? Afraid of being misunderstood? Everyone knows there’s always a script.”

“But if Si Qi really can answer more tough questions, then he’s genuinely skilled. That would make the show interesting.”

“Why am I suddenly excited??”

So the staff manually selected twenty random questions for Si Qi.

The director was sweating nervously—he was more shocked than anyone, because unlike the viewers, he knew for certain that Si Qi hadn’t been given a script!!!

The supposedly uneducated, unprofessional Si Qi turned out to be a hidden genius. This was… utterly shocking!

Under everyone’s disbelieving gaze, Si Qi frowned impatiently and quickly wrote down his answers. This time, not only did the live comments erupt, but the entire filming site buzzed in chaos. When the staff checked, his answers matched the official ones exactly, and the place almost exploded.

How could someone like this exist? A celebrity with weak acting and singing skills, but with an astonishing grasp of miscellaneous academic knowledge? Of all the careers he could’ve chosen, why become an actor? Sure, it’s not wrong to be one, but who deliberately chooses a job that highlights their shortcomings? For Si Qi, being a star was exactly that—his weak spot!

“What do you mean I’m not suited to be a star?” Seeing everyone’s disbelief, Si Qi protested, “This face was born to be in the spotlight!”

He even touched his own face proudly, looking utterly smug.

Director Lin twitched awkwardly: “Well… only your face fits that description…”

Because honestly, with Si Qi’s temperament, being a celebrity was a disaster waiting to happen. Scandals and fan meltdowns came constantly. If it weren’t for his looks, he’d never have lasted.

The ordinary viewers were dazed, unable to believe this was real.

His fans, after shock, went wild with joy. They proudly filled the comments with rainbow praise: “Our 77 is amazing! He’s the best in the world!” This time, no one even tried to refute them—the situation really was too incredible.

“…Well, let’s just see what happens later. If it’s scripted, one day it’ll show. But if it’s real… wouldn’t that actually be great?”

That comment got many nods of agreement. People now looked at Si Qi with disbelief, but also curiosity. Slowly, more rational analysis appeared: “Honestly, the so-called scandals about him weren’t that bad. Apart from his blunt attitude, he hasn’t done anything terrible, has he?”

“His acting may be bad, but his roles were just pretty faces anyway. At least his agent picked scripts that matched him—we only watched for his looks.”

“And he never used his top-star status to strong-arm his way into acting awards. He even laughed and accepted the Golden Toilet Award. I respect that.”

“His low education isn’t really a black mark either. He’s an orphan, paid his own tuition, and thought he should use his looks to earn money in showbiz. What’s wrong with that?”

“High school graduate earning over a hundred million a year, becoming a top star in under five years—that’s already more impressive than most of us.”

“Not to mention those two perfect test papers…”

“Those earlier comments must’ve been fake fans. Didn’t they all say they were quitting his fandom? So why are they still here torturing themselves on a dating show?”

“……”

When the test ended, the scores of the eight guests were announced.

Si Qi and Chu Feng’s twin perfect scores shone at the top of the list.

Zheng Shi, the Duke’s daughter, immediately lost her composure. She pointed at Si Qi’s score and shouted, “Impossible!” Furiously, she said to the staff: “How could a pretty-boy vase like him score this high? Don’t I know him? He’s just a useless pretty face!”

“The hell? What’s her problem?!”

“So this is the Duke’s daughter’s true character?”

Fans were enraged. Some even noticed her score and mocked: “Ha! Only fifteen points, dead last! Out of twenty questions she only got three right, and she dares call herself a top graduate? A noble of the empire? How does she have the face to question our 77?”

Especially when she accused the show of rigging it for Si Qi, insinuating he used dirty methods to climb up as a kept pretty-boy, even bystanders frowned.

“Whether or not Si Qi had help, I watched him take the test twice just now. At least it looked clean. But her—she’s a supposed elite graduate and only got ten-something points. Makes me wonder if her degree is fake.”

“And what era is this? Still calling people lowly actors and looking down on their jobs? Does she really think being born in a Duke’s family makes her superior to everyone? If even a star like Si Qi is trash in her eyes, then what does that make us—less than ants?”

“I used to think General Chu marrying the Duke’s daughter would be fine—noble background, educated, pretty enough. The only one who matched him. But now, ha… even Si Qi seems better. At least he doesn’t deliberately stir up trouble.”

“No no no, let’s not pair our general with anyone yet. The doctors, professors, or even the warrior from before are all fine. Anyone is better than Si Qi!”

Zheng Shi had no idea what netizens were saying. In her mind, based on the novel, Si Qi was a brainless, low-education vase star. She assumed the viewers were also furious at the unbelievable test results, agreeing with her and secretly glad she said it out loud. She was actually feeling proud of herself.

To her, this was exactly why she had joined the show—just at the start, and she had already exposed one of Si Qi’s flaws!