Chapter 117: As Coincidental as a Script (Guaranteed Monthly Votes Requested)

As previously mentioned, "A Day in the Life with Mi" is not a standard interview program; it is more akin to a reality show, following guests to observe their daily activities.

Initially, Minnie had been somewhat concerned. Lin Xing was not currently filming, as his completed project, *Portrait of a Crime Solver*, was in post-production, and its release date remained uncertain. Consequently, Lin Xing was in a state of brief vacation. When Minnie spoke with him yesterday, her intention was to shadow him during his professional engagements, such as commercial appearances, assuming that with the Lunar New Year approaching, a star would surely be busy. She had not expected that Lin Xing would choose to rest.

"Rest is for the sake of better work." When Lin Xing said this, Minnie was momentarily at a loss for how to counter. She had assumed he would capitalize on his current popularity to aggressively pursue endorsements and commercial gigs, especially during the pre-holiday season. She thought it a waste of time, yet after chatting with him this morning, she realized Lin Xing was remarkably clear-headed.

Having been in the entertainment industry for years and hosting the variety show *Tonight, It’s All About Drama* for over a decade, Minnie had seen countless artists. Few, however, were like Lin Xing. Many who had risen to stardom only to fade away struggled to make a comeback, and even fewer maintained a calm, rational mindset after finding success again. One need look no further than Guan Peng and Hong Fei, who also rose to fame through *Let’s Farm*, to see how desperate many are to cling to hard-won popularity.

When she started *A Day in the Life with Mi*, Minnie had interviewed directors, actors, singers, and screenwriters. Lin Xing didn't stand out among them; in fact, she had only invited him to boost the show's ratings. Had they stuck to the script outlined yesterday, the interview would have been conventional and unremarkable. However, Lin Xing went completely off-script, and eventually, Minnie stopped following the routine altogether.

For the first time in a long while, Minnie felt truly at ease during an interview. Everything flowed smoothly. They recalled their first meeting, which had taken place sixteen years ago. During a gathering two nights prior, they hadn't spoken at length—that had been Zheng Zhou's event, and the focus was on variety shows. But today was Minnie's stage, and her task was to dig deeper into Lin Xing.

Back then, Minnie was a newcomer at the Tan Province TV station. She had preferred Wu Yao and Chu Hai, as Chu Hai was more mature and socially adept, while Wu Yao knew how to handle himself. As for Lin Xing, he was seen as having nothing to offer but his face. Who could have guessed that sixteen years later, Chu Hai would have vanished from the industry, Wu Yao would have faced a scandal, and Lin Xing would be standing before her, relying on his talent?

The face remained as handsome as ever. What truly surprised Minnie was that after so many years—and having not seen him for nearly a decade until recently—Lin Xing had become someone entirely different. Ten years is enough to transform a person.

At noon, they shared a hot pot. In winter, nothing is more satisfying. Lin Xing couldn't handle spicy food, so he stuck to tomato or mushroom broth, while Minnie was a devotee of spice.

"Why don't we stop filming while we eat?" Lin Xing suggested to the crew with a smile. "Everyone has worked hard. Let's film after we eat; it feels awkward for you all to watch us eat."

This wasn't a scripted drama where actors might pretend to eat or spit out food to maintain a diet. This was an interview, and eating was part of the experience.

"It's fine, let's just eat," Minnie said, waving her hand. "This is their job. Just act like they aren't there."

After a morning of casual conversation, Minnie realized the rhythm of the interview was entirely dictated by Lin Xing. She, a professional host, was being led by him.

"What kind of roles are you looking for next?" Minnie asked. "Many people want to see you in another idol drama. Do you have plans for that?"

"It depends on the script," Lin Xing replied. "The quality of scripts varies wildly. Good projects might not choose me, and I don't want to choose mediocre ones. An actor is always caught between choosing and being chosen, so it’s a matter of fate."

"True, good scripts are hard to come by, and a good team is even harder to find," Minnie agreed.

"I’ve said before that I’m lucky," Lin Xing continued. "The project I just finished, even though it was a low-budget web series, had a great team. We had a wonderful time."

" *Portrait of a Crime Solver*?" Minnie asked.

"Yes," Lin Xing nodded.

"Why did you choose that one? I read online that it was because you were the lead."

"It would be a lie to say I didn't want to be the lead. Ask any actor—who doesn't want the lead role?" Lin Xing laughed. "But it was a coincidence. They needed someone with both acting ability and traffic, and I had just appeared in *Fashion Men’s Style*, and my sales figures were quite good."

"Right, I remember," Minnie laughed. "On October 1st last year, when the digital issue was released, your fans crashed the mini-program."

"Exactly. Because of that, they sent the script to my agent. I was on my way to the wrap-up ceremony for *Sweeping the Black Clouds* after filming *Following the Stars to Poverty Alleviation*," Lin Xing explained honestly.

"Did you fall in love with the script right away?"

"Yes. It’s different from typical crime dramas; it’s episodic, and each case is very grounded in reality," Lin Xing said. After a brief promotion, he joked, "I won't give away any spoilers; you'll have to watch when it airs."

"Oh? Didn't it just wrap up? Is it coming out soon?"

"I asked Director Liu the day before yesterday; he said it's in post-production. I'm not sure when it will air, probably not for a few months."

Post-production, scheduling, promotion—it would surely take three or four months. Lin Xing paused, then added with a smile, "By the way, Hong Fei's new film, *Fishing Operation*, is coming out during the holiday season. Everyone should check that out."

Minnie chuckled, "Lin Xing, are you helping Hong Fei promote his movie?"

"Yes. Since *Let’s Farm* ended, Guan Peng and I have had our shows air, but his movie hasn't hit theaters yet," Lin Xing said. "I don't know the specifics of the film, but the subject matter interests me."

Telecommunications fraud. Minnie had done her homework and discovered that Lin Xing was particularly concerned about this issue, always urging people to be cautious.

"For many families in poverty, losing a few thousand yuan can be devastating," Lin Xing said. "I just hope everyone stays vigilant and downloads the National Anti-Fraud App. It’s worth saying it a thousand or ten thousand times."

He shared a few examples. Minnie was shocked: "People actually fall for that?"

"Yes, because most people lack the awareness. It’s like someone offering you a job where you work from home, clicking links for commission..." Lin Xing nodded. "It’s not a sophisticated scam, but many people fall for it. Parents in smaller cities lose their entire savings to these scammers."

Minnie, having long been removed from the struggles of the average person, found this eye-opening. As Lin Xing explained the mechanics of these scams, she began to understand.

After lunch, Lin Xing received a call from Zheng Zhou. With the Lunar New Year only days away, Zheng wanted to start recording their new variety show, *Depart Immediately*.

"Minnie, this wasn't part of the show's plan, was it?" Lin Xing asked after hanging up.

"It really wasn't," Minnie replied. Before she could finish, her own phone rang. "Okay, I understand. I'm on my way." She hung up and smiled. "This is perfect. We can promote our current episode and the new show, *Depart Immediately*, at the same time."

They headed to Zheng Zhou's studio. In the car, Minnie was excited. This episode was turning out to be full of surprises—Lin Xing’s high emotional intelligence and honesty made for great content. They decided that this episode would air on February 4th, which was the beginning of spring and only five days before the Lunar New Year. It would be a tight schedule, but as is common in the industry, the post-production team would simply have to endure.

An hour and a half later, they arrived. During the ride, Lin Xing continued to promote his upcoming projects. Despite the long journey, the atmosphere was never dull.

When they arrived, Lin Xing saw Cao Xiang next to Ren Yi. "What a coincidence," he laughed.

"Coincidence? I invited him here specifically," Ren Yi said, looking at the camera crew behind them in surprise. "What are you two planning?"

"We're recording a program," Lin Xing explained.

"Minnie, you're efficient," Ren Yi said, giving her a thumbs-up. "Two days and you're already filming."

"Brother Yi, we're still rolling. Want to say a few words?" Minnie asked.

"No, let Cao Xiang do it. He’s good at this," Ren Yi said, pulling Cao Xiang toward the camera.

"Oh? Minnie, what are you doing?" Zheng Zhou walked over, feigning surprise. "Why are you already recording?"

"Brother Zhou, I was filming with Lin Xing today, and when I got your call, I thought we should just come together," Minnie said. She had already messaged him on the way, but they had to make it look like a surprise.