APCF -Chapter 25 (2)

As usual, after the meal, it was time to announce the mission.

In order to have more watching points, the four members of the directing team had worked through the night to change the task last night, increasing the difficulty and tension levels, and even buried a few fuses.

Hmph, just don’t believe that that little demon can’t be controlled.

Director Zhao picked up the loudspeaker with a smug look on his face, “Let me talk about today’s task hah—“

“Aiyoh, you all are busy?!”

At that moment, a woman rushed through the doorway. She was in her fifties, dressed in shabby yet clean clothes, with her hair coiled at the back of her head and not one strand out of place.

It was precisely the same Widow Sun who had lent the quilt to Qi Xingchen earlier on.

The courtyard was full of people; she paused in her footsteps, fingers twisting the hem of her clothing, “Excuse me, I’ll come back later.”

“No need!” Qi Xingchen hurriedly called out to stop her, “Auntie Sun, just say it bah.”

He had promised Widow Sun before that she could come to Zeng’s house to find him if there was anything the matter. Now that she seemed very frantic, she must have had something urgent that she needed help with.

Just as expected, Widow Sun said, “My daughter is having a wedding banquet tomorrow, but the Master of Ceremonies ate something bad this morning, had food poisoning and was hospitalised. Child, I see that your looks are pretty and your speech is also crisp, could you see if you can help Auntie handle the intermissions?”

Word of a large video platform coming to record a programme had spread in the village early on, and Widow Sun knew about Qi Xingchen’s identity as an entertainer.

With both the originally determined Master of Ceremonies suddenly hospitalised and being unable to grab anyone else at the last moment, her first reaction was to come over and find Qi Xingchen.

Qi Xingchen, who had always been a man of his word, agreed on the spot: “Okay, I’ll go with you right now.”

“Eh?” Director Zhao promptly blocked him, “You’re still recording the programme!”

“Oh oh, sorry Director Zhao,” Qi Xingchen drew out a card, “I’ll use the PASS card to pass today’s mission. You guys record first, I’ll come to you later in the evening to beg for forgiveness.”

Having said that, Qi Xingchen and Widow Sun hurriedly went away.

Director Zhao, who had taken great pains to heighten the mission’s difficulty and was eager to try trapping Qi Xingchen, was in tearless grief.

This kid, was quite fucking blessed with good fortune ah……

Director Zhao was so furious that he stood with arms akimbo; Bo Ye swept his gaze in the direction of where Qi Xingchen had disappeared and furrowed his brows.

But none of this was seen by Qi Xingchen, as he had already arrived at Widow Sun’s house.

In the neat and bright hall, the relatives of both the bridegroom and bride were gathered together, and like ants on a hot pan, they were anxiously running around in circles.

As soon as Widow Sun pushed open the door, the bridegroom’s mother immediately went to her: “Finally found someone…… How come he’s a child?”

Widow Sun smiled apologetically: “He’s a celebrity, there is absolutely no problem with his eloquence!”

“A celebrity? But I’ve never seen him on TV before……”

The bridegroom’s mother looked at him left and right; the more she looked, the more she thought Qi Xingchen looked like a flower rack, just a youth without facial hair that cannot be relied upon.

However, at that moment she could not think of any other way. The bridegroom’s mother reluctantly waved her hand: “Forget it, forget it. I hope it will be like what you said. Ai, look, if my son wants a house he can have a house, if he wants a car he can get a car. Now that he’s marrying your family’s daughter, we didn’t ask you all to do anything else, but even just hiring a Master of Ceremonies can go wrong. I’m telling you, my son’s mother-in-law, if the wedding banquet is not held well, I won’t fork out a single cent for the Master of Ceremonies’ pay ah.”

At these words, Widow Sun’s expression showed embarrassment and did not utter a word.

From the way the bridegroom’s mother treated Widow Sun, Qi Xingchen could see that the bridegroom’s family had taken advantage of the fact that they were better off than the bride’s family, already pinching Widow Sun who was an orphaned and widowed mother.

“Sure.”

Without hesitation, Qi Xingchen promised on behalf of Widow Sun, “But my price is twice as much as the other Masters of Ceremonies. If I host well, you must pay according to what was established. With your family’s position, this small amount of money should be affordable bah.”

“……” The bridegroom’s mother froze, then said through gritted teeth, “What’s there to be unaffordable!”

“Xingxing.” Widow Sun pulled Qi Xingchen back, her voice urgent.

Qi Xingchen patted her on the arm, hinting at her not to worry.

Despite this child’s young age, he gave off a very steadfast feeling. With her heart settling back in her stomach, the widow tacitly agreed to Qi Xingchen’s statement and began to lead him through the customs for him to familiarise.

The customs here were not complicated and it didn’t take long for Qi Xingchen to finish learning them. Widow Sun then brought him to the hall to recce.

The hall was located between Yangshan village and another village, with an open-air stage and a spacious floor covered with a red carpet.

Anything that he needed: the sound system, microphone and other equipment were all available. Although the quality was not good, it was superior in being loud enough. With a shout, anyone in the vicinity within 1 li distance can all hear it.

After looking at the front stage, Qi Xingchen ran backstage to have a look around. In the old-fashioned cabinets, there were fake plastic flowers, bubble makers and other sundries.

Immediately afterwards, his gaze was drawn to the little red hill piled up in the corner — it was a complete set of lion dance props. As it had been left there for too long, there was a thin layer of dust coating it.

Qi Xingchen took them out one by one, gently wiped the dirt off the lion head’s eyes, and after hearing from the auditorium manager that no one wanted them, he packed them up and took them back to Zeng’s house.

By the time he had finished writing his script and planned the programme, the hour hand of the clock had reached 11o’clock. He put on the lion head, and did a few moves around the courtyard in the moonlight.

Then he slapped his forehead in regret.

If one does not count the guiding ball person, the lion dance would require a minimum of two performers working in synergy!

Now that there was only him, how was the dance supposed to happen?!

“What is going on?”

Just as he was worrying himself into a panic, Bo Ye’s voice came from behind him, “Met a challenge?”

“……En,” Qi Xingchen responded, then told him truth, “I wanted to do a lion dance during Auntie Sun’s family’s wedding banquet, but there is not enough manpower.”

Bo Ye looked at the drooping corners of his eyes, “What are the qualifications needed for the lion dance?”

“A body that is flexible and agile, best if one has a little foundation in dance, I can teach the rest.”

“Okay, I got it.”

When Bo Ye finished speaking, he picked up the lion costume that was aside them, quickly slipped it onto himself.

His figure was so excellent that he was still slender and graceful in this sort of costume. He didn’t look like he was going to do a lion dance, but rather like he was going to walk down a fashion runway

Qi Xingchen’s eyes darted around wildly, a little afraid to ascertain it: “Senior, you…… are going to help me with the lion dance?”

Ai, Bo Ye couldn’t help but sigh.

Unfortunately, this was his own fan, so even if he wanted to scold or hit him, he couldn’t. Bo Ye reached his hand out to right the lion head on the other’s head, then said in a low voice:

“It’s very late, Teacher Xingxing, start the class quickly bah.”