The associate director who approached didn't speak right away; instead, he looked at Xu An, who was wearing light makeup in the mirror, and nodded with great satisfaction.
Xu An was naturally handsome, and the light makeup made his features stand out even more.
"The director has agreed to add you to the guest lineup for the first episode. How much longer do you need?"
The associate director shifted his gaze from Xu An to Xiao Liu, who was currently styling his hair.
"About another four or five minutes should do it."
Xiao Liu didn't stop what he was doing and gave an estimate after a brief moment of thought.
The associate director nodded again, deciding the timing was just right, and then looked at the laptop on Xu An's lap. "Is the backing track ready? Do you have a flash drive?"
"I don't have a flash drive, but I've already emailed the accompaniment track to the show's official inbox," Xu An replied.
Because he didn't have the habit of carrying a flash drive around, Xu An had prepared in advance.
"Email..."
The associate director muttered under his breath, then reached out and patted Xu An on the shoulder. Without saying anything more, he turned to leave.
Just as he was turning away, he suddenly paused and asked, "What's the name of this song?"
"Watching the Murals," Xu An answered calmly.
"Watching the Murals... Nice name." The associate director smiled, then turned and strode away.
...
In front of the Mogao Caves.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, surrounded by a myriad of twinkling stars.
"Quick, set up those printed murals! Why is there still a blank spot in the bottom right corner of the Four Flying Apsaras mural on the right? What on earth is the props crew doing? Cover it up immediately!
And that bonfire, for crying out loud, use the leaf blower to fan the flames higher! What is a tiny little spark like that supposed to accomplish?!
Hey, hey, hey, don't blow it randomly! You're going to set the guests' sofas on fire!"
The floor director held the script in his hand, standing nearby and directing the crew on the placement of every single prop.
Several spotlights shone brightly in the center of the area, illuminating it as bright as day.
The associate director was sweating profusely. Just as he finally caught a breather, the floor director called him over.
"That guy named Xu An—can he really pull his weight for this episode?"
The floor director was quite exhausted himself, with a light film of sweat clinging to the tip of his nose. With early autumn now upon them, it wasn't exactly sweltering, but it certainly wasn't cool either.
"Xu An will be fine. I went to the dressing room to check on him. You really have a sharp eye for talent, Director; this kid has the exact look of a star. Absolutely no problem."
The associate director flattered him with a bit of sycophancy, which the floor director took in stride with a laugh and a scold: "You're always so quick with that glib tongue of yours. Since that's the case, we'll leave it at that for now. Right, are the guests and the scholars all ready?"
"All prepared. Once we finish setting things up here, the guests and those scholars will arrive right on schedule."
The associate director patted his chest in guarantee—after all, he had just communicated with them moments ago and was certain there wouldn't be any slip-ups.
The floor director nodded with satisfaction, seeming to have completely forgotten about the incident with Du Hui.
He raised his wrist to check the time: five minutes until eight o'clock sharp.
"Go give the word. Have the guests and scholars get ready to take their places. At eight o'clock, the host will step out from the caves, and the real show will begin."
At that moment, the floor director's heart was beating furiously.
This show had been personally designated and arranged by the higher-ups. To revitalize the Chinese music scene, the authorities attached immense importance to this program.
While foreign entertainment industries were flourishing, China—despite its massive population—was being thoroughly outmatched by foreign competitors in film, television, and music.
This had led to a sluggish domestic entertainment sector. The higher-ups in China wanted to revitalize the entertainment industry, which was why they had created a musical variety show centered around the rivers and mountains of the motherland.
It was also meant to remind all celebrities and artists that with China's vast and profound cultural heritage spanning five thousand years, they could never afford to lose to outsiders.
From this, one could imagine just how immense the pressure on the floor director's shoulders truly was.
Every single guest participating in this show was an immensely influential figure in the Chinese music scene.
Among them was Chu Xingjun, hailed as the "Little Diva" of the Mandarin pop music scene. At only twenty-six years old, she was just four years older than Xu An, yet her achievements were worlds apart.
There was also Xu Xingmo, known as the "Sweet Song Little Diva" of Mandarin pop, who was one year older than Chu Xingjun and had likewise been invited by the production team.
With just the star power of these two alone, it might be an exaggeration to say they could upend the entire Chinese music scene, but they could undoubtedly make a massive impact.
Not to mention that Zhuang Rong—a towering, titan-like figure in the Chinese music world—was also participating in the show, pushing its intrinsic value off the charts.
One had to realize that Zhuang Rong was celebrated as a national-level powerhouse vocalist; in the hearts of middle-aged audiences, she was an absolute powerhouse who swept away all competition.
Then there was the Rock King, Zhuo Tianrui, who was an irreplaceable idol in the hearts of those same middle-aged viewers.
Even Du Hui, who had recently been caught in bed with another, was a massively trending star this year.
Crafted by CCTV, *Composing China's Rivers and Mountains* boasted an absolutely glamorous lineup for a musical variety show.
Even the host had not been overlooked: they had chosen Zhu Shi, CCTV's premier top-tier host, whose professional competence was beyond question.
With a lineup like this, let alone within domestic musical variety shows, it would command absolute attention even on a global scale.
...
As time ticked away second by second, the crew finished preparing the site.
The stage was set up directly in front of the Mogao Caves, with prints of famous Mogao murals erected in the background.
At the front of the stage sat a simple bonfire made of burning wood inside an iron basin.
Not far around the bonfire, brownish-yellow single-person sofas were arranged, blending harmoniously with the color of the surrounding sandy ground.
It had somewhat of a cozy salon gathering feel to it.
With the floor director's order given, the crew quickly cleared out of the shooting area. Guided by the associate director, the guests entered one after another, taking their seats in an orderly fashion.
Among them were even a few elderly men with thinning hair, dressed in Western suits or traditional Tang suits. Their number was small—just three of them.
These three sat right in the center, while the five guests were seated on either side.
Xu An had been arranged by the associate director to sit on the outermost sofa. As he took his seat, the other four guests all looked over at him with slight confusion in their eyes.
The original five had already met during the production team's preliminary meetings, but Xu An's unfamiliar face left the four of them somewhat suspicious. Had the production team swapped someone out at the last minute?
Still, none of them said anything about it; they merely glanced at him briefly before looking away.
Xu An hadn't changed his outfit: a white button-down shirt paired with sky-blue jeans and white sneakers—simple and clean.
Sitting on the sofa, Xu An looked over the other four guests with curious eyes. In his heart, he already knew their identities, and the realization inevitably sent a wave of nervousness through him.
Whether it was a little diva, a national-level singer, or a rock king, a lineup like this made him break out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, he was only filling in as a temporary guest, which allowed Xu An to relax just a fraction.
His gaze drifted to the two beauties sitting opposite him. One of them wore a sheer gown, her long hair meticulously styled into a bun, clearly carrying an exotic flair that blended enthusiasm with a hint of shyness.
The other wore slim-fit jeans and a white tight-fitting half-sleeve shirt, her smooth black hair tied into double ponytails, giving her the look of the girl-next-door—playful yet carrying a subtle aura of an older, sophisticated woman.
Both possessed breathtaking looks and stunning figures.
The former was Xu Xingmo, and the latter was Chu Xingjun.
To Xu An's surprise, he had ended up matching outfits with Chu Xingjun.