Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Chen Ling had just finished a day's work and was driving away from Yangcheng Television Station.

During the National Day, her new interview program "Ling's Listening" premiered online, and the audience's reaction was unexpectedly positive, with ratings soaring above similar programs by a significant margin.

With this success, she had cemented her place at Yangcheng Television Station, having just completed the third episode's shoot.

The traffic was jammed on the way, with the night sky darkening outside the car windows and the city lights just turning on, horns blaring one after another. A friend called, and she casually answered on speakerphone.

"Hello?"

"Ling, have you seen the gossip about the Spring Festival Gala report?" her friend asked excitedly.

"No." Chen Ling noticed the car ahead moving forward, and she immediately followed, staring at the red sea of taillights in front of her, "I've been a bit busy with work recently."

"Didn't you already get your program up and running? Who are you planning to invite as the next guest?"

"Guan Xiyu, they're still considering it."

"Ah, the actress who recently shot to fame, she has the potential to be the nation's sweetheart," her friend said, astonished, "She probably won't accept it, right? She must be busy doing variety shows."

"Not sure, we have other options." Chen Ling replied indifferently, "I'm not holding out too much hope. A new show needs to try various things, so far our guests haven't been very famous."

"What do you mean?" the friend on the phone raised their voice, expressing their doubt, "Your first episode's guest, Xu Qingyan, went to the Spring Festival Gala as one of the creative team, and also..."

"Spring Festival Gala?" Chen Ling braked hard.

The traffic was so congested that it was impossible to move, and the stifling space suddenly fell quiet, leaving only her friend's voice on the phone temporarily drowning out the blare of horns outside.

"Yeah, it seems she's part of the Chang'an venue," her friend continued, "Didn't you see? Someone posted doubts about the integrity of the venue, and the internet is nearly exploding with discussion."

Xu Qingyan?

Chen Ling gripped the steering wheel, her impression of Xu Qingyan still fixed on their last interview. That episode was the debut of "Ling's Listening," and Qingyan had been a huge help.

Such a complex and controversial figure had boosted the show's ratings to the max.

But... although Chen Ling admired Qingyan's songwriting ability, the Spring Festival Gala was, after all, special. That place selects actors, and a blacklist could exclude half of the entertainment industry's stars.

Moreover, the main creative team is usually chosen based on experience and ability.

"Ling, did you know? Even more amazingly, Qingyan wrote a song in response," her friend's loud voice echoed in the car, "It's called 'Blue and White Porcelain,' and it's simply sensational."

"Do you know how good that song is? It's full of traditional Chinese style. I'm not exaggerating, I think this song could go straight to the Spring Festival Gala, it's really impressive."

Chen Ling was stunned; there was a follow-up, writing a song?

Distracted for a moment, the traffic inched forward, and honking from behind prompted her to hurriedly drive forward. Once she stopped, she asked.

"What song?"

"Just search for 'Blue and White Porcelain,'" her friend was still laughing, "It's really brilliant, I shouldn't say this, but it feels like your show could ride this wave of popularity." Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

After quickly hanging up the phone, Chen Ling was still pondering over that conversation.

After parking her car in the residential garage, without even unbuckling her seatbelt, she pulled out her phone and found the original post.

Seeing the unabashed and straightforward language, Chen Ling couldn't help but chuckle. Qingyan hadn't changed at all, still so direct in her criticism.

But that was normal; what's a young person if not passionate? This fits perfectly with Chen Ling's stereotype of a genius, and she even thought it was very "Qingyan."

Some talented young people indeed seem less constrained by social niceties.

Chen Ling clicked on the song "Blue and White Porcelain" and listened to its delicate, melodious tune. Unlike the usual music, only one thought occupied her mind.

As the intro played, it felt like time to go on stage to accept an award.

A crisp sound of wooden clappers followed by the ethereal strains of a zither. Judging by the intro alone, there was no doubt this was a quality work transcending the current market standards.

No wonder her usually critical friend couldn't stop praising it, simply repeating, "You'll know once you listen."

"The outline rendered in blue ink, the brushstroke turns from thick to light..."

From "the sky is blue like misty rain, and I am waiting for you," to "smoke from kitchen chimneys faintly rises, across a river a thousand miles away," step by step, from "koi," "kiln firing," "embroidery needle."

In the end, "banana leaves provoke the sudden rain, the door knocker incites verdigris," the lyrics and melody of this song are flawlessly beautiful, like a clear spring in the murky river of music.

So beautifully written, Chen Ling, being a host, naturally enjoyed reading as a way to accumulate cultural background and enhance her professional skills.

She knew that "sky blue" is a color associated with wood-fired kilns, which precede the Ru kilns. The origin of "sky blue" comes from a saying by Chai Rong of the Five Dynasties, "After the rain, the sky clears where the clouds break apart."

Due to the material used, Ru kilns were extremely rare. And although "sky blue" isn't the color of blue and white porcelain, it's the color of Ru ware, yet still so stunning it takes one's breath away.

After listening to the entire song, Chen Ling remained in a daze for a long time, rare for a song to tickle her fancy like this. It made all her casual reading worthwhile, hitting just the right spot.

This cultural collision, the rich but silent fragrance, was intoxicating.

She didn't know how she got home, but when she came to her senses, she was already sitting in front of her computer. Her body was too excited to feel hunger.

After some thought, she turned on her computer and started writing an analysis post on Weibo.

Xu Qingyan was the first guest on "Ling's Listening," and his role in enhancing the show's popularity was crucial, so Chen Ling naturally hoped he would go even further.

The title was "The Unique Traditional Chinese Style Song, 'Blue and White Porcelain,'" and the post began with a detailed analysis of the song.

"Traditional Chinese style has the three olds and three news," the post began, "old poems, old culture, old melodies. The three news are new singing techniques, new arrangements, new concepts."