This is what a true variety show should be like! (Please add to your favorites)

After her conversation with her fifth grandfather, Su Yunjin returned to her room and began planning her entry into the entertainment industry.

The immediate problem she faced was her lack of connections within that world. Even if she had some, the network inside the entertainment circle was fundamentally different from that outside. There, people were far more hypocritical and insincere, and if she acted as the heir of the Seven Gates, the sect might be dragged into future scandals.

All things considered, her current situation was that of an unknown, yet central, mentor figure. Another issue was her own popularity. She was known to some extent, but nowhere near the level her fifth grandfather had envisioned—where she could bring honor to the cultural domain of China, let alone reform the entertainment industry.

Thus, her first step was to boost her popularity and attract attention.

“Even though many look down on internet celebrities, one has to admit that sometimes, popularity is the greatest resource,” Su Yunjin mused as she reviewed her list of pros and cons. In the end, she set her sights on gaining traction and fame.

For her, this was not a difficult task. In the entertainment business, it might be hard to keep a low profile, but there are a thousand and one ways to make a splash. The real challenge was sustaining popularity and prestige after breaking through.

Her plan was simple: act boldly and decisively. Once this Mid-Autumn Festival passed and she dissolved her engagement—freeing herself from the obstacle named Lu Yiqing—she would create a storm in the entertainment world.

The next day dawned.

It was Mid-Autumn Festival.

Since she wasn’t at Zong Mountain, Su Yunjin spent the holiday in a rather subdued manner. But online, the C-Position Girl Group’s Mid-Autumn Special ignited a new wave of buzz.

Thanks to savvy management, news of the C-Position Girl Group’s special episode quickly dominated entertainment trending lists.

“Why is this show always online? Is there nothing else going on in entertainment this year?”

“Having wealthy sponsors is truly a blessing—even if the show’s mediocre, it gets pushed to the top.”

Hu Yue, an ordinary university student, was home for the holiday like countless others. Her family’s Mid-Autumn celebrations were always the same: dumplings or sweet rice balls, a day spent lounging around.

But this year, Hu Yue found a new pastime—criticizing the C-Position Girl Group online.

The show had been chasing clicks since its inception; at first, it was tolerable, but over time, it became irritating.

She had thought the show would pause for the holiday, but to her surprise, they released a special episode. More bought traffic, more trending hashtags—it was getting on her nerves.

“But honestly, it’s actually quite entertaining,” someone in her group chat countered after Hu Yue’s rant.

“What’s entertaining? It’s just a bunch of people fooling around,” Hu Yue retorted unhappily.

Her discontent had another reason: this year, certain western nations had again mocked Chinese people for not knowing how to celebrate Mid-Autumn, even attempting to claim the festival as their own cultural heritage. Such shameless behavior had stirred widespread anger.

Thinking about the mockery of her own country's traditions, and the lack of any real change after public outcry, Hu Yue felt a surge of indignation, making her resent all variety shows piggybacking on the festival. Now, people seemed to have forgotten past humiliations.

It was infuriating!

With her fingers poised over the keyboard, Hu Yue prepared for battle. But the next moment, the person who had countered her earlier spoke up again, “It’s more than just fooling around—they played the ‘Flying Flower Game.’ They’re about to start guessing lantern riddles, and this morning, the group members went to honor martyrs at a memorial garden. Oh, and there’s melon-stealing and vegetable-picking—I never knew that carving faces onto gourds and vegetables is a Halloween tradition abroad, but here, it’s a blessing for families struggling with infertility.”

“Yes, it’s actually really romantic.”

“I feel so happy watching them play together.”

“And the singing contest, reciting ‘Memorial to Yueyang Tower’—I was laughing so hard.”

“Did you see the Thousand Character Classic segment? When they recited it, I felt so proud.”

A single comment stirred a torrent of responses. People from all corners flooded Hu Yue’s chat, lively discussions sweeping in and leaving her stunned.

Flying Flower Game.

Guessing lantern riddles at the festival.

Honoring martyrs at the memorial garden.

Stealing melons and picking vegetables at night.

The C-Position Girl Group was using cultural traditions to attract viewers—so refined and elegant?

Curious now, Hu Yue went online and started watching the show.

“This is our traditional festival, and this segment happens only once a year on Mid-Autumn.”

“Flying Flower Game is the most popular traditional pastime in China. The rules: each team member must recite a poem containing the word ‘flower,’ no more than seven characters.”

“The lantern riddle segment…”

The Mid-Autumn Special lasted only an hour and a half, but the games were all new to her.

Though the members were girl group idols on stage, for a moment, Hu Yue felt she was watching a gathering of cultured scholars at play.

She watched the episode twice—many others watched it multiple times as well, not just passively, but actively seeking out information to learn more. At the very least, people were searching online to verify what they saw.

Compared to their usual routines, viewers’ astonishment was palpable.

“Oh wow, is it really like this?”

“Our traditional Mid-Autumn Festival is actually so grand?”

“I realize now—we weren’t celebrating Mid-Autumn, we were just going through the motions.”

“If this is how Mid-Autumn is celebrated, now I understand why Su Shi wrote about the joys and sorrows of human reunion and the waxing and waning of the moon. With so much festivity, anyone left alone would surely feel homesick.”

Shock.

Praise flooded in.

Suddenly, someone brought up the earlier attempt by western nations to claim Mid-Autumn as their own, and emotions surged even higher.

“We’ve been too careless with our own Mid-Autumn.”

“I’m crying—this is really what our festival should look like.”

“I desperately want those people abroad to see—this is our Mid-Autumn.”

“Exactly. The director of this show put so much heart into it—I’ve become a C-Position Girl Group fan.”

“To be honest, talent shows never moved me, but this time I truly fell in love.”

The show’s popularity soared.

It dominated the top of the charts.

Soon, the C-Position Girl Group’s Mid-Autumn Special became the number one headline in entertainment news.

But it didn’t end there. At noon, the official Huayang network singled out the show for praise.

“Inheriting and promoting traditional culture, blending reality TV with educational content—this is what variety shows should be!”