Zhou Chenyan · Chat

On the set of a rural lifestyle variety show, Zhou Chenyan sat on a small stool amidst a sun-drenched cornfield. He pulled off his rough white work gloves and tossed them aside, next to a basket already piled high with harvested corn. The director called for a short break before they continued snapping corn, claiming this was meant to give the guests a taste of authentic rural life—all while eating a popsicle himself. Ignoring the stares around him, Zhou Chenyan pulled his phone from his pocket and began scrolling. He barely had time to look at it before it was snatched away. A staff member pocketed it, confiscating the device on the grounds that phones weren't allowed on the show. Forced to cool himself down with a small handheld fan, Zhou Chenyan felt a wave of inexplicable irritation. "..."