Chapter 227: A War
Lu Xu, Shao Yao, and Zheng Xiao, as the “Mountain Bike Group,” never liked putting on airs as senior figures. To this day, there had never been any rumors online about the three of them acting like divas. In fact, Lu Xu even had a reputation for “curing diva behavior.”
Whether people had watched one or two episodes or not, Light and Shadow Journey had already aired three episodes. By now, everyone had a clear understanding of what kind of personalities Lu Xu and the others had.
The first two episodes had taken place in rivers and deserts, while this one was set in the mountains, with climbing as the guests’ primary task.
Since Light and Shadow Journey was not one of those shows that cut costs and made guests manage budgets, the production team had prepared plenty of food and drinks for them in advance. Some people hiked up the mountain carrying bubble tea, while others brought snacks.
Initially, the production team had thought that carrying bubble tea seemed undignified. However, since every region had its own signature flavors, when Lu Xu was seen holding a cup from a particular brand in the previous episode, fans had listed out all the must-try flavors from that brand the very next day.
The filming location naturally welcomed this kind of “marketing.”
In fact, ever since Lu Xu and the others had joined this season of Light and Shadow Journey, fans had thoroughly analyzed everything they wore and used. Most of Lu Xu’s casual outfits were from G-brand, while his sportswear choices were more varied. Almost as soon as people identified the T-shirts and sneakers he wore, they sold out completely.
[Lu Xu… a god-tier influencer.]
[He makes everything look so good—it’s hard not to want to buy it. I even went to the store and got a men’s version for myself, and surprisingly, it fit me really well.]
[LOL, I bought one for my boyfriend, and sure enough, clothes really do depend on the face wearing them.]
G-brand wasn’t affordable for everyone, but sports brands were a different story. It was well known that among celebrities, Lu Xu wasn’t particularly into fashion trends. Yet, even when he wore the most common and widely available items from a brand, they still looked unexpectedly stylish on him.
They hiked up the mountain cheerfully, carrying snacks. At first, the experience felt fresh—the trail wasn’t too steep, and the climb had a certain novelty to it.
Lu Yiyang and two others, wanting to prove their strength, pushed off with their legs and sprinted uphill. Zheng Xiao, unwilling to fall behind, joined the race. Although Lu Xu and Shao Yao hadn’t intended to run, since the others had already taken off, it wouldn’t have felt right for them to stroll leisurely behind.
Viewers had expected an exhilarating race up the mountain—a youthful display of energy from young filmmakers. They imagined the group reaching the summit, reminiscing about movie scenes, watching the sunset together, and singing the film’s theme song—just like in the previous two episodes.
After all, Light and Shadow Journey was always warm and leisurely.
However, the mood suddenly shifted. Lu Yiyang was the first to run out of stamina, followed by Zheng Xiao. Surprisingly, Lu Xu and Shao Yao turned out to have the most endurance. The two of them casually followed the others and ended up sitting on the steps, unwrapping snacks and sipping bubble tea.
This mountain was a well-known scenic spot, frequently visited by tourists. With the production crew resting there, passersby couldn’t help but glance over. Some recognized Lu Xu and eagerly greeted him, asking if they could take photos together.
With the director’s approval, the photographers helped snap several group pictures.
[So jealous! Ahhh!]
[The photographer’s skills are incredible—Lu Xu and the fans all look so vibrant and full of life!]
At first, the audience thought this episode was about the guests interacting with tourists and creating a lively, cheerful atmosphere.
But then—just as Lu Xu and the others were happily replenishing their energy with snacks after the photos, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a troop of monkeys.
Audience: “……”
This turn of events made it seem like the production team had planned it, but no matter how creative they were, they couldn’t have scripted a scenario where the guests were ambushed and blocked by a gang of monkeys.
[Hahahaha, they just got mugged!]
The monkeys showed no mercy. Lu Yiyang and Zheng Xiao’s bubble teas were snatched right out of their hands. Zheng Xiao tried to protect his drink and made a quick move to dodge, but the monkeys were even quicker—they swiped it before he could react.
Zheng Xiao’s drink was strawberry-flavored, loaded with toppings like taro balls, popping boba, and coconut jelly. Lu Yiyang had a classic pearl milk tea. But in a hilarious twist, after taking a sip of Zheng Xiao’s drink, the monkey looked unimpressed and tossed it aside after just one sip. Meanwhile, Lu Yiyang’s pearl milk tea was savored carefully, the monkey drinking it with great enthusiasm.
Lu Xu’s snacks were snatched the fastest. Before he could even take a bite, the monkey was already munching loudly.
[Useless men.]
[LOL, Lu Xu is literally me—standing there dumbfounded with no way to deal with the monkey boss.]
[Ahhhhh, the monkeys are even rummaging through their bags now! Lu Yiyang finally snapped out of it and tried to guard his backpack… but failed.]
[Monkeys vs. Guests: Total Knockout!]
The cameraman captured the entire scene without any mercy, and the editors didn’t hold back either. Not even a sliver of dignity was spared for the guests—everything was included in the final cut.
[So brutal! I just want to say—can we get more of this, please?]
[LOL, ultimate dumbfounded expressions compilation.]
The most ridiculous part? After Lu Yiyang’s failed attempt to protect his food, the others instantly realized what was happening. What followed was a full-blown chase scene on the mountain steps—a chaotic race between the guests and the monkeys.
You could tell just how fast they were running from how much the cameraman’s footage was shaking.
But unfortunately, the second battle still ended with all the guests being knocked out.
Not only had they failed to outrun the monkeys, but they also had to turn back to pick up the bubble tea cups and snack wrappers that the monkeys had devoured and then tossed aside.
[Useless men +2.]
[It was so pathetic—it truly could be described as a chaotic scramble to escape. Couldn’t one monkey possibly keep this troop of monkeys in check?]
[Hahaha, I was utterly dumbfounded the moment the monkeys appeared, and the way things unfolded afterward—hahaha—was far more entertaining than any carefully crafted script!]
[I laughed so hard—the production team really knew how to stir things up. After the scene in which Lu Xu and the others were chased by monkeys, they secretly changed the title of the third episode.]
[Hahaha, it turned out that this episode was originally called ‘Seeking the Mountain,’ but they secretly renamed it ‘Embarrassment.’]
What shocked the audience the most was that the three close friends from the “Mountain Bike Group” even reenacted the scene in which Zheng Xiao’s bicycle had been stolen. On the mountain path, while being chased by monkeys, the three frantically tried to distract the monkeys, hoping that one of them could cover the rear.
In such circumstances, it was usually the unassuming Shao Yao who suffered the most.
This time, Shao Yao once again became the one who had to confront the arrogant monkeys head-on.
[It was so pathetic, lol—I suddenly understood the true meaning of ‘running off at the drop of a hat.’]
[Lu Xu and Zheng Xiao, behave like human beings—how far were you going to push poor Shao Yao?!?]
[Light and Shadow Journey had actually turned into ‘Chased by Monkeys,’ and the might of the Great Sage was certainly not something ordinary mortals could easily surpass!]
The harder the monkeys chased the guests, the more intense the discussion in the comment barrage became. Many viewers even rewound to the moment when Lu Xu and the others were first surrounded by monkeys, leaving a warning message: “High-energy alert ahead!”
On social media, as soon as the chaotic battle between the guests and the monkeys aired, marketing accounts wasted no time posting screenshots of Lu Xu and the others in their most disheveled states.
Light and Shadow Journey’s popularity skyrocketed.
The previous episode had already ranked third on the variety show charts, but this episode soared even higher. When Lu Xu and the others got surrounded by monkeys, the show’s real-time viewership shot up to second place. As the scene continued to gain traction, it eventually pushed the ratings to number one!
[Watch monkeys in a civilized manner.]
[Are you referring to the real monkeys or the human ones?]
[LOL, this is a true case of ‘monkeys boosting the ratings’—how could such a coincidence even happen?!]
[I actually respect the guests a little now.]
[Hahaha, Lu Yiyang sprinted all the way to the top and completely forgot about his dear mentor, Lu Xu. After escaping the monkey siege, he suddenly realized he had left Lu Xu stranded in the middle of the chaos—he was sweating bullets.]
[Lu Yiyang is literally me at work.]
[Telling my boss I have a car, only to show up on an electric scooter to drive them to a meeting.]
[LOL, he looked so panicked! But honestly, Lu Xu isn’t scary at all, is he?]
What impressed viewers the most was that despite experiencing a full-scale showdown with monkeys—and even the director getting pelted with snacks thrown by them—the guests still managed to reach the summit and eloquently discuss the scenery and film references. They didn’t let the prior chaos disrupt their promotional segment at all.
[They may not be professional long-distance runners, but they’re definitely actors who do their homework!]
[So impressive!!]
After Light and Shadow Journey claimed the top spot in ratings, the show remained at number one on the variety show rankings from the moment this episode aired until the very end.
Even viewers who had no interest in movies had now heard of a program called Light and Shadow Journey produced by Huayu TV.
The network executives were overjoyed.
Although the variety show was produced by Huayu TV, it was a collaborative effort with the relevant film and television departments, designed to serve both promotional and educational purposes. When it was first conceived, Huayu TV had not set high expectations for its viewership performance.
This type of variety show usually received good reviews but often struggled to appeal to a broad audience. It worked fine as a travel program, but if the pacing was too slow and lacked major highlights, its ratings tended to be mediocre at best.
And yet, this very show had unexpectedly become the ratings champion of the weekend.
To be precise, Light and Shadow Journey had exceeded Huayu TV’s expectations from the very first episode.
When Lu Xu was confirmed as a guest, the executives had considered the fact that his presence would at least ensure the show wouldn’t go unnoticed. There would undoubtedly be buzz surrounding it. However, they had never envisioned just how high the ratings could climb.
In recent years, variety shows had been offering increasingly high appearance fees, leading many actors known for their “low profile” to transition into the variety show circuit—including some major stars. However, having big-name celebrities on board didn’t necessarily guarantee good ratings. More often than not, a guest’s ability to generate engaging moments and discussions was more important than their star power.
The last time Lu Xu had participated in a variety show was before he entered the film industry. Light and Shadow Journey was the only program he had ever filmed in its entirety—this was certainly something the show could use as a selling point for promotion. But as for how effective it would be, that remained an unknown factor.
If Huayu TV were to summarize the success of Light and Shadow Journey, the executives could only attribute it to “Lu Xu’s Metaphysical Variety Show Effect.”
Lu Xu’s audience appeal had expanded from the television drama industry to the film industry, and now, it had finally reached variety shows.
With the success of the first three episodes, the fourth episode naturally garnered even greater attention.
Although the show’s ratings weren’t soaring with each episode, they remained consistently strong, maintaining a stable audience base. Thanks to the enthusiastic recommendations of the guests, more and more movies became familiar to the viewers. The filming locations featured in the first two episodes saw an explosion in tourist visits, giving a significant boost to local tourism.
Notably, in the third episode, the milk teas that Lu Yiyang and Zheng Xiao had been drinking were now prominently labeled by the store:
[Zheng Xiao’s Monkey Snatching Special]
[Lu Yiyang’s Monkey’s Favorite]
The audience: “……”
[Now that’s what I call business sense.]
[Not a single mention of how the monkey hated Zheng Xiao’s drink? Seriously, store owner?]
[LOL, they’re looping Light and Shadow Journey clips in the shop. Please, have some mercy on our ‘Embarrassed’ crew. Is losing to monkeys something to be proud of? Can’t they suffer in silence?]
[I bought Zheng Xiao’s ‘Monkey Snatching Special’… Honestly, there were way too many toppings. I’m not a monkey, and even I don’t like it.]
[Wait… saying it like that makes it sound like Zheng Xiao himself is a monkey. It should be called ‘Zheng Xiao’s Monkey Snatching—Zheng Xiao’s Defeat Edition’ to truly capture the intensity of the battle.]
Zheng Xiao: “……”
One misstep, eternal regret. Next time, he would never lose again.
