Bao Ruanruan and Zhu He are filming a drama in Minlin Mountain; Bao Ruanruan is praised for her acting, while Zhu He is criticised;
Wei Chengwu, the chief director of Minlin Mountain, used to be part of a cultural performance troupe1 and is known for his strictness.
He accepts all kinds of 'resource celebrities2', but his standards for filming were high. If they couldn't keep up midway, he forced them out—he had already driven away enough of them to count on both hands.
Those who couldn't adapt to his directing style should leave quickly of their own accord.
They should never force him to swear.
This reminder was the harsh line Wei Chengwu delivered every time a shoot began.
All the main crew members—assistant director, lead cinematographer, lighting, props, and so on—were trained and developed by Wei Chengwu himself.
The entire team, from top to bottom, shared the same style: strict and demanding.
The field coordinator also stepped forward decisively and reminded the cast, "Also, the usual rule applies: if you exceed ten NGs, you must treat everyone to tea."
This production crew was strict and demanding.
Counting the number of people, the total number of tea would cost about as much as a bird's nest.
This amount made Bao Ruanruan immediately nervous, too.
Zhu He quickly finished his make-up. He would be playing the role of the 18-year-old eldest son of the Chen family in Minlin Village.
The Chen family didn't want their youngest son, who was in third grade, to keep studying—they wanted him to come home and work on the farm.
When Teacher Li visited the family home, she hit a wall with the parents, so she tried to persuade the older brother instead. However, he disliked this delicate teacher from the city and rejected her outright.
Teacher Li's first attempt failed. Just as she was about to leave, a landslide struck, burying the younger son of the Chen family in the earth.
Overcome with anxiety, Teacher Li and the Chen family's eldest son worked together to rescue him.
After this incident, the Chen family's eldest son was finally touched by Teacher Li's sincerity towards his brother. He came to believe her words about the importance of education for the child's future… This incident also changed his negative view that city teachers couldn't handle hardship.
All of their scenes together were scheduled to be filmed in a single day.
"Phew!"
Even Bao Ruanruan had to perk herself up with the schedule.
Then she carefully went through her script once more.
Meanwhile, Zhu He took a sip of water and followed the acting technique shared by Sister Xueni—he closed his eyes and imagined the performance details he and his partner would deliver shortly.
Regardless of whether Bao Ruanruan was truly friends with Sister Xueni, as her fan, Zhu He could not afford to lose to the woman who had once been nicknamed the 'wooden beauty'.
He couldn't embarrass the flawless Xueni in front of the camera!
Zhu He mentally rehearsed it three times, anticipating every possible move that Bao Ruanruan might make: every glance and line, and how he would respond to each one.
Only then did he open his melancholy eyes, which were now brimming with fighting spirit!
But—
Inside the small cabin.
Bao Ruanruan stood before him, looking at him in a way that he had never imagined.
It wasn't the look of a teacher
offering advice.
Her honest, watery eyes were now filled with sympathy and sorrow.
She looked at him as if he were heading towards a dead end, unaware he could still turn back.
Zhu He: "...??"
"Scene 34, action!" Director Wei commanded loudly.
In front of the camera, Bao Ruanruan opened her mouth:
"Do you want your little brother to end up like you?"
Her voice was filled with deep sorrow.
"Studying is the key to unlocking the treasure of controlling your own life!"
"You know, we can't change how long we live for..."
With just one line of dialogue, her eyes turned slightly red!
Her hands trembled with emotion.
"But we can change the depth of our lives." These few words were spoken so softly that they were almost inaudible, yet they conveyed a powerful message of defiance against fate!
Zhu He: "???"
This is the so-called wooden beauty?
What kind of international joke is this?!
Who the hell said that?
It completely differed from the expression he had imagined Bao Ruanruan would have.
Her sorrow and that 'hating iron for not becoming steel3' emotion had even reached level 10!
And all the lines and expressions he had prepared to respond with could only convey half the emotion she had just delivered...
Zhu He, who had been trained by his father from a young age to be sensitive to cinematography and performance, felt it immediately.
He couldn't catch it!
He couldn't keep up with the emotional intensity of her line!
It was like two masters exchanging blows, and in an instant, he was subdued.
Right then, his throat seized up and he actually didn't know how to respond.
"Cut!"
Director Wei frowned from behind the monitor.
"Zhu He, again. Your emotion was off—did you forget your line?"
Only when the director yelled 'Cut' did Zhu He snap out of it.
Feeling embarrassed, he muttered, "...Sorry, Director. Let me try again."
Once he had finished speaking, he looked at Bao Ruanruan with a complicated expression.
Were her acting skills actually... way better than the rumours claimed?
Looking at her, he noticed she was still clenching her fists tightly.
Her face was full of fierce determination, as if she were ready to fight him to the very end!
"!"
She was still in character, even after the director yelled 'Cut'?
She was still deep in the scene?
Zhu He was stunned.
He had seen behind-the-scenes clips of Sister Xueni—as soon as the director called 'Cut', she could immediately drop the role and start joking around with the crew.
So why was Bao Ruanruan still—
"Phew."
Bao Ruanruan, who was being secretly watched by Zhu He, clenched her small fists and took deep breaths.
She was forcing herself to calm down.
Inside, she felt like she was on a rollercoaster, tormented by the lines in the script.
"We can't extend the length of life...!"
That line had deeply affected her, a hardworking and diligent person who had always dreamed of living to 142.
That line had to be wrong!
She, Bao Ruanruan, a woman who had simply worked hard all her life, had always believed that life's length was the same as its depth, and that it could be extended!
She was feeling miserable.
Saying that line out loud felt like going against her conscience.
"Phew."
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath, clenched her fists and struggled with her inner conflict.
She had to work hard for the bird's nest.
She had to work hard for a secure home.
Standing beside her, Zhu He was stunned.
Bao Ruanruan's acting style was utterly different to that of Sister Xueni.
Even without watching the monitor playback, he could already imagine how powerful Bao Ruanruan's layered emotions—sorrowful, angry, and eager to argue yet held back—would look on camera.
At that moment, Zhu He faintly felt that in the world of acting, beyond the only door he had seen… there might be a second one, flickering, just barely visible.
"One more time. Ready… action!"
The crew clapped the slate again.
Bao Ruanruan felt that these repeated retakes were pure torture.
She didn't want to repeat this line and desperately wanted to change it.
She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Do you really want your brother to end up like you, stuck in this village, working in this field for decades?"
Nonsense!
People can clearly live to a hundred!
Why only a few decades?
She was so mad.
But she still had to endure it.
Bao Ruanruan's eyelashes trembled with emotion, and her pale cheeks flushed from holding it in.
Zhu He looked up. "!"
Her emotions were at level 10 just now, so he prepared himself to rise to level 10 to match them.
But this time, her emotions were somehow even more intense!
He couldn't keep up.
Once again, his rehearsed performance couldn't match hers.
"I—"
He hardened his scalp4 and opened his mouth, but in that instant, his weak momentum was plain as day.
"Cut!"
Director Wei frowned behind the monitor.
"Zhu He, in this scene, your character holds a grudge against her. She doesn't understand the village; she doesn't understand your family's situation."
"You feel offended. Show me a sarcastic expression full of contempt!"
"……"
Zhu He took a deep breath.
The director had no idea what kind of emotional storm he had just endured.
But Zhu He still nodded, forcing himself to do so.
"Okay."
But—
"Cut! What's going on? You look like an obedient little chick in front of her!"
"Are you already convinced by her?"
"Should I even bother filming the next two scenes?"
Zhu He: "......"
This situation was what it felt like to be crushed by someone's acting performance.
For the first time, he felt truly powerless.
He simply couldn't catch her emotions. This condition made him appear weaker in front of the camera.
For the first time, he realised that the acting methods he had learnt from Sister Xueni weren't working.
"Zhu He, your performance today was absolutely terrible."
After the first scene ended, Director Wei called him out bluntly.
"Did you have too much fun at the barbecue last night?"
Zhu He: "……"
He really hadn't!
"11 NGs, Zhu He. Please treat everyone to tea—mark it down." The crew member showed no mercy.
Zhu He nodded in defeat and accepted it.
Right now, one line echoed in his mind—To master this technique, one must first castrate oneself5.
Pah.
One actually must first destroy one's own martial arts6.
He realised that all the techniques he had secretly learned from Sister Xueni—pre-planning emotional layers and character reactions—completely collapsed when he faced Bao Ruanruan.
Bao Ruanruan was practically the nemesis of this style of acting.
If he wanted to keep up with her and not get crushed into the Earth's core, he had to forget all of Yang Xueni's pre-planned techniques!
He had to focus all his attention on Bao Ruanruan.
He had to observe her every subtle movement—each flicker of brow or eye—and let himself be led by her emotions.
Only then would he be able to respond authentically.
Truly listen, truly observe, truly respond7.
This statement was something he had once heard and scoffed at during acting class, but it suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
After 11 NGs, he finally barely passed!
Since becoming a fan of Xueni and idolising her, Zhu He had made rapid progress in acting. However, this was the first time he was forced to eat a deflated mouth8.
But Zhu He regained his confidence during the move to the following landslide filming location.
He was slowly starting to find the rhythm.
He was beginning to understand how Bao Ruanruan acted.
—This time, there will be no more 11 NGs!
Zhu He secretly clenched his fist.
The second filming location was at the foot of a mountain, where the prop master had already set up a chaotic scene of rocks and yellow soil.
Zhu He glanced warily at Bao Ruanruan.
But he quickly froze.
At that moment, Bao Ruanruan's pale little face was full of tense readiness.
Her chest heaved as she breathed more hurriedly than before; it seemed as if every step she had taken to reach this spot had exhausted her completely.
In that instant, Zhu He was reminded of what his acting teacher had said—under extreme fear, grief, or rage, a person's heartbeat and breathing would quicken and their blood would speed up.
Zhu He was stunned.
Director Wei was still explaining the scene:
"The child is buried underneath. You're panicking. Your mind goes blank, and your body freezes. Then, suddenly, you react, desperately trying to dig through the rocks and dirt while screaming the child's name."
Anxious.
Desperate.
Zhu He turned around and saw that Bao Ruanruan was clenching her fists and trembling all over!
'...!'
She had clearly got into character ahead of time.
What kind of acting was this?
He had never seen anything like this, not even in the behind-the-scenes clips of Sister Xueni and Sister Yuxin!
"Okay, if there are no problems, let's start!"
Director Wei gave the command.
Bao Ruanruan stood beside Zhu He, and her legs suddenly went weak.
As they approached the filming location at the foot of a loess slope, memories of being buried in a landslide during the game flooded back.
Her legs... traitorously began to go soft, like noodles.
At that moment, she grabbed the nearest support — Zhu He's sleeve.
Zhu He: "!"
His scalp went numb!
Strong emotion was contagious.
At that moment, he felt a tingling sensation travel through him from her touch on his sleeve.
But what came flooding out even more was a kind of emotional impact he had never felt before.
So this was what it meant for a performance to be so vividly alive on camera.
The world of acting was vast indeed.
That faint second door appeared even clearer now.
It remained tightly shut, as if waiting for him to walk over and push it open.
—Sister Xueni's acting skills were behind the first door.
However, Bao Ruanruan had already gone ahead of her… to the space beyond the second door.
"Action!" Director Wei called out.
Zhu He immediately snapped to attention, gritted his teeth and threw himself wholeheartedly into the script.
He was truly listening and watching.
As provoked by Bao Ruanruan's intensity, he felt a wave of sorrow surge inside him, as if his younger brother were truly buried beneath the mound of earth!
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan's eyes welled up with tears, as if she herself and her former teammates were buried beneath the dirt.
Helplessness, despair.
She trembled unsteadily, the shaking starting from her fingertips and spreading bit by bit to her upper arms, shoulders and lips. Her teeth chattered, producing a clicking sound.
She opened her mouth, trying to cry for help, but no sound came out.
Endless darkness seemed to envelope her once again.
Her congealed tears finally fell.
The chill snapped her back to her senses.
No!
She couldn't give up!
She couldn't die!
She had to survive.
She had to live—and so did her teammates!
Her legs, soft as noodles, regained their strength in an instant, and she charged towards the heap of rocks and dirt!
Her slender body moved like a sharp blade.
She was determined to cut through the rubble!
"Good!"
Director Wei couldn't help but shout from behind the monitor.
Everyone present—the lighting crew, the sound engineer and the make-up artist… —was stunned by what they saw.
A flicker of sympathy crossed their faces as they watched Bao Ruanruan's raw, heart-wrenching performance.
Good?
Was that praise for him?
Zhu He kept digging with both hands, his face damp and filled with urgency.
But inside, a flicker of secret delight passed through him.
He had just realised that his acting had improved!
He had been moving leisurely towards the first door, thinking that would be his final destination.
But now, he saw the second door.
He immediately quickened his pace toward the first door—almost going from a slow walk to a jog!
He had made real progress!
Zhu He was thrilled.
The director had noticed his improvement.
"Cut!"
But in the next second, Director Wei's dissatisfied and harsh voice rang out again.
Zhu He: "?"
Had Bao Ruanruan messed up this time?
"One more take, Zhu He. Let your emotions come out more this time."
Zhu He: "!?"
He lowered his head and wiped his face.
He could feel cold, wet tears on his skin.
They want him to show even more emotion?
Do they want him to shed noodle-like tears9 or Prada tears, dripping like prada-prada10?
Zhu He didn't understand, even when the make-up artist came over to do touch-ups.
However, the make-up artist's praise snapped him wide awake.
"Teacher Bao, your acting is amazing."
Zhu He's soul took a hit.
When he turned his head, what he saw made his wound even worse.
Bao Ruanruan had the face of a mountain teacher, brimming with intense emotion.
She looked anxious, heartbroken and despairing yet still full of hope… as if she was silently pleading with the heavens for mercy.
She hadn't said a word.
However, her emotions were clearly visible in her eyes.
Zhu He: "......"
The second door, which he had only just caught a glimpse of, suddenly grew legs.
It ran a hundred metres ahead on its own.
Now it was even farther away from him!
He now had to walk a much longer road to catch up, yet it seemed to mock him for being unable to keep up!
Zhu He was stunned.
Director Wei also waved at him, "Zhu He, you need to make an adjustment. That's your real younger brother, yet you seem less heartbroken and anxious than his teacher."
"……"
Yeah, this was a performance that had to be retaken.
Out of a hundred viewers, ninety-nine would lose interest in his performance.
"Zhu He, 13 NGs. You owe everyone tea. Mark it down as two times." The floor manager said mercilessly as he passed by.
"...Okay."
In the end, it took over an hour to finish filming that scene.
Director Wei Chengwu sighed and called Zhu He over to the monitor before moving to the next location.
"Look, this was the first take."
"And this was the thirteenth. Do you notice anything?"
"Why do you think I rejected all the others but let this one pass?"
Zhu He compared them carefully.
Was it because his final version of crying and shouting was more moving?
Wei Chengwu frowned. "No, it's not that you've improved. It's because Bao Ruanruan has started to go easy on you."
Zhu He: "!"
His vision went dark.
He rewatched the footage on the monitor, and his body froze.
Sure enough, it was as the director had said.
By the thirteenth take, Bao Ruanruan's body language had become much less intense; no longer as sad or frantic as it had been at the beginning.
"This is how a truly excellent actor collaborates on camera."
Wei Chengwu looked sternly at him.
"It's not about stealing the spotlight for your own performance; it's about making sacrifices for the harmony of the whole scene."
"Because you couldn't match her performance, the entire scene came off as fake.
So she had to match you, dialling down her emotional intensity repeatedly until you were on the same wavelength so that you wouldn't seem out of sync."
Zhu He opened his mouth, but he was so emotionally crushed that he couldn't form any words.
"Think hard about this. I've told you before—you have talent.
But you've been wasting it and treating it poorly, full of self-importance...
Yet in front of a truly outstanding actor, you can't even last one round."
Zhu He: "……"
It felt like there was a BGM playing.
It was as if someone had fired a shot straight into his heart.
"She didn't just let you win—she had to let you win thirteen times before you could even hold it together."
——And then came another shot, ruining my entire make-up.
Zhu He stepped back.
But Wei Chengwu's gaze was like a torch, not allowing him to retreat.
"I've known your father for years—that's the only reason I'm saying all this. Take it or leave it.
But next time, I won't be this tolerant.
What you did today... has forced the audience to lower their standards."
Zhu He was stunned.
Wei Chengwu walked away, and Zhu He just stood there in a daze.
Ten minutes later, when he finally remembered to walk away, he realised that someone else was nearby—
Bao Ruanruan was leaning against a tree with her eyes closed, resting.
"...You're still here?" Zhu He felt a moment of inner turmoil.
Was she going to give him advice?
Or was she going to mock him?
Bao Ruanruan opened her tear-reddened eyes weakly and glanced at him before closing them again.
That glance was like spring willow fluff: light and tiny, yet drifting gently through the air, carrying with it a faint tickle that tugged at the heartstrings.
Zhu He's face instantly flushed, and he felt a rush of heat rise through him.
"You… don't worry!"
"Next time I won't NG so many times, making you, making you… let me win again and again."
His ears turned red.
After speaking, he immediately turned around, his whole body stiff, walking with his arms and legs moving in sync11.
Let him win?
Bao Ruanruan felt her head was full of fog12. What did he mean?
"Ah, Teacher Bao's first take was amazing, such a pity! Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."
"Yeah, it's a shame. She had to hold back her performance to match the still-clueless Zhu He."
Bao Ruanruan's slightly reddened eyes went wide.
Hold back her acting?
Did it mean she didn't cry as hard?
She had acted the scene thirteen times and was exhausted from crying; she couldn't cry anymore.
She was beginning to emerge from the painful memories of the game and regain her awareness of the fact that she was merely acting.
After finishing the scene, Bao Ruanruan returned to the resting room.
She was still mulling it over.
That was when she saw a message from Chen Feng in the work group chat asking how she was doing. After a moment's thought, she replied:
—[Today, there was a scene I had to act out thirteen times. It seems that in the last take, I finally caught a bit of the feeling for the performance.]
Progress!
In Jiangcheng, Chen Feng read the message bearing good news and smiled with relief.
"Brother Xue, Xiao Baozi has made some progress."
"Ah, I finally understand why you like taking on hell-level challenges.
It turns out that the sense of achievement you get from nurturing someone is really satisfying~"
Xue Jing glanced down at his phone, a hint of relief and satisfaction in his eyes.
As long as there's progress, it's a good thing.
Over the past few days, they had all been worried that she wouldn't adapt to the set.
Director Wei had never made things easy, even for pretty actresses.
"Well, now I can relax~" Chen Feng stretched comfortably.
But right after, he grew worried again.
"But if Xiao Baozi said she only started improving after thirteen takes, wouldn't that mean the director had gotten mad and yelled at her?"
But the next second, a message arrived on their phones.
Surprisingly, it was an official compliment.
['Minlin Mountain' Production Crew: Today, Teacher Bao Ruanruan delivered a flawless performance on set that everyone appreciated.
However, we sincerely apologise — in order to coordinate with the other actors and ensure harmony in the group shots, we may ultimately choose her thirteenth take, which is more emotionally restrained and relatively less ideal, for the final cut.]
Chen Feng: "?"
How can human sorrow and joy be so utterly different?13
Xue Jing: "……"
After a long pause, he rubbed his index finger against his temple.
"Starting next month, block off half a day each week in her schedule for film appreciation and shot analysis classes."
Unbeknownst to Bao Ruanruan, her agents had rearranged her schedule again.
After reporting her safety and progress to Xue Jing and the others from the crew's break room, she began a series of health-preserving routines.
After returning to her room, she immediately soaked her feet.
She opened a new book titled 'Home Moxibustion Therapy for Hundreds of Illnesses', but after just two pages, she was constantly interrupted by pop-up messages from Weibo.
[Bao Bao, you actually missed 'Chasing Dreams' this week. Wuwuwu… I miss you.]
[Xiao Bao, now that you're not here, even the variety show doesn't feel funny anymore.]
[Watching the entire livestream today, I kept worrying there might be an accident. Bao Ruanruan, it feels like I can only relax and enjoy the show when you're around~]
It was Saturday, and 'Chasing Dreams' was airing as usual.
That was when everyone realised that Bao Ruanruan was absent in this episode — she had gone off to film a drama.
At first, the audience didn't think much of it.
But after nearly two hours of the broadcast, they started to notice the difference.
Many commented on the Weibo post where she'd last announced her single status.
[There aren't any of those weird and wacky ideas anymore, and everyone's taking the tasks way too seriously… I kind of don't want to watch it. Xiao Bao, will you come back in the next episode?]
Bao Ruanruan felt wronged.
——[I'll be back next week! Also, I've been doing my tasks seriously, okay? Ask the director if you don't believe me.]
The comment section immediately blew up.
[Hahaha, what? Ask the director — are you sure? Let me tell you a secret: while you were away this week, Director Zheng was relaxing on the sidelines, drinking coconut juice.]
[Director Zheng said he didn't even need to take his blood pressure meds today, Ruanruan.]
[Ruanruan, you must have studied using a different dictionary. Because when you say 'serious', it probably means... 'drive the director mad', right?]
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
Netizens had a deep-seated misunderstanding of her!
She immediately started a remote 'conversation' with them online.
#Bao Ruanruan clarifies that she is taking her tasks seriously#
#Netizens mock Bao Ruanruan for not knowing what 'serious' means#
Despite not appearing on the livestream variety show, she still trended 'remotely' with two side-by-side hashtags during the 8 p.m. golden time14!
Far away in Jiangcheng, Xue Jing's peach-blossom eyes twitched as he read the news.
It was truly the first time he had encountered this situation.
An artist who actually helped him save money.
She even did her own promotional work...
*
The next day, Bao Ruanruan resumed filming as usual.
Today, she finally had some very safe scenes.
During the class break scene, she combed the child's hair, trimmed their nails, and mended their clothes...
These were originally all simple scenes, scheduled to be handled by the assistant director of the B team.
However, early in the morning, Director Wei Chengwu changed the plan and scooped it over15.
What's more, a few other free crew members also quietly came to watch.
"Did you hear about it yesterday? Bao Ruanruan's acting was... this!"
The crew gave a thumbs-up!
"Yeah, I heard. Too bad I didn't see it — was it really that good?"
"Oh, totally. The director was captivated. He went home and sighed for a long time. He couldn't even sleep because he couldn't use the best take."
"Ah... now I really wish I could have seen it! D*mmit! Why did I take yesterday off!"
Everyone whispered secretly, not daring to speak too loudly in case Director Wei heard.
Aside from the crew, a tall, lean figure who wasn't scheduled to appear in any scenes that day approached quietly and stood in the corner, observing in silence.
— This person had come to learn.
— No, to see if she could still deliver that level of performance.
— To confirm once again the existence of the second door!
Zhu He secretly clenched his fist.
Soon, with a shout from Director Wei, filming began.
The slate clapped.
Bao Ruanruan sprang into action.
Looking at the group of children in front of her, dressed in dirty grey clothes, with filthy hands and messy hair, she was overcome with worry.
Germs.
Germs.
So many germs!
They were practically little walking germ bombs.
Her heart ached with righteous anguish.
How could children be allowed to live in conditions that posed such a threat to their health?
"Come here~"
"Teacher will brush your hair for you."
Bao Ruanruan wore a face of saint-like serenity and determination.
It was as if she would cleanse the dust from the children's very hearts…
Off camera.
Director Wei: "!"
Everyone: "!"
Zhu He: "!!"
She was like an angel, with a halo visible behind her.
She seemed to be lighting the path ahead for the children.
"She reminds me of my old homeroom teacher. When I had a stomach ache, she poured me warm water."
"She reminds me of the teacher who tutored me in middle school."
"Her expression is so healing."
Healing.
Everyone's discussion filtered into Zhu He's ears.
It had overturned entirely his understanding of the word.
All along, he had thought of Yang Xueni, who portrayed pain with raw intensity on screen, as the embodiment of healing.
But now, was this what healing truly meant?
Zhu He gazed into the distance.
He watched Bao Ruanruan scrub the boy clean, her expression determined.
She looked like she was glowing.
So healing didn't necessarily have to be as painful as his method.
It could change people like him, too.
Could a girl with such a healing expression possibly be a bad person?
Zhu He now fully believed what the industry insider and the Group 1 members had said!
Bao Ruanruan might really be a good person!
On that day, a small verified16 account posted in Yang Xueni's Super Topic:
[CheeringSnowmanV: I'm coming clean now—I'm in the industry. Bao Ruanruan really is a good person, a Snowman ally, and she's a decent actress too.]
In no time, this comment was quickly spotted by the 'Snowmen' in the Super Topic.
[LOL, how come so many 'industry insiders' suddenly pop up?]
[Report! Don't copy Grandpa Snowman's catchphrases!]
[Acting? Do we need an insider to tell us that? We can all watch TV.]
The Snowmen let out a round of sarcastic jeers.
Soon after finishing her scenes and returning to rest, however, Bao Ruanruan was tagged by the head admin of Group 1.
[@IAmSnowmanGrandpa, do you know what Bao Ruanruan's been up to lately? Yet another insider claims she's on good terms with our Sis Xueni.]
Of course, she knew.
But who was this other so-called insider?
Bao Ruanruan was baffled.
Still, she replied:
-[Thanks for the tag. Bao Ruanruan has been filming with the Minlin Mountain crew. She hasn't interacted with Yang Xueni these past two weeks.]
[Group Admin: !]
[BabySnowman: WTF, Grandpa really is Grandpa!]
[AnAnSnowman: Grandpa yyds17! Truly an insider! Awesome!]
[BananaSnowman: @IAmSnowmanGrandpa, then do you know how Bao Ruanruan has been performing on set lately?]
As for this question, you've asked the right person!
Bao Ruanruan would tell these Snowmen everything — even what she had for breakfast that day.
[BananaSnowman: WOC18, Grandpa is awesome!]
[BananaSnowman: Can I ask how popular Bao Ruanruan is in the crew? My mom says that to judge whether someone is a good person, you should see if the people around them like them.]
[SunSnowman: Makes sense! Does Bao Ruanruan usually eat lunch on her own? Does she act like a diva? What's her temper like?]
Bao Ruanruan paused for a moment.
Thinking back, after filming wrapped up today, three make-up artists ran towards her, all wanting to help touch up her make-up.
Not only did the head director, but also the B-crew director, want to film her, and apparently, the two had even argued about it.
On her way back to her room, everyone called her 'Teacher Bao'.
Bao Ruanruan typed truthfully:
-[That's basically the situation.]
-[As for whether she's well-liked, I'm unsure how to define that.]
-[You can judge for yourselves.]
The whole group chat was stunned.
All the 'Snowmen' were practically melting with shock.
How are they supposed to 'judge freely' after hearing that?
Bao Ruanruan's popularity was way too good!
[SnowmanGroupAdmin: Looks like Bao Ruanruan is a good person, and she really is close with Sis Xueni. That 'Life-saving Agreement' thing must have been a joke between friends. From now on, let's avoid any conflict with Bao Ruanruan's fans. No one is allowed to badmouth her inside or outside the group.]
[SnowmanGroupAdmin: @all, anyone who causes trouble will be kicked out.]
This group admin really knew their stuff.
Bao Ruanruan was impressed.
She checked the time, then logged off on time to get her beauty sleep.
Meanwhile, inside a small villa, Yang Xueni had just returned home from a magazine shoot when she received a call from her agent.
"Brother Jiang?"
"Nini, are you friends with Bao Ruanruan?"
Yang Xueni: "?"
Is he sleep-talking or something?
Before Yuxin forgave Bao Ruanruan, there was no way she would consider her a friend.
"Then how come people in the industry are saying you two are close? Even marketing accounts have picked it up and reposted it."
Yang Xueni: "!"
Her first reaction was that Bao Ruanruan had bought an online water army19 so that she could fish in muddy waters20.
"If you're not friends, then why did you ask her about health issues during the show recording, Nini? Did you ask her or not? Now someone in the industry is using that against you."
Yang Xueni: "!!"
It hit her like a bolt from the blue.
She did ask her.
"You girls and your friendships—I really don't get it."
The agent was speechless.
"Now that the public has seen what the marketing accounts posted, they probably believe you two are friends."
"Next time, during a shoot or public appearance, be careful. No matter what, don't confront Bao Ruanruan directly or make it look like you're bullying her."
"Otherwise, if those accounts get the chance, they'll write you up as someone who betrays her friends."
"......?!"
*
Two weeks later, Bao Ruanruan had finished filming all of her scenes.
She deliberately stayed to witness Zhu He's glorious moment—this future Best Actor—reading the script in front of the entire crew. Then, with some reluctance, she said goodbye to everyone.
But before leaving, she still walked over to Zhu He, whose expression looked a little awkward.
She reached into her bag.
Zhu He was completely puzzled.
By this point, he only felt admiration for Bao Ruanruan and no longer held any prejudices against her.
But their relationship wasn't close enough for her to be giving him gifts, was it?
"Xiao He, I heard you're a hardcore fan of Teacher Yang Xueni. Every time she releases endorsed merchandise or lookalike products, you always buy them."
Bao Ruanruan asked sincerely.
Zhu He paused in surprise.
It wasn't a secret; he'd even posted about it on Weibo.
"Yes."
Bao Ruanruan smiled mysteriously. "I happen to have a limited-edition item of the same model as something Teacher Yang Xueni uses. There's only one in the world. Would you like it?"
Zhu He's heart suddenly sped up.
So they really were friends?
A one-of-a-kind item used by Yang Xueni?
"Would it… would it be appropriate for me to accept?"
If it were a gift exchanged between close friends, he felt it wouldn't be right for him to accept it.
That was what he told himself, but deep down, he was thrilled.
Who wouldn't want to own a limited-edition item from their idol 'Big Sister'?
Could it be something that Xueni herself had actually used?
The mere thought of it made him want to reach out!
As a result, he did just that.
——what he ended up with was a sheet of A4 paper.
Zhu He: "!"
"This is the same V3 version of the 'Life-saving Agreement' as hers. Every word in the clauses is exactly the same, not to mention the paper quality and printer ink are all identical."
"There's only one in the entire world. It's out of print and won't be reprinted."
Zhu He: "…………"
*
Bao Ruanruan happily wrapped up her work with the drama crew and returned to Jiangcheng with full of harvests21.
After two days of rest at home, her first scheduled job was a guest appearance on a new gig: Bilibili's variety show, The Great Escape.
She was taken directly to the filming location in a nanny van—it was a southern garden complex covering 444,000 square metres.
"There are 15 guests in total. You'll start your escape from your assigned starting points."
"From the garden's four gates and the centre, 15 well-trained individuals dressed in black will set out to hunt you down!"
"You have 90 minutes to escape."
"If you can escape the garden, you'll receive a gold medal from the production team." Chen Feng held up the medal for her to see.
Bao Ruanruan: "?"
"Brother Xue said that if you can last 45 minutes, he'll get you whatever skincare product you've been eyeing recently."
Bao Ruanruan's eyes lit up.
However, she still struggled half-heartedly, clearly a little scared.
"Will the men in black be carrying any weapons?"
Chen Feng: "...Maybe they're carrying... earpieces?"
Bao Ruanruan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then I need to stop by the biggest supermarket and sporting goods store nearby first."
Chen Feng: "?"
Footnotes Full List
- 文工团 (wéngōngtuán): These were artistic troupes in China often affiliated with the military or state units; this hints at discipline and rigorous training.
- 资源咖 (zīyuán kā): Internet slang. "Resource celebrity" refers to someone in the industry who gets roles primarily because of their connections or backing (resources), not talent.
- 恨铁不成钢 (hèntiěbùchénggāng): This idiom used to describe the frustration of seeing someone not live up to their potential; it shows deep care mixed with disappointment.
- 硬着头皮 (yìngzhetóupí) = literally "with a stiff/hardened scalp" — an idiom meaning to bite the bullet, brace oneself, or do something despite fear or reluctance
- 欲练此功,挥刀自宫 (yù liàn cǐ gōng, huīdāozìgōng): Famous line from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (金庸's novel), referring to the absurd sacrifice required to gain ultimate martial arts power. Here it's used as a metaphor for the extreme pain and sacrifice it feels like to change his acting method.
- The literal meaning of "自废武功 (zì fèi wǔgōng)" in English is "to self-abolish martial arts skills" or "to discard one's combat abilities voluntarily." While the literal translation refers to martial arts, the phrase is often used metaphorically to mean "to weaken oneself intentionally" or "to give up one's advantages or capabilities."
- 真听、真看、真反应 (zhēn tīng 、 zhēn kàn 、 zhēn fǎnyìng): This is a well-known acting philosophy (especially in method acting or Stanislavski techniques), meaning genuinely interacting with scene partners by responding truthfully in the moment rather than relying on rehearsed reactions. This is often emphasised in performance training.
- 吃瘪 (chī biě): Slang for suffering a setback, being humbled, or taking a loss, especially after being confident. The literal meaning is "to eat a deflated mouth", visually suggesting being silenced or deflated.
- 面条般的眼泪(miàntiáo bānde yǎnlèi): Metaphor — "noodle-like tears" exaggerates the image of long, flowing tears, possibly comedic in tone.
- Prada的眼泪 (Prada de yǎnlèi)/ pradaprada 的掉 (pradaprada de diào): Internet slang — "Prada tears" implies elegant, stylish crying; often used sarcastically. 'Pradaprada' imitates the onomatopoeia of high-end, slow-motion sobbing, playing off the brand name for dramatic flair.
- 同手同脚地走 (tóng shǒu tóng jiǎo): Literally "walking with the same hand and foot", this idiom is used to describe someone who is extremely nervous or embarrassed.
- 一头雾水 (yītóuwùshuǐ): Idiom — "a head full of fog," meaning completely baffled or puzzled.
- 人类的悲喜,竟全然不同 (rénlèi de bēixǐ, jìng quánránbùtóng): Quoting Chinese author Lu Xun — implies people live in different emotional realities and cannot understand each other. Used here sarcastically, as Chen Feng is bewildered by how effort and excellence still led to a less-than-best version being chosen.
- 黄金档 (huángjīndàng): Refers to evening prime-time TV/viewing hours when audience numbers peak.
- 揽了过来 (lǎn le guòlái): Literally "scooped it over" — metaphor for "personally taking charge of" or "taking ownership."
- 小号V (xiǎohào V): Refers to an alternate or low-profile verified account, often used for lurking or subtle posts.
- yyds: Acronym for "永远的神" (yǒngyuǎn de shén) – literally "eternal god," internet slang meaning "GOAT" (greatest of all time).
- woc: Internet slang, abbreviation for "卧槽" (wò cáo), a casual or crude exclamation meaning "WTF" or "damn."
- 水军 (shuǐjūn) → "water army" (paid online trolls or fake accounts used to manipulate public opinion)
- 浑水摸鱼 (hún shuǐ mō yú) → "muddy the waters to catch fish" (idiom meaning to take advantage of chaos for personal gain)
- 收获满满 (shōuhuò mǎnmǎn): Literally "full of harvests," it's a metaphor for having learned or gained a lot, usually used to describe a satisfying and rewarding experience.
きつね's Musing
I've been thinking about how to reward those who sponsor me tea for DBAFSC. I feel bad that I can't release advance chapters of DBAFSC as regularly as I did for TROHYX. Any suggestions?
COMMENTS