The escape game lasted a total of 90 minutes. Many of the new viewers this time, as well as those who had watched previous ...
The escape game lasted a total of 90 minutes.
Many of the new viewers this time, as well as those who had watched previous episodes, assumed that the guests would escape in the final minutes.
The reason was simple: the game was challenging, so there was no need to rush.
Of course, the production team set up even more obstacles as the guests got closer to the exit.
They would definitely eliminate any guests who got closest to the exit first.
Besides—
Who would be bold enough to break through the encirclement in just the 20th minute?
What camera shots could you get for the remaining 70 minutes?
Would the production team film a winner wandering aimlessly outside the garden for 70 minutes? *Of course not.
If a 90-minute game were completed in just 20 minutes, how would that be any different from being eliminated early?
Staying in the garden to avoid elimination was a surefire way to get screen time.
But today, this so-called unspoken rule that everyone believed in was broken!
Almost everyone instantly abandoned their own 'brothers' and 'sisters' and rushed to the main livestream room.
They wanted to see just who this badass was, breaking all the game rules!
The person who broke through in just the 20th minute?!
Are you suicidal, or just out of your mind?
[Truly gutsy—ah, the recklessness of youth!]
[Probably a real tough one, with a head that overheats pretty easily.]
[If KK-bro hadn't been eliminated, I'd have guessed it was him—so impulsive.]
When they switched streams, they realised the number of viewers on the main channel had actually surged to fifty million!
But at the centre of the screen was not the hot-blooded boy everyone had imagined, but a slender figure.
She was moving fast.
A girl in full camouflage gear, carrying a heavy video camera, was sprinting at top speed!
[D@mn—it's a girl!]
She was within arm's reach of Exit One!
[!]
[D@mn—she's about to make it out!]
[No way. I'm an old viewer—just watch!]
[That's right—this veteran viewer is telling you newbies that every gate has a man in black guarding it! Four of the 15 are stationed at the gate, and they've never moved! It's absolutely impossible to get through!]
No sooner had this comment floated across the screen than, sure enough, a dark figure shot out from the security room.
A muscular man in a suit charged straight toward the girl in camouflage!
[See?]
[She's done for.]
[Girl, turn around and run!]
[It's over, it's over—there must be more men in black behind her, blocking her way back.]
[Eliminated.]
But just as they said that, the slender figure unexpectedly ran straight towards the man in black, neither veering left nor right.
Only, her running speed suddenly slowed.
It was as if she were courting death.
But just as the man in black took a few strides toward her and was about to reach out to grab her shoulder, ready to eliminate her—
Her body suddenly arched backwards like that of a gymnast.
She bent at the waist with perfect flexibility.
The man in black froze for a moment in surprise.
[Kiddo Ruan, wuwuwu, can she still get away?]
[She can't dodge it just by bending backwards, can she?]
[Help!]
The man in black quickly recovered, stepped forward, and reached his big hand from the right to grab her arm.
But Bao Ruanruan smoothly slid to the right with a 'moonwalk'.
[!]
Man in black: "!"
"You're a bit slow," she even taunted him.
[!! She's getting cocky now, girlie.]
[The man in black is so angry that he could die.]
Sure enough, the man in black sneered coldly and reached out his left hand.
But Bao Ruanruan suddenly shouted, "It's all yours!"
The man in black was stunned for a moment.
His attention was instantly drawn to the video camera in her hands.
He immediately assumed a ready stance to catch it, as if she were about to toss it to him.
The video camera belonged to the production team.
It must not be damaged.
If the guest didn't pay for it, then the staff would have to.
That would mean working for nothing and even paying out of their own pocket.
The man in black instantly grew tense, his grabbing motion turning into a catching motion instead.
But Bao Ruanruan didn't even bother with a feint—whoosh—she was already a metre away.
Man in black: "!!"
[Hahaha, she tricked him again!]
[Don't talk nonsense—my girlie doesn't lie! She just wants to survive, heh-heh!]
The comment feed erupted in laughter.
But before the laughter died down, just as the man in black sprinted after her, another pale pink figure suddenly leapt out from the back left.
A stick wrapped in cloth at the tip so as not to cause injury, as though it were a treasured sword, was jabbed at the back of his thigh, tripping him up instantly!
The man in black's expression changed drastically.
But the stick seemed to have a mind of its own—when he tried to move to the left, it poked his left waist.
When he tried to move forward, it poked his lower back.
He turned to grab the attacker.
However, the stick always kept him at a distance of more than an arm's length, making it impossible to close in and catch his target!
[! Who's this expert?!]
[It's definitely my Feifei! My martial arts master girl! She was in the top five in the national youth division back in the day!]
[So it turns out Bao Ruanruan wasn't breaking through alone!?]
[Oh my, it's a team operation!]
[Bao Ruanruan has summoned Qu Feifei to protect her… but how long can Feifei hold out? She's going to get eliminated, right? Wuwuwu, mommy can't bear to watch.]
But just as the black-clad man was about to grab Qu Feifei—
"Alright."
Lu Wenhao's voice rang out.
In the shot, the man in black became alert and prepared to retreat, but suddenly froze.
[?]
[!]
[What's going on?]
[3 vs 1?]
"A horse-wrangling lad… like the rushing wind~📹
A rough translation of lyric from a well-known Inner Mongolian folk song "套马杆" ("tàomǎ gān / Roping Horses").
"
A rough translation of lyric from a well-known Inner Mongolian folk song "套马杆" ("tàomǎ gān / Roping Horses").
"
A painfully off-key singing voice rang out.
A long, circular lasso dropped above the man in black's head.
It landed on his chest.
Suddenly, it tightened!
The camera cut to Bao Ruanruan, who was dressed head-to-toe in camouflage.
Both her feet were already planted outside Gate One.
With a stern look on her face, she tugged at the rope and said, "Big brother, abandon the dark for the light—turn back, and you'll find the shore1."
[!!!]
Only then did Qu Feifei breathe a sigh of relief.
She also dashed out of Gate One.
A little embarrassed, she asked, "Did I hurt you, big brother in black?"
Lu Wenhao clicked his tongue and looked at Bao Ruanruan. "You wouldn't let me intervene, and then you complained that I was slow—how was I slow?"
[!]
[When Bao Ruanruan said ‘too slow' just now, I thought she was mocking the man in black.]
[Oh my! Can anyone who was just watching Lu Wenhao's livestream tell me what happened? Were they in communication the whole time?]
[I'm here with two phones and a tablet.
Just now, Bao Ruanruan ran to Gate One and lured out the man in black hiding in the security room. Brother Lu took the chance to sneak around via the side route and was the first to break through.
Then Qu Feifei jumped out to cover for Bao Ruanruan.
Bao Ruanruan charged outside Gate One, pulled a lasso from her clothes… and then you saw the rest. The three of them cleared the stage together.]
[…]
[What kind of movie script is this?]
[I just want to ask: where did she even get that long rope? How much stuff did she bring to this game? They even took away their backpacks!]
[She sure has a lot hidden in her clothes… don't ask me how I know.]
[Brother Lu got dissed—20 minutes of being completely useless… hehe.]
[Well, you can't say that—strategically, he was clearly a smokescreen to mislead the director, hahahaha!]
"Where did you get that rope?" Lu Wenhao asked at the Gate One entrance, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Bao Ruanruan blinked. "Rescue rope—when I knew I was coming to such a dangerous show, how could I not be prepared?"
Lu Wenhao: "……"
Having been of little help throughout, he felt slightly embarrassed.
So he chose to remain silent.
However, Bao Ruanruan handed him the other end of the rope tied to the man in black. "There's no need to feel inferior—you actually played a very important role just now. If I'd been caught, then you, as the first person to escape the park, could have exchanged your life for mine."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
[Pfft, pfft, pfft, hahahahaha!]
[Like a life doll2! He dies, she lives!]
[Bao Ruanruan's life-storage container—my Brother Lu, who is just a tool, hahahaha.]
[So that's why they protected him and let him clear the stage first…]
After saying that, Bao Ruanruan, who was standing at the gate, looked rather tired. "I'm a bit thirsty, low on fluids. Let's go and sit at the teahouse across the street for a while."
[Hahaha, showing contempt for the director and the production crew.]
[Everyone else is still on the run, 23333.]
[Wrap it up! Tea first, tea first!]
[Hhh4, these three—I'm seriously impressed. Are they really not going to be on camera for the next 70 minutes?]
"Lu Wenhao, Bao Ruanruan and Qu Feifei have successfully escaped."
"Remaining escapees inside the park, please take note."
"Game time remaining: 68 minutes and 32 seconds."
Zhong Zeyuan's voice sounded helpless.
The three of them quickly disappeared from the main livestream feed.
The camera cut to the other escapees—their faces were full of shock.
"There are still 10 people, and 15 men in black," Jiang Xu muttered. "Those who are still alive are in even greater danger now."
[No, there are only 14 men in black now!]
[Hahaha, this is too much fun! I'm laughing to death—Bao Ruanruan has actually captured one of the men in black!]
[No, I'd better check her individual fancam to see her leisurely look while drinking tea hehehe and see if that man in black has been returned.]
The answer was—of course, she hadn't.
Why would she let him go?
Bao Ruanruan was sitting by the tea room table and had just lifted a white porcelain teacup when she looked at Lu Wenhao in surprise.
"Why would we send Big Brother in Black back?"
He was her spoils of war.
In each game, the player could take away the spoils of war.
They might come in handy in the next stage.
"If you don't send him back, won't that mean one less man in black? Will the production team even allow that?" Lu Wenhao was thinking quite clearly today.
But Bao Ruanruan blinked and set down her teacup.
"I caught him, so he's mine."
It was a strategic advantage—she would never let it go.
She turned her small face towards the helpless man in black. "He's now a Messenger of Light, one of our team members."
"Can I call you Fifth Brother?"
[Pfft, pfft, pfft!]
[Help, I can't continue living from laughing so much. Fifth Brother turned out to be a man in black!]
[The man in black seems happy too—no need to keep running around, still gets the same pay, and gets off work early, what's not to like?]
[Hehehe.]
Lu Wenhao felt a headache coming on. "Our game's over—why do we still have a team?"
Qu Feifei, on the other hand, blushed a little and stammered in front of the camera.
"Bao Ruanruan… this time doesn't count as me helping you."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to escape just now. One life for one life—we're even. That special edition… life-protection pass, let's say you never used it."
Lu Wenhao: "…"
Why?
Why were all the people he met such sticklers for moral principles?
He was going to use it!
But when he looked up, he realised he couldn't use it at all!
He hadn't helped at all just now!
D@mn it.
Lu Wenhao's expression showed despair.
However, soon afterwards, Bao Ruanruan spoke up after finishing half a cup of tea and drinking a glass of warm water.
"It's fine—you still have a chance."
She picked up the phone given to them by the production team.
Then she dialled a number.
"Hello, Brother Minwen? It's Ruanruan."
"Do you need my help? Mm, I'm at Gate One—our team has four people who can back you up."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Qu Feifei: "!!"
Man in black: "!!!"
Four people—included in that count was the man in black.
He had truly abandoned the darkness for the light and become a Messenger of Light!
A flurry of exclamation marks floated past in the live-stream chat.
Before the viewers could finish sighing in admiration, Bao Ruanruan nodded with a smile.
"Brother Minwen has helped me a lot, so I would never make Brother Minwen sign a life-saving agreement."
"Oh—you want to sign? Well… alright then."
Lu Wenhao: "…"
She really did have the thickest skin.
Soon, Bao Ruanruan started dialling numbers one after another.
"Xiao Qi, do you need help? Which gate are you at?"
"I can help you in five minutes."
"Alright, then you'll be after Brother Minwen in the queue."
"Sister Linlin, do you need help?"
"The price is: one to four life-saving agreements—since my team has four members, how many would you like to step in and help you?"
"All right, I'll get you a number. I'll contact you when it's your turn. It's estimated to be ten minutes later."
[……….!]
[Who said escaping early meant you wouldn't get any screen time?]
[They should rename The Great Escape to Bao Ruanruan Leads Everyone to Escape…]
After finishing her round of calls, Bao Ruanruan looked at everyone with a serious expression.
"Those who want to rest can stay here."
"Those who want to earn a friendship through their own labour, like me, should come with me."
Lu Wenhao: "…Your friendship is called a life-saving agreement?"
Bao Ruanruan let out a little 'ah'. "Happy? You've just earned two of my friendships."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Like hell I'm happy!
But when he lowered his head, he realised that there was a tiny spark of joy inside him.
Could he actually become the 'Party A5', who made others sign a life-protection pass?
Had the enslaved person finally turned over and become the master?
Could he finally stand tall?
There are still… ten people alive!
Ten life-protection passes were smiling at him!
"No—only nine," Bao Ruanruan said, shaking her little face in sorrow. "One of the escapees has been corrupted by the enemy forces and turned to the dark side."
Lu Wenhao froze.
Qu Feifei had never heard of this before either.
There's such a thing?
[Yes, Sister Yang Xueni has gone dark.]
"How do you know!?"
"You've never guessed?"
Bao Ruanruan looked at her two naïve temporary teammates in surprise.
"There are fifteen men in black, but only four exit gates in the park."
"If you were the mastermind behind the dark forces, how would you allocate your resources?"
[!]
[Send in one more, and you ensure there are four guarding one gate!? From the very start, the game was actually a maths problem!]
[So from the beginning, she suspected there was a baddie hiding among the escapees?]
Bao Ruanruan lifted her teacup.
At first, it had only been a guess. Later, when Yang Xueni took the initiative to contact her and happened to be in a spot conveniently close to her, it confirmed her suspicions.
That verified her guess that there were 16 men in black.
And for the first time, she could also confirm that, apart from Yang Xueni, who had been exposed, only three men in black were pursuing her on the route to Gate 1.
It was the least difficult of the four gates.
"All right, let's get to work."
[Awooo, Kiddo Ruan's cutting down foes in all directions!]
[You're unlike your usual cautious 'little girl' today.]
Was Bao Ruanruan really being reckless today?
No—she was still as cautious as ever.
On her way to rescue others, she showed every livestream viewer just how cautious she could be.
Her legs never stepped into the dangerous garden even once.
She stood far away outside the safe garden and started flying a kite6.
"Charge, Fifth Brother."
She sent out the man in black, who had defected to the light side, to fight one of the remaining black-clad pursuers.
Then she sent out Qu Feifei and Lu Wenhao to mislead the others.
[Pfft, pfft, pfft!]
In the end, Bao Ruanruan's small squad rescued Xiao Qi, Zhou Minwen, and another actress all at once.
It was nothing like the "first-second-third" rescue order she had told them over the phone!
She led the director's team and the black-clad pursuers, who had been chasing her based on the 'intel' she had just given them over the phone, to exhaustion.
"I… never lie."
Bao Ruanruan confessed to the camera.
"It's just that I adapt my tactics depending on the situation on the battlefield."
"Dear customers, please take my last text message as the final notice."
"Thank you for your patronage."
In the end, they rescued five people, and each member of Bao Ruanruan's team gained five 'life-saving agreements'.
Lu Wenhao was nearly moved to tears of joy.
Even Qu Feifei felt that the agreements in her hands were a bit heavy7.
When the recording ended, they still felt as if they were dreaming.
—In just ninety minutes, had they really turned into… another Bao Ruanruan?
"According to our show's rules, the guest who escapes first and survives until the last minute will receive the escape gold medal awarded by the production team."
"Congratulations… Lu Wenhao."
Director Zhong Zeyuan gritted his teeth as he read the name.
But his helpless, nearly breaking gaze still fell on Bao Ruanruan.
Bao Ruanruan silently lowered her head.
Life-Preservation Rule No. 120: Don't take first place—hide your achievements and fame.
Life-Preservation Rule No. 137: Never carry valuable gold jewellery and parade it in front of everyone.
"This honour belongs to you."
When Lu Wenhao looked her way, she immediately made her position clear.
Lu Wenhao looked at her, his expression instantly becoming complicated.
[Ah, my silly kid—ever since appearing on the show with Ruanruan, this is the second time you've come first!]
[So touching—feels like my silly kid has suddenly gone from being a bad student to a model one!]
[Thanks to Ruanruan for carrying my Brother Lu to victory!]
[Brother Lu won by lying down this time and even reaped huge rewards, hahaha.]
"Xiao Bao."
After the show ended, Zhong Zeyuan deliberately sought out Bao Ruanruan.
Sweat was beading on his forehead.
He had been so busy during the ninety minutes of the show that his feet were practically off the ground!
"Will you join the next episode?"
Bao Ruanruan's little camo-painted face showed no hesitation.
"I probably won't join."
"It's too dangerous."
The first sentence made Zhong Zeyuan exhale in deep relief.
But the second one nearly killed him on the spot.
Dangerous?
The most dangerous one here is you!
"Xiao Bao, you're at the level where you could be the leader of the men in black."
"That does sound a bit safer. I'll have my agent consider it. Thank you for the invitation, Director."
Zhong Zeyuan: "!"
You even want to be the leader of the men in black—why don't you just take the director's seat while you're at it!
Zhong Zeyuan finally understood what ‘love and sorrow' meant.
So this was the bittersweet taste of loving and hating someone at the same time.
The show's viewership numbers broke all previous records.
Even before it ended, two hot search tags had emerged: #TheEscapeDirector'sLifeOfBeingToyedWith#, and #BaoRuanruanCounterKillsTheMenInBlack#…
The results were astonishingly good.
However, the show's original plans were completely messed up, causing the staff to lift their hearts and hang their guts8 as they scratched their ears and cheeks9 trying to come up with countermeasures.
It was painful yet joyful.
"Xiao Bao, I'm already looking forward to our next collaboration."
Zhong Zeyuan ended with a long sigh.
It was a heartfelt invitation.
He could still weather more storms10!
After the show ended, guests who were on good terms stayed together to chat and catch up.
Others quickly boarded their nanny vans.
"Bao Ruanruan."
To everyone's surprise, Yang Xueni actually didn't leave and had already taken off her sports jacket.
Looking awkward and reluctant, she eventually walked over and began to speak, clenching her teeth.
"My agent wants to talk to you."
As she spoke, a brown-haired man in a white shirt and dress pants emerged from the pavilion beside her.
Bao Ruanruan was taken aback. "So formal?"
She blinked her clear eyes at Yang Xueni. "Although you just violated Clause 2 and made a move against me during the show, there's no need to be this formal. Just follow what's in the clause. You can find the core socialist values online — just copy them and you'll be fine."
Yang Xueni: "!"
The agent beside her chuckled softly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jiang Zhengle, Xueni's agent. Everyone calls me Brother Le or Ah-Le. You can call me that, too, Miss Bao."
Jiang Zhengle had an unremarkable face that would blend right into a crowd.
However, his bright and intense eyes revealed a competitive spirit that was hard to ignore.
"I've noticed you ever since your appearance on the red carpet, Miss Bao. I've watched both recent dating show episodes and the escape game from start to finish."
Jiang Zhengle looked completely sincere.
"I see great potential and a bright future in you."
"Miss Bao, the agency I work for, Dingxiang Culture, is currently the only one that can rival Huangtai Entertainment."
"To be frank, only a large company like ours can secure the best resources on the market—enough to match your talent and growth."
So this is what they call digging at the base of someone's wall11?
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
Jiang Zhengle lowered his voice with a smile. "I know there might have been some misunderstandings between you and Tang Yuxin before, but that was a long time ago—and we're not from the same company as Tang Yuxin."
"Xueni is one of my artists, and yes, she is friends with Yuxin."
"But business is business, and personal matters are personal. I can guarantee Xueni won't openly clash with you, and the company wouldn't allow it either."
Yang Xueni, standing beside him, rolled her eyes—a rare occurrence for her.
But she didn't say anything, either. This could more or less be counted as agreement.
"Miss Bao, you're improving at an incredible pace. Even if your current agent can barely keep up with you now, he won't be able to match your level in three months' time. A small, workshop-style studio won't get you access to award-contending film opportunities."
"And there's something else you might not know," Jiang Zhengle said with a smile. "I've heard some things."
Bao Ruanruan raised an eyebrow.
"Your agent and your studio may have offended the Xue family of Yanjing."
Xue…
A flicker of surprise finally crossed Bao Ruanruan's little camouflage-painted face.
This was the first time she had heard this information.
Xue Jing had an enemy… and it was the Xue family?
The very same Xue family in the novel—the only one capable of standing up to the Lu family of Jiangcheng?
Bao Ruanruan's face instantly scrunched up like a steamed bun.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Zhengle sensed there was hope and immediately stepped up his persuasion.
"If you don't believe me, you can check for yourself. None of the resources you've been getting comes from the Yanjing circle."
"I've heard something. There's been a rumour going around for the past three months. The Xue family's film and TV production company has refused to provide any resources to the studio your agent works for."
Bao Ruanruan frowned. "Have they got them blacklisted?"
"That's right. Everyone in the Yanjing circle gives the Xue family face, so you'll never get access to those resources unless you leave your current studio."
Suddenly, a vivid image formed in Bao Ruanruan's mind:
The Lu family of Jiangcheng in the south and the Xue family of Yanjing in the north were like two towering mountains of enemies crashing down on her head.
Good grief.
No wonder, at their first meeting, Xue Jing had said that only by 'whitewashing' could one turn from death to life.
It hit her right in the heart.
So, had he experienced the same fate as her?
The two of them practically pieced together the complete hatred value of the entire novel's grand landscape!
Right then and there, the radar in her mind blared to life.
"Miss Bao, if you sign with me, all these problems will disappear—"
"No."
Bao Ruanruan pressed her fingers to her brow.
"Calm down—there must still be a way to survive."
"?"
"For example, he could deal with all the trouble in Jiangcheng, and I could handle Yanjing for him!"
"!"
Bao Ruanruan finally figured it out. She lifted her head and looked at Jiang Zhengle. "Sorry, I already have an agent—I can't sign with you."
When allies shared the same crisis, their bond became the most solid.
Jiang Zhengle grew anxious. "If you switch to us, our company can cover the penalty for breaking your contract."
Bao Ruanruan shook her head.
"If you can abandon your teammate at any time, then how could you trust them with your back the next time?"
Jiang Zhengle was stunned.
Even Yang Xueni, who had always looked disdainful, was momentarily taken aback.
"Better than the two of you going down together, right?" Yang Xueni frowned. "What, do you plan to stay like this for the rest of your life?"
Bao Ruanruan looked at her in puzzlement.
"Isn't how things are now just fine? Aren't we currently on a variety show? Oh—are these shows actually bad?"
"Then what should we do? Should we give the director some feedback?"
Yang Xueni: "...!"
She really shouldn't have opened her mouth!
"Miss Bao," Jiang Zhengle now sounded truly sincere as he handed her a business card. "Take your time to think about it. No need to answer right away."
"Whatever treatment or terms you want, you can tell me. Look—you don't even have an assistant right now, do you?"
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
Rather than taking it herself, she gave him Chen Feng's phone number instead.
"?"
"If one day you can't make it anymore, you're welcome to come find me."
Jiang Zhengle: "?"
Yang Xueni: "??"
"At that time, we'll share the same goal—striving to survive. With our souls in sync, wherever we advance, everything will be swept aside12."
"I'll applaud and welcome you to join our team that survives in the cracks between giants!"
Jiang Zhengle: "......!"
Yang Xueni: "............!"
They felt as though they had stumbled into a brainwashing pyramid scheme seminar!
After speaking, Bao Ruanruan turned away with a carefree air.
However, looking up, she saw Xue Jing standing by the nanny van on the roadside. He was holding his phone and looking at her with a complicated expression in his peach-blossom eyes.
"Why aren't you getting in the car?" Bao Ruanruan rubbed her little camouflage-painted face.
The corners of Xue Jing's peach blossom eyes lifted slightly, and he gave a slow 'mm'.
He looked at her slender back as she was about to get in the car.
She was willing to entrust him with her back.
And she was also willing… to guard his back…🦊
Beneath the camouflage jacket, the young girl's back was straight yet slender.
It was full of a fragile, girlish quality.
It stirred up an irresistible urge to protect her.
Yet she still wanted to protect someone else?
Help him settle things in Yanjing?
Xue Jing let out a brief, low chuckle.
"Bao Ruanruan."
"Mm?"
Xue Jing got into the car, his peach-blossom eyes slowly sweeping over her delicate, partly revealed face, which showed a hint of snow-white skin as she removed her make-up.
Her long, delicate eyelashes trembled slightly.
They were like drifting willow catkins, brushing softly against the heartstrings.
A strange feeling welled up in Xue Jing's chest.
But he suppressed it in an instant.
Instead, he gave a light laugh, letting his gaze fall on her delicate wrist, which held the small mirror.
It looked as if it could snap with just a bend.
Xue Jing's gaze paused slightly.
"You really do need a personal assistant."
"Eh?"
Bao Ruanruan couldn't help lifting her half-cleaned, smudged face.
Her willow-leaf brows faintly knitted together.
"But I don't like being around strangers, especially in my private resting space…"
Xue Jing lowered her peach-blossom eyes slightly; they carried a hint of a smile.
"Mm."
"I'll arrange for someone you know."
Bao Ruanruan looked puzzled.
But the confusion quickly faded. Not wanting to think too much about it, she slightly nodded at Xue Jing.
"Then you arrange it."
"If it doesn't work out, I'll just return it."
Xue Jing smiled.
A rare, searing warmth welled up in his chest at being trusted.
For once, he solemnly put away his phone and gave a serious nod.
"Alright."
By the end of this escape-style reality show, all the guests were exhausted.
But the bigger the star, the more fans they had, and the busier they became.
Take Yang Xueni, for example. Once she got home, she immediately started memorising her script, and that same night, she flew to the snowy mountains of Bingcheng14.
In the film ‘Snow Mountain Rescue', she played the female lead.
This was her first time landing a female lead role.
Without stopping the horse15, she joined the production team straight away.
Even when she was so tired that she could barely lift her toes, she still had to keep filming variety shows.
This was to boost her exposure during filming seclusion and maintain her popularity.
"Xue, according to the previous schedule, while you're with the crew, you can spare some time to record the variety show Sisters as Assistants."
Her agent, Jiang Zhengle, walked into the dressing room while she was resting.
"The production team has also talked to us. The filming crew will probably come to work with the participating artists tomorrow."
Yang Xueni's expression wasn't looking good.
She was exhausted.
The snow mountain rescue scenes were physically demanding, and the filming was intense.
They started shooting at seven in the morning every day, so she had to get up before six to get her make-up done.
She never got enough sleep.
In addition, the rescue gear consisted of thick, heavy, insulated clothing and mountaineering boots that felt unbearably heavy to her.
The first day was still manageable.
But in the days that followed, just seeing that equipment made her scalp go numb16.
"So I can ask the crew for leave, right?"
In that instant, Yang Xueni felt like she was returning to life.
She needed a break!
She didn't mind being anyone's assistant—as long as it meant a few days off from filming!
Jiang Zhengle nodded. "I've already asked Director Xu for leave on your behalf."
"But this time you need to control your temper, and learn properly from Xia Xia how to do the assistant's job properly—take care of the other person's food, clothing, housing, and daily needs. Understood?"
"I took this variety show on specifically to change people's perception of you as being too aloof and unsociable."
Jiang Zheng Le frowned as he spoke.
"After all, you can't be a ‘flower on a high mountain17' your whole life. People inside and outside the industry won't think well of you."
"As an entertainer, networking is also very important—you still need to make more friends. The last time you lost that award-winning role was because you weren't familiar enough with the director, and your relationship with the male lead was only so-so, which gave Qin Lu the chance to snatch it away from you."
Yang Xueni's expression shifted subtly.
Personality isn't something that's easy to change.
"I'll try. Who's the other person? It's a girl, right?"
Being an assistant to a male celebrity would be inconvenient in many ways.
"It's a girl, but the production team is keeping her identity a secret for now, to maintain the show's effect."
"But they said the two of you should get along quite well."
Yang Xueni nodded.
Right then and there, she searched her mind for people with whom she actually got along well.
After searching for a long time, she couldn't think of anyone else besides Yuxin.
Yang Xueni: "……"
This was definitely not her fault!
The next day, she was woken up in a daze by a call from Jiang Zhengle.
"Xue, the programme crew and the mysterious celebrity—your boss—have arrived."
"Let's go to the set entrance to greet them."
"Oh, and take along the warming patches that Xia Xia gave you yesterday. Give them to this teacher when we arrive, got it?"
"And the thermos with the ginger tea—are they ready?"
Still groggy, Yang Xueni looked up to see her assistant, Xia Xia, handing her a small backpack.
Everything was inside.
She dragged herself up listlessly and let out an enormous yawn.
Sitting before the makeup table, she planned to apply foundation to cover her dark circles.
But when she looked up, she saw the sky outside was pitch-black.
Not a single ray of light had escaped from the clouds.
Yang Xueni: "!"
"Is it raining outside?"
"No, Sister Xueni, the sun just hasn't come out yet."
Yang Xueni: "!!"
She glanced at her phone and nearly fainted.
Four-thirty in the morning?
Even earlier than her usual filming schedule?
Yang Xueni's scalp tingled, and for the first time, she had a bad feeling about this 'Assistant' variety show.
After applying a light layer of foundation and red lipstick, she went downstairs, only to see her manager, Jiang Zhengle, standing there looking as if he had just been hit over the head with a giant hammer. His expression was frozen, and his gaze was locked straight ahead.
It was as if he had just seen a ghost.
Yang Xueni frowned and pulled her cotton coat tighter around herself.
With a warming patch and a thermos in hand, she smiled and glanced instinctively towards the cameras outside.
"Teacher, you've worked hard—"
She copied her assistant Xia Xia's smile and the slight bend of her back.
Afterwards, she offered the items in her hands.
And then she saw… someone she thought would never show up here!
The person was bundled up so tightly it was as if they were wearing a quilt… yet beneath it was an oval-shaped face that was delicate, unforgettable, and carrying a fragile air.
Bao… Ruanruan?!
Yang Xueni felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her out of a clear blue sky, leaving her frozen on the spot.
Bao Ruanruan quickly took the warming patch she had offered.
"No need to be polite."
Bao Ruanruan's uniquely soft voice sounded.
"We meet again."
"Teacher Bao, are you here to film a drama… or to record a variety show…?"
Agent Jiang Zhengle was utterly baffled.
Bao Ruanruan tilted her head slightly and replied with great seriousness,
"Adults don't do multiple-choice questions18."
"Both."
Jiang Zhengle: "!"
Yang Xueni: "!!"
Yang Xueni nearly spat blood.
Her beautiful eyes, now dull and ringed with dark circles from exhaustion, glared at her agent.
And to think he'd said that Bao Ruanruan's studio wasn't strong enough to get access to good resources!
As it turned out, Bao Ruanruan was going to join the cast of 'Snow Mountain Rescue', which she thought was sure to win an award?
And the variety show where she was supposed to be the assistant, it turned out that Bao Ruanruan was the ‘teacher' she was going to serve!
Yang Xueni looked at her manager, Jiang Zhengle.
She felt like his face already looked swollen, like Pighead No. 319.
It was swollen from being slapped repeatedly20.
"Brother Le, be honest—did you buy this information from our rival company?"
It's all fake intel!
Jiang Zhengle: "……"
"Mmm." Bao Ruan Ruan let out a graceful yawn and raised her hand.
"Nini, could you please find someone to bring my luggage inside? I need to catch up on sleep—wake me at 7:30. Thanks, Nini."
Yang Xueni: "!"
Nini?
Who?
She felt as though the top of her skull was about to fly off, and goosebumps broke out all over her arms.
Director, she wanted to go back to filming!!
Footnotes Full List
- 回头是岸 (huítóushìàn) — a Buddhist idiom meaning "turn back now and you'll find the shore", urging someone to repent before it's too late.
- 生命玩偶 (shēngmìng wánǒu) — "life doll," likening him to a spare life in a video game.
- 2333 — Chinese internet slang for laughter, similar to "LOL," originating from the code for a laughing emoticon on a forum.
- hhh — internet shorthand for laughter, like "haha.")
- 甲方 (jiǎfāng) — in business jargon, "Party A" refers to the client or commissioner with the upper hand in a deal. Here, it's used humorously to mean the one holding power in the exchange.
- 放风筝 (fàngfēngzheng) — literally "fly a kite," but in context it's a metaphor for sending someone into danger to lure or distract enemies, similar to 'playing bait'.
- 沉甸甸的 (chéndiàndiàn de - heavy in the hands) here is a metaphor for the preciousness and significance of the reward, not its literal weight.
- 提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) – nervous / on edge
- 抓耳挠腮 (zhuā ěr náo sāi) – scratching heads (in frustration or anxiety)
- 承受更多的暴风雨 (chéngshòu gèng duō de bàofēngyǔ) — a metaphor for being able to handle more challenges, chaos, or unexpected trouble.
- 挖墙脚 (wāqiángjiǎo) — a slang for trying to lure away someone else's valuable person (employee, partner, etc.
- Originally, this phrase, 所向披靡 (suǒ xiàng pī mí), described an unstoppable force (like an army or wind) that flattens everything in its path, just as strong winds flatten grass. It figuratively means 'invisible', or 'crush all obstacles'.
- Aww... he must have heard their conversation.
- 冰 bīng: ice, 城 chéng: city
- 马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí)– literally "the horse doesn't stop its hooves," meaning without taking a break / nonstop.
- 头皮就麻了 (tóupí jiù mále) — an idiom meaning ‘scalp went numb', describing a visceral dread or resistance, often when faced with something exhausting or unpleasant.
- 高岭之花 (gāo lǐng zhī huā) — metaphor meaning someone beautiful but distant and unattainable, often seen as cold or unapproachable.
- This phrase, 成年人不做选择题 (chéngniánrén bù zuò xuǎnzétí), is often used humorously or assertively to express that adults don't limit themselves to just one option—they want all the choices (e.g., "I don't choose, I take everything"). It reflects a playful or confident attitude towards decision-making.
- 猪头三" (zhū tóu sān) is a slang term in Chinese, originally from Shanghainese dialect, used to mock someone for being foolish or to describe an exaggeratedly swollen face (like a pig's head). The "three" (三) doesn't carry literal meaning but is part of the fixed insult.
- 啪啪打肿 (pāpā dǎzhǒng) — a metaphor for being humiliated or proven wrong repeatedly, not necessarily physical slaps
love itt, thank you for translating!
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