The moment the Blue Team showed up, it was clear that no one could compete with them! Bao Ruanruan wrote the above team'...
The moment the Blue Team showed up, it was clear that no one could compete with them!
Bao Ruanruan wrote the above team's slogan on the flag provided by the production crew.
The other three members of the Blue Team watched quietly, and all gave her a thumbs-up.
They didn't even think it was arrogant at all.
In fact, they even felt it was a bit modest—what else should they do?
Director Zheng Mingchang had already given up on trying to teach Bao Ruanruan anything.
"The Blue Team demonstrated extremely efficient speed."
"Red Team, you can't lose!"
He had placed all his expectations on the four members of the Red Team.
The Winter Solstice special, which was due to air in November under the 'Winter Solstice' banner, had to be thrilling, exciting and a little scary—only then would the audience remember it.
The problem was that the original plan was to edit at least 20 minutes of footage for each team, but now, it had been compressed to 6 minutes. Was that even acceptable?
It's so frustrating!
No matter how he thought about it, Zheng Mingchang couldn't bring himself to think any further.
Now, looking at the Red Team, a four-person group led by Qu Ji'en, he had high hopes for them.
Qu Ji'en, who was leading three bronze-level players1, seemed very stable.
Zheng Mingchang waved his hand. "Red Team, go!"
Sure enough, they hadn't even reached the haunted house yet.
Xiao Mengfei was already unable to handle it, perfectly demonstrating the level of fear that a player of this game was 'supposed' to experience:
"I'm scared… wuwuwu… I don't want to go in."
Lan Zhi's expression also grew grave.
Cheng Yao braced himself and asked, "Could you lend us one more flashlight?"
"Nope!" Director Zheng Mingchang refused cheerfully.
He wished he had a whole stack of guests like this!
At that moment, Xiao Mengfei was on the verge of tears. Her mouth drooped, and her legs went weak, leaving her unable to walk. "I'm afraid of the dark…"
Bao Ruanruan, who was standing in the Blue Team line, looked over and felt really sorry for her.
Just the day before, they had still been good teammates.
However, as a member of the Blue Team, all Bao Ruanruan could do was offer Xiao Mengfei moral support.
"You can't bring props, or it'll add to your completion time. I can't help you either."
She herself had only brought a small bottle of alcohol sanitiser inside.
But Xiao Mengfei's eyes lit up immediately.
She shot her hand into the air!
"Director, I want to add one more prop! It's fine if you add two minutes to our time!"
Zheng Mingchang: "?"
"I want to bring Bao Ruanruan into the haunted house with me!"
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
Come again?
[! hhhhhh!!]
[Pfft!]
[Help, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying~]
[D@mn it! My stomach hurts so much, from laughing…]
Director Zheng Mingchang's face darkened. "Do you think that's acceptable?"
Xiao Mengfei pouted. "You didn't say the prop couldn't be Bao Bao."
Zheng Mingchang: "……"
They barely have time to even finalise the show's rules!
[Hhh Xiaoxiao, you've gone bad.]
[Such a cheeky move—there's a human-to-human transmission2 phenomenon here!]
[They've inherited Kiddo Ruan's true teachings, 23333]
[Director: "It seems our show is doomed~"]
"So that means… I really can join?"
Bao Ruanruan had always been someone who followed the rules.
Hearing this, she felt Xiao Mengfei had grown up.
That's gratifying.
Zheng Mingchang's expression changed.
Bao Ruanruan had just lifted her foot to step forward when she was stopped.
"I agree to the condition for letting you stay in place that you just mentioned!"
Zheng Mingchang slapped his thermos cup with a loud smack.
[!]
[?]
[F*ck, could it be———?]
Bao Ruanruan instantly understood. "There was once a chance…"
"I'll sign!" Zheng Mingchang said through clenched teeth.
[hhhh It feels like only yesterday that we first saw the life-saving agreement, but today...]
[Never in a million years did I expect Ruanruan's 'empire' to expand again! Even the Director has been absorbed…]
[Oh, d@mn—top of the food chain. As expected of you, Bao Bao!]
[Please spam 'Game God Bao' on the public screen.]
[hhhh]
When Bao Ruanruan took out a brand-new A4 sheet of paper already filled with writing from her backpack and placed it before Zheng Mingchang in front of the cameras, everyone present held their breath.
It felt as though they were witnessing a glorious moment in the industry's history.
From that moment on, variety-show guests had finally 'stood up straight3'!
"Wait!"
Just as Director Zheng Mingchang was about to sign at this sacred moment, Lan Zhi suddenly interrupted.
"Xiao Bao, it's fine for Director Zheng to sign for you, but we can sign for you too."
"If he gives you one, the four of us can each sign one—that will make four copies."
[!]
"Xiao Bao, you should help our Red Team instead. Four 'life-saving agreements' from us are way more useful than just one from the Director!"
Bao Ruanruan never could have anticipated this.
Sis Lan has grown too.
How gratifying.
"It is indeed worth it for me to help you."
She told it like it is.
As she spoke, she reached out to take back the A4 sheet of paper that she had placed in front of the Director.
Zheng Mingchang: "…Wait, wait—I've already promised to sign it. I can't go back on it."
As he spoke, he hurriedly scrawled his signature.
It really was that kind of moment—delay even one second, and he would lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
[Such a prominent director, even I find it unbearable to witness!]
[Director: "Thankfully, my hands were fast—I managed to snag this prime dish4!"]
[Director: "It was Zhen5 who insisted on signing the life-saving pledge, it was Zhen5 who insisted on placing Bao Ruanruan at the top of the food chain, it was Zhen5 who signed that humiliating, sovereignty-losing treaty with her! Why don't you just hate Zhen Zhen5!?"]
[Please, really—this kid can't laugh anymore. Even an anti-wrinkle cream costs more than this VVIP privilege!]
Lan Zhi winked at Bao Ruanruan before returning to the line.
She was obviously pushing the waves and fuelling the swell6 from behind the scenes.
Seeing their subtle exchange of glances, Zheng Mingchang could only clutch his own wrist7.
But there was no such thing as a remedy for regret8.
"Let's move out, Red Team."
He was going to personally send them on their way!
Very soon, the entire Red Team was escorted into the haunted house.
Shortly afterwards, people standing on the grassy yard heard girls screaming from inside the dilapidated building, interspersed with Cheng Yao's high-pitched, piercing howls.
Zhen Xuan: "……"
He would never be the team captain again.
Impulsiveness is the devil9.
Lu Wenhao: "……"
He owed Bao Ruanruan another favour.
Qu Feifei: "……"
Thank goodness I didn't end up on the same team as my brother.
All three of them felt relieved at the same time.
During the latter half-hour of the Chasing Dreams livestream, the broadcast kept cutting back and forth between the Red Team, who were completely losing it in the haunted house, and the relaxed, cheerful Blue Team.
Screams poured endlessly out of the haunted house.
In the scrolling comments, it seemed as if an entire crowd of viewers were 'huddled together' in fear; their words were trembling.
Not only was the little building steeped in a sinister, terrifying atmosphere, but it was also filled with horrifying props, such as broken heads and torn clothing.
Furthermore, viewers saw several frightening NPCs roaming the corridors.
Xiao Mengfei was so frightened that she yanked Qu Ji'en's jacket right off him.
Meanwhile, Lan Zhi shrieked as she clung to Cheng Yao, stretching his T-shirt until it twisted like a dough twists📹.
It really was terrifying.
[…This is just too miserable.]
[It's clearly terrifying, but I really want to laugh. Sorry, Xiao Xiao.]
[Next time, you have to be on the same team as Bao Ruanruan, Teacher Lan.]
Meanwhile, by contrast, the Blue Team…
All that was seen was four insulated thermos cups—struck each other with a sharp clank.
Two cups of goji berries and chrysanthemum tea📹.
One cup of dangshen📹.
A cup of barley tea📹.
"Cheers!" Zhen Xuan howled happily.
Then, four chunks of pear skewered on toothpicks clinked together in a bold, carefree gesture.
Bao Ruanruan contentedly stuffed the raw pear into her small red lips in one bite, letting out a pleased little hum.
"Eating pears in autumn is good for the lungs."
"Filming a show while picnicking on the grass—this is so comfortable~"
Director Zheng: "……"
[!]
[Hahahaha, their happiness really is built on other people's suffering.]
[Director Zheng: "Get out!"]
"Red Team, final time: 42 minutes."
With a sigh from the staff, the entire Red Team fled in disgrace, sprinting out of the haunted house.
Tragic. One word said it all.
Xiao Mengfei instantly hugged Bao Ruanruan and burst into loud sobbing.
Bao Ruanruan patted her back. "It's okay—next time I'll win you a 'life-saving agreement' from the Director."
Xiao Mengfei: "!"
She instantly stopped feeling sad!
Zheng Mingchang: "……"
The world is too dangerous—being a variety show director isn't safe anymore either.
[Hahahahaha~]
The haunted house special came to an end amid laughter and playful chaos.
The recording schedule wrapped up about half a day earlier than planned.
Director Zheng Mingchang was at a loss as to what to do next.
The Red Team had already lost half their health10 through being scared.
All he could do was announce a rest break on the spot.
Having already received plenty of screen time and with nothing pressing to do, the Blue Team members each went off to touch up their makeup.
This situation also gave the Red Team guests more time in the spotlight.
"Wuwuwuwu…"
As soon as Bao Ruanruan stepped out of camera view, she took her phone out of the backpack she had left with a member of staff.
She opened her chat group with her managers and immediately started whining.
"Today the Director was downright inhumane, locking poor, weak, helpless little me inside a haunted house."
"It was so dark, so scary. The moment I went in, my legs went weak, and I couldn't even walk…"
The surrounding crew members: "……"
Who exactly are you talking about?
Bao Ruanruan wasn't holding the phone to her ear.
From the open speaker came an immediate, silent pause from the other side.
There was also an abrupt sound that seemed suspiciously like a cup tipping over on a table.
After a long moment, a slightly low, gentle male voice finally spoke.
"When you get back from filming, I'll take you to see a doctor."
The staff: "!?"
What an utterly unfiltered exchange.
Why does it sound like he's cursing her? Is he saying his own artist is sick?
Is Bao Ruanruan's manager really as scary as rumoured?
The very next moment, however, they saw Bao Ruanruan's worried expression instantly turn bright and sunny.
"Which traditional Chinese doctor is it?"
"Is it on Dianping🔗? Let me search."
The staff: "……"
She really likes… seeing doctors.
*
Xue Jing, who was resting in the car, put down his phone, and the corners of his thin lips lifted slightly.
He glanced at the live broadcast of Chasing Dreams.
He had booked an appointment at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic for the young girl, one that prepared winter health tonics and was staffed by an authentic old doctor.
Then he made a call.
"Director Zheng, thanks for your hard work."
"But next time, don't arrange a haunted house."
The Blue Team was resting.
Lu Wenhao was boredly scrolling through his phone.
Zhen Xuan was beside him, chattering nonstop with an excited look on his face.
"Teacher Ruanruan is seriously amazing! She was so cool in the haunted house—it was just like filming a movie. I hereby declare that from now on, I'm her fan!"
Lu Wenhao: "……"
That was sudden, bro.
Wouldn't that make him a fan of my fan?
That messes up the seniority.
"Hey, bro," Zhen Xuan lowered his voice and slung an arm around Lu Wenhao's neck.
"Wanna play PUBG? Just one round?"
Lu Wenhao rolled his eyes.
He had already decided to quit gaming.
Right now, he was still playing for two hours a day.
From next week onwards, he would only play for an hour.
One day, he would delete everything off his phone!
"Come on, come on, Sis Feifei, do you play?"
"It's rare for us to have nothing going on. I'll ask the others too—Xiaoxiao? Brother Qu? Brother Chengyao?"
Zhen Xuan was brimming with enthusiasm.
Anyway, the Director said it was break time.
Naturally, they should spend that time having fun!
"Oh, right! Where's Teacher Ruanruan? I'll go and call her."
Zhen Xuan's eyes sparkled, but the rims of his ears turned faintly red.
"I'm not sure whether she uses QQ or WeChat."
Lu Wenhao had just taken out his phone when he suddenly paused.
What playing PUBG? All Zhen Xuan wanted to do was add her as his friend!
Shameless.
Disgusting.
Even Lu Wenhao himself didn't have Bao Ruanruan's contact information!
In the end, Bao Ruanruan returned, as if she'd just come back from deep in the mountains.
“WeChat? QQ?”
"I don't play games."
Having finished settling her appointment with a traditional Chinese doctor, her mind was now full of autumn tonics meant to replenish what her body lacked.
That put her in a great mood, giving her face a rosy flush.
"I can be your cheer squad while you play."
Zhen Xuan: "……"
Lu Wenhao curled the corner of his mouth up and shot Zhen Xuan a glance.
It was clear that he was enjoying his misfortune.
Xiao Mengfei and Qu Feifei were both surprised.
"Bao Bao, download it—I'll teach you how to play~"
They themselves only knew how to play a little.
Their skills were terrible, but they were completely hooked.
"How about a PK match between the Red Team and the Blue Team?"
Director Zheng Mingchang clasped his hands behind his back, once again sensing the potential for increased viewer ratings.
"The winning side…"
"…gets to enjoy a lavish dinner tonight."
Bao Ruanruan from the Blue Team didn't know how to play.
That was great news!
Director Zheng now found all of Bao Ruanruan's Waterloo moments11 thoroughly delightful.
"But I don't know how…"
As expected, Baoruanruan scrunched up her fair, delicate face.
Zheng Mingchang was overjoyed.
He felt as though he had finally found hope in life.
"If you don't know how, you can learn. Xiao Bao, I really have to say this: you're young and full of vitality; you're not someone like us who's about to retire. How can you not play games?"
"This is also a new way for young people to socialise."
"It's the participation that matters, not the result."
It'd be best if she lost.
Zheng Mingchang's cheekbones were practically frozen in place from smiling so hard.
"At worst, the losing team will just have to watch us enjoy a big dinner tonight~"
Bao Ruanruan gripped her phone, hesitating slightly.
Zhen Xuan tugged at her sleeve. "Teacher Ruanruan, I'll take you flying12."
Bao Ruanruan sighed.
However, after glancing over at the opposing team and seeing that Senior Lan Zhi couldn't play either, she finally nodded.
"In that case, could you give me a little time to learn?"
Zheng Mingchang was generous. "Twenty minutes, then! Zhen Xuan, you teach her."
Zhen Xuan instantly straightened his back. No problem.
Lu Wenhao, standing to the side, pressed a hand to his forehead.
Unless one were a genius, it wouldn't be a problem to learn the game in twenty minutes; otherwise, a beginner would only become a dead weight to the team.
Forget it.
At worst, he'd just run all over the map to support his teammates.
But twenty minutes later—
Lu Wenhao began to question his entire life.
Bao Ruanruan genuinely did not know how to play games.
Moreover, as someone who had once been a 'little game character', seeing the controlled character on the phone screen made her complexion go pale.
She felt a vague sense of discomfort creeping in.
Unpleasant memories surged back like rivers and seas overturned.
She didn't want to die.
She wanted to live.
She wanted her teammates to live, too.
However, as she was a newbie player13, she was bound to experience a few total team wipes14 just after getting her hands on the game.
Bao Ruanruan couldn't even bring herself to enter the game and ruin the little character she was controlling.
She thought she could give it a try.
But the moment she saw the screen, she didn't dare touch it or control the character.
"Mmm…"
"Teacher Ruanruan, move forward—there's a loot bag in front of you that you can pick up!"
“…Mm…”
"Teacher Ruanruan?"
Teacher Ruanruan was still standing right where she was.
After landing, she slipped into the grass, found a high slope for cover, and lay prone.
"I'll just… stay here and wait for you guys?"
Zhen Xuan: "……"
[Hahahaha, girl, if you just stay put, you'll die when the poison circle comes in.]
[Ruanruan: "Once the poison zone refreshes, it won't be too late for me to run."]
"Pfft—"
Lu Wenhao let out a muffled laugh, his shoulders shaking.
"All right, log out of the game."
"Your boss here can handle two by himself."
Bao Ruanruan happily put down her phone.
In this world, nothing is difficult—as long as you're willing to give up15!
Giving up only takes a second.
Lu Wenhao really was impressive. Even though she didn't understand what was going on, she could see the little character he was controlling—bang bang, two or three shots, and he hit someone.
So bloody…
Bao Ruanruan covered her eyes.
She could only peek through the gaps between her fingers.
[My Kiddo Ruan is just too cute~]
[Kiddo Ruan: "I'm so scared———bang bang. The opponent is already down."]
[If my daughter likes Bao Ruanruan, I'll really be at ease. She likes reading and doesn't even play games!]
[Exactly. While watching this variety show, I pray every day that my son will stan Ruanruan in the future!]
[If he likes Ruanruan, Mommy will never have to worry about him being addicted to games again.]
Bao Ruanruan didn't play games not only because she didn't know how to.
In fact, she didn't want to learn how to play them.
This action from her made the group of mothers in the audience find her downright unusual.
The more they watched her, the more they liked her—so much so that they wished they could shower her with all their family's love.
[I need to recommend Ruanruan to my husband, too. As soon as he gets home, he's glued to his phone, either playing PUBG or Honour of Kings… he's hopeless.]
[Yes, +1. My boyfriend's the same.]
[Enough talking—I'm calling my husband and kid to watch this show right now!]
[The livestream link has already been sent to my boyfriend.]
Somewhat unexpectedly, the number of viewers for Chasing Dreams livestream rose again!
Fans were even enthusiastically recommending Bao Ruanruan to their husbands and boyfriends.
Things were starting to head in a strange direction.
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan spent about twenty minutes watching them play.
She looked at Lu Wenhao for a bit, then at Zhen Xuan, back and forth.
Then she wandered over to the red team to take a look.
She wanted to check on how Xiao Mengfei and Cheng Yao were doing.
Practice time for both teams ended.
It was time for the official PK.
The two teams took up their respective sides.
"Can I have a headset?"
Both Zhen Xuan and Qu Feifei raised their hands to ask the staff.
"Brother Lu, would you like one too?"
Lu Wenhao raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bao Ruanruan, who was standing nearby doing nothing.
"I don't need one."
"You guys wear them. I'll put mine on speaker."
[!]
[Did our boy just look at Bao Ruanruan? Was that for her?]
[Is he letting our Kiddo Ruan to listen along while they play?]
[He has grown up. Wuwuwu, after squatting here for three months16, they've finally become good friends.]
But the very next second, Bao Ruanruan managed to make Lu Wenhao furious.
"How about… letting me wear the headset?"
Bao Ruanruan timidly raised her hand.
Lu Wenhao: "......!"
What are you trying to do? You're not even on the team.
You're just causing trouble for no reason.
But five minutes later.
His in-game character had just stepped onto the concrete ground and was about to pick up the equipment ahead.
Bao Ruanruan raised an eyebrow.
"Thirty-five degrees to the right rear. Someone's coming—thirty metres out."
Lu Wenhao: "?"
He could hear footsteps, too.
But thirty-five degrees? Thirty metres?
How could it be that precise?
He turned his head and cursed, F*ck.
Sure enough, an enemy was sneaking towards him. He quickly controlled the recoil17 and blew the opponent away.
He watched as the opponent fell at right… rear… angle… of thirty degrees…
"!"
[!]
Lu Wenhao: "…How did you know?"
Bao Ruanruan glanced at him and pointed to her ear.
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Two minutes later, he finally met up with Zhen Xuan, and they entered the small building together.
They had just reached the second floor and were about to enter a room carefully.
Bao Ruanruan's gentle voice could be heard once again.
"There's someone on this floor."
"There's another one on the third floor."
Lu Wenhao cursed under his breath, calmed himself, and tried to listen for footsteps.
He couldn't tell.
The footsteps were a mix of Zhen Xuan's and everyone else's.
But the moment gunfire rang out, Zhen Xuan yelled in the team voice channel the next second.
"Ah—there's someone on this floor! I've been hit! Come and revive me, Brother Lu!"
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Ten minutes later, Lu Wenhao raised his hand and asked for a headset.
Unwilling to accept defeat, he tried listening again.
Sure enough, you could tell the difference between footsteps from dozens of metres away, at different angles… as if!
At best, he could barely tell whether someone was approaching from the left or the right.
Once the distance exceeded thirty metres, however, the footsteps became broken and intermittent.
Listening to them became difficult.
As for pinpointing exact angles—how many degrees to the front-left, for example—the footsteps were almost impossible to distinguish.
[The moment I hear footsteps, I panic.]
[This teaches us that headphones are important, but the person playing matters even more lololol.]
[Good thing Kiddo Ruan doesn't play games; otherwise, what dignity would Brother Lu have left?]
In front of the camera, Bao Ruanruan blinked.
"Close your eyes and practice more."
Lu Wenhao: "…"
This game is going to be uninstalled tonight!
They're not even as talented as a newcomer who has only been watching from the sidelines for twenty minutes!
"You really never played before?"
"No."
Bao Ruanruan spread her hands honestly.
Lu Wenhao took a deep breath and called Zhen Xuan over as well.
He asked Bao Ruanruan to give Zhen Xuan a demonstration too.
At a time like this, when he was witnessing a miracle and enjoying such a feast for the eyes, he felt he had to share some of this good fortune with his brother.
Then, right after him, Zhen Xuan also shut down emotionally.
How do you save a gaming-addicted youth?
Answer: Defeat him.
Crush him completely... with a dimensionality-reduction strike!
"God just didn't give me the talent for playing games!"
Zhen Xuan was utterly devastated.
The 'quit gaming' plan was accomplished overnight.
[Pffft—]
[This is just… ridiculous.]
[My boyfriend tried it with his headphones, and now he says he needs to buy a pair worth over 2,000 yuan—upgrade his gear and practice more… Why can't he 'wake up' just like Zhen Xuan did?! I'm so mad!]
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. Your boyfriend is so persistent!]
[If you send him to Bao Ruanruan for some 'advanced training', the face-to-face damage bonus would probably be +300%~]
[I tried it too, and then realised my left earbud is broken — there's no sound at all… damn it!]
[Ruanruan, when are you going to start endorsing headphones?]
The fans were ordering dishes18 again.
The PUBG match between the Red and Blue Teams finally ended with the game-addicted youths giving up.
The Blue Team, which included Bao Ruanruan, had finally lost!
Director Zheng was beaming with joy — he practically looked as if it were New Year's Day.
The only thing missing was him standing with his hands on his hips, laughing up at the sky.
"Blue Team, tonight's big feast is cancelled."
"You're on your own!"
Dishes from a five-star hotel were carried one plate at a time in front of the cameras.
They were served at the Red Team's table.
The Blue Team were forced to watch helplessly as the Red Team enjoyed the fragrant food.
Grilled lamb chops, steamed crucian carp📹, mao xue wang📹, …
Bao Ruanruan rubbed her stomach — she was getting a little hungry, too.
"Baobao, you can have my portion."
"Xiao Bao…"
Xiao Mengfei and Lan Zhi from the Red Team both wanted to share food with her.
However, Director Zheng forbade it.
"Xiao Bao, you can use the 'life-saving agreement' on me in exchange for dinner — how about that?"
[So devious!]
[You're forcing my Ruan to use the newly signed agreement so soon?!]
But just as Director Zheng had finished speaking, two catering trucks sped into the filming location.
The doors opened at that very moment.
Two men in black stepped out; both wore face masks and sunglasses.
"To celebrate Mr Zhen Xuan and Mr Lu Wenhao bidding farewell to gaming, we present this dinner especially for you."
[!!]
Starving, Bao Ruanruan stared at the scene in astonishment.
Behind her, Lu Wenhao immediately covered his forehead.
Secretary Zhou had been by his father's side for a long time.
Did they think that just because he was wearing sunglasses, Lu Wenhao wouldn't recognise him?
Dish after dish was swiftly brought down from the catering trucks —
Each one was even more upscale than the Red Team's five-star hotel cuisine.
Steak, lobster, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall📹……
Red Team: "......"
They gradually forgot who had even won the game.
Director Zheng Mingchang: "......"
He gradually gave up struggling.
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan licked her lips.
Zheng Mingchang sighed.
He raised his glass and shouted, "Enjoy your meal, everyone!"
The Red and Blue teams immediately broke into cheers and enjoyed this lavish dinner together.
Every staff member and cameraman received a share of the food, too.
It was a pleasant day.
Qu Ji'en from the Red Team had a flicker in his eyes.
Holding a drink, he walked over to Bao Ruanruan.
His handsome face, which looked expensive enough to be insured, wore an apologetic expression.
"Miss Bao, I'm sorry."
"I hope you can forgive my earlier rudeness."
[That's way too polite, God Qu! A win is a win—it doesn't count as rudeness~]
[God Qu is such a gentleman.]
[Hold on… is there some history between him and Bao Ruanruan!?]
[Was that earlier rudeness... related to the model competition?]
That term 'earlier' naturally referred to his disrespectful behaviour in wanting to make Bao Ruanruan stall Lu Wenyao so that Tang Yuxin could be freed.
Qu Ji'en earnestly wanted to apologise.
From the bottom of his heart.
Now that Lu Wenyao's chat records had been exposed and his character was under scrutiny, it was all thanks to Bao Ruanruan.
This time, Qu Ji'en truly wanted to thank her and was genuinely apologetic.
With his eyes lowered, he looked at the girl's delicate brows and eyes.
"If you ever need anything in the future, you can come to me."
[!]
[No sword drawn, yet another drop of blood collected!]
[The 'life-saving agreement' is already on its way~]
[Wasn't that way too easy?]
It really was too easy.
Bao Ruanruan didn't accept it.
By now, she already needed to keep her 'life-saving agreements' in a folder.
Now, there was finally an entry threshold for anyone to sign one.
"Your younger sister is calling you."
Qu Ji'en gave her a long, deep look, then sighed and turned away.
That night, Bao Ruanruan's group enjoyed the hot spring perk reserved for those who cleared the haunted house challenge at record speed.
They soaked comfortably and scrubbed themselves clean.
[Tang Yuxin: Xiao Hao, are you free? I want to give you a call and talk about your older brother. Is he doing okay?]
Lu Wenhao was holding his phone inside a waterproof pouch and was about to step into the mixed-gender hot spring pool.
He lowered his head to take a look.
His expression immediately changed.
Sis Yuxin?
Something stirred in Lu Wenhao's heart.
Ever since his brother was removed from his post, several friends who used to visit his brother often had stopped coming to the house.
He hadn't expected Tang Yuxin to remain so loyal and devoted to his brother.
A flicker of relief passed through Lu Wenhao's heart.
But just as he was about to call back, a light chuckle drifted over from beside the hot spring pool.
"I've been soaking for fifteen minutes—I'm fine now."
"If I stay any longer, I will get dizzy."
Wrapped in a large bath towel, Bao Ruanruan stepped out of the hot spring pool.
Her pretty face, wet from the water, was pale yet flushed with pink, and her black fringe slightly damp.
This condition made her doe-like eyes stand out even more, clear and bright.
She looked utterly pure.
It reminded Lu Wenhao of a piece of soft jade his father collected.
The jade was free of any impurities.
Like a drop of water condensed from a flowing stream.
Lu Wenhao's face flushed in an instant.
He turned his head away.
[Tang Yuxin: Your older brother is too prideful. I tried to comfort him, but he ended up feeling hurt instead, so I would like to ask you to comfort him on my behalf.]
Lu Wenhao lowered his head to read.
The words instantly overlapped with Bao Ruanruan's clear eyes in his mind.
Comfort… his older brother?
Was his brother really not at fault?
Wasn't Bao Ruanruan the one who actually got hurt?
Lu Wenhao clenched his teeth.
*
The Gaoshan production crew.
"Tell the Director that I'll be there after I've made a phone call."
Tang Yuxin smiled and asked her assistant to pass along the message.
She then sat down to wait for the call to come in.
Lu Wenhao had always been a staunch supporter of his older brother.
Therefore, showing concern for Lu Wenyao was the same as cultivating goodwill with Lu Wenhao.
At present, Lu Wenhao's level of support for her was only 30%, meaning that there was still at least a 40% margin for improvement.
With this in mind, Tang Yuxin walked over to the makeup mirror to check if her pores would shrink back down once Lu Wenhao's support rating had increased.
But out of nowhere, a system notification suddenly rang out.
[Lu Wenhao's support for you: decreased by 1.1%]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
[Because the host has designated Lu Wenhao as this week's primary target, the support-decrease bonus is calculated at 100%.]
[The host's appearance has decreased proportionally.]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
She lifted her eyes and saw that her eyelashes seemed noticeably shorter, making her entire gaze look dull and lifeless.
Her previously symmetrical, natural eyebrows were growing thinner toward the tails, instantly reminding her of actresses in historical dramas who had their eyebrows completely shaved off.
Tang Yuxin took a step backwards.
And that wasn't all—she also discovered that her M-shaped lips now had downturned corners.
When she wasn't smiling, the corners of her mouth curled downwards.
Her whole face was full of misery.
How could this happen?!
Isn't Lu Wenhao a total older-brother slave19?
She showed concern for Lu Wenyao, so why did Lu Wenhao's favourability towards her drop?
Could it be that, when she asked him to look after his brother, he felt she wasn't sincere?
[Because the key target's approval rating has dropped.]
[Today's random punishment has been triggered.]
[———Bad breath.]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
Her face changed colour as she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
But the moment she did so and took a breath, she was hit by a wave of nasty odour!
[No perfume or fragrance can mask it.]
[Duration: Until the approval rating increases, or after three days.]
Tang Yuxin collapsed onto the sofa in despair.
Since obtaining this system, she had triggered fewer than five punishments.
This time, it would actually last three whole days.
She had to grind it back up immediately!
[Today's action points have been used up. You may act again tomorrow.]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
[Tomorrow's Choices:]
[1. Give Lu Wenhao things he likes: a game account, a professional player's autograph.]
[2. Compliment Lu Wenhao and introduce him to a job.]
[3. Ask Lu Wenhao about his difficulties and promise to solve them for him.]
Tang Yuxin took a deep breath.
Given Lu Wenhao's prideful personality, option three definitely wouldn't work — since they weren't that familiar with each other, he would definitely blow up.
As for option two, someone like Lu Wenhao, a young master from a wealthy family, would treat work as nothing more than a way to experience life, just something for him to mess around with.
"I choose option one. Give me the purchase link for the game account and the pro player's contact information."
[It is advised that the host think it through and decide tomorrow.]
Tang Yuxin: "……"
"Sis Yuxin, the producer's friend's children say they're your fans and want to have a meal with you."
Tang Yuxin froze for a moment.
Producers all had valuable connections — they were people with whom you needed to cultivate relationships.
"I'll be right—"
But just as she opened her mouth, the assistant in front of her caught a strange smell.
It smelled like white radishes that had rotted in the refrigerator, never been cleaned out.
The assistant immediately leaned back.
"Sis Yuxin, did yesterday's takeout go bad in the fridge?"
Tang Yuxin: "!"
Her face flushed instantly.
She wanted to climb onto a spaceship and escape to another galaxy that very night.
She took a step back.
She didn't even dare to open her mouth properly when she spoke.
"I'm not feeling well today. Could you please postpone today's meeting for me and arrange the appointment with the producer for next week?"
The junior assistant hurriedly answered with a soft 'oh'.
As she turned to leave, she added suspiciously,
"I'll come back later to check the fridge."
Tang Yuxin's face turned deathly pale.
Whatever Lu Wenhao liked, she would send it all to him tomorrow!
After a relaxing soak in the hot springs, night had fallen, and Director Zheng Mingchang smilingly invited several of the guests to stand in front of him.
"Our Winter Solstice Horror Special ends here."
"Next, it's time to prepare for our return to Hengshan."
[What? The dream house has already been renovated?]
[The ventilation's done — you can move in now!]
[That fast? Bao Bao won't agree. Have you had a professional agency inspect the rooms?]
As expected, the camera swept over to Bao Ruanruan, who was standing low-key at the very back.
She also looked surprised, and even stretched out her hand, seemingly counting on her fingers how many months it had been since the dream house renovation began.
Zheng Mingchang glanced at her, momentarily speechless.
"Ahem. Before returning to Hengshan, we still have a lot of preparations to do."
In front of the camera, Bao Ruanruan immediately let out a sigh of relief and nodded obediently.
Seeing how compliant she was, Zheng Mingchang's mood lifted a little.
"As everyone knows, Hengshan is being developed as a tourist attraction. Some of the houses in our village are also being converted into farmstay accommodation."
"During this period, construction teams have already begun work."
"What we need to do now is to complete the first phase of attracting new tourists to Hengshan Village."
"After the Spring Festival, we will invite 2,000 lucky viewers to enter Hengshan Village in successive batches, where they will act as the first group of tourist experiencers, engaging in two days and one night mountain village life."
[!]
[Holy hell, 2,000 people? The production team is really going all out—can I go too?]
[2,000 people… Will Ruanruan go with me? If we go together, then there has to be a spot for me!]
[If we get selected, can we bring our family along?]
As soon as Zheng Mingchang had finished speaking, the on-screen comments exploded with excitement.
However, none of the guests showed much reaction—clearly, they hadn't heard anything that concerned them yet.
Zheng Mingchang smiled lightly.
"For this Hengshan Experience 2000 Plan, the production team will not provide any assistance."
[?]
Zheng Mingchang narrowed his eyes and looked at Bao Ruanruan and the others.
"In other words, you all will earn the travel expenses for these 2,000 viewers during the upcoming programme recordings."
[!]
[What?! Mom, should Ruanruan earn my travel expenses by working part-time?]
[Huh? Xiao Xiao is inviting me on a trip?]
Several of the guests standing in front of the cameras looked confused. They didn't quite understand.
Lan Zhi raised her hand.
"You want the money we earned during the live broadcast of Chasing Dreams to pay for the 2,000 people's trips?"
Zheng Mingchang nodded.
[Let me do the math. If it's 200 per person, that's 400,000.]
[What? Even the production team's donkey got better treatment20. Two days and one night for 200? That'd make people cry. At least raise it to 300, come on, I'm begging you.]
[Accommodation, transportation, and at least four meals are included, right? 300 really can't go any lower. That's 600,000… five regular cast members, 120,000 each—wow, that's something.]
Zheng Mingchang paced back and forth.
"Besides the funding, you need to custom-design the entire two-day, one-night travel programme for the tourists, too."
"Additionally, you must also personally handle the invitations for the 2,000 audience members."
Xiao Mengfei listened with a completely blank expression, then raised her hand. "All of this… we have to do it ourselves? And finish it before the Spring Festival?"
"Yes."
Zheng Mingchang inclined his head.
"This is a Spring Festival gift from the production team to our audience."
[Wow! So happy!]
[I can't believe I'm watching a god-tier show~]
[This is awesome—first time I've ever seen a variety show where watching it can get you a free trip… So how does the draw work? I'm squatting here waiting.]
"The rest, you'll need to discuss among yourselves."
"Today, I'll first distribute the initial funds: 200 yuan per person."
The staff immediately handed out red envelopes on the spot.
All eight guests, both regulars and temporary, were utterly stunned.
They were used to acting and stage performances, so those posed no difficulty.
However, they had no idea how to turn a few hundred yuan into several hundred thousand without performing.
Zheng Mingchang glanced at Bao Ruanruan, then at Lu Wenhao.
"Go for it! I believe you all can do this."
"The Red and Blue teams will each take on a task of 1,000 people!"
"Dismissed!"
As soon as Lan Zhi from the Red Team heard this, she immediately took charge.
"Let's think about ways to raise money—we need to start taking action tomorrow!"
Her team clearly held the advantage.
They already had three regular guests on the team.
Even if the temporary guests were replaced later, it wouldn't matter much.
And Qu Ji'en was also highly capable.
Lan Zhi immediately put waste to use (just kidding), as she dug out its strengths.
"Xiao Qu, you're from the fashion industry, and you have your own brand, right? What can you do tomorrow to make money?"
After thinking for a moment, Qu Ji'en came up with an idea.
"I'll bring out the company's inventory. Whatever we sell tomorrow, the net profit will go directly into the travel fund."
Lan Zhi's eyes lit up. "Then it's settled!"
[Holy sh— the Red Team is fast!]
[Having a boss on the team really makes a difference.]
[Brother Qu is very generous!]
The camera quickly cut to the Blue Team.
Compared to the Red Team, which had a clear backbone and leadership, the Blue Team looked like four aimless ghosts.
Qu Feifei, Zhen Xuan, and Lu Wenhao were all members of idol groups. The first two had started as trainees at a very early age, while the latter was a rich second-generation kid who had enjoyed an easy life.
Then there was Bao Ruanruan… who was drinking tea while hugging her thermos flask.
[It's over.]
[Ruan: "Don't look at me—I only know how to clear haunted houses."]
[Kiddo Ruan: "My money-making skill tree hasn't been unlocked21—don't cue22 me."]
"So what are we doing tomorrow? The Director probably won't manage us anymore and will let us do our own thing."
No one on the Blue Team responded.
With no other option, Qu Feifei braced herself and, despite being only a temporary guest, had to step forward by asking this question.
Lu Wenhao raised an eyebrow.
In the past, if it were about making money, he'd ask his older brother.
Now? He would have to ask his dad's secretary.
Zhen Xuan spread his hands. "I've got a few pairs of Air Jordans—how about I list them on Xianyu?"
Qu Feifei: “……”
Lu Wenhao: “……!”
[Hahahaha!]
[What a talent, bro!]
[Hey, so now this trip for a thousand people will come with the smell of shoes!]
Qu Feifei looked expectantly at Bao Ruanruan.
Lu Wenhao turned to look at her, too.
After all, she was the one who had led them through the escape challenge.
She was also the one who had got them out of the haunted house.
The number one in intelligence.
"Teacher Ruanruan," Zhen Xuan asked, blushing, "what do you think we should do tomorrow?"
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
She only knew how to play games…
But since they had asked her—
"Then I'll share my not-so-mature idea?"
The three of them obediently squatted down, waiting for the answer.jpeg
"The seasons are about to change. The temperature difference between day and night is huge, and influenza is running rampant — it's very easy to get infected."
The three of them: "?"
Bao Ruanruan glanced at the grim overseas news on her phone.
More than 200,000 new flu infections again.
And a 1% mortality rate!
"To ensure the money-making mission is completed, we first need to have healthy, strong bodies."
"I think tomorrow we should start by getting flu shots."
The three of them: "!"
What?
The wind was too strong—they couldn't hear clearly!
[!!!]
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: Free activity time—time to let yourself go!
Footnotes Full List
- "三青铜 (sān qīng tóng)" — slang from gaming: bronze = low rank. Means he's leading three inexperienced teammates, but the tone here is humorous.
- 人传人 (rén chuán rén): literally "human-to-human transmission"—here used humorously to suggest "their antics are contagious."
- 站起来了 (zhàn qǐ lái le) — metaphor for gaining status, dignity, or negotiating power, historically implying guests are no longer weak or disposable.
- "这盘好菜" (zhè pán hǎo cài) is a metaphor, jokingly comparing the opportunity or person to delicious food, implying something highly desirable.
- 朕 (zhèn) is the imperial first-person pronoun used by emperors; here it is self-mocking, exaggerating the Director's "authority.”
- "推波助澜 (tuī bō zhù lán)" literally means 'to push the waves and fuel the swell', an idiom meaning to add momentum or assist something in escalating.
- "扼腕 (èwàn)" literally "to clutch one's wrist," an idiom expressing regret or helpless frustration.
- "后悔药" (hòu huǐ yào) is a set phrase meaning there is no undo button.
- 冲动是魔鬼 (chōngdòng shì móguǐ) means acting on impulse brings trouble or disaster
- 半残血 (bàn cán xuè) comes from gaming slang, referring to a character whose HP has dropped to about 50%. Used humorously to describe how badly frightened the Red Team was.
- "滑铁卢" (huá tiě lú) metaphorically means a crushing defeat or failure.
- "我带你飞" (wǒ dài nǐ fēi) is gaming slang. It means an experienced player will carry a less skilled teammate to victory, not literal flying.
- 新人玩家: (xīn rén wán jiā), a standard gaming term for new player.
- 团灭: (tuán miè) gaming slang meaning the entire team is wiped out ("total party kill/team wipe").
- This is a parody of the famous Chinese idiom "世上无难事，只怕有心人" (shì shàng wú nán shì， zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén/"Nothing is difficult in this world, as long as one sets their mind to it"). By replacing "只怕有心人 (zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén)" with "只要肯放弃" (zhǐ yào kěn fàng qì/"as long as you're willing to give up"), the sentence becomes sarcastic and self-mocking, joking about choosing laziness or avoidance instead of perseverance.
- 蹲了三个月 (dūn le sān gè yuè) literally "squatted for three months," fandom slang meaning patiently waiting and following a pairing.
- 压枪 (yā qiāng): FPS gaming slang meaning to control recoil while firing automatic weapons.
- 点菜 (diǎn cài): Literally 'to order food'. Here it's metaphorical, meaning fans are making playful requests or demands, as if at a restaurant.
- "哥哥奴 (gē ge nú)" — slang. Literally 'brother slave'; it means someone extremely devoted to or obsessed with his older brother, treating him as a core emotional anchor. Similar to 'brother hardcore fanboy' or 'bro-con'.
- "生产队的驴待遇都没这么差" (shēng chǎn duì de lǘ dài yù dōu méi zhè me chà) is a sarcastic metaphor. It exaggerates poor conditions by comparing them to a farm animal being overworked and underpaid, referencing collective farming imagery from earlier decades in China.
- 赚钱能力没点亮 (zhuàn qián néng lì méi diǎn liàng) — Gaming metaphor: skills are "unlocked" on a skill tree. Here it jokes that she lacks the ability to earn money.
- Internet slang borrowed from 'cue' (to call on someone). Means 'don't drag me into this' or 'don't mention me'.
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