Never bother trying to guess what Rouruan was thinking. Who could have imagined that when she said, ' add one more ...
Never bother trying to guess what Rouruan was thinking.
Who could have imagined that when she said, 'add one more', she meant adding another pair of long johns for the teddy bear?
And yet, what she said actually made sense.
It was already the end of November now–could you really wear a short skirt and go bare-legged?
Health education should truly start from childhood.
No argument there.
Watching Bao Ruanruan, with her cheeks puffed out and looking utterly righteous, solemnly hand over the teddy bear in long johns to a barely ten-year-old girl who was probably still in elementary school, the livestream comments instantly lost all will to argue.
[Completely convinced.]
[This old mom is so comforted. When our kid grows up and has children of her own, she'll definitely raise them right.]
[This old mom really wants my biological daughter to watch this clip. She's already in middle school—if she were as worry-free as Ruanruan, I wouldn't be stressed about her health again.]
[Hahahaha snort—biological daughter~ Ever since I became a 'Mom-Fan', I've started categorising 'daughters' into those I have a blood relation with and those I don't.]
[I'm sending this to my mom group—the real mom group—so that all my daughter's kindergarten classmates' moms can see it.]
[Doesn't this clip deserve a trending topic?]
[You're right! I'll go boost the topic!]
The commenters even wanted to push this 'long-johns teddy bear' beyond the fandom circle.
All the way onto the trending charts!
Because surely they couldn't be the only ones scratching their ears and cheeks1 and getting it wrong in the end!
#Can you guess Bao Ruanruan's second gift?#
The topic shot up rapidly and charged straight into the Top 10 trending list without the production team spending a penny.
Clicking into the Weibo feed, it was nothing but "*2333," "another victim," "why did I even guess," "I shouldn't have clicked," and "no, I have to send this to my classmate!"
Bao Ruanruan's daily health-awareness routine went viral again.
Even the skirt-wearing teddy bear Tang Xi had asked the driver to buy was officially claimed by the brand itself.
[Love-PlayingPlushies V: Thanks to @BaoRuanruan's suggestion, we will be launching a long-johns version of this ballerina-skirt teddy bear. Pre-order link……]
Below the post, a crowd of netizens burst out laughing—and some actually went and bought it just for fun.
Surprisingly, a lot of straight men saw the trending topic and deliberately went to Taobao to pre-order it.
[Finally solved my girlfriend's gift problem! This time I really put thought into it—way better than just telling her to drink more hot water, right?]
[You should add one sentence to your gift… 'Baby, I love you. You don't have to wear skirts—even if you wear long johns, I'll still love you.']
[Thank you, Bao Ruanruan!]
Many mothers, in particular, bought this teddy bear for their daughters.
The idea of educating people about self-protection and health awareness became closely associated with toys.
Although this teddy bear cost just 39.9 yuan on Taobao, its significance far exceeded its price.
Even people passing by didn't want to miss out on this deal!
In the Taking Dream livestream room, by the time Bao Ruanruan boarded the return bus with the Blue Team, 29,000 units of the teddy bear had already been sold through the pre-order link.
PD Liu Qiu was also on the bus, bringing good news to the livestream audience.
"None of the viewers answered the quiz correctly just now."
[…]
"But after discussing it with the director team, we've decided to loosen the criteria—anyone who answered 'long johns', even if they said it was for a child rather than for the teddy bear, will be counted as correct."
"There are thirteen lucky viewers in total. The production team will contact you shortly and mail the Ruanruan gift packs to your addresses."
[!]
[The fact that they even thought of long johns is just unbelievable.]
The Taking Dream livestream would officially come to an end on the way back to Jiangcheng.
"The full episode will air next Friday night."
"See you again next weekend!"
[Awoo, I can't bear to part with her. Bye-bye, my daughter.]
[My happiness, see you next week~]
But Liu Qiu hadn't even raised her hand to wave goodbye yet.
It was because her phone rang at that moment.
As soon as the call was connected, Director Zheng's voice came through on speaker, sounding both helpless and admiring.
"Xiao Qiu, tell the Blue Team that their travel fund has increased by another 20,000 yuan."
"The toy company that makes that teddy bear is kindly sponsoring it."
"They have no requirements and don't need any sponsorship credits."
End of call.
The call ended abruptly before Liu Qiu could respond.
Director Zheng's hands-off approach towards the Blue Team was now fully on display.
[!]
[!!!]
[My Ruan is such bad@ss!]
[At the top of the food chain — If not Ruan, then who?]
[Hahahaha-aha! I originally didn't want to go on that 300 yuan 'two days, one night' trip, but I do now! It's already been upgraded to 600 yuan per person!]
[There are still at least three episodes to film before Spring Festival, right? The travel fund won't rise to over 1,000 per person, will it?]
[Ruanruan, charge ahead — let me see where your limits are!]
The teddy bear had clearly hit the jackpot.
As long as it remained in the trending searches, more and more people would see it.
Once the full Taking Dream episode aired, there would be another surge in sales.
A small sponsorship today could mean being mentioned on the show again in the future.
Pure profit, no losses.
Moreover, ever since Bao Ruanruan joined the Blue Team last week, she had single-handedly propelled the four-person group to promote vaccines, health check-ups, and plush toys — three entirely different sectors.
The keen market instantly sniffed out the scent of this 'wealth code'.
Even before Bao Ruanruan's bus returned to the Jingtian Travel office building, all four members of the Blue Team were already dozing off on board.
Meanwhile, Director Zheng's personal phone and the programme's official line were already being flooded with calls.
"This is Kangning Health Products. Could we ask the Blue Team to recommend a batch of multivitamins?"
"We're an online education company. Could we invite Teacher Bao Ruanruan to visit our company next week? We also offer online medical courses."
"This is Xuntu Renovation. We'd like to sponsor the Blue Team's travel route. Could a few of the celebrities visit our model homes? They could even use them as their offices for the next few weeks~"
"This is Wo-Shi Catering2…"
Director Zheng: "!"
It's all because I was too young.
Director Zheng was nearly retirement age and thought he had seen it all. Yet now, he felt like he could keep working for another ten years.
He was still green!
His experience was still far too limited!
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan's Blue Team had attracted sponsors from every aspect of daily life — food, clothing, housing, and transportation — who were all fighting to be first in line to offer their products the following week.
Some brands were especially generous.
What, Teacher Bao doesn't have time to come? No problem!
We'll wire the money!
You and I never had a connection to begin with—this only exists because I'm willing to pay for her service.
I'll sponsor your show and only need to hire Bao Ruanruan to do the voice-over. Surely that works, right?
In an instant, Taking Dream, a variety show whose first season was clearly nearing its end, was forced to accept sponsorship again.
A crowd of businesses were practically crying and shouting, begging to sponsor the show.
Director Zheng told them that once filming wrapped up around the Spring Festival, season one would be over.
The eager businesses still refused to accept it.
If we can't get in on this season, that's fine.
When does the next season's sponsorship meeting start? Forget it—don't even need to hold one. We'll just send the money right now.
For season two of Taking Dream, our name has to be there.
All the brands had completely lost their minds.
Director Zheng had a splitting headache because of this.
That afternoon, he received a call from a television network executive.
"Old Zheng, you should still lead Taking Dream next season. I trust you."
"Let season two start right after the Spring Festival—no break at all."
Director Zheng: "...?"
Even a work donkey in a production brigade3 is allowed to rest.
It was a bittersweet moment for Director Zheng.
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan and her group finally returned to the ground floor of the Jingtian International office building.
The nanny vans sent by various companies were already waiting.
"Awoo! Brother Lu!"
"Zhen-Zhen!"
"Feifei, our daughter!"
"Justice Bao!"
"Commissioner Bao of Public Safety!"
"Kiddo Ruan~~~"
The open space outside the office building was so tightly packed that not even water could pass through. It was filled with fans screaming nonstop and holding up their phones to film.
A group of security guards was trying to maintain order.
When Bao Ruanruan stepped out of the car, her mouth opened in surprise.
Qu Feifei and the others behind her, however, were already accustomed to it.
During normal team activities, fans waited for them at the entrance, both before work and after work.
They skilfully waved and smiled at the fans.
Then they said goodbye to their colleagues and prepared to get into their nanny vans to leave quickly.
"Bye, Sis Feifei."
"Sis Ruanruan, see you next week......"
However, as Zhen Xuan smiled and waved to the people beside him, he suddenly realised that the slender figure who had been standing half a step ahead of him on the left… had disappeared.
Looking up, he saw that slender figure walking straight toward the crowd of fans!
Zhen Xuan: "!"
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Qu Feifei: "!"
All three of them changed expression at once.
At a moment like this, absolutely no one should walk into the crowd of fans.
If the fans got too excited, the security guards wouldn't be able to hold them back!
If someone fell and a stampede started, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
But the moment they had that thought, they saw that Bao Ruanruan was standing just one metre away from the screaming fans.
"Please go back."
They heard Bao Ruanruan say it softly and gently, her voice mild and without force.
The slender tips of her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind.
"There are too many people. It's dangerous."
"Let's chat online instead."
These simple words might not even have been audible to the fans in the very last row.
Yet the crowd suddenly fell silent.
Miraculously, the fans in the front row stopped shouting.
They turned their heads towards the back.
"Bao Bao told us to leave!"
"Then let's go," said the second row after thinking for a moment.
The third row heard it too. "She said it's dangerous?"
They turned back and told the fourth row, "Bao Ruanruan said there are too many people, and it's dangerous—let's chat online."
The fifth row thought for a moment. "Then I'll chat online with my kid."
There were even fans of Lu Wenhao here.
And they listened to Bao Ruanruan as well!
"We have to listen to Safety Officer Bao Bao."
"Yes, yes. Our Lu kid has fallen so many times already. We mom-fans need to lead by example—let's go and listen to Bao Ruanruan."
"Mm, when it comes to safety issues, you can always trust Justice Bao."
The fans stopped shouting and no longer rushed forward, thinning out.
They even waved to Bao Ruanruan in an orderly way. "Kiddo Ruan, you go first—Mommy will leave after watching you go~~"
Were these really the same fans who had just seen their idol in the flesh—fans who were supposed to be easily excited?
They came from all corners of the country, didn't know each other, and there were even fans from four different fandoms here.
Yet everyone listened to Bao Ruanruan.
The other three members of the Blue Team were completely stunned.
Only one thought echoed in their minds—if only they had even half of Bao Ruanruan's special soothing ability... then everything would be fine.
What fan wars? What troll battles?
They would all vanish without a trace.
When Bao Ruanruan said it was dangerous, everyone withdrew.
"Off I go—bye bye. Be good~" Smiling as she waved goodbye to fans from every fandom, Bao Ruanruan had no idea how impressive she was.
Her delicate face, fair as snow and smooth like jade, glowed softly.
She then turned to say goodbye to Tang Xi and then to the three members of the Blue Team.
"See you next week."
Dragging her suitcase and wearing a backpack, she walked toward the low-key, all-black nanny van parked by the roadside.
Before she even reached it, the car door opened.
A young man wearing a cap jumped out of the car. "Give me the luggage, Xiao Baozi."
Only then did the three from the Blue Team snap out of it and head toward their own van.
Tang Xi felt as though her heart had driven away along with Bao Ruanruan's van, and she absent-mindedly walked into the office building.
It was only when she took out her access card that she came back to her senses.
"Why does that guy carrying the suitcase look kind of familiar?"
He looked a bit like their company's vice president?!
Tang Xi shook her head.
Her eyes must be playing tricks on her.
But a second later, she let out a miserable cry.
"My autographed photo!"
How could she have forgotten to ask Kiddo Ruan for an autograph?
Ah!
In an instant, Tang Xi became dejected and slid towards the elevator, too weak to press the button.
She looked weak and helpless, and even a little pitiful.
"Teacher Tang."
PD Liu Qiu's voice suddenly rang out.
"Teacher Bao said she wants to give you a gift package of the product she endorses as today's 'tuition fee'."
Tang Xi: "!"
"When you have time, please contact her studio on Weibo~"
Tang Xi: "!!"
Spinning, leaping~
I close my eyes~ 📹
The Lu family villa.
After three days of negative punishment, Tang Yuxin finally returned to normal and came to visit with gifts.
Setting aside the support-rate rewards given by the System, the fact that she went from being an ordinary person to marrying into the largest elite family in Jiangcheng was a resource in itself that she had to seize.
Even though Lu Wenyao had fallen out of favour with his father for now, she knew that, as the prospective eldest daughter-in-law, she must continue to curry favour where it counted.
When Father Lu saw her, he would not speak harshly to her.
On the contrary, he would even show her some consideration.
Tang Yuxin handed the gifts to the butler and began chatting with Father and Mother Lu.
It was almost lunchtime when she finally saw Lu Wenhao returning from a variety show recording.
"I'm starving to death! Is it time to eat?"
As soon as he got back, Lu Wenhao wanted to collapse.
He was too exhausted.
Tang Yuxin immediately stood up.
Lu Wenhao froze for a moment when he saw her.
"Outdoor variety shows are very tiring. When I recorded one for the first time, I wasn't used to it either."
Tang Yuxin spoke gently, sharing her experience.
"If it gets too much, just step away from the camera and rest for a while."
The smile that Lu Wenhao was about to raise stiffened.
Step away from the camera to rest?
Isn't that just slacking off?
Slacking off? In the past, he would have happily accepted such advice. But now—
He had been 'lying flat and winning4' all the way thanks to Bao Ruanruan, and he still had the nerve to lie back and slack off again?
How thick-skinned would that make him?
After winning so effortlessly, did he still want to slack off?
Recalling how Bao Ruanruan had devoted herself to creating a travel experience for a thousand tourists, Lu Wenhao looked at Tang Yuxin again and concluded that, for a Best Actress, her level of awareness was shockingly low.
[Lu Wenhao's support rating towards you has decreased by 0.5%]
Tang Yuxin: "???"
Before she could recover from the shock, she heard another notification.
[Lu Zhengda's support rating towards you has decreased by 1.5%!]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
She looked towards Father Lu—
just in time to catch a fleeting trace of displeasure on his face.
How could this be?
She had visited several times before without ever increasing Father Lu's support rating, so why was it decreasing now?
Lu Zhengda stood up and looked at Tang Yuxin. The fondness that had been evident in his eyes earlier had disappeared.
He didn't have any particular expectations of this future daughter-in-law. However, she could not be permitted to ruin the family atmosphere.
It hadn't been easy for his younger son to finally work hard out there, so how could she be allowed to drag his leg from behind5 and discourage him from striving for improvement?
She wasn't even as good as that Bao Ruanruan!
Lu Zhengda looked at his eldest son, Lu Wenyao, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction.
His eldest son truly had terrible judgment.
"Let's eat."
During lunch, the Lu family spoke very little.
Father Lu followed traditional rules—one does not speak while eating, nor talk in bed—and meals were meant to be a time for focus.
Tang Yuxin was an actress and needed to control her weight, so she avoided many foods.
She ate in tiny bites, mostly just vegetables.
Watching her, Lu Wenhao couldn't help recalling Bao Ruanruan's fragrant, wholehearted way of savouring her food.
Merely sitting opposite her made it possible for him to eat an extra bowl of rice.
But looking at Tang Yuxin… he felt full.
Suddenly, he remembered that he should be losing weight too!
His appetite completely vanished.
[Lu Wenhao's support for you has dropped by 0.5%!]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
She couldn't even force out a smile.
What had she done wrong?
Once Tang Yuxin was done eating, she scrambled to contact the System, even considering spending points just for a mere hint on how to proceed.
But Lu Wenyao embraced her tenderly from behind at that moment.
"Yuxin, I'm sorry for worrying you. It was my fault."
"Let's go out and do an interview."
Tang Yuxin: "?"
Lu Wenyao apologetically said, "Everyone is misunderstanding me right now. They think I'm disloyal to you, but that's not the case. Please clear this up for me. Once I'm back in the CEO position, we can get married."
Was he trying to use her to whitewash himself?
To create the persona of a considerate, good man?
Tang Yuxin's expression changed.
If it had been before, she would have agreed without hesitation.
But recently, after she said she trusted Lu Wenyao, she even started to lose the support of someone like Yang Xueni, whose support rate was as high as 70% before.
And let's not forget her fans, as well as Qu Ji'en.
Marketing a romantic 'CP' now would be of absolutely no benefit to her.
"You don't want to?" Lu Wenyao frowned.
Tang Yuxin clenched her teeth.
"Darling, my next movie is about to be released. If I'm seen as being in a relationship right now, the audience won't be able to immerse themselves in it."
Lu Wenyao lowered his gaze and glanced at her.
[Lu Wenyao's support rate for you has dropped by 5%.]
[He suspects that you do not truly love him.]
Dog man!6
Tang Yuxin felt like she was about to spit blood7.
All her hard work to raise his support rate to 90% had been for nothing!
Even when those scandals involving Bao Ruanruan happened, she still didn't hold it against him!
"Listen to me—if you release a lovey-dovey PR article right now, everyone will think you're using marketing tactics to whitewash your image."
Tang Yuxin clenched her teeth.
"But what if we do the opposite? For example, you publicly apologise to me for the trouble caused by Weibo, and we break up for now?"
Lu Wenyao frowned deeply. "Apologise and break up?"
Tang Yuxin, however, thought the idea was excellent.
She couldn't believe that she had come up with such a brilliant plan herself.
"By retreating in order to advance, you actually let everyone see your sincerity."
"The untrue information online has affected your family and friends—and me as well. Once you apologise, people will trust you more."
"You should break up with me temporarily."
Tang Yuxin reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Of course, it's all fake. Just say that once everything has settled down, you'll pursue me again."
This way, she could maintain Lu Wenyao's support rating while 'faking' a breakup with him, and use that to boost Yang Xueni and Qu Ji'en's favourability!
Lu Wenyao frowned.
"I'll think about it."
Tang Yuxin nodded gently. "You're the only one in my heart—there's no need for you to doubt that. Other than on set, I haven't even looked at another man."
Lu Wenyao let out a soft laugh and pulled her into his arms.
[Lu Wenyao's support rating towards you has increased by 1.5%.]
[He temporarily believes you.]
That dog man—the increase wasn't even as much as what she'd just lost!
Tang Yuxin's expression darkened.
But Lu Wenyao lifted her chin and leaned down to kiss her red lips.
At such close range, he noticed the heavy foundation on her cheeks and the faintly visible pores…
In that instant—
Lu Wenyao froze, recalling Bao Ruanruan's flawless, delicate face on television.
His thoughts drifted.
[Lu Wenyao's support rating towards you has decreased by 0.5%.]
Tang Yuxin: "?!"
Bao Ruanruan took the nanny van to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic to get a herbal prescription.
By the time she returned to Beijiao No. 1, it was already four in the afternoon.
After tidying up for a while, she went online to eat the melon8.
And this piece of melon9 was sent to her by Xiao Mengfei.
"Bao Bao, I heard that Lu Wenyao is going to break up with Tang Yuxin. It seems he feels guilty for making her suffer, so he wants to end their relationship."
Xiao Mengfei was right on the front line of eating melon10.
She had connections.
Her uncle was a senior executive at Huangtai, so she received information faster than ordinary netizens did.
"If this is true, then you've completely turned things around!"
Xiao Mengfei was thrilled.
"We must celebrate."
Hearing this, Bao Ruanruan felt sweetly delighted.
A major hidden danger that had once threatened her safety had finally been removed—of course, she would be happy.
She usually spent less than an hour online.
Today, however, she rewarded herself by reading two short papers on traditional Chinese medicine on CNKI🔗.
Sure enough, at eight in the evening, Lu Wenyao posted a bombshell announcement on Weibo.
[Rumours stop with the wise11, but the damage had already been done. I would like to apologise to Yuxin, and I hereby cancel the engagement.
When the world becomes clear and just again, I will pursue Yuxin anew. In my heart, she is the purest girl—she cannot endure even the slightest stain.]
As soon as the announcement was posted, it shot to the top of the trending list.
Even though Bao Ruanruan was mentally prepared, she was still bombarded with countless private messages.
She was no longer alone now.
Her mom-fans stood up for her, and so did her career-fans.
[Ruanruan, we all believe in you.]
[That scumbag is seriously yue12.]
Not only fans, but even friends like Xiao Mengfei were calling her.
"D@mn it—I thought he was going to apologise, but instead he's dodging responsibility!"
Lan Zhi and Cheng Yao both sent messages asking after her.
Even Zhen Xuan sent a message expressing his concern, saying that Lu Wenhao was with him and wanted to know if she was doing okay.
"I'm fine."
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
She truly wasn't upset at all.
She went on Weibo and reposted an image.
[BaoRuanruan V: Take one step back, and you get breast hyperplasia13; endure for a moment, and you get ovarian cysts14. Horizontal line: curse first, then deal with it📹 ———— 'The more you try to cover it up, the more it shows' JPG]
Not long after, her Weibo post shot up the trending list—right alongside Lu Wenyao's.
#Lu Wenyao claims innocence and breaks up first#
#Bao Ruanruan calls someone out for 'trying to cover it up'#
Trending #1. Trending #2.
An unprecedented cause-and-effect dialogue.
[Pfft! Passersby couldn't help but come in and like Bao Ruanruan's post.]
[A beauty should absolutely clap back!]
[When you look at them side by side, it's just so ironic!]
[I'm laughing myself to death! Will Lu Wenyao dare to come out and respond? 'Trying to cover it up' is such an accurate summary!]
[Heh—if there was no problem, why break up? Tang fans are quietly laughing at this flashy stunt.]
[I've been waiting for Sister Yuxin to be gloriously single forever! Get lost, scumbag—why are you even trending?]
By eight in the evening, the internet was awash with criticism, almost all of it aimed at Lu Wenyao.
Tang Yuxin never came forward to deny, leading onlookers to believe that not even his girlfriend supported him—indirect proof that Lu Wenyao had indeed wronged her.
And Bao Ruanruan's sharp confrontation, combined with her good relationship with Yang Xueni, a close friend of Tang Yuxin, made it clear that she was a victim too.
[Girls should stick together~]
[Two lovely ladies joining forces to stand up to a scumbag? I couldn't be happier!]
[Teacher Bao, on behalf of Tang Yuxin's fans, we sincerely apologise to you.]
[At last, Bao Ruanruan, the day has come for your name to be cleared!]
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Tang Yuxin, who was constantly monitoring online trends: "?"
Lu Wenyao, who thought netizens would forgive him: "!"
[Lu Wenyao's favourability towards you has dropped by 5%.]
[He thinks you came up with a terrible idea. His support rating has fallen to 80%.]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
But very quickly, she heard the sound of support ratings going up.
[Yang Xueni's support rating has increased by 0.3%.]
[Your fans' support rating has increased by 0.6%.]
[Qu Ji'en's support for you increased by 0.3%.]
How could it be so little?
Tang Yuxin completely lost it.
Weren't they the ones who wanted her to break up?
"Xiao Chen, help me arrange a dinner with Qu Feifei for tomorrow night!"
She refused to believe it!
Could every single one of them really be this difficult to deal with?
[Qu Feifei: You may choose the following strategy options]
[1. Show concern for her dance skills (everyone has their own area of expertise)]
[2. Show concern for her potential in variety shows or acting, beyond dance (she's getting older, so she'll have to switch careers sooner or later)]
[3. Show concern for her personal life (romance, family, friendships, etc.)]
[4. Show concern for her physical condition (old injuries)]
Tang Yuxin narrowed her eyes.
She had originally planned to choose option one, but when she saw option four, she realised that Qu Feifei actually had old injuries.
That was important information.
"Then let's go with option two—show concern for her variety shows and performances?"
Meanwhile, since Bao Ruanruan managed to get herself onto the trending searches, she received an extra reward from her agent.
"Well done, Xiao Baozi," Chen Feng praised her enthusiastically. "We finally settled the score!"
Xue Jing also appreciated the girl's straightforward personality.
Although she looked gentle and sweet, when the time came to fight back, she didn't hold anything back.
She was truly worthy of being someone he had his eye on.
Unlike Tang Yuxin, who was clearly involved in the matter, yet was hiding silently in the background, which displeased him greatly.
"I'm going on a business trip to Yanjing tomorrow."
Xue Jing lowered his peach-blossom eyes and rested them on the girl's cheek, where her jet-black hair fell.
A glint flashed in his gaze, but he quickly suppressed it.
"A friend asked me to bring back a blessed bracelet consecrated by a senior monk."
As expected, Bao Ruanruan was instantly drawn in.
Her clear eyes were practically glued to his face.
In an instant, she pulled out a dining chair in the living room.
"Dear Honourable Landlord, please have a seat."
"Would you like some water?"
"Or would you like a cup of ginseng tea I brewed myself?"
Xue Jing lowered his gaze and hummed in approval.
Bao Ruanruan hurried out of his house, went across the hall, and brought over the ginseng tea she had prepared earlier.
Xue Jing gave a light cough.
Smiling brightly, Bao Ruanruan quickly placed the tea near his hand.
"If your throat feels uncomfortable, take a sip—it's just the right temperature."
Standing nearby, Chen Feng's mouth twitched.
He couldn't even bear to watch these two anymore.
He did feel a pang of jealousy.
But what good would that do?
He wasn't the one who would go to Yanjing!
"Could you bring one back for me too~?" Bao Ruanruan finally said it, blinking her deer-like eyes as her face flushed.
The corner of Xue Jing's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
"Mm."
"One that's for health, okay~"
Xue Jing glanced sideways at her flushed little face.
"I'll bring you two."
"One for each hand."
Double the protection!
Double the effect!
Bao Ruanruan opened her small mouth in delight. "Honey, I didn't know we were on the same wavelength like this!"
Xue Jing: "…………"
As long as you're happy.
But his gaze quickly fell on her pink lips as they opened and closed.
Only after a long moment did he speak.
"There's a temporary job. It's up to you whether you take it or not."
Bao Ruanruan tilted her head.
When Chen Feng finally found an opportunity to speak, he immediately got to his feet.
"It's a temporary mentoring position on a dance competition variety show."
"It's on C-Station. One of the dance mentors, Wang Jia, recently tore a ligament while filming and needs surgery, so a mentoring position has become available."
"It's just for one episode. After the surgery, she'll be able to appear on the show and give critiques from a wheelchair."
Chen Feng wrapped up his explanation.
Then he noticed the blend of awe, respect, and mortification at being outdone in Bao Ruanruan's flushed face.
Appearing on the show in a wheelchair?
"Does everyone work this hard?"
Chen Feng: "…If you don't have backing, you have no choice but to fight for it."
It dawned on Bao Ruanruan that she had been sitting on the shoulders of a giant—her agent cum landlord—who had allowed her to act without a single care in the world.
At that moment, she felt a little guilty.
"Then I'll go."
"Let that teacher rest properly—I'll cover for her for a while."
Xue Jing couldn't help but look at the young girl again.
She's grown more sensible.
That inexplicable feeling of 'my girl has finally grown up' surged up again.
"Then familiarise yourself with the contestants' profiles."
"Each of the four judges leads one team."
"In this team round, two people will be eliminated from the losing team."
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
Her small shoulders instantly felt the weight.
"Is it still possible for me to back out now?"
"……"
Bao Ruanruan would temporarily take Wang Jia's place as the Dream Team's mentor on Youth Dance Soul.
This episode followed a group dance competition format.
As soon as the news broke, concerned comments flooded the internet.
Fans and supporters of the Dream Team's dancers were especially worried that the team would end up at the bottom.
[Wang Jia has at least received training in modern dance and can provide professional advice, whereas Bao Ruanruan is a musical theatre major. Is this a fair comparison?]
[No, please! The Dream Team is already at a disadvantage. There are already two unstable performers—my Youyou can't be eliminated!]
[Help! @YouthDanceSoul, I'm also a fan of Bao Ruanruan on variety shows—I know she's funny, but this is a professional dance competition!]
[She actually has great athletic coordination—didn't you see the Pengmai commercial?]
[But athletic coordination doesn't equal dance ability.]
[Exactly. Dancers and athletes are two different things (dog-head). Bao fans, don't attack me!]
Can Bao Ruanruan really do it?
As soon as the production team announced her as the replacement, heated discussions erupted online.
And the shadow of that question hung over the contestants as well.
Among the four mentor-led teams, only the Dream Team was leaderless and lacking in morale.
Some Dream Team members, who had consistently ranked last, had already packed their bags and were ready to leave.
"Bro, I'll probably be gone this time. Keep it up and hold on until Sis Jia comes back."
Li Shuai delivered his farewell speech in the dance studio.
"It's not that hopeless, right?"
"Ugh, I just had a look at the other three teams. Their mentors are right there with them, giving pointers and fine-tuning every detail of their performance."
Li Shuai shook his head.
"And we…"
He didn't continue.
But all seven dancers in the room understood perfectly.
Different professions are like mountains apart.15
Bao Ruanruan couldn't really teach them.
If she were the type of person who liked to show off in front of the camera, she might even give them unprofessional advice.
So, when that time came, should they listen to her or not?
Since she was among their seniors in the industry, it was all the more reason they couldn't afford to offend her.
The Dream Team members were extremely dejected.
To begin with, among the four teams, they were already at the very bottom.
With four men and three women, covering everything from ethnic dance to classical dance to street dance, their styles were completely mismatched.
This group dance competition format was the worst possible scenario for them.
"Even if we lose, it's because our skills aren't as good as the others'. We won't blame the mentor!"
Li Shuai clenched his teeth.
But just as everyone was feeling down, a slender figure, carrying a faint scent of ginger, walked gracefully into the dance studio.
"Huh, are you all taking a break?"
A gentle, soft, harmless voice sounded.
The Dream Team all turned around at once, their mouths falling open in surprise as they froze.
They knew a new mentor was arriving today.
What they hadn't expected was a mentor carrying bags upon bags in her hands, with a hiking backpack on her shoulders as if she'd just returned from a trekking trip!
They all looked towards Bao Ruanruan.
Bao Ruanruan's clear gaze swept over them one by one.
She let out a small 'ah'.
Then she took off her cold-weather mask and baseball cap to reveal her delicate, perfect face and snow-white skin glowing with a dewy sheen.
"I'm Bao Ruanruan. Hello, everyone."
The Dream Team all froze.
They knew female celebrities were beautiful, but they hadn't expected her to be so much prettier in real life than on screen.
Even the faint ginger scent on Bao Ruanruan made her feel especially warm and down-to-earth, not distant at all.
When she smiled, her soft, creamy face seemed to glow.
Li Shuai's face turned red.
If he were eliminated because of such a beautiful mentor, he would be willing to accept it!
But—
Bao Ruanruan looked towards them. Her eyes, which had been smiling, suddenly became stern and serious.
She clenched her fist.
"My mission is to return every single one of you—without losing a single person—to Teacher Wang Jia!"
"Therefore, in my Bao Ruanruan team, no injuries or losses will be allowed."
Dream Team: "!"
Li Shuai: "!"
How could she have even more presence and confidence than Wang Jia, the modern dance specialist?
Blind confidence.jpg
But as Bao Ruanruan swung her small fist, all the bags she was holding came crashing to the floor with a clatter.
"Ah!"
"Perfect timing—you're on break. Come grab the battle packs I prepared for you."
Dream Team: "……?"
What?
While they stood there, completely dumbfounded, Bao Ruanruan opened one large shopping bag and took out a sheet of paper.
"Who is Li Shuai?"
Li Shuai raised his hand.
Bao Ruanruan nodded as she took a pair of disposable gloves out of her bag.
Li Shuai: "???"
"Come over here. Let me take a look."
Look at what?
Li Shuai walked over in confusion.
Bao Ruanruan held out her gloved hand. "The moment I walked in, I noticed how you walk. Your left leg takes half an inch longer strides than your right. Do you have a waist or leg injury?"
Li Shuai let out a small 'ah', his face turning red.
"I twisted my waist while practising dance a few days ago. It's nothing serious—it's almost healed already."
Bao Ruanruan nodded and handed him Yunnan Baiyao spray🖼️, trauma liniment, ointment, and a heat pack from her large bag.
"Turn left when you go out. There's a small room next door with an orthopaedic doctor—have him check you out. If needed, get some acupuncture to ease it."
"!"
"Next, Li Xiaomei."
Bao Ruanruan bent down and took out the appropriate supply pack for her.
"I saw you practising nonstop in the hallway. Overworked muscles lead to soreness and tension. Go to the room on the right and get a 45-minute full-body massage."
"!"
The Dream Team truly lived up to its name.
Every single member felt like they were dreaming.
While the others were practising dance, they were getting acupuncture and massages?
Bao Ruanruan clasped her hands behind her back, looking serious.
"Sharpening the blade doesn't delay chopping wood16."
"When you're having acupuncture or massage, close your eyes. Feel your body carefully and reflect on what's wrong with your dance movements."
Dream Team: "!"
Is this enough for them to win?
But two hours later, after taking turns with acupuncture and massage, they felt relaxed from head to toe.
Their tense shoulders felt much better, and their old chronic injuries no longer gave off that familiar dull ache after long practice.
This floating, almost transcendent feeling…
—still wasn't enough to secure them a win.
"Very good. Your physical condition is now at its peak."
"Next, we need to adjust your mental state."
Bao Ruanruan lifted her chin.
"Presence! You need the kind of presence that crushes others but never gets you k!lled!"
Dream Team: "!"
Li Shuai timidly raised his hand. "Teacher Bao, how do you cultivate this presence?"
Bao Ruanruan gave the boy with the crew cut an appreciative look and nodded.
"That's a very good question."
"Next, a specialist teacher—Qu Feifei—will answer that question for you."
The Dream Team all gaped in unison.
What?
A top-five finisher in the National Youth Martial Arts Championship, a professional modern dancer and the current leader of a girl group was here to teach them?
They stared at Bao Ruanruan in shock.
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
Rule 163 of survival: never overestimate yourself.
"I don't know how to dance. Of course, I had to use a summoning spell for this round."
Dream Team: "!"
Qu Feifei, the one who just stepped a foot inside after being summoned: "......"
Footnotes Full List
- 抓耳挠腮 (zhuā ěr náo sāi): anxiously puzzling over something
- 我食餐饮 (wǒ shí cān yǐn): (lit.) I eat catering.
- 生产队的驴 (shēng chǎn duì de lǘ): classic metaphor for someone who works nonstop.
- 躺赢 (tǎng yíng): succeeding effortlessly thanks to the work of others
- 拖后腿 (tuō hòu tuǐ): To hinder someone's progress or become a burden.
- 狗男人 (gǒu nánrén): Internet slang for a selfish, manipulative, or ungrateful man.
- 要吐血了 (yào tùxuè le): To be extremely angry, frustrated, or emotionally hurt.
- 吃瓜 (chī guā): To watch gossip or scandals unfold as an onlooker with no direct involvement.
- 瓜 (guā): slang for gossip or scandal
- 吃瓜第一线 (chī guā dì-yī-xiàn): Being among the first to know or spread gossip.
- 谣言止于智者 (yáo yán zhǐ yú zhì zhě): Sensible people will not spread rumours.
- internet slang imitating the sound of gagging
- 退一步乳腺增生 (tuì yí bù rǔ xiàn zēng shēng): Suppressing anger harms women's health. This phrase comes from the saying, '退一步海阔天空 (Tuì yī bù hǎikuò-tiānkōng: Take a step back, and the sea is wide and the sky is bright)', which means 'if you are patient and compromise, you will find peace/harmony'. Modern young people in China (especially women) find the old proverb exhausting. They feel that 'taking a step back' often just means letting people walk all over you, which causes internal stress. Thus, came the slang version of the saying.
- 忍一时子宫囊肿 (rěn yí shí zǐ gōng náng zhǒng): Endurance causes damage; don't bottle things up. This saying is a parody of a very famous Chinese proverb: 忍一时风平浪静 (Rěn yīshí fēngpíng làngjìng: Endure for a moment, and the wind and waves will calm down.), which means 'Be the bigger person and stay quiet'. However, modern netizens have rejected this 'patience' advice. They argue that suppressing your anger can lead to health problems. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and popular belief, 'repressed qi' (anger) is thought to cause hormonal imbalances and physical growths like cysts or nodules.
- 隔行如隔山 (gé háng rú gé shān): Outsiders cannot easily understand or replace professionals in another field.
- 磨刀不误砍柴工 (mó dāo bù wù kǎn chái gōng): Proper preparation improves efficiency; taking time to prepare saves time later
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