It was six o'clock in the evening. Having found nothing in the Blue Team's hotel room, the four members of the Red T...
It was six o'clock in the evening.
Having found nothing in the Blue Team's hotel room, the four members of the Red Team had no choice but to discuss a new battle plan.
"Actually, you could just give us the third brocade pouch right now, and that would be fine, too."
Xiao Mengfei spread her hands helplessly.
The other members of the Red Team nodded.
Qu Ji'en, feeling helpless, also agreed with that statement.
The Red Team's PD felt his scalp go numb1. "Teachers, I think you can still try a little harder."
[Yes, try a little harder to run away.]
[Emmm, try harder... Otherwise, Red Team, you're all going to get caught by Kiddo Ruan.]
[Using the third brocade pouch at this point might just hasten their demise. The PD is right not to let them use it.]
[The moment you open the door now, you're done for.]
The Red Team still did not know that their situation had already been exposed.
But that no longer mattered much.
As the camera cut to another shot, Bao Ruanruan was seen studying the red carpet at the doorway of their room.
A carpet was laid in front of every hotel room door.
If shoes had walked on it, the direction in which the fibres were pressed down would differ from how they looked when the carpet was clean.
The rooms they were staying in were on the fourth floor.
There were sixteen rooms in total on that level.
Bao Ruanruan crouched down, reached out, and lifted the carpet in front of the 'Snow White' room to take a look.
Then she put it back in its original position.
She proceeded to check the carpets in front of the other rooms, one by one.
[She's going to need a magnifying glass to examine them properly!]
The scrolling comments were just about to start discussing her actions.
By this time, Bao Ruanruan had already walked back into the room and was speaking to her three confused teammates.
"There are traces of trolley wheels rolling over the carpet at our door."
Qu Feifei froze. "A trolley?"
"Yes. The wheel marks weren't there before we went out for dinner, but now they're on the carpet."
Bao Ruanruan replied softly.
"It should be a hotel cleaning trolley or a room-service delivery trolley."
[!]
[This...]
When the cameraman heard this, he immediately went over to the carpet in front of the door to film it.
Sure enough, there were several clear wheel marks on the red, soft-fibre carpet bearing the word 'Saturday'.
These were definitely not simple footprints.
The cameraman turned back into the room and filmed Bao Ruanruan's serious little face as she analysed the situation with complete solemnity.
"I think we should ask the housekeeping staff."
"We should ask them whether they had come in to clean, and if they did so, what time they came to clean our room."
Those words struck the key point at once.
Even Lu Wenhao, who was rather thick-skinned and had rough nerves2, felt that something was wrong.
"Normal room cleaning shouldn't happen at this time of night."
Many guests would have returned to their rooms by this time.
If housekeeping came to clean then, it would disturb everyone's rest.
Besides, hotel check-out time was usually between 12 p.m. and before 2 p.m.
Before new guests could check in, the cleaners would clean the room first.
For people like them, who had just checked in today, it made no sense for housekeeping to come and clean after five in the evening.
If the production team had not arranged this, then there really was something suspicious going on.
Qu Feifei immediately took it seriously.
"Then I'll go ask. You all wait here."
Bao Ruanruan nodded. "You should bring one more person with you."
She did not relax her guard in the slightest.
What if there were bad people around?
Qu Feifei simply asked Zhen Xuan to accompany her.
Zhen Xuan was also someone with a sweet mouth3. If they met a housekeeping auntie, she would definitely like someone like him.
The cameraman immediately went with them.
Only Bao Ruanruan and the PD were left standing together.
However, when the cameraman had moved only half a body's distance away, he heard Ruanruan's voice behind him.
"So, I guessed right?"
"Does the live-stream camera also think the cleaning workroom is the key information? Does that mean staying in the room is useless instead?"
Cameraman: "!"
Liu Qiu: "!"
[...Hehehe.]
[Ruanruan's routines are deep4.]
[Ruan: "Why are you all so unable to withstand a bluff?"]
[Kiddo Ruan: "I only tested you lightly, and sure enough, that's how it is."]
When Qu Feifei heard this, she quickened her pace even more as she went to the utility room to look for someone.
She and Zhen Xuan then quickly started running.
In this contest for props and prize money, the attacking and defending sides had unknowingly switched places again!
"Oh, we did go to your room to clean, but we didn't touch your things. A few teachers did come to learn, though."
The housekeeping auntie looked completely confused on camera.
"Aren't you all together?"
She looked at Qu Feifei, then looked at Zhen Xuan.
Those and these handsome men and beautiful women were all entertainers.
To the auntie, they were all in the same group.
"Aren't you all recording the same show? But at the front desk, you booked two rooms, and it seemed like you were all staying together."
Zhen Xuan instantly shouted, "Were there four people on the other side?"
"Yes." Everyone knew there was a small trolley in the room service storage room. "Our manager said that the four celebrities wanted to learn how to clean guest rooms, so they used the room booked by your production team, and I gave them a demonstration."
"They tried it out, too."
A room booked by the same production team...
Four celebrities.
"It really was the Red Team!"
Qu Feifei understood everything in an instant.
"Where are they now?"
Zhen Xuan smiled like a blooming flower. "Auntie, do you know their room? We've lost contact with them because the production team took our phones away."
This info... of course she knew.
All the hotel staff knew which rooms the celebrities were staying in.
But they also had rules: they could not reveal guests' information, nor could they go and watch them and disturb the guests' rest.
However, since the people asking were from the same show, it should be OK to tell them, right?
The auntie hesitated for a moment and glanced at the cameraman behind them, who was even wearing the same clothes as these two celebrities.
"Their room is right opposite yours."
Qu Feifei & Zhen Xuan: "!"
[...Does the Red Team no longer have a chance to open the third brocade pouch?]
[Red and fiery~]
"Thank you, Auntie!"
In a split second, they ran out of the utility room and dashed back up to the fourth floor.
"We found them."
Qu Feifei lowered her voice, then made a hand gesture towards Bao Ruanruan and Lu Wenhao.
She pointed to the room opposite the Snow White room.
The four members of the Red Team were discussing what they should do next.
"There's a fireworks display in the park at half past nine tonight. There should be a lot of people watching then."
Qu Ji'en was looking through the park attractions.
Lan Zhi nodded.
After a quick look, she agreed.
"The fireworks show is our last chance today."
Cheng Yao raised his hand. "I just saw some Minion characters taking photos with visitors. Can we ask the park if we can borrow the mascot costumes?"
Lan Zhi's eyes lit up. "We can."
Qu Ji'en also nodded. "We'll have one person wear the mascot costume, while the rest of us continue acting as usual. That way, we can draw part of their attention away."
It was a brilliant idea.
The Red Team all looked confident.
They were truly smart. The fact that the two advantages they had gained from the brocade pouches weren't working didn't discourage them in the least.
They had even come up with this wonderful scheme themselves!
They had remained calm in the face of danger.
The Red Team now was smug and full of pride.
In this battle of wits, they finally gained a little confidence.
A wave of ellipses floated across the scrolling comments as the viewers watched this scene.
[Silly children.]
[We'll let you be happy for one more second, but not any longer.]
[Let's treasure the smile on big brother's face right now.]
[After this blow, I'd say Brother Cheng's next song is going to be on par with 'Stupid Kid📹' – that kind of humble, self‑mocking level. 23333]
[Hahahahaha! I can't wait to see how your expressions change later!]
Happiness should be built on other people's suffering!
That is right.
The audience were all devils, laughing devilishly at the Red Team.
Amid this lively anticipation, as if everyone were celebrating Chinese New Year, the rhythm of the Red Team's little meeting on the live-stream was suddenly interrupted.
The interruption came in the form of a doorbell ringing.
"Hm?"
Cheng Yao froze for a moment, then used his rational, clever little melon head5 to figure it out.
"Could it be a new mission card?"
Qu Ji'en nodded. "Both of our brocade pouches failed, and our team is at a disadvantage. The production team might want to give us some compensation."
[Pfft.]
[What freaking compensation?]
[The King of Hell has come to claim your lives.]
Lan Zhi immediately stood up.
Meanwhile, Qu Ji'en went to open the door with a smile.
"Later, we'll buy some small gifts for the visitors and have the production team pay for them~"
Xiao Mengfei, who was following closely behind, nodded happily as she spoke.
She seemed as though she had already got a bargain.
Qu Ji'en opened the door and even turned to look at Xiao Mengfei, wanting her to speak to the production team.
But instead, he saw her shocked, panicked expression, with her smile frozen on her face.
In almost an instant, Qu Ji'en snapped back to his senses!
He then looked warily outside the door.
But it was already too late!
Lu Wenhao, Zhen Xuan, and Qu Feifei, who knew her own brother's weaknesses very well, rushed in all at once and pinned him tightly against the wall with a bang!
"Get the rope! Bring the rope over!"
"Hurry up and tie my brother up!"
Qu Feifei shouted.
Qu Ji'en: "…...!"
This person was definitely not his biological younger sister.
She must have been switched at birth back then.
However, he quickly shifted his surprised look from the three Blue Team members who had tied his hands to the door.
Then he spotted Bao Ruanruan, who seemed like she was a tourist checking out the room, stepping calmly into the entryway. She was completely relaxed, her clear eyes full of serene contentment as she took her sweet time.
She glanced at Zhen Xuan, who was currently 'tying up the bandit', and nodded her creamy, delicate little face.
Then, like a leader, she raised her slender right hand towards Cheng Yao and the other two members of the Red Team.
She then squeezed out a warm, friendly smile on her harmless little face.
"Hi."
"Comrades, thank you for your hard work."
Qu Ji'en: "!"
Cheng Yao and the other two: "!!"
[Hahahaha!]
[It's not hard at all; serving the people is my duty~]
[Hahaha, Feifei is destroying her kin for the great righteousness6. Brother Qu is way too pitiful.]
[Ruan: "Hi! You've been doing useless work for half the day. Thanks for your hard work. You should have told me earlier; I would have just given you the USB drive. Why go through all this trouble~ We're all one family, let's split the prize money equally."]
Bao Ruanruan strolled into the middle of the room.
Cheng Yao took a step back, then another, and then another.
Xiao Mengfei was almost in tears as she grabbed Sis Lan Zhi's hand. "Bao Bao, I didn't do it on purpose. The production team forced me!"
[Hahahaha!]
"Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist."
Zhen Xuan, the Blue Team leader, spoke.
Cheng Yao raised his hands. "We surrender."
Qu Ji'en: "..."
What is dignity?
Can it be eaten?
No, it cannot.
The Red Team had been caught, and they did not even try to resist.
Cheng Yao looked at the camera. "People must never harbour evil thoughts. Dear viewers and children, you have all seen what happened to us today."
The show had truly become an educational programme.
Bao Ruanruan could not agree more, and once again chanted, "Heaven's net is vast; though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes7."
[Judge Bao is mighty.]
The Red and the Blue Teams were hand in hand in advising the audience.
And peace was instantly restored.
Except for Qu Ji'en, who had been tied up and suffered harm, everyone else was fine.
"......"
He finally figured it out: this show was simply bullying its guests.
Half an hour later, after hearing about the Red Team's earlier plans and actions, Zhen Xuan burst out laughing.
"You were still planning to make a move on us during the fireworks?"
"You guys are really something!"
He mocked them loudly.
"But this is a good idea. We have nothing else to do right now anyway, so why don't we buy some gifts for the visitors who entered the park today and invite them to join us for the night-time fireworks display?"
The Red and Blue Teams decided to cooperate.
There were no eternal enemies between them.
After discussing it, the leaders of both teams decided to join forces and give the visitors an unforgettable fireworks moment.
Just as everyone in the audience showered the teams with flowers and cheered for their friendship, the Red and Blue Teams went their separate ways in front of the cameras.
It was at that moment that members of the Red Team received a mission card from the PD.
"Do you still remember our third brocade pouch?"
[!]
The four members of the Red Team were shocked.
"It's not over yet?"
"We've already lost."
"They have even caught our leader."
Lan Zhi, Xiao Mengfei, and Cheng Yao all wanted to slack off.
Even Qu Ji'en did not want to continue anymore.
But the PD gave a mysterious smile. "Open the brocade pouch first, then make your decision."
Lan Zhi took it suspiciously.
She opened the black envelope inside the brocade pouch.
When she took out the card, she froze.
The others leaned over to look, and they all froze too.
They saw several large words written on it — place oneself in a deadly situation and then survive.
Hint Pouch Three: Damage Reflection.
[?]
[Reflect what?]
[Did they suffer any harm?]
The viewers in the scrolling comments did not react at first, until the camera turned towards Qu Ji'en, who had raised an eyebrow.
The only victim — Qu Ji'en himself — also realised it.
"I was just tied up. Can that be reflected onto the Blue Team?"
[!]
[!!!]
The PD smiled. "Yes. You may choose one Blue Team member and restrict their movements."
This action was far too crude and direct.
Even Qu Ji'en felt embarrassed.
The other three Red Team members felt the same way: how could they do this to the Blue Team?
That was not an example of martial arts ethics at all.
"Bao Bao is my best friend. I can't bring myself to do anything to her."
"Teacher Bao is someone who understands my music. I can't bring myself to do anything to her either."
"Then what should we do? If we're going to restrict someone, it has to be Xiao Bao."
[...]
[...Hey, the PD didn't say you had to restrict Kiddo Ruan. You guys really have such tacit understanding 2333.]
[There's no way around it. Xiao Bao is the central figure of the Blue Team.]
[I was actually a prophet. This afternoon I already said this was the Red Team's only way to win!]
The three Red Team members silently looked at Qu Ji'en.
After a while, Qu Ji'en spoke hoarsely. "But she has the Director's life-saving agreement in her hand. Even if we restrain her, it won't achieve anything, will it?"
The PD also stiffened for a moment. "Then at least it will cause her to use up that advantage."
The four members of the Red Team all looked at the PD who had spoken.
Listen to that —is that something a human would say?
They had worked for half the day, using up three strategies by nightfall, and all they had done was barely chip away at her advantage?
And that would merely bring the game into balance?
At this point, isn't this just bullying?
"PD, I seriously suspect that the Director created this segment just to use us to deplete Baobao's life‑saving agreement for his own benefit."
Xiao Mengfei summarised seriously.
[Pfft, that makes sense.]
"But at least the Blue Team is scattered now. Aside from Teacher Bao, everyone else is very relaxed and not very alert."
The PD smiled bitterly.
"Even if you only restrict her movements for five minutes, that is still your chance."
"We can reveal the other side's location to you."
[Red Team + Director Team VS Blue Team.]
[Good grief! From the very beginning, it was the entire production team fighting against Xiao Bao~]
[Sorry, but the game of cat and mouse has only just begun!]
At five in the evening, the sun gradually set over the amusement park, and all the rides were bathed in a sunset glow.
The four members of the Blue Team, including Zhen Xuan, worked separately.
Each of them brought along one cameraman and handed out small gifts around the amusement park, inviting people to watch the fireworks at half past nine.
When they encountered passersby who asked for photos or autographs, they gladly obliged, appearing perfectly harmonious in front of the camera.
They were completely unaware that danger was about to arrive with nightfall.
Bao Ruanruan, carrying a backpack and accompanied by a cameraman and her exclusive PD Liu Qiu, was also happily strolling through the amusement park.
She had handed out all her gifts and invited more than twenty visitors.
She was now happily and blissfully enjoying her rest.
However, as she walked near the fountain maze, two men in black suddenly appeared around the corner.
Bao Ruanruan instantly stopped in her tracks.
[Aowu! What did my Kiddo Ruan do wrong?]
[Heavens! It was only at this moment that I realised that I had unknowingly become a mom-fan. Seeing Xiao Bao get caught makes my heart ache so much; I can't bear to watch.]
[Kiddo Ruan, 55558]
The scrolling comments were full of crying emojis.
But very soon, a voice sounded in the live-stream room, making the viewers laugh again.
They heard Bao Ruanruan call out warmly:
"Big Brother One, Big Brother Two."
"You're the Red Team's cameramen, the two who were following Sis Lan Zhi and Xiao Xiao, right?"
[!]
The men in black with sunglasses immediately took half a step back.
Their bodies stiffened.
Bao Ruanruan turned around and looked at her own cameraman's plain outfit. "Judging by what you're wearing, you're not here to reminisce."
The men in black coughed twice.
They looked at each other, then helplessly took off their sunglasses.
They stopped pretending to be cool.
All bluffing ends when someone calls your bluff.
But unfortunately, once they took off their sunglasses, their faces were completely devoid of any intimidation. Their two plain, unadorned faces looked quite kind, like uncles.
They were so ordinary that even if the viewers looked very carefully, they still wouldn't recognise them.
[I really didn't recognise them at all.]
[Bao Bao is way too good at recognising people.]
[No wonder she's the woman the production team is trying every possible way to tie up!]
[The Director has probably wanted to do this for a long time.]
"Teacher Bao, we hope you won't make things difficult for us. These are the rules for this round of the game."
First, the two men in black showed her the text on the card from the brocade pouch — Damage Reflection.
Then they took out the rope the Blue Team had used earlier to tie up Qu Ji'en.
"Don't worry, we won't hurt you."
To demonstrate their sincerity, the two men were very friendly and made no attempt to use force.
They could not bring themselves to tie up a soft, weak-looking girl in her twenties like a prisoner.
That would be utterly heartless.
They would just do it symbolically.
The men in black then asked Bao Ruanruan to stretch out her hands.
Like the Blue Team had done to Qu Ji'en earlier, the Red Team cameramen only wanted to restrain her so that she could not contact her other team members.
"Then how long do I have to be tied up for?"
"Half an hour. It's 7:40 now. We'll come and untie you at 8:10."
There was an artificial rockery in the fountain maze where she could temporarily crouch.
Bao Ruanruan had always obeyed game rules.
This attitude was the one thing she had remembered most firmly throughout her career as a gaming character.
Anyone who disobeyed would be treated as a game bug and erased.
So she became very obedient.
The eldest man in black asked her to sit down and put both hands behind her back.
She did as she was told.
The more one struggled, the more harm it would cause to the body.
The two big brothers tied her wrists with the rope and even made a dead knot.
Later, the knot could only be cut open with scissors.
Bao Ruanruan let them do as they wished. Her submissive acceptance of her fate made the two big brothers feel terrible.
When they tied the knot, they did not pull it too tightly.
They also left about 5 centimetres of space between her wrists to make her more comfortable.
"It's OK. Don't feel guilty, Big Brother One and Big Brother Two."
Bao Ruanruan even spoke up to comfort them.
"It's just a game. I understand."
"Go and do what you need to do."
Bao Ruanruan sat on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest.
Both her hands were behind her back.
Because her ligaments were loose, this movement required little effort.
But her little face looked pitiful.
The men in black were completely won over.
"Teacher Bao, from now on, we're your fans!"
[Ruan: "It's nothing. Don't be sad. Sign a life-saving agreement before you leave."]
[Xiao Bao: "Very fair. I'm fine. I can finally rest now! Thank you so much. You've finally let me stop carrying three people by myself! Tie me up for a little longer. How could half an hour be enough?"]
[Kddo Ruan looks way too cute like this. Could she make the men in black go soft-hearted and let her out early?]
The men in black were plagued by their consciences.
However, since they had already committed the act, they naturally had to follow the rules of the game so as not to let Bao Ruanruan suffer this pain for nothing.
They hurried to the maze's entrance and stood guard.
They planned to move Bao Ruanruan elsewhere as soon as any Blue Team member approached the maze.
However, there were so many other attractions in the amusement park that it was very unlikely that this would happen.
"They probably won't come here, so they won't discover that I've been caught."
Inside the artificial rockery, Bao Ruanruan was also analysing the situation for PD Liu Qiu.
Liu Qiu nodded and sat with her inside the rockery.
As the PD, this was the only thing she could do.
"Teacher Bao, you can use the Director's life-saving agreement. I can call Director Zheng for you."
This would help her get out of this trouble.
Bao Ruanruan nodded.
But why would she do that?
"Without you, the others will be completely looted by the Red Team."
Liu Qiu was surprised.
[Kiddo Ruan only wants to lie flat. Stop enticing her.]
[It's time to let this group of bronze-level players9 grow up — Bao Ruanruan's inner voice.]
[Children must one day accept society's beating 23333. Feifei, take care. Kid Lu, don't cry later.]
At this point, Liu Qiu could no longer hold it in.
"It doesn't matter if I tell you now. If the Red Team gets one piece of your clothing, you have to give the Red Team one hundred thousand."
"One backpack, three hundred thousand."
"One U..."
Before she could reveal everything, her voice abruptly stopped.
At first, the camera was still focused on their faces as they talked.
They were sitting on the ground at roughly the same height, their shoulders almost touching.
Gradually, however, Bao Ruanruan's shoulders, covered by her Pengmai outdoor jacket, slowly disappeared from view.
[?]
[My Bao is about to lie down~]
[This place looks like a good place to sleep. Someone, hurry and bring her a sleeping bag~]
Liu Qiu noticed Bao Ruanruan's upper body gradually sliding towards the ground and stopped narrating.
She could not help turning her head to look.
She looked at her for three or four seconds.
She saw that not only had Bao Ruanruan lowered her shoulders, but her legs, which were curled up in front of her chest, were also gradually straightening.
Liu Qiu: "...Teacher Bao, what are you doing?"
As she spoke, Bao Ruanruan's legs straightened. Just when everyone thought she was about to lie down right there—
—she pressed her abdomen against her thighs and knees, planted both feet on the ground, and easily lifted her hips.
With one arch of her body, she moved her tied hands from behind her lower back to beneath the backs of her knees.
Liu Qiu: "...!"
Bao Ruanruan bent her legs, one to the left and one to the right, and passed them separately through the space between her tied hands.
In an instant, her two hands, which had originally been tied behind her and were immobile, were back in front of her!
With one movement, she got up and stood firmly.
Then she raised both hands and glanced at her wrists. "Just an ordinary dead knot, mm."
She then bent down, moving both hands together as she took the phone out of her pants pocket.
She pressed the emergency call button.
"Leader, I've been caught by the Red Team. Hurry and come to the maze to save me."
Liu Qiu: "!"
[!!!]
Can someone who has been caught still leisurely make a phone call for help?
Yes.
As long as she moved the hands tied behind her back to the front, that would be enough.
If you are flexible enough, you can do it.
After Bao Ruanruan finished the call, she let out a sigh of relief. "That scared Bao Bao to death."
[Pfft pfft pfft!]
[You...]
When the four members of the Red Team ran towards the three Blue Team members who had supposedly 'relaxed their guard', they found the Blue Team members were actually on high alert.
"Brother Cheng, you actually faked your surrender just now!"
"You want to snatch my clothes? Dream on! I'm not taking them off."
"Bro, I won't hand my bag over to you."
"Sis Xiao Xiao, and to think I even gave you roast duck last time. I never thought you'd actually want to steal my key."
Everyone on the Red Team: "???"
How did you know?!
"Obviously, Sis Ruanruan told us."
Red Team: "...!"
"Sorry, teachers," the Red Team PD said, with a painful look. "We only managed to restrain Teacher Bao... for ten seconds."
“……? ? ?"
[Hahahaha!]
[Liar! You just said you could restrain her for at least five minutes!]
[Ying ying ying10~]
Once more, Bao Ruanruan led the Blue Team to an easy lying-down victory11.
Their team asset count remained unchanged.
They even captured the four Red Team members and escorted them to the amusement park security guards.
Bao Ruanruan appeared on camera at the end.
"If you encounter bad people, don't panic."
"When you find an opportunity, please call 110, or the park's help hotline 400..."
The production team also interviewed the security guard.
The guard spoke in a heartfelt, serious tone: "Every day, three to five incidents involving visitors forgetting their belongings or having their property stolen occur in our park. Visitors must take good care of their important personal belongings while queuing, playing, eating, and so on."
A police officer also appeared on camera at the end.
"If you are in a special situation where it is inconvenient to make a call or speak aloud, you can send a text message to 12110. Please provide effective information such as your location, the emergency you need help with, and so on."
Bao Ruanruan nodded seriously.
Standing in the centre position between the Red and Blue Teams, she kindly reminded viewers through the camera.
"Text-message police reports take longer to process. To avoid occupying public emergency resources, please do not use this service casually. Only use them when needed."
"Also, remember to put your phone on silent before sending the text message."
The show With Dreams came to a close this week. The thrilling Red vs Blue showdown took place with the full blessing of the theme park security team and the local police.
"Also, the 2,000 lucky travel viewers must take good care of their belongings during the trip too~ See you next week!"
Xiao Mengfei also stepped forward with a smile.
"Everyone, please type 'Do not imitate us' on the public screen."
[We won't imitate you!]
[I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe! I only want to imitate Bao Bao... That move where she freed both her hands from restraint was seriously awesome!]
[It's time to lose weight... otherwise, I feel like I'll get stuck!]
[Let's get moving~]
[Everyone, take good care of your belongings when travelling~~~ Wow, so great, the production team is the best!]
After the variety show ended, two safety-related topics shot up onto the trending searches.
Passersby who clicked on them out of curiosity also laughed like crazy.
Bao Ruanruan also gained another 80,000 followers on Weibo that day, finally breaking through the eight-million mark.
On Saturday evening, many large-scale variety shows were being recorded.
In today's fast‑paced society, viewers demanded more truthfulness from variety shows and had grown increasingly impatient with chaotic, manipulative editing.
Consequently, many variety shows were now gradually adopting live-streaming formats.
It was only when Tang Yuxin left her filming crew that she realised variety shows were no longer quite the same as those she had joined two or three years ago.
"Teacher Tang, when I chase you later, I'll try to run a little slower. Please be careful, and don't get hurt."
Tang Yuxin smiled. "It's all right."
Her strategy for raising her support rate had not been going smoothly lately.
In order to maintain her beautiful appearance, she had to win over new people and attract major new fans.
However, filming a movie often required the female lead to be on set for over 120 days. Not only was this incredibly time-consuming, but it also took at least another six months of post-production before the film could finally be released in cinemas.
The filming cycle for TV dramas was slightly shorter but equally time-consuming. Some dramas would take at least a year or half a year to air.
She could not afford to waste time now.
Her only option was to participate in variety shows, quickly get to know a group of new people, and gain new fans.
Tang Yuxin was not shooting arrows without a target12 either.
She chose Charge, My Youth, a well-established outdoor reality show from Banana TV with stable, guaranteed ratings.
Every episode featured many hilarious games, chase-style competitions, and so on.
As soon as the broadcast started, the live-stream audience count was already at fifty million.
She had also announced on Weibo that she would appear in this week's episode, prompting many fans to join the live-stream room.
Banana TV also took very good care of her.
In the chase-style games, they did not let the male guests use their full strength against her.
Tang Yuxin lasted an impressive thirty minutes, successfully protecting the name tag on her body.
She was the only female guest to 'survive'.
The production team and Banana TV immediately bought the number one trending search spot at nine o'clock that night.
#Movie Queen Your Dodging Is Actually This Strong#
This interesting topic immediately caught the attention of casual viewers.
After clicking in and taking a closer look, they became even more interested.
[It's actually the beauty Tang Yuxin? Wow, has this film production crew maniac13 finally come out of seclusion?]
[She hasn't appeared on a variety show for so long. I'm interested now, let me take a look!]
[Not bad, Tang the Movie Queen's variety show skills are impressive too.]
Tang fans14 started writing rainbow-fart15 praise even more enthusiastically.
Their big sister had not appeared on variety shows for years, but the moment she did, she became a game expert.
There were nine entertainers on the show: six men and three women.
However, their big sister had actually managed to survive until the end... As expected of their idol.
[Yuxin, yyds16]
Pile after pile of praise swelled across Weibo.
......
[Your fan support rate has increased by 0.85%.]
[One new major fan added.]
[One new major fan added.]
After finishing the variety show live-stream, Tang Yuxin laughed in the corner.
Sure enough, doing variety shows was the shortcut.
In an instant, she was no longer worried about her declining beauty.
At the rate of gaining two major fans per hour, she would definitely make up for the beauty she had lost after twenty-four hours!
She could also make super-major fans with social influence, such as Qu Feifei and Qu Ji'en, like her even more, right?
With this in mind, Tang Yuxin searched for the variety show With Dreams on Weibo, in which the siblings had participated.
#Bao Ruanruan Calls For Help#
#Qu Ji'en And His Sister Fall Out Because Of A Game#
Tang Yuxin did not have time to look into the details, but seeing these topics reassured her.
Bao Ruanruan — she had met this girl before. Bao Ruanruan was timid and afraid of trouble, so she had probably revealed her true colours on the show.
There would be no problems with this round.
Smiling, Tang Yuxin put away her phone and bent down to get into the nanny van for the return trip.
But before she even sat down, a series of system sounds came back at her like a bug backlash.
[Your fan support rate has dropped by 1.1%.]
[You have lost one major fan.]
[One of your major fans has become shaken.]
[Qu Feifei's support rate towards you has dropped by 1.2%.]
[Qu Ji'en... dropped by 1.3%.]
[Lu Wenhao's support rate toward you has dropped by 2.3%.]
Tang Yuxin: "?!"
As time passed, the trending topic #Movie Queen Your Dodging Is Actually This Strong# dropped to sixth place.
It was side-by-side with the seventh-place trending topic, #Bao Ruanruan Calls For Help#.
Casual viewers scrolled through them in order and left comments one by one.
[Movie Queen, hahaha.]
[Impressive, Movie Queen. You're a king-level player.]
Five minutes later, however, they clicked on the trending topic for Bao Ruanruan's call for help.
They thought they would see a helpless girl in the game, but instead they saw her break free despite her hands being tied!
What's more, the trending video had been edited to include the impressive scene of her leading the three Blue Team members into the Red Team's room and subduing Qu Ji'en, a 1.9-metre-tall man.
[D@mn!]
[......]
[D@mn... this is the real king-level player.]
Without comparison, there is no harm.17
Once there was a comparison, watching Tang Yuxin's and Bao Ruanruan's videos side by side made casual viewers come to their senses.
It seems like the male guest chasing Tang Yuxin didn't use his full strength either?
[Uh... Bao Ruanruan is the really strong one! That rope was definitely tied in a dead knot!]
[Damn, impressive! Bao Ruanruan's analysis this round was god-tier.]
[Bad@ss, she even has a life-saving agreement that forces the Director to obey her?]
[Whoa! This is what real dodging ability looks like!]
There were even variety-show experts who reposted edited clips of Bao Ruanruan in the great escape show.
Suddenly, the footage of Tang Yuxin, the Movie Queen, running in front of the camera with barely a wobble of the cameraman's shot and no sign of panting, looked inferior by comparison!
One was real gold and silver; the other was fake gilding.
[Not to be rude, but was the Movie Queen's variety show segment scripted? She didn't seem to be taking hide-and-seek seriously.]
[After watching these two videos, my second-hand embarrassment problem is acting up again.]
[Movie Queen, you ran very prettily, but don't run next time.]
Tang Yuxin, looking at the real-time comments on the trending searches: "...!"
Tang fans were anxious and shocked, yet completely helpless.
As soon as they praised Sister Yuxin, casual viewers said they were just fans praising her with their eyes closed and that their filter was too thick.
They all wanted to cry.
Tang Xi, who had temporarily given up watching With Dreams because her big sister rarely appeared on variety shows, also took a look at Banana TV.
But even before an hour had passed, her expression became complicated.
She exited Banana TV and returned to the Jiangcheng Live-stream app.
It really wasn't funny.
It wasn't nearly as interesting or authentic as Kiddo Ruan.
Tang Xi sighed.
Her fan's heart was shaken.
*
On Sunday, Bao Ruanruan finally returned to Beijiao No. 1, once again bearing gifts as she knocked on the door of her manager and great landlord.
Filming the variety show over the past two days had given her new insights.
Hotels really were not safe.
The big bed was nowhere near as comfortable as the one at Beijiao No. 1 either.
Besides, she missed the voice that made her feel at ease and accompanied her into sleep…
Xue Jing took off his glasses and opened the door.
He saw a young girl standing in the doorway. She was wearing greyish-green sports trousers and a new pair of trainers with furry tongues.
Her little face was like water, tinged with a faint redness.
"Great Landlord."
She raised the gift in her hand.
Her pale green sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of wrist as white as a lotus root.
Two slender purple veins could be seen winding down her wrist towards the delicate base of her palm.
However, there was a faint bruise at the edge of her palm.
Xue Jing's gaze swept over it.
He immediately froze.
"I heard there's a very delicious barley tea near the amusement park..."
Bao Ruanruan gently patted the horse's rump18.
But just as she was about to withdraw her little hand, a burning-hot palm held her slender forearm.
"How did you get hurt?"
Author's note:
Ruan: Aowu, my little hand has been held.
Footnotes Full List
- 头皮发麻 (tóupí fāmá) — a feeling of nervousness, fright, or overwhelmingness
- 粗神经 (cū shénjīng) — someone insensitive, careless, or slow to notice details.
- 嘴甜 (zuǐ tián) — good at saying pleasant things/sweet-talking.
- 套路深 (tàolù shēn) — someone is full of tricks / very scheming in a clever way.
- 脑袋瓜子 (nǎodài guāzi) — a playful way to refer to someone's head or brain.
- 大义灭亲 (dà yì miè qīn) — to put justice above family ties.
- 天网恢恢，疏而不漏 (tiān wǎng huī huī, shū ér bù lòu) — justice may seem slow or loose, but wrongdoers will not escape.
- 5555 (wǔ wǔ wǔ wǔ) — because 五 (wǔ) sounds like 呜 (wū), it represents crying, like '*wu wu wu' or '*sob sob sob'.
- 青铜 (qīng tóng) — literally '*bronze'; gaming slang for low-level or inexperienced players.
- 嘤嘤嘤 (yīng yīng yīng) — cute crying/whimpering sound, like '*sob sob'.
- 躺赢 (tǎng yíng) — (internet slang) literally 'win while lying down'; means 'to win effortlessly without needing to do much
- 无的放矢 (wú dì fàng shǐ) — means 'to act without aim or purpose'.
- 剧组狂人 (jùzǔ kuángrén) — means someone who is always filming and rarely appears elsewhere.
- 糖粉 (Táng fěn) — literally 'sugar fans'; here it means Tang Yuxin's fans, using the character sound-alike of her surname, 唐 (Táng).
- 彩虹屁 (cǎihóng pì) — internet slang for exaggerated praise or flattery.
- yyds — abbreviation for 永远的神 (yǒngyuǎn de shén), literally 'eternal god'; means'the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) / forever legendary'.
- 没对比，没伤害 (méi duìbǐ, méi shānghài) — literally 'no comparison, no hurt'; means something looks fine until it is compared with something better.
- 拍马屁 (pāi mǎ pì) — means 'to flatter or butter someone up'.
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