Bao Ruanruan was very meticulous. In extremely cold and snowy conditions, such as in the mountains or northern regions, ad...
Bao Ruanruan was very meticulous.
In extremely cold and snowy conditions, such as in the mountains or northern regions, adhesive heat patches could sometimes play a vital role in helping the body maintain a stable temperature and, to some extent, prevent frostbite.
However, if this brand of heat patches made false claims, such as stating that they would keep you warm for ten hours, and people relied on them when climbing a snowy mountain, only for them to last four hours, wouldn't that greatly accelerate the consumption of their heating supplies?
At a critical moment, that could very well lead to unnecessary danger and suffering from the cold.
After Bao Ruanruan had finished speaking, she quickly tore open a heat patch, stood up, stuck it onto a thermal undershirt that she had dug out of her suitcase, covered it with a cotton coat, and stuffed it under the covers.
Yang Xueni's mouth fell open.
A flood of shocked expressions drifted across the scrolling comments.
"The hotel room temperature is currently 25°C."
Bao Ruanruan then took out a cube-shaped device that needed to be plugged in.
Yang Xueni: "?"
"This is a temperature-monitoring device I temporarily borrowed from the studio."
As she spoke, Bao Ruanruan inserted the metal measuring probe under the covers and positioned it beneath the heat patch.
Yang Xueni: "!"
Bao Ruanruan patted the machine, her face practically glowing with confidence.
"We can check it once every hour and observe how its temperature gradually changes."
"That way, we can roughly verify whether it matches the product instructions claiming twelve hours of heating and a maximum temperature of 55°C."
When the livestream camera swept over Yang Xueni, her face looked as though she were listening to a heavenly book1 JPG.
To her, everything that Bao Ruanruan was saying seemed like something from another world2, utterly unrelated to actors or entertainers.
She had never imagined that an entertainer would go to such lengths just to determine whether to endorse a product.
Usually, because she was busy and didn't understand this kind of data, she simply followed her manager's or the company's advice.
Generally speaking, when it came to large corporations, Fortune 500 brands, or first-tier brands that were familiar to practically everyone, Yang Xueni always felt reassured.
She had never worried about their quality.
Each time, she would simply be happy to have signed another big household brand.
However, after comparing herself with Bao Ruanruan today, Yang Xueni realised that in the past... she really hadn't done enough!
Whenever one of her endorsements was released, her fans would buy tens of thousands of units.
Yet unlike Bao Ruanruan, she had never even asked whether the brands she endorsed had received complaints. She really had a guilty conscience!
By accepting such enormous endorsement fees, she had let down her fans and society…
Yang Xueni's body went slightly still.
"Also, I looked up some research papers and found that certain groups of people are not suited to using heat patches. I suggest the manufacturer prominently displays information about this—unsuitable for pregnant women, infants, people with diabetes or circulatory disorders, and the elderly."
Bao Ruanruan took notes in her notebook as she looked through the information.
She even sent her agent a voice message on WeChat.
Yang Xueni: "!"
Say no more. She was a terrible, scummy woman who had failed her fans!
Looking for a crack in the ground to crawl into JPG.
[ My Sis is completely stunned 233333. ]
[ Nini: "So this is how you're supposed to test products you're endorsing?" ]
[ Nini has awakened and discovered that none of her previous endorsement testing was ever properly reliable 2333! ]
[ It's okay, Nini. We, Snowmen, can take it. Everything you've endorsed has been from major brands, so we're okay~ After all, an endorsement spokesperson as conscientious and logical as Bao Ruanruan is simply too rare. ]
[ Nini has a conscience. Unfortunately, her ability to think things through isn't quite enough. ]
[ Learn properly from Teacher Bao. Teacher Bao is kind of amazing, sob sob. No wonder the underwear steriliser was completely sold out the last time I rushed over to Taobao to buy one! All of Ruan's fans know how reliable she is, don't they? ]
[ Good grief! Snowmen get it now. ]
Yang Xueni was like a server that had gone down4 for quite a while as she watched Bao Ruanruan bustling around in front of her.
An emotion she rarely felt toward her peers — admiration that arose spontaneously from within — slowly appeared on her beautiful face.
"Teacher Bao." Yang Xueni took a deep breath, then continued, "You rest. I'll help you do it."
Without even realising it, addressing Bao Ruanruan as 'Teacher' had become second nature to her.
She really had a great deal left to learn.
Even though she had debuted before Bao Ruanruan.
"Teacher Bao, ahem."
Yang Xueni blushed slightly as she helped position the thermometer and spoke at the same time.
"If I get a new endorsement in the future, can I ask you how I should test the product?"
"Of course."
Bao Ruanruan nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"You'll just have to give me a few more life-saving agreements, that's all."
Yang Xueni: "!"
She felt touched for only a second.
[ Hahaha, every cause has an effect, and your retribution is me5. ]
[ Nothing wrong with that logic, Nini. Good friends help each other~ Teacher Bao helps you once, and all you have to do in return is sign one life-saving agreement (dog-head6)! ]
[ Even real brothers settle their accounts clearly7. Snowmen support this! ]
[ Snowmen totally support this! If Sis Nini refuses to rest or see a doctor in the future, Teacher Bao can force her to go~ Like~ At least ten life-saving agreements! There's no such thing as too many~ ]
[ Nini has grown a lot through this programme too. I've got tearful eyes. Thank you, Teacher Bao. ]
[ Exactly! After this, Nini's future endorsements probably won't be affected by any more disasters, will they? So this is what peace of mind feels like! ]
[ I've finally experienced the joy of being a Ruan fan. ]
[ Thank you, Teacher Bao. ]
At that moment, the scrolling comments were extraordinarily harmonious.
The friendship between the Snowmen and the Ruan fans had also reached new heights.
From now on, whenever either side's idol endorsed something, the two fandoms would rush to buy it together.
After all, these were products the girls had personally tried and tested themselves.
The Assistant's livestream ended punctually at 9:30 pm. After doing some stretching, Bao Ruanruan and Yang Xueni smiled and said goodbye to everyone.
Bao Ruanruan checked the latest temperature reading. "It has been twenty-eight minutes now, and the heat patch's temperature has already risen to 42.3°C."
"Next, I'm going to sleep~ I'll look at the data results tomorrow."
[ Awoo! Ruan Baby, remember to post the results on Weibo! ]
Yang Xueni also waved at the camera, then took the towel in her hand and covered the lens.
"Good night."
The image cut out.
[ Ah, I don't want it to end. ]
[ Today's over, but surely the next livestream can't be that far away? ]
[ I hope Sis Xueni can work with Teacher Bao again after The Assistant ends. I love seeing them together~ ]
[ Mm, I learned so much. Thank you, both of you~ ]
Everyone was reluctant to leave, but the Ruan mom fans soon urged them along.
[ Go to bed early. I'm going to sleep too. Let's follow our little kiddo and get our healthy beauty sleep~ ]
[ Mm, this Ruan mom is logging off now. Bye-bye~ Good night~ ]
The Snowmen were stunned. Bao Ruanruan's fans really were just like Bao Ruanruan herself.
What an eye-opening experience!
After ending the livestream and waving goodbye to The Assistant's staff, Bao Ruanruan collapsed onto the bed.
She immediately braced her elbow against the bedsheet and slowly crawled towards the phone she had left on the bedside table.
She gently tapped the screen to open a voice recording that still sounded beautiful, no matter how many times you heard it.
"Finished? I'll come and pick you up."
Bao Ruanruan could not help but relax comfortably on the bed. The corners of her lips lifted as she pressed the button to record a voice message. "I'll be sleeping in the hotel room. There's still the temperature-monitoring test I need to look after."
Although the instrument itself could handle the temperature measurements…
She was, however, somewhat uneasy about its safety, given that the equipment was plugged in and running unattended while still producing heat from the warming patch under the bedsheet.
Xue Jing paused. It was only after a long moment that he replied.
"Chen Feng will take over for you."
"?"
Bao Ruanruan felt a little embarrassed.
"As it happens, he's working overtime tonight."
Bao Ruanruan was shocked. What a coincidence?
Hadn't he only just recovered from a cold? And he was already pushing himself this hard?
Bao Ruanruan had encountered yet another person worthy of her respect.
"That really is such... a coincidence."
When Chen Feng was dragged out of his home and sent to the hotel room to work overtime, even he thought it was one d@mn 'coincidence'!
But when he looked at Bao Ruanruan, he still had to keep smiling. "Xiao Baozi, don't worry. Just leave it to Brother Feng."
Bao Ruanruan expressed her admiration for Chen Feng.
She presented him with a traditional Chinese medicinal tea formula intended to help with the effects of staying up late and 'detoxification'.
"Pseudostellaria root🔗, lily bulb🔗, Hangzhou white chrysanthemum🔗... I've brewed it for you in a thermos. Drink it tonight."
Chen Feng was instantly moved.
Xiao Baozi really did treat him well.
"Also, this room is on the third floor. If there's a fire, don't panic. You can call the fire department. The third floor is within reach of an aerial ladder, and there are fire extinguishers in the corridor outside."
"Your probability of survival is at least ninety-five per cent."
With complete sincerity, Bao Ruanruan even drew him an evacuation map.
Chen Feng: "......!"
Just go already!
Even he couldn't handle this much of Xiao Baozi's kindness!
After settling Chen Feng in, Xue Jing personally took the young woman with him and drove all the way back to Beijiao No. 1.
Despite it being close to her bedtime, he did not leave her to sleep at the hotel.
Despite it being close to her bedtime, he did not leave her to sleep at the hotel.
He knew she would not feel secure sleeping alone.
She would feel much more relaxed in familiar surroundings.
He turned the steering wheel slightly and tilted his head towards the girl in the passenger seat.
All he could see was the enormous expanse of her fluorescent pink raincoat, which hid her face.
Xue Jing: "............"
"Um, I've already showered. If I go outside and come into contact with bacteria again, I'll have to shower all over again."
For the first time, Bao Ruanruan felt herself blush.
She explained softly.
She lowered her face, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it was almost swallowed back into her throat.
For the first time, Bao Ruanruan felt herself blush.
She explained softly.
She lowered her face, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it was almost swallowed back into her throat.
Actually, she had always acted rather strangely, hadn't she?
She was completely out of place among the people around her.
She was completely out of place among the people around her.
Although she had always firmly believed that what she did was right, she knew that many people thought she was strange.
In the past, she hadn't cared about how other people looked at her.
She only wanted to survive.
Even if the whole world failed to understand her and thought she was a freak, so what?
She only wanted to survive.
Even if the whole world failed to understand her and thought she was a freak, so what?
But now, Bao Ruanruan could feel the man's gaze on her, causing her heart to flutter with panic. She rubbed the plastic drawstring at the cuff of her raincoat uneasily with her index finger.
It was probably impossible for a normal person to accept someone as strange as her, right?
Did he also think that she…
"That's good, then."
Xue Jing's slightly deep voice brushed through the air and landed beside her ear.
Xue Jing's slightly deep voice brushed through the air and landed beside her ear.
For a moment, it was as if a spark had been struck, illuminating Bao Ruanruan's profile as she abruptly raised her face.
Xue Jing glanced in the rear-view mirror.
"This way, when you get home, you can go straight to sleep."
He caught a glimpse of the bright pink raincoat she was wearing out of the corner of his eye, and the corners of his pursed lips lifted slightly.
"And with that bright pink... I won't even have to worry about an oncoming driver with poor eyesight failing to see my car."
Ah.
Bao Ruanruan's fingers, which had been clutching the sleeve of her raincoat, instantly relaxed.
In the dimness of the car with the lights off, her eyes, which seemed touched with the soft pink of her raincoat, suddenly glowed with a dreamy, hazy light.
"Yes, you actually know about that too?"
Bao Ruanruan could not help but blurt it out.
This raincoat's fluorescent colouring was also designed to include reflective strips.
When driving at night, some drivers had impaired night vision, which increased the likelihood of accidents. If pedestrians or cyclists wore fluorescent reflective strips like these, their visibility would rise by at least 70%!
The probability of being hit would be greatly reduced.
Xue Jing nodded and answered seriously, "Mm. I invested in a bicycle project before, so I'm familiar with reflective strips on bicycles."
He really understood.
Bao Ruanruan covered her chest with her hand.
Beneath the traffic lights at the intersection, she seemed to hear a faint knock-knock at a door8.
It seemed that if she only took one step forward and opened the door, she could let someone walk inside9.
Hoo.
...Her breathing became slightly rapid.
She... couldn't keep talking to him.
Bao Ruanruan raised a hand and laboriously covered her own mouth.
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Do you want me to close the window?"
Bao Ruanruan quickly shook her head.
"I..."
Her cautious voice came softly through the hand covering her mouth.
"If I keep talking to you, I won't be able to sleep tonight... What if... what if I want you to coax me to sleep again..."
Xue Jing slammed on the brakes and pulled over by the roadside.
If he had been a second slower, he was afraid the car might have gone out of control.
Author's Note:
Awoo!10 Another weekend is already over. Such is life!
This 'staying-up-late tea' comes from an article by a traditional Chinese medicine hospital~ This formula is intended for those who stay up late, which can harm the heart and spleen, as well as those with yin deficiency and excessive internal heat. It is said to nourish the heart and spleen, clear heat, and replenish yin. It should not be consumed daily, and those with a cold constitution should use it with caution.
In any case, the best approach is to avoid staying up late in the first place (emphasis on this point!11)! Trying to compensate after staying up late is always too late.
And this tea has specific proportions. If anyone wants to try it, use 20 g of pseudostellaria root, 5 g of dried lily bulb, and 5 Hangzhou white chrysanthemum flowers. Place these in a thermos with about 250 ml of boiling water and let it steep for 15–20 minutes. Once cooled to a warm temperature, add an appropriate amount of honey.
Important things must be said three times12: it's best not to drink it, it's best not to drink it, and not staying up late is the kingly way13~
See you tomorrow, mwah mwah mwah mwah!
Footnotes Full List
- 听天书 (tīng tiān shū) — listen to a heavenly book; to hear something so difficult or unfamiliar that it is completely incomprehensible
- 另一个世界的产物 (lìng yí gè shì jiè de chǎn wù) — a product of another world; something completely outside one's familiar experience
- 23333 and any version— Chinese internet-number slang representing laughter, similar to 'hahaha'
- 宕机 (dàng jī) — a computer/server going down; technological slang used metaphorically for a person becoming mentally frozen from shock
- (有因必有果,你的报应就是我 (yǒu yīn bì yǒu guǒ, nǐ de bào yìng jiù shì wǒ) — every cause must have an effect; your retribution is me; a humorous internet catchphrase used to joke that someone's actions have brought the speaker upon them as their 'punishment'
- 狗头 (gǒu tóu) — dog head; internet meme marker, originally referring to a dog-head emoji, used to signal joking, teasing, or irony
- 亲兄弟明算账 (qīn xiōng dì míng suàn zhàng) — even biological brothers calculate accounts clearly; proverb meaning that even close relationships should keep obligations and exchanges clear
- 扣扣敲门 (kòu kòu qiāo mén) — knock-knock, knocking on a door; an emotional metaphor for romantic feelings gently knocking at the door of her heart
- 往前一步,打开门,就能让某个人走进来 (wǎng qián yí bù, dǎ kāi mén, jiù néng ràng mǒu gè rén zǒu jìn lái) — take one step forward, open the door, and let someone walk in; an extended metaphor for opening her heart and allowing someone into her emotional life
- 嗷呜 (áo wū) — awoo/howl; a playful exclamation
- 划重点 (huá zhòng diǎn) — mark/underline the key point; internet and classroom slang meaning 'this is the important part')
- 重要的事情说三遍 (zhòng yào de shì qíng shuō sān biàn) — important things are said three times; popular internet catchphrase used to strongly emphasize a point
- 王道 (wáng dào) — the kingly way; colloquial/internet usage meaning the best, most effective, or most proper course of action
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