The blinding sunlight poured into the one-way window of the nanny car.
It was reflected behind Xue Jing like the light of the devil.
Was he asking her to take off the mascot's headgear in the 'Island Restaurant'?
Did he think it was just a headgear that would come off?
No, that thing was her life!
Bao Ruanruan's heart was broken in an instant.
It was shattered along with the filter of a yuppie man she had just used on Xue Jing!
You are doomed to be alone, brother.
"Handsome guy, you said it very well." She tilted her fair face.
Xue Jing's peach blossom eyes were raised, and the corners of his thin lips curled up slightly.
But Bao Ruanruan shook her head. "But I don't agree."
"......"
Xue Jing's raised eyes almost twitched.
"With 700 million topics, even if only 1% of passersby became your fans, it would be..."
"It would be life-threatening." Bao Ruanruan continued naturally.
Xue Jing took a deep breath.
He glanced down at his wristwatch.
"Think about it. If you don't show your face, all the mascot's traffic will no longer concern you."
It's time.
He exited the nanny car and entered another all-black Bentley parked by the roadside.
"How mysterious." Bao Ruanruan peeked and muttered.
Chen Feng, who was acting as the driver, chuckled. "The boss has other jobs; otherwise, how would he exchange resources for you?"
"Oh ho, so he is wearing another vest1 as well."
Bao Ruanruan pursed her lips.
"Yet he still wants to strip mine off?"
Chen Feng: "........."
Why does that sound so strange?
*
Season 8 of 'Island Restaurant' would be filmed for a total of 10 days.
This week, actor Qin Ke had promotional work for a BL2 drama that clashed with his show schedule, so he bid farewell to the cameras early.
In this episode, he was replaced by another fresh face—Huangtai's female artist, Xiao Mengfei, who also debuted in a girl group earlier this year.
She was personally sent by her agent.
Coincidentally, this agent was an old acquaintance of Bao Ruanruan's—Ji Fei, who had recently cancelled his contract with her and kept telling her, "You'll regret it later."
Ji Fei still had the potbelly of a middle-aged man, which showed that he wasn't suffering from Bao Ruanruan's departure this month and was actually doing quite well.
Bao Ruanruan glanced at him and then looked away, not caring.
However, as soon as Ji Fei entered the kitchen, he kept nodding and smiling at the other guests. "Please take care of me, teachers."
He even walked over to Da Mao, the mascot played by Bao Ruanruan, and gave her a flattering smile.
This was completely different from his previous arrogance and rudeness towards her.
Bao Ruanruan: "?"
That greasy smile reminded her of the bowl of noodles that Lu Wenhao had made in the morning. The noodles had too much salt and were still a bit undercooked.
Yuck!
Big Brother, if you're kidnapped, just blink3.
Ji Fei even felt the mascot shake its head at him in a friendly way.
He immediately smiled.
After terminating his contract with Bao Ruanruan, his luck changed!
Previously, he had treated Chief Meng, the head of Huangtai's strategic department, to a meal and given him a gift worth nearly 20,000 yuan. This time, as soon as there was a vacancy, Chief Meng entrusted him with the important task of looking after his niece—Xiao Mengfei, the most promising newcomer in Huangtai's girl group.
For bringing this newcomer with connections and potential, Ji Fei was now often praised by his colleagues and peers.
"This is Xiao Meng's first time in a variety show, so you are all her seniors." Ji Fei's smile became even more sincere.
He was determined to make a good impression this time!
At present, girl groups were in high demand and could attract many loyal fans. Xiao Mengfei had the advantage of age; she was only 18 this year, much younger than Bao Ruanruan, and the most beautiful among several girl groups.
She also had a bit of a background, so no matter what she did, she wouldn't lack resources.
Sure enough, after just a few days with her, he received an offer for her to join 'Island Restaurant'.
The show hadn't been doing well before.
However, it had been revived by several guests recently and had already reached an audience rating of 1%, something most newcomer shows couldn't achieve!
Ji Fei wanted to rely on the show, so he didn't dare to ignore the mascot, Da Mao, in front of him.
He watched the first few episodes of the restaurant, and while he wouldn't say that the show was entirely carried by this cat, it had carried a good half of it.
Even Qu Feifei, a member of a girl group without many personality advantages in variety shows, gained attention and discussion because of her interaction with the cat.
She not only consolidated her fans but also attracted the general public's attention.
Most importantly, interacting with the Da Mao mascot was the best option, with no risk of scandal!
Ji Fei bent down and presented the mascot with some local specialities he had brought with him.
"Teacher, you've worked hard. If Xiao Meng is behaving unreasonably, please guide her more."
His manner was so respectful, as if he was meeting his father.
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
She couldn't believe that this 'former agent' was the one who had been loud and obnoxious with her two months ago.
Seeing that everyone else had also received local specialities, she also extended her big cat paws and said, "Then I won't be polite."
Her soft, emotionless voice, muffled by the headgear, sounded like it came from afar and through a thick cotton ball.
Ji Fei frowned.
There was something familiar about that voice. But he couldn't remember where he had heard it.
Could they have met at some shows before?
Ji Fei couldn't figure it out, so he just gave up.
He whispered to Xiao Mengfei, "Talk to your seniors if you need help with anything. Also, I told you about Bao Ruanruan's experience as a warning; remember it."
Xiao Mengfei's gaze revealed a hint of displeasure.
This agent was good at everything except for nagging and constantly mentioning Bao Ruanruan in her ear. Would she be on the same level as that lovesick fool?
If she hadn't joined Huangtai just recently, Bao Ruanruan wouldn't have had the chance to become the face of Huangtai, and even with a bunch of resources being thrown at her, she still wouldn't have made a splash.
Ji Fei kept using the example of the incompetent and naive Bao Ruansoft to warn Xiao Mengfei, making Xiao Mengfei even more rebellious.
"Got it."
She replied nonchalantly.
As soon as Ji Fei left, Xiao Mengfei suppressed her unhappiness.
In a heartbeat, her eyes darted to a senior fellow Huangtai artist in the kitchen—Lu Wenhao—and her interest piqued.
This young master from the wealthy family behind Huangtai rarely showed up at the company.
Xiao Mengfei had only seen him at the company's annual meeting at the beginning of the year. She had caught a glimpse of him from afar, seeing only a handsome profile under the lights before he left early.
Now that she saw him up close in the kitchen, she realised that he had a youthful aura in person, more so than in his online photos, yet his features still hinted at a bit of rebellious prince temperament.
Coupled with a touch of noble indifference on his face, he had a captivating combination of charms.
For a moment, Xiao Mengfei brushed aside Ji Fei's advice to 'interact more with the mascot'.
She was brimming with confidence in herself.
She outshone Qu Feifei in the whole kitchen and was even cuter than the mascot.
She shouldn't be following the mascot.
"Today, I'll wash the vegetables; you'll buy groceries, Xiao Mao."
Before filming started, Lu Wenhao had already chosen their tasks for the day.
Bao Ruanruan was about to sit in the corner but quickly covered her head and stood up again.
This is good.
As long as she was separated from him, everything would be fine.
Bao Ruanruan nodded happily.
She instantly swayed out of the door.
Lu Wenhao watched for a while before retracting his gaze and smiling as he entered the kitchen.
His gentle expression made Xiao Mengfei's heart race as she stared at him.
— The little prince is actually so gentle in private.
But when Lu Wenhao turned to the side and saw her, he immediately stopped smiling.
His eyes dropped.
He gave her a reluctant, world-weary nod.
Xiao Mengfei: "???"
......
The final episode of 'Island Restaurant' was broadcast via live streaming, with the aim of boosting the download numbers of the Lejiang platform app owned by Jiangcheng TV.
The Island Restaurant is only open for dinner these days, so when Xiao Mengfei arrived in the back kitchen, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Soon, the kitchen was buzzing with activity.
[I just came to see Feifei!]
[Da Mao, please take care of my Feifei today, thank you.]
[Come on, Brother Zhou!]
[Where is my beloved number one husband Lu?]
[Awoo, my Xiao Xiaozi4 is finally on camera, I've been waiting since last week!]
[Looking forward to Xiao Xiaozi's first variety show, ready to screenshot~]
The camera panned to show the whole kitchen.
Qu Feifei and veteran actor Teacher Zhou were busy at the stove while the others were washing and chopping vegetables, working tirelessly.
As Xiao Mengfei was new to the team, she had no fixed job at the moment and seemed a little lost. But as soon as she appeared on camera, the audience was stunned. She had a classic oval-faced beauty with cat-like eyes streaked with pink eye shadow, adding charm to her girlishness and making her incredibly stunning.
The camera zoomed out to reveal her wearing a light purple JK skirt. With a slender waist, long legs, and fair, smooth skin, her figure was perfect.
As a fellow girl group member, Qu Feifei's cuteness was instantly eclipsed by Xiao Mengfei's dazzling looks.
[Wow, such a great beauty, I instantly want to say hi!]
[Who's the beauty? It's me!]
[The whole screen lights up when Xiao Xiaozi appears.]
[Critical hit on the opening screen.]
[This show is getting better and better, the fans of the good-looking cast love it!]
"Senior Brother Lu."
Xiao Mengfei also knew how to use her looks to her advantage in front of the camera.
She quickly turned her head to reveal an idol smile that she had practised many times.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
She smiled as she spoke and approached Lu Wenhao.
Today, Lu Wenhao was wearing a black T-shirt and sitting in the back kitchen near the corridor, holding a large basin of water and frowning as he washed vegetables.
Obviously, he wasn't very good at the job, as the water spilled all over the floor and there was a mess of vegetables in the basin.
[D*mn, somebody help him! Look at that kid, is he washing vegetables or the floor? Hhh5]
[I'm laughing my ass off every day, bro, haven't you learned how to wash vegetables yet?]
[Kiddo, pick out the rotten leaves first, you can't eat those.]
[Please help him, Xiao Meimei6 ~ He's too miserable, my poor kid.]
[Handsome guys and beautiful girls, such a harmonious picture, I just love to see beautiful people in the same frame, it's pleasing to the eye.]
The bullet comments was very lively.
But in the back kitchen, Lu Wenhao was busy and flustered, wishing he could grow four hands. He didn't even pay attention to Xiao Mengfei when she spoke. He was still concentrating on the basin when she walked over, not even glancing at her.
Xiao Mengfei was not embarrassed by the lack of response. Instead, she cleverly avoided the water spots on the floor and wisely stood behind him.
"Senior Brother Lu, what vegetables are you washing?"
Her delicate, make-up-covered face was still flushed with pearl powder highlights.
She smiled slightly as she stood behind him.
She was such a delicate, sweet girl.
As she leaned forward to look into the basin, a few strands of her waist-length, light golden, flowing curly hair fell onto Lu Wenhao's cool black T-shirt, almost brushing past his profile.
They mingled with his light purple short hair.
"Spinach?"
She asked innocently.
[?]
[?! Wait, are they washing vegetables or shooting an idol drama?]
[Ah, what's going on, what did I miss?]
Just as a few question marks floated into the bullet comments.
A cute, furry mascot cat swayed by, with its two cat paws carrying two bags of vegetables.
It stood at least fifty centimetres away from Lu Wenhao.
It stretched out its cat paws and placed the vegetables by the basin.
Then, it quickly exited the frame.
She did not approach Lu Wenhao or engage him in conversation.
She was in stark contrast to Xiao Mengfei.
[???]
[D*mn! I knew something was weird! Xiao what's-her-name, you want to help him wash the vegetables, but why are you walking behind my brother??? Are the vegetables growing on him?]
[D*mn it! What she sees isn't spinach, it's like she's seen Tang Monk's flesh7! My brother is really miserable!]
[The safe distance between people is one metre, I hope someone will pay attention! Don't stick to my husband again, or I'm going to make a scene!]
[I see, is the show trying to stir up a CP?]
[You're smearing her reputation, get lost! My kind-hearted girl was only trying to help, why are you trolls still scolding her? What's wrong with her being close to him? Is it abnormal for her to have a good relationship with her senior brother from the same company?! Don't you have seniors in school, or did your mom forget to give birth to a brother for you?]
[Can't we be more civilised? I can't believe the low quality of these comments! Take away the beauty8!.]
[One is a mascot friend he's only met a few times, the other is a colleague from the same company for almost half a year. Everyone should know who is closer to whom.]
[It's just misunderstanding, let it go. My Xiao Xiaozi is not wary of people she knows, she's still young, and doesn't have the 'romantic entanglements' in her brain like you adults!]
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Unaware of anything unusual, Xiao Mengfei even leaned in a little closer to Lu Wenhao in front of the camera.
"Let me help you wash, Senior Brother Lu."
She softened her voice, wanting to sit next to Lu Wenhao.
But when she held out her hands, her fingers were painted with pink glitter and pearls.
It starkly contrasted Da Mao's clean, slender hands, with no nail polish, preparing the vegetables in the corner. It was a clear distinction.
[Oh, come on, is she here to work with those hands?]
[Kiddo, run away quickly!]
[Help9! Obviously, one is here to work, the other is here to show off.]
[Ah, indeed, Da Mao is still the cutest!]
[Oh, yes, I'm starting to like Da Mao event more. It works quietly, does more, and talks less, which is good.]
[What's wrong with a person who loves to be beautiful? Can the jealous girls please be quiet? I get my nails done, too, but I can still do the dishes and cook!]
[There should be no conflict, modern women can be beautiful while working!]
Backstage, Director Zheng Mingchang looked at the active livestream room, the increasing number of bullet comments and viewers and pondered.
"Give them more screen time."
The cameraman followed the instructions.
The live stream immediately focused on Xiao Mengfei.
She bent down to pick up a flowering cabbage next to Lu Wenhao.
The sudden waft of strawberry fragrance made Lu Wenhao frown.
After eight days of recording torture, Lu Wenhao couldn't stand the various smells of oil and food in the kitchen.
As soon as he caught a whiff, he felt nauseous.
Now, when this sweet and greasy smell hit him, his face changed.
He immediately turned his head and covered his nose.
"First of all, my name is Lu Wenhao, not Lu Shige10. My name has nothing to do with Tang poetry."
Xiao Mengfei's smile froze.
[Pfft!]
[Bro, wake up, what Tang poetry? She's calling you 'senior brother'.]
[Heavens, I've been exposed to my silly kid's IQ again.]
[Why is this so funny, hahaha, wasn't there someone who just said that colleagues from the same company have no sense of distance because they have a good relationship? That's funny, my brother doesn't even recognise this junior sister!]
[Oh my God, my husband is too straightforward, I'm literally laughing my head off.]
[Hehe, exposed, she's not familiar with him at all.]
Lu Wenhao grabbed the vegetables in the basin with a look of annoyance.
"Secondly, this is red spinach, don't you even know that?"🦊
She's much worse than Da Mao.
Lu Wenhao looked at her with a hint of disdain.
Xiao Mengfei: "......"
[Hahaha]
[Kiddo: You're worse than me! Go away, don't make things worse by trying to help!]
[Bro, have you forgotten that you only know that is a red spinach after Da Mao told you about it? Eldest brother, don't laugh at Second Brother12, heh. 23333]
[My homegirl Xiao Mengfei lacks life experience, but she genuinely tries to help.]
[Well, only when their relationship is good will Lu fight with her.]
[Right, good friends fight, just look, why isn't Lu Wen'an13 being hard on Qu Feifei?]
In front of the camera, Lu Wenhao washed vegetables while sitting on a small stool with his tall 1.8-meter frame and gradually became irritated.
He hadn't often met Xiao Mengfei and hadn't formed much of an impression of her.
But now, he found the whole senior-junior relationship thing really annoying.
Lu Wenhao scratched his neck and gestured impatiently towards the gas stove, "Ask someone else whether they need help."
His expression clearly said, 'Don't bother me'.
Xiao Mengfei almost couldn't keep a straight face in front of the camera.
[My bro's got a typical straight male brain, I'm relieved.]
[My kid is a good man, praise~]
[Cool!]
[Xiao Xiaozi, cheer up, listen to your senior.]
It was the first time Xiao Mengfei had been ignored in front of the camera, and she instantly regretted it.
If only she had asked Uncle earlier to let her join the filming of the first episode at the restaurant.
It would have been better to have a few more days to get familiar with each other instead of rushing into the show like she was doing now.
The show would be over in two days at the most, and Lu Wenhao obviously didn't want to talk to her much.
She would have wanted to leave and stop filming if it hadn't been for the cameras.
She had never felt this wronged before.
It was like a public execution on live broadcast.
Xiao Mengfei gritted her teeth and swallowed her resentment.
But she soon remembered what her manager Ji Fei had said earlier, how he had managed to smooth things over with the Lu family.
That incident probably cast a shadow over Lu Wenhao, making him wary of girls.
Xiao Mengfei sighed as she realised her mistake.
Only now did she understand that Ji Fei's idea for her to get closer to the mascot was right.
But when she glanced over to the corner, she saw the bulky mascot, silent and dull, buried in work.
She noticed it lacked highlights or humor.
Who would want to spend an hour watching someone pick vegetables?
At a glance, she knew the main footage wouldn't focus much on the mascot.
After a moment of thought, Xiao Mengfei decided to walk over to Qu Feifei at the stove.
Today, Qu Feifei was wearing a denim skirt, happily preparing broth, when a figure with long curly hair suddenly appeared before her.
"Sis Feifei, can I call you that?"
"What are you doing?"
A sweet voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Qu Feifei frowned slightly.
Her company, Star Creative Entertainment, was now competing with Huangtai Entertainment.
Both she and Xiao Mengfei were in girl groups.
There was no first in literature and no second in martial arts.14
Girls' groups were the same.
As the year drew to a close, the two groups were bound to be pitted against each other on the various New Year's stages.
Now, Xiao Mengfei's sudden warmth felt a little insincere, making Qu Feifei uncomfortable.
However, out of politeness, Qu Feifei still responded kindly, "This is the broth. It was actually already cooked this morning—"
"Indeed, I also guess it to be broth. My grandfather was a chef. He taught me before. Sister, did you add whole chicken and pork bones to this soup with beef added? But my grandfather used to put in some fish bones, too, saying that it would make it even tastier and sweeter..."
Qu Feifei hadn't even finished speaking before Xiao Mengfei started chattering away.
She didn't even leave any pauses for any interruption.
As Qu Feifei prepared to slice some ginger and garlic, Xiao Mengfei snatched her cutting board away.
"Let me help you chop the garlic, Sis Feifei."
Xiao Mengfei grabbed the knife, swiftly pounded the scattered garlic cloves, then chopped them into fine pieces with a few quick slashes.
It was clear that she had practised before.
She was showing off her skills quite a bit.
She wasn't lying; her grandfather really was a top chef.
But Qu Feifei could feel her scalp tingling. "Uh... I need garlic slices for stir-frying... not minced garlic."
Xiao Mengfei: "..."
"Shall we cook a different dish then? Garlic shrimp?"
[Pfft!]
[Just... let's move on, please.]
[Why must you change my Feifei's stir-fry to garlic shrimp?]
[Help!]
A pink plush figure appeared silently nearby, with only one of its paws outstretched.
It handed over a bowl of washed cabbage.
Without a moment's pause, it quickly exited the frame where Qu Feifei was. Inconspicuously, as if it had never been there.
But as the live stream shifted, it was revealed that the cat had gone to a corner, picked up a basket of garlic, peeled two cloves, and then swiftly placed two intact slices of garlic on Qu Feifei's cutting board.
Silently, it neatly repaired the damage caused by Xiao Mengfei's mishap.
[D*mn, the difference is obvious!]
[Thank you, Maomao, for taking care of my Feifei.]
[Such a considerate Maomao.]
[Maomao really works quietly, not seeking any spotlight.]
[In fact, she's like that with Lu Wenhao, and now Feifei, too. So sweet, taking care of everyone~]
Previously, the main footage was edited to show viewers what the production team wanted them to see.
But now that it was a live broadcast format, it was uncut and unfiltered.
The true state of each guest in the kitchen was crystal clear for everyone to see.
Back on the main set, Qu Feifei immediately understood what was happening.
Last time, when Da Mao refused to help her and be in the same frame as her, she thought Da Mao was just overthinking things and that camera angles didn't matter much to her.
But this time, with the comparison shots, Qu Feifei immediately felt it was different.
When she did something, Xiao Mengfei insisted on squeezing in.
When she spoke, Xiao Mengfei insisted on hijacking the topic.
When she was prepping the ingredients, Xiao Mengfei insisted on changing the recipe.
Although Xiao Mengfei was a last-minute addition, she should have taken over the work of the departing guest and set up tables and chairs in the lobby instead.
Rather than insisting on being in the kitchen, just because there were more camera angles there.
Qu Feifei sighed.
She looked at Da Mao, the mascot, appreciatively. "Da Mao, can you help me chop some onions?"
She was willing to share her screen time with Da Mao.
Because Da Mao was genuine and considerate, which made her feel sorry for it.
"No, she will help me wash the vegetables," Lu Wenhao protested, looking up.
In response, he patted the empty stool beside him.
Qu Feifei turned around and glared at Lu Wenhao.
Without backing down, Lu Wenhao replied warmly.
"She's good at washing vegetables."
"Prepping doesn't hurt the hands."
[!]
[!]
One held a knife, the other a pair of scissors.
The atmosphere was tense.
Bao Ruanruan sat on the small stool and looked away as if she hadn't heard anything.
Here we go again.
She thought it would be better to go to the lobby to arrange the tables and chairs, which was far away from this highly dangerous battlefield between the two.
But as she stood up, veteran actor Zhou Minwen beckoned to her, "Da Mao, come help me devein these prawns. Do you know how?"
Lu Wenhao: "..."
Qu Feifei: "..."
Why is our senior cutting in line?
Bao Ruanruan breathed a sigh of relief and instantly moved closer to Zhou Minwen.
Lu Wenhao and Qu Feifei turned around helplessly.
The kitchen became busy again, leaving only Xiao Mengfei standing there.
"Xiao Mengfei, you can rest."
"You go outside."
Xiao Mengfei: "!"
[Ugh.]
[My girl is being ostracised.]
[LOL, ostracised? She wants to steal the limelight, does she think everyone else is stupid? My brother is smart, so of course he would find the reliable Da Mao for help!]
[Hehe, asking her to prepare the ingredients? She almost changed my Feifei's recipe!]
Throughout the entire dinner service, Xiao Mengfei was only responsible for the work of a lobby server.
Everyone called for the mascot, but they rarely called for her.
Obviously, there was a member missing, and she was there to fill the gap, yet she couldn't fit in at all.
Obviously, being with beautiful people would make the shot more attractive and attract more viewers, but they were all unwilling to be in the same frame with her.
What is so good about that cat anyway?
Xiao Mengfei didn't understand either.
"Why doesn't she listen!"
Agent Ji Fei was watching the live stream on his phone in the nanny car, and when he saw several fan groups mocking Xiao Mengfei, he almost vomited blood.
As soon as he opened Weibo, he felt like he would die on the spot.
Xiao Mengfei used to have 720,000 followers, but now she had only 717,000!
She lost nearly 3,000 followers!
"This is so f*cking..." ridiculous!
Other people went on shows to gain followers; she went on shows to lose followers!
Reverse marketing, indeed.
He wanted to faint.
Ji Fei's hair was falling out, but he still hadn't succeeded.
Fortunately, he had a stress reliever.
He immediately checked Bao Ruanruan's Weibo page, and the effect was like oxygen.
She had no job.
Black fans were cursing her.
And all her fans had left.
The page was like a pool of stagnant water.
As soon as he saw it, he felt better again.
No matter how bad Xiao Mengfei was, she was still better than Bao Ruanruan.
Ji Fei closed the Weibo with a confident smile returning to his face.
*
As the 'Island Restaurant' ended its dinner service, the guests would gather for a final chat and bid farewell in front of the cameras.
Before the meal, Bao Ruanruan sat on a chair, lost in thought, wondering if she had reached the healthy standard of 10,000 steps for the day.
But halfway through her thoughts, Director Zheng Mingchang appeared and personally invited her into a small cabin for a chat.
"We have to say goodbye after this meal."
"Before your final farewell, could you take off your headgear?"
Bao Ruanruan: "?"
"Director, I didn't expect you to be like this too."
Zheng Mingchang: "???"
"You ask for my life as soon as you open your mouth." Just like her agent.
Zheng Mingchang: "......!"
[Hahaha, Da Mao, taking off your headgear is no big deal! It's really no big deal!]
[If the ancients felt that shaving their hair was like taking their heads, now Da Mao feels that taking off its clothes is like taking its life 23333]
[D*mn, I knew it! Da Mao, you've been quiet the whole episode, only to wait for this moment to crack me up! You're going to make me laugh to death!]
Zheng Mingchang's old face turned red with embarrassment, but he quickly let out a long sigh.
Others didn't know who was under the mascot's shell, but he did.
He also knew that she had a feud with the Lu family and that her online reputation was bad.
But that made him want to convince her even more.
"You may not know that as early as the third episode of the show, viewers were leaving messages on the show's Weibo, hoping that you would take off the mascot costume and participate in the show as a normal artist. They like you and want to get to know you." Zheng Mingchang said earnestly.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
[Yes, I also want to meet the girl under Da Mao's skin!]
[+1! I became a Da Mao fan during the fire rescue episode! Since I don't know your name, where can I find you after the show ends?]
[I also wanted to send a private message to Da Mao to confess my love, but when I opened Weibo, I was stunned. I don't even know Da Mao's Weibo page.]
[Thank you, director, for listening to our voices.]
"Today is the best opportunity." Zheng Mingchang looked at the pink cat sitting on the chair before him. "Facing your true self is also a kind of bravery."
One could not hide behind false appearances all one's life.
No, she could.
Bao Ruanruan met the director's sincere gaze. "I don't want to be brave."
The corner of Zheng Mingchang's mouth twitched.
[?]
[Ahahahahaha!]
[LOL, Da Mao, tell us your story.]
"I can tell that all the guests have a favourable impression of you. They think you're a very nice girl, whether it's Teacher Zhou, Teacher Qu, or Teacher Lu. None of them actually dislike you."
Don't dislike?
Ha.
Lu Wenhao had given her gifts several times, but he probably wanted to chase her away after seeing her in person.
Bao Ruanruan shook the cat's head. "My role here is to be a mascot. They only like the mascot, not me personally."
If Lu Wenhao and Qu Feifei saw her face...
"If I remove the mask, tonight's show will turn into a horror story."
"I'm ugly, I know."
"Emmm, let's not dirty the teachers' eyes and don't hurt their souls. The audience needs—a pleasant weekend, too; don't let them lose their sleep."
Everyone would instantly become hostile.
A slow-paced drama would turn into a large-scale brawl.
And the audience wouldn't be sleepy anymore then.
"All I want is to leave this place in peace."
Survival always came first.
The future was still long.
Before her name was whitewashed, she didn't want to attract the attention of the Lu family or the opposition's fans.
She was still too weak.
LV1 against LV100.
That was not bravery; that was stupidity.
She would only be asking for trouble.
"Please grant my request, Director." As Bao Ruanruan spoke, she stood up.
Director Zheng Mingchang was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "Ah." It seemed like the Lu family had really hurt her deeply.
Ah, what a sin!
Thinking that she was about the same age as his granddaughter, Director Zheng Mingchang's expression was heavy and filled with a bit of heartache.
[What secret pain does Da Mao have that makes the director look like that? I'm dying of curiosity!]
[Come on, someone explains!]
[555 I'm crying, so Da Mao is actually a girl with low self-esteem like me? She's not confident because she's not good-looking? Da Mao, you're even sillier than me. Let me tell you something, don't worry about other people's opinions. Besides, I'm not a shallow person.]
[So that's it, Da Mao is really silly! Right now, there are 5.8 million viewers, and at least half of them like you. You don't want all that traffic just because you're afraid of scaring the guests and the audience? You're kidding, do you think we're that timid?]
[Just speaking for myself, after watching so many episodes, I know better than anyone what kind of good girl Da Mao is. No matter what you look like under that mask, you're not going to make me back out.]
[Da Mao! Don't be afraid!]
[Director, look here! Tell Da Mao quickly, we really don't care what she looks like, we like her heart!]
The bullet comments exploded.
Meanwhile, Lu Wenhao, who was standing outside the cabin, heard everything clearly because he had deliberately gone against the director's instructions.
He was first stunned, then he sneered.
Was he easily frightened?
Would he be disgusted by her true face and suffer mental trauma?
Don't be ridiculous!
Was he, Lu Wenhao, such a shallow person who only cared about appearances?
Ahem, he was.
Lu Wenhao's eye twitched.
He was a shameless face worshipper.
But he only liked to look at his own face.
He wasn't very interested in other people's faces.
"Fool."
He muttered and walked into the hall.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Minwen asked curiously.
What Da Mao had told the director wasn't exactly a big secret.
Since he was asked, Lu Wenhao told them about it.
As soon as he spoke, everyone's expression changed.
Even Qu Feifei was shocked.
Only Xiao Mengfei's eyes flashed with a hint of superiority.
She was beautiful, and in front of all the less attractive girls, she felt a natural sense of victory.
Just now, the mascot was more popular than her, and she was often ignored and had taken quite a hit.
But the mascot was actually a very unattractive girl, and Xiao Mengfei instantly felt like she had won again, easing most of the anger in her heart.
"Oh, she's thinking it too much. Making friends isn't about looks." Zhou Minwen shook his head.
A gleam crossed Xiao Mengfei's eyes,
Men dared not admit they were visual creatures who valued a woman's appearance.
In reality, many people, male and female, were members of the Looks Party.
Beauty or ugliness determined most people's preferences.
Yet they insisted that looks didn't matter.
Xiao Mengfei sighed inwardly at people's hypocrisy, stood up with a smile, and said, "I'll go serve the food."
*
As director Zheng Mingchang emerged from the 'Heart-to-Heart Cabin' with the mascot, everyone prepared to sit down for a meal.
Xiao Mengfei walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of hot soup then.
Unexpectedly, she slipped on the floor.
Her leather Mary Janes, chosen for their aesthetic appeal, lost their grip on the tiles!
"Ah!" she exclaimed.
She had lost her balance!
The large bowl of hot chicken soup in her hand was about to spill onto the soft cat headgear!
[!]
[!]
It all happened too fast.
The bullet comments was full of exclamations!
In the scene, Da Mao had just sat down and was listening to Qu Feifei talking next to it.
Everyone held their breath as they watched the cat's headgear about to be drenched in scalding soup!
The audience gasped!
The nearby photographers rushed forward!
Director Zheng Mingchang's face changed instantly as he shouted, "Be careful!"
But it was too late.
The bowl of chicken soup crashed onto the headgear.
Everyone couldn't bear to watch.
Unexpectedly, there was no cry of pain from the scalded girl.
When everyone opened their eyes, they saw more exclamation marks floating in the bullet comments and Da Mao striking a beautiful landing pose!
It turned out that this slow and clumsy, low-profile Da Mao had once again made a move at a critical moment!
It was as if it had eyes on its back.
In the split second that the bowl fell, anticipating the trajectory of Xiao Mengfei's fall, it swiftly bent its waist to dodge to the other side.
With lightning speed, its two cat claws caught the falling soup bowl!
With only a small amount of soup spilled, the entire bowl was held firmly in place!
Everyone: "!""
Director Zheng Mingchang: "Impressive!"
Good grief.
As soon as he finished shouting, he regretted it.
It sounded like he was cheering like audiences in a circus.
"Are you hurt?" Director Zheng added with a blushing face.
[Holy crap, Maomao is amazing!]
[Wonder Woman!]
[Yay, yay, yay, here it comes again! Wonderful! Maomao will never let me down!]
[I didn't expect the ending to be so exciting!]
Xiao Mengfei was also stunned.
As she looked up in shock, she saw the mascot's head tilting awkwardly due to the large dodging movement...
The next second, the cat headgear tilted even more...
[!!]
[!]
A long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall when the headgear finally slipped off!
A small face with snow-white skin and no make-up appeared on the ridiculously fluffy cat's shoulders, as if it had eaten a ginseng fruit...
The bare face was flushed with heat, her cheeks as pink as cherries, her delicate nose slightly sweaty, her almond eyes sparkling with a fragile and delicate watery light, her natural pink lips like jelly, slightly parted in fear.
She looked flustered, like a little fairy who had never been stained by dust and was lost in the mortal world.
"!!"
In Xiao Mengfei's mind, a mountain suddenly appeared and pressed down on her.
It was covered with these words:
Overwhelming Beauty!
Total Domination!
Knockout Punch!
Who said the cat was ugly?
Who the hell said that!
.........
Bao Ruanruan tilted her head slightly to prevent the hot soup from spilling onto her headgear.
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she felt her head lighten.
In an instant, a cool breeze blew across her face.
She didn't feel any stuffiness or restraint anymore.
Bao Ruanruan: "!!"
[!!!]
[!]
[Holy crap, where did this stunning little fairy come from!]
But amidst the gasps, disbelief and anger erupted.
"Bao, Ruan, Ruan!?"
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
Is it too late to buy a plane ticket to the universe tonight?
Footnotes Full List
- fig. other aliases/identitites
- BL=boys love. Not a fan of this genre, so I'm skipping the explanation. Sorry.
- Bao Ruanruan is suspicious of his sudden change in attitude towards her and wonders if he's being forced to be nice to her.
- Xiao Mengfei's nickname given by her fans.
- stands for 哈哈哈 (hāhāhā), the Chinese equivalent of 'Laughing Out Loud'-Pandanese
- younger sister
- It was the same as how the demons saw Tang Mong's flesh-a precious meat that could grant them eternal life! It was from the story of Journey to the West.
- Fans express this in the comments of some negative news to protect their idols.
- I don't know if this is right or wrong. The raw for this word is 9命 (jiǔmìng). I believe it kind of an internet term for 救命 (jiùmìng)? Please correct me if I'm wrong.
- Lu Wenhao was confused between Shige (詩格 shīgé) and 师哥 (shī gē). 詩格 shīgé means poetry style or genre, and it was commonly used in Tang poetry, while 师哥 (shī gē) means senior brother. Perhaps he was too distracted to even hear correctly.
- Umm... she wasn't wrong, though. It's still a spinach.
- A variation of the idiom 'Eldest Brother, don't say anything about Second Brother, both of them are half a catty and eight taels (大哥别说二哥，都是半斤八两 dà gē bié shuō èr gē， dū shì bàn jīn bā liǎng)'. This seemingly nonsensical statement actually has a deeper meaning. In ancient China, half a catty and eight taels had the same weight, representing equality. So, the phrase is used to suggest that both parties are equally flawed and have no right to criticise each other.-POE AI
- I don't know why the author or the fans/viewers changed his name to Wen'an. The word àn (暗) used here literally means confused or ignorant. Is it because he was a confused or ignorant man? 🤷♀️
- This is a Chinese proverb that means there is no absolute best in any field and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. However, it can also be interpreted to mean that people skilled in martial arts are often arrogant and boastful, while those proficient in literature are more humble.
きつね's Musing
This chapter was so long and used so many internet terms and slangs that it took me 3 days to translate. 😓
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