The nanny van's air conditioning was on, keeping the heat of the scorching summer away from those inside.
A faint cool breeze blew from the vents and brushed against them.
But at that moment, Xue Jing felt a trace of warmth radiating from the buttons of his shirt, held tightly by the girl's hands pressed against his chest.
A strange restlessness stirred within him.
His lowered, peach-blossomed eyes swept over the girl's delicate, fair hands.
And then, her slender, soft body slipped away from him...
The warmth in his chest seemed to cool slightly as the girl trembled.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Jing reached out with one hand and lifted her back onto the car seat, letting her sit down.
Bao Ruanruan was trembling uncontrollably.
She tried to speak, but instead pointed weakly at her back.
"Are you hurt?" Chen Feng was already panicking.
But when Xue Jing looked behind her, he saw the seatbelt pressed against her back.
He quickly pulled it out and fastened it properly.
Bao Ruanruan's trembling subsided slightly.
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow.
He reached out and handed her the insulated ginseng tea cup that was always kept in the car.
Her trembling eased a bit more.
She weakly pointed at the lid of the cup.
Xue Jing's peach-blossomed eyes narrowed.
He took the disinfectant alcohol she usually used to wipe her hands and cup when she got into the car and placed it in her trembling palm.
Her shaking finally began to subside.
As if distracted, she began to wipe her hands carefully. Once she finished, she poured herself a small cup of ginseng tea and sipped it.
The warm tea seemed to comfort her.
The pallor on her face gradually faded, replaced by a faint flush of colour.
Her crimson lips parted, and she finally let out a soft sob.
“Wuu...”
Once the crisis was over, fear hit her like a wave.
With so many people on the set just now, she realised the reality of safety in numbers.
But as soon as she left the crowd, she found herself walking alone on the road.
It felt like she was back in the game.
In the game, when she encountered a giant snake on the road, she was so helpless and overwhelmed by pain that even rolling on the ground in agony did nothing to save her.
Panic and fear gripped her in an instant.
She couldn't breathe, and her hands and feet turned icy cold. She couldn't stop shaking.
That short stretch of road, less than 200 metres to the nanny van, felt endless. In her mind, she replayed dozens of times the agonising death she had suffered in the game—being coiled, suffocated, bitten, and swallowed by the snake.
As soon as Bao Ruanruan reached the door of the van, she couldn't hold on any longer.
"Wuwuwu... that snake was so vicious..."
She took another sip of her ginseng tea.
Only then did she feel alive again, finally able to cry out.
When someone was completely frightened, they couldn't even call for help.
A shadow of darkness flickered through Xue Jing's peach-blossomed eyes. "Was there negligence from the production team? Were you injured?"
His gaze swept down to her pale, slender ankle underneath her light purple tracksuit pants and waved at Chen Feng.
"Call the production team. Contact a doctor."
She was his person.
Someone he had taken under his wing from the very beginning.
No appearance fee? Fine. Eliminated? Fine.
But she must not be harmed.
"Got it!" Chen Feng was furious as well.
He immediately dialled the production team.
"Hello? Director? What's going on? How could you let a snake—"
Halfway through his sentence, Chen Feng was interrupted.
He froze and let out a startled exclamation.
“What? …The Qian family wants to thank our artist? My artist was the only one not afraid of the snake and saved Miss Qian?"
By the end, Chen Feng's voice had risen a full octave.
He turned to look at Bao Ruanruan, who was now clutching the insulated cup and sipping her ginseng tea. There was still a line of tears on her pink cheeks that hadn't been wiped away.
"??"
“Director, are you sure you didn’t get that wrong?”
"No? Are you sure you didn’t mix it up? Are you saying it was my Bao Ruanruan who wasn't afraid of the snake?!"
"She saved someone?!"
After hanging up, Chen Feng was dazed.
He turned to look at Xue Jing in the back seat.
"I think I understood what the director said... but I also didn't?"
Xue Jing: "..."
He lowered his eyes to look at Bao Ruanruan, whose breathing had returned to normal and who was no longer trembling.
He had already confirmed there were no wounds or bruises on her ankles or hands.
A moment later, the director sent the recorded footage of the incident to Chen Feng for clarification, instructing him not to share it with anyone.
Chen Feng immediately watched it together with Xue Jing.
The little girl in the car, who had been so scared she was about to faint, looked like a max-level dual-sword-wielding heroine in the footage!
She had precisely immobilised a snake as thick as her arm.
Chen Feng: "..."
Xue Jing: "..."
"I'm the one who saved the person."
Bao Ruanruan finally recovered and quietly raised her small hand.
"But I'm still afraid of snakes."
Chen Feng: "..."
Xue Jing: "..."
"Heroine, stop pretending!" Chen Feng exclaimed. "Quick, tell me—did you train at Shaolin Temple or Mount Emei?"
Bao Ruanruan: "...
I'm really scared!
In the back seat, Xue Jing closed his peach-blossomed eyes and then opened them again.
"I'll handle today's work with the production team. We'll reschedule for another day. You can rest at home for two days. Work will resume the day after tomorrow."
Bao Ruanruan blinked her watery eyes. "Why?"
"Boss, I want a break too!" Chen Feng's eyes lit up. "I need time to recover from the shock too!"
Xue Jing shot him a glance. "Shut up."
Bao Ruanruan froze.
A stress-relieving leave?
What kind of extraordinary, heartwarming, world-class company was this?
They actually had such a leave!
"Is it a paid leave?"
Xue Jing was momentarily stunned, the corners of his peach-blossom eyes showing a trace of helplessness. "It doesn't have to be."
Bao Ruanruan's little face instantly turned pink.
She had never been on paid leave before.
Even after years of working in the game, she'd never once had the chance to enjoy a paid leave!
Xue Jing tapped on the front seat where Chen Feng was sitting. "Head to Old Liu's Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic."
Bao Ruanruan couldn't help but widen her watery eyes in excitement. "Is it the kind of clinic that can prescribe longevity elixirs?"
Xue Jing: "..."
Chen Feng, both amused and exasperated, replied, "What longevity elixirs? They're best known for calming children's nerves."
Bao Ruanruan: "..."
Sorry for interrupting.
She thought maybe she didn't need to go. They could save the money for actual longevity prescriptions!
After this small distraction, Bao Ruanruan truly calmed down and was no longer so scared.
She pulled out her mobile phone, put on her headphones, and turned the volume down to one-third.
She secretly listened to a few lines of the 24 Core Socialist Values🔗 audio that Xue Jing had recorded.
Somehow, it made her feel even more at ease.
Yes, this is a peaceful world.
I had left the game behind.
Her safety level increased dramatically.
Taking a deep breath, Bao Ruanruan slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep to the sound of his lazy, soothing voice.
Xue Jing, who always sat in the last row, sat next to her for a change.
As she slept, his peach-blossomed eyes glanced over her delicate, fair face.
Her eyelashes were curled, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red.
Beneath her fragile exterior was a soul just as shy, but capable of immense strength in a moment of crisis—
All for others.
"Look into the rumours surrounding Lu Wenyao during that time."
"Huh? Hey boss, didn't you say you wouldn't get involved in the matter between the Lu family and her? You were aiming for the joy of raising her from an Internet-wide pariah, a challenge with a hell-level difficulty!"
"...Shut up!"
"Also, notify the Modelproduction team—we're withdrawing from the show."
"Huh?" Chen Feng couldn't help but turn his head.
Xue Jing's peach blossom eyes twinkled, "This show has serious safety hazards. We'll demand three times the contract amount from the production team."
He was here to cultivate artists.
Not to exploit the safety of his artists for traffic.
*
After a pleasant two-day break, Bao Ruanruan felt like she was ready to take on the world again.
"So this is how wonderful days off can be!"
She suddenly fell in love with the idea of work.
She could work for a hundred years for this!
Work one day a year and take 364 days off.
Perfect.
"Xiao Bao, Brother Xue has filed for your withdrawal from Model and requested compensation. It should be finalised within a week, I'm just letting you know first."
Chen Feng delivered the shocking news the moment Bao Ruanruan got into the nanny van.
"Withdrawal? Does that mean I don't have to go anymore?"
Her watery eyes lit up instantly.
Yes, she had no desire to participate in that show.
It was billed as a modelling competition, but in reality, it constantly pushed the contestants to the limits of their physical endurance... and the schedule was utterly chaotic.
"Yep. Unless you still want to participate—"
"I don’t!"
Bao Ruanruan quickly blurted out.
But then her pale face froze and she hesitated. "Why so suddenly?"
Chen Feng slapped the steering wheel. "Ugh, we just found out that the production team was being unreasonable! Making you all do such terrifying things without telling us beforehand or putting it into the contract!"
Bao Ruanruan nodded vigorously.
Exactly, exactly!
Terrible things came at a different price.
However, even if they paid her, she wouldn't do it!
"The compensation will be around 500,000 yuan. I'll transfer the amount after deducting taxes."
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
That was the same amount as the second-place prize.
A quarter of a wild ginseng root—within her reach!
Her watery eyes sparkled brightly.
She truly felt she had signed up with a very reliable agency.
Even the managers were dependable.
As for Xue, the Exploiter... She let out a small sound.
Her face turned red.
She lowered her head and quietly changed the contact name in her phone from '#Xue The Exploiter#' to '#Agent Xue#'.
"What's wrong, Xiao Bao?"
"Nothing."
Yep.
Nothing happened at all.
Bao Ruanruan wiped the screen of her phone, tucked it into her small bag, and sat up straight.
"Oh, by the way, Xiao Bao, I got the script for today's shoot two days ago.
But Brother Xue said to let you rest, so I didn't give it to you earlier. Take a look at it while we're in the car."
Chen Feng pointed to the printed script lying on an empty seat.
--- #Script for The Battle of Jiangxiang#
--- #Dr. He's Role#
Initially, Bao Ruanruan felt her scalp tingle at the thought of a military drama filled with fighting and killing. But when she saw the word 'doctor', she perked up.
Not a wounded soldier—how auspicious!
"I read through it. The scenes for today are five pages long. You don't have much dialogue, but there are a lot of detailed procedures to follow."
"Since you're playing a field medic in a rescue unit, most of it involves emergency care and surgical procedures."
"It's pretty boring."
Chen Feng added with a frown, recalling how bored he'd been reading through the script.
All those intricate details about emergency care nearly put him to sleep.
But—when Bao Ruanruan heard that, her eyes lit up.
Emergency care knowledge.
That's a great thing to learn.
If she mastered it, she might be able to pull someone back from the brink of death at a critical moment.
She flipped open the script, full of energy.
Instantly, she was no longer sleepy.
Chen Feng: "??"
The crew of The Battle of Jiangxiang had already been filming for a while.
Wu Zhijin, the lead actor brought in by the production's investors, had personally introduced Bao Ruanruan to the team, so the director didn't put up much resistance.
However, Director Zhu Chao couldn't help but have his doubts.
This role of the doctor... Bao Ruanruan probably couldn't handle it.
After reviewing her acting resume, Zhu Chao found no mention of her ever playing a doctor—or anything close to it.
And this crew had very high standards for professional accuracy.
Every single step taken by the actors playing doctors and nurses had to meet professional guidelines.
Audiences these days cared deeply about how professions were portrayed in dramas.
Any mistakes in emergency care or improper first-aid techniques would immediately attract criticism.
If the comment sections were filled with complaints, it would disturb the viewers' immersion and hurt the drama's ratings.
Zhu Chao didn't want this production to flop.
"Bao Ruanruan, right?"
As soon as Bao Ruanruan arrived on the set and changed into her doctor's coat, the director called her over.
Zhu Chao glanced at her. Dressed in a white lab coat, her delicate skin and slender arms made her look fragile, like she couldn't even lift a hand. He sighed inwardly.
She's not that strong enough.
The first scene they were shooting today involved an emergency CPR sequence.
The actors playing doctors would take turns performing chest compressions on an unconscious soldier.
The compression rate couldn't fall below 100 presses per minute.
Could she manage that?
Even though she didn't have to do all 100 compressions in one take, the speed and force still had to meet the standard.
If she failed, they'd have to reshoot.
From Zhu Chao's experience, an average actor would need at least three takes to get it right.
If this was her first time playing a medical role and her acting skills weren't up to par, she would probably need even more takes. That meant doing it over and over again.
By the end, she might be too exhausted to continue, effectively ruining the shoot.
"Today's shoot might run late. You don't have any plans tonight, do you?"
Director Zhu Chao frowned deeply, torn with worry.
He was willing to give her a chance, but if she didn't perform well, he wouldn't go easy on her.
She would keep getting retakes until she got it right.
Even if she begged for mercy, he wouldn't relent.
After all, he bore the pressure of the entire production and had to ensure the quality of the work!
Bao Ruanruan blinked. "Tonight... as long as we finish by ten, it's fine."
She needed her beauty sleep.
Zhu Chao frowned. "I can't guarantee that. It depends on your performance."
Bao Ruanruan looked confused.
What did he mean by her performance?
Before she could think further, the production's medical consultant arrived.
The consultant gathered the actors playing the medical team for a basic training session, going through every move step by step.
About 45 minutes later, the training concluded, and Zhu Chao decided they were ready to start filming.
"Liu Meng, you go first. Bao Ruanruan, stay back and learn more from the expert."
But as soon as he spoke, a small wave of surprised murmurs rippled through the group of medical actors.
Bao Ruanruan obediently walked over to the medical expert, feeling she could still benefit from more practice.
Meanwhile, Liu Meng, the actress who was called first, smiled wryly.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Chao asked, puzzled.
In no time, the expert approached him.
"Director, Bao Ruanruan performed the best in the training. Are you sure she needs more practice and not the others?"
Zhu Chao: "??"
The director's face was full of 'Don't joke', followed by an expression that said, 'Did you get the wrong person?'
The expert shrugged. "For today's scene, none of the others could match her performance."
Zhu Chao: "..."
"But Liu Meng and the others trained with you last week."
The expert nodded. "Yes, but some people are just naturally talented. Honestly, it's a pity she didn't pursue medicine—what a waste of potential!"
As he spoke, the expert cast a regretful glance at Bao Ruanruan, who was sitting quietly in the corner.
Bao Ruanruan was holding a notebook in one hand and a recording pen in the other.
Her delicate face radiated a thirst for knowledge as she earnestly absorbed emergency rescue techniques.
When the expert went over to talk to Director Zhu Chao, she became a little anxious while waiting.
Zhu Chao: "?"
As the expert and Zhu Chao approached her location, Bao Ruanruan immediately beamed and stepped forward, getting herself ready to greet them.
She slipped her recording pen and notebook into her pocket.
Then she grabbed a small stool from nearby.
Finally, she took a packet of chrysanthemum and goji berry tea from her bag and stuffed it into a brand-new thermos.
Her expression was all flattery.
Zhu Chao thought to himself:
— Something is up.
— No wonder she managed to get Wu Zhijin to recommend her, even as a minor supporting actress.
— Useless, this little act wouldn't work on him, the director.
Zhu Chao, with his hands clasped behind his back, was about to open his mouth.
However, Bao Ruanruan, carrying a small stool and tea bags, was seen brushing past him, 'the director'.
"Dr Lin."
Bao Ruanruan smiled brightly as she bypassed the director.
She was heading straight for the medical expert—Professor Lin Youde, a distinguished physician at Nanjing University and head of the emergency department at Nanyuan Hospital.
Director Zhu Chao: "?"
"I've already noted down everything you just said about CPR,."
"Could you also teach me about emergency procedures for skeletal and muscular injuries? Oh, and techniques for dealing with life-threatening wounds, such as slash or stab wounds, and the appropriate medications?"
Director Zhu Chao: "??"
Bao Ruanruan smiled as sweet as a flower.
She placed the stool down for Dr Lin to sit on, handed him the thermos flask and opened her notebook, all ready to take notes.
Free emergency rescue knowledge lessons!
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
If she'd only known even a fraction of this information before, she could have avoided so many mistakes in the game back then.
Looking at Dr Lin, Bao Ruanruan's gaze was filled with admiration as if she were staring at a walking treasure chest of life-saving knowledge.
"Then let me continue explaining—"
For the first time in a film crew, Lin Youde met an actress so eager to learn.
And with such a positive attitude!
Even in his university classes, not every student meticulously wrote down his every word. Nowadays, few young people showed the kind of respect for teachers that apprentices once showed to their masters.
Pulling out a chair, pouring tea... That simply didn't happen.
Of course, Lin Youde never expected such treatment from his students.
As long as they absorbed the knowledge, he was satisfied.
But Bao Ruanruan's diligence in learning, combined with her respectful demeanour made Lin Youde particularly fond of her.
What elder wouldn't be moved by such a young girl, looking at them with eyes brimming with eagerness—like missing today's lesson could spell doom tomorrow? It made him want to teach her as much as he could!
"Speaking of muscles..."
The two of them, one older and one younger, suddenly seemed like lifelong friends as they chatted away.
Director Zhu Chao: "?"
Who was he? Where was he?
Finally, Lin Youde smacked his forehead. "Oh dear, I forgot! Director, you wanted to see how well Bao Ruanruan has learned, didn't you?"
At last, you remembered.
Zhu Chao sighed, exasperated. "Yes."
"Xiao Bao, demonstrate a CPR technique for the director," Lin Youde instructed with a wave of his hand.
Zhu Chao added, "Let's go straight into the scene and run through everything."
Bao Ruanruan looked disappointed—she just wanted to keep listening to the lesson!
Still, she obediently stood up.
The crew brought over an emergency dummy.
Zhu Chao, sceptical, folded his hands behind his back and prepared to carefully inspect each actor.
One by one, the medical team actors stepped forward for the CPR scenes.
After watching two or three, Zhu Chao nodded in approval.
Everyone's movements and posture looked fairly decent.
Although their actions resembled those of intern doctors—slightly hesitant—this level of nervousness was understandable for young battlefield doctors in the context of the scene. As long as they didn't make too many mistakes, it was all right.
Zhu Chao was satisfied. "Not bad. Keep this up when we start shooting."
Right after Liu Meng, it was Bao Ruanruan's turn.
But as soon as she stepped up, Zhu Chao, who had been leisurely observing, widened his eyes in shock!
The others simply walked over to the dummy model.
But Bao Ruanruan dashed over in five quick strides, looking utterly panicked—like a single delay would cost a real life!
Her sprint was so fast that it stirred up a gust of wind, and she nearly crashed into the table where the 'patient' was lying!
Just as she was about to hit the table, she braced herself with her hands, leapt into position, and landed with her knees neatly on either side of the 'patient'.
Before Zhu Chao could even gasp, her right palm was already on the dummy's chest, her left palm swiftly stacked over the right.
Her elbows locked straight.
They formed a perfect 90-degree angle.
Then she pressed down with force.
"1, 2, 3..."
Each compression was clean and decisive as she counted aloud.
Her ponytail bobbed behind her with each movement.
The green light on the CPR dummy flashed repeatedly with each compression.
Correct Compression Count: 1.
Correct Compression Count: 2.
Correct Compression Count: 3.
...
Zhu Chao's mouth fell open.
What was going on?
This dummy could count?
What about the previous actors?
"Only when the compression position is accurate and the force is just right—not too heavy or too light—does the counter register it as successful," Lin Youde explained from the side.
?!
?!
Only when she presses it right?
Zhu Chao's brow twitched as he stared at Bao Ruanruan, who was tirelessly performing chest compressions like a little engine that could.
Under the sunlight, she seemed to radiate brilliance!
He was impressed, truly impressed.
"That's enough, Xiao Bao, stop for now. Let's start filming," Zhu Chao called out.
He could already see the difference.
Bao Ruanruan had clearly mastered the skill better than anyone else.
Her CPR technique was flawless—swift and efficient.
Not only were her movements textbook perfect, but the dummy's data also verified her accuracy.
Zhu Chao, a grown man, felt a slight blush creep across his face.
He realised that he had underestimated her.
This young actress was impressive—far better than he had expected.
"Xiao Bao, come on," he called out again, now with a touch of warmth.
But—
"111, 112, 113..."
Bao Ruanruan was still pressing down.
"?"
Zhu Chao froze for a moment and raised his voice. "Ahem, that's enough, Xiao Bao. You did great. Let's move on to filming now."
But Bao Ruanruan didn't stop. "123, 124, 125..."
Zhu Chao: "???"
It wasn't until the dummy let out a mechanical sound—"Resuscitation successful".
A cheerful melody played, and the monitor displayed continuous pulses and a restored heartbeat...
Only then did Bao Ruanruan exhale and stop her movements.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she grinned widely.
"Finally brought it back to life!"
Happy!
The entire set fell into a stunned silence.
Bao Ruanruan finally climbed off the dummy, moving slowly and almost stumbling in the process.
In an instant, she reverted to her delicate, soft, and fragile appearance, her watery eyes seemingly ready to shatter at the slightest touch.
She looked completely different from the professional image of the white-coated doctor tending to the 'patient' earlier.
"Darn."
Zhu Chao cursed under his breath.
So Bao Ruanruan could act.
That must've been her fully immersed in the role just now!
He couldn't even snap her out of it.
Actors who could fully throw themselves into their roles with such focus and commitment were becoming rarer by the day.
Among the younger generation, they were practically a handful.
And of those few, most had gone on to work for acclaimed directors in the film industry.
By the time it came to television, directors like him—who hadn't yet made a hit drama—were left with scraps, if anything at all.
Darn it.
Zhu Chao cursed again in his heart.
Why had Teacher Wu Zhijin recommended Bao Ruanruan so late?
Why had he only recommended her for a minor role?
Regret.
Zhu Chao was utterly filled with regret.
If he'd known earlier, the production could have delayed the filming for a month.
That way, Teacher Wu could've recommended her to audition for one of the supporting leads, like the third or fourth female role.
Now, Zhu Chao felt it was a complete waste for Bao Ruanruan to only play a minor doctor role.
"Xiao Bao, your performance was great!"
Zhu Chao gave her a thumbs up.
Bao Ruanruan blinked in confusion.
What did I perform?
Then the official filming began.
Due to errors made by the other actors, there were four or five NGs.
However, Bao Ruanruan's scenes and shots were all completed in two takes or less.
The parts that Zhu Chao had expected to require repeated reshoots went by so smoothly that it was almost unreal.
"OK, that's a wrap!"
Looking at the time, it was only five in the evening.
That was four hours earlier than the nine o'clock wrapping time Zhu Chao had originally expected!
He was stunned.
This group of actors—aside from Bao Ruanruan—had been filming since last week.
When estimating today's shooting schedule, he had added an extra 20% buffer time to account for Bao Ruanruan's potential mistakes.
Yet somehow, they had wrapped up the shoot in nearly half the expected time.
How did this happen?
"A good student raises the level of the entire class," said Lin Youde, the expert, as he turned around with a smile, holding his thermos of chrysanthemum tea.
Zhu Chao froze for a moment.
He was about to respond when a sweet and eager voice piped up again.
"Professor Lin, you're back from the restroom? Earlier, you were explaining how to treat lung stab wounds. What about cases involving the aorta?"
Zhu Chao: "!"
This is beyond the syllabus!
That's not even in the script!
Even Lin Youde smiled wryly—he had barely taken a moment to breathe.
But before he could reply, Bao Ruanruan stepped forward, trailed by a group of other actors.
"Professor, I also want to know! What about treating gunshot wounds? Just in case I ever play that kind of role..."
"Yeah, yeah! And what about emergency childbirth procedures……"
The other actors, previously content, had all been roused by Bao Ruanruan's enthusiasm.
Originally, these doctor roles were minor characters in a military drama.
The most prominent doctor only appeared in five or six episodes.
Everyone had been rather lackadaisical about their preparation.
But now... Bao Ruanruan's relentless effort motivated them.
On the outside, she looked like an ethereal goddess, but in private, she was so hardworking and diligent.
How could they slack off when she was working so hard?
There were only two medical cases in the script, but she insisted on learning six from the expert.
They had to do the same!
And just like that, the entire group was thrown into a whirlwind of competition!
Lin Youde clutched his thermos as he made a hasty escape.
But he was soon dragged back to give another lecture.
The now-isolated Zhu Chao: "..."
Am I not the director here? Am I invisible to all of you?
However, before long, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
When Wu Zhijin passed by, Zhu Chao called out to him.
"Brother Wu, your eye for talent is impeccable. Thank you for recommending Bao Ruanruan to the crew."
Wu Zhijin looked confused at first but quickly recalled Bao Ruanruan's performance during their live stream.
He smacked his forehead. "I knew it!"
That kid hadn't embarrassed him.
Right, she was a big fan of his dramas.
After all, he was someone who had been working hard in Hengdian since the age of 20.
"She performed well, didn't she? That girl loves my shows. I bet she's been studying my acting style!"
Zhu Chao: "?"
You, a gun-wielding action hero, teaching someone how to play a doctor?
Your imagination is even more impressive than your looks!
"Hi, excuse me, have you seen Bao Ruanruan?"
Tang Xi, carrying her DSLR camera, had once again tracked down the set where Bao Ruanruan was scheduled to shoot today. She'd paid a scalper for insider access to the filming location.
It wasn't expensive—military dramas didn't attract much attention. The cast was mostly veterans and lesser-known names. No one cared much about them.
For just 300 yuan, she had managed to secure a work pass.
But when she arrived, Tang Xi scanned the set and couldn't find any trace of Bao Ruanruan.
She did spot the lead actor and actress, though.
Confused, she eventually tracked down the only paparazzi lingering around the set—she handed him a packet of cigarettes.
She even showed him a photo of Bao Ruanruan.
The man took one look and chuckled. "Oh, you mean the pretty little one? She left a while ago—finished filming already."
"What? Wasn't she supposed to be filming until nine tonight?"
"Tsk, just one take. The director let her go early—she was picked up by six o'clock!"
Tang Xi: "!"
One take.
One.
What on earth is going on with Bao Ruanruan's acting skills?
Wait!
Her 300 yuan for the scalper!
Tang Xi felt like coughing up blood on the spot.
*
"Brother Xue, I tracked down the housekeeper who was dismissed from Lu Wenyao's villa three months ago."
In an independent studio, Chen Feng brushed aside the hanging vines and swatted away two nosy huskies before turning to look at the man sprawled on the couch reviewing investment reports.
"She said there was a beautiful girl who came to the villa once a week. It's definitely Xiao Baozi."
Xue Jing's slender fingers, which had been gliding across the report, paused momentarily.
"But the housekeeper said that she's never seen Tang Yuxin or heard anything about her being in a relationship with Lu Wenyao."
Chen Feng clenched his fists.
"He must be cheating."
The mere thought made his teeth grind.
"But the housekeeper refuses to testify—she says she has no proof. Bao Ruanruan did go to the villa once a week, but their phones were confiscated, so there are no photos or other evidence."
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow.
Chen Feng lowered his voice and leaned in conspiratorially. "They stayed overnight in the villa, but the housekeeper only saw them eating together and watching movies. Every night, Lu Wenyao stayed in the study while Xiao Baozi was taken to the guest room."
"Brother Xue, do you think Lu Wenyao has... issues in that area?" Chen Feng's face lit up with amusement. "I mean, with Baozi's face and figure, for him to be completely unresponsive..."
Xue Jing tossed the document aside and shot him a sharp look.
His peach-blossomed eyes were icy.
Chen Feng pursed his lips and gestured with his hand as if he was going to zip his mouth shut.
Just as he was about to speak again, his phone rang.
Chen Feng nonchalantly picked up the call.
"Huh, it's over?"
"Didn't the crew estimate they'd finish by nine? This... I'll drive over now."
Chen Feng hung up, completely baffled.
He pocketed his phone and turned to complain to the lazy man reclining on the leather sofa.
"Brother Xue, this crew is so unreliable. They wrapped up three hours early! What kind of shooting schedule is this? Is the director a rookie or something?"
Chen Feng grumbled.
Despite his grumbling, Chen Feng still got up immediately.
Meanwhile, Xue Jing's peach-blossomed eyes sparkled faintly.
So she really had been deceived.
That fragile moment when she was afraid of snakes—that was the aftermath of emotional betrayal, wasn't it?
Xue Jing massaged the area between his eyebrows as he glanced at the two stacks of documents on the coffee table.
One pile was the gigs he had personally lined up for her.
The other pile... was full of connections and recommendations she'd managed to secure herself.
The two stacks were nearly the same height.
Throwing oneself into work could mend a broken heart.
"Tell her to drink more ginseng tea these days."
Chen Feng froze. "Huh?"
*
He told her to replenish her health—she wouldn't have a single day off next month.
When Bao Ruanruan heard this depressing news, she immediately wanted to change the name on her phone contacts again!
Xue, the Exploiter, was still using the same old exploitative formula.
"He knows he's in the wrong, so he didn't even bother coming to pick me up today. Jerk."
She pouted, puffing up her cheeks like a little steamed bun.
Chen Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Well, what do you expect when you're such a social butterfly? One moment, the male lead recommends you for a gig, and the next, the director wants you for his next project..."
Not to mention that she already had two major variety shows lined up.
Oh, wait—one of them was in the process of negotiating for her withdrawal.
But Brother Xue had also secured a new project for her… just waiting for the filming to start.
Chen Feng shook his head.
"By the way, Chasing Dreams is temporarily leaving Hengshan Village for this episode."
"Huh?"
Bao Ruanruan was stunned.
The news came so suddenly that even when she was dropped off at the entrance of Hengshan Village, she still had a look of shock on her face.
Unlike the calm demeanour of the other guests, her surprise carried a trace of genuine melancholy, as though she were about to part with family.
Well, to her, the elderly villagers of Hengshan Village were her family in her health-and-wellness squad!
She had grown so familiar with this place that it gave her a sense of security.
She could even fall asleep instantly at night.
Bao Ruanruan was reluctant to leave.
Director Zheng Mingchang saw the mixture of reluctance and shock on her face and couldn't help but laugh helplessly.
"Yes, we're heading to another location today."
But honestly, whose fault was it?
It was all your fault.
Chatting with the villagers, building relationships, and even holding the Village Leader Card—
She earned 400 to 500 points a day, which she then sold those points to other guests using a 'life-saving card'.
In just four days, all five guests had redeemed their dream rooms!
What else was there to film here?
A bunch of people just sitting around chatting?
Viewers were losing interest!
Many viewers of the last episode said it wasn't as entertaining as the previous ones.
Of course, it wasn't! Everyone was coasting to victory without lifting a finger. What was there to watch?
As the main director of the show, Zheng Mingchang made the bold decision to change the settings today!
This was also a way to cut off Bao Ruanruan's overpowering 'golden finger' in the village and bring the show back to its usual rhythm—complete with conflict, suspense, and challenges.
"Here's the situation," the director began. "The villagers of Hengshan Village have faced a great challenge and are hoping everyone can help them solve it."
"Yesterday, the neighbouring Yuquan Village issued them a challenge—a head-to-head battle of effort and sweat!"
"Today and tomorrow, the two villages will co-host a team sports competition."
"The winning village will receive a five million yuan development fund."
Upon hearing this, Bao Ruanruan immediately heaved a sigh of relief.
Ah, so it was just a temporary departure to compete on behalf of her elderly family members.
In that case, it was all right.
She was fine again.
A sports competition.
Motions activities.
...
Life is about motions.
She loved life = She loved sports.ℹ️
In an instant, Bao Ruanruan grinned with excitement.
"..."
Zheng Mingchang's heart skipped a beat when he saw her expression.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
He remembered her impressive jumping ability and her accurate ball-catching skills...
But it should be fine, right?
"Everyone, come draw your assigned competition events."
"Bao Ruanruan, shooting."
"Lan Zhi, shot put; Cheng Yao, 10-kilometre run; Lu Wenhao, rope skipping; Xiao Mengfei, 100-metre sprint..."
Everyone was assigned events in which they were not skilled.
"Winning an individual event is worth 50 points."
"There are also the team events: tug-of-war, three-legged race, and the 5x400-metre relay. Each team victory is worth 200 points."
The team match-ups? Five city celebrities, all in sub-optimal health, against five strong, hardworking villagers from Yuquan Village, who had been working day and night.
Even though Bao Ruanruan's jumping ability was incredible, she couldn't carry four others to victory!
Besides, there wasn't even a long jump event on the roster!
Zheng Mingchang couldn't contain his wide grin.
He had successfully nerfed her overpowered ‘golden finger'.
Perfect.
"The five-million-yuan prize for the competition is generously sponsored by the Lu Group's Ren Wo You2 company."
Bao Ruanruan's eyelid twitched.
The Lu family?
"In addition, all outdoor sportswear and equipment for this event are provided by Nancheng's Pengmai3 brand."
Director Zheng Mingchang read out the sponsors on camera.
As he read, he couldn't hide a hint of surprise.
It was understandable that the Lu family was willing to sponsor, given that Young Master Lu Wenhao was on the show.
But what was up with Pengmai3 Sports from Nancheng?
Their decision to sponsor came a full day before the production team had even finalised the sports competition plan!
It was as if they knew a competition was coming and were waiting for it!
What's more, Pengmai3 specifically requested that Bao Ruanruan be the one to deliver a product placement pitch for their new line during the competition.
How strange.
*
"This must be Big Brother Qian returning the favour, huh? Sponsoring sportswear? Ha, Xiao Baozi is really something."
Chen Feng chuckled on the phone with Xue Jing from the van.
Pengmai3 Sports was the flagship enterprise of the Qian family in Nancheng, currently managed by Qian Hongzheng, Qian Xuezhou's elder brother.
As a domestic brand, Pengmai3 repeatedly sponsored national sporting events and even funded athletes representing China in international competitions such as the EU Games, the NBA, the Olympics, and the Winter Games.
Many domestic athletes, while standing on the podium, were dressed in Pengmai3 Sports uniforms and shoes.
The company also produced items for badminton, tennis, table tennis, swimming suits... and other sports equipment.
Dating back 200 years, Pengmai3's founding ancestor once crafted cuju📹 balls and polo sticks for royal princes.
To this day, the company not only retained its legacy status but also remained the only long-standing brand focused exclusively on sportswear and equipment.
Unlike other major brands that diversified over time, Pengmai3 stuck to one path: sports.
And it excelled.
It was synonymous with quality and prestige in the industry.
"Having Xiao Baozi do a product placement for them? They're practically giving her a free promotion."
Pengmai3's national recognition was so high it didn't need a rookie celebrity to endorse it.
The newcomer's fame didn't even compare to Pengmai3's.
This product pitch? Purely a gift of exposure for her.
"Big Brother Qian is still such a sister protector."
Chen Feng sighed.
Xiao Baozi was ridiculously lucky. She saved a girl on the show, and now that girl's big brother had brought money to repay her.
"Ahem, by the way, Brother Xue, Lu Wenyao is stirring up trouble again!"
"This time, he's sponsoring the competition to be held in Yuquan Village! He's clearly mad that Yuquan lost popularity to Hengshan and wants to get it back!"
Yuquan Village was part of an open development project in the neighbouring Yuquan District.
It was also backed by the local tourism bureau.
It was located less than 50 kilometres from Hengshan Village, both of which specialised in agritourism, naturally making them competitors.
"We won't have any problems, right?" Chen Feng voiced some concerns.
However, as he drove towards the T30 flyover leading to Jiangcheng's city centre, he found himself stuck in a massive traffic jam.
Two hours of waiting later, his patience was wearing thin.
Just then, a trending notification popped up:
#IAlmostThoughtBaoRuanruanWasAnOlympicFugitive#
Chen Feng's eyelid twitched.
"Brother Xue... it seems, possibly, maybe, our competitor has run into some problems instead."
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: I'm so close to getting the King of Wild Ginseng~
Footnotes Full List
- The Chinese characters used here are 运动 (yùndòng), which means motion/movement and can also mean sports. I believe the author switched the meaning between motion and sport. I stand to be corrected.
- lit. Let me roam/travel
- literally means big bird stride.
きつね's Musing
In less than a day, we will welcome a new year. So I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone
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