🦊 : Sorry, I couldn't post parts of this chapter on Ko-fi because I'm a bit busy with work. I'll try to do so for the next chapters.
The ‘three-legged race’ required two people to tie one of their ankles to each other.
Only by working together in perfect synchrony could they win.
So during the race, they had to put their arms around each other's shoulders to improve coordination.
But Bao Ruanruan would never, under any circumstances, team up with Lu Wenhao.
Put their arms around each other?
No way.
She'd rather use one of her 'life-saving cards'.
"Fine, use it," Lu Wenhao said, laughing angrily.
"Honestly, it's better that way."
Once she used it, the only weakness he had in her hands would disappear.
From then on, there would be no more worries.
As Lu Wenhao thought about it, he actually felt relieved.
But the next moment, he saw Bao Ruanruan carefully put away the piece of A4 paper with his name written on it.
Lu Wenhao: "?"
"Oh, it's this one. I grabbed the wrong paper just now," Bao Ruanruan said, pulling out another piece of paper.
Lu Wenhao froze for a moment, completely confused as to what she was up to.
Then, he saw her holding the A4 paper and waving at Cheng Yao.
Lu Wenhao: "??"
Cheng Yao, who had been drinking water, immediately smiled and walked over when he saw Bao Ruanruan beckoning him.
"Xiao Bao, do you need something from me?"
"Yes, here’s the thing." Bao Ruanruan handed him the A4 paper. "Brother Cheng, you promised to help me with one thing before. Do you remember?"
Lu Wenhao: "?"
"Yes, I remember," Cheng Yao replied, blushing a little. "Just let me know what you need."
Bao Ruanruan nodded solemnly.
"For the three-legged race, I’d like to ask Brother Cheng to partner with Teacher Lu."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Cheng Yao was stunned. "That's all?"
Bao Ruanruan glanced at Lu Wenhao.
"Boys have longer legs and bigger strides. That'll give us an advantage in this round of the race."
Her words made perfect sense.
Even Cheng Yao, a self-proclaimed unathletic homebody, felt like he was the perfect fit for the task.
In an instant, his blood was pumping with excitement!
"Alright, no problem!"
"But I just asked Teacher Lu, and he didn't agree. He—"
"Huh? He doesn't want to participate?" Cheng Yao immediately turned his gaze to Lu Wenhao. "Bro, are there any hidden secrets you're not telling us about?"
Lu Wenhao: "..."
You are the one with hidden secrets!
"I… will participate."
Bao Ruanruan was just too devious, using one of Cheng Yao's 'life-saving cards' to trap him like this!
Lu Wenhao was furious but had no way of explaining himself.
Cheng Yao, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'll go sign us up."
"Great."
Bao Ruanruan smiled.
Life-saving cards had levels, too.
Cheng Yao was a harmless, kind celebrity who wouldn't hurt her even without a life-saving card.
But Lu Wenhao… these cards were worth a fortune when it came to him.
Would she be that stupid?
She wouldn't waste it on something as trivial as a sports competition.
Bao Ruanruan's sweet smile brought a faint blush to her fair cheeks.
Lu Wenhao caught a glimpse and was momentarily stunned.
"All done, I've signed us up!" Cheng Yao returned happily, shaking the registration slip. "Bro, let's go practice on the side."
"Oh, by the way, Ruanruan, this doesn't count as using my life-saving talisman."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
What a good guy.
Bao Ruanruan's eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Brother Cheng! Good luck to you both!"
"Of course! I'll give my all for Hengshan Village. It's what I should do. Why would I need a life-saving card for this?"
Lu I-was-going-to-ask-for-the-life-saving-cards Wenhao: "..."
"Right, bro?" Cheng Yao nudged Lu Wenhao's arm with his elbow, grinning.
"We've got this in the bag. You're so athletic! In the last round of tug-of-war, I was practically being dragged away, but you turned it around and we won. This time, you'll carry me to victory with ease!"
"Losing? Impossible! Unless, of course, you decide to throw the game~"
Lu about-to-throw-the-game Wenhao: "??"
Bao Ruanruan was absolutely his lifelong nemesis.
Absolutely!
The second round of the Hengshan Village Sports Meet, the three-legged race, had officially begun.
With the girls and all the villagers, young and old, cheering.
And under Cheng Yao's eager gaze and a moral obligation to not let his team down—Lu Wenhao couldn't allow himself to throw the game.
He glanced at the pair from Yuquan Village beside them.
He decided to leave the outcome to fate.
He gave it his all and competed fairly.
Who would have thought that although Cheng Yao didn't have much stamina, his sense of rhythm from songwriting and composing was absolutely extraordinary—a one-in-a-million talent.
"1, 2, 1, left-right-left…"
Lu Wenhao, who also had a solid sense of rhythm and coordination, unconsciously matched Cheng Yao's pace as he chanted these words in his rap-like beat!
The two of them were nearly the same height and leg length.
In contrast, the Yuquan Village team—a young man and a middle-aged man—lacked coordination and weren't used to this kind of skill-based activity.
This gave Lu Wenhao and Cheng Yao a huge advantage.
Soon they were way ahead of the competition!
"Three-legged race—Hengshan Village wins!"
The assistant director loudly announced.
"We won!" Lan Zhi exclaimed in delight.
Bao Ruanruan smiled sweetly and nodded.
Xiao Mengfei clenched her fist in excitement.
The entire Hengshan Village crowd was stunned.
They had won? They had thought they would lose for sure.
The physical fitness of a celebrity team couldn't be compared to the local people who had worked in the fields.
But… how did they win?
Didn't that mean the five million yuan fund would be used to develop their village?!
Hengshan Village had only entered the competition for fun, just to make up the numbers.
No one had expected to win the prize money.
"Oh my gosh, this is like a pie falling from the sky!"
"I came to watch, thinking I'd just get some free sunflower seeds and water money!"
The villagers of Hengshan were dumbfounded.
After a moment of silence, they all broke out in broad grins.
"Five million! How many houses could we build with that?"
"We need to cook a proper meal for these kids today!"
"Absolutely!"
[We actually won.]
[I still can't believe it. Did Yuquan Village throw the game?]
[Fun fact: The Lu Corporation invested in Yuquan Village. That five million was probably meant for their development. But now...]
[Whoa, is that true? Then doesn't that make Brother Lu a hero who sacrificed his family's interests for the greater good?]
[After watching everything, the only part that confuses me is: 1. How did Bao Ruanruan win the shooting competition? 2. How did Lu Wenhao end up sitting on the ground during the tug-of-war?]
[To the person above, that's two things, hahaha.]
[Hey, you up there—good kids should go back to studying. Pay attention in maths class, and stop sneaking peeks at your mom’s phone.]
[Even though I want to answer, I honestly have no clue either.]
[Hhhh...]
The competition was finally over.
The last event, a relay race, was held as a friendly match, and not surprisingly, Hengshan Village lost.
But with a score of 300:250, Hengshan Village claimed the ultimate prize of five million yuan.
Three buses quickly left Yuquan Village.
On the bus, a sulking Lu Wenhao asked his assistant for his mobile phone.
He sent an apology to his older brother.
[It's all my fault, Big Brother.]
After sending the message, he closed his eyes and leaned back in the back seat.
Five million.
In the past, he hadn't thought much about that amount.
It was just the price of a sports car his brother had gifted him.
But today, after winning the competition and hearing the cheers and excitement of the villagers, seeing their grateful looks, he suddenly realised... five million was a lot.
Moreover, he realised that by winning the competition, he had caused his older brother's plan to fail, resulting in a loss of five million, which ended up flowing into Hengshan Village.
Even if he wanted to repay his brother for the loss, he didn't have the money to do so.
Most of the time it was his brother who gave him pocket money.
Although he was a member of a boy band, the income he could actually control was a drop in the ocean compared to his lifelong spending habits.
Most of his earnings were gone by the end of each month.
Lu Wenhao frowned slightly.
"Xiao Bao, I heard you've been getting a lot of offers from production teams lately. If you need more, just let me know." Lan Zhi's voice came from the back row as she chatted with Bao Ruanruan.
Clearly, after the tug-of-war match, Lan Zhi's opinion of Bao Ruanruan had improved significantly.
She even began to offer her job opportunities.
Bao Ruanruan murmured softly, her voice soon drifting out, "Mm-hmm, my schedule has been packed lately~ Teacher Wu Zhijin also introduced me to some production work. Sis Lan, even though I'm drinking ginseng tea every day, I still feel so tired."
Her manager wouldn't let her rest, even urging her to eat to replenish her energy.
"Once this busy period is over, it'll be better. There are always more gigs in the summer," Lan Zhi reassured her.
"Mm," Bao Ruanruan replied quietly, lowering her head.
Soon Lan Zhi closed her eyes and fell asleep, and Xiao Mengfei was already dozing off.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yao was listening to music on his headphones.
In the seat in front of them, Lu Wenhao's face twisted with inner turmoil as his expression kept changing.
Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice and gave a light cough.
"Ahem, Bao Ruanruan."
"Hmm? Do you have a cold? Are you wearing a mask?"
"…I'm not."
Lu Wenhao nearly spat blood in frustration.
He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"I… I just wanted to ask you something. Why are you taking on so many jobs? Aren't you the one... who values your health and insists on going to bed at ten every night?"
He had originally wanted to accuse her of being greedy for an easy life.
But then he thought about her amazing feat of wearing four layers of clothing, which also had nothing to do with enjoying herself, and he choked back his words.
"Ah, because—"
Because of your whole family, that's why.
Bao Ruanruan blinked her watery eyes.
"Life needs."
Her manager had persuaded her to take on more work as part of a long-term image rehabilitation plan.
But over time, she had grown to think that being a small, unremarkable celebrity—appearing on variety shows and working on production sets—
wasn't so bad.
The job had a low-risk factor and paid a decent wage.
It also brought her a step closer to saving up for the century-old wild ginseng she wanted to buy.
"What if you didn't have to work and still had enough money to live on?" Lu Wenhao asked with a frown.
Bao Ruanruan blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
There was something so wonderful that she didn't know about?
She had never come across anything like that in the game.
There was that one time, though, when a boss from one of the levels disguised himself as a frail, white-haired old man and tried to give her money on the side of the road.
He claimed to be her long-lost grandpa who had a ton of money she could inherit.
But if the player accepted, they would be locked in a dark room, and all their gold coins and items would be forcibly confiscated by the system.
——Those who seek to reap without sowing will ultimately be struck by lightning.
"Ah."
Bao Ruanruan sighed softly, her tone carrying a deep sense of melancholy.
Lu Wenhao turned around in confusion, wanting to ask her what was wrong, only to see her delicate and pale face filled with melancholy and sorrow.
It almost seemed as if she pitied him.
"?!"
But then, her soft pink lips parted, and a faint sigh of regret followed.
"My capability will become stagnant."
Lu Wenhao froze.
"If you haven't earned anything through your own efforts over the years... eventually, you'll have to pay for it some other way."
The recording of the show finally ended.
Lu Wenhao returned to the Lu family's Haiyuan Villa.
He had been quiet all the way.
Even after entering the house, his face showed little expression.
He plopped down in the living room and took a deep breath, hoping to unwind.
He pulled out his mobile phone a couple of times, wanting to play a round of Honour of Kings.
But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to click on the icon.
Every time his finger hovered over the screen, Bao Ruanruan's words echoed in his mind.
All those years he had spent playing around, and the pocket money he had taken from his older brother… Was that when 'his capability became stagnant'? Had it caused him to lose something in return?
He had heard similar words countless times before.
His father had always lectured him, telling him not to waste his life.
But he had never listened.
He always thought his father was old-fashioned and overly strict.
Who would have thought similar words would come out of Bao Ruanruan's mouth today?
And she understood these principles…
For the first time, Lu Wenhao felt that this might actually be a universal truth.
"Ugh, whatever!"
Frustrated, Lu Wenhao shook his head.
If he wasn't going to play Honour of Kings, he might as well play PUBG.
But just as he was about to tap on the icon, the thought of the five million yuan suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
It weighed down on him like a mountain, pressing heavily on his heart.
…….
Lu Zhengda had just returned from the retirement golf club and handed his equipment to the butler to be cleaned.
As he walked into the living room, something felt off.
After taking a few more steps, he noticed his youngest son sitting on the leather sofa, wearing a rare look of distress.
Lu Zhengda's eyes lit up.
In 23 years, he had rarely seen such a conflicted expression on his youngest son's perpetually 'world-weary' face.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled over and stood in front of his son.
"Butler Chen, I don't need anything."
Hearing footsteps, Lu Wenhao became even more frustrated.
The phone screen dimmed, revealing the opening animation of his game.
But in that fleeting second of black screen, he caught a glimpse of his own sullen face.
Good heavens.
He didn't even look as good as he did yesterday!
…
Hands still behind his back, Lu Zhengda felt both amused and annoyed.
His youngest son had mistaken him for the butler!
But before he could say anything, he watched as his son, true to form, opened up his game as usual.
Lu Zhengda's face immediately darkened.
What he disliked most about his youngest son was this habit of being addicted to games, glued to his phone for four or five hours a day.
But then—he noticed something peculiar.
As soon as Lu Wenhao opened the game, he quit out of it in less than a second.
Hmm?
Lu Zhengda raised an eyebrow.
Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw his son open the game again—only to exit immediately!
Over and over again, three to five times in a row, he went in and out of the game!
?
??
Huh?
Lu Zhengda's irritation disappeared in an instant.
Whoever had made his son to be so troubled that playing the game couldn't cheer him up—that person deserved a reward!
A grin tugged at the corner of Lu Zhengda's lips.
But he worked hard to suppress it, humming softly in a low, composed tone.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lu Wenhao, overwhelmed with a headache, replied irritably without much thought.
"Thinking about how to make money, obviously!"
What else could he do?
Only now did he realise—he was utterly useless.
After doing the maths, he figured out that all his earnings since his debut combined... didn't even add up to five million!
What could he do?
Of course, he had to find a way to earn five million to make up for it!
"Five million?"
Lu Zhengda almost thought he'd misheard.
That amount was just his youngest son's allowance for six months to a year!
Such a paltry sum didn't even register in Lu Zhengda's mind.
But... had he heard right?
His youngest son—the one who burned through money like water, who lay around all day doing nothing but spending—was actually thinking about making money?
For years, he had completely given up hope.
But now—
Lu Zhengda's eyes gleamed with excitement.
His mind was practically bursting with fireworks.
Whoever had managed to get this idle, money-burning layabout to change deserved a medal!
"Huh? Dad?!"
After muttering to himself, Lu Wenhao suddenly noticed how unusually quiet it was around him.
Startled, he looked up—and jumped in fright!
His dad was standing there, smiling warmly—a very rare sight.
Lu Wenhao, feeling drained, stood up listlessly.
To his surprise, his father, who looked like spring had come early, was actually smiling and... praising him?
"Xiao Hao, not bad, not bad at all."
Just go ahead and scold him.
He had gotten used to it, too.
Alas.
And then he had the audacity to sarcastically say that he was good?
Huh?
?
??
Not bad???
Lu Wenhao was stunned.
He stared at Lu Zhengda's face, brimming with uncontrollable satisfaction.
Had his dad been possessed?!
Lu Zhengda was beyond pleased.
After some thought, he decided to probe further.
"I heard from Assistant Liu that you went to Yuquan Village today?"
"Between Hengshan Village and Yuquan Village, which do you think is better?"
Lu Wenhao froze for a moment.
He immediately recalled the heartfelt gratitude and smiles of the Hengshan villagers after he had won the competition. They had even insisted that the next time he visited, he should eat at their homes instead of cooking for himself.
"Uh..."
He thought the old man was just casually chatting with him.
Thus, Lu Wenhao responded almost instantaneously.
"I like Hengshan Village."
"Oh?" Lu Zhengda's eyes lit up.
His youngest son suddenly seemed to have a good eye for investments?
"Explain in detail."
"Between a health and wellness tourism concept and a family outing theme, which one do you think is better?"
Lu Wenhao had no idea what his dad was getting at.
The moment he heard 'health and wellness', his mind went straight to Bao Ruanruan's stash of... supposedly wellness-related work points!
Those points had completely crushed the rest of their team.
Family outings? No way could they compete with health and wellness!
Besides, as strange as Bao Ruanruan was, fragile-looking but oddly tough...... even he probably couldn't beat her in physical endurance.
And she loved wellness.
"Health and wellness, of course."
"Why do you say that?"
"Uh..."
Lu Wenhao recalled seeing an elderly neighbour with her grandchild come over to ask Bao Ruanruan about the 'golden hours🔗' for sleep.
He confidently replied,
"The moment health preservation is mentioned, the elderly and kids n in the neighbourhood will be wide awake."
Lu Zhengda gave his son a long, thoughtful look.
Crude words, but full of truth.
With that one sentence, he had hit the nail on the head.
—The health and wellness trend was indeed beginning to appeal to younger generations and expand its reach.
Lu Zhengda's gaze was filled with admiration and surprise!
"All right, go have fun."
Just one trip out, and his son had grown!
"I'll tell Assistant Liu to sponsor an additional 10 million yuan for your variety show. Visit more countryside and enjoy yourself."
Lu Wenhao: "???"
What could he do in the countryside?
Play with mud?
Wait!
The old man was actually encouraging him to... have fun?!
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan returned home directly from Yuquan Village.
Her new apartment was a one-bedroom unit arranged by Chen Feng, about 60 square metres.
The kitchen and toilet were well-equipped, and the neighbourhood was quiet. Being in the suburbs, it was free of noise, which she greatly appreciated.
Before entering, she checked the three strands of hair she had placed in the crack and lock of the door.
All were still there.
Her small face relaxed, and she patted her chest in relief.
Then she checked the white walls on either side of the door.
No extra marks that shouldn't be there.
Which meant no one had come to check the place out.
Excellent.
Bao Ruanruan nodded in satisfaction, removed the strands of hair, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
She glanced at the still clean and tidy entryway—no unfamiliar footprints.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Turning around, she latched the chain lock from the inside and tucked three strands of hair under the keys on the entryway table.
After heading into the bathroom for a shower, she let out a satisfied squeal and dashed to her soft bed with a series of quick steps.
With a 'thud', she flopped onto it!
Her slender body bounced an inch off the mattress before settling back down.
Her rosy face rubbed happily against the pillow.
So soft.
So safe.
So perfect.
She was in bliss~
Smiling brightly, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV news.
Flipping onto her back, she reached for her disinfected, waterproofed phone and opened the Jiangcheng Police Department's official WeChat account.
# ...Seized counterfeit mooncakes and alcoholic products... #
Bao Ruanruan: "!
Whoa! She instantly sat up straight.
# The transfer screenshot is real, but why hasn't the money arrived yet? #
Bao Ruanruan blinked and immediately scrolled down.
#While the gas station staff weren't looking, he took advantage...#
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
# Man broke into a house late at night... #
Bao Ruanruan let out a small yelp, her face turning pale, and she quickly tapped to read more.
So he climbed in through the window.
She read it three times.
Her face turned serious as she quickly opened the notebook from the drawer and began writing on a fresh page.
--- Safety issues of living alone.
--- Solutions: Install surveillance cameras (missing); Keep windows closed when not at home; Install window alarms (missing); Move to a residential area with proper security (missing)...
When she finished, she double-checked her notes to make sure she had not missed anything.
Then she opened a shopping app to purchase cameras and other security devices.
She also opened the Lianjia real estate app to look for residential areas with proper security...
But before she could start searching, the home page displayed property prices such as 67,788 yuan/square metre and 92,943 yuan/square metre, nearly blinding her.
All right, exit.
She had confirmed the truth:
All of these were homes she couldn't afford.
[Xue The Exploiter: The Pengmai ad shoot is scheduled for 8 AM tomorrow. Be downstairs on time.]
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath.
A celebrity who doesn't work hard to earn money for a house is not an excellent retired queen.
Fight on!
[Xue The Exploiter has sent you an endorsement contract.]
[Endorsement fee: 3 million yuan. The first payment of 10% will be paid tomorrow; the second payment of 30% after the ad shoot.]
"! "
Bao Ruanruan seemed to have seen a well-secured residence, complete with a private bathroom!
[Xue The Exploiter: You did well this time, so as a reward—]
An image popped up: several golden threads coiled into a bundle.
Bao Ruanruan almost lost her breath.
Was this the legendary wellness treasure, Dendrobium officinale1?
Sweet and slightly cooling, it nourished the yin and soothed the stomach.
Wuwuwu.
Her agent was truly a good agent after all.
Bao Ruanruan quickly sent a 'Thank you, boss' meme, along with a public safety article titled, 'While the gas station staff weren't looking, he took advantage...' as a token of gratitude.
At that moment, Xue Jing was driving and had just pulled into a petrol station. As he reached for the door, his mobile phone buzzed.
His peach-blossomed eyes scanned the title of the article.
"!"
"?"
*
The next day, Bao Ruanruan arrived at the ad shooting site, full of energy.
To her surprise, she immediately recognised some familiar faces.
One was Qian Xuezhou, the girl who had cried during the modelling competition when a snake had coiled around her, clinging to Bao Ruanruan's clothes for dear life.
The other was the black-rimmed glasses-wearing staff member from the sports competition who had handed her a wristband.
But today, he wasn't wearing glasses or a mask.
"You actually recognise me?" Qian Hongyi asked in surprise. "I was wearing a mask that day."
It would be easy for you to die if you forgot about big and small monsters after seeing them once.
"Your left eye has a faint little scar at the inner corner." Bao Ruanruan pointed to the same spot on her own face.
Qian Hongyi was stunned.
That scar was almost invisible now.
"Wow, Sister Bao, you're amazing! My brother fell and almost hit his eye when he was little, leaving a scar. You even noticed that!" Qian Xuezhou's face lit up with admiration as she hooked her arm when she approached Bao Ruanruan.
Bao Ruanruan nodded politely.
Qian Xuezhou blushed. She hadn't told anyone during the competition that she was the young lady of the Qian family.
It was a secret she had kept.
Now, she didn't know how to bring it up.
What could she say?—I am the young lady of the Qian family... Didn't that make her sound both stupid and arrogant?
For once, Qian Xuezhou was at a loss for words.
Her brother, Qian Hongyi, however, was far more straightforward and got straight to the point.
"Today's ad shoot will be done by you and Xuexue. She will play the role of someone who has been kidnapped, and you'll be the hero who rescues her. Wearing Pengmai clothes, you'll look like a character from a parkour game, jumping over rooftops and climbing walls..."
Bao Ruanruan suddenly looked up.
Had she been discovered?
"Don't worry," Qian Hongyi smiled, "I'm not actually asking you to do parkour on rooftops. You'll just perform on flat ground, and we'll add the special effects later."
Bao Ruanruan let out a sigh of relief.
Cold sweat nearly broke out on her back.
"That works."
Flat ground? No problem~
"OK. Head upstairs to the make-up room. We'll officially start filming at nine, and we'll try to finish everything today," Qian Hongyi pointed to the make-up room upstairs.
They had rented a shooting studio.
Normally they would have shot the ad at Pengmai's headquarters in Nancheng, but Qian Xuezhou had insisted on coming to Jiangcheng to visit her saviour.
So, they had to relocate the shoot to Jiangcheng.
After today's shooting, they had to rush back to Nancheng, so their schedule was tight.
Qian Hongyi checked his watch, then stopped his little sister, who was about to follow Bao Ruanruan into the make-up room.
"Brother!"
Qian Xuezhou pouted.
"You promised me you wouldn't disrupt the shoot today."
"I just want to chat with her while she gets her make-up done~"
Qian Hongyi shook his head. "You can't. While she's getting her makeup done, she needs to go over the ad script. The details were only finalised last night, and she hasn't had a chance to review them yet. How can we start filming at nine if she is unprepared?"
Qian Xuezhou was instantly deflated.
Originally, this ad shoot wasn't that urgent.
They could have filmed it a week later.
But she really wanted to see Bao Ruanruan.
The night before, she had a nightmare, dreaming that a large snake had wrapped itself around her again.
She woke up crying, her face drenched in tears and was unable to sleep after that.
Last night, she woke up crying again.
Only when she thought about how bravely Bao Ruanruan had saved her that she felt less afraid in the dark of the night.
So when she heard she had a chance to see Ruanruan again since her second brother was going to shoot an ad with Bao Ruanruan, she begged him to come to Jiangcheng quickly to shoot it.
The sooner, the better.
She was desperate to see her again!
Just now, after seeing Bao Ruanruan, Qian Xuezhou had felt an inexplicable sense of calm wash over her.
Deep down, she trusted and liked Bao Ruanruan. She wanted to stay close to her!
No matter how much time she spent with her, it never felt like enough.
"During the lunch break, you can talk to her as much as you like," Qian Hongyi said, patting his little sister's head helplessly. "If she's willing, you can even invite her to visit our house when she's free."
Qian Xuezhou pouted. "Nancheng is so far away from Jiangcheng. Wouldn't Sis Bao be exhausted travelling back and forth?"
"…"
Your brother came all the way here to shoot an ad, and you don't think he's tired?
Qian Hongyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
His little bottle of jealousy was about to tip over.
Nevertheless, he glanced at the clock. It was almost nine. Frowning slightly, he looked towards the make-up room on the second floor.
Why wasn't Bao Ruanruan ready yet?
The photo studio was a renovated old factory.
The second floor, formerly an office, had been converted into a make-up room.
Four white walls enclosed the space.
Two make-up tables stood side by side, cluttered with make-up bags, scattered brushes, and an array of bottles and jars.
Before leaving home today, Bao Ruanruan had deliberately applied a layer of primer cream.
It was to protect her skin from the potentially harmful effects of low-quality cosmetics.
But just as she was about to sit down and greet the make-up artist, her eyelid twitched.
"Teacher Bao, we meet again," the male make-up artist said with a sly smile as he held a compact powder case in his hand.
It was the same make-up artist from the Dawn set—the one who had darkened her complexion by three or four shades and added freckles to her face.
She still remembered the wallpaper on his phone: it was a poster of Tang Yuxin.
Bao Ruanruan's bright eyes flickered as a faintly warm smile appeared on her pink lips.
"Oh, it's you, Big Brother."
The memories of her escape during the filming of Dawn suddenly resurfaced and flooded her mind.
"I remember you. ‘Swing that big blade at the devil's head2~~'"
The familiar mood. That familiar background music.
And that familiar feeling of wanting to cough up blood.
Zhao Ming, the make-up artist, felt a chill on his forehead as if a cold blade was pressed against him.
He was annoyed.
Who's the devil here?!
"By the way, Big Brother," Bao Ruanruan said, her tone now sincere. "Today's scene isn't about escaping—it's a rescue scene. I think we can go two shades darker than last time. What do you think?"
Zhao Ming: "??"
"My lips can be paler too. Oh, and no need for freckles, but feel free to add some pimples."
"You may not realise this, but rescuing someone is even more dangerous than escaping. I need to blend in a little better!"
Bao Ruanruan felt this fan was truly a great one.
He completely understood her.
How can someone live longer? By staying low-key!
If it weren't for the fact that concealers and powders could be absorbed by the body over time, which was not good for long-term health, she would have loved to darken her skin eight shades every day before stepping out of her home.
She wanted to blend into the shadows and go unnoticed by everyone.
This make-up artist was her soul mate.
She'd realised it from his work the last time they met!
"Oh, and add some dark circles under my eyes," Bao Ruanruan said, pointing at her delicate, bright eyes.
Are you kidding me?!
Zhao Ming almost cursed out loud.
The last time she had deliberately provoked him by darkening her skin to make her look like a castaway, he had been severely reprimanded by the director, who had even told him not to come back the next day!
And now, she was at it again!
Zhao Ming took a deep breath. "Got it."
Half an hour later.
Bao Ruanruan looked up from the ad script she was studying.
In the mirror, she saw... a Snow White who had just walked out of Disneyland.
—Her skin was as white as snow, faintly glowing with the delicate shimmer of diamonds.
—Her soft lips were as red as fire, burning with an intensity that was dazzling and striking.
She looked so stunning it was as if she belonged on a poster.
"???"
You traitorous fan, you've changed.
What happened to keep it low-key?
Hurt, Bao Ruanruan turned to look at the make-up artist, her expression filled with accusation.
—Big Brother, you betrayed me.
The hurt and accusing look in her eyes was full of pitiful reproach.
It was as if he had done something utterly unforgivable.
Zhao Ming's sense of revenge surged instantly.
He felt great!
That's right, I did something terrible to you—
I have enhanced every feature of your face, accentuating your snow-white skin.
I have revealed your pure, breathtaking beauty in all its glory!
Zhao Ming tilted his head back and laughed smugly.
Halfway through his laugh, he froze.
Crap!
What the heck was he thinking, making her face look this stunning just to mess with her?
As Zhao Ming thought about it, he nearly collapsed on the spot.
What the hell are you so upset about?
Bao Ruanruan, looking innocent and pitiful, put on a dark green sports jacket that made her snow-white skin tone stand out even more. She stood up sadly and said, "Big Brother, I'll remember you."
D*mn it, I'll remember you too!
Zhao Ming was so mad his hands started shaking.
Bao Ruoruo felt sad for two seconds but ultimately decided to pull herself together and bravely walked towards the door of the make-up room.
But as she turned the metal doorknob, she stopped.
Zhao Ming saw her hesitation and smirked. "The lock is broken. I may have forgotten to tell you—the door to this room can't be closed all the way or it won't open."
If it couldn't be opened, she'd be stuck inside and end up late for the shoot downstairs!
Of course, being late wasn't the end of the world.
But big brands tend to be superstitious.
If a spokesperson's first shoot involved being locked in a room with a broken door, well, good luck with sales after that... hehe.
Having worked in the industry for years, Zhao Ming knew just how exaggerated these brands could get with their superstitions.
Bad luck.
These words alone were enough for a brand to blacklist someone for good.
Crossing his arms, he looked at the stunningly beautiful Bao Ruanruan with a smirk. "Oh dear, why did the lock have to break today?"
His mood instantly brightened again.
But just as he said that Bao Ruanruan tilted her delicate, snow-white face slightly.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, let me give it a try."
Zhao Ming: "?"
Try what?
Was she planning to call for help?
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: I like this make-up artist, but he's changed!
Footnotes Full List
Image Credit | Frontiers (Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Quality Control of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et. Migo) - a lyric from the Chinese patriotic song called 'The Sword March' during the Japanese invasion in 1937.
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