Bao Ruanruan dragged her luggage into the bare bedroom.
Her heart was still pounding.
What materials were used to make the paint? Formaldehyde, benzene, heavy metals...
Without enough time for ventilation, moving in immediately could be a cancer risk!
"Teacher Bao!" The PD chased after her in disbelief, holding the task card in her hand. "Are you really going to live in bare rooms?"
Bao Ruanruan's bright eyes flickered as she looked around.
Her lips curved into a smile.
"Yep, I love bare rooms."
"!"
[Pffffft!]
The comment section exploded with laughter.
The PD was momentarily stunned.
They had deliberately given Bao Ruanruan the most difficult challenge.
But the way she solved it was simple—she didn't even look at the task card!
"I love bare rooms the most. No need for paint, thank you."
With just one sentence, she left the show's PD dumbfounded.
[hhhh!]
[As long as I don't open the task card, I have no mission.]
[As long as I love bare rooms, I can chill every day!]
[Bao Ruanruan, you're hilarious! I thought chatting for points was already the peak of loophole exploitation, but this takes it to the next level!]
The PD felt a wave of despair.
Fortunately, she clearly remembered: PDs could act fearless, but it was the Director's problem when things went wrong!
She immediately called Zheng Mingchang, who was sipping tea in the director's room.
The next moment, Zheng Mingchang's utterly exasperated face appeared on the live broadcast.
As the Chief Director, he rarely appeared on camera.
That was because the audience didn't care much about his old face—they only wanted to see their favourite celebrities.
But today, the moment he showed up, everyone burst out laughing.
[Director: Do I look like I have a solution?]
[hhhh!]
[Director: I literally just sat down, and now this?!]
[Wasn't the mission about letting guests renovate their dream home? Can someone describe Director Zheng's current mood in one idiom?]
[Regreting one's past deeds1.]
[Feeling remorse and shame]
[At the end of his rope.]
[Lian Po is old!2]
[Hahaha, stop it! I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe.]
Zheng Mingchang glanced at his phone and saw the flood of comments.
He almost lost it there and then.
"…Then ask her what she wants. No paint, fine. But what about tiles? Wallpaper? Does she want a flush toilet in the bathroom? What about the glass roof for the sunroom?"
He rattled off a long list.
[D*mn, how many traps has the director set for Bao Ruanruan?]
[The director is doing his best.]
[The director has many tricks, but unfortunately, he met Bao Ruanruan.]
[There are so many mountains, and with the way the river twists, you think there's no road3, but then there's Bao Ruanruan.]
[On a thousand mountains, not a bird takes flight4, but then there's Bao Ruanruan.]
[Hahaha, stop! You're all top students in the Chinese class, huh?!]
Bao Ruanruan's PD suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. "Got it, Director! I'll ask her right away."
The camera cut back to Bao Ruanruan's bare bedroom.
The room was incredibly bare—no decorations at all. It could only be described as four bare walls and nothing else.
There was just a single iron-framed bed accompanied by a mismatched wooden chair.
There was a collapsible drying rack in the corner near the window.
Otherwise, there was nothing.
Compared to the dream rooms of the first four guests, which were already taking shape but still lacked some dream elements, Bao Ruanyuan's place was indeed in its original state, with very basic living conditions.
Even the furniture seemed to have been cobbled together from the villagers' homes.
The conditions here were simply unacceptable.
[Sigh, Xiao Bao's unfinished room is way too basic.]
[Yeah, she should just do the task already.]
[The director is so sneaky.]
"Teacher Bao, do you think anything is missing from the room?" The PD, now full of hope, gestured around. "Look at this cement floor—it's so dull. Would you like a vanity? A wardrobe?"
Most female celebrities were particular about their living spaces.
They had tons of skincare and make-up products.
They changed outfits at least two or three times a day, especially in the summer when sweat and odour were easy to build up.
All those bottles, jars, and clothes needed proper storage.
After all, many celebrities had expensive shopping habits—a single item of clothing could cost several thousand yuan.
They had to be looked after properly—hung neatly in a wardrobe, with mothballs and dehumidifiers to prevent damage.
For a celebrity like Bao Ruanruan, whose income wasn't exceptionally high, she should be even more careful with her clothes.
"Hanging clothes up keeps them from getting wrinkled." The PD spotted the two or three flimsy hangers in the room and felt even more confident.
But then—
Bao Ruanruan turned her fair face slightly.
Her delicate eyes lifted at the corners.
"It's fine. I have a suitcase."
PD: "......"
"What about a flush toilet? Right now, we only have a squat toilet."
"A squat toilet is great—it helps strengthen my thigh muscles."
[Hahahaha!]
[Help! Someone give the PD some oxygen before she passes out from frustration!]
In utter desperation, the PD went back to find Director Zheng.
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan began to unpack her suitcase.
The cameraman was crouching behind her, filming.
"…Big Brother, why are you staring at me?"
Liu Qian, the cameraman, was usually quiet.
But today, his curiosity got the better of him. "Teacher Bao, why won't you accept the tasks?"
Technically, the cameraman wasn't supposed to talk.
But Liu Qian was too curious. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he didn't get an answer.
"Do you think the tasks are too tiring?"
Bao Ruanruan carefully took out a small tin of Dendrobium officinale5, her movements precise and delicate.
Then she paused for a split second.
"No, it's not that. It's not that I won't accept the tasks."
"?"
"It's just that... I don't need the rewards at all."
The cameraman's hands shook, making the footage wobble.
[Stay strong, bro!]
[Cameraman, don't laugh!]
Bao Ruanruan solemnly placed the Dendrobium onto the lone wooden chair as if making an offering.
Then, she pulled out a portable collapsible kettle.
Her expression was sincere, and she spoke with the gravity of a wise elder, counting on her fingers.
"Wall paint—latex paint releases carcinogenic fumes."
"Flush toilets—installation requires neutral silicone sealant. Main ingredient: sodium silicate. When it hardens, it releases harmful gases."
"Vanity table, wardrobe—new furniture might contain formaldehyde…"
Bao Ruanruan counted on her fingers one by one, her bright eyes filled with silent cries for help.
"I really appreciate these rewards~"
"But I don't want any one of them~"
Cameraman Liu Qian: "!?"
[Haha, I saw this coming!]
[Yup, still the same health-conscious Bao Ruanruan—hasn't changed one bit!]
[Help, I was just about to repaint my son's study and get him a new bookshelf!]
[@above, if you're painting walls, make sure there's good ventilation! Especially for kids with weaker immune systems—never let them stay in a freshly renovated room!]
[The show underestimated this—she's got a point.]
[Am I the only one a little disappointed? If Bao Ruanruan were willing to renovate the sunroom, I could've learned which neutral sealant is the safest and most reliable!]
[+1! Also, which paint brands are the best? I wanted to see her renovate!]
But Bao Ruanruan refused to renovate.
If a new home hadn't been ventilated for at least three months and tested by professionals for indoor pollutants...
She'd rather live in an old house.
"I love bare rooms," Bao Ruanruan concluded.
The cameraman was speechless.
The PD was still trying to find a solution, but there really was none—
Bao Ruanruan simply didn't want any of the rewards.
Desperate, the cameraman made one last attempt for the PD. "What about a glass roof?"
"Why do I need a glass roof to see the sun?"
Bao Ruanruan looked up.
Sunlight streamed directly through the hole in the unfinished ceiling above her head.
Squinting slightly, she raised a hand to let the warm light fall on her fair face.
"See? I can see the sun already."
[Hahahaha!]
[Give up already! You can't just place glass on the roof—it still needs adhesive!]
[I just looked it up - neutral sealant releases toxins as it hardens, and acid sealant contains formaldehyde. So... Bao Ruanruan will never want the glass roof!]
[Exactly! If it were an old glass room, she'd take it. But if it's new and hasn't been ventilated, she definitely won't!]
[Bao Ruanruan: A person with no desires is invincible. 23333🔗]
The live stream chat erupted with excitement.
Director Zheng Mingchang read the flood of comments and suddenly realised his oversight. A mixture of understanding, helplessness, and regret washed over him.
When he saw the viewers' reactions, he finally acknowledged the show's poor planning—
Bao Ruanyuan's sunroom renovation task was completely unworkable.
The task chain was broken.
But—
The production team still had other tricks up their sleeves!
The camera finally moved away from Bao Ruanruan's room and shifted to the other guests.
The show publicly revealed their tasks.
Lan Zhi held up her task card and walked towards Cheng Yao's recording room.
She showed the card to the cameraman—
"My task is to help Cheng Yao purchase a recording equipment set. I'm going to ask him what his specific needs and preferences are."
Meanwhile, Cheng Yao sent a message to Xiao Mengfei and smiled at his PD.
"My task is to help Xiaoxiao build her dream stage."
"I'll have her draw a blueprint first so I can figure out how to make it happen."
Xiao Mengfei, in turn, ran to Lan Zhi's room to help design her tea table layout.
[!!!]
[It's actually a mutual help task card!]
[Ah, I thought they were each on their own this round, and I was even slightly disappointed! So that's how it is; they are still a group!]
[LMAO—so if the three of them are helping each other, does that mean Bao Ruanruan's task was actually supposed to help my Brother Lu?!]
[Hahahaha! No way?!]
[So Brother Lu's task is to help Bao Ruanruan?! Oh my God, this is fate!]
[Enemies forced to help each other? hhhhhh]
Sure enough, the next second, the camera cut to Lu Wenhao—
His face was contorted in pure desperation.
He clutched his phone as he sent a frantic voice message to Cheng Yao.
"Bro… can we please swap task cards?"
[Hahaha, as expected!]
[D*mn, this dramatic task! The production team did it on purpose, didn't they? Making Brother Lu help Bao Ruanruan—I'm dying of laughter! He's even trying to escape!]
[Lu Wenhao: HELP, I have to help my sworn enemy!]
[Lu Wenhao: I never imagined that the thing that would destroy me even faster than Bao Ruanruan's 'Life Saving Card' would be the Task Card.]
[Screenshot for meme — Save me!]
[Pffffft, I'm laughing so hard.]
"What's wrong, Bro?" Cheng Yao's voice came through the phone. "It's not that I don't want to help you, but I've already started my task. Maybe you can ask someone else to swap?"
Lu Wenhao's expression visibly collapsed.
Gritting his teeth, he turned to his junior, Xiao Mengfei. Lately, she'd been looking at him with pure disdain—
Every time they crossed paths, she'd shoot daggers at him with her eyes.
It was as if he'd wronged her somehow!
But—as long as he didn't have to help Bao Ruanruan, he would put up with it!
After some thought, Lu Wenhao typed out a message: [Swap task cards. I'll owe you a favour.]
Not long after, the camera zoomed in on his phone screen.
[Xiao Mengfei: ??? Busy with my task. Do not disturb.]
?
??
Do not disturb?
!!!
Lu Wenhao's eyelid twitched violently.
[Ooooh, my girl is getting more and more badass.]
[Love it! Rejections should be crystal clear—no room for false hope.]
[Hahaha, I'm obsessed with this powerful Xiao Xiao!]
[So cool~]
Lu Wenhao's face darkened. He flipped his phone over with a loud thud with the screen down on the table.
He thought about messaging Teacher Lan Zhi next.
But before he could, his phone buzzed.
[Cheng Yao: Bro, Lan Zhi is already here to help me. Maybe you should ask Xiao Xiao?]
Lu Wenhao stared at the message, stunned.
Lan Zhi, Cheng Yao, Xiao Mengfei—all three were already busy with their tasks.
Which meant... they were all helping someone else.
Lu Wenhao glanced around his room.
Apart from the cameraman and the PD, he was the only one here.
The person who was supposed to help him never even showed up.
Standing up, he ran to the window and looked toward the path leading to his room.
The road was completely deserted, not a soul in sight.
Lu Wenhao: "!"
[Hahaha, kiddo, did you just realise it?]
[LMAO, I'm dead.]
"…Bao Ruanruan's task card is to help me?" Lu Wenhao finally pieced it together and looked up at the staff.
The expression on the staff member's face was neither a confirmation nor a denial.
"! "
Lu Wenhao rubbed his forehead—he knew the answer.
For a moment, the corners of his lips twitched between a smirk and a frown, switching back and forth.
Helping Bao Ruanruan still felt weird.
Sure, at this point, there was an 80% chance she was genuinely his fan.
But setting aside the drama between her and his older brother—
He had badmouthed her so much before. Now, if he suddenly turned around and helped her... his pride just wouldn't allow it.
However, if she comes to help him first...
He could also be generous enough to help her in return!
"Alright, I'll just wait for her to come."
Lu Wenhao finally felt at ease.
[??!]
[Kiddo! You're gonna be waiting forever!]
[I kinda feel bad for him… but this is hilarious.]
[I'm curious—how long will you wait? (dog head emoji)]
[Boys, take notes. If you don't make the first move... heh.]
Lu Wenhao picked up his mobile phone.
But this time, he didn't open Honour of Kings— Instead, he pulled up a video of an elite international street dance crew and began to study it seriously.
[Huh?]
[Wait, my kid's not playing today??]
[Being in a study room really does boost productivity—my boy is actually researching dance techniques!?]
[Omg, I was just feeling bad for him, but now—Bao Ruanruan, I'm begging you, don't show up! I'll pay you a lot!]
[? I thought Lu fans would be furious with Bao Ruanruan.]
[Lu fans' official statement: Whoever helps our boy improve his stage skills is our benefactor.]
[hhh Are you guys for real?]
To be honest, Lu Wenhao wasn't precisely the most skilled member of today's boy groups.
As soon as he debuted, he relied on his face, which attracted a lot of girlfriend and mom fans.
But, a year after his debut, some of his original fans had already left.
Some had moved on to other boy groups because his stage skills hadn't improved.
Others found that Lu Wenhao no longer felt fresh after a while—their excitement for idol life faded, and they gradually returned to their work and daily routines.
Meanwhile, the remaining fans became anxious.
New talent shows popped up every year.
New boy groups debuted every year.
They were terrified that their idol would be left behind.
If you don't move forward, you will fall behind.
As they watched their fellow fans leave one by one, they desperately hoped that Lu Wenhao would step up—that he'd show off a charm that no other idol had.
But...
He came from a wealthy family.
He never had to worry about food or money.
While others were grinding, he was chilling, playing games.
Even his social media posts became less and less.
They could only worry helplessly. There was nothing they could do to change him.
And yet—
Who could have predicted this?
On a public variety show, today of all days—
Their child, their husband, their idol was actually working hard!
Please.
Let him keep going.
Don't let him stop.
If Bao Ruanruan refused to open her task card?
Then she would officially become the Greatest Benefactor of the Lu Fandom!
The camera zoomed in on Lu Wenhao's phone screen.
The comments section erupted.
[Wait, isn't that NFIE, the world's No.1 dance crew?]
[OMG, I know them! Didn't they just win an award this year?]
[Not just this year—they've been champions for five years in a row!]
[Whoever says my boy isn't smart—look at him studying his best!]
At the Lu family home.
Lu Zhengda had cancelled his golf meetup that Saturday.
He turned to his assistant and asked, "What's Xiao Hao doing? Can I watch him live?"
Special Assistant Zhou had been with the old man for years. He knew how much attention the boss had paid to his youngest son lately.
He also knew that Lu Zhengda had recently started to think that maybe that kid had potential-perhaps he was worth investing in.
So Special Assistant Zhou immediately smiled as he replied, "Yes, sir, it's a live feed. Right now, it's Xiao Hao's segment."
Knowing the boss would ask, he had been keeping close tabs on the show.
The moment the video loaded, Lu Zhengda was greeted by a flood of on-screen comments:
[BREAKING NEWS! Brother has been studying for 1 hour and 36 minutes!]
[Congratulations! Brother has written three lines of notes already!]
[Spinning around happily~ Brother hasn't played Honour of Kings once today~!]
Lu Zhengda: "!"
Not playing games? And actually, studying?
Special Assistant Zhou seized the moment and flattered him at just the right time. "Young Master Xiao Hao has finally grown up."
Lu Zhengda felt like he was sipping hot tea in the middle of winter—pleasant, soothing, and warm, spreading through his heart.
For a brief moment, his aged eyes almost welled up with tears of relief.
"Good!"
"Special Assistant Zhou, tell me, how did Xiao Hao suddenly—"
Before he could finish, a wave of comments floated across the screen, right over Lu Wenhao's hard-working forehead.
[Honestly, I really have to thank Xiao Bao. That time in the car, her words had truly woke my brother up. Isn't that why he's studying today?]
[Ohhh, you mean that part?! When she said, 'If you haven't earned anything through your own efforts, you'll have to pay for it some other way'!]
[Yeah! And she even made him sign a contract before letting him use the WiFi to play games! My bro was so mad at the time, but didn't that basically cure his gaming addiction?!]
[Now that I think about it, he hasn't played much since that day. His online hours have been dropping every day.]
[Exactly! And she's taught him so much! How to wash vegetables, do the dishes, and even do chores that can exercise your fingers and brain... My bro used to be super lazy, but now he's actually changing!]
[Yes! You guys are literally saying everything I've been thinking!]
Lu Zhengda stared, completely stunned.
Then, after a long pause—
He clapped his hands and burst out laughing.
"Brilliant!"
Special Assistant Zhou: "?"
"Why didn't I think of disciplining him like this before?!"
Special Assistant Zhou: "!"
Lu Zhengda slapped the table.
"Go! Prepare a grand gift and deliver it to that girl in person!"
"And also, tell Wenyao—see if our company has any endorsements or business deals that would suit the female guests of this show. Give her some opportunities!"
Special Assistant Zhou hesitated.
That girl… was Bao Ruanruan. The one who ruined Lu Wenyao's engagement ceremony.
But before he could say a word, Lu Zhengda's phone rang. He picked it up and started chatting with an old friend, sounding extremely pleased with himself.
"Ah, Old Zhao, listen, I finally figured out why Xiao Hao stopped playing! You should try this on your son, too! Hahaha! My boy may not have much self-control, but he's smart! I'm telling you, once he sets his mind to something, he won't lose to my eldest!"
Special Assistant Zhou hesitated for a moment.
But after ten minutes, Lu Zhengda was still on the phone. Thinking it over, Special Assistant Zhou decided to follow the boss's orders first.
Because from what he'd just heard...
The old man's scales had already tipped.
And Lu Wenhao... was now slightly ahead of Lu Wenyao.
So—
So what if Bao Ruanruan ruined an engagement ceremony?
She had just saved the precious life of a lost young man!
Special Assistant Zhou immediately called Lu Wenyao and told him the old man's meaning.
Lu Wenyao, who was working in the company: "???"
"Special Assistant Zhou, please say it aga; I may not have heard you clearly."
Who should he send the endorsement to?
It was almost time for dinner.
Bao Ruanruan had finally finished reading 100 Small Steps to a Healthy Family Life.
The unfinished room was still the same unfinished room.
But now the interior had changed drastically.
The simple iron bed frame was not only spotless but also disinfected and scrubbed with alcohol.
It was now covered with a dark green silk three-piece bed linen set.
Two dark green pillows, one high and one low, were placed side by side on the bed. The pillowcases were embroidered with words: the left one read 'longevity', and the right one read 'hundred years'.
They matched Bao Ruanruan's pyjamas.
And the old wooden chair, positioned to the left of the bed, had been thoroughly cleaned.
All its sharp corners and four legs had been fitted with dark green cotton covers with elastic bands, so there was no need to worry about getting injured after bumping into them at night.
There was also a hollow memory foam cushion on the chair's surface.
Two suitcases were stacked next to it, temporarily serving as a table and covered with a layer of translucent white lace cloth.
Bao Ruanruan's tea set sat on it.
Her small Bluetooth speaker was playing light music, and a transparent glass bottle containing the green, bright foxtail grass she had just picked from the roadside at noon was also on the makeshift table.
[Cosy!]
[Bao Ruanruan knows how to live!]
[Suddenly, I feel that this kind of original unfinished room is quite tasteful!]
[Yes, it feels so comfortable~]
[Wow, this shot is so beautiful~ Looking at it, even I, who have to work overtime, feel like I have come to a small villa; the picture makes me relax!]
[I'm struggling with my thesis right now, but... this room... ahhh, I want to live here so badly! It feels like a real-life escape! I bet all my stress would disappear! I'm so jealous of Bao Ruanruan!]
[Seriously. The moment the camera switched to Bao Ruanruan, I felt like the whole pace of the world slowed down...]
[Who would've thought? Of the five rooms, the most dilapidated turned out to be the most idyllic!]
[So this is what a simple and healthy life looks like! Wuwuwu—will Hengshan Village ever rent this house out?]
[+1! Watching this makes me want to live in an unfinished house, too! I don't want to renovate anymore!]
Comfort was a subtle kind of atmosphere.
Some people might be resting, but they didn't actually look relaxed.
But Bao Ruanruan? Even when she was simply reading, she exuded pure ease.
Her expression showed how much she was genuinely enjoying herself—
It was as if every passing second was extending her life, stretching it out, making it last just a little longer...
Of course, that was also because she was sipping on a cup of warm Dendrobium tea.
A light fragrance slid down her throat.
Nourishing. Soothing.
"—"
Ahhh~ Comfort.
One sip = two more days of life, at least.
Bao Ruanruan happily squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
She put down her book, stretched out her limbs like a cat, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.
"Hmm... seems like it's getting late."
She gazed at the lush greenery outside, opened the window, and did another round of eye exercises.
Then, touching her stomach, she checked her phone.
Sure enough—it was already 5:30 pm.
"Time to head over to Grandma Zhang's for dinner."
The PD beside her: "......"
[HAHAHAHAHA!]
[WTF! Watching this while working overtime is so healing!]
[Damn, this feels like a sneak peek into my retirement life...]
[LMAO, everyone else is busy working, and our dear Xiao Bao is just… chilling.]
[Excuse me?! Chilling?? My girl is seriously practising the art of longevity!]
[Exactly! LOL, I basically just watched an entire Traditional Chinese Medicine wellness routine for an afternoon! Someone, please summarise!]
[Gotcha! Here's a rough outline (corrections welcome):
- 12:00 – Lunch → 30-minute walk
- 13:00 – 30-minute nap
- 13:30 – Stretching to wake up the body; drink half a cup of warm water
- 14:00 – Reading
- 14:45 – Stand up, look off into the distance (eye rest); drink more water, 5-minute toilet break
- 15:00 – Reading resumes, accompanied by light music
- 15:45 – Stand up, look off into the distance again; drink a full cup of water, make herbal tea (suspected to be Dendrobium)
- ...
- 17:30 – Dinner (to be continued...)]
[Omg, THANK YOU, note-taker! Screenshot saved!]
[This is my plan from now on. I'm on a break, but I'm about to start studying for my postgraduate entrance exams—who else can relate?!]
[I get it! I'm going to follow her routine—read books with her, fix my sleep schedule, and stop staying up late!]
[+1! Bao Ruanruan, can you start a solo livestream? I could literally watch you all day long and live a healthier life with you!]
While the other guests were busy hustling, her space felt like a hidden paradise—
She drew the audience in and immersed them in a sense of relaxation, as if they were on a vacation.
Bao Ruanruan spent her afternoon with a cup of fragrant tea and a good book.
Breathing in the crisp mountain air, free from stress and worry.
But for the PD, the frustration was growing by the second.
"Teacher Bao, maybe you should check your group chat?"
The five guests didn't have to hand in their phones this time.
They were in a public 'Chasing Dream' five-person group chat.
At first, no one talked, but by 2-3 pm, the chat had exploded with activity.
Since they were all working in different places, they had to rely on their phones to coordinate.
[XiaoXiao: Teacher Lan, what kind of table should we get? Round or square?@TeacherLanZhi]
[ChengYao: @XiaoXiao, I'm going to install a ring of lights on the stage—with multicoloured bulbs. Is that okay?]
[LanZhi: @XiaoCheng, take a look at these recording studio models. If they work, I'll have them shipped.]
The three of them communicated non-stop.
Even during lunch, Xiao Mengfei and Cheng Yao ate together—discussing how to set up the sound system for the stage.
Cheng Yao, a music major, and Xiao Mengfei, who specialised in stage production, made a great team.
Meanwhile, Lan Zhi flooded the chat with lists of recording equipment—microphones, headphones, mixers, soundproofing panels—of every possible brand and model, all for Cheng Yao to review.
The group chat never stopped buzzing.
It went on and on.
Even after 3 pm, it didn't slow down.
Everyone was working, and just a glance at the chat would motivate someone to be productive.
But Bao Ruanruan?
She simply chose not to look.
She had barely touched her phone all afternoon.
"PD Liu, last week you asked me why my neck didn't hurt, my eyes didn't feel dry, and my skin had gotten better since I came to Hengshan Village, which you found hard to believe... do you remember?"
Bao Ruanruan blinked her clear, bright eyes and tucked her phone into her small bag.
As she spoke, she started heading out—to crash a free meal.
Accompanying PD: "...Uh, because the air here is good?"
Bao Ruanruan whispered, "It's because I've been using a folk remedy here in Hengshan Village."
Accompanying PD: "?"
"I don't usually tell people this."
The PD instinctively perked up.
Bao Ruanruan smiled and lightly patted her hand.
"—Put down your phone."
Accompanying PD: "..."
[HAHAHAHA!]
[I KNEW IT! There's no way Longevity Queen Bao would be addicted to something as radiation-heavy as a phone!]
[LMAO, honestly, ever since I started prepping for exams and barely using my phone, my skin has gotten better!]
Bao Ruanruan closed her bedroom door behind her while playfully bobbing her head.
"Small text, glaring screen, radiation exposure—these will damage your optic nerves, darken your skin from melanin buildup, and even deform your second cervical vertebra from looking down too much..."
"Group chats? I never check them."
"If it's really important, they'll call me."
Accompanying PD: "!"
[Which means—no way in hell Lu Wenhao will call her for help.]
[LMAO, what a perfect deadlock. One refuses to check her phone; the other is too proud to ask first.]
[Can't the PD just tell her the task?]
[…That would break the rules of the show. The staff are not allowed to interfere with the task's progress.]
[To be honest, the production team is deliberately not telling her. Everyone knows she and Lu Wenhao are at a standstill, and the director has probably been waiting all afternoon for him to make the first move.]
[Exactly. If Lu Wenhao comes to her for help, of course, she'll find out what her task is, and their whole standoff can finally thaw out.]
[I'm excited to see what happens next.]
But just as the comments section got sentimental, a flood of '???' filled the screen.
After stepping out of the sunlit cottage with the PD, Bao Ruanruan took something out of her small bag—a tiny case about the size of an earbuds case.
She flipped it open and carefully pulled out three long strands of black hair about the length of a palm.
[?]
[??]
[What is this?? Some kind of ritual?]
[Sis, this is getting creepy…]
But soon, Bao Ruanruan carefully slid the three hairs through the narrow opening of the bedroom door.
She adjusted the position slightly.
Now, no one would notice at a glance that something was wedged in the door gap.
Only then did she nod in satisfaction.
But soon after, she reached into her bag again—and pulled out a portable pet surveillance camera.
Accompanying PD: "???"
Bao Ruanruan placed the camera on the living room's windowsill, where the roof had large open sections.
She adjusted the angle.
Then, she checked the monitoring feed on her phone.
She rotated the camera 180 degrees.
Now, she could see the entrance from the front door and the view through the open roof.
Accompanying PD: "Teacher Bao, what are you doing?"
"Nothing. Just some home security measures before leaving."
"......!"
[HAHAHAHA! No way, I'm dying—what home security measures?!]
[HELP! Is she serious?? Bao Ruanruan, what is going on inside that little head of yours?!]
[Bao Ruanruan: Broad daylight or not, I am afraid someone will climb the walls.]
[LOL PLEASE]
[Just a moment ago, this was a wellness channel—now it's turned into a true crime documentary!]
[Xiao Bao! You're worrying too much. With the crew present, it wouldn't go that far.]
She didn't think so.
Bao Ruanruan was determined to keep that camera up, refusing to listen to the PD's attempts to remove it.
She even wedged three more strands of hair by the main door.
A girl living alone must know how to protect herself.
The sunroom was already far from the main residential area of Hengshan Village.
Once night fell—if something did happen, even if she screamed until her throat bled, no one would come to save her!
"PD, you must listen to what the police say."
"?"
Right then and there, Bao Ruanruan pulled out a public safety article she had read just days ago—Man broke into a house late at night...—and immediately recommended it to this alarmingly safety-unconscious female PD.
"Add me as a friend, I'll send it to you. You have to read it carefully."
"Do you know self-defence? Trained in Taekwondo? Judo? Boxing?"
"No? Then you need to be even more careful."
Accompanying PD: "......"
Would it still be too late if she signed up for classes now?
[D*mn, hhhhh, I'm laughing so hard I'm cramping up!]
[HELP! I actually just opened WeChat and searched for that article!]
[I live alone! The title alone already made me panic! Wait, what brand was that security camera? Did anyone catch it?]
[Sis, I live alone too! I'm already halfway through the police article—hurry up and read it! It has tips on how to strengthen home security at the end!]
[Oh God, I was just about to check it out... I'm living alone in Beijing right now.]
[I'm alone in my dorm these days. Dorms should be safe, right?]
Even Zheng Mingchang, the director, who had built up a strong resistance to surprises, was baffled by the direction of the chat.
He had never expected this.
After the impromptu marketplace sales live stream, his variety show would now turn into a public safety awareness programme (not really, but still).
[No need to panic; everything's fine! Bao Ruanruan is just overly cautious.]
[Yeah, exactly.]
But just as these comments appeared—
Not long after Bao Ruanruan left, a tall, hesitant figure started approaching the house under the cover of dusk.
"Ahem... She's gone to eat?"
"Then can I go in now to measure the roof dimensions?"
"Wait, PD, you go in first! Check if there's... anything I shouldn't see. Then I'll go in!"
With a conflicted expression on his face, Lu Wenhao finally mustered the courage to approach the sunroom now that the sun had set.
[??]
After receiving a confirming nod from his female PD, Lu Wenhao slowly pushed open the sunroom door.
It wasn't locked.
But with a creak—
Three strands of hair fell to the floor.
The chat exploded with exclamation marks.
And just as his PD nodded to confirm that the coast was clear—
His tall figure confidently stepped right into the path of the pet surveillance camera.
[! HOLY SH*T!]
Lu Wenhao froze, slowly turned his head and locked eyes with the live-stream audience.
For a split second, his perpetually annoyed expression flashed with a hint of nervousness.
"Wait, wait—camera guy, PD, swear to me again! You are NOT allowed to tell her that I'm doing this task for her!"
"She can't know I was here!"
[!!!]
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: I, Survival Queen Bao, am a different kind of firework~
Footnotes Full List
- Chinese idiom: Regret having made the wrong choice in the first place.
- This phrase comes from the historical story of General Lián Pō in ancient China. It is often used metaphorically to express regret over ageing or declining ability.)
Translation taken from Classic Chinese Poetry (https://www.classicchinesepoetry.com/2022/03/traveling-to-a-village-west-of-the-mountain-%E6%B8%B8%E5%B1%B1%E8%A5%BF%E6%9D%91/). This comes from the poem 游山西村 (Travelling To A Village West Of The Mountain)" by Lu You (http://en.chinaculture.org/focus/focus/cities/2010-08/11/content_390569.htm), and the full couplet is:
"山穷水尽疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。"
Which means:
"Just when the mountains and rivers seem to end, beyond the willows and flowers, another village appears."
It conveys the idea that hope and possibility can emerge even in desperate situations. This comment makes the phrase seem ironic because there's still another obstacle called Bao Ruanruan 🤣.
- Translation is taken from 100 Tang Poems (https://100tangpoems.wordpress.com/2017/12/25/%E6%B1%9F%E9%9B%AA-river-snow-liu-zongyuan/). This sentence is taken from the opening line of the poem "江雪" (River Snow) by Liu Zongyuan. It paints a stark, desolate winter scene, emphasising silence and solitude. Again, it's an ironic twist to the line when this comment inserts Bao Ruanruan. It's like she just disturbed the Director's solitude. 🤣
Image Credit | Frontiers (Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Quality Control of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et. Migo)
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