The sight of book after book on elderly care and safety science left Lu Wenhao completely stunned.
He had never imagined this situation.
Things had somehow taken such an unexpected turn!
The books they had given him for the study room he wanted—no, wait, even though he wasn't exactly a fan of studying—... were all books on elderly care, which had absolutely nothing to do with his dreams!
"Whoever wants to thank me, I'm right here~" Bao Ruanruan stood behind the grandpas and grandmas, her small, pale face tilted upward as she weakly raised her hand.
Lu Wenhao nearly coughed up blood on the spot.
[Hahaha! WTF!]
[Lu Wenhao: No, you misheard.]
[Lu Wenhao: It definitely wasn't me.]
[If time could be rewound, my bro would probably go back and strangle his past self for saying something about being grateful!]
[Let me guess—how many life-saving cards he will have to pay this time? Will it be an upgraded LV3 version?]
Bao Ruanruan clasped her hands behind her back and walked through the crowd.
Her fair little face turned slightly pink as she looked at Lu Wenhao, a hint of embarrassment showing.
"I was too shortsighted yesterday."
Lu Wenhao was momentarily stunned.
Bao Ruanruan's bright eyes sparkled as she continued,
"I thought about it the whole night after I got back. The task for the self-study room is still necessary."
"The topics of modern safety protection and personal health management are evolving rapidly, incorporating many new domestic and international research experiments. Knowledge is constantly being updated."
"Studying is essential. We must continue to learn, keep ourselves up to date and use this knowledge even when we are a hundred years old."
As she spoke, the surrounding grandpas and grandmas nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Lu Wenhao's eye twitched.
Safety? Health?
What did any of that have to do with him?
This room was supposed to be his dream room… His dream was to succeed through his own efforts without relying on his family!
"It's okay. Grandpa and Grandma have some special treasures that can also help you with your dream~"
Bao Ruanruan's words were met with warm smiles from the elderlies around them as they handed him a stack of books.
The books' covers looked very familiar.
And even the scent smelled familiar.
— Fifth Grade Chinese Language
— Third Year Middle School Chemistry
— Second Year High School Mathematics
…
Lu Wenhao: "!?"
[hhhh, my poor kid's low IQ has been exposed!]
[But honestly, I bet he really can't do high school maths.]
[Mwahaha, big bro, let's do chemistry worksheets together!]
[Even idols have to study! Set a good example! Full support!]
"Good luck. Knowledge is the ladder to your independence."
Bao Ruanruan nodded at him.
Lu Wenhao: "!"
I suspect you're mocking me—and I have proof.
But before he could say anything, Bao Ruanruan had already clasped her hands behind her back and was leading the grandpas and grandmas on a leisurely stroll along the picturesque countryside path.
He could still hear her soft, gentle voice from afar.
"Keep learning, keep exercising your brain every day, and our brain cell functions will continue to improve. The rate of brain cell decline will slow down significantly, reducing our chances of developing Alzheimer's ~ When we have some free time, let's do some maths problems~"
"Alright, tomorrow I'll go to the self-study room and flip through my granddaughter's textbooks to give it a try."
"Sounds good! I'll have a look at my grandson's high school chemistry book. Maybe I can even tutor him after I finish studying!"
"Ruanruan, dear, you're absolutely right! From now on, this will be our health maintenance library!"
[Ah, I see!]
[So half the books are about health and safety, and the other half are textbooks—got it!]
[Did you learn today's life hack from Ruanruan?]
[You can always count on Bao Ruanruan when it comes to studying! Not only does she study, but she makes the whole village study too!]
[This is insane—I want to visit Hengshan Village even more now. What kind of legendary retirement paradise is this turning into? Will every villager end up living to a hundred?]
[Might as well rename it Longevity Village (no offence—it's actually a good thing)!]
"...Xiao Bao, Hengshan Public Security would like to invite you to film a video on self-protection for people living alone."
During the lunch break, Zheng Mingchang personally came to look for her again.
He was helpless, yet he still had to come.
As expected, Bao Ruanruan shot him a resentful look—the kind that said, You won't even let me sleep.
Zheng Mingchang: "..."
Just as he was about to find the right words, Bao Ruanruan's bright eyes flickered, and she nodded.
"A self-protection video? Sure, I'll do it."
The moment this topic came up, she was suddenly wide awake.
She could sacrifice her nap for now.
"This is a really important issue—something we can spend a lifetime learning about."
[Pfft!]
[Yes, everything you say is absolutely right!]
[Why do I find her cuter the more I watch her?]
[She was all set for a healthy afternoon nap, but then she got up just to educate people—so well-behaved!]
As Bao Ruanruan walked to the window and pulled back the dark green curtains, she asked, "Will many people watch this self-protection video?"
"We will broadcast it as an interlude during the programme. The live stream alone is expected to have over 20 million viewers; even more will see it when the full episode is aired."
Zheng Mingchang hadn't expected her to ask that.
But when he thought about it, it made sense.
Any celebrity filming a programme would naturally want more people to watch their video.
Everyone wanted to go viral.
"Oh," Bao Ruanruan grinned, clearly pleased. "That's a lot of people!"
"With 20 million viewers, if each of them gives a little suggestion, they can help me find all the gaps I missed!"
Zheng Mingchang: "...? Huh?"
Bao Ruanruan looked at the camera and smiled brightly. "There is strength in numbers. My methods are just personal suggestions, and there are bound to be mistakes. I hope everyone will actively share their feedback so that we can better improve home security and self-protection!"
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
He truly hadn't seen that coming.
[She really is a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry, huh?]
[I'm actually touched this time.]
[So humble.]
[I hadn't planned to watch this educational segment, but now I'm wide-eyed, not missing a single move she makes! I'm in! Girls across the country, let's unite!]
[I'm a guy, but I need to protect myself too! Sister at the front, take me with you~]
[Let's do this together, hahaha! This is actually fun! I'll see if I can spot any gaps in her self-defence methods—I've been living alone in Jiangcheng for three years, so I have some experience.]
The live chat was more intense than any previous flood of hahahas.
Meanwhile, Director Zheng Mingchang told Bao Ruanruan to take ten minutes to think about how she wanted to present the topic.
What he didn't expect was that this supposedly boring ten-minute wait only caused the number of live viewers to skyrocket.
In just ten minutes, the audience count jumped from just over 20 million to almost 40 million—
And the number was still going up.
[I called my sisters to join in.]
[+1, I sent it to my female colleagues.]
[I shared it in my college dorm group.]
[I dropped the link in all my bestie group chats!]
[Girls need to protect girls! Sorry, good-looking guys living alone, you can join too (just kidding).]
Chasing Dream had once again set a new livestream record.
Even Zheng Mingchang was starting to get nervous. "Xiao Bao, how long can you talk later?"
With so many people tuning in, she couldn't just say a few words and be done, could she?
"Not too long; I'll just walk everyone through the house."
Director Zheng panicked. "Then walk slower! Say more!"
Bao Ruanruan: "??"
She didn't quite understand the director's logic.
And she had no intention of following it.
After filming the self-protection video, she still had to nap and regain her energy.
Director Zheng: "..."
I beg you.
But in the end, thirty minutes later, Zheng Mingchang found himself watching Bao Ruanruan, still speaking fluently and not the least bit tired.
He heard her say, "This is the eighteenth key point. Please take a moment to digest it. Alright, now moving on to the second part—another eighteen key points..."
His knees nearly buckled.
How many points do you have?!
I'm begging you!
You can stop now!
What was supposed to be a slow-paced rural variety show was about to become a news broadcast!
*
"Boss, the final payment of 2 million for An An's alarm system investment last week has already been transferred to their account."
Chen Feng gave his report in the Jingtian Studio.
"This time, we've invested a total of 8 million in the An'an alarm system. In the second half of this year, we plan to spend another 2 million on marketing to boost its sales. The goal is to break even by the first quarter of next year."
Xue Jing took off his gold-rimmed glasses and let out a quiet hmm.
But just as he was about to pick up his phone, Chen Feng suddenly cursed.
"F***! The sales backend must be broken! The sales of the alarm system just skyrocketed by 10,292% in one minute—holy sh*t, over 14,000 units sold instantly! That's impossible!"
Xue Jing: "..."
This... felt strangely familiar.
"Is Bao Ruanruan filming a self-defence public service announcement?"
Chen Feng: "!"
On the Chasing Dream livestream, Bao Ruanruan was still speaking confidently, holding a small box in her hand.
"I recently discovered this little gadget."
"If you pull off the chain, it immediately blasts a deafening sound."
"If you're walking home alone after work or school, and you notice someone following you as you approach your apartment entrance, residential area, or office building, you can pull the cap off right away. This thing is loud enough to attract everyone's attention—it's like ten girls screaming for help at once!"
As she spoke, she hid the device under the table and gave it a quick pull.
A high-decibel alarm immediately blasted out, the music sharp and jarring.
"The attacker might get scared and run away."
"And good Samaritans nearby might even come to your aid."
[Holy sh*t, where has this been all my life?!]
[I need to see the brand!]
[Why are you hiding it?! I need to see what it looks like! — Wait, I searched on TB and found something called the An'an Alarm System. The song it plays sounds just like this one!]
[Ordering now.]
[Aaaaaa, everyone, slow down! If you don't live alone, hold yourself from buying! Let's leave the limited stock for girls who live alone!]
[I'm a guy, so I'll wait a week before getting mine~]
[LMAO, okay, so you must be pretty damn attractive, bro~]
The comments section exploded, but the number of active viewers soon dropped significantly.
Apparently, people had rushed off to buy it.
Bao Ruanruan paused for a moment. "But there's something very important to remember!"
"If you're alone at home and a criminal breaks in and locks the door behind them, you must use this with caution—don't provoke them unnecessarily!"
Her voice grew sharper.
"We girls are delicate and soft. Our physical strength simply doesn't compare to that of most men."
"A strong adult male can overpower a weaker girl in as little as ten seconds."
"If you're in an isolated, enclosed space with no one around to help you and no way to escape, be extra careful. Don't recklessly provoke an attacker and put yourself in more danger."
"For example, earlier, when I was walking back to the sunroom with the cameraman, there were no houses or pedestrians within 700 metres. In that situation, I didn't use the alarm's screaming function."
[That makes sense!]
[I love how honest and thorough you are, Ruanruan! You always tell us both the pros and cons!]
[If it's Bao Ruanruan, I trust her research.]
[Now I'm hesitating... should I still buy this alarm?]
"But it has a second function—double-click the button on top."
Bao Ruanruan demonstrated fake clicking moves on the device.
"It will immediately send a message and location to your emergency contact. The alarm company's customer service team will also receive an alert and attempt to reach your emergency contact right away."
"It also starts recording audio when you double-click on it."
"If you're in a situation where you can't get your phone out, this little device can be a real lifesaver."
[What kind of god-tier invention is this?!]
[Let me see what it looks like, Ruanruan! Is it the An'an Alarm System?]
[I'm on my knees—tell me the brand!]
"I can't show you what it looks like."
"Because criminals might see this video."
[!!]
"The alarm has to be something that can take people by surprise. If a criminal sees and recognises this device, they might be on their guard the moment you take it out."
"So, I suggest you don't post it on your social media. If you want to recommend it to a friend, do it privately. Let's keep this as unknown to the bad guys as possible."
[!Ah!]
[Soga!1]
"Also, don't forget to set up emergency contacts on your phone."
[Got it!!!]
[Setting mine to my dad right now!]
"Next, let's talk about security for locked doors and windows—
1. Window restrictor locks,
2. Door stoppers,
3. Security cameras..."
"Now, let's talk about indoor security measures—
1. Hang men's clothes by the window,
2. Close the curtains before leaving,
3. Place an extra pillow on the bed,
4. Leave extra men's slippers inside and outside the entrance..."
[Holy shit, this is gold!]
[Help, slow down! I missed some notes!]
[No wonder all the windows in that empty house have curtains!]
[Ah, that's why Ruanruan has two pillows on her bed!]
[Omg, I feel so much safer now~]
[I need to know the brands of those door stoppers and window locks in 10 seconds!]
[Someone help me take notes!]
The Chasing Dream livestream skyrocketed to 53 million views!
Footnotes Full List
- the writer of this comment was referring to the Japanese word そうか (Sō ka), which means 'I see', 'Is that so?'. I guess they heard it as soga rather than sō ka.
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